Filling in the Blanks: How I Started My Genealogy Research – Part 2

Trisha’s Note: My husband, Phillip, will be posting a 2-part blog post about how he started filling in his family tree as a genealogy newbie. This is part 2. Here’s Part 1. Happy reading! This is part 2 of my story, where I share with you the process of beginning my research, what I found,…

Wordless Wednesday – Juneteenth

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 22 – At the Cemetery

I have always hated going to cemeteries.  I had attended more funerals by the time I was in high school than I can remember.  So although I went to cemeteries with my family, I never like the idea that there were actual people buried under the ground that I was walking on.  I’m sure some…

Filling in the Blanks: How I Started My Genealogy Research – Part 1

Trisha’s Note: My husband, Phillip, will be posting a 2-part blog post about how he started filling in his family tree as a genealogy research newbie. This is Part 1. Enjoy! If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know Trisha has been researching her family for a good number of years now. (Shameless…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 19 – Nurture (My Mother’s Day Weekend)

This week’s 52 Ancestors prompt is ‘Nurture’.  My guess is because this is the week of Mother’s Day.  Mother’s Day is the day we celebrate the mothers in our lives.  I always celebrate any woman who has nurtured a person in some way.  We all know it takes a village to raise a child.  This…

I Attended My First Writing Workshop

If you have been reading my blog from the beginning, then you know that I have been researching my family history since 2011.  About two years into my family history research I knew that one day I would write a book about my genealogy journey.  I started this blog in 2017 with no formal training…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge – 4 Month Update

I first read about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge from reading the blog, Uncovering Roots, Extending Branches last year.  The idea behind this challenge is that you will receive email prompts, a word or phrase, every week, and you find something about your research or family history to write about.  The first thing I…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 17 – At Worship

When I saw this week’s prompt, ‘At Worship’, I didn’t know what I would write about.  Church has always been an important part of my life and my family.  I could easily write about the two churches of my youth, St. Paul AME Church and Morning Star Baptist Church.  I could write about finding my…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 14 – Brick Wall

From the very beginning, I always thought of my research as a challenge for many reasons.  My family had no real oral history that I could start with.  All of my grandparents were deceased.  I lived in the south, and because of the Civil War, many records from the 19th century had been destroyed.  But…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 13 – In the Newspaper

I will admit I was torn about what to write about for this week’s prompt.  My family has a special connection with newspapers in that four generations of my family has either worked for a newspaper, myself included, or has used the newspaper as a platform to discuss social issues in America.  Click HERE to…

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 10 – Bachelor Uncle

This week’s word/prompt for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is Bachelor Uncle.  As soon as I saw the email, I knew exactly who would be the star of this blog.  Leslie Samuel Mays is my father’s older brother.  My brother, sister and I have always referred to him as Uncle.  He is the oldest…

Organizing Phase One – Naming and Filing Scanned Documents

It’s hard to believe that it’s already spring break time.  And with that said I have challenged myself to finally start some organizing.  I bought a portable scanner a few years ago that I love.  I have used it pretty consistently and have more than a few hundred documents, photos, and funeral programs that need to be…