GOODBYE TO THE SUMMER

 

WHITE FENCE

TYPE IT UP!

 I learned to type on a non-electric typewriter 

and I was no good at it.  

Even my first electric typewriter was frustrating for me. 

I was always making errors that needed to be corrected.  

QUESTIONS FROM READERS of ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY

You can use COMMENTS to ask me for advice on a problem you're facing as you research. I don't respond immediately but will try to fit in a post on the subject whenever possible. The Question and Answer will appear on this blog, ANCESTRY WORSHIP - Genealogy Blogspot, and hopefully be helpful to you as well as other researchers.

I read all COMMENTS before publishing them and WILL NOT PUBLISH your personal information or your exact comment to me. I may also change names you provide for purposes of teaching and to maintain your privacy. 

This seems to have worked well so far!

Christine

WHITE HORSE

 

MOUNTAIN COTTAGE

Where do you think this is? 

 

ABANDONED COTTAGE

 

WELCOME TO ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY !

As the new year begins, I want to welcome new readers and say hello to old readers. When I began this blog I had no idea I would continue with it for so many years! Since I never loose my interest in genealogy - and subjects that go hand in hand with it such as history - I always find researching and writing for this blog to be ever interesting and enjoyable.

ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT

is for you if...

You want to learn about professional genealogy standards from someone with many years of experience.

You're interested in history, particularly of the United States and Europe.

You need help breaking through a research block.

Feel free to look through my archives!  There's lots of good information there.

In order to bring up posts of interest, there are a few different ways to do that in Blogger.

First you can click on any TAG (the words at the bottom of a post) and that will bring up all posts that have that TAG.

Secondly, you can use the SEARCH feature embedded in the start page to being up posts using a word.

Thirdly, you can click on the year and month to bring up ARCHIVED POSTS.

If you have any ideas for subjects you'd like me to cover, or if you have any Questions, you can leave a COMMENT.  I read all of them before deciding to publish so this gives you an opportunity to provide information or suggestions without concern that I will publish it; simply write DO NOT PUBLISH when you use COMMENT and I will respect your wishes!

Christine

MOON ON THE SNOW

 

AUTUMN ARRANGEMENT

 

BEGINNER GENEALOGY MISTAKES : CAUTIONARY TALES

Have you just found my blog? Welcome!

This is my list of things that beginning genealogists often do that you’ll probably not find to be useful or even regret. Since I began researching, more than three decades ago, the genealogy world has changed significantly because of the Internet and databases. Also there is an epidemic of scams. Those changes make it easier than ever for people to do their own research. And to be mislead or conned. This list is made up of things I did or someone I know did and was affected by!

1) Posting for family information in hopes of reaching out to others who have already done the work so you won’t have to do it at all or do it alone, thinking you can just believe it and copy it.

It can be nice to have a collaboration but there’s no way to know from the start if the stranger you connected with does quality research, will respect you, or share in a fair way. Be especially aware that con artists and scammers may use your personal information… or even pose as a relative.

Ask yourself why you’d be comfortable virtually yet not want someone to have your home address!

Keep to professional standards! 

And then if you do find a collaborator, you’ll have something to offer.

2) Posting your research on databases or sharing it prematurely because it isn’t solidly backed up with documents. Many a beginner just doesn't know better. Your family stories are precious and can be part of your book but may not be upheld by research.

Rumors and speculation cannot substitute for a clear research path that others can follow and documents.   Don’t accidentally, through ignorance, lead other researchers wrong!

3) Not considering that charts you post may not please those who are not contacted first for permission. You may be well-meaning but they may not be interested or horrified!

Some sites prod you to provide photos, give them voice samples as you record stories to share with anyone in the world, and provide other information that can profile you. Adding live persons on a chart, even as an unnamed silhouette, is NOT protecting their privacy. Keep the research within the immediate family. Ask them first. Explain it to them. 

It’s still ok to print out and 'snailmail.'

3) Not reading the fine print about who owns your research or DNA information. How long is it yours or protected?  What about your copyright? When do you loose control of it? Can it be used by law enforcement? 

This is not just about you! You may die before they’re born but they still deserve to have privacy!

4) Using your full real name for the world to see. 

Choose a handle, moniker, or nickname or an icon to represent you. Unless you're up to no good it's OK.

5) Posting with a database that has no one to complain to if you're violated or is ineffective in helping when you are. There should be a way to have information that has been posted about you or your ancestors - correct or not - taken down because it is wrong or you think it's private. Beware if it’s stated that once you post it’s permanent.

Privacy laws which may vary from country to country.

6) Using an e-mail address for genealogy that you use for business or personal communication. 

Set one up just for research. I store research in a g-mail account that I never use for communication. You can store photos and documents in Blogger (set on private),  in Drive, etc. Since I've never shared that account with others I communicate with, I've received no spam or phishing. Set another up for genealogy communications.

7) Posting a person’s death certificate on a gravestone site even though the years have not gone by in which their privacy would be protected otherwise. No privacy in death either? Just horrible and violating of living persons medical privacy too.  Telling the whole world someone had died of alcoholism, cancer, or perhaps by suicide....  To me, well, to be nice, let's say it's bad karma. 

Graveyards that let people tromp and report are so irresponsible in allowing this to happen. Even people who did not want their death announced in obituaries … who thought of their religion, charities, marriages, and children to be their own business, are quickly violated when their tombstones are photographed and burials reported, especially upsetting when the religious cemetery claims burials are on sacred ground (which you probably paid more for). 

Why obits? It used to be so friends could give their condolences… I think obits are getting to be obsolete. When it the last time you found out a friend died that way? Oh and those prompts to send flowers! Funerals are already overpriced and so are cemeteries. Don't get me started!

8) Publishing for distribution - even to immediate family - in which you do not state references and do not state intellectual property information and do not state the expectations of privacy.  You can do all the right things to do so but in the hands of the wrong relative it all goes onto a database and the Internet. 

I personally use many databases. I do not post my research on any of them. 

C 2025 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot All Rights Reserved

HOW TO DECIDE WHICH OF TWO CANDIDATES FOR MARIA IS HER ANCESTOR? : QUESTIONS FROM READERS of ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY

Q : I have gone like gang-busters on all my lines but one, my dad's mother's mother. The name is common and I found two candidates. How do I decide which one to go with?  I'll explain.

I found her parents marriage (my great-grandparents) which had the ages of the bride and groom in a Roman Catholic church record in Slovakia. The bride, Maria, is listed as age 20 in 1888.  That would make about 1868 the date of Maria's birth.

Maria #1 is recorded born and baptized in the same church record as her descendants. (Her husband was born elsewhere but in the same general area - just a different church.) However, the only Maria candidate in that church record was not born in 1868 but in 1869.  As her groom is listed as age 24, and his birth/baptism is correct as proven by his birth/baptismal, it doesn't seem to me that she might be a bride who wished to appear younger than her groom or anything like that. The wedding was in mid November and her birthday was in September.

Maria #2 is not in the same church record as her descendants. But again is the same general area, just a different church. Again I found that this Maria is not born in 1868.  In this case she is born and baptized in 1867...  I went back and found her parent's marriage and that was when I realized that her mother was very pregnant with her when she herself married. This Maria was born about a month later. Therefore I can imagine that by claiming to be older than she was, she might have been hiding the fact that her parents "had to get married."

I used FamilySearch database for my research and other candidates are not coming up.

Help!

Lisa

A: I see the dilemma Lisa. It is compelling to think that Maria #2 gave a wrong age at marriage because she wanted to hide her parent's need to get married when pregnant with her. However, it is also compelling to find the birth/baptism of the bride in the same church record, though it's possible the groom met his bride elsewhere. In either case we are speculating when creating a story about what happened. I do it all the time as I'm interested in the story - the culture - the society - which includes religion and expectations upon women. And sometimes that speculation - a hunch - a synchronicity - leads us to the documents we want. 

As a side I once read that an infertile wife was so unwanted that a first pregnancy without marriage was actually desirable by some.

I looked at the records you referred me to and I think that the first Maria is your best candidate. However, in writing my book I would provide the genealogy for both Maria's with an explanation for why you did that. Remember that we write our books in a way that our reader can follow us and so can another person who may go further with that information if and when more documents are available. State it as a fact that you have two candidates and why.

This is also a case where maybe the answer is in DNA as it's always possible that the man who married the pregnant bride was not the father of her child. I always say that we would still want to do the genealogy anyway because if there is a "match" with DNA an the relationship is given, you still want to figure out who is who. (As these are a set of your great-grandparents, it's not as easy as finding out who a birth parent is where a parent, sibling, or half sibling could be revealed.)

Because there are some church books that have not been indexed by FamilySearch, and some handwriting is sloppy enough for a transcriber to make errors however, and the deaths and marriages are not Indexed for Slovakia which was Hungary in 1888, I would, to have peace of mind, also look for a possible Mary in the church where the groom's birth/baptism was located and around at other parishes in the area. Last but not least, do also consider the names of villages and house numbers as well as the godparents when making the decision.

Love your research!

Christine

Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot  2025

WISHING MY READERS THE BEST RESEARCH YET IN 2025

We are all learning to be better researchers and writers!

 

ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT

Our genetic and spiritual ancestors help us with our research quests 

and, while we follow a linear research path, 

amazing dreams and synchronicity abound. 

We explore multicultural ancestry worship 

and the use of genealogy for past-life verification, 

as well as practical ways and means to achieve your research goals.

THE ARCHIVES and LIBRARIES OF NATIONS : SOME RESEARCH NOTES

Each country's archives we visited so far have a different point of view about what is important, are at a different stage in the progress of digitalization, have different levels of help from archivists and librarians to the general public who are employed there, and the collections may specialize or have have categories that are different one from the other.

I believe strongly that historical research is important to any Genealogy quest. Research the location by city, county, country - watch how borders and governments (including Kings, Queens, and noble rule) and seek out maps too. If your ancestors have taken part of any historical event (such as the founding or development of the city) there may be biographies of them in history books. 

WISTFUL

 

FALLEN

Memories of collecting colorful fallen leaves of variety and pressing them between

two sheets of waxed paper.

 

BURIAL

 

WAITING

 

THE LAST SUMMER GARDEN BOUQUET