- Which ancestor am I most thankful for, and why?
- I am most thankful for a couple rather than an individual ~ Elof Larsson (1833-1922) and Marit Larsdotter (1829-1906) my great great grandparents. Elof (born in Fastnas, Norra Ny, Varmlands, Sweden) and Marit (born in Stakerud, Eksharad, Varmlands, Sweden) came to the USA with their five adult children in 1882. When they made the trip from Sweden, Elof was 49 and Marit was 53! It just goes to show that there are second acts, that people can take chances at any age, and that whether as a result of hardship or just a feeling that things could be better, people have always be willing to take a risk! Because they came to the USA, their descendants have had incredible opportunities in an imperfect but still wonderful country ~ for that I am truly thankful.
- Which author am I most thankful for, and why?
- On my genealogy journey, I am most thankful for Elizabeth Shown Mills, author and speaker extraordinaire! She does an tremendous job of making a rather complex and dry subject clear, concise and entertaining. Among her many works, I have two favorites. Her Evidence Explained (in pdf format ~ heavily bookmarked and annotated) travels with me. She served as editor of Professional Genealogy: A Handbook for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians, a serious and thoughtful collection by some excellent authors that serves as a basis for the ProGen Study groups. Ms. Mills is also an amazing and engaging speaker. If you have the chance to attend one of her lectures ~ do it because you are in for a treat. Ms. Mills has raised the genealogy bar and given the rest of us the tools to reach our potential ~ for that I am truly thankful.
- Which historical record set (paper or website) am I most thankful for, and why?
- A big shout out to all those Lutheran ministers who documented the lives of their flock in the Swedish Church Records ~ birth and baptism, marriage, death and burial, moving in and moving out, and those wonderful 5 year household record examination registers. I had the good fortune to attend a series of lectures on Scandinavian research at the FHL a few years ago. With the help of Wilma Larson, one of the Swedish consultants, I was introduced to these records. Originally they were microfilmed, and more recently they were digitized. Both versions are available online through various subscription sites. These Swedish Church Records are quite easy to use (take advantage of the various Swedish genealogy research forums and Swedish genealogy societies for translations of the entries you find). As a result of these records, I have been able to trace my Swedish relations both backward and forward ~ for that I am truly thankful.
And thank you Randy for a fun and throughtful Thanksgiving edition of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for commenting - just so you know all comments are moderated.