"Genealogy is Like a Very Big Puzzle"

I have always liked to solve mysteries and to put together puzzles.  I was making a comment on one of MyFamily.com groups of many of my West family and other related families.  We have pooled our resources and what we already have learned to attempt to fill in the gaps of our family history.  I suddenly wrote that it was like we were all working on one very big puzzle.

We are finding the puzzle pieces, but we need to be able to put them all together. As with puzzles, many of us start by finding the flat edged pieces to put together the outer edges (frame) and then concentrate on areas of similar characteristics putting the pieces in one by one until they all connect and the puzzle is complete. This is what we are trying to do, except it is hard to make that frame and there are so many pieces that seem to be the same! :) Also because we can not find some documented records, the pieces are not complete or some of the image of the piece was damaged (lost). No matter what, it is very hard to put together a puzzle if you do not have all of the pieces.

When we first start researching our families, there are just a few that we know who may be of help to us.  As time goes on we build a network of researchers and resources.  We use libraries, DNA, courthouses, friends & family, genealogical societies, the Internet.  Many now are using resources like Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, bulletin boards, USGenWeb, MyFamily.com and so many others.  What we are doing are looking for the pieces of the puzzle and trying to connect the pieces.

The group I mentioned is a good sized group of cousins that are trying to find these puzzle pieces and then try to put them together as a large diverse group of people.  When I work on a picture puzzle, it seems to get put together so much faster when there are several working together.

Genealogical societies provide resources to help us put together our family puzzles.  Working with others who are researching the same family can increase your chances of finding missing pieces and then connecting them.

My point is that our family puzzles have been scattered about and some pieces are lost or damaged beyond recognition.  We can not rely on just one resource or one person to gather most of these pieces.  We need to work together as much as we can and we can put together that family puzzle.  Of course, once we get that puzzle done, we start expanding the frame!  Hopefully, putting together the puzzle will be fun and enlightening as you go.

- Written by JGWest

TSGS Meeting Report

 

TSGS Meeting

Willard Library

Bayard Room

11 Sep 2012

 

 

 

Since this was 911 Patriot's Day, President Don Counts brought in his "Flag of Honor" with all of the names of those killed in the 911 attack in New York.  The names are used to make the stripes.  Vice-President John G. West helped Don show the flag at the meeting.  With about 30 people present the Bayard Room was a little crowded.

Earlier in the meeting, Special Collections Director Lyn Martin gave the library report mentioning up-coming events and informed the society that due to costs and security, all patrons needed to be out of the building no later than 8PM.  Since we have been meeting at 7PM this put pressure on us to get everything in and adjourn the meeting before 8 O'Clock.

The Finance Committee with approval of the TSGS Board of Directors proposed the 2012-2013 Budget which was accepted by the membership.

Indiana Bones presented his "Cemetery Stories" for the program.  The program was cut short in order to be out by 8PM.  The society may have to meet earlier or meet on weekends to avoid cutting meetings short.

John G. West, TSGS Vice-President

TSGS on Face Book

Check us out and click "LIKE" so we can move ahead just a little more into the tech world!!! Click on this link to see our site: Tri-State Genealogical Society Face Book Page.   We have 31 likes since the page was launched late last night.  We have 250+ members... it would be great to see this number of likes into 200 or more.  Quite a few of these first 31 are not TSGS members.  They are giving us some great support and comments!  After you "like" us then come back often and make a comment or contribute something to the page.  Help make this a success!  It will be another great tool to help all of us with our genealogy and history.

John G. West, TSGS Vice-President
TSGS Web Master
TSGS Blog Master
TSGS Face Book Admin