Follow Friday: Around the Blogosphere

One of my favorite genealogy pastimes is to read the blogs written by other genealogists. Collectively, we are known as geneabloggers and rally around the geneablogging community coordinated by Thomas MacEntee. Site: Geneabloggers.com.

On the right hand column of this blog is a blog roll of my favorite posts from the blogs I follow via Google Reader. Look under "Around the Blogosphere."

Since there are usually quite a few posts from my fellow bloggers that I find interesting, amusing or helpful, I've decided to make Around the Blogosphere my contribution to the Geneabloggers weekly feature called Follow Friday - recommendations on web sites or blogs of interest.

Here are some of my favorite posts from the last couple weeks:

Essential Items for a Graveyard Hopping Kit - from the Graveyard Hopping blog

See History in Your Reality - A New Flickr Photo Project - from the National Archives

On the Bookshelf - What's on Your Kindle? - by Gena Philibert Ortega of Gena's Genealogy (we Kindle owners are as passionate about our Kindle as we are about genealogy!)

Identifying Major Stone Types - from Escape to the Silent Cities

One Hundred Seventeen Years Later - another great contribution from Graveyard Hopping

I'm looking forward to sharing more of my favorite blog posts every Friday.

RIP: Cass County Historians

Two people who were instrumental in documenting community and family histories in Cass county, Nebraska have died in the last two weeks.

Arnetta Carpenter of Onawa, Iowa died on September 22, 2010 in Whiting, Iowa. Arnetta was born in Greenwood, Nebraska to Gus and Clara Brakage. She helped establish the Greenwood Historical Museum and worked on the community history books of Greenwood, Nebraska. My memories of Mrs. Carpenter go back to my childhood when her daughter and I were in the same grade in school and her son played on the Greenwood baseball team when my Dad was the manager.

Full obituary and guest book from the Lincoln Journal Star

Mary Skalak of Elmwood, Nebraska died October 6, 2010. She was a long-time educator in the Elmwood Schools and was editor of the voluminous Cass County History book. I met Mrs. Skalak in the 1970s when I visited her classroom to learn about a minigrant she had received to help teach her students about the history of Stove Creek Precinct. I returned later to interview her about the project for the Omaha World Herald's Magazine of the Midlands. She was a long time supporter of the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation.

Full obituary and guest book from the Lincoln Journal Star

Both women were committed to documenting the history of Cass County, Nebraska. Thank goodness for that because their work and legacy shall go on.

Ken O'Malley Brings the Sounds of Ireland to Lincoln on October 17

Ken O'Malley will be bringing the music of Ireland to the Johnny Carson Theater at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska next Sunday, October 17 at 2 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Ticket information

Sunday's Obituary - John Laymon and Eliza Olmstead Laymon

John and Eliza Laymon grave
Hardy Cemetery, Hardy
Nuckolls County, Nebraska

John Laymon and Eliza Olmstead Laymon were my great great grandparents

John J. Layman

Death has again entered our midst, and has taken another one of our dear old soldiers, who fought in the Civil War for our freedom. It is so true that Death loves a shining mark, and this time he laid his icy finger mark upon Uncle John Layman, as he was called by his friends and old comrades. Thus another home is broken and an aged companion left to mourn the loss of one who for sixty-one years has toild and labored by her side to make their home a resting place, that they might enjoy in their last days.

John J. Layman was born July 4, 1831, and died May 19, 1922. He is survived by his aged companion, Eliza Layman, one daughter, Mrs. Clara Pecht, of Hardy, Nebr. four sons, Tilson Layman, of Verona, Neb., Geo. W. Layman, of Republic, Kans.,  Herbert and Frank Layman of Sheridan, Wyo., fourteen grandchildren, three great grandchildren, two daughters, Ida Weir and Martha Layman, having departed this life before their father - Republic City News

Source: Belleville Telescope, Belleville, Kansas, June 1, 1922

Eliza Anne Layman

(By the Telescope's Big Bend Correspondent)

Mrs. Anne Layman was born Sept 10, 1841, and peacefully went to sleep at the home of her son, George W. Layman at Hardy, Neb., Aug 7, 1930, at the age of 88 years, 10 months and 27 days. Her maiden name was Olmstead and her father was a Christian minister. She was married to John Layman, Oct. 3, 1886 in Grundy county, Ill. They came from Illinois to this county in 1876 and settled in White Rock township, Republic county where they lived for many years, later moving to Hardy, Nebr. Her husband was a veteran of the Civil War and passed away near Hardy May 19, 1922 at the age of 83 years, 10 months and 10 days.

To this union seven children were born, three having preceeded her in death; Tilson Layman, Ida A. Wier, and Martha Jane Layman. The children left to mourn her loss are George W. Layman of Hardy, Neb., Mrs. Clara Pecht of Holmesville, Neb., Frank E. Layman of Sheridan Wyo. At the time of her husband's death, Mrs. Layman's eye sight was getting dim and the past few years have been spent with the loss of physical sight, but in spite of this affliction her spiritual sight never wavered.

Source: Belleville Telescope, Belleville, KS, August 14, 1930

Note: Name is spelled Layman throughout articles, instead of Laymon

John Colletta "Rocked It" at Genealogy Conference

John Philip Colletta

John Colletta demonstrated that he is one of the "rock stars" in the world of genealogy speakers in his presentations at the fall conference sponsored by the Lincoln-Lancaster County (Nebraska) Genealogical Society.

The author of They Came in Ships: Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record and Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy & Its Aftermath (among others) informed, entertained and educated the group of more than 100 genealogists at the Southeast Community College Continuing Education Center in Lincoln yesterday.

Colletta's topics were Assembling and Writing a Family History Narrative, Writing a Readable Story, Researching at the Library of Congress, and Using and Understanding Archives.

Colletta is a dynamic speaker, full of passion and enthusiasm for family history. His teaching style is full of rich stories and examples - as well as a lot of humor. He captivated the audience for a full day.

Of most benefit to me was his approach to writing a family history - the stories about the lives of our ancestors. I'm sure that many of us have struggled with trying to figure out how to determine when our research is complete enough to begin writing the story. Colletta emphasized the need for being very clear with your objective, your audience and narrowing your focus. For example, perhaps you will only write about a few generations of the family - you don't have to write about every possible descendant of a certain ancestor.

The other piece of advice he gave is to "start writing now." He made it clear that you don't have to wait until all of your research is done - start writing the stories and eventually your book will evolve. He also showed several different examples of how to present and organize your final product.

During the first break, I bought his book, They Came in Ships: Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record but as he used his research about his Ring family to illustrate his points, I then purchased his book about that family's story, Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy & Its Aftermath. This is not a book of charts and lineages, but is a well crafted story that involves some mysteries and an unsolved case involving the death of an ancestor. I can't wait to get into this book!

If you ever need an outstanding genealogy speaker for your event, John Colletta should be on your short list.

Visit John Colletta's web site