What Were They Thinking?

There has been alot of discussion lately among Genea-bloggers on how to attract readers to your blog. Thomas MacEntee over at Geneabloggers reported recently that there are now over 900 genealogy related blogs listed at the site. 900! How does one choose which blogs are of interest to them?

Well the people at Google have this nifty little program called "Analytics." Oh it has all kinds of bells and whistles that you can use to customize your reports to tell you all kinds of things about your blog. One of the features I like best is the keyword(s) report.

This report will tell you what words are entered into a search engine that lands a person on your blog. Here are a few examples that totally floored me:

German Russian Heritage - ok, well that fits the bill since my father's line are Germans from Russia and I have written a few articles about them.

Vat of Crabbiness - I borrowed this phrase from Terry Snyder over at Desktop Genealogist Unplugged. Terry if you are out there start writing again!

Barbara Eden Look-alike - OK, I may have worn the costume but not once did I mention her name so Google gets points from me for facial recognition searches.

National Donut Day - That's right, when you think of donuts you think of me.

Insane Asylums - I am going to have to go back and read all my posts. I don't think I have written about this subject. Unless they are just making a friendly suggestion, then ok they might be on the right track.

Polka Disco - Heel, Toe and Away We Go - I kid you not. This exact phrase was entered into a search engine and they were pointed to my blog. Donna Pointkouski this is all your fault!

And the number one phrase????

Nuns With Guns - Jaysus, Mary and Joseph, I am going to Hell in a Handbasket for sure.


What are the words people put into search engines that lands them on your blog???

A Great Genealogical Education Opportunity

Louise St. Denis who is the Managing Director for The National Institute for Genealogical Studies contacted me and asked me to let you know about this great opportunity to further your genealogical education. This is a wonderful option for those who want online classes!

NEWS RELEASE: GenClass instructors merge 24 courses with the 150 existing courses at National Institute for Genealogical Studies!

GREAT NEWS! Lots of new topics & new courses available through the National Institute... As of February, you will see a new 'type' of course offered at the Institute --- INTENSIVE SHORT TERM courses.

* Intensive --- packed with lots of very helpful information, research techniques & tips
* Short Term --- most will be four (4) weeks in length;* Instructors --- experts in their field of genealogical research
* Live Meetings (optional) --- four (4) optional 'real-time' online meetings with your Instructor and fellow coursemates;* Direct Communication --- consult directly with your instructor via e-mail
* Feedback --- discuss specific topics through various online or offline threads
* Assignments (optional) --- although there may be some personal assignments to enhance a technique, submitting them is completely optional
* Exam (none) --- no final exam to be completed
* Inexpensive --- under $50
* One-on-One Advice --- Book an appointment with your instructor to discuss in-depth individual research problems (additional fee).(The above may vary by course; check the course description for details.)

Below is a list of the new courses, the instructor and their first anticipated start month. Check online for a full description of the course, actual dates courses are offered throughout the year and to complete your registration. (Go to http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/, click on menu item COURSES, click on COURSES again, click on INTENSIVE SHORT TERM view, click on name of course).

START DATE: February 15
Research: African-American Ancestors; Michael Hait

START DATE: March 1
Investigation: Adoption Records; Linda Rakita
Investigation: Lost Friends and Family; Linda Rakita
Research: English Ancestors-The Basics; Sheena Tait

START DATE: April 5
Brick Wall Research; Lisa Alzo
Research: Australian and New Zealand Ancestors; Kerry Farmer
Research: Female Ancestors; Lisa Alzo
Research: Native American Ancestors; Barbara Benge

START DATE: May 3
Research: Jewish Genealogy on the Internet; Micha Reisel
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Family Story

START DATE: June 7
Research: Canadian Genealogy on the Internet-Part 1; Pat Ryan

START DATE: July 5
Research: Canadian Genealogy on the Internet-Part 2; Pat Ryan
Research: Salt Lake City, The Largest Genealogical Library-Part 1; Pat Ryan

START DATE: August 2
Research: Canadian Genealogy on the Internet-Part 3; Pat Ryan
Research: Jewish Ancestors-Basic Introduction; Schelly Talalay Dardashti
Research: Salt Lake City, The Largest Genealogical Library-Part 2; Pat Ryan

START DATE: Not Set Yet
Electronic Resources-Family Tree Maker 2009-The Basics; Cindy Rowzee
Electronic Resources-Family Tree Maker 2009-Advanced; Cindy Rowzee
Jump Start your Genealogy; Lisa Alzo
Organizing Your Family History; Cindy Rowzee
Research: European Ancestors-Part 1; Lisa Alzo
Research: European Ancestors-Part 2; Lisa Alzo
Research: United States-Great Lakes States; Lisa Alzo
Research: United States-Northeastern US; Cindy Rowzee

GenClass was formed in 2007 by a group of instructors who formerly taught courses for MyFamily.com. They quickly earned the reputation of offering affordable intensive courses with lots of valuable information covering a variety of general and specialized topics. Students enjoyed the Instructor involvement throughout the process. Ten instructors, with a total of 24 courses, have recently moved their courses to the Institute's training platform.

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, in affiliation with the Continuing Education unit of the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto, offer Certificate Programs in Genealogical Studies in the records of Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, United States and a Librarianship Program. The Institute celebrated its 10th anniversary of Genealogical Education during 2009.

90th COG - The 3rd Annual iGene Awards

Heeeere she is - Miss Amer . . .Ooops, sorry, wrong award show.

I don't know how I could have mixed up the 3rd annual Academy of Genealogy and Family History iGene Awards. The only awards show where everyone's a winner because you are the judge and jury of your own blog! That's right for three years running, the COG allows you the blogger to showcase your best work from the previous year.

So without further ado, here are the five categories and the winners:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.

THERE THEY WERE JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET
This photo of my mother and her parents tell of a carefree, happy lifestyle that the family enjoyed right before World War II broke out. It was a time when everyone who lived in small towns went downtown on a Saturday to stroll the sidewalks, do their shopping, visit with friends.



Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

Without a doubt the winner is:

THE PROBLEM WITH PAULINE - PART NINE. [ Well actually the movie would be parts one through nine. It's just that part nine was the only one written in 2009 and rules are rules you know!]

Part nine of "The Problem With Pauline" is the last before it went on hiatus. If you have not heard of Pauline and her problem you can catch up to speed by reading the previous posts (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven and Part Eight)

Mae West will play Pauline Sheern who in 1875 marries Dr. George B. Sanford in Neosho County, Kansas, disappears for 25 years and finally resurfaces as Helen Hunt, a "proprietress" of a "Rooming House" (yeah, that's what they called it in 1900 Boise, Idaho - a proprietress - Ha!) The 150 thoroughbred chickens and her old horse will portray themselves.

W. C. Fields will play Pauline's husband Dr. George B. Sanford the dentist. From all the newspaper articles that tell us of George's misadventures in Kansas City, one can only assume that he like to tip the bottle.



Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?

THE TITANIC, A GUGGENHEIM TRAGEDY was about my sister-in-law's family. I just love the last words spoken by Benjamin Guggenheim:

"We've dressed in our best, and are prepared to go down like gentlemen. Tell my wife I did my best in doing my duty."

This he has the cajones to say with a straight face as his mistress is being lowered into one of the lifeboats!



Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?

Again those darn judges could not make up their minds and so two shall share the golden statue:

THE GRANDMOTHER I NEVER KNEW

THE LAST ORIGINAL BESSON


Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?

NUNS WITH GUNS

or

STILETTO SISTERS

Take your pick, either one - they just about wiped out my "Get Out Of Hell Free Card" account.


I would like to thank the Academy for the opportunity brag and be a show off. But most of all to Jasia - the Hostess with the Mostess"

In Which She Learns Something Exciting

OMG! I cannot believe that I did not know about this!

Here I was, just perusing through my google reader, when I come upon a post by Taneya over at the NCGenWeb blog. In it she tells us that there is a genealogy T.V. show already on the air.

How many of you know about THE GENERATION PROJECT? Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah has their own cable station and bring the show to the world every Monday night at 8:00 PM.

And, as if just watching the show isn't enough, you can fill out an application to be on the show! The application is really detailed so I advise reading it first or making a copy, take your time filling it out then come back to the website and enter the information.

Don't have BYU cable in your area? No problem. All you have to do is go to their site and watch it there. Keep in mind that the video changes every week as a new show is aired.

Thank you Taneya for the post and thank you BYU for a great production. I give it a 9 1/2!

SNGF - The Super Bowl of Genealogy

I really had fun with this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun over at Randy Seaver's place. This week he wants us to play in the "Super Bowl of Genealogy" and here are the rules:

Tell us about your dream game of the Super Bowl of Genealogy! * Where would it be played? * What teams would play? * Who would be the head coaches? * Who would be the stars of the game? * Who would win? * Who are the cheerleaders?* If you were playing in the game, what would be your dream play?

Well thank the Genea-Gods above I have been saved from trying to figure out the different player positions. I have 5 younger brothers, 3 sons and 1 husband and I do not really give a hoot about sports. I am not an athletic, sportsy kind of girl.

"But wait Sheri", I hear all of you saying. "I thought you told us that you were a cheerleader in high school" to which I must EDUCATE you all once again. One did not have to know anything about sports to become a cheerleader. It just was not a pre-requisite back in the day. The only requirements were that you could lift your body off the ground at least 2 or 3 inches while jumping, enough coordination to clap in time with the rest of the girls and that you hated P.E. class. If you were a cheerleader in my day, you need not ever step foot in that repulsive gymnasium or girl's locker room.

Our old friend, Terry Thornton of Hill Country HOGS Webpress, has come out of hiatus not only to play in the Genealogy Super Bowl, but he wrote a great scenario and cast all the players and cheerleaders. You can read it HERE.

Terry does a great job of casting all the players for the East Coast Team - "The Hill Hogs" and the West Coast team - "The Genea-Cats." The cheerleaders for the West Coast team - "The Genea-Cats" are:

Me

Chery Kinnick of Nordic Blue

Donna Pointkouski of What's Past Is Prologue

Wendy Littrell of All My Branches Genealogy

Well I may not know anything about football, but I am a brain-ee-ack when it comes to pom poms and if there is anything my mother taught me it is this - ALWAYS dress for the occasion. With that in mind, I give you the Genea-Cats Cheerleaders!

Terry only named 4 of us but my high school picture (yes that is really me wearing the "C") of the cheerleading squad fit perfectly with a little altering of the letters (originally Grizzlies). So rather than having nameless faces, I made the extra girls into cats. I do hope Chery, Donna and Wendy don't mind the liberty I took. I hope they appreciate that I have put them into the body of a 16 year old cheerleader for the day.

Rah Rah, Siss Boom Bah.

Can You Feel It?

Here it is, the beginning of February and I can feel the excitement in the air. Genealogy has come to prime time television. Finally I have a great visual aid to help me explain to my family and friends why genealogical and historical research is such a passion for me. For years they have given me the "eye-roll", the heavy sighing and the most dreaded "glazing over of the eyes while smiling and nodding" any time the subject came up.

Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates did a series of genealogy programs for PBS awhile back called "African American Lives" which were so well received that he is back with a new series called "American Faces." Using the latest tools of genealogy and genetics, he will explore the family histories of 12 famous Americans that include Stephen Colbert, Meryl Streep, Yo-Yo Ma, Queen Noor and Kristi Yamaguchi. The series premiers on Wednesday, February 10th at 8:00 PM EST. You can watch a 3 minute video clip by clicking here.

Only 30 more days until the premier of the show every genealogist has been eagerly awaiting. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" will finally make its debut on Friday, March 5th at 8:00 PM on NBC. Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith are the celebrities that will take the journey into the past to discover their family history and how many of them tie into events from American history. NBC has 3 short video clips you can watch here. If the show is even a smidge as good as these video clips. . . well just watch them yourself and you'll see what I mean.

I really feel that this show will make family history and historical research irresistible. The impact from the show on the genealogical community is going to be huge. I can feel it in my bones!

Geneabloggers to the Rescue!

I want to thank everyone who responded to my plea for a research project to perhaps use in my portfolio for certification. Over 40 submissions were emailed to me. Can you believe that - over 40! Needless to say it is going to take me some time to go through each one, but I promise to get back to each of you.

The support and friendship that the genealogical community give to each other is like no other. I can't thank you all enough for your help and generosity.

OK enough of this, next thing you know I'll be wanting a puppy and I'll start feeling all warm and fuzzy that is just sooo not me :)

The Heller Brothers of San Francisco - Part 2

I left off yesterday with the discovery that before Martin and Moses Heller came to California, they had been living in Montgomery County, Alabama where Martin was naturalized in 1852 and his brother Moses in 1853. I found this information in the California Great Register of Voters for 1867. I decided to let this sit for the time being and move on to San Francisco County history books.

A search for Martin Heller in the San Francisco County Golden Nugget Library gave me "The Bay of San Francisco: The Metropolis of the Pacific Coast and its Suburban Cities; A History." In it I found a bio for Martin Heller. This had to be one of the most detailed biographies I have ever come across. At the time of publication all of the Heller brothers had passed away except for Martin. Two pages of information about Martin's life but these snippets were the most important to me at this point in my research:

"Mr. Heller married, in 1850, Miss Babeth Kupfer, a native of Germany. Six children have been born to them, the first two in Alabama and the others in San Francisco. Their names are Carrie, Sarah, Emanuel, Moses, Clara and Sigi. Two of the sons and one of the daughters are married and reside in San Francisco, and the others live with their parents at their beautiful home."


". . . came to the United States in 1844. For three years he was a peddler in New Jersey. He then opened a store in that State on his own account, and remained there three years longer. From there he removed to Montgomery, Alabama, and continued in business at that place till 1856, when his brothers and himself came to the Pacific coast . . ."

Aha! Another reference to residence in Alabama, plus when he came to the U.S. and where he lived. For brother Moses Heller, I found a biography of his grandson in “The History of San Francisco” :

"The grandfather of Edward H. was Moses Heller, a native of Bavaria, who emigrated to the United States in 1848, and first settled in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1850, he came to San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and here became one of the pioneer wholesale merchants. He was also a member of the famous vigilance committee, one of the most effective law-enforcement bodies in America pioneer history, and he was very active in all civic movements and in Masonic work. His wife, who was Amelia Nickelsburg prior to their marriage, was also born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to the United States about 1860. They were married in San Francisco, and became the parents of three sons and two daughters."

If your research leads you to the San Francisco Bay area, there are two websites that should be on your list. The Golden Nugget Library has oodles of online, searchable databases that include: Social Registries, Articles, Directories, Argonaut Passenger's Lists, Government Rosters, Organization's Members lists, Church lists, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Photos, 1870 Petitions and Links to Biographies.


The other site is San Francisco Genealogy. This site has online databases that contain records for the city and county of San Francisco. Here you'll find birth, marriage, and death records. Also land records, probate records, tax lists, census records, ship passenger lists and unique obscure databases like the coroner's reports and funeral home records.


Before I went on the hunt for passenger lists and naturalization records, I wanted one more source to back up the information I had just found. Where to look when you want a life story other than a biography? Why yes, that is correct - OBITUARIES!


I found the obit for Moses Heller first. Moses died 13 October 1885 and his obit in the “Daily Alta California” the following day was an entire half page!

“Deceased was born in Pretsfeld, Bavaria, in October, 1816, and early in youth came to this country in company with his three brothers, Jonas, Martin and William, the last-named being the eldest. Moses went to the South, traveling through the country with a peddler's wagon, . finally locating in Montgomery, Ala. He opened a dry goods store and lived there several years. From there he came to this city. His brothers William and Martin soon followed him. Then was established the firm of M. Heller &, Bros., Martin, Moses and Jonas being associated together, the last named being the resident partner in New York. “

The news of Martin Heller’s death on 22 September 1894 made headlines in the “San Francisco Morning Call”


“Martin Heller was born in Bavaria, where he was educated and received his first training in the dry-goods business which he followed through the remainder of his life. He came to the United States in 1844 and began his career as a peddler, making New Jersey his first field of labor. From the modest beginning of a peddler he opened a store, but soon after went to Montgomery, Ala., where he engaged in his favorite pursuit for some years. In 1858 he and one of his three brothers came to the Pacific Coast and very soon opened a dry-goods establishment in San Francisco under the firm name of Heller & Brothers.”

and the “San Francisco Chronicle”

“Martin Heller was born at Pretzfeld in Bavaria and was therefore 73 years of age at the time of his death. He came to the United States in 1844. Lived and did business in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and finally settled in 1847 in Montgomery Alabama with his brother Moses who was his lifelong companion.
There is a story that while living in Montgomery during the yellow fever epidemic of 1849-1850, he sacrificed his business for his interest in humanity and went to the aid of the sick without fear of catching it himself.
The Heller brothers remained in Montgomery until 1856 when they came to San Francisco and founded the firm of M. Heller & Brother . . .”

For online historic California newspapers there are 3 places I go. Each site is unique in their holdings:

The California Digital Newspaper Collection


Chronicling America at the Library of Congress


Genealogybank.com


Tomorrow join me as I track down passenger lists and naturalization records.

The Heller Brothers of San Francisco - Part 1

Some of you may remember my research adventures with my Sister-In-Law's family. Well I am back on that train again and thought I would share an afternoon research session with you.

Let me introduce you to the Heller Brothers. Four brothers come to America . . . . It is the family tradition story that when heard, every genealogist begins to do some heavy sighing and eye rolling. But not this time. In this story the four brothers DO come to America, just not at the same time. They arrive within a couple of years of each other, become American citizens and become very successful businessmen. I am getting ahead of myself here.


Once upon a time . . . far, far away in Pretzfeld, Bavaria, Emanuel and Caroline Heller had four sons: William (b. 1814), Moses (b. 1816), Jonas (b. 1819) and Martin (b. 1821). The Heller family were Jewish and their life was tightly regulated. Jews in some parts of Bavaria were often forced to live in a particular area of town. They were required to purchase an annual letter of protection from a noble family. Authorities tried to limit the number of Jews living in any particular town. The only way a Jew who came into maturity could stay in a town is if another Jew died. It was because of these restrictions that between 1840 and 1870, more than 20,000 of Bavaria’s 59,000 Jews immigrated to America. The Heller Brothers were among these emigrants who wanted a better life.

I knew that the Hellers came to San Francisco right after the gold rush so I started with the census. Once I located Martin and Moses Heller in the 1860 census living in San Francisco, I turned to the California Great Register of Voters to help me with when the Hellers came to the U.S.

The California Great Register of Voters
California's Registry Act of 1866 established the Great Register. All voters , which were males age 21 and over, were required to register providing their full name, age, state or country of birth, occupation, and address. If they were of foreign birth they were also to give the date of naturalization, the name of the court which granted citizenship and where the court was located. In 1895 a revision added the voter's physical description, including height, complexion, color of eyes and hair, location of visible marks or scars, and ability to read and write English. You can search the 1867 register here and the 1872 register here. While both of these are free, ancestry.com has California Voter Registration 1900-1968.

In 1867 Martin Heller was living at 5 Mason Street in San Francisco. He was naturalized on 1 December 1852 in the Montgomery County, Alabama Circuit Court. Moses Heller was living at 32 Ellis Street in San Francisco. He was naturalized 15 November 1853 in the Montgomery County, Alabama Circuit Court. ALABAMA? What were they doing in Alabama?

SNGF - My Other Life

Last night was Saturday Night Genealogy Fun over at Randy Seaver's place. Our mission, should we decide to accept it:

Tell us about your "other" hobbies or interests outside of genealogy and family history research, writing, speaking, etc.

I love puzzles, all sorts of puzzles. I love word logic puzzles and my all time favorite - jigsaw puzzles. My dining room table or the kitchen table will always have a puzzle in progress on one of them.

I collect buttons and beads and have oodles of jars (45 to be exact) filled with them and displayed in the dining room hutch. I also have almost 150 Barbie Dolls.

I love to read. Horror and Sci-Fi are the kind of books that I really enjoy.

I love to do yard work. Not the sissy "prune the rose bushes" kind of yard work, but the lawn mowing, tree branch cutting, getting all dirty and sweaty kind of yard work.

Me mowing Tina Sansone's lawn near Memphis, Tennessee

When I was down with the swine flu and then bronchial pneumonia a couple of months ago, I started watching TV, alot of TV. I am now hopelessly addicted to "24", "NCIS", "Stargate Universe" and "Caprica"