Best Reason to Throw a Party The best excuse to clean your house , I once read, is to ready it for a party . While cleaning house, I thought, is the same true about "writing it up"? Writing the stories of our ancestors and relatives is the culmination of our work. When we know that our place is welcoming to guests, we feel free to celebrate; telling stories of the past unlocks the lives of our families to all who hear them. Writing the stories is t he best excuse to research. Write while researching so that that your thoughts have somewhere to go‒directly into the notes, before they evaporate. Writing soothes the itch in the brain instead of sending us down rabbit holes. Now is a great time to get started writing, in preparation for Family History Month in October . Courtesy of the National Genealogical Society Writing tests our research and thinking It is while writing that holes in the story are exposed, inconsistencies glare, and leaps of logic fall flat. If our analysis...

Generated with Bing ImageGenerator, February 4, 2024 at 1:54 PM Some years ago, Lowell Tuttle led a family history writing group which met at a local library, where the writers swapped ideas and drafts of their writing. Over time, health issues etc. caused the group to dwindle. Months ago, Lowell wrote to me (Valorie) with some rough drafts for which he wanted feedback. I wrote back with a few suggestions and asked if we could use part of what he had written here in the blog. Recently he wrote back, giving us his permission to do so. Note: While we have not been able to rekindle the Family History Writing group, we do have an online group:  https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Family-History-Writing . While it has not taken off, it is a place to send your drafts and ask for feedback.  Introduction Dear Readers:  My name is Lowell Allyn Tuttle. This is a Pep Talk on why you should write your or your family's stories. There are  hundreds of sources on HOW to write your or your fa...

 Thomas McEntee recently asked "Do you remember when your grandparents retired?" [1] Thomas Cowan 1890 - 1970 I do remember, because they threw a party! My grandfather, Thomas Cowan, had had a stroke a couple of years before, and once he almost completely recovered, decided that it was best to retire while he could enjoy it. I do not remember the date, although there is an article we found among my father's papers from his union newspaper, describing his history, career and property out in Issaquah. We lived just up the road, in walking distance, so I saw them a lot; basically any time I wanted to. The party was fun, and I got to show up to some of the older boys who were there, sons of co-workers I suppose, about where the fishing holes were in the creek. Once I caught my little trout, I paraded up the hill and past the party and those boys, with my pole on my shoulder and the little fish still on my hook. I walked home and cleaned it there. Yum, was it delicious! But on...

(Continued from SKCGS Blog, December 7, 2020 ) Then I heard our inadequate anti-aircraft go into action. A figure leaped over the edge of the depression and slid down almost against me. In the split second that I glimpsed him against the sky, I recognized him as one of the kids of our outfit. I called my name and he answered, giving his own. “Listen, Hearn,” I said, “Doctor Land was on that Higgins boat with us coming in. I talked to him a little. You’ve got to get him and bring him here or this person will die.” “The Hell I will,” growled Hearn: “I’m gonna stay right here in this hole.” I was about to curse him but I stopped myself before the words came. I hit him from another angle. “Hearn,” I said, “I have often heard that this business of war was quick to separate the men from the boys. Your mother back in Kansas still thinks of you as her little boy, but deep down inside her heart she knows that she has a man out here fighting for her. If you are not too scar...

By Dorothy Pretare Almost everyone has some family history items.  A few people may have only family stories or a photo, but others may have a Genealogy Room with full file cabinets, bookcases, boxed, etc. Many of us have spent years of hard work, time, and money to research our families.  Let’s identify 1) types of family history stuff and their possible locations, 2) your hopes and possible options, and 3) some steps to help ensure your hopes/wishes will be honored. Types of family history stuff and their possible locations Family history items can take many forms, including loose papers; photographs and slides; family heirlooms (like the family Bible, jewelry, household items, tools, etc.); video and audio recordings; notebooks; digital files; posted online family trees; DNA results, etc. Do you know the locations for all your stuff?  Those items may be in file cabinets; bookcases; stacked on your desk or on the floor nearby; cardboard boxes or plastic tubs...