A couple months ago, I posted a Madness Monday about Samuel Rhoades/Rhodes, who is driving me nuts because I cannot find him anywhere! He isn't in censuses, except for one possibility. I haven't found a marriage record or death record. He's definitely a man of mystery. His wife is not as mysterious, but I'm having a hard time finding her, too.
The best mention I have of Samuel is in his son Andrew Lewis Rhodes's Railroad Retirement papers. Andrew states that his parents were Samuel Rhoades (spelled that way; Andrew spelled it Rhodes, and that's the way we spell it today) and Ida Mae Dewey. Andrew indicated with a question mark that he did not know his father's middle initial. That was on a form dated 19 November 1938. On a later form, from 1952, Andrew gave his father's name as Samuel H. Rhodes (without the "a"). The individual I found on the 1870 census is Samuel H. Rhoades, with his family in Ohio, in the same town where the family of Ida Mae Dewey lived. This is the strongest possibility.
But between that 1870 census and the 1900 census in which she is the wife of Andrew Shuster, with her younger son Harley in the house, I cannot find Ida Dewey. So the search continues, as does the madness. I hope someday to travel to Ohio (I have family history research to do in Illinois and Indiana, too) and clear up this mystery once and for all.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Fave Blogs
Randy Seaver, over at Genea-Musings, is at it again. His instructions for tonight's fun:
The assignment for this Saturday Night, should you choose to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music again), is:
1) Identify three of your favorite genealogy blogs to nominate for the Family Tree 40 list, and fill out the nomination form for them.
2) Tell us which three you chose, and a reason why you chose it, in a blog post on your own blog, in comments to this post, or in a Note or comments to this post on Facebook.
3) For purposes of this assignment, please don't name Genea-Musings as one of your three (obviously, I would be honored to be nominated, and you can do so at your pleasure). What I'm hoping is that by writing about three of your favorite genealogy blogs, that you will introduce many blog readers to more outstanding blogs, for the benefit of all of us.
Good. Here are my nominations, though there are others I like, too, and it wasn't that easy a choice:
1. The Professional Descendant. For one thing, that's a great title for a genealogy blog. For another, it's entertaining as well as informative. I don't know yet whether I have Scots roots (one family name could be Scot, English, or Irish, and I haven't gotten back that far yet), but I enjoy reading the blog entries.
2. Genealogy's Star. James Tanner's blog is short but to the point. He provides excellent information about new developments in genealogy. He is the go-to guy for information on the latest developments over at FamilySearch.org. This is a power blog!
3. West in New England. I have to confess that Bill West, the blogger, has turned out to be a cousin of mine, related through collateral kin in my father's line from Massachusetts. One of the reasons I enjoy the blog is that relationship to New England. But the blog posts are entertaining, and he occasionally does some fun stuff like the "Write Your Own Lyrics" contest he had recently.
There are my three (I may go back and nominate more, if I have time). Go nominate your favorites! And go back and vote beginning 5 October.
And if mine is one of them, thank you!
.
The assignment for this Saturday Night, should you choose to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music again), is:
1) Identify three of your favorite genealogy blogs to nominate for the Family Tree 40 list, and fill out the nomination form for them.
2) Tell us which three you chose, and a reason why you chose it, in a blog post on your own blog, in comments to this post, or in a Note or comments to this post on Facebook.
3) For purposes of this assignment, please don't name Genea-Musings as one of your three (obviously, I would be honored to be nominated, and you can do so at your pleasure). What I'm hoping is that by writing about three of your favorite genealogy blogs, that you will introduce many blog readers to more outstanding blogs, for the benefit of all of us.
Good. Here are my nominations, though there are others I like, too, and it wasn't that easy a choice:
1. The Professional Descendant. For one thing, that's a great title for a genealogy blog. For another, it's entertaining as well as informative. I don't know yet whether I have Scots roots (one family name could be Scot, English, or Irish, and I haven't gotten back that far yet), but I enjoy reading the blog entries.
2. Genealogy's Star. James Tanner's blog is short but to the point. He provides excellent information about new developments in genealogy. He is the go-to guy for information on the latest developments over at FamilySearch.org. This is a power blog!
3. West in New England. I have to confess that Bill West, the blogger, has turned out to be a cousin of mine, related through collateral kin in my father's line from Massachusetts. One of the reasons I enjoy the blog is that relationship to New England. But the blog posts are entertaining, and he occasionally does some fun stuff like the "Write Your Own Lyrics" contest he had recently.
There are my three (I may go back and nominate more, if I have time). Go nominate your favorites! And go back and vote beginning 5 October.
And if mine is one of them, thank you!
.
First ProGen4 Assignment - A Mission Statement
Our first assignment in ProGen4 is to write a mission statement for our genealogical enterprise. Many of my ProGen4 classmates are doing client work. That isn't my cup of tea for a bevy of reasons; my preference is to speak and write. I enjoy running my mouth about genealogy, and I enjoy the solitary pursuits of research and writing.
I am ambivalent about the idea of a mission statement. While I recognize that a clear statement of purpose can be a powerful guide in any endeavor, I also have seen a lot of awful, pretentious, overblown, windy mission statements that really sound more like something to make the potential customer (or patient or student or whatever) feel good about you rather than to provide any clear statement of purpose. And there is an awful lot of "California touchy-feely school," as one fellow Coast Guard officer I once served with put it, in what has been written about mission statements. (And don't anyone jump on me for that characterization; I was born in California!)
And it too frequently happens that the windy, overblown, feel-good mission statement is not adhered to all that well, but rather is nothing more than window dressing. That is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
So the other day, as my daughter and I were coming home from the university (she works there), we talked about mission statements. Neither one of us is generally impressed, as my daughter has many of the same reservations I do about them. However, the discussion got me thinking, and while we were talking about that and other things, my back brain was working away, and I came up with this:
My mission as a genealogical speaker and writer is to produce presentations and write books and articles for audiences interested in genealogy, to inform them about sources and methods which will help them be more effective in their genealogical research.
What do you think? Let me know. This mission statement will be critiqued by my fellow ProGen4 students, and I like more input.
.
I am ambivalent about the idea of a mission statement. While I recognize that a clear statement of purpose can be a powerful guide in any endeavor, I also have seen a lot of awful, pretentious, overblown, windy mission statements that really sound more like something to make the potential customer (or patient or student or whatever) feel good about you rather than to provide any clear statement of purpose. And there is an awful lot of "California touchy-feely school," as one fellow Coast Guard officer I once served with put it, in what has been written about mission statements. (And don't anyone jump on me for that characterization; I was born in California!)
And it too frequently happens that the windy, overblown, feel-good mission statement is not adhered to all that well, but rather is nothing more than window dressing. That is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
So the other day, as my daughter and I were coming home from the university (she works there), we talked about mission statements. Neither one of us is generally impressed, as my daughter has many of the same reservations I do about them. However, the discussion got me thinking, and while we were talking about that and other things, my back brain was working away, and I came up with this:
My mission as a genealogical speaker and writer is to produce presentations and write books and articles for audiences interested in genealogy, to inform them about sources and methods which will help them be more effective in their genealogical research.
What do you think? Let me know. This mission statement will be critiqued by my fellow ProGen4 students, and I like more input.
.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ProGen4 - First Day
Yesterday was my first day in the ProGen Study Group. For those who don't know what ProGen is, it is an online study group based on the book Professional Genealogy, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills. We have reading assignments in the book, and have an online group discussion for one hour each month. We also have assigned homework, which we post in the forum and receive feedback from fellow participants.
We had our first discussion chat yesterday, and it went very well. We have our first assignment, too, which I will be working on in the next week or two, in between doing papers, taking quizzes, and doing a ton of reading in my university courses. It isn't due until the 30th, but I like to get some things done early, to make way for other things I need to get done!
The course was designed by professional genealogists to give upcoming genealogists -- who may or may not already be in practice in one way or another -- a leg up in our personal development and professional education. Subjects treated in the course -- and, of course, in the book -- range from ethics to research techniques to report-writing to business practices, and more. Most, if not all, of us aspire to certification as well. That's another journey I am beginning, and will be the subject of other blog posts.
Anyone who is practicing genealogy -- whether for themselves or for others, whether for pay or as a volunteer -- should read Professional Genealogy. It is an education.
We had our first discussion chat yesterday, and it went very well. We have our first assignment, too, which I will be working on in the next week or two, in between doing papers, taking quizzes, and doing a ton of reading in my university courses. It isn't due until the 30th, but I like to get some things done early, to make way for other things I need to get done!
The course was designed by professional genealogists to give upcoming genealogists -- who may or may not already be in practice in one way or another -- a leg up in our personal development and professional education. Subjects treated in the course -- and, of course, in the book -- range from ethics to research techniques to report-writing to business practices, and more. Most, if not all, of us aspire to certification as well. That's another journey I am beginning, and will be the subject of other blog posts.
Anyone who is practicing genealogy -- whether for themselves or for others, whether for pay or as a volunteer -- should read Professional Genealogy. It is an education.
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