What can you find out from heirlooms?

 

Toys and other collectibles:
Memorabilia can remind us of what was popular and the attitudes of the times. What did grandma play with?

Jewelry, silver and metalwork:
These items can signify social status, or they may be engraved with names or initials and dates. Sometimes these are given as awards, or may signify  an important event such as a birth or marriage.

Clothing:
A wedding dress or military uniform can show you your ancestor's size. Were they tall, thin, plump or short?

Stories in Boxes

We all have stories tucked away. Some are tucked away in shoe boxes. Some may just come from a random photograph. It is my job to make sure that the stories stay alive.

Caroline McMurray Davies

This wonderful lady is my grandmother. All us grand-kids called her Grandma Davies, or sometimes just "Gram". She made the best sugar cookies!  Seeing her picture brings memories and stories to my mind.  Family pictures need to come out of the box so we can have our memories...

Googling Grandma

Today,  I sat down with my laptop and decided to enter my grandmother's name - Caroline McMurray Davies - into the Google search.

Here is what I found: there was a link to her obituary in Calgary paper. It showed her death date as June 3rd, 1981, the obituary ran two days in the paper on June 4th and 5th, 1981.(Where was I at that time? How old was I? I need to know these things to put everything into perspective)

It says she was 79 when she died, I had never bothered to figure that out before.  My mom is 83, and still lives alone and takes care of herself. My grandma had been in a rest home for a number of years (I need to find that out) with Parkinson's disease.



There was also a link to one of grandma's brothers - Milford - it showed several pieces of information about him, but one thing that was wrong was it listed one of his sisters being named Hattie, and her name was really Lottie.

It shows how important to use primary sources and not just take what you find on the internet as true.

Laptop compliments of my son, John. Thanks!         

Middle Names and Given Names

When I look at my family group sheets I keep seeing the same names, repeated.
For example: My grandmother, Louise King Fowler's father is Thomas Owen King - 1869-1946, and his father was Thomas Owen King is 1840-1921, and his father was Thomas Owen King 1800-1874.

Labeling my File Folders

I am still  trying to figure out just how I want to start labeling my folders.

My personality wants them all typed on labels with an interesting font...but then I am too committed. . .

So, I will actually start with a pencil and set up a file folder for my great-grandfather James Stevenson McMurray(the father of Caroline McMurray, my grandmother).  

I also have information on his parents so I will set up a file for them also. 


Everyone I have talked to has a different slant to the way they want their files named . . . so that tells me there is no right or wrong way. By starting in pencil I can easily change my system if I decide to.

I am using plain manila files, but imaging how pretty it would look to have different colors, and use a certain color for the different lines on your pedigree chart. I love color coding, so maybe after a while I will change to colored folders - I will let you know.

Filing by Couple or Family Group

• every couple on your pedigree chart gets a file folder
• label the folder with the names of the couple (wife's maiden name)
• list names of the couple's children on the outside for the file folder for quick reference
• if a child is married, make a file folder for that marriage

Filing by Surname and Type of Record

• create file folders for surname/record type combination's
• label folders with surname, followed by the type of record, e.g., Davies: Obituaries or Davies: Census Records
• arrange file folders alphabetically by surname then alphabetically by type of record

Back to School

Saturday Shop ... 

Many friends are in a flurry of last minute shopping to get their kids ready to start school  on Monday.  It is a perfect time for you to stock up what you need to get started on family history.  School supplies are usually really inexpensive at this time of year.

Here is a checklist of supplies to get you started:

• black ink pens and pencils
• blank paper or index cards for recording information
• file or archival folders
• filing cabinet or storage boxes
• loose-leaf binders and notebooks (avoid spiral notebooks)
• dividers or index tabs
• blank pedigree charts, family group sheets, correspondence and research logs
• colored labels (optional)
• digital camera

You don't need to wait till you have everything on the list - just let the desire burn in your heart, and do something towards your family and personal history.