Grandma Theaux's Letter - Page Four

Mama Theaux was such an independent cuss, don't you think?  Now I know where I get my "strong will." I can just see her sneaking out to meet her "sweet heart," sweating bullets and praying to Mother Mary to not get caught. Shall we see what happens next...

Page 4
But one time I got a date with what my parent call high socity [sic]
They were the they are the bad one on his first and last date
he tried his luck and I well told
him I had never gone with that
kind, and he told me that the
boys I was gone with were the
cheep grade. I tod told him they
were cheep but clean and who
he was refering [sic] to is my husband now and he was and always will
be a clane [clean] man.
Why make everything wrong many
times what is wrong for us is
the the making of God, children
will will alway do the wrong first
because they think its right and
some time to do like the bad
kids. Now when I was 11 a student
at M. C. C A boy on our farm died
so some good people came to
pray for his soul at his parent
house, it was more fun then
prayre I knew better but I
followed with the rest, the rosery
was recited and being a convent
girl they put me to show the
other how to answer which I
did, I ask God for to forgive me now
come the littl [liturgy] of the semt [saint]
I was to answr answer in her mercy
on in us, pray for us as it was
But the gang mad [sic] a mermers and
me instead of corrected them I went
allong it was fun the poor lider [leader] God...

(To Be Continued)

Military Monday: Grand Dad Parker

Born at home in Meigs County, Ohio in 1905, George Vincent Parker was a slight man with a quiet personality. George exchanged vows with Ethel Heidenreich in 1925 and they remained married till Ethel's death in 1995. Eighteen years after their wedding, George took up arms against the Germans while stationed in France during World War II, he was 38 years old. It must have been a personal conflict for him; fighting against Germany while married to a woman of German heritage.

During the war years, Ethel and her son, Bill, struggled to make ends meet at home in Ohio. Bill was in high school and worked and night to help support the family. Then in January of 1945 Bill was drafted and sent to Germany.

Both men made it home alive and well. 

My Week at SLIG

This was the most amazing week! I got to visit with old friends and made a bunch of new ones. In addition I took several great classes and learned a lot.

Thomas W. Jones Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

In case you didn't know, this week I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy held January 23 to January 27. SLIG is set up in "Tracks." There are six tracks. You choose a track and all the classes you take, all day long (from 8 in the morning till about 5 each night) are focused on one subject area. I attended Course 9 "Advanced Genealogical Methods" My instructor was Dr. Thomas Jones. Dr. Jones is a highly respected, very knowledgeable and slightly evil man. I say evil because I think he gets a kick out of trying to stump us. We had some very challenging cases to solve. Yes, there was HOMEWORK. He's a wonderful teacher and I had the best time.
Some of the other tracks offered were: Midwest U. S. Research; Swedish Research; Advanced New England Research; Advanced Research Tools: Land Records, and that's just a sampling.

For all of my genealogy pals out there, you should absolutely think about attending SLIG next year. The tracks are geared at all different expertise levels, so even if you are a beginner there is something for you. (For more on what SLIG is all about see: Susan Farrell Bankhead's blog, and Valerie Elkin's blog) Extra bonus, it is held right before a HUGE genealogy conference, RootsTech.

Christy Fillerup - Coordinator Extraordinaire 

That's right I'm still in Salt Lake City. I had five days of SLIG then I get four days of research at the Library to end all genealogical libraries (at least in my opinion) The Family History Library and then RootsTech will start. That's almost three full weeks of solid genealogy (plus eating and socializing with friends.) I'm in heaven.

Good Company at the banquet

The next SLIG will be held January 14-18, 2013. Registration opens on June 2, 2012. Sign up early to get the "early bird special" that's when prices are lower. (Sign up at www.infouga.org) Next year's tracks have already been announced (they may add some more "extra" classes as well.)  They are:
1) American Research and Records: Focus on Localities with Paula Stuart-Warren
2) Bridging the 1780-1830 Gap: New England to the Midwest (and points in between) with D. Joshua Taylor
3) German Research with F. Warren Bittner
4) A Genealogist's Guide to the Internet Galaxy with Thomas MacEntee
5) Researching in Washington, D. C. Without Leaving Home with Rick Sayre and Pamela Boyer Sayre

All Smiles

6) Hanging out a Shingle: Genealogy Marketing and Business Practices with Crista Cowan

Hope to see each and every one of you there.

Grandma Theaux's Letter - Page Three

This is the continuation of the transcription of my Grandmother Theaux's letter "to the younger generation." As you can see she wrote her letter(s) to my cousin Peggy on any available paper. This piece of paper was from an address book. Sometimes the letter(s) was written on the back of a grocery list or on an envelope.

For page one of this letter go here, and for page two go here. 

Here is page three. I know my family is enjoying reading these letters, I hope you do too. 

3

was it, we could not see are [or] con-

tack [sic] in any way. Only when 

my Dad was out of town, but 

belive [sic] me if he left town we 

would meet. Now one thing did 

happen one time I thought dad 

was out of town so I did contack [sic] 

my boy friend and as he was 

taking me home I saw the old 

man home, belive me I started 

praying. I prayed in french and 

the hail Marry I said upside 

down when I got to holy merry 

mother of god. In french I said 

st. Marrie Marde de Dei  

and belive it or not but I got home 

and he did not say a word. I did 

not get my [word striked out] beating. 

I had that faith in my B mother 

and from then he was my 

boy friend untill we married 

I never had a boy fri sweet 

heart But him. And I can 

vouch the same for him. 

I knew he loved me and he 

knew the same of me. Yes 

I had boy friend real friend 

some that would [conect?] me 

and my sweet heart when ever 

we could be together. That is what 

you call friend, they never tried 

to go out of [struck out word] line. Now they 

were just comond [sic] every day boy

To be continued. 

How To Keep It All Straight

Today I got an e-mail notice telling me that this was my last chance.  Apparently I had not responded to several e-mails telling me my membership dues were overdue. (Except that I have been cleaning up all those e-mails from last year, and there were no notices from this group.) I digress.

One of the things on my goal list was to check my memberships to see if they were all up to date. This would not be an issue if I could just check my bank statements or check book and see when I paid for aforesaid memberships. But that would be too easy, right?

See the problem is with hundreds or maybe thousands of members (depending on the group and whether or not it is local or national) who join at various times. It's a bookkeeping nightmare. You wonder why nobody ever volunteers to be the treasurer? So in answer to the problem most (if not all) organizations just note that you have paid and you are a member for "their year." That means if they designate their year as running from June to June your membership is good from whenever you paid till the next June. So if you paid in January, your membership is good till June. If you paid in October, your membership is good till June. If you paid in March your membership is good and paid up till June. Catching on?

Problem is, unless they pro-rate the dues, you pay the entire membership cost and are only paid up for 5, 8, or 3 months (respectfully.)

I don't have a problem with the math. I'm ok with supporting my societies and professional organizations. My problem is that then I don't know when I'm due to re-up. Every society and professional organization has a different due date. How to keep track?

There are a lot of organizations to remember to pay dues to:
Genealogical Speakers Guild
Association of Professional Genealogists
National Genealogical Society
Utah Genealogical Society
Sacramento Genealogical Society (Root Cellar)
Genealogical Association of Sacramento
California Genealogical Society
Southern California Genealogical Society
Lafayette Genealogical Society
Southwest Louisiana Genealogical Society

They all have different due dates.

How do you keep track? Anybody have any ideas on how to keep track? Is there an app that will alert me to due dates? You know like a alarm or something? Come on Techies, help a girl out.

Follow Up Friday - A Day Late and A Dollar Short

My mother always told me I ran, "A day late and a dollar short." I guess that's true. I'll probably be late to my own funeral. So the fact that I am a day late with this blog is not surprising. At least not to those who know me well.

So in a nutshell, here is how I did this week with my goals:
The update is:
Biz Cards and Website/Blog changes. Didn't happen. I am so disappointed. My printer did not deliver my cards to me before I left and did not return my calls. (When he is your brother-in-law what do you do?)
So I won't have my cards (or the art work for the site) till I get back in Feb. So the completion of this goal is put on hold.

I viewed/read and re-read the notes/homework for the class at SLIG (Advanced Methodology with Dr. Thomas Jones) My head is swimming.

I viewed/attended Marian Pierre-Louis webinar (presented by Legacy) on Massachusetts Ancestors. It was so good that I ordered the CD/DVD so I could hear it a second time.

I sent for two succession records for my Landry/Theaux line.

I ordered my films to be viewed when I get back.

Tomorrow I have a quiet day with nothing on the schedule except the welcome meeting for SLIG. So tomorrow I will work all day on my NGS Home Study class and my National Institute for Genealogical Studies classes.

Time to "fess up"
I didn't get the Organization of my genealogy files done. (or clean the house...you should see it...total disaster.)
I didn't get the Rhodes line "revisited" this will just have to go on the list for Feb.

All in all not bad for a "short" month. I only had 20 days in January. The rest of the month I am at conferences in Salt Lake City. While I am here I hope to get some of my classes done so the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

To all my goal buddies out there, see you next week.

New To RootsTech? Conference Newbie? Join Me

Hi, are you going to Roots Tech for the first time? Never been to the Family History Library? If you want to have a ready made friend waiting for you at RootsTech or want someone to show you around the Library. Let me know. Or if you know someone who would like to meet up, just tell them to contact me via Twitter (Kimmyvon) or FaceBook (Kim von Aspern).   I would be happy to meet up with you/them.

Looking forward to making many new friends and seeing some great friends from times past. (didn't want to say "old friends," not in this profession.)