Texas
“Restore My Name:” The First Edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy
Luckie Daniels, proprietor of Our Georgia Roots, a tenacious researcher and tech expert, has taken on the hosting of the first edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy. The theme for the first edition concerns slave research. Participants are asked to answer one or more of the following questions: What responsibilities are involved on the part of the researcher when …
March 18, 2010 Thursday at 10:54 am
Another Texas School Record–With an Ironic Twist
I posted this one at GenealogyWise: This record is for my grand-uncles Carl Manson and Otis Preston Manson (who was known as Preston.) It’s signed by my great-grandfather, Otis Manson (1871-1950). The historical ironies reflected here is that the school trustee who also signed the card, Daniel Henry Sanford, was the grandson of Reuben Sanford (1796-1846), whose family owned as …
July 24, 2009 Friday at 8:17 pm
Texas School Census Records
Over at GenealogyWise, in the Texas History Hunters Group, Barbara Cunningham pointed out that Texas school census records can be a 1890 census substitute. “In some counties, the County Clerk keeps and maintains the records. In other counties, they are kept by the County Judge,” Barbara said. [Note for non-Texans: the “County Judge” is not a judicial officer–at least not …
July 23, 2009 Thursday at 6:59 pm
Insomnia–The Genealogist’s Friend
A few nights ago, I was having difficulty falling asleep. Rather than fight the feeling, I thought I’d just get up and cruise the Internet for a little while. I went first to footnote.com and noticed that their Texas death certificate collection is now about 50% complete. So I just typed in the name Manson to see what would come …
May 1, 2009 Friday at 9:48 am
Credit Where Credit is Due
Our motto here at GeneaBlogie is “Learn, Share, En joy, Appreciate!” To which we often add, “Express Gratitude!” Today, I am grateful for the following: In early February, I went on the site Find-A-Grave.com to update some family grave postings there. While I was there, I thought it would be nice to add photographs of two gravesites in particular: those …
April 24, 2009 Friday at 2:13 pm
An Overdue Visit to the Cemetery
While I was in San Jose over the weekend, I went with my parents to visit the grave of my grandfather, Quentin Vennis Harold Manson, who died in 1987. He was 74 years old at the time. When he died, I was stationed far away in the Air Force and could not attend the funeral. Somehow, over the years, I …
April 20, 2009 Monday at 7:28 pm
A Texas Uncle Keeps On Driving
My great-uncle Herman Walker was born in 1906 in Taft, San Patricio County, Texas. His parents were Hattie Bryant (1888-1944) and Toby Walker (1878-?). He graduated from high school in Rockport, Texas and then attended Paul Quinn College, which was then located in Waco, Texas. He later moved to Houston where he was the chef at the renowned Ye Olde …
April 15, 2009 Wednesday at 9:17 pm
I Love Ancestry’s Expanded, Updated City Directories
Last week, Ancestry.com updated and repackaged its U.S. Directories and U.S. Public information databases. These are now all a part of Ancestry’s “1940 Census Substitute.” Part of the upgrade was acquisition of what Ancestry VP for Content Gary Gibb called ” a huge collection of city directories.” I was excited about this from the outset. I’ve long understood the value …
March 22, 2009 Sunday at 6:45 pm
Names, Places & Most Wanted Faces
I started this with a note on Facebook and it was suggested that it would make a good meme for bloggers. The idea is to publicize your surnames and locales to see if anyone elseknows something about them. For me on Facebook, I got several research-helpful replies. So how much better to take it to a wider audience. List the …
February 26, 2009 Thursday at 8:29 pm
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
