Adventures in Anderson genealogy!
You’d think with an unusual name like “Straughen” that it wouldn’t be difficult to identify my ancestors, but it hasn’t been easy! My 2nd great-grandfather Isaac Straughen (pictured at the top of this post) was born in 1817 in New Jersey. He reported in the 1880 census that his father was also born in New... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite things about using Ancestry to host my primary tree is that it is discoverable to other researchers. I especially love that my photos and documents will soon become a little shaky leaf waiting for others to find, and hopefully enjoy. I just get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I think... Continue Reading →
I am an avid consumer of content on YouTube. Most of it has nothing to do with genealogy, but more and more I find myself wishing I had genealogy related content lining up in my subscription box. I have set out to round up all the active YouTube channels providing regular educational or entertaining genealogical content... Continue Reading →
May 12, 2018 I remember the first time I came to the Indy 500 in 1976, we lined up along this road in stopped traffic for hours. I was just amazed that in the little grassy area on the right, there were just people in sleeping bags all along the road, laying in the ditch,... Continue Reading →
A mystery has been solved! A few weeks ago I posted a video about my 2nd great grandfather George Edgar Earley. George had 10 children and in the video I was struggling to identify his daughters in a family photo. I did my best to label them by age and other things I knew, but... Continue Reading →
“This is Peggy Barbour Straughen and I am on my way back to Ohio from a family reunion and I thought I would report some of my childhood memories of my grandparents. As I am speaking of this, I am now 60 years old. Let’s see…” My grandmother grew up in south-central Pennsylvania, living for... Continue Reading →
As social networking becomes increasingly popular in the genealogy community, there has been an upswing in the number of posts I see on Facebook and Twitter about other people's heirlooms "rescued" from uncertain fates. Browsing thrift stores, garage sales and Ebay for unwanted photos, marriage certificates, military memorabilia, and other treasures has become almost a... Continue Reading →
Have you ever heard of a "vision board"? It's purpose is to serve as a visual and tangible snapshot of your goals or your "ideal life". They are often constructed from poster board and magazine cutouts, but can also be created with on canvas or cork board. Vision boards have exploded in popularity among the... Continue Reading →
If you have looked at visiting a library or archive as a part of your genealogy research, you might have seen or heard the terms "closed stacks" and "open stacks" before. What do these phrases mean? And how will these designations affect your visit? Let's examine each one. Open Stacks If you have ever been... Continue Reading →
Although my attempts to begin writing about my ancestors have fallen flat in the last year or two, I have found a new method of sharing that I do enjoy: making videos! It all began last summer when I was taking an online local history course for my library science degree. I was tasked with... Continue Reading →
Please enjoy this video about my 2nd great-grandfather, George Edgar Earley (1840-1931) from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. https://youtu.be/NLBFaym7REY
Back in January I set a long list of my genealogy goals for 2018. Now that we are three months into the year, I thought it would be a good time to give an update on my progress! Adding events to my Google Calendar has been the biggest factor in making progress on these goals.... Continue Reading →
Somehow at RootsTech a couple weeks ago, I went from planning to take zero DNA tests to taking three tests. You may know from other posts that I have tested many relatives on AncestryDNA: both parents, one grandparent (on FTDNA), one great aunt, one great uncle, two uncles, and one aunt. However, I have never... Continue Reading →
I recently started a new job as a Local & Family History Librarian in St. Joseph Co., Indiana. (Dream job, I know.) I am loving every minute of it so far! The library has a beautiful genealogy department and a treasure chest of resources. If you are in the area, you should definitely take a... Continue Reading →
Ellen Anderson
Andersonology 