From the Paper Trail

✅ 2020 = DISCOVERIES 

I've posted many of our discoveries in articles scattered throughout this blog and on Find-a-grave. Many of the "Documents of..." posts reflect these discoveries and my virtual cemeteries on Find-a-grave also contain some. 

My husband purchased a membership on Ancestry for our wedding anniversary a couple of years ago, so I've been busy filling in a family tree there and making new discoveries through the documents others have discovered for our mutual ancestors. 

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✅ 2020 = CONTINUING MY GENEALOGICAL EDUCATION

I continue to pick brains and ask questions of others with more knowledge on a certain subject than I have. 

But I am also watching Ancestry's channel on YouTube, especially Krista Cowan's videos. If you subscribe to their channel, be sure to "ring" the bell and a notification will be sent to your email to alert you that a video has been uploaded to their channel. I often watch and pedal on my armchair stationary bike at the same time, so I get a two-fer in! 😄

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✅ 2020 = SERVICE

I love transcribing records for publication when someone gives me a chance. I also share my knowledge via my blogs such as this one and my History Nut of Missouri blog (I update them as needed). I also periodically send an email newsletter to interested relatives who are genealogy nuts as well. 😊💁

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✅ 2020 = ROUTINES

While I do genealogy most every day, I need to be better at reading those books on my pile. I need to make an appointment with myself and READ! 

I've made a Google Library filled with books I have read and want to read. I need to make a list of books that I need to read from my personal library and add their titles to my google library. And as I finish them, as a person with ADD, I know I will get great satisfaction in checking them off the list. 

I also need to visit the local courthouses, historical sites or societies, libraries, and museums that might have some information about my ancestors. Need to get with hubby and map out plans to do so and put it on the calendar. Time's a wasting! 😄

New Year's Resolutions by Dolores J. Rush, updated 1/1/2020.

Reunion and Cemetery Checklists

I. GENEALOGICAL TOOLS:

1. 3-ring binder notebook for forms and a hole punch. 
2. A basic spiral notebook or yellow legal pad. 
   
3. Plenty of sharpened pencils and an eraser.
4. Filing box. 
5. Print Fill-in-the blank Family Forms .  
6. List information needed. (Research Checklist).
7. List records (documents) and photos you have at home. 
8. List of courthouses, genealogical centers, genealogical groups, libraries, and websites.
9. Change for photocopy machine. 
10. A pair of white gloves for fragile documents. 
11. Magnifying glass.
12. Camera with new batteries or fully charged smart phone.
13. A computer laptop with a family history program is nice, but not necessary. 
14. An electric extension cord in your notebook bag. 
15. A wand scanner. 
16. Recording device for oral interviews.
    

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II. FAMILY CEMETERY:

1. Assorted sizes of soft nylon paint or dust brushes.
2. Bug Spray. 
3. Camera plus new batteries or fully charged smart phone.
4. Cemetery Map
5. Clipboard and Paper; extra pens/pencils
6. D/2 Gravestone cleaner (only kind of stone cleaner AGS recommends). 
7. Find-a-grave App on fully-charged cell phone or I-pad. Car charger cable.
8. Hand pruner
9. Large Spray Bottle and several bottles of water.
10. Lawn or camp chair. 
11. Leather gloves.
12. List of tombstones we want to visit and/or take photos of
13. measuring tape
14. Messenger bag to carry everything in to the cemetery
15. orange cuticle sticks (gently scrapes out dirt particles from carved areas)
16. Road map or GPS
17. Sexton's business card
18. Sturdy walking shoes.
    
19. Sun Protection = Straw Hat, sunscreen and/or umbrella hats
20. Trash bags
21. T-shirt rags
22. Unbreakable mirror or an automobile metallic windshield accordion-fold sunscreen (helpful to shine light to create shadows on the tombstone when taking photos)
    

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What to bring to your next family reunion:

III. PARK

1. A first aid kit.
2. Bug spray.
3. Business cards.
4. Camera - extra batteries and/or fully charged smart phone. Charger cord.
5. Cash to donate to help defray costs of annual family cemetery care, renting the park shelter and stationery/postage for reunion reminders.    
6. For Pool, if open to public = entry money, modest bathing suits, flip flops, beach towel, sunscreen, water bottle. Optional = nose plugs, ear plugs, swimming cap, flotation devices, and money for the snack bar.
7. For Potluck = main meal, sides, dessert, iced drinks in cooler, picnic tablecloth and table clips, disposable dinnerware, paper towels or napkins, waterproof matches, plastic trash bags.
8. Ideas = Want more ideas? Click on Pinterest board  over on the side menu for more!  
9. Lawn chairs.
10. Musical Instruments = if you can play a kazoo, pick a banjo, guitar or a fiddle or sing, by all means, bring it on!
11. Name tags.
12. New Address? = Bring a sticky address label with it for me! 
13. Record Station for Family Historians (Separate Table away from Potluck to share Records and Photos. No Food or Drinks Allowed Here). Family memorabilia - photo albums  or scrapbooks of memorial service leaflets or newspaper clippings that announce baptisms, births, deaths,  graduation, honors, marriages, sporting events, etc.
14. Samples of your handiwork, recipes, seeds or plant starts to share. 
15. Sign-up sheet on clipboard and pen.
16. Sun and Heat Protection = Caps, fans, hats, sunscreen, water bottle.
17. Toiletry items = paper towels, toilet paper, water in a jug, and wet wipes (in case the park’s johnny-on-the-spot runs out or if the water hydrants are shut off like in previous years).
18. TV Trays (if city double books the shelter by mistake again) = Food and Drink park.
19. Toys and Games = badminton rackets, balls, bats, Frisbees, Lawn Dominoes, Lawn scrabble, squirt bottles and Toss games. See Pinterest board for more ideas.
    

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IV. REUNION SCAVENGER HUNT GAME [I provided a printed list of fifteen or so items and a sack for their treasures. I allowed individuals to hunt and encouraged older children who could read to help the littles who couldn't. When they brought their items to me for show and tell, they selected a piece of candy for participation (ring pops were very popular). I had them throw away any trash they picked up and return the natural items back to the park.]

Find:

1. An autograph of a living relative
2. A ball of mud (or dried dirt)
3. A chewed leaf
4. A feather
5. A pinecone
6. A poem (or a memorized scripture verse like John 3:16)
7. A heart-shaped rock (or a striped rock or a rock with a hole)
8. A shell
9. A song
10. A spoon (or fork, drinking straw)
11. A stick
12. A Whistle
13. Something blue (or any other color)
14. Something fuzzy (or slimy)
15. Something metal
16. Something that makes a noise
17. Something plastic
18. Something rough (or smooth)
19. Something round (or another shape)
20. Something you think is a treasure
21. Something wooden
22. Two kinds of seeds (nuts)
23.Two different types of leaves
24. Rainbow colored scavenger hunt.