3rd Annual iGene Awards

The nominations have been made, the votes tallied and it is time to roll out the red carpet for the iGene Awards.

The nominees for Best Picture are........

• Winter in Pictures
• Nameless Faces
• Trip of a Lifetime

And the winner is.......

• Winter in Pictures! Winter in Pictures was written for the 64th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Winter Photo Essay. It easily won the Best Picture Award for the pure joy captured in the 5th photo in the set.

 The nominees for Best Screen Play are.......

• Hospital Waiting Room
• Blizzard of '93
• Time on the Farm

And the winner is.......

• Time on the Farm! Time on the Farm was written for the 73rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy which was hosted here at Apple's Tree. All my grandchildren will have parts so they can experience farm life as I did. Nikki will get the lead because she loves horses. Mike will play the part of one of my cousins so he can fearlessly climb to the top of the tobacco barn. The part of my father will have to be played by my son, BJ, as he is the only one to have inherited Dad's bald head. We'll have to think long and hard on who should play the part of my step-mother. For the sake of the safety of the actors we'll need a pony that won't bolt and a cow that doesn't kick!

The nominees for Best Documentary are......

• Tippancanoe Place
• Buchanan Fire of 1862
• Eckley Miners Village 

And the winner is.......

• Buchanan Fire of 1862! Written for the 77th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Disaster, Buchanan Fire of 1862 told the tale of a fire that affected my ancestors directly. This will be a big budget production with scenes of the fire and the destitute family in it's aftermath along with  a cut away shot of a war weary Hannah sitting in a Civil War Post Hospital, surrounded by injured soldiers, opening her letter and seeing the warning Unpleasant News.

The nominees for Best Biography are......

• Abraham Jay Buckles
• Anna
• Rose

And the winner is......

• Rose! Written for the 85th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, Orphans and Orphans, Rose told the sad the story of my great-grandmother and how she was effectively an orphan despite the fact that both her parents were alive and well.

The nominees for Best Comedy are.....

• Princess for a Day
• Dad's Campfire Songs
• Fun Charting Relationships

And the winner is......

• Dad's Campfire Songs! Written as my take on one of Randy's Saturday Night Fun prompts, this post was a double winner. The songs were funny and so was Jasia's reaction when she read it! Be sure to read her comment for a good laugh.

Here at Apple's Tree there is a new award this year, Best Infomercial. Which was my best how to tip that I shared in 2009? The nominees are.....

• Ancestry's Member Connect 
• Creating a Blog Index
• Apple's Apple Butter 

And the winner is........

• Ancestry's Member Connect! This was written when I saw several negative posts on a feature that I was quite happy with. I'm pleased with the presentation I made and hope that it cleared up some points.

And that concludes this edition of the iGene Awards. I want to thank our hostess, Jasia, at Creative Gene for throwing out the Red Carpet again this year!

Written for the 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

Weekly Rewind

Carnivals 

The 89th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted by Jasia at Creative Gene. The topic was poetry and I give everyone that participated a lot of credit! Poetry is simply beyond me and I couldn't even come up with a simple limerick. The next edition will be the Third Annual iGene Awards and submissions are due by February 15th.

The February 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival: Cemetery Critters, has been posted by Julie Cahill Tarr at The Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

There are several carnival deadlines fast approaching. Head over to AnceStories and see Miriam Robbins Midkiff's February 2010 Calendar of Events for topics, dates and links.

Roundups

John Newmark shared his Weekly Picks at TransylvanianDutch. Featured was one of my posts - Thanks John!

Randy Seaver also highlighted one of my posts in his Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings. Thanks Randy!

Weekly Reading

At Nordic Blue, Chery Kinnick shared her search for her birth father. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of The Best Laid Genealogical Plans. I can only imagine how hard it was for Chery to share her story but I'm glad she did.

I can always count on Bill West at West in New England to dig up new little tidbits on my ancestors. This time he mentions my Kerley ancestors in The Case of Mary Gates.

Checkout the history of the horse drawn herse, The Last Ride, by footnoteMaven at the Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal.

Join in the fun! Donna Pointkouski started it at What's Past is Prologue: If Genealogists Ruled the Television Networks. Be sure to check out all of the comments and links.

It is True Confession time at Greta's Genealogy Bog. I won't give it away but again, read the comments and look for links!

Joan Hill shared a very memorable event in her life, A Golden Anniversary, at Roots'n'Leaves. [My apology to Joan as I originally attributed this to Barara Poole. Thanks to Barb for pointing out my error!]

Dick has a great post, Orphans, Adoptions and Indentures, Part 1, at Dick's Genealogy and History Corner. He has indexed some adoption records from 1837-1906. The people adopting children were not just from Monroe County, some were from as far away as Michigan. I was disappointed that Anna's adoption was not listed but I didn't really expect it to be as I think it was an informal adoption and most likely in Onondaga County.

Gayle Gresham has attempted for follow in the footsteps of her ancestor - literally! Read about her adventure at Colorodo Reflections: The Escape.

Guest author, Peter Lagasse shared some very sound advice on how to handle a No Trespassing sign that may come up in your research at A Canadian Family.

I would really like some of Sharon's luck to rub off on me! Check out Sharondipity Strikes Again at kindred footprints.

Kathryn Doyle at The California Genealogical Society and Library has revealed the society's New Look. I like it!

Amanda Acquard has A New View of the SSDI at A Tale of Two Ancestors.

Diane asks, Eeny meeny miny, moe... which would you chose at Attic Treasures. I think we all have names like these in our trees but I've never seen a standard answer as to how to record them. Have you?

Lori played a game of "follow the leader" that led her astray. She is back on track with Joshua Hammond Norris at Genealogy and Me. I have played the "follow the leader" game many times both as leader and follower :(

What do RVing Geneabloggers do on a Rainy Day? They do lunch! Carol at Reflections from the Fence and Becky at Kinexxions, here, here and here.

Change your bookmarks. Joe Beine at Genealogy Roots Blog is moving his very valuable Records Directories.

At Virginia Family Tree Genealogy, Kevin Lett wrote about his experience, Taking digital photos of microfilm was not what I expected.

John Reid, at Anglo-Celtic Connections alerted us to the fact that the archives of the Ottawa Citizen are now on Google.

At Before My Time, T.K. found a timeline app. that you can use on your blog.

Debra at All My Ancestors had ... and one more [WorldCat] thing.

My Week

After a very trying day Friday I arrived home to the very sad news that John's uncle had passed away.

I spent my week trying to get caught up and ready for vacation.Weekly Rewind will be on hiatus the next two weeks. Please visit Genea-Musings and TransylanianDutch the next two weeks for their great roundups!

Etola Robinson, 23 April c.1900

South Bend, Ind. April 23

Dear Friends, as it has been a long time since I saw you and a longer time since I wrote you I will endever to drop you a few lines this evening.

I have been looking for Ashley to come and see me again until to day I went over to Joe's and they tell me hi is not here. what was the reason he did not stay? There is as much building as ever going on here. Mr. and Mrs. Mccombs got home two weeks ago yesterday he was much better but last week was in bed. has an absess in his ear about like Lib had you know. he was better yesterday. I am working every day and last of the nights am standing it first rate am riding my wheel and feel as though I was the whole thing.

Amelia went to Elkhart to day to visit Ralph his family is there now I should

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have gone but have not gotten me any hat yet and so had nothing to wear on my head well how are every body in Buchanan? I have not heard from there since Ashley was here have been looking for a letter from Tamerson she usualy answers so promptly and it is now three weeks since I wrote her. Ruby is making grate calculations on her coming over here this summer I expect you have your house cleaning all done well I do not think I shall so much I am so clean all the time that it does not need it __.

I suppose Lizzie is gone to May's by this time.

Well Annie I thought I could write quite a long letter but I can not think of any more so will have to close. I hope you will write soon. I think maby I shall get over to Buchanan for one day next month

good night from your Friend
Etoley Robinson




This letter had no year written on it. In Toley's letter of 18 March 1900 she said, "have been out to Mrs. McCombs' sisters doing some work for her. Hazle McComb is staying with her while her Father and mother is away." So it seems likely that since this letter mentions their return home it seem likely that this letter was written in 1900.

Ashley was Anna's husband and Tamerson their daughter.

Joe Camfield was Anna's brother and Ruby his daughter.

McComb's were friends.

Amelia Gosline was Toley's niece and roommate.

Lib was Elizabeth Voorhees and she lived behind Anna in Mocasin Ave in Buchanan, MI.

I feel like I should know who Lizzie and May were but I'm drawing a blank right now. I'll add an edit if I figure it out.


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Robinson, Etola (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Friends”
[Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle] Letter. 23 April. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2010.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Undated c. 1900-1940,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

February Shout Out

Comments are important to me and I would like to thank all of those who left comments in January with a little link love.

Thank you to:

Barbara Poole at Life From The Roots

Pam Warren at Granny's Genealogy and Granny Pam

Nikki-Ann at Notes of Life

J. M. at Tracing My Roots

Julie Cahill Tarr at GenBlog, Who Will Tell Their Story and others!

T.K. at Before My Time and Internet Buffet

Gini at Ginisology

Kay at Kay B's Place

Heather Rojo at Nutfield Genealogy

Great Koehl at Greta's Genealogy Bog, GYR Afield and GYR of Northern VA

Frances at Branching Out Through the Years and Joyous Tomorrows

Cheryl Flemming Palmer at Heritage Happens

Harriet at Genealogy Fun

Becky Wiseman at Kinexxions

Wendy at New England Genealogy

Joan Hill at Roots'n'Leaves

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings

Nancy at My Ancestors and Me

footnote Maven at Footnote Maven and Shades of the Departed

Dan Hubbard at Personal Past Meditations

Tipper at Blind Pig & the Acorn

Vickie Everhart at BeNotForgot and The Journal

Heather at A Day in the Life of the Collins 7 and Ravings of a Mad Bus Driver

Kathryn Lake of Looking 4 Ancestors

Elizabeth Thomas of Family, Friends and Neighbors

Leah Kleylein of Random Notes

Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist

Diana R of Random Relatives

Stephen Danko of Steve's Genealogy Blog

Weekly Rewind

My Week

I spent some time digging for more information on Adam and Ananias Wisner. I've been down this road before but sometimes a fresh look yields a new clue. No luck so far but I do hope to get what I do know posted soon in hopes that someone else has a piece of the puzzle I can use.

I don't know what happened to me with the letters. I really need to get some work done there! They should return next week.


ScanFest

After taking a holiday break, ScanFest returns tomorrow from 11-2 PST. Our hostess will be Miriam at AnceStories and I'm looking forward to chatting and getting some scanning done. If you've never joined in on the fun, read Miriam's post to learn more.

Roundups

John Newmark shared his Weekly Picks at TransyvanianDutch and all but a couple were new to me!

At Genea-Musings I also found several interesting articles listed in Randy's Best of the Genea-Blogs.

Larry had another Five We Like: Another week of family history goodies at Passing It On.

At the Genealogy Insider, Diane posted her Genealogy News Corral.


Weekly Reading

Never before have I read a rant that was just delightful! The Two Kingdoms (A Cautionary Tale) by Steve Danko at Steve's Genealogy Blog tells of his frustration with FB. He has been locked out of his account and the powers that be continue to ignore his requests for help.

Another great piece by David Parmer, A Hero In The Hedgerows, has been posted at Orlando, West Virginia.

Nancy had a very nice tribute to her great-grandmother, Elizabeth, at My Ancestors and Me.

Chris at Statts Place said, "So we didn’t get what we came for, but what we got was far better, and even more irreplaceable, as it could only have ever happened once." Read more: Of Fiddles, Folklore and Family History.

Tipper has shared the 5th of the Civil War letters written by W.C. Penland at Blind Pig & The Acorn.

Anyone who is looking to get children interested in family history should read Diana's, What I Did On My Christmas Vacation at Random Relatives.

Sheri is looking for the Heller Brothers of San Francisco at The Educated Genealogist. In both Part 1 and Part 2 she shares some excellent resources. Does anyone else think it's funny that Sheri would be searching for Heller's?

At The Genealogy Gals, Judy wrote, The Sheep and the Tar Baby or A Woman’s Work is Never Done. A well written look at the trials her ancestor faced.

At Life From The Roots: Cemeteries and More, Part 1 and Part 2, Barbara gives some great tips on how to find cemeteries and how to follow up and get the information you need.

T.K. shared Wednesday Matinee: How Records Were Made (1942) at Before My Time.

Randy wrote, Using the Library of Congress "Chronicling America" Site and then followed up with some of his finds at Genea-Musings. John at TransylvanianDutch read that and followed with his post, Minnie Van Every and The Happyhammers. I have found some neat little tidbits like these for my husband's family. You never know what you'll find in old newpapers!

I'm not good at "cold calling" to contact distant realtives but it certainly worked out for Sharon at Kindred Footprints: How I Broke Thru The Wall.