I have the great pleasure of introducing you to Janine Adams and her blog, Organize Your Family History, described as, “. . . I’m a professional organizer who loves family history research. The blog aims to help people have fun and stay focused (and organized!) while doing their family history research.”  

Janine grew up in Washington State; but has made St. Louis, Missouri her home since 1989.

How Janine Got Started in Genealogy

Janine has been doing her genealogy “casually” for about ten years and more seriously for about one year now.

“About ten years ago, when I was visiting my parents, my mother passed along a family history narrative that her cousin had put together in the 80’s. And then my father’s sister, handed me a family history book from that side of the family, I was immediately hooked. I went online and started clicking around on other family member’s trees, clicking back to the Mayflower and beyond. I came to realize that unless I verified the information, I couldn’t have any confidence in it and that took the fun away. So last year, I started getting more serious about it. I document everything and don’t enter an ancestor into my software until I have at least one source confirming him or her.”

Janine’s Thoughts on Blogging

“I’m a professional organizer (I help people get organized in their homes) and for about five years I’ve been wanting to figure out a way to work genealogy into my business. I saw a need for help with organizing genealogy information and this seemed like a perfect blending of my interests. A good first step seemed to be starting this blog. It’s helped me focus on doing research and it’s put me in touch with cousins, which has been such a gift!”

Janine’s Favorite Blog Posts

“I’m torn between two types: Ones about organizing and ones about my own research. So I’ll include links for a pair in each of those categories.

Organizing: How I organize my family history research  and Making time for family history research.

My own research: A peek into social history and a follow up post, When names become people.”

Janine’s Tips For New Genealogy Bloggers

“If you start a blog stick with it. I think it’s really important to post with a certain amount of regularity in order to establish any kind of credibility. (I’ve been blogging regularly on my business’s website for six years now.) GeneaBloggers is a great resource if you need ideas for blog posts.”

How Genealogy Has Improved Janine’s Life

“For one, it’s put me in touch with my mother’s cousins, who are lovely people. It’s given me fascinating, personal windows into history, which I love. I think it’s just a wonderful way to spend time!”

Janine’s Favorite Ancestor

“I think I have to say it’s my great great grandmother, Hattie Ada Igleheart Adams (1875-1959). She was a modern and adventurous woman. She and her family moved from Iowa to Oregon (or perhaps Washington) shortly after the turn of the century and by the 1930 census she was no longer living with her husband. Instead she was the landlady of a boarding house in the state capital, where she stayed for at least 10 years (probably longer). While being estranged from one’s husband isn’t necessarily admirable, I admire her ability to make it on her own.”

What Janine Loves Most About Genealogy

“I love solving mysteries and making new discoveries. Doing this research makes me feel like a detective!”

Janine’s Time Capsule Message

“Talk to the old people in their family!! Oh, how I wish I would have spent time quizzing my grandparents and really listening to their answers. Instead, I just let my mind wander when they told me stories of their childhood. I wish I had listened!”

* * *

Please take a moment to head on over to Janine’s blog. Leave her a comment letting her know you stopped by. Welcome Janine, it’s great to have you here!

© 2013, copyright Gini Webb

Gini Webb lives in San Diego, California and manages her own blog, Ginisology, while also researching her own German heritage, recently retired, enjoying life with wonderful husband Steve and visiting with her now seven grandchildren!

Are you a genealogy blogger who would like to be interviewed for the “May I Introduce To You . . .” series? If so, contact Gini Webb via e-mail.

I have the great pleasure of introducing you to Michelle Ganus Taggart and her blog, A Southern Sleuth, described as, “. . . In this blog, I share the stories I uncover as I research my ancestors in the Southern States, primarily North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and even “Southern” Colorado.  Surnames include Rainwater, Faucett, Gurganus, Ganus, McCluskey, Roberts, Swain, Lanier and others.” Michelle currently resides in Utah.

How Michelle Got Started in Genealogy

Michelle “dabbled” in genealogy a little back when she was in college in a historical writing course, but began to actively do research about 17 years ago.

“I think the seed was planted many years ago when I was just a young girl.  My maternal grandmother had a passion for genealogy and had a skill for telling stories.  I have vivid memories of her telling stories about our ancestors in a way that made them live.  But college followed by raising a family took priority for years. Then about 17 years ago I decided to visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City along with my parents.  I had been told by others that had tried to research my father’s line that everything had been burned and it was impossible to go back beyond my second great grandfather, which was just enough to make me want to see what I could find.  I was hooked from that very first visit.”

Michelle’s Thoughts on Blogging

“I am a relative newcomer to the blogging world, having just started my blog in August 2012.  I have followed various blogs over the years, but I really had not considered starting one myself.  At the same time, I began to feel really selfish about the fact that in the process of doing research, I was uncovering the stories of my ancestors’ lives and had not found a way to share those stories.  I kept thinking in the back of my mind that I should write a book and yet I felt very intimidated by that thought.  Meanwhile, our son got a degree in Digital Media and offered to help me to create a website and encouraged me to share my stories.  Writing one post at a time has made sharing these stories do-able.”

Michelle’s Favorite Blog Post

“That’s a hard question because a lot of my posts are about a story very close to my heart. One of my favorites however is ‘Write Soon Please.’

I found a postcard with a tender message on it among my grandmother’s papers and had no idea who the card was from.  It opened the door for me to find my great grandfather’s first wife and the daughter from that marriage that no one in my family knew had existed.”

Michelle’s Tips for New Genealogy Bloggers

“I know I’ve read it many times before, but I think we all have to find our own voice.  While there is so much to learn from other genealogy bloggers, I think we all have to find our own style and our own voice and not feel pressure to try and imitate everyone else. When we make our blog our own, it’s fun.”

How Genealogy Improved Michelle’s Life

“Genealogy has taught me so much.  It has taught me about the strength of the human spirit and that truly everyone’s life impacts not only those that they encounter day to day, but those that will follow.  I’ve been stunned by some of the tragedies that I have uncovered in my ancestor’s lives and it has helped me as I have encountered my own trials to know that everyone in each generation has difficulties, but we can get through them.

It has also taught me about the goodness of so many people living today as I have worked with people from literally all over the world.  There are so many wonderful people willing to share of their knowledge, time and experience to help others.”

Michelle’s Favorite Ancestor

“I think it is easy to feel closest to those we know the most about.  My 2^nd great grandfather’s life was so varied and I have loved learning about him.  John Monroe Ganus was born in 1826 in Georgia  and during his lifetime moved to  Alabama, then Arkansas, back to Georgia and then onto Colorado and Oklahoma, where he died on April 9^th,  1906.   I’ve found him in so many varied sources from court records, land records, tax digests, church records, friends’ journals and on a Colorado map that showed the location of his house.  While he never had a lot in terms of material possessions, he showed a strength and determination that carried him through difficult times.”

What Michelle Loves Most About Genealogy

“I love the way I feel when I work on my genealogy.  I also love the way that it binds the generation.  I feel closer to those that are long dead and I love being able to share those stories with my family today.  I also love finding cousins that I didn’t know and having them be part of my life.

I also love the opportunity for learning and growth as well.   I take courses, attend webinars and conferences whenever I can and love the ever continuing opportunity to learn more.  I have learned so much from the instructors as well as the many new friends I have made along the way.”

Michelle’s Time Capsule Message

“Finding out about our ancestors really helps us to find out about ourselves as their life choices influence the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Researching our genealogy is worth our time and effort and similarly, taking time to record our own life is a gift to those that follow.”

* * *

Please take a moment to head on over to Michelle’s blog. Leave her a comment letting her know you stopped by. Welcome Michelle, it’s great to have you here!

© 2013, copyright Gini Webb

Gini Webb lives in San Diego, California and manages her own blog, Ginisology, while also researching her own German heritage, recently retired, enjoying life with wonderful husband Steve and visiting with her now seven grandchildren!

Are you a genealogy blogger who would like to be interviewed for the “May I Introduce To You . . .” series? If so, contact Gini Webb via e-mail.

I have the pleasure of introducing you to Diane Hewson and her blog, The Other Half of My Tree – stories of my female ancestors, described as, “. . . This blog tells the stories of the women in my family tree.”

Diane manages an additional blog, Family Stories: Photographs and Memories, described as, “. . . This is a more general blog in which I write about my researching experiences, share some tips I have found useful and of course share some photos and memories connected to our family history.”

Diane was born in New South Wales, outback town of Broken Hill. She currently lives in Australia.

How Diane Got Started in Genealogy

“I have been interested in our family stories/history since I was a little girl. However, I didn’t start seriously researching until my early twenties. (That would mean I have been collecting family bits and pieces for about 38 years – now that makes me feel old).   It was so much harder finding information back then!

Once my children started school, and I re-joined the workforce, my research took a back seat.  However, if I did come across anything of interest, I filed it into the collection of boxes in our garage for later.  Then in 2000 my husband and I moved to Sydney, our children had moved on to University and other things. I now had time to pull out the dusty boxes and start going through them again.  To my delight there had been a complete revolution in the world of genealogy with access to data on line.

Since then, with little breaks for some study at Uni, I have been making a serious effort to collect the stories of our families, (my husbands and mine).

I think I have always been interested in family stories.  I loved to hear the stories my parents told about their parents and other family members as a young girl.  My Dad was especially good at telling stories with lots of colour and excitement, (often about the mischief he would get when he was a teenager).

About the time I started to take it more seriously my father’s sister Nancy had also started collecting and recording the family history, we worked together sharing our discoveries, pictures and documents.  I even attended a couple of family reunions with her.

Another person who really influenced me was my husband’s great Aunt, who lived until she was 100 and who had collected family memorabilia for years. (Lots of other things as well).  She had a wonderful collection of old photos and letters and was very excited to find another family member (even if she was a Kapok member) who shared her love of ‘all things past’.  I was extremely lucky that she approved of my family research as she gave me quite a bit of her collection for safe keeping.

It is funny, though I am labeled the family tree geek by my relatives; they are quick to consult with me if there is some dates that need clarifying. I am sure a lot of family tree researchers have experienced the same thing.”

Diane’s Thoughts on Blogging

“I had created a couple of travel blogs, one for a trip to Nepal and another when I lived in Mexico for 6 months while completing a Masters in International Studies.  I found it a great way to share my experience and photos with family and friends.  I enjoyed doing this so much that at the beginning of last year I decided to start blogging about my genealogy research, with the aim of sharing my experiences and some family stories.”

Diane’s Favorite Blog Post

“My favorite blog would have to be the last blog that I wrote on my grandmother, Christina Lee.  I think the main reason for this was that it was a written from a personal experience and my memories of her, whereas a lot of my other blogs are written from information I have gathered from certificates, letters and newspapers.”

Diane’s Tips for New Genealogy Blogs

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I am an experienced genealogy blogger.  However, I do think it is important to write stories on what you know and are familiar with and to make the stories interesting, not just a jumble of dates and names.

Also, I believe it is important to engage with the blogging community.  Reading other blogs is very rewarding and provides you with ideas and insights for your own blog.  It is nice to take the time to comment on other blogs and always acknowledge those who take the time to read and comment on your work.”

How Genealogy Improved Diane’s Life

“My family would have a little groan at this question as they recall the times they have tramped through old cemeteries with me taking photos of gravestones or stopping in at small town museums to check out their local publications.  Also there is, our spare room, with the bookshelf full of files marked Birth, Deaths, Marriages, Newspapers etc., as well as quite a number of photo boxes. Seriously though, I have gained a lot from genealogy, a sense of where I came from and an appreciation of the times that our ancestors lived in.  And it goes without saying; one of the biggest benefits is the connection with other family members and researchers.”

Diane’s Favorite Ancestors

“My favourite ancestor would have to be Elizabeth Rushworth.  She is my husband’s great great grandmother.  She was a home nurse and caregiver, for many years, in times when community nurses hadn’t been thought of. Even though she had 16 children of her own, she found time to train as a St. John Ambulance nurse and treat a wide variety of illnesses in her community.

I have been lucky enough to inherit a notebook which outlines a history of all the people she cared for, the doctors she worked with and some family history. I have written 5 blogs on Elizabeth and would really like to write a book on her story sometime. This is the last blog: Sunday’s Obituary – Elizabeth Taylor (Rushworth) – Part 5.”

What Diane Loves Most About Genealogy

“What do I enjoy the most?  I guess it would be the piecing together the pieces of the puzzle.  I love gathering all the information I have on a person and chasing up leads to find out more about them and their way of life.

I also really enjoy the interaction with other researchers.  There are a number of people who I have been sharing information with for quite a number of years. An example of this is a small group of family members that are researching the Rushworth/Taylor family in Lancashire.  About four years ago, three family members connected at about the same time and we started sharing all the information that we had, then over the last couple of years a couple more researchers have contacted us and joined the group.  Every now and then there is a flurry of emails when one of us finds some new information.”

Diane’s Time Capsule Message

“A message for the future generation! Mmm!  I think it is important to have an awareness of where you came from.  Hopefully the future generation will be interested in those who came before them.”

* * *

Please take a moment to head on over to Diane’s blogs. Leave her a comment letting her know you stopped by. Welcome Diane, it’s great to have you here!

© 2013, copyright Gini Webb

Gini Webb lives in San Diego, California and manages her own blog, Ginisology, while also researching her own German heritage, recently retired, enjoying life with wonderful husband Steve and visiting with her now seven grandchildren!

Are you a genealogy blogger who would like to be interviewed for the “May I Introduce To You . . .” series? If so, contact Gini Webb via e-mail.