A Quiet Life

             What’s a quiet life?  Is it living on a farm? Or is it a small community? Or is it in the big city?  Is it during peacetime?  Or war?  Is it somebody who lived a short life?  Or is it retirement?  Is it somebody who travels?  Or a stay at home person? Or is it an ancestor you haven’t researched?

I have over 7,000 names in my family tree; covering both my family and my husband’s family.  Maybe that’s the quiet life – researching your family tree.

Do I think I have a quiet life?  I have a very busy life.  So, I do need those “down” times.  I grew up on a farm.  Yes, it was quiet but it was work – pulling tansy so that it won’t get mixed in the hay or the cows won’t eat and get sick.  You had to get to it before it blossomed and went to seed.  It was hay season where  you had to stack the bales either on the truck or in the barn.  It was weeding the vegetable garden then harvesting it in the fall.  It was moving the cows from one field to another.  It was bringing them in to be treated for pink-eye.  It was feeding them hay in the winter months.  But there was a fun time!  In the winter when it snowed, we got to go sledding on our own property using an intertube.  In the summer, we rode our bikes to either the river or the neighbors to swim.  We had our quiet times too – camping, fishing, and hiking.

I started working for a living when I was 17.  At first, part-time as I was in school.  Then in 1979, I started working full-time for the State of Washington and going to school part-time to get my degree.  I did take vacations – like a trip to South Dakota to visit an old high school friend and a trip to Kentucky to meet family and do research.  I met my future husband at work.  We dated for a little over a year before getting married and having a family.  I still worked until 2021, when I retired.

When did genealogy come to play?  1980.  That Kentucky trip? – it was in 1982.  1984 was a trip to Iowa to meet and research my dad’s family.  After that it was just short road trips to local cemeteries, courthouses, and libraries until retirement.  My husband & I took a vacation in 2016 by flying to Virginia to visit our son who was stationed there.  We had rented a car and visited sites in the area before moving on to Washington DC area then on to Butler County, Pennsylvania.  It was in Pennsylvania that we did some research on my husband’s family.  Visited a cemetery, a community that was owned by an ancestor, and a courthouse.  We returned a few years later (2025).  In 2021, when we did our Route 66 road trip, we took some time to go to Wisconsin where my family had lived.  Wasn’t able to do as much research as desired.  Was going to do more when we were back in the area last year but that didn’t happen.

I’m looking forward to our next cruise for that quiet down time.  Yes, cruising is our quiet time.  We’ve done several since our first in 1995.  We’ve done Alaska (2x), Caribbean (2x), New England/Canada, Panama Canal, and now Hawaii this fall.  Another Caribbean cruise is planned for 2028 in the spring.

In the Beginning

     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 KJV.

      That was my first thought when I saw the prompt suggestion.  This reminded me of my very first Bible. I received it when I was 8½ years old as a prize for  learning and memorizing Bible verses. It contained a family tree.   Mom helped me fill it in but there were names she didn’t know.  I still have that Bible and am still using it today.  Even though it is now falling apart.

It wasn’t until about 10 years later that I became interested in genealogy.  My aunt (Dad’s sister) was interested in learning about her family and got me interested as well.  We both joined a local genealogical society in 1981.  I still have that application!  Wow!  I’ve come a long way since then.  When I started, it was all done on paper.  Lots of letter writing and going to various libraries to do research.  Looking at microfilm – census records as well as church records.  Writing it all down in spiral notebooks or using pre-printed forms.  Planning road trips to go to cemeteries, churches, and courthouses and meeting unknown relatives.  Now, it’s using the internet, downloading copies of documents, or scanning photos and documents.  Using a software package to track the family – printing family group sheets or family trees.  Using that same software to load the media for each family.

I also had a cousin (actually, I still have her, but we just don’t get together like we used to) that was heavily involved in the family tree.  I think we were both just interested in collecting names.  I’m now going back over those branches and getting proof – not depending on published books (that I didn’t source).

That wasn’t the only mistake I made in the beginning.  There was also confusion over names.  I skipped a generation because I didn’t realize that a child was named after a sister (and they were only 3 years apart in age!).

In those early days I was also interested in learning my heritage roots.  I knew that I was German from my Dad’s side.  Mom always said she was a Heinz 57.  Guess that’s true – DNA shows a lot of different ethnicities – Irish, Scottish, English, etc.  What’s this about Sardinia?  Cousin Greg always thought he was Italian.  Guess it’s true.

      We have come a long way and have learned a lot.

Genealogy Go-Over

10/2/2019

I just downloaded the latest version of Thomas MacEntee's book, The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook, and have started reading it.  As I work through the process, I plan on documenting it here in the blog.

My goal is to validate my information by obtaining the necessary documents and siting sources.  I will work on each generation in both my family and my husband's family.

12/31/19

I finished reading the book and started on the process.  Didn't do a good job documenting here.  Did make notes on what to do.

Basically, I'm making sure that I have attached the media as a source for names, births, marriages, and death.  I'm also making sure I have newspaper clippings, census records, and land records.  Not sure if I'm going to do it a generation at a time or just take one surname and work it back.

Surnames A-Z: XYZ Surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here is the final installment for X, Y and Z:

Young - Indiana, Illinois, France

Ziegler - Pennsylvania, Germany

Surnames A-Z: W Surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the W's:

Waldron - Pennsylvania

Walker - Ireland, England, Scotland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky
Ward - Virginia
Webber - Virginia
Weitzel
West - England
Wiatt, Wyatt - England, Virginia
Wigton
Williams - Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska
Wilson - Virginia
Winston - England
Wodehouse - England
Wood
Worsham
Wryley - England

Surnames A-Z: V Surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the V's:

VanLeuven
Varner - Virginia

Surnames A-Z: U surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the U's:

Ulerich - Germany, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Washington
Uvedale - 

Surnames A-Z: T Surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the T's:

Taylor - Virginia

Theissen - Germany

Thompson - Virginia

Thurston - Virginia

Tolson - England

Tuttle - New York

Tyson - Pennsylvania, Germany

Surnames A-Z: S Surnames

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the S's:

Sampler - Kentucky
Saunders - England
Schacke/Shockey - Germany, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia
Schoefer - Germany
Schrauger - 
Scott - Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia
Secor - Indiana, New York
Sellen
Shelton/de Shelton - Virginia, Maryland, England, Bermuda, France
Shontz/Shantz - Pennsylvania, Switzerland, Ohio
Simpson - Virginia, Scotland
Skinner - 
Skipwith - 
Smith - Indiana
Smithers/Smothers - Maryland
Sparks - Kentucky, North Carolina
Sparr - Ohio
St John - 
Standley/Stanley - Virginia, Kentucky
Stauffer - Pennsylvania
Stead - Illinois, England, New York
Stennard - Virginia
Stovall - England, Virginia, North Carolina
Swinehart - Idaho, Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Indiana, Ohio, Germany

Surnames A-Z: Q R Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

Currently, I don't have any direct lines that start with Q.

So . . . here are the R's:

Rambo - Virginia, Pennsylvania
Randes - England
Reiff - Pennsylvania
Reisner - Germany, Iowa, Wisconsin
Reynoldson - Washington, Montana, Illinois, Indiana, New York, England
Rich - England
Roosa - New York, Netherlands
Runyon - Virginia
Rutherford - Scotland, Ireland

Surnames A-Z: P names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the P's:

Parker - England
Parrott - Virginia
Pate -
Pawling - Pennsylvania, New York, England
Pflughaupt - Germany
Pinson - Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina
Plantagenet - England, Wales
Porter - England, Virginia, Ireland, North Carolina, Kentucky
Posey - Maryland, France

Surnames A-Z: O Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the O's:

Oldach - Germany

Surnames A-Z: N Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the N's:

Nash - Pennsylvania, England
Newport - England
Nichols - Virginia, England
Niehaus - Washington, Nebraska, Minnesota, Germany
Noblitt, Noblett, De Noblet - Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ireland, France, England
Noelle - France

Surnames A-Z: L Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the L's:

Landes - Pennsylvania
Landis - 
Landsdale - England
Lange - Germany
Laportes - France
LaClerce - France
Lachiere - probably France
Long - Virginia
Lowe - Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, England
Lucaszen - Netherlands
Lusley/Lasley - New Jersey

Surnames A-Z: J Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the J's:

James - Virginia

Jaxon - Virginia

Surnames A-Z: I Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the I's:

Wow . . . I have just 1 -  Isham in Virginia in the 1660's.

Surnames A-Z: H Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the H's:

Hankford - Ireland
Hastings - England
Haueisen - Germany (Bavaria)
Haute 
Heckert - Pennsylvania
Heistand - Pennsylvania
Hermans - Germany
Herndon - Virginia
Houghtaling - New York
Houston - Virginia
Humphrey - England
Hundley - Virginia
Hunsberger - Pennsylvania
Hurt - Kentucky, Virginia, England

Surnames A-Z: F Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the F's:

Finch - England
Fish - Virginia
Fitz-Gerald - Ireland
Foster - Virginia, Scotland
Fourney
Frazer, Frazier - Virginia, Scotland
Frogley - Virginia
Fry - Pennsylvania
Fugate, LaFougate - Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, France

Surnames A-Z: C Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

Continuing the blog list of surnames for both mine and my husband's family that I'm doing genealogical research.  Maybe we connect, maybe not.

So . . . here are the C's:

Cain/Cains/Caines - Pennsylvania, Kentucky

Calthorpe - England

Campbell - Virginia

Carlton - England

Chapel - England, Virginia

Christian - Virginia, Kentucky

Clay - Virginia, Wales, England, West Virginia

Clere -

Combs - Virginia

Conquest - 

Crawford - Indiana, Ohio

Crispen - Virginia

Surnames A-Z: A Names

This idea of listing surnames over the coming weeks comes from The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I think this will be fun.

Some of my surnames I have already posted information on . . . others I'm still working on.

This is both my family & my husband's family.

So . . . here are the A's:

Ahrendt - Germany, Wisconsin

Allebach - Pennsylvania, Germany

Allein - England

Alleine - England

Allens - Iowa

Alley - Virginia

Andriessen - Holland, New York

Antrim - Ohio

Ariens - Holland