10 Years Ago Today . . .

Ten years ago today, I posted my first blog post. Thank you to Thomas MacEntee for the inspiration. In June of 2011, at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Thomas MacEntee described blogs as "cousin bait."[1] My website was "cousin bait" so I knew this might even be better as I could write regularly without the difficult task of constantly updating my website, AND find even more cousins. [2]

My first post was about the photo of my grandfather at a Woodsmen of the World Conference. [3]  Comparisons of other photos lead me to believe Redic E. Bryan (left) was in his twenties dating this photo sometime in the 1890s. 

The next two posts were also about the 

Woodmen of the World organization. 

My grandmother, Myrtie Hairston Bryan, belonged to a Woodmen Circle in Seymour, Texas and apparently, there was a Woodmen Circle for young girls as well. The photo at the top of this page was most likely taken in Seymour sometime in the 1910s.  More about the photo can be seen here. [4]

Terrell Bryan, my great-grandfather, was buried in the West End Cemetery in Stephenville, Erath County Texas. His Woodsmen of the World cemetery stone (right) is a tree trunk with vines. You can read more about his stone here. [5]

Thank you to all who read my blog. Some of you actually found the "cousin bait" and I am so grateful. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2021 

    1. Amy Coffin, Lisa Louise Cook, Pat Richley-Erickson, Nancy Loe, Thomas MacEntee, Randy Seaver, "Blogger Summit I - Beginner to Blogger in 60 Minutes" (presentation, Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Burbank, CA, October 10-12, 2011).

    2. "Researching Bryan, Hairston, Criswell, Davis, Glynn, Giddens, Murray, Driscoll, Staubach, and Quinn" (http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~bryanquinn/genealogy/index.htm : accessed 2 July 2021). 

    3. Diana B. Quinn, "W.O.W.," blog entry, 3 July 2011, Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog,  (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html : accessed 2 July 2021).

    4. Diana B. Quinn, "W.O.W. Women," blog entry, 13 July 2011, Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog,  (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/wow-women_08.html : accessed 2 July 2021).

    5. Diana B. Quinn, "More W.O.W.," blog entry, 6 July 2011, Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog,  (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-wow.html : accessed 2 July 2021).

Five Years of Sharing! Happy Birthday to My Blog!

Diana - August 1957

It's been five years since my first blog post. I can thank Thomas MacEntee's presentation at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree 2011 for the inspiration. He referred to blogs as "cousin bait." Yes, I've caught a few cousins, but better than that, my blog allows me to easily tell the stories. 

Thank you to all who read my blog!

Diana

© 2016

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

MacEntee, Thomas.  "Blogger Summit Part 1 – Beginner to Reader to Blogger." Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, CA. 11 June 2011.

Why I attend the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

Last week, I attended the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, a genealogy conference in Burbank, California. This conference features nationally known speakers and a Genetic Genealogy Conference on the day prior to the Jamboree. 

My second-cousin-once-removed lives in California. We attend the conference together and combine it with a research trip.  This is was my 6th Southern California Genealogy Jamboree and on the day following the conference, we drove to San Francisco to meet distant cousins who graciously shared their family photos and documents. 

My Genealogy Pinterest Board

For me, the conference is a wonderful educational experience. I always learn something new. There were tips to improve the use of some of my favorite subscription and cloud services. I learned how to take better photos with my iPhone and a session about Fold3 inspired me to create family Pinterest boards. Click on the names to see my Pinterest Boards for Criswell, Quinn, Hairston, Giddens, and Bryan families. I will be adding to these as I research.

I know that I need to increase my analysis of my DNA so went to as many DNA sessions as possible.  

I am very interested in cluster methodology - researching friends, neighbors, and acquaintances of ancestors to find more family information. Karen Mauer Jones' Cluster Methodology: A Case Study in Upstate New York is a perfect example for me to follow as I research my southern Hairston family. 

A Woodmen Circle in Seymour, Texas

Secret Societies: Finding Your Ancestors in Fraternal Organizations was excellent. Michael Strauss of Utah, but formerly of my hometown of Virginia Beach, talked about the Masons, Woodmen of the World, The Grange, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and many more. I find these organizations throughout my family's histories so this was extremely interesting.

I've seen pros and cons of the conference by other bloggers. I have only positive things to say. If I could make a change, it would only be to shorten the trip from Virginia to California.  

Thank you to all of those volunteer organizers who made this such a wonderful learning experience!

BTW - Don't want to make the trip? For just $35 a year, you can join the Southern California Genealogy Society, see many archived conference sessions and other webinars, AND have free 24/7 access to World Vital Records and My Heritage (Library Edition). 

Diana

© 2016

Sources

Draw On Maps and Make Them Easily.. Web. 11 Jun. 2016. <http://www.scribblemaps.com/>.

Sweet Clip Art - Cute Free Clip Art and Coloring Pages. Web. 11 Jun. 2016. <http://sweetclipart.com/>.

Looking Forward to the Genealogy Jamboree!

I will be leaving my family (and my blog) behind this week while I attend the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California. 

More next week!

Diana

© 2015

The Dining Room Table and Other Genealogical Goals

Six days ago, I returned from my yearly genealogy trip with my cousin, Sharon. We attended the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree and after the conference flew to Salt Lake City to research at the Family History Library. 

Every time that I return from a research trip, I have new ideas and new places to look for family. However, after attending a conference I always have GOALS. 

Here are my post-conference goals:

Use Cyndi’s List.

Use Cyndi's List as a regular go-to when looking for an answer to a genealogical question. Cyndi Howells, creator and owner describes her list as “A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.”  I typically use Google, but after Cyndi's session, A Guided Tour of Cyndi’s List 2.0, realized that I may save time by using Cyndi’s List.   

Learn more from my DNA. 
The Family History and DNA: Genetic Genetic Genealogy in 2013 Conference was fabulous! Well known experts talked about DNA and genealogy.  I want to learn more from my AncestryDNA results. My plans are to submit my AncestryDNA to FamilyTreeDNA and to learn to use third party tools.  A mtDNA test is also in my future. 

See more of the Library of Congress. 
The Library of Congress is an easy four hour drive from my home. And, I have family nearby. I have visited Library of Congress several times; however, have only looked at books.  In Dr. John Philip Colletta’s session, The Library of Congress: An Introduction and Overview, I learned that the LOC has 20 reading rooms and so much that can be used when looking for family. I plan to check out the newspaper collections next. 


Cite my sources.
Throughout the conference this was emphasized. I have always "connected" sources to my research, but those sources have not always been formally identified.  




Use the dining room table. 
For about 355 days a year, my dining room table is empty. Denise May Levenick’s session, Lessons from the Archive, was all about preserving family items. What to keep, what to throw away, AND how to sort. She started by explaining how to arrange items on the dining room table.  This weekend, my dining room table will be covered with my husband’s family’s photos!





Sources

Colletta, John Philip, Ph.D. (2013, June). The Library of Congress: An Introduction and Overview. Session presented at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Burbank, CA.

Howells, Cyndi. (2013, June). A Guided Tour of Cyndi’s List 2.0. Session presented at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Burbank, CA.

Howells, Cyndi. (1996-2013).  Cyndi's List. Retrieved June 20, 2013. From http://www.cyndislist.com/.

Levenick, Denise. (2013, June). Lessons from the Archive. Session presented at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, Burbank, CA.


Diana

© 2013

Friday's Photo: Sunny Burbank

No old photos today. I am currently attending the the 44th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree and  learning a lot about DNA and new and different resources to use while  researching my family history. This is my third Jamboree. I highly recommend a genealogy conference to anyone interested in family history. 


Next year's National Genealogy Society Conference will be on my side of the country  - in Richmond, VA. 

Diana

© 2013