Volume 8 Issue 7 The Mason Log Mason County Genealogical Society  Thursday, April 7th  7:00 p.m.  12th & Connection— Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  Membership Dues to: Marilyn Lawson  Singles: $15.00 yearly Couples: $20.00 yearly 1900 US Population Census: What Is A Family? 2 News Brief—Mason County 2 Gathering Your Families Stories 3 Collaboration is Key 3 Pedigree Collapse 3-4 Inside this issue: I just attended the funeral of an aunt that I haven‘t seen for many years, and her children for even longer. This aunt was married to my uncle, who died a couple of decades ago. I‘ve lost track of them and the lives of their children. Most of the chil- dren are now adults, with spouses and children of their own. It was quite disconcerting to attend this event and be in the minority. One thing I did learn from an- other aunt, my mom‘s sister, was a very forth- right way of handling this situation. We were visit- ing when a young girl began to play the piano that was located directly behind us. We tried to figure out who she ‗belonged‘ to. After a few guesses and still not knowing for sure, my aunt decided she knew how to find out. This was her approach. She stood up, walked up behind the young girl and tapped her shoulder. The aunt said ―Excuse me, you are playing very well, but I‘m old, and I can‘t figure out who your par- ents are.‖ The young girl responded with a couple of names, but they were- n‘t of any help. The aunt then said, ―Well, I think I‘m older than they are, who are your grandpar- ents that are here?‖ The young girl then said she was with her Grandpa Jim. That was all we needed to know. Jim is the brother of the aunt whose funeral we were at. What I learned was, go ahead and ask. Confess to not knowing or remem- bering, you‘ll only gain more knowledge and have an enjoyable time visiting. Family Gatherings April 2011 WritingYou Family History You need to write about your family in the context of where they lived. You‘ve answered the question of where they lived, but can you tell what the terrain was like, the weather, was it a town, city or rural. You need to learn what the environment was like, study topographic maps to determine where people lived. You will want to be able to describe where they lived. What kind of vegetation was around? What type of animals lived in the area? What crops did they grow in that area and how did weather dur- ing that time affect them? Your next step will be put- ting your family into their historical context. Clothing, inventions, life styles, po- litical figures and deci- sions? April Meeting ? Goff family reunion—Kirkland, WA , OCR Text: Volume 8 Issue 7 The Mason Log Mason County Genealogical Society  Thursday, April 7th  7:00 p.m.  12th & Connection— Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  Membership Dues to: Marilyn Lawson  Singles: $15.00 yearly Couples: $20.00 yearly 1900 US Population Census: What Is A Family? 2 News Brief—Mason County 2 Gathering Your Families Stories 3 Collaboration is Key 3 Pedigree Collapse 3-4 Inside this issue: I just attended the funeral of an aunt that I haven‘t seen for many years, and her children for even longer. This aunt was married to my uncle, who died a couple of decades ago. I‘ve lost track of them and the lives of their children. Most of the chil- dren are now adults, with spouses and children of their own. It was quite disconcerting to attend this event and be in the minority. One thing I did learn from an- other aunt, my mom‘s sister, was a very forth- right way of handling this situation. We were visit- ing when a young girl began to play the piano that was located directly behind us. We tried to figure out who she ‗belonged‘ to. After a few guesses and still not knowing for sure, my aunt decided she knew how to find out. This was her approach. She stood up, walked up behind the young girl and tapped her shoulder. The aunt said ―Excuse me, you are playing very well, but I‘m old, and I can‘t figure out who your par- ents are.‖ The young girl responded with a couple of names, but they were- n‘t of any help. The aunt then said, ―Well, I think I‘m older than they are, who are your grandpar- ents that are here?‖ The young girl then said she was with her Grandpa Jim. That was all we needed to know. Jim is the brother of the aunt whose funeral we were at. What I learned was, go ahead and ask. Confess to not knowing or remem- bering, you‘ll only gain more knowledge and have an enjoyable time visiting. Family Gatherings April 2011 WritingYou Family History You need to write about your family in the context of where they lived. You‘ve answered the question of where they lived, but can you tell what the terrain was like, the weather, was it a town, city or rural. You need to learn what the environment was like, study topographic maps to determine where people lived. You will want to be able to describe where they lived. What kind of vegetation was around? What type of animals lived in the area? What crops did they grow in that area and how did weather dur- ing that time affect them? Your next step will be put- ting your family into their historical context. Clothing, inventions, life styles, po- litical figures and deci- sions? April Meeting ? Goff family reunion—Kirkland, WA , Mason County Genealogical Society,Mason Logs,Mason Logs,All Years,April+2011.pdf,April+2011.pdf Page 1, April+2011.pdf Page 1