Sunday, November 19, 2017

70 Question Genealogy Meme

Randy Seaver (of Genea-musings) is one of my favorite bloggers.  Each Saturday night, he gives a fun genealogy project.  This week he gave a 70 question genealogy meme.  You might want to try it too!  You'll find it here:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/11/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-expanded.html

His questions and my answers are below.  I was very surprised to have 40 yesses. Thanks Randy!


1.             Can name my 16 great-great grandparents.  Yes 
2.             Can name my 32 great great great grandparents No-29  
3.             Can name over 50 direct ancestors Yes 
4.             Have photos or portraits of my 8 great grandparents  Yes
5.             Have an ancestor who was married more than three times No 
6.             Have an ancestor who was a bigamist Yes-later he got a divorce from wife #1 and remarried wife #2
7.             Met all four of my grandparents  Yes
8.             Met one or more of my great grandparents  Yes-2
9.             Bear an ancestor’s given name/s No  
10.          Named a child after an ancestor Yes-all of my children, first & middle names 
11.          Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland  Yes 
12.          Have an ancestor from Asia No
13.          Have an ancestor from continental Europe Yes  
14.          Have an ancestor from Africa  No
15.          Have an ancestor who was an agricultural laborer Yes  
16.          Have an ancestor who had large land holdings  Yes  
17.          Have an ancestor who was a holy man – minister, priest, rabbi No -Catholic priest yes but not a direct ancestor!
18.          Have an ancestor who was a midwife No 
19.          Have an ancestor who was an author No   
20.          Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng No    
21.          Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones Yes  
22.          Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X  No
23.          Have an ancestor with a forename beginning with Z No 
24.          Have an ancestor born on 25th December Yes 
25.          Have an ancestor born on New Year’s Day No   
26.          Have an ancestor who shares your day and month of birth No  
27.          Have blue blood in your family lines  No 
28.          Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth Yes – Dad    
29.          Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth Yes 
30.          Can trace a direct family line back to the 18th century Yes 
31.          Can trace a direct family line back to the 17th century Yes
32.          Can trace a direct family line back to the 16th century No 
33.          Have seen signatures of some of my great grandparents Yes  
34.          Have ancestors who signed with an X (or other mark) Yes
35.          Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university No  
36.          Have an ancestor convicted of a criminal offense Yes   
37.          Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime Yes 
38.          Have shared an ancestor’s story online or in a magazine/periodical  Yes
39.          Have published a family history online or in print Yes
40.          Have visited an ancestor’s home from the 19th or earlier centuries Yes  
41.          Have a family Bible from the 19th century No 
42.          Have a family Bible from the 18th century or earlier No 
43.          Have an ancestor who was part of a multiple birth (twins, etc.)  Yes 
44.          Have a family member who closely resembles an ancestor Yes  
45.          Have an ancestor who owned their own business  Yes 
46.          Have an ancestor who belonged to a trade guild  Yes
47.          Have an ancestor who moved more than 100 miles away from his/her birth home, EXCLUDING emigration to another country  Yes
48.          Have an ancestor who gave birth to twelve or more children  No-10 
49.          Have an ancestor with a rare/unusual/uncommon forename Yes-Jamima 
50.          Have an ancestral family who changed their surname  Yes 
51.          Have a passenger list or travel manifest for an ancestor Yes  
52.          Have an ancestor who was adopted No
53.          Have an ancestor who adopted a child No   
54.          Have a naturalization record for an ancestor Yes  
55.          Have an ancestor who received a military pension Maybe
56.          Have a school record or school census for an ancestor Yes
57.          Have an ancestor with a gravestone still in existence from the 18th century No
58.          Have an ancestor with a gravestone still in existence from the 17th century or earlier  No
59.          Have an ancestor who had only one child who survived to adulthood Yes 
60.          Are descended twice from one couple No 
61.          Are descended three times or more from one couple No 
62.          Are descended from an American president or other political figure No  
63.          Are descended from a person famous in history, other than in politics  No
64.          Have an ancestor with a rare/unusual/unique surname  Yes-Knudde
65.          Have an ancestor who you have found mentioned in a pre-1870 newspaper  Yes
66.          Can name the ship on which at least one ancestor emigrated  Yes 
67.          Have a female ancestor who worked outside the home pre-World War II Yes 
68.          Know of at least one ancestor who returned to the ancestral home after emigration  Yes
69.          Know of at least one ancestor who permanently returned to the ancestral home after emigration No  
70.          Have an ancestor who was survived by 50 or more grandchildren -No -44 is the most




Tuesday, October 31, 2017

November & December Genealogy Events in the Suburbs

Every month, the first week of the month, I list genealogical events being held in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago for about the next six weeks.  Most events are free, but sometimes you will need to register in advance, especially sponsored by a public library.  If it is sponsored by a genealogy society, you probably will not need to register unless there is a fee (which is designated by the $).  Check the website listed for more information.

Most groups do not meet in December, so this month's blog covers both November and December.  A new listing will be available the last week of December.  Enjoy the holidays with your family!

If you know of any events that I have missed, please email me. I hope you see at an event you’d like to attend.

November 1 7 PM
Church Record Exploration by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

November 4 10 AM
Chicago Research: Planning is the Key to Success by Jeanne Larzalere Bloom
Arlington Heights Senior Center

November 6 7 PM
Digging Up the Wheeling Cemetery
Indian Trails Library, Wheeling

November 7 7PM
Familysearch.org Primer by Caron Primas Brennan
St. Charles Library

November 7 9:30 AM
What We Learned from Conferences this Year by a panel of EGS members
Gail Borden Library, Elgin

November 8 7:00 PM
A Quest for Illinois State Hospital Records
Fountaindale Public Library, Bolingbrook

November 8 7 PM
Basics of Swedish Research
Palatine Public Library

November 9 7:00 PM
Beginning Genealogy by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

November 9 7 PM
Intro to Genealogy Online - Computer Lab
Ela Area Public Library – Lake Zurich

November 10 10 AM
Swedish Genealogy Research Help by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

November 11 All Day
Genealogy Workshop-Seeking Our Military Ancestors
John Philip Colletta & Michelle Bray Wilson
Lake County Genealogical Society

November 11 11:30 PM
Happy 100th Birthday Illinois
Annual Luncheon
http://nsgsil.org

November 14 7:30 PM
Genealogy Roadshow Solved My Family Mystery by Gail Lukasik
Schaumburg Township Public Library

November 15 10 AM-3 PM by appointment
Swedish Genealogy Research Help by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

November 15 6:30 PM
The Journey to America – Passenger Records by Jeanne Larzalere Bloom
Wheaton Public Library

November 15 7 PM
Intro to Non-U.S. Online Genealogy Research-Computer Lab
Ela Area Public Library – Lake Zurich

November 16 12 noon
Writing It Up by Laura Street Chaplin
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL

November 18 10 AM
Genealogy: Polish Research by Jason Kruski
Naperville Public Library

November 27 10 AM
Lost Children by Jeanne Bloom
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL

December 13 12-7 PM by appointment
Swedish Genealogy Research Help by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

December 18 10 AM
Preserving Family Heirlooms by Tina Beaird
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL

December 21 12 noon
Family History Holiday Style
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL



Sunday, October 1, 2017

October Genealogical Events in the Chicago Area

Probably the biggest event this month is being held at the Harold Washington Library, in downtown Chicago on October 21.  Ever wonder what institutions in the Chicago area have resources to help you piece together the puzzle of your family history? Want to know about the benefits of joining a genealogical society? Stop in to the Genealogy & Family History Day Expo at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago and talk to representatives from the Chicago Genealogical Society, National Archives, Archdiocese Archive, Newberry Library and many more.  It is a free full-day event, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with many options.  Some of the presenters and their subjects are:
Grace DuMelle, Chicago Genealogy
Caron Brennan, European Roots
Karen Stanbery, DNA
Melissa Limonowski, Breaking Down Brick Walls

Professional genealogists will be available for one-on-one consultations. For more information:


Here's a list of the October events in the suburbs.  Enjoy!  Maybe I'll see you there. 

October 3 9:30 AM
Try-It Illinois and Heritage Quest by Melissa Lane
Gail Borden Library, Elgin

October 7 10 AM
Ireland’s Griffith’s Valuation by Paul Milner
Arlington Heights Senior Center

October 10 7 PM
Accessing German Records by Teresa McMillin
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL

October 10 7 PM
Baseball and the Civil War by Bruce Allardice
Lake County Genealogical Society

October 10 6:30 PM $
Familysearch.org Part 2 by Maureen Brady
Wheaton Public Library

October 11 7 PM
Death in Dupage; Traveling While Dead by Mark Hayes
Wheaton Public Library

October 11 7:00 PM
Ghosts in the Graveyard
Fountaindale Public Library, Bolingbrook

October 12 9:30 AM
Beginning Genealogy by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

October 14 1:00 PM
Tapping the Power of FamilySearch.org by Maureen Brady
Northbrook Public Library
http://nsgsil.org

October 14 10 AM
Kickstart your German Genealogy
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

October 18 6:00 PM
Researching Your War of 1812 Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee (webinar)
Wheaton Public Library

October 19 12 noon
Ethnic Records and International Research by Laura Street Chaplin
Town & Country Public Library District – Elburn, IL

October 19 7 PM
Transporting the Dead by Mark Hayes
Gail Borden Library, Elgin

October 21, 10:00 AM-4:30 PM
Genealogy & Family History Day Exposition — many presentations - free
Harold Washington Library

October 21 10:30 AM
The Real Devil in the White City: New Revelations by Ray Johnson
Schaumburg Township Public Library

October 21 1 PM $
File Organization for Genealogy by Carole Magnuson
Wheaton Public Library

October 24 7 PM
Writing Your Family History
Indian Trails Library, Wheeling
http://indiantrailslibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar

October 28 1 PM $
Internet Genealogy by Tina Beaird
Wheaton Public Library

November 1 7 PM
Church Record Exploration by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events calendar

November 4 10 AM
Chicago Research: Planning is the Key to Success by Jeanne Larzalere Bloom
Arlington Heights Senior Center

November 7 7PM
Familysearch.org Primer by Caron Primas Brennan
St. Charles Library