21 June 2011

Community Spirit = Becky Jamison

Believe it or not, there are many genealogists and family historians out there that still don't know about Geneabloggers - who we are, what we do and why we do it.

We are a community of nearly 2000 bloggers who care deeply about genealogy and family history.  Some blog for profit, some for teaching and promoting genealogical education. Others use their blog as "Cousin Bait" hoping to connect with others researching the same family lines, yet there are others who use their blog as a journal for their own research. We each have our own reasons and purpose for blogging but there is one thing we all have in common - community spirit.

We support each other's endeavors with something as small as a comment left on a blog or with something as big as what Becky Jamison has done for me.  Becky Jaminson is the author of the beautiful and well-written blog Grace and Glory.  Her father, Ernie Margheim, also authors a blog called Ernie's Journeys which is where I found a post that he had written about Germans From Russia in Kansas.  I had emailed Ernie and Becky and told them all about my German Russian heritage and family in Kansas.  This was about 3 or 4 years ago.

Through a wonderful serendipitous moment of her own, Becky came into contact with someone in my paternal  BEFORT family line.  She remembered my family name and hooked the two of us up.  This could not have happened at a better time.  I was just about to put away that line of my family because I was so frustrated not being able to find living family members.

My heartfelt gratitude to Becky Jamison for thinking of me.  It is actions like this that help form the glue that keeps our community together.  There is no "Us" and "Them" in our corner of the world, only "We."

6 comments:

  1. It is way over time for Becky to get the accolades for her hard work!! I friended her on facebook years ago and have never looked back! Besides her penchant for eating peanut butter straight from the jar and her love for her family..she is a shining jewel!

    Every time she finds a new relative she sounds like a kid with Easter Eggs or me catching another fish!! She is just as excited with the next relative as she was with the last, .I have learned so much from her and I love learning about her beloved church.. Becky Jamason is a treasure and i just love her and just wish i was related to her

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  2. More praise here for Becky Jamison - she hooked me up with a Brinlee relative. Now how many people would have kept that information in their heads - "genealogy blogger X researches this name (and spelled this way) and I just met someone with that last name" - so not only is she generous, but she has a great memory!

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  3. Oh my gosh, I'm speechless. Thank you all for your kind and gracious words! You have no idea how timely they are and what a boost they are to me when I really needed it. I do have a "knack" for remembering names (got it form my Dad!)--it drives my husband crazy. It serves me well in my research, but mostly helps me to give back to this wonderful community that I've received so much love, support, acceptance, encouragement, and instruction from! I really do love you all and am so proud to be part of your wonderful geneablogging community!

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  4. I'd like to know more about the Russian Germans of Kansas. Do you know if they settled in a religious community, or settled in a particular county? I was speaking to some German Baptist at the RiverMarket and they inquired about German Russian Kansans. This group in Westphalia broke from the Church of the Brethren, but indicated that their brotherly Russian group were Jewish.

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  5. Well, Sheri, it took me a while, but I finally applied to become part of Geneabloggers. Thanks for the inspiration. Though I'm one to think about things forever before taking action, I'm glad I did. And yes, they are definitely people who "care deeply."

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