Genealogical Gems: Hiding in Plain Sight

Sunday, November 12, 2017

picture originally found on www.vgs.org for the conference.  
This post is part of the November Genealogy Blog Party on My Descendant's Ancestors. Check it out today!

 I attended my first Genealogy conference a few weeks ago here in Virginia.  My family and I were at the local library when I noticed a poster for the poster for the VGS annual conference, Genealogical Gems:  Hiding in Plain Sight.  I don't normally get to spend a day on myself so I jumped at the opportunity to attend!  I figured why not?  It was practically in my backyard.


I spent the day on Track 2 which featured Sharon Cook MacInnes, PhD, CG from www.ancestortracks.com Her presentations included:
  • Researching State Land Records for the 20 State-Land States: Deeds & Tax Records
  • Researching Federal Land Records for the 30 Federal-Land States, Including Military Grants.
  • Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.
  • Using the FAN Club to Tear Down Brick Walls.
Now I have to say, I thought I had done pretty well following my family history in New Jersey.  There were some ancestors who I thought I had "finished" (finished as I thought I would ever get with them ;) ) and boy was I wrong!  Now granted it will be a bit before I can get up to the NJ archives to start digging again, however, I'm excited to make another trip up to Jersey to tackle more land records!   
In the meantime, I will be searching Virginia land grants.  I already found the original land grant for my neighborhood!  It's so neat to see the land exchange hands between the crown and the original owners.  Plus I now know how some roads got its name.

Stay tuned for what I find thanks to my new found knowledge!  

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Sunday morning grave hunting

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

My daughter and I went out on Sunday morning to do some grave hunting.  We had a very successful hunt.  To find out about the graves we documented you can go to my Find a Grave profile!  If you are also on Find a Grave, feel free to add me as a friend :)

With my arsenal of brushes, water, etc in my trunk we set out to clean off some graves that needed a good weeding. Soon I will be placing an order for biological cleaner made for gravestones soon so we can head out to some abandoned cemeteries next and start cleaning up the historical sites.  I explained to her that because I can't get home to take care of my family's stones, I like to help out where I can and it makes me feel like I'm helping keep their memories alive.  Though I will be heading up to NJ soon to give my mom & grandparents some care & cleaning.

On our way out of the cemetery my daughter took these pictures.  Maybe I have a budding grave hunter on my hands??



Mystery Solved! Hunt Family

Sunday, April 16, 2017

One of my roadblocks that has been on my radar for a while was which Hunt son is the father of Florence L Hunt and husband to Della Burke?  This one is proving to be difficult.  However talking to one of my husband's cousins turned out to be a very fruitful conversation!  In a box of costume jewelry she received when their grandmother passed away was their great grandfather's dog tags!   That man is....

DELMAR HUNT

My missing person!

I was so happy to finally have proof of who it was.  I thought it was him and didn't have any real proof.  I have a list of vital records to purchase and on that list were some for him and while I will still order them for now I have a picture of his dog tags!


Do you have any roadblocks?  Have you solved a mystery recently?






Wordless Wednesday: 3/29/2017

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Front row:  George W. Barker & wife Frances and thier six children: Laura & Ella at parents' sides
Top Row: Dora, Charlie, Grace, Matie.
Rachel "Frances" Barker (Moody) is my Husband's 4x Gr Grand Aunt.  

Tombstone Tuesday: Morris D. Babcock 1904-1971

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

This week for Tombstone Tuesday I had my daughter's friend help me choose an ancestor to post.   She choose #64.


Morris D. Babcock, my 2x Great Uncle on my mother's side.  Son of William Babcock and Adeline Williams.  Morris was 1 of 4 children.  His siblings were Herbert, Wilbur, and Lela Mae, my Great Grandmother who my daughter shares the same middle name.  He is buried in the VanBlarcom -Babcock plot.



Morris D Babcock
b: 25 JUNE 1904 
d: 9 OCT 1971

Clarence Van Blarcom (Gr Grandfather)
b: 26 SEP 1894
d: 15 AUG 1983

Lela M VanBlarcom nee Babcock (Gr Grandmother)
b: 10 AUG 1889
d: 1 APR 1983

William Babcock (Gr Gr Grandfather)
b:  22 APR 1870
d:  1 DEC 1941

Addie Babcock nee Williams (Gr Gr Grandmother)
b:  24 AUG 1872
d:  21 FEB 1952

Herbert Babcock (Gr Gr Uncle)
b:  14 JUN 1892
d:  DEC 1958

Buried in North Hardyston Cemetery,  Hamburg, New Jersey