I’ve got to say I’m inspired by the camaraderie in the genealogical community. Most of those I’ve reached out to with questions about shared ancestors have responded. And they have been helpful, whether or not there is an actual family connection.
In fact, I am so impressed that I’ve decided to reach out to at least one of my GenFriends each day. If nothing else, just to keep in touch. I know we may never meet in person, but that doesn’t matter. These people are special to me.
They are the comforting souls at the other end of my message or email or phone call who understand a brick wall or an amazing discovery or double first cousins or disappearing ancestors. They just “get it.”
And I appreciate that … especially the fact that they take the time to respond, however brief. Some even go way beyond that, sending me CDs of information that I would never have guessed existed. And there are those in Find A Grave who have driven miles to document and photograph graves of my ancestors living far away from me.
For my part, I am trying to be just as good a GenFriend to other genealogists as they are to me. So if you have research questions about any of the branches on our family tree (see Word Cloud above) bring them on. I’ll try to help!
Just wondering, how do you reach out to your GenFriends?
AncesTrees 
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September 17, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Tracy L Meyers
I was reading your post and completely agreeing that blogging, facebook and other such venues is a great way to connect and collaborate with ‘cousins’ and people with like minds and interests and then . . . one of your surnames jumped out at me! RANKIN
Where do your RANKIN branches come from? Go? I have a third Great Grandmother, Rosanna RANKIN, born about 1817, Emigrated from Nova Scotia, Canada to New York (do not have immigration year). She married my third Great Grandfather Edwin Galloway LINDSEY in New York – I believe possibly in Niagra Falls, Niagra, New York, although I have not located a marriage record. I have narrowed down the approximate timeframe for the marriage to 1835 – 1837/8.
Edwin was previously married and I have a land record that was signed by him and his first wife in 1835. His daughter, with Rosanna Rankin, was born about 1838 in Niagra Fallas, Niagra, NY according to census records and her Return of Death from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 1840 census shows Edwin and Rosanna living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with their toddler daughter and where I have been able to track them in subsequent census and other records until Rosanna’s death, at which time Edwin moved in with his son and family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
While I do not currently know who Rosanna’s parents are, I have found two possible candidates . . .
In the 1830 census Edwin LINDSEY, still married to his first wife, was living with his family in Albany New York and clicking through a few subsequent images, I find a William RANKINS and on the 1840 census for Albany New York, while I do not again find William RANKINS, I do find a Geo A RANKIN.
I am still working my way through this, trying to figure out how to track someone and their family when I do not know anything about them and when their names on both those census’ only provide Head of Household and tick marks for everyone else. Could I get lucky enough that perhaps your RANKIN branches are among these?
I enjoy your posts and I look forward to learning about your RANKIN branch(es).
October 10, 2014 at 1:27 pm
TX Wordweaver
Tracy,
So glad you found my blog. It is very much a “work in progress” as is my tree. I’ll dig more into the Rankin connection and get back to you. Wishing you good luck with your research!
September 22, 2014 at 8:25 pm
MyDailyMinefield
The people on Find a Grave are really helpful! I’m more careful with the folks on Ancestry.com – sometimes they want to personally contact me and I’m not comfortable with that. But, that could just be my weird family lol! I did have one person tell me that I couldn’t possibly be related to his one relative, because he’d never heard of my “branch” of the family. I wasn’t like they were anyone famous or anything. I responded by telling him that I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know of me, my “great aunt” was the illegitimate child of his great great grandfather (or something along those lines) He left me alone after that! My local LDS center is also very helpful and friendly. And I’m not affiliated with the church, but they don’t seem to mind. Just have fun and happy hunting!
October 10, 2014 at 1:29 pm
TX Wordweaver
So glad you are careful in all your genealogy dealings!