THE BLOGGERS GENEAMEME - My Responses to 20 Questions!

Jill Ball at geniaus.blogspot.co.ukhttp://geniaus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-bloggers-geneameme.html  posted a wonderful set of questions for genealogy bloggers several days ago, and here I am with my responses!  Somewhat delayed - it takes me a few days to get my head organized, and I had to finish my post yesterday on a not-so-brick wall ancestor first... 

20 Questions:

1. Titles, URLs of blog(s):
   Twigs and Trees  is my personal blog on my ancestors
   Terwilliger Souvenir Album  is my page-by-page inventory and research of my maternal great-grandfather's 1800s souvenir album.  Many pages yet to go. 
2. Cousin Bait blog story? 
   No - not yet, but I have high hopes.  My family enjoys the posts, however, so all is not lost! 
3. Why start blogging? Someone who inspired me? 
   I enjoyed reading and commenting on others' blogs, Jill's among many others.  So many inspired me - Jill being one of them.
4. Blog Title? 
   My mother's mother was a TERWILLIGER, and the nickname for males is often "Twig", thus the title for "Twigs and Trees".  My great-grandfather's Souvenir Album - it is what it is - the "Terwilliger Souvenir Album", being inventoried.
5. Blog from mobile device?
   I don't yet blog from any mobile device - only one is my Galaxy S3 smartphone, and I want more availability to use photos, document snippets and more at the same time.
6. Let others know about new posts?
   I "publish" then do a G+ comment for the Genealogy community on G+ plus I add Family for several of my kids on G+;  I also Tweet the new post linkage;  and finally, I do a FaceBook post on each new post, and highlight so it hopefully shows up on my busy kids'-cousins'-and friends' FB pages.  
7. How long blogging?
   ONE YEAR for both of them - I started Twigs and Trees several months before the Album blog.  Can't believe it's already been a whole year!!
8. Widgets, elements essential on genealogy blog? 
   Hmmm.  I like to add some photo or snippet of a document, for interest. Plus links to webpages of places or maps.  Anything to add some sense of place or person.  
9. Purpose? Intended audience?
   Family - known family like cousins and kids, plus unknown cousins - or even some known but not talked with for awhile (years!).   Also, if anyone reads about their family - in the Album blog there are many calling cards, other papers listing friends and acquaintances - I hope to learn more about my greatgrandparents' social lives if readers share their bits of information with me. 
10. Posts proud of?
    That is so hard to answer - not so much 'proud' but satisfied and pleased with the way posts came out.  The Inside Front Page of the Terwilliger Souvenir Album was a big deal for me - so many bits and pieces to write about.  I also got the most amount of help and views on G+ on that one.  But the photos on Wordless Wednesday posts - love those as well - here's one that received comments on G+, FB, as well.
11. Keep up with blog reading?
    Feedly at the moment, although Google Reader was so easy.  Luckily many also publish on G+ as well, reminding me to read particular posts.  I have a small list of about 40 blogs-must-read, and zip through them most mornings. 
12. Platform? 
    Blogger - easy, simple, trouble-free (except for the past 2 days!), and free - which is terribly important to me and my minuscule budget.
13. New Features for blogging software? 
    I don't have suggestions - I just want it easy to use!!  
14. Most popular posts with readers? 
    The Inside Front Cover, mentioned above, had the most views (Album). 
    Twigs and Trees posts are about equal, with little bumps up on Wordless Wednesday photos.
15. Sole blogger or shared blog?
    I'm it, the one and only blogger.  
16. How do I compose my posts?
    I sit at my computer and type, putting in the title first, then write until I'm done;  edit for readability, add links for webpages of interest, add images if I can, put in the names and places in the Labels section, add a final paragraph asking for contacts from people who might have something to add.  I love to write and simply - write  (well, type).  
17. Non-genealogy related blogs? 
    Not at present.  However I'm trying to do more fiction writing, belong to several writing groups, and will hopefully be starting a whole new 'face' for my writing persona.  Within a year I hope.
18. Listed at Geneablogger? 
    Of course!  
19. Resources helpful for blogging?
    Others' posts are very inspirational for various reasons.  Nothing sticks out as particular resources.  Hmmm. This is an interesting question.  
20. Advice to new Geneablogger?
    Do it.  Just do it.  Start and keep going.  Do it for yourself - you will learn so much from writing on your genealogy.  And the support from others in the community - PRICELESS!  A whole new world of wonderful people are out there wanting you to succeed according to your own personal standards.  Don't forget to comment on others' blogs as well - we all love to receive friendly comments. 
    
    Thanks so much, Jill. A very interesting exercise!
    

A SMALL MUD WALL - Charlotte BORTLE

I know very little indeed about my 3rd great-grandmother, Charlotte BORTLE.  However, I'm only calling her a "mud wall" rather than a brick wall in order to keep positive, and to remind me to continue gathering clues.  Just starting to write this blog and I'm already finding several clues, plus ideas of what else to dig through!   

Charlotte BORTLE was born 10 Oct 1797 in New York state, of unknown parents.  She appears on the marriage register, Northumberland, Saratoga, New York, married by a Justice, Reed Lewis, to Grover BUELL - one of my three Grover BUELL direct ancestors. Those three Grovers are another story needing to be told, later.   Marriage date:  17 December 1814.

Her husband, Grover, was born 24 Dec 1794 in Northumberland, Saratoga, New York, so I am making an assumption that her BORTLE parent(s) lived in that area at the time.  Northumberland as a town was formed in 1798, according to their website. 

After they married, they seem to have stayed in Northumberland, as their first 3 girls were born there:  Mary, b. 18 Jan 1816;  Sally, b. 4 Feb 1819;  Ann Janette b. 15 Dec 1822.  The family apparently moved in 1823 to Lysander, Onondaga, New York, and remained there until the parents died there several years apart, in the 1870s.   Both Simon - the only boy - b. 13 Feb 1827, and the final and 4th girl, Harriet (my direct ancestor)  b. 27 Jan 1829, were born in Lysander, Onondaga.  Check out this website for more information on the village of Lysander.

Charlotte died the 22nd September 1879 in Lysander, and is buried in Lysander Union Cemetery.  Her inscription is on her husband's gravestone, and can be found here;  the stone states she was 81 years, 11 months, and 12 days old.  

Grover was a farmer, and Charlotte was listed as "Farmer's wife" on the Federal Census Mortality Schedule for Lysander, Onondaga, New York. She had died in the year prior to the 1880 Census, thus providing a few more clues for me by being recorded. Her listing is in rather small writing, but states (my additions):
Buell, Mrs.   (age) 82  F  W   (b) New York  (fa) N.S.  (mo) N.S.  (occupation) Farmer's Wife   
      (month died)  Sep't (1879)  (cause)  Asthma   (attending physician)  Dr. Leslie Martin

Of course you can see those clues, can't you?  Her father and mother - birthplace listed as N.S.  Nova Scotia, Canada!  Yeah!!  Well, they are only clues, nothing proven at all. But I'm hopeful and will be doing more research as soon as possible.  Bortle is considered to be from a possible Dutch origin, and the name of their 3rd daughter, Ann Janette, implies this origin as well.  Another tiny and interesting clue. 

If you have any of the 3-in-a-row Grover BUELL ancestors in your tree, do contact me; and/or if you have information on Charlotte BORTLE and her family, I'd love to hear from you:  calewis at telus dot net  [you know what to substitute for the words].