Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Resting Spot
Back at the end of August, I received an e-mail from Brett Atlas of Resting Spot, telling me about this new project they had started using the GPS technology in smartphones to help people locate "RestingSpots" in cemeteries. Now anyone who knows me knows that August was a blur for me. That is when I moved to North Carolina, and I was NOT prepared or able to take on any new projects myself or investigate any new applications. However, the e-mail piqued my interest, and I held on to it with the hope of following up some day.
Finally, I did. Or, I should say, WE did. On Saturday, October 15, Ginger Smith of Genealogy by Ginger's Blog and I decided to fulfill a FindaGrave.com request for a photo of a grave. We decided it would be a good time to try out this new Resting Spot application. I downloaded the iPhone app and away we went. We visited Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in Wake County (Raleigh). We were searching for the headstone of one Louise (or Louisa) H. Johnson Smith, as per the request on Find a Grave. While we did not locate her grave, we did locate the graves of three of her children, Swannie, Elbert, and Early Smith.
Adding these Resting Spots into the application was simple. You click "Add." You type in the First, Middle/Maiden and Last names, Birth Date, and Rest Date. (You will notice the location latitude and longitude already listed at the top of the screen.) Click "Add RestingSpot." Upload the picture of the headstone, and you are done. I was excited at how easy it was to use. The application automatically enters the name of the cemetery (In this instance, the cemetery is also known as King Family Cemetery so that is the name listed in Resting Spot.) and maps the location. Once uploaded, you can Share RestingSpot, Add Photo, look at the Photo Gallery (the photo you already uploaded), or View on Map.
Now I am a huge Find a Grave fan. I have used it for several years and have been a volunteer photographer for them. I have made breakthroughs in my research using that site. However, they have not eagerly entered the mobile application arena. (There is a Android mobile app, but it is not being actively promoted or supported, as far as I can tell.) It is still mostly a manual process to upload memorials and photos to their site. I will continue to use Find a Grave, and I am hopeful they will branch out more in the mobile arena, like maybe adding an iPhone app.
Resting Spot is new and only has a fraction of the number of resting spots in their database as Find a Grave has in theirs. I have high hopes for it, though, and will now use it each time I am out visiting a cemetery. There is another mobile application for uploading graves, and I say we cannot have too many. The more options we have as genealogists to find information about our ancestors... all the better. Resting Spot's goal is "to map every RestingSpot in the United States by Memorial Day 2013." They are looking for volunteers to help them meet that goal. Please consider contributing to their database... or to the database of whichever application or site you prefer.. or even to all of them! We can never have too much information in genealogy!
I was not asked or compensated by Resting Spot for my comments/review of their program. I was just impressed with it and wanted to share my opinion. There is an Android app also available. Both the Android and iPhone apps can be downloaded via links on their site: www.restingspot.com.
Monday, November 14, 2011
A lot can happen in a year!
One year ago today, I started this blog. Last night when I realized that today is my blogoversary, I went back and read my first post. Boy, have I come a long way! This past year has brought so many major changes, upheavals, hurts, pleasant surprises, and joys that it is a wonder I am still coherent!
Before starting this blog, I had been doing genealogy on my own off and on for many years when I found a friend who was just as excited by looking for dead people as I was. Last year about this time, we attended the Family History Expo in Atlanta. There, I took a class from Thomas MacEntee on writing a blog. That lit a fire under me. As soon as I returned home, I started this blog. I love telling my family's stories (Who doesn't?!). And the best surprises have been all of the cousins and Geneablogger friends I have gained! I purposely and freely put my name out there on the Internet in order to grab the attention of any possible relatives. I am blessed to say it has worked. I have gained at least 10 cousins from writing this blog!
In addition, I have learned a lot about my family. This blog helps motivate me to do more and more research. I mean, I need to find out more to have something to write about on my blog! Also, joining the Geneablogger community - because what blogger who blogs about genealogy wouldn't! - has exposed me to wonderful information, webinars, stronger research techniques, better source citations, friends, acquaintances, and so much more.
Through all that has happened over the past year, this blog has been my constant. The familiar thing I could come back to. Oh, I had to neglect it for awhile, but it was right here waiting for my return. It is always patient, always happy, and always willing to listen. Of course "it" refers to you - my readers. Thank you for visiting and commenting. If you are related to me, I thank you even more if you drop me a line. I have been called a "cousin collector," and that is just fine by me!
Before starting this blog, I had been doing genealogy on my own off and on for many years when I found a friend who was just as excited by looking for dead people as I was. Last year about this time, we attended the Family History Expo in Atlanta. There, I took a class from Thomas MacEntee on writing a blog. That lit a fire under me. As soon as I returned home, I started this blog. I love telling my family's stories (Who doesn't?!). And the best surprises have been all of the cousins and Geneablogger friends I have gained! I purposely and freely put my name out there on the Internet in order to grab the attention of any possible relatives. I am blessed to say it has worked. I have gained at least 10 cousins from writing this blog!
In addition, I have learned a lot about my family. This blog helps motivate me to do more and more research. I mean, I need to find out more to have something to write about on my blog! Also, joining the Geneablogger community - because what blogger who blogs about genealogy wouldn't! - has exposed me to wonderful information, webinars, stronger research techniques, better source citations, friends, acquaintances, and so much more.
Through all that has happened over the past year, this blog has been my constant. The familiar thing I could come back to. Oh, I had to neglect it for awhile, but it was right here waiting for my return. It is always patient, always happy, and always willing to listen. Of course "it" refers to you - my readers. Thank you for visiting and commenting. If you are related to me, I thank you even more if you drop me a line. I have been called a "cousin collector," and that is just fine by me!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday's Obituary: Charlie Alonzo Drake
Charles Alonzo Drake was the son of James Thomas and Sally Arminia Walker Drake. He died May 19, 1972. This obituary was published in the May 20th edition of The Augusta Chronicle.Charlie was my 1st cousin, 2x removed.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A Veteran's Service and Gravesite
From Randy over at Genea-Musings:
Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night! Time for some Genealogy FUN.
Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) To celebrate Veterans Day, pick one of your ancestors or relatives with a military record and a gravestone.
2) Tell us about your ancestor's military service.
3) Tell us about your ancestor's gravestone - where is it, what is the inscription, when were you last there? Show us a picture of it if you have one available.
4) Write your own blog post about this ancestor and his gravestone, or share it in a Comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook, or in a Google Plus Stream post.
Here's mine:
(1) I chose my maternal grandfather, Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973), who served in the United States Navy twice.
He first served in the Navy from December 3, 1923 to November 3, 1925. If you do the math, he was only 16 years old when he joined. The family lore is that he ran away from his home in Georgia, went to California, and lied about his age to join the Navy. (Obviously, it was much easier to lie about your age back then.) The story continues that eventually, he wrote his father and begged him to get him (Charles) out of the military. I theorize that the the way his father did that was to let the U.S. Navy know that Charles was underage.
According to his military records, some of this story is true. However, he actually joined in Raleigh, North Carolina and trained at Hampton Roads, Virginia. From March 10, 1924 until his discharge in November 1925, he served upon the USS Arizona, which is probably how he ended up in California. His record clearly states next to his discharge date: "Underage - Honorable Discharge." His rating was S2c at time of discharge.
The second time my grandfather served in the U.S. Navy was during World War II. By 1944, he was divorced with a 12 year old daughter and re-married with a 7 year old step-son, an 18 month old daughter, and a wife that was starting to exhibit health problems. He was trying to support a family by working any job he could find (including as an insurance salesman at this time). Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1943 and three months later, he got a government "greetings letter" (draft notice). He had to report somewhere in Los Angeles for induction. When he arrived, he knew he would rather go back into the Navy, with which he was familiar, rather than join the Army. So he got into the Navy line, and when the recruiter found out he had served before, they signed him right up. He spent the first several months of his service at training school in Toledo, Ohio. At the end of that training, his rating was changed to S1c. In September 1944, he was transferred to the S.S. Bataan and worked on the ship as a storekeeper. The only thing he really said about his service is that the planes taking off overhead on the deck were terribly loud. He was discharged in April 1945 because his wife's health had deteriorated to the point that he was needed at home.
Pop Pop is buried at Gumlog Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery outside Kite in Johnson County, Georgia. Here are photographs of his grave.
The last time I visited Pop Pop's grave was this past March. When I still lived in Georgia, I would meet my mother in the area to assist her in placing flowers on the family graves.
Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night! Time for some Genealogy FUN.
Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) To celebrate Veterans Day, pick one of your ancestors or relatives with a military record and a gravestone.
2) Tell us about your ancestor's military service.
3) Tell us about your ancestor's gravestone - where is it, what is the inscription, when were you last there? Show us a picture of it if you have one available.
4) Write your own blog post about this ancestor and his gravestone, or share it in a Comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook, or in a Google Plus Stream post.
Here's mine:
(1) I chose my maternal grandfather, Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973), who served in the United States Navy twice.
He first served in the Navy from December 3, 1923 to November 3, 1925. If you do the math, he was only 16 years old when he joined. The family lore is that he ran away from his home in Georgia, went to California, and lied about his age to join the Navy. (Obviously, it was much easier to lie about your age back then.) The story continues that eventually, he wrote his father and begged him to get him (Charles) out of the military. I theorize that the the way his father did that was to let the U.S. Navy know that Charles was underage.
According to his military records, some of this story is true. However, he actually joined in Raleigh, North Carolina and trained at Hampton Roads, Virginia. From March 10, 1924 until his discharge in November 1925, he served upon the USS Arizona, which is probably how he ended up in California. His record clearly states next to his discharge date: "Underage - Honorable Discharge." His rating was S2c at time of discharge.
The second time my grandfather served in the U.S. Navy was during World War II. By 1944, he was divorced with a 12 year old daughter and re-married with a 7 year old step-son, an 18 month old daughter, and a wife that was starting to exhibit health problems. He was trying to support a family by working any job he could find (including as an insurance salesman at this time). Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1943 and three months later, he got a government "greetings letter" (draft notice). He had to report somewhere in Los Angeles for induction. When he arrived, he knew he would rather go back into the Navy, with which he was familiar, rather than join the Army. So he got into the Navy line, and when the recruiter found out he had served before, they signed him right up. He spent the first several months of his service at training school in Toledo, Ohio. At the end of that training, his rating was changed to S1c. In September 1944, he was transferred to the S.S. Bataan and worked on the ship as a storekeeper. The only thing he really said about his service is that the planes taking off overhead on the deck were terribly loud. He was discharged in April 1945 because his wife's health had deteriorated to the point that he was needed at home.
Pop Pop is buried at Gumlog Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery outside Kite in Johnson County, Georgia. Here are photographs of his grave.
Charles M Tapley
Georgia
S1 US Navy
World War II
June 27 1907 Nov 12 1973
He is buried next to Grandma, Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley. Nearby are his mother, Mattie Schwalls Tapley, two of his brothers, James and Gilbert Tapley, and sisters-in-law Reida Mae Poole Tapley and Alice Ranney Thornburg.
The last time I visited Pop Pop's grave was this past March. When I still lived in Georgia, I would meet my mother in the area to assist her in placing flowers on the family graves.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Grandma's Diary, Part 44
(To read prior entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 diary, please
click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go
to the topic "California." All posts are listed
there.)
Key:
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.
Kenneth's wife is also named Alice; her maiden name is unknown.
Sunday, November 5: "Hazel & I went to Monterey Pk. & met Mama. Ate some more lunch at Mrs. Childs. We came home about 3 pm. Alice & Kenneth were here when we got home."
Monday, November 6: "I went to school. Kenneth came after me after school. Went to Berdo. to the show. Went over to Trowbridges a little while."
Tuesday, November 7: "I went to school. Alice & Kenneth came after me. We went to Bear Valley in the afternoon."
Wednesday, November 8: "I went to school. Mama, Alice & Kenneth came after me. Visited Hammonds & Kinghams."
Thursday, November 9: "I didn't go to school. We got to Alice's about 3:30 pm. They were glad to see us."
Friday, November 10: "Alice & Kenneth left for Modesto early in the morning. Alice & I visited Lulu at Lancaster."
Saturday, November 11: "Alice & Kenneth got back to Alices about 4 pm. We left for L.A. about 6. Got to L.A. about 9 o'clock."
Key:
 |
| The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley. |
 |
| Alice is her sister. |
 |
| Kenneth is her brother. |
 | |
| Her parents. |
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.
Kenneth's wife is also named Alice; her maiden name is unknown.
Sunday, November 5: "Hazel & I went to Monterey Pk. & met Mama. Ate some more lunch at Mrs. Childs. We came home about 3 pm. Alice & Kenneth were here when we got home."
Monday, November 6: "I went to school. Kenneth came after me after school. Went to Berdo. to the show. Went over to Trowbridges a little while."
Tuesday, November 7: "I went to school. Alice & Kenneth came after me. We went to Bear Valley in the afternoon."
Wednesday, November 8: "I went to school. Mama, Alice & Kenneth came after me. Visited Hammonds & Kinghams."
Thursday, November 9: "I didn't go to school. We got to Alice's about 3:30 pm. They were glad to see us."
Friday, November 10: "Alice & Kenneth left for Modesto early in the morning. Alice & I visited Lulu at Lancaster."
Saturday, November 11: "Alice & Kenneth got back to Alices about 4 pm. We left for L.A. about 6. Got to L.A. about 9 o'clock."
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Ancestry.com YouTube Channel
From Randy over at Genea-Musings:
Hey genea-peeps, it's SATURDAY NIGHT! - time for more GENEALOGY FUN!
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) visit the Ancestry.com YouTube Channel (which has 98 videos now) at http://www.youtube.com/user/AncestryCom.
2) Watch one of these four videos:
** Ancestry.com LIVE: Search with Ancestry Anne with Anne Mitchell
** Ancestry.com LIVE: One Question with the Barefoot Genealogist with Crista Cowan
** Ancestry.com LIVE: Lorraine's 5 Tips for Online Grave Digging with Lorraine Bourne
** Ancestry.com LIVE: How do I use newspapers on Ancestry.com to find out more about my ancestors? with Crista Cowan
3) Go up to the YouTube search field and enter "genealogy" and your surname in the search field. What results do you get? Are there any videos of interest on that list, even if they're not about your surname? Did you watch one of the videos?
4) In the YouTube search field, enter "genealogy" and the name of one of your favorite genealogists. What results do you get? Did you watch one of the videos?
5) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status Ine in Facebook, a Twitter tweet, or a stream item on Google Plus.
Here's mine:
1) Done!
2) I watched Ancestry.com LIVE: One Question with the Barefoot Genealogist with Crista Cowan. Like Randy, I also learned that the Los Angeles Times obituaries are in the "Historical Newspapers, Births, Marriages and Death Announcements" collection. I didn't know that, and I will be using that tip!
3) I entered "genealogy" and "Tapley" in the YouTube search field and did not get any results I could use, unfortunately. I did start watching one video, but it was for the purpose of trying to sell you a definition of your surname.
Hey genea-peeps, it's SATURDAY NIGHT! - time for more GENEALOGY FUN!
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:
1) visit the Ancestry.com YouTube Channel (which has 98 videos now) at http://www.youtube.com/user/AncestryCom.
2) Watch one of these four videos:
** Ancestry.com LIVE: Search with Ancestry Anne with Anne Mitchell
** Ancestry.com LIVE: One Question with the Barefoot Genealogist with Crista Cowan
** Ancestry.com LIVE: Lorraine's 5 Tips for Online Grave Digging with Lorraine Bourne
** Ancestry.com LIVE: How do I use newspapers on Ancestry.com to find out more about my ancestors? with Crista Cowan
3) Go up to the YouTube search field and enter "genealogy" and your surname in the search field. What results do you get? Are there any videos of interest on that list, even if they're not about your surname? Did you watch one of the videos?
4) In the YouTube search field, enter "genealogy" and the name of one of your favorite genealogists. What results do you get? Did you watch one of the videos?
5) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status Ine in Facebook, a Twitter tweet, or a stream item on Google Plus.
Here's mine:
1) Done!
2) I watched Ancestry.com LIVE: One Question with the Barefoot Genealogist with Crista Cowan. Like Randy, I also learned that the Los Angeles Times obituaries are in the "Historical Newspapers, Births, Marriages and Death Announcements" collection. I didn't know that, and I will be using that tip!
3) I entered "genealogy" and "Tapley" in the YouTube search field and did not get any results I could use, unfortunately. I did start watching one video, but it was for the purpose of trying to sell you a definition of your surname.
4) I entered "genealogy" and "Thomas MacEntee", who is most everyone's favorite genealogist! I got 20 hits. I watched a couple of the videos. The first was Thomas and Jean Wilcox Hibbens singing "Down at the River Side" at Jamboree last year. Thomas has a wonderful voice. The second video I watched as "Genealogy -- More than just names and dates". The tag line reads, "Thomas MacEntee a new contributor to the
Daily National speaks with TJ Walker about his ancestry and how others
might learn more about their family history." The video was posted about a month ago.
5) About to be done!
Grandma's Diary, Part 43
(To read prior entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 diary, please
click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go
to the topic "California." All posts are listed
there.)
Key:
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.
Sunday, October 29: "Went to Yucaipa & got some ice & made some ice cream. Coopers & Mrs. Ball were here a little while. Alice & Herman went home about 3 pm."
Monday, October 30: "I went to school."
Tuesday, October 31: "I went to school."
Wednesday, November 1: "I went to school."
Thursday, November 2: "I went to school. Clara waved my hair. Went to Yucaipa in the eve."
Friday, November 3: "Laura took mama & I to Montery Pk. I took the street car & met Hazel in L. A. We went to the show in the eve."
Saturday, November 4: "It is sure good to see Hazel again."
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. Source: Monterey Park, California. (2011, October 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:50, November 5, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monterey_Park,_California&oldid=457629444
Key:
|
| The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley. |
|
| Alice is her sister. |
|
| Kenneth is her brother. |
| |
| Her parents. |
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.
Sunday, October 29: "Went to Yucaipa & got some ice & made some ice cream. Coopers & Mrs. Ball were here a little while. Alice & Herman went home about 3 pm."
Monday, October 30: "I went to school."
Tuesday, October 31: "I went to school."
Wednesday, November 1: "I went to school."
Thursday, November 2: "I went to school. Clara waved my hair. Went to Yucaipa in the eve."
Friday, November 3: "Laura took mama & I to Montery Pk. I took the street car & met Hazel in L. A. We went to the show in the eve."
Saturday, November 4: "It is sure good to see Hazel again."
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. Source: Monterey Park, California. (2011, October 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:50, November 5, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monterey_Park,_California&oldid=457629444
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