Genealogical ADHD... I think I have it

As you can probably tell from my relative silence on the blogging front that I haven't been very productive on the genealogy research lately. I hate to admit that it's true ... work has been mad, have had some rather complex research queries at work, gave five presentations within a month, planned and booked summer holidays (which will include time in Cardiff to meet my third cousins, who I have met through my research), and am in the process of organizing a genealogy fair.  Time seems to be going by at a frantic pace.

I have done bits of research, but I think that I've been suffering from a bout of genealogical ADHD - bouncing from one branch to the other without fully committing to finishing the job at hand. To say that my attention has been scattered is an understatement.  I know that my lack of discipline reflects my tired inner genealogist and self.

My happy place

With an upcoming 2 day weekend, I am going to retreat to my happy place, sit in the sunshine, relax and assess the state of my research. I've come across a lot of interesting bits and pieces and will tell you about them shortly. I promise.

Cheers,
K.

Acts of Genealogical Kindness Keep Me in Awe

St. George's Church, Reynoldston, Wales

After a particularly busy month at work and a frightening tumble down some stairs at home (no broken bones thankfully, only bruises and a few bumps on my head), I started catching up on my home email to find some lovely photos of William James Ball's church and home in my inbox.

The photos were sent by a very kind soul who had connections to Reynoldston as a child and contacted me after I posted the story of William's stay and death at the Glamorgan Asylum. She also attempted to find William's grave in the Church cemetery, but found that the headstone had sunken below the grass and was no longer visible.

I can't tell you how much the photos brightened my day.  Thank you, Vivienne. I am always in awe of the generosity and kindness of people in the genealogical and local history communities.  I promise that I will pay it forward.

Cheers,
K.

Reflecting on genealogy and milestones

http://www.flickr.com/photos/synx508/3128207481/
Used under Creative Commons Attribution/Non-Commercial license

As I head towards a milestone birthday later this month (I'll not say which, but I haven't been able to claim '29 and holding' in decades), I have been thinking about how much genealogy has shaped and continues to shape my world - both professional and personal.

As I get older, the meaning of family and home has taken on different, yet stronger meanings for me. Having moved around a lot while growing up, I don't have a strong sense of home as physical place. However, I do feel attachment to many places - where I have lived, where my parents lived and where our ancestors lived too. Learning and understanding how these places have shaped or influenced me or my family is a big part of my interests and research nowadays. My own family means more to me than anything in this world - helping to connect them to our collective past and connecting with our extended family is a privilege and honour.

Genealogy has given me a way to root myself in many ways - to places, people and events which I had never considered before. Personally, I've also found that my precious spare seems to be devoted to genealogy and family history research. I look forward to attending RootsTech with my mother in March and sharing with her new discoveries about the field and the technical wizardry that makes this field so interesting (and challenging too, to say the least). Life seems to be speeding along nowadays - perhaps that is a sign of my age, too.

Professionally, I spend my days helping others find their homes, places and families - a journey which I am honoured to share with them. Nothing feels better than helping someone to make the connection between a long lost relative or ancestor. Conversely, I can understand that frustration of brickwalls and those research avenues which bear little in terms of concrete results. They are all part of the process.

As much as I look back to my own and my family's pasts, I am also looking forward to the future - shared with family, friends and genealogy colleagues.

Cheers, K.

Rethinking next steps

It's been a while since I last posted (and I do feel guilty about not getting back into the blogging groove). Family, holidays and work seem to have taken over my time over the last while - and with the appearance of August on the calendar, I keep thinking about fall and the rush that it will bring with the start of another school year, sports, etc. I shouldn't be wishing away summer. It is altogether too short and fleeting. I do plan to spend more evenings on the deck, enjoying the sunset.

I've been rethinking how to best approach my next set of research tasks. I've realized that I have been darting off in all directions - chasing elusive Ball clan members without much focus and being tempted by the Turner side, which is another maze.

To get back on track, I think that I'll need to focus on a select group of 'problem' relatives and develop some plans on how to best fill the missing pieces. Organizing my files, notes to self, downloads, and printouts, etc., along with updating my family history program are my goals for the remainder of the year.

With these new goals, it does not mean that I won't be blogging - I fully intend to keep everyone updated on my finds and progress to date. Hopefully, on a much more frequent basis.

Cheers, K.

P.S. I should note that the tombstone photograph is not of a Ball gravesite - rather a photograph taken during a family reunion trip to Manitou, Manitoba with my Mom and Aunt Barb in July 2010. We were exploring the LaRiviere Cemetery, which sits alongside the Pembina River, when I came across this headstone and found it particularly appealing.

Devon Family History Society

First off, I want to apologize for my lack of posts recently. I've been battling bronchitis for the past month and am now finally starting to feel like I'm back in the land of the living. I will endeavour to be more diligent with the frequency of my posts.

I was happy to receive my copy of the Devon Family Historian in the mail today. Its appearance was a wonderful reminder that family history or genealogy societies are a great resource in terms of expertise, local-on-the-ground information and support. While I haven't come across Ball family researchers working on my particular branch of the family, I have been helped by so many DFHS members via their e-mail (also known as 'mailing') list, website and the volunteers who staff their resource library called the "Tree House" in Exeter.

As I settle in to enjoy my copy of the Devon Family Historian, I would encourage researchers to join the local family history or genealogy society in the geographic area where their ancestors lived. You can really tap into great people, resources and local knowledge that you may not be able to access as a non-member, so far removed from your ancestors' county, state, province or country.

Cheers, K.

Vital event data for British Columbia

If you are looking for vital event information for British Columbians, check out the vital (birth, marriage and death) event indexes at the BC Archives . These indexes will provide vital event dates for specified time frames (according to privacy legislation guidelines). Copies of registrations can be ordered for a fee. However, you can also use the dates to track down newspaper announcements and obituaries at the public library.

Ground rules

As I start out on this journey, I wanted to lay a few ground rules for myself and those wishing to post comments:

1. Identities of living persons will not be posted in this blog, my posts and comment replies. Social media is wonderful, but I don't want to invade or disrespect the privacy of family and friends. We all live in a world where everything is 'out there', but it should be a personal choice. If you chose to self-identify, please refrain from naming others who may not want to be identified.

2. The story of the Ball family will start with my grandfather, William Huxtable Ball, and go back by generation. There will be the occasion where I might stray off the path (ie. to discuss other branches like the Turners, etc.), but I will try to keep the retelling as orderly as possible.

3. If I am wrong, please correct me. Genealogy is a continual work in progress. Revision, rethinking and retracing are all part of the game.

4. If you have a memory or story to share, please share it.  If you have additional information, please post, by all means.  It might be the clue that gets the research around the brick wall - and there are many. Your suggestions for possible avenues for research and investigation are most welcome.
5. Check back often. I will try to post regularly to keep the conversation going.

Cheers,
K.

Welcome to The Ball Bureau

Garry and Bill Ball, ca. 1941

Welcome to The Ball Bureau, a blog for the sharing of Ball family research.  I am currently tracing my Ball family history on my father's side and hope to connect with other Ball family historians and researchers.  My Ball connection comes from Devon, England and has reached into Glamorgan Wales. I haven't come across may researchers working on my line of ancestors, so I feel like I am breaking new ground.

This blog is dedicated to my Dad, Garry Ball, and his brother, Bill Ball, who shared a love of storytelling, laughter and family. Dad passed in 1992 and we lost Bill this past year.  They are in our hearts always.

Cheers,
Karen