alvie's genealogy spot

FGS Conference Springfield, IL 2011

2011-09-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Wow..is about all I can say for the trip to Springfield. There was a headcount of more than 2,000 attendees. Everyone I heard make comments were always exuberant about what they did or heard. I was able to attend only two classes but found them to be top quality.

Most of my time was involved in managing the APG vendor booth. I had a great many volunteers but found it was necessary to drop by at the change of each shift.

It was my privilege to meet such quality individuals as Jay Verkler, CEO of Family Search, Thomas MacEntee, blogger extraordinaire, Curt Witcher, Library Manager for the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN.

While hanging around the booth Fred Moss, legal advisor for FGS, dropped by and brought with him Dr. Carla Almeida Santos. Dr. Santos is assistant professor at Univ of IL at Urbana-Champaign. She is a mover and shaker in the tourism industry in Illinois.

Here is a photo of myself, Fred and Dr. Santos in our APG booth.

FGS Blogger Festivities

2011-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Those bloggers covering this FGS Conference in Springfield are a very nice bunch. I was invited out to Bennigans's for meeting with 50 qualified bloggers. I met such folks as Thomas MacEntee, Kim von Aspern-Parker, and Paula Stuart Warren. They had a very busy day but still found time to laugh and enjoy a good time around a high table in Bennigans.
I learned all about how much they are devoted to their cause. More later.

London Visit Afterthoughts

2011-03-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

After my return from this journey to London I have had time to reflect on just how much I enjoyed the trip and all that it included. There were so many people that I was priviledged to meet and exchange business cards with that I am still trying to digest all of it.

Some of my photos are loaded into Picassa and now it is time for me to begin to share them. While I was grabbing a snack in the upper level of the conference center I sat at a table adjacent to Lisa Louise Cooke and her husband Bill. This is a lovely couple and we had some very nice exchanges. Lisa is host of a wonderful genealogy program: http://www.genealogygems.com/.

One place I was able to visit while in London was a historic church which I had read about and studied from a distance. This church is one of the oldest Baptist Church buildings in the world; Metropolitan Tabernacle. One of the pastors was Charles H. Spurgeon in the mid-1800 time frame. The service which I attended was at 11 a.m. on Sunday and I was pleasantly surprised to see the entire building was filled to capacity. When the services ended I met a couple sitting beside me from Tennessee. He was working with a branch of the military at a city in the far Eastern part of England. They drove to London just to attend these services.

London First Day As A Tourist

2011-02-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

My visit to London was for the purpose of helping with the vendor booth at the Who Do You Think You Are-Live. Of course time afforded me a bit of being the tourist. I took a London Big Bus and got a feel of being a guided tourist going over the London Bridge and seeing lots of sights like the Parlaiment Building and Big Ben. Got off the bus and toured Westminster Abbey.

No photos allowed inside but got a few good outside shots.

Was so tired after thirteen hours on my feet. Really on sit down was on the bus and when I took in a matinee play entitled "Billy Elliott". Good music and dance by some very young talent.

Ending of Rootstech 2011 in Salt Lake City

2011-02-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

This initial Rootstech Conference was a first of its kind and was very well attended. It was a joint effort by many sponsors such as Ancestry.com, Family Search, BrightSolid, Microsoft, and Dell to pull together members of the genealogy community and the software techies in order to get a greater understanding of the need for both to work together for the greater good.

I was able to attend programs on the great features of Google, document preservation, and new inovative software. There was so much brought to the forefront by each of the opening speakers my head almost ached from trying to store it all.

I am looking forward to the second Rootstech Conference right here in the Salt Palace on February 2-4, 2012. What has been learned from this experience will be used to make the second conference much better.

I have been told this conference attracted a number of attendees in excess of 3,000. The Expo Hall was crowded wall to wall when classes were not in session.

One speaker which really made me sit up and take notice was Mr. Brewster Kahle the Digital Librarian for Internet Archives in San Francisco. His presentation told of the wildly high numbers of bytes of stored data, images, and video at Internet Archives. It was almost beyond mental comprehension.

Just as the day was drawing to a close several of my friends joined me in the Expo Hall to discuss some of the things we had absorbed. In this photo above is Alvie Davidson, Drew Smith, Kim Harrison, and Lou Szucs of Ancestry.Com.

Rootstech in Salt Lake City 2011

2011-02-11T04:12:00.000-08:00

It was a very exciting and anticipatory time while making my way to the opening of this first Rootstech Conference. The crowd began to push and gather around the doors for the opening of the intro speakers. Some commented that it was almost like the push to join a rock concert hoping to find a great seat.

The auditorium was very colorful and filled with four gigantic screens - two on each side of the speakers podium. There were many guesses about the number of attendees ranging from 2,000 to 3,000. Since I am not good at this sort of thing I will leave it up to others. I got my seat near the front and directly in front of one of the huge screens.

The two opening speakers were introduced by Ann L. Roach, AG, CG, the chair of the 2011 Rootstech Conference. Ann gave a very rousing welcome when she introduced Shane Robison who represented Hewlett Packard and Jay Verkler, CEO of Family Search International. Both speakers were assisted by spectacular video presentations which showed the foundation of the future of electronic genealogy.

When the opening session was concluded everyone bolted into the expo hall where they were greeted by a vendor area unrivaled by any genealogy conference in the past. Vendors such as Dell, Ancestry, Hewlett-Packard, and FamilySearch greeted the attendees with well staffed booths.

I got my first hour of browsing all the vendors and the display area. While I was walking in the area of the very large media booth I was greeted by Lisa Louise Cooke producer of "GenealogyGems.Com". I had never met Lisa in person but had been interviewed for her podcast via Skype several months ago. She immediately asked if I she could do a video interview for a later premium program. Of course, I agreed. The videographer positioned us inside a large clear booth which kept out the noise of the area. Lisa conducted about a 10 minute interview on camera and when it ended I dashed off to attend some of the presenters at the conference.

While passing through the vendor floor I met with Matt Wright, editor of the APG Quarterly. As we chatted the president of APG, Laura Prescott, stopped by and greeted us. At the time she asked to take our picture. A great job was done by her expertise on the IPhone Camera.

As the day ended everyone moved to the free offering of a "Night at the Planetarium" at the nearby Clark Planetarium. One of the Rootstech sponsors, BrightSolid, provided this along with an endless supply of food and drink. We got to see a 3D IMAX movie about the rescue of the Hubble Telescope and a laser light show. By this time everyone was tired and ready for a good nights rest.

Salt Lake City NGS Conference 2010

2010-04-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Salt Lake City on a warm Tuesday afternoon of 27th of April 2010 to attend the annual conference of the National Genealogical Society Conference. The actual location of the conference is the Salt Palace Convention Center adjacent to the Radisson Hotel. I am told the registered attendees number between 2,000 and 2,500. Genealogists from around the world convened to hear lectures as well as mix and mingle with their fellow researchers. There was appropriate time allowed between programs for the visitors to browse through the vendor tables in the large vendor hall containing books, genealogy programs, and all sorts of items of interest to the genealogist.

I was in the vendor hall a great deal of the time because I have the opportunity of managing the booth for the Association of Professional Genealogists (http://www.apgen.org/). The booth is staffed by my fellow APGers who happily greet anyone who might be interested in learning what APG is all about and very capably help complete member applications for anyone interested in joining this organization. Our booth was in one of the best locations to have plenty foot traffic passing by at all times.

One of the local television stations spent some time videotaping activity at our booth and it got to be a part of the evening news on ABC-4.com. The camera gave a good exposure of the APG booth as well as interviewing APG member Bobbi King of Lakewood, Colorado. Bobbi is a well known genealogist who owns "Miss Congenealogy" and lectures around the state of Colorado and at convention gatherings such as NGS and FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies).

Based upon my several trips around the vendor area I was able to stop and talk with technology folks such as FamilySearch with their high tech means of searching the internet. They had a bank of about 75-80 computer terminals connected directly to FamilySearch online services at no charge to the users. Other vendors were Hewlett Packard and their latest computers, printers, and scanners; Sprint and their high tech telephone communications essential to good genealogical research.

This NGS convention ends on Saturday afternoon, May 1st when things draw to a close for the vendors and all of the genealogists, both professional and hobbyists head back home. A good time has been had by all.

Many thanks to Tim at the Genealogy Assistant (http://www.thegenealogyassistant.com/) for taking this picture! Job well done!

Winter Freeze Damage to Fruit Trees

2010-01-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

About 10 days ago we had a dramatic visit from "Old Man Winter" which was quite unlike anything I have experienced in recent winters. Many winters give us a few nights of just below freezing for brief periods of time but this time we got four consecutive nights of temperatures below 20 degrees. One night this temperature lasted for over 8 hours. I have several good fruit trees planted around the back of my house. One is a nice white grapefruit; one is a pink navel orange (Cara Cara), one is a qumquat; two natural colored navel oranges; one Meyer Lemon tree and two recently planted pomelo (Chinese grapefruit) and some muscadine grape vines. The grape vines love the cold and will flourish after spring but my citrus trees just did not handle the cold very well.

Yesterday I picked all the fruit which remained on the trees and threw it into the woods behind my house for the varmints such as raccoon, possum, and foxes. We had harvested most of the oranges and juiced them for some yummy fresh OJ.

Now we just have to water these trees and wait for spring to see if they come out of their severe damage. Upon examination of the wood in the limbs I found only a few which seems to be damaged by bark splitting. I will probably have to begin pruning back the bad wood soon and wait with hope for restored greening of the other limbs. I doubt I will see many blossoms on any trees. The qumquat tree seems to have been totally killed so will probably cut it down and dig up the roots. I might plant something that is more "cold weather hardy".

Here are some pictures so you can see what happened in warm and sunny Florida.

FGS/AGS Conference at Little Rock

2009-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Little Rock Statehouse Convention Center was buzzing with activity from September 2nd through September 5th, 2009. The hundreds and hundreds of avid genealogists were scurrying in and out of excellent presentations in an effort to hone their skills in this growing field. It would be unfair to try naming all the speakers and presenters. All the way from the Professional Management Conference on Wednesday through the final presentation on Saturday afternoon everyone was trying to get in that last minute presentation.

I was doing my duty as vendor booth manager for the Association of Professional Genealogists. This gave me an opportunity to meet new friends and give them information about APG and how they could become affiliated with the more than 1800 members worldwide. During this FGS Conference the APG organization gained 8 new members and received 3 membership renewals. At the suggestion of our Executive Director, Kathleen W. Hinckley CG, she brought a few dozen of the back-issues of the APG Quarterly to display and sell. This first time venture turned out to be a positive part of the booth in that we sold 40 copies to attendees.
The conference was our first opportunity to display the new APG banner behind our booth. It was a donation from the APG Florida Chapter. The colors blended very well with the booth colors of gold and black.
This particular conference was a time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Professional Genealogists. This was done very fittingly by a gathering of members and visitors on Tuesday evening following the annual roundtable meeting. A cake was cut and cookies were served along with appropriate beverages. A good time was had by all.

It is with great appreciation I wish to say "Thank You" to the more than two dozen volunteer members of APG who supported staffing the booth. This successful stay in Little Rock could not have happened without their capable assistance.
Now we have to set our sights on the annual National Genealogical Conference (NGS) which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah beginning April 28th and continuing through May 1st, 2010 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. We will be looking for bigger and better inovations to be introduced at Salt Lake City.
Come by the booth and give us a big handshake and introduce yourself.

Vacationing in California

2009-08-17T03:07:00.001-07:00

It was so very nice to just get away from the routine and spend a few days relaxing and doing some enjoyable things like biking around the campus of California State University at Fullerton. The campus was empty of students. There was a lovely arboretum and two bike paths which allowed lots of cool biking early in the morning. This all ended with a stop off at Starbucks for a cup of java. My biking partner was wife's brother-in-law, Edward P. Faulk. He works as a computer geek for Beckman Coulter of Fullerton. This company serves the medical community with high tech testing equipment. Ed loves his California and not sure if he will remain there after retirement or move to a quieter area.

My wife and I spent eight nights with her sister. They have a very comfortable travel trailer parked on their driveway. It was like our own motel during the night. We did some nice dining places around Fullerton and the greater Orange County area. I am attaching one of them with this blog. Ed's family loves Mexican food and the locally based restaurants are their haunts regularly.

This stop was just one of several we made in our round the country Amtrak trip.

Vacation in the Rocky Mountains

2009-07-10T05:51:00.000-07:00

Here is where everyone should spend some time to just unwind and relax. I love bluegrass music. After finding out about an annual festival in Westcliffe, CO I made reservations for my wife and I to attend the 2009 High Mountain Hay Fever festival, July 9-12. We had a difficult time getting housing but finally found a cabin about 9 miles into the mountains at a place called Alpine Lodge. Wonderful scenery in all directions. This lodge operates a small restaurant and their food is superb. They mostly serve dinner either indoors or on a patio overlooking the valley below.

Our travel from Florida to Denver, CO was by Amtrak. We had our own private sleeper compartment with all meals provided. After arrival in Denver we visited with a friend over breakfast and rose early the next morning for a 3 hr drive to Westcliffe. The picture above was taken just a few minutes outside of Westcliffe along a narrow two lane road.

I will be posting more pictures in later additions to my blog.

Now it is time to head for the bluegrass presentation to hear such groups as Dry Branch Fire Squad (my favorite), The Sullivan Family, The Country Gentlemen, and others. The weather is so conducive to good times...about 50 degrees at night and about 80 degrees in the daytime.

We are here to relax and enjoy the time away from the rush-rush of our everyday life in Lakeland. Will be back in FL about July 25th.

Thanksgiving with Kinfolks in Alabama

2008-11-28T17:32:00.001-08:00

It is not very often that I get a chance to spend a holiday with family in my homestate of Alabama. This year I was determined that I would do just that and enjoy every minute of it.My oldest paternal first cousin passed away about two months ago in Cullman. I have become very close to her many children and especially the oldest first cousin-once removed named Martha (named after her grandmother). Martha and her husband live on a family owned farm between Cullman and Arab, Alabama. William, a third generation farmer, plants and harvests a wide variety of vegetables such as corn, turnip & collard greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomatoes, okra, and blackeyed peas. They also have a variety of fruit trees and grape vines for jellies & preserves.This year their farm yielded a host of good things due to good rain and good weather. So, we have so much to be thankful for while visiting. Today Cousin Martha and I went to her garden and pulled some greens and some turnips for dinner. From her freezer she brought out some frozen okra and butterbeans. Our dinner today will be so yummy.Early today Cousin Martha's two grandchildren launched into a baking frenzy. She has shown her grandchildren (a girl age 5 and a boy age 8) how to bake so today they gathered in Cousin Martha's kitchen and baked two pecan pies. Of course, I did not dare take a slice but the aroma was so wonderful. I am going to show pictures of the baking and the end results. Tomorrow another first cousin-once removed (who lives next door and is married to the brother of William, the farmer) is going to join us to go out for a family dinner at a local family style restaurant in the town of Holly Pond. It is indescribable how pleasant it is to sit around this gigantic table hosting about 12 members of my extended family and hearing all the laughing and comments about what we have to be thankful for.Now for the sad part...we have to leave on Sunday to drive back to Florida. We will be taking with us about 3 bushels of yummy Alabama sweet potatoes just harvested, cleaned, and boxed. Life is good!!!!

2008 Mini-Vacation YIPPEE

2008-06-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

"Way down upon the Suwannee River" was our theme song over this mini-vacation. I took my family on a trip up the old historic Suwannee River on board a houseboat. We had planned this for several months. We planned out all the details to the finest point including food, sleeping on board, etc. We rented a 44 ft. houseboat from Miller's Marina in the town of Suwannee, FL. It weighed 8 tons and had a draft of about 3.5 feet, powered by an inboard gasoline engine. This boat came with all the nice things of home, including beds enough to sleep eight comfortably, a gas grill for cooking, and air-conditioning for a comfortable nights rest.Most of the time I was the pilot and my son, Alan, was the first mate and chief cook. He did us proud with some superbly grilled steaks one evening and chicken another evening. As a side dish with the steaks he cooked some potatoes and yellow squash wrapped in foil over the grill.Between my daughter, Kim, and daughter in law, Tywonn, we were able to keep the place clean.We traveled about 5 hrs north up the river (about 20 miles) to our first stop near a place called Manatee Springs State Park. While docked at the springs we walked the long board walk into the park and met some other visitors. As the day grew late we undocked and moved upstream a bit further to get away from the noise of the boat traffic and anchored in the middle of the river. We had to keep our "at anchor" lights on all night to make certain no one hit our boat. About 10 pm all our interior lights went out and we all got a good night's rest. The morning sun woke us about 7 am and we spent the morning back at the Manatee Springs.Our plans took us back toward the river mouth about 3 hrs and anchor for the second night. Near the mouth of a tributary/branch called Munden Creek we anchored for the second night. It is so peaceful along the river. The only thing which made us know other civilization was around was an occasional boater passing our houseboat and the boat would rock gentle in their wake.The last morning we awoke at 7 am and after weighing anchor we moved back to the town of Suwannee and radioed for the river pilot to come to our boat and guide us to the dock/slip.What a weekend..I will be getting some pictures of the journey as soon as my son tosses them to me. The only one that I am attaching to this blog is my mug at the pilot wheel.

Years End

2007-12-25T12:57:00.001-08:00

Dear Readers,
This has been a very normal and very well blessed year for me and my family. Our daughter, Kim, well she wanted to learn my work and help me but it just was not her cup of tea. She found a job in Louisville, KY working as executive secretary for one of the deans in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She seems to love it and is now settled into her apartment.
Our son, Alan, has passed his state board examination for state licensure in the field of counseling. His wife, Tywonn, is in the midst of getting her BS degree in nursing.
At this time they are spending a good respite in the Dominican Republic assisting a local missionary who has traveled to the US.
My wife and I are just hanging out and enjoying friends. The grace of God has sustained us for another year.

First Amendment Foundation Seminar

2007-10-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

We enjoy open and public records in Florida. Various branches of government in our state are always looking for ways to close or limit access to records.
The First Amendment Foundation, which is located at 336 East College Avenue, Suite 101, Tallahassee, FL 32301, is sponsoring three Sunshine Seminars in Florida during the month of October. The dates are October 8th in Tallahassee, October 15th in Orlando, and October 23rd in Miami. I will be attending the October 15th session to be held at the University of Central Florida. These seminars are designed for a full day but one can take any portion they wish and pay appropriately. I am paying $75 for the full day and get a meal tossed in.
These seminars are designed to keep the researching public, including the legal profession, abreast of what is happending in the open records laws.
In my next entry I will give all the good stuff I learned.

Genealogy in Fort Wayne, Indiana

2007-08-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Spending a few days at one of the largest genealogy conferences was a fun time. I arrived at the Hilton Inn at Fort Wayne on the first day of the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference on Tuesday, August 14, 2007. This was the beginning of four days of classes, presentations, and programs to educate the masses about genealogy. The other focus was the 2nd largest genealogy library in the United States, the Allen County Public Library. This library has just undergone a major remodelling and facelift. Added to the library was a large quantity of electronic access by offering Wi-Fi throughout the building. I made two visits to the library. One was to see how large the collection of family histories really was and next to present a program about the religious order known as "Primitive Baptists". It was a pleasure to see a large group gather for this program.

The highlight of the entire program was a banquet on Friday evening where we were treated to a program by one of the foremost DNA researchers in the genealogy field, Megan Smolenyak. Megan is on the staff of Ancestry.com as Chief Family Historian. She presented a program about finding the "real Annie Moore". This was a young lady who was the first person to cross the gangplank entering the US when Ellis Island opened in 1892. Annie has been mis-identified for a good many years until Megan entered the "chase for the real Annie Moore". Megan presented a Power Point program showing the success and how it was accomplished. As a friend of Megan I got a few minutes to talk with her and congratulate her on her many successes.

Baptist History Celebration is history

2007-08-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

What a thrill to see so many people gathered in one place to speak on behalf of the various branches of the Baptist denomination. Add to that thrill the fact that I was able to actually handle such historical documents as letters (protected, of course) written by John Newton (Amazing Grace), Isaac Watts, and Charles Hadden Spurgeon. The First Baptist Church in Charleston has the original family bible of Oliver Hart, a former pastor of the church, as well as many other historical documents inside a glass case for viewing.
I will return later to add some of the fantastic photos which were taken by me and my daughter.

Baptist History Celebration

2007-07-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am off for Charleston, SC to spend three days at this first ever session. This is being held at the First Baptist Church of Charleston to celebrate the 300 year anniversary of the founding of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, founded in 1707.
There will be a great number of Baptist ministers and history scholars to provide all those attending an in-depth look into all the various demonations which make the entire Baptist church order. We will hear of the Primitive Baptists, Free Will Baptists, Southern Baptists, Seventh Day Baptists and many, many others.
I have been looking forward to this for a very long time. To add to the joy of attending I will be hearing several of the programs presented by great speakers that I have known for years. I know I will be worn out when I return to Florida on Friday but who cares!
More to report after Saturday...maybe some pictures.

Update from visit to NIGR

2007-07-23T02:58:00.000-07:00

Good morning readers,
This past week was spent in Washington, DC attending the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR). This is an annual program sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Genealogy Society. It is by far one of the most intense programs offered for teaching advance genealogy. It deals primarily with records on a federal level and those records housed by the various branches of the National Archives.
This is the second time I went through this program; first in 1998 and this year 2007. I find the 2007 session was much more intense than the earlier one. We began the program with an introduction and get-acquainted session on Sunday evening at the Hotel Washington which gave everyone an opportunity to get to know one another and learn what was on tap for the next five and a half days.
The co-directors, Claire Mire Bettag CG and Patricia O'Brien Shawker CG, were present and gave us our program notebook and gave us a general overview of NIGR for the first timers.
Each day was mostly spent in the National Archives located at 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue but we made visits to Archives II located on the campus of the U of Maryland, the Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Library of Congress. This whirlwind week is a good way to deplete energy for some days went from 9 am until 9 pm. Everyone got a good opportunity to put into practice the research skills that is taught by the staff of NIGR. Some of the instructors are employees of that National Archives while others are simply top-notch instructors in this field of federal research.
The final evening was spent at an Alumni Banquet held at in Rosslyn, VA where we were entertained by a lively presentation by Marian L. Smith who was one of our instructors. Her program was "Who was Morton Allan". Much to our surprise we found out that Morton Allan was the first names of the two sons of the man who authored this valuable book about ship arrivals in NYC and other east coast ports.
If anyone has an interest in attending NIGR you must submit your name to the organization to be put on the mailing list. When the next session nears you will get a notice to send in your application. Be prepared for this is not for the faint of heart or timid in the field of genealogy.
Here is the NIGR web address: http://www.rootsweb.com/~natgenin/.

Preparing for NIGR

2007-07-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

It is a lot of getting ready to make sure we get the most out of the National Archives program entitled "National Institute on Genealogical Research" to begin the evening of July 15th and continuing for a week. We have some of the best instructors leading and guiding through the records at NARA. It is off to the classroom all day and cramming as much as the brain can contain.
This is my second time to visit NIGR. I was in DC in 1998 for my first time and almost felt overwhelmed by all the stuff that was being thrown at me. I met a lot of nice folks and have maintained some good acquaintances.
I will be posting a follow-up to the ending of the program and might even post some blogs on our daily work programs.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

Now it is time to end the alphabet with "P" - "W":
Parsons, -------- , Pastor of the Baptist church at St. Pauls, Minnesota, died on his return from a collecting tour in the Eastern States on board of one of the Western Steamboats.
Pillsbury, Stephen, was born at Amesbury, Mass., Oct. 30th 1781. He labored six years in the ministry, was pastor at Hebron fifteen years, at Sutton five years, and subsequently at Dunbarton and Londonderry, N. H., where he died Jan. 22, 1851, aged seventy years.
Putnam, Benjamin, for many years favorably known in New England as a minister of excellent spirit, and devout piety, died after a protracted illness at Billerica, Mass, in 1851.
Ringold, Thomas, was Deacon and Clerk of the Church in Linden, Ala., of which church he was a constant and useful member for twenty-four years. He was born in North Carolina in 1785 - removed to Marengo Co., Ala., in 1818 - was baptized in 1827 - and was honored with many offices of civil trust. He was Judge of the District Court, and died at Linden in 1851.
Royce, L. D., was ordained pastor of the 2nd church, Thomaston, Me., Oct. 17th, 1848, where he labored with great acceptance and zeal, nearly two years. But declining health compelled him to retire, and he died in the autumn of 1850, at Malden, Mass.
Scott, Geo. H., Ky.
Shepherd, E. S., died at Alman, Me., 1851, aged 31.
Shepherd, Wiley, commenced preaching in Geo., in the year 1812, and for 37 years labored faithfully in the Kingdom of Christ. He was esteemed as one of the Fathers of the Ebenezer Association, Geo., of which he compiled a History, which will probably by published by the Association.
Sherman, O. J., of Illinois, died 1851. The efficient pious labors of this brother made his loss deeply felt by the churches.
Sinclair, J. B., of Ohio, was pastor of two churches in Wills Creek Association at the time of his decease.
Smith, E. B., was born 1792 - ordained 1835. He died June 17th, 1851, in Indiana. The seventeen years of his ministry were spent in connection with the Indianapolis Association. Some three hundred were baptized by him. He was self-denying, persevering, and consecrated to his work.
Snowden, N. R., died in Philadelphia, in 1851, aged years. He passed the greater part of his life in connection with the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a highly esteemed minister. A few years ago he embraced our distinctive sentiments and connected himself with the Eleventh Church, Philadelphia, of which he was a member at his death.
Stephenson, Jonathan, an aged servant of Christ, died in Henry County, Tenn., Oct. 10th, 1851, in the 72nd year of age.
Stickney, Geo. W., was ordained pastor of the church in Camden, Me., Feb. 6th, 1848. He loved his work, and was much beloved by his people, but was compelled, by ill health, soon to relinquish his labors. He died in Waterville, Me., in 1850.
Thompson, J. P., died in Philadelphia, July 20th , 1851, in the 76th year of his age. He was converted in India, was baptized by Rev. D. Carey, and was a faithful servant of God. He labored as a missionary in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Tilson, E., Clerk of the Straight Creek Association, Ohio. He was an able advocate of the cause of Christ, and active in promoting the various benevolent enterprises of our day.
Tomlin, Christian, of Pendelton Co., Ky., died, Aug. 20,1851, aged 69.
Tuttle, Eliada, Pastor of the Church at Booneville, N. Y., died at his father's residence, Clinton Co., N. Y., on the 30th of October, 1851, in the thirty-seventh year of his age.
Vandivere, A. T. N.,, after a very successful ministry of seven years, in Georgia, died, Oct. 1851, in the 34th year of his age.
Very, Edward D., pastor of the Baptist Church in Portland, New Brunswick, and Editor of the "Christian Visitor", was one of the most valuable brethren in the Provinces. He was a native of Salem, Mass., and a graduate of Dartmouth College. As a minister and Editor he was indefatigable in his labors; of high integrity, inflexible decision, and great practical talent. His efforts to advance the cause of the Redeemer were abundant, varied, and eminently successful. His early and lamented death was justly regarded as a great public calamity. He was drowned in Windsor River June 8th, 1852, with Prof. Chipman and four students of Acadia College.
Wedge, Albert, was born Dec. 12, 1808, in Oneida Co., N.Y. He was converted at the age of fourteen, and ordained in 1821. He died in Indiana, Sept 28th, 1850. He was a plain, pointed preacher and indefatigable in his labors.
Wells, Amos R., Glens Falls, N. Y., aged 56 years.
Wheeler, Charles, was born in Massachusetts, and died in the 66th year of his age. He was a graduate of Brown University, and a class-mate of Dr. Judson. He was a good scholar, and as a Christian, distinguished for his qualifications in every walk of life. He lived to occupy some prominent positions, and passed the last ten years of his life as President of Rector College, VA.
White, Thomas, Deacon, connected with the 10th Baptist church, Philadelphia, died suddenly, --, 1851. He was a liberal and devoted Christian, seeking to improve every passing opportunity for doing good.
Wilson, John F., Deacon, of Society Hill, S. C., Treasurer of the Association, a prudent counsellor, a patient laborer, and a liberal supporter of all benevolent societies, died in 1851.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to post alphabet letters "M" "N" & "O":
Manning, Edward, of Nova Scotia, labored in the Gospel with distinguished success, for half a century, as pastor of the 1st Baptist church in Cornwallis. He possessed a vigorous intellect, and penetrating judgment,--he was a cordial and persevering advocate of all our education institutions and of the missionary enterprise, foreign and domestic.
Mathias, Joseph, died at Hilltown, Pa., March 13, 1851. For forty-five years he was the faithful and greatly esteemed pastor of the Hilltown Church. The church speaks of him as "faithful, active, and untiring in his labors in the cause of Christ." He was suddenly and unexpectedly called from his toils to receive his eternal crown.
Meredith, Thomas, was born in Pennsylvania, and was one of the efficient band of minister who studied with Rev. Dr. Staughton, in Philadelphia. He died at Raleigh, N. C. where for many years he had resided, editing the "Biblical Recorder," and taking a prominent and leading part in all enterprises adapted to the promotion of the interests of Christ's kingdom. He exerted a wide and beneficent influence, and his memory is tenderly cherished by the churches of North Carolina, and indeed of the whole land.
Morehead, Joesph J., a pious and efficient minister of the Louisville, Missouri, Association, died in 1851.
Moreman, John, was connected with the Union Baptist Church, Greenville Co., Geo., for many years, and died there in 1851, greatly esteemed for his pious and upright deportment.
McAllister, Robert, Kentucky.
McDonald, Alexander, pastor of the Carleton Baptist Church, St. John, New Brunswick, was prudent in counsel, and kind in Christian deportment. His many virtues, and especially his fidelity and diligence gained for him a universal respect.
McKenzie, John, was born in North Carolina, in 1780. In early life he removed to Georgia, was baptized by Rev. Jess Mercer, commenced preaching 1807, and after a useful ministry of forty-five years, aged 72, he fell asleep in Jesus, in Pulaski Co., Georgia, August, 1851.
McNabb, Robert, of Carthage, N. C. Was murdered 1851.
Norton, Noah, was ordained pastor of the 2nd church, Bowdoin, ME., in 1822, became pastor of the church in Brunswick, Me., in 1836, and died at an advanced age in 1851. He was a good minister of Christ.
Osborne, Luke, a tutor in the Kalamazoo Institution, Mich., died Nov. 4, 1850, but a few months after his graduation at Madison University, in the 25th year of his age. He was a good scholar, and a modest, amiable and devotedly pious young man.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to post alphabet letter "L":
Langston, James, died in Lexington, Georgia, in 1851. His ministerial labors were short, but acceptable and useful.
Lawrence, Horace, a faithful and useful minister of the Panola Association, Miss., died in the triumphs of faith, May 15, 1851.
Lentell, Richard, a graduate of Brown University, and a faithful Baptist minister, died of yellow fever, at New Orleans, September 24, 1851, aged 36 years.
Leonard, Hon. Byrom, for several years one of the State Senators of Ohio, afterwards Warden of the State Penitentiary, and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ohio Baptist Convention, after a pious and useful life, died Dec. 27, 1850
Logan, John, Pastor of Newhope Baptist Church, Illinois, died in 1851.
Lovell, N. G., was a graduate of Brown University, and pastor of the Baptist Church in North Attleboro, Mass. He was esteemed for his amiable and ingenious character. He died at Valley Falls, R.I., aged 46 years.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Now it is time for alphabet letter "K":
Kallock, Amariah, was ordained in 1830, in Thomaston, Me., where he labored with good success for nearly twenty years, when he became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Augusta, Me. In the spring of 1850, he resolved to go, with a number of members of his church, to California. On his arrival, he commenced his labors in San Francisco, with great zeal, and much promise of success; but in a few weeks was suddenly cut down by disease, and close his useful career deeply lamented by all. Though Bro. K. entered the ministry without a liberal education, yet his strong native powers, his knowledge of human nature, his graceful manners, and his earnestness as a preacher, raised him to prominence among his brethren, and made him, by divine blessing, a very successful minister of the Gospel.
Kenyon, ------, Morrisville, N.J., died June 28, 1851.
Knapp, Wm. S., Canaan, N.Y., August 14, aged 39 years.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Now it is time for alphabet letter "J":
James, Robert, pastor of the Newhope Church, Mo., an efficient and beloved minister, died in 1851.
Jennett, C. B., was born in Halifax Co., Va., in 1823. In the fourteenth year of his age he made a public profession of religion. He graduated at Columbian College, and commenced his ministry in Mecklenburgh and Halifax counties, Va. In 1846, he settled as pastor of the church at Petersburg, where he continued for two years and a half, and where he baptized more than one hundred converts. In November, 1849, he accepted an unanimous invitation from the church in Augusta, Georgia, where he labored, with great zeal for about two years. He died of consumption in Oct. 1851, aged 28 years. [Obituary for Rev. Charles B. Jennett appears in the Augusta Daily Chronicle & Sentinel on page 1, March 14, 1852]
Johnson, John C., was born in Kentucky, became a practical Christian in early life, removed to Illinois in 1847, and after a zealous ministry of four years, died at Mill Creek, Randolph Co., Ill., in 1851.
Johnson, J. N., of the Valley Association, Va.
Jones, John Taylor, D.D., the oldest missionary among the Siamese-eminent for scholarship, and devoted to his sacred work, - died at Bangkok, Siam, Sept. 13, 1851.
Jones, Richard, Muhlenburgh, Ky., Oct. 1851, aged 52.
Jordan, William D., was connected with the Sister's Baptist Church, Washington Co., Georgia, and after a life, whose course was "marked by great piety and simplicity," he died in 1851.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

Now it is time to post alphabet letter "H":
Harris, E. J., came from New Brunswick, and died Oct. 7, 1851, aged 38, in Waldoborough, Me., where he had been pastor only a few months.
Harrison, John H., an active and modest minister of Christ, connected with the Shiloh, Va., Association, died in 1851.
Hascall, Daniel, founder of the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution, now Madison University, and for many years Professor in the same, was a native of Vermont, and a graduate of Middlebury College. Previous to his connection with this institution, he was pastor at Hamilton, N. Y., and after resigning his professorship at Castleton, Vt., and subsequently at Lebanon, N. Y. His mind was vigorous and well balanced, his heart genial and benevolent. He died June 8th, 1852, aged 72.
Hill, William, Sr., was an active and useful member in the Bethel Association, Ala. He died, triumphant in the faith, April 1st, 1851.
Hodges, C. W., for twenty-eight years was intimately identified with the interests of Zion in Vermont. He was Pastor of the church at Bristol, Vt., at the time of his death, which occurred April 4th, 1851. He was a good man, and a faithful minister.
Hughes, Peter, Kemper Co., Miss., aged 75 years.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

Now it is time to post alphabet letter of "G":
Gareelon, James, was ordained pastor of the church in Lewiston, Me., in 1841. Died in 1851.
George, Charles, Deacon, born in Montgomery Co., Pa. For many years he was connected with the First Church Philadelphia, and was esteemed for his prudent and judicious counsels, and beloved for his meek, quiet, and peace-making spirit. He died, suddenly, in Philadelphia, March 25th, 1852, in the 62d year of his age.
Gibson, Sylvanus, was born in Wilkes Co., Ga., Nov. 1783. He preached eighteen years in Georgia, then removed to Alabama, where, after a very useful ministry, during which he is said to have baptized over one thousand persons, he died in Lawrence Co., aged 68 years, on the 25th of July, 1851.
Glover, Samuel, died suddenly at his residence in Cambridge, Mass., in Jan. 1852, in the 68th year of his age. He had been a sound and useful minister of the gospel, but had retired from the active duties of the ministry several years ago.
Graves, Hiram A., died in Bristol., R.I., at the residence of his father, Rev. Joseph M. Graves, on Sunday, Nov. 3, 1850, aged 37 years. Mr. Graves was graduated at Middlebury College, Vt., was first settled in the ministry at West Springfield, Mass., and afterwards at Lynn in the same state. In both these places, and especially in the first , he acquired an unusual influence with his people and endeared himself to them by his amiable temper and kind spirit. The same traits rendered him a general favorite when in 1841, having reassigned his pastoral charge, he became Editor of the "Christian Reflector," published in Boston. He was eminently successful as an Editor, until a pulmonary disease compelled him in 1846 to remove to the West Indies. Though his life was doubtless prolonged by this removal, he gradually declined, and in the summer of 1850 he returned to the United States to die. His last days were days of cheerful resignation and bright hopes. During his protracted illness he had accustomed himself to think much of heaven; and as death drew near, he welcomed the hour of his departure, saying, "It is better, far better to depart and be with Christ."
Griffith, L., of Ohio, died September 17th 1851. He was for many years a devoted minister.
Guy, Stephen, North Carolina.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Time to enter those with alphabet of "F":
Fant, E., a much esteemed and useful member of the Bethel Association, S.C.
Farnsworth, Benjamin F., D.D., departed this life near Lexington, Ky., May 4, 1851. Dr. Farnsworth was widely known in the East as well as in the West, as an educator of youth. Having edited the "Christian Watchman," at Boston, a few months, he became, in 1826, Principal ofthe New Hampton Library and Theological Institution. The seven years during which he performed the duties of this office were certainly the most pleasant, if not the most useful years of his life. In 1833, he was called to the Presidency of Georgetown College, Ky. After a short term of service there, he established a school in Louisville, calle the Prather Grove Seminary. He was afterwards President of Union University, Murfreesboro, Tenn. For several years previous to his death, his health was impaired, and much of the time he suffered greatly from mental alienation. From the latter affliction he happily emerged some time previous to his decease. One day, referring to his protracted sufferings of twelve years, he said, "A long sickness, and a slow death." Being asked what his feelings were in prospect of death, he replied, "I am going home; my home is in Heaven." Dr. Farnsworth was not a brillian man, nor was he always wise in his plans. But he had a large heart, and accomplished much, especially in his first years of public service, when his physical strength was unimpaired. Many hundreds yet living remember with interest and gratitude the profit they derived from his care and instructions.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

Now it is time for the alphabet letter of "E":
Elder, Samuel, pastor of the Baptist Church at Frederickton, New Brunswick, was a graduate of Acadia College, Nova Scotia, and a young man of great promise. He was an excellent scholar, and an interesting preacher. His talents were superior, his taste pure, his manners amiable, and his piety of a high order. He died of consumption, in the city of Philadelphia, in the 35th year of his age.
Emerson, Zachariah, of Kentucky.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

Today I am beginning with alphabet letter D:
Darrow, Francis, for many years Pastor of the First Waterford Baptist church, Vt., died aged 71, on the 17th Oct., 1850. He was a useful and godly minister.
Davis, Richard G., was born in Kentucky, near Bowling Green. In early life he removed to Illinois, and was baptized into the fellowship of the Nine Mile church, by which he was licensed and ordained. He labored faithfully as an Evangelist, and died aged about 50 years [no exact date given].
Davis, Sylvester, died at the Sandwich Islands, Feb. 5, 1852, aged 43 years. He was born at Royalton ,Mass., but removed in early life to Oneida Co., N.Y. In 1830 he became a disciple of Christ, studied at Hamilton, became pastor of the church at Evans' Mills, N.Y., afterwards settled at Cassville, and in Feb., 1851, went to the Sandwich Islands, where he died in full hope of a glorious immortality.
Dodge, Daniel, died in Philadelphia, May 13, 1851, in 76th year of his age. For more than a half a century he served his Lord in the Christian Ministry in several States of the Union, with more than ordinary acceptance and success. He finished his earthly career triumphing in his Almighty Saviour. He was greatly beloved by the people of God-their universal testimony was, "He was an Israelite, indeed in whom there was no guile."
Duval, C., of Kentucky.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

This entry begins the alphabet of C:
Callaway, W. J., an esteemed minister of Central Association, Ala., died at his residence in Choctaw county, 1851.
Campbell, Harvey M., a devoted missionary laboring in Arracan, died in his field February 22, 1852.
Chenault, David, Madison County, Ky aged 80 years.
Chipman, Isaac, professor in Acadia College, Nova Scotia, was a consistent and devoted Christian, and an able and successful instructor. His labors and sacrifices for Acadia College justly entitle him to a high place among its founders and greatest benefactors, and his invincible perseverance in advancing the interests of the denomination, will cause his memory and labors to be cherished with admiration and gratitude. He was accidentally drowned in Windsor River, June 8th, 1852, with Rev. E. D. Very and four students of Acadia College. Professor Chipman's letters, &c., have been placed in the hands of Dr. Cramp, President of Acadia College, who was engaged to write a history of his life and labors.
Christian, Washington, of Toronto, Canada, died 1851. He was a pioneer in the Gospel ministry, abundant in labors, and very successful.
Cook, Benaiah, for several years pastor of the Jewett City Church, Ct. died exulting in the cross of Christ, February 10, 1851.
Copeland, N., was ordained pastor of the church in Albion, Me., in 1832. He spent the most of his life as an evangelist, possessed strong native powers and ardent piety. He was the means of bringing many souls to Christ, and died in 1851.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Second posting of those beginning with the letter B:

Bennett, Alfred, numbered among the honored and venerable fathers of the Baptists of Western New York, and known in all sections of the land as a fervent and efficient pleader for foreign missions, died at his residence in Homer, N.Y., May 10, 1851, aged 70 years. His views of truth were clear, decided, and sound, - his manner of preaching fervid, rapid, forcible, and plain. He was of devout spirit, and died in the unclouded assurance of a glorious immortality. He was too weak to converse with freedom, he was wont to reply to inquiries respecting the state of his mind; “I am almost home, Jesus is precious”. “Peace” “All is clear” “Not a cloud, not a shade”.
Biddle, W. T., was born in Hertfordshire, England, June 27, 1824. In 1832, his father, Rev. Wm. Biddle, now of Brookfield, Ct., immigrated to this country, bringing his son, then eight years of age, with him. He was hopefully converted in 1835, and deeming himself called of God to the work of the ministry, entered upon a course of study at Madison University, where he graduated in 1849. He was appointed missionary to Asia by the Board of the Missionary Union, in July, 1851, was ordained August 13, married August 14, and died September 17th, in the 28th year of his age. He was a man of devoted piety and of great promise.
Broaddus, Andrew, was the most eminent and honored of the Baptist ministers of Virginia. He was emphatically a great man, of mighty intellilectual powers, of earnest and persuasive eloquence and of devout and gentle spirit. For more than sixty years he labored efficiently in the ministry, and died in the 85th year of his age. Among his last words were these, "Hark I see! The angels are instructing me how to behave myself in glory!"
Brown, Obadiah B., for more than forty years pastor of the First Baptist Church, Washington City, died in April, 1852, in the 73d year of his age.

American Baptist Register of 1852 Obituaries

2007-06-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

This book was edited by J. Lansing Burrows and published by American Baptist Publication Society of 118 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA.
These obituaries appear on pages 415-420 and represent the ministers who died over the years of 1851 and 1852.

Obituary Notices for 1851-2
Page 415
Anderson, A. A. died at Mill Creek, Pa, March, 1852. He had been but a few years engaged in the ministry, and was a man of good abilities and of excellent spirit.
Andrews, William, was a licentiate of the Cold Water Association, Miss, had been several years preparing to enter fully into the work of the ministry, and was a young man of much promise. He died at Panola, Miss, April 16, 1851, aged 27 years.
Arvine, Kazlitt, a graduate of Newton Theological Seminary, after a short and efficient ministry of six years, died at East Brookfield, Mass. 1851, aged about 34 years.
Atkinson, Jos. W., Richmond, Va., June 13, 1851

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

2007-04-26T04:22:00.000-07:00

This has been a very busy week as my course presentation for the Samford University's Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) is coming together. I have two classes to present on June 13, 2007 in Birmingham. I will be presenting a program about Alabama genealogy and one about finding family in the 20th century.
My deadline for submitting the outline is May 1st and that day fast approaches. I love to do these presentations but I find the preparation is a drag. Am I alone in this feeling?
You can learn more about this very educational program by visiting this web site at Samford University: http://www.samford.edu/schools/ighr/.

Genealogy On Line via Conference Call

2007-04-24T02:38:00.002-07:00

Most of my evening yesterday was spent on a conference call initiated by the folks at Ancestral Manor led by Sharon Sergeant: http://ancestralmanor.com/dnn/. We enjoyed hearing about the upcoming Professional Management Conference to be held in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some of the presenters joined the conference call, such as Donna Moughty and Tom Jones, and shared the programs that will be available. This PMC is the first day of the Federation of Genealogical Societies: http://www.fgs.org/ to be held August 15-18, 2007. I was thrilled to hear about the writing program, report writing program, and one about unique resources. Anyone who might want to learn how to polish their skills in the field of genealogy and its affiliated programs should plan to attend the FGS.

Saturday from Lakeland

2007-04-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday found my day beginning with a commemoration ceremony by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicating a monument to all the Confederate Army veterans who are buried in Roselawn Cemetery. Many attended the dedication including Lakeland City Commissioner Howard Wiggs, myself representing the Polk County Historical Commission and the Imperial Polk Genealogical Society along with many of the local and state officers of UDC.
The meeting was entertained by a musical group named Identical Strangers. This group consisted of two women and a man who played guitars and fiddle as they sang a song from the movie "O' Brother Where Art Thou" and several others.
The weather was fantastic and the program was super. I had to be excused early to attend the meeting of the IPGS.

View from Florida

2007-04-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

It has just about moved into full blown summer. It was over 80 degrees here in Lakeland today and the breeze was blowing lightly out of the west.
Got a call from the vital records office in Portland, Maine and the clerk said it was snowing and it might put a damper on their "Patriot's Day" celebration on Monday. I wish all states would celebrate such a thing and recognize our founding fathers.
We are having a big celebration on Saturday for our local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy is dedicating a memorial marker for all the Confederate soldiers buried in a local cemetery. I have been asked to speak for a few minutes as I will be representing the genealogy community.
I will try to get a photo of the memorial marker and post it on my blog for all the world to see.

New Venture

2007-04-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

My first venture to adding to my blog in several months. My daughter Kim has come to work in my office and will be learning what I have done for more than 25 years. She is slowly learning and I can see it will take a long time.
She is learning how to use my many databases. I think she is super on the net but I have to make certain that she understands not all the stuff is truth on the net.

2007-01-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted to this blog thing so here goes another shot. Just cannot imagine I stayed up last night (8 Jan 2007) to watch my favorite football team (Gators) dump those Ohio State University Buckeyes. It takes an almost flawless team from Florida to beat a mighty team like those Buckeyes. Go Gators !!
The year of 2007 seems to be shaping up to be a very large one in my own playbook. The main thing is getting my daughter, Kim, off on the right foot of her baptism into genealogy as a vocation rather than a simple hobby. Next is attending as much genealogy programs as possible with her to help her get more into that head for future use.
In the meantime I cannot slow down my own work in this field and must keep an income to make sure this old ship stays afloat financially. Still keep getting more work from repeat clientele and getting a few new ones from time to time.
Did my first advertisment in the Association of Professional Genealogist's Quarterly for the December 2006 issue and it looks very good. I did not do the art work - had it done professionally by a young lady in Salt Lake City who does super work. Ask me if you want her name. I am still maintaining a web page (http://www.floridadetective.net) and now and then I hand out some business cards when I am around those who might have an interest in my skills.
Thank goodness for this blog. More later!

2006-10-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

Well folks today genealogy has to take a back seat to something else. Our Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution holds quarterly Board of Management meetings and today FLSSAR is holding their fall meeting in Kissimmee, FL. I hold the office of State Genealogist so I am compelled to meet and do my part in the organization. In the state of Florida I am the only professional genealogist who belongs to the FLSSAR so I do enjoy adding my professional slant to the applications coming in from all the different parts of the state. Will be gone from this computer for the next couple of days but will still have access to the net.

2006-10-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Good morning from warm and sunny Florida. This is my first venture into the world of blogging so I know the readers might find spelling mistakes but please have pity on me and don't be too harsh.
I live in central Florida and have been involved in genealogy since about 1963. My desire to learn and absorb more about genealogy led me down a path that I never had plans to walk. After about 20 years of doing research for myself and others who asked for my help, I decided to make genealogy my life's vocation. In 1986 I began earning enough money in research that I decided to leave my "day job" and put my full time efforts into something I love more.
By the year 2000 I had enough experience to apply to the Board for Certification for certification as a genealogist and never once have I looked back. Now I am reaching the age where most people retire but I dont plan to step off the stage of research. My plans are to train my daughter (who has a college education with a minor in history) to bring her education and office skills to my office and see if this will work for her.
Kim

2006-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

Now it is time to begin a new venture within a venture. I have engaged the services of a professional advertising writer to create a half page ad for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ). This will be the first time in over 20 years I have done any formal advertising. This is being done to give my daughter a boost when she comes into the business. This ad will run from December 2006 through September 2007. I will be pushing the idea of the best research in Florida can be achieved from my office.