Maintenance Monday

Doing away with the negative connotations of "Madness Monday", I am now choosing to not blog a regular post on Monday's, instead using that day to gather up all the loose ends and provide maintenance to either my own research, or that of my clients.

I hope you will join with me in providing a "Maintenance Monday" for your own home or business office!

We will of course, return to our regularly scheduled postings tomorrow!

Week 22 Challenge

Here's to Week 22 Genea Challenge!

"Week 22: Spend some time at Find-a-Grave. Most of you have probably heard of Find-a-Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/) and probably used it in your own research as well. The challenge this week is to simply browse this web site. Just click links. Look at the different ways the information is sorted. Study the tributes of others and see if there are ways you can improve your own entries. Don’t do any research of your own, simply study the efforts of others. If you have a genealogy blog, share your impressions of Find-a-Grave and any interesting entries you found at the web site."

Okay, so before I even go to Find-A-Grave today to look at it, I utilize Find-A-Grave on an almost daily basis! The data has become so large now that almost anyone [or one of their immeidate family members] can be found there!

I also regularly contribute.

So I am already well-versed with the system.

But for today, I decided to play with the "Famous People" of the site. And here's just a small sampling of the "Who's Who" of whom I found!

Dan Blocker

[co-starred in the TV series Bonanza]

Buried: Woodmen Cemetery

DeKalb, Bowie, TX

Ernest Jennings Ford

"Tennessee Ernie Ford"

Singer ["Sixteen Tons", "John Henry", many hymns]Alta Mesa Memorial Park

Palo Alto, Santa Clara, CA

James Dean

Actor - "East of Eden", "Rebel Without A Cause", "Giant"

Park Cemetery

Fairmount, Grant, Indiana

Louisa May Alcott

Author ["Little Women", "Little Men", "Jo's Boys"]

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts

While I've only had occasion to need to use the "Famous People" search twice before, I found just looking around and randomly typing in famous names was actually alot of fun!

But then, I'm a cemetery geek from way back when! [Mama used to take me trekking through cemeteries as far back as I can remember, and that's more years than many of you have ever seen!]

Thanks for the challenge, and a fun way to spend a lazy Sunday!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Come Sunday Morning

As per my usual, I didn't read Randy Seaver's challenge at Genea-Musings until this morning! With that said, here was Randy's challenge:

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (come on, don't be a party pooper...) is:


1) Open up the genealogy software program of your choice.


2) Think about two special people in your family tree (your parents? your spouse? a famous person? a distant cousin? yourself?).


3) Use the Relationship Calculator in the software to determine the relationship between the two special people. If you don't know where to find the Relationship Calculator, go to the Help button and find out. Follow the directions!


4) Tell us about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a comment to this post on my blog, or in a Note or comment on Facebook.

With that in mind, I thought about all of the individuals in my family tree, and just who would I really like to see in the relationship calculator of my FTM program!
 
So, I thought about the dozens and dozens of veterans in my tree. Those who are direct ancestry, and those who are in those extensive extended family files!
 
And I thought about Frederick Honaker. I don't know why. He just simply popped into my head.
 
Frederick Honaker isn't a member of my direct ancestral tree.
 
Honaker was born 1757 in we suspect Virginia, to Hans Jacob Honnegar and Mary Goetz. He was one of at least 14 children born to the couple.
 
Frederick Honaker married Rachel Wiseman before 04 Sep 1822, probably in Monroe County, [W]VA. Rachel was the daughter of Isaac Wiseman Jr. and Elizabeth Davis. She was born 01 Mar 1769 in Berks Co., PA. She and Frederick had their first child in Monroe County on 04 Sep 1822.
 

Honaker served as a Private in the VA Militia during the Revolutionary War.
 
Honaker died in 1824 and is buried at the Old Rehobeth Church Cemetery, in Keenan, Monroe, WV.
 
There is a relationship between Honaker and I when put into the Relationship Calculator of my FTM program. So what is it?
 
Frederick Honaker was the husband of my 3rd-great aunt.
 
Yes, you see, my relationship to his wife is as follows:
 
Cynthia Ann Beane > Walter M. Beane > John Monroe Bean> William M. Bean > Rachel Wiseman > Joseph Wiseman > Isaac Wiseman Jr. [Rachel Wiseman's father]. My great-great-grandmother was actually named after her aunt, Rachel. And so by marriage, I am indeed related to this Frederick Honaker.
 
Thanks Randy, for another great SNGF challenge!

Sentimental Sunday - In Honor of Memorial Day

Here's a small tribute to the members of my family who have served in the military.

[This is in no way conclusive, but is a small represntation only!]

In Honor of Memorial Day

And the Men and Women Who Have Served

And Who Now Serve!

Surname Saturday - Henry [Continued]

Last week we left off with my husband's 6th gr-grandfather, William Henry:


256. William HENRY was born about 1709 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He died on 12 Oct
1769 in South Carolina. He was the son of 512. Alexander HENRY and 513. Jean ROBERTSON. He
married Elizabeth SHIELDS. He married [2] Martha CALHOUN.
257. Elizabeth SHIELDS was born Abt. 1719 in Scotland. She died 1745.
Children of William HENRY and Elizabeth SHIELDS are:
i. George HENRY was born 1737 in Scotland.
+ 61. ii. Aaron HENRY was born 1740 in Marion, Shenandoah County, Virginia, died Nov 1825 in
Morgantown, Mongahela, Virginia.
Children of William HENRY and Martha CALHOUN are:
i. John HENRY was born 30 Oct 1745 in Lincoln, North Carolina.
ii. Elizabeth HENRY was born 25 Dec 1747 in Hanover, VA.
iii. Jean HENRY was born 21 Apr 1753 in Hanover, VA.
iv. William HENRY was born 21 Mar 1753 in Hanover, VA.
v. Harriet HENRY was born 17 Oct 1757 in Hanover, VA.
vi. James HENRY was born 17 Apr 1759 in Hanover, VA.



512. Alexander HENRY was born in 1674 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He married Jean
ROBERTSON in 1700 in Old Machar Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
513. Jean ROBERTSON was born 1684 in Edinburgh, Midlothian Scotland. She died 1775 in Old Machar Parish, Aberdeenshire,Scotland. She was the daughter of 1026. William ROBERTSON and 1027.
Eleanor PITCAIRN.
Children of Alexander HENRY and Jean ROBERTSON are:
i. Jean HENRY was born 1703 in Old Machar Parish, Aberdeenshire,Scotland.
ii. John HENRY was born 1704 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died Jan 1773 in Hanover, VA, married Sarah WINSTON 01 Nov 1734 in Studley Plantation, Hanover, Virginia. [This is the father of famed colonial statesman, Patrick Henry - of 'Give me liberty, or give me death!' fame.]
iii. James HENRY was born 1705 in Gampian Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
iv. Patrick HENRY was born Abt. 1707 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
+ 82. v. William HENRY was born Abt. 1709 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died 12 Oct 1769 in South Carolina.
vi. Hugh HENRY was born 1720 in Accomack, Virginia.

And so, we have the Henry family back to my husband's 7th gr-grandfather!

Follow Friday - Or The Other Guys!

I'd like to introduce you today to Is Meets Was. [Don't you just love the title??? It really does say it all!]

The author of this blog is Cathy Paris.

Cathy Paris

Cathy has a very rich Celtic ancestry, and her blog is brimming with beautiful photographs and lore of her ancestry and the "auld country'.

Cathy's site is refreshing, honest and non-pretentious. [Uh, duh!!! She's Irish ya know!] And a pure pleasure to visit.

So, grab yerself a wee cup o' tea, [or a pint if ye've a mind!] and settle down for a look at Cathy's Is Meets Was!

Treasure Chest Thursday

This was taken at a Dreher family reunion about 1943. That little cutie pie standing on the left, holding onto her mother's skirt tail is my own sweet Mother!

From the left, the 2nd and 4th children are my mother's siblings: Billy and Laura Marion [now deceased].

Photo was probably taken in Floyd County, Indiana.

Wordless Wednesday

Floral Sprays at the Funeral of

Adeline Josephine Eve Banet

05 Nov 1958

Tombstone Tuesday

Henry C. Dreher and Irene Banet Dreher

My grandparents.

Wolfe Cemetery, Georgetown, Floyd, Indiana

Madness Monday - Now Maintenance Monday

Doing away with the negative connotations of "Madness Monday", I am now choosing to not blog a regular post on Monday's, instead using that day to gather up all the loose ends and provide maintenance to either my own research, or that of my clients.

I hope you will join with me in providing a "Maintenance Monday" for your own home or business office!

We will of course, return to our regularly scheduled postings tomorrow!

Sentimental Sunday - The Funeral Expenses

This is a receipt from the Broyles Funeral Home in Union, Monroe County, West Virginia, to my aunt, Rita Bean Holland, for $50. This amount was for payment for the funeral of my grandfather, John M. Bean, who died on 10 Apr 1954.

This receipt is dated 15 Apr 1954. And it is signed by funeral director, Stanley E. Broyles.

The funeral home, now known as Broyles, McGuire Funeral Home, is still in business. However, upon contacting them, they were unable to tell me what the full amount for the funeral was at that time. But they estimated it was probably about $200 or $250, and included the cost of the casket. The opening of the grave was probably by hand and was volunteer labor by community members.

Surname Saturday - Henry [Continued]

Last week we left off with my husband's gr-gr-gr-grandfather, Strother F. Henry. Today we will pick up there:

16. Strother F. HENRY was born on 08 Jun 1821 in Gallatin County, Kentucky. He died on 17 Nov 1877in Fulton County, Kentucky. He was the son of 32. John D. HENRY and 33. Elizabeth ALEXANDER. He married Lucinda Josephine WADE on 25 Nov 1846 in Fulton County, KY.
17. Lucinda Josephine WADE was born 13 Aug 1823 in Kentucky. She died 15 Aug 1894 in Fulton
County, Kentucky.
Children of Strother F. HENRY and Lucinda Josephine WADE are:
i. Patrick Bruce HENRY was born Sep 1851 in Fulton County, Kentucky, died 25 Mar 1907 in
Fulton County, KY, married Helen Acie CLARK 29 Nov 1877 in Tennessee.
ii. Victoria A. HENRY was born 1854 in Kentucky.
iii. Franklin P. HENRY was born 11 Feb 1856 in Fulton County, Kentucky, died 15 Oct 1893 in
Fulton County, Kentucky.
iv. Fannie F. HENRY was born 1859 in Kentucky.
+ 8. v. Sterling Price HENRY was born Apr 1862 in Kentucky, died 16 Jul 1914 in Fulton County,
KY.
vi. Nettie E. HENRY was born 1864 in Kentucky.



32. John D. HENRY was born on 21 Dec 1795 in Virginia. He died about 1872 in Fulton County, KY. He was the son of 64. Otho HENRY and 65. Sophia DEAN. He married Elizabeth ALEXANDER.
33. Elizabeth ALEXANDER was born 1795 in Virginia. She died Abt. 1865 in Kentucky.
Children of John D. HENRY and Elizabeth ALEXANDER are:
+ 16. i. Strother F. HENRY was born 08 Jun 1821 in Gallatin County, Kentucky, died 17 Nov 1877
in Fulton County, Kentucky, married Lucinda Josephine WADE 25 Nov 1846 in Fulton County, KY.
ii. H.T. HENRY.
iii. Whitson Rector HENRY was born 10 Apr 1829 in Gallatin County, Kentucky, died 09 Apr 1898 in Fulton County, Kentucky.
iv. Sophia HENRY.
v. Lucinda HENRY.


64. Otho HENRY was born on 21 Aug 1769 in Winchester District, Marion, Virginia. He died on 03 May

1840 in Monongahelia, Virginia. He was the son of 128. Aaron HENRY and 129. Rebecca BURRELL.
He married Sophia DEAN.
65. Sophia DEAN was born 02 Jan 1769. She died 01 May 1852.
Children of Otho HENRY and Sophia DEAN are:
i. Aaron B. HENRY was born 13 Nov 1789 in Monongahelia, Virginia, married Mary WINDSOR 17 Apr 1811 in Monongahelia, VA; by Joshua HICHMAN..
ii. Richard D. HENRY was born 03 Nov 1791 in Monongahelia, Virginia, married Priscilla BARRETT Sep 1813.
iii. Hiram HENRY was born 27 Nov 1793 in Monongahelia, Virginia, married Nancy KNOX 12 Dec 1812.
+ 28. iv. John D. HENRY was born 21 Dec 1795 in Virginia, died Abt. 1872 in Fulton County, KY.
v. Nathan HENRY was born 29 Nov 1799 in Monongahelia, Virginia, died 18 Dec 1882.
vi. Nancy HENRY was born 14 Feb 1800 in Monongahelia, Virginia, married Purnell KNOX West Virginia.
vii. Mary HENRY was born 16 Nov 1804 in Monongahelia, Virginia, died Bef. 1829.

viii. Aesah HENRY was born 06 Mar 1802 in Monongahelia, Virginia.
ix. Adah HENRY was born 16 Sep 1806 in Monongahelia, Virginia, died 21 Nov 1886 in Crawfordsville, Illinois.
x. Otho D. HENRY was born 18 Aug 1809 in Monongahelia, Virginia.



128. Aaron HENRY was born in 1740 in Marion, Shenandoah County, Virginia. He died in Nov 1825 in

Morgantown, Mongahela, Virginia. He was the son of 256. William HENRY and 257. Elizabeth SHIELDS. He married Rebecca BURRELL.
129. Rebecca BURRELL was born 1748 in Marion, Shenandoah County,Virginia. She died Aft. 1824 in
Morgantown, Mongahela, Virginia. She was the daughter of 258. Francis BURRELL and 259. Catherine UNKNOWN.
Children of Aaron HENRY and Rebecca BURRELL are:
+ 44. i. Otho HENRY was born 21 Aug 1769 in Winchester District, Marion, Virginia, died 03 May 1840 in Monongahelia, Virginia.
ii. Mary HENRY was born 1770 in Monongahelia, Virginia, died Bef. 1830 in Hacker's Creek, Lewis Co, Virginia.
iii. Elizabeth HENRY was born 1780 in Scotts MillsRun, Monongahelia, VA, died 01 Apr 1827.
iv. Jane HENRY.
v. Rebecca HENRY.
vi. Francis HENRY was born Bef. 1780.
vii. Joseph HENRY was born Abt. 1784, married Hannah BLAIR 1799.



256. William HENRY was born about 1709 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He died on 12 Oct

1769 in South Carolina. He was the son of 512. Alexander HENRY and 513. Jean ROBERTSON. He
married Elizabeth SHIELDS.
257. Elizabeth SHIELDS was born Abt. 1719 in Scotland. She died 1745.
Children of William HENRY and Elizabeth SHIELDS are:
i. George HENRY was born 1737 in Scotland.
+ 61. ii. Aaron HENRY was born 1740 in Marion, Shenandoah County, Virginia, died Nov 1825 in
Morgantown, Mongahela, Virginia.
Children of William HENRY and Martha CALHOUN are:
i. John HENRY was born 30 Oct 1745 in Lincoln, North Carolina.
ii. Elizabeth HENRY was born 25 Dec 1747 in Hanover, VA.
iii. Jean HENRY was born 21 Apr 1753 in Hanover, VA.
iv. William HENRY was born 21 Mar 1753 in Hanover, VA.
v. Harriet HENRY was born 17 Oct 1757 in Hanover, VA.
vi. James HENRY was born 17 Apr 1759 in Hanover, VA.

Next week we will pick up from here.

Follow Friday - Blogging A Dead Horse

Today I'd like to introduce you to Blogging A Dead Horse and it's author Dead Man Talking. [Yep, that's how he's listed!]

Blogging A Dead Horse is another one of those marvellous Graveyard Rabbit Associate blogs!

Dead Man Talking's bio reads as follows: "What's to know? Four kids, five grandkids, one wife. Born in Wisconsin but been in Oregon since 1969. The only holy book is the book of nature; every leaf tells a story. Lament not that your time here is so short; be thankful that it happened at all. I subscribe to the view that the chicken is just the egg's way of reproducing itself. It clarifies ones place in the world."

Dead Man Talking\

You will want to give yourself PLENTY of time when you visit this site! Because once you start reading, and viewing the stunning photography, you'll find yourself wanting to read and view it all! Yep, he's just that interesting!

So, head on over to Blogging A Dead Horse. What a great way to spend an afternoon!

Out of The Office

I will be out of the office and unavailable for consultation tomorrow. I should be back on Monday without any problems.

If any of my clients need to reach me, please send an email, or leave a voice message and I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can.

Best Wishes,
Cyndi Beane Henry
Mountain Genealogists

Treasure Chest Thursday - John Wesley Hardin

John Wesley Hardin, one of the "bad boys" of Texas history, was my husband's 1st cousin [4 times removed]. And as such a prominent member of the family tree, if by notoriety if nothing else!

On March 16, 1894 John Wesley Hardin was pardoned, and his restoration to full citizenship was restored.

Unfortunately for Hardin, John Selman had other ideas in mind, and on 19 Aug 1895 in the Acme Saloon, in El Paso, Texas, he shot Hardin in the back of the head as he sat playing cards.

Hardin's relatives, even to this day, defend him and state he was a product of his environment and the times. And that he claimed to "never having shot a man who didn't deserve it".

Wordless Wednesday

Clyde Frank Baker

WWII Draft Registration

Tombstone Tuesday - Direct To You!

Okay, this was just way too weird for me!

This is an actual advertisement from the March 1945 Popular Science magazine! And look at the starting price! $9.95!!! Free freight! Wow!!!

Fannie Bell Beane - RIP

Word has reached us through her son, Phillip, that Fannie Bell Beane passed away unexpectedly this Sunday, 16 May 2010.

Fannie Bell Beane - 2007 Beane Family Reunion

Fannie Margaret Bell was born 14 Dec 1920 in Saint Albans, Kanawha County, West Virginia to Romie Bell and Ida Russell Bell.

Fannie married James Edward Beane [1914-1993] on 22 Oct 1939 in Russell, Kentucky. The couple were the parents of Phillip Beane and Ronald Beane.

Fannie, and her husband Jim, are well known in the Beane family for their great works in establishing the genealogy and family tree research for the family. The travelled across the United States gathering information and researching individuals in the family's history in order to make the family tree as complete as possible. Their work was inexhaustible. Fannie spent many hours mentoring me, and providing me with information she had garnered over the many years of her research. She shared freely and with a giving and loving spirit. If not for Fannie, I would not have found the wonder of genealogy research when I did, and be where I am today.

It is with saddened heart that we say goodbye to Fannie. She will be sorely and deeply missed by all.

Madness Monday - The Melting Pot

I don't trust online family trees much. But I do utilize them on occasion. Maybe that's idiosynchratic, but it's the truth.

I wouldn't trust an online family tree....well....as far as I could throw it, as my grandpa used to say.

Why?

Much has been written lately on the conglomerative efforts of others to blend family trees. For some, they believe it makes the tree more authentic and thus more correct. For others, [like myself], we find the errors [especially the repetitive ones] totally distort the family tree and thus make it virtually useless.

Let's take my own family tree for instance.

Let's look at my great-great-grandfather, William Bean.  He was born to William McBean and Sarah Bane his wife, in 1792 in Baltimore, MD. He died on 01 Jan 1864 in Monroe County, West Virginia.

If you go to Ancestry.com's family trees, input just his birth and death date, you will get a plethora of family trees that come up [none of them sourced properly, except for other trees as sources]. Let's look at just the first tree that comes up: brooks Family Tree.

You will note that at first glance this tree looks pretty good. But take a look first at who William's parents are listed as: William Bean [1745-1798] and Margaret Perkins [1760]. The dates look plausible enough right?

This tree only lists one child for William and his wife Rachel Wiseman [1790-1856], and that is Margaret Jane Bean. [There were actually 13 recorded children!] And Margaret Jane was indeed one of their children, and she did in fact marry Alexander Eakin, as this tree suggests. But take a look at William's parents here: William Bean and Margaret Perkins.

Oh my! To someone who has actually researched this family, this jumps out as a huge neon sign! Flashing and warning, "Danger! Big Error! Danger! Big Error!!!"

Why?

You see the name of one of William and Rachel's son's [the 12th born child] was William. And guess who that William married???

Margaret Perkins!!! Wouldn't it be rather odd if his parents were so named, and then he had a son who also married a woman with the exact same name as his mother?

Well, odd, but it has been known to happen. Especially back in the day when men and women married first cousins! But such is not the case here. Someone has copied a false tree, and just didn't take the time to verify what was in the tree!

Let's take a look at another tree: Greer Goff Coffman Birdwell Davis Pike Asher Gibson Johnson and many more

 For me, this tree is the epitome of stupidity gone awry. Here we find William Bean born 18 Sep 1792, which is fact, correct; and dying 01 Jan 1864, again correct.

Now let's look at dear old William's parents: William Bean [1635-1697] and Margaret U Bean [1637-1697].

Here's where a big ol' "DUH!" sign needs to be plastered to the front and back of this individual, and just for good measure, another one to his forehead!!!

Let's see, William's father and mother both died in 1697, but he wasn't born until 1792??? [Again, we have his son and daughter-in-law's names for his parents!!!]

All of William and Rachel's children were registered births in Monroe County. A simple search through the records [which are now online - even worse, they are  - gasp!!!! - available for FREE!!!] reveals all of the children's births.

What is so infuriating is that both of the gaff's listed above are perpetuated by individuals without EVER one of them verifying the data they have copied! Simply downloading an online tree and inserting it into your free PAF or other genealogy program does not mean that the tree you have is correct! Accurate! Or worth the bytes it takes up in your computer space!

One of the perpetuators of the myth that it is just this easy to obtain a legitimate family tree is, of course, Ancestry.com themselves. A simple look at their television commercials will assure you that they are indeed making the unaware public think thus.

"What did I see? A green leaf. So I clicked on it. And there was my whole family tree all the way back to the Revolutionary War! It was just that simple!"

Does Ancestry.com  provide a disclaimer for individuals who might not realize the inaccuracy of the information?

Of course they do! [Can you imagine the liability suits they might otherwise have?] But it is not blatantly available without searching for it!!! Go to the bottom of the page and you will find a link Terms and conditions, and we find the following [once you scroll down the page a ways!]:

"User provided content


Portions of the Service will contain user provided content, to which you may contribute appropriate content. For this content, Ancestry is a distributor only. By submitting content to Ancestry, you grant Ancestry, the corporate host of the Service, a license to the content to use, host, distribute that Content and allow hosting and distribution of that Content, to the extent and in that form or context we deem appropriate. Should you contribute content to the site, you understand that it will be seen and used by others under the license described herein. You should submit only content which belongs to you and will not violate the property or other rights of other people or organizations. Ancestry is sensitive to the copyright of others. For more concerning copyright issues, view our corporate policy. We will not edit or monitor user provided content, with the exception that, to promote privacy, an automated filtering tool will be used to suppress, and omit from display, information submitted to the tree areas of the site which appears to pertain to a living person. We also reserves the right to remove any user provided content that comes to our attention and that we believe, in our sole discretion, is illegal, obscene, indecent, defamatory, incites racial or ethnic hatred or violates the rights of others, or is in any other way objectionable.


LIABILITY DISCLAIMER


The information, products, and services included on this Web Service may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein. We and our third party suppliers provide all Content in this Service "AS IS", and without any warranty of any kind.

Ancestry, and its third party suppliers make no representations concerning the suitability, reliability or accuracy of the Content or the service provided on the Service for any purpose. We and our third party suppliers disclaim all warranties, expressed or implied, in connection with the Content and the services provided on the Service, including conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no case will we or our third party providers be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, special or other damages including, without limitation, lost or delay of use, lost profits, loss of data or any other damage in contract, tort, equity or any other legal theory, even if advised of the possibility thereof. "

Okay, so I'm not an attorney, but I'm guessing that pretty much covers their proverbial butt's.
 
But do you have any idea what percentage of the public actually clicks on that link to read this statement?
 
Nope?
 
Well, me neither, but I'd feel safe in wagering less than 1 percent! Yep, I'd wager a whole years salary on that one!!!
 
And so what happens is that individuals download these faulty, absolutely inaccurate, crappy family trees, believing them to be totally accurate. And someone sees their tree then, and it gets downloaded. And so on. And so on. And... well you get the picture.
 
Before long you have not just one or two, but literally, as in the case of my William Bean, hundreds, if not thousands, of the inaccurate trees floating about in cyberspace. All propigating new trees which will also be inaccurate, sloppy, and passed on for fact.
 
I certainly don't mean to denigrate Ancestry.com  in this post! As a matter of fact, I LOVE Ancestry.com and utilize it every single day! It is a great tool in both my personal research, as well as my business! But for me, the family tree section should come with a bold disclaimer. And a recommendation that users also utilize the search functions of the site to verify any and all claims on the tree for accuracy! [99% of William Bean's family can be verified right online with Ancestry.com!!!]
 
And I certainly don't mean to proclaim that Ancestry.com is the only site with this problem! There is also FamilySearch.org; gencircles.com, geni.com, mytrees.com, myfamily.com, and any number of others which also utilize trees uploaded by individuals without discretion.
 
What the family tree section of these sites do for me is often gives me insight into a direction to aim my research when I get stuck. I have often used the online trees to steer me into a right direction. They are wonderful for that! And I have also found some marvellous, perfectly accurate, and well documented and sourced trees as well! So not all trees are hazards!
 
They have also brought me mounds of grief from clients and prospective clients! 
 
"I downloaded my tree off of the Internet, and what you brought me isn't anything at all like what I got?" or, "I downloaded a tree off of Ancestry, and it said I was related to Thomas Jefferson [or John Wayne, or Betsy Ross, or even Adam and Eve!] How come you don't have him listed in the research you did???"
 
The connundrum is in educating the public to take these trees at face value, and not mistake them for fact. But to find the facts either hire a research consultant or do the research themselves [which of course to me is 99% of the fun!].

Sentimental Sunday - Documenting the Silliness

Documenting The Silliness!

Here's a photo that I dearly love!

This was taken about three years ago. The man on the right is my Dad, Walter. The one on the left is one of my parent's dearest friends, Bob. Bob and his wife Betty [who introduced my parents to one another back in 1958] have been coming to visit my parents from Amarillo, TX for many, many years!

In this photo, Bob and Dad sported Mexican sombrero's, just to have their photo's taken! You can see on their faces what fun it was for them!

Of course, it was all in the act of just plain having fun and being silly! But isn't it equally important to document that our ancestor's had a good sense of humor and enjoyed being cut-ups and 'cards'?

Here's another photo of my Daddy. Sporting a World War II Navy 'Duck Hat'. [Dad is retired from the Navy, and collects Navy ephemera.]

As if to prove the "silliness" goes back even further [and on both sides of my family!] here's my maternal grandmother, Irene Banet Dreher. It is of course, dead of winter in this snowy photograph. Granny has donned my Uncle Billy's jeans and work boots to head out to the pump to draw water for the kitchen. [Probably taken about 1954 or 1955, in Floyd County, Indiana.]

And then, Grandpa wasn't no slouch in the silliness department either!

I've always loved this picture! It never fails to make me giggle!!! [Henry Dreher Jr., about 1950 or so.]

Grandpa was always teasing as well. As a child, I was a 'pouter'. Whenever things didn't go as I thought they should, my lower lip would come out and stay until things changed, or the adults simply couldn't stand to see it any more and sent me outside to play!

But Grandpa never failed to make me smile or laugh!

He would often get down on his knees in front of me and make faces as he sang, "I see the sun-shine peeking through the clouds!" [And he did the peek-a-boo hands over the face, like you do with a baby!]

If that didn't bring giggles, then he would sing, "Cyndi's mad and I am glad and I know what will please her! A bottle of ink to make her stink, and four little boys to squeeze her!"

Oh, I have those days now when I would give anything if Grandpa were here to make me smile or laugh once more!

Be sure to document the silliness in your family! What smiles you will be able to pass on to future generations are priceless!!!

Surname Saturday - Henry

I am going to start on my husband's surname today. The files are rather extensive, and would be a bit lengthy, so I'll probably break this up into 3 or 4 'Surname Saturday'  posts.

1. Johnnie Lee HENRY was born TX. He was the son of 2.Joseph Wright HENRY and 3. Betty Louise Rotge. He married Cynthia Ann BEANE on 27 Feb 1998 in Covington, Alleghany Co., VA, daughter of Walter Maxwell BEANE and Lois Velleda DREHER. She was born in IN.

2. Joseph Wright HENRY was born on 20 Sep 1927 in Fulton County, KY. He died on 16 Nov 1993 in

Batesville, Panola, Mississippi. He was the son of 4. William Lee HENRY and 5. Emma Louise PETTIE. He married Betty Louise Rotge on 30 Jul 1947.3. Betty Louise Rotge was born 30 Aug 1930 in Kerrville, Kerr, Texas. She died 05 Jul 2003 in Jourdanton, Atascosa, Texas. She was the daughter of 6. John Cornelius ROTGE and 7. Ora Lee Sparks.
Children of Joseph Wright HENRY and Betty Louise Rotge are:
+ 1. i. Johnnie Lee HENRY.
ii. Allan Ray HENRY was born 22 Sep 1950 in Bexar County, Texas, died 29 Jan 2001 in
Pleasanton, TX, married Living 02 Jun 1979 in Bexar County, Texas.

4. William Lee HENRY was born on 17 Jul 1892 in Cayce, Fulton, Kentucky. He died on 24 Jan 1965 in

Fulton, Fulton, Kentucky. He was the son of 8. Sterling Price HENRY and 9. Fannie UNKNOWN. He
married Emma Louise PETTIE.
5. Emma Louise PETTIE was born 16 Jun 1895 in Columbus, Hickman, Kentucky. She died Aug 1985
in Fulton, Fulton, Kentucky. She was the daughter of 10. Timothy Martin PETTIE and 11. Elizabeth Ann WILLIAMS.
Children of William Lee HENRY and Emma Louise PETTIE are:
i. Dan S. HENRY was born 22 Feb 1919 in Tennessee, died May 1985 in Fulton, Fulton, Kentucky.
ii. Betty Lee HENRY was born 10 Jun 1920 in Kentucky.
iii. Frances V. HENRY was born 15 Aug 1926 in Fulton County, Kentucky.
+ 2. iv. Joseph Wright HENRY was born 20 Sep 1927 in Fulton County, KY, died 16 Nov 1993 in
Batesville, Panola, Mississippi, married Betty Louise Rotge 30 Jul 1947.
v. Hugh E. HENRY was born 27 Aug 1930 in Fulton County, Kentucky, died 28 Sep 1995 in
Fulton, Fulton, Kentucky.
vi. Don S. HENRY was born 31 Oct 1931 in Fulton County, Kentucky.
vii. Lora D. HENRY was born 31 Oct 1931 in Fulton County, Kentucky.

8. Sterling Price HENRY was born in Apr 1862 in Kentucky. He died on 16 Jul 1914 in Fulton County,

KY. He was the son of 16. Strother F. HENRY and 17. Lucinda Josephine WADE. He married Fannie
UNKNOWN.
9. Fannie UNKNOWN was born Oct 1865 in Illinois.
Children of Sterling Price HENRY and Fannie UNKNOWN are:
i. Ethel HENRY was born Apr 1885 in Illinois.
ii. Victoria HENRY was born Mar 1888 in Illinois.
iii. Ellis R. HENRY was born Mar 1890 in Kentucky.
+ 4. iv. William Lee HENRY was born 17 Jul 1892 in Cayce, Fulton, Kentucky, died 24 Jan 1965 in
Fulton, Fulton, Kentucky.
v. Frank HENRY was born Oct 1894 in Kentucky.
vi. Flora HENRY was born Apr 1897 in Kentucky.
vii. Fannie HENRY was born Apr 1900 in Kentucky.

16. Strother F. HENRY was born on 08 Jun 1821 in Gallatin County, Kentucky. He died on 17 Nov 1877 in Fulton County, Kentucky. He was the son of 32. John D. HENRY and 33. Elizabeth ALEXANDER. He married Lucinda Josephine WADE on 25 Nov 1846 in Fulton County, KY.
17. Lucinda Josephine WADE was born 13 Aug 1823 in Kentucky. She died 15 Aug 1894 in Fulton
County, Kentucky.
Children of Strother F. HENRY and Lucinda Josephine WADE are:
i. Patrick Bruce HENRY was born Sep 1851 in Fulton County, Kentucky, died 25 Mar 1907 in
Fulton County, KY, married Helen Acie CLARK 29 Nov 1877 in Tennessee.
ii. Victoria A. HENRY was born 1854 in Kentucky.
iii. Franklin P. HENRY was born 11 Feb 1856 in Fulton County, Kentucky, died 15 Oct 1893 in
Fulton County, Kentucky.
iv. Fannie F. HENRY was born 1859 in Kentucky.
+ 8. v. Sterling Price HENRY was born Apr 1862 in Kentucky, died 16 Jul 1914 in Fulton County,
KY.
vi. Nettie E. HENRY was born 1864 in Kentucky.

Next week we will begin here at Strother F. Henry.

Follow Friday - Bill's Genealogy Blog

Today I'd like to introduce you to Bill Buchanan and Bill's Genealogy Blog.

Bill's Bio reads as follows: "I am a retired online school teacher. In July 2007 - January 2010, I provided part-time support for http://www.familysearch.org/ This was very rewarding. My greatest strength in this area is the free genealogy software Personal Ancestral File 5 (PAF5). I continue to help others with PAF and New FamilySearch. See http://genforum.genealogy.com/paf/ "

I think it is safe to say, "Bill knows of what he speaks".

Bill's blog is a personal look his own family search. And as always, I am fascinated with how others fare in that journey!

Bill's blog is full of insight and is an enjoyable place to stop and read for awhile.!

Please take a few moments and visit Bill at Bill's Genealogy Blog. You'll be glad you did!

Treasure Chest Thursday - The Promisory Note

This is written on a sheet of notepaper, and is pretty much shown here at actual size! It is a handwritten promisory note between my grandparents, John and Mary Bean and a W.A. Clarkson, in 1938.

This gives me a rare glimpse into the day - to- day struggles that my grandparents went through.

Wordless Wednesday

Lois Velleda Dreher

1947

Tombstone Tuesday

You may have received this in an email a few years ago, which is how I got it. It never fails to bring a smile to my face when I come across it in my files!

Madness Monday

Okay, so I don't know why I have a case of the "jitters", but I do.

I am scheduled to speak before an afternoon group at the local library. They are estimating that 25 or so people will attend the talk I will present on "Beginning Your Family Tree", or "From the Roots Up".

But suddenly I am overwhelmed with a bad case of the heebie-jeebies!

While I am not a proliferic orationist, I have spoken before groups on several occasions. Some larger than this, some smaller.

So why am I nervous this time???

Of the 25 or so individuals who have signed up for this lecture, about 18 of them are former high school classmates!!! Several of whom have gone on to some pretty amazing career's! And here they will all be looking to me to be the "expert" in my field!

Oh, to have the looks of Megan Smolenyak, the ease of speaking to others as Dick Eastman, or the quick wit of Randy Seaver, or the "down-home"  at ease of Dr. Bill Smith!

I tell myself, "Take a deep breath, and relax!"

I step before the group....

... and I carry all of those individuals, and too many more to mention, right there with me as I open my mouth and begin the lecture, which flows easily from within me. My notecards never touched, I deliver the lecture, and at the close I answer questions from the group, and before we are dismissed by the local historical society president, I am awarded a standing ovation!

So, why the "Madness"?

For all of the jitters, the heebie-jeebies, and the nerves, I don't have another lecture scheduled!

Kind of like watching a scary movie, that was fun! When can I do it again??? LOL

By the way... thanks guys for all of your inspiration!!! Without listening to your lectures, your speeches, and reading your books and blogs, I don't think I could have made it through the afternoon!

Sentimental Sunday - A Juice Glass By Any Other Name

On Sentimental Thursday this week, I introduced you to my fabulous pink depression glass berry bowl. Today let me introduce you to my marvellous pink depression glass juice tumbler.

This adorable little tumbler stands about 4-1/2 inches tall. You can see the slight etched detail at the top in this photograph.

My baby sister, again! She gave me this lovely treat to add to my collection. She knows it went back in our family. To our Mama? To our Grandma? She can't remember.

But that's okay. Because you see, it belongs in my "Sentimental Sunday" collection, simply because it came from her to me.

As my good genealogy friends say, "Ain't families grand?"

I hope you have something extra special to show from someone you treasure in your family this Sunday. It isn't the "something" you have that means so much, it's the memory or memories that that "something" evokes.

And the answer to the question above?

You betcha!!!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

Randy Seaver has another great SNGF this week!

Hey genealogy buffs - it's Saturday Night again -- time for more Genealogy Fun!!




Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:



1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments to this blog post, or in a Note or status line on Facebook.


So, with that, here is my matrilineal line!

Cynthia Ann Beane
Lois Velleda Dreher - b.2 Aug 1938, Georgetown, Floyd, IN; m: Walter M. Beane
Irene Caroline Banet - b. 24 May 1906, IN; d. 08 Aug 1988, Gap Mills, Monroe, WV m:Henry Condar Dreher, Jr.
Adeline Josephine Eve - b. 11 Feb 1867, IN; d. 05 Nov 1958, IN; married Francis Isidore Banet
Annette Unknown - b. 12 Feb 1840, IN; d. 01 May 1870, IN; m: Joseph Eve



Thanks Randy for another great idea!

Surname Saturday - Henry

My surname is now Henry. It hasn't always been. You see I married a man whose last name was Henry back in 1998. It wasn't the first marriage for either of us. And at first I was a wee bit reluctant to even take on the same surname as he had, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, as had become my norm since a failed first [and second!] marriage. But I did. And I am so glad that I did.

Little did I know that I would be taking on the surname, from the same ancestry, as one of my childhood hero's. You see, I grew up in the naval seaport of Norfolk, Virginia. Right in the heart of the birthplace of our nation!

As a young girl I visited Jamestown, Williamsburg, Washington D.C., Yorktown, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and so many more places!

But it was the scene of the old church in Colonial Williamsburg, and the re-enactor portraying Patrick Henry, giving his infamous "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech that made the historic figure one of my hero's! Little did I then know that one day I would be marrying a man who's ancestry lead me to Patrick Henry's uncle. And a shared grandfather!!!

Next week I'll begin posting that surname summary. But for now, I thought I'd share with you the Henry family crest, from England. You see, there are SEVERAL Henry family crests, including France, Ireland and Scotland! Are they real? I don't know. I've been taught in genealogy that most families did NOT have a crest, unless they were quite wealthy. Still, it's fun to view them, tear apart their adornments to determine what each means, and dare to fantasize on their originations!

So, who is the Henry descendant I married???

Would you believe John Henry? [Seriously... that's his name!]

Oh yes, I married myself a man with a real hero name!!! Just goes to show you, a little girls dreams can really come true!

John & Cyndi Henry

February 1998

On our honeymoon at Natural Bridge, Virginia

Follow Friday - Betty's Boneyard Genealogy Blog

I absolutely love reading other individual's genealogy blogs, as they describe their family, their research, and the ins and outs, ups and downs, triumphs and losses of their journey.

Betty's Boneyard Genealogy Blog is no exception!

Written by Betty Tartas, who writes her profile as follows: "My name is Betty Tartas. I am a retired elementary school teacher with a passion for research and a love of history. I have been actively researching my family tree for ten years.", this blog is entertaining as well as informative!

I receive Betty's Boneyard Genealogy Blog in Atom posts to my favorites folder. I so enjoy reading them. And I seldom leave one without a smile on my face!

I'm certain you will enjoy Betty and her exuberance for genealogy too!

Treasure Chest Thursday - Mama's Berry Dish

When I was a little girl, [too many years ago to count!], Mama used to make my little sister and I jello, and put it in these adorable pink depression glass berry bowls. They were the perfect size for little children, as they simply didn't hold a great deal. Probably about a half-cup of the delicious, jiggly, dessert!

I hadn't seem the dishes for many years, and actually thought that they had either been thrown out when Mama and Daddy moved in with my sister as their health began to fail, or Mama had given them away, as she was wont to do with so many items.

And then, not long ago, a simple pair of reproduction pink depression glass salt and pepper shakers invoked an interest in collecting pink depression glass to me. I've found a great buy on beautiful cabbage rose pattern dinner plates, knife-edged coffee cups,  and I'm currently bidding on an internet auction site for juice tumblers.

When I shared my newfound passion for collecting the delectable pink, heavyweight glass dishes with my sister, I was sitting in my Mama's room at her house. My sister said, "Sit right there for a minute!" And she left the room.

When she came back in, she handed me the perfect little berry dish you see above.

The dishes weren't lost after all. Mama had given them to my sister when she and Daddy moved in with her. I was so happy to see they weren't gone after all!

"Oh, I'm so happy you have these!" I cried. "It means so much to me that you have kept these. Do you still have all four?"

"Well, not any more," my baby sister said. "I've only got three of them now."

"Oh," I said a bit disappointed.

"That's because I've just given you the fourth one for your collection," she whispered.

Aren't sister's just the best invention God ever made? Well, next to Mama's and Daddy's of course!

Wordless Wednesday

Kate's Mountain

Greenbrier County, WV