February, 2009
Georgia Confederate Pensions on Ancestry Put to Use
George Preston Birdsong (1841-1905), known as “Pres” to family and friends, is my presumptive great-great-grandfather. He was the scion of a prominent Upson County, Georgia, family. Pres’s father, George Lawrence Forsyth Birdsong (“Larry”), was a sportsman and land owner. Larry also served for a time as Upson County Sheriff. When the Civil War began, Pres enlisted in Company K, 5th …
February 16, 2009 Monday at 6:39 pm
The 2009 IGene Awards
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls! Welcome to the Academy of Genealogy and Family History’s 2009 IGene Awards! Tonight, we showcase the Best of GeneaBlogie for the past year. Best Comedy Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that appeared here in 2008? In the category of Best Comedy, there were three nominations: Yes, Virginia, You …
February 15, 2009 Sunday at 10:27 pm
Ancestry.com Adds Lincoln & Civil War Docs
This announcement on the 24/7 Family History Circle blog today: PROVO, UTAH – Feb. 12, 2009 – Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history, announced today it will commemorate the 200th birthday of one of the nation’s greatest Presidents – Abraham Lincoln – with the addition of five new databases to its Civil War Collection. This historically significant …
February 12, 2009 Thursday at 6:40 pm
Surname Distribution Analyzed
Before we analyze the data to comprehend its meaning, let’s do a bit more research to see if we can validate the existing data. Let’s check in with the United States Census Bureau which has analyzed names by frequency of occurrence from the 1990 census. When we search for Gines and then Guynes, the following values are produced: GINES 0.001 …
February 11, 2009 Wednesday at 9:58 pm
Smile for the Camera! Can You Date These Clothes?
I’ve got no clue who these people are. The photograph was found among the effects of the late Edna Penny Wells of St Louis, who died last April. Can you date the photograph by their clothes +/- 5 years? (Click on image to enlarge)
February 10, 2009 Tuesday at 9:38 pm
Follow-up: Some Hard Genealogy
After I described my search for information to take me past great-grandfather Richard William Gines, I got very interesting comments and came to several conclusions on my own. Randy Seaver asked if “Gines” is pronounced with a hard G or J sound. Interesting question! I n my family, it was always pronounced with a hard G. There are some sources, …
February 9, 2009 Monday at 10:52 pm
Carnival Time!
The 65th Carnival of Genealogy has been posted by Becky at kinexxions. It keeps getting bigger and better! And now, it’s time for a Call For Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene, will be: iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It’s Academy awards time… time …
February 4, 2009 Wednesday at 9:25 pm
Black History Month: “Negro Subversion”
March 8, 1918 From: Chief, Military Intelligence Branch, Executive Division To: Captain Roy F. Britton, Boatmen’s Bank Bldg., St Louis, Mo. Subject: Charlie Williams (colored) 1. The above is employed as a porter-janitor at St Louis Union Station, 18th and Market St., St. Louis, Mo. 2. About 45 years old, very black, about 5 feet 4 inches, weight about 175 …
February 4, 2009 Wednesday at 5:15 pm
Black History Month: Lift Every Voice and Sing
Lift Every Voice And Sing Lift every voice and sing, ‘Til earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that …
February 1, 2009 Sunday at 3:52 pm
