Making Monday Memorable

Making Monday

(and every day)

Memorable

Do you ever wish you knew more about your ancestors? Of course you do! We all do! For a very few, a very lucky few, their ancestor was kind enough to have left a diary, or a journal behind that filled in the gaps, and let them know more intimate details about their ancestor.

But, how many of us have been thinking about our descendants? Would they be interested in finding out about us?

Hmmm?

Well, fortunately for those who follow me, my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, etc., I have been keeping a diary, and now a journal, since I was about 8 years old when I received a diary for a Christmas gift from my Aunt Ethel. (She's gone on now, but my diary remains!)

Simple diaries, with a notation once a week would be nice. Just a run down of what you did for the week. Or you might want to wax poetic! Write a few poems, or songs, for your descendants. You might make daily entries. Tell about how your day went, what you did, where you were. That was my diary until just recently.

Oh yes, I finally discovered the beautiful art of bullet journals. I keep a daily bullet journal that includes my To-Do-List for both personal and work. It includes my daily Bible study notes, it includes 30-day journal challenges, and it includes my diary. That's not all. It also includes my budget. My correspondence list. And my checkbook register. My menu and my grocery list. And so much more! Even my mileage, and gas fill ups! And reminds when to get my oil changed, or tires rotated!

Yes, I have found the wonder, of wonders, in a bullet journal! And I am totally smitten!

No longer do I miss birthdays, anniversaries, or have late bill payments, but I need only gather my journal and I can even tell you what I'm having for dinner tonight, because my menu planning, and even my grocery list, are in it as well! And I carry my journal with me everywhere I go. It makes life so less complicated for me!

I not only have learned to become so organized, but it finally dawned on me, that I am leaving behind as about as much information as anyone can possibly know about me for my descendants! It will show them EVERYTHING there is to know about me! The good, and (ahem) the bad! Not so sure how happy they will be when they find out I overspend on my credit card, or that I binge watched The Tudors for the 10th time! (Ha ha)

Here's the last full journal I have. (I am working on another, that's nearly full already!

This is a handmade leather, embossed journal. It was from my Dad for Christmas this past year. (I usually fill up anywhere from 1-2 diaries in a year, but bullet journals are taking up about 3-4 a year!)

Here you can see the lovely Tree of Life embossing on this journal. 

It's pages were a handmade paper, and were blank, which I really loved!

Some people like lined journals. And still others use graph paper, or the dot graph paper. And others print out combinations of pages and put them in ring bound journal binders. I like this much better!

This gives you an idea of my doodling on the left, and my Bible study notes on the right.

Some of my doodling becomes colored. I love using colored pencils, especially on good paper. It doesn't bleed through, or fade onto the facing page.

And here is an example of my bullet journaling. It shows my To-Do-Lists, as well as some small doodles.

Well, now, how many of you have considered that your descendants would one day get a look at your diary? (I know I'm not the only one who keeps one!) Or better yet, what about your journal?

Of course, if they are smart, when I pass on my family will consider them a bunch of nonsense and simply throw them out in the trash. 

But with all sincerity, they do keep me organized. And with even more sincerity, I do wish my ancestors had thought to keep one!

Sigh!

But, then, what would I be doing now if they had? And isn't it so much fun trying to locate information on them?

Do you keep a diary or a journal? What do you think about your descendants reading them? Knowing that someone will one day read them when you are gone, will you censor what you write in them? Will you address your descendants? Will you leave them special messages as you think about them reading what you have written?

We'd love to know what you think! Please leave your reply in the comments! Or visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/cyndi.beane.henry  

Friday's Faces of the Past

Benjamin Franklin

1706-1790

My 4th cousin, 7 times removed

Okay, so here is another connection (albeit distant) that I have to thank the We're Related phone app for. I have a blast with the app. I first downloaded for pure fun. But the one thing I wasn't expecting was that amongst all of the distant celebrity/political/famous "cousins" was that where the two lines converge, has allowed me to take my ancestry back, in some cases, ten or twenty generations! (Well, let's just say that the lines and documentation leading to and from the English throne are pretty easily discovered.) Still, I had no idea how many times I would ooh, and ahh, as I was able to prove the next ancestor back.

And this has all been in thanks to the little app I downloaded on my iPhone. In all I have 191 people with whom the app tells me I am related. Out of those, I've probably worked my way through around 16 or 17. I started doing the research to "disprove" how accurate the app really is. But what I discovered was that, in about 90% of those I've gone through finding evidence of relationship, the information has been totally spot on!

And so, for a good time at a party, I can blurt out, as though bragging, that someone like, for instance, Benjamin Franklin and I are related! (Well, we've all got to have some bragging rights in our family tree, correct? I have plenty to brag about without ever bringing up a famous name!) And isn't it fun to see how some people react when you can tell them that you're 4th cousins, 7 times removed with Benjamin Franklin?

Okay, so in the last 50 years or so, some rather scandalous information regarding old Ben has become public. Doesn't tarnish his accomplishments any, does it? And he did have a few more accomplishments than just tying that silly key to the kite string you know!

So, how are old Ben and I related?

Here's Ben's line: (for sake of simplicity, I present these just as they are from the app)

Common Ancestor:

Sir William Jones (1520-1560)

    Agnes Jane Jones (1540-1612)

        Agnes Jones (1575-1646)

           Thomas Franklin (1598-1681)

                Josiah Franklin (1657-1745)

                    Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

And now, the line coming to me:

Common Ancestor:

Sir William Jones (1520-1560)

    Griffith Jones (1560-1598)

        Morgan Jones (1590-1643)

            Thomas Jones (1620-1671)

                Ruth Jones (1645-1675)

                    Elizabeth Hayward/Howard (1678-1728)

                        John Perkins (1710-1763)

                            James Perkins (1741-1825)

                                Samuel Perkins (1778-1854)

                                    Margaret Smith Perkins (1826-1891)

                                       John Monroe Bean (1866-1954)

                                            Walter M. Beane (living)

                                               Cynthia A. Beane (living)

And there you have it. My relationship to Benjamin Franklin. Fun for parties, and bragging rights. But using the app has lead me to find my ancestors by trying to disprove the line from me to the common ancestor. And for that, I cannot thank Ancestry enough. Sometimes, it's simply given me a name, and I was able to go on from there. And like I said, about 10% of the trees sent have been totally wrong.

I've barely made a dent in the list so far. So, I am super stoked about working on even more!

*******Yesterday's "Those Places Thursday"

Were you able to figure out where this place was?

This photo is one I took at the Bluestone Dam, in Hinton, WV. I took the photo in 2015. I was standing on a fishing platform that is built conveniently near the dam itself, where I am told there have been some monster sized trout and catfish pulled from. This crosses the New River. Behind the Dam is Bluestone State Park, and it's many camping, hiking, fishing, and swimming areas. Great fun! My children used to fish from the primitive campgrounds, and we would fill up our cooler with fish they caught. Then cook them over an open campfire in the evening. We spent some wonderful times camping there! I highly recommend the area for a stop if you're coming through West Virginia. Just a few miles east of Beckley, and west of Lewisburg, just 10-miles off of I-64, there are many wonderful places to sight-see!

Be Watching!

Be watching for something special in just a few days!

Our newsletter will be out and will be published both here and sent to subscribers. A special new feature will be the "Famous People We Are Related To". You won't believe who has the same ancestors as we do!

So, hang around and learn more about our family tree than you ever thought was there before!

Saturday Night Challenge - Sunday Morning

Once again, I don't receive my Saturday Night Challenge until the next day!

Here is Randy's Challenge for this week:


"It's Saturday Night, time for some Genealogy Fun! Even though I'm on vacation, I don't want you to miss having some genealogy fun even if I'm away from home having fun in my "real" life.

Here is your challenge for tonight (or whenever you read this):

1) Write down which of your ancestors that you have met in person (yes, even if you were too young to remember them).

2) Tell us their names, where they lived, and their relationship to you in a blog post, or in comments to this post, or in comments on Facebook."



And here is my response:

PATERNAL

1] Mary Faudree Bean [my grand mother] - 1897-1975: lived in Monroe County, WV except for a period of about 8 years when she lived with our family in Norfolk, VA.

2] Walter Beane [my Dad] - b. 1937 in Monroe County, WV; has lived and moved around the globe during 22 years active duty in the military; back in WV since he retired in 1976.

MATERNAL
1] Henry Dreher, Jr. [my grandfather] - 1902-1977; born in Jefferson Co., KY and lived most of his adult life in Floyd Co., IN.

2] Irene Banet Dreher [my grandmother] - 1906-1988; lived most of her life in Floyd Co., IN; spent the last 10 years of her life in Monroe Co., WV

3] Lois Dreher Beane [my mother] - b. 1938; born in Floyd Co., IN, but lived and moved about quite a bit due to her career in the Women's Army Corps [WACs] in the 1950's, and then married to a career military man. Has lived in WV since 1973.

So all total, I have known 5 of my ancestors. Four of whom I have actually lived with.

Mine is a rather short list! I am interested in knowing who will have the most ancestors!!!

Let's hear from everyone!

Saturday Night Fun!

Saturday night Randy Seaver's put forth his next challenge. Unfortunately, since I was away at my family reunion, I didn't get a chance to see that challenge until just a few minutes ago!!! As my Grandpa Dreher used to say, "Girl, you're always a day late and a dollar short!" To which I'd reply, "Better late than never, Grandpa!"

Here;s Randy's challenge:

"Do you have a pedigree chart that shows you as #1 and goes back five generations? If not, you should make one! Fire up your software program and create a report and save it (you'll see why in am inute!).

Here is your SNGF assignment for the evening (if you choose to accept it - this is not stump the genealogist or even Mission Impossible):

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post."


So, for Randy, and my readers, here are my great-great-grandparents:

[1] William M. Bean - b. 18 Sep 1792, Baltimore, MD; d. 1 Jan 1864, Wiseman's Hollow, Potts Creek, Monroe, West Virginia [Unknown]
Married
[2] Rachel Wiseman - b. 23 Apr 1790 Rockbridge County, Virginia, d. 7 Nov 1856, Potts Creek, Monroe, Virginia [English]

[3] Samuel PERKINS - b. 21 Apr 1778 Virginia, d. 19 Jan 1854, Ft. Spring, Greenbrier, Virginia [English]
Married
[4] Elizabeth Tuckwiller - b. 8 Nov 1779, Greenbrier County, Virginia, d. 28 Jul 1867, Ft Spring, Greenbrier, West Virginia [English]


[5] Richard C. FAUDREE - b. 1834, Halifax, Virginia; d. 1 Jan 1902, Sweet Springs, Monroe, West Virginia [German]
Married
[6] Mary Margaret Wickline - b. 1831, Monroe County, Virginia; d. unknown [English]

[7] George W. CARNEFIX - b. 1831, Virginia; d. 1865, West Virginia [Unknown]
Married
[8] Mary Susan DAUGHERTY - b. 1834, Monroe County, Virginia; d. unknown [English]


[9] Gottleib DREHER - b. 1830, Germany; d: Jan 1893, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky [German]
Married
[10] Sarah HUNSINGER - b. 1829, Germany; d. 15 Sep 1900, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky [German]

[11]John BENZEL - b. 11 Jan 1835, Prussia; d. 18 Jan 1899, Bedford, Bedford, Indiana [German]
Married
[12] Wilhelmina LAMBRECHT - b. 25 May 1835, Germany; d. 7 Mar 1924, Bedford, Bedford, Indiana [German]

[13] Isidore BANET - 27 Sep 1832, France; d. 30 May 1901, Floyd Knobs, Floyd, Indiana [French]
Married
[14] Rosalie SPRIGLER - b. 25 Jul 1836, Floyd Knobs, Floyd, Indiana; d. 23 Feb 1904, Floyd Knobs, Floyd, Indiana [French]

[15] Joseph EVE - b. 11 Jan 1829, France; d. 8 Jan 1892, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana [French]
Married
[16] Annette [Unknown] - b. 12 Feb 1840, Indiana; d. 1 May 1870, Floyd County, Indiana [Unknown]

And my dominant nationality? Remember the "Heinz 57" joke? That's me in a nutshell!

Here are the stat's:

Unknown: 18.75%
French 18.75%
English: 31.25%
German: 31.25%

And where do your ancestors come from???