Book Review: "Guns and Gods in My Genes"

I am pleased to offer this review of the book Guns and Gods in My Genes: A 15,000 mile North American Search Through Four Centuries of History, to the Mayflower by Neill McKee

I love to read about the genealogy journeys of others. For those genealogists who have authored books about their genealogy quest to find their ancestors, Guns and Gods in My Genes ranks up there with the best of them. I enjoyed reading Neill McKee's family story and the how this book was put together. 

From the very beginning, McKee gives the reader a Genealogical Map on page xv which is a Principal North American Ancestors in the Chronology of this Book. This is a family tree the reader can use as easy reference to keep all the family members McKee mentions in the book straight.

McKee takes us on a journey of his trek through each generation. As the title states, he explores his ancestors as it pertains to guns and God. Chapter 1 starts it off by a story that is recounted of a deer hunt that occurred in November 1961. Each generation is presented in historical context as the author gives his own thoughts on how his ancestors may have responded to the events of their time.

From the McKee family farm in Waterloo County, Ontario to the Mayflower, the author gives us a wonderful look into his family history. The twists and turns, ups and downs of the McKee family will keep the reader turning the page to see what happens next. There are many photos included in the book of the family and that McKee took himself throughout his journey.

The family trees in the back of the book included in the Table section were put together well and will help the reader to following the family lines as the history and stories are read. As an archivist, I was pleased to see the Chapter Notes section where McKee lists his sources for research and I even found several references that I have marked to check out for myself and my own genealogy research.

I can highly recommend Guns and Gods in My Genes to any genealogist who is looking for a family history book to read or if you are thinking of writing your own family history book. 

Disaster Planning at RootsTech Connect

RootsTech Connect is LIVE!    

The most famous and largest genealogy conference is happening NOW! February 25-27th.

RootsTech Connect is a genealogy conference that is usually held in-person in Utah in February. 

This year, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, this wonderful conference is totally virtual and most excitedly FREE to EVERYONE! 

You will need to register for this FREE conference here: https://www.rootstech.org/rootstech-connect-2021-registration?lang=eng 

The best part is all the sessions will be available FREE for a year!

I am pleased to let you know that I have a teaching session at RootsTech Connect. 

It is titled Disaster Planning Safeguarding Your Genealogical Records. This presentation is about protecting your genealogical records from a natural or man-made disaster. I am so excited to have been chosen to be part of the RootsTech Connect Conference. 

You can view my session at this direct link: https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/rtc2021/session/disaster-planning-safeguarding-your-genealogical-records

So head over to RootsTech Connect and watch all the sessions but make sure to stop by my session and give me a thumbs up and even leave me a message!

Our Ancestors and the Four Seasons

As I write this blog post and look out my office window, here in Tennessee we have ice and snow on the ground. This got me to thinking about my ancestors and what they thought about each of the four seasons. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons of the year. Many who know me, know that I hibernate in the Summer and come out in Fall and especially Winter. I even love snow!

Barker House, Tennessee Ridge, TN. February 16, 2021

Have you thought about what seasons your ancestors enjoyed? Were they Summer people or Winter people? Did they hate a particular season? 

I have been researching my family history for over 31 years. I am the type of researcher that wants to know what my ancestors had for breakfast, what were their hobbies and lately I have been thinking about what season they enjoyed the most and which season they detested.

I will admit it might be a bit difficult to really know if your 6th great-grandfather loved Summer as I imagine there are probably no records that actually state this fact unless you have his diary where he says it himself. But maybe we can glean from other sources if our ancestor was partial to a particular season.

Maybe your ancestor loved gardening and you know this because you have records where they bought gardening supplies or seeds from a catalog. Or maybe you have photographs of them next to the beautiful roses they grew in their garden. My Grandma Ida Kathryn (Drummond) Bartram loved gardening, especially growing flowers. She truly had a green thumb.

My Grandmother, Ida Kathryn (Drummond) Bartram, ca. 1968

Many of our ancestors grew their own food, either out of necessity or pleasure or both. There is a certain sense of accomplishment, I am told, when you can grow your own food during the Summer and feed your family throughout the Winter.

Mrs. P.L. Cook Prize Winning Canned Food, Houston County, TN. Archives

In the Fall of the year, here in Tennessee, it is sorghum molasses making time. This is an old tradition that dates back to the mid-1850s. Here is a great article from the Tennessee Encyclopedia about Sorghum Molasses making history: https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/sorghum-making/ Possibly your ancestors made sorghum molasses and you can find evidence of that because they sold their jarred molasses to the local mercantile or they entered it in the local county fair and won a blue ribbon. Documenting our ancestors daily lives, in any season, helps to tell their life story. 

Lola Knight Scrapbook, ca. 1922-1923, Houston County, TN. Archives

Maybe it's the Summer season that your ancestors loved. They loved picnics, going creek stomping and attending that family reunion. Summer was a very busy time for farmers but they always took the time to enjoy themselves at the local watering hole or enjoying a summer treat of cold watermelon. My husband's family owned and operated a local public pool and it was the place to be in Houston County, Tennessee on a hot summer day. 

Southernaire Restauant & Motel Pool, ca. 1959, Houston County, TN. Archives

So, as you are reading through old letters, diaries, scrapbooks and any other records your ancestors left behind. Pay closer attention to any mention of the seasons and if there are any thoughts shared about if they preferred one season over another.  We can't know every thought and feeling our ancestors had but we can sure glean as much as we can from the records they left behind.

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Organizing Your Genealogy Research, Tips from an Archivist

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe it's 2021!

I am excited about a New Year for genealogy research and being the archivist at the Houston County, TN. Archives. I am looking forward to meeting all the genealogist that will walk through the archives door, call me on the phone or send me an email with their genealogy research questions. Helping genealogists is the best part of my job as an archivist.

I am also looking forward to the opportunities to speak, teach and write about researching in archives and records preservation. I love teaching others about archives research and the best practices in preserving your genealogy research.

Today, I would like to talk about organizing your genealogy research. Many of you will make New Year's Resolutions that will have something to do with organizing genealogy research and records. Many of you will decide to go totally digital, many of you will try to eliminate piles of papers and many of you have tons of photographs to scan and organize.

Houston County Highway Dept. Records Before Organization

In an archives, organization is very important and something I do on a daily basis as I process the records in my care. If I don't use the proper methods to process record collections, they won't be in a form that can be used by genealogy researchers. Also, using archival safe materials is essential to protecting and preserving original documents so they will be around for the next generations of genealogists to enjoy.

There are all kinds of ways to organize your genealogy research, I will leave the method you choose up to you. I would like to give you three tips to help the organization go more smoothly and hopefully help you to not become overwhelmed during the process:

Choose an Organization Method that Works for You and be Consistent

It's true, there are many methods and ways to organize your genealogy research. You can talk to 10 people and get 10 different methods of organization. I always tell genealogists to figure out the method that works for you and just be consistent in implementing it. An organizational method that works for me may not work for you and that's okay! If you don't like the organization method you are using, most likely you won't stay very organized. So, find what works for you and be consistent in using it everyday.

One of the best books out there to help you organize your genealogy records Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher. It's actually on SALE at Amazon TODAY!

Here are the links:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2R81HyL
Kindle Version: https://amzn.to/2Asv4Sh

Take Small Bites

There is a saying that goes something like this "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." This is also true for tackling the job of organizing genealogy research. Don't try to do it all in one day. You will get overwhelmed and discouraged if you try to take on too much at one time. In the archives, when I have a large records collection to process, I take it slow and steady. It might take me a few days or even a few weeks to complete the processing of a large records collection. I have one particular collection right now that has taken me a couple of months and I am still not done. The reason I take my time is because I want to process the collection properly so when genealogists want to use the records collection, it is organized and easy to find what they are looking for. So, don't try to organize everything as fast as possible. Take your time, you will be glad that you did.

Use Archival Materials

As an archivist, I can not emphasis this tip enough. I encourage everyone to use archival file folders, archival sheet protectors and archival boxes for all genealogical documents. Even if you have decided to go totally digital, I am sure there will be some original records that you will want to keep and preserving them should be at the top of your organizational list. Many of the documents we own as genealogists are one-of-a-kind and should be protected for future generations to enjoy.

Archival Materials Used in an Archives, Houston County, TN. Archives

The online archival material business are now advertising their 2019 catalogs. You can access their materials online or you can request that a catalog be mailed to you, here are links to their websites:

Online Archival Supply Stores:

Gaylord Archival
http://www.gaylord.com/

Hollinger Metal Edge
http://www.hollingermetaledge.com/

University Products
https://www.universityproducts.com/

Light Impressions
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/


Following these three tips as you organize your genealogy research will hopefully make the process more enjoyable and you won't get overwhelmed.

For the start of this New Year, I would like to encourage those that follow me and read my blog, writings and watch my webinars to contact me with your questions about researching in archives and preserving records. My email address is just to the right of this blog post at the end of the "About Me" section. I love talking to genealogists about the in's and out's of researching in archives and I love helping them get the right archival materials to preserve and protect their genealogy records, photographs, memorabilia and artifacts. So, please feel free to email me anytime!

Lastly, in 2021 I encourage everyone to seek out the thousands of archives, libraries, historical societies, genealogical societies, university libraries and archives and museums that hold genealogical records. More and more these repositories budgets are being cut because of non-use. We need to keep these facilities OPEN, so.....



REMEMBER: IT'S NOT ALL ONLINE, CONTACT OR VISIT AN ARCHIVES TODAY!!



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Researching in Libraries and Archives: The Do's and Don'ts

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General Mills Archives, Food and Your Ancestors

It's that time of year when we celebrate the Holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Celebrations abound and a common denominator is food. Many of us have family traditions we practice during this time. We prepare certain recipes and share them with our friends and family. 

General Mills Archives Website

As genealogists we have a great opportunity to document this aspect of our family's history. During the holidays when our family members are more willing to share their memories, we should be collecting those memories and preserving them. Almost all of us have memories related to food. Whether that is Aunt Linda's fruit cake or that Jell-O mold that was at every Christmas dinner table, we remember these dishes and they generate stories that we should be recording. 

Along with the stories, we should also be trying to document the recipes so they are not forgotten. I inherited my Grandmother's recipe boxes and they are a true treasure. However, these recipe boxes do not include many of the recipes that I remember because my Grandmother kept those in her head and didn't write them down. I so regret not having her write them down or writing them down as she made each dish. Now they are lost and all that remains are the memories me and my other family members have to cherish.

Agnes Marie (Curtis) LeMaster Chess Pie Recipe, Melissa Barker Records

I recently read a great book about the history of Betty Crocker. The book is Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady Of Food by Susan Marks and can be found on Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/3lQYDla . This was an interesting look at the history of Betty Crocker (who, by the way, was not a real person, which I did not know until I read this book!) and introduced me to the General Mills Archives. While this archives is not open to the general public, they are available to answer questions from the public by email and through their website.

So, during the holidays when you are with your family, whether that is in person or virtually, talk about the food traditions and recipes. Write them down and document them so they are not forgotten. Preserve your family's food history for the next generations!

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Family Gatherings: Dragging Genealogy Information Out of Your Family

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Stirring Up the Past: Revolutions in Tennessee Cooking Virtual Exhibit

So many of us are really missing visiting our favorite libraries, archives and museums. But wait, there are online exhibits that many of these archives are adding to their websites for us to enjoy.

One such archive is the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The TSLA has several online exhibits to explore and now they have a NEW one. 

Stirring Up the Past: Revolutions in Tennessee Cooking Virtual Exhibit was added to their website this week. The TSLA describes this virtual exhibit as: 

Prior to the current age, food preparation took months of planning and dedication.  Putting meals together was more than scanning directions on the back of the box; it required hard-earned wisdom and a lot of time.  For example, a vinegar recipe from the 1800s states, “It should be made in May to be ready for the fall pickling.”  The exhibit covers not only how food was prepared but also how the latest technology has transformed the face of modern day cooking.  The exhibit delves into Native American cooking, Pioneer/Civil War cooking, Victorian cooking and cooking in the Modern Age.  Join us for a nostalgic view of the way the original Betty Crockers got it done! Whether you eat fitness bars or indulge in Ben and Jerry’s, our exhibit will satisfy your hunger to know how food preparation originated.  Bring your intellectual appetite!

The topics covered in the exhibit are:

Native Americans

Pioneer Food Preparations

Civil War Era

Victorian Era

Modern Era

There is even a link in the exhibit where you can download old recipes from 1767-1985.

No exhibit would be complete without photos and documents and this virtual exhibit has both. 

Virtual exhibits are starting to become very popular with archives. They can reach a wider audience virtually than in-person visits, especially with this time of the coronavirus. The next time you are visiting an archives website, check and see if they have any virtual exhibits.

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Book Review: "The Psychology of Searching" by Dr. Penny Walters

The Psychology of Searching by Dr. Penny Walters is a self-published book about looking at the psychology of why we do genealogy research. Why are we interested in our family tree and our ancestor’s past. This look at the reasons why we genealogists do genealogy intrigued me because I am always asking “Why?” about my ancestors and part of that “why” is why do we do genealogy.

This book has only 163 pages with 22 pages dedicated to a robust reference section. The chapter headings themselves will no doubt interest any genealogist:

Chapter 1: Why do we ‘do’ genealogy?

Chapter 2: What is a relative?

Chapter 3: Reconstructing the past

Chapter 4: The psychology of naming

Chapter 5: How do you visually present your family?

Chapter 6: Death and dying

The author digs right in with Chapter 1: Why do we ‘do’ genealogy? She asks the question “What is your motivation to start compiling your family history?” which made me stop and think what my answer to that question would be. I think all genealogists can remember what it was that started them on their journey of researching their family history. Whatever the reason, Walters goes into the psychology of why genealogists do what they do. I appreciated the fact that on Page 8 the author says “Genealogy is not like other pastimes. In fact, it is not really a pastime at all. Genealogy is a field of study that is integral to the human condition.” I would completely agree with this quote.

Chapter 3 was probably my favorite chapter of this book. Dr. Penny Walters dedicates this chapter to genealogists reconstructing the past, their ancestor’s past. What I liked about this chapter is the fact that Walters emphasized the need to know everything about our ancestors. More than just dates of birth, marriage, and death. As the very beginning of the chapter, Walters asks “What did my ancestors do all day?” This is exactly the question I ask myself as I research my ancestors. I want to know everything there is to know about each ancestor. I want to know what they had for breakfast, what were their hobbies, what did they do daily. Walters quotes Bob Brooke on page 63 as stating “Tracing a family’s emotional behaviour patterns over the last few generations can shed light on present day problems.” This statement is so true and one that I have researched myself and have seen the correlation.

I must say that Chapter 6 addresses the question that I suspect all genealogists get “Why are you looking for dead people?” I have gotten this question from several of my family members who don’t understand why I want to know information about our ancestors who are dead and gone. Walters covers different religions and their beliefs about death. She then talks about genealogy records relating to death that the genealogists can seek online and at various archives.

The reference section starting on page 141 is quite extensive and I was pleased to see such a healthy reference section. As an archivist, when I read a book I usually go directly to the reference, notes or bibliography section just to see what the author used as reference for what they have written. Dr. Penny Walters has a variety of references, everything from academic psychology reference works to well known genealogists such as Lisa Louise Cooke owner of Genealogy Gems. I found myself highlighting and taking notes while reading through the reference section of this book so that I could do further reading.

Dr. Penny Walters has done a wonderful job with this most recent work and I recommend it to my genealogy friends. I can also recommend her previously published book Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy.