Fold3

Quick Note -- More holiday bargains!

Fold 3: This site is devoted to military genealogy records. They are offering an annual membership for $47.95. Normally the regular price for a single membership is $79.95. This sale ends on December 3. fold3.com

 

More Holiday Christmas bargains

When my parents moved to Florida I "inherited" a lot of classic Christmas ornaments and decorations. I guess my mother thought that I would preserve them. I tried but I couldn't resist the urge to continue to put them on the tree. Big mistake. I seriously don't know how they survived my childhood, but I do know they didn't fare so well in my young adulthood, parenthood, and grandparenthood. I do believe that there are still a few of them left in my 20 boxes of decorations. Yes, 20 - and I did downsize. Somewhat!

A few days ago I saw an email from Family Tree Shop about a special deal on an Ornament Preservation Kit. For most of my life it never crossed my mind to retire those heirlooms to a box of keepsakes because they were so much a part of decorating the tree. I figure I will use them and pass them on, along with my ornaments which will eventually be broken, cried over and swept up. However, if you think this is something that would work for you, please check it out. The kit contains an archival box and preservation supplies. https://www.familytreemagazine.com/store/ornament-preservation-kit?k=nogGVVi%2F%2FRay6t5pi88eRlNq3nyWo1CCXYMRQDsMQkk%3D&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emedia_blast&utm_campaign=ftu-lmn-hs-171121-ornament

Roots Magic Holiday Offer:

Present owners of this program are eligible for a $25 offer on a software bundle from this company. This is regularly priced at $90. The bargain ends on November 30 and there is no limit to the number of purchases. To take advantage of this you will need to order online or call 800-766-8762. This is an excellent way to introduce your friends and relatives to the wonderful world of genealogy.

More Holiday Bargains for Genealogists

More Genealogy Bargains for 2017 Holiday.

23 and me DNA Thanksgiving Offer: This offer runs through November 23 (Thanksgiving). The kits are $49 each if you buy two. If you only want to purchase one kit the price is $69 which is still a bargain since the kits are regularly $99 each. www.23andme.com

Family Tree DNA Holiday Offer: This offer ends on December 31, 2017 which is good because there are several options and you must read the information for each kit to determine if it will work for yourself or family member. Cost of the kits range from $59 to $299 (five kits). You may also purchase bundles which range from $178 to $442. Each bundle is good for one person only, you may not split them up. One thing that appeals to many is the fact that these kits do not require you to spit into a tube. Instead you simply swab the inside of the cheek, which makes them better for young children. www.familytreedna.com

My Heritage DNA Thanksgiving Sale: This offer also runs through November 23 (Thanksgiving). The kit which requires only a cheek swab are on sale for $59 each. They are regularly $99 each. www.myheritage.com/dna

*Please remember that these DNA results may reveal information that could be upsetting. Families have secrets and skeletons in their closets occasionally!

 

$$$$ Happy Holidays $$$$

It that most wonderful time of the year when genealogy bargains begin to appear. The first one I have seen is Ancestry.com - both subscriptions and DNA Kits.

Ancestry Gift Subscriptions
This offer is good until November 23, 2017. The U.S. Discovery subscription is $149 (regularly $189) for 12 months. The 6 month subscription is $79. For the World Explorer subscription, 12 months is $239 (regularly $299) and the 6 month rate is $119. This is a one time subscription and will not be automatically renewed next year. 

Ancestry DNA Test Kits
A special price of $79 for one kit is a great bargain. Additional kits may to added to your order of $69. Shipping charges are additional.

**Don't forget to ask Santa for a conference registration fee, gas gift cards for travel expenses, Visa and MasterCard gift cards for other conference expenses. And of course Office Max gift cards for computer expenses. 



 

Our First Ever Family Reunion

My family thru caution to the wind a week ago and held the first ever (as far as we know) Rochte family reunion. We all survived! No one was shunned; no one was estranged; and, best of all, no one was harmed in the making of this reunion. The word on the street is the Rochte family cannot have a reunion because my mom's family is known for its dastardly deeds. Apparently we  have mellowed a bit thru the years.

The event was sort of thrown together in a short period of time and I would certainly not recommend that anyone else do that. I have always heard that you should start at least one year out from the actual date of the reunion. That is probably not a bad idea but because we did ours so fast, it was easy to see the rabbit holes you can fall into during the process. So, I have decided to share these with you. 

1). This is not a wedding reception. I know that sounds crazy. Of course you know that, but your subconscious does not. If you are my age you have planned or been involved in many weddings. That is how families are formed. The difference? With a reunion there is no happy couple. Just a bunch of kids with parents and grandparents. What does this mean? Don't think, "We are having a reunion for 100 people so we need a venue that accommodates that many." That is backwards. Instead, find out how many people plan on being there and subtract 10 (kids get sick, old people fall down, those in between stress out). Plan according to the final number!  And, please note, nobody brings a gift and expects to get wined and dined. (In other words, no free meal.) Instead they bring a dish and a bottle of Merlot. Good! Now you see the difference. Get a head count first; then reserve a venue.

2). Pictures and Memories are what make a reunion special. Fortunately I remembered that over ten years ago I made a special Christmas present for my kids. It was a cookbook, but just not any cookbook. It had recipes plus pictures of family members and stories I remembered from my childhood. I had forgotten about it and I had to rescue it from an ancient computer, but I was able to restore it . And, I also made a 2nd edition which almost doubled the size of the original. It would be nice to have one of these for every branch of the family. If you start planning right now that could be possible. Something like that cook book will spark other memories from other family members. And don't think that your cousins, nieces, and nephews have seen all the old pics of their parents. You probably have some from high school that need to be revealed. And no one reveals better than a cousin you ran around with in high school and college.

Our 20+ foot pedigree chart!!

3). Make sure everyone can picture themselves in the family tree. With no printed family pedigree chart at our fingertips we set out to make one in less than a month. When it was printed it was 20 some feet long. What a surprise! 2 - 8' tables and a 6' table later we had it displayed. Whew!! Last minute surprise. Everyone loved "finding themselves". I guess I didn't expect that because I have always mentally placed myself in the tree and I never realized there were many who never even thought about it. Lots of genealogy bugs were planted that day. How did we create this chart in such a short period of time? Messages sent at 3-4am. Gallons of midnight oil. When we put the tree out, we provided post it notes for corrections and additions. You can see the added notes in the picture of the tree. Great idea, just allow more time!

4). Make sure you honor those who are not with you for whatever reason. And make sure you get everyone there no matter the circumstance or age. We did this right. It was so worth it, not only for them but for all of us too. Enough said. 

I could go on and on with lots of trivia, but I think this is enough to get anyone started on the right path. 

Will we have another? Of course, and it will get better with each year until we reach a point where the teenagers of the family might actually want to be there. By the way, you might want to set up an area where teens and their cell phones can go and text each other. . . . . so they can get acquainted!

And thinking of cell phones. This was the first thing I have been to in a long, long, time where everyone didn't have their cell phones in their hands. We were too busy catching up with what's been going on. Well, except for the teenagers. I suppose there is a post somewhere about what to do with teenagers at a reunion. Or should they even be invited. They'll get the idea some day.

New Genealogists + More DNA Testing = More Research Results

 

I just realized how much we need new family researchers. And, in addition to finding and encouraging new genealogists, we also need to urge these newbies to get their DNA tested. The reason? This combination of new research and DNA results increases the database and creates more opportunities for finding new matches. 

Recently I found my maternal great grandmother after decades of brick walls. The reason this happened was because of new matches available on Ancestry DNA. Now I must admit that Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over provided some help. It cleared out the garbage and made that one piece of information jump out at me. And, don’t tell anyone that I treated it as a BSO. I just couldn’t help myself. Sometimes you just need to throw caution to the wind and go for those bright shiny objects!

DNA is beginning to grow roots in the genealogy orchard. Lectures and seminars are sprouting up all over the country as more experts come forward to share what they have learned. Be aware though that not all of these experts know more than you. Journals are publishing more articles about DNA testing as it relates to family research. The main reason for this is more people are having their DNA tested and therefore there is a demand for more education. At the same time, all these additional people are adding to the database of possible relatives and ancestors. 

You probably noticed that one word stands out in the previous paragraph. MORE. More is an important genealogy term! It applies to almost everything genealogical. More databases online; more genealogy societies; more conferences; more primary sources necessary for lineage papers to be approved. When the internet brought genealogy to our computers, we wanted more information. Now DNA testing is new and we need more results.

Now you have your assignment. If you haven’t tested your DNA, do it – now! Encourage your genealogy friends to do likewise. Buy your family members testing kits for Christmas, birthdays or “just because”. It will pay off for you and contribute to the world of genealogy.

DNA Bargains

DNA Sales for National DNA DAY and Mother's Day.

Family Tree DNA.
   All DNA test are on sale.
   Sale ends on April 27 at 11:59pm CST 

Ancestry DNA.
   DNA test kit is on sale for $79 (regularly $99)
   Sale ends on April 26 at 11:59 ET.

23 and Me. 
   Basic Ancestry kit is 20% off at $79 with free shipping through Amazon Prime.
   (This kit can be ordered through both sites.)
   The Health and Ancestry kit is now $179.
   Sale ends May 14. (Mother's Day). 

DNA testing is the gift that keeps on giving. As more people are tested, the database grows everyday. I have found so many matches in the last few months. One word of advice - I treat every match as a clue and confirm each one with additional research.

I wonder how my grandmother felt when she first saw the Statue of Liberty

I have never been hit so hard as I was in the second episode of Who Do You Think You Are. I know from years of research that there are times when genealogy can hit a nerve and you feel guilt or sadness or fear. But on Sunday I really understood this.

My mother would tell me stories about how much fear my grandmother lived with during World War I. My mom would have been about 12 years old when this happened. People would come to my grandmother's house to check on her. I thought this was rather strange, but I never saw it as something that would scare a person. 

Then as I watched Julie Bowen research her great grandfather on WDYTYA it started to make sense. And the more I learned the more upset I became until finally I became extremely angry. I was so upset that someone could do this to my grandmother. I never met her but from hearing my mom talk about Grandma Gussie I felt like I knew her and I have always felt close to her. It is still hard to describe the emotions I feel about this time in her life. And then I think about what my mom must have gone thru being only 12 years old. My mom was extremely close to her mother.

 

It was 100 years ago. 1917. World War I. The year the United States decided to join the war. 

My grandmother, Augusta Friedricks, came to America at the age of 5 with her parents. She was born in Germany. She eventually became a citizen when her father was naturalized. She married and created a home for her husband and children. She worked as a seamstress. Then World War I broke out in Europe and her life must have completely changed.

I say "must have completely changed" because I wasn't there. I only heard the stories, but after Sunday night I can now understand the HELL she must have gone through. 

Julie Bowen discovered during her family research that her great grandfather, Charles Fry was associated with an organization called the American Protective League. These were ordinary American citizens who kept tabs on anyone in the United States who was born in Germany. My grandmother came from Prussia and this made her a possible enemy alien, a German radical. It appears that as a German born American she would have had to register during the war.

This group of German born citizens were told where the could live and work. They were spied on by fellow co-workers. Their bank accounts were inspected. Phones were tapped. In the case of Grandma Gussie, men came to her house many times and interrogated her. I remember my mom telling me how terrified she was by this. And many were placed in camps where they lived until the end of the war. In 1919 after the war around 10,000 aliens were released from these camps. 

The citizens who belonged to this group thought they were doing their part to protect America. I suppose you could buy into this if you never knew of a grandparent who was subjected to this horrible treatment. I find it hard to believe that this could happen in this country. Or do I?

I wonder how my grandmother and her parents felt when they saw the Statue of Liberty for the very first time.  

 

 

History Lesson on WDYTYA

I don't know what to say about the first episode of the new season of Who Do You Think You Are. It was a great history lesson and I am sure Courteney Cox learned a lot about her family. I am not sure I learned anything about English genealogy research from this episode as it relates to my family. Even though my DNA is almost 50% English I have yet to find a king or queen. 

It took me a while to figure out what kind of genealogical research skills apply to this episode. I guess I am not used to jumping from Alabama to medieval England in an hour. 

However, one thing was pointed out - where your ancestors landed in the new world is a clue as to who they were and what they wanted. Those who landed in New England were looking for religious freedom. Those who landed in Virginia were looking for land and wealth. The makes sense on a very simple scale. I am sure there are variations. Indentured servants for one. They came to the middle colonies to serve those who came to the colonies to attain wealth. 

But to get back to Courteney Cox, her family history brings up one important aspect of family research. You need to know the history that surrounded your family. What was happening that might have influenced your family. It could be anything. Weather, politics, war, to name a few. 

Courteney Cox needed to know the politics in her family to understand where to look for records that would affect her family. Fortunately for her, Ancestry did it for her. Now this is not a put-down. This is advanced genealogy. And this is what we all strive for.

Huh?

I got my favorite fuzzy throw and camped out on the couch for an afternoon of Who Do You Think You Are. The temperature was in the upper 50 range so I opened the front door and windows to let some fresh air into my house. I had my clipboard ready for notes. Sean Hayes was the first guest and I watched the next 3 episodes as a novice. 

I decided to watch with my mother's family in mind since this is the family of brick walls and covered tracks. (My father's family practically smacks you in the face with the information you are looking for. They wrote the book on serendipity.) 

This is what I, the novice, learned from these past 4 episodes:
*Start with what you know about your family. Check with family members for anything you don't know about.
*Go to something called Ancestry.com. Search. Find family.
*Hire a genealogist, historian or archivist to research you family.
*Travel to another city or fly to Europe for further research. (Note: all documents will be translated.)
*Pretty easy. I can do this. No problem.

I do believe that the earliest episodes were more basic. It is possible that WDYTYA has grown from novice to intermediate to advanced in order to maintain its audience. So if you are totally confused by the information in this season's opening, I would recommend that you go back  and view some of the earlier seasons. 

What did I learn as a "novice"? I have overlooked immigration records for my mother's family and that is a big mistake on my part. It could be the key to breaking down those brick walls. I did get this pounded into my head from watching the Sean Hayes episode. This is now #1 on my To Do List and it is getting more exciting every day (more about this later).

I think if I were indeed a novice watching this season I would have been discouraged. The things I found missing were education. Online tutorials. genealogy societies. Genealogy conferences. There is nothing that tells viewers how to do the research themselves. I would suggest that WDYTYA needs to include a statement at the end of each episode that tells viewers how to find local genealogical societies. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Who Do You Think You Are. I look forward to each new season. I just don't want viewers to think it is all about huge foreboding repositories. It is about people. The people who shaped out lives.