Visit to Carrollton, GA

Today I visited the library in Carollton, GA. There is a special collections room in the Neva Lomason Memorial Library. I had visited the library one time before and was able to locate an obituary for my great-grandmother. I chose to visit this library again because of it's newspaper collection. It also has microfilmed court records and a small collection of genealogy books as well as Tax Digests. This library is a short trip from where I was staying. I had another appointment at 3 so my research time was limited.
I always feel rather sad visiting this library and this trip seemed a little worse. I'm not sure if the issue is just lack of staff or if there is another reason but many of the books (particularly for Carroll Co.) are not on the shelves, they are stacked on tables and reshelving carts. I know many special collection rooms want materials left out so they can see how many books or microfilms have been used but this was many more books than I have seen unshelved before. It was to the point that what was on the shelves (particularly for Carroll Co.) was difficult to use because it was falling over and off the shelves. I would hope some volunteers will help this location. This could be a great research location if the special collection room had a little more TLC.
One of the reasons this could be such a great research location is the revitalized square nearby (Adamson Square). On my previous visit my mother was with me and we went to the square for lunch. I was really glad to see that the many little independent restaurants on the square were still there. There are also a number of little shops, I wasn't able to see which of those were still there. Should you be visiting for research there are also a number of diversions. I have not visited the courthouse for research yet but it is just off the square so it is convenient to make a research trip to the area. Depending on your research needs for Carroll Co. you may find it worth while to visit the local library and courthouse for a day or two. The square is about 12 miles off of I-20 so you may find yourself passing that way if you are driving across Georgia.

January 25th

Today is a big day. It's my husband's birthday and Robert Burns's. Now some of you might think of the two events it would be easier to blog about my husband or his family, but no! If you don't know (or don't realise), Robert Burns is the Bard of Scotland. I'm not going to wax poetic about a poet instead I'd like to muse about my Pattersons (a possibly Scottish line).

I began my genealogy quest oh so many years ago because no one could tell me where my family came from, specifically my Patterson line. I still don't know. However, my Pattersons (and the twice related Ledfords) still remain my favorite line to research. They are always in trouble and provide no end of amusement while researching. I love my Patterson ancestors, particularly the ones I've never met. I'm very thankful for my law-breaking, difficult to find, aberrant ancestors. I've learned a lot about history, and of course genealogy, trying to track them down. They never leave me bored although I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like to meet them in person, particularly after they've been playing cards for several hours (and downing moonshine to match).
For several years now I've been wondering exactly what kind of people my Patterson ancestors were. I know so much about them and so little. I often wonder how the traits that got them repeatedly locked up have changed to bring me to where I am today. Alternatively, I wonder if those traits were lost and I'm much less Patterson than my mother always accuses me of being. In 2008 I felt I finally began to see a better picture of my ancestors as people and I hope 2009 will continue this.

Technology and Genealogy Numbering

I was up bright and early this (Saturday) morning. I was giving a two-hour lecture to our local genealogy society (Fairfax Genealogical Society). The topic was "Number Your Family History: Automated Tasks in MS Word." So, in honor of my early rising (and a very difficult topic to deliver to a crowd!), I thought I'd share some brief suggestions for "Automated Tasks in MS Word" that might be of interest to genealogists.

These suggestions mainly pertain to using Word to write a longer genealogy article or family history. Hopefully if you do a lot of writing in Word, you already use or at least know of these. If not, open up Word's help feature and get learning!
1. Use automatic page numbering, not just 1, 2, 3 but also i, ii, iii and any other subgroups of pages you need to number differently.
2. For chapters or sections (or both in a longer work)-use automatic numbering in the Chapter (or section) title.
3. Bookmark your chapter/section numbers and titles for later cross-reference.
3b. Use the same method for citations you want to reference, elsewhere.
4. Use automatic numbering for figures, tables, or other 'inserts.'
5. Use Word's built in "Tables" to create your Table of Contents, Table of Figures, etc.
6. Create macros for any other repetitive tasks. Remember, Word may already have a button for part of the task but if you have to enter tabs, spaces, or identical text after pushing that button, it's a perfect task for a macro.
Make sure you've investigated automated options for anything else that requires sequential numbering or that will be referenced elsewhere. Once you do, you'll be free to insert and change without fear of forgetting to manually update. There are often multiple ways to speed up any task, one should work for you.

T.R. and Susie (Fowler) Miller

I am very excited about this "New Old Photo." These are my great-great grandparents Miller. Thomas Robert and Emily Susan (Fowler) Miller. I wrote about Susie in my brickwall blog. I have never seen a photo of Tom and Susie so I was thrilled when this photo was identified as them. The photo was probably taken about 1940 or '41 as Susie died in 1943. My great-aunt has provided the additional information that Susie died of cancer (her obituary just says a long illness). The location of the photo hasn't been identified but most of the others found with this were taken in Resaca, GA where my great-grandparents Patterson lived. This photo might have also been taken there or somewhere around Calhoun, GA (both are in Gordon Co., GA).

New Old Photos

This photo is actually one of many negatives I have from my great grandmother Patterson's house. For years I have wanted to get prints made but wanted to be sure I found someone I could trust with my precious negatives (I did find someone several years ago but then we moved and I just haven't had the heart to start over). A few days ago I decided to try scanning negatives and after a little trial and error here is a sample of the results!

This is a photo of my great grandparents (Thomas Edward and Ethel Irene (Miller) Patterson) and their two children, my grandfather and great-aunt. I am guessing this photo was taken when my grandfather was leaving for the Army. He turned 18 on D-Day so his WWII service took him all the way to the exotic locale of New Jersey (pretty far for a Georgia farm-boy).

This photo was supposedly taken in Resaca, GA at the family home.

UPDATE: My great-aunt (the little girl pictured) has provided some

more details about this picture. The photo was taken on a Sunday afternoon when my grandfather was home from basic training at Fort Bragg, NC. He went on to Fort Dix, NJ and almost went off to war from there. My great-aunt says she is sure her brother fixed her hair and tied her sash before they went to church that morning.

The car they are standing in front of is their "old Dodge" and the location is Resaca, GA. This house was actually owned by Miss Lulie Pitts of Calhoun, GA. The family lived there for a while. Today, the site is at the rest area off I-75 in Resaca.

Miller's Ferry, Calhoun, GA

The above picture is of Miller's Ferry outside Calhoun (Reeves Station area), GA. My great grandmother was Ethel Irene (nee Miller) Patterson. Her family ran this ferry across the Oostanaula River from about 1834. I'm not sure when the Ferry stopped running but today you can drive along Miller's Ferry Rd. For much of my childhood we drove right past Miller's Ferry Rd. (and the Miller family cemetery which was hidden back in some trees) on our way to my grandparents house (from Calhoun, GA to Armuchee, GA). I only discovered the road was there between 5 and 10 years ago and only discovered my great-aunt had a copy of this picture about four years ago. It seems my family has been holding out on me despite my almost two decades of pestering them for information. I'm hoping in the next 5 to 10 years one of them will magically produce a family bible I don't know about.

Lazy Genealogy Question for the Day

What (if any) records should be created for an illegitimate child born in South Carolina circa 1817?

(this question relates to the William Godfrey post on my Brickwall blog-make sure to read the comment if you're interested.)

What is the Lazy Genealogy Question for the Day?
The LGQ4D is a genealogy related question that I've just been too lazy to look up an answer to. It may not be a particularly difficult question. I will limit myself to no more than one Lazy Question per day (but not necessarily one each day).

If you know the answer, or know where the answer can be found online, add a comment.

IHGR 2008 - Banquet Photos

See more IGHR photos in my album at
http://picasaweb.google.com/jpdondero/IGHR?feat=directlink

IGHR 2008 Course 9 - Class Photo

The Mysterious Louis Dondero, aka Luigi Desiderio

Luigi Desiderio came from Scafati, Italy to Branford, CT in 1912. He and Elizabeth Kate Mansolf are my husband's paternal grandparents.


My husband's grandfather, Luigi Desiderio, was a barber (as were his two brothers and I believe both his brothers-in-law, there must have been a lot of hair to cut in Branford, CT!). Luigi married another Italian immigrant and had a child. Their small family group appears in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census in Branford, CT. But that is the only way I even know this first wife and child exist. Luigi's second wife, my husband's grandmother, was quite American. Her father came from Germany/Prussia according to census records, probably from a town now in Poland. Her mother had mixed ancestry, each generation marrying one of the common immigrant nationalities for that time period (Irish, English, Swiss, and probably more). You can't get much more American than that, but no Italian ancestry for Kate.
Whether her different ancestry had anything to do with it is unknown but Luigi, already or soon to be Louis Dondero, and Kate left CT for FL. According to family lore, before they arrived Louis learned a barber's license was required in FL. So they stopped where they were, Walterboro, SC, where a license wasn't required. And that is where my father-in-law's family knowledge begins.

Louis died while my father-in-law was still a child. Consequently he knew nothing about his father's family. He did know a little of his mother's family. He had even met some of her relatives and knew they were from CT (she was from Meriden). I began researching my husband's Italian roots with the following information, courtesy of my husband's only uncle...
Louis came to the U.S. either when he was 12 in 1916 or 16 in 1912.
Thankfully I knew he was 16 in 1912! I even found the names of Louis's siblings and some family members in a box of old papers at my in-laws. Unfortunately it didn't mention the name change. We still don't know why or how Louis changed his name from Desiderio to Dondero. Friends always like to say they must have been in, or had problems with, the mob (what, the barber mob? Did he cut someone's hair too short?).
Here's to another family mystery with no family story attached!

Desiderio 50th Wedding Anniversary

This is a picture of my husband's paternal great-grandparents on their 5oth wedding anniversary. A cousin that I found through research told me who and what the photo was. This copy appears in a photo album that belonged to my husband's (paternal) grandmother, these would have been her in-laws.

Raphael and Michela (nee Giordano) Desiderio were probably married in Italy. I have not found any information on their marriage but their first know child was born abt 1893 in Italy. Before the family came to the U.S. they resided in Scafati, Italy. A town immediately east of ancient Pompeii. Unfortunately I have not been able to find anyone that knows about their lives in Italy or any records for Scafati that are available online or in the U.S.

The Desiderio family settled in Branford, CT and that is probably where this photo was taken circa 1941. Michela died in 1949 and Ralph in 1952.

The 99+ Genealogy Things Meme

I thought I'd start with something easy...

I found this genealogy meme at Kathy's Genealogy Blog. Here are the instructions:

If you wish to participate in the meme, simply copy the text below [deleting my comments in CAPS, please] and paste it into your blog (or into a note on Facebook if you don't have a blog) and annotate the list accordingly. We're on the 'honor system' here, no one is going to check up on you! Participation is up to you, no tagging of other bloggers required. A link back to this post would be nice but is not mandatory ;-)

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (color optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Here are my answers:

1. Belong to a genealogical society.
2. Researched records onsite at a court house.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave. BUT I DID CREATE MY OWN WEBPAGE FOR THE PHOTOS
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) .
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Helped to clean up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group on Facebook.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
12. Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery. DOES IT COUNT IF I NEVER FOUND IT?
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OF MINE THAT ARE STILL STANDING
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name.
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board or forum.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.). AND MADE MY RELATIVES CRY BECAUSE OF IT!
33. Performed a record lookup for someone else.
34. Went on a genealogy seminar cruise.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space. MY MOTHER FIRST PROPOSED THIS THEORY ABOUT MY FATHER'S FAMILY WHEN OUR YDNA TEST DIDN'T "WORK"
36. Found a disturbing family secret. MOST THINGS ABOUT MY FAMILY ARE DISTURBING, ALTHOUGH IT'S USUALLY NOT A SECRET
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret. KICK ALL THOSE SKELETONS OUT OF THE CLOSET!
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher. THEY'RE THE BEST KIND
45. Disproved a family myth through research. SO FAR THEY'VE ALL BEEN TRUE! (WE DON'T HAVE MANY)
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records. THAT'S WHAT THEY PAY ME FOR
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. BUT ONLY FROM A FORM
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
53. Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century. I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD MY BREATH
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.
61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
62. Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.
63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills. BOOK AND PDF
64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research. EVERYDAY FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS!
65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
66. Visited the Library of Congress.
67. Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower.
68. Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War.
69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
70. Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
71. Can read a church record in Latin.
72. Have an ancestor who changed their name.
73. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
74. Created a family website.
75. Have more than one "genealogy" blog. HERE'S THE OTHER
76. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
77. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
78. Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.
79. Borrowed a microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
80. Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.
81. Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
82. Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.
83. Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.
84. Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.
85. Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.
86. Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.
87. Use maps in my genealogy research.
88. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
89. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors. DON'T ASK
90. Visited the National Archives in Kew.
91. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
92. Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country). ANY DESIDERIO'S OR GIORDANO'S FROM SCAFATI OUT THERE? MAUSOLF'S FROM SZCYNTNO?
93. Consistently cite my sources.
94. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
95. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
96. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
97. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
98. Organized a family reunion.
99. Published a family history book (on one of my families).
100. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
101. Have done the genealogy happy dance. DOES SOBBING IN THE NARA MICROFILM READING ROOM COUNT?
102. Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.
103. Offended a family member with my research. WORKING ON NOT OFFENDING SOME OTHERS!
104. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.