Tag: year in review

2015 Year in Review

On 29 December 2015

Roxborough Park in Colorado – picture taken by Nichelle Barra, September 2015

I can’t believe it’s already time for another year in review! If you’re curious, here are my previous years in review: 2014, 2013. I’m not sure if GeniAus will be doing another year in review post but this is where I got the idea: “Accentuate the Positive 2015 Geneameme”

1. An elusive ancestor I found was – well, not yet found. More that I have more information. This is my Hunt-For-John-Witherell by looking at his children (the list came from a Bible from one of them). So far… the hunt hasn’t gone too well. As far as the internet has helped anyway. It’s a record point where not much would be online and I’d need to go to the source (New York in this case) and that part will have to wait a bit.

2. An important vital record I found was – John Stalmacher’s naturalization records! I am still hunting for his immigration passenger list. The Baltimore listings aren’t as easy to search as Ellis Island records.

3. My 2015 blog post that I was particularly proud of was – probably about my DNA connection. It was my first connection (meaning we have replied back and forth to each other) on any DNA connections. My grandparents had just recently been tested as well and their results helped me to narrow down the search. I still haven’t found the connection yet though…

4. My 2015 blog post that received a large number of hits or comments was – Tuesday’s Tip: Use a Research Plan – that one got nearly 400 views, my best yet!

5. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was – Facebook – I use this now more for business than personal use

6. A genealogy course from which I learned something new was – Besides ProGen (which isn’t finished yet), I would say the Continuing Genealogical Studies: Genetic Genealogy, the Basics.

7. I am proud of the presentation I gave at/to – I didn’t reach my goal of 10 for this year, but I did a presentation for a family business in the area. It was awesome! I was a bit nervous before hand because this was the first group I presented to that wasn’t gathered for a genealogical reason. However, the response was wonderful and I had a great time!

8. A genealogy book that taught me something new was – This is a current read actually but I am hoping to learn a lot: Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino. Review coming once I finish!

9. A great repository/archive/library I visited was – I got the chance to visit Denver’s genealogy library in downtown Denver. It was great! I even got a bit of research in on my non-research vacation. I also got the chance to visit the local history library of Boulder, Colorado and chat with other researchers. That was a great time!

10. Professional genealogy items/goals I achieved –

Last Year’s Goals:
- 3-5 Clients – I met with many people over the years and did get paying clients! That has been probably the most exciting part of my year so far.
- Writing – I did write my first Indiana Genealogical Society article but I haven’t begun to work on my second BUT I do have an idea of what I would like to write about!
- Speaking – I did not make my goal of 10 speaking sessions, sadly. I am okay with that as there were a number of changes that have gone on personally (and are still ongoing) that have affected this goal.
- Social Media – I did have plans but they never came to fruition. Again, that has to do with a few items: a personal one (that will cause some changes in business but nothing major) and running a business is a lot more work than I had imagined! I had a lot more to do (like keeping business records – who knew?!) and had to push this idea to the back for the moment.
- Education – I am in ProGen 25! We are already 10 months in to our 18 month commitment and it is going very well! I didn’t get to an institute this year sadly, but did manage some local and state conferences (I will even help run our local conference next year!), which were great.
So, with that, my previous year goals weren’t as realistic as I had hoped for me. Yes, I could have pushed harder to make more of those goals come true, but to be honest, running a business had me more than a little overwhelmed. I worried quite a bit and got a bit lost in the running of it. This year promises to be a bit less stressful, with some exceptions.
2016 Goals:
- Clients: I am again shooting for three-five new clients. I’ve had some repeat clients already (yay!) and hope for more!
- Writing: I’d like to finish my article for the Indiana Genealogical Society for this year. I also want to focus more on my blog (which needs to be revamped).
- Speaking: I have four speaking engagements already lined up for the first half of the year. So right now, that’s good. I’m hoping to get more notice as I joined the Genealogical Speakers Guild just recently as well.
- Education: I want to continue my DNA studies for this coming year! I do want to get to one institute as well and I’m hoping for GRIP. The timing may be bad though but I’m crossing my fingers that it works out! If not, then I would like to attend NGS next year.
- Business Goals: Keep it running! I’ll have some new challenges this coming year (like tax season!) and I just want to stay on top of my record keeping as I’ve done so far.

Happy New Year everyone!

2014 In Review

By NikiMarie

On 31 December 2014

In Friday Finds

Taken by NikiMarie in 2014 in Cancun

Geniaus once again has their Accentuate the Positive 2014 Geneameme! I did this last year as well and like going back to see how my year has gone and make some goals for 2015.

So here is my year, accentuating the positive!

1. An important vital record I found was – I shouldn’t say found… more like looked at closer. It was definitely the burial record where I think Lillie (McLeod) Witherell was buried. Looking at the owner and finding out he was married to a Katherine McLeod gave me a huge hint to where Lillie’s family could be!

2. A newly found family member shared – This year I was introduced to a Raifsnider family member thanks to this blog (LOVE that!). I finally got to meet her over the holidays and she shared with me this wonderful picture of my 2x great-grandfather’s brother (which happens to be her 2x great-grandfather). I have no pictures of my 2x great-grandfather so this is especially precious to me.

3. A geneasurprise I received was – I had ordered records through NARA before but my 3x great-grandfather’s Civil War records was quite a surprise! There are over 100 pages in the file AND a record explaining why I could not find his marriage record. I was very pleasantly surprised by everything that was in that file – well worth the money!

4. My 2014 blog post that I was particularly proud of was – By far, it was the Lillie McLeod post where I began to look into her grave record. This was also a Boston University assignment that I am probably the most proud of besides one other. I also loved how I could finally figure out how to make my footnotes appear as links that go to the bottom where the source was cited (copy and paste it from Word!).

5. My 2014 blog post that received a large number of hits or comments was – I realize that my genealogy posts don’t always get a lot of comments but my biggest one was about John Witherell when I was still doing the 52 Ancestors. That Witherell line is still my main research focus in my own work.

6. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was – There are two actually but by far my favorite is my new Copper Leaf Genealogy page on Facebook. I post a lot more than just my blog posts on there! I also post items that have to do with genealogy as well as sales/bargains (for genealogists) that I see posted elsewhere. Go check it out!

The other one I have kind of enjoyed has been wordpress for my business page, Copper Leaf Genealogy. I only say kind of because I don’t know how to transfer my blog over there at the moment. I had done that initially but it looked so weird that I had the person who set up my blog to just put a link to my blog at the top instead. I do want to move it but now I’m not sure what to do. Do I delete all the pages/posts that were transferred over when I first uploaded the blog and then re-upload it since I have so many new posts? And then I have to deal with the formatting too. Oy. SO – if anyone has some wonderful WordPress tutorials they feel will help me, please share!

7. A genealogy conference/seminar/webinar from which I learnt something new was – It would be the NGS Conference in Virginia of course! I learned SO much from that conference and LOVED meeting so many other genealogists. It is probably the highlight of my genealogy year!

8. I am proud of the presentation I gave at/to – This was actually my first presentation as a professional genealogist but it is one I’m proud of: the online educational resources for every genealogist! (See part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5). I am working on another presentation about citing sources (I am presenting that in February) and another generic presentation about genealogy that I hope to give to interested groups.

9. I taught a friend how to – I didn’t blog about this one but I did take a friend through some of Saginaw County’s records. I LOVED sharing this with her! I showed her how to find death/marriage/birth records in the Clerk’s office and where to find land records and wills. Then we headed to Hoyt Library in downtown Saginaw to show her the wonderful genealogy collection there as well as the census records they have there that she can view without Ancestry. It was wonderful to be able to share that with someone!

10. A genealogy book that taught me something new was –

These two books have been great! There are more than just these two books but these two came to mind right away. I am working on writing house histories (I get to play with land records, which I LOVE and I get to explore homes – win win!) as a niche for me and this book was recommended as a good place to start. Also, the photo detective book is to help me figure out time frames that will help me to identify people in photos. I am very excited about both ventures!

11. A great repository/archive/library I visited was – Hoyt Library in Saginaw! I go there often and love the place! Not only is it my favorite library in Saginaw, but it has a lot of wonderful information and a knowledgeable staff.

12. It was exciting to finally meet – I met so many genealogists at the NGS conference! So many amazing and helpful people who gave me ideas and their card so I could get in touch with them later if need be. I love the genealogy community for things like this! Not to mention some of the speakers at the conference – our genealogy celebrities if you will – were very exciting to meet and hear in person.

13. A geneadventure I enjoyed was – The Boston University’s 15 week Genealogical Research Certificate Program! It was as time-consuming as they claimed and I LOVED every challenge that was thrown my way. It really made me feel incredibly positive about choosing this as a career and very excited about the possibilities such a career choice can hold. I don’t think I can quite express how wonderful this course was in words and I can’t recommend it enough!

14. Professional genealogy items/goals I achieved –

By far, this has to be one of the most exciting things for me! I officially started my own business! I never thought that I would do something like this to be honest. It is weird to realize that I left a safe career to go into something that had been a hobby and now am working on making this my full-time career. It’s all very exciting (and stressful)!

15. Another positive I would like to share is – This was a great year for me overall and I want to set some goals for next year that I’ll look back on and make sure that I am following through with! So here are some of my goals for 2015:

Clients! I would love to work with at least three-five new clients this year (if not more, let’s be honest). The number may seem small but I think it is accurate for the area I am in and for how new I am to the field.
Writing! As the St. Joseph County genealogist for Indiana Genealogical Society, I have to write an article a year so I’ve already got some ideas for this. I really want to sharpen my genealogy writing skills over all so I would like to not only have my first article for IGS this year but also have another printed or almost printed this year.
Speaking! As I mentioned, I already have one speaking session lined up for 2015 but I would like to do 10 speaking engagements this year. That is a very high goal and I understand that I won’t be paid for every one but I feel like this will introduce people to me and my work (which helps with my first goal) and introduces people to what I can teach (which will hopefully lead to more speaking engagements – paid ones too!).
Social Media! I don’t want to get into my plans for this just yet but I have had some ideas brewing for a bit that I really want to do this next year. I’m excited for it!
Education! As always, I plan on continuing my education! I am on the waiting list for ProGen and really hope I’ll get to be in the next session. Along with that, I have some conferences lined up and there may be an institute coming in as well. Not to mention the virtual institutes/conferences that are offered! Plus there is always reading journals/books to help keep my mind focused on genealogy writing.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

2013 In Review

By Nichelle Barra

On 31 December 2013

In Friday Finds

I was wondering how to write a review especially because this was a rather big year for me. While reading other blogs on wordpress, I came across one that had their review in response to a GeniAus post about Accentuate the Positive. I think that’s a great way to look back! Here’s my 2013 Review:

Lake Michigan sunset (I felt it was fitting for a post about the end of the year)

1. An elusive ancestor I found was…

My great-great grandpa, Friedrich Langeneck. I haven’t completely figured out everything but I have made leaps and bounds with him. I can follow him to Vukovar, Yugoslavia and I may have found his hometown. I am currently waiting (oh so patiently…) on some microfilm I ordered from the Family History Library. I ordered three – one came and I found his name and maybe his parents! But I also found that what I thought was an uncommon last name was NOT uncommon there. So I need to confirm that he is who I think he is, so I ordered two more films which are now back ordered… (I will have patience, I will have patience…)

2. A precious family photo I found was…

Probably this:

Cassie Wilson is on the right

The main reason is because I know so little about my great-grandpa Witherell’s life. He was a special person in my life although fleeting. I don’t remember ever hearing his real voice (he had lung cancer and his voice box was removed) but he was always smiling and laughing. He always had a peppermint in his hand whenever we came over and let us touch everything in the basement! I wish to know what his childhood had been like and that picture started to give me clues. I haven’t found out much yet but that young boy’s smile was very much the same one I remember and I love that.

3. An ancestor’s grave I found was…

Well not found really. It’s an empty plot and right now, it’s more of an assumption. I think I have found Lily McLeod’s grave – my 4x great-grandmother (and brick wall). BUT it’s under another name and one that is mentioned as male according to records the Public Library of Saginaw put together on the graves in the city cemeteries. I have to go to cemetery office to really confirm it but my hometown is a bit far in this wintry weather. It’s on my agenda for my next trip!

4. An important vital record I found was…

My great-grandpa Langneck’s birth record! For the longest time, I was under the assumption that he hadn’t really been born in the United States because of the record of when him and his mother returned from Vukovar, Yugoslavia. On the record, she states she had been to the US before (in 1910) but he had not. I don’t know when they returned to their hometown from PA so I wasn’t always 100% where he was born although he always said Pennsylvania. After a few months of waiting, the record finally came! (It took two tries to two different places in PA.) He WAS born in Pennsylvania. It felt very good to have that question answered.

5. A family member who shared…

My dad shared something new about his grandfather, Ollie Hummel, that I had no idea. It helped me to find his death record which was oddly in another county. That story isn’t quite ready to be told yet but I have no idea how my dad forgot about those memories. Even he was surprised about that when I brought it up.

6. A geneasurprise I received was…

My husband planned a week’s trip for me in Salt Lake City, Utah so I could research at the Family History Library! He did it all behind my back, getting the tickets, the hotel, and even finding a dog-sitter. 🙂

7. My 2013 blog post that I was particularly proud of was…

My first one. It was the start of a new path for me. The society member’s around here are wonderful but I wanted a way to branch out a bit and see what else was out there. I found one blog which led me to another and another, and then I started my own. That also started me on finding new books, new ideas, and new resources. A small step maybe, but one I’m so glad I did.

8. My 2013 blog post that received a large number of hits or comments was…

My about me has the most! Including my own replies back. But the actual blog post that had the most was my post for the Book of Me project about snow. Many people shared their memories about their own days of waiting to see if they had a snow day.

9. A new piece of software I mastered was…

I would not say mastered, but I’m much better at the program now and it’s my genealogy software: RootsMagic. I’ve successfully made pedigree charts, family charts, cited my sources, and made to-do lists that I print out whenever I’m going to a place for genealogy. I’ve had RootsMagic for years but this year I have done so much more with it in conjunction with my Home Study Course. It’s been great!

10. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was…

Facebook! Who knew there were so many groups on there! That and Google+. I’ve enjoyed the video chats with Julie from Anglers Rest and the rest of the group about the Book of Me challenge. That has been fun! Especially since I’m a bit shy so it’s been a bit of a challenge for me to start talking but then I’m normally okay.

11. A genealogy conference/seminar/webinar from which I learnt something new was…

At the beginning of the year I went to one that discussed how to break through your brick walls, especially the female line. It gave me a lot of new resources to check out and things that were in my area that I had no idea existed yet! And I later found out that the presenter happened to be a far-off cousin. Small world!

I am VERY excited about attending the National Genealogical Society’s conference in May this next year. I’m a bit nervous as well but I can’t wait to attend! It’ll be my first major one.

12. A genealogy book that taught me something new was…

All of them! I have collected quite a library lately. Probably the one that has been the best for me is Professional Genealogy. It led me to the National Genealogical Society’s Home Study Course as well as a list of other classes/conferences that I want to attend. That has been my number one book on helping me figure out how to become a professional and get the education I need before I become certified.

13. A great repository/archive/library I visited was…

Well the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah was amazing. It has so MANY microfilms!!!

Just one of the many rows at the Family History Library and yes, each drawer is as full as that one.

But also some archives that I didn’t know were in my own current city that I really enjoyed. Especially because it was mostly the actual documents, not microfilm. The whole place smelled like an old library. I LOVED it.

14. A new genealogy/history book I enjoyed was…

I have two: Shaking the Family Tree: Blue Bloods, Black Sheep, and Other Obsessions of an Accidental Genealogist by Buzzy Jackson. I read this actually a year ago but it was one that really got me going into a deeper part of genealogy and I loved her voice. Very good read!

And this book: Who Do You Think You Are by Megan Smolenyak. Another book that was just a lot of fun to read. Plus, I do LOVE that TV show.

15. A geneadventure I enjoyed was…

Salt Lake City, again. That was the furthest west I had ever been AND I also found some marriage and death records that I had been hunting for. I also learned how to order film from there and met some other really amazing genealogists that were a lot of fun to chat to. We had the same stations nearly every day and we would chat about what new things we found and what we were hunting for. It was a lot of fun!

16. Another positive I would like to share is…

The biggest thing for me this year is making this journey at all. I left a job I loved (but was leaving me emotionally worn out on so many levels) to get into something that doesn’t have a road plan like my life up to this point has had. It was a big leap but I enjoy doing this SO MUCH! I stay up late following one trail after another and I love learning more and more about the intricacy of the professional genealogist (meaning a LOT of citations). I feel like my background is helping me because I understand what needs to be cited although I haven’t gotten used to Chicago style yet… I can still use MLA in my sleep at this point. It’s a transition but one I am incredibly grateful that I am able to do. My life has become much more quiet then it has in the past but also so much more peaceful. I am beginning to feel like the old me again. 🙂

Overall, this was a wonderful year and I really look forward to 2014!