Friday, December 31, 2010

Ancestor Approved

The Ancestor Approved Award is still going around and I've been fortunate enough to receive it again from:

Cheri Daniels of Journeys Past
Lazylover at Slowly Being Driven Mad by the Ancestors
Dee-Burris from Shakin' the Family Tree

I can't thank them enough for thinking enough of The Turning of Generations to include it in their Ancestor Approved Award.

The Ancestor Approved Award asks that the recipient list ten things you have learned about any of your ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlighted you and pass the award along to ten other bloggers who you feel are doing their ancestors proud.

Surprised

My great grandfather, John Eugene Roos, established the Cheney Bakery in the young town of Cheney, Washington where my grandfather and father grew up. I have many fond memories of the time our family spent there on visits during my childhood.

My great great grandfather, Jean Nicolas Georger, had a saloon in Cheney called Nick's Place.

My great grandmother, Hulda Haun Mitchell committed suicide in Tum Tum, Washington by throwing herself in the Spokane River when her youngest child was only 10 months old.

The extended family who settled in Stillwater County, Montana during the late 1800's, is more extensive than I ever could have imagined and I am still discovering more.

Andrew Jackson's wife, Rachel Donelson is my 1st cousin six times removed.

Daniel A. Robinson, my great great grandfather, was an early settler and community leader in Boulder, Colorado. He continued service to his community when he moved to Columbus, Montana for the last few years of his life.

Humbled

My grandfather, Richard Roos, served overseas during World War I. He reported for duty just a few months after the death of his mother.

Elizabeth Haun, my great great grandmother, emigrated from Germany with her husband and young family which included my great grandmother, Hulda Haun, who was just an infant. That had to have been a challenging and difficult trip.

Enlightened

There are so many ancestors in my tree who were farmers. They contributed to the settlement of our great country by moving west and making a living off the land.

By the same token, there are also quite a few ancestors who were businessmen, leaders and contributors to their communities in a variety of ways. This includes my parents. I can't help but feel that they passed on a belief of and commitment to community service to each succeeding generation all the way down to my children. I tip my hat to them.

Here are my 10 choices for the Ancestor Approved Award.

  1. Kerry at Clue Wagon
  2. Cynthia of Heritage Zen:
  3. Tonia's Roots
  4. Donna from What's Past is Prologue
  5. Linda of Documenting the Details
  6. Carol at Reflections From The Fence
  7. Gini of Ginisology
  8. Barbara of Life From The Roots
  9. Susan at Nolichucky Roots
  10. Nancy from Sassy Jane Genealogy
© 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Thursday, December 30, 2010

101st Carnival of Genealogy - Genealogy Research/Writing Plan for 2011

The topic for the 101st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: My genealogy research/writing plan for 2011. Figure out what you think you can accomplish in 2011 and write it up on your blog.



Thanks to fM for the poster.

My plan is to find and prove the identify of the parents of my gg grandfather, William H. Ballinger, who was living with his wife Lucinda and their children in Black Oak, Mahaska County, Iowa in 1856.

I've been struggling with this for several years now and I've finally got enough information together to come up with a hypothesis. So 2011 is going to be the year I answer the question. Here's the plan.

Condensed version of known facts
  1. Living in Adams Twp., Mahaska Co, IA 1854 (IA State Census).
  2. Living in Black Oak, Mahaska Co., IA 1856 (IA State Census).
  3. Associated with John F., Samuel and Jeremiah Ballinger by proximity and business/land transactions (deeds, land maps, census records).
This is quite literally the kindergarten condensed version. I have lots more specific information and sources. if you are researching this line, please contact me.

Working Hypothesis

John F. and Catherine Ballinger were William's parents.

Research Strategy

  1. Investigate Ballingers in Mahaska County, Iowa will and probate records. I will be pulling all Ballingers that show up in order to identify or eliminate people.
  2. Finish transcribing, plotting and analyzing land records for Ballingers in Mahaska County.
Identified Sources

I have prepared a list of films that will need to be ordered from the Family History Library in order to carry out my research strategy.

This should keep me busy for quite a while. Thanks Jasia for prompting me to come up with a formal plan to accomplish this goal that has been in the works for a long time!




    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum

    Wednesday, December 29, 2010

    Wordless Wednesday - Desert Botanical Garden's Luminarias

    An annual holiday event at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden is Las Noches de Las Luminarias. We had the good fortune to enjoy the evening stroll while enjoying the lights and music.



    I didn't feel like dragging my tripod along so I was pretty happy to get these two photos with semi steady hands.


    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum

    Tuesday, December 28, 2010

    There's Still Time To Win A Ticket To The Arizona Family History Expo


    That's right you still have time to enter my drawing for one of two tickets to the Arizona Family History Expo.

    Send an email to turningofgenerations at cox dot net with your name and email address and tell me why you want to attend the Arizona Family History Expo. Then if you are a winner, all you have to do is come say hi to me at the Expo. Easy!

    Two winners will be drawn at random on January 3rd so you need to get your entry in by January 2nd to be eligible. See you at the Expo!




    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum

    Friday, December 24, 2010

    Advent Calendar - December 24 – Christmas Eve

    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum  Our favorite Christmas Eve activity actually started several days ahead. When our kids were little, we were boarding our horses at a friend's place so we would pile the kids and some of their friends in the car and go down to visit the horses. While we were there, we would get a small amount of grain and hay to leave out as a snack for Santa's reindeer on Christmas Eve.

    Shortly before the kids went to bed on Christmas Eve, we would go out front and leave the reindeer their snack in the front yard. Then after they were asleep, Husband would go out and clean most of it up but he would always leave some scraps. Since the reindeer were in a hurry, they left quite a trail of hay across the front yard, on the garden wall, the bushes next to the house, and even several strands hanging from the edge of the roof.

    In the morning, usually after we opened presents, we would go outside and those little girls were absolutely enthralled with the trail of hay Santa's reindeer left behind!

    Photo by jonseidman1988

    Monday, December 20, 2010

    Win a free registration to the Arizona Family History Expo!


    Are you up for learning some new tricks? This ol' dog sure is!

    I've got two tickets for free registrations at the Arizona Family History Expo in Mesa and I'm itching to give them away. Send an email to turningofgenerations at cox dot net with your name and email address and tell me why you want to attend the Arizona Family History Expo. Then if you are a winner, all you have to do is come say hi to me at the Expo. Easy!

    Two winners will be drawn at random on January 3rd so you need to get your entry in by January 2nd to be eligible. See you at the Expo!

    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum

    Sunday, December 19, 2010

    There's Still Time To Vote For Family Tree Magazine’s 40 Best Genealogy Blogs


    There's still time to vote for Family Tree Magazine's 2011 Best Genealogy Blogs. You have until Monday, December 20 at 11:59 p.m. To see the complete list of nominees, click here.

    The Turning of Generations is honored to have been nominated in the New Blogs cagetory! There are many really awesome new blogs out there, so I truly do appreciate the nomination.

    Get out and excercise your right to vote. If you've already voted, do it again. You can vote as many times as you like. Oh yes, and if you like this blog, please check the box next to The Turning of Generations!

    Good luck to all of the nominees. There are some fantastic blogs that have been nominated.

    © 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum