QUESTIONNAIRE/GENEAMEME RESPONSES

Recently, I posted the following questions...  at

http://astheywere.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/wanted-few-moments-of-your-time.html

I was gratified that so many took the time to respond. As promised, here is a selection of the responses... If these inspire you to add your own responses, it is never too late...


1. What is the most important detail you want to find about your  ancestors?

2. Do you buy certificates?

3.  Do you belong to a paid subscription site, if so, which one/s?

4. What has been your 'best' find?

5. Who is your favourite ancestor and why?

6. What are you looking for on a regular basis? 

7. Do you belong to any genealogy group, or family history society?

8. Do you belong to any Facebook or other social media genealogy groups? Would you join if there was one available?

9. Have you ever volunteered to transcribe, index etc.? Would you be interested in doing so? 

10. What is your personal reason for being involved with genealogy/family history?

RESPONSES

I won't repeat all the answers that you can find in Comments on the original post, however I will select various answers from all who posted responses on their own blogs...

 Those who blogged answers were...

 Helen Smith

http://helenvsmithresearch.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/in-answer-to-crissoulis-request.html

Julie Goucher

http://anglersrest.blogspot.com/2013/10/genealogy-questionnaire.html

Catherine Crout-Habel

 http://caiteile.com/2013/10/10/a-few-moments-in-time/

Jill Ball

http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/a-geneameme-from-crissouli.html

ScotSue

http://scotsue-familyhistoryfun.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/wanted-few-moments-of-your-time.html

Alona Tester

http://www.lonetester.com/2013/10/crissoulis-geneameme-my-responses/

Kim Aubrey

http://kkgenealogy.com/moments-time/

Pauleen Cass

http://cassmob.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/as-they-were-questionnaire-on-family-history/

 Caitlin Gow

My response is here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6ZFfxG-kto 

If I have missed anybody, please let me know. You can still participate at any time... perhaps you didn't see this first time round.

There were some anonymous responses, which is fine. If you would like to add your name or any further comments, please do so in the comments or reply options.



1. What is the most important detail you want to find about your  ancestors?

Learning more about ancestral lives was the most common answer, in various forms... but also understanding the history of the times they lived in.


2. Do you buy certificates?


The most common answer was simply 'yes'. Note the various answers where some hints were given such as getting marriage certificates from parish registers and using transcription agents.


3.  Do you belong to a paid subscription site, if so, which one/s?


The well known sites such as Ancestry and Find My Past were mentioned, as also were sites such as My Heritage, The Genealogist and and Origins... 



4. What has been your 'best' find?



Most common answer was 'everything'...

Alona had two, they made me smile at her obvious delight, so I am reposting them here in full...

"I can say that there’s two ‘best finds’ that REALLY stand out. One was the obituaries for  my 4x great grandma Charlotte Trewartha (nee Phillips) and her husband Samuel Trewartha in a small town newspaper in New Jersey. You can find details of these obits in a post I did earlier.
And the other was receiving a parcel from the Helsinki Archives which was packed with information on my great grandpa Otto Winter. Including his school reports, a sketch of the house he grew up in, and copy of a diary entry from a ships log saying when he jumped ship in England. I was floored by what was included.
And both of these ‘finds’ had me happy dancing for weeks." 

Enjoy the dance with her...


Pauleen said..

The latest snippet of discovery? But if we're talking about pivotal finds, then the church record of my George Kunkel and MaryO'Brien.

I posted about why it was so important here. 

Or perhaps actually finding Mary O’Brien from County Clare.

5. Who is your favourite ancestor and why?





Julie Goucher thinks along my lines... to quote..." It does not matter if they had done remarkable things or were basic and down to earth people, they all have their place."


Helen Smith nominated George Howard Busby as a 'colourful 
character'... follow Helen's link to see why.

Jill Ball made me smile and made me curious by her response.
"Elizabeth Phipps, the convict. I would love to know which of her partners is my direct ancestor."  I have one or two like that as well.


6. What are you looking for on a regular basis?


Scott Sue responded in part "Easy to answer - the birth certificate of my maternal grandmother. Alice Danson, nee English, who died when I was a baby. .  Her marriage certificate and death certificate confirm her birth year as 1884..." go to her blog to read the rest.


7. Do you belong to any genealogy group, or family history society?


Most people said they did belong to at least one organisation, but not all. The most common answer was their local Family History Group, which makes a lot of sense as they have resources often not found elsewhere.


8. Do you belong to any Facebook or other social media genealogy groups? Would you join if there was one available?



Mixed responses here again...some hesitate to be involved via social media, others embrace it fully. It's a matter of personal choice. From personal experience, I have found the Facebook groups to be very popular and helpful... I would say that as an admin for the Co Clare group, but the amount of local knowledge that can be found is incredible. I love nothing more than to read comments such as " my granny's best friend was your granny" or similar.  


9. Have you ever volunteered to transcribe, index etc.? Would you be interested in doing so?


Where would we be without volunteers... surprisingly, people often say they don't volunteer, they just correct articles on Trove or similar. That is a great service... and is definitely in the realms of volunteering. Then again, if ever you feel the need or desire to transcribe, I can always point you in the right direction, one that suits you.




10. What is your personal reason for being involved with genealogy/family history?


Catherine wrote in detail, but I empathise with the beginning of answer...  "For me it’s about knowing who you are, where you come from and what the forces are that shaped you."

Kim Aubrey said it slightly differently...  "A never ending quest to discover my roots and to learn just what makes my DNA tick."