Primary Evidence

Back to Frederick Horace...

2008-03-07T10:09:00.006-07:00

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that Frederick Horace Merrill - my great-grandfather - first showed up in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census. He next appears in the 1880 census still living with his parents Frederick Sr. & Lucretia in Avon, Illinois. He's recorded as being 18 years of age which does not compute with the information given in the 1870 census. In that census he's said to be 11 years old. An enumerator error at one end or the other?

He is now employed as a Clerk in Store - his father's store by all accounts as he was a hardware dealer - and he has the company of two brothers in this endeavour - Charles H. & Giles E.

There's no trace of Fred and his family in the 1890 census so their records must have been destroyed in the fire. As well I can find no trace of Fred & family in the 1900 census although I have found his brother Giles and his family. I find this curious - did they leave Avon by this time? I have no evidence of this as yet but it is intriguing. Especially since the family reappears in the 1910 census right back in Avon. Has the portion of the 1900 census that contains their information simply not be been transcribed/digitized yet?

As for the 1910 census, as mentioned Frederick Horace appears, this time married to Mary Alice (Belding) and living with their three children Grace E., Clement and Kent. They are domiciled in Union Township, Fulton Co. in the the Village of Avon.

Fred & Mary Alice will not appear in any future U.S. censuses because sometime between 1910 and 1914 they emigrated to Canada. My next task is to try and find them in the Canadian census of 1911.

Sources:

“1910 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit, Year: 1910; Census Place: Union, Fulton, Illinois; Roll: T624_288; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 99; Image: 996., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1910uscenindex&h=5327789&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Fred H Merrill, Birth Date: abt 1860, Birth Place: Illinois.
“1880 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limite, Year: 1880; Census Place: Avon, Fulton, Illinois; Roll: T9_208; Family History Film: 1254208; Page: 378.4000; Enumeration District: 55; Image: 0278., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1880usfedcen&h=21090113&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Fredrick Merrill.
“1870 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003.Original data - 1870. United States. Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Administration. M593, RG29, 1,761 rolls. Minnesota. Minnes, Year: 1870; Census Place: , , ; Roll: M593, http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1870usfedcen&h=15675981&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Frederick Merrill, Birth Date: abt 1859, Birth Place: Illinois, Residence Date: 1870, Residence Place: Union, Fulton, Illinois.

Backtrack...

2008-03-05T13:22:00.006-07:00

Just received copies of both my grandmother's and grandfather's birth certificates. They are in fact Delayed Record of Birth certificates but are on file with their respective county clerks so I take that to be valid.

They both contain some interesting information. Each was created in 1962 when my grandparent's were living in Canada and both required the sworn affidavit of a blood relative. The certificates confirm the birth dates of 7 August 1895 in Macomb, McDonough Co., Illinois for my grandfather, and, 16 March 1893 in Avon, Fulton Co., Illinois for my grandmother.

Interestingly, both documents also give the date of their marriage as 4 March, 1921 in Scott County, Iowa and a record number of #28675. This too confirms the information in the family history and found on the internet. Also, each certificate contains the Canadian Naturalization Certificate # for each and the date they were naturalized. This was news to me as it was my understanding that my grandmother had never naturalized.

And one final note, the certificates both show that all important information - names and birthplaces of the parents.

Sources:

Delayed Record of Birth for Louis Dwight Switzer, October 8 1962, State File No. 207268, State of Illinois Department of Public Health, Certified copy in possession of author.
Delayed Record of Birth for Grace Edith Merrill, October 13, 1962, State File No. 206752, State of Illinois Department of Public Health, Certified copy in possession of author.

Frederick Horace Merrill cont.

2008-03-02T11:47:00.007-07:00

I've had great success at Ancestry.com so far...
Frederick Horace Merrill first shows up in the 1870 census in the household of Frederick H. & Lucretia Merrill (this jives with the info I have on little Freddie's parents, so I feel I'm on the right track). Frederick Sr. & Lucretia have, at this point, 7 children living with them - Charles H., 20; Effie M., 16; Frederick, 11; Giles E., 9; Eliza D., 5; Frank, 2; and Baby, 6 months.

I found it interesting that the ages given for Frederick Sr. & Lucretia are 51 and 45 respectively. At bit late in the day to be having a new baby but I suppose that sort of thing wasn't all that uncommon back then. Or was it? Something to look into perhaps.

On the other hand, here's a bit of wild speculation - what if the child was their grandchild rather than their child? No way to prove it of course, so best let it go - I can hear all those professional researchers out there groaning in disapproval : )

However, I can state the following with confidence. According to the 1870 census the Merrill family was residing in Union Township in Fulton County in the state of Illinois as of June 2 1870. Their post office is listed as Avon, Illinois. Also, little Freddie Jr.'s age is recorded as 11 and birthplace as Illinois so the birth date/place of 20 April 1860 in Illinois fits this information though it doesn't prove it. It does proves that if Freddie was indeed born in Greenbush the family did in fact move to Avon sometime prior to his 11th birthday.

Not a bad start but a long way to go yet...

Sources:
Will post these when all census research is complete.

Frederick Horace Merrill

2008-03-02T10:09:00.006-07:00

O.k., I've now got a formalized (somewhat) plan of attack based on my research logs. In a nutshell, I'll start with lineage-linked databases like Ancestry etc. then move on to networking, search engine queries, databases & transcripts (cemeteries, immigration, land records etc.) and peripheral resources like maps, state resources, & photographs. Of course I've also got the information contained in the family history...

but then that has to be verified....

which is the whole point of this endeavour...

Anyways, according to my grandmother's statements in the family history, Frederick Horace Merrill (her father) was born 20 April, 1860 in Greenbush (Warren Co.), Illinois but went with his parents to live in Avon (Fulton Co.), Illinois at the age of 3.

So the first piece of information to verify is name & date of birth - let the games begin : )

Happy Leap Day

2008-02-29T09:10:00.004-07:00

It's been a few days since I've been on the trail - spent most of it tweaking the site. As for the continuing search, I was trying to decide which line of the family I'd carry on with now that I'm moving on from my grandparents when I came across DAR. For anyone who doesn't know, DAR stands for Daughters of the American Revolution. According to the family history, Edward Paine is my great-great-great-great grandfather. He has been confirmed as a patriot through the Patriot Lookup service provided by DAR.

So, I've decided I'd like to join this organization but, naturally, I have to prove my lineage to Mr. Paine so that's solved the dilemma of which line to search. The connection is through my grandmother's paternal line which means the next person to document is Frederic Horace Merrill. Fortunately I've quite a lot of information to get me off to a running start.

Louis & Grace (Merrill) Switzer: Summary

2008-02-22T09:51:00.007-07:00

O.k. I'm ready to summarize my research into Louis & Grace (Merrill) Switzer - my maternal grandparents. The following is a list of queries and the results:

Where are they buried? - Airdrie Cemetery, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada - proved
Can I find their obituaries? - no luck here but will keep trying.
Can I find my grandfather's naturalization papers? - Original found at parent's home
Is there a land record for the homestead at Yankee Valley? - Yes, but it was never owned by my grandparents, it was obtained by my great-grandfather Fred Merrill. Copies of the original file are on their way.
Is there a marriage record for my grandparents? - Original has been indexed by the Davenport Public Library Memory Project. Have not pursued getting a copy at this point.
Is there a record of their emigration to Canada? Hopefully, the microfilm is on its way from the National Archives of Canada.
Can I find a record of my grandfather's service in the Canadian army? - Not online, they are protected by privacy acts and it's a convoluted process to obtain them.
Can I find a record of my grandparents birth? - Definite yes for granddad as his name is in the index at the McDonough County Clerk's office. Not yet certain for gran, will have to wait for the answer to my snail mail request.

All in all, pretty successful I think. I'm going to take a wee break from the research at this point, make sure the website is where I want it to be and maybe do a little networking.

Records, records, records...

2008-02-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last couple of days organizing and re-organizing both the layout of my research logs and the file hierarchy in which they're kept. Still have some info to process but I think I've finally got a handle on it.

Also wrote letters to the county clerks in Fulton and McDonough counties to request copies of my grandparents birth certificates. Both offices were very helpful and the lady at the McDonough office was able to confirm that they do have Louis Switzer's record in their files. Pretty good news all around!

I think I'm about ready to wrap up my search for primary sources for my grandparents. I've been very successful and though I'm sure I'll be re-visiting them from time to time I feel confident that I've proved their accounts of themselves in the Switzer-Merrill Family History.

I'll use the next post to summarize my findings.

Border Crossings

2008-02-18T12:50:00.002-07:00

I came across a handwritten note - looks like my mother's handwriting - that states Louis & Grace Switzer, along with their 4 children, crossed into Canada at North Portal, Saskatchewan on Jan. 11, 1927.

Have since learned that immigration across the U.S./Canada border, in either direction, were called Border Crossings. As luck would have it the National Archives of Canada has microfilmed records for 1925-1935 and they can be borrowed through my local library. The request has gone in for the film containing the relevant date so now it's just a matter of waiting for it to arrive...

Naturalization Papers

2008-02-17T15:27:00.003-07:00

Took a break from setting up all the research/correspondence log stuff to have a hunt for my grandfather's Canadian naturalization papers and hit pay dirt! I found both the original and a certified copy. I've scanned and posted them to Louis Switzer's source documents page.

Also found my mother's birth certificate and baptismal certificate, so it really does pay to have a look around the house (or your parent's house) for those little treasures.

The last questions posted were regarding my grandparents birth certificates - specifically can I get a copy? I've since discovered that the Illinois Department of Public Health only has birth records from 1916 to the present. For birth records prior to 1916, the county clerk where the birth occurred must be contacted. In this case that's Fulton Co. and McDonough county. This will be my first attempt at written correspondence with records agencies - hopefully it will be a positive one.

Research Logs

2008-02-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

While I have been keeping track of sources that confirm information I'm looking for, I haven't actually kept a research log. I've now seen the errors of my ways. Fortunately for me, I haven't got to far along so I'll be interrupting the search for a couple of days in order to bring things up to speed.

True Love

2008-02-14T08:37:00.003-07:00

It's Valentine's Day and while my own sweetheart is number one on my mind, I couldn't help thinking about my grandparents romance & marriage. As I was growing up it was clear that they were still very much in love, even after many decades together. And as I read and re-read the family history their affection for one another shines through like a bright red ribbon tying up the many recollections.

The image of my grandfather that I carry is one of a large, blustery man with a lazy drawl who loved to socialize and tell stories. But I remember well the panic and disbelief in his voice the day I took his call saying that he thought gran had passed on.

And I remember too, a few months later an unnaturally quiet man with a broken heart sitting at our dining room table. It was only a few months more and he was gone too. I have no doubt that since then they've been together somewhere; somehow.

Another lesson learned...

2008-02-13T12:20:00.006-07:00

After spending considerable time searching for some online evidence of my grandfather's Canadian military service I came to an inescapable conclusion: Sometimes all the persistence in world makes no difference - the information just isn't available...

Not online at any rate.

To be fair, it needs to be acknowledged that in May of 1940 my grandfather was 3 months shy of his 45th birthday and therefore not eligible for active duty. He spent his war service instructing the young men of the 25th Reserve Regiment. I searched for information about the 25th Reserve Regiment but found nothing. However, I did finally come across information that appears to shed some light on the curious absence of online records.

Apparently, service records ARE available for servicemen from World War II. The problem with these modern records is that they're protected by the Access to Information and Privacy Act. Full service record information can be obtained by the actual serviceman who served. But if the serviceman has died and a researcher is trying to obtain information the TWENTY YEAR RULE applies.

This means that the researcher must provide proof that the serviceman has been dead for a period of twenty years. Proof must also be given of the relationship between the person requesting the record and the dead serviceman. The requestee must also prove that they are a Canadian citizen or living in Canada. If any of these criteria are not met information supplied will be limited and some information from the records WILL NOT be supplied to the researcher.

The same information and restrictions apply for Korean War personnel service records.

I've not yet decided whether I'm going to pursue this rather complicated and time-consuming task. My grandfather's recollections of his service in the military are rich with detail and substance. I think I may prefer to let his words stand for themselves.

TODAY'S QUESTION:

Can I find a record of my grandparents birth?

The Military Life

2008-02-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm onto looking for records of my grandfather's Canadian military service (I have his World War I Draft Registration Card, 1917-1918 (American), found at Ancestry.com). In the Switzer-Merrill Family History - My Military Service he writes the following as an introduction to his Canadian service:

"May 28, 1940 I enlisted and in ten days was sent with nine others to Fort Osborne, Winnipeg, Man., to become part of the A3 R.C.A.T Center as an instructor of recruits. The A3 personnel were sent to Camp Shilo for the summer, then back to Fort Garry, Winnipeg for the winter of 1940-41. The next May the training personnel was split and half were sent to Fort Brandon, Man., to start the A4 Royal Canadian Artillery Training center, where I remained until it was broken up about May 1st, 1944, when I was sent to Camp Petawawa, Ont., to instruct batteries of the Reserve army in summer schools, lasting two weeks for each regiment.

I was offered the post of instructor at Simcoe, Ont., for the 25th Reserve Regiment before they left Petawawa and reported there on the completion of the summer schools’ schedule. I was sent home for discharge from there two years later with the rank of Battery Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Second Class) and was discharged in Calgary October 18, 1946."

So I've got a fair amount of information to go on, let's see what happens...

A lesson in persistance...

2008-02-11T08:30:00.001-07:00

The ancestor quest has resumed once more - Friday's questions were:

Is there a marriage record for my grandparents?
Can I find a record of my grandfather’s service in the Canadian army? (He has the distinction of having served in the American army during World War 1 and the Canadian army during World War 11).

I haven't even begun to look into query number two yet but the first question led me on an interesting journey. What I thought would be a relatively easy task turned out to be anything but. I know my grandparent's marriage date and place from the family history - 4 March 1921 in Davenport, Iowa. Now even though this is technically a secondary source, I have a little trouble believing that any woman would ever forget the date and place of her marriage.

Yet search after search of databases, state archives, etc. turned up nothing. I was on the point of giving up when I hit upon the Quad City Memory Project. One feature of this project is an index of some local databases, and as luck would have it, one of those indexes is the Scott County Marriage Certificates: pre 1836-c1925.

Success at last - the database returned a hit for Louis Switzer and Grace Merill (misspelled), married on 4 Mar 1921. Again, I realize that this is not a primary source but taken together with my grandmother's own account of her romance and marriage I'm confident the information is correct. Perhaps I will at some point order the marriage certificate in order to put the final seal of proof on it.

Sources:
Davenport Public Library, Quad City Memory, Local Database Search, online <http://www.qcmemory.org/Default.aspx?PageId=203&nt=203> Switzer data searched 11 February 2008.

TODAY'S QUESTION:
A carry over from Friday...

Can I find a record of my grandfather’s service in the Canadian army? (He has the distinction of having served in the American army during World War 1 and the Canadian army during World War 11).

Delays & Distractions...

2008-02-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Found myself sidetracked this weekend - it became painfully obviously, even after just a couple of posts, that the blog feature of iWeb just wasn't going to cut it. That meant moving to Blogger, customizing a template and then re-tooling the main site to match. Took all weekend which meant the ancestor hunt was put on hold for a couple of days.

Louis & Grace (Merrill) Switzer: part 3

2008-02-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s questions were:

Can I find my grandfather’s naturalization papers?
Is there a land record for the homestead at Yankee Valley?

A hit and miss day, more or less. No I didn’t find my grandfather’s naturalization papers online but I saw them several times while growing up so I’m going to cheat a little and see if they’re still around my parents house. If they are I’ll scan and post to the site.

As for the homestead record - this is yes and no. I did find a record for my grandmother’s father’s homestead and I believe this is as good as it will get. There is no evidence in the family history to indicate that my grandparents ever owned the family farm at Yankee Family, or for that matter ever obtained a homestead of their own.

It was my grandmother’s parents who first came to Canada and obtained the homestead east of Airdrie. When my grandparents followed a few years later they rented the farm for a few years before moving into the village(now city) of Airdrie. I’ve ordered a copy of the homestead file and will scan and post when received.

Sources:
Alberta Genealogical Society, Alberta Homestead Records 1870-1930, online <http://abgensoc.ca/homestead/search.php?_mode=search&SURNAME_type=starts&
SURNAME=merrill&GIVEN_NAME_type=starts&GIVEN_NAME=fred&x=0&y=0> Merrill data searched 7 February 2008.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

Is there a marriage record for my grandparents?
Can I find a record of my grandfather’s service in the Canadian army? (He has the distinction of having served in the American army during World War 1 and the Canadian army during World War 11).

Louis & Grace (Merrill) Switzer: part 2

2008-02-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s questions were:

Where are Louis and Grace Switzer buried?
Can I find their obituaries?

The answer to the first question is Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. I knew this from when they died but I also went searching to see if there was any online confirmation. I was amazed how quickly I found the information at the Alberta Family Histories Society website.

One of their projects is a cemetery search database. Fortunately for me, the Airdrie cemetery has been indexed and I found my grandparents simply by searching Airdrie and Switzer. The dates given for Louis are 1895-1978 and for Grace are 1893-1977. This agrees with information I already have.

Since Airdire is only about half an hour from where I live I’ve decided to visit the cemetery and take photos of the headstones. It won’t be for while though as it’s February and rather cold and snowy. When I get the photos I’ll post them on the site.

As for question - can I find their obituaries? - that one is proving a little more difficult. I’ll give it a few more days then put it aside for the time being.

Sources:
Alberta Family Histories Society, Cemetery Search, online <http://www.afhs.ab.ca/data/cemeteries/search.php> Switzer data searched 6 February 2008.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

Can I find my grandfather’s naturalization papers?
Is there a land record for the homestead at Yankee Valley?

Grace (Merrill) & Louis Switzer: Maternal Grandparents...

2008-02-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

O.k, I’ve got my clicker finger ready, the subscriptions are paid up, and I think I know where I’m going with this.

I’m starting with my grandparents - this is really a no brainer since I knew my grandparents while growing up and I have the family history to verify names and dates. But this is a quest to document, and I’ve found some interesting primary sources to add to what I already know. You can click either name to view a family card and person sheet. Also, if you have a subscription to Ancestry.com you can view the source documents listed below:

My maternal grandparents were:

Louis Dwight Switzer
b. 7 Aug 1895 in Macomb, Illinois, U.S.A.
d. 11 Aug 1978 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Grace Edith Merrill
b. 16 March 1893 in Avon, Illinois, U.S.A.
21 Aug 1977 in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

They were married 4 Mar 1921 in Davenport, Idaho, U.S.A.

Sources for Louis Dwight Switzer:

“1910 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit, Year: 1910; Census Place: Macomb Ward 3, McDonough, Illinois; Roll: T624_305; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 55; Image: 421., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1910uscenindex&h=103998304&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Louis D Switzer, Birth Date: abt 1896.
“World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Admi, Registration Location: McDonough County, Illinois; Roll: 1614210; Draft Board: 0., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=ww1draft&h=23332756&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Louis Dwight Switzer, Birth Date: 7 Aug 1895, Birth Place:, Residence Date:, Residence Place: Not Stated, McDonough, Illinois.
“1920 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data - United States, Year: 1920; Census Place: Macomb, McDonough, Illinois; Roll: T625_385; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 59; Image: 997., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1920usfedcen&h=64451655&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Louis D Switzer, Birth Date: abt 1896, Birth Place: Illinois.
“Switzer-Merrill Family History, 1967,” Switzer, Louis and Switzer, Grace (Merrill), unpublished, http://www.myfamilysearch.ca/genealogy/Home.html.

Sources for Grace Edith Merrill:

“1910 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the Unit, Year: 1910; Census Place: Union, Fulton, Illinois; Roll: T624_288; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 99; Image: 996., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1910uscenindex&h=105539470&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Grace E Merrill, Birth Date: abt 1893, Birth Place: Illinois.
“1920 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry.com, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City.Original data - United States, Year: 1920; Census Place: Rock Island Precinct 11, Rock Island, Illinois; Roll: T625_403; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 135; Image: 75., http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1920usfedcen&h=96313642&ti=0&indiv=try, Name: Grace E Merrill, Birth Date: abt 1894.
“Switzer-Merrill Family History, 1967,” Switzer, Louis and Switzer, Grace (Merrill), unpublished, http://www.myfamilysearch.ca/genealogy/Home.html.

QUESTIONS:

Where are they buried?
Can I find their obituaries?

Genealogy & the "Green Stuff"

2008-02-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things that always prevented me from truly jumping on the genealogy wagon prior to the internet age was the cost. Paying someone to look up records, renting microfilm, travelling to where the records are - it was all way too expensive, not to mention time consuming.

So one would think with the advent of all the fabulous family history sites on the internet that this obstacle would no longer exist. Unfortunately, not so - even if you confine your genealogical pursuits to online searching it soon becomes apparent that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Yes, there are many free sites out there and some are even useful but if you really want to get at good information and, more importantly, document it you’re going to have to subscribe to many different services.

So, it’s with much trepidation that I’ve made the decision to monetize the site. It’s not something that I particularly want to do but if at some point it can start defraying the cost of providing this information then so be it.

The ancestor quest begins...

2008-02-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the website is finally ready to go - it’s been a lot of hard work but fun too. I decided to use iWeb to create the site because it’s such a blast to use even though it does have some frustrating limitations. I just couldn’t see spending a whole lot of time building everything from scratch in Dreamweaver - at least not yet.

The bulk of the site is made up of my grandparents family history but as time goes on I’m hoping to add new sections. Not sure what they’ll be just yet, I think I’ll let need and interest dictate.

So now that the website hurdle has been jumped I can get started with the REALLY fun stuff. I’m so lucky to have this family history as a starting point but I’m sure there will still be many frustrations along the way.

The first order of business is to make sure I’m organized and to set a game plan (though that will probably shift many times). So it’s time to get off the computer and put on the thinking cap.