Printable Family Tree!
I recently discovered a beautiful template for printing family trees!
It was easy to use. It took me about an hour or two to fill in the all the generations. I believe there are options if you wish to have fewer generations displayed.
Once you are done typing in all the names & dates, they send you the link, and you can then have it printed and framed to your own taste.
Here is the link:
If you try this and like it, I’d love to hear how it went!
Book Review - Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York.
Book Review - Becoming German: The 1709 Palatine Migration to New York by Phillip L Otterness. Cornell University Press.
Phillip L Otterness, author. Cornell University Press.
I have just finished reading the above book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about their Irish Palatine ancestors.
The author takes us through understanding who the Palatines were, why they left Germany, what their journey was like as they made their (roundabout) way to New York in the early 1700’s. The author also discusses their trials and tribulations as eventual settlers of New York.
I have to admit, at first I did not understand the title of the book - “Becoming German”. Essentially this book is a story of an ever-changing identity. The author goes into great detail exploring how the Palatines, people who originated from many different areas of Germany (and Europe) and being of different religious backgrounds, wound up having their identity as “Germans” and “Palatines” shaped and reshaped by others.
He also explores how they felt about themselves. Initially they considered themselves as being, for example, from Westerwald, or Hessen. When they arrived in America, many of whom were widowed en route, there were pressures for them to remarry and maintain a family group. This pushed them to marry outside of their usual circles (Hessians now no longer only married other Hessians, for example). This and other factors forced a new identity of “being German”.
The author also exposed the never-ending chaos which they faced, trying to leave Germany and make their way to America. They were deluded into thinking the Queen of England wanted to help them migrate; many were sent back (from England, their “pit-stop”, back to Germany), many went to Ireland; also they thought their journey would be seamless - it wasn’t, and they expected a utopian life upon arrival in the New World. None of this held true. Alas, history is often chaotic, it is sometimes heartbreaking and full of “realities”. This book has taught me to be careful of generalizing historical events and descriptions of people.
At the end of the book, Phillip has 36 pages chock full of notes, sources and a bibliography.
He bases a lot of his knowledge on the wonderful research done by Hank Jones.
I highly recommend this read. I purchased my copy as a Kindle ebook, but you can also purchase it online from the publisher, Cornell University Press, or directly from Amazon.
Susan Arness, PLCGS
Waterloo, ON
What does Family History mean to you?
What does family history mean to you?
For many people, recording family history is a way of honouring our ancestors.
We write down their names and important dates such as birth and marriage in charts for posterity.
More importantly, we tell their story. We preserve their portraits. We hang onto material items which were left behind as they remind us of them.
Many of our ancestors were poor, and struggled to put food on the table. Some had to flee their home country. Some became successful and were important members of society. The rest were common folks, working everyday, raising families and making memories. They are all have a legacy to preserve.
I like to see my ancestors in their historical context.
My grandfather Arness worked for the Rural Electrification Administration during the Roosevelt Presidency. Imagine a time when most of rural USA did not have electricity or running water. This initiative was part of the “New Deal” which created jobs and modernized the country.
Later in life, he joined the Quaker church and took part in protests against the Vietnam War. He was well-read, kind and polite.
His father was an “ardent Socialist” and worked tirelessly for the cause during the early 1900’s in the American Mid-West. This must have been an exciting time, when unions were new and workers rights were being recognized.
My maternal grandfather was a writer and historian. He always encouraged me do the same.
What do you think of when you are asked about your family history?
Building your family tree… Making it interesting...
I have to say I am fascinated by the duality of family history research. On the one hand, in order for it to be accurate and complete we need to work hard at finding all available records, we need to analyze those records (which involves reconciling contradictory information, duplicate names, missing records, etc.) and record them with footnotes. Lots of nitty-gritty! It can be grueling, especially when research involves common surnames and repeated first names. On the other hand, our final product should be something which is engaging and readable. If we aren’t successful with the latter, quite simply, no one will read it!
When I’m researching a family tree I like to wear both of those hats - the researcher hat and the story-teller hat. I often remind myself that both are equally important.
This makes me think about a picture book I used to read with all of my children. It was geared towards all ages- the artwork was simple enough for the younger ones to enjoy but within the book were pop up mini books, filled with details, for the older children (and parents lol). I have this concept in mind when I’m working on my family history projects.
My word of advice - keep wearing both hats!