Crowe’s Nest by Elizabeth Powell Crowe

Why Online Genealogy is So Cool

January 12th, 2012

Of course, things like this happened back in my mother’s day, when you did your genealogy queries and research by sending letters and reading magazines, but still:

Looking for my grandmother’s genealogy, I came across Looking4Roots.com, which had Flora Beeman Powell’s family. I emailed the owner, who is my third cousin. Her name is Carol Ann. She answered, but that was right around the holidays and we both lost track….

So this week, Carol Ann found ME again, this time on WikiTree. (I hope to blog about this site next week). AND she found me on Ancestry as well!

Carol Ann wrote:

I bought Family Tree Maker 2012 so I could supposedly merge the tree on my computer with the one on Ancestry.com. It turned into a huge mess making kids married to their parents, duplicating entries, etc. Thank goodness I did back up what was on my computer. I started over on the Ancestry.com tree and have a lot of living people from the one on my computer so I made it private. I don’t exactly how the program determines who to make “Living” when you put living people in your tree.

I’m still not sure how much data is being synchronized because I get error messages every time I do it. I don’t have nearly as many photos on Ancestry as I did. I don’t believe I have any photos of your John Wesley Beeman but I do have other Beeman photos if you are interested in seeing them. And I’d love to see any you might have of the Beemans.

A small part of the Beemans left the South and came to Texas. I never knew I had Beeman relatives in Texas other than my grandmother and her sisters Carrie & Sudie. When I got old enough to care about the family history, every time I would ask my Daddy to tell me about the family he would just say he didn’t know anyone or anything. I have no idea what the story was there but I know good and well he knew more about the family than he wanted to fool with telling me. I only have the one cousin who found the photos on the Downs/Beeman side of the family and she never had an interest in genealogy until I shared what I had with her a couple of years ago, so she’s not helpful either.

So I am sorting through what I have, and hoping to send Carol Ann some pictures of my grandmother and her sisters.

Isn’t online genealogy cool?

Posted in Genealogy, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites | 1 Comment »

Come hear me speak at the Navarre Library January 31!

January 6th, 2012

Using genealogy, history and online resources, Elizabeth Crowe will paint a lively picture of Colonel Guy Wyman, the founder of Navarre, at 5:30 p.m. January 31, 2012, at the library. It’s a story of murder, mayhem, madness and many wives. There’s never a dull moment in the story of Wyman and his family.

Libbi Crowe, a Navarre resident, is the author of Genealogy Online, now in its 9th printing. Crowe’s father really was a rocket scientist and she has been involved with computers since the early days. Her family got involved in genealogy after discovering an old Bible with family records going back to 1812.

The program is part of the free Lore, Legends and Learning series at the Library sponsored by the Friends of the Navarre Library. The program is held on the last Tuesday of each month, presenting a variety of topics to the public. Reservations are not required..

Visit our website: http://www.friendsofnavarrelibrary.org/ for the most current information.

Posted in And More..., News, Traditions | No Comments »

Soundtrack of my life, sort of.

January 3rd, 2012

Played this list while at a friend’s house, and she really liked the mix:

Name	Album	Artist
Beautiful	Rhino Hi-Five: Gordon Lightfoot – EP	Gordon Lightfoot
Bittersweet	Best Of James Taylor	James Taylor
Breathe	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
Calling All Angels	My Private Nation	Train
Carefree Highway	Rhino Hi-Five: Gordon Lightfoot – EP	Gordon Lightfoot
Chasing Cars	Eyes Open (Deluxe Edition)	Snow Patrol
Crazy Love	Moondance	Van Morrison
Don’t Worry, Be Happy	Best of Bobby McFerrin	Bobby McFerrin
Grace	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
Hallelujah	Hallelujah	Brian Sutton
Hey There Delilah	Hey There Delilah – Single	Plain White T’s
How to Save a Life	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
How We Operate	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
I’ll Be	Rhino Hi-Five: Edwin McCain	Edwin McCain
I’m Yours	We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things	Jason Mraz
If You Could Read My Mind	Rhino Hi-Five: Gordon Lightfoot – EP	Gordon Lightfoot
Kathleen (Live)	iTunes Live from Soho	David Gray
Mad World	Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets	Gary Jules with Michael Andrews
Mexico	Best Of James Taylor	James Taylor
More Than a Feeling	Boston	Boston
Rain Day	The Rumba Foundation	Jesse Cook
The Reason	The Reason	Hoobastank
The Riddle (Album Version)	Two Lights	Five For Fighting
Run Back to Your Side	Run Back to Your Side – Single	Eric Clapton
Runnin’ On Sunshine	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
She’s On Fire	Drops of Jupiter	Train
She Will Be Loved	Songs About Jane	Various Artist
Southern Cross	Crosby, Stills & Nash: Greatest Hits	Crosby, Stills & Nash
Southern Cross	Buffett Live – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays	Jimmy Buffett
Spill the Wine	The Best of Eric Burdon & War	Eric Burdon & War
The Story	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
Sundown	Rhino Hi-Five: Gordon Lightfoot – EP	Gordon Lightfoot
Superman (It’s Not Easy)	America Town	Five for Fighting
Universe & U	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
Wait	Grey’s Anatomy: The Music Event	Grey’s Anatomy Cast
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald	Rhino Hi-Five: Gordon Lightfoot – EP	Gordon Lightfoot
Year of the Cat	Al Stewart: Greatest Hits	Al Stewart
Yellow	Parachutes	Coldplay
You’re Beautiful	Back to Bedlam	James Blunt

In a way it is a soundtrack of my life from grade school to now….so if anyone writes a novel about me and wants to listen to the music of my life, this is a good start.

Posted in 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, And More... | No Comments »

My Christmas Card This Year

December 19th, 2011

Crowe Family Christmas Card

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! I have decided to do only email newsletters/holiday cards this year. Less waste of gasoline and paper!

2011 brought some pretty wonderful things. Marianne and Ryan were married in Key West in February, my brother Bill and his wife Kathie (and Springer Ria!) came to see us in June and Matthew passed his prelims for his Ph. D. in September. We went boating a lot and camped out on the lovely coastline where we live. From Destin to Pirate’s Cove in Baldwin County, we had a blast on Crowe’s Nest this year.

We hope all of you are well and happy, and will come to see us in the new year!

Below: Matthew, Libbi, Mark, Marianne in Key West!

Posted in 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, And More... | No Comments »

West Florida Genealogical Society, Inc. (WFGS)

December 6th, 2011

The West Florida Genealogical Society was kind enough to ask me to speak last Saturday at their regular December meeting. I had a blast!My topic was What’s New in Online Genealogy. I talked about blogs, and Twitter and social networks like Google+ and more!
For example, I pointed out that Twitter is where you will find people discussing news and techniques about genealogy. Several sites such as Ancestry.com have regular Twitter sessions where you can pepper professional genealogists with questions using the @ and handle, and receive directed replies.

Another topic was social networking. Google+ has less traffic and less garbage about Fill-In-The-Blank Awareness and Appreciate Your Dog Week than Facebook. Although Google+ works much like Facebook, the way you sort the postings is called “circles” and works much better at filtering the stream of the social network. So I advised one questioner to try that, as he had found Facebook left him cold.

Another questioner asked me about finding African American genealogy in one little town in Louisiana. I showed her quickly how to search Google in my iPhone and there it was, a site about the history of the place where her grandparents had lived!
I also found some folks that had Kentucky genealogy, and had a good time swapping facts with them.

During my talk, promised the group that I would get back to blogging myself. 2011 has been such a busy year, that I have not posted much. My new year’s resolution is to fix that. So this is an early attempt to keep that promise!

Posted in And More..., Genealogy, Genealogy Online | No Comments »

Brown Bag Talk Sept 21

September 17th, 2011

I’ve been invited to speak on genealogy by the Friends of the Navarre Library on the 21st. My friends on the friends’ board suggested some local genealogy and history as the topic. So I chose the “founder” of Navarre, Guy H. Wyman. It’s been a fascinating two weeks of research!

I’ve found locally written and published books, talked to people who have lived here ‘forever’ and searched everything from the BLM GLO to FamilySearch and NPL’s online genealogy resources.

Just a few interesting tidbits:

Wyman married first a woman from France, and second a woman from Pensacola, whose family originated in Italy.
His father bought land from Robert Oglesby, who got the original land patent.
His parents were murdered while Col. Wyman was serving in the Phillippines.

It’s going to be a fun talk!

Posted in And More..., Genealogy | No Comments »

For NGS members: videos to check out

September 16th, 2011

Thomas H. Shawker, MD, is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of DNA and family health history. He is the author of the NGS publication, Unlocking Your Genetic History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Your Family’s Medical and Genetic Heritage.

This brief conversation provides an introduction to how DNA analysis can support genealogical research as well as some basic guidelines for studying your family health history.

Film by Kate Geis and Allen Moore.

Posted in DNA, Genealogy Online, Genealogy Sites, News | No Comments »

More on Reason

August 5th, 2011

Got this note:

“Hi, Libbi. I was reading your blog over at Crowe’s Nest and wanted to see if I could help you find Reason in the census prior to 1950. In looking for clues, I discovered that 1) This property is in Cahaba, Dallas Co., Alabama (not Cahaba Co.; no such animal) and 2) This purchase took place on 21 Oct 1834. The 1820 reference is to the act of Congress authorizing the sale.”

And of course he is correct. Also, I found that someone named Gib(p)son bought land nearby. Now by 21 Oct 1834, Reason was married to Anna Gibson, so this is another clue.

Here is the Land patent image.

I have sent a lookup request to someone with some South Carolina circa 1800 information, and I am hoping for the best!

Posted in Genealogy | No Comments »

Review: Quicksheet for Genealogical Problem Analysis

July 22nd, 2011

Just in time to help, I received a review copy of Quicksheet: Genealogical Problem Analysis- A Strategic Plan- Evidence! Style by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

QuickSheet for Problem Solving

So I am going to start pursuing Reason Powell using her 10-step solution to genealogical problems. The QuickSheet is the outgrowth of a lifetime of professional experience, the 10 steps provide a systematic basis for problem solving unique to genealogy. In addition to the 10 steps, this QuickSheet contains a “Life Stages Worksheet”–a form to be filled in covering most life events from birth to death through six specific stages of life. This single-page form allows for a systematic listing of records to review at a glance. You can copy this form and write on that copy, or use grease pencil and write on the laminated sheet itself, rubbing it clean as you find better data. The problem analysis QuickSheet is a laminated two-sided sheet designed, like its companions, for heavy use, in libraries, at your desk, and so on.

Here’s hoping!

Posted in Bookshelf, Genealogy, News | No Comments »

Beating my head against a brick wall

July 20th, 2011

William Reason PowellHe told census takers from 1850 on that he was born in South Carolina in 1802.He bought land in Cahaba County Alabama in 1820but he is not on any census that I can find before 1850.This is driving me nuts!!!