Photo Corner

Janos Ivan Csore and Maria nee Juhasz Ivan CsoreContributed by Carol A. Brown, Rockville, Indiana
Janos Ivan Csore and Maria nee Juhasz Ivan Csore. They came here in 1904 from Mucsony, Borsod Co., Hungary with their children Maria, Julia, Jozsef, and Pal. Their son Andras, my grandfather, was already here, coming in 1899, their oldest son Janos followed in November 1910. Janos and Maria returned to Mucsony, Hungary, to die in the 1930s. Here in the United States they used the middle name of Ivan which means Evans in English. Joseph and John used Ivan and Andrew and Paul used Evans as last their last names.

Sarah Malone FergusonContributed by Irene Sylvester
This photo is of my great-grandmother, Sarah Malone Ferguson, and her daughter, Sadie Ferguson Bush. It was taken around 1900 in Elizabeth N.J.

Happy Thanksgiving!

turkey.jpgWe’ll be out of the office until Monday, as we enjoy some time and good food with our families (and try to pry genealogical information from unsuspecting family members). On behalf of everyone at Ancestry, I’d like to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

In the meantime, I ran across this clipping earlier this week and thought you might get a kick out of these “helpful hints” excerpted from an 1884 newspaper.

Juliana

From The Daily Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana), 27 November 1884, page 3:

A Few Hints

Those to whom the onerous work of dissecting the turkey falls, are commended to see that the knife is sharp and also to see that they splash no gravy on fine dresses. Ladies are proverbially sweet-tempered, but you will take the enjoyment out of the day if you land a flop of gravy on their silks and satins. Beware! Take care! Continue reading

Good News for All MyFamily Site Administrators

I got the following nice news from MyFamily regarding the MyFamily.com websites I administer and thought I’d pass it along: 

Just in time for all your family holiday photos, MyFamily has automatically increased the storage capacity of your MyFamily.com site.  You now have TEN TIMES the storage space you previously had under your same subscription!

There is nothing you need to do and no extra cost involved.  The next time you log in you will notice a huge increase in space available for:

 10 times the photos
 10 times the news
 10 times the FUN!

So, the next time you sit down to share with your family, loosen the belt and have a second helping on us.

This is a permanent change with no increase in your subscription price.
This notice is being sent to all MyFamily site administrators only so be sure to let the rest of the family know.

Thanks for being a loyal MyFamily.com subscriber and stayed tuned for more great features and benefits from MyFamily in the months to come.

NGS to Open Members Only Section for Thanksgiving, 23-26 November 2006

I received the following press release from the National Genealogical Society: 

Arlington, VA.  21 November, 2006. The National Genealogical Society opens the “Members-Only Data Section” of its Web site www.ngsgenealogy.org for the Thanksgiving Holiday!

In recognition of the number of families that will be together over the Thanksgiving Holiday, the National Genealogical Society will open its “Members-Only Section” from November 23 through November 26, 2006 free of charge.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions about your grandparents, great grandparents, and great, great grandparents.  Where did they live? How long had they lived in the community? Who were their brothers and sisters? What did they do for a living? Did your ancestors immigrate to the United States in the 19th or 20th Century? What was their country of origin? Did your ancestors serve in World War I, World War II, the Civil War, the War of 1812 or the Revolutionary War? There are records about your family waiting to be discovered! Continue reading

New at Ancestry

Posted This Week:

Weekly Planner: Plan Ahead for Family Get-Togethers

The holiday season and family get-togethers provide a great opportunity for family historians to glean information from relatives that can further your family history research. Whether you are planning on conducting formal interviews or just a little discreet prying, a little pre-planning can go a long way. Take some time to review what you know and what information you need to know. Then come up with a list of questions, the answers to which may give you some guidance. Check out the list of interview questions in the Ancestry Library for some ideas.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Reply

Family History Gift Ideas

by Juliana Smith

Every year it seems to come earlier. I’m still taking down Halloween decorations and the stores are already filled with holiday decorations. One local radio station has already changed its format over to all holiday music. I’ve forbidden my daughter to play that station until I’ve had a chance to begin my shopping.

I’m kind of like Pavlov’s dog, in that when I start hearing Christmas music, I feel like I should be done with my shopping, or at least have a good start. I’m just not there yet.

But in truth, we still have time, and with a little forethought, we can come up with some truly thoughtful gifts–perhaps some with a touch of family history. Here are a few ideas that may help you get a start on your holiday season shopping. Continue reading

Highway to the Holidays

thanksgiving dinner.jpgby Maureen Taylor 

Halloween is gone. Poof. Just like that the stores are full of winter decorations–trees, menorahs, and the ever present Santa. Everything happens so quickly at this time of year it’s like being in the high speed lane of the local interstate. It is possible to survive the holiday season, with sanity intact, by planning ahead and developing a sense of humor. Unexpected visits by relatives and cranky cousins add to your stress levels, but try to offset the tension with a little family history. Don’t put your charts and notes away for the holidays. Take them out and show them off. This is a great time of year to be mindful of family history.

Kitchen Help
If you’re overwhelmed by relatives wanting to know “What’s for dinner?” and “When will it be ready?” then redirect their attention. Keep them busy. Along with a platter of appetizers serve them a helping of family history. Pick out your family photo mysteries and put copies in a scrapbook with a blank facing page for comments. Leave a pen attached to the book and ask for each person to write something about the picture such as the details they see or who it might be. Make sure they sign their name beside their remarks. They might see something you’ve overlooked. That cantankerous relative could turn into your personal genealogical gift-giver when he identifies a photo of your second great-grandfather. Continue reading

Tips from the Pros: Are You Traveling?

from Paula Stuart Warren, CG 

Are you traveling to another city? Or perhaps to another country? Before you finalize details on that trip for the holidays, business, reunion, vacation, sporting event, medical care, research, or whatever purpose, check for genealogical events that will be occurring while you are in that location.

You may need to extend your trip for a day or two, but the benefit of being with other researchers is too great to miss. Is a genealogical society in that area having their annual seminar at that time with a speaker you have always wanted to hear or topics that fit right in with your research needs?

Do you live in an area without a genealogical society? This may be a good opportunity to do some genealogical socializing and networking. Is the historical society sponsoring some pertinent lectures or classes? I have attended society events many times when I have traveled to other places and always learn something.

Here are some places to find calendars of a multitude of genealogical events (and there are many more similar listings online):

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this article.
Â