Where Have All the Gen Bloggers Gone?

Do you remember that 1950s folk song, Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Pete Seeger (read the story here)?

This mournful song came to mind today as I tested the links on every one of the dozens of genealogy blogs I follow. Where have all the genealogy bloggers gone?

• Nearly 3 dozen blogs haven't been updated in at least 6 months. Of these, at least 10 have been dormant since 2015. Most of the blogs had been active for a few years, on and off, and then activity dwindled to zero.
• Several blogs have transitioned to websites (and are still functioning, so I changed my "follow list" to reflect the new address). These are keepers.
• Inexplicably, 2 blogs are now "hidden" from view. Can't see what they are now, so I deleted them from my reading list.

Now I'm down to reading only 78 genealogy blogs. Since few bloggers post as often as, say, Randy Seaver on Genea-Musings, I can easily keep up with the blogs I like to follow.

But I really miss the meadow of genealogy blogs that once blossomed with information, education, and discoveries. I miss buzzing from blog to blog and enjoying the diverse voices and stories that these bloggers were kind enough to share.

Despite the shrinking population, I do not think that genealogy blogging is dead. Some bloggers have, I imagine, decided to focus on Twitter or Pinterest or both. Some are surely active on Facebook genealogy pages or Instagram. Most are probably busy living their lives and researching their trees. At least, I hope that's what happened. My 10th blogiversary is coming up in August, and I plan to keep blogging as I climb my family tree.

Let me thank all of you genealogy bloggers who are still posting, and encourage those of you who are new to add your voice and believe you have an audience. I look forward to seeing what you're doing, learning from your experiences and expertise, commiserating with you when an ancestor refuses to be found, and rejoicing with you when you smash a brick wall.

So Many Ancestors, So Many Languages

For #52Ancestors #20, I'm trying to identify the different languages spoken by key ancestors in my family tree and my husband's tree.

My paternal grandparents (above) probably spoke three languages apiece. Grandma Henrietta Mahler Burk (1881-1954) was born in Latvia, and surely spoke Latvian as well as English and, I'm guessing, Yiddish. Possibly she spoke Russian too, although I don't know for sure.

Her husband, Isaac Burk (1882-1943) was born in Lithuania, and spoke that language plus Russian and maybe even Yiddish in addition. Isaac certainly picked up some English when he stopped in Manchester, England, to stay with family in 1901, en route from Lithuania to North America.

My maternal grandparents also spoke multiple languages. Grandpa Theodore Schwartz (1887-1965), shown above escorting my mother down the aisle at her wedding, had a way with languages. His native Hungarian tripped off his tongue, but he could also speak several other languages, including English--which is why the steamship lines employed him in NYC as a runner around Ellis Island in the 1910s.

His wife, Hermina Farkas Schwartz (1886-1964), was fluent in Hungarian, having been born there, and learned Yiddish in the Lower East Side of NYC as an immigrant. Also she learned English in NYC night school.

In my husband's Wood family tree, there are three adult Mayflower ancestors (Degory Priest, Isaac Allerton, Mary Norris Allerton). Therefore, in addition to English, they may have learned some Dutch when the Pilgrims fled to the Netherlands prior to sailing to the New World. Once in Plymouth, perhaps they learned a few words to talk with Native American tribes? Photo above shows my late father-in-law (Edgar James Wood, 1903-1986) at left with two of his Wood brothers.

Also in my husband's McClure line, his ancestor Halbert McClure (1684-1754) was born in County Donegal, and sailed to Philadelphia with his family in the 1740s. Because the McClures were originally from Isle of Skye, hubby's ancestor may have spoken Scottish Gaelic or Gaelic (or both). On arrival in the American colonies, however, the McClures would most likely have learned English, because they walked from Philadelphia to Virginia. They would probably need to speak English to buy provisions along the way. Once in Virginia, they bought land--again, a transaction that probably required English.

Honor Roll Project, Part 3: Newtown, CT, Gulf War and Civil War

In Newtown, Connecticut, the stately memorial at the head of Main Street includes plaques with names of men and women who served in our country's military over the years. As part of Heather Rojo's Honor Roll Project, I'm transcribing the names and including photos to pay tribute to these brave people.

This is Part 3 of names from Newtown. Part 1 covers those who served during the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, and the Mexican Border War. Part 2 covers those who served from 1944-1971.

Here are the names of those from Newtown who served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-1991:

Check, Emory T. (Army)
Demand, Dana B. (Air Force)
Denslow, Alan L. (Navy)
Evans, William (Navy)
Fischer, Lawrence B. (USMC)
Godfrey, Kenneth C. (Air Force)
Gottmeier, Richard P. (Army)
Hannah, Stephen (Army)
Hayward, Brian P. (Air Force)
Knapp, Letitia Renee (Army)
Knapp, Robert D. (Army)
Kieras, Christopher (USMC)
Killing, Robert E., Jr. (USMC)
Klewicki, John E. (Army)
Leavitt, Brian (Air Force)
Leedy, Roberta C. (Army)
Mead, James g. (Navy)
Schaedler, David A. (Army)
Schmidle, Paul W. (Navy)
Schmidle, Robert E. (USMC)
Swart, John J. (Army)
Sturges, Donald (Navy)
Wade, Brian (Navy)
Waller, Darrick (USMC)
Wrinn, Johnathan (Air Force)

And here are the names of Newtowners who served during the Civil War:

Adams, James

Alldis, Frederick G.

Andress, David

Banks, Allen

Banks, Edward A.

Beers, Hawley

Beers, James M.

Benedict, Edwin

Benedict, Henry W.

Bigelow, Henry B.

Bissell, Henry

Blake, Martin

Blakeslee, George B.

Booth, Charles, Jr. 

Booth, John W.

Booth, Starr L.

Botsford, Gideon B.

Botsford, Israel C.

Bradley, George A.

Bradley, Thomas

Brewster, John H.

Brisco, Ephraim

Briscoe, Charles

Briscoe, George

Briscoe, Gustavus

Brown, George W.

Brown, Jeremiah

Brown, Jerome

Bruno, Gottfried

Bulkley, George

Burritt, Charles H.

Butcher, Charles

Camp, Daniel B.

Camp, George B.

Carley, Edward

Carmody, Michael

Casey, Barney

Cavanaugh, Michael

Chipman, Charles C.

Clark, Allen B.

Clark, Newell

Clark, Robert

Clinton, George

Coger, Henry B.

Coley, George S.

Colgan, Matthew

Conger, Charles T.

Conley, William

Connell, William

Cornell, Hiram

Cunningham, John

Curtis, Charles G.

Curtis, Jasper L.

Curtis, Joseph

Curtis, William

Curtis, William E.

Davis, Daniel

Davis, William

Dayton, Charles W.

Dick, Charles L.

Dimon, Arthur

Downes, Munroe D.

Downs, Oliver

Downs, Smith

Dunn, Hugh

Dunning, Edward A.

Edgett, Seneca

Edwards, Levi H.

Egan, James

Ellwood, Frederick

Ellwood, William

Evans, James

Evarts, George A.

Fairchild, Alpheus B.

Fairchild, Henry W.

Fairchild, Jerome B.

Fairchild, Lewis

Fairchild, Lewis H.

Fairchild, Reuben A.

Fairchild, Robert B.

Fairchild, Theodore B.

Fairman, Arthur

Faulkner, John

Flannery, Patrick

Foote, John G.

French, David R.

Gage, George R.

Gannon, John

Gilbert, Charles E.

Gilbert, Henry A.

Gilbert, Horace 

Gillette, David A.

Glover, Henry J.

Glover, Martin V.B.

Gordon, James

Gordon, William A.

Greene, John W.

Griffin, John

Groever, Paul

Guernsey, Truman

Hall, Henry C.

Hall, James P.

Hawley, Charles E.

Hawley, David B.

Hawley, George

Hawley, James

Hawley, William G.

Hayes, Dennis

Hickey, John

Hubbell, George S.

Hubbell, John P.

Hull, Andrew C.

Jackson, Henry J.

Johnson, Henry

Johnson, Jacob

Johnson, Thomas

Jones, Charles

Jones, David W.

Jones, John

Kaine, Patrick

Kane, Daniel

Kane, James

Kane, John

Keenan, Michael

Kelly, Bernard

Kelly, James

Knapp, John S.

Lake, George

Lattin, John O.

Lewis, George H.

Lillis, Griffin P.

Lillis, John

Lillis, Martin

Lynch, Patrick

Manley, Henry T.

Matthews, Benjamin W.

May, Charles

McArthur, William L.

McMahon, Michael

McNerney, Thomas 

Merritt, Charles

Meyer, Fritz

Monson, Charles

Nash, Adelbert

Nichols, Beach

Nichols, Elijah B.

Nichols, Harmes L.

Nichols, Henry E.

Nichols, James

Northrop, Alpheus

O’Brien, David

O’Brien, Thomas

O’Halloran, Michael T.

Olmsted, Peter D.

Parker, James

Parsons, Charles M.

Payne, Charles H.

Payne, David S.

Peck, Albert W.

Peck, Austin L.

Peck, Chester D.

Peck, David M. 

Peck, John F.

Peck, Nelson J.

Peet, Benajah H.

Pete, Elijah S.

Peterson, Arlan

Peterson, Carl

Platt, Francis W.

Platt, Orlando M.

Ramsay, George W.

Reed, Hawley

Reicker, Edward

Rigby, Matthew

Riley, James

Roberts, Charles H.

Root, Nathan H.

Ryan, Michael

Sanford, Andrew W. 

Sanford, Julius

Schriver, Andrew

Seeley, Eli B.

Seeley, John D.

Shaughnessy, Lawrence

Shepard, Charles

Shepard, Charles S.

Shepard, Hall

Sheridan, James

Sherman, George H.

Sherman, Ira

Sherwood, Charles R.

Smith, Frederick E.

Smith, John

Smith, Pearl

Smith, William A.

Spencer, George H.

Spitzler, Gottlieb

Spring, Charles

Squire, Cyrenius N.

Squires, George D.

Stuart, Louis L.

Sullivan, James

Tappan, John

Tappan, Robert

Taylor, Ammon

Taylor, Milton C.

Taylor, Roswell

Tongue, Elam M.

Tongue, Hanford

Troy, Edward

Twitchell, Franklin S.

Tyrrell, Stephen

Urmston, Thomas D.

Walsh, John

Weed, Daniel B.

Weed, Joseph B.

Weible, Christian

Wenzel, Frederick

Wheeler, Cyrus W.

White, Joseph

Williams, George W.

Wood, Smith B.

Wooster, Charles 

Honor Roll Project, Part 2: Newtown, CT, 1944-1971

Continuing with the names memorialized on plaques honoring military service by residents of Newtown, CT, here are the people who served from 1944 - 1971.

This is Part 2 of my series...Part 1 lists Newtown's military veterans from the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish American War, and the Mexican Border War. Part 3 lists Civil War and Gulf War military veterans.

Although the original plaques in Town Hall on Main Street don't show names in alphabetical order, I transcribed and alphabetized everything by time period.

My goal was to make it easier for relatives and descendants to find these folks who served our country, and see who else from that family served from 1944 through 1971.

Abbott, A.
Adams, G.
Adams, T.
Allen, C.
Allen, G.
Allen, P.
Anderson, J.E.
Anderson, K.
Anderson, N.
Anderson, W.A.
Andrews, L.V. Jr.
Arbetelli, J.
Arndt, K.A.
Arnot, K.A.
Atkinson, G.
Ballerini, D.
Barchi, F.T.
Bardelli, D.
Bardelli, J.
Bardelli, T.
Barna, S.
Bayerle, W.A.
Bedat, A.E.
Beers, C.
Beers, E.
Beers, M.
Belander, R.W.
Bell, P.T.
Bellesheim, G.
Benedict, C.
Berglund, K.
Berls, C.
Berls, C.
Blantin, E.G.
Bolmer, C.
Bolmer, L.
Bowles, E.
Boyle, A.M.
Bradshaw, A.
Bradshaw, A.J.
Braun, J.T.
Bresson, G. Jr.
Bresson, H.
Bresson, J.
Bresson, R.
Brown, R.
Bryk, M.
Buonaiuto, F.V.
Buonaiuto, J.A.
Buonaiuto, J.T.
Buonaiuto, V.
Burdett, A.C.
Burnett, D.C.
Burns, D.J
Burns, G.
Burr, B.
Canfield, W.
Card, W.R.
Carroll, F.
Casey, D.
Casey, E.
Cassidy, D.
Christie, W.A.
Cogswell, C. Jr.
Cole, W.
Connor, R. Jr.
Corrigan, R.
Costello, T.
Cox, E.
Cox, E.E.
Craig, D.
Craig, E.
Crick, J.
Crookes, W.C.
Crouch, E.A.
Crouch, J.T.
Curtain, R.A.
Curtis, J.
Curtis, N.G. Jr.
Davis, G.
Dayton, R.
De Cesare, G.
De Groat, E.B.
De Groat, R.G.
Dean, R.
Dean, Robt.
DeCesare, K.
Delay, R.
Dellea, C.T. Jr.
Digilio, R.
Dinkle, B.W.
Dinkler, D.A.
Downs, R.L.
Eaton, N.
Eaton, R.D.
Eberhardt, E.V.
Echols, D.
Echols, J.W.
Eddy, R. Jr.
Eggert, O.
Farrell, D.J.
Farrell, E.
Farrell, R.
Ferris, D.
Fleischman, C.
Fleischman, C.
Forbell, E.
Fortier, P.
Frederickson, K.
Giambra, A.
Gies, J.C.
Gill, J.
Glover, L.
Granniss, K.
Granniss, K.E.
Greenman, R.
Griffith, C.M. Jr.
Haas, C.
Haig, R.
Hammond, J.C.
Hanlon, C.
Hannah, J.W.
Harris, M.
Harrison, T.
Hart, E. Jr.
Hartmann, J.
Hayden, R.
Hellauer, W.A.
Henckel, W.E.
Herman, E.
Herring, R.M.
Hileman, T.
Hill, M.
Hill, R.
Hollister, W.
Hopkins, L.
Hopkins, M.L.
Hopkins, P.
Hoyt, F.W.
Hribal, J.F.
Hubert, J.
Hull, R.
Hunihan, J.
Ingram, E. Jr.
Ingram, R.
Jackson, E.
Jackson, R.R.
Jandreau, R.A. Jr.
Jensen, E.
Jensen, R.
Johnson, D.
Jones, B.
Kamas, J.
Kamas, T.
Kayfus, D.
Kayfus, F.S.
Kayfus, J.
Kayfus, L.
Kayfus, R.
Kayfus, W.
Kearnes, J.
Kennedy, F.
Kennedy, J.
Kennedy, J.
Kennedy, M.
Kershaw, P.
Kessinger, J.
Kilbride, F.
Killing, A.
Killing, G.
Killing, R.
Kingman, G.
Kingman, P.
Kline, R.C.
Knapp, E. Jr.
Knapp, J.
Knapp, R.
Kondrat, M.
Kovacs, K.
Krafcsik, J.
Krafcsik, M.
Krager, R.
Kuhne, E.G.
Kyle, D.
Lani, J.P.
Larson, L.
Lawler, D.
Leach, D.
Leach, J.
Leaver, W.H.
Leebold, R.
Leondard, E.
Lewis, C.
Lewis, D.
Lewis, D.
Lewis, J.
Lewis, W.
Lillis, W.F.
Liska, R.
Locke, F.
Lockwood, C.
Lockwood, E.
Lockwood, R.
Lorenzo, J.
Loveland, R.
Lovell, W.E.
Lucas, J.W.
Lucas, M. III
Lucas, R.
Macmillan, W.
Mahoney, J.
Mallette, C.
Manwaring, D.H.
Manwaring, J.
Marron, R.
Matern, R.
Maye, A.E.
Mayer, R.W.
McKee, L. Jr.
McLaren, G.
McMahon, M.L.
McPhie, A.
McQuillan, A.
Melot, R.
Mentley, J.
Miles, H.
Miller, R.
Miller, R.
Milon, W.
Moody, D.A.
Moody, H.
Morgan, E.
Morgan, R.
Nalven, H.E.
Nalven, L.I.
Nestor, M.S.
Nezvesky, I.
Nezvesky, J.
Northrop, E.
Northrop, F.
Northrop, G.
Northrop, J.
Norwell, J.
Nyberg, P.
Nyborg, D.
O’Brien, H.D.
O’Connor, R.J.
Oliver, W.D.
Paglinco, D.
Palmer, D.
Parsons, T.
Pearson, A.
Peck, C.
Peck, D.
Peck, K.
Peck, R.
Peck, R.T.
Pellietier, K.
Pendergast, F.
Pendergast, J.
Perillo, F.
Perrotte, D.
Petersen, D.
Phillips, R.
Pitcher, S.
Powell, T.
Presnell, T.
Pressmar, E.
Pressmar, J.
Preusser, A.C.
Proctor, G.W.
Proudfoot, R.
Qubick, J.
Qubick, R.
Quinn, H.
Quinn, R.
Ramsdell, T.
Rasmussen, R.
Reardon, D.
Reiner, R.
Romain, J.
Rosenthall, H.
Roth, E.
Sagnelli, N.
Sanborn, D.
Saren, J.
Saren, W.
Saunders, D.
Saxton, L.
Schettino, R.
Schwaiger, G.L.
Scott, C.
Scott, F.
Scott, S.
Seaman, F.
Sedor, J.
Selph, R.
Seman, W.
Shannon, R.
Shredders, M.
Simmons, R.
Simon, R.
Simpson, J.
Simpson, R.
Slocum, W.
Smalley, B.
Smith, D.
Smith, J.
Smith, L.
Smith, R.
Smith, S.
Sniadecki, J.
Sniadecki, R.
Spencer, E.
Spencer, G.
Sperling, R.
St. Pierre, J.
Stanton, T.
Steinfeld, J.
Steisel, D.
Steisel, J.
Stiewing, J.
Stikkel, F.
Stikkel, H.
Stikkel, V.
Stilson, T.
Stithan, D.
Stoddard, F.
Story, I.
Stratton, J.
Sturges, D.R.
Sullivan, V.T.
Talsey, J.
Tani, C.
Tani, J.
Tarrant, J.
Taylor, J.
Temple, A.
Thomas, J.
Tillbrook, R.
Tonnessen, A.
Tonnessen, A.
Tremblay, P.
Trudeau, D.
Trudeau, R.
Trudeau, R.
Trull, S.
Tuttle, W.
Ugolik, S.J.
Valo, J.
Van Almelo, F.
Vandemark, R.
Verrell, E.
Walker, M.
Walker, R.
Watkins, E.
Watkins, J.
Watkins, R.
Watkins, S.
Watkins, T.
Webber, E.
Wechter, D.
Wechter, P.
Wheeler, R.
White, D.
White, E.
Williams, L.
Winston, M.
Wiser, K.
Wolff, R.
Woodin, H.E.
Woodward, P.
Wrable, E.
Wupperfield, J.
Yurgilevich, A.

Thanks again for the opportunity to participate in Heather Rojo's Honor Roll Project, as Memorial Day approaches and remember those who have served in the military over the years.

Honor Roll Project, Part 1: Newtown, Connecticut

There are two places where servicemen and servicewomen are memorialized in Newtown, Connecticut.

One memorial is the tall, graceful monument at the head of the main street. At left, a view of what the base looks like.

Embedded around the base of the monument are bronze plaques listing the names of Newtown residents who served, from the Revolutionary War onward (see photo below for an excerpt).

This memorial was dedicated in 1939, with two prominent opera stars singing during the ceremony: Grace Moore (who lived in town at that time) and her friend and fellow diva, Gladys Swarthout.

Some of the bronze plaques with
names were added in stages after the dedication. Many but not all of the plaques were transcribed during the 1930s but I'm double-checking and correcting before posting, having found errors and omissions.

The other place where Newtown residents who served are memorialized is on "roll of honor" plaques hand-lettered and framed in the lobby of Town Hall on Main Street. See photo here for a peek at one of these plaques (to be transcribed later this month). These have not been written up in the town's archives, to my knowledge.

Today, I'm posting Part 1 of the listing of Newtown residents who served in the military. Part 2 (names from 1944-1971) can be found here. Part 3, with names from the Civil War and Gulf War, is here.

Watch for more in the coming weeks, each separate list alphabetized to help people find their ancestors!

Newtown residents who served in the War of 1812

Beardslee, Bailey
Beers, Abel
Beers, Philo
Bennet, Abel
Bennet, Eli
Bennet, Isaac
Bennet, James
Bennet, James W.
Bennet, Joseph
Bennet, Philo
Booth, Philo
Botsford, Daniel
Botsford, Daniel, Jr.
Botsford, Theophilus
Bradley, Abijah
Camp, Lemuel
Caulkins, Joseph L.
Chapman, Alma
Crofut, Abel F.
Curtis, Abijah B.
Curtis, Alfred D.
Curtis, Matthew
Dibble, Philer K.
Dibble, Squire
Fairchild, Kiah B.
Fairchild, Philo
Foot, Arnold
Foot, Isaac
French, David
Gilbert, Elisha
Glover, John
Glover, William S.
Gray, William
Hard, Niram
Hawley, Lemuel
Hays, Abraham
Jarvis, Charles
Johnson, Ichabod
Judson, Abner
Judson, David
Judson, Zera
Middlebrook, Peter
Nichols, David
Northrop, Isaac
Peck, Andrew
Peck, Ezekiel
Peck, Rufus
Prindle, Jonathan
Shepard, Amos
Shepard, Timothy
Stilson, Abel, Jr.
Stilson, Jacob
Taylor, David
Thorp, Ira
Tousey, Joseph
Wells, Amos
Wheeler, David
Wheeler, Joseph B.
Whitney, Philo
Winton, Czar
Wooster, Roswell

Newtown residents who served in the Mexican War

Barnum, Franklin
Cole, Andrew

Newtown residents who served in the Spanish American War

Brennan, James
Hawley, Willis
Lovejoy, Arthur G.
Lovejoy, Morris B.
Morris, Charles G.

Newtown residents who served in the Mexican Border War

Barnett, William E.

Thanks to Heather Rojo for the opportunity to participate in her Honor Roll Project!

Remembering Ancestral Mothers with Love

A tribute to the ancestral mothers in my family . . . 

And in my husband's family . . . 

They are loved and remembered, not just on Mother's Day!

Do the "Write" Thing for Genealogy: Be Honest, Be Ethical

As family historians, how can we write about ancestors in a way that is both honest and ethical?

After all, every family has a secret or a story that the current generation knows nothing about. Maybe an ancestor hid an early marriage or had some other hidden relationship . . . or committed a crime . . . or behaved in a manner considered, then or now, to be shameful or questionable or downright wicked.

Our genealogy research can turn up things that families never expected would be known. Especially if we want people to share stories and documents with us, I believe we have an obligation to use that information in a responsible way. It's a balancing act between the honesty we genealogists owe to future generations and the ethical responsibility we owe to those living today.

My personal approach is: If disclosing something about an ancestor would be truly harmful to someone living today, I don't write about it, either on my blog or in any "public" family history.

This has been a real issue only once in my 20 years of genealogy research. In that instance, I put the information into my private genealogy files so the story won't be lost forever. This allows me to be honest with future generations and act responsibly by avoiding potential damage today.

My "genealogical will" leaves my files to relatives who will safeguard them for the sake of descendants. Years from now, when these genealogical heirs sift through the files, they can weigh the consequences of disclosure in light of how much time has passed and whether anyone would be harmed if the story is told then, not now.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts on this delicate balancing act.