My Genealogy Tools

If you read Karen's Family Files (karensfamilyfiles.blogspot.com), please note that this post is adapted from one with the same title on that blog.


I really enjoy researching Jim's family and here are a few reasons why . . .

I have several tools that are essential to what I do. First and foremost is my MacBookPro. Mostly I use it at home, but I can take it with me anywhere I need when looking for information. This is my Number One essential tool.

MacBookPro

I use a genealogy program called Legacy. (Go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ for more information.) It's a PC program. Well, my Mac laptop doesn't take well to PC programs. Jim bought me Parallels and Windows 7 for Mac  which allows me to run PC stuff. I like Legacy a lot. So, that's where I enter and keep my genealogy information and documentation.

The software I use

This is what a family page looks like.

A third tool is my Canon desk/portable scanner. I use it at home and have hauled it on trips to Florida when I visit family. If something turns up, I'm ready to scan in a moment. Great tool!

Canoscan Lide 700F

Another tool is a recent acquisition - a Flip Pal portable scanner. It can be used to scan photo albums when photos aren't easily removable. It can also be used to scan large items. I'm still learning how to use this tool.

Flip Pal

Flip Pal scanning a photo album

The last major genealogy tool is my HP C7250 All-in-One printer. I use the printer and copier features the most. It's indispensable for sure.

Family members have been very helpful. I've been able to scan photographs and documents from my sister-in-law. Jim's uncle has provided me with information. Cousin Gail has given me a lot of information she's gathered on the Parkers and the  Tuckers, especially. She's sent me photocopies of photographs of Jim's maternal great grandparents and many, many documents. Family members sharing is key to my research. While not exactly a family member, I've gotten a lot of information from the person who has the private Bomar Family Tree on Ancestry Family Trees.

I use the internet for most of my research. I have paid subscriptions to three websites: Ancestry (USA only), Fold 3, and Genealogy Bank. Of those three I use Ancestry the most. I also like FamilySearch, which is a free website. I have found many other free resources including GenWebsites for Georgia and some county GenWebs, Find a Grave, and more. Google Search is another good resource. I also subscribe to a print genealogy magazine, Family Tree Magazine.

Education is critical to my genealogy research. Taking classes at my local community college, Tri County Community College, has helped me tremendously. I'm taking my sixth class since I moved to Murphy. The current class is "Researching an American Genealogy." Other classes I have taken are: "Beginning/Intermediate Genealogy," "Legacy," "Advanced Genealogy," and two different "Genealogy on the Internet." These classes have had a huge impact on my genealogy life. Ancestry, Family Search, Legacy Family Tree, genealogy blogs and other sites have free tutorials that very informative.

In my next post I'll write more about my research process.

Happy Dance 2

Jim's uncle, Jim Gaines, read the previous post, Happy Dance 1, and contacted me via facebook. He wrote:

Saw the post about the marriage. Richard Gaines Jim's great grandfather was known in the family as Daddy Gaines, she known as Mamma Lucy. He became a County Judge in Bartow County, Georgia. The lived in Cartersvile in a beautiful home near town. I visited them often as a young man, they were wonderful people.

I mentioned in Happy Dance 1 about finding the marriage license for Richard M. Gaines and Willie Vandivere Gaines. They had four children: Guy Vandivere (1899), Mattie (1902), Margaret (1905) and Richard M., Jr. (1908). Sadly, Willie Vandivere Gaines died in 1914, leaving one teenage son and three other children ages 12, 9, and 6.

Richard M. Gaines, Sr., did not remain a widower long. In 1915 on December 31 he married Miss Lucy Donahoo (full name Jemima Lucinda Donahoo). In the 1910 census, Lucy was employed as a milliner in a dry goods store. They had a daughter, Mary, born in 1919. Lucy Donahoo Gaines is the grandmother, Mamma Lucy, that Uncle Jimmy knew.

Marriage License for Richard M. Gaines and Lucy Donahoo, right page, middle

I was curious about Richard M. being a County Judge in Bartow County since he worked in the marble (stone) business, according to the 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses. In the 1930 census his occupation was listed as "Ordinary." I looked up the word "Ordinary" and found this definition:

Law

a. A judge or other official with immediate rather than delegated jurisdiction.

b. The judge of a probate court in some states of the United States.

 

 I also noticed on the marriage licenses in the picture above that a person signed each license as an Ordinary. I searched online for Richard M. Gaines, and I found an old book about Bartow County, Georgia. There I found a photo of some Bartow County Officers in 1933. Low and behold, there was my husband's great grandfather pictured with the Bartow County Tax Receiver, Sheriff, Tax Collector, Commissioner, Clerk of the Superior Court, Chairman of Board of Education, Coroner, and School Superintendent. He was the Ordinary.  He first became an Ordinary in 1928. I still would like to know what he did in this position.

Richard M. Gaines is on the front row, first one on the right

Richard M. Gaines' name is listed under the Ordinaries

Happy Dance 1

I've been doing the happy dance for over a week now. Last week I was looking on Ancestry dot com for information on the Gaines family. As I was looking around I found a transcribed obituary of  James Benjamin Gaines. At the bottom was the source of the transcription:   

"Information from http://www.gabartow.org website. The story is from The Courant American newspaper published in Cartersville, GA on 5 Jan 1899, page 8. It was transcribed for the gabartow website by Laurel Baty."

I immediately went to that website (http://www.gabartow.org) to check it out. Am I ever glad I did! I found a boatload of documents and newspaper transcriptions for the Gaines and Vandivere families. I'll share a few here and more in later posts.


I looked at marriage records and found the marriage license for Richard M. Gaines and Willie B. Vandivere. They applied for a marriage license on March 19, 1898 in Bartow County, Georgia and were married on March 20, 1898. They are the parents of Guy Vandivere Gaines, Jim's grandfather, which makes them Jim's great grandparents.

Marriage License for Richard M. Gaines and Willie B. Vandivere, 1898

This is what appeared in the newspaper, The Courant American, Cartersville, Georgia on March 24, 1898:

A Marriage Sunday

 
The Courant American Newspaper
Cartersville, Georgia
March 24, 1898 Page 1:
Transcribed and submitted by: Laurel Baty

A Marriage Sunday.

Go to Dr. Felton’s to Get Married and Surprise Their Friends. [This didn't make sense other than to indicate the couple eloped. KJH]

Mr. Richard Gaines and Miss Willie Vandivere were married last Sunday. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Felton at his home, the young people having driven out there for the purpose of being joined in matrimony.

The marriage was a great surprise to the friends of the couple when it was known in the city.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. Sanford L. Vandivere, the well known conductor on the W. & A., and is a very worthy young lady. Mr. Gaines is a member of the firm of D. R. Gaines & Bro., marble dealers and is energetic and steady and has many
friends.

The couple have received many congratulations from their friends.


From this marriage license and newspaper article I was able to:
1) confirm their marriage date and location.
2) know the name of the person who married them.
3) surmise they eloped.
4) find out Willie Vandivere's father's name.
5) find out the occupation of her father and the railroad company he worked for.
6) find out Richard Gaines' employment information
7) find out something of the couple's character, however limited.


This was all new information to me. Now can you see why I've been doing the happy dance.


BUT WAIT . . . the happy dance will continue! There's more to come in future posts.