This and That

 I've discovered continuing problems with my database.  I haven't contacted the software company to see what they suggest.  I think I first need to replace my computer and I'm waiting for my tax refunds to do that.  My database software is outdated; I haven't kept up with the newest editions but the problem (I suspect) is the age of the computer.  Memory problems begin at some point in the age of any computer.  It's definitely time for a new machine.

News of the one-name and one-place studies can be found in those blogs: Wormuth One Name Study, Beismer One Name Study and Rockland One-Place Study.   I have been working on the one-name studies most recently.  

In addition to the one-name studies, at WikiTree, I've been adopting orphaned profiles that are surnames in my family tree.  Orphaned profiles are profiles that were created by someone who is no longer there.  There are a lot of them.  Where the one-name studies include profiles of people with those surnames, wherever they may be, the profiles I'm adopting of other surnames are only in New York State where my families lived.  So far I've been adopting Odell, O'Dell, Flower and Flowers profiles, but, as I encounter them, I will be adopting profiles with any surname of my direct line ancestors.  Sometimes I do a search on just a familial surname and adopt any, in NYS, that are orphaned.  Since I have definitive origins for only one of my family lines, and I'm at brick walls on most of my family branches, it makes sense to adopt profiles with surnames that might lead to getting back another generation.

Because of my age and the increasing toll it's having my physical body, I've been preparing for the inevitable.  I highly recommend that everyone begin thinking about that beginning in your mid-30s, when it doesn't feel morbid; don't leave it to your family to deal with after you're gone.

It may feel distasteful but it's a gift to your family, if you take care of things like a will, burial arrangements, etc.

I will address this more later but, in this blog post, I want to say that I would be happy, if any of you reading this, would be interested in continuing this family history research.  I will be making arrangements to send various pieces of my documents, database, etc. to various historical and genealogical organizations.

I was just thinking, in the past couple of days, about all the blood relatives in my family tree and that pieces of them are in me; in my DNA.  Family history research reveals, if you will, the good, the bad and the ugly of families.  Family historians learn all kinds of things about individuals in their family tree.  I have identified, I think, some of the origins of some of my physical characteristics; at least, I'm guessing where they've come from.  Of course, that's only those from relatives and ancestors I've met or have photos of.  Going further back there's little chance of knowing.  Most of what we think of as ourselves is learned behavior; it can be unlearned and altered at will. Height, hair texture and color, color of our irises, etc. are inherited or hybridized from past generations.  Just that process is amazing.  I'll leave you with that.

Leave a note to tell me you've been here.  Thank you.