A fellow blogger I met a few years ago (online only, so far) loves doing genealogy research. She went through many many hours researching her own family and with great love and pride, gave printed and professionally bound copies to family members for Christmas. I have started off and on for 30 years to work on mine. Back in those days, there were not as many "free" sites to check. It has become a "hobby" for more people now and there seem to be more sites.
We had a cousin reunion last summer and I met a 2nd cousin who was working on my Mom's side of the family. She shared her work with me and I joined Ancestry.com. It is a LOT of tedious detective work that often hits a dead end.
And then came Judy.
I noticed on her blog that she was doing a family tree for another blogger. Quickly I zipped off an email to inquire if she would do mine (for hire)! YES! And the hourly rate was so incredibly affordable. What a great birthday gift for my sister ... and a copy for me! The information goes way back to the first century AD. Not just facts but photos and copies of old documents and even information on how they earned a living. After doing mine, she was working on a new project and discovered that we are 10th cousins! Amazing! So I have a new family member and a new Facebook friend.
She also gave me the 108 pages on a CD so it will be even easier to update. It is also stored safely in the cloud and on my computer ... with CD in the pocket of the binder.
Fortunately, my world traveling Seester FINALLY came home for 36 hours before leaving again (it's a tough life, but someone has to do it) and opened her belated birthday gift. And LOVED it! I couldn't publish anything about it on my blog until she was surprised. And she was!
Thank you Judy!
P.S. I get teary eyed EVERY time I read the last page ....
I'm amazed at how fast and easy it is to do genealogy research now compared to when I first started doing it back in the '60s. What a wonderful gift for your sister and to pass down to your daughter and grandsons.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Judy would agree with FAST! Easier than the 60's for sure. She inspired me to start again with Mr. Ralph's side of the family ... and luckily for me another relative had made a trip to Scotland and posted lots of information and photos on a website! AMAZING how far back they go!
DeleteWhat an appropriate gift for your sister. I'm sure she loved it. Judy is so clever at this, and persistent. I didn't realize that she was doing this for you until I saw the post on her blog. How remarkable that she found a "grandfather" link to another blogger. Walt Disney was right. It's a small world after all. It's nice to think that we are all connected in some way.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely something different for my baby sis ... not sure anyone else in my family is even interested but gosh I am. Judy makes my family come to life!
DeleteIt is a small world after all!
Your daughter will enjoy this, too.
ReplyDeleteSomeday she will. I hope. And if I add people photos from as far back as I have, it will make it more interesting to my great great greats!
DeleteIsn't Judy amazing?! Our family's genealogy report was her first professional creation. Ditto to all you say about her thorough research elegantly knitting together generations and presenting it in a visually intriguing way. I combed through our family photos and files, digitizing photos, and sending her ultimately 250.
ReplyDeleteOur genealogy report was a gift for my father, on his 103rd birthday! As we looked through it, he reminisced about his boyhood, filling in even more blanks.
I still haven't made peace with my mother's ancestry, but at least I understand better where she got her traits. Every generation brings DNA AND family traits forward. We are not the blank slates our own experiences etch into our lives. So interesting!
I didn't send her any photos ... but I can add them as I play with my amazing gift. Not sure anyone in my immediate family is very interested (except Janet, my sister). But I find it exciting.
DeleteI'm glad I came back and found the P.S. you added. I had forgotten about that Nellie Winslow Simmons Randal poem and will add it to my books.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! We are so much alike .. I return to read other comments as well!!!
DeleteThat was a lovely gift. Does the gal who did the research have a blog so she could be contacted?
ReplyDeleteEmail me and I will give you the information!
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