This is an idea I have been percolating for some time, and recently I am feeling more drawn to it. I would like to start a local group that I will call Holy Souls Genealogy Club. Here’s my sketch of what it is and why:
It will be a genealogy club for beginners. I don’t anticipate meetings as often as monthly; I’m thinking maybe three or four times a year. It will focus on inspiration and instruction on the basics of both traditional genealogical research, and genetic genealogical research.
The main reason I would pursue this is that I love it. I have worked on genealogy since I was 13 (with some long gaps), and while I am not an expert, my love for it has driven me to a place where I’m pretty handy with free resources and I’ve been around the learning curve involved with DNA testing. I can help beginners put together a basic tree, and perhaps even a more complicated tree if they have roots in the United States that go back at least 150 years or more. If people have done a DNA test and are just staring at a huge list of names and numbers and don’t understand this, I can usually offer some help in understanding the basic relationships.
One of the side-effects of genealogy, I find, is an enhanced journey into one’s personal identity. This can mean bigger things for some people in some circumstances. Adoptees, of course, might have lots of unanswered questions about their biological family, their ethnicity, who certain traits “came from,” whether they have close family. Even posing these question can cause conflicted feelings between loyalty to the parents who raised them and a niggling desire to know more. Others have a parent or a grandparent who was adopted and may want to find answers for them.
I was not an adoptee, but divorce caused me to feel completely disconnected from my father’s relatives and to identify only with my mother’s family. Researching my father’s family has helped fill in an understanding of his people and has given me not only a sense of connectedness, but has introduced me to a lot of living relatives I would never have known any other way.
There’s significant emotional work involved in deciding to research and in learning about the childhoods of people we knew as adults or elderlies. Genealogy helps one to get to know these as people in their own right, not simply as the extensions of oneself as a child. Deciding to research requires us to be with our memories and our questions, and this can be difficult in many different directions.
I’d call it Holy Souls Genealogy Club in part because it is a purgative experience to do all this. It takes courage to face the family pain, strain, absense, or loss that are part of all of our relationships. Another reason for the name is that I’m a Catholic, and Catholics practice praying for the souls of the departed, tradtionally called the holy souls in purgatory (suspending judgment on their final judgment, of course). I would definitely include a November 2 meeting on the Feast of All Souls. I often imagine that my solidly Protestant ancestor base has been waiting for a Catholic descendant to prayerfully remember them.
I also know that people don’t necessarily have all the time in the world to learn how to do all the research work. Not everyone finds it as exciting as I do to read through census records, looking for the right one. Some people would love to see the answers, without personally investing in the doing. While I’m by no means a professional, I’m also happy to be what they call a “search angel,” to invest some time in pursuing answers to specific questions. But it doesn’t take much to at least get started and to pursue your own story. Most people are at least a little interested in their ancestors, but just need some help getting started. Doesn’t it sound like fun?!
I have a horrendous confession to make. Several years ago, a cousin of my father’s gave me a little leather journal kept by my great-great grandfather, William Brown, who died in 1880 at age 47. I glanced through it and realized it was mostly full of math computations, so…. I have never read it.
Ok, I know that’s awful.
He is one of my major brickwall lines and maybe, just maybe, he says a little speck of something that has to do with people in it. At least I could just read it through cover to cover, correct? (Shall I also now admit that I also have a diary of his daughter-in-law that I also have never read? Someone get the cooked noodles.)
So I am not only going to read it, I am going to transcribe it. I’m going to leave out the math computations, though. Mea culpa.
PS: What I learned: This was written between 1875 and 1880, the year William died. He apparently worked away from home quite a bit, and developed a cough which seems to have taken his life at 47. His daughter Josie was enrolled at a school in Waterford in 1876 (she turned 17 that year).
Wm A Browns Book
(page 1)
First Week Haying
Drew 23 Loads
(page 2)
Commensed Work for Pomeroy* September the 25th in the Morning
Pomroy Cr. to Cash 5.00
P to Cash 10.00
P. to Cash 5.00
Pomeroy Cr. to Cash 5.00
*I believe this could be Grove Pomeroy who was enumerated in the 1850 census in Rochester, age 37, married to Ann.
(page 3)
Lost Time
5 1/2 Dayes going home
Worked Dec 10th all day the last day to Mr. Pomeroy
(page 5)
Monday Nov 15 (Could be 1852. This would seem likely if he never mentions his wife Almeda, as they were married in 1854)
Left Pommeroyes after Dinner Took the night trane for Geneva got there Eight OClock stayed all night
Tuesday 16th started for home a foot got home four Oclock found the folks all well very windy could (sic — cold) Day
Wednesday Nov 17th I Have been viseting all day to day. Had a chickeny Pie for supper rather could & cloudy.
Thursday Nov. 18th Went to Waterloo in the fore part of the day quite could filled the hatchway with straw & fixed the house in the after part it is warmer tonight looks like snow
Friday Nov 19th Went down & see Charles Simmons (this is his maternal first cousin). Let Will have my heavy Waggon. Meeda is fixing my clothes for me to start for Ill in the morning looks like snow. (Ok, that might blow my theory about it being 1852 as “Meeda” apparently is his wife. Unless she took up sewing for him before they married. Could be 1858 or 1869. Let’s see if any of his children are mentioned….)
sold Will my Hay
Saturday Nov 20th Got Back to Work verry Warm & Pleasent like summer found the folk all well
Sonday Nov 21 I am doing chores as usual it is verry coald Thermometer 4 above zero I havant been to meeting to day there were 5 Babtised in the lake to day.
Monday Nov 22nd We have been Drawing Corne & straw & stalks weather a little warmer snowing a little to night
Tuesday Nov 23rd We have been drawing straw & gethering cabage the day has been verry fine
Wednesday 24th I Have been Banking up the house all day today verry coald in the morning Thermometer 4 Below Warmer in the afterkown (?)
Thursday Nov 25th My health is verry good to day I have been Drawing cabbage & corne & Husking the same Eat a smashing Turkey for Diner quite warm agane Got 24cts Worth of paper & stamps
Friday Nov 26th We had a verry Heavy Raine last night I Have been Drawing cabage & Husking all day stalks weat
Saturday Nov 27th The weather is quite warm for the time of year. We have been Drawing corne to day it looks like snow to night the wind is verry coald
Sunday Nov 28th verry Warm Wrote a letter to My Dear Wife (! ok, not 1852) Raned last night I Went to church to night at the crossing it is getting verry coald wind blowes verry hard got 1/4 pound Tobacco to day
Monday Nov 29th verry coald Day the coldest we have had this season Thermometer 10 Below I have been takeing care of the cowes & Husking corne
Tuesday Nov 30eth Warmer to day looks like snow Had a letter from home was glad to hear they were well My work the same as useual I Went to the store to night got a box of Pills don’t feel well. (This could be 1875, if he is developing health problems.)
Wednesday Dec 1 verry Warm & Pleasent Went to the crossing to day to draw sum Brand & shorts for the cowes (?) Had lots of chores to do
Thursday Dec 2ond There is a congregational festival to our house to night. The Wether keeps warm I have been Drawing feed from the crossing all day feel verry tired looks like Rane to night.
Friday Dec 3rd verry Foggy & Warm this morning loks like Rane at knoon it keeps foggy & looks like Rane at 9 oclock I have been husking corn to day
Saturday Dec 4th It Has been verry unhealthy (?) to day verry heavy fog all day it is getting verry muddy I have been Husking corn
Sonday Dec 5th I Worked 2 Months 3 1/2 Dayes last night the time taken out that I went home It still continues Foggy & Warm The rest of the folks have all gone to church. I am takeing care of Eddy & Writing to (?bub? bert?) & Meda. (If that says Bert, then this is definitely 1875.)
Monday Dec 6th It has been another foggy day it Raned sum most all day the mud is verry deep it is a little cooler to night
Tuesday Dec 7enth It Has been verry Warm to day Raned quite hard the mud is verry deep I went to a concert to the crossing in the eavning Paid 40cts
Wednesday Dec 8th It Has been snowing & Thawing most all day it is a little colder to night Thermometer 6 below freeseing
Thursday Dec 9th It has been cooler to day frose sum last night. I have been about 2 miles after a load of straw to day verry hard going I am verry tired to night
Friday Dec 10enth I Have been doing chores & Husking all day it has thawed & snowed verry warm for the time of year
Saturday Dec 11enth came to Geneva bye rale took skanks horses & came home verry slippery travaling a little snow on the ground quite warm
Sunday Dec 12th I am at home to day haveing a nice time quite a pleasent day not verry coald but clear wind hi
Monday Dec 13ent It is verry windy to day & coalder I Went over to John Morrises this afterknoon went with horse & carrage the roads ar quite rough
Tuesday Dec 14ent I Got a load of wood to day & went to Mr Hollester in the eavning myself & Meda & Will had a good time the wind blew hard (Ok, if Will is there it is either 1869 or 1875 as he was born in 1862)
Wednesday Dec 15ent verry fine morning clear & warm choped Wood & went to Mr Craiges
Thursday Dec 16ent It is quite coald to day I went to Mrs Utters & got 1 1/2 lbs of lard It is snowing a little & blowing a good (d)eal Paid 15cts for the lard Sold 4.4 lbs of chickens to Hicks.
Friday Dec 17nth verry coald Day Thermometer 13 Below It snowed a lttle last night I went to John Moorrises to day the waggon runs good God 1/4 lb of Tobacco 13cts.
Saturday Dec 18enth It is quite coald to day I Have been chopping in the woods it is growing warmer fast I Payed $135 for flower got 50 lbs (I hope he’s missing a decimal point there)
Sonday Dec 19enth I Went & carried the folks to church & Wrote a letter to Pomeroy quite a coald wind
Monday Dec 20eth I Was chopping & getting in wood all day verry warm looks like Rane Meeda went to Mukwonago
Tuesday 21st I Am to work at Wood it is as warm as summer the clouds look like showers this afterknoon I have bee(n) helping All Patterson on his well
Wednesday Dec 22ond I Have been to A Pattersons to day verry warm like an April day I am going to Mr Peeps Donation to night
Thursday Dec 23rd I Have been to work for A Patterson today it has been warm looks like snow to night
Friday Dec 24th It raned all the foreknoon this afterknoon I went & worked on the well it is a little colder to night looks like snow
Saturday Dec 25 verry Pleasent Christmas I Worked for All all day to day very hard dayes work
Sonday Dec 26th It is snowing quite fast to day it is a verry warm storm
Monday Dec 27 I Went to the Prairie in the foreknoon drew 2 loads of wood in the after coalder to day than yesterday
Tuesday Dec 28th I choped & drew Wood Emma & Will took dinner with us verry warm (Ok, if that is a thing to note, then this is probably 1875, as Emma would have been 20 years old and married…. Possibly that is why he came home for those 5.5 days, although he never mentions his daughter getting married. I have her marriage date as Nov. 11, but that could have been a misprint for Nov. 17, which would fit the day that they were visiting all day.)
Wednesday Dec 29th I Choped Wood this foreknoon this afterknoon we have been viseting with Mr & Mrs Ward up to father’s it is Raining & the snow is going off.
Thursday Dec 30eth I Have been chopping to day verry warm & foggy the frost is umost out of the ground Will went to Mukwonago Miss Colins came home with him to make a viset
Friday Dec 31st It has Rained verry hard to day the frost is all out of the ground I Went to the Prairie Got 1/2 Gallon syrup one spool of thread Paid 50cts
Saturday Jan 1st It has Rained most all day we went up to Fathers & eat turkey the wind is blowing verry hard to night It is growing coald B. Utter & Wife eat Turkey with us to day.
Sonday Jan 2ond It cleared off last night verry
Monday Jan 3rd Commensed to Work for J. Morris Built a sheep rack & drew sum Wood & done lots of chores
Tuesday Jan 4th/76 (ah! Finally we have a mention of the year!) I Have been drawing Meanure to day a little coalder With the wind in the east
Wednesday Jan 5th/76 I Have been butchering to day verry warm & nice no snow on the ground
Thursday Jan 6th I Have been drawing wood all day verry warm
Friday Jan 7th I Have been shelling corn & cleaning up oats for mill looks like Rane I sent to Waukesha & got 1/4 Tobacco 25cts got one bottle cough Meddicine 45cts
Saturday Jan 8th I Have been cutting up & packing pork all day verry warm looks like Rane
Sonday Jan 9th It Has been Raneing & snowing most all day the mud is getting deep the roads ar hard
Monday Jan 10th It snowed a little last night quite coald to day I h ave been chopping in the woods all day
Tuesday Jan 11enth I have been drawing wood all day to day It is quite coald snowed a little not enough to make sleighing got my Boots taped payed 35cts
Wednesday Jan 12th I Have been drawing manure to day It has been a nice winter day
Thursday Jan 13th I Have been Drawing manure to day it is getting warm again thawing sum
Friday Jan 14th I Have been clearring up a grist for mill to day it continues warm
Saturday Jan 15th I Have been fixing the smoke house & hanging up the hams & shoulders & fixing the sheep shead. I Rec a letter from home to day all well
Sonday Jan 16th It Has been a foggy day I went with John down to his Place to day the roads ar getting better
Monday Jan 17th I Went to Waukesha to day & got a load of lumber it is getting muddy againe verry warm I Got me a hat Payed $1.50 for it
Tuesday Jan 18enth We have been a killing a beef it has Raned most all day verry foggy & verry warm
Wednesday Jan 19enth It snowed last night a little coald to night I have been cleaning a harness to day looks like more snow
Thursday 20eth/76 I Have been to work on harness
Friday 21st I Have been drawing wood to day on sleighs God one fourth Pound of Tobacco
Saturday 22nd It Has been foggy & Rainey all day I have been drawing Wood
Sonday 23rd It is a little Cooler to day I am to my chores & work I Exspected to go home last night but could ant on account of the Raine yesterday
Monday Jan 24th/76 verry fine day, cool I Have been drawing stone
Tuesday 25th We Have been butchering to day quite coald
Wednesday 26th I Have been drawing stone it looks like a storm John has gone to Waukesha I sent for more caugh medicine
Thursday 27th I am drawing stone verry warm & fine snow most gone getting muddy it Rained last night
Friday Jan 28th/76 It has been Rainey to day & verry warm regular spring day I have been working in the seller all day
Saturday Jan 29th/76 It is quite coald to day I have been chopping in the woods went home to night found the folks all well.
Sonday Jan 30eth I Am to home to day the wind blowes verry hard not verry coald tonight I am bac (?) to my work
Monday Jan 31st Annother verry Pleasent day I Have been drawing wood the board met & stayed all night
Tuesday Feb 1st It is a verry Windy & stormy day quite coald the board have gone home I am doing the choars most of the time J T has gone to Waukesha
Wednesday Feb 2nd I Went to Waukesa & Got a load of Lumber to day quite coald
Thursday Feb 3rd I Went to the marsh after a load of hay It was so Icey the horese could ant stand up came home without it went to chopping in the woods the rest of the day J. T. sold his calf
Friday Feb 4th I Have been drawing Wood all day quite coald J. T. went to Waukesha after a load of shingles
Saturday Feb 5 I have been chopping in the woods my Birthday (thank you for that mention…He was 43 that year) J. T. Went to Waterford
Sonday Feb 6th/76It is verry Pleasent & warm againe with south wind thawing some I am doing my Sonday chores at JT I write a letter home to day
Monday Feb 7th/76 It is warm agane to day I Have been drawing hay from the marsh drew Two loads
Tuesday Feb 8th We ar Hulling clover to day looks like Rane J. T. had 6 Bushels clover
Wednesday 9th It has been a verry Rainey day I have been working in the barn all day
Thursday Feb 10th It has been Rainey & Foggy to day I Went to the marsh after a load of hay J T Went to Waukesha we had a thunder shower to night very warm
Friday Feb 11enth Finished drawing hay to day verry weat & warm
Saturday Feb 12 J. T & Myself went to Mukwonago to buye stock
Sonday 13enth I Was to my Work the roads were so bad I couldant go home
Monday 14enth I was chopping all day
Tuesday 15enth I Went to Mill the hardest going I eaver saw It was so rough quite coald
Wednesday 16enth I Have been drawing Wood all day verry coald
Thursday 17enth I Have been drawing Wood to day verry Pleasent but cool I rec a letter from home all quite well JT Went to Waukesha to day Got some things for Meda to the amount of $2.46
Friday 18th/76 I Went to Waukesha & got a load of lumber warm
Saturday 19th I Have been to Waukesha after a load of Timber for the hog pen quite cool & Pleasent J.T has gone to Mukwonago to the lodge
Sonday 20eth/76 I Have been doing my chores at the county Farm to day verry Pleasent spring day J. T. went to Martins with cloverseed one of the inmates run away to day came back to night looks like a storm to night wind blowes
Monday 21st/76 I Have been to Waukesha It Rained & snowed in the Morning J. T. has gone to Milwakee
Tuesday 22nd I Have been to Waukesha after lumber to day Roads ar good quite cool & windy to night
Wednesday 23rd I Have been chopping all day quite coald looks like snow to night It frose verry hard last night
Thursday Feb 24th verry Pleasent Day varm J. T. Went to Waukesk I Have been drawing stones all day
Friday Feb 25th I Have been drawing stones all day verry warm & Pleasent the roads ar dusty
Saturday Feb 26th I Have been drawing Wood all day J. T. Went to the bend it is Raining to night
Sonday 27th/76 I Was to my chores all day
Monday 28th I Was drawing Wood all day Meda & Josie came to see me (Josie was 16 at the time)
Tuesday 29th I Went to Waukesha with my family to trade with the sleigh
Wednesday Mar 1st Meda went home this morning it is snowing had quite coald to night I havent done anything but tinker to day J. T went to Waukesha
Thursday March 2nd J. T. & Myself went to Milwaukee to day with sleighs good sleighing
Friday March 3rd We went to the stone querry & got 2 loads of stone sleighing most gone up
Saturday 4th J. T. and Myself went to Waukesha the sleighing is nearly gone. it looks like Rain to night
Sonday March 5th I Am at my chores to day Went down to Martins & got some coffe for the Co House lost a (ar?) last night
Monday 6th We have been killing a Beef to day it has Rained the mud is getting deep had a cow come in last night or yesterday
Tuesday 7enth 1876 I Have been chopping & Hanging hames up to smoke it has Rained sum
Wednesday 8th I Was chopping & drawing Wood all day
Thursday 9th I Have been splitting Posts & Wood verry Warm
Friday 10th/76 I Have been chopping to day verry Warm the mud verry deep it is Raining tonight
Saturday 11enth I Went home to day the Roads ar verry bad
Sunday 12th I am verry happy at home with my familey they ar all well
Monday 13th I am back home again to night verry pleasent
Tuesday 14th/76 (date is written but no entry. Next page entry skips to July
Sunday July 30th/76 I am at the Co Farm verry Pleasent Meda went Home Friday last We ar most through haying cut some Wheat friday J. T. has gone to Milwaukee
Monday July 31st I Am reaping & drawing hay verry pleasent & warm in the foreknoon J. T. Got back from Milwaukee tonight We had a new comer to day.
Tuesday August 1st very Hot I Have been drawing Hay & Reaping I sent for 1/2 Pound of Tobacco Payed 40cts to Martins
Wednesday Aug 2on very Hot & Pleasent I Have been reapping all day
Thursday Aug 3rd The Frenahnan(?) left this Morning I Have been Reaping all day verry Hot snyder came back tonight
Friday Aug 4th verry Hot a little Rane annother new comer I have been Harvesting
Saturday Aug 5th I Have been harvesting verry Pleasent J. T. went to Waukesha the old criple has come back that was here last winter
Sonday August 6th verry Pleasent day I have been to Mukwonago to carry Betcy to see the Dr.
Monday Aug 7th I Have been Birding Wheat & oats all day verry Hot & getting dry
Tuesday Aug 8th It still keeps verry Hot & Dry We are harvesting Oats
Wednesday Aug 9th J. T. Has gone to Waukesha with Mrs Babcock on business the rest of us ar harvesting oats yet Rane this afterknoon
Thursday Aug 10th We ar Haying & finished cutting oats very hot
Friday Aug 11ent verry Hot I am sick Went to Waukesha got sum medicine
Saturday Aug 12th J. T. & Albert have gone to Mukwonago I am seeing to things on the farm not verry well yet verry hot
Sonday Aug 13th I am better to day at the farm It continues verry hot J. T. Went to Martins
Monday Aug 14th I Have been drawing Manure there is Two new comeers to day verry Hot yet
Tuesday Aug 15th I Drew Manure in the foreknoon stacked Wheat in the afterknoon a little cooler verry coald nights
Wednesday Aug 16th I Have been stacking Wheat all day it Rained at night a Woman & little Boy came today
Thursday Aug 17th It Raned in the for part of the day in the afterpart we went to the Marsh & commensed Mowing annother Woman & child cam to day
Friday Aug 18th We went to the Marsh in the Morning had a verry Heavy Rane came home & fixed some fence
Saturday Aug 19th I Have been fixing fence & to work at hay cooler this morning felt very much like a frost
Sonday Aug 20eth I Went to Marsh & put up some hay very pleasent but cool went to Martins got 1/4 P Tobacco
Monday Aug 21st We have been drawing Wheat & Oats all day quite cool feels like a frost to night
Tuesday Aug 22nd I Have been Drawing Grane in the foreknoon this aftereknoon fixing fence We had a heavy shower at knoon
Wednesday Aug 23rd I have been finishing Haying on the farm to day verry hot looks like Rane to nyte
Thursday 24th/76 I Have been drawing stone & Wheat all day very Hot I Have got me a new Pare of Boots We have got through harvesting
Friday Aug 25th/76 I Have been drawing Manure all day verry cool & Pleasent
saturday Aug 26th I Have been been Drawing Manure & stacking Hay Father & Mother made us a visit to day I went Home with them
Sonday Aug 27th/76 I am at Home to day verry Pleasent found the folks as well as usual
Monday Aug 28th I Have been Drawing Manure & Thrashing to day looks like Rane to night
Tuesday 29th/76 I Have been Thrashing Part of the day Had a very heavy Rane the mud is deep
Wednesday Aug 30eth We Had a heavy Rane last night I have been Mowing Weeds & Drawing stone quite warm
Thursday Aug 31st We have been thrashing at the Farm today very Hot
Friday Sept 1st We Finished Thrashing to day & Went to Waukesha quite cool
Saturday Sept 2on I Have been Drawing Wood & Building fence J. T. & Wife have gone to Mukwonago verry cool tonight feels like a frost
Sonday Sept 3rd I Have been at the County Farm all day The Wind has blowed verry Hard
Monday Sept 4th I Have been cutting clover & Drawing stone J. T. Went to Elm Grove after Anna cold to night
Tuesday Sept 5th I Have been clearing Wheat & Digging celler all Day it has been a verry Raney day quite cool to night
Wednesday Sept 6th I Am at Home to night found all Well except Bertie he is quite sick I Worked in the foreknoon Fixing fence & digging seller
Thursday Sept 7th I Am still at Home I Went to the Barn (?) it has been cloudey all day quite warm
Friday Sept 8th/76 I Have been Home all day it has been clouddy I Went to the Prairie got 1/4 P Tobacco
Saturday Sept 9th I Am still at Home it has been a Raney day & still keeps clouddy the mud is getting deep
Sonday Sept 10th/76 It Has been Raney to day I Am at home
Monday Sept 11enth I Went to Waterford annother Raney Day Josey goes to school tomorrow to Waterford
Tuesday Sept 12th/76 It Hasent Raned to day but ceeps cloudy yet Josie has gone to school I am still at home haveing a good time
Wednesday Sept 13eenth Annother verry Rayney day I am still at home started for the Farm in the Mornin16g & Was drove back with the Rane
Thursday Sept 14th I Am back at the Farm got back at knoon Went to Work this afterknoon It cleared off this afterknoon
Friday Sept 15enth I Have been to work in Hay verry Pleasent
Saturday Sept 16en It Has been a verry Pleasent Day
Sonday Sept 17th I Have been to the Farm all day quite Pleasent
Monday sept 18th I Have been drawing Hay Picking stones & Plowing
Tuesday Sept 19th I Was verry sick last night Better this Morning Worked half of the day
Wednesday sept 20th I Have been Plowing all day it looks verry much lik Rane to night
Thursday Sept 21st (no entry)
October 3rd Worked for 1.00 October 4th Worked for J. Brown Dayes 1 Oct. J. Brown Dayes 1 J. Brown Dayes 1 J. B. Dayes 1 Wednesday 1 1/2 Thursday Friday 1 Saturday 1
Worked for Van 3/4 day Husking corn 3/4 day Thrashing one day Digging Potatoes one day Digging Potatoes Husked 34 Baskets corn Van Cr. For 57 lbs Buck Wheat flour at 26 cts 143 Husked one Half Day Husked Dayes 1 1/2 Cr For Dress 123- Oct 23 Wrked for H Peacock owe by Cash 1.00 (this entire pages has an X through it)
Commensed Work for J. Brown By the year Nov. First 1876
Lost Time Dayes
Gained Time 11/2 Dayes 4 1/2
J Brown Cr. Dec 10 to 23 lbs Flour 65 cts Dec 25 to stove 46.65 Jan 4 to Pork 64 lbs at 7cts 4.48 June 29th To cash for 51.78 flour 6.00 Cr. to fixing Pale 20cts July 4th Cr. to Cash 10.00 Meal & cup .88 July 21st amount 68.86 Aug 12th to cash 10.00 Worked 9 Months + 24 days Work amounted to 137.40
J. B. Cr. For Butter Up to Nov 12th, 1877 10.45 For Flour 1.54 For Lard .75 for flour 1.45 for vest 1.50 for medein .60 (?) Jan 9 for pork 2 kd 9.00 10 15.00
1878 July 26th A. West Commensed to work Balance due on corn Pasture $4.50 Buckwheat 150 lbs at 2 1/2 3.75 Cash 5.00 Tax 4.14 6lbs of Wheat at 75 4.50 Cash 5.00 March 15th 79 to Cash $20.00 Dr. For Wood 2.00 Dr. to One & a half 1.20 Bushells of Wheat at 8. 1/4 Bushell of Timothy (?) 25
Footed up $54.84
Two Bushells of Oats at 25cts 50 38 lbs of flower at 2 1/2 cts 76 6 Bushells Wheat at 80 cts per bushell $4.80 23 lbs Flour at 2 1/2 58 Cash 25 cts Cash on shearing 1.50
Ac With West For the year 1879 Commenseing August First Over paid from last year $3.75
West Dr. to cash $25.00 Dr. Fo Cash 15.00 Dr. For Tax 4.07 Dr. To cash 7.00 Dr to cash 5.00
(The following two pages appear upside down in the book. The page that begins “Rx” has had a portion cut off) (not in William’s handwriting) Recipt For Cough 4 oz Glycerine 3 grains morphene 1 teaspoon Clorate potash Recipt Carbolce 3 10/11 (?) sig – 1/4 Dose 1/2 8 Teaspoonfull
Rx —
Nitro Monatic Acid 3 11 (or z 11) Sig. one 1/2 teaspoonfull in a quartge volin for a bath (?)
Dec 2ond/76 Paid Elder the First quarterly Meeting 50cts
Dec 11enth 1/2 Po of Tea 60cts 2 lbs coffee 56cts Dec 20eth 50 lbs Flour 7.40 Dec 19th 10 lbs Pork 1.00
Drove The Heiffer We Raised July First Drove Perkins Heiffer July 14th Drove the Dier Heiffer June 12th
Rec. of J. T. Morris on old account $10.40 Rec cash .88 Rec cash $3.12 Rec. cash $15 Rec cash $10
Commensed to Work for J. T. Morris Jan. 1st 76 squared up to April first Cash 40.0 Dollars squared up to July 1st
Rec July First $10 Aug 23 one Pair Boots September Rec Cash 15.00
Payed J. T. on old account $10.40 Payed on Watch 20.00
Account With Eaverson Commenseing Nov First 1878 Eav Dr. to 50 Bushells Oats at 19cts $9.50 Dr. For Corn 2.80 Dr. For Wood 1.00 For Rent on Land 18.00
Eaverson Cr. For Digging stumps $1.60 For Lumber & Nales $1.50 For Tagging Sheep 1.25 Cr. For Washing sheep 50 For Haying 1/2 Day 62 For Haying 1/2 Day 62 Cr. For Harvesting 3 Dayes 4.50 Cr. For Haying 3 1/2 Days For Harvesting 2 Days For 1/2 Day Haying 63 Cr. For Two Thrashing Cr. For Husking 3 Dayes
Nov. 1st 1879 Ballanced Books Eaverson Dr. To cash Ten Dollars 1880 (this is written across the bottom of the two pages) Cr. to one day drawing stalks Cr. for Butchering
Payed since the Jan 1st one Hat 15.00 Boots Taped & new heals put on .40 Got caugh Medicine .45 1/4 Pound Tobacco .25 one Box Pilles .25 1/4 P. Tobacco .25 January $3.10 February 1 Pair Mittings 1.50 caugh Medicine .40 Whiskey .50 one Pair Gloves 1. 60 one Codfish .80 Whiskey .50
March
Dec 8th 1875 verry coald With hie Wind Thurmometer 18 degrees Below Dec 16th Thurmometer 15 Below
Several of my friends and relatives have taken or are going to be taking a DNA test, either for the kicks of seeing their ethnicity results, or to track down long lost relatives. I am by zero means an expert of genetic genealogy or DNA testing, but I have learned a thing or two by being moderately obsessed with diligent about learning different tricks. I’d like to share a few suggestions for getting the most out of your test.
Remember, your ethnicity results are estimates. Depending on which company you tested with, the results might even change over time. Remember that DNA reaches betweeen 500-1000 years back in history. You’ll get info that describes regions, not political boundaries. You might think of those ancestors as sitting tight in one area. (Some did, like my maternal Grandmother’s family, and did nothing but intermarry with the neighbors for nine generations. That’s called endogamy.) But a lot of those people moved around a lot more than you might expect.
Don’t be alarmed if your ethnicity results are quite different from your siblings’. Imagine a bowl of marbles: your mom’s genes and your dad’s genes. For each child, half of the selection comes from mom’s, half from dad’s. But which pieces are chosen are very random. If Mom is 25% French, 25% Russian, 25% Nigerian and 25% Icelandic, you might get all her French, some Icelandic and Nigerian, and no Russian. If Dad is 50% French and 50% Norweigan, you could still end up with only 5% French, just by the luck of the draw, while your sib might have a completely different mix, and match to completely different relatives.
Be prepared for some surprises. These surprises can include learning at a late stage in life that you were adopted, that your father isn’t who you expect, or that you have siblings you didn’t know about. If you are a man, it could include finding a child you didn’t know existed. I belong to a great Facebook group called DNA Detectives, and I read stories every single day of this type of thing happening.
CREATE AND SHARE A BASIC TREE! Sorry for shouting that point, but it is really important to anyone who is searching for someone, and finds that they connect to you. Each of the companies gives you the ability to post a basic to a complex tree. I encourage you to post your direct line of ancestors as far back as you know. If you want me to, especially if we are related, send me a message and I’ll crank a GEDCOM out for you from my program. I find data entry relaxing, so I’m happy to build a tree for those who want something they can upload without typing much.
There are so many places to upload your results! I’d encourage you to try all of them! WHY? Well, if you are all about those ethnicity numbers, it is interesting to have a few second opinions to see what everyone agrees on. And, you might be a missing link that will solve another’s genealogy mystery, or help them get closer to a solution. You might also get back in touch with a relative you haven’t seen in ages.
Here are most of the better-known free sites:
GEDMATCH.com — More matches from other companies. Tools to get a second opinion about ethnicity admixtures.
Genesis.gedmatch.com — Like the original GEDMATCH, but has a lot of 23&Me tests, since the original GEDMATCH can no longer support uploads from that company.
DNA.land — Help breast cancer research by uploading here and taking a few quick surveys. I really like the ethnicity tool here.
Geni — Specifically you can go here to upload your DNA to be matched with more people. You can add a tree on this site and search for your ancestors.
MyHeritage — You will probably find LOTS more matches at this site. I find quite a few non-Americans here, if you are looking for folks of that persuasion. I would take these ethnicity results with a small grain of salt, though.
Family Tree DNA — This is the company I tested with, but if you tested at Ancestry, you ca upload to this site for free, and I think it is another $20 to use the comparison tools (or, just use GEDMATCH).
WikiTree — A giant, collaborative tree on which you can control your own family data, and see if you can connect onto the larger tree. You can also upload DNA.
There is also DNA Painter, which isn’t so much about uploading your info as it is about sorting out your matches, especially if you have a few cousins that you can indentify.
There are also lots of great tutorials on how to use some of the basics like GEDMATCH. Just Google “How to use GEDMATCH,” and you’ll have more info than you want 🙂
Feel free to ask anything you like. These sites do present a bit of a learning curve, and at first all the numbers and names are nothing but bewildering. With a bit of perseverence, it starts to make sense.
Happened to click on this blog and realized I didn’t finish the story I started.
So, apparently my great-grandmother was not adopted after all. That handwritten information I’d found (Caroline Petersen — Peter Rasmussen, Brunk, step-father), it turns out, actually was meaning to convey that Caroline’s father, Peder Rasmussen, was raised by a step-father, because his own father (Rasmus Rasmussen) died a few months before Peder was born. This step father (Peder Hendriksen) sometimes used the appended surname “Brunk” (or Brink, or Braun, as it has been variously passed down). Thus, “Brunk, step-father” did not refer to my great-grandmother’s step-father at all, because she never had one.
Lesson: never presume you understand what a written record supposedly clearly says.
And then, my mysterious great-great grandmother has the decency to pop up right quick, with the correct birth date, parents’ names, and everything.
And on these two pages, there is an Ane Dorthe Hansen in the 1860 census, servant on a large farm. There just so happens to be a Peter Rasmussen of the correct age working on the same farm. Hmmm.
(I cut out a few of the workers that I couldn’t fit between the two pages.)
It also appears, from the Familysearch.org records, that Ane Dorthe had a sister named Sidsel Marie Hansen who was baptized on the same day as she. Were they twins? When I go to the filmed records in the Danish Archives, neither one is shown in the Vestenskov records. I am suspicious, though, because it appears that every child baptized in that parish for at least 18 months was a boy. Are there separate registries for boys and girls? Am I missing something in the translation?
These are notes as I try to work out the actual parentage of my great-grandmother.
Handwritten notes passed down to me note this:
Moa: Karoline Petersen Hansen (June 7, 1870 – July 28, 1946)
Father: Peter Rasmussen (Brunk) (StepFather) born 2/13/1836, died 2/24/1900
Mother: Dorte Hansen, born 6/16/1839, Died 8/31/1909.
An IGI Individual Record I printed from familysearch.org on 4/21/2004 gives this information: Peder Rasmussen Brink, birth: about 1836, Vestenskov, Maribo, Denmark. Death: 24 Dec., 1900. Father: Rasmus Rasmussen; Mother: Margrethe Pedersen.
This is a marriage record of a Peder Rasmussen, born Feb. 14, 1836 and Pouline Larsen, b. 15 Sept. 1840:
This is the record I have thought was my great-grandmother’s adoptive family in the 1880 census, but her age is not exact and Peter Rasmussen’s age is not exact. Neither is she Karoline Petersen:
The Peder Rasmussen and Hanne Christine Mortensen of this census record were married in Hunseby, Maribo on June 8, 1856, according to familysearch.org records. So it appears clear that these are two seperate Peder Rasmussens.
The second entry here is a baptismal record for Karoline Kirsten Rasmussen. (Her middle initial in her obit was C., but her name was also written Caroline. On more than one handwritten sheet of family records, “Caroline” was crossed out and replaced with “Karoline.”) The dates do not match her reported birth date.
For the moment I am going to leave this as a pile of thoughts. Whoever this Peter Rasmussen may be, it seems agreed by all sources that he is NOT the birth father of Karoline Petersen.
This article on the Verveelens incorporates the information gleaned from the marriage bans that I helped Peter Vanvalen of Australia uncover in 2002! (See post on Marriage Banns)
If anyone is searching for emhosdil@1st.net on Ancestry or Rootsweb, that’s me. That was my old email address from 15 years ago, and I have not discovered a good way to transfer all my posts to my new, working email. I’m hoping this post will help the desperate researcher.
I am not an Ancestry member, so searching that way won’t help. But many years ago I posted a bajillion things on Rootsweb, questions as well as resource offers. I don’t spend much time on genealogy any more, but I’d hate for someone with a vital connection to be stuck with no way to contact me.
You can leave comments here, or email me at mom22miracles at gmail dot com.
Henry Albert and Paul Oliver are brothers, sons of Clarence and Anna Van Valin. George Oliver is their consin, son of Floriman and Elizabeth Van Valin.
Genealogy Dribs and Drabs 