Web Site summer Version

After completing the rewrite of Thomas Ferris's biography yesterday I will need to add the citations and sources to the work as well as adding in some local and national historical time lines. I am happy with the new finished work though as I find it an easier read when I keep it written in decades. Maybe later this afternoon I can complete and begin work on rewriting Robert James Ferris I.

This morning is being spent coding the Summer Version of the Ferris Family History and Genealogy Project. I have four pages done and hope to have four more done today. That should leave only three more to be completed tomorrow. Adding in images and links over the weekend should allow me to put this version into testing next week and ( cross your fingers) result in a new version on line before June.

Thanks to Edith Brady who inquired if her great Grandmother Elizabeth Ferris might be a relation. Though it appears we are not related I hope the Census Records I sent you will point you in the right direction of locating your family branch. I am pretty certain we had a good hit on the Wisconsin 1860 Census ! Let me know if I can be of assistance again !

As the Summer Version draws closer and closer I hope family members look at their branch and see if any additions, corrections, or deletions are needed. It is imperative I have them before June in order to get this version out on time. Pictures, Documents, and Stories can all be added easily but hard data means a complete redo of many pages.

Happy Birthday to Jean Selines of the MacDonald branch of my family !!!! I look forward to getting together with cousin Pete MacDonald and you in the future !

Thanks to all for looking in and happy hunting !

Biographies

This post is actually from yesterday. I did a lot of work but neglected to post after wards. Yes, I am sorry I forgot you ! As I rewrite each biography I am beginning to do several things. First I have redesigned the format of the page so that each is consistent and carries a theme. Next I have begun to use the "Chicago Writing Style" for the content especially when it comes to source and citation. Finally as I write the time line history of the individual family member spanning his generation from birth to death, I am being more selective with a historical time line to mark this person's life against what was going on locally and in the world around him that might have affected his daily life. The initial rewrites are done on the two Thomas Ferris's and Thomas 1 will be 100% complete today. I have written first writes for Robert James Ferris 1 and Donald Aneus MacDonald but will have a few edits to do before going into the testing version of the Summer Version. Adding one more biography to those four is my final plan though I am still deciding on whether the final will be Albert Thomas Ferris or Mary Maloney.

I also continued to organize and add media to the Ferris Library both from Ancestry and from previously found documents which either needed to be scanned and added or from already scanned or printed documents that needed to be added. Finally I created a few new files in the Ferris library for individuals not having their own.

Finally I continued reviewing the Ferris Family Book to better organize and present a historical, genealogical and comprehensive view of the Ferris family from Martin Ferris to the present showing Family Trees, Pictures, Family Group Sheets, Biographies, Vital Documents, Census Documents, City Directories, Wills, Deeds, Maps, and other misc material that help to show the individual family member separated from the family.

It's a rainy day and a great one for spending on genealogy today and I plan on just that. So more to come later. Thanks for following and happy hunting. !!

Web Site summer Version

Daniel's graduation is over and time to get back to work. Continued to code the new Summer Version of the Web Site this morning. Planning to rewrite the Biographies using the Chicago Writing Style. Also spent just a bit of time today continuing to organize media in correct folders. This week plans: Continue working on coding web site, rewrite biographies, review family folders for plan to add content to FTM and Ancestry, and finally to begin to organize, scan and add pictures to FTM, Ancestry, Ferris Library, and if chosen to this blog.

Jeanne and I visited the graves of her grandmother and grandfather, Henry and Kate Murray as well as her uncle, Thomas Regan in West Roxbury on Saturday while doing some biking. Later we stopped at the Cambridge Cemetery where we visited the family plots of Thomas and Sarah Ferris, Thomas and Mary Ferris and Richard and Annie Porteus. There are 25 direct blood relationships in that cemetery. I need to find out how I can have Thomas and Sarah's stone restored as it is getting very hard to read.

Finally I might rename the Ferris Family Research Project. I am researching 18 other families, though related to both Jeanne and I, that are NOT named Ferris. I must think this over and come up with a appropriate title.

Finally in an attempt to really organize this project I want to break down my tasks and research into categories and attach levels of importance to them. Well my coffee is finished and other tasks besides Genealogy await me today. ( Can this be true.. this is something else to do BESIDES genealogy? ) Keep hunting !!!

Children of Thomas Ferris 1

This morning I attached all the media I had in my Ferris/Documents file from my Library to their respective names in my published Ancestry Tree. I might get just a bit more organizing done tomorrow before Jeanne and I leave for Daniel's college graduation in Vermont at St Michael's College. We won't be home until Thursday evening. Nice to be recording and actually taking part in an family event that is both happy and that is attached to your own son !!! If I don't get to post tomorrow, see you on Friday morning.

Thomas Ferris

Spending sometime today researching the Will of Thomas Ferris who left his home and possessions to his wife and children when he died in 1887. I'll spend a few hours continuing to trace back his home from the current owners back to when our family owned it. So far I am back to 1972. ( 5 owners so far ) Also think I will visit the Cambridge Cemetery and give a look at almost three dozen ancestors whose final resting place are there. I want to research Porteus, Griffith, Crocker and Ferris graves there again and make sure there is no information I have missed. This cemetery's sextant is very helpful and their records are great for name, age at death, date of death, place of death, date of burial, undertaker, and sometimes cause of death. Often more then one person is buried under a gravestone though not marked on the stone. I found 9 family members under one stone yet only two marked on the stone and 8 others buried ( including my grandfather ) in an unmarked grave.

The more you speak with relatives even just slightly older then you and the more you get them to talk about their memories, the more they suddenly remember as long ago places and things buried years ago are suddenly remembered. You never know what kind of discoveries await you from those memories. Keep hunting out there and thanks for dropping in on me here !

Mary Elizabeth Ferris

Mary Elizabeth Ferris born to Thomas and Sarah Ferris in Cambridge, MA on July 7, 1874 was Thomas and Sarah's last child. Mary married Samuel Griffith on August 3, 1893. Working Ancestry and RootsWeb today I researched Mary and Samuel's Census records from 1900 to 1920 and also printed Samuel's WW1 Registration Card. Save all media documentation to Ancestry Tree and also to Ferris Library. Printed hard copies and added to Ferris Family Book. Found and documented children of Mary And Samuel and began to research them. Will continue work on them tomorrow. Also sent message to Ancestry member working on Griffith Tree to see if they want to collaborate.

Researched Robert J Ferris Jr. son of Robert James Ferris Sr and saved Documentation of 1920 Census and SS Death Index to Ferris Library, Ancestry Tree, and hard copy to Ferris Family Book. Will be researching children of Robert and wife Dorothy during this week.

Sarah M Ferris daughter of Robert J Ferris Sr and Sarah born January 18, 1887 in Somerville, MA married Frank Albion Howard. Researched media documentation of them after marriage and added to Ancestry Tree, Ferris Library, and finally hard copy to Ferris Family Book.

Last and Certainly not least I received a great email from David J Ferris of Canada descendant of Charles Alexander Ferris through his son John Ferris. David provided a brief sketch of his branch and promised to compile a tree to send to me. This communication is extremely exciting in that it opens the lines of communication with a new branch of the Ferris Family and confirms information sent to me through what appears to be David's grandmother Ann living in Truro, Nova Scotia.


Received a answer to my message from Tom Corning who is working in Ancestry on the Frank Howard branch. Frank married Sarah Mae Ferris daughter of Robert J Ferris Sr. I am still hoping to collaborate in working this branch of the family from their marriage until present day if Tom is willing.

Well that was a full morning's research on the Ferris Family. I am continuing work on my surname line this week and will continue to code the Summer Version of Goodirishstock.com next week. I have three pages completed and work will continue each week in testing until the it's release as Summer breaks.

Thanks once again to all who follow this project whether you just look on or contribute. I appreciate every piece of data provided me and answer every email, phone call, letter or message sent me. Happy hunting !