Saturday, January 3, 2015

SNGF - Best Find of 2014, and Challenge for 2015

It's has been a quite awhile since I've participated in a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun mission  from  Randy Seaver at  Genea-Musings. This week's mission is:

1) What was your best research achievement in 2014? 

My best research achievement in 2014 was discovering more about my Finnish side on my maternal great grandmother's side.  It all started with the help of a Finnish cousin. Once I discovered the parish they came from and how the records worked, I discovered many cousins and ancestors. I wrote posts for both my Finnish 2nd great grandparents Matti Mattinpoika Haukijärvi and Britta Maria Juhontytär Polo. The record that help get my Finnish research started was the marriage record for Matti and Britta Maria.
Honkavaara & Polo Marriage
2) What research problem do you want to work on in 2015?

For 2015 I would like to find out more information about my Finnish great grandfather Jaakko Makie or Makela. I have very little information about him. All I know about him is that he was born in Finland about 1883, I'm not even sure where. I'm not sure of his correct name and spelling. He lived in North Dakota, USA by Towner county where his children where born. He moved to the Coteau area in Saskatchewan about 1911. Jaakko ended up in Rich Lake, Alberta where he died in 1964 and he is buried in the Fork Lake Cemetery.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy 2015



May the New Year bring you happiness and many new discoveries.
Another year has gone and time to reflect on 2014 and prepare for 2015. My 2014 blogging year in review:

- I've had over 11,000 views in 2014. Not bad considering that it took me two years to have 10,000 views. 

- I wrote 38 posts most of them for the 52 Ancestor challenge started by Amy Johnson Crow of  No Story Too Small. Although I didn't manage an ancestor a week, I learned more about each one as I prepared the post. 

- I've started adding sources and their links if I can. It has taking me longer to get each post ready, but I'm learning more about how to do citations. 

- Jana Last from Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog included my blog in her Fab Finds for December 5, 2014. Thank you Jana.

-I had a DNA cousin add a comment with a translation for one of my Finnish photos posted on March 8, 2013. Thank you Jari. 

- My most popular post in 2014 was Workday Wednesday - The Public Benefit Boot Company. My posts about Robert's Roots always get lots of views like 52 Ancestors- Robert Stoddart and 52 Ancestors - Michael Lutz. My post about my Finnish 2nd great grandmother, 52 Ancestors - Britta Maria Polo (Honkawaara) had quite a few views. 

- Some of my family is now reading my blog. Our ancestors will live on if we share them and their stories. 

- I've added my blog to Pinterest.