What Does a Genealogist Do...?
Sunday May 10 2020
So, today is Mother's Day and it is just like any other day for the past 6 weeks under COVID-19. I talked to my Mom today (who has been quarantined since Feb) and she is….bored! What a surprise! You may be asking, what does a genealogist do? Well, here is my answer!
I have been falling into my OCD tendencies and looking at the past offerings completed for my Curtis Family History Book. Needless to say, I decided I was not happy with the format I was using. So I have been revamping the first 3 generations to match the "new" format I started using in Generation 4 (for more on this, check the post on my Curtis Genealogy Page). This means that I am reading, rereading and re-rereading the 40 pages or so of the first 3 generations, trying to get all the verbiage "just right!" I've also found new information to incorporate into these narratives as well as trying to work on Generation 4. My cousins have been very patient with me as I haven't sent them any additions to their books in over a year. I am sure they don't know what to think about that…
Then we learned that my brother-in-law is coming to visit this week - yea!! New people!!! He has a chance to take a few days and come here to pick up the car for Don's mom. I got a "new to me" car for my birthday in Feb and, rather than turn it in for the paltry trade-in value (it is a 2002, you know) we decided that Shirley could really use an upgrade to a little newer car. I know - 2002 is newer? Don't ask me how old her Volvo is but….
Anyway, it seemed to me a good idea to start working on the Alexander Family History so that Rob can take something back to her. I have promised to do this for YEARS and, f
ace it, she's not getting any younger as the time goes by. Imagine my chagrin at finding that I almost have to start from scratch! That's right - it doesn't appear that there is anyone out there who has written any sort of narrative history of the family. Ancestry trees (and others) list names and dates but no stories or documents. So I am on to a "new frontier" with this. Maybe I can get the first generation that we know about done before Thursday!
This means the Curtis family will go by the wayside for a few days. But, hey! I'm not above the challenge to find anything about the Alexander's. And, if I thought the Curry's were "madness" just try working with a family who gave their sons names that were both first names AND last names - like Stewart Alexander (above portrait) and Anderson Alexander!
I have been falling into my OCD tendencies and looking at the past offerings completed for my Curtis Family History Book. Needless to say, I decided I was not happy with the format I was using. So I have been revamping the first 3 generations to match the "new" format I started using in Generation 4 (for more on this, check the post on my Curtis Genealogy Page). This means that I am reading, rereading and re-rereading the 40 pages or so of the first 3 generations, trying to get all the verbiage "just right!" I've also found new information to incorporate into these narratives as well as trying to work on Generation 4. My cousins have been very patient with me as I haven't sent them any additions to their books in over a year. I am sure they don't know what to think about that…
Then we learned that my brother-in-law is coming to visit this week - yea!! New people!!! He has a chance to take a few days and come here to pick up the car for Don's mom. I got a "new to me" car for my birthday in Feb and, rather than turn it in for the paltry trade-in value (it is a 2002, you know) we decided that Shirley could really use an upgrade to a little newer car. I know - 2002 is newer? Don't ask me how old her Volvo is but….
Anyway, it seemed to me a good idea to start working on the Alexander Family History so that Rob can take something back to her. I have promised to do this for YEARS and, f
This means the Curtis family will go by the wayside for a few days. But, hey! I'm not above the challenge to find anything about the Alexander's. And, if I thought the Curry's were "madness" just try working with a family who gave their sons names that were both first names AND last names - like Stewart Alexander (above portrait) and Anderson Alexander!