52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 13

"Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet"

Having recently celebrated her 15th Online Anniversary, Cyndi’s List is a genealogist’s best friend.  Whether you are a beginner and looking for basic information, or a seasoned genealogist,  Cyndi’s List is a comprehensive resource list for all things genealogy.

**Cyndi's List is currently undergoing a major formatting re-write, in order to make the list easier to manuveur and easier to maintain.  

Make an appointment with Cyndi’s List. If you’ve never used Cyndi’s

List, take the time to look around. If you’re familiar with the site,

look again. Take the time to browse with detail. 

As a seasoned genealogist, Cyndi’s List serves as my regular reminder to “”Keep it Simple, and Remember the Basics!” Too often, I focus on the obscure, and forget to record the simple things like weddings, census, and  birthdates.  One ancestor took me on a rabbit trail that led me to immigration and passenger lists, probate records, and civil court cases; as interesting as this ancestor was….I forgot to record his most basic information.   So, make Cyndi’s List a regular part of your research.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 12

Using Archival Products:

Family historians face many of the same challenges that confront professional archivists everyday – how to store family heirlooms safely

for future generations.

Websites such as the Society of American Archivists, ARMA

International, the American Library Association, and University Products, include  storage ideas, tips, and products to safely preserve even your most fragile family heirlooms.

You may not be a professional archivist, records manager or librarian, but you share the same interests, and preservation needs.

Personally, I have purchased acid free storage boxes, laminate sleeves for photos and newspapers, and other archival products from University Products with pleasing results.

http://www.universityproducts.com/

End of an Era: Margaret Rebekah "Becky" Brown Martz, Pioneer in Early Brown County pottery.

Margaret Rebekah "Becky" Brown Martz, 96

SEPT. 14, 1914 — APRIL. 4, 2011
Wife, Mother, Artist and Poet 

END OF AN ERA:  Karl and Becky Martz, were early potters in Brown County, Indiana in the mid 1930's.  The Martz Pottery, along with the Griffin Pottery, and the Brown County Pottery were early pioneers in the Brown County Pottery movement.  Her passing represents the closing chapter in the history of the early pottery pioneers and artists in Brown County.

      Becky Brown began her life in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1914, the daughter of a talented and hard-working father who was a bricklayer, bank manager and Red Cross assessor in various states. By the late 1920s she and her family were living in Bloomington, Indiana, where she went to high school, graduated valedictorian and met her future husband, Karl Martz (shown in photo with Becky, 1979). Her mother died in 1930, when Becky was 16. In 1935, after two years at IU, she dropped out of college and married Karl. Their union lasted 62 years until Karl’s death in 1997.
     Karl was determined to be a potter, and at first they lived in a series of romantic but rustic cabins in Brown County. In 1936 they founded the Karl Martz Pottery. Before long Becky began learning ceramic skills from her husband, initially creating small vases and buttons for tourists. She also served as an Artist’s Representative at the Brown County Art Gallery in Nashville. Her two sons were born in 1940 and 1942. Shortly after her second son arrived, the tourist traffic dried up due to wartime gas rationing, and Karl found a job in industrial research in Chicago. They lived in Jane Addams’ Hull House, where Becky raised the boys and ran the Hull House library. Her spare moments found her frequenting museums and galleries. 
     They returned to southern Indiana two years later when Karl was hired to create the ceramics program in the IU art department, later to become the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts. In 1949, they began building a house designed by Karl in Brown County. It would house both the family and the Martz Pottery. Around this time, Becky’s work began taking on its own character, often quite different from Karl’s, and in the early 1950s she began creating whimsical animal sculptures in ceramics, possessed of great charm and presence.
     From 1951 through 1981, her works were exhibited in seventeen juried regional Indiana shows and in galleries, including four shows at the John Herron/Indianapolis Art Museum. In 1952, Karl took a semester’s sabbatical in New York City, and the family moved there with him, providing Becky an opportunity to frequent some of the world’s great museums and galleries.
     In 1961, Becky and her family moved their residence and studio to Bloomington. In 1969, Becky completed her A.B. in English at IU, the same year her son Eric completed his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins. She brought her cap and gown to his graduation in Maryland so they could be photographed together in their academic regalia. It’s unclear who was proudest of whom. In 1961-62, and again in 1971-72, Becky accompanied Karl on sabbaticals in Japan, where she worked in the Daisei Pottery, a traditional Mingei (folk art) family pottery in Mashiko. From 1970-1975, she was a full partner in The Gallery, located in Bloomington and founded by Rosemary Fraser. 
     From 1985-1991, her ability to work with clay hampered by arthritis, she served as a docent in the Indiana University Art Museum and returned to her first love, writing, producing a series of poems of depth and power, two of which were published in The Studio Potter and the newsletter of the IU Art Museum.
     Becky loved life and took in all it had to offer, overcoming difficulties with gritty determination and taking advantage of whatever opportunities came her way as a woman in her time. She was creative, loving and caring, loyal to family and friends, hard working and was constantly learning and developing her diverse talents. She was a superb wife and mother and an inspiring role model for her sons as well as for the next generation of female artists.
     In 2004, she left her beloved Bloomington, Indiana, full of friends, achievements and memories, and moved to Massachusetts to be close to her son Eric. She passed away April 4, 2011, after a long decline with dementia, donating her body to medical science in accordance with her lifelong wishes.
     She is survived by her son Eric and his wife Phyllis (Amherst, Massachusetts), son Brian and his wife Dee (Stevens Point, Wisconsin), her sister-in-law Betty Brown (Albuquerque, New Mexico), five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her brother Edward. Becky’s life, ceramics, and poetry are represented at the website MartzPots.Org.

For a wonderful history of the life and art of Karl & Becky Martz, please go to their website:
www.MartzPots.org 

"Genealogy: A haystack full of needles. It's the threads I need!"

The hobby of genealogy has some interesting quips and quotes.  I saw this one recently, and thought it would be a good introduction to show you another hobby that I dearly enjoy - cross stitching!  But not just any little design, I specifically have a passion for historical reproduction samplers.  If you have ever been to Colonial Williamsburg, you have seen examples of the types of designs that interest me most.

Genealogy: A haystack full of needles. It's the threads I need!

 "With My Needle Sampler"

Dont let this one fool you, DUTCH BEAUTY is a full 36 inches wide and 28 inches high.  This is a rendring of the completed piece, and below it you will find a photo of my progress.

I have the first part of the first row completed.  At this rate I will completely finish all my genealogical research on all my family lines, related family lines, and allied family lines; before I complete this sampler....but I love it, it calls to me, much the way my family history calls to me.  Some day I will finsh, the sampler and the genealogies, but in the meantime I reflect on today's quote, "Genealogy: A haystack full of needles. It's the threads I need!"  and you would mind making those hand-dyed silk threads please?








This weekend I am joining my friends from Indiana Hoosier Stitchers for  a stitching retreat at Camp Rivervale in Mitchell, Indiana.  Leaving all the genealogy at home, (well, most of  it) while I put a few more stitches in DUTCH BEAUTY, eat chocolate, and catch up on some sleep (okay, maybe not).

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 11

Week 11: Boston University: Certificate in Genealogical Research

This is  one of the programs I am considering, and given the format of the courses is the likely winner of my genealogical educational exploration.  Given the commitment of time, and money, this seems like the most logical choice for me. 

“Boston University’s Online Certificate in Genealogical Research will help you reach the next level of professionalism. Whether you are a serious amateur, a budding professional, or an expert with their CG®, this rigorous program will help you take your genealogical work to the next level.  You will improve your efficiency and effectiveness. You will be more confident that your research meets the highest standards, and you will be able to prove it. You will work side-by-side with an online community of peers. You will learn from a world class faculty of genealogists.” –BU

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 10

Week 10: ProGen Study Group

 “The ProGen Study Groups are organized to encourage professional and aspiring genealogists to put into practice the principles found in Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills. This program employs an innovative method of collaborative learning focused on developing genealogical research skills and business practices." -PGSG

Ordered my book from Amazon, can't wait until it arrives, and can't wait until the next study group starts, hopefully first of May.

"Each month group members study one or two chapters of Professional Genealogy and complete a practical assignment relating to the material.”  Angela Packer McGhie is the administrator, and organizes the groups. 

Yet another way to brush up on my skills, before jumping into a certification program.  One of the particularly interesting  things, is that it uses one of the textbooks required for the Boston University Genealogy Certification Program.  (More about that in the next post)

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9

Week 9: Transitional Genealogists Forum on RootsWeb

In recent weeks, I have been considering professional certification in genealogy research. Even though I have been providing genealogy research assistance to many for quite some time, I recognize that there are certain academic parts of the research, that I need to develop. 

There are several forums and study groups that have been recommended, and one such forum is the Transitional Genealogist Forum located on RootsWeb forums. This group is forcing me to think academically and professionally about the science of genealogy, as much as I love to "spin a good tale”, there are certain facts that need to be preserved in the stories.

Read the back posts from the RootsWeb Transitional Genealogists Forum. This is

a message board for genealogists who are taking the steps needed to become professional genealogists.  Even if you aren't looking into actual certification, the lessons learned here will help make you a more knowlegable educated genealogist.