A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day.....July 25, 2007.... Getting to Know Your Ancestors

7-25-2007 | Just Amy & MamaBear

[JustAmy]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, GodBlessUSA ~

Sometime during the twelfth century the concept of heraldry came into prominent use. Knights began to have their shields and other equipment decorated with marks of identification. These marks and colors evolved into a way to identify the bearer as a member of a certain family, clan, or allegiance to a feudal lord.

The lords, and their knights and all their followers displayed the lord's coat of arms on pennants, shields, and battle dress. Families and clans of families were identified by these symbols.

"If You Could See Your Ancestors"

If you could see your ancestors,
All standing in a row,
Would you be proud of them,
Or don't you really know?

Some strange discoveries are made
In climbing family trees;
And some of them, you know,
Do not particularly please.

If you could see your ancestors,
All standing in a row,
There might be some of them, perhaps,
You wouldn't care to know.

But there's another question
Which requires a different view ...
If you could "meet" your ancestors,
Would they be proud of you?

~ Author Unknown ~

Do not use a wire brush on stonework. It will do much damage to the surface of the stone and encourage the growth of moss and lichen.

Do not apply any proprietary sealer to the stone. Stone must be able to breath and allow air and water to pass through.

Gravestone rubbing is not recommended because so many gravestones are made from soft sandstones and limestone that are easily damaged.

Do not apply shaving cream, chalk or other chemicals to the stones, as this can also cause damage.

If you are planning on visiting cemeteries remember to treat the headstones and markers with care. Many of these grave markers are very fragile, and even the pressure used to take a tombstone rubbing could cause damage to some stones.


Good light will always produce a better photograph. If you wish to photograph the headstone and inscription in a shaded position and you want the lettering to be readable it may be necessary to provide additional lighting. This can be done on a sunny day by using a mirror at an appropriate angle.

"Pay Heed, Now!"

I’ve done it! Yes I have! I’ve tracked my ancestry.
I tracked it back beyond the start, of modern history.
And even further back than that! (No, not an easy task!)
The records were quite hard to find, (but, Thanks that you did ask!)

The story that was written, before the ink and quill,
Excited me when first I learned, I guess it always will.
You’ve heard about some fossils? No, not your Gramps and Mum,
Those stony skeletons they found, beloved and then some!

“These were our ancestors,” they cry. Now, let me tell you true.
The critters they discovered had no children in my view.
At least from that flat landscape, from which they stare, agape,
You’ll have no progeny at all of either Man, or Ape.

For they were dead, you see, demised. Deceased and obfuscated,
In a word, obliterized. Corried and quarried, they had been Terminated!
The ones who walked around that mess, averting fearful eyes,
Are quite the ones I wish to note, my own survivor guys.

The studious type, I’m proud to say, note-takers with an eye,
To leaving danger, and small brains, to a luckless other guy.
You may have doubts that this could work, I’m sure you’d like it shown,
But we were record record-keepers, ( I still have all my own!)

The stacks of notes are towering, they go back quite a ways,
To warmer weather in the past, and somewhat warmer days.
Now that was handy, you’ll admit, for when you had some itches,
You didn’t have to slow down much for fasteners on britches.

Well, anyway, I did the work. The place we got our start,
Was almost just what they described, (describing is an art!),
It was a lovely Garden. (You knew I’d say that, right?)
But did you know what else I found, in digging out that site?

The very first last testament, and will of that first writer,
Who lived so long, so long ago, you know he was a fighter!
Well, anyway, I want to say, you guys are all in trouble.
You owe back rent, to me of course, and penalties are double.

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 21, 2007

You know you are a Genealogy
addict when...

~ You brake for libraries.
~ You hyperventilate at the sight of an old cemetery.
~ You would rather browse in a cemetery than a shopping mall.
~ You would rather read census schedules than a good book.
~ You are more interested in what happened in 1699 than in 1999.
~ Eenrum, Baflo and Groningen are household names, but you can't remember what to call the dog.
~ You store your clothes under the bed (or wear the same two outfits to save space), because your closet is full of books and papers.
~ All your correspondence begins with "Dear Cousin".
~ You have traced every one of your ancestral lines back to Adam and Eve, you have it documented and still don't want to quit.
~ Your most important social life is meeting people who you run into while searching a family line.

The USGenWeb Project

Census Online

Some Basic Links

RootsWeb.com

Civil War Soldiers & Sailors

Ellis Island Records

03-27-07 ~ Hall of Fame #19

THIS WEEK'S THREADS July 23-24,07 Military Tribute

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Darksheare]

It’s a tiny town outside of Toledo, has an ancient WWI cannon because some guys got blotzed, pulled it off a trian, and then couldn’t remember how they did it, so the town kept it.

[JustAmy]

Good afternoon, Dutchess. Thank you. I really enjoyed working on today’s thread and I think Lori did also.

A thread on genealogy has been on my mind for at least two years but I wasn’t sure what to include and how to present it.

I’ve never met relatives in other countries but it has been fun meeting third, fourth and fifth cousins while doing research. When we went to a small town in Iowa and met many relatives, it was fun watching local people realize they were related. :)

[Mama_Bear]

I was thinking about going back and research my ancestors. I only go as far back as my great grandparents.

It's very rewarding when it goes well and you actually make some connections, but very frustrating when you hit a brick wall as I have with my dad's family. His mother came over from Ireland in the early 1900's and his father's family seems not to exist as far as I can tell. I have searched census records and marriage records and have found nothing. I'm not very good at it though and don't really know where to look next.

[JustAmy]

Such darling puppies on that family tree. :)

Thanks, Meg. I love your table.

[jaycee]

A doll baby squirrel, G. B.~~~~

[Mama_Bear]

I really enjoyed working on today’s thread and I think Lori did also.

I really did enjoy working on this. Mostly because you are so easy to please, Amy. No matter what I do, you think it looks great. :-)

[jaycee]

Amy, this was a great thread today. Thanks to you and I believe you said Lori helped, thanks to her too. You all did a very good job!

[JustAmy]

Awww .... Thank you GeeBee. That little squirrel is precious.

What area of Italy are you gr gr grandparents from? My husband’s cousin went to Italy about 5 years ago but I didn’t see any pictures of cemeteries.

Mr Just’s grandfather came to the US after his wife died in 1905. My MIL was about 7 when her mother died in childbirth. They lived in Maschito.

[JustAmy]

Hey, NnB. Thank you for writing the genealogy poem for today’s Ancestor thread.

Of all the poems that I’ve requested, you have always been Bob on the Spot! I really appreciate that.

Do you have any info you would like to share with us? Which poet is hiding in your Family Tree?

Thanks again.

[JustAmy]

Oh my ... you also have an impressive family tree!

Personally, I think Sarah was the real witch! I can’t imagine sacrificing your sisters to the hangman’s noose.

[NicknamedBob]

"Which poet is hiding in your Family Tree?"

Me, I guess. If there were any others, they kept their social dysfunction a carefully guarded secret.

"Do you have any info you would like to share with us?"

Um ... sure. My recent roofing project left me with some "tar" on my hands, and the hand detergent wasn't effective. I applied some peanut oil left over from turkey cooking, and the stuff dissolved pretty good. Then the hand detergent worked better.

Uh ... once you've pushed the elevator call button and caused it to illuminate, pushing it more doesn't help any. -- In fact, if I were the elevator, I'd slow down.

Let's see ... they say we shrink as we get older, but I've noticed the floor keeps getting farther away.

Rainbows aren't bows, they are circles, if nothing gets in their way. They are also one-sided. Folks downrange of your rainbow will have to look over their own shoulders for their own rainbow.

And poems are easier than you think. All you have to do is put words that rhyme at the ends of your sentences. Or just line up some words that rhyme and put a bunch of words in front of them.

[JustAmy]

Thank you! It is easy to be pleased with your work. It all looks beautiful. The hardest part of putting the finishing touches on the thread is when you give me choices of which graphic to use.

I should use the other ping graphic just because I think it is wonderful. :)

I might do that a little later.

[JustAmy]

Lori and I thank you for your kind words. We are happy that you enjoyed today’s thread.

[JustAmy]

Thanks for that wonderful info! :)

How’s this?

The black cat
caught a big rat.
The skinny dog
chased a fat hog.
The baby pig
danced a cute jig.

:)

[JustAmy]

“He who has no fools, knaves, or beggars in his family was begot by a flash of lightning.”
~Old English Proverb~

[GodBlessUSA]

This is so interesting.
Northern Italy. I want to say Genoa but my memory is so poor. I have to talk to my parents again and confirm what I remember. I must write it all down too so I don't lose it from memory again. It will be difficult because my grandfather was adopted. I adored my grandmother and would love to get more info on her parents.

[GodBlessUSA]

;)

[NicknamedBob]

How’s this?

The black cat
caught a big rat.
The skinny dog
chased a fat hog.
The baby pig
danced a cute jig.

That’s great, Amy!

Now the next lesson is that if you can’t find a word that rhymes ... just make one up.

The gray rain came down in flashbulb pictures from the lightning.
I pulled tight my raincoat, and marveled at Nature’s mightening.

My dismal hopes rose with a faint glow at the horizon,
For there I knew a new tomorrow was comprizon.

Rain cannot fall forever. There must be a rule somewhere,
In a soggy, mildewed copy of a book laid by a chair,

Where a reading lamp sits idly, and a cigar is half a thing,
And a distant telephone just waits, but never seems to ring.

I’ll find my way back to my chair, my life of tattered nap,
To slump in joyless rapture as the gray comes to my lap.

[JustAmy]

LOL

Woo Hoo ..... I’m a poet. :)

I will start working on making up new words.

[JustAmy]

Mr Just’s Dad was from Bisceglie. Italy. That is in the very Southern area of Italy. It is on the Sea and is also farm land. (I think)