The Trails That Led to the Discovery of Several Ancestors

Sometimes I forget the trail I took to find an ancestor unless I'm focusing on that ancestor or am looking at his/her paper file or in RootsMagic.  Remembering the clues that led backward may help me in future searches for other ancestors.  Often (but not always) there seems to have been one key source with a name which I was able to use as a basis for further research.

Jacob Saylor
Lee Doyle -> Gust Doyle ->Tressa (Froman) Doyle -> Catherine (Saylor) Froman -> Jacob Saylor

Lee Doyle is my father.  I learned the names of his grandmother and great-grandmother from my father's half-sister.  I was on my own to find Catherine (Saylor) Froman's father.  I knew that Catherine had married John Froman and that they lived in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

The source was A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests, Volume 2.  I performed a google search for John Froman and found him and Catherine associated with the name Peter Saylor.  Peter's biography in the Mercer County history named Jacob Saylor as their father; gave the names of both of Jacob's wives; and named many of the children from both wives.  The biography also indicated that Jacob Saylor had died about 1870 which led me to his probate file.

That was simple but it took me a while to take the information in the county history seriously.  Of course, there's all the follow-up research to check the accuracy of the statements in the biography. 

Rebecca Smith Bartley and Thomas Smith
Lee Doyle --> Beulah (Gerner) Doyle --> Elvira (Bartley) Gerner --> Rebecca (Smith) Bartley --> Thomas Smith

When I began I knew my father's and grandmother's names.

• I learned Elvira's name from my father's aunt.  
• I learned Dixon's name from One Pennsylvania Bartley Family.  
• Butler County, Pennsylvania, census records gave me Rebecca's first name.
• The Butler Area Public Library Obituary Index (finally) listed a golden anniversary article for Dixon and Rebecca Bartley.  I ordered it and when it arrived I saw that it named Thomas Smith as Rebecca's father.  I have Thomas's will and will try to obtain his probate file (if he has one).

Christian Gerner
Lee Doyle -> Beulah (Gerner) Doyle -> Frederick Gerner -> Christian Gerner

When I began I knew my father's and grandmother's names.  I learned Frederick's name from my father's aunt, Frederick's daughter.  She remembered that Fred had siblings named Christian, John, and Charles.

• In the Butler Area Public Library Obituary Index I saw an obituary for a man named Christian Gerner.  Because two men were named Christian and had the same last name, I guessed at the possibility of a relationship.  No relationship was named in the obituary.
• Deep searches of census records with several surname variations gave me the names of children.
• With the names of children I was able to begin searching the Pennsylvania death certificate index (before the certificates were on Ancestry) for the males in the family.  Fred's death certificate gave his father's name as Christian Gerner.  Fred's brother, Charles's death certificate gave his father's name as Christian Gerner and his mother's name as Mary E. Sthal.  
• A deeper review of census records allowed me to put together a list of children and probable birth years.  
• The Butler Area Public Library Obituary Index came to my aid again with a wedding announcement for Emma Garner, a woman with the same first name as one of the children and a last name variation.  And, of course, her husband's name, Alfred Vensel, was included.  I was able to search the Obituary Index again using this new surname and found obituaries for both her and her husband.  Those allowed me to procure death certificates for the wife.  Her death certificate gives her parents' names as Christian Gerner and Mary Stahl.
• On FamilySearch I found a marriage record for, Christian, Fred's brother.  Marriage and census records allowed me to follow his marriage and his move from Pennsylvania to West Virginia to California where I was able to obtain a death certificate.  The certificate gave his parents' names as Christian Gerner and Mary Stahl.

I think that four children naming the same father is good evidence that Christian Gerner is the father of Frederick Gerner (and his siblings). 

I take a lot of hunches in family history research.  Some of them yield no helpful information (or perhaps I should say, yield negative results).  Others give a little hint, and some answer a question and lead me to much more information.

I have so many more ancestors to find and so much more to find about these ancestors in this post.  I never know which search will yield the information that will tie a child to his or her father and/or mother.

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2014 Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Elizabeth's Will: Was It Wisdom?

Elizabeth      ---      Isabelle      ---      Henry Meinzen

My little great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Armitage) Meinzen, created a will before she died in 1920.  It surprises me perhaps because she was illiterate, or maybe because her husband, Henry Meinzen, left no will.  She died in June, 1920; he died in December, 1925.

Was this arrangement wisdom on both their parts?  Both Henry and Elizabeth must have believed that she would pass away before him:  she had cancer.  If home and property were in her name, she would need a will to avoid dying intestate.  With Elizabeth as owner of property, Henry avoided the need for a will which allowed his inheritors to avoid probate.

Elizabeth willed all her possessions to Henry, real and personal, for use during his lifetime to ensure he had a comfortable life -- except for two conditions.  The first condition was that $100.00 be set aside for her granddaughter, Elizabeth Ann Meinzen, until she turned 21.  (Elizabeth Ann's father had died when she was an infant.)  The second condition was that after Henry's death whatever of her possessions remained were to be divided equally among her six remaining children.

When Jefferson County, Ohio, court records began to appear on FamilySearch, I checked again for a will for Henry Meinzen but found none.  Instead I found Elizabeth's settlement.  On January 29, 1926, a month after Henry's death, his daughter, Isabelle Hashman, went to court to settle Elizabeth's estate.  She requested that the ownership of the home and and property which had been left to her deceased father be transferred to the six living children.  (I don't believe there was a deed transfer for the property to Henry after Elizabeth's death.)

I'd like to say that was the final step in the probate of Elizabeth Meinzen's will and everything was settled but I don't believe it was.  All things considered, it could not have been.  How could joint ownership of a property succeed?  All six of Henry and Elizabeth's surviving children had either families and/or spouses and two of which lived a day's drive from Steubenville.  Did all of the children agree that one of them could live in the house and pay the property taxes.  It's equally possible the property was sold and the children split the resultant money.  I have yet to research deeds for the sale of the property.

Questions arise in my mind because the wife had a will and the husband had none.  I can't help but wonder at their choice when the custom of the time was the reverse.  The fact of a will demands that the person writing the will has ownership of possessions to disperse after his/her death.  Which brings me to this question:  How is it that the property was in Elizabeth's name and not it Henry's or in both names?  Were they a modern couple and early supporters of women's rights?  Did Henry encourage Elizabeth to put the property in her name; did she insist or demand; or was it a unified action upon which they both agreed?  Did they counsel together to make a reasoned, educated decision about property ownership and wills?  I marvel at the choices this couple made (especially when I think of other ancestors who died with property and possessions and without wills).  I doubt I will ever find answers to my questions.  They may be questions that none of their children or other descendants ever asked, considered, or care to know. 

This leaves me wondering:  was it wisdom that Henry and Elizabeth settled their affairs this way?  If so, what have I missed in the understanding of this situation?  What would have been the benefit to Henry not having a will?  Would tax laws of the time give me more understanding about this situation?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Below is the transcription of Elizabeth's estate settlement from Jefferson County (Ohio) Probate Journal, Volume 28, December 1925-December 1926, page 74.

In the Matter of the Estate of         )
ELIZABETH MEINZEN,    Deceased   )   January 29th, 1926.

     This day came Isabelle Hashman and filed herein her application duly verified, for an order to the County Auditor directing the transfer upon the tax duplicate of Jefferson County, of certain real estate devised by Elizabeth Meinzen, deceased, and for a certificate to the County Recorder.
     Upon consideration whereof, the Court finds that by the terms of the will of said decedent, said real estate was devised to Henry Meinzen Jr., Isabelle Hashman, Wilhelmina Harris (also known as Elizabeth W. Harris) Lulu Sticker, Robert Meinzen (also known as W. C. Robert Meinsen [sic], and Naomi Rhome.
     That the following is a description of said real estate such as is contained in the
Will, to-wit:
     ITEM II.  I give, devise and bequeath to my husband, Henry Meinzen, during his natural life, all the property, real and personal, of every kind and description, wheresoever situated, wheresoever and whatever it may be, which I may own or have the right to dispose of at the time of my decease, except that bequeathed by Item IV thereof, together with the right to sell or dispose of any or all of the same, if necessary, for his comfortable care and keep, and direct that his debts for doctors' bills and funeral expenses be paid out of my estate.
     ITEM III.  After the death of my husband, Henry Meinzen, I give, devise and bequeath to my sons and daughters, Henry Meinzen, Jr., Isabel [sic] Hashman, Wilhelmina Harris, Lulu Sticker, Robert Meinzen and Naomi Rhome, share and share alike, whatever may be left or remaining of the estate so devised and bequeathed to my said husband.
     ITEM IV.  To my granddaugther, Elizabeth Ann Meinzen, I give and bequeath the sum of $100, and direct my executrix to deposit said sum in a bank, at interest, to be paid to my said granddaughter when she reaches the age of 21 years, but if she dies before reaching that age, then said sum to revert to my estate and be paid to my husband, Henry Meinzen, if he be then living, or in case he be then dead, to be paid in equal shares to my children named in Item III hereof."
     The following is a specific description of said real estate:
     Situate in the City of Steubenville, County of Jefferson and State of Ohio, and being part of Lot No. 63 in Simmons & Foster's Addition to the City of Steubenville, Ohio, beginning for the same at a point on the south line of Oregon Avenue 150 feet East of the East line of Woodlawn Road; thence running in a southerly direction parallel with the east line of Woodlawn Road, 108 feet; thence in an Easterly direction along the South line of Lot No. 63 30 feet; thence in a Northerly direction parallel with the East line of Woodlawn Road 108 feet to the South line of Oregon Avenue; thence in a Westerly direction along the South line of Oregon Avenue, to the place of beginning, excepting and reserving the coal and other minerals.
     Being the same premises conveyed by Clyde O. Davis and wife to Elizabeth Meinsen [sic] by deed dated October 21, 1918, and recorded in Vol. 117, at page 492 of the Jefferson County, Ohio, Record of Deeds."
     And it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the terms of said Will have been fully complied with on the part of said Devisee hereinbefore named, it is ordered that said real estate be transferred upon the duplicate of the county to the names of Henry Meinzen Jr., Isabelle Hashman, Elizabeth W. Harris, Lulu Sticker, W. C. Robert Meinzen and Naomi Rhome, and that a certificate of this order issue to said Auditor and Recorder, as required by law.
                                                                    ATTEST:  EMMETT M. MORROW, JUDGE
--Nancy.

Copyright © 2014 Nancy Messier.  All rights reserved.

Disheartened

The probate file of Jacob Saylor -- or Sailor, as written in the file -- arrived earlier this week.  It's that 74-page file I ordered a few weeks ago from the Courthouse in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.  Jacob died in 1870.

I don't know what I expected.  I open it to the first pages and find nearly-impossible-to-read handwriting on documents with and without printed sections.  The print and handwriting fade in and out, disappear, blur, clear.  There is invisible ink on some of the pages.  Perhaps the originals were faded when microfiche images were made; perhaps the microfiche images  faded over time; perhaps the microfiche was moved before the photocopy was finished.  It doesn't matter because it's what I have to work with.  The dates are barely legible.  I don't want to transcribe it.  I just finished wading through and transcribing John Froman's 1872 file that had fewer pages.  I'm not ready to delve into another handwritten, nearly illegible file.  I feel disheartened by this file's condition.

But I browse through the pages, glance at some of the clearer writing, find that some things are legible.  I see
->    ". . . my share $900 dollars and John Froman is 1200 dollars . . ." and
->    ". . . Catharine Sailor intermarried with John Froman . . ."

I realize that this is my family.  I am somewhat encouraged.  I know I should want to discover all I can about these ancestors of mine, and I do, but I want it to be easy. 

Browsing through the file again I find that it's a complicated one (and there's another part to it which I did not order).  Jacob Sailor died testate but the file was processed in the Orphans Court (I assume) because he had minor children by his second wife and was guardian of a female named "Elizabeth Dehl now Stahl."  The file was opened in 1870 and continued into 1873.  It was laid to rest for 18 years and reopened  in 1891 when Jacob's youngest son, Otto, was at least 21 years of age.

During the intervening years, in 1883, Mary E. Sailor, Jacob's second wife and administratrix, died.  Peter Sailor, Jacob's oldest son by his second wife, became the administrator.

I see that the children are named in several places and that the females' spouses are also named, along with living locations.  I see that some of the later pages are typewritten and there's a typewritten transcription of Jacob's will.

I know I will not be able to read and/or transcribe every page but there is enough in the file that I can claim Jacob Saylor as my great-great-great-grandfather.  I believe, if I give careful attention to detail, that I will be able to determine the names of many of Jacob's children by his first wife, their married names, and therefore may find death records for them.  The death records may/should/could give me his first wife's name.

I hope that after scanning and manipulating the images for lightness, darkness, and/or contrast I may be able to decipher more of the writing that is faded and disappearing and learn more about the life of my ancestor, Jacob Sailor.

I am encouraged.  The adventure continues.

--Nancy.

© 2014, Copyright Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Lee Doyle, Jeweler

about 1948

My father took a correspondence course to learn watch and clock repair.  Then he hung out his shingle and took in business.

He set up shop at a desk in a small room adjoining both our living room and kitchen.  People came with their watches and clocks in hand, knocked on our front door, and were invited in.  When Dad was home and working at the desk, they were ushered into that room.  Otherwise, we wrote a tag with their name and phone number, attached it to the watch or clock, and Dad took care of it later.

Sometimes people called to make appointments or to be sure we were home; other times they took a chance, possibly on their way to other errands, and just appeared at our door.

The sign I most remember (above) hung on the side of our porch.  It was easy to see during the day and electric bulbs inside made it easy to see at night, too.  The switch to turn it on was inside our house. 

Dad added this second sign, left and below, later.  It was fixed to the top of a pole at the corner of our street and Main Street directing people eastward down Furnace Street.  Because our first house was the first on the street  it was easy to see the second sign on the side of our porch.










My father must have taken this sign down shortly before this photo was taken in the summer of 1964.  Dad continued to work on watches and clocks for another 15 years or so but eventually stopped taking in repair work.

These signs were certainly painted by hand because they were one of a kind.  I don't know what happened to them but I wish one or both had been saved.  You know how it is with large items, time, and space, though.  There are things we think would be wonderful to have in 50 years but who has space to store them, and who wants to transport them through several moves, especially when 50 years seems such a very long time and we don't have an immediate use for them or place to store them.  I wonder how many wonderful, old family items went by the wayside for those very reasons.

Observations about the photos
As I was typing this post I was thinking how awful it would be to have misspellings on a sign.  Then the spelling of "jewelery" in the top photo caught my eye.  I suppose I've looked at that photo dozens of times but now is the first time I realized that "jewelery" is misspelled.  The American spelling is "jewelry;" the British is "jewellery."  I'll never know if Dad wrote out the words and gave them to the sign painter or if he dictated the words and the sign painter wrote them.  (Was it possible to have an illiterate sign painter?)  I wonder how many people noticed the misspelling through the years.

In the top photo I see the handlebars of the trike that's next to my sister.  It would have been a hard pedal to get it there since there was only grass and no sidewalk.  On the far right I noticed the car parked on the street.  It almost looks like a convertible.

The porch on our house faced south with two maples standing in front.  It was a wonderful refuge during a thunderstorm.  We could sit on the porch, dry and safe, and watch the clouds, rain, and lightening.  It was one of my favorite places in our house in the summer.

Looking at the second photo reminds me of the double doors that opened out.  We propped them to stay open and padlocked them to stay closed.  The garage had had an addition, before my time, I think, because I don't remember it being built.  The garage may have been built when cars were shorter and needed more length for modern cars.  Or it's possible that my dad wanted to add some workspace and extended the garage so he could put a workbench at the closed end.  This garage was torn down not too long after this photo was taken and a two-and-a-half-car garage was built in its place.

To see more signs head over to Sepia Saturday 238.

--Nancy.

© 2014, Copyright Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

BOOK: New Technology - Friday Funny

Announcing the new Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge device (BOOK).  The BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology:  no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on.  It's so easy to use even a child can operate it.  Just lift its cover!

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.   Here's how it works....

Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information.  These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binding which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs in half.  Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now BOOKs with more information simply use more pages.  This makes them thicker and harder to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly to your brain.  A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.  The BOOK may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it.  The BOOK never crashes and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices it can become unusable if dropped overboard.  The "browse" features allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish.  Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed.  BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.   Conversely, numerous bookmarks can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once.  The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the entertainment wave of the future.  The BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform.

Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Note
I have been unable to discover who wrote this announcement but it came to me via email at least 15 years ago.  BOOKs have become my favorite reading device since my early discovery of them.  I use them for leisure reading and for research and study, especially for family history.  I'm especially fond of PENCILS for making notes in less permanent BOOKs such as noteBOOKs and journals.

How about you?  Are you a BOOKs fan or do you favor some other form of reading device?

Image courtesy of kshelton at Pixabay.

--Nancy.
.

Penna Obituaries for the Worldwide Indexing Event

The five obituaries that came my way for the FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event this past Sunday and Monday were the most complicated indexing I've done to date.  I chose the intermediate level Pennsylvania Obituaries because they were noted as highest priority.

Since my daughters and two grand-babies were visiting, I decided to index while they napped on Sunday evening.  An hour passed and I hadn't finished my batch.  Naps were over and there were some interruptions.  More time and a few more interruptions and I hadn't finished.  More interruptions, more time....  You get the idea.  My batch was not the half-hour commitment I'd told so many people it would be when I encouraged them to participate in the event.  (I hope their batches took just half an hour, especially the beginners and those who don't index often.) 

The obituaries were modern obituaries which named spouses; siblings and spouses; children and spouses; grandchildren and spouses; great-grandchildren; an occasional great-great-grandchild and, several times, parents.  It seemed that every living family member, and some deceased family members, were mentioned in this group of obituaries.  Nothing was straightforward about any of them except the names of the deceased.  One of the hardest things was deciding how to classify individuals who were identified only as "in-laws."  Would that be brother- and sister-in-law, parents-in-law, or . . . ?  It was such a complicated group of obituaries that I may treat myself to one or two beginning level batches.  Ha!

All told, I indexed 5 obituaries which yielded the names of 166 individuals.

Intermediate level?  Definitely.  Confusing?  Often.  Worth doing it?  Absolutely!

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Consider the Possibilities

When an ancestor disappears after any particular record and I've come to the end of the line of obvious searches I stop and imagine the possibilities of that ancestor's life.  What might have happened next?  Where might he/she have gone?  Thinking about the possible next steps of a person's life may help me find more information about him/her.

For example, I have only two records for my potential ancestor, Werner Frommann.  They are a ship's manifest and an 1860 census record.  (I've already searched for him in the 1870 U.S. Census but did not find him.)

From the manifest I learned

• his country of origin (Hessen)
• from where he sailed and ship name (Bremen, "Julius")
• his age (54)
• his previous occupation (weaver)
• with whom he travelled and their ages (Maria, 21; Johannes, 16; Anna, 12; Elisabeth, 7; Heinrich, 5; Caspar, 4; and Christianne, 23)
• his port of arrival (Baltimore)
• his arrival date in the U.S. (August 4, 1856)
• his intended destination (Greenville)

From the 1860 census record I learned

• where he was living (Hickory Township, Mercer County, Penna)
• his age (58)
• his occupation (miner)
• his country of origin (Germany)
• with whom he was living and their ages (John, 20; Henry, 10; Casper, 7)
• who his neighbors were (but have not yet compiled a list)

Imagining the possible next steps an ancestor may have taken will give me ideas about other possible sources of evidence.  I may not find him in any of the places I search but my search will have been deeper, broader, and more extensive.

Below are possibilities about what happened to Werner Frommann and search ideas.

He may have died.  Search
-> probate records in the county and state where he last lived
-> probate records in neighboring counties
-> orphan's court records because he may have died without a will
-> local newspapers for accounts of his death
-> local newspapers for announcements regarding his estate
-> for a gravestone at Find-A-Grave or Billion Graves
-> for his name in cemetery indexes

He may have returned to Germany.
-> Are there emigration records for the U.S. in the 1860s?

He may have moved from the county and/or state.
-> perform a broad search in any of the major search engines

He may have changed his name or the spelling may have altered because of pronunciation.
-> search with broader name variations

This is my initial list of possibilities for this ancestor.  I will choose what I think is the most likely possibility and begin those searches.  If he's not found after those, I'll continue through the list.

Do you do this when searching for an ancestor, too?  What other places and possibilities do you consider for a  ancestor whose trail disappeared?  What possibilities have I missed for Werner?

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Written on Paper - Book of Me

We practiced form by making capital-sized, continuous ovals across the width of the paper, first in a clockwise direction, then counter-clockwise.  We were not to raise our
pencils as we formed those as-perfect-as-possible ovals.  We practiced lower case ovals in a similar manner.  Then each letter had its turn for practice, each repeated across the page, each separately formed.  I competed with myself each time we practiced handwriting, hoping to improve each letter and make it look just like the example.

None of my grade school papers survive.  The only evidence of my early handwriting abilities is this Elementary Certificate from The Peterson System of Directed Handwriting.  My mother loved saving certificates, bless her heart.   

During my senior year of college while working on a B.S. in Education, I was required to take a handwriting test.  I was shocked to learn that I'd failed.  At left is handwriting of about the same time.  You can see that my letters wouldn't have matched the standard:  the tall letters and capitals were too short.  I thought the writing was fine then but looking at it more objectively now I can see why it failed.

These days my handwriting is usually a combination of writing and printing, especially if I'm in a hurry or making a note just for me.   I can write more attractively and usually do when sending a note or letter with a greeting card, but most of my writing consists of notes to myself so I write for speed and ease.  I find it takes more effort and some extra time to write beautifully. 

One recurring thought as I was compiling this post was this:  if I had been a census taker I would have printed everything and all words would have been legible.  At least I like to think that's what I would have done.  But maybe I would have just put the information down as quickly as possible.

A year ago I shared a post showing signatures of some of my literate ancestors and x's of some of my illiterate ancestors.  Times have changed since the mid-1800s when many of my ancestors were illiterate.

Times are changing again.  I have heard the rumor that handwriting is currently not being taught to public school children.  I was discussing this with an acquaintance and he commented that there wasn't really a need for children to learn to write since most everything was typed.  I objected and he asked me why children should learn handwriting.  I told him my thoughts:

• Learning to control a pencil and form letters helps improve manual dexterity and fine motor skills.  
• It teaches patience and the success that comes after effort.
• Learning to write and read handwriting will allow children to read writing written decades ago, such as handwritten family history documents (which turned out to be an important point for him).
• Those who know how to write will be able to sign their names.

Another thought came to mind later:  I think being able to write by holding a pen or pencil in hand and manipulating it to form letters into words written on paper is half the requirement of being literate.  I don't think it's enough to be able to type letters and words on a computer.  (But then I'm a little -- okay, maybe a lot -- old-fashioned.)

Perhaps handwriting is outmoded and an anachronism but I don't want to believe it and I hope it's not true.

This is another post in The Book of Me series, created by Julie Goucher of Anglers Rest.  Thank you, Julie.

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Who Is Werner Frommann - Mystery Monday & 52 Ancestors

Werner Frommann is my mystery man of the moment.  Who is he?  Where is he?  But he's not the only mystery man:  several other Frommanns travelled with Werner from Hessen on board the ship, "Julius," destined for Greenville, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 4, 1856.

Werner and the other Frommanns who appear on the ship's manifest are 

• Werner Frommann, 54, male, weaver
• Maria Frommann, 21, female
• Johannes Frommann, 16, male, weaver
• Anna Frommann, 12, female
• Elisabeth Frommann, 7, female
• Heinrich Frommann, 5, male
• Caspar Frommann, 4, male
• Christiane Frommann, 23, female

I believe my John Froman (of the intestate court file) is the Johannes on this passenger list.  I was ready to claim Werner as his father -- because certainly the age was within range for him to be John's father -- but realized that doing so would be assuming too much:  no relationships are stated on the manifest.  However, I do assume these individuals knew each other since they are grouped together on the manifest, and I think they are probably related.

Based on the ages on the manifest, the birth years of the individuals would be:

• Werner, born ~1802
• Maria, born  ~1835
• Johannes, born ~1840
• Anna,  born ~1844
• Elisabeth, born ~1849
• Heinrich, born ~1851
• Caspar, born ~1852
• Christiane, born ~1833

To which Greenville were they headed?  There are Greenvilles in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Alabama.  I'm certain they were headed to Greenville, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

Several of the travelling companions, the males, with Americanized given names, appear in the 1860 U.S. Census in Pennsylvania.  Werner, John, Henry, and Casper Fromann, all the appropriate age, are there.  They are living in Hickory Township, Mercer County, rather than Greenville.  Hickory Township is south and slightly west of Greenville.

But where are the females from the ship's manifest?  I've been unable to locate them.  Little 7-year-old Elisabeth would not yet have been married in 1860 at the age of 11.  Young Anna, 12 in 1856, could possibly have married at 16.  But what about Maria and Christiane?  It was too early for marriage records in Pennsylvania.  They could appear in a church marriage record.  Or one of their children could appear in a death certificate which identifies their mother by her maiden name. 

After the 1860 U.S. Census only John, Henry, and Casper can be found in other records.  What happened to Werner, Maria, Anna, Elisabeth, and Christiane?  Will I ever find them? 

The search for the surname Froman in newspaper archives does not return "clean" results when searched with OCR.  It finds "from an island in Greece" or "from an early age" or "from an" followed by any number and variety of words.  The results for Frommann searched with OCR are not much better.

Search results on FamilySearch and Ancestry are interesting.

• Frommann yields these variations:  Friedman, Freeman, Freyman, Freedman, Fremont, Frauhman, Freemount, Frieman, Freiman, Freeseman, and Fruman.
• Fromann variations include Frontz, Vroman, Vronn, Fromm, Vroom, Vrooman, Fromme, Froman, Frohm, and Frum.
• Froman returns Fromann, Froemke, Fromm, Fromme, Frum, From, and Frohm. 

It's possible I'll eventually find some document to support the relationship between John and the others on this ship's manifest.  I return to Werner Frommann every once in a while, always with hope. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's call to her readers to write about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Thank you, Amy.

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

A Bowl of Peaches and Two Memories - Sentimental Sunday

When I was very young our family took annual travelling vacations.  I remember being carried through the Smithsonian Institution when I was between two and three years old, looking down at big glass cases seeing unfamiliar objects.  And when I was between three and four, my parents forgot my Teddy on a trip to Niagara Falls.  I was inconsolable.  A new, larger-than-Teddy panda came home with us, but he did not console and he never took the place of Teddy.

I think travel in my toddler and pre-school years was too much for my family.  For the next several vacations, until I was six or seven, they rented a cottage on Lake Milton where we spent a week or two each summer.  To my young heart, those summer vacations were perfect.  When we resumed travelling vacations every August, we visited places like Amana Colonies, Iowa; Greenfield Village, Michigan; and Mammoth Caves, Kentucky. 

In those days there were no credit cards -- at least not in our family -- and checks weren't widely accepted outside the area where the writer lived.  That left my father with the need to carry cash for all expenses:  gas, hotel/motel, meals, souvenirs, and any possible emergencies.  To know how much to take he probably estimated the amount of each necessity per day and then multiplied it by the number of days we would be gone, then added an extra sum.  (My parents were very, very private about money and financial situations so it's always a guess how they managed finances.)

On one vacation I remember the pleasant surprise of having sliced peaches for breakfast at a roadside rest stop.  It was a beautiful, fresh, crisp, dewy morning.  My mom sliced peaches into a bowl, added a little sugar, and I ate.  Delicious! 

The memory goes just that far and no further.  My dad probably bought a bag or a basket of peaches at a roadside stand earlier that morning.  It's possible that my mom, frugal and prepared as she usually was, had packed a few plates or bowls and some forks and spoons.  Other options for breakfast may have also included cereal or bread and peanut butter, but I don't know.  My memory stops at the bowl of peaches eaten at the picnic table.  I have no memory of my age, the year, or where we were. 

A few years before my mom passed away we were talking about vacations and I recalled and shared this memory.  Her response surprised me.  In effect, she said, "Oh, that was an awful time.  Your dad felt so horrible.  We were running low on money and there wasn't enough to buy breakfast at a restaurant." I felt sad that my father felt horrible about a breakfast picnic of peaches and that my mom remembered it as an awful time.

My mom's response reminded me that each participant has a different perspective -- and memory -- of the same experience, and probably different responses, feelings, and thoughts about the experience.  My brother and sister were probably on this vacation, too.  They may have no memory of peaches for breakfast, or they may remember even more than I do. 

When possible, I think it can be helpful to find someone else who participated in the same event and learn what they remember.  It could be especially helpful when talking with parents and grandparents to talk with their siblings also.  Who knows what other interesting information might surface and how much fuller the story of the event can be when compiled from several different perspectives.

How about you?  Have you ever discussed an event with a sibling or parent who, you found, had a very different perspective and memory of the event?

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Sarah R., Creative Commons at Flickr, jazzijava via photopin, license here.

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Of Widow Catherine (Saylor) Froman

Catherine (Saylor) Froman is one of my paternal great-great-grandmothers.  No stories about her survive, no objects her hands touched, no recipes.  To my knowledge, the only things that survive of her life are her descendants and a handful of records which very briefly tell of her life and existence.

Catherine was born on June 5, 1844, probably in Rhineland.  With her parents and other family members she immigrated to the U.S. sometime between 1846 and 1852.  Imagine that voyage:  being a young child on a ship for several long weeks, or being the mother of that young child!  They settled in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

My first certain acquaintance with Catherine was in the 1870 U.S. Census which reports that she was 28 years old, living in Pymatuning Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, John Froman, and five children ranging in ages from 1 to 7 years:  John, 7; Jacob, 5; Lizzie, 4; Theressa, 2; and Adam, 1.  Also in the home were a 25-year-old domestic servant named Catherine Botany, and an 18-year-old coal miner named Casper Froman. 

Within two years of that 1870 census, Catherine had given birth to one baby, Gustave, in 1870; become a widow; and given birth to one more child, Kate, in 1872.  Certainly life must have been difficult for her when one thinks of her raising 7 children without a father in the home.  Her husband's death left her with only a parcel of land, a few household furnishings, and no funds to keep a home and family.  How did she earn money for food and clothing when her children were young?  What was her source of support, both financial and emotional?  How did she manage?  I imagine her demeanor for a time after her husband's death similar to the mother in the drawing above. 

Census records tell little else about her:  she was a housekeeper, she never remarried, and she was probably illiterate.  About her young family they tell only slightly more.  All of her children attended school and learned to read and write.  By the time her oldest son, John, was 17, and the next oldest, Jacob, was 15, they worked in the coals mines and attended school.  Both activities may have been part-time or seasonal.  Their incomes must have been a great aid to the support of the family.

By 1890, four of Catherine's children had married; by 1900, all but one.  Her oldest son, John, remained unmarried until 1910, and Jacob, her second son, had become a widow by 1900.  The 1900 U.S. Census records Catherine and many of her children living in Stoneboro, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.  Both John and Jacob lived either in the same  house or next door to their mother her entire life.  The other five of her children lived nearby during the rest of her life.  By that fact alone I can't help but think that Catherine's family was close-knit. 

When she was a little older, there were the briefest notes in a local newspaper of the time.  From the December 8, 1912, issue of the Greenville, Pennsylvania, The Evening Record, we learn that,

"Mrs. Catherine Froman has returned to her home in Stoneboro after an extended visit with her sister, Mrs. Adam Lengerman."

And in the July 26, 1916, issue of the same newspaper, we read,

"Mrs. Catherine Froman of Stoneboro, is the guest of her sister, Mrs. Rosa Lingerman, of Canal street."

I'm working to identify Rosa.  She may be a sister or a half-sister.  I just beginning to research to gather Catherine's family of birth and her half-brothers and -sisters.

Catherine died on December 20, 1928, at the age of 84.  Her cause of death was organic heart disease.  She is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Sandy Lake Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

She died without having written a will, but left a $50.00 Liberty Bond, and three-fourths ownership of a house and the property on which it sat.  There should be property records for transfer of land sometime between 1872, when she acquired ownership of part of the property her husband owned, and 1920, when the census reports that she owned the home in which she lived. 

After examining all the records I've been able to find, I imagine Catherine less as the woman in the drawing above and more as a strong and capable woman and mother who endured hardships and survived.

Other posts about Catherine:
A Close-Knit Family - Mappy Monday
The Best Thing About An Intestate Court File


—Nancy.

Copyright ©2014-2023 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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A Close-Knit Family - Mappy Monday

I can't help but think that despite being a widow -- or perhaps because of it -- Catherine (Saylor) Froman somehow managed to raise a close-knit family.  Her seven children were all born within 9 years of each other so it makes sense that they would have become each others' friends and playmates in childhood, not to mention the probable need to work together, physically as well as emotionally, for the good of the family.

Until adulthood or marriage, the children lived with their widowed mother in Pymatuning Township on the west edge of Mercer County.  At marriage, they moved to their own homes.  The daughters married first:  Elizabeth between 1881 and 1883; Tressa in 1885; Catherine in 1888; and then the sons:  Jacob in 1889; Adam in 1895; Jacob again in 1898; Gust in 1898; and finally John in 1910.

Searching through four decades of census records fosters the image of a close-knit family.  The 1900 U.S. Census, the first after most of the children had moved from home, finds Fromans in and near Stoneboro, Pennsylvania.  Stoneboro is a small community in Lake Township on the eastern side of Mercer County, whose town proper consists of less than 2 dozen streets.

In 1900, I found

• John, Jacob, and their mother, Catherine, in Lake Township, E.D. 146, dwelling 36, family 36
• Gust Froman in Lake Township, E.D. 146, dwelling 36, family 37
• Catherine on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 167, dwelling 13, family 13
• Elizabeth on West Mercer Road, Stoneboro, E.D. 167, dwelling 208, family 209
• Tressa on an (unnamed street), E. D. 167, dwelling 231, family 232
• Adam in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 157, about 2 miles east of Stoneboro

Sandy Lake is a smaller village than Stoneboro, situated about 2 miles northeast of Stoneboro.  The village had its own enumeration district during the census years in this post.  Surrounding Sandy Lake is the township of Sandy Lake where most of the land was rural farmland.  Adam was in the township of Sandy Lake, not the community of Sandy Lake.

In 1910, I found

• John in Lake Township, E.D. 163, dwelling 30, family 30
• Jacob and his mother, Catherine, in Lake Township, E.D. 163, dwelling 30, family 31
• Gust on unnamed street in Stoneboro, E.D. 184, dwelling 126, family 135
• Elizabeth on Strawberry Hill, Stoneboro, E.D. 184, dwelling 191, family 202
• Tressa on Strawberry Hill, Stoneboro, E.D. 184, dwelling 187, family 198
• Adam in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 175, dwelling 62, family 65
• Catherine in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 175, dwelling 134, family 140  (Catherine and family had moved)

In 1920, I found

• John on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 94, dwelling 131, family 136
• Jacob and mother, Catherine, on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E. D. 94, dwelling 132, family 137
• Gust on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 94, dwelling 136, family 142
• Elizabeth on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 94, dwelling 138, family 144
• Tressa on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 94, dwelling 106, family 106
• Adam in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 77, dwelling 122, family 122
• Catherine in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 77, dwelling 57, family 57

Elizabeth Froman Proud died in 1927; her mother, Catherine (Saylor) Froman, in 1928.

In 1930, I found

• John on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 43-78, dwelling 88, family 88
• Jacob on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 43-78, dwelling 89, family 89
• Gust on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 43-78, dwelling 73, family 73
• Tressa on Linden Street, Stoneboro, E.D. 43-78, dwelling 67, family 67
• Adam on Hittle Avenue, Greenville, E.D. 43-25, dwelling 233, family 239
• Catherine in Sandy Lake Township, E.D. 43-53, dwelling 99, family 100

Greenville is located nearly 20 miles west of Stoneboro, still in Mercer County.  Rather than Adam having been the forgotten son, Tressa (Doyle) Wilson may not have known him because visits may have been less frequent.

Most of the siblings seemed, over the years, to gravitate to Linden Street in Stoneboro -- all except Catherine and Adam.  Perhaps it's the times in which I live when people move every few years, and move away from parents and siblings, that causes me to be so surprised at the proximity of the Froman siblings' homes.

By the 1940 census all of the siblings were gone.  Just as they'd been born within 9 years of each other, they all passed away during a 9-year period.  

No stories have been passed down so I have no knowledge of family dynamics among these Froman siblings.  How I wish I did!  But all things considered, they continue to impress me as a close-knot family.

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

The Best Thing About An Intestate Court File

The best thing about an intestate court file is that all siblings are identified; and so are the children of deceased siblings.  Perhaps it was a legal requirement that all children be accounted for so that no one would miss out on a potential inheritance.  Or perhaps it isn't true in call intestate court files, just in mine.

At right is a page from Catherine (Saylor) Froman's intestate file in the Orphan's Court of Mercer County, Pennsylvania.  (You can click to enlarge it and read more easily.)  Not only does it give the names of the children but it also tells where they lived at the time the case was opened.

Catherine (Saylor) Froman is my paternal great-grandmother's mother.  The line goes like this, beginning with my father:  Lee Doyle -> Gust Doyle -> Tressa (Froman) Doyle -> Catherine (Saylor) Froman.

I had already discovered the names of all Catherine's children in her husband John Froman's intestate court file.  The children were young when Catherine became a widow but by the time Catherine died all the daughters had married and their married surnames are given in this file. 

Catherine's oldest son, John, or J. F. Froman as he signed in the file, was appointed the administrator in Catherine's case.  Initially he was required to post $100.00 bond but later, before the sale of Catherine's part of a house, he was required to post $2100.00 bond which he did, in part, with his brother-in-law William Doyle and nephew Gust Proud.  The money was returned when the case was closed and John had fulfilled all of his administrator's responsibilities.

One of the unfortunate circumstances of  intestate court files is that there may be nothing to inherit.  I can't help but wonder if, nearing the end of her life, the deceased person knew she had nothing of value to pass on to her children, thought it not worth the time, effort, and cost to make a will.

Catherine's debts included a cemetery lot ($141.00); digging a grave ($10.00); funeral director ($340.00); flowers ($3.50); headstone (estimated cost $200.00); expenses of administration ($150.00).  Total of debts $844.50.  Others were listed in an earlier document in the file.

The inventory on Catherine's personal property included only one $50.00 Liberty Loan bond.  Her real property was three-fourths (originally stated as half but amended in later papers) of a house and the land on which it sat, appraised at a value of $1050.00 and sold to her second son, Jacob, for that amount.  The money was to be used to pay her debts.  Jacob's siblings all signed agreement to the sale.  Before the sale John was required to post notices and advertise the private sale in a local newspaper.

From what I can tell from census records, Catherine and her son, Jacob, lived in the same house on Linden Street.  It would make sense that Jacob's siblings would want him to have the house instead of having it sold by auction to a non-family member. 

This brings me to another great thing about this intestate file.  There are two "Joinders" on which each of Catherine's children and the children of her deceased daughter had to sign their names.  I now have two signatures of my great-grandmother Tressa (Froman) Doyle.  In both she spelled her name Tressa.  Tressa's husband, William, also signed his name in several places.  It's true the copy is not dark but it's clear enough to see Tressa's and William's signatures.

Catherine Froman died on December 20, 1928.  Her case was opened on July 1, 1929 and closed on April 7, 1930.  An intestate court case seems to require more attention and time from the administrator than when a will is probated.  I imagine the trips John and possibly others made from Stoneboro to the Courthouse in Mercer; the signatures he had to obtain from his siblings; arranging for the home and property to be appraised; and taking care of notices and advertisements in the newspaper -- details and responsibilities all fulfilled to the court's satisfaction.

This intestate court case of Catherine's was processed almost 50 years after the case of her husband, John.  It's amazing the difference a typewriter made -- no transcription needed other than what I wanted to add to RootsMagic.  Though 50 years apart, the process was similar and, for a family historian, the results fruitful.

If you've used intestate court files before what was your experience in finding family history information?

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

Good Reasons to Tell Family Stories - Sentimental Sunday

Sometimes I tell family stories on this blog.  As often as I can I tell those stories to my daughters or any other family members who are willing to listen.  I think of it as sharing my interests, connecting with my ancestors, and learning about history.  But it turns out I may be doing even more than that.

A few weeks ago I read an article in The New York Times which discussed recent research about the importance of telling and retelling family stories, also called the family narrative.  The article was written by columnist Bruce Feiler who shared results from studies done by psychologist Marshall Duke and colleague Robyn Fivush.  They wanted to know if children who knew about their family's history were better able to handle challenges than those without a background of family narrative.

The results strongly indicated that children who have heard and know the stories of their parents, grandparents, and others in the family -- even if the stories aren't always success stories -- are more capable of dealing with what comes their way in life.  They found that those children in the study

• had a sense of control over their lives.
• believed their families worked together successfully.
• adjusted better to stress and its effects in their lives.
• and were aware of being part of a larger family circle.

I especially appreciated this article.  I grew up in a family where stories were not told.  I can remember only one story that either of my parents told me when I was a child about their own childhoods, about their siblings, parents, or grandparents.  All the stories I've been able to gather I've learned as an adult and most have come from aunts, cousins, and other relatives.  (There was the grandmother's book that my mother partially completed for one of her granddaughters which came to light about 5 or 6 years ago; and there was that tape recording my father made which my mother inadvertently taped over about how he left the farm and became independent--made after I was out of college....)  I suspect that having heard the stories when I was a child would have bolstered me in difficult times in my own life; may have brightened my day a few times; could have transformed my sense of me alone against the world; and would have helped me adopt a broader picture of family.

I'm pleased to learn that the family stories I'm sharing may be of more benefit to a broader audience than just me, may do more than just give me personal satisfaction from learning about my ancestors.  It's really possible that the stories may help my children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews become better able to face and overcome challenges.

Maybe, in our heart of hearts, we family history bloggers knew there was more to telling the stories of our ancestors than just words on a monitor.  Those stories knit our hearts and the hearts of our children with our ancestors and create bonds of love and offer support in an unusual way.

You can read Bruce Feiler's article in The New York Times at "The Stories that Bind Us."  He is the author of several books about families.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2014-2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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The Most Glorious Heritage

I read this speech last fall and appreciated the thoughts expressed.  They seem appropriate even now, nearly 120 years later. 

In 1886, Teddy Roosevelt was asked to offer the Independence Day address to the citizens of little Dickinson, North Dakota.  He was just 27 years old.  This is, in part, what he said.

...It is peculiarly incumbent on us here today so to act throughout our lives as to leave our children a heritage, for which we will receive their blessing and not their curse....   If you fail to work in public life, as well as in private, for honesty and uprightness and virtue, if you condone vice because the vicious man is smart, or if you in any other way cast your weight into the scales in favor of evil, you are just so far corrupting and making less valuable the birthright of your children....

It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.

I do not undervalue for a moment our material prosperity; like all Americans, I like big things; big prairies, big forests and mountains, big wheat fields, railroads—and herds of cattle, too—big factories, steamboats, and everything else.  But we must keep steadily in mind that no people were ever yet benefited by riches if their prosperity corrupted their virtue.  It is of more importance that we should show ourselves honest, brave, truthful, and intelligent, than that we should own all the railways and grain elevators in the world.  We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.  Here we are not ruled over by others, as is the case of Europe; we rule ourselves.  All American citizens, whether born here or elsewhere, whether of one creed or another, stand on the same footing; we welcome every honest immigrant no matter from what country he comes, provided only that he leaves off his former nationality, and remains neither Celt nor Saxon, neither Frenchman nor German, but becomes an American, desirous of fulfilling in good faith the duties of American citizenship.

When we thus rule ourselves, we have the responsibilities of sovereigns, not of subjects.  We must never exercise our rights either wickedly or thoughtlessly; we can continue to preserve them in but one possible way, by making the proper use of them.  In a new portion of the country, especially here in the Far West, it is peculiarly important to do so; and on this day of all others we ought soberly to realize the weight of the responsibility that rests upon us.  I am, myself, at heart as much a Westerner as an Easterner; I am proud, indeed, to be considered one of yourselves, and I address you in this rather solemn strain today, only because of my pride in you, and because your welfare, moral as well as material, is so near by heart.

You can read this speech in its entirety at The Digital Library of The Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University.

Teddy Roosevelt's image from New-York Tribune.  (New York [N.Y.]), 27 Oct. 1907.  Chronicling America:  Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 



Wishing you and yours a most glorious Independence Day!

--Nancy.
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Water Imp - Wordless Wednesday

--Nancy.
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Tips for New Family History Bloggers

So you're thinking of starting a family history blog?  Read on for a few of my observations and experiences.

This post is an adaptation and expansion of similar ideas shared in May I Introduce to You..., my interview with Gini Webb which was published in June at GeneaBloggers.  I'm offering this separate post because several readers said they would find it helpful.

These ideas are the result of my own experiences with success and failure after creating this blog in 2009.  I fumbled around a lot when I first began because I didn't know anything about blogging and only a little more about family history.  I'm still learning about both.  Please use what's helpful to you and forget the rest. 

Choose your blog host.

• There are several free blog platforms available, including blogger and wordpress, but there may also be others.  You will need to create an account to start a blog.  If you have a gmail or any other google account, you can use that for a blogger account.
• Looking at others' blogs and noticing what type of account they have may help you decide which blog host you want to use.
• Realize that most blog templates can be customized using your choice of colors, images, etc.

Choose a title.

• Before you begin your blog consider choosing a title that can have the same url.  It might take several tries to find a blog name that's not taken but be persistent.  It will be worth it in the end.  You may have noticed I didn't do that:  my blog's name is "My Ancestors and Me" but the url is nancysfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.  I started my blog before I knew what I wanted its title to be and then it was too late to change the url.
• Yes, you can always change the title of your blog but not the url unless you begin a new blog.

Consider the layout of your blog.
Blogger (and probably wordpress, too) offer different templates (the background of a blog) and layouts (the arrangement and spacing of columns, their width and number on a blog).  You can notice them when you look at others' blogs.  Scroll to the bottom where the name of the template is usually identified.

• A simple format is great for a family history blog.  It lets readers focus on the content of your posts and not be distracted by extra "stuff."

• Choose a post area width that isn't too wide.  On my first layout, at right, I used all the width that was available.  It wasn't until months later when I saw my blog on a different computer that I realized readers had to scroll side to side to read posts.  I quickly changed it, at right below.  You can read the post about the change here.  It takes a lot for me to stay on a blog that I have to scroll horizontally to read.  
• Choose one column on one side of your post area or possibly one on both sides.  Think about what you will put in those columns.  Will one be enough or will you need two?
• When choosing background and font colors keep the contrast strong enough that the words will be easy to read.  Sometimes light letters on a dark background vibrate and are difficult to read for very long.  Similarly, blogs with light grey writing can be difficult to read and cause eye strain.  Remember that you will have people of all ages with all kinds of abilities visiting your blog.  Make it easy for everyone to read what you write.
• When choosing the font remember that sans serif fonts such as Verdana, Trebuchet, and Arial are easier to read on a monitor than fonts with serifs or fancy fonts.  Choose a sans serif font for your posts and, if you want fancy fonts use them for dates, links, and gadget titles. 
• Consider font size.  Choose at least 12 pt or possibly even 14 or 16 for your post area.  Small is easy enough to read on paper but large is much easier to read on screen.  
• In blogger you can always go back and change the layout if you find it isn't quite right. 

Blog Content

• Decide on the purpose(s) of your blog.  Perhaps your only intention is to share memories of your grandparents; or post census records of your direct-line ancestors; or maybe you want to post a variety of topics.  With purposes in mind at the beginning it will help you decide on blog posts and keep you on track with blogging.  You can always reevaluate later and make changes as you become more experienced with blogging and/or family history research.
• Write about what interests you in your family history.  Your enthusiasm will shine through in your posts.
• Posts do not have to be long to be good.  Most people don't have time to spend 20 minutes reading a blog post so brief posts can be very effective.
• Proofread your posts before you click the "publish" button.  Catch those spelling errors, mistyped numbers, and stray punctuation marks.  (This tip comes from personal, negative experience!)
• Use labels to help readers identify similar post topics in your blog.  Notice the labels others use in their blogs and choose what you might think will be most helpful and effective for your blog. 

Sidebar Content 

• Include some sort of brief bio about yourself and possibly a photo.
• List the surnames you're researching.
• Make it easy for readers to contact you by using a contact button or giving them your email address (adapted so spammers can't click it and send you spam).
• A search button allows readers to search for topics or surnames in your posts.
• A translate button is helpful to those who read your blog but may not speak your language.
• You may want to include a list or cloud of labels so people can click on it and read other posts on that topic.
• Previous posts, either as a list or as a gadget, will encourage your visitors to stay a little longer and read one more post.

Join the Community
One of the benefits of blogs (as opposed to websites) is that comments allow interaction.  Blogging is more fun when you know people are reading what you write.  I've received many helpful suggestions because of comments from other family history bloggers.

• Become a GeneaBlogger by asking Thomas MacEntee to include your blog in his new blogs post on Saturdays.  (Wait until you have a dozen or so posts so people will catch the flavor of your blog when they visit.)
• Read others' blogs and leave comments.
• When people visit your blog and leave comments on your blog posts, respond to them with a thank you or, if they've asked a question, answer it.  And then pay a call to their blogs and leave comments.

Enjoy
Most of all, enjoy the time with your ancestors and sharing what you're learning about them.

Another post, Blog Layout:  10 Simple Tips at A Beautiful Mess, offers some additional excellent suggestions along with graphics to illustrate.

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.