Genealogy Goals for … Sometime
The end of the year is looming, and once the excitement and recovery from Christmas is over, many start think about goals or resolutions that they’d like to do (or at least aim for) in the coming year. Yeah, I’m not one of those people. Maybe it’s because everyone else did – and therefore I didn’t want to, and I wanted to be different. Who knows, but for whatever reason I have never particularly done the whole New Year’s resolution thing.
I do however set myself some genealogy goals. For these I don’t bother waiting till the end of one year or the beginning of the next. In fact it usually just happens as I think of something that I would to find (you know, great grandpa’s shipping records, or the court records for your convict ancestor, or the death certificate for your great aunt who doesn’t seem to have died anywhere!) As any true genie can imagine, these little goals can occur at any … day or night … summer or winter (or any season in between).
“I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND HIM!” That was how I announced to the world (via Twitter) that I had found Samuel Trewartha’s obituary record! Can you feel how excited I was?
Anyway I had been told there was one for him, so as a previous genealogy goal I’ve been on the lookout for it, and a few months ago I found it in newspapers that were online. But the best part was that I not only found his obit, I also found one for his wife, Charlotte – now that was a bonus! Oh trust me I was genealogy happy dancing for ages after finding them.
But of course you find one (or two) things, and there’s still more … so here’s a few that are the more prominent ones on my ‘genealogy goals’ list.
1. Samuel Trewartha’s death certificate
Samuel is the husband of my great-great-great-great grandmother Charlotte Phillips. And while I’m sure his certificate is readily available, I haven’t my butt into gear to find out the process of ordering a certificate from the US. So hence it’s still on my goals list.
2. Otto Winter on a crew list
My great grandpa Otto Winter was a seaman from Finland, and I have a lost him for a period of 5 years, from when he left Finland, to when he jumped ship in Australia. And I would dearly love to find out where he was (ie. what ship/s), and also to prove if he was actually on the ship the ‘Star of New Zealand’ as his Australian naturalisation certificate says (but I have my doubts).
3. photo of Charlotte Trewartha (nee Phillips)
I have done a reasonable amount of research on my great-great-great-great grandma Charlotte. I have tracked her from growing up in Redruth, Cornwall, England to being married with a family and being a Candy store owner in New Jersey, in the US. But I am yet to see a photograph of her (or her Trewartha kids for that matter). But it is one of my ultimate goals that one day I shall find one. Actually I’d also love a photo of the candy store that was in Dover, New Jersey too. [Note to self: must write to the Rockaway Historical Society about that]
4. my (secret-at-the-moment) project
In a recent post, I made mention of a family tree project that I have in mind to do … that is definitely one that is on my to do list, and I would dearly love to really get stuck into it during the year. As it happens, you’ll be getting updates.
There’s numerous other families that I’ve barely started research on, and would like to pick up, and will in time. But I’m happy to concentrate the bit of time I get to finding out what I can about those I’m currently searching for.
So with no fixed timeframe (but here’s hoping for sooner than later), that’s some of my genealogy goals!
Do you have genealogy goals? If so, do tell …
2 Responses to “Genealogy Goals for … Sometime”
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You’re ahead of the crowd. I can’t even think of goals untl I get Christmas out of the way.
Good luck with your sleuthing and please don’t keep us in suspense too long with your new project.
You’re right Alona on two counts: we set ourngoals anywhere and any time and 2nd whatever we find, however thrilled we are, there’s another set of questions before us. isn’t that what keeps us hooked;-) Well done on the goals!