and Part 2. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTRY, Getting to Know You: Act 2, Scenes 16 - 30
and Part 4. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTRY, Getting to Know You: Act 4, Scene 43, New Material and Update
Click the title above to hear an audio file.
by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com
ACT 3. Scenes 31 - 42; Finale and Reprise
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31. Amy Coffin of Texas is the writer and publisher of We Tree. A new blog (since July 2008), Amy states,
"The purpose of this blog is to connect with others and preserve this history of those long gone. Maybe my family learns about their ancestors. Maybe my friends learn from my experiences. Maybe strangers are entertained by my stories. Maybe We Tree grows exponentially and becomes a household name (genealogically speaking). Only time will tell."
I'd say Amy is off to a smashing good start --- and predict that her publication will be well received.
In her post Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know We Tree, Amy identifies her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful articles as the following.
A. Call Me Ahab, presented August 14, 2008. Read this delightful account of how Amy went from a photograph from a singing association to Arkansas and back and the fun she had in between. And think Southern Hospitality when you read about this chance discovery of the original photograph of a great-great-grandfather and of a great-grandfather. Oh, the kindness of strangers/distant relatives!
B. And When They Met, It Was MURDER!!! published September 27, 2008. In this riveting account about her great-great-grandfather is a 1889 newspaper account which states, "There was a shooting and killing scrape at Chris Ruppert's saw mill Sunday morning. . ." --- I won't spoil the story for you. Go read Amy's article and you will agree with me that she is a natural when it comes to writing family history.
C. The Birthday Present posted September 2, 2008.
After reading Amy's three selected articles, I'm of the opinion that she has a great future ahead as a writer of family history.
Says Amy,
"Genealogy to me is like a big puzzle, and I love to solve puzzles. If you get enough pieces of information about someone, a picture starts to form. It doesn't matter how we are related or if we are at all. It's important to preserve the stories of those who are no longer around to tell them. If you understand that, then you understand my approach to genealogy and the purpose of the We Tree blog."
We Tree and Amy Coffin are rising stars to watch.
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32. Donna Pointkouski of Philadelphia is the writer and publisher of What's Past is Prologue. Says Donna of her blog with one of the best titles in the business (think Shakespeare),
"This blog started partly because I wanted to write…I used to be good, or at least that’s what a lot of people told me. But I didn’t put my talent to good use. I was never successful at keeping a journal, so I decided to try to blog as a form of writing - even if it was only read by myself. By forcing myself to write, perhaps I could re-discover the talent I once had. But a funny thing happened…other people started reading what I wrote. Thanks to new-found friends and fans, I’m still writing and I’m happy about that!"
In her Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All About "What's Past is Prologue" Donna establishes why she write and mentions that she has updated her "About" page. On her bio, she explains more about herself and why she is blogging. [Neat new photograph too, Donna!]
Donna identifies the following of her articles as her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful.
A. A Salute to Gutsy Women Travelors, published on March 11, 2008
B. My Big, Old, Fast, Favorite Car, published on March 29, 2008 [What a ride!]
Donna includes another "breezy" article but thinks only insiders will appreciate it --- oh, we do and we did, Donna. So that the reason I'm including it also as it is certainly a sassy piece: Top Ten Genea-Blogger Group Games That Were Cut by the Committee written on August 5, 2008. Maybe I'm including it because Donna cut out my favorite game, one I was sure to win!
C. Hilaire Bergmeister: A Tribute to An Aunt, March 14, 2008. A beautiful look at Aunt Hilaire complete with photographs from circa 1890 and the 1930s.
Donna accepts emails and comments; and I know from experience that she appreciates both. Says Donna, "Feel free to send me an email or leave a comment after any post. I’d especially love to hear from cousins or others researching these families, surnames, or locations!"
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33. Miriam Robbins Midkiff of Spokane, Washington, is the writer and publisher of
AnceStories: The Stories of my Ancestors and other blogs. Miriam is very active in local genealogy and history work; she is an educator and she serves as one of the administrators of the GeneaBlogger Group. Periodically she schedules a wildly successful "Scanfest" for a growing group of geneablogging friends who, through the use of modern technology, scan, talk, learn, and visit across the blogosphere.
In Miriam's Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know AnceStories article, she states, "Genealogy is a huge part of my life. I began this blog as an outlet for the need to write about something--anything--on a regular basis. . . 'AnceStories' was a word I coined when I created a website years ago to write the stories of my ancestors. I discovered blogging was a lot quicker and easier than creating web pages."
And writers around the world discovered Miriam's blog. Her series of posts dealing with writing prompts has served the community of writers so well that she deserves a reward for them --- if you ever get a geneablogger writer's cramp, go to Miriam. In her well-written and beautifully presented "prompts" you are sure to find a cure.
Miriam identifies the following articles as her bright, breezy, and beautiful --- I've read them all and agree with her choices --- read these to learn about Miriam, about writing, and about AnceStories and about that rollerskating bear!
C. One Woman: Barbara Dorothy Valk, Missionary to Central Africa, March 15, 2007 (A beautiful tribute to a relative told with excellent details of family history, photographs, and love.)
Miriam welcomes comments and emails about her work. She says, "I enjoy receiving comments from my readers, and try to follow up on them regularly. . . While I mainly write for my own pleasure and to record my family's history, it always encourages me when I receive 'fan e-mail,' too! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to get to know me and AnceStories a little better!"
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34. Terry Snyder writes Desktop Genealogist from Freemont, Ohio. An excellent blogger and family historian, Terry blogs from a different base than most geneabloggers --- she blogs from a newspaper, The News-Messenger in Freemont.
Terry explains, "When the News-Messenger advertised for bloggers for their online edition, . . . I submitted a proposal to the city editor, who requested a meeting and some writing samples. From that meeting the Desktop Genealogist was born."
Terry explains further, "Initially I had hoped to help other family historians better navigate the waters of Internet research. However, once I started posting, I realized the posts I enjoyed writing the most had to do with telling a simple story. Whether it was about a grandmother, an old church, or why my toes are deformed . . ."
And for those of us who have found Terry's excellent work [including her deformed toes complete with photographs], we know the joy that comes from reading the stories she collects and writes about. In her Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know Desktop Genealogist, Terry identifies these three articles as her brightest, breeziest, and her most beautiful:
A. Stories My Grandmother Told Me, July 27, 2008. Besides an interesting and well-present family story, Terry presents a treasured family photograph in one of the most unique and well-done ways I've seen. The photo presentation in this article alone is worth the look.
B. One SuperPower to Go – Please!, June 2, 2008
C. The Art of Painting Pictures, March 13, 2008 --- a touching tribute to a mother's ability to paint word pictures and a "must read" article.
Because The News-Message blog site has limited archive space, Terry has set up a sister site, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, to hold all of her articles. Her more recent materials are at DG; her older articles are at DGU. Comments can be made at both sites: I've never mastered the registration process at DG but commenting at DGU seems simple. I usually, however, just send Terry an email which she cheerfully answers.
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35, 36, 37. Lisa is the writer and publisher of 100 Years In America, Small-leaved Shamrock, and A Light That Shines Again. She has written a Getting to Know Me article at each of her blogs which will be discussed below the specific banner.
Lisa also runs a carnival and she often participates in the numerous challenges, memes, and activities of the GeneaBloggers. In each Getting to Know Me article, she refers readers to her post The view from my corner of the world for additional insight into her and her writing.
Lisa encourages reader comments at each of her blogs; she provides a link to an email address also.
100 Years in America places its emphasis on Lisa's Hungarian/Croatian family. In Getting to Know "100 Years in America" , Lisa identifies the following articles as her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful:
Small-leaved Shamrock is Lisa's blog which emphasizes her Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Cowhey family and is home to her Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture. In her article Getting to Know "Small-leaved Shamrock" Lisa states the following as her bright, breezy, and beautiful articles:
At A light that shines again, Lisa writes about her Boston and Quincy, Massachusetts family. In Getting to Know "A light that shines again" the author identifies her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful articles as:
A. "The city where a century ago he came unwanted, he has made his own...", January 26, 2008
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38. Richard Cheek is the writer and publisher of The Cheek That Doth Not Fade. Turn to Keat's poetry to find the line Richard uses for the title of his blog (or go to Richard's Getting to Know Me post).
A librarian and a Dean at a university, Richard says,
"My father was always interested in his family history but never had the opportunity to study it very much. So when I had to learn something about doing genealogy to help some of the patrons of my library, I immediately discovered a new avocation. My greatest regret is that my father is no longer around to appreciate the fruits of my labor. He would be pleased to know that we can trace the Cheek family back to the 1600s in Maryland and Virginia. He would be intrigued to discover that he had cousins living just a few miles away that he never knew anything about. He would be sorry that the family story he always told turned out to be a myth."
In Richard's Getting To Know Me, Getting To Know The Cheek That Doth Not Fade article, he identifies the following as his bright, breezy, and beautiful works:
A. A Frightening Observation, February 23, 2008 [I recommend this post by Richard as "must" reading.]
B. My Favorite Photograph, August 10, 2008, is a fun photograph and the runner-up is just as interesting.
C. Leavin' On A Jet Plane, August 3, 2007, a reminder of some of the times through which many have lived --- a photo from R & R during the Vietnam War.
Richard says in closing, "My only advice would be to write what you care about, write what means something to you. That way the task is its own reward and if someone else appreciates what you have done, it’s a bonus." Let Richard know you read and appreciate his work --- he accepts comments --- "it's a bonus."
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39. XFaith/Dave is the writer and publisher of Family History Tracing. From San Diego, California, David states "I think I started my initial descent into genealogy in around 2001 with the first assumption that we are related to StoneWall Jackson."
I think all of us recognize the impact of David's phrase, "descent into genealogy." It can and does take over one's life, doesn't it?
In David's Getting to Know David and Family History Tracing article, he identifies the following as his brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful posts:
A. PA Dunmore 1900 Census by Street (Excel), August 17, 2008
B. Lightning Strikes, September 10, 2008
C. Maczek Crest, September 17, 2008
David encourages comments at Family History Tracing. He also says, "Being that this is a new blog, how is everyone's initial impressions, anything that I could do different? Anything anyone would like to see more of? As for advice for anyone else, I would say its always best to write what matter's most to you, and a little bit of 'general news' is always good to. You never know when something you publish will help out a fellow genealogist."
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40. Kathryn Doyle writes California Genealogical Society and Library Blog, a publication of the California Genealogical Society and Library, Oakland, California. Says Kathryn,
"I started this blog ten short months ago as an experiment and I'm happy to report that so far it is a successful one. I blog exclusively for the members of the California Genealogical Society and Library. I try to use my voice and keep the rest of me out of the blog, as much as possible. . . The blog's purpose is to promote the society, to advertise events and meetings, to take readers 'behind the scenes' and introduce member volunteers to each other and to the world and perhaps to serve as a 'how to' guide for other societies."
Because CGSLB is not your typical GeneaBlog, I'm so glad that Kathryn was able to participate in this challenge. Everyone in genealogy today recognizes the importance a web presence for historical/genealogical societies and few groups have a blog. Those groups without a web presence seem to be on hard times both in membership and in activities. I am, therefore, most grateful for the presence of CGSLB in this group. Moreover I am happy to call Kathryn a friend and I appreciate all her hard work behind the scenes in the administrative work of the GeneaBlogger Group.
In Kathryn's Getting to Know Me and the CGSL Blog, she identifies the following three articles as examples of her work on the society's blog.
A. Roberts: What We Found, part of a five-part series posted in April 2008 to illustrate the cooperative work being done in the society. [I'm glad to see this example of how a team can work together to develop solutions; I'm reminded of an eight member discussion group of which I'm a part called the Monroe County Discussion Group --- we can accomplish much when all focused on the same task --- and have loads of fun in the process. I recommend the team approach as I'm sure Kathryn does also; she serves up an excellent example of the results of teaming in this five-part series.]
B. A Tribute to Anne Robinson, March 15, 2008. Written as a tribute to CGS volunteer Anne Robinson, this post also served to remind other geneabloggers to write a tribute post to a woman in honor of National Women's History Month 2008.
C. Digital vs. Print --- Where do you stand? In this June 16, 2008 article, Kathryn outlines the CGS position on print and digital publications. This is a timely debate and I was interested in reading how CGS had handled the problem. Many genealogy/history societies throughout the nation are conflicted over this issue --- most experts agree that both a print and a digital/internet publication is necessary at present. But where do you stand?
Kathryn ends her Getting to Know Me article with a current photograph of herself --- Hi KATHRYN!
Comments are welcomed at CGSLB.
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41. Janice Tracy, a new blogger from Texas, is the writer and publisher of Attala County Memories --- and Attala County is in Mississippi.
Attala County Memories dates to mid-July 2008 and is a welcome new addition to the growing number of Mississippi geneablogs.
Attala County Memories dates to mid-July 2008 and is a welcome new addition to the growing number of Mississippi geneablogs.
Janice explains that her plan to publish a book based upon her ten years of family research changed after learning about the GeneaBloggers. Says Janice,
"I had 'googled' Monroe County, Mississippi for sources of information about my great-great-greatgrandparents near Aberdeen, Mississippi in 1843 and had found Terry's blogspot. A blog seemed an appropriate venue for posting much of the results of family research I had completed and compiled over the past ten years about several family lines. My original plan was to write a book, but after I saw the number of geneabloggers out in cyperspace and their apparent successes with dedicated readers, I decided to update my thinking about how to present the results of my family research."
[I think Janice should probably consider doing both --- the book and the blog. Because so many in most families are not computer users, printed information is more useful to them; others in many families only wish to have information in digital format. I think Janice is in a position to cover both bases.]
In her Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know Attala County Memories, Janice lists the following of her articles as her bright, breezy, and beautiful.
A. James T. Buck and His Bicycle, August 13, 2008. Janice discovered in Mississippi an "early Charles Kuralt" on a bicycle and read much of his writings. She explains --- but the poem by Anon in James T.Buck's 1936 newspaper column is so timely it could have been written yesterday to describe the mess we are in. The poem should be required reading!
B. What Would You Save? published September 15, 2008
C. James and Eileen Netherland Branch Celebrate 63 years of Marriage, August 14, 2008. A beautiful tribute to parents, their meeting, courtship and dating, and marriage in Mississippi in the 1940s. From Corinth to Lexington to Durant in Mississippi to Lenoir City and Oak Ridge in Tennessee and back --- a wonderful bit of family history.
Janice can be contacted by email and she accepts comments on her blog articles. She says, "I invite readers of Attala County Memories to get to know more about southern history and culture by reading my blog and getting to know the people, their circumstances, and their challenges as settlers in early Mississippi."
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42. And finally, my own Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know Hill County article. Most of you know that I'm a 69 years old, new to computers, new to blogging, and new to genealogy, who late in life came to an attempt to write local history and family lore. I started the Hill Country of Monroe County Mississippi blog in April of 2007 and now, after more than 850 posted articles and more than 2,500 comments, I am approaching my 100,000th reader to visit the blog. The month just ended, September 2008, saw 11,000 visitors to a blog devoted to a portion of Monroe County, Mississippi --- the hilly eastern side of the county.
The past 17 months and 4 days have been most interesting as I've learned so much about local history, family history, and some of the most amazing stories of courage and family and survival in the hills. And I've been supported in this effort by a growing group of regular commenters and correspondents who either post a comment direct to the article at Hill Country or send me an email about some point or to make some suggestions.
As a result of the blog Hill County, I was invited to become a columnist for the Monroe County Journal. My column "Hill County" appears in MOJO every-other week. And as a result of the blog Hill County, I started two other blogs to support my interest in local cemetery transcriptions and indexing --- Lann Cemetery Blog and New Hope Cemetery, both historic burial grounds in early Monroe County.
The three articles I selected from my archives to illustrate my best, breeziest, and most beautiful articles include the following:
A. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! Let's not talk about this . . ., August 27, 2007, article about my Southern Unionist great-grandfather.
B. Meum et teum . . . MINE and THINE! September 14, 2007
C. Some Teachers: Some Lessons: Chopsticks! May 5, 2008
I encourage comments, emails, and the sharing of documents and photographs of Hill Country families. It is through the collective efforts of readers and writers that the recorded history of a region can be and is being built.
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FINALE and REPRISE
The original group of GeneaBloggers, a small tight knit group of about thirty-five individuals, welcomed me into their fold early on. Through their constant friendship, support, encouragement and advice, I'm beginning to learn about blogging, about writing, and about the benefits of a caring and supportive community of GeneaBloggers. That our current group has grown to more than two hundred members is and will be a lasting tribute to that cadre of early GeneaBloggers. That group's collective influence and contributions to the notion that "Genealogy on the Internet" is more than just a recitation of who begat whom when and where will long be felt. Indeed, genealogy is more than a listing of deaths, marriages, births, and burial places and the GeneaBloggers are helping to shape the direction this new genre is taking.
The original group of GeneaBloggers, a small tight knit group of about thirty-five individuals, welcomed me into their fold early on. Through their constant friendship, support, encouragement and advice, I'm beginning to learn about blogging, about writing, and about the benefits of a caring and supportive community of GeneaBloggers. That our current group has grown to more than two hundred members is and will be a lasting tribute to that cadre of early GeneaBloggers. That group's collective influence and contributions to the notion that "Genealogy on the Internet" is more than just a recitation of who begat whom when and where will long be felt. Indeed, genealogy is more than a listing of deaths, marriages, births, and burial places and the GeneaBloggers are helping to shape the direction this new genre is taking.
I am happy to be a part of such an interesting, diverse, influential and talented group of writers and publishers. For those of you who are new to blogging, WELCOME!
For those of you who readers of articles at geneablogs, WELCOME!
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DOWN CURTAIN
Thus ends the Getting to Know Me roundup of 42 different blog sites and 40 different writers. Thanks to all who participated --- and thanks to all of you who read.
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And the sounds of Terry singing "Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You" fades softly into the Hills.
LIGHTS OUT. . .
Source of Lyrics:
Hammerstein II, Oscar, lyrics and Richard Rodgers, music. "Getting to Know You" from The King and I. 1951. Cited in Festival of Popular Songs, William L. Simon, Editor. Pleasantville, New York: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1977, pp 196 - 99.
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7 comments:
BRAVO! So very well done.
Thank you Terry!
Sheri Fenley
Terry - wonderful round up (all 3 parts!) Can't thank you enough for organizing this. I learned quite a bit of information about other geneabloggers & will be adding more blogs to my favorites list! You rock!
Thank you Terry, it's a great way to get to "meet" some of the new bloggers. Well Done!
Hear, hear Terry! You have done a fantastic job of organizing this. I will be spending the next few days getting to know my fellow genea-bloggers.
Terry,
Wow - what an undertaking! (Is that a pun I just made, considering that genealogy is mostly about dead people?) Well, anyway, those of us who are alive and kicking will spend many happy hours perusing the material you made possible, and getting to know one another a wee bit more in the process. Thank you!
Terry,
What a great job - you must be exhausted. It was also quite nice to hear your voice! Well done.
Donna
Beautiful! And a nod to acknowledge your tremendously hard work in coordinating this! I'm so excited...I actually found a few new-to-me blogs (not an easy task anymore!).
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