HAS IT BEEN 30 YEARS?

Thirty years ago today our son Benjamin Fredric Haas went to join the angels in heaven.

I am not sad!! I see him as running through fields of wildflowers. Stopping once in a while to smell them.

Benjamin Fredric Haas Celebrating his Christmas at Grandpa and Grandma Herrick's in Atlanta, Michigan. Either at Thanksgiving time or Christmas of 1981. This is one of the last pictures we have of him.

 He died of SIDS. I don't know if they will ever really know what causes it. But at least he was in no pain or did not suffer. It was a very sad time for Walt, Jesse, David, myself and Walt's Mom and Step-Dad. But knowing that he did not suffer was such a comfort to us. Hard to understand why God chose to take him but I have heard that sometimes God does this when he sees something he doesn't want someone to experience.

He was always a very happy little boy. I called him my little angel so many times and now he is my little angel in heaven.

You are always in our hearts and thoughts. Someday we will all be joining you up there in heaven!!!

Worked a little on Google+ profile

Yesterday I watched a Webinar that Dan Lynch presented on Google+. I have been using Google+ for a  little while but not like I use Facebook.

As always the Webinar was very informative. I tried to take notes but couldn't write fast enough so hopefully I will remember to go and watch the Webinar again while it is in the archives.

One of the things Dan covered was Your Profile and how important it is. The one thing he talked about was the Introduction and what you could do with it. So tonight I did a little bit of work there.

I won't go into much here tonight. Like I said I really need to go and watch it again. I know I missed parts because Maggie Mae had to go out and I had to check the wood stove, and grab a cup of coffee. Just little things like that.

Oh yea I signed I for the Webinar tomorrow on the Flip scanner. I don't have one, would love one, maybe I will win one (If it is one of the door prizes).

Well until next time.

Our Wedding November 27, 1982

When we decided to finally get married, we chose the Saturday after Thanksgiving for a few reasons. Everybody usually at that time came up for Thanksgiving and hunting season and we would also celebrate Christmas with all the family that was up then also.

I choose Ruthann Vanholder (she was then) to stand up with me and Walt chose his friend, that he had known and done almost everything with, Gary Hicks to stand up with him. My Grandpa Pember had to tie Gary's tie because he was so nervous or maybe it was the MadDog or whatever Gary was drinking. (You would have thought it was Gary getting hitched.)

Walt rode with Gary and Stan Gardner, I rode with my Mom, Grandpa, and Jesse and David to the Church, which was in the basement of the Pastor's house in Hillman. We got there and were waiting for Walt and Gary, who pulled in and then backed out and then finally pulled in.

The Church was full of Walt's family, my Mom, Grandpa, and boys, Stan Gardner, the organist and the Pastor Halverson and his family. We looked more like we were going to a funeral instead of a wedding. 

 Pastor Halverson, Ruthann VanHolder, Sharon Clampitt, Walter Haas, Gary Hicks. November 27, 1982. This is in the Church in Hillman, Michigan. (The Church is in the basement of the Pastor's house).  Our Wedding!!!

 

Sharon and Walter Haas!!! That wedding kiss!!

 

Ruthann VanHolder, Sharon and Walter Haas, Gary Hicks. 

 

My Grandpa (Arnold Pember), my Mom (Christine Evans), Me (Sharon Haas), Walter Haas, David and Jesse Clampitt.

 

 

 

After the Wedding everyone came out to Walt's Mom and StepDads in Atlanta for Dinner and Party.  

After all the celebrating George, Walt's brother, took me and the boys and 2 or 3 nephews back to our house. Walt wound up staying all night at his folks place, they were playing cards. In the morning George came and picked us up to take us all back to Walt's folks. George asked "Where's Walt!!!" I replied: "Hopefully still at your folks." George replied something like "If it was anyone else that would be grounds for annulment". We just laughed!!!

Sorting Saturday -

I have been busy sorting, tossing, organizing. Making a mess and and cleaning it up.

Most of the work I have been doing lately is down in the basement. I have tossed out a lot of junk and stuff I have moved for years, that has been stuck in a box. I have decided if I haven't used it in 6 months or have no intentions on using it, get rid of it.

I have made quite a dent in the basement. Still have a long ways to go. Then there are the 2 sheds. Full of stuff I need to get rid of. I really have to downsize. I don't want to leave a lot of stuff for someone else to have to toss if anything were to happen to me.

I was worrying about organizing and linking everything back up to my Legacy Family Tree program before I went to my Mom's in July. Now I really need to get back to it and get my sourcing all fixed. I am trying to get the information on my tree that I have in Ancestry.com too. I should also put it in my WikiTree and whatever others I have out there. But to be honest, lately I just haven't been feeling myself. I feel so disconnected with myself. Not able to concentrate (which I have been trying to figure out why). I have a hard time remember where I left off. I know I can make lists. But then I can't remember where I put that. I am hoping I will get this all worked out soon and get back to my old self minus the smoking part. I have been doing pretty good in that area. Absolutely no smoking since October 2 about 10:30PM. I was very bad in September and bought a pack of little cigars. I was only smoking 1 or 2 a day but I sure felt guilty because I originally hadn't smoked since July 31 at around 8:30PM. But just having that 1 or 2 seemed to help me concentrate better. It sure did not help my breathing though.

Anyways that is a little of what I have been up to. Hopefully I will be back to my old self before long. I have so much to do and I fear I won't get it all done.

It's a little cool out, but at least a little bit of sunshine is happening today.

I have been very busy Thanks Ancestry.com

Oops didn't mean to hit the darn return key and publish.

Since Oct 1, 2011 ancestry.com has been adding new collections to access. one each day for 15 days.
The first collection was on Social Security Death Index. I was able to locate a few of my family member's social security information. But the one that has really helped me out was the 1920 US Census.

I have attached and added to My Family Tree on ancestry.com and on my Legacy Family Tree, many of my Sewell, a few Pember, a few Clampitt, a few Sauer 1920 US Census Records. I discovered where William Sauer's children were in 1920 and was able to add approximate birth years for them. I downloaded the images for the 1920 Census Records that I have found. (I don't know if everyone has this problem downloading images from ancestry.com or not but for me to be able to view the record enlarged in my downloaded image, I have to make it at least 150% so that it doesn't distort to bad when I enlarge it to look at it closer.)

I was so busy adding and looking up records I forgot it was Friday night and missed Geneabloggers BlogTalkRadio Program. Hadn't even looked at my emails. So missed the reminders.

I have learned from past experience that if I don't download the image and I put it in my shoebox, I can't view or do anything with it when they no longer have access available. I did the same thing on fold3.com when they had free access to 1930 US Census records and some other records. I added them to my tree there and then couldn't access them. I can't afford to purchase subscriptions because we are on a very limited budget.

I had a couple genealogy friends that emailed me some records they found. Thanks Marcia & Deb.

I am still learning how to make proper citations. I get so confused sometimes. I have been trying to use the Sourcewriter on Legacy Family Tree to make my source citations on my family tree there, have a lot of fixing to do. I know I have a lot of adding sources to my data I have on My Family Tree on ancestry.com but I am trying to get as much of the free access information I have found so far attached to family while I can. I am still learning how to use the program and have to go back and fix things and I still have some fixing to do. So forgive me if you happen to look at My Family Tree and you don't see any source citations. I haven't added any source citations to my WikiTree or Geni.com tree or WeRelate tree. Someday maybe I will get them all done. But I am still learning how to use these programs and I tend to get confused easy.

It's a beautiful day and I am going to enjoy it and do some more research over on ancestry.com. Have a spectacular day everyone!!! Hope you all may find some information on your family today!!!!!

It has been a while since I blogged....

This is the first time I have blogged in a while. Boy what a shock at how different the page looks.
This may take me a little getting used to.

I just haven't felt like writing anything lately. I have been trying to get used to all the changes at Facebook, still trying to figure Google+ out.

But I do have a lot of work to do on my Legacy Family Tree and I am also trying to add family members, citations and photos on my ancestry.com tree. I am still trying to figure out the proper way to fill in the blanks on the source citations. I'm trying to do them correctly and put the right information into the right spots.

Right now ancestry.com from October 1 - 15 is allowing us access to different collections or whatever you call them. A new one each day will be added. Today was the Social Security Death Index. I did find a couple but haven't really spent to much time at it. The only thing I noticed is it won't link to your family member unless you have a subscription. So I wonder if it won't link to family members for each of the new collections they add each day. Oh well at least I will be able to look up more information with the hopes of finding more records.

I still haven't finished getting all organized and discovered I had forgot where I left off on my images getting them linked back up. I guess I need to write everything down so I can remember where I leave off and what I still need to do.

Well that's all for now!! My brain is getting tired!!

Looking for Silena Sewell in 1900 US Census

I have been trying to find Silena Sewell in the 1900 US Census records for the last few days. She has born 30 Oct 1882 in Center Plains, Crawford, Michigan. She was married 5 Oct 1904 in Frederic, Crawford, Michigan to Charles S. MacKay (or McKay). I have looked for S. Sewell and Lena Sewell also because she was also called by that name. I have had no luck so far.

Oh well my search will continue off and on. Maybe I will stumble upon her yet.