Family history across the seas

 Geniaus has amended an earlier meme from Becky in May 2009 over at Kinexxions. Geniaus thought it was time to dinkumise it (ie make it ridgey-didge or pure Aussie). This is the Australian version of this 99 Things Genealogy meme.  My own feeling is that the National Archives in Washington (#68) escaped being dinkumised (or am I missing something?) and would prefer to substitute my addition #101. Visiting Salt Lake City is probably on everyone’s wish list wherever they live. This was fun, thanks Geniaus and Becky.

No doubt each of us has things we regard as a top priority in our family history so I’ve been wayward and added #100, amended #92, and would love to substitute #101 for #65. Others would no doubt change other items but I guess that’s not the point of a meme.

Things you have already done or found – bold type
Things you would like to do or find – italics
Things you have not done or found /don’t care to – (or that I know hasn’t happened in my family).

1. Belong to a genealogical society (two, sometimes three)
2. Joined the Australian Genealogists group on Genealogy Wise
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded headstone pictures to Find-A-Grave or a similar site (Flickr).
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Cleaned up a run-down cemetery. (I can see my family’s eyes rolling)
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference.
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society/local library’s family history group.
12. Joined the Society of Australian Genealogists.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society (was on the organising committee of a genie conference).
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery. (It was Ireland after all).
16. Talked to dead ancestors. (come on George, tell me how you got here…etc)
17. Researched outside the state in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name (and those of ancestors – it turns up great info sometimes)
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board.
30. Was injured while on a genealogy excursion (using the rental car’s bonnet to climb over the spiked fence of an Irish cemetery and tearing one of my two pairs of trousers, and narrowly missing important body parts must surely count?).
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items: family histories of friends’ families for Christmas or birthday, as well as my own personal history for my children.
33. Performed a record lookup.
34. Took a genealogy seminar cruise: if the fabulous speaker roll-out for November’s Unlock the Past cruise can’t tempt me, I’m not sure anything will.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space (a swimmer….but only one?)
36. Found a disturbing family secret (see #84).
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret (but not all of the secrets).
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion obsession not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person. (Korean MIA project)
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. (please don’t jinx me)
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology –sometimes it’s borderline but it’s a great way to learn.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher (hi Sheila!).
45. Disproved a family myth through research.
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language. (German ancestry)
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. 
53. Used Google+ for genealogy (have only just got on Google+).
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57. Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century (almost there).
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents (I got in a muddle with this originally -it’s my 3 x greats that are AWOL, mostly Irish).
60. Found ancestors on the Australian Electoral Rolls: Commonwealth and State.
61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer (isn’t that what the computer is for?)
62. Have found many relevant and unexpected articles on Trove to “put flesh on the bones”.
63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC (why would I want to? Have I missed something? Happy to be enlightened)
66. Visited the National Library of Australia.
67. Have an ancestor who came to Australia as a ten pound pom.
68. Have an ancestor who fought on Gallipoli: need my husband’s family for this one, mine were on the Western Front in WWI.
69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
70. Can “read” a church record in Latin. (have managed to decipher some, but only with a dictionary, reference book or Google)
71. Have an ancestor who changed his/her name, just enough to be confusing.
72. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
73. Created a family website.
74. Have a genealogy blog.
75. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone: two hundred years of family geneaogy in one email from Germany – after years of hunting.
76. Have broken through at least one brick wall (but someone keeps putting up more).
77. Done genealogy research at the War Memorial in Canberra (pre-digitisation).
78. Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Centre(s) (I love the diverse records that are available).
79. Found an ancestor in the Ryerson index (lots of rellies, ancestors already taken care of)
80.  Have visited the National Archives of Australia.
81. Have an ancestor who served in the Boer War: can I count my husband’s relation?
82. Use maps in my genealogy research (how can one not?).
83. Have a convict exile I research who was transported from the UK. He shares a name with my ancestor and in the same area of Queensland so needed to unravel them.
84. Found a bigamist amongst my ancestor’s wives (note, he was not the bigamist).
85. Visited the National Archives in Kew. (Looking up seamen’s records especially)
86. Visited St. Catherine’s House in London to find family records.
87. Taken online genealogy (and local history) courses.
88. Consistently (document) and cite my sources.
89. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don’t live in) in search of ancestors.
90. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes (it’s the minutes that are the challenge)
91. Have an ancestor who was married four times.
92. Made a rubbing of Restored an ancestor’s gravestone (this seemed a more productive and long-term solution).
93. Followed genealogists on Twitter.
94. Published a family history book (on one of my families) and in-family histories on others.
95. Learned of a death of a fairly close family relative through research: I’m not really sure what’s meant by this one but I learned of my great-grandmother’s harrowing death through research.
96. Offended a family member with my research: I suspect they didn’t like the research I found about their branch, but not entirely sure as they’re no longer talking to me and they didn’t come to the reunion.
97. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
98. Have a paid subscription to a genealogy database.
99. Edited records on Trove. (ages ago – must do more).
100. Organised a family reunion. (my addition)
101. Used Archives in countries where my ancestors originated. (my replacement for #65).