July Was Full Circle

What a crazy month July was.  It began with a new baby and ended with a funeral, with travel, a birthday and serious illness in between!

I was able to help out my daughter who ended up being very ill after Missy was born, by taking her children for a few days.  Oh my goodness.  They were good, but mommys are soooo busy!  Of course, the blessings, little kid hugs and funniness of them all was such a joy to my life!

Thankfully, prayers were answered and daughter is well.

I had my birthday--yep, another year older and a time for reflection.

Then, my great aunt passed away and I attended the beautiful funeral services; a tribute and an accounting of her life and her legacy.  It was also a time to visit with close relatives and long lost cousins. 

Now, July is gone and August is here and I realized July was a "life-time".    It began with a birth ended with a death and had serious life issues in between!

July was a month of serious reflection for me, and an opportunity to once again see why family history and genealogy work is so important.  Every person that lives has their story written on the hearts of their family members.  Every person that lives makes an impression in this world; great or small, an impression none-the-less.  And, doesn't everyone's story deserve to be told in their honor and for their life?  Yes, they do, and that is why I do this work--to tell the stories and to learn about the lives of my ancestors.  Each one of them mattered, just like my family matters to me.  They all had mothers and fathers and siblings who loved them.  They all had good days and bad days and they all had their own struggles.  Just because they have passed on, doesn't mean their lives can't help and matter to me and my life. 

Day 10--Grateful for my Mission

 I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord 

and to share my knowledge and love of 

family history work and research.  

I love family history work.
I love research.
I love to learn about my ancestors and to help others learn about their ancestors. 
I am grateful for records that have been preserved.

I am grateful for living near the Family History Library. 

I am grateful I have had the opportunity and means to travel to Wyoming and Iowa and do research.

I am so grateful to meet my extended relatives.

 Even though I am saddened by Joe's death, it is the single event that enables me the time and means to serve this mission. 
Bittersweet and grateful.

What I have been doing

I am so excited I cannot wait to tell you all about it, 

however they have not had the official release yet :(

But when they do, I'm gonna shout all about it!

Family

(Thank you Sharon for sharing this with me.)

Life

I just barely get everything fixed and new things break!  I just got the computer fixed and the new one up and running, and now  the central vacuum broke (I LOVE my central vac system and miss it dearly!), the windshield on the car has a crack, the DVD player/sound system is broken and the television has no sound.  Seriously!

Don't tell, but I'm almost sick of genealogy!  (Yep you heard it here, but ever say it out loud and I'll deny it!)  I have been serving my mission, just signed up for another two years (they changed the rules so I had to "sign up" twice; once the old way and then according to the new procedure!), I spoke in Sacrament about family history work, began indexing and have indexed over 2,000+ names, researched and found the Roberts Family in the 1940 census, kept the Roberts family blog updated regularly, worked shifts at the Eagle Mt. Family History Library, and helped two separate families in our ward individually on a weekly basis teaching them family history and research.  Plus, the newsletter is due this month, and finally, I'm preparing a family history trip with my dad to Iowa.

Crazy!  Especially since it is getting to be crunch time on gathering all of the needed information for the trip to Iowa.  I would hate to travel and spend all that time and money only to find out that a key piece of information or a document was available at the FHL.  So, I am trying to do extensive searches everywhere I know  before I leave.

With the release of the 1940 census, I was able to find most of the Roberts family that were alive in 1940--however I looked at over 382+ images to locate everyone!  Then, I had to copy and add that information to my genealogy program.  I'm still working on adding the information to my database, however I was able to link everyone to the source from the blog.  That took a whole day! 

I was able to spend a couple of days with a dear friend while her daughter was recuperating in the hospital.  I miss spending time with her on a daily basis, but will always treasure the time and the fun we were able to have. 

Finally, the Nieman's went on vacation, and I missed them terribly!  So, glad they are home and close; just knowing they were further than usual was difficult--what if I needed loves from those sweet grandchildren?!?

Easter was quiet.  Home alone while everyone was busy doing their thing, that's life (and death).  Afraid that is getting to be a pattern for holidays!  I also went through all my old poems to add to this blog!  That was fun/interesting/memorable/sad and insightful! 

So, this is what I've been up, what have you been doing?

Ancestor

The how’s, when’s,
and why’s of life,
I’ve followed step by step.
Searching where, when,
and how you lived
and where you laid your head.
I’ve traced your faded footsteps,
your voyage in this life,
and walked where you walked;
Hoping to connect,
to understand and learn,
who you really were;
Reminding all you lived
 your legacy remains,
as your body sleeps.

1940 Census

Seventy plus--
two years ago,
The tap on the door,
let you know,
The time had come,
your stats to show.

Today was your,
household's turn,
Questions to answer,
government's learn;
Politely, asked and
answered stern.

Maybe at the
kitchen table,
Or outside under
the garden gable,
Answers given
as best they were able.

Name, age, marital status
and relation,
Birth place, gender,
and occupation,
Personal facts,
now public invasion.

Recorded on the
printed form,
In scratchy
writing decorum,
Jotted in the
selected column.

The images
of past so near.
Of our own
ancestors dear,
And glimpses
into yesteryear.

I know kinda cheesy!  Today is the release date of the 1940 census.  Isn't it amazing what has changed in the past 72 years.  Questions that were answered in the homes of people who worried about feeding their families, are being viewed by people at home in their pajamas on their laptops!

For me personally it will answer some questions but it also be fun to see certain people on the census.   My dad will be four years old living with his two brothers and their parents.  Their little sister will be born the following November.

So, my silly little ode to the release to the census, is a big deal in the genealogy world in the sense that this census will  be released on the internet rather than on film.  What's the big deal--well, you finally can look at a census the day it is released without leaving your own house!  That is a big deal since so much of genealogy is searching at the depository where the actual event took place.  Over the years records have been filmed and stored in other places, like the FHL or historical societies, but most records remain at the place of origin.

Family historians and genealogists are continuing to usher in the wonderful new era of research from home.  Having the availability to view records from your own home allows researchers the opportunity to do more in a shorter amount of time and with less expense.  There will still be travel involved, but with the releasing of this census it is a major event that previews what is easily and inexpensively accessible to all.

My Mission

I am quickly approaching two full years as a Church Service Missionary.

And, I still love it.

It is the best of both worlds; being a missionary and doing family history research.  I have learned so much and I have been able to do so much research.  I usually average anywhere from 12  to 30 hours of family history work a week.  I average about 12 hours a week at the FHL, with the remaining hours being personal research.

One of the sweetest parts of my mission is working with the other missionaries.  There are some really sweet people I have been able to meet and become friends with.  Each mission shift begins with a spiritual thought given by the various missionaries.  After attending these prayer meetings for almost two years, I can say, I walk among spiritual giants.  I am in constant awe of what they teach me about living a Christ centered life, and the Gospel perspectives they have shared with me.

Another sweet part of my mission is the devotional and other meetings where we have the sacred experience of being taught in person by our great Church leaders.  I don't want to boast or brag, however I am grateful for being so inspired and uplifted. 

Things in the genealogical world are  quickly changing.  Records are being released online at such a fast pace allowing anyone and everyone to have access.  This is monumental and I am sure the impact will be awesome!

My advice to you, plan your life so that someday you may be able to serve the Lord as a missionary.  Plan your finances, time, and education so that someday you will be able to receive the many great and wonderful blessings that are available to you through missionary work.  

Joe's death ruined my world, but because of his death I have the blessing of being able to serve this mission at this time and for this I am truly grateful and blessed.

Indexing

So this past week I signed up and began indexing.  I wanted to get a few projects done and out of the way before I began.  It is very fun.

If you are looking for a way to be productive and do some family history work, sign up for indexing.  It is so rewarding and I know from research experience how helpful and valuable it is.  It allows indexers a way to be involved in genealogy without the time commitments and knowledge of researching.  However I cannot stress how valuable it is to researchers.

I look at it this way:
Researching is like fishing.  You select a body of water, or database, and throw your line in hoping to get a bite, or locate needed information.
Indexing on the other hand, is like stocking the lake with fish.  Indexers add the identifying information to the database, or fill the pond with fish. 
Both fishing and stocking with fish are important parts of family history.

Got a few extra minutes, go sign up.  See my blog post here about signing up.