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

Death Certificates

So interesting to get your grandparent's death certificates in the mail.  Grandpa Mckee died in 1979, I was ten, remember some but to find out more details just adds to my family history story.  Grandma McKee died in 1990 and I remember being so thankful that she was able to meet and spend time with my first born.  I'm having fun on my genealogy adventure.

I've been organizing my new office/craft room area for the last few weeks.  In between working and mom stuff I sneak in some time to clean up my family trees.  I've noticed several people have repeat or multiple sources.  I've been checking everyone for correct source and info. 

For the last month I've been trying to clean up my trees.  I seem to have lots of misinformation and people listed 2 or 3 times. 
Moved my office to the bigger spare room.  Should help me be more organized.

My First Childhood Memories

The first memories I have are not very happy.  My parents divorced when I was 3 or 4.  I have several memories of fights and  police.  But I do remember one good thing.  We lived on a dead end street in Hanna City, Illinois.  The house was at the very end at the bottom of a hill.  The house was small.  I remember having a bedroom that was located kind of behind the living room.  One nice thing I remember about that house is my Grandpa John Clifton McKee making peanut butter fudge.  We would sit at the kitchen table and eat the fudge. I can still smell that fudge.  I loved my grandpa so much.  He died when I was 10.  I also remember visiting a house that was located a few houses from our house on the same street.  An older lady that I can't remember her name (I should ask my dad) made me a quilt that was black and blue.  All I can remember about her house was that it was white and had a silver metal screen door.  Hopefully in 2012 I can take a trip back to Illinois and visit this street.  It would be nice to see if my memories are accurate.  Sometimes I wonder if my memories are actual memories or from pictures that I've seen.

My New Years Day

 Yesterday I spent most of the day backing up my photos and organizing my genealogy "stuff".  I'm still working on my photo back up today because we have over 30 gigs of photos plus we are scanning every week.  I made my genealogy 2012 resolution list in my new "My family tree Research Planner" that I bought from shop family tree. Let's see if I use it all year long.  I'm setting up a little genealogy space in my basement so I will have all my things in one place.  Let's hope it works and I get all my goals accomplished.

My 2012 Genealogy Resolutions!

 

Gosh, it's been a long time since I've wrote.  I haven't had much time for my family history searching.  Now that things are slowing down and I'm on a break from work I find myself wanting to dive back in.  I've done some more hard drive organization this month.  I've searched on and off for my great grandfather William Frederick McKee aka Fred McKee. I sent for his death certificate and found out his parents are Peter McKee and Emma Perkins McKee.  On my list for 2012 is to find out his story, order my grandpa's (John Clifton McKee) death certificate and birth certificate and maybe order Peter's death certificate. 
I order the research calendar from Family Tree Magazine.  It's really cool and I'm hoping it will keep me motivated.  I'm also going to set up a craft, scrap book, genealogy research place in the basement bedroom.  I want a place that I can lay out stuff I'm working on and know it won't get mess with.
One of my genealogy resolutions is to write more on this blog and document the stories I find.
Picture below is my dad.  He was named after his Grandpa Fred (William Frederick McKee), the one I'm looking for more information.  Dad is still working hard in Illinois.  I'm hoping to make a trip back this spring to search through Dad's house to maybe find a picture of Fred McKee.

William Frederick McKee 1939

William Fred McKee

I thought I would just write down everything I know about my Great Grandpa, William Fred McKee.

He went by the name of Fred McKee
He was born 1881. (Headstone)
The 1900 Census states that Fred McKee was born August 1881 in Ohio.  He was 18 at the time of this census. He lives in Newtown Precinct, Scott County, Kentucky. Enumeration Distrist 58. He lives with his parents and 6 siblings.  Dwelling number 147
1910 Census-Fred(28) is living with his wife, Ollie B.(26) and their daughter Flora(1).  This census says all of them were born in KY which is different from the previous census.

Colorado Family History Expo

I'm so excited for Friday to come.  I have to leave my house around 6 to get there in time for registration.  I've googled "what to bring to a genealogy conference" but haven't found any information.  I think if I enjoy myself that I will attend every year.  I can't believe I get an overnight all by myself, nobody else with me, hotel room all to myself.
Now to figure out what to bring.  Also, what research I want to do.  Hmmm, which grandfather should I pick.  Maybe I'll work a little on all of them.  I just don't know.  But I know I'm gonna have fun.
http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/viewevent.aspx?eid=34

Maybe I'll get to meet some people that I follow.

Colorado Family History Expo

I'm so excited that I finally get to go to a family history conference.  I haven't had any time to do research the last few month.  The kids have kept me busy.  I'm looking forward to the next 2 weeks to prepare for the trip.  I will be staying Friday night at the hotel where the conference is being held.  I get to go all by myself for a sleepover.  Woohoo!! Plus I get to take classes on a subject that I enjoy.
Today I printed all the class handouts and the hotel receipt.  I'm hoping I get to started on some research.  Do some reading and enjoy my summer.
Oh, by the way, the expo is June 24th & 25th.

Google Earth webinar

Just finished listening to the Google Earth webinar hosted by Lisa L. Cooke.  It was very neat.  But I'm still feeling overwhelmed by all this genealogy stuff that I have been reading.  I think because I don't have time to try it out on my family history.  I keep telling myself that I'm going to make time. It never seems to happen.
Some day...

Mail

In the mail today was my Family Tree Magazine Shop order.  2 magazines from November and December and a CD of all the 2007 issues.  I feel like all I want to do is learn learn learn but I'm not getting any research done.  I'm wanting to take online classes and webinars but it seems like I'm putting off the actual research.  Maybe I just don't know what to do first.  One of my new year resolutions should be create a research plan and use forms such as plans and logs to move my research along. Hmm  I think I'll think about that more.  But now to dive into my new magazines.
Courtney said she bought me a subscription to Family Tree magazine for Christmas.  I'm so thrilled.

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Tombstone Tuesday

This is my grandma and grandpa's stone.  It's located in Maroa, Illinois. 
My Grandmother is Catherine N. McKee b May 21, 1915 d Dec 5, 1990
My Grandfather is John C. McKee Sr. b Feb 5, 1915 d April 3, 1979

The stone behind my Grandparents in the picture is John C. McKee Jr. (my uncle Johnny)  John and Catherine's second born son.  My dad, William F. McKee, was their first born.
John Jr. was born March 26, 1941 and died Mar 20, 2000
His wife Karen S was still alive when this picture was taken.  She recently died this year in 2010.