Craig on February 16th, 2009

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 [...]

Continue reading about Georgia Confederate Pensions on Ancestry Put to Use

Craig on February 15th, 2009

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 [...]

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Craig on February 12th, 2009

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 [...]

Continue reading about Ancestry.com Adds Lincoln & Civil War Docs

Craig on February 11th, 2009

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 [...]

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Craig on February 10th, 2009

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)

Continue reading about Smile for the Camera! Can You Date These Clothes?

Craig on February 9th, 2009

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 [...]

Continue reading about Follow-up: Some Hard Genealogy

Craig on February 4th, 2009

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! [...]

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Craig on February 4th, 2009

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 [...]

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Craig on February 1st, 2009

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 [...]

Continue reading about Black History Month: Lift Every Voice and Sing