Genealogy

For the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of genealogy research & made good strides on certain lines of ancestors.
I began my genealogy search in the late 1960's. Back then you had to physically go the the county where your ancestors lived and search through probate court records. I also made many trips to various cemeteries in central and southeastern Ohio. Over the years there have been some people who don't want to be found - just plain deadends. Others were easier and could be followed back to the 1600's.
This week I found a few in the 1500's. :)
No more sitting in probate courts for me - Ancestry.com has been around a while & I have used it for a number of years. My research has been sporadic over the years but I am in a Go-Mode right now.
The very old Newspaper database is wonderful especially the small town ones. There is always an article about which relatives came to visit or who hosted a club meeting.
Just yesterday I found an obituary for my great-grandmother Florence who died in 1932 at age 74.
Header of the read: Invalid for 20 years relieved by death. Then it went on the particulars of her death, children and the service.
Do you think maybe one of my aunts or even my dad might have told me she as an invalid all that time?
I did get other stories about her but not that one. I also have a couple of old quilt tops she made.

The Mills side of my family will be having a reunion this year at Rising Park in Lancaster Ohio.
I will be doing the mailings and setting it all in motion now that a cousin has secured the park.
We did a Mills reunion every year from 1988-1994. So this one should be great.
We meet at Rising Park because in the year 1900's the annual Mills Reunion was held there. My Mills lived in Fairfield County: Pleasantville to Lancaster.

I guess the saying is true: To Know Who You Are You Must Look at the Past.

First Blog of 2011

Quilts bring such delight: whether making one, reading about them, looking at pictures, or going to a guild meeting or even a quilt show!
I love sharing my knowledge of quilts and that is the reason for this blog.
Yesterday I spent the day at the James Stitching Sisters making quilt tops for women diagnosed with breast cancer. On their first day of chemotherapy they receive a quilt to help keep them warm all during the chemotherapy sessions.
This project has been going on for 7 years and many women have received these comforting quilts. Our total of completed quilts yesterday was 780. What a wonderful thing!
I felt such comfort when I received my quilt on my first day of chemotherapy on Jan 2, 2007.
I kept it with me during each chemo day at the James.