RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Free Weekly E-zine Vol. 5, No. 31, 31 July 2002, Circulation: 1,055,217+ (c) 1998-2002 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist RWR-Editor@rootsweb.com This it is a post-only mailing. Please do not send any subscription requests to the editor. To unsubscribe, send plain text e-mail message to: Rootsweb-Review-unsubscribe@rootsweb.com Need to do an e-mail address change? See: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/addresses/#newsletters Search/download all back issues of RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ======================================================================== IN THIS ISSUE 1. News and Notes. (1a. Buried Treasures; 1b. Quick Tips: WorldConnect; 1c. Portals to Success: Message Board/Mailing List Gateways. 1d. Ancestry offers Heraldry References) 2. Connecting through RootsWeb: "Finding Family via a Message Board" 3. New User-contributed Databases 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb 5. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 6. New FreePages and HomePages (personal webpages at RootsWeb) 7. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Pictures Take Circuitous Route Home"; "Mabel's Legacy" 8. Humor: Old Age Can Kill You 9. RWR Reprint and Submissions Guidelines; Archives; Instructions ======================================================================== 1. NEWS AND NOTES ----------------- 1a. BURIED TREASURES at ROOTSWEB. To find a registry of the tens of thousands of genealogy-related websites -- look under regional resources and surnames at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~websites/ 1b. QUICK TIPS: UPDATING YOUR GEDCOM at WORLDCONNECT http://wc.rootsweb.com/ To update or correct information for the GEDCOM file that you have submitted to WorldConnect, revise the data in your genealogy file and create a new GEDCOM. Use the same user code and password that you used originally to upload the new file. (If you don't remember your user code and/or password, you can have them sent to you by e-mail from PasswordCentral.) http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ The new file will overwrite the old one as long as you use the same user code and password. It is not necessary to delete or remove your old file first. Specify the location of the new GEDCOM in the appropriate box on the set-up page either by typing it in or browsing to it on your computer. If no path is shown in this box, WorldConnect will expect you to update options for the existing GEDCOM rather than upload a new one. Click on the upload/update button and wait for the new GEDCOM to be uploaded. Wait for the message confirming that the upload was successful. If you only have two or three corrections or updates to make to your GEDCOM, list them in Post-Em Notes. Create and upload a new file later. 1c. PORTALS TO SUCCESS. Message Board/Mailing List Gateways. Anyone may search, post, or reply to messages on the free RootsWeb/Ancestry Message Boards. In addition to these Message Boards, RootsWeb also hosts thousands of free mailing lists for genealogy-related topics. Researchers must subscribe to a Mailing List in order to participate in the discussion. The requirement to subscribe to a Mailing Lists helps to eliminate spam because it limits the ability to post messages to those who have joined the list. For the most part, researchers who join (subscribe to) a Mailing List and read and post messages on the list are actively interested in the topic, locality, or surname that is the subject of the Mailing List. Both Message Boards and Mailing Lists have a place in your genealogical research. They are two excellent means by which researchers with a similar interest can make contact with one another. Mailing Lists are great for real-time in-depth group discussion of a subject, while Message Boards can be an appropriate venue for peripheral research into allied and collateral lines, and subjects of passing, or minor, interest. Since Message Boards are universally searchable they also make an excellent place for you to post a query about your brick-wall ancestors, or to archive data, documents, and photos. While Mailing Lists often appeal to those with a serious interest in a particular subject, Message Boards are valuable to serious researchers and rainy-day dabblers alike. A handy feature of many RootsWeb Message Boards and Mailing Lists is the availability of a one-way gateway, which allows the automatic copying of Message Board posts to be made directly to a corresponding Mailing List. This feature allows those who have not joined the mailing list to have their Message Board posts viewed and replied to by Mailing List members in addition to others who search the Message Boards. The Message Board gateway is an option that is used by many of the thousands of volunteer Mailing List and Message Board administrators. To spot a Message Board that is gatewayed to a Mailing List, look for a yellow envelope icon superimposed over the sheets of paper icon, which represents a Message Board. There also will be a yellow highlighted blurb explaining that posts made to the Message Board also appear on the corresponding Mailing List. IMPORTANT. If you are a Mailing List subscriber, and you see a message posted on the list that says, "This is a Message Board post that is gatewayed to this Mailing List" if you wish to respond to that message do NOT reply by clicking the "REPLY TO" option and sending your response to the Mailing List. Instead, click on the URL (address) link included in the message body, and reply directly to the post on the Message Board. Your reply will then be gatewayed to the Mailing List. Replying on the Message Board ensures that the original poster, and anyone else who may benefit from your information, will see your response. If your favorite Mailing Lists are not gatewayed to a corresponding Message Board, and you believe gatewaying would be beneficial, contact the list administrator to suggest the gateway be opened by writing to LISTNAME-admin@rootsweb.com. Replace the word LISTNAME with the actual Mailing List's name. If you wish to contact the SMITH Mailing List administrator, for instance, write to: SMITH-admin@rootsweb.com To learn more about Message Boards, see also: "Message Board Queries (RootsWeb Review 5:30, 24 July 2002); "Message Board Solutions," (RWR 5:29, 17 July 2002) "Meandering Through the Message Boards" (RWR 5:28, 10 July 2002); "Discovering Display Options on the Message Boards" (RWR 5:27, 3 July 2002); "Getting the Most Out of Message Boards" (RWR 5:26, 26 June 2002); and "Message Board Attachments" (RWR 5:23, 5 June 2002); and "Message Board Icons" (RWR 5:22, 29 May 2002) -- all previous issues of RWR are searchable and downloadable here: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ 1d. Heraldry has been used as a means of identification for hundreds of years. While early coats of arms were simplistic in design and used primarily for recognition in battle during medieval times, they evolved to be more decorative and symbolic, while proving to be an exciting avenue to further genealogical research. In an effort to help genealogists learn more about coats of arms, while possibly discovering their own, Ancestry.com recently digitized and made available two books on Scottish and English heraldry. "Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry" provides useful insight to the deciphering of historic heraldry. "Armorial Families: A Directory of Coat-Armor," is a directory of some gentlemen who were entitled to bear arms in Great Britain, and shows those arms said to be borne by legal authority. Both books include descriptions and explanations of heraldic terms as well as supplementary illustrations. Their simplicity of presentation and convenience provide for quick and easy reference tools. Search "Armorial Families: A Directory of Coat-Armor," and "Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry" now to learn more about heraldry. "Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry": http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?sourceid=1380&targetid=3707 "Armorial Families: A Directory of Coat-Armor": http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?sourceid=1380&targetid=3706 See also "Heraldry for Genealogists," one of the free RootsWeb's Guides to Tracing Your Family Tree: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson19.htm 2. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Finding Family via a Message Board By Doris Schafer Doris6103@aol.com I wanted to write because something special happened while I was researching my family tree. When my older brother, Ron, found out I was looking for information on our family, he jokingly said while you are tracing the family see if you can find out any information about my mother. I truly didn't think I would find anything, but I tried. If nothing else I could possibly tell him where she was buried. Ron has not seen or heard from his mother since he was a toddler and he is now 56 years old. I posted a message in the SANDRIGE Message Board the end of May 2002. Two months went by with no response. I had pretty much given up hope of finding anything out, then in the beginning of July I received a reply. The reply was from Mike, a nephew of a lady with the correct name. He said he could possibly help. He contacted her and found out that she was in fact Ron's mother, and that she would love to hear from him. I phoned my brother right away, with the news. At first he didn't believe I had succeeded, because he had tried many times before and failed. However, the lady had all the facts I needed to verify that she was his mother. I was positive. I visited her a couple of days later. When I walked in her door she told me how I looked like our father, right away, before any other conversations began. Since that day, Ron has spoken to her quite a few times and is planning to visit her soon. I was so happy and pleased that Mike and I could help my brother and his mother to become reunited that I just had to write. Thanks to the Message Board, a mother and son have been reunited. 3. NEW FREE USER-CONTRIBUTED DATABASES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------- WHO HAS THE DATA? Does your state, province, county, parish, church, old military unit or alma mater have material available that you think would be of interest to genealogists and historians? Do you have any compiled lists or databases -- other than your personal family tree (genealogies can be posted at WorldConnect: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ ) -- that you would like to share that you think would be of value and interest to others? In most cases, RootsWeb would be proud to host them. Please see the guidelines, tutorial and examples of data formats for user-contributed data: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/guidelines.html Use this submission form: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ Questions about submitting your material? Go to RootsWeb Help Desk: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ The following new user-contributed databases have come online recently (these are name searchable, but are not browseable): AUSTRALIA. "Grandma! Where Did I Come From?" Book 2 -- Carden to Australia; 792 records; Veronica Maude Bates http://userdb.rootsweb.com/aus/ AUSTRALIA. Index to "Letters of the 20th Century" 30 records; Veronica Maude Bates http://userdb.rootsweb.com/aus/ CANADA. Quebec. 1850 Abenaki Tribal Census for St. Francois du lac (Odanak) Reserve; 112 records; Canyon Wolf at Ne-Do-Ba http://userdb.rootsweb.com/canada/ IRELAND. Clogheen, County Tipperary. Clogheen Births; 192 records; James McCarthy http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ U.S.A. Military Records: 27th General Hospital Army Nurses -- 1942 76 records; Barb Barnes http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ U.S.A. Canadian Data: Ontario: University of Western Ontario -- Class of 1967; 1,617 records; K. Lehrner http://userdb.rootsweb.com/canada/ U.S.A. Military Records: World War I Banquet, Cosmo Hotel, 126, Southampton Row, London, England, 31 May 1919; M.T. Co. 694 formerly 456 Truck Co., E.M.T.S.; In memoriam Sgt A. J. Jenkin 84 records; Peggy Seidler http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ DELAWARE. New Castle County. Deaths, Births, and Marriages in the News Journal; 1,590 records; Katelyn Thomas http://userdb.rootsweb.com/news/ IOWA. Early Iowa Marriages -- A 1,208 records; Heidi Moynihan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ ILLINOIS. Cook County. Blue Island Community Jr. High School--1934 101 records; Lynn Bernhard http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MISSISSIPPI. Pike County. Carters Creek High School--1949 18 records; Earl Alexander http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MISSISSIPPI. Pike County. Carters Creek High School--1956 49 records; Earl Alexander http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MISSISSIPPI. Pike County. Walker Cemetery 34 records; Earl Alexander http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ NEW YORK. Jefferson County. Cemetery Listings, Town of Alexandria 7,869 records; A. Edwin Rogers http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ OHIO. Stark County. 1895-96 School List; Lake Township, School District No. 9; 49 records; Liz Getz http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ OKLAHOMA. Muskogee County. McGinnis Marriages, Indian Territory and Muskogee County, 1890-1922; 40 records; Johnny Cantrell http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ OREGON. Tillamook County. Rockaway School Alumni, Class 1945 7 records; Stephanie Graves http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ PENNSYLVANIA. Westmoreland County. Penn Township High School Alumni-- 1947; 71 records; Sue McAlister http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ PENNSYLVANIA. York County. Lenhartgerber Cemetery, Section B 361 records; Joyce Law http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ TEXAS. Carson County. Panhandle Junior High School, 1962-63, 6th Grade 92 records; John J. Armstrong http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ TEXAS. Carson County. Panhandle Junior High School, 1962-63, 7th Grade 87 records; John J. Armstrong http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ TEXAS. Carson County. Panhandle Junior High School, 1962-63, 8th Grade 73 records; John J. Armstrong http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ WYOMING. Lincoln County. Star Valley High School, Afton; Class of 1930; 48 records; Star Valley, Wyoming LDS Family History Center (Ed Lisota) http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ RootsWeb thanks the individuals and groups who contribute their material to share with the worldwide genealogical community. Currently there's more than 9.4 million records that can be searched. See the full list of contributors at: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/contributors.html 4. NEW WEBPAGES AT ROOTSWEB ---------------------------- Some of these webpages might not yet be accessible. If one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or next week. Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. http://www.rootsweb.com/~[account name]/ To request a free Web account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ AUSTRALIA nswtfhg -- Tumut Family History Group (New South Wales) U.S.A. mimonroe -- Monroe County, Michigan mtahgp -- Montana American History Genealogy Project nctryon -- Tryon County, North Carolina nhchs -- Canaan Historical Society (New Hampshire) nynewyo2 -- New York County (Manhattan Island), New York ohcnewma -- New Market, Highland County, Ohio ohpike -- Pike County, Ohio ohross -- Ross County, Ohio ortdcdar -- Daughters of the American Revolution The Dalles/Celilo (Oregon) paarrapc -- American Rosie the Riveter Association, Pennsylvania Chapter tngiles2 -- Giles County, Tennessee wivilbio -- Vilas County, Wisconsin Biographies wvmascem -- Mason County, West Virginia Cemeteries 5. NEW ROOTSWEB MAILING LISTS ----------------------------- The following are NOT webpages--they are mailing lists. For more information and an index to the more than 25,290 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists and the subscribing options, please go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ To subscribe or unsubscribe to/from any RootsWeb-hosted mailing list, send a plain text (not HTML) e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the message body to: [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to: [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode) To request a new mailing list: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BAALMAN, BESINGER, BISSONNETTE, BOJKO, BOOS, BRUST CHAUVET, CLINKSCALE, COUTINHO DEBAY, DELAUNAY, DITTON, DOBAK, DOSENBACH FEAARNLEY, FLECHS GATHERUM, GEISER, GIRRARD, GRZYB HEMMERLY, HENNIGAR, HOLLINGSEAD, HUSSONG KETTLEBAND LACHMANN, LAWER, LEMKAU, LIGHTBOURNE MADDERN, MAGRAY, MCSWEEN, MOMBOURQUETTE, MORINE, MUGFORD NATHANSON, NEMES, NEMIS PORQUET, PUROL RASHBROOK, ROKOS, ROMANSKI, ROSBROOK, RUSHBROOKE SAIA, SCHLEEPER, SITEMAN, SPILLANE, SUIRE ST-LAURENT -- St. Laurent surname TOUT UZZELL VERRILL WAINWRITE, WRAITHMELL ZAVITZ, ZIEGENGEIST NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS 8TH-TEXAS-CAVALRY -- The 8th Texas Cavalry, CSA (Terry's Texas Rangers) CT-CEMETERIES -- Cemeteries in Connecticut (USA) CEMETERIESPHOTOGRAPHED -- Companion list to the "Cemeteries Photographed" site at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~t42cemeteries/ POLISH-PA -- Polish ancestors in Pennsylvania NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS GAMILTON -- Milton County, Georgia (existed between 1857 and 1932) NZ-AUCKLAND -- Used by those researching family who are, were, or arrived in the city of Auckland, New Zealand OH-AKRON -- Genealogical interest in the city of Akron, Ohio 6. NEW PERSONAL FREEPAGES AND HOMEPAGES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------- [Note: When your new, updated, or revised personal pages located at RootsWeb (they will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL) are up and ready for visitors, please send the URL (Web address), along with a brief description of what is available on your site to: rwr-editor@rootsweb.com Comments and questions about any of these independently authored webpages should be directed to their respective compilers/webmasters.] ALSTONS from the CAROLINAS (North and South Carolina, U.S.A.) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~susanp/ BOLGER GENEALOGY. The lineage of Martin BOLGER and Bridget JORDAN, who immigrated to Canada from County Wexford, Ireland. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bolger/ BORLAND, BUFFINGTON, BURTIS, ELDER, FOSTER, GASS, HUMPHREY, CLARK, CLUTE, COOK, CONN, FARRIS, FLINT, HOVEY, MYRICK, KELSO, KILGORE, McCORMICK, NESBITT, SMITH, STEWART, STOREY, STUBBINS, RANDALL, SHERMAN, SPILLER, STANNARD, TIPPEY, TIPPY, WEBB, WINKLEPLECK, and YOUNG. Includes numerous photographs of unidentified persons. Most of these are studio photographs. They were taken in Lyndon and Osage City, Kansas, and Pittsburgh, Erie, Mercer and Allegheny (city), Pennsylvania. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kenwebb/ CEMETERIES PHOTOGRAPHED IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, and the WORLD. More than 10,900 pictures of headstones. Most of the cemeteries currently featured are near Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas and in Grady and Greer counties of Oklahoma. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~t42cemeteries/ FITZ RANDOLPH. Searchable database for the genealogy of the FITZ RANDOLPH family. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fitzrandolph/ HANCORNS OF HEREFORDSHIRE. Researching surnames of HANCORN, HANCON, HANCORNE, and HANKIN. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~roseana/hancorne.htm INDIA. HISTORICAL MAPS OF INDIA. Maps of pre-independance India. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~poyntz/India/maps.html INDIA. THACKERS AND OTHER DIRECTORIES. Researchers of family history of Europeans in India (ca 1713-1948) often find Thackers Directories are a valuable source of information. Published each year and covering the period until Indian independence in 1947, they contain annual lists of civilian European and prominent Indian residents, which help to place many individuals in specific places. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~poyntz/India/directories.html MADDOX, ROTRAMEL. Links to other Maddox family pages, have searchable database; links to family pictures. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~maddoxfamily/ MICHIGAN CEMETERY TRANSCRIPTIONS. Cemeteries in Montmorency, Arenac, and other counties. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~micemtranscriptions/ NICHOLS, PUGH. JOHN NICHOLS FAMILY SOCIETY. A site for the descendants of Australian First Fleet convict John NICHOLS and his wife Ann PUGH. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johnnichols/ OHIO CEMETERIES. Chris Lindegarde's Cemetery Transcription Page. Transcriptions and photos of cemeteries in northeastern Ohio. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ohiocem/ ROSS, WAY, MOORE, GUGGISBERG, deLELLIS, MARINELLI, STUBBINS. ROSS and WAY families in England; MOORE from Ireland; GUGGISBERG from England; and deLELLIS and MARINELLI from Chieti, Italy. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mooregirls/ WEATHERLY, AYRES, DeROUSSE, KITE, and CARPER. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~vsummers/ WHELTON, BROMAN, HORRIGAN. MARY ELLEN'S NUGGETS. WHELTON family from 1800, BROMAN and HORRIGAN family from 1850. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sanf/ WILDGOOSE CHASE. A GAGGLE OF GEESE a.k.a. THE WILLGOOSE WEBSITE. Information gathered so far on our GEESE ancestors. There are three main sections: GANDERS, GEESE and other BIRDS. Dedicated to all the GEESE who flew before us and those still to be hatched.. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~willgooseweb/ * * * PAID ADVERTISEMENTS * * * The new 10th edition of THE HANDY BOOK is available at http://www.genealogical.com/ Fifty percent larger than the 9th edition, it's one BLOCKBUSTER of a genealogy book. 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FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG -------------------------------------------- Pictures Take Circuitous Route Home By Millie Guinup pices11@twcny.rr.com> In June a lady in Oregon was surfing through family pictures on an online auction site. The pictures were ID'd [identified] and she recognized the surname (GUINUP) from a website that our cousin has. She bought the pictures, contacted our cousin who in turned contacted us who are really into our genealogy. Of course I got back to her immediately, if not sooner, and she eventually sent them to us, I contacted the person that put them on the online auction site, in the event he was a kin. He told me the story that he bought the pictures at a house sale many years ago in either Syracuse, Utica or Fulton, New York area, he moved to Virginia and forgot all about them until he decided to clean his garage and make them available online. These pictures traveled more than 6,000 miles just to come back home and we are valuing them like they are gold. They are of our granduncle, Merton GUINUP and his mother, Celia GUINUP, and sisters, Addie and Florence, along with some of his cousins. What are the chances of this happening again in our lifetime? * * * Mabel's Legacy By CJ Leeper Cjleeper@aol.com Mabel Hickey was born 18 May 1893 in New Haven, Connecticut of first- generation Irish refugees. Family lore has it that Mabel's mother wanted her named May Bell, but her teamster father refused such a frivolous gesture, settling instead for the more business-like Mabel. The family removed to St. Louis and two more daughters, Gertrude and Grace, were born to Matthew Joseph HICKEY and Elizabeth Patricia (McCAHERY) HICKEY before great-grandmother died unexpectedly in March of 1899. Matthew is found in the 1900 census as a student of dentistry with only Mabel in the household. By 1910 all three daughters are living with Matthew, who never remarried. Despite Matthew's eventual dental practice and presumed success, Mabel's life was defined by deprivation and poverty. She went to work as a teenager, qualified early as a teacher, moved away, married and had three daughters of her own. Gertrude and Grace also moved on for employment reasons, then marriage. In December 1930 Matthew Joseph HICKEY sold his home on Jefferson Street and disappeared. Family lore has it he died a tragic death after 1940, location unknown. The Irish immigrant legacy of deprivation and austerity seemed to repeat itself into Grandmother Mabel's maturity. Grandfather left when their youngest daughter was about a year old. Grandmother somehow managed, although there is little that is graceful remembered of her personality. All provisions that sustain life and hope seemed in short supply. The procurement and dispersement of all things were defined by a kind of exquisite longing, anticipation and agony. In childhood I saw Mabel only twice, but heard enough about her to understand she early might have had too little of the goodness that life has to offer. I became interested in genealogy while our younger son was working on his 7th-grade family history project. It was a source of amazement that my husband's family had collected reams of family information, while my family history seemed so limited. Eventually it became possible to retire and take some time to begin my family history search. Where to begin when there seemed so little to go on? Quite early in the process, before the first field trip, I dreamt I was talking to my Grandmother Mabel. In this dream I remember feeling embarrassed to ask for something when I knew she had so little, but did tell her I needed her help in this family history quest. Although, in this dream, she had nothing to offer I felt she truly heard me. Ten years went by. In that interim words cannot fully describe the many kindnesses and all manner of assistance offered in fleshing out the extraordinary journey of Mabel HICKEY and her family. Finally, the primary task remaining was to discover the location of my mother's sisters. They by and large, like Mabel and her sisters, had had little contact over the years. Fully 60 years had gone by since they had seen one another, and written correspondence had been scarce through those years. Very recently I stumbled upon an unclaimed property website and found $200 belonging to Mabel who had died in 1988. I sent the information to my parents. Coincidentally, the next week, they received a letter from Mabel's eldest daughter. It was without a doubt this legacy of $200 that prompted my mother to share the location of her elder sister. Although our families have lived all over the world, my aunt and cousins are to be found just a few counties away! Within a couple of days we enjoyed a wonderful visit with aunt and cousins, and anticipate many more family gatherings in the future. So, Grandmother of my dreams, may you too forever after know something of the kindnesses of strangers and the goodness of life. And, thank you for the legacy that has finally begun to put your family back together. 8. HUMOR: Old Age Can Kill You ----------------------------------- Thanks to: Marilyn who writes: I've been transcribing county death schedules from New Brunswick, and discovered that: Sarah died in 1891, she was a 67-year-old housekeeper, and cause of death was "worn out," length of illness, 2 months. Then there's Margaret, she died in 1888, she was 92 years old, cause of death "old age," length of illness, "1 week" Phoebe, on the other hand, was only 88 when she died in 1888. She too, died of "old age," but she had it "several years." William died in 1888, at 84, of "old age," but he had it "not long." Mrs. Seeley, age 91, died in 1888 of old age, she only had it "one day." 9. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, REPRINT POLICY, RWR ARCHIVES, SUBSCRIPTIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We welcome short (500 words or less) articles, stories, or letters for publication in the RootsWeb Review. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. They should be sent as a plain text e-mail message (no html and no attachments) to: rwr-editor@rootsweb.com RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. Post genealogical queries on all relevant surname, locality and topic boards and lists: message boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ mailing lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 5, No. 31, 31 July 2002. ========================================================================