Let me just say, first, that I am truly honored to have been asked to step up to the plate today and function as Vice President of the Society. Over the last couple of years, I must say that this group on the Board has been wonderful to watch and participate with. I can only hope to live up to a small part of Fred Hart’s example.
Well, I took the leap. I’ve just been published in “our” journal, Connecticut Ancestry, in the November 2005 issue. My grandmother had been the keeper of the “Family Bible” for as long as I can remember. That Bible and a copy of “Ye Historie of Ye Olde Town of Greenwich” by Spencer Mead that belonged to her father is what helped me begin my genealogical journey. My grandmother had given me Mead’s book. Between these two “books”, I was now linked to many of the old Stamford and Greenwich names: Ford, Hendrie, Betts, and, of course, Ferris and Lockwood. My grandmother had continued to record the “family facts” over the years in to that Bible. Shortly before her death, she followed tradition and passed it along to the eldest female descendant, my second cousin, Jill, who lives out West. Now was the time to preserve on the East Coast and share some of the great generational history found in the “Hurlbutt-Ford” Family Bible. In fact, it has a record of every decendant of the original recipient of the Bible, Sarah L. Hurlbutt, my g-g-g-grandmother, through 2001, for a total of “seven complete generations.” It also records Sarah’s siblings and parents and father’s siblings and parents, ultimately covering nine generations.
Doing the transcription was a real joy. Looks like I’ll need to find something else to work on for Harlan, our editor, real soon….
On October 5th, 2005, we had a wonderful presentation at the Fairfield Historical Society. It was a lecture on Eastern-European Research with a Focus on Poland done by Professor Jonathan D. Shea, A.G. of the Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut and the Northeast.My grandmother, while born here in the United States, was of Polish descent. Both of her parents had individually emigrated to the United States and were married here. I had always been led to believe that most of the records had been destroyed by the ravages of war through Central Europe or by the Communist occupation. This lecture pleasantly opened my eyes to an opportunity to research a side of my family that I had given up hope on.It will not be easy. First, and of utmost importance, is going to be locating the exact place of origin for my g-grandparents. Jonathan presented several good ideas on places to look. Second will be struggling with the language since records may be written in Polish, German, Russian, Latin, or even others given Poland’s fluid borders. I did purchase Jonathan’s book at the lecture entitled, In Their Words: A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin, and Russian Documents, Volume I: Polish. I am anxiously looking forward to beginning my research in this area.
I have to admit that it was my grandfather’s cousin-in-law who talked me in to joining Connecticut Ancestry just about a year ago. Of course, she is our President Emeritus, Mary Ann Stewart. My grandfather had only one cousin on his mother’s side and no siblings. On his father’s side, his cousins were much older. So, my mother has always called her Aunt, as do I. I think she knew how much fun I was about to have.