Networking

Networking helps put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Genealogy tip for the day: Networking

Have you ever heard the phrase, 'it's now what you know, but who you know'?? That plays out in every situation you find yourself in. You will find it is true in genealogy research as well.

I started my journey in 1984 when my grandfather, L.S. Van Gorder had passed away and my mother was sorting her parent's papers. We all knew who his father and his grandfather were, but the trail quickly turned cold.  I had no idea where to begin looking.

I put his line on the back burner and concentrated on other family lines. But what I did do was to post on Rootsweb and other websites. There you can find other people interested in the same surname as you. In my case, I found a lady who had researched her Van Gorden line and had information about the person who came to this country from Holland and from whom various lines with various spellings had descended, including Van Gorders.

We corresponded over time and she also put me in touch with her father. Eventually he helped me to put the pieces together and I discovered L.S. Van Gorder had a great grandfather named Jonathan. AND, it tied me back to the original settler from Holland.

On February 6, 1979, I gave birth to a son, and I had named him Jonathan. He was the only one, I thought, that wasn't named after someone in the family. Sometime in the early 90's, I found out - it was in the family after all!

You never know when networking with people can pay off, but sometimes you have to be patient and give it time! The reward is awesome.

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

Like what you read? Let us know.

Today’s Recipe

April – Tomato Month

Tomato-Phyllo Tart

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil

7 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen

8 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Unroll phyllo sheets and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place a sheet of phyllo on baking sheet and lightly brush entire surface with olive oil. (It won't matter if phyllo tears slightly.) Top with a second sheet of phyllo, keeping remaining sheets covered, and brush with olive oil. Repeat stacking and brushing until all phyllo has been used. Reserve any extra oil.

2. Arrange tomato slices decoratively on phyllo in a single layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle feta over the top, then sprinkle with thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle any remaining olive oil over top.

3. Bake tart until edges are golden brown and phyllo is crisp, about 30 minutes. Let tart cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 12 squares and serve warm.

April – (Florida) Tomato Month – www.health.com

Apr 1^st   Caprese Stacks

Apr 2^nd Spicy Frozen Bloody Marys

Apr 3^rd Peach and Tomato Salsa

Apr 7^th Cherry Tomato-Halloumi Skewers

Apr 8^th Pasta With No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Apr 9^th Grilled Chicken and Tomato Salad

Apr 10^th Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Apr 11^th Herb-Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes

Apr 14^th Tomato-Phyllo Tart

ENJOY!

Now You Know!