New FS Unreserving Relatives Rule Enforced

I had put the family history aside for about three months as I started getting into studying astrophysics. Now I am back on the family and tonite went in and un-reserved and re-reserved Bessie Janvier "Muzzy" Bracy and Walter Latta Hall, and the sealing of Ethel Cacilla Hall to her parents. They should be good for another two years with this new rule which has been put into effect to clear the 12M names that are stuck in the FamilyTree. Learned Saturday the grandmother's nick-name was Muzzie. Charlotte told me and Carol confirmed it. I never heard that before!

New Project: Identify the parents of Frances "Fanny" Watkins

Last Wednesday I came upon a new record set of Philadelphia Deaths 1906-1908. I found certificates for Thelma Eliz. Bracy and her sister Marion Estelle Bracy, both who died young. Then I found their mother's death certificate. It lists her parents as James Watkins and Anna Johnson. This sent me to Fanny's marriage certificate. There her parents are listed as Charles Watkins and Katy Johnson. A Rev. George T. Watkins performed the marriage. Trap had visited the church years ago and thinks that they might be related. So off I went and a week later have 51 pages of research. I think that I might have found Fanny in Trenton, NJ with mother Jane Watkins in 1900. I also found her as a widow of Charles on 243 Allen Street Trenton in 1900. In 1880 I have a Charles and Jane A. as parents to Georgiana aged 12. My current hypothesis is that perhaps the Reverand George T. Watkins is the Father of Charles and therefore performed the marriage of his granddaughter Fanny. I'll keep looking for records. I did find a Chas. E. Watkins, porter staying next door to George T., Henrietta, & John L. H. Watkins n Baltimore, MD in 1889. So, I will see where the records lead. Today I am doing more research on the names James Watkins and Anna Johnson which were the names on the death certificate.

How to Debunk Misleading Records

Did an excellent Legacy Family Tree webinar by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL "Debunking Misleading Records" where he shows exactly how to analyze records. Wonderful. Sent information to Marcel about GPS so he can get started correctly.

Document Analysis & Genealogical Methodology

I have been investigating a couple of Isaiah Halls from Baltimore Maryland to see if they are my relative. There is Isaiah Hall, Mulatto, Free and Isaiah Hall, Black (complexion),slave. The first I am investigating now through his wife Mary Alice's Rejected Pension Application on fold3.com. She gave addresses where she lived and children's names, so it's very helpful. E-mailed Trap about whether the Black Isaiah hall could have fought in the place of his master in the Civil War. Trap sent me information on Aaron Bracy and the article on the lynching in 1958, but I have Aaron Sr & Jr. in the Camden City Directory in 1885, so it's not him. So important to analyze where the information came from and that's what I've been working on this past month: The Genealogical Proof Standard. I even got the book "Becoming an Excellent Genealogist." I think that this has all led me to what I want to do: Genealogical Methodology and Document Analysis. I am really good at complex evidence. My R.A.D.A.R. will be helpful in this. I've been trying to see if I want to become Board Certified, but I don't think so. I am really not a joiner. I have joined the Church and heard yesterday from SLC about the Church Service Mission for Indexing Directors Support. Got the e-mail. Will print it out this week. I have joined the National Genealogical Society once again. Will get a discount for the streaming session in May. I want to do the Methodology Track. I also have accessed to the NGS Journal which is supposed to be very helpful in learning correct methods. Updated my LinkedIn Profile to say specializing in complex evidence and methodology. Checked out the Institute for Genealogical Studies. I think that I will do the Methodology Certificate instead of the Librarianship Certificate.

Finishing Up Johnston, etc. 2011 files for R.A.D.A.R.

Prompted to pull the last 2011 papers from the bedroom. Sorted into 2 piles - Wayne and Johnston County. Cleaned up 4 records so that I can correctly file them. Found that I had Handy Holder connected to the wrong parents, so I connected him to Archibal Holder and Phyllis O'Neal. Good to get things tidied up. (This was incorrect, so I put it back the way it was: these are his in-laws) Downloaded syllabi/read some syllabi from RootsTech which starts tomorrow. Emailed Tony about the "21 Century Italian Research" class. Updated resume with year's Who Do You Think You Are videos. And watched another on John Bishop.

Organization of R.A.D.A.R Files

This week I went through and got the 2011 folders for Johnston and Wake counties set. Over 3 days I organized the folders by date and today I went through and made notations on sticky notes of how many death certificates are in each folder that will need to be put into the Death Certificate Analysis Database. Yesterday I worked on Isaiah Hall and upgraded my 3Fold membership so I could see if I could find Civil War records for him since I don't have a 1860 Federal Census record yet. Today I also synched FTM with my online Evans-Etheridge tree. I've done 3 webinars this week: "One Place Studies: Tracing the History of a Community;" "Step-By-Step - Finding Confederate Soldiers & Their Records; (this one is a webinar by J. Mark Lowe, who has one on North Carolina Research, so I may do a monthly subscription to Legacy Family Tree so I get assess to it) (I get a warm feeling now as I type this); and on Saturday I used screen shots and did the "Stickin' to the Union: Using Labor Union Documents for Genealogy." Downloaded the free Legacy Family Tree software. Learned how to do screen shots and made up folders for the webinars and put in Genealogical Education folder. Updated Genealogical Resume with this weeks Webinars. Also did Crista Cowan's What's New Feb 2015 webinar. Signed up for a monthly subscription to Legacy Family Tree Webinars and listed 16 that I'd like to take.

Finishing Up The English Research Series Webinars

It wasn't written on my calendar board, so I missed the Parish Chest Records webinar, but managed to catch the last one on Poor Laws of England. I was tired by 4:40! Managed to find 5 more webinars to register for: 3 in February and 2 in June, from Minnesota State Genealogy Society, Illinois Genealogy Society, Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, and Southern California Genealogy Society. A very good week, education wise.