Archive for the ‘Ancestry’ Category

Mystery Monday ~ Who, What, When, Where?

Posted: August 20, 2012 in Ancestry, cornett, Family, Genealogy, research
Tags: , , , , , ,
0
“Hawaiian Jasmine”
Photo Credit: Kelly Vial via kellyvial.wordpress.com
Photo Taken: July 2012, in Honolulu, Hawaii

Hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed weekend! I spent my Saturday, cooking and creating in my kitchen and my Sunday was spent at Ala Moana Beach Park near Magic Island. I went to a baby shower for a dear friend and it was a smashing success! Plenty of games, good food, playing and watching the keiki’s have fun in the sun. There’s nothing better than getting together with your family and friends and welcoming another new life into this crazy world. The sun  was hot yesterday and it was really refreshing to enjoy the cool,  salty water with everyone. It was an unconventional baby shower where men were included in this awesome celebration. It was all great fun 🙂

Speaking of family, who were they really? My quest is to learn more about who my Cornett family really is. It’s more than the genealogy aspect, it’s about the history of my family and getting to know them on a more personal level even though they are long gone. Sometimes I think I should have been born in this era, back in the 1800’s. What life must have been like for them. The trials and tribulations they must have endured in order to survive. Once you start your own family history research, you find that you need to dig just a little deeper because you just haven’t found that clue yet. It may be in the next shovel of dirt you are digging with. You bend over and scoop up a handful of rich soil, while it slowly sifts through your fingers. Looking, searching, and hoping that the next clue will one day be right there in your hands.

What kind of people do you come from? Were they from another country other than the U.S.? Why did they choose Grayson County, Virginia or even Kentucky in which they decided to settle? What were their thoughts regarding the land they would be living on? Was it fertile land, great for farming and cattle? What did they hunt for food? Deer? Did they come across Native Americans? What did they eat back then? So many questions and I will probably never know all of it, but the thrill of the hunt keeps me going!

When my family settled in Grayson, Virginia and also in Kentucky, why did these particular areas appeal to them so much over other areas? I can only imagine that this land in which they decided to live and start a family on, was rough and rugged. Can you imagine having to clear land and trees in order to build your home? Today we have heavy machinery to do this for us, so you can guess how much hard work, tears and sweat they must have poured into their lives, their land and their homesteads. I guess the good thing about that, is the ability to use the lumber in which they had to clear,  using the wood as a log home or cabin.

Where did the Cornett family originate from? From some web sites I have read, it mentions that the Cornett surname was Norse or of French origin. Does anyone really know? The Cornett family married into one family with the last name of Sutherland, where some of the Sutherland’s back in the mid 1700’s originated from Scotland. But what about the Cornett’s? Where do the really come from?

There are so many things to discover in your family tree. The who, what, when, and where of your history will only add depth to your knowledge of your ancestors that came before you.

What will you discover?

Happy Ancestor Hunting!! 🙂

Wordless Wednesday~ Family Of George Wesley Cornett and Celia Ann Pool(e)

Posted: August 1, 2012 in Ancestry, cornett, Family, Genealogy, research, Wordless Wednesday
Tags: , , , ,
0

Family of George Wesley Cornett and Celia Ann Pool(e)
Photo Courtesy of: Dan R. Roberts (Originally Submitted May 29, 2011) Ancestry.com Family Tree
Bottom of Photo: Courtesy of Louise Mays
(Date Actual Photo Was Taken is Currently Unknown)

George Wesley Cornett and Celia Ann Pool(e) were my GG- Grandparents.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Gone But Not Forgotten

Posted: July 31, 2012 in Ancestry, cornett, Family, memories
Tags: , , ,
0

 

Billy Edward Cornett
(March 15,1944 – April 28, 2001)
Image Credit: Findagrave.com (Daniel Cole) taken on: July 23, 2012
Grave Location: Bel Air Memorial Gardens (Sunrise Section 26D-3)
Harford County, Maryland

The grave marker image above was photographed by a volunteer of Findagrave.com. My father’s grave marker above looks rather lonely and forgotten. No flowers or vase on display that shows he is forever thought of. The grass is starting to overcrowd his grave around the edges and there are no flowers to say, “You may be gone, but never forgotten.” That is the sorrow of being buried in a cemetery I guess. Even though his spirit is in Heaven, it would bring me more peace if I knew that he wasn’t left here all alone in a cemetery grave yard, where the dry, crispy leaves sweep across his grave site.  It makes me not want to be buried at all, knowing that one day, I will eventually be forgotten and left behind as others just walk past me with no kind words or thoughts of my life. I would be just a memory. Remembered only at the time of my funeral and maybe a few short months that may pass by, isn’t enough for me.

His grave marker is rather simple, with just his name, birth,and death years engraved on it. One day, I hope to visit his grave myself, in person and just be close to him. If only, just to talk to him and let him know that he is not forgotten by me or my sister, Amy. We think of him every day and will never forget his memory as long as we live.

Rest In Peace Daddy 🙂

 

Motivation Monday ~ On The Hunt

Posted: July 29, 2012 in Ancestry, Family, Genealogy, research
Tags: , , , , , ,
1

brick wall

brick wall (Photo credit: Muffet)

Most days, I stay motivated by working with other family researchers, who just so happen to be my own family! Family I never knew I had until recently. They have become my rock so to speak. They know what hard work it can be to try and track down our ancestors. The thirst for knowledge we have about our family’s past. The ache of not knowing where one family members’ life may take us. It could be down an old, beaten path or it could be down a road less traveled. So much so that we have to cut our way through and make the path passable. At the end of the day, a genealogist or family historian still has names, dates, agendas, to-do lists, research plans and logs, documents to find, dusty attics to search through– all this and much more goes running through our minds at any given time. Most of the time I suffer from insomnia and find myself wide awake at different hours of the night, or should I say early morning? It seems like my best writing ideas comes to me at 3 a.m.! I guess it’s my quiet time with no interruptions or anything else that would distract my thought process. It’s just me, my cup of coffee which is flavored with my favorite hazelnut creamer, my laptop, and my thoughts!

I have even found myself dreaming of what I needed to do regarding my genealogy research. I recently had a dream of ancestors and antique shops, where I found something from the 1700’s that had their name and date of birth written on it. It was a simple Christmas ornament, but the shop keeper wanted an arm and a leg for it and it was way out of my price range. ($7500 to be exact) What do you think triggered this dream? It had to be the email I sent to this antique shop in Virginia just a few days ago! If I were to interpret the dream, I would say that I am feeling out of touch, feeling that my ancestors are just out of my reach. So close but yet so far! I can dream up some really strange dreams, but this one I actually remembered in vivid detail for some odd reason.

Today, I feel like I need more motivation to keep up with all the block walls that I seem to be running into blindly. If you can just picture this: a woman running along a winding road, the wind blowing through her hair and the sun shining down on her. All of a sudden she collides into a brick and mortar wall, her face slamming right into it, as it just appeared out of nowhere. She’s stunned. She looks around to see if anyone saw her. Oh, how embarrassed she would be! Mortified to say the least 🙂

In my most recent search for my fathers documents, I didn’t know the city or county he was born in until Sunday afternoon. I received an email from my aunt, telling me that my father was born in Wythe County, Crockett, Virginia. He wasn’t born in a hospital, but born at home. Even though all that is good to know, I need concrete evidence so I am able to move further back into my family tree, nourishing those roots with some good old TLC and begin my thorough research on my grandfather. One of my goals is to become a member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) through one of my patriot family members. But to do this, I need all the documents that I can get my hands on. With any luck, I will accomplish this goal! For those of you who don’t know me personally, I am determined, strong willed and stubborn like my father. I admit I am sometimes too patient but at the same time, I can also have a mean temper. Just ask my husband he’ll tell you what it’s like! 🙂

 

Sorting Saturday ~ Genealogy Detective

Posted: July 20, 2012 in Ancestry, family tree, Genealogy, research
Tags: , , , , ,
4

detective

detective (Photo credit: olarte.ollie)

If you like mysteries, then you are probably a good genealogy detective. Just like police detectives or investigators, genealogists and family historians alike must find the clues in their research to be able to move forward with what they have found. When sorting through my different documents and research findings, I admit I am guilty of just jumping the gun and “Googling” to my hearts content. In truth, there is nothing wrong with using search engines to find something, ANYTHING on your ancestors. But it probably won’t yield the results you are seeking. You may have reworded your keyword search several times over, but the search engines still give you the same web pages, with a little variation thrown into the mix. In cases like this, maybe it’s time for a different direction as far as your research is concerned. What do you do next?

Have you thought about creating a research plan? I have many different times, but have yet to put this into action. After listening to a genealogy webinar hosted by Legacy Family Tree, I have decided to change my research tactics! I have completed research on this topic but just now, think it’s time to share what I have learned. You may ask, “What is a research plan anyway? Why should I use one?” A research plan is the backbone of a genealogists research. It will help you find out what you do and do not know about your ancestors and may also help you break through that brick wall you have found yourself up against. You need a plan of action; this is the purpose of the research plan!

Well, for starters, creating a plan such as this can be critical to your research. Would you go into a library unprepared? Looking around for a book that just may look interesting enough to check out, is just a waste of your time. Go in there prepared and knowledgeable as to what you are seeking. How do you gather your information? Personally, I start with what I know. Right now I am in the process of creating my own research plan form using Excel software. The forms I have seen on the different web pages, I don’t really care for. The field boxes are too small to write the data inside without making a mistake reading it in the future. I want to be able to recall my sources, dates, the type of research that was completed and so on. So I am creating my own! Too much work? Not at all. It will keep me organized and I can always refer back to the plan.

There are many different sites where you can download free forms such as a family group sheet, a research log, pedigree charts, or a research plan; whatever form you think may help you in your overall research, forms are a great resource tool to get acclimated to using on a regular basis. I like http://www.cyndislist.com/free-stuff/printable-charts-and-forms/ personally. This site has direct URL’s that take you to the right form based on your own needs without having to waste time searching for the right one.

If you are like me, you do a lot of online research. I live over 4000 miles away from where my ancestors were known to have settled, so I depend mainly on the Internet for my findings. I have gone to my nearby library but have only walked out with genealogy books and a book that will help me learn the Japanese language. There wasn’t very many research books related to my family search, mainly Hawaiian heritage and the like. They did have huge filing cabinets of old newspapers which I thought was interesting, but doesn’t help me find my Cornett family roots. So I am pretty thankful to have internet access!

Keep in mind that if you are searching through internet search engines, that Google, Bing, Mocavo and others, will yield a variety of differing results. Not all search engines will be the same or give you the same results. Experiment with different search engines and compare the results! Just an idea 🙂

There is quite a bit of data accessible online and it can be overwhelming to a beginning genealogist. One of the sites I go to regularly is https://familysearch.org/. They are always updating the site with new records and documents, so I go there to see what may be new to my own searches on my ancestry. Thank you to the volunteers for adding and helping make these documents available for viewing! Since using a research plan involves thoughtful planning, I hope my plan works for me as well as I think it will.

If you decide to create your own research plan, ask yourself a few questions.

1. What do I already know about my ancestor? Write it down.

2. Can I narrow down the search in any way? Maybe it’s a death date or burial location.

3. Did a family member move away during a specific time frame?

4. Did my ancestor die in one place but happen to be buried in another location or state altogether?

TOOLS

Ancestry’s Wiki or Red Book

Family History Library Catalog

Local history books of the area you are researching

Manuscript Searches

Literature Research

Heritage Quest Online

Search old newspapers

Family Search Wiki

I can’t wait to get started on this new method style of researching my ancestry. Good luck!

 

Sorting Saturday ~ Organizing Genealogy Records

Posted: July 13, 2012 in accuracy, Ancestry, ancestry library, archive
Tags: , , , , ,
3

file cabinets

file cabinets (Photo credit: redjar)

When I started researching my family’s genealogy more than 10 years ago, I never thought I would have all this documentation to sort through and organize. I have kept everything and I do mean everything! I really need to continue organizing, if truth be told. Granted, my filing cabinet is more organized than my photos are. When I moved from the mainland to Hawaii, I had so much stuff to pack and ship. To save space, I ended up having to put all those photos into boxes and having to take those photos out of old albums.  My photos were in storage for about a year and a half and I have just now begun to sort through all those photographs! Right now I am in the process of organizing and scanning them all into the ShoeBox app I installed on my iPhone. So far, I have created several different “shoe box albums”; this is definitely a work in progress! The bane of my existence is clutter!

Digital Files~

When documents are found or sent to me, I scan them so that I have a digital copy along with a hard copy. Since photos are already being digitized and uploaded to two different locations, I know they won’t be lost to me if something were to ever happen. My photographs are very important to me along with the important papers I have collected over time on my family. Since being hard at work creating digital copies of all my files, Hawaii has 3 different storms coming that are out in Pacific waters. One being a hurricane and another a tropical storm, so it’s crucial that I get these documents and photos organized and into digital format. Just in case! On my laptop, I have created an Ancestry folder, with sub folders included as to what sort of document, who the document belongs to and so on. I found that it is easiest for me to group the documents and images by creating file folder names for couples that I am researching. For example, I have a folder created for my father and paternal grandparents where I include everything that I have on them and put them in their respective folders. So much easier!

Saving emails related to my research is another task that I have accomplished. Not only do I keep a folder inside my email client, but I also have a hard copy of all emails sent to and from me from other family and researchers alike. I probably don’t have to do this but it’s OCD thing with me to save any correspondence that I have sent or received.

Some may want to keep everything research related on their laptop but it’s also a good idea to have a hard copy just in case your laptop crashes or your motherboard goes out. If that happens, consider your work lost forever!

File Folders~

Creating file folders according to surname is an ideal way to keep you organized too. You can buy a filing cabinet, file folders, hanging file folders and labels to tab each folder with the surnames you may be investigating. This is what I have done. It keeps everything in it’s proper place and it’s much easier to find if you ever have the need to refer back to someone in particular. I have folders on Cornett and Sutherland family members because that is who I am researching currently, but I also have Email correspondence folders, folders labeled with snail mail that were received by my family, family letters and documents. Then I also have created folders based on researchers too. When I was researching my Sutherland family from Scotland, I kept the documentation and letters, research packets, etc. So that’s one thumbs up for me! At least my file folders are somewhat organized and in their proper location. The only thing I think I would like to change is adding colored coded labels to help me find things better. Maybe label them all by surname and location.

When you have all your genealogy clutter organized, you will have an awesome filing system that is well organized and systematic.

A Word (Or More) To The Wise:

Keep your files and all the hard work you have done thus far up to date. If you are all finished with the tenuous task of getting every document, letter, email or whatever your document is in an organized state, please don’t ruin all that hard work by tossing a newly found document or a BMD record into just any file for safekeeping! You are already organized so why would you mess up your files and have to repeat the process all over again? Keep it straight; you will have less headaches trying to find what you are searching for. Who wants to spend time trying to locate one document that you thought you placed in the correct folder when all along it’s location is unknown and not in the place it should be. I definitely don’t want to search each individual folder for just one particular document!

Adventure Into Your Ancestry

Posted: June 23, 2012 in Ancestry, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , ,
4

Tree - leaf canopy

Tree – leaf canopy (Photo credit: blmiers2)

A little over a year ago, I became intensely involved with finding out who my family really was, what natural or historical events may have shaped their lives, and even with any amount of luck, I would be able to put a face to those names and dates! When researching I found out a few things, the most important thing being that just because you see it on the internet or in print form doesn’t necessarily make it a fact! I started out with the basic version of Ancestry.com and from here I searched for my Cornett family just to see what information was hiding out inside this site. Granted, there are photos and documents such as BMD records, public and private member trees, stories that members have shared in their trees, census records, immigration and emigration records and so on. What got me into trouble with my tree was linking my current tree to someone else’s data that they had in theirs. Big mistake! HUGE! Not only was there some incorrect data as far as the person’s name but some dates were incorrect too. By the time I realized the error in my ways, I had at least a thousand family members in my descendants’ tree and I had no clue that maybe someone could have made an error. I uploaded a GEDCOM file, which wasn’t created by me, but someone else in the family line and in this file there were tons of errors. This created the biggest family tree on Ancestry that I become sort of lost. Who were these people?

Some of the errors I was at fault for, by presuming these facts to be true in nature, I came to realize that the “research” I thought I was doing, really wasn’t anything but sloppy research on my part. So what do I do now? Delete everything and start over with what I do know as fact! I started with my father, who passed away in 2001, and contacted the mausoleum to obtain his death certificate. Okay, so I’m getting on the right track now; I’m documenting every little piece of information or document I can get my hands on and being that I am his next of kin, I was able to obtain a copy. There was so much more information on this little piece of paper than I had originally thought there would be. I found out the exact time of his death, the facility where he was pronounced dead, his social security number, who his parents were (of course this I already knew), I also found out that he died from congestive heart failure. So having these types of documents further feeds my passion for wanting to know more.

I have talked to family about my passion for genealogy, and they have offered to help me in any way they can, if it is at all possible. I really appreciate all they have done thus far. What next steps do I take? Well, for me, I started to write a blog, originally with BlogSpot, but after a year using the site, I feel that WordPress is offering so much more as far as my writing, which I love to do, and also my desire to connect with others that share my interest in family history. So, with that said, since talking to older family members about what I was doing, I was really overlooking the younger generation. Why not involve them too? Get them interested in who their family really was, what trials and tribulations they may have gone through to get us where we are today. I consider my contributions to this research as a glance into our past. Passing our family legacy onto the younger members of the family. I truly wish I had been this interested 20 years ago!

Researching my families past, who they were, where they lived, who died from what ailment, or even how many children they had, gives me a better idea of what their lives were like. I know some think that what is in the past should stay in the past, but I find this to be a very fulfilling adventure! I like to dig; I like to investigate further so I can paint a picture of who my family was all those years ago. Family stories passed down from generation to generation says that we, the Cornett family, were descended from King Canute, but I haven’t been able to track back that far to say whether this is actually true or not. Yes, we might be, but then again maybe we really aren’t. Another story is that a family member married into the Hatfield family, you know the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s? The History Channel recently aired their family story and the families well known for their feuding counterparts. I know a member of our family married a Mary Hatfield who was born in 1777, but is it the same one from this notorious family? Or another Mary Hatfield belonging to a different Hatfield generation? Could there be any relation? I hope to one day find out!

This is why I think researching your family’s ancestry is such an adventure! We won’t ever know if we are part of families such as this, unless we investigate and dig deep into our roots. After all, the roots are what keep a family tree standing! I wish you all the luck in finding your past and hearing about your findings as well!

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ James H. Curnutt Petition

Posted: June 20, 2012 in Ancestry
Tags: , , , , ,
1

Treasure chest and moss terrarium

Treasure chest and moss terrarium (Photo credit: elias_daniel)

As I open my little treasure box today, what do you think I will find? Let’s open it up and see what treasure awaits me! As the lid opens on the old, wooden box, it creaks open eerily, I look inside and am astonished by what lays before me. My hazel eyes are as big and round as the golden doubloons inside and worth more to me than I ever imagined. I am in awe of the beauty that lays before me. More than the doubloons worth, more than the shiny baubles winking at me with its’ rainbow prism of colors. I see something. But wait. Do I dare? Tempting me to touch, but I don’t. Instead I delicately pick up an old, printed document. Carefully looking at the text and just skimming the pages.. Why it looks like the petition I was seeking not so long ago! I am still on the hunt for the judge’s final decision, but this is a great start!


Many thanks to fellow researcher, Doris, for all the legwork and emails sent to connect the Cornett family with this document. 













A Mother’s Memoir ~ A Daughter’s Treasure

Posted: June 18, 2012 in Ancestry, childhood diary, discovering family, relatives
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Orange and violet pansies

Orange and violet pansies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have decided to start a little genealogy project by interviewing my mother to learn more about her life when she was younger, how she grew up and what her life was like in those times. Even though she is my best friend in the whole wide world, there are still some things about her that I don’t know and have never bothered to ask about. I will start with the formalities and things I do know and then continue on from there. This should be fun!

If given the chance, what family member would you interview and why?


Me: What is your given name?


Mom: Carolyn Ann


Me: What are your parents’ names?


Mom: My fathers name was Claude Flemon Dodson, he was born in October of 1903 and he died in 1987. My mother was Dora Younas Worley-Dodson. Worley was her maiden name. My mom was born on April 20, 1907 and she died on December 11, 1990. It was a day before your cousins birthday and right before you gave birth to your first son, John.


Me: Do you know why your parents named you?


Mom: They named me because my brother, Otis liked the name. He was killed in a head on car collision when I was three years old.


Me: Did you have a nickname?


Mom: No. But when you were born your grandmother, Lucia, called you “Little Carolyn”.


Me: When and where were you born?


Mom: I was born in Belair, Maryland


Me: Where did you grow up?


Mom: Phoenix, Maryland


Me: Do you remember the house in which you grew up in? Can you describe it to the best of your recollection?


Mom: Yes, I remember it. It was a 2 story red house with a basement but the outside had red shingles on the walls. It had an L-shaped porch and when they remodeled the house and built an extra room they added the porch. There was a basement that had 3 rooms for storage; there was a washing machine down there. On the first floor, there was a living room, den, big kitchen, two bathrooms and a bedroom. One of the bathrooms was originally a closet. On the second floor, there was three bedrooms and a hallway that led to the attic. There were two other rooms in the attic and another storage area that we kept all of our Christmas stuff in. It was just big enough that you could walk through.


Me: What is your earliest childhood memory?


Mom: Umm…let’s see! Learning to swim and I was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts. I also remember going to Bible School. We never missed a Sunday at church because my mom would never let us miss a Sunday service. We had to go to church no matter what.


Me: What kind of games did you play growing up?


Mom: Hopscotch, jacks, jump rope, hide and seek.


Me: Did you have a favorite toy? Why was it your favorite?


Mom: Yes! I had a Tiny Tears doll. The very first one. Because I could dress it up and feed it. If you fed it water then it would pee.


Me: (Laughing)


Me: What did you like to do for fun when you were little?


Mom: Ride our bikes and go sleigh riding in the winter time.


Me: Did you like to read?


Mom: Yes, I read all kinds of books.


Me: Favorite color?


Mom: Yellow


Me: Favorite flower?


Mom: Hibiscus, Roses, and Pansies


Me: I thought your favorite was the daisy, because that was in your wedding bouquet!


Me: What was your favorite book as a child?


Mom: The Three Little Puppies. I liked Cinderella, Bambi, Donald Duck. I liked a lot of different stories and read many different ones.


Me: Did you have to do any chores when you were younger? What were they?


Mom: Milk cows, feed chickens, clean the barn, pull weeds and pick vegetables out of the garden. I washed clothes and hung them on the clothesline. Had to iron them too.There’s a lot of stuff we did!


Me: Did you have a least favorite?


Mom: Pulling weeds.


Me: What was school like for you growing up?


Mom: I used to cry in first grade when I went to school until I got used to it.


Me: Didn’t you go to Kindergarten?


Mom: No, there wasn’t a kindergarten back then.


Me: Oh! That’s interesting.


Me: What was the name of your elementary school?


Mom: Carroll Manor. That was my elementary then I went to Ridgley Middle School and I ended up graduating from Towson High School.


Me: What year did you graduate?


Mom: 1964


Me: What was your favorite school subject?


Mom: Reading

Me: I should have known that answer! Because you are always reading on your Kindle app on your iPhone!


Me: Do you remember any fads or fashions that were in style when you were in high school?


Mom: Oh! Hold on! I have to get my laundry!


(Intermission of sorts while mom gets her laundry in the dryer! Hahaha)


Mom: I used to wear skirts, blouses and dresses. Poodle skirts were the big thing then. We wore skirts with a belt that tied in the back.


Me: What kind of clothing did you wear to elementary school?


Mom: My mom used to make our dresses from feed sacks and there was a lot of print, no solid colors.


Me: What kind of music did you listen to? Who was your favorite artist?


Mom: Rock and Pop music of the 60’s. Dionne Warwick and the Supremes and Frankie Avalon.


Me: Did you go to prom? Who did you go with?


Mom: Yes, I went with my neighbors son, Glen. He asked me and he had a crush on me back then.


Me: What did your dress look like?


Mom: It had a flower print that came down past my knees. I looked glamorous in that dress!


Me: Did you have any pets?


Mom: Yeah I had a rooster for a pet but he didn’t have a name because I never named him. I had a Cocker Spaniel named Trixie, a Boxer named Mack, and another dog named Freckles.


Me: Those are cute names I like the name Freckles.


Me: What was your first car?


Mom: A 1963 Cadillac that I received when I graduated high school.


Me: What was a typical family dinner like?


Mom: Everybody ate together as a family. Not like today where families eat at different times.


Me: What was your favorite food back then?


Mom: Ham, green beans, and potatoes.


Me: Green beans? Yuck!


Me: Any Christmas traditions in the family?


Mom: Every year on Christmas Eve, we went to the Christmas church service. Me and my brothers and sister would decorate the tree and sometimes my mom would help. I remember getting up on Christmas day and the presents would be under the tree and there was so many presents that it seemed like they were everywhere in the living room.


Me: How many brothers and sisters do you have?


Mom: I had 3 brothers and 4 sisters. I had two brothers and one sister that died in a car accident. One of my brothers was married and his wife died in the accident too.


Me: What were their names?


Mom: Exie, Otis, and Clara. I was only three years old so I don’t remember if Clara was my sister’s name or if she was the wife of Otis.


Me: What was the full name of your husband?


Mom: Billy Edward Cornett, he was born March of 1944.


Me: How did you meet dad? What year did you meet?


Mom: When I was bowling. I used to belong to a bowling league. We met in 1971. I used to have plenty of trophies from bowling. Me and your dad were on the same bowling team and we both had trophies.


Me: Wow! That wasn’t a very long courtship then since i was born the year after!


Mom: No we were hanky pankyin!


Me: Oh my! I don’t need to know the details. Hahaha


Me: How did dad propose marriage to you?


Mom: He asked me in a car, we were parked on the side of the road across from his house in White Hall, Maryland. We were just talking normally when he popped the question.


Me: Did he look nervous like most men do, when he proposed to you?


Mom: Yeah he looked nervous because he didn’t know what I would say, I guess.


Me: When and where were you married?


Mom: St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sweetair , Maryland on April 24, 1971


Me: Was it a morning or afternoon wedding?


Mom: I think it was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. After the ceremony we had the reception down stairs in the church hall.


Me: Did you have a honeymoon?


Mom: No.


Me: Why didn’t you have one?


Mom: We couldn’t afford it at the time.


Me: Was dad a romantic kind of guy?


Mom: Not really.


Me: What memory is your most favorite about your wedding day?


Mom: Walking down the aisle


Me: Did he cry when he seen you walking down the aisle towards him?


Mom: No. We were both very nervous. But after the ceremony, everyone got together and we cut the cake.


Me: So you guys had that deer in the headlights look on your faces?


Mom: Kelly, you’re funny….


Me: Wedding gifts?


Mom: I had a wedding shower at his moms (Lucia’s) house and we opened the gifts then. I should have pictures somewhere.


Me: Do you remember what some of your gifts were?


Mom: Vacuum cleaner, towels, dishes, and we were given a money tree but I don’t remember how much it was. That was a long time ago!


Me: Does that mean I’m old?! Gee thanks mom!


Mom: Don’t give me that look either! (laughing)


Me: How would you describe dad? What did you admire most about him?


Mom: Quiet and shy. I liked his personality and he always had someone laughing. He liked to joke around quite a bit.


Me: How did you find out you were pregnant for the first time?


Mom: I was nauseous and I had bad morning sickness.


Me: Were you and dad happy about it?


Mom: yes


Me: You’re not just saying that? Because that was me in that belly of yours!


Mom: No!


(Both of us are smiling)


Me: How did you come up with my name when you named me?


Mom: Sue, your dads sister, liked the name and was going to name her baby Kelly. We were pregnant at the same time and she ended up having a baby boy, so she chose another name for her son. So I decided to take that name. But if you were a boy, you would have been named Daniel Eugene.


Me: I’m so glad I am a girl!


Me: How did you choose my sisters name?


Mom: I just liked that name. Because you had my middle name, Ann, and when I named Amy I wanted her to have part of my first name of Carolyn and used that for her middle name for Lynn. That’s how I did it 🙂


Me: Last question. What is one thing that you would want people to remember about you and your life?


Mom: Kelly Ann! I am dependable, like to help people, and a very lovable person. I don’t know, I didn’t think you would give me such a hard question.










The Fascinating World Of Genealogy

Posted: September 19, 2011 in ancestor, Ancestry, heritage, historical maps, photo genealogy, research, US Geological Survey Maps
Tags:
1

Has your family research come to a standstill? What about that proverbial brick wall that has you stumped? What will you do next? Many researchers both newbies and the more experienced, get stumped all the time. Myself included! It is very frustrating to finally get the lead you have been searching for only to find out that it really hasn’t led you anywhere. Sometimes I feel like a dog who is running around in circles chasing its’ own tail!


Here are a couple of ideas that might get you back on track. I hope the ideas help you and I also hope they help me in searching my ancestral roots.


U.S. Geological Survey Maps– Have you thought about topography maps to aid in your research? The U.S. Geological Survey web site can help you locate historical maps of interest that may help you in your genealogy searches. In addition, this site also features a National Atlas, which will help you by offering a number of maps that can include country boundary lines, cities, lakes and rivers, and other topographical points of interest. 
** Another idea that just came to mind: Blow up the map to a large wall size and use different colored “ball” tacks for different family surnames to give you the visuals that you may need in your research. It could help you track their movements especially if they have migrated from other countries.


Direct Line Software– A software program that is called Deed Mapper. Deed Mapper works with old land records. Whether you have one deed or a hundred, this software program will help you:

  • Find the location of a particular plot by anchoring a group of neighboring plots against a stream.
  • Discover genealogical relationships by showing that person X sold a part of person Y’s land.
  • Untangle people having the same name by analyzing their landholdings and transfers.
  • Create a map of original landholders in a region. 
  • Trace changes in parcel ownership over the years.



There is also an online community that you can interact with other members. Deed Mapper is designed for historical research so it handles surveys that have straight lines. So it may be worth checking out at least!


Direct Line Software Screenshots


Dead Fred– This web page is dedicated to genealogists and family researchers, who can search and post photos, search surnames and the like. It is a free, fun photo genealogy research site devoted to helping you visualize your heritage! Wouldn’t it be great to find a lost ancestor on this site?  Your bonus would be a photo you may have been searching out for years! 


Image Source:
Dog Chasing Its’ Tail

Dog Chasing His Own Tail

Image no. 700-00046138

No model release  – model release: no release on file    No property release  – property release: no release on file   
700-00046138 [65 – Masterfile] / 4160133 [1]

A Little Twig On My Family Tree

Posted: September 1, 2011 in ancestor, Ancestry, blog, brick wall, Canute The Great, cornett, Cornettsville Cemetary, Denmark, England, Erin Cornett, pension, Virginia
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

I have been researching the Cornett, Canute, and Sutherland family surnames off and on for the past few months. Along the way, I have met new cousins and created a few contacts, both professional and personal, as it relates to the topic of Genealogy. It seems that my family tree is one twisted tangle of little twigs. But I seem to think that there may be some vines intertwining with those twigs that cause me to search even deeper. I can almost picture myself spreading this vine curtain to see what’s inside, stepping into the past and being swallowed up as the curtain closes. Sounds like a creepy movie in a way. 


I have been reading up on the book I purchased a few months ago, titled, “Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures”, I have also enjoyed looking at the photos of the first settlers to Grayson County, Virginia. The book encompasses a little less than 400 pages of fact written by the Grayson County Historical Society during the years 1792-1950. There are many interesting details and stories in this book that I will have to share at a later date. 
I have been most curious while searching for answers to all the mysteries of my family, I have yet to uncover the greatest mystery and a mountain of a brick wall called Alexander Sutherland. I hope to one day solve this with the help of my cousins, who happen to be also doing their own research on the same family surname. 


According to some, the Canute surname was believed to have actually been named “Carnutte”, stemming from Danish origin. There are many variations to the name and some also believe the name was of French origin. So really, who is correct? Is it speculation? How did they come up with this? I can understand the Danish part in this, as King Canute was most likely of that descent, as he was King of Denmark. But French? I’m not sure about that yet, although it could be very possible, I just need the cold, hard facts!


So if the Cornett family did descend from Carnutte, researching the Carnutte surname should be foremost on the list of priorities. It is said, and passed on from generation to generation that the Cornett family descended from King Canute II of Denmark. King Canute II was also known as Canute the Great, who reigned as King of Denmark during the time period of 995-1035. Canute the Great, being the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.


Below is an excerpt I found on a web site dedicated to the genealogy of the Cornett family. The link source is also below if you would like to visit the site and utilize any other links on the site itself.

 If the Cornetts descended from Carnutte, one may begin with the Carnutte’s history. It is believed by some that the family is descended from King Canutte II of Denmark. King Canutte II of Denmark “Canute the Great” (995-1035).  He was the first Danish King of England.  Under his rule Norway was conquered.  He was the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.1 On the other hand, if the Cornetts were of French origin, it is likely that the family came across with William the Conqueror.
Erin Cornett was born in 1676 in Northumberland, England; he raised sheep. There is no record of his wife’s name. His son, Earl, was born in Southampton, England in 1696. He was a farmer and a member of the Church of England. He had seven sons: John, Roger, George, Francis, Frank, Jesse, and James. John Cornett …born in Southampton ,England in 1727. In 1740, he sailed to the Colonies with six of his brothers. They worked as indentured servants on an English  lord’s farm near Philadelphia, Pa. After gaining his freedom, John went to Henrico, Co.Va. (near Richmond) and raised tobacco for a living. He was taxed for land there on March 24,1747… His will lists that he had six sons and no daughters. His second wife was Elizabeth Bacon Mosby.She was a widow with one son… John died about 1776 at Elks Creek, Va. He was a member of St. John Episcopal Church. Four of his sons fought in the Revolutionary War (another source says six2). These four were later given land grants for their war service.William and Sam settled on Line Fork… Nathaniel and Roger settled in Benge, Clay Co.4 “[He] died about 1776 in Elm Creek, Virginia… his children were Rebecca Canute Cornett; David Cornett, born about 1750; James Canute Cornett, born about 1755; John Samuel Cornett, born about 1759; Nathanial Cornett born about 1760; William Jesse Cornett, born in 1761 in Henrico County, Virginia; and Roger Cornett, born about 1768.

My ancestors are William Jesse Cornett who died November 26, 1836 and is buried in Cornettsville Cemetary and Rhoda Gilliam, his first wife. They were married on May 7, 1787 in Washington County, Virginia”3  William Cornett enlisted twice in Virginia Revolutionary War units and received a pension (# W6723). His son, John (b. 1794) married Rachel (Smith) Kelly, and their son Russell (b. 1840) married Ailey Amburgey (b.1841), their last child being Sarah Elizabeth Cornett, my grandmother. Russell and Ailey’s brother, John J. Amburgey, had served together in Co B. of  Benjamin E. Caudill’s 13th Cavalry CSA.







Source: Mark S. Carroll/ Cornett Ancestry
Image Source: Getty Images

Your Genetic Genealogy~ Is It As Accurate As You Think?

Posted: July 29, 2011 in Ancestry, discovering family, DNA, Family, family history, Genealogy, genetic genealogy, missing links
Tags: , , , , ,
0
Good morning and Aloha! 
It has been breezy but also rainy here on Oahu this morning and it makes for great sleeping weather, so what am I doing up? It’s 9 a.m. that’s why; I cant sleep in like my husband can, he can sleep through a tsunami! If I were only that lucky…but anyway, I have been wondering about the accuracy of DNA in our genealogy. 



Image Source:
DNA Genetics



How do we know this is truly accurate, as DNA is taken from the living, not the dead? The genetic genealogy tests can be expensive, depending on your own economic standpoint. So just how great is this anyway? I’ve been reading up on several different articles that pertain to this topic and in my opinion, I wouldn’t waste my time or money on something that isn’t 110% accurate. I’m not saying that a person shouldn’t do this type of testing, if it leads them to finding their missing links in their families history. By all means, go for it if that’s what you want to do. I am merely expressing my own opinion. After reading the following article, I became a little skeptical. There are many companies offering these types of services that promise to trace your lineage through means of a DNA test, whether it’s paternal or maternal, the price goes up depending on your needs. Read this article from another blogger, who seems to have done her research and then let me know whether you think this type of test is something you would do. 


Genetic Genealogy Blog




To My Readers: Have you tried this sort of testing to trace your ancestral roots? Did you have any success? Please post your success stories! Below is a company offering this type of service. What do you think?


DNA Ancestry Project

Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures

Posted: July 6, 2011 in Ancestry, book, Facebook, family ties, Genealogical Gem, Grayson County VA, Heritage Foundation, roots, settlers
Tags: , , ,
0
Very excited as I have purchased a book on Amazon, entitled “Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures”. I just can’t wait to receive this book! The book was published by the Grayson County Historical Society. Many of my ancestors settled here and still live in the area. This may just give me a little more insight to who my family really was. I can’t believe I found this gem of a book and didn’t have to pay a fortune for it!



Image Source:
Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures (Book)




There is also a FaceBook page for the Grayson County Heritage Foundation, if any of you are interested. Grayson-County-Virginia-Heritage-Foundation
Another site of interest is Olden Times (Virginia)

Family Tree Road Blocks

Posted: July 1, 2011 in Ancestry, Ancestry.com, Charts, Forms, iTunes, Message Board Forums, podcast
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

English: An example of a Genealogy fan chart (...

English: An example of a Genealogy fan chart (or family tree fan chart) where paternal and maternal ancestors are shown as concentric rings of a fan. This family tree fan chart also includes family coats of arms. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lately, I haven’t been finding the information that I have been seeking. This is a huge deterrent in my overall genealogy research. Why can’t I find what I need? Am I looking in the wrong places? I’m thinking so, at this point. So what do I do now? Keep forging on! Go, Go, Go!! Right now, I’ve been searching the Sutherland part of my family branch and have come to a detour of sorts. I’ve tried multiple search engines and keep coming up with the same sites that I’ve seen a hundred times over. What do you do when the road seems to have come to a dead end?

 

Things You Can Do:
1. Take a break!
2. If you have an idea, write it down. (Or you can do as I do and leave yourself a little note via your iPhone).
3.Read some of the message board forums. I know Ancestry.com has some good ones.
4. Talk to family members, they may have something to share with you too.
5. Talk to other Genealogy researchers, bloggers, even librarians! Someone should be able to help or at least point you in a new direction.


Have you thought about a research plan? You may be able to isolate the problem and come to some type of conclusion. It might even get you out of the rut that your research may currently be in.




Free Genealogy Forms


The Bailey’s Free Genealogy Forms


Printable Charts and Forms


Ancestry Charts- Free Download




There are also many audio/video podcast’s that you can listen to via iTunes! Check it out!
If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here: iTunes Download


Here is a sample podcast link for you!
Genealogy Gems Podcast (Episode #103)