Friday, November 29, 2019

1-on-1 with Cheri Hudson Passey-Special Guest:Nathan Dylan Goodwin~ Author, Speaker and Genealogist


Cover Photo of "The Sterling Affair"
Used with Author's Permission



Me, Nathan and Laura
RootsTech London 2019

Nathan Dylan Goodwin is an Author, Speaker, and Genealogist.
I caught up with him at RootsTech London and with the help of friend Laura Hedgecock was able to interview him about his upcoming book in the Forensic Genealogist Series "The Sterling Affair".  
Nathan talks about his writing process, the next adventure for Morton Farrier and what he's planning for the future!


Click on the video to watch.
Sorry about my voice! Good thing Laura agreed to do the interview with me! 







Yes! I read the prologue and let me say, you are in for a treat!
Can't wait to see where this story goes!
Thanks so much, Nathan!!

Look for Nathan's books on Amazon!

To learn more about Nathan and his wonderful books click here.




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Helping you climb your family tree,



Wednesday, November 27, 2019

GenFriends: Season 6-Day 10 plus the Teams Reunite!




We have a winner of Relative Race Season 6!
Cheri and the panel, Melissa Barker and Kathryn Hogan, talk to Team Blue and Team Green about the challenges of Day 10 plus welcome Team Red and Team Black for a Reunion! 

Day 10 took place at Naskart, the largest multi-level Kart track in the world, in Montville, Connecticut,  The season started and ended on a racetrack! 
Each team had an opportunity to earn 5 Medals. 
The team with the most medals would win the $50,000 Grand Prize.

The Day 10 Challenges:
1-RC Skeeball: The teams had to drive a remote control car up a ramp and land them into the hole worth the most points!
2-RR Trivia: Using various methods such as a shopping cart and a tricycle each team had to make their way to a station where they had to answer a trivia question. If the question was answered incorrectly, the team had to return to the start. This tested their knowledge of the past seasons and seemed to be a shoo-in for Team Greem who had studied and put together a notebook with info on each show.
3-The Grand Prix!  Times were recorded for individual lap times, team lap times, and how long it took to change two tires on one car in the Pit Stop.

Whew! That's a lot of racing and thinking on your feet!

The skeeball turned into a demolition derby as the cars kept crashing either on accident or accidentally on purpose! In the end, Team Blue pulled out the win for the first medal.
The trivia challenge showed that both teams had a good knowledge of past seasons. The methods of transportation between stations was a challenge in and of themselves as it was hard to push, ride and slide around the track to the stations!  Team Green missed their last question putting them back to the start and causing them to come in behind Team Blue.
Anitra and Paul took the lead with two medals.
The Grand Prix had the guys competing hard.  Paul and Chris took a few hits and spin-outs as they tried to get the fastest times for the individual and team results. Each team used their time alone on the track while the other was in the Pit Stop to push their speed. Anitra shared that the episode didn't truly show how slow she was going. I am with you! I wouldn't have been driving on that track very fast either! In the end, it came down to who would take the last three medals.
Team Green won the first two for the time in the Pit Stop and the fastest all-around time. 
At that point, it was tied. With the results of the individual time announced, the last and final medal went to Team Green. Chris came in just 4 minutes ahead of  Paul!
DeSahae and Chris won the most medals, making them the winners of Relative Race Season 6!

Team Blue was so gracious as they congratulated Team Green. Paul had us in tears as he comforted Anitra as she felt she had perhaps not done as well as she had hoped and reminded everyone that they were winners with the family they had connected with during the earlier 9 days.

Deshae was speechless! Too funny! Both she and Chris were loving and kind in their win over Team Blue.  A powerful show of love and friendship that started out on Day 1 and carried through the season. 

It was an honor to have all four teams join us to talk about not only Day 10, but the season and how it impacted their lives. They are truly bonded and showed their love and commitment to their newfound family as they bonded as fellow teams on the show.  It's real and contagious!

Click below and watch as GenFriends talks to all four of the teams from Relative Race Season 6!









Did you know that Team Blue-Paul and Anitra are doing a Podcast called 
"After the Race" that comes out each Wednesday?
We never can get enough Relative Race!
Here's the link!

Contact our panelists:

Melissa Barker-A Genealogist in the Archives
Kathryn Lake Hogan-Looking 4 Ancestors
Cheri Hudson Passey-Carolina Girl Genealogy


We'd love to hear your thoughts about Day 10 and how you felt about Season 6!

Didn't get to see it or want to watch again?
Here's the link.  Or download the app.




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Sunday, November 24, 2019

This Week on My Family History Calendar


November 24-November 30



Nov. 24~
  Frances Virginia (McRady) McManus (1836-1903), my maternal Great Great Grandmother, died 116 years ago in Sumter County, South Carolina at the age of 47. Fannie is buried in the Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery, Pisgah Crossroads, Sumter, South Carolina.

Fannie McManus
Headstone
Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery
Pisgah Crossroads, Sumter, South Carolina
©Cheri Hudson Passey


 My paternal 5th Great Grandfather, Philip Roberts (1763-1854) died 165 years ago in Harrison County, Kentucky.

This date also marks the 131st anniversary of the death of my paternal Great Great Grandfather, Ransom Taylor Early (1829-1888).  Ransom was 76 years old when he died in Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina. He is buried in the Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Statesville.                                                                                                                

Ransom Taylor Early
Headstone
Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Statesville, Iredell, North Carolina
Photo Credit: Joy Steele-findagrave.com Contributor
Used with permission



November 29~
   My paternal 6th Great Grandparents, Samuel Cook and Alice (Cook) Dargan (1753-?) were married on this day in 1771. They would be celebrating their 248th wedding anniversary. They were most likely married in the Sumter District area of South Carolina.

Nov. 30-
 Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson (1886-1918), my paternal Great Grandmother, died 101 years ago. Blanche was 32 years old when she died a week after having her first child.  Her cause of death was due to "complications of childbirth". Blanche died at home in Clarendon County, South Carolina and was buried in Home Branch Cemetery.

Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson
Headstone
Home Branch Cemetery
Clarendon County, South Carolina
©Cheri Hudson Passey

Blanche Hudson Tribute
The Manning Times
(Manning, South Carolina)
19 Dec. 1919 pg8




Who are you remembering this week?

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,





Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!



You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.

                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. 

Share by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section or you may also put a link to a blog post telling about what had you dancing this week.



My Happy Dance Moment for this week: 
This week a video from FamilySearch caught my eye.
It made me smile and cry.
Have you seen it? 
Click on the video and take a moment to watch.
This is Family History




What had you doing the Happy Dance this week?







                                                                               

                                                                                              Share your discovery!
                                                                                  
                                                                                         Let the dancing commence!






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Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,



Friday, November 22, 2019

1-on-1 with Cheri Hudson Passey: Special Guest- Jenn Allen, Director of Events for FamilySearch





One of the best things about being an Ambassador at RootsTech is the chance to interview leaders in the industry.  RootsTech London was no exception. Watch as fellow ambassadors and I ask Jen Allen how she feels the conference was going and the plans for the future. Yes, that gruff, scratchy voice asking her questions is mine! Lost my voice on the plane heading to England and it still hasn't come all the way back!







Thanks, Jen!

Jen Allen
RootsTech London 2019



For more about RootsTech and  Jen Allen check out the Roads to RootsTech 2020 Series on YouTube!

Join us for RootsTech 2020 in Salt Lake City! Click here to register!


Did you go to RootsTech London?
Share your experiences!


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Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,




Wednesday, November 20, 2019

GenFriends: Season 6-Day 9 with Special Guests JD and Jenn from Team Black!



On this episode of GenFrineds, Cheri, Melissa Barker, Bernice Bennett, Kathryn Lake Hogan, and Shelley Murphy welcome JD and Jenn from Team Black to talk about Day 9 and ask about personal experiences on the race.

The day began with Team Red's Nicole and Ray mapping out possible ways out of town, Deshae from Team Green presenting her newfound biological mom with photos of son Houston, and Uncle Kevin giving Team Blue's Anitra some personal items to help encourage them on the next couple of days on the race.

Because they had won day 8, Team Green had to decide who to give a 5-minute penalty to. They could choose any team at any time of the day to pull over and wait. They decided to give the "time out" to Team Blue. Their rationale? Team Blue had the ability to give all of the teams a 5-minute penalty on Day 2 and choose to use it so, DeShae and Chris decided it was only fair to give Team Blue a bit of payback.  Anitra and Paul used their time on the side of the road to "get their Rocky on" and had fun working out!

The challenge this week "Fact or Feast" was in a word: Disgusting! lol!
Each team member took a turn answering a trivia question. If the question was answered correctly, a good treat was the reward, if wrong, something nasty.
For instance, the first food options were a donut or lard. LARD!!!
The teams had to get through 10 questions before receiving their relative's address.
Some of the comments were so funny! Ray said the lard tasted like germs and tasted like the flu!
Chris had a really hard time eating cocoa powder! Who wouldn't? He was coughing up puffs of powder and couldn't swallow.
DeShae was not sure she was going to keep everything down. She asked if there was a side of Tums!
Anitra seemed to have figured out a pattern to the questions early on and they quickly got through the challenge.

Day 9 was another emotional episode full of family connections.
DeShae was able to meet a cousin on her father's side. She was the daughter of the sister of DeShae's Gran Mary.  It was especially touching as her biological father had asked his cousin Nancy to meet DeShae on the race.  Chris and DeShae joined their new family for "Ducks at the Peabody". New to most of us, including Team Green,  the hotel in Memphis has a twice-daily attraction featuring the ducks in its indoor pond.  It was such a hit with DeShae, I thought I'd share the link!

Ray met with a first cousin of his father.  She was thrilled with how much Ray looked like his biological father and showed him some photos.  Unfortunately, she also had to break the sad news that his father had passed away.  Through the conversation, Ray learned he had brothers and a sister he could make contact with. Although he would not be able to meet his biological father, Ray now had a name and information that he didn't have when the race began.

As Anitra walked up to the house to meet her final relative, the whole viewing audience held their breath! Was the man standing there her biological father? As she asked "whose relative are you?: he answered with much emotion, "Anitra, I am your dad!".  Tears. The look on her face was priceless.
Coming into the race, she thought she would be upset with him but as they talked and shared stories, Anitra said she felt at peace. She thanked him for the choice made to have her put up for adoption so she could have the life that she does.  He said he would like to meet her parents and thank them.
So much love shared. We hope they were able to continue and build a good relationship in the months that have followed their meeting.

With two teams having the possibility to get their third strike, the Skype call and results were nerve-wracking.  Again, the love and support of each team as they shared who they had met on Day 9 was amazing. Unfortunately, when the times were announced, it was Team Red who came in last and received their third and final strike. It was so hard to say goodbye to Ray and Nicole!

Coming in first and receiving a reward of being able to video chat with their family was Team Blue! How beautiful is their little girl? So fun to see them talk with her for the first time since the race began!

Day 9 of Relative Race left only two teams standing to go to the final day. Who will win the $50,0000? What will the challenge be? All we know is that is will be something to do with racing as Dan announced the teams will meet in Connecticut at a Raceway! They're getting those suits on to complete their journey!



JD and Jenn
Team Black
Riding Around on Scooters in their Racing Suits on Day 1!

To make our discussion even better was having JD and Jenn from Team Black join us!
We missed seeing them on Day 9!
JD opened up about his experiences and family connections made on the show. Jenn talked about how fun it was to meet family she had never spent time with as well.
They shared their feelings for the other teams and thoughts on Day 9.

To listen to our GenFriends discussion about Day 9 and hear from JD and Jenn click on the video below!







Thank you for joining us, Team Black! We appreciate your influence on the teams this year and how with your help, it's been the best season of Relative Race so far!


Did you know that Team Blue-Paul and Anitra are doing a Podcast called 
"After the Race" that comes out on Wednesdays?
We never can get enough Relative Race!
Here's the link!

Contact our panelists:

Melissa Barker-A Genealogist in the Archives
Bernice Bennett-Geniebroots.com
Kathryn Lake Hogan-Looking 4 Ancestors
Shelley Murphy-Family Tree Girl
Cheri Hudson Passey-Carolina Girl Genealogy


We'd love to hear your thoughts about Days 9!

Didn't get to see it or want to watch again?
Here's the link.  Or download the app.




                                                                                                        Spread the word!

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Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,












Tuesday, November 19, 2019

RootsTech London 2019: Inspiration, Education and Association-A Look Back


Three weeks ago I flew home from London after attending the first-ever RootsTech London.
After months of planning and anticipation, my trip was over.

Was it worth the time and money? 
After so many years of attending RootsTech in Salt Lake City did it compare?
Did I feel it was a success?
Would I make an attempt to go again if it was held in London or another city in Europe?

Yes! Yes, to all of the above!

Donny Osmond Keynote
   
Nick Barratt, Interview after Keynote
Kadeena Cox-Keynote



Ambassador Interview with Dan Snow after Keynote



    London Keynotes didn't fail in their task. Steve Rockwood,  Nick Barratt,  Dan Snow, Kadenna Cox, and Donny Osmond all did just that. Their personal stories helped to motivate and encourage each of us.  

Didn't get a chance to watch? You can see the Keynotes and General Sessions here. 




A wide variety of classes were also held during the three-day conference.
Some of these were recorded and can be watched here.

Learning from Nick Barratt

I particularly enjoyed listening to Nick Barratt teach a class on "Tracing Your Ancestral Home". His tips and strategies were for England but could be used in any location.


An exciting part of RootsTech has always been the Expo Hall and it didn't disappoint in London!



There were some familiar big-name companies and some exhibitors not so familiar to those of us outside of the United States. It made exploring the various booths even more fun!





















GeneaBloggers at RootsTech London 2019


One of the best things about going to conferences is meeting up with old friends and making new ones. RootsTech London was no exception. Click to view the video below of many of the people who made this a great experience! 




Congratulations to all who had a hand in planning and seeing this conference come to fruition! Let's hope there will another in the future!

Did you attend RootsTech London?
I would love to hear about your experiences!

Interested in attending a RootsTech Conference?
RootsTech 2020 is coming up in February in Salt Lake City!
Click here for more information!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,