Start off the new year with genealogical research goals to be met
Ruby's Resolutions
Although less than a week had passed, the excitement of Christmas Day seemed to be a long time ago, except for the eating of leftover turkey in many forms. hot turkey sandwiches, cold turkey sandwiches, turkey with warmed up potatoes, turkey with potato scallop and finally the turkey rack was boiled and every little piece was salvaged for the making of turkey soup. I had really had my fill of turkey, when Mum announced that company was coming for New Year's dinner and we were having a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Just when I thought I had seen the end of turkey on the menu - another week of leftover meals from the gobbler!
Mum and Dad didn't go out on New Year's Eve. It was just another night of sitting in the kitchen entertaining ourselves as best we could. Mum was listening to CHSJ as her favourite radio announcer, Foster Marr was having an open line show. Listeners were calling in with their New Year's Resolutions and a prize was going to be given to the most original. Some folk were going to stop smoking, others were going to go on a diet and the list went on.
Dad was muttering under his breath that resolutions were made to be broken on the second day of January. This didn't make much sense to me.
As the years have rolled by, I find myself making lots of genealogical research resolutions as the New Year approaches.
This year for starters, I am going to spend time exploring Todd Gilbert's New Brunswick Genealogy Links at http://nbgenlinks.new-brunswick.net/. He currently provides access to more than 4400 NB-related links so that will keep me busy for awhile.
Number 2 would be to file this year's issues of the Kings County Memories, the newsletter of the Kings County Historical Society. If you are not a member maybe you would like to join by contacting Beverly Floyd, 30 Erb Settlement Road, Erb Settlement, NB, E5P 1Z4. The membership dues are $20.00 per year and this entitles you to 7 issues of their very interesting publication as well as unlimited use of the Museum Archives at the Kings County Museum in Hampton. They meet seven times a year with guest speakers. For more information or operating hours of the Museum contact Faye Pearson at kingscm@nbnet.nb.ca.
Number 3, make a visit to the Library & Archives of the New Brunswick Museum and catch up on new material that has been added.
Number 4, go to the Saint John Free Public Library with no task at hand, and just look through the CB files, card catalogues and the books in the family history section.
Number 5, click on http://www.archives.ca/00/00_e.html#top to visit the National Archives of Canada.
Number 6, take all the scraps of paper and newspaper clippings from the chocolate boxes and paste them into a scrapbook.
Number 7, access the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick site at http://www.gnb.ca/archives/e/index.htm and spend an hour or two.
Number 8, drop by to Miramichi Books and read the information on the 600 or more titles listed for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia historical and genealogical books. http://www.abebooks.com/home/MIRAMICHIBOOKS/
Number 9, as soon as spring arrives take pictures of the tombstones of all ancestors.
Number 10, get out the boxes of photographs and write names and pertinent information on the back of them
Did you notice that I made no resolution to be a better housekeeper? I have read a lot of obituaries and looked at many tombstones but so far I have found little mention made of a woman's housekeeping accomplishments.
Happy New Year!
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Query
Blake - Benedict: I'm trying to find information about the Saint
John family of Azel Blake. He married my great-aunt Elma Benedict (born in
1894 in Westchester County, NY) and had a managerial position with the Sugar
Refinery in Saint John during the 1920s. Most of the scant information I
have about this family has been gleaned from pencilled legends on the back
of old photos. Two of their five children are identified by name: Arthur
and Miriam. The Blake home was on the corner of Spruce St. and Seely St.-
(possibly 55 Seeley St.). With time and diligence I may be able to find those
details necessary to complete genealogy charts, but right now I'm most excited
at the prospect of getting in touch with Blake kin (no matter how distant)
who might still reside in Saint John or afar as well as locating readers
who recall members of the family and who would be willing to share their
memories (no matter how trivial) with me.
-MarSue Birter, 322 Cadbury Court, Gahanna, Ohio, 43230, USA. Telephone
(614) 476-2195. E-mail FILERITE1@aol.com.