MOVING

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Remembering Relatives

Morning Pages

 "Whisper"

Please whisper me your story

show me where to look

tell me where to find you

I want to write your book.

The printed word can often tell

a story from long ago

whether newsprint or longhand or

a journal on the go.

A picture may tell many words

even a painting on the wall

a likeness of your face

how did you get so tall?

The soil covers your rolling land

a seed is deeply hidden

when harvest comes in fall

I can sense your story bidden.

Is the home where the heart is

dishes washed and dried

the bread is baked at mealtime

let your family be my guide.

A dress hangs in the wardrobe

a watch is shining gold

there are prints on the mirror

I uncover your story of old.

Whisper me your story

a struggle, success, or crime

I will look where ever

for now we still have time.

Many successful writers talk about the importance of daily writing. The Artist's Way coined morning pages as a writing time in the morning in a notebook longhand. The writing can be anything about anything and then thrown away after it is done. I have loved time to write out ideas, thoughts, and frustrations. I feel ready to write every day. I wrote this poem while working on my Grandma Mary's childhood sketch. It was my "idea" during morning pages.

History in An Album

 

My cousin had a box of pictures and albums in her garage that she sent to me. One album looked like it belonged to Uncle Ted. The above photo resided in this album.
My daughter said, "Mom this looks like a roller coaster." 

She went to work on Google Image search and found out it was the legendary "Cyclone Racer" in Long Beach where Ted grew up. We enjoyed looking at our picture and those online of the roller coaster. A bit of history resided in that old photo album.

Mary's Poems

 

Mary had a little life
A mystery it was to me
And everywhere that Mary went
I followed to see who'd she be.

Learning about Mary
piece by piece I wrote out your childhood
the St. Luke's Episcopal church confirmation certificate
the interview with your friend, Grace
the life sketch your mother wrote
the newspapers that included your name
the stories of the school in Baggs
the reports of the Spanish Flu Epidemic
the pictures of your childhood
section by section I edited and arranged
bring Mary to life.

These poems go with the story I wrote "A Wyoming Childhood." 

Wyoming Childhood

Pictures of Grandma Mary's Life in Dixon and Baggs, Wyoming

 

Presentations

 

Looking for a presenter for your group. The following are my upcoming presentations.
Email to arrange times and fees.
allyson.maughanATgmail.com

Too Many Birthdays for Sarah-Finding Alternative birth records
We all have ancestors born before the states kept birth certificates. Learn about alternative birth records in this class. There were death, marriage, church, military, newspapers, and bible. This presentation will teach you where to find these records that state birth information about your ancestors. We will end with the case study of Sarah Ellen Loveless, who was born before the state of Ohio kept birth certificates, and discover her birthday.

Add a Snapshot to Research
After months of research, you have run into questions. “What else can I learn about Grandpa?” “How can I solve this family mystery?” “Are there any other family members I can research?” During your research you have reviewed vital records, deeds, and census records, now it’s time to add photos. Often seen as enhancements, photographs hold answers to questions you have about your ancestors. The photos have faces on the front and writing on the back that tell stories. Photos provide new leads and solve family mysteries.

A Last Name for Mary Ann- Finding maiden names for women
Most married women in the US appear on records with their husband’s last name. What records can we turn to in our pursuit of maiden names? Follow the case of Mary Ann Wolf to learn how to find and confirm a maiden name.

Solving Your Picture Problems
Pictures tell a brilliant story about our ancestors. But, what do we do when pictures have problems! No writing on the back? Too many conflicting names and dates? Unfamiliar faces? Come learn the antidote to these dilemmas and finally use those pictures in your research.

Newspaper Discoveries
From the headlines to the obituaries, and social column; newspapers tell life stories. Once you have a chance to go through each piece of information you can reconstruct the life of your ancestor. Discover how newspapers can solve a family mystery, give you information about a marriage, and tell you where your ancestor bought land. This class will cover topics that were included in newspapers, how that can be used in your genealogy research, and where to find newspapers where your ancestors lived. Come read what the Saturday Evening Post has to say about your ancestors.

From Clutter to Clean
You were given family history pictures that have been handed down for years. They pile up in folders and boxes in the garage and basement. The quantity or disorganization keeps you from digging into these priceless documents. You know your family history is located in them, but you have been unable to unlock the mystery because of the clutter. In this class, six steps will be discussed to help you move your pictures from a tower of clutter to photo box of clean.


Sharing your Family with your Family
You decided to find the parents of an ancestor. After a year of work, notes, and research logs, you broke through. Finally, the paper you have wanted to write is taking shape. After a year of work, five revised editions, and pages of writing, you are done. You are tired but excited to share your findings with your family. Somehow they don’t seem as interested in reading the thirty-page report, nor do they want to review your eighty pages of research notes. This presentation will teach you how to make your research family-friendly. When sharing with your family, you focus your writing differently. This presentation will teach you to transform your transcriptions, research logs, and reports into family-friendly blogs, stories, power points, and poems that all the family can enjoy.

Francillo Durfey

 

Sometimes I feel there is nothing more

an ancestor can teach me

Then we go on a journey together.

I went with Francillo Durfey and his family

to the Salmon River Mission

As Francillo

rode to the Idaho wilderness

built his house and the fort

hunted for food

returned for his family

taught the gospel

studied languages

strove for peace

endured betrayal

and abandoned the mission

He taught me the importance of being a disciple of Christ and knowing myself

May we meet again one day on another journey.

Salmon River Mission

I spent the past few months transcribing the mission journal and experiencing my great-great-great grandfather's role in this mission. I have learned a lot about transcribing, the mission, life in the 1850s, and the kind of person Francillo was on the mission.

The original journal is here 

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/e3da07ad-3b98-4cfc-acce-efdb5f0ff2a9/0/0