Happy 101 Sweet Friends Award

I feel like Goofy. Gawrsh Guys, I'm embarrassed.
I have been enjoying my grandchildren, and reading the newest post on Carnival of Genealogy. When I finished I checked my emails and I have my comment feed on my iGoogle page.
I saw there were two new comments posted. I went to read them because I love your comments. Sometimes I am fortunate to have someone give me pointers in how to do a better blog. That has helped me tremendously. Other times I just feel like I have had a good sit down chat with a friend. I have not ever understood why some people do not like followers. I do, because I get to go and find new friends with similar interests. Oh my, the genealogy community has so many wonderful blogs that I am now up to 984 blogs that I am following. I love reading the blogs.
Once again, I digress, back to my emails. When I looked at my comments section, I was at once surprised and humbled that two fellow bloggers, Carol at Reflections From the Fence and Lori from Genealogy And Me had given me the Happy 101-Sweet Friends Award. I know some feel they can't accept awards, and I understand that, but it gives the giver a special feeling in offering the award.
So I say THANK YOU my friends and I will pass it on.




You are supposed to list 10 things that make you happy.
I of course could just post my six children and lump their children in and my list would be full, however I will do it right. ; )
1.) My Faith in Christ
2.) My six children
3.) Sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature on my farm
4.) The laughter of children
5.) Finding more about my ancestors
6.) Flowers
7.) Friends
8.) Helping others
9.) Sharing my knowledge of Family History with others
10.) Giving hugs

These are the things that came first to my mind.

Now I need to share this with 10 fellow bloggers. You know the beauty of this is not only do you get to know the person you have shared with better, but you get to find out about more people as this progressively grows.
This in not in any special order, I love them all. Please go by and visit if you haven't already.

1.) Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories ( He has started a group on FaceBook that I have gotten some riends interested in telling their family stories)

2.) Lori at Stories of my Ancestors ( Lori has been my great encourager since I started)

3.) Aine at Haven ( My daughter and helper she is doing the "Love Dare")

4.) Sherry at Country Wings in Phoenix ( Just visiting her blog makes you smile)

5.) Linda at Flipside (She always has great things to share)

6.) Janet at Janet the Researcher ( a retired librarian with oodles to share)

7.) Lucie at Lucie's Legacy ( a down home family sharing girl)

8.) Elizabeth at Little Bytes of Life ( She has helped me a lot in correct blogging)

9.) Tina at Hopes and Dreams of a Texas Grandma

10.) Mildred at Mildred's Menagerie (one of my calming and uplifting new friends)

These are not all geneabloggers, but they are all friends. Stop by and enjoy the ambiance each has to offer and feel uplifted.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge #1

This is an easy one.  I LOVE going to the library.  I live only 25 miles from the 'local' library, short jaunt compared to the 1 and a half hour drive to Clayton Library in Houston.

The area is blessed by wonderful librarians who have a vision for family history.  The Montgomery County Library has a genealogy department.  The department has 8 shelves 14 foot long devoted to research resource material, where to and how to do.  They have a wall of genealogical periodicals they subscribe to and if they are donated extra's, they will offer them at discounts (25 cents) to the patrons.  Every state is represented both in county information and genealogical books, and history books.  There are microfilms of census, DAR, Revolutionary War pensions, as well as some land records.

They participate in inter library loans.  I was visiting with the head librarian one day and notice a book with a surname on it that a friend of mine is searching.  I asked if it would be available to anyone who came in.  It was; he ran over to see it, and it was his family.  This was a source he did not know the library had!  
They have books that show what is available through the inter library loan.I found out they can participate in borrowing the Salt Lake Family History Films also. They have a reader and a printer to use for films.

They participate in offering HeritageQuest.com and Ancestory.com to patrons via the internet.

I am so glad I have a library card.
In the non fiction area of the library itself, there are numerous books on the different wars, historical events, weather, (I was interested to see the effect of weather on historical events), and state histories.  The periodical section has a great selection also.  I found that you can use the periodical index for research on towns, events, and some have genealogical interests also.
This is a favorite passtime of mine when I get the opportunity of free time to go and browse.

Wordless Wednesday Late Night Posts Tired

My Favorite Volunteer Project.... Family Search Indexing

Family Search Indexing is absolutely the greatest project in my way of thinking, nothing opinionated here.   

I love helping others find their ancestors, especially those that are hard to find.  I find that helping index the records that are now being offered for free on Family Search Labs is opening doors for many who were not able to find the information before.  They have a blog that keep you upto date on the newest work being done.

I was researching on FamilySearch.org and they were asking for volunteers.  It did not matter if you were a member of their church or not.  They were looking for people who were willing to put in as many hours as they desired to complete projects they had to make information available to others over the internet.  I started out doing 2 hours a day for 6 months, but I now only do about 2 hours a week because I work at a Family History Center as a Family History Consultant and in the community now to assist others in their searches. I have indexed about 10,000 records so far.  I hope to add to that this year.  

They still need as many as will volunteer to continue to index.  There is still a huge number of records to be processed. There are so many interesting records to offer your skill to; you can even help with some that are in different language if you have the skill.   I find it has been helpful to understand the indexing process.  I caught how a mistake was made in an index on Ancestry.com because I knew the process of the forms used in the indexing methods.

Volunteering is just part of me, because volunteering and service are synonymous.  The best part of life is giving service.  I love it and I hope I am always able to give it!

Sentimental Sunday A Walk in Oklahoma

My aunt Della Langley Whitaker was a jewel.  When she was young, she always had on a hat.  She considered herself the trend setter for her younger siblings.  Interestingly enough, she never came to the family holiday dinners.  Of course her children were just a bit younger than my father.  I remember we would go to visit her, and later we lived in the same town.  I would walk over to her house after school and stay with her until my father got off work. 

Jesse Whitaker and Della Langley Whitaker

 Della, Lenorah Gildon Langley, Emma Self Gildon

with Della's daughter in law and new granddaughter.

My dad grew up playing with her sons and all his life he was very close to them.  Things I remember most about her was her Indian fried bread. If we came at any time of the day, she had her bowl of flour and would cook some bread with hot cocoa in the winter, iced tea in the summer.  She was ready to offer some of her special comfort food to the visitor.

 Della, granddaughter, Jesse

She was very family oriented, and would write letters to me while I was in college.  She knew all her grandchildren's birthdates, and would worry if she hadn't heard from someone in a while.  She never drove, my uncle always took her to where she wanted to go, then her sons took her after their dad's death. It was always fun to go and visit her and hear stories of her youth.  Although even she did not have the correct name of her dad's mother's maiden name.  I looked for years for the wrong last name until another relative found my grandmother's marriage license and the correct name was on it. There are some things like solitare, and Indian fried bread that just bring a warm fuzzy feeling to mind of open arms.

Family Names

I have seen several of the wonderful blogs that I visit have their family names posted on the side bar.  I could not figure out how to do that an still have my side bar connects to special places.  Therefore, I have created this post specifically for my family names that I have or will be researching.  For now until I can get this fix.  Lori gave me some suggestions you can click on the picture and it will enlarge so you can see it clearer.
Thanks for your patience.

17th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture Irish Treasures

 

 I am glad to participate in the Irish Carnival.  It is a break in my family focus, but I know it is no fun to throw a party and no one comes.  Besides, I have such a soft spot for the Irish.  My mom and dad always said "we're Irish, well, a wee bit of Irish...back in the 1800's.  Back to the purpose of the Carnival, treasures regarding my Irish family the Magills.  A family bible, I found after many dry years of searching, and wonderful land records available through the BLM GLO.










My mother's father and grandmother had died by the time my mother was 2.  Her mom, mother of 13, had her hands full with raising the six left at home, and did not share a lot of family history.  When these records were found, it was a treasure to her and her family also.
When my mother told me her grandmother's name was Magill, I was intrigued, after all, I was told we were Irish.  I easily found the book on the Magills written by Robert Magill, but could not find a tangible connection to my Magill.  A cousin of my mother, a Ralph Magill, let me know that Elizabeth Jane Magill was married to Joseph Lester Magill.  He sent me a copy of a letter he had received from a Magill saying he was related.  I studied the Dear Caleb letter.  I believe every Magill in America has read it. I was sent in all directions by it but not to Clark Co. Illinois where my ancestor died.   By process of elimination and places, and times, I had decided upon the parents for my ancestor Joseph Lester Magill who had died in the 1840's.  He was born in Tennessee.  I found  Charles Magill married Elizabeth Lester in Oct 24 1796.  This became my logical focus. Then came the search for proofs I needed to have to make it so. 
I went to Ancient Irish naming patterns. Irish Naming Patterns, gives a basic pattern as listed below, although depending on circumstances these would some times vary.  So, I guess I could also say the Irish naming patterns is a treasure too.
Oldest son named after the Father's father
2nd son named after the Mother's father
3rd son named after the Father
4th son named after the Father's oldest brother
Oldest daughter named after the Mother's mother
2nd daughter named after the Father's mother
3rd daughter named after the Mother
4th daughter named after the Mother's oldest sister
Joseph Lester Magill's apparent oldest son who appeared on the 1850 census was named after him.  The Daughter Elizabeth Jane could be after either the mother of John or Sarah.  They were both Elizabeth.
The apparent second son was John Davidson Magill which was the  name of Sarah's oldest brother.  Joseph Lester was also the name of Elizabeth Lester Magill's oldest brother.    However to prove this I needed a Charles and an Archibald.  If they were born before 1850 and died I was up a creek without a paddle unless I could find family evidence.  It was about this time my mother's cousin finally broke down and sent me copies of the famliy bible.  
There was Charles Andrew Magill first born, and William Archibald the second born.  I knew I had my family.  I had a probate of when Joseph died in 1844 that named a William Magill along with John Davidson as executors.  William turned out to be Joseph's older brother.  Then a "distant" cousin researching Charles Magill in Sullivan, Indiana found the land records that involved the heirs of Charles Magill.  My great grandmother was named with her brothers as heirs of Joseph Lester Magill, son of Charles Magill.  That tied us to the William Magill who came to America through Virginia.  It was all good.  I still wonder what happened that the first two sons died as toddlers, and what happened to Joseph.  Since it was 1844, it could be another Mexican War tragedy, but that will be later research.  Thanks for the opportunity, 
Small-leaved Shamrock (http://www.small-leavedshamrock.blogspot.com/. ) I had fun at the Carnival.