Why Do You Do Genealogy

Computer Classes : there will be no classes this Sat., 30^th. The Library WILL be open, however, our normal hours 9-5.

We will be closed Nov 28 and 29 for Thanksgiving Holidays.

 

 

 

 

Genealogy tip for today:  Why Genealogy is Important

Have you ever had someone ask you why do you waste your time working on genealogy? What good does it do? You’re digging up information about dead people you never knew. Why would anyone want to do that? The next time someone asks you that, you can give them some of these reasons for answers.

‘Why not genealogy?’ would be my first question. What is history but the stories of individuals put together into one large historical event. Have you ever wondered ‘who am I?’ Genealogy is one way you can find out. It has been said, ‘To thy own self be true.’ What better means to learn about who you are and what makes up you as a person, than to research your past i.e. your family’s past. But even more foundational than that, it is our basic human curiosity. To see where we have been gives us clues as to where we are going and why. 

We will be discussing this topic over the next few days. As you will see a lot of these reasons will be overlapping. With the holidays upon us this week these topics will be something we can easily pick up to read and put down for later. But as with all our posts, you can always go back and catch the ones you may have missed.

I won’t say that these reasons I’ll share are all conclusive but after searching and doing a lot of reading myself, I have found quite a few and have grouped the reasons into 8 general topics.

 

1. My Story

One reason why folks want to research their genealogy is to validate any family stories or lore that has been passed down. It could range from nothing important to something really significant. Maybe someone was carried off by Indians, or your ancestor was the secretary to some big wig politician, or your ancestor was the one who delivered an important spy message behind enemy lines.

If these are true, and usually there is a thread of truth in there, this is part of your heritage. As you work on your genealogy and study these people you may find just the proof you need to show the family story was true or that it was false.

You may lean more to the family history side (more stories than stats). If that is the case you may be more interested in preserving your family’s story for the generations to come. Everyone loves a good story and when it is of your very own family – it makes it just that much more appealing and interesting. What better way to discover your own heritage and preserve it for your grandchildren and other ‘grands’ to come.

  

 

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is helpful in anyway.

 

 

Louis XIV

Today in History 1688   Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands. 1774   A congress of colonial leaders criticizes British influence in the colonies and affirms their right to "Life, liberty and property." 1789   George Washington proclaims this a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new Constitution. This date was later used to set the date for Thanksgiving. 1812   Napoleon Bonaparte's army begins crossing the Beresina River over two hastily constructed bridges. 1825   The Kappa Alpha Society, the second American college Greek-letter fraternity, is founded. 1863   The first National Thanksgiving is celebrated. 1901   The Hope diamond is brought to New York. 1907   The Duma lends support to Czar in St. Petersburg, who claims he has renounced autocracy. 1917   The Bolsheviks offer an armistice between Russian and the Central Powers. 1922   Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, archeologists, open King Tut's tomb, undisturbed for 3,000 years. 1938   Poland renews nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union to protect against a German invasion. 1939   The Soviet Union charges Finland with artillery attack on border. 1941   The Japanese fleet departs from the Kuril Islands en route to its attack on Pearl Harbor. 1947   France expels 19 Soviet citizens, charging them with intervention in internal affairs. 1949   India becomes a sovereign Democratic republic. 1950   North Korean and Chinese troops halt a UN offensive. 1957   President Eisenhower suffers a minor stroke. 1975   Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is found guilty of an attempt on President Gerald Ford's life. 1979   Oil deposits equaling OPEC reserves are found in Venezuela. 1982   Yasuhiro Nakasone is elected the 71st Japanese prime minister. 1983   At London's Heathrow Airport, almost 6,800 gold bars worth nearly £26 million stolen from Brinks-MAT vault. 1998   Tony Blair becomes the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the Republic of Ireland's parliament. 2000   Republican candidate George W. Bush is certified the winner of Florida's electoral votes, giving him enough electoral votes to defeat Democrat Al Gore Jr. for the US presidency, despite losing the popular vote. 2011   NATO forces in Afghanistan attack a Pakistani checkpost in a friendly fire incident, killing 24 soldiers and wounding 13 others.   Ellen Gould White

Birthdays today

1827		Ellen Gould White, founder of the Seventh Day Adventists.
1876		Willis Haviland Carrier, inventor of the first air conditioning system to control both temperature and humidity.
1894		Norbert Weiner, American mathematician, considered the father of automation.
1912		Eric Sevareid, American broadcast journalist for CBS News.
1920		Cyril Cusack, Irish actor.
1922		Charles M. Shultz, American cartoonist who created "Peanuts" starring Charlie Brown.
1924		George Segal, sculptor.
1933		Robert Goulet, singer, actor.
1938		Rich Little, comedian, actor; noted for his ability to impersonate famous personalities.
1939		Tina Turner, singer, dancer , actress ("What's Love Got to Do with It").
1954		Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder and leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka.
1956		Dale Jarrett, NASCAR driver; won 1999 Winston Cup Series championship.

 

Word for the Day

This week’s words are words that come from usage in cartoons.

gerrymander

PRONUNCIATION:

(JER-i-MAN-duhr)

 

MEANING:

verb tr.: To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party.
noun: 1. An instance of gerrymandering. 2. One or more electoral districts, widely differing in size or population, created as a result of gerrymandering.

 

ETYMOLOGY:

A blend of Elbridge Gerry and salamander. Massachusetts Governor Gerry's party rearranged the electoral district boundaries and someone fancied the newly redistricted Essex County resembled a salamander. A cartoon showing the district in the shape of a salamander appeared in March 1812 issue of the Federalist newspaper. Earliest documented use: 1812.

 

USAGE:

"Country members such as Katter enjoyed disproportionate influence thanks to the Queensland gerrymander that effectively made a rural vote worth more than a city vote."
Tony Wright; Put Down That Blunderbuss; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Aug 28, 2010.

Quote for the Day

Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use. -Charles Schulz, cartoonist (1922-2000)

 

 

 

Today’s Recipe

Holiday Cooking

This weeks recipes are with the Vegetarian in mind.

 

 

Vibrant Tasty Green Bean Recipe

The following recipe is best made just before serving time. But as I mentioned in the main post you can make/prep this ahead of time by cooking the leeks and dill first and setting them aside. Instead of cooking the green beans in the skillet, blanch them in a pot of boiling, well-salted water for about a minute. Drain the beans and dunk them in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and place the beans in a bag or bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready, combine the components - you can do it at room temperature, or heated quickly in a skillet or pan.

4 leeks, well washed, root end and tops trimmed, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then chopped into 1/2-inch segments (see photo in main post)

1/3 cup fresh dill, well chopped
3/4 pound green beans, tops and tails trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt

In a large thick-bottomed skillet of medium-high heat add a generous splash of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and the leeks. Stir until the leeks are coated and glossy. Cook, stirring regularly until a lot of the leeks are golden and crispy. I stir every minute or two in the beginning, and more often as they brown using a metal spatula. All in all it takes me roughly 7 - 10 minutes to brown the leeks. At this point stir in the dill, and then stir in the green beans. Cook for a couple more minutes - just until the the beans brighten up and lose that raw bite. Turn out into a bowl or onto a platter and serve immediately. If you want to prepare these green beans ahead of time - read the head notes.

Serves about 6.

 

ENJOY!

 

Now You Know!