I'm a Junkie

Yes, I will admit it--I am a youtube junkie. I can spend hours watching different youtube videos. Although I tend to concentrate on craft ones (scrapbooking, rubber stamps, card making), I do look at a few other ones. But one site that really got me watching genealogy videos was Roots Television. (www.rootstelevision.com).

This site is a partnership between Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Marcy Brown who is the producer of the videos. There are different "news channels" listed at the bottom of the main page. These include -news and features, conferences, Dearly departed (the cemetery ones), immigration, military, British roots, Irish roots, Jewish roots, Africian roots, libraries and a few others. Also available is a "program guide" that will list the updated programs available.

I have watched several from the conference channel. If you haven't been able to attend a genealogy conference because of distance or cost, let me suggest that you watch a few of these videos. It's the next best thing to being there. And of course, I have watched all the cemetery videos.

Don't forget to sign up for the Oz Blog newsletter letter that will keep you updated on new programs. It's usually sent out once a month.

Let me know what you found interesting on Rootstelevision.com

Debbie

stonestories@yahoo.com

Who Do You Think You Are?

Just a quick update/reminder. The NBC television series is re-broadcasting some episodes of their popular spring series "Who Do You Think You Are". The episodes started Aug 13th and will continue for the next three weeks through Sept 3rd.

If you didn't watch them the first time, they are certainly worth watching. Also, let me reminder you that this entire series was sponsored by Ancestry.com. If you don't have a subscription to Ancestry, you may sign up for a free 14-day free trial. (At www.Ancestry.com)

My only complaint about the series is that it makes it look so easy. At times it is, but I still like to do old fashioned research. But that is another blogpost. I have a book review of the companion book that I will post soon.

Debbie

John Benjamin MCLAIN

For my first real blogspost I thought I would write about one of my ancestors-my great- great Grandfather John Benjamin McLain. My granny talked about her grandparents alot and the time she spent with them. One thing she talked about was that her grandfather carved his own tombstone.

John Benjamin was born in Tennessee in December 1838. On the 1860 US Federal Census John Benjamin is 21 years old, living with his parents and siblings in Benton Township, Fulton County, Arkansas. His occupation is farm laborer. (1860 US Federal Census, M653, Roll #41 pg 491 Arkansas, Fulton County, Benton township Family 64).

The next census I found him on was 1880 US Federal Census when he is married and has six children. His age is listed as 40 and his occupation is farmer and stone mason. (1880 US Federal Census, T9, Roll #45 pg 32 Arkansas, Fulton County, Union township, Family #46). It would be interesting to know how John Benjamin learned his trade of stone work.

In the 1900 John Benjamin, age 61 is living with his wife Mary Elizabeth and 2 sons and 1 daughter. His occupation is listed as stone mason. One of his sons is teaching school and one is listed as a carpenter. (1900 US Federal Census, T623 Roll#59, Benton township, Fulton County, Arkansas Family 75)

Further research is needed on the missing census records and marriage date of the marriage to Mary Elizabeth Roberts. Mary Elizabeth died in April, 1913 and John Benjamin died in May, 1917. Both are buried in the Roberts Cemetery in Fulton County, Arkansas. My next trip down there, I am planning on finding the cemetery and taking a picture of the tombstone marking the spot where John and Mary are buried.

I wonder if I might ever know how many tombstones John Benjamin McLain carved in Fulton County.

Debbie

stonestories@yahoo.com

©2010-Debbie Mack

Introduction and Purpose

Hello everyone--

Well, here is my first "blog". I can tell you right off, I'm not sure what I am doing, but I'll give it a whirl. I hope you will find my posts interesting.

I have been doing genealogy work for around 20 years. There was a break in there while I was homeschooling our youngest. But as she got older, she developed an interest in helping me and now she does alot on her own.

All the girls grew up walking the cemeteries as I researched and gathered alot of data. We always read and looked at the stones and tired to imagine what had happened to our ancestors and their "neighbors". I was doing some research in a local cemetery and happened on an interesting stone and decided to do some further research. No relation, just an interesting tombstone. And that's when I decided to "blog" about cemetery research. Then I heard a podcast on some research and heard the phrase "every stone has a story". I thought that's it--the name of my blog.

In the future I hope to post some pictures of interesting tombstones, stories of cemetery research and what ever else comes up. Feel free to email me your interesting finds. We all have come across something.

My email-stonestories@yahoo.com

Debbie