This is a photo of my father and his brother in WWII.

Barbara Williams

Click on the photograph to enlarge it.

 

The heat wave was unusual for Salt Lake City.  Five consecutive days with temperatures near 100 degrees with a repeat heat performance expected today. No problem. Wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals, I left my motel and began an eight-block walk to the Family History Library.

This was my first trip to the FHL, so my excitement quickened my pace.  Before long, though, I slowed to a steady walk.  How freaking long are the blocks in this city anyway?  Plus, the bank thermometer flashed 83 degrees and it was only 9:30 a.m. When I finally slipped through the doors into the FHL lobby, the cool air-conditioned atmosphere was a welcome relief.

Sitting through the first-time visitor orientation, I noticed goose bumps popping up on my arms.  This room is a little cool, I thought. After the orientation, I plunged into the stacks, flipping intently through books.  Wait a minute, my toes and fingers feel cold.  In fact, I’ve got goose bumps all over and I’m starting to shiver. I looked around at the other researchers.  Long pants and sweaters were standard attire.  Was that person who just passed by wearing earmuffs?  No one told me it would be 47 degrees in here. Continue reading →

 

This is a photo of two of my husband’s uncles, Herman and Emil Harris Elmquist.  Emil was killed in France by a sniper’s bullet in 1918 and is buried in Oise-Aisne military cemetery in France. 
 
Mr. and Mrs. Neal Elmquist
Ridgecrest, CA

Staying organized is always a challenge. I often ask attendees in seminars how many people are caught up with their filing. Invariably there is a silent pause but perhaps one or two hands out of 75 to 100 attendees’ go up. We all know we have to do a better job with that portion of our work but I know from experience that it can be drudgery.

Not surprisingly, genealogical research is among the top uses of the Internet these days. If you’re like me, you find yourself researching at all hours of the day and night, even when you wake up in the middle of the night. We all have favorite Web sites that we visit often, some more often than others. As you have learned to use the Internet, you’ve invariably learned how to use the bookmarking feature of your Web browser, regardless of which one you use. In your excitement of finding a great site, you probably quickly add a bookmark or favorite place to your collection. However, finding that bookmark again may be like a search for the Hope Diamond!

Just as with the filing of other genealogical documentary evidence, you have to invest time into setting up some sort of organized filing system so that you can easily find what you want. They are your personal electronic reference library and you want to access them quickly whenever you need them. A frantic search only breaks your concentration span. I’ve developed my own bookmark organizational system and would like to share it with you. Continue reading →

 

Here rests in honored glory an American Soldier known but to God.
~ Engraved on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier