Biggest Genealogy Accomplishment - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy

Week 42: Biggest Genealogy Accomplishment. What do you feel is your biggest genealogy accomplishment? What were the steps you took to get there, and what was the end result?

I fell hopelessly behind on these prompts, but wanted to get this one in before the end of the year!

My biggest accomplishment so far has to be finally finding some information on my elusive Irish great-great-grandfather Timothy Creeden. Finding information for Timothy took a lot of persistence, some help from researchers in Ohio where Timothy lived, researching nearby Creeden families and some incredible luck. I had searched and gathered what records I could find for several years as I described in one of my first posts about my Irish Brick Wall.

Over the years I made some wonderful contacts and one of them asked about possible records for Timothy when she was researching another family in Mercer County, Ohio. Another researcher there mentioned that there were two probate records for Timothy: one for his will which I already had and another for his guardianship of Roseanna Creeden. This was the first I had heard about the guardian's records.

I knew that Patrick Creeden of Clinton County had a daughter Roseanna and a son Timothy, but I hadn't been able to find anything about them. Patrick's will proved to be key and I was very fortunate that many of the Ohio probate records I was searching for were available on FamilySearch. The will gave me enough clues to pursue other information, including Guardian's Bonds naming Timothy as guardian of Roseanna in Clinton and Mercer counties. Information on Patrick's daughter Julia from the Sisters of Charity gave me enough information to find her death certificate. The certificate named her parents as Patrick Creeden and Mary Coakley. Having both parents' names and a date of birth led to Julia's baptismal certificate which showed that she was baptized in Clondrohid Parish in County Cork, Ireland.

There is still much to investigate, but the end result is that I now have a probable family and place of origin for Timothy!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Ancestor Legend - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 33

Week 33: Ancestor Legend. What is your favorite ancestral legend or family lore? Who originally told the story and what was the claim? Have you been able to prove the story true or false? What steps did you take to do so?

Lima News depiction of the courthouse on Sept. 2, 1923

One my favorite family legends was told by my father about his grandparents, Sheriff Charles Creeden and his wife Anna. In the story, the sheriff, his wife, and two brothers that had been deputized defended the Mercer County, Ohio Courthouse and Jail from an uprising that occurred during a celebration for the new courthouse opening in 1923.

From an earlier post: As my Dad's story went, the Klan had a parade in town, most likely as an anti-Catholic demonstration. Their leader was arrested for disturbing the peace and was being held in the Mercer County Jail. Members of the KKK showed up to demand the prisoner's release and a standoff ensued. Charles was at the front door of the jail and his wife Anna was at the back door. She was said to be a very good shot! The group came up and demanded that their leader be released, but Charles said that wasn't going to happen. The gang said, "Who's gonna stop us, you and what army?". Charles pointed to the roof where his deputies and members of the Knights of Columbus were standing with guns raised and said, "That one!". The story gets a little hazy as to what happened next, but some kind of melee broke out and there were injuries on both sides.

My Dad's story ended with on a humorous note with one of Charles' brothers resigning as Deputy Sheriff. and leaving town while wearing Charles' best suit! I was able to prove that most of the story was true from publications from the Mercer County Historical Society and newspaper articles. The newspaper accounts said that the sheriff and his men turned the fire hoses on the crowd to disperse them. As far as the brother leaving in Charles' best suit, I'll probably never know the answer to that. His brother Joshua was a Deputy Sheriff and left town for Michigan, so my guess would be that part of the story is about him and there probably is some truth to it.

Part of the courthouse legend was that Charles' wife Anna Niehaus Creeden was the jail matron and an excellent sharpshooter. One of my Dad's stories said that she did some target practice with Annie Oakley! I haven't been able to prove this, but Annie Oakley was born in neighboring Darke County, Ohio and she often returned to Ohio.

Another intriguing legend from my Dad was that Charles' father Timothy Creeden may have had a child with a Cherokee woman. I haven't found any information indicating that this is true or false. I obtained the Guion Miller application for an Ida Creeden married to a Timothy, but this Timothy was alive in 1906 and mine died in 1899. I recently found Timothy, Ida, and their daughter Nellie in the 1900 US Census in Arkansas, so I can safely rule them out. I am currently investigating a curious birth record for a David Creeden, born to Timothy Creeden and Manda Bolls in Clinton County, Ohio where Timothy lived. David's birth date is the same as Timothy's son Daniel and the writing on the birth record could be read as Daniel instead of David. I haven't found any other trace of David or Manda so far and I cannot find a separate birth record for Daniel. This one is still a work in progress.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Mistakes - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 28

Week 28: Mistakes. Genealogy research mistakes are wonderful learning experiences. They can be blessings when they show you how to improve your genealogy research. Which genealogy research mistake in your past has provided the most benefit to your present? How did you discover the mistake and what steps did you take to correct it? Sharing about these experiences will help others who are figuring out their own ancestral paths.

One mistake I made was to accept published information without verifying it myself. I'm sure this is one of the most common mistakes that beginners make. For some of my lines, I was thrilled to see trees going back into the 1600s or even earlier. I was in gathering mode and eagerly added the new names to my tree. I've since been going back and retracing some of those steps to see what is valid and what is speculation.

Another mistake was not paying enough attention to small details that could be important clues. I posted earlier about the mystery of my ancestor Timothy Creeden and his wife Mary Matson being designated as first cousins on their marriage license. I had obtained the marriage license a few years ago, but didn't look into the "first cousin" angle any further since it didn't match up with the other data I had. It seemed impossible for a more recent immigrant like Timothy to be related as a first cousin to a family that went back many generations in the US. When I started taking a closer look at the Matson information, I realized that the dates for Mary's grandparents didn't add up, so there may be an opening there for one of Timothy's grandparents to have married into the family.

One more mistake was sharing too much information with people that published the information online. Even though I had emphasized that a lot of it was speculation, some of those trees are still floating around. I still don't hesitate to share information, but I am more careful about what I share.

So, what have I learned? Don't jump to conclusions, don't overlook details, verify every bit of information, and be cautious when sharing information!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Genealogy Apps - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 26

Week 26: Genealogy Apps: Which genealogy app has made your family history experience easier? Who makes the app and what does it do?  Share with others the details so they can learn about the app, too.

When I first got my Kindle Fire, I looked for genealogy apps and didn't find any. Soon after, Ancestry.com came out with their free Ancestry app. The app displays family trees that you've entered on the Ancestry.com site and does a good job of maximizing the space on the Kindle Fire. It allows updates to your tree, searching on Ancestry, and has a relationship calculator from a selected ancestor to yourself.

Sample tree for Ancestry app

To me, the most useful feature is that it downloads your trees to the Kindle Fire. The information can be displayed whether or not you are online, so this makes an easy and portable way to take your trees with you and use as a reference or share them with family.

I searched Amazon today for more genealogy apps compatible with the Kindle Fire and I see that a couple more have been added. They are for sites or family tree programs that I don't use, so the selection is still pretty limited. Hopefully, more apps will become available as the Fire matures.




52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Genealogy Database Software - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 25

Week 25: Genealogy Database Software: Database programs have revolutionized the way we store and record our genealogy. Which one is your favorite? What are some of the tools and perks of the program that enhance your family history research? Share a link to the company website or vendor so others may learn more about this product.

I have two versions of Family Tree Maker on my computer: Version 11 and 2010. I'm still using a Windows XP computer and I find that the older version of FTM is much quicker to load and somewhat easier to navigate. The 2010 version has many more features though, such as being able to search the web and use sites like Ancestry.com directly from the program. I have to admit that I haven't explored other programs recently, so I'm curious to see what others recommend.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Ancestor Tales of Hardship - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 21

Week 21: Ancestor Tales of Hardship: In genealogy, there are plenty of clouds in the form of sad stories and hardships faced by our ancestors. These tales should not be forgotten because descendants can learn from them. Share with us a particular ancestor’s hardship story. How did these events impact your life?

Mary Ann Matson Creeden (left) at her boarding house in Celina, OH

One new bit of information in the 1940 census was that my great-grandfather Charles Creeden only finished 8 years of school. His father Timothy Creeden died in 1899 at the age of 53 and Charles was one of six children still living at home. The 1900 census showed that two of the older children were working while the others were in school. That probably was Charles' last year of school.

My great-great-grandmother Mary Ann Matson Creeden mortgaged part of the family farmland and bought a house in town in Celina, OH to run as a boarding house. Renters were provided room and board including meals and laundry. In the picture above, the sign on the house above Mary's head says "Ice, 7c a day", so it looks like she was resourceful on finding ways to make extra money.

Charles worked for the Mersman Furniture Factory for several years, was Mercer County Sheriff in the 1920s, ran a filling station and store and then became the Celina Postmaster for many years. He did quite well despite having to leave school early. My father was raised by his grandparents Charles and Anna and was taught to have a great respect for education. He completed college and encouraged me and my sister to do the same. It couldn't have been easy for Mary and the children, but they made it through.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 18 - Historical Books - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy

Week 18: Historical Books: This week we're going to shine the spotlight on other historical books that benefit the genealogy field. Do you have a favorite book that falls into this category? What makes this book special to you? How can other genealogists benefit from its content?

One of my favorite historical books is the Mercer County, Ohio History 1978, edited by Joyce Alig. Joyce was the Directory of the Mercer County Historical Museum and currently writes a history column called Our Old Bookcase for the local newspapers there. The book is close to 1000 pages long and contains histories of the county, details on each township and many biographies and pictures. There are quite a few mentions of my ancestors and I refer to it whenever I'm looking into a new name or subject. I always seem to discover something new.

The book is available in several Ohio libraries and sometimes comes up for sale on eBay or Amazon. Abebooks and other used book stores would also be a good place to check. The earlier Mercer County histories for 1882 and 1907 are available online through Heritage Pursuit. This is a subscription site, but is available for free to members of the Ohio Genealogy Society.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 16: Tech Toys - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy

Week 16: Tech Toys: Genealogists love their technology toys! Which tech gadget do you appreciate the most?  How has this tool enhanced your family history experience? Would you recommend it to others?

My scanner is the gadget that I couldn't live without for genealogy. I've used it to scan and share many photographs and documents. I have a nice memory of scanning in old family photographs with my Dad and hearing his stories about them as we scanned them in. The scanner is also an important tool for making backup copies of the paper documents that I've collected over the years. I can't recommend this particular scanner since it's an older Primax model that's not available anymore, but I definitely recommend having a scanner in your collection of tech toys!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 15 - Volunteers - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy

Week #15 – Volunteers: Tell us about a volunteer you appreciate. What does this person do for the genealogical community? How has he or she touched your heart? This is your chance to show some love for those who selflessly give their time to family history.

I've been helped by a lot of volunteers over the years and they've been invaluable in locating information that is not online. The one that stands out the most to me is Vada Morr who was the Corresponding Secretary of the Mercer County Genealogy Society in Celina, OH for many years. I sent a query to the society just to see what information they might have available and how to go about accessing it. I received a large envelope in response with a letter from Vada. The envelope had obituaries for my ancestors, a family tree, and information on other documents that I would not have otherwise been able to find. I was very touched by her generosity in spending her time looking up and sending the information to me and I've seen many others mention her help. Thanks Vada!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 14 State and National Societies - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #14

Week 14. State and National Societies: Last week we paid tribute to local genealogical and historical societies. This week we’re going to think bigger. For which state, provincial or national society are you most thankful? What makes this society special? How do the publications and events of this group assist in your family history research?

I have to admit that I tend to go straight to the local county societies for information. Most of my parents' ancestors are from Ohio and Maryland, so I decided to check out the genealogy societies for those two states.

The Ohio Genealogy Society has several free databases online and some of their other databases are searchable. Benefits of membership include access to the online databases, newsletters, a lending library, and discounts on their publications among other things. The lending library looks especially intriguing since they have a reasonable mail order service for many items.

The Maryland Genealogy Society membership includes databases searchable by members, a surname exchange and queries for members and newsletters. They have an index to issues of their Bulletin newsletter from 1960 to present and many are available for purchase. It looks like you only have the option of a joint membership in both the MGS and the Maryland Historical Society, so membership is a little pricey.

In both cases, there are advantages to living nearby or being able to visit since you can access their many resources and events in person. Both sites have resources online that are worth taking a look at if your ancestors come from there.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 13 Local Societies - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #13

Week 13. Local Societies: Local genealogical and historical societies are the lifeblood of genealogy. Members and volunteers give their time and money to preserve local history and promote family history. Tell us about a local society for which you are thankful.

When I first started searching for information on my family, I wrote a letter to the Mercer County Genealogy Society in Celina, Ohio to inquire as to what resources they might have. Much to my surprise, I received a package in the mail that included obituaries of my great-great-grandmother and great-grandparents, an application for my great-great-grandfather's will and a family tree that listed my great-great-grandparent's children and some of their spouses. The secretary of the society also said that she had searched for an obituary for my gg-grandfather Timothy Creeden in the local newspaper but could only find a thank you note from his wife and children which she enclosed. None of this information was available online and this gave me a great start in researching my family.

I've since joined the society and ordered several publications from the society, including listings of cemeteries, births, and deaths. Most of this information is not online and would be difficult for me to access since I'm a long way from Ohio. The society's newsletters are published as paper copies only and contain many nuggets of information that aren't available anywhere else. I've found this to be the case with most genealogy societies, so it can be very worthwhile to join the ones where your ancestors lived.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Technology - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #11

Week 11 – Technology: Technology makes it possible for genealogy classroom learning to come to you. Webinars are now hosted by many instructors on a variety of family history subjects. Share with us a webinar or series of webinars that you appreciate.

I enjoyed the Irish, English, and German genealogy research webinar classes hosted by Ancestry.com from 2002-2005. These courses were four weeks each and included a couple of online sessions each week with the instructor and the class. The instructors were also available to answer individual questions via email. A huge benefit to the classes they offered then was that you received free access to Ancestry.com during the weeks that the course was in session. The courses were reasonably priced and there were lesson documents and other materials available to download each week. I noticed that Ancestry has quite a few one hour webinars available to watch for free now at: http://www.ancestry.com/cs/us/videos. This post has reminded me that I have these resources and I'm starting to go back through them now.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Genealogy Road Trips - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #10

Week 10 – Genealogy Road Trips: No two genealogy road trips are the same but they’re always fun and meaningful. Describe a memorable trip in your past. Where did you go? What did you find (or not find)? Did you meet any new cousins? What did the trip mean to you and your family?

I haven't been on too many genealogy road trips, but one I was really fortunate to take was my first trip to Ireland in 1990. My father and I were very interested in where our Creeden family came from, but all that had been passed down was "County Cork". We arrived in Dublin and took a tour of Trinity College. There was a large volume of surname information in a library there and my father copied the Creedon entry. I believe this was from "More Irish Families" by Edward MacLysaght.

One possible clue on my Creeden origins is that my father thought he remembered his grandfather mentioning Macroom. Since this turns out to be one of the places that the Creedon name is most common, I've always kept that in the back of my mind while searching. We saw the Creedon name several times in County Cork. There was a Creedon shop right before we got to Blarney Castle and a big red truck passed us with "Creedon's" painted on the sides and back of it. I wish we knew more about our exact origins, but it was exciting to at least be in the part of the world where my Creeden family came from.

My uncle in front of Macroom Castle

Grounds of Blarney Castle

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Cemeteries - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #9

Week 9 – Cemeteries: Genealogists understand the full value of cemeteries and appreciate them in ways most others can’t see. Share a cemetery or cemetery experience for which you are most thankful. What makes this place special? What does it mean to you and your family history?

The St Mary's Catholic Cemetery associated with the Immaculate Conception Catholic church in Celina, OH is special since the majority of my Dad's family is buried there. Some of the family members buried there are his mother, grandparents, great-grandparents and many others from the Creeden, Pulskamp, Niehaus, and Gast families. The first burial in the cemetery was on March 9, 1866 and the cemetery was originally 2 acres in size. The present cemetery covers approximately 8 acres.

Timothy Creeden and Mary Ann Matson grave

A member of the Mercer County Genealogy Society took this picture of my great-great-grandparent's grave for me and we were surprised to find that it was such a large monument. The grave is in the Northeast Section, Row 13 of the cemetery. Timothy was born in 1846 in County Cork, Ireland and Mary was born in Clinton County, OH. The inscriptions read:

Timothy
Creeden
Died
Dec 14, 1899
Aged
53Y 8M 19D

Mary A.
1851 - 1925

CREEDEN

From probate records, it appears that Mary purchased the lot and monument after Timothy's death. More pictures are at: Find a Grave.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Genealogy Libraries - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #8

Week #8 – Genealogy Libraries: Genealogy libraries (and dedicated departments in regular libraries) are true treasures in the family history community.  Tell us about your favorite genealogy library. What or who makes it special?

If I had to choose a favorite library for genealogy, it would be my local Orange County, FL public library. They have a large genealogy section in their downtown branch, but what I've made the most use of is the at home access to Heritage Quest. Heritage Quest has the US Census, PERSI, and a large collection of online family history books. I've made some discoveries in the Heritage Quest census that didn't turn up in other online searches, so it's proved to be a valuable resource.

I am a long distance from the areas where my ancestors lived, so I can't say that I have a favorite genealogy library to visit in person. Whenever I encounter a new location, I search for a local library website to see what resources they might have online. Many libraries have searchable databases that are specific to that region and I've been able to request copies of obituaries and newspaper articles for a small fee. A recent example is the Northern Kentucky Newspaper Index, made available through the Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 7 – Historical Documents - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #7

Week 7 – Historical Documents: Which historical document in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors?

This question made me realize just how many documents I've acquired over the years. They include records for birth, marriage, death, baptism, land deeds, Social Security applications, census records and wills. More recently, I've traced a couple of ancestors through their military records. I've acquired some directly from the county courthouses and others from genealogy societies and cousins that live in the local areas. Some of them have revealed a new surname or date and some have revealed more personal information.

One of my favorite documents is the will of my great-great-grandfather, Timothy Creeden. I know so little about him and this document gives a little insight into his life. He names his wife and children as heirs and also leaves money for a new Catholic church to be built in Celina, Ohio. There are some interesting tidbits on money owed by a daughter and the restriction of only $35 being given to one son. The Mercer County Genealogy Society sent me the application for probate of the will filed by Timothy's wife Mary. That document listed the file number of the will in the courthouse and I was very fortunate to have a cousin who visited Celina and copied the will for me.

Transcription of the will is here.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 6 – Family Heirlooms - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #6

Week #6 – Family Heirlooms: For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?

We're fortunate to have a few heirlooms in my family, including a necklace and ring from my step-grandmother, my great-grandfather's sheriff badge, a few trinkets from my maternal grandmother, and an oil painting that one of my great-grandmothers painted. If I had to choose one treasure though, it would be the photos we have from both of my parents' collections.

My father acquired most of his older photos from his grandmother. She labeled many of the photos which has been a great help in figuring out who's who. My father was an avid photographer, so my sister and I also have a large collection of the slides and movies he took throughout his life. I would guess my mother was given her photos by her mother.

My sister and I have been gradually getting my father's slides scanned in and I was thrilled to discover a photo of my great-grandmother Anna Creeden with a few of her paintings! My sister has the blue painting with the boats pictured on the right and I think that is the only one of her paintings to survive.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 5 – Life Experiences - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #5

Week 5 – Life Experiences: Sometimes the challenges in life provide the best learning experiences. Can you find an example of this in your own family tree? Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankful for, and how did that person shape your family history experience?

The brick wall ancestor that has taught me the most would have to be my great-great-grandfather Timothy Creeden from County Cork, Ireland. One of my uncles had gotten interested in genealogy in the 1990s and was telling me and my father how much more was becoming available online. My father asked me to see what I could find out about Timothy and that got me started on researching my family tree. While I still haven't found much on Timothy himself, the search has led to so many other discoveries.

One of my first posts on this blog was about Timothy and My Irish Brick Wall. While it seems like I've made little headway with Timothy, I can see from my post that I have learned a few things over the past year. One idea I had was to try and find obituaries for each of his children. So far, they haven't shed any light on Timothy, but they have been an adventure in themselves.

My search for Timothy has led to getting in touch with others researching the same trees and a wonderful visit from an Irish Creedon. We don't know if our families are related, but he does have a missing Timothy that's about the same age as mine. Even if I never find the exact link back to Ireland, it's been a lot of fun!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Week 4 - Free Offline Genealogy Tools - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #4

Week 4 – Free Offline Genealogy Tools: For which free offline genealogy tool are you most grateful? How did you find this tool and how has it benefited your genealogy? Describe to others how to access this tool and spread the genealogy love.

For a completely free tool, I'd have to say the library. I'd also have to admit that I don't use it nearly enough! For my Irish research, several people referred me to the O'Kief, Coshe Mang, Slieve Lougher and the Upper Blackwater in Ireland series. This is a huge collection of Irish records compiled by Albert E. Casey covering parts of County Cork and County Kerry. The closest library to me with this collection is a couple of hours away, but I finally got the chance to take a look at them when I was in town for a concert. I was able to use the indices for the volumes to look up the references to my Creedon/Creeden surname in the short time we had there. I didn't find anything I could tie to my Creeden ancestry, but I wouldn't have even had the chance to look without the free access provided by the library.

The newsletters published by local genealogy societies are another tool I'm grateful for. I suppose these aren't technically free since you have to join the society to receive them, but they are provided as one of the services to members. These newsletters are printed out the old fashioned way on paper and for the societies I belong to, they aren't available online. The newsletters often include local records and histories that aren't available anywhere else. It would be great if the newsletters and the Casey volumes were digitized and available online, for so far that hasn't happened!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.

Free Online Genealogy Tools - 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week #3

Week 3 – Free Online Genealogy Tools: Free online genealogy tools are like gifts from above. Which one are you most thankful for? How has it helped your family history experience?

Rootsweb was one of the first genealogy sites that I used and it has been one of the most productive for me. I've made many contacts on their message boards that have led to new information and some good friendships. I have my Creeden Genealogy site posted on their freepages and I've done many searches on their site. This is a good reminder for me to take a look back at what they offer since I have to admit I haven't visited their site for awhile.

Another group of sites that I've made much use of is the USGenWeb Project and its state and county sites. There is a wealth of information available on the county sites that can't be found anywhere else, plus there are usually some volunteers that do look ups or answer questions about the local history. It's a great starting place when you add a new location to your tree.

FamilySearch.org is a site that I always check. It's worth redoing searches on their site to see what's new. I recently found information for deaths in Clinton County, Ohio that I hadn't seen online before.

If you have Irish ancestors, the Irish Genealogy site is definitely worth a look. They only have records for parts of some counties so far, but I'm hoping that they continue to make updates.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more.