Jasia's 100th Carnival of Genealogy has been released. I'll need an oxygen tank because I'm not coming up until I'm done, elf duties be damned. Terrific reading.
I am so enjoying the Advent Calendar posts. Thank you Thomas - and again Jasia - for this delightful treat. There are dozens of outstanding posts here, but if you missed Amy Coffin's Holiday of Horrors! or Greta's I KNEW it! I KNEW Santa was real! stop reading this and read those. Far better than anything I'll ever write.
Assuming you're still with me, however, there are some other wonderful blogs out in the world.
My list - in no particular order
1. We're more closely linked to the past than we think. My grandfather's father was a boy during the Civil War. His grandfather was born in 1795 (or thereabouts). I sat on the lap of a man who's own grandfather was born in 1795. That takes my breath away.
2. I'm part-German (a little less than 1/16th) which was a shocker. Sally Killian, my gg-grandmother was predominantly German.
3. My Union soldier gg-grandfather Samuel McAdams came from a slave-owning family.
4. Going back to Sally, I was thrilled to find she was a midwife and surprised that she was married before she married my gg-grandfather Archie Sawyer(s). Archie was married earlier, too. (The information on Sally came from her daughter's Civil War Widow's Pension file generously shared by a newfound cousin.)
5. Family secrets keep coming to light. I can't share them (secrets, remember), but they do amaze me.
6. My husband is a genealogist's dream (at least this one's!). His family is full of educated, literate men and women who wrote and saved letters, bibles, family heirlooms and treasures yet to be discovered.
7. I can decipher a baptismal record written in Cyrillic letters thanks to my grandfather and aunt keeping and handing down family documents. I bless you both.
8. Not all family stories are true. My great-grandfather was not Jewish, did not change his name, did not run off to marry a Christian girl. The jury's still out on HIS grandfather, though.
9. Life was hard in the 19th century. It didn't matter if you owned a plantation or homesteaded in Nebraska. Children, mothers, fathers all died and died young. Our 1950s nuclear family didn't exist then. Those who survived to old age often had multiple spouses, children, step children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces in their households. (I love probate records!)
10. The Civil War had as much impact on individual families as it did on the nation - especially in Missouri and Tennessee. My husband's gg-grandmother, Cansada Jones Stokes Sisco Caulk Sweely, was widowed during the War. Her third husband was a Union veteran who suffered the remainder of his life from a war injury. Her gallantry, her hard work to care for her family amaze me.
As to passing it on... The bloggers I first think of are those that have been unfailingly supportive and generous to me during these first months of blogging. They write great blogs, are exceptional researchers and active members of the genealogy blogging community. To no one's surprise they've all been Ancestor Approved before. Still a huge thank you to
Carol at Reflections from the Fence
Greta Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Blog
With all admiration I award the Ancestor Approved badge to
Brandt Gibson at Brandt's Rants
D. Kay Strickland at d kay s days
Linda McCauley at Documenting the Details
D. Kay Strickland at d kay s days
Linda McCauley at Documenting the Details
Kristin Williams for both of her blogs, Finding Eliza and My Cleages and Reeds
Cynthia Shenette at Heritage Zen
Cynthia Shenette at Heritage Zen
Elizabeth O'Neal for Little Bytes of Life
Yvonne at The Mashburn Collection
CeCe Moore at My Tangled VineNick Gombash at Nick Gombash's Genealogy Blog
Margel at 2238 W. Washington Blvd.
Finally, a huge WHOOPS and belated thank you to Barbara for the Genea-Angel she gave me last September. I know. September! I hang my head in shame. Susan Petersen at Long Lost Relatives.net started this last August to recognize those who'd helped in one's research or provided guidance or inspiration. I've struggled with this because those who've helped with my research efforts don't blog and wouldn't necessarily appreciate being named publicly. As for inspiration - see all of the above. But today, as I pore over one after another of the outstanding posts for the 100th Carnival of Genealogy, it's become clear to me that my Genea-Angel must be passed onto Jasia. Long may she reign!
