Summer Is Over!

Summer is over. School is back in full mode for those with children or young adults headed to college.

For me, summer meant being away from the computer for a good bit. And not by my choice. Mother Nature had other plans! Southwest Texas was hot and dry. We had the dust from the Sahara desert move in and mix with the pollens from our trees and grasses. Living at the bottom of the Texas Hill Country, this mixture was a menace to a lot of us (yep, me). I was sick for several weeks with allergies/respiratory issues.

And then, my best friend, my "patient-with-all-this-genealogy-stuff" husband, had his 2nd knee replacement surgery.

And, as if the other stuff wasn't enough, I tried to spend as much time as possible with my five grandchildren. They've lived within minutes of our home for years and we've been blessed to have a big part in their lives almost daily. The family was moving almost 2,000 miles away from us, and my husband and I tried to spend as much time as possible with our grands. 

So, fall is in the air (I'm dreaming, you know) in the beautiful Texas Hill Country/Wintergarden Area of Texas, and we've had some good rains over the past two days.

I hope you had a good summer. As for me, I'm ready to get back to the computer and continue on with the genealogy work I'm doing for myself and for others.

Fall is upon us!! Almost. Saturday, September 22, 2018, will be here soon.

Happy End of Summer and Almost Fall to y'all!

Revis

Tuesday Tips

This Tuesday Tip is for those of you who are just beginning your research journey. The internet has an abundance of websites that offer tips for beginners. And don't forget libraries, genealogy conferences and seminars held by local and state organization. And, then, there are the BOOKS.

Today my tip is going to point you to a book written by Shannon Combs-Bennett. She's an author, researcher, and lecturer, and often speaks and writes about genetic genealogy. And researching methods!

The book can be found on Amazon at Genealogy Basics in30minutes by Shannon Combs-Bennett and at Genealogy Basics Website.

Genealogy Basics in30minutes by Shannon Coombs-Bennett

Happy Ancestor Hunting! 

Revis

Motivation Monday!

It's MOTIVATION MONDAY! What are you up to today? Are you researching your ancestors? Enjoying the summer with your children or grandchildren? Traveling the beautiful United States of America or elsewhere?

I found the quote below on Pintrest. I don't know who wrote it, but I think it's appropriate for Motivation Monday. Wherever you are, I hope you are finding time - and being motivated - to write your own story!

  Revis

Friday Faces From the Past - The Unknown Boys

The "Unknown Boys"  - that's what we call this picture we found among my Grandmomie's things after she died. Over the years, I've shown it to numerous family members at family reunions and other get-togethers from Texas to Mississippi.

What's interesting is that my Mother and her immediate family lost everything in two house fires. Everything. 

The pictures my maternal Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis had in her possession when she died had come from family and friends after the fires. She and my Grandfather Dennis divorced after my Mother married. Looking through the pictures, it was pretty obvious that none of the pictures were of my paternal Grandfather Dennis' family. And surprisingly, many pictures were marked with names. The few unmarked pictures have been hard to trace. I thought it would be easy since they must have been acquired by my Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis recently in time (post-fire). 

My family believes that these are pictures of some of the family (or maybe friends) of the Teel's or Stuart's of Fisher County, Texas.

The Teel's came to Texas by way of Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa and Virginia and included the Ham's of Bibb County, Alabama and (Indian Territory) Oklahoma, Other surnames are Parker, Cassidy and Lawrence. 

The Stuart's came to Texas from Neshoba County, Mississippi, and included surnames Yates, Musgrove, Cooksey, Barber, Jones, Stainton/Stanton, Hester and more.

Here's cropped versions of the young men, who I assume are brothers, in the group picture.

If you have any ideas or think they might be from your family, please contact me.

 Revis

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 8: Heirloom

Week 6 prompt of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Heirloom.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 6: Favorite Name

Week 6: Favorite Name

When I saw this prompt for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, I KNEW which name I would pick. I've always loved this name. It is the name of my great-great-grandmother who came from Prussia to the United States (Texas) in 1885. 

My family says this is her picture. 

Her name is Friederika Sophia Louise Trenckmann/Trenkman Ziegenfuss.

Friederika Sophia Louise Trenckmann/Trenkman Ziegenfuss

Born 3 Oct 1846 - Prussia, Died 5 Mar 1920-Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas

Friederika, known as "Freda" by her family, married Gottlieb Ziegenfuss (16 Aug 1820-Mutzel, Jerichower Land, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany - 20 JAN 1890-Tarrant County, Texas). 

Friederika's place of birth may be Hamberg (or Hamburg) according to her children. Her marriage date (and place) to Gottlieb Ziegenfuss is before 1869 when their oldest (assumed) child was born. And her parents' names are still a mystery to our family. 

More about her can be found on my old blog Vintage Gal's Genealogy. 

Loving her name, though, and one day hoping to find information on the people who named her. 

Revix 

52 Ancestors: Week 7 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

I don't remember sending this little Valentine

because my sister and I were so small.

But we did, and our little 

signatures are on the back to prove it 

(no picture of back of card so you'll just 

have to trust me on this). 

This Valentine went to our 

Great-Grandmother

Nina Ada Baldridge Dennis 

[read more about her at 52 Ancestors: Week3]

Blessings on this Valentine's Day, 

which is also the first day of Lent 

and Ash Wednesday 2018!

Revis