Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Bits of This and That

New genealogy site is being constructed.  I went ahead and hired someone to do it.  Only waiting on final payment (payday) for the site to become active.

Found and spoke with more descendants of Mary Ann Lemon Mason.  One of them said words that gave me goosebumps:  "I remember Uncle Ike."  Uncle Ike being my great-grandfather, Isaac B. Lemon.  I now have information on all of Mary Ann's children, including the daughters' married names.  Of course this means that I owe additional information packets.  I still have quite a few to get out and I hope to work on those this week.

Received in the mail a copy of a photo of William Joseph Oglesby Sr. and his wife and some children.  It's taken from a newspaper article so it's not really suitable for putting on the site, but it's wonderful to even have a hint of the faces of people I've traced so relentlessly.  I also found a link to a bio of him on the Union County, Kentucky website.  I have sent off an email asking for a copy of the bio and hope to hear something about that today.  I am hopeful that it will give more information on his parents and siblings.  That would be wonderful beyond words.

I've not been working too hard on genealogy lately as things are rather strange here at home.  My mother has been very sick and has basically withdrawn from everyday life.  It's put quite a strain on my father.   I'm also waiting for my income tax refund.  When that comes I'm going to get a new car and hope to start making trips to places my ancestors lived.  That sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Monday, February 4, 2008

Family Genes

                                                                         

I'd been staring at the picture of the family of Cyrus and Rose Ruby Meredith for days, thinking there was something familiar about Cyrus himself when it finally dawned on me:  my brother, Alan, is the spitting image of Cyrus!  It's uncanny, really.  

Oklahoma Oglesbys

Talked by phone to a living descendant of William Joseph Oglesby, the brother of my great-grandfather, Morgan Oglesby.  It was a most enjoyable conversation.  While this person didn't have a lot of information on the family of Daniel and Nancy, Morgan's parents, he was a font of knowledge on the history of his own branch.  He was also very appreciative of the information I've already gathered on the beginnings of his branch.  He gave me the phone number of his brother, who has, he says, more information on the family.  He also did know of Morgan and says members of his family had met him.  

I find it astounding that I've been able to find this branch as they were a true brick wall for me a little over a year ago.  I've gone from knowing only the names of my great-grandparents (and nothing more) to discovering the names of their parents and siblings and actually speaking to descendants of the family.  I guess I have a knack for this genealogy thing (and I definitely believe I have help from Uncle Dick.  It sounds crazy to believe that your dead relative is helping you find your family roots, but for me, there can be no other explaination.  So go ahead and call me crazy, I don't mind.).

I've completed customizing the front page of the genealogy website.  I'm torn between wanting to put it up immediately or waiting until I've customized the other pages as well.  I really love the design I came up with and am quite proud it.  But I'm thinking too that now that I have the design I want I could hire the rest of the customizing out so the whole thing looks polished.  I don't know why genealogy is so important to me, but it is.  I don't think it will cost much to hire someone to finish the files now that I've come up with the actual design, and I do believe I have just right this minute made up my mind that I'm going to do that.