Women Who Remembered - Olga Marie Adams

This post is about my dad's grandmother Olga Marie Adams. But before I begin - I have to comment on this awesome picture. This is a picture was taken in 1892 of a water tower in the city of Milwaukee. Olga was only 4 years old when it was taken and living in Milwaukee. I just want to know if you have ever seen a more awesome looking water tower? I am saying that I have not and this water tower definitely ranks up there in the beautiful water tower category. I know that you are blow away but most water towers are large, round, short and ugly! The Germans knew how to make things and still do.

My mom met with Olga when she was living in San Francisco in the late 1960's. Olga and her husband Fred Smith had left their Mid-Western roots and moved west to San Francisco on account of their other son (they only had 2 sons - one being my grandpa, William Smith) Fred Smith Jr., who was living in San Francisco.

While my mom met with Olga, she took the opportunity and quizzed Olga on her family history. Who her father and mother were, children, names, dates, etc. Olga came through for my mom. She remembered many things. She also remembered the exact place her father was born in Germany. This might not seem amazing but trust me - I am a genealogist and many children don't know as much about their parents as they think they do. Many children have given misinformation or missing information on a death record.

I have only one picture of Olga. I will have to add it to another post because I don't have it scanned into this computer. My mom describes Olga as a small woman with a strong personality. She sounds like my kind of woman. I think I can relate!? 

Olga helped give me my start in genealogy. She remembered her family, so I have, in turn, been able to find and remember my family as well. Thanks Olga.

Long Lost Cousin-In-Law

Just recently, I have been corresponding with a cousin-in-law. This all happened because of ancestry.com. Ancestry has several ways they try to help long lost relatives connect with each. One way is through prompts that they give you about other people that are ancestry members that are researching the same lines. They do this by tracking the records that a person saves to their family tree. So, I receives these prompts - these bits of information that "so and so" saved "such and such" record to their tree.

Well, I sent an email through ancestry to what turned out to be my cousin-in-law who lives in Kansas. Who knew I have relatives living in Kansas. Turns out - I am related to his wife. His wife is related to the Carbine family from Chicago. My dad's grandfather Fred R. Smith's mother was Mary Carbine. Thus, my connection to the Carbine family. But, of course, we are all rather distantly related.

But, nonetheless, it has been fun to make a connection with a newly found cousin. This is what my blog is about. The hope that I will make connections with my long lost cousins and cousin-in-laws and of course my cousins - my family - that I already know and love. Hope you stay for the journey.

Jilline

How I Got Started: My Mother

When I got married, my mom handed me one of those old style Book of Remembrance. Being a genealogist, of course, I still have it. It is light blue, long and short with a soft cover. In it were stored a handful of family group records. Some hand written and others typed (yes, typed on a type writer). The pages contained names, dates and when done, ordinances. It was my beginning. My starting place.Those very bits of information that my mom had collected and saved.  I don't know if my mom felt inspired to give this to me or she felt that since I was now living in Salt Lake, I might be her only hope in getting something going on my dad's side of the family - the non LDS side of the family. The side ready and waiting!

So, I owe my start in genealogy to my mother. With those bits of information I was able to walk into the Family History Library in Salt Lake and begin what would become my life's work. At the time, I didn't know that genealogy was my life's work but my ancestors knew it and encouraged me and still do. Over the years, my ancestors have waited on me while I have pursed my other life's work - that of a mother. (So far,  I have found two main purposes to my life- my children and my ancestors). The bond I have developed with those ancestors that have waited on me is very strong.

Now, almost 19 years later, I want to thank my mom for giving me my start in genealogy. She encouraged me and I accepted that invitation. As stated in the Doctrine and Covenants: For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul.

Jilline

Roots Tech

What Is RootsTech?

Last week I attended Roots Tech, the high tech genealogy conference in Salt Lake City. Lucky for me, I got to go with my mom. It is great to have a fellow genealogist in the family. My mom's eyes don't immediately glaze over when I mention the word - genealogy. This conference is just in its infancy - this being its second year. Some background on Roots Tech. Roots Tech grew out of the little Computerized Genealogy Conference at BYU that was held each March. BYU has a summer genealogy conference that includes all aspects of genealogy with the March conference focusing on the technology aspects.
Well, Roots Tech is like the BYU Conference on steriods. It is at the Salt Lake Convention Center or for those who are from Utah or know about Utah - it is at what was formerly now as the Salt Palace. I am of course in the later group - not from Utah but have lived here for almost 20 years, so now I know about Utah.

Roots Tech is designed to bring the developer and the genealogist or user together. So there are classes for both kinds of people. The classes are useful but could include a bit more on how to use the technology for people like me that need more guidance. But they did have hands on workshops that you could preregister for. I loved the workshop that I went to on Google Earth. There will be more on that in another post. Very exciting.

We were also treated to a free dinner with a comedy show afterwards. The comedian was funny. He lives in NYC but comes from the small town of Ashton, ID. Go Idaho!

There is also a very large vendor area, where one can find all sorts of genealogy related companies promoting their wares. The vendor experience is not at all annoying. No one is pushy, all are helpful and pleasant! Yeah!

Of course Family Search was there and I signed up to help index the 1940's census due out in April. So if you need something to do - here it is. The images will be available but no index. This is why they need us. You can also sign up to index your favorite state.

Jilline