Where Did the Time Go

I was on a great role in March of updating through out the month. Being women's history month really gave me a trail to follow. It also helped that I was doing the prompts from Facebook. But then I got side tracked and the next thing I knew it was almost the end of May.

It's so funny that I would be updating now as I am on vacation but I started talking to my Uncle's about his family and low and behold I found not just his grandparents on a census but their marriage license. The marriage license was a big deal for me as I never seem to be able to find those on Ancestry but this time it just popped up and I about fell out of my seat.

I also think I found his paternal grandfather as well. That one is a little harder since the name for the mom isn't the same as what he says it should be but everything else lines up. I will have to do some more research with it when I get back as they were living in Missouri. What are the odds that I would be stalled with my immediate family but be able to find some extended family through marriage. It's crazy how this genealogy thing works.

My father is also on his way to Mississippi to do some more research and I meant to give him some information to look up for me but I didn't get a chance to write it out before I left. I am hoping that I can give him a call while he's working on it so that I can give him the information that I would like to find.

Either way I really want to get back into the swing of my research but right now I am having a hard time seeing when that could happen. I just have so much set up for the next month that it might be until July realistically before I can get deep into it. Either way I will keep trying to update here and letting you know what I find.

Return of "Who Do You Think You Are?"

If you have followed this blog for awhile you know that I am a huge fan of the NBC show Who Do You Think You Are?. That means that I have been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the new season to premiere and now it is finally here.

First up is Vanessa Williams most famous for being the first African-American Miss America as well as being on Ugly Betty. As an African-American myself I think that this will be an

interesting history to look into to. I know that they have had other African-Americans on season one but this is the first person of a bi-racial heritage. That isn't to say that I don't think that each and everyone of us has a mixed heritage but not everyone's is so close to their present family. The point is that I am extremely curious about if she will run into as many complications that I have or others that are investigating primarily an African-American lineage.

As far as the season goes I do think that they have a good line up of stars and there sounds as if there will be some interesting stories to be found. I also can't wait to see what I have affectionately termed "The Dream Team of WDYTYA" or just "Dream Team" for short will come up with. They might be my favorite part and the most annoying part of the show. I love them because the stars show up and these people just seem to have their whole family history laid out for them to review which ironically is also what bugs me about them and the show in general. I simply wish that they showed more of the research without the specialist. However, those specialist did inspire me to look into becoming a certified genealogist so like I said, I love them too.

I also love the fact that even if they don't show all the research, ups and downs, and brick walls that we mere mortals run into everyday they do open the conversation for genealogy. They spark interest and with all the commercials for Ancestry.com then there has to be a few additional people that decide to look and that is a great thing. More people looking means more interest, more funding and more information shared. All of these things sound amazing to me.

So if you don't have plans and watch tonight. Also if you would like to chat I will be Tweeting during the show. You can follow me @AlwaysMe74. Hope to talk to soon.

Ran Away With The Dish and The Spoon

I know, I know....it's been ages since I updated this blog. But I guess if I am admitting that then I have to admit that it has been ages since I've done any real genealogy work. Allow me to explain.

I started taking a few graphic design classes and between that and normal life it seems that genealogy kinda fell through the cracks. But I am ready to get back on the horse so to speak and the opportunity to do it might be just around the corner.

My family is planning a trip to Chicago in the next month just as a get together of sorts but the great part is that I have a few relatives in Chicago that I am looking forward to contacting. I am hoping that they will remember some of the names that I have for the Sprolls side of the family and let me know if I am on the right trail and if they have pictures will that would just be an added bonus.

Also I don't know if you remember my great trip to Mississippi but we might have a reason to go back and if we do then I am going to try and see if Arkansas is not to far away and maybe we can make a stop there also so that I can look up some other family.

Until then, I do have some research that I have to find here in good ol' Missouri but I need the money and the time for a trip downtown to the records office and hopefully I will be back on track.

So I just wanted to give a small update on where I'm at and let you know that I haven't given up and that there is more information to come. Talk soon.

Lookin' Good

A little away from the norm but I just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new look to the blog. I know you can probably see it but still I wanted to put it out there.

I know that we have gone through a few new backgrounds since the one that we had went away suddenly a few weeks ago but I think this one gets to stay for at least awhile. I hope that you are liking it because it took some to figure out if this was the look that we wanted and I wanted to have it in before my research trip.

So here you are. Now get back out there and keep looking for your nearest and dearest relatives.

And So It Begins

Someone said that to know where one is going you must know where you've been. Growing up I didn't understand that. Actually in all truth I didn't always understand it as an adult either, but then something happened that changed the course of my understanding. I was assigned a project during college right before Thanksgiving. I was to make a family tree. Simple enough, right? So I thought and so I was wrong. You would think that with parents and grandparents it would be easy to come home ask a few questions and write out who beget whom. And it probably should have been with the exception of the fact that they only knew of their grandparents and vague stories about their grandparents parents. There was no family bible with generations listed easily as reference, no stories of past generations to guide my story. There was nothing but tossed out names and unsure dates and comments of "let me know what you find out". I was surprised but more so saddened at the lost of history my family had. I must admit that this wasn't as a defining moment as it could have been. At eighteen I probably had more tenacity for uncovering the past then I do now. But what I lack in fortitude I find that I must now make up for in patience which honestly has never been my strong suite.

However, this moment did impact those around me. My dad took up the cause as well as one of my older cousins. They dug into the history of where we came from with gusto and a few months later put down their shovels with just as much energy. It was tedious work and with jobs and kids and life continuing to move researching our families roots became a weekend project that always got pushed to the side. They continued sporatically but not with any kind of purpose or map. When they thought to ask questions they did and when they passed a website that promised information they looked but nothing was really getting documented. Then one day not many years ago they decided to pull out their weekend project and make it a priority. They went to meetings and listened to ideas and even took a trip or two but still it was so going and I would listen with half an ear and contribute when I saw a chance.

Then I lost a family member. I wasn't as close to them as I should have been but it woke me up to what I was missing. As I stood there with my two female cousins and my one aunt we realized that between the four of us we were the only females left from my mother's side of the family. My mom, grandmother, and great grandmother had all passed on and we were it. Though our ages ranged from mid fifties to late twenties this was the end of a line. Sure I have male cousins to carry on the family line but as for women, the barrers and remembers of history, we were all that stood and we knew next to nothing.

I was sad that I when I had recieved my project in college I hadn't taken it as seriously as I should. Then I had other relatives that might have known more or at the very least had additional names to fuel my search but I had waited and I was fortunate that it wasn't to late. I started looking at my father's papers and realized that although he had looked into my mother's side most of his journey was on his side of the tree. This left branches full of information and no one pulling the fruit. I took it upon myself to begin again. I found my old tree that had as much information as I had tried to gather, barely three generations, and set out to begin again.

It had been almost a year and I can't say that I have gone all that much further than when I started and I began to think that maybe that had to do with not having a map; an idea if you will. So I decided that since everyone has a blog out in cyberland about every topic know to man I would start one too. This way I can keep myself on track and be able to look back at the progress I've made. I am also hoping that maybe through what I discover about researching genealogy I might just be able to help someone else.

We have to look back to understand and to know but mostly we have to look back to grow. That's my believe and my roadmap. I hope you will join me for the journey.