It’s happened to all of us. We approach the computer on a Monday morning, ready to get down to business, start by checking our e-mail, only to find out the whole system is hung up. The cause? A well-meaning relative sharing his or her weekend’s snapshots, each one formatted to eat every last ounce of space in our inbox.
When Kathie Bennett and Norma Jeane Ferguson set out to raise money for the Fitzgibbon Cancer Center in Marshall, Missouri, their simple idea of creating a custom dollhouse for auction soon gained a life—and a history—all its own.
As the pair set up home in miniature, it suddenly dawned on them—why stop at decorations?
Question: Say you’ve been stuck in your car for hours during a blizzard and your accelerator keeps sticking and can’t be unstuck. You finally escape the snow by stopping in Reno where your car gets towed and getting it back cleans you out. Now, really, why wouldn’t you just cut the road trip short and go back home?
Answer: This is no hypothetical question—it’s a true account.
Who she is: CC Goldwater, granddaughter of Barry Goldwater (Arizona senator, 1953–65, 1969–87; and 1964 Republican presidential candidate). In the photo, taken in 1964, CC is seated on her grandfather’s lap.
What she did: Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater, a film produced by CC Goldwater.
As a volunteer photographer for the Heart Gallery, Donna’s modus operandi is to capture Micah on film. The Heart Gallery does the rest—organizing shows in public places where the photos act as the initial connection between child and the possibility of a forever family.
Donna takes her responsibilities to heart.
I was in the midst of a computer science degree in the mid-1990s and eager to create an experiment on what was then the new Internet. Names immediately came to mind. I’d always been interested in given names—there are so many of them, each having a hidden meaning, and most having a history that can go back millennia—I thought at least a few other people would be as well.
An Elephant Never Forgives
On 4 January 1903, Thomas Edison killed Topsy, an elephant at Coney Island whose penchant for peanuts had been replaced by a vengeance for her trainers, and who, people would argue, might have had it coming.
Edison had no personal vendetta against Topsy.
Genealogists might love portability, but an iPod? Borrow one from the nearest teenager and see for yourself how much room there is for a jammin’ little music player in your family history toolbox.
Looking for a way to justify an iPod under the tree? That’s easy, once you know what an iPod can do.
Ever wonder what your ancestors did for fun? Learn about the games children played during the Victorian era at the Education Network of Ontario (ENO) Social Studies site. Some games, such as Old Maid and Tug-of-War, are still played today, but others are obsolete, including Deerstalker and Errand Boy.
To give is to receive. At least that’s how it worked for Janice Lane.
When Janice first heard about Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) in 1999, she knew she would become a volunteer. What she didn’t know was that, eventually, helping others would help her, too.