How Did I Do? Looking Back on My Genealogy Goals for 2011

Looking Back on 2011 Genealogical Goals

1) I want to continue exploring new software and apply what I learn to my blog posts. I have been exploring Google Earth and how to use it to create "tours" from one place to another where my ancestors lived -- particularly in the East End.  I'm also trying to learn how to upload pictures I have to their site.  I've also edited some recordings that included my family singing "Happy Birthday" to my niece 24 years ago.  I incorporated this sound track into a photoshow I created.

2) Linking to GeneaBloggers has increased the traffic to this blog and enabled me to benefit from others who have a passion for blogging about their family history. I want to try to read as many other blogs as time will allow. Due to the introduction of Google+ during 2012, I feel like I'm beginning to cultivate a real community of bloggers.  We read each others' posts and provide support as needed.  I'm so grateful to my Geneablogger buddies.
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3) I have six ancestors who served in the Civil War. Since 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I want to tell what I can of their stories and recognize their service. I wrote up posts on three of my six Civil War ancestors.  I also submitted my research on them to the Ohio Genealogical Society's Civil War Lineage Group.  They were approved.  I have three more to go.

4) Hopefully, I will collaborate with our local genealogical society and public library to help teach others how to set up a blog and share their own family histories with the rest of us. This is one of my proudest accomplishments.  I taught a 4-part course on creating a family history blog in conjunction with our wonderful Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  About 10 people stuck with it.  I'm already scheduled to do two "overview sessions" on blogging with two local genealogical groups.  I hope to teach another course in 2012.

5) I want to treat myself to the Ohio Genealogical Society conference to be held the end of March in Columbus, Ohio. The conference coincides with my birthday. I hope to be accepted as a member of their Century Families and Civil War lineage groups based on applications already submitted. I also submitted an article for a Writing Contest they sponsor annually. If I "win" my article will be published in their quarterly journal.  My article did not "win," but it was good enough to be published in the OGS Quarterly.  I attended my first OGS Conference with my cousin, Barbara Pharo, in Columbus, Ohio.  I really learned a lot and look forward to attending my first NGS Conference in 2012 since it is being held in Cincinnati.  I also qualified for the Century Families lineage groups at both the county at state levels.


6) I hope to overcome my distaste for formal citations. For Christmas, my husband gave me a a copy of Elizabeth Shown Mills book, Evidence Explained. Maybe this will make this task more tolerable.
I did NOT overcome my distaste for writing formal citations.  However, I discovered that my genie buddy, Liz Stratton, was only too willing to help.  I also learned a lot from the OGS Quarterly Editor,
Margaret Arnold, who helped me properly source everything for the article they published.

7) I still have a couple of ancestors I need to flesh out -- Elizabeth Kinley Jones was Pennsylvania Dutch. Her husband, Alexander Jones, was allegedly born in Chillicothe, Ohio -- something I need to prove. I would also like to prove when John Cronin and Lucy Cronin died in Kentucky -- definitely brick walls for me. I was able to prove that John Cronin died two years before my grandmother was born, proving once and for all that he was NOT her father.  You can search this blog for John Cronin.  It's a very interesting story.  I didn't make any progress on the other three ancestors so I'll have to continue researching them in 2012.

8) I hope to go to the Ohio Historical Society as I read that they have put together a substantial amount of information re: Ohio units in the Civil War. This may give me a fuller picture of the service of my ancestors.  I went to the Ohio Historical Society and was unable to take full advantage of their collection.  However, I was able to get the Mental Health records for my great-grandfather, Charles C. Gross.  I also visited the Columbus Metropolitan Library and know that they will be a tremendous resource for me in the future.

9) One of the biggest accomplishments of 2010 was meeting and collaborating with a second and third cousin I met through Ancestry. I hope we can continue collaborating in 2011.  I hit the jackpot meeting my cousin, Barbara Pharo.  Not only did we attend the OGS Conference together but plan to attend the NGS Conference in Cincinnati in May 2012.  Due to a last-minute cancellation, I was able to go on a 17-day vacation that included an 11-day cruise.  We traveled through parts of Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy.  I got to know Barbara's two daughters, friends, and her brother-in-law who also went on this trip.  WHAT A GIFT!!!

10) Finally, I hope for continued good health, an improving economy for all, and more time devoted to exercise and other priorities. I am thankful for my many blessings and look forward to 2011. Here is wishing all who read this a happy 2011!  I certainly did not do everything I needed to do in terms of exercise.  After putting on a few pounds cruising, I became discouraged and lost any motivation I had.  But tomorrow starts a new year, and I really do want to do better in this category.  I remained healthy as did my husband.  We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow.  I have a two day old grandson.  I hope we've turned the corner with this horrible economy and the extended suffering of so many of my fellow countrymen.  What will 2012 bring?

Grandma Kathy and Andrew



The 200th Post of Jones Family Matters!



Photo Credit:  PD Photo.org

When I began writing this blog in May 2009, I didn't know how much I would grow to love it.  I worried about having enough material.  Would I ever figure out how to position images?  Would anyone even read it?  Would my family care?

I found that genealogy is never finished.  There are always new discoveries.  I learned that I am much more attracted to finding out who my ancestors were and not nearly so interested in dates and charts. My foggy idea that the blog could serve as "cousin bait" has definitely proved to be the case.  Not only has it helped me forge new relationships with my first cousins, but I've discovered third and fourth cousins I did not know existed.  Martha Darby Rutter, Betty Arnett, Barbara Pharo and the Biedermanns are just some of the cousins who come to mind.

I've become a better researcher.  In striving to tell the story as accurately as possible, I've found myself reexaming records, searching for missing pieces, and actually toppling a couple of brick walls.  I've submitted three articles to genealogical journals for possible publication.  I was just notified that my latest submission will be published in the Ohio Genealogical Quarterly making it three for three.

I discovered that I have a real interest in and love for historical context.  Thanks to my diverse ancestry, I've become much more knowledgeable about German, English, Welsh and Irish history.  Since I'm a 5th generation Jones in Cincinnati, I've become even more appreciative of the city of my birth.

Lately I've even convinced a couple of relatives and friends to have their DNA analyzed for both health and ancestry information.  I've stayed on top of some of the latest software advances such as google+ and  I am scheduled to teach a series of classes on family history blogging at our library in the fall.  I've become much more involved in my local and state genealogical organizations and now been accepted into four lineage groups and one group for Civil War ancestors.

And probably the most unexpected thing -- through Geneabloggers (a group of almost 2000 bloggers writing about their family histories) I've met new friends -- friends whose work I admire.  I look forward to every one of their posts. I'm amazed that these contacts are spread throughout the United States and beyond.  There is great diversity among our group and I've been exposed to traditions that are foreign to me.

So blogging has become a passion for me -- and I owe much of it to those of you who have taken the time to read and comment on my posts.  I look forward to the next 200 posts.

Barbara and Kathy's Excellent Adventure

As I mentioned in the previous post, my cousin, Barbara and I, traveled to Columbus for the Ohio Genealogical Society conference.  I knew before attending that I was going to be inducted into two lineage societies -- one for members of my direct line who lived in Ohio for at least 100 years and the other for ancestors who served in the Civil War.  I was hoping for (but did not get) an award for a submission to the O.G.S. Writing Contest.

The conference was wonderful!  Both of us learned so much that we worry about our ability to process it.  There were several national speakers including David Rencher of FamilySearch, Leslie Albrecht Huber, Shamele Jordon, and Lisa Louise Cooke.  All did not disappoint. The speakers were able to combine the best of technology with the best of original documents. I now have a much better idea of how to use the available microfilm from the Freedmen's Bureau that is housed in the Cincinnati Public Library.  This information will be very helpful as Jimmie Ellis and I continue to work on his family's history in Georgia.

As great a time as we had, however, Barbara apparently takes her life in her hands if she agrees to travel with me.  Last October we traveled together to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky to visit the home of our Probert ancestors.  The next day, we traveled to the Kentucky Archives in Frankfort.  A few miles out the sirens went off warning us of a possible tornado.  Police officers were speeding up and down the street with their sirens blaring and trying to get everyone off of the streets.  We tried to take refuge in a bank, but they had a sign on the door telling us that they had taken refuge and locked the doors.  We and several others took shelter in the covered drive-through.  I naively thought it wasn't that bad -- until Barbara sent me this photograph:

Tornado in Frankfort

That streak just to the left of the road is not a flaw in the picture.  It's a tornado!

Not wanting to subject my cousin to another frightening travel experience with me, I was happy that we had such an uneventful drive to the conference.  But I was happy too soon.  The Hyatt Capitol offered free valet parking to all conference attendees.  Sounds like a great plan, but how do a few valets get cars in a reasonable time frame for several hundred people all dismissed at the same time?  After waiting for over half an hour, Barbara approached one of the valets only to be told that our car had a dead battery, but no problem -- they were charging the battery and would have it up front in a few minutes.  (The valet took care to tell Barbara that it wasn't anything they had done).  After another 30 minutes went by, we were told that they got the car out of the garage and it died on the street.  No charge in the world was going to get it there.  They literally pushed the car to the front of the hotel.

Barbara, Kathy and the car

We considered our options and eventually called AAA.  Luckily, I had coverage that would allow them to tow the car up to 100 miles free of charge.  They will also take up to two passengers.  The wrecker driver was there in about 15 minutes.  He was the GREATEST GUY!  After a couple of stressful hours, we were on our way, packed into the front seat of the wrecker, legs straddling the radio equipment. 

My husband, Bill, met us at the Subaru dealer in Cincinnati, where we are now all convinced that the valet left the parking lights on.  When they hooked up the battery to a charger, the parking lights were on!  What's strange is that they couldn't be turned off.  We'll get the final diagnosis tomorrow.

Bill, Barbara and I went to Bravo's where dinner and a couple of drinks made everything right with the world once again.  I'm just hoping that Barbara will be willing to go places with me in the future.  One thing for sure -- our trips together have been unforgettable.