Ancestry

I'm still searching for Peter McKee when I get chance. I'm been wanting to post on a facebook group for help but just haven't sat down and done it. I've had some distant cousins contact because of my DNA report which is kinda fun. 

Always climbing my tree

Still Searching for Peter McKee

Mocavo sent me an email about more records being added so I decided to do a search.  I am still searching for my paternal great great grandfather, Peter McKee.  His son, my great grandfather, William F. McKee is buried in a small town cemetary near Monticello, Illinois.  When I visited the grave site there wasn't a death date on the stone.  I asked my dad and he said it was 1952 or 1954.  I ordered William's death certificate and found out it was 1952.  Also, on the certificate was his mother's and father's name which I didn't have.  They were Peter McKee and Emma Perkens McKee.  And the line stops there.  I have search Ancestry, Genealogy Bank, google, Family Search, and now Mocavo but haven't found them.  Mocavo had a ton of hits and I didn't have time to look at every one.  I plan on revisiting that search soon.

New Job

I got a new job at El Paso County DHS on April 1, 2013.  Since then I've put my blogs on the back burner.  Way back there!  The job is great!  I plan on being there a long time.  

I'm still working on my Ancestry family tree.  I'm still trying to find my Great Grandfather Peter McKee.  Larry got me a Shop Family Tree gift card which was awesome.  I've used it up now.   I've been doing a lot of reading but no luck finding Peter McKee.  

We have a Nailer family reunion this year so the plan is to write the story and share with Grandpa Nailer.  There's a lot to do but I'm hopeful.

Genealogy support group

Last night I went to my local genealogy group meeting.  It's a small group started by a lady that works at the library branch in are small town.  I have missed the last few meetings so I was excited to go.  Every time I go I learn something and my motivation comes back. 
The presentation was about occupations and how to find out more about them.
Did you know a "cooper" makes barrels?
Did you know that a "haberdasher" is a clothing salesman?
Records or Sources to find occupations:
Civilian Conservation Corps
City Directories
Sanborn Fire Maps
Marriage Records
Specialized Census Ex. 1927 Pennsylvania Farm Census
Draft Registrations
Old Photos might show occupations
Certificate of Death
Employee magazines - HathiTrust or Google Books
Railroad magazine search for "Railroad employee magazine"
World Cat
Licensed professions - hairdressers, nurse
patent records
family artifacts (watches, buttons, etc)

Learning Scanning Christmas

Tonight I signed up for my very first Family Tree University course.  It is called Newspapers 101.  It starts on January 14 which is my birthday but I read on the website that you can go to "class" anytime.  I hope that's true.

I decided it would be fun to scan some Christmas pictures from my childhood and my husbands.  We found these.

 Kim 1969 11 months

 Kim 1975 Iowa

 Kim 1975 Iowa

Kim 1975 Iowa

 Larry 1971 or 1972 in Littleton Colorado

Larry with his truck 1971 or 1972 in Littleton Colorado

Paper Organization

I have finally got my office set up the way I like it.  Slowly getting all my craft stuff, Girl Scout stuff, Genealogy stuff and kid stuff organized.  Today I wanted to work on my genealogy files and organization.  2 hours later I'm just getting started with it.  Why am I putting it off?  It's not that difficult.  I have color coded each family line in my hanging folders.  I created folders for forms, census records, research helps, etc. Now to clean up my other files I have laying around. 

Family vacation to Illinois

On July 14, Courtney, Averie, Shelby, Lacey and I took a plane ride to Illinois.  During this trip I have 2 genealogy goals. 
1. Interview my Grandpa Howard Nailer who was born July 24, 1929
2. To locate some homes that my family had lived in and take some pictures.

I accomplish both of those goals.  I really wanted to explore more but the girls had other things they wanted to do.  I didn't want to take away from their exploring.

Here's a picture of the house my parents lived in when I was born.  It's close to the fairgrounds.  They would park cars in the yard during the fair.

This is 3525 Betzer Ave, Decatur Illinois

Here's a picture of the house that Howard and Marie Nailer lived in about 1950.  The front is an add on but behind that is the peak of the original house.  Aunt Carolyn told me the kids had a hiding place in the basement to hide from Grandpa Galen.

2560 E. Olive, Decatur Illinois