January 23, 2013 
Odds and Ends of Newspaper Clippings

I wonder how many well-intentioned blogsites have long periods of silence from their originators.  I always felt that I was above that.  Well, it turns out that there are times when there is nothing left to say, that hasn't been said.  Yet this blog has shown the way to "new" family members or close connections to them making me realize the importance of reaching out to other interested "researchers".

Today I am working on my Prairie Roots Newsletter.  It won't be sent out until March, but in this cold, somewhat unfriendly month of January, family history is the best medicine.  I am starting my 7th year of quarterly reaching out to over 120 households...family and friends.

Included in each newsletter is this blogsite.  So I'm determined to keep a high profile with my blog.  I see that things have changed in the many months since I've written, but there's always time in the future to learn new methods.  For now I'M GOING TO WRITE!  Feels Good.

I have gotten several news articles from many readers, and especially Charlotte, from Huron.  This lady keeps an amazing memory book of the Wilson/Carrington side of the family...without the help of anything resembling digitalius.  I was very honored to have received her historical data on loan last summer.  Can you imagine the honor of taking this valuable information out of her home and bringing it across two state lines?  Needless to say I had my good friend at Oh Ship, in New Richmond, carefully box and send it back to her with kid gloves. 

I wish that some readers of Prairie Roots would realize the huge value of old newsclippings and handwritten letters.  I'm wondering how many are just sitting in boxes, with no future plans on what is to be done with them at the demise of their owners.  The newsprint gets older and more brittle, the 'page two's are becoming unattached, and we can't even fathom the destruction from moisture or critters.

My promise and pledge to people willing to loan me their information...I will return it, after an extensive scanning and then taking those scans and saving both the copies in loose-leaf notebooks ( I have 39 of them) and in my Family Tree program (backed up by Carbonite).

The above mentioned notebooks are divided into family names, but that's about as far as it goes.  Each page has a protector, and I add any sort of dialogue I have with people, or any bit of verbage that might add to the total knowledge of that branch of the family tree.  Nothing pretty...but information that can be given to the next generation. 

Well, let's take a look at what Charlottle has found.  Thanks to that dear lady!