TEXAS RESEARCH RAMBLERS

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

           Volume XV, No. 1, January 14, 2005     Bryan-College Station, Texas

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Last Meeting
2. Next Meeting
3. Welcome
4. Officers
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Future Seminars and Trips
7. Armchair Genealogy
8. Success Stories
9. Websites
10. Historical Moment
11. GenQuip

LAST MEETING

We did not have a meeting in December, but we are looking forward to a great new year in Ramblers.

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions?  Curt Witcher, in his article “Planning for the Positive” posted on Allen County Library’s Genealogy Gems Newsletter  for December 2004, has some suggestions.  Instead of list-making, do some concrete planning that will make a difference:

1. Plan to be a little more active in a genealogical society or organized group that helps you with your genealogy.

2. Plan to do one pro-active undertaking that may lead to a breakthrough, such as attending a family reunion or attending a conference.

3. Plan a trip to a major research facility that has records complementing what you have.

Speaking of visiting a major research facility, in our December newsletter we had the names and websites of several surrounding libraries.   Here is a list of some more Texas libraries/museums:

1. Galveston :  Rosenberg Library. www.gthcenter.org
2. Houston : Czech Heritage Society of Texas (CHS). www.czechheritage.org
3. Hillsboro :  Confederate Research Center .  Contact Peggy Fox, Director (254) 582-2555, ext.242.
4. San Antonio :  Daughters of Republic of Texas Library. http://drtl.org
5. Fort. Worth :  Regional Archives: Southwest Region. www.archives.gov/facilities/tx/fort_worth.html

NEXT MEETING DATE AND PROGRAM

We will meet at the Exit Teen Center , located at 1600 Rock Prairie Rd. in College Station , on  January 26, 2005 , at 9:30 a.m.   Our very own Ramblers will present methods of archiving.  We will have the program first and the business meeting second.

WELCOME

A big “bear hug” to everybody.  It’s a new year with exciting genealogy treasures in our future.

OFFICERS

Officers for 2004-2005

President:  Bill Lay

Vice-President:  Mary Elizabeth Dresser

Secretary:  Georgianne Bigam

Treasurer:  Sue Foy

Corresponding Secretary:  Carol Lyon

TREASURER’S REPORT

Sue reports that Research Ramblers donated $200 to the Friends of the Library.  That donation will go to Carnegie Library in memory of Janis Hunt.  If you have any questions about donations, contact Kitty Anding.  Our balance as of 12/21/04 is $5,803.89.

FUTURE SEMINARS AND TRIPS

·        Every 1^st  Wednesday of the month:  a trip to a library of your choice.  Bring $5 for your driver.  Contact person:  Georgianne Bigam,  846-7619.

·        Every 2^nd Wednesday of the month:  a trip to Clayton Library in Houston .  Meet at Sam’s Club Parking Lot prior to 6:45 a.m. $7.50 to your driver.  Sack lunch.  Contact person:  Bliss Wolfe, 696-0170 or (even better) cell ph# 255-2429.

·        Every 3^rd Wednesday of the month:  Computer Users Group, headed by Bill Adams, will meet at the Exit Teen Center , 1600 Rock Prairie Rd., at 9:30 a.m.   Everyone is invited to eat at a local restaurant after the meeting.

·        Every last Wednesday of the month:  Research Ramblers will meet at the Exit Teen Center at 9:30 a.m.   Everyone is invited to eat at a local restaurant after the meeting. 

·        Every 3^rd Tuesday, Rambler Writers will meet at the home of Sue Foy, 804 Vine St.., Bryan, at 4 p.m.   Circle January 18^th on your calendar.  All are welcome to join us.

·        A new study group for Roots Magic users is starting up.  This month we will meet on January 24 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Sue Foy’s home, 804 Vine St. Come share ideas.

·        A new workshop for Family Tree Maker/Ancestral Quest will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at College Station Utility Service Center on Graham Road

ARMCHAIR GENEALOGY

When you do not have time to check out the new websites, but you want to keep track of them, try this method.  Create a new folder in the bookmarks of your web browser, a folder for My Documents or Desktop, and name it “around-to-it.”  Then save the websites.  When you get “around-to-it,” you can visit the sites at your leisure.

SUCCESS STORIES

Kim Feldman is the source of our success story.  She did what we all should be doing—compiling a family medical history.  Her information was so insightful that James W. Warren described it in his article, “Easy Medical Summaries” in the September/October 2004 issue of NGS NewsMagazine, pp. 18-23. 

Mr. Warren wrote that Kim took her health history chart to her doctor appointment.  When he saw the cause of death of three generations was heart-related disease, he scheduled her for tests, showing she too had a serious condition.  She might not be here today were it not for the bypass surgery she had a couple of days later.

For all of us Kim suggests that as we look up relatives, keep track of date of death and cause of death.  When she looked at her great grandfather’s Civil War pension papers, she found he was disabled because of his colon problems.  She then traced the colon problems down through her dad, herself, and her son. 

Whether you use a Big Chief tablet or computer software, the important thing is to get some medical history started on your family.

A Medical Pedigree Chart example shows how to keep the following information: 

1. Name
2. Date of Death
3. Age of Death
4. Cause of Death
5. Secondary

WEBSITES

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=385FC65E-F961-49BA-99B799A3A0DAF885   is a website that gives you good tips on compiling your family medical history.

http://www.usigs.org/library/gensoc/texas.html is a new website about Texas .  Check it out.

http://www.GeneaNet.com is a genealogy specific Internet search engine.  It goes through the Web and indexes the pages pertinent to genealogy.

http://www.dearmyrtle.com is a syndicated genealogy column well worth reading for the latest genealogy news, advice and research guidance. 

HISTORICAL MOMENT

 January, 190 years ago, was a turning point for Americans.  On January 8, 1815 , American forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson routed the British south of New Orleans , bringing a military end to the War of 1812.

According to The Eagle editorial ( Jan. 7, 2005 , p. A8), the battle actually was fought around the Chalmette plantation six miles from New Orleans .  Even though the British had 10,000 troops, twice that of the Americans, Jackson used surprise and a wise choice of where to attack to bring victory.  The British had made a last gap effort to bring the colonies into the fold, but failed.  This American victory was important because it sealed the survival of the U.S. as a free and individual nation.

http://www.multied.com/1812/NewOrleans.html  is the website to find this picture and more information.

Decades after “The Battle of New Orleans” a teacher in Arkansas , James Morris, aka, Jimmy Driftwood, wrote a song to help his students remember this momentous event.  The song, “The Battle of New Orleans,” was recorded by Johnny Horton in 1959, and it goes like this:

                                    “In 1814 we took a little trip

Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.

            We took a little bacon and we took a little beans

And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans .”

  To find out “the rest of the song,” you can go Googling, and search for “Johnny Horton + The Battle of New Orleans.”  A variety of sites will give you the complete lyrics and permission to hear the song.

GENQUIP

Attribute Tommy Cole, Houston; Houston Chronicle,  Dec. 2004:

The census taker introduced himself to a woman working in her yard and asked if he could interview her.  She agreed, and he started with a few demographic questions, and then moved on to her  family.

“So, how many children do you and your husband have?”

“Four.  Eenie, Meenie, Minie and George.”

“What?”  the census taker replied, amused.  “Why’d you name your fourth child George?”

“Because we didn’t want any Moe.”

The Research Rambler Newsletter is published by the Texas Research Rambler Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 11195, College Station, Texas 77842-1195. Editor,  Helen Kunz, hkk@tca.net