Whiskey Brothers

A good chunk of my waking hours are spent attempting to make genealogy relevant to people. More and more I attempt to steer my clients away from just finding names to fill up their family tree. Instead, I want to help them find the stories behind those names.

Recently, there was an article in Entrepreneur magazine about two brothers who were really putting their family history to work, and I knew I had to share it. The two brothers, Charles and Andrew Nelson, who had recently graduated from college, took a road trip with their dad to Greenbrier, TN, where they began to discuss stories that had been passed down through the generations about a family whiskey business. When they arrived in the town, they asked the local butcher about the Nelson's family distillery and he pointed them in the direction of the large warehouse that was built by Charles Nelson, the brothers' great-great-great grandfather. They spent the day visiting Greenbrier's historical society, and learned more than they could have imagined about their grandpa and his business. The fire was lit, and a plan was hatched to carry on their family's legacy. By 2009, the brothers reopened the family business that had closed 100 years before in 1909. 

So cool. I love, love, showing how family history can inspire what we do today. If you want to learn more, there is a lovely bio on Charles Nelson's life, here, on the company website, along with this kick-ass photo of him.

What do  you think? How well do you know your family history? Do you know what job your great-great-great grandfather had? Or your grandmother, for that matter? 

(Photos courtesy of: Greenbrier Distillery)

Genea Gadgets: Eva Juliet's Customized Family Trees

Discovering the branches of your family tree can be such a beautiful experience. But, as I have mentioned before, you don't want to let all of that hard work sit on a shelf somewhere, where it can't easily be shared. Well, I recently saw these customized family trees mentioned on Creature Comforts, from designer Eva Juliet.

How beautiful are they?! An adorable, customized family tree is such a wonderful way to show off all that hard work. Not to mention, it's a great conversation starter. The one above would fit nicely in a kitchen or dining room.

P.S. Wouldn't this be amazing in a child's room? They'd be learning their family history and they wouldn't even know it!

Serving Time, Indexing Records

Happy Friday! Alex and I are heading out of town this weekend, but I just saw a genealogy article that I had to write about. Prisoners doing genealogy research? Wha...?? Enjoy!

 

A recent Huffington Post article discusses how prisoners in Salt Lake City, Utah, have been indexing records and doing family history research on behalf of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

 

(Photo: Daily Herald/Herald Extra)

 

The first family research center was opened by the LDS Church at the Utah State Prison more than 20 years ago. Last year alone, inmates indexed more than 2 million records (which go online and can now be used by genealogists like myself!). In addition to indexing, the program allows inmate volunteers to spend up to three hours at a time at the center, doing research on behalf of others, and even doing their own genealogy, which one of the correctional officers says spurs a "remarkable change" in the prisoners. I always knew genealogy was good for you!

 

If you didn't already know, the LDS Church is famous for its use of and support for genealogical resources. The Church has opened family research centers all over the world, and even the headquarters for Ancestry.com is located in Utah, the epicenter of LDS. The Mormons' interest in genealogy stems from their belief in proxy baptism, or baptism for the dead. They believe that being baptized in the Mormon church is the only way to enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore, many families research their genealogy for ancestors who may not have had the chance to choose a Mormon baptism. Once the baptism has been done, the belief is that the dead may decide whether or not they accept it.

 

(Article: Huffington Post)

Rollie Zeider and Hometown Connections

Years ago, when Alex and I were just buds, and after finding out he was a big White Sox fan, I sent him information on a former White Sox (and Cubs, and New York Yankee) player named Rollie Zeider. Zeider had been born in the town next to the one I grew up in and, after the big leagues, he moved back to Garrett, Indiana, to open a restaurant called "Polly's," Polly being his childhood nickname. A friend on Facebook recently posted a link to Zeider's Wikipedia page. I clicked on over and soon realized a little family connection. Zeider's second wife Margaret's maiden name was Pilgrim, a name I recognized from my own family tree. With about five minutes of research, I found the Rollie Zeider link! 

I mean, we're practically cousins!

Above, you will see the Pilgrim/Billings crew. Mom and dad, otherwise known as Daniel and Frances. And, I can't say for sure, but I believe the fellow in the top-left corner, is my great-great-great grandpa, Edward, which would mean the young man at the top-right would be Margaret's dad (Rollie's father-in-law!), James. 

Rollie in his heyday. 

By the way, if you happen to be hunting around Garrett for Rollie's restaurant, as one would, it was located at 104 Peters St. Happy hunting. 

How Baby George Got His Name

After several conversations on the subject with my coworkers, I finally gave in and decided to do a royal baby post.

Royalty and genealogy go hand in hand. I got started studying royalty genealogy way back before I had the Internet. I would pull out our encyclopedias and work backward from one king to the next. There is some kind of disorder there. I found it really interesting and crazy, crazy that the European royal families were all related in some way. Literally, ALL of them. Crazy.

So, if you haven't been living under a rock, you probably know there is a new royal baby. When the Duchess first announced her pregnancy, there was a debate about whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Not really important anymore, since a law was passed (very recently, in 2011) ensuring that either sex could succeed to the throne, when his/her time came. The second debate started immediately after the Prince was born: what would his name be? In the end, George Alexander Louis won. But you may ask why. Well, no commoner can say for sure, but those royals really like honoring family members and this is my best guess. Read with me, won't you?

George

When baby George becomes King George, he will (likely) be crowned as King George VII. Obviously because six kings of Great Britain and Ireland have been crowned as King George before him, starting with this fine-looking chap...

King George I

This guy was actually a German, who was chosen to take the throne for his childless second-cousin, Queen Anne I (who was actually descended from a line of Kings originally from Scotland, go figure). This was not because he was the nearest living relative to the monarch, as is usually the case. It was because he was the Protestant-iest. To make it so, a law was passed called the Act of Settlement in 1701, under which anyone who marries a Roman Catholic or converts to Catholicism themselves cannot inherit the throne. Blah, blah, blah. (This law also recently went the way of the dodo bird).

After George I, there was a George II, then George III (below, the crazy one that lost America during the Revolutionary War), and so on.

Most recently, there was George VI. His birth name was Albert Frederick Arthur George, his nickname was Bertie, and when he inherited the throne from his older brother -- who had abdicated to marry an American, Catholic, divorcee (oooh, the British royal family hated all of those words) -- he took the name George, making him the VI. 

You may recognize his picture.

If you don't, you may recognize Colin Firth playing him in the "The King's Speech." Beautiful Colin Firth...

George VI was also the much-loved father of the current Queen, Elizabeth II, and the great-great, grandfather of the new, little George. 

Another possibility? A patriotic tip of the hat. St. George is the patron saint of England. He is supposed to have slayed a dragon and whatnot. 

Here he is doing that...

Onward!

Alexander 

I'd like to say William and Kate just know how awesome my husband is, but it's not likely. Some more likely reasons? While there haven't been any kings of Great Britain with the name Alexander, several Kings throughout Europe (remember, they are ALL related!) have carried the name. Additionally, Prince George's great-great-great-great grandmother was a Danish princess by the name of Alexandra, which is Queen Elizabeth II's middle name. 

Queen Alexandra.

Louis

Sure, there have been tons of French kings named Louis, but this is probably not for them. Instead, it is likely a nod to Louis, Lord Mountbatten, a beloved great-uncle of baby George's grandfather, Prince Charles. Born as Louis Battenberg, his last name was changed around 1917 when many British royals were dropping their German titles during the first World War. (Remember when I told you the royal family were of German descent? Even after becoming the rulers of England, they continued to have close ties to Germany. Many of the lesser royals married into the various German principalities and duchies, a fact they liked to hide when they were ruling a country who was at war with Germany.) 

Lord Mountbatten.

Unfortunately, Lord Mountbatten would meet an untimely fate. While holidaying in Ireland in 1979, the IRA detonated a bomb on his boat, killing him, one of his grandsons, and his daughter's mother-in-law. In honor, Prince Charles would give his firstborn son the name Louis as his final given name (William Arthur Phillip Louis) and Prince William would do the same.

That is your history lesson, people. Now let's get back to talking about what Kate is wearing!

(Thanks for the photos, Wikipedia. You're a peach.)

Modern Family Tree

Let's take a break from eating, and talk genealogy for a minute.

Researching genealogy is not a hip thing to do. It can be a lot of fun, though! Finding that missing link you've been looking for is such a rewarding feeling. A feeling that's not so rewarding? Realizing that all that hard work I've done is going to sit in some book where no one will see it. I have always wished there were a way to use my genealogy research to create a cool piece of art. Genealogy art has been around for years, and it looks it. Many times it looks very dated and is the exact opposite of anything I would want to hang in my living room. That is why I love, love, love these options from My Tree and Me below. They offer a modern and beautiful way to display your family tree in your home.

P.S. I think that this tree would go beautifully in a nursery. Just sayin'.

Their Portraits Hang in a Library

And I call them grandma and grandpa, Nori and George, for short. That's right, Kim and Kanye, my great-great grandma Nora was called Nori waaay before baby North showed up. Anyway, I just had to get photos of the adorable couple (in their wedding portraits) up for the world to see. George Edward Price and Nora Edna Elizabeth Miller were married in 1887 in Indiana. Nora would live, spending a considerable amount of time playing the piano for her family, until she passed away at the ripe old age of 93. Nora and her parents are also my family tree brick wall. Geez, Louise, you'd think that Indiana and Ohio were having a sale on the name 'Nora Miller' in the 1870's. Thanks for the puzzle, Nora, but I'll find you yet.

George

Nora

A special shout out to Winchester Community Library in Winchester, Indiana. George and Nora's portraits lived in my grandmother's dining room for as long as I can remember. She asked that they be donated to the Library when she died, and there they now hang, in all their splendor. The Director of the Library, Jana, worked for two days to get a good photo of the portraits to send me, even employing the custodian to get a shot in the "morning before daylight." I thank you both, as does my mother, who hasn't seen the portraits in years.

That's some Hoosier courtesy, right there.