Genealogy indexes and advice

Over 120 pages of genealogy and family history advice and indexes.

Via your lender page and the 'Genealogists for Families' team page, http://www.kiva.org/team/genealogists

Queensland, Australia

You have certainly led an interesting life! I was just curious about which part of Yorkshire you are researching. Many of my family lines were in North Yorkshire. I've had some major breakthroughs via CuriousFox, http://www.curiousfox.com/.

Gary gave me his card

Hesperia, CA by way of Norwalk, CA

Gary, loved working with you at today's Angels' practice game. Good to meet you and thanks for guiding me to your blog! You're living a very interesting life. You've charted it all and it's got alot of great information. See you at the next game.

Searching for history of Yankee Station

Hesperia, Ca.

Thanks for serving, I severed too in the USAF however a few years after you.
Good luck and happy traveling.
Dave

Illinois

I stumbled onto your website by accident but found it to be so interesting I had to book mark it to look at it a later time and today was my lucky day. I marked it because you have same name as a friend of ours so I knew I would have to check it out. What an interesting life you have had! I am a cerfified scuba diver but was not able to follow my dreams as were you and one of them was to swim with the Manatees in Fl. The years just flew by too quickly and dreams were put up on a shelf. How wonderful you have had the opportunity to travel and enjoy so many wonderful places. Thanks for sharing your "dreams come to life" with us all. I have not finished looking up all the links you have listed but must say I too have found Kim Komando's news letters to be very helpful. God Bless. B. Winn

Connecticut (now)

Hi Gary...
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! I see you're in AZ now.
I almost went there for Thanksgiving to see my mom in Sun City West. But didn't get enough time off from work to make it worthwhile.

BTW... It was so wonderful seeing you at the Barton Family Reunion in May and I'm glad to see you posted some of the pictures from the fantastic time we had. It went by too fast! I wish it had lasted so much longer, so that we could've visited more. I really wanted to discuss your RV'g adventures as I'm getting so close to doing the same.... and need some free pointers.

Where do you plan to go after AZ?
Please stay in touch and maybe we can meet up again very soon!

Love, Deanna
(A Barton Cousin)
xoxox

Gary is my old friend

Johns Island, South Carolina

Gary,
Your site keeps growing each year and it looks as though you are still busy doing the things that you would like to do. I certainly hope that is the case. As it nears December each year I think about those events that occurred those many years ago on 7 December 1941 and it brings back memories of Family, Country and the Navy. Some years ago I wrote a poem for and about my Uncle Donald Inselman who was a survivor from the USS Arizona on that very same day, and I thought as an old Navyman I would share it with you.

Very Respectfully,
Ed Hughes

He Was A Swab

When I was but a youngster, and knew little of this world, I was sure of this one thing.
This Sailor was the most important person that I had ever seen.
He had sailed the world but said it was the 7 seas.
He talked of Davy Jones, and white caps, and pennants whipping in the breeze.
He also spoke of other things that were very strange to me.
General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations!
And he said “I prayed, and I knew whatever was to be would be, but I believe He answered me."

That was in Pearl, as he recalled, and he survived that day.
He never spoke of Shipmates suffering, he held it in his soul, he wanted it that way.
He always spoke of lighter things where he would have his easy thoughts create a friendly give and take. Those serious things he was concerned might make his strong voice break.

He was on that Battle Wagon, Arizona, on December 7, 1941.
She was lost but he was spared, the real reason is known to none.
He noted he was just the lucky one, and that is all he would disclose.
He went from Arizona to other ships, for the duration as it was said, until the war came to a close.
This "Swab" as he called himself, still served on ships with wooden decks, and he still knew that holystone. But he had become a leading Seaman, and now his junior Shipmates had to moan and groan.
He still talked of washing whitehats in the wake. And of scrubbing piping with toothpaste.
Using masking tape to rid his blues of any lint, which might spoil that look that was this Swab’s taste.

He rolled the brim of his whitehat, very carefully while it was still wet; he mentioned.
It held that shape when it was dry, which was his full intention.
As it set upon his curly hair, it was not square, as the regulations state.
But it was he "the salty one" that had seen it and done it; that, no one could debate.
The whitehat was the start of it, and then the 13 button blues, belled and spiked with dragons on the cuff. With spit shined boots and a neckerchief that was tightly rolled and tied close to his throat.
He was the envy of every Whitehat, of his crew, as he stepped lightly to that liberty boat.

He later rode a Heavy Cruiser – I have indeed tried hard, but can't remember Her name.
He told me some about Her, and I understood She gained Her fame.
She was in many battles in that Second World War, She and Her crew did their best to even up the score.
He told me he made Gunner Second Class before the War was done.
And he was a Gun Mount Captain, aboard that Heavy Cruiser, when that same war was won.

He can speak no more nor tell me of a Sailors way, for he’s been gone for many years.
But I remain the reservoir of many of his thoughts and words and very nearly tears.
I spent my working life in Navy Blues, and it was always near to much of what he said.
To me it was an honored place and he was right to speak of the life, which he, that Sailor once had led.

E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS)
USN (Retired), © 1987

Gary, This is wonderful, so fun seeing you and your family photo's.
My husband Rich and I are going to be traveling next year if all goes well we plan to do 3 months the first trip out.

browsing

Banning, CA

Interesting site. I surf these types of sites because I intend to purchase an existing RV park, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, within the next year. Not quite sure what the problem is with permanent folks being in these parks along with overnighters, clubs, etc. I am an RV park permanent for the last 10 years. The park is 18 minutes from my job with my employer of 39 years... most permanents here work full time someplace in the area. In my RV park, I will have permanents to ensure a steady "paycheck" to keep the RV park going, rather than rely on whims of overnighters, clubs, etc.

Kansas

Wow, I love your site. I found it while looking for bluegrass festivals. When I saw you've been to some, plus blues and jazz, I thought it was the same as what I like. Then you worked at Xerox...so did I. You ski..me too. I spent some time traveling around living in my VW van for 4 months and seeing the western states and it was a blast. I don't know you but think you are super cool.

GenForum

Arizona

Thanks for making available the War of 1812 information on the Looneys.