Looking for Matilda

I am busily planning for a long-awaited genealogy trip.  I will be going to Clay County, Indiana to find proof that Matilda Grass Shuey is the daughter of Robert Grass.  There are some undocumented lineages circulating that this is the case, but no-one can provide proof of their connection.  Robert Grass lived in Clay County from the mid-1830's until his death.  I have searched through everything I can find online and in FHC microfilms, as well as every published book I could find (Madison, Newberry and DAR library).  Hopefully, the Clay County Genealogical Society will have that one obscure proof that I need.  I've been trying to make this trip for a long time, but something always comes up - this time it will happen!

R.I.P. Uncle Dick

I have sad news to report.  My Uncle, James Richard "Dick" Kern passed away yesterday.  I will attend his funeral tomorrow.  It's sad to think that my dad's siblings are almost gone.  Uncle Dick was 81 - his 5 older brothers and sister are all dead, only his younger sister is still alive. 
This serves as a reminder to talk to our older relatives now - while they are still able to tell us about their families and their experiences growing up.  Once they are gone, those memories may be lost.
Of course, I will remember to save his obituary and funeral notice as primary evidence.  And, hopefully I can get my aunt to reminisce a little at dinner tomorrow night.

Volunteer Genealogist

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Volunteer Field Genealogist Course put on by the DAR.  Although I've been working on DAR applications for several years, have put together applications for other groups, and worked on the receiving end as Registrar for some groups, it was still a good course.  It was interesting to hear their perspective as to what their genealogists look for when approving an application.  I learned some tips and tricks and look forward to using them.
I went with my friend Chuck.  She's been doing her own genealogy for a while but hasn't done too much with DAR applications except her own.  She's looking forward to helping with applications for our DAR chapter and is anxious for us to put on a workshop for prospective members.

Well, here goes...

OK, people keep telling me to start a blog.  My response is that nobody will be interested in what I have to say.  I find myself starting to follow more and more blogs - both my daughters, my niece, and now a few friends and some acquaintances.  So, maybe somebody might be interested.  If not, well, it will give me an outlet.
The next question is, what to blog about?  I will try to blog about one of my hobbies - genealogy. 
I first started doing Genealogy when I was a senior in High School.  Let's just say it was over 30 years ago.  This was back when genealogy was done by traveling to courthouses, libraries and cemeteries.  If you couldn't travel,  you would write to the courthouse or library or cemetery and hope that they would be kind enough to answer.  Things have definitely changed with the internet!  Since I have a real job, I can't travel much for genealogy, but I can find a lot online. 
Along with my passion for genealogy, I have discovered that I enjoy using it to join various lineage groups.  I like getting involved with these groups because they allow me to share my lineage, help others with their lineage, and give back to the community.
I hope to ramble on in this blog about once a week.  I will talk about various lineage groups that I belong to, and various genealogical puzzles that I happen to be working on.
Please feel free to follow me and comment if you'd like.