RememberYourRoots

Tribute to Bill Qualey

2010-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that is a tribute to my Uncle Bill who passed away unexpectedly June 16, 2010

http://vimeo.com/14015244

Memoirs of Uncle Bill

2010-06-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

If anyone has any pictures, videos. I would like to compile them all as a tribute and be able to give this to Aunt Dawn. Please send them all here and I will pull them down and compile them on a disc for her.

Thanks again everyone for all you are doing for her. I greatly appreciate it.

In Loving Memory of My Uncle Bill Qualey

2010-06-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

William Eugene Qualey of Rogers, MN passed away unexpectedly Wednesday June 16, 2010. He was born Oct. 11, 1946 in Island Falls the son of George and Ella (Cunningham) Qualey. Bill was a master craftsman at his trade and specialized in dressage horses and hunter/jumpers. Bill spent his life with his fiancee Dawn Uherka. He is survived by his fiancee Dawn, six brothers, Phillip, Bernard, David, Steven, Paul and Buzzy and 4 sisters, Sue, Doris, Irene and Eloise as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and one sister Angela. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Minnesota at the request of the family.

Finally Found My Great Great Grandmother's Final Resting Place.

2010-05-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

My Great Great Grandmother Emma Bates Cunningham born 1869 and died in 1911. She died in Bangor, Maine cause of death unknown. Her final resting place is in the Patten Cemetery in an unmarked grave. In an unmarked grave for now that is. I will see that she gets the proper recognition. So glad that I have finally found her.

How I became interested in genealogy.

2010-05-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

I first started researching as a teenager. I had a medical condition that I was told it was hereditary. It was then that I began to ask my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all that I could contact. Not a single one had it. Then I said I need to seek the death certificates of my loved ones for medical conditions and that was where I finally located what I was looking for as my great grandfather had the same condition. I was too intrigied to stop there and now 18 years later I'm still searching on a daily basis. It is such an adventure and so rewarding.

Family Photos

2010-05-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of my dear loved ones in the Crystal, Patten, Sherman, Benedicta area.

2010-05-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Family Gathering 2010

2010-05-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is a very special time and I always enjoy being with the family. I was visiting my mom and grandparents. I had been visiting with my family all morning when I went into the living room. I was looking at old military of my grandfather and his brothers as 4 of the 5 boys were serving in WWII at the same time. One of his brother he didn't know where he was and my grandfather got delayed to his next destination and he met his brother Frank on the boat on the English Chanel. Frank who I knew they met up there I didn't know that he was one of the guards for the Nuremberg Trial. Frank died a few years later.

Oral Interviews

2010-02-21T15:35:00.001-08:00

Please all as you all gather on the weekends with your family don't forget to bring a notebook or a digital recorder. Maybe it is gathering at the dinner table after morning mass or coming together just for a family visit. Maybe they have always had a specific meal on a particular night. You might ask why that is so and who in the family started that tradition. There may be a lovely heirloom and have yet to know whose that once was. It is no time like the present to ask away and just speak of the past as the little stories can lead to big adventures that can be documented. If you are to ask a specific time or event it may be overwhelming but if you sit and listen and let them tell the stories that you can question specifics based on that particular story. Please don't ever forget your grassroots and show thanks to the community as without that background you wouldn't be where you are today. Appreciate those around you and give back to make it a better place for the generations to come.

Chambers Reunion

2008-09-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks all who attended and our rememberence of Uncle Ron as he passed the afternoon prior to the reunion. It was a bitter-sweet reunion. It was nice to see you all and thanks for all the balloon release for Ron. It was a pleasure to see you all. I will post pictures in the next week. All three children are in soccer so life is a little hectic.

Love you all

Remember Your Roots

2008-08-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

This blog was created to honor my family and keep others intrigued as their family is unique and has a story that needn't be forgotten. No matter whether it is good or bad it is part of who you are and please don't judge based on that but keep the memories alive. Sometimes our parents or grandparents did something that we may not have understood why but after learning more about our ancestors the pieces of the puzzle come together.

Thank you to all the men and women that have served and who are currently serving in the Armed Forces. I appreciate your dedication and sacrifice that you have given to give us the freedom we have today.

Dad,

I know it is so hard for you to speak of Vietnam and I will probably die never hearing your stories. I know how much it has affected you. I want you to know that I love you and I am so proud to be your daughter. If one day you chose to share those stories or just want a shoulder to lean on, cry on. I'm here for you.

Love,

Daddy's little girl

(Proud daughter of a Purple Heart Vietnam Veteran)

Update on Family Research

2008-08-10T17:12:00.001-07:00

I have been typing in numerous obituaries today and also cite sourcing them as I go along. As I type them in I am filing them accordingly in the file folders. It is a long process but worthwhile in the end.

My work is never done as it is an ongoing and rewarding process.

Genea-Blogger Games 2008

2008-08-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Previous —
I’m participating in the Genea-Blogger Games 8 August 2008
As of today, I am an official participant in the 2008 Genea Blogger Group Games.

I will be competing in various catagories as well.
I will site the sources that I have just gathered this week as I site each time I input my information but I have received a lot this week.
Do an additional back up of my data, send it to the people that I have keep a copy of it in case of a natural disaster and also bring one to the bank to store in my safety desposit box.
Type in numerous obituaries that I have just received.
Organize my files.Organize Your Data
Update my table of contents to my files with the new information
Scan and label pictures and put them in the family tree accordingly.
Write, Write, Write
Assist others genealogists in their requests.
Transcribe 10 more cemeteries.

Update

2008-07-31T04:44:00.000-07:00

Taking all my digital images of the headstones of my ancestors and putting them in the scrapbook feature on the family tree maker program. Photos are a wonderful touch to add to the file. Also the wonderful stories people have to tell are amazing as well.

I will travel to New Brunswick shortly to attain more information on some of the linages.

What's Going On

2008-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to thank Mr. Morgan for helping me preserve the cemeteries in Maine by transcribing with me. Also Indiana is trying to ditigalize all of its records so I am transcribing the Mortality Indexes for them.

Compiling a book at the present time of The Johann Diederich Rasche Family of Germany and Benedicta, ME. It will include all of John D. Rush descendants until the present time. Stories, pictures, obituaries, etc.

How I Started Researching My Family

2008-07-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Just a note to introduce why medical research is so important in genealogy. I was diagnosed with a rare health condition and was told that more than likely it was hereditary. I had no knowlege of it being in the family and all the ones that I spoke to did not either. Thanks to the vital records, photos, etc. I was able to find 3 of my ancestors with the same condition. With that being said, it sure helped me in getting treated and also having others in the family tested as well.

My family always wanted to conceal the family medical history and in some instances that could be a matter of life and death for some. I was not digging into these items to be nosy but I needed information for myself to manage my health. I obtained enough to give to the doctors to start a record of it but thus far my family is still leary about health information going out.

Also for those of you that emailed me in the family about childhood pictures I don't have many. I had to wear braces on my legs from the hips down and couldn't ride my bike without having to take the braces off. I despised wearing those braces for all those years so I would never let the family take pictures of me with them on. I will look around to see if I can find one but I don't think there are any at all. If so they are ones that I don't know about.

Michelle

Great Grandparents

2008-07-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is just one of my 1,000 + pictures of my relatives headstones.

My great grandparents. Sherman Corner Cemetery, Sherman, ME

Treasured Memories

2008-07-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Please make sure and document things as later on down the road when you look back you can prove who said it. It is so nice to know who told you this story or a particular piece of information that you can now expand your parimeters. You may want to retrace the steps that they once took either when they first settled there or maybe even a family gathering place that was frequently visited. No matter how small things are there is always a story behind it. Treasure those memories and keep them alive for generations to come.

Don't Forget Where You Came From

2008-07-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Things happen over time and people change but don't forget where you came from. No matter where you are now you were brought in the direction for a reason. There are people in your life that assisted you in your endeavors and don't forget them.

No matter what has happened in your family in the past that is all part of where we came from. Not all things are prim and proper but neither is life and we don't judge each other based on what our ancestors did. That is all part of who we are and looking back we can only act on the present.