52 Ancestors Challenge 2015: Week 46 Recap

52ancestors-2015-46There’s something about this time of year. The days are short, the trees are bare, and north wind reminds us that winter will soon be upon us. It makes me want to curl up with my laptop and dig even more deeply into my history.

(Ok, I’ll admit it. I feel that way all the time. But at this time of year it is even more pronounced.)

Also starting to think ahead to next year. Another 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge? I don’t know. Maybe something new? What are your thoughts?

While you’re thinking, leave a link to your Week 46 post in the comments below. I’d love to see how you approached the theme of “Changes” or whatever theme you chose to tackle. (Take a look at Week 45 while you’re here.)

Upcoming Optional Weekly Themes:

  • Week 47 (November 19-25) – Sporting.
  • Week 48 (November 26-December 2) – Thankful.

28 thoughts on “52 Ancestors Challenge 2015: Week 46 Recap

  1. pen4hire

    Rudolph MANBECK

    I look at the 2nd will in a 3-generation chain of wills from my husband’s ancestor family, Manbeck. It is like time travel. I visit Rudolph and his wife and learn about personality, kitchen essentials and flax. (The Facebook Group, Genalogy! Just Ask! really saved my bacon on translation of 18th century terminology. Check them out.)

    Although I didn’t lable it as “change” I certainly saw how our language changes in 200 years

    http://ancestorsinaprons.com/2015/11/52-ancestors-rudolph-manbeck-where-theres-a-will-part-ii/

    Reply
  2. Schalene Dagutis

    I had to learn something new to complete my DAR application so I used that as my “change” theme.

    Powhatan Perrow JENNINGS (1812-1858)
    Discovering My Local Family History Center
    http://tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com/2015/11/52-ancestors-46-discovering-my-local.html

    Amy, as far as the 52 Ancestors challenge, its future is totally in your hands. Selfishly, I’d like it to continue, but I also understand about life getting crazy and having to deal with unexpected challenges. If anyone has any ideas to keep us writing on a regular basis that isn’t a lot of administrative work, I’m all ears. And I’m sure if you asked for help, you’d have more volunteers than you could handle, myself included.

    Reply
  3. robertajestes

    DORFLER – Johann George Dorfler, Suicide

    Suicide is bad enough, but what it did to the family in Germany in the 1700s was even worse. Some of these are profoundly difficult to write.

    Reply
    1. Joanne Barnard

      What a tragic story, Roberta. Thank you for sharing it. I hadn’t realized about the desecration of the body and the confiscation of the estate. Talk about adding one trauma on top of another for the poor surviving family!

      Reply
      1. robertajestes

        I didn’t know about that after-effects of suicide in Germany either. I learn something on every one of these that I write. Unfortunately, in this situation, it just took it from bad to worse.

        Reply
  4. Joanne Barnard

    My great grandfather Charles F Edwards lived a life of changes – of residences, jobs, names and stories. And my breakthrough in researching his true story came with a change in my search strategy by having someone else take a fresh and more professional look at the situation. (Amy, I agree that it would be nice to see some variation continue next year – perhaps a theme each month? It’d be nice to delve even deeper into a family group in a particular geographic location and tell a fuller story about them.)
    http://victoriajosfamilystories.blogspot.ca/2015/11/charles-f-edwards-1869-1941-52.html

    Reply
  5. Beth Gatlin

    DAHLQUIST – Week 46 “Changes”: C. J. Dahlquist
    http://so-many-ancestors.blogspot.com/2015/11/52-ancestors-week-46-changes-c-j.html

    My 2nd-great-grandfather went through many changes, including his name, country of residence (he emigrated from Sweden), citizenship (he naturalized in 1888), and business partners. One of his brothers also changed his name, and the oldest brother took his father’s patronymic, so each of the three brothers had a different surname!

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth Wilson Ballard

    A thought occurred to me about next year, Amy. You said you are busy with a lot going on. I’ll bet you could find a dozen people within the group who read this blog and who write on it each who would be willing to “own a month” to come up with topics and monitor the posts, and writing each email each week. These people would already have experience with blogging, and if they don’t use WordPress, they may need some introduction into that, etc. What do you think?

    Reply
  7. Patti Di Loreto

    STEWART/DUFF – For this week’s theme, I chose to feature my 6th Great Grandmother, Elizabeth (Stewart) Duff (1729-1796). She and her husband, Samuel Henry Duff, left their home in Belfast to start a new life in America. That’s a BIG change in itself, however, Samuel died enroute and was buried at sea. She had to adjust to being a widow and living in a strange land. At least their children were grown or nearly grown and were able to help her get settled here, but I’m betting there were many lonely days and nights without her Samuel and the familiar sights, sounds and people of her Belfast home. My Pinterest board address here:

    https://www.pinterest.com/pattidi/52-ancestors-on-pinterest/

    For a partial list of surnames I’m researching, check out my Ancestry profile page by searching for “pattidi123” in the member directory.

    Reply
  8. Lisa W.

    Thank you so much for the challenge this year. I learned so much about my family that I would not otherwise have learned. For me, one a week was too many. I found that I did better with one a month. That allowed me some time to dig deep and really develop and write an interesting story. What you do is up to you though. I sure understand how life derails us on occasion.

    ~Lisa

    Reply
    1. Amy Johnson Crow Post author

      Thanks for the kind words, Lisa. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the challenge and that it was a good experience for you.

      Reply

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