Should my Genealogy Postings be a Separate Blog?

I'm torn! I'm trying to decide whether to start a new genealogy blog or whether to start publishing genealogy content along with everything else here on this blog. On one hand it makes sense to start a new blog because family history and genealogy are very interesting to me but to most people they are pretty boring. On the other hand readers can skip the genealogy content if they are not interested and there is something to be said for keeping all my content in one place. It is also possible to select a tag like Hiking or Reno or Genealogy from the list at the right and get the content you want.

As I say in my tag line I am a renaissance woman or what Barbara Sher calls a scanner. I have a wide variety of interests and enjoy moving from one interest to another. My blog has always reflected that diversity of interests.  It means that I can't market my blog as being about one topic but it also means the blog reflects me.

Here is a list of some of the Genealogy content I want to post.

1. The more detailed story for each of my Grandparents.

• Marion Etta Bagnall Gibson - Born in Prince Edward Island, married in Vancouver British Columbia, Lived in Jasper, Alberta, emigrated to the U.S. after the death of my Grandfather. She started and ran a sanitarium in Spokane, Washington.
• Robert Alexander Gibson - Born in Kilmaurs, Ontario, Canada, died in Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Worked as an Engineer on the Canadian National Railroad.
• Mary Ruth Erb Robinson - Born in Boone, Iowa. Homesteaded with her family in Dunn County, North Dakota. Married, lived for more than 50 years, and died in Bismarck, North Dakota.
• Ray Robinson Born on a farm near Viroqua Wisconsin. Homesteaded with his family in Dunn County, North Dakota. Served in the Army during World War I. Worked for the North Dakota Highway department for 45 years eventually as Chief Maintenance Engineer.

    2. Stories of some of my research and the brick walls I am running up against

    3. Stories of some of my exciting moments of discovery

    4. Descriptions of some of the tools I use. Like this post.

    5. Stories of other ancestors

    6. Questions that I would like answered.

One of the advantages of blogging about this kind of stuff is that when people Google search a name they are researching they will be led to my blog and I may find 'lost' relatives.

Blogging about a question like whether to start a separate genealogy blog turns out to be a good way to work out what I want to do. After composing this post I am leaning towards leaving all my content in one place.

I'd be interested in input about this question from anyone reading this. Thanks!

 

Comments

[Marion]

1.

Nancy, I don't recall if I ever answered your question about the origin of my name. My husband is a Vermazen. His father did a lot of genealogy work and found that the Vermazen name is Dutch.
He said that the Vermazen family in America is descended from Aart Vermazen born 12 Nov 1797 in Heerewaarden, Gelderland Holland.

According to distant relative Robert Vermazen (b 1948) a descendent of a brother of Aart, and living (1985) in Amersfoort Holland..... Our ancestor lived in or near the village of Heerewaarden and were mostly farmers until about 1900. Heerewaarden is located where two large rivers, the Maas and the Waal, almost come together. The name Vermazen is descended from overmaas.... that means over the river ... the Maas .... far from the Maas.... "farmaas"in Dutch vermaas, degenerated Vermazen. The name appears in Heerewaarden church records as early as 1751.

[jo]

2.

I have been wondering that same thing. thanks for such a good post

[max edgerly]

3.

William A. Robinson, & Lucy Eliza Edgerly. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Marriages of Great Barrington Massachusetts GenWeb.com, Massachusetts, Berkshire co. vital records, marriages .
EDDY, Jane of Lenox and George I. Kipp, Apr. 5, 1847.* C.R.2.
EDGELY, Lucy E. and William R. Robinson, Jan. 17, 1838.*
EDMOND, Joseph of Cheshire, and Susannah Chapman, Mar. 25, 1802.*
So it says Edgely not Edgerly. William R. not William A.

Pedigree file. FamilySearch.org
William A. Robinson
Sex: M

Event(s)
Birth: 19 Feb 1815

Pawlett,,Vermont
Christening:



Parents

Marriage(s)
Spouse: Lucy Eliza Edgerly

Marriage: 18 Jan 1838
Great Barrington,Berkshire,Massachusetts

Although this does not show it but Lucy Eliza Edgerly was born allegedly in Great Barrington. I cannot prove or disprove that. The good news is most of the subsequent census records, William gives his place of birth as Vermont and Lucy is listed as born in Mass.

Big Jump West.
1860 U.S. Census has The Robinson Family living in Mercer County Illinois.

missing census image on word doc.

Extremely nice that we have middle initials.
William A. and Lucy E. he is from Vermont, she is from Massachusetts.
All three of the children listed here are born in Massachusetts.

1870 Iowa, Sac County, Sac Township, Grant City p o.

missing census image.

Extremely nice again, we have middle initials.
William A. and Lucy E. He is from Vermont, She is from Massachusetts

US GENWEB Project, GENWEB.Com, Iowa Project IowaGenWeb
Special projects. WPA Graves.

Both William A, and William Henry.
William A. Robinson born 1816 died. 3-6-1896 burried Woodland Cemetery, Polk County 80Y
William H. Robinson born 1843 dield 5-15-1933 burried Glendale Cemetery, Pold County 79Y

William H. and Ella Menold.

U.S. Genweb project Genweb.com. Illinois web project. Get to vital records for state of Illinois.
From Illinois Vital records.
ROBINSON, WILLIAM H MENOLD, ELLA 1865-03-08 00A/0095 00001924 MERCER

missing census image

1860 U.S. Census, Illinois, Mercer County, Oxford p.o. Neighbors, imagine that.
Second time for this piece just adding the neighbors Jacob Menald (according to the Census)
Menold based upon other references.
William H Menold married Mary G. (Grace) Robinson
William H Robinson married Ellen Menold

1880 Iowa, Sac County.

missing census image.

Fannie A Robinson & Jacob Erb.
Sac County Iowa. Look at a county map of Iowa. Find Sac county, two counties south, Is Audubon
County, probably the three happiest years of my life. Then one county north Buena Vista County. One year there but back for 6 weeks of summer camp at Storm Lake, Iowa 1969-1971.

I was about to give up on Fannie Robinson, I did not know that she went with her parents to Des Moines.
Looking for marriages in GenWeb, Iowa, Sac County. 1900 U.S. Census by herself, didn’t really expect to find that. Dropped over to FamilySearch.Com. Fannie Robinson pops up on the I.G.I marrying Jacob Erb.

Fannie Robinson
Event(s):
Birth: , Sac, Iowa

Parents:
Father: W. H. Robinson

Mother: Sarah E. Menlold

Marriages:
Spouse: Jacob C. Erb

Marriage: 28 SEP 1892 Des Moines, Polk, Iowa

Back to the Census. Jacob Erb , all right U.S. Census, Iowa, 1900. Nope ? Dodge County Nebraska, Fremont, (Been there once to check out Calvary Catholic Cemetery for my g.g.grandfater.)
1910 can’t find Jacob? 1920 no Jacob? How about Paul H. Erb, or Ralph A. Erb. In the 1920 Census.
Dunn County North Dakota? Are you kidding?
missing census image listing for Paul Erb head of household
1920. U. S. Census, North Dakota. Dunn County, Twp. 144, Range 93.
Fannie (R) she was born in Iowa, her father William H. Robinson was born in Mass, Ellen Menold was born in Pennsylvania.
Time to Google, “Paul H. Erb”, “Paul Erb”, “Ralph A. Erb”, “Ralph Erb”, about to call it quits for the night . It’s almost 1 am. How about Dunn & Erb & Dakota. Got a Hit. Some Blogger talking about her Erb relatives in Dunn County North Dakota.
Post a response on the Blog. Then it hit me. Maybe she was talking about Jacob Erb’s Parents and another line of Erbs. Too much of a coincidence.

Time for a Cold Call. So I wasn’t wrong Cuz.
Go to FamilySearch.org.
Search Records for Your Ancestors
Online birth, marriage, death, census, church and other indexes.

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Stephen edgerly


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Ancestral File
1. Stephen EDGERLY - Ancestral File
Gender: M Birth/Christening: 19 Oct 1793 Northwood, , Nh

I have just started a conversation with the person who submitted the information. Independently we have the same names in the same order. Anyhow Stephen Edgerly married Lucy Kingsley in Beckett Massachusetts. Lucy Kingsley Ties into the Adams Family (Henry Adams is common ancestor for the presidents j, and j.q, along with Sam Adams the beer maker. Sorry the patriot from mass. Kingsley ties into the Sabin family, Sabin family ties into the Billington Family. John Billington Mayflower compact 1620, hung for murder 1630. (I am holding out for self defense, although the two men had a long term quarrel). Also off of the Kingsley line the Wadsworth family, Henry Wadswroth Longfellow, ding ding ding got a winner here as well.

[Nancy Fermazin]

4.

I would like to see both types of blogs. I like a genealogy focused blog and agree with Thomas Mac Entee about including a link from this blog to a genealogy blog.
Also I would be interested in the origins of your last name Vermagen. My maiden name is Fermazin and an alternate spelling for it is Vermagen plus others. Thank you, Nancy

[Anne Gibert]

5.

I think a variety of subjects in a blog is a good thing. So I would vote for a sprinkling of genealogy in this one. It is a subject that interests a lot of people, even if they don't go into it seriously.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. My mother's name was Marion, and it made me jump for just a moment to see your birthday wish. She never forgot.

[Dorothy Stahlnecker]

6.

I agree therefore you'll have full exposure on all subjects.

Best of luck.

Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com

[Thomas MacEntee]

7.

I highly recommend a separate genealogy blog. This doesn't mean your regular readers should be deprived of your research and your finds - you could always include a link to your genealogy blog here from time to time and give a summary.

If you set up a separate blog please let me know - I manage a group of over 900 genealogy bloggers at GeneaBloggers (http://www.geneabloggers.com) and we'd love to have your new blog listed on our blog roll.

Cheers