What is a Beef Ring?

My Grandpa Davies (William George Davies), had several brothers. I only knew one of them, Uncle Glen. When I was a little girl growing up in Edmonton I remember Uncle Glen coming to visit us. .
But this story takes place way before my time. 

I asked my mom how they had meat in the olden days when they didn't have a fridge. She told me that  when she was a kid she saw her mom can meat, just like when she canned vegetables- except that it took at least three hours to get it processed correctly. 

Her mom also had a 20 gallon crock with salt preserving the pork or ham. If she needed a bit of meat she just lifted the lid and pulled out the leg and sliced off a hunk.

Another way they got meat was through a "beef ring".   A "beef ring"  consisted of several farmers who raised beef . Uncle Glen would butcher a cow that belonged to one of the members of the ring. He would cut it up and all those in the ring came by his place to get a share of the beef.  Sometimes if my mom's family were visiting  he would give them a roast or some stew meat.

Make a Timeline

  

Compile a family chronology: a comprehensive list, in chronological order of all major happenings in the family since the parent's marriage.

Update it regularly.

Tracing Your Roots is Exciting

Join me!  Tracing your roots looks exciting, and once you start to think about it your really want to get going.  There is so much information you can become "information overloaded". Don't let it get too confusing - Let me help you reach your goals.

You need to have a plan to be able to achieve your goals, and so you can follow these steps to develop your game plan.

• identify what you wish to research
• break down each task into manageable pieces
•  brainstorm potential information sources
• make a list of the sources you plan to examine
• make a tentative schedule for completing the task
• focus on one task at a time 
• write your plan out in the computer or on paper
• print and file a copy of your plan in your notebook
• refer to the plan often
• revise it as needed
• be flexible, but stay organized
• be methodical
• follow new leads by setting up new plans
• devise a new plan each time you enter a new phase of research

Lists for a New Year...

Write on . . . ?

McGill University

I love lists and projects so this is what I decided to do today- I am going to make a list of high schools and colleges that any of my ancestors attended.

Then I want to write or call at least one of the institutions to  find out what I need to do to get a transcript.

I think it would be really cool to actually have a transcript from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where my grandfather (Douglas Bradshaw Fowler) went to Medical School.

University of Alberta, Edmonton 

Or a copy of my dad's transcript from University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada where he (Allan King Fowler) went to Pharmacy School.

Let's see what I come up with. . .