Sunday, February 28, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

February 28-March 5


 No birth, death or anniversary events of my ancestors to report this week. Let me know if there is something that should be!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!



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. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post. 
                                                                             Let's celebrate and dance together. 
                                                                                  A No Eye Rolling Zone

 My happy dance this week:

    While looking over some school papers of my Grandmother's, ones I had read before, I discovered a page with shorthand written on the back. Posting a picture on some facebook genealogy group pages, I asked for some help with transcribing it. The response was that it looked like words to a song. It was! Tribute to Love is my post about that sweet discovery.

                                                                                        Share your discoveries!
                                                                                        Let the dancing commence!




  Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Saturday, February 27, 2016

Transcribing Love


   While cleaning out my maternal Grandmother's home after her death in 2009, the Sumter High School Class of 1939 Will and Class Prophesy were found. These are fun to read as they discuss class members and what they were "leaving" to the undergraduates and predictions of what the future would hold for the Seniors. 
 
Shorthand Notes
©Cheri Hudson Passey

   Recently, I discovered a few handwritten notes on some of the pages. One was written in shorthand. Not knowing how to transcribe it, I posted the page on several Facebook  Genealogy Group pages in hopes of finding someone who could let me know what it said.
 It didn't take long. Within just a short while there were a couple of people who had a translation for me. 
                                                                        It appeared to be the words of a song. 

    Typing the phrases into google, the results turned up this 1939 song, You Taught Me To Love Again by Tommy Dorsey.
                                    
photo credit: Wikipedia


               The lyrics are:
                                  Said I was through with love and romance
                                  Friendless and blue I hadn't had a chance
                                  Then you taught me to love again.

                                  Maybe I'm wrong to feel like I do
                                  But right or wrong I'm trusting in you
                                  For you taught me to love again.

                                  The first time we kissed 
                                  I tried to resist
                                  But you set my heart aflame
                                  No wonder I feel
                                  The way that I feel
                                  Whenever I speak your name

                                  Say what you will, I'll kneel at your shrine
                                  Oh what a thrill to know you're mine
                                  For you taught me to love again

                                 Say what you will, I'll kneel at your shrine
                                 Oh what a thrill to know you're mine
                                 For you taught me to love again
                                 Oh what a trill to know you're mine
                                 And we're in love again.
                                  
I even found it on youtube!




    It's not clear when my Grandmother, Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009) met and started dating my Grandfather, Gilbert Ernest Roberts, Sr. (1920-1944) we only know from stories she told they met in Sumter, South Carolina. According to Grandmom, he had come from Camden, South Carolina with some friends. 
                                                                   They were married in October of 1940.
   Was she thinking of him when she wrote down the words of this love song? I don't know, but I can imagine her doing so.

       
Azile and Gilbert
Circa 1939
©Cheri Hudson Passey
       
          
                                   Thank you to the genealogy community for your willingness to help in transcribing love. 

Taking a second look at sources lead to a touching find. Have you given any of yours another look? You may discover a treasure. 
  

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!




Thursday, February 25, 2016

South Carolina Places -St. Joseph's Academy





St, Joseph's Acadamy, Sumter, South Carolina
Credit: The University of South Carolina Digital Post Card Collection
https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/sclvispc/id/18423

My maternal great grandmother, Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) attended St. Joseph's Academy in Sumter, South Carolina. A boarding school for girls, it was said that she was sent there sometime after the death of her mother, Frances "Fannie" Victoria (McRady) McManus (1856-1903).


Loretta McRady McManus
(1894-1936)
Graduation Picture
St. Joseph's Academy
About 1911
©Cheri Hudson Passey
   
    St. Joseph Academy was started in 1863 by the Sisters of Mercy, who moved to Sumter County to get away from the unrest of the Civil War. The school served as a place of learning and community events for Catholics and Non-Catholics until 1929. 

                                   
St. Joseph's Academy About 1907
Sumter County Postcards-Schools

     It is not known exactly when Etta McManus began attending St. Joseph's but two newspaper reports of the 1910 and 1911 Graduation Ceremonies name her as a participant.

 Award for Household Industry
June 1910 Commencement Exercises
The Watchman and Southron
22 June 1910, pg. 2
image from newspapers.com

   Junior Grade
June 1911 Commencement Exercises
St. Joseph's Academy
The Watchman and Southron
24 June 1911, pg 2
image from newspapers.com

Musical Trio Participant
June 1911 Commencement Exercises
St. Joseph's Academy
The Watchman and Southron
24 June 1911, pg2
image from newspapers.com
    
                   A search for school records to further learn of Etta McManus' time at the academy has not produced any results. 
   
  The following bill showing the price of tuition found in a hanging file for St. Joseph's Academy at the Sumter County Genealogical Society. There is no date on the bill, but a search for Florence Bradford, daughter of R.D. Bradford, named on the document shows that Florence was 12 in the 1920 Sumter County, South Carolina Census, and 22 in the 1930 Census of the same county. 
                                             The bill most likely represents prices from the early to mid-1920s. 

Bill for Tuition
St. Joseph's Academy
Hanging File
Sumter South Carolina Genealogical Society
                                                                              $3 a month for tuition. My, times have changed!
  
                          
Do you have a connection with St. Joseph's Academy?
I'd love to hear from you!


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


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

My 4th Blogiversary!



  Today marks the 4th Blogiversary of the day I pushed publish on my first post for Carolina Girl Genealogy. 
  The posts from this blog have helped to tell my family's story, connect with cousins, share my research experience and hopefully educate readers.
 Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read, leave a comment or share on other social media platforms. 
 My sincerest appreciation all who have followed my blog.
Your support has been invaluable.
On to year 5!

Are we family? Please contact me. Together we can find our people!
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Sunday, February 21, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

February 21~February 27



February 21~
    Mary Strother Dargan (1782-1822), my paternal 5th Great Grandmother was born 244 years ago. Her parents are said to be William Strother (1730-after 1779) and Catherine (Dargan) Strother (1735-?). She lived in Sumter District, South Carolina.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much stopping by.


   

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. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post. 
                                                                             Let's celebrate and dance together. 
                                                                                  A No Eye Rolling Zone

My Happy Dance This Week:
        Finding an unexpected document while searching on findmypast.com for information on my Great Grandparents marriage had me diving into a family mystery. Discovering that my Great Grandfather not only had a wife that I didn't know about, he had children that my Grandmother never knew. Click on this link to read about The Tale of Jubal Ransom Early.

                                                                                         Share your discoveries!
                                                                                        Let the dancing commence!


Friday, February 19, 2016

Friday Faces From the Past~ Little Mary and Her Grandmother

  Three Generations of Bakers

Mary Baker with Grandmother Mattie Baker and an Aunt
About 1922

©Cheri Hudson Passey
       My maternal Grandmother Mary Baker Hudson (1920-2010) is seen in this picture sitting next to her Grandmother Martha Victoria (Bradford) Baker (1862-1947). Mary looks to be about 2 years old. On the right is most likely one of her Baker Aunts. 
  These faces from the past are from about 1922 in at the Baker family home in Sumter, South Carolina.
       
 Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!



Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Wednesday's Child~James Ransom Early

"Budded On Earth to Bloom in Heaven"

James Ransom Early
1915-1916
Picture courtesy of FindAGrave contributor
Joy Steele
used by permission
                              Buried in Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Statesville, Iredell, North Carolina is the son of my                             paternal Great Grandfather, Jubal Ransom Early (1888-1964) and  second wife Nancy (Horton) Early (1892-?).  

                                 
Death Certificate of James Ransom Early
image from FamilySearch.org

                                                             Sadly, James died of intestinal problems at the age of 15 months. 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our family.
Thanks so much for stopping by!


Sunday, February 14, 2016

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. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post. 
                                                                             Let's celebrate and dance together. 
                                                                                  A No Eye Rolling Zone


My Happy Dance for this week:
    A discovery at the State Archives in Columbia, South Carolina recently had me doing a quiet happy dance. They tend to disapprove at shouting and jumping for joy in the archives....
         According to family stories, my maternal Great Grandmother, Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) is said to have been adopted. She is recorded in family records as the daughter of William A. McManus (1854-1914) and Francis Virginia McRady (1856-1903). Nothing had been found to document the family story until I found Etta's marriage license application. Along with it was this piece of paper:

Permission for Loretta McManus to Marry
 Signature of William A. McManus
10 Oct. 1912
©Cheri Hudson Passey
   There it was. Documentation giving parental consent to the marriage. Etta was only 17 so her father William A. McManus had to give permission for his Adopted Daughter Loretta McManus to marry David Daughrity. His writing, his signature. 
  Oh, it was so hard to contain my composure. Here was what I had been looking for- actual documentation of an adoption to add credence to the family lore.
                                                                                           Share your discoveries!
                                                                                        Let the dancing commence!


        



This Week On My Family History Calendar

February 14-February 20


Benjamin Allen Hudson
(1918-1976)
      February 14~
    My paternal Grandfather, Benjamin Allen Hudson (1918-1976) died 40 years ago in Lake City, Florence, South Carolina. He is buried in the Sumter City Cemetery, Sumter, South Carolina.

Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson
(1866-1918)

  February 17~
   Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson (1886-1918), my paternal Great Grandmother would be celebrating her 240th birthday on this day. Blanche was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to Benjamin Thomas Thames (1854-1930) and Margaret Francis (Gibson) Thames (1854-1929).



   February 20~
     The anniversary of the death of my paternal 3rd Great Grandmother, Mary Alice (Dargan) Bradford (1825-1875). She died 141 years ago in Sumter County, South Carolina.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!


  

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Treasure Chest Thursday~Grandmom's Locket

     
Locked owned by
Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts  Sullivan
©Cheri Hudson Passey



 My maternal Grandmother Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009) owned a beautiful heart shaped locket.
                                                                                On the back are her initials, AD.

A.D. Initials on back of locket
©Cheri Hudson Passey


           Grandmom is wearing the locket in her 1939 Graduation photo from Sumter High School, in Sumter, South Carolina. There is nothing in it now, but I wonder, did it ever hold a picture of someone she loved? Who would it have been?
                                                                          Was it a graduation gift? Possibly. 

Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan
1921-2009
©Cheri Hudson Passey
  Do you have any heirloom jewelry? Do you have any pictures of your ancestor wearing it?  Leave a comment below describing your heirloom or share a picture!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
             

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Tuesday's Tip-#genchat


 Azile Juanita Daughrity (1921-2009), on right with friends abt 1939
©Cheri Hudson Passey

    I absolutely love talking with other genealogists. Sharing tips and tricks, as well as the love of the hunt, helps me to sharpen my research skills and brings a sense of community.
  One way that lets me join in the conversation and collaborate with genealogists from all over the world is #genchat.




     What is #genchat? A Twitter-based community that meets every other Friday to discuss a pre-determined genealogy topic.
 For some, the thought of using Twitter can be a daunting concept. Once you get the hang of it, you will find it a fun way to connect and share with others from around the world.

 The first thing you need to do is sign up for a Twitter Account. Choose a name that you want to be known by. Each twitter name starts with the @ sign. Mine is @carolinagirlgen. The sign plus my name sends tweets to my inbox.
  Fill in a description of yourself and your interests. Make sure you add genealogy, or family history so that like-minded Twitter users can follow you and see your tweets. A picture of yourself is helpful in encouraging others to follow you. You can search for others and follow them as well. 
   
   It is easy to be a part of #genchat. When it's time for the chat to begin, check your Twitter stream for tweets with the hashtag genchat. A # is the way tweets are grouped together by topic. You can read what others are saying and then answer back by including #genchat in your tweets. To learn more about setting up your Twitter account and joining #genchat, check out the #genchat How It Works page.

    Since tweets from others can also be in your stream, it is a good idea to use a Twitter Chat Platform like Nurph, TweetChat or Twubs when joining in the Friday night #genchats.These sites let you sign in with your Twitter account and pull all the tweets from the hashtag you are following. You can also use Tweetdeck, which allows you to add columns for different hashtags, but you will have to remember to add #genchat to your tweet to have participants see your comments. 

 For example.When I sign into Nurph with my twitter account there is a search bar to type in the hashtag for the chat I want to follow. Typing in #genchat allows me only to see those tweets.That makes it so much easier to follow the conversation.

 Typing into the tweet bar automatically adds #genchat into the message that I send when using Twitter Chat Platforms. One less thing to have to worry about.

  #Genchat is hosted by Jen Baldwin every other Friday at 10:00 pm ET. Many start to come into the chat room about 30 minutes early to socialize.  Questions are asked by Jen, using the @_genchat twitter name. Her questions are numbered. For instance, she will begin with Q1, and then responses will begin with A1 so that everyone will know what question number you are responding to.   
  An example of a recent #genchat using TweetDeck:


       These answers were in response to the Q5 about using SEO in blog posts. The topic this night was: Making Cousin Bait Work.


   Now, you need to know that while #genchat has a topic, it can also lead to other discussions. Sometimes serious, but often silly and fun. We are a community who have love and respect for each other no matter what the skill level. Another thing you need to know is that it's fast, really fast! The tweets can come in very quickly and sometimes it's hard to keep up. Don't let that stop you! Each of the Tweet Chat Platforms has a pause button so that you can stop the feed, read what you missed and get caught up. Before you know it, you'll get the hang of it and be learning and contributing your opinions and expertise.


   Please come join the #genchat family! Everyone is welcomed into this positive learning environment. Our next #genchat is coming up. You can find the schedule here.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our kin.
Thanks so much for stopping by!




   

Sunday, February 7, 2016

This Week On My Family History Calendar

February 7-February 13



February 9~
 Catherine Ann (Singleton) Dargan (1729-1808), my patenal 6th Great Grandmother, was born 287 years ago in Virginia. She was the daughter of Robert and Alice Singleton.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks for stopping by!



RootsTech From My Rocking Chair-Part 3



   The last day of RootsTech 2016 came quickly. Once again, bundled up in my blanket, sitting in my rocking chair I participated via Livestream.

Mike Leavitt

Opening Session:
    Only one opening session speaker was livestreamed for this last day of RootsTech. Micheal Leavitt, former Governor of Utah and cabinet member of George W. Bush, shared his memories in a unique way. He gave attendees and viewers the opportunity to text in and vote on what story he should talk about. His election as Governor, days at the White House, and being part of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee were chosen. A heartwarming tale of a young boy chosen to run with the Olympic torch led him to tell us that our family stories are "Fire on a stick."

 Sessions:


  Photos-Emerging Technologies in Photography-Jens Neilson
     A native of Denmark, Jens discusses the history of cameras and the technology of today. A touching story of his mother's death and the naming of his company, Pictureline, for her, emphasized the importance of photos. He states that the best way to archive your photos is to print them. 

Anne Mitchell

Become a Master Searcher on Ancestry.com-Anne Mitchell
   In this session, Anne, known as Ancestry Ann,  says that we need to have a question before we start to search. We need to look for specific records for a specific person. What do we need to tell their story? What is our end goal?  The search box on ancestry was explained, and tips were shared on how to use filters, wildcards for a more focused search result.
 Try different ways to search. Remember to read the data collection description! 
              If you use Ancestry.com, this is a must see presentation.

      There was a glitch in the livestream, so a replay of yesterday's talk on Google Searches by Lisa Louise Cook was shown.
     Then instead of the presentation on Genealogical Proof Standard, we were able to watch a previously recorded session by Maureen Taylor. 

     There are also other talks available on the RootsTech youtube page that were not shown on the livestream presentations each day.
        

Maureen Taylor

 5 Steps to Identifying Family Photos-Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective

    Know the provenance of the picture. Who owned it, and when. What type of photo is it? Maureen goes through the ways to identify your photos. She says to look at the picture like you've never seen it before. What are they wearing, what is surrounding them? What are the props? Is there a caption and is it true?  By asking these questions and doing your research, you may be able to figure out who is in the photo.
 Never underestimate the power of a family picture in helping you learn about your family.



Peggy Lauritzen

Homespun and Calico: Researching our Foremothers-Peggy Lauritzen
   In Peggy's presentation, hints tips and records types were talked about to help find maternal lines. Some of the suggestions included sources created by the woman and sources created about her such as newspaper announcements, diaries and court records. Research the local history of where your female ancestors are from. Don't forget to look at manuscript collections. Maps help you see who your ancestors neighbors were. Woman often married their neighbors. To find your female ancestors, look for her in the records of her family. Parents, husbands, children and grandchildren.  Peggy is a wonderful presenter. Her warmtth and love for genealogy work come through as she gives these and other ideas to help find our formothers.

Here is the link to watch Saturday's Livestream:



      What fantastic few days of amazing talks and presentations. 
Thanks to RootsTech for making the Livestream available so that those who couldn't be there could take advantage of this educational opportunity.

   Next year, my hope is to be there in person instead of watching from my rocking chair!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our poeple. 
Thank you so much for stopping by.







Saturday, February 6, 2016

RootsTech From My Rocking Chair Part 2



Day 2 of watching RootsTech via the Livestream broadcast. With my blogger beads and blanket, I settled in for a day of learning and fun. 

Opening Session: 
   

Shipley Munson and A.J. Jacobs

   Shipley Munson, the founder of RootsTech, started off the morning by welcoming attendees from all over the world. He introduced A.J. Jacobs, bestselling author and founder of the World Wide Family Reunion in 2015. He announced that the World Record was broken for the largest family reunion and that it would be featured in the season finale of Finding Your Roots.  The reunion will be back in 2017!

Naomi and Josh Davis


Josh and Naomi Davis from the Love Taza Blog-
  Talking about stories, they encouraged the recording of inspiring events of our day to share with our posterity and the world. Their blog shares the everyday happenings in their family, and we were encouraged to find a way to tell ours.  We all have a story to tell they said. Sharing our stories in the best way to leave a legacy. "It's not a story if it's not told.".

David Isay

David Isay-CEO of StoryCorps
    StoryCorps is a platform for recording life stories. A booth is set up, and questions are asked and answered.They are recorded to preserve the power, grace and poetry of life.  Several initiatives have been created to record the voices. Some of these are 911 witnesses and those that are suffering from terminal illnesses. The StoryCorps recordings shared in this presentation are powerful examples of the importance of telling and listening to stories. There is now an app where anyone can record conversations and have them uploaded to Library of Congress to have them preserved for future generations. 



RootsTech Innovator Showdown
 The final six contestants battle to win as they answer tough questions from the judges. The People Choice winner was decided by a text message vote from those attending and watching on the internet. If you haven't heard who won, I won't give it away. Check out the video and learn about the companies and their new products.

Sessions:


Lisa Louise Cook

 Proven Methodology for Using Google for Genealogists-Lisa Louise Cook
  Lisa is a Google pro. She teaches how to set up your Google searches in a way that will be the most productive for getting hits on your ancestors.  Did you know that there is a formula for telling Google what not to put in search results? This is very helpful for names associated with other things. She uses the example of Ivory. You don't want websites that talk about soap! In my case it's Price. I don't want the price of something; I want my ancestors!

Robert Kehrer

Finding Elusive Records on FamilySearch.org-Robert Kehrer
  Tips and tricks for narrowing down and getting more relevant hits when searching and how to browse records that are not indexed were demonstrated in this session. A must see for anyone searching for their ancestors on FamilySearch.org.

Myko Clelland

My Ancestors are From Britain-What Do I Do Next?-Myko Clelland
 Myko from findmypast.com gave a humorous presentation on British records found on the site. Parish, Census, and others were often annotated by the person filling in the forms. Drawings and commentary about the applicants were added to the records. One census listed the name of a little girl's teddy bear while another had the name of the family cat. Even if you don't have family from the British Isles, this is a fun one to watch.

               Another day of learning and wishing I was there! 

                                                                   In a way, a part of me was.
         This picture of my Great Grandparents was part of the Findmypast booth in the Exhibit Hall.

Wedding photo of
William Treadford Roberts (1894-1959) and Beulah Mae Price (1897-1980)
Married 28 June 1914
                                                                                     How fun is that? 

If you didn't get a chance or would like to review some presentations, you can watch Friday's sessions here. 



One more day of RootsTech and you guessed it, I'll be watching from my rocking chair!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!