Genea-Blogger Treasure Hunt - Report

Genea-Blogger Treasure Hunt - Report

Well, a few weeks ago, over at The Family Curator, Denise Levenick issued a challenge to Genea-Bloggers to open up, unpack, sort out, and clean out our ‘Magic Cupboards’ – those spots where family treasures and information has accumulated for ‘later’. I chose to clean up a small bookshelf which I've been using as a ‘genealogy sorting station’ which by now had several layers of ‘unknown’ materials in each various pile.I was able to finish most of this.

I did ‘unearth’ some treasures and they are now carefully put away. The ‘treasures’ included the scrapbook my mum made with my baby cards; the loose cards with the album are now in acid free envelopes. These I knew were there, but I also found a bundle of interesting envelopes that my father had saved (he was a stamp collector). Most related to our old family business, but one was a 1930 letter from my ‘Aunty Grandma’ to her sister, my grandma, which I transcribed and then blogged about separately today. Those special envelopes are now put away.

I set up a better on-going system of files for older projects that were literally 'on the shelf’ and I have put out for recycling a full bag of paper – obvious duplicate copies, etc.

That was the easy part.

I set up some ‘temporary file folders’ for the sheaves of ‘odd’ papers – for instance, surname related documents and information. These I filed, but it did seem to take quite a while. Now I still need to go through these files and put papers in my binders, but this is now a manageable task.

Thanks for the jog, Denise!

Here's something interesting I found in my 'Treasure Chest'.

Mailed from Regina, Saskatchewan to Winnipeg, Manitoba;
postmarked Regina Mar 3 1930 VIA AIR MAIL.
5 cent Air stamp; cover stamp Regina to Winnipeg, First Regular Official Flight


2327 McIntyre St
March 1st, 1930


Dear Sister

Here is to be my first “Air Mail” letter, why live in this modern age and not take advantage of all Modern Methods. It looks as if planes were going to be more popular than they have been. What will be the next thrill to amuse mankind.

Well we are having a bit more winter and it’s surely better now than next June. The days are getting so much longer and the sun warmer and the cold does not seem so severe as before, but I do like the mild weather.

I thought of going over to see Alice Dennison yesterday but did not make it. I haven’t seen them since before Xmas. Alex saw Lionel the other day and he asked why we never went around. I dropped in to Mrs. Ware’s and stayed too long there. Col. had been in hospital for over two weeks and is still in the house but hopes to go to his office next week again.

Dad has got started in his office again. Can’t say yet how they will get along. Chipman has lots of pep and the people he worked with before said he was a good Salesman but business seems pretty dull in every branch, and so many places have laid of a lot of help - however if the wheat price comes back again it will help some. McPhail sounds rather a hopefull note since he came back and forecasts a raise in prices.

What is Walter doing? Did the job he hoped to get develop yet?

Well our bunch are much happier working. Don is like a different fellow you would scarcely know him, he is as cheerful and happy and likes his work so much. Did not get home untill mid night last night. That happens ends of months. Laurie says “You would think Don was Manager of the Imperial Bank” instead of Junior – he walks & talks with such importance.

Was glad to get your letter yesterday had thought you had forgotten us here. Hope your knees are better again. The streets here are in same condition.

Hasn’t Annie Pattison got the big heart in her? She is always nursing some sick one or other. I hope the little girl is soon quite well. How is Tom McIntosh doing now?

Did I tell you I had a letter from Aunt Mary Jane a while ago. She told me, they expect Muriel will be married this next summer, her intended is a teacher too.

You said you were dreaming of us lately. I often dream of you too. Laurie is fairly well. he is thinner than usual, and had a touch of pleursy a couple of weeks ago. Dr Richie put a Bella dona plaster on him and told him to get an XRay of that lung just for to be satisfied as he never seemed to be real well since that bad cold at Xmas however it revealed nothing and puts his mind at ease. He has taken a six weeks Officer’s course and was going three nights a week to Armouries. I think it was too much as well as work.

I am going down town now for the Sundays supplies. We just seem to get away with loads of eats here. Don Mantle comes to dinner here every Sat. and we are always eight at any time.

Love to All - Maggie

This was sent by Maggie (Irwin) Drummond in Regina to her sister, Amy (Irwin) Scott, (my grandmother) in Winnipeg. Both sisters were born and married in Newdale, Manitoba. Alex was Maggie's husband; Walter was Amy's. Don and Laurie are Maggie's sons. Annie Pattison and Tom McInTosh were cousins. Most of the others mentioned, I believe, were 'family friends'.

In Winnipeg, the new Prairie Air Mail service was heralded as "An Epoch in Western Communication" by the Manitoba Free Press. Hundreds turned out to see the first Winnipeg mail flight - so many with motorcars that there was a traffic jam. (WFP, Tuesday, 4 March 1930, p. 1,4 - NewspaperARCHIVE at Godfrey Memorial Library - godfrey.org) Pilot W. J. Buchanan flew into Winnipeg from Regina with the first air mail solo on March 3rd, ten minutes ahead of time, and carried 8 bags of mail - about 500 pounds worth.

Well, now I am back to filing - just finishing up the 'Treasure Hunt' challenge - but look who was waiting patiently in the last pile of paper just to cheer me up! He is apparently a very close relative of Genea-Gnome (can't wait to see his family chart), but he lived in Portugal before coming to British Columbia, Canada. The weather is much more to his liking here - more snow!

Genea-Blogger Treasure Hunt update

Not much time for anything lately, but I have been working on the Genea-Blogger 'Treasure Hunt' though. Everyday I've spent a least a few minutes sorting and filing.

Nothing so far was a real surprise, but I'm sure there will be one or two. Many of these things are things I put 'somewhere safe' , knowing I'd want to get to them 'later'.

I did find the little family posters I will need very soon for the 'Night for All Souls' at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver - commemorating my great grandparents, Sarah Ann Staines and David Saggers, my grandparents, Sarah Saggers and Joe Rogers, my uncle, David Rogers, and my parents, Muriel Scott and George Rogers. All of them are buried in Mountain View.

I also have one for great uncle Herbert Saggers. He was buried in France during World War I, but I know my grandmother Sarah would want her brother, 'Bert', included.

Ah, that Genealogy Shelf...Shameful...A Genea-Blogger Treasure Hunt!

Denise Levenick over at "The Family Curator" has challenged Genea-Bloggers to a Treasure Hunt.

We're to choose a destination....a genealogy Magic Cupboard or the like...the place we put those valuable photos, documents, or relics to take care of 'later'.

Then we're to make a plan (a Treasure Map) to organize, preserve, document, return to rightful owners, pass on to relatives, or maybe even eliminate, keeping in mind the Sally Jacobs' archival advice that we don't have to save everything.

We post a Plan/Treasure Map to our blogs by 30 September 2008 and then we get to work!

A list of bloggers who have accepted the challenge will be posted at The Family Curator's blog.

Here's my genealogy 'sorting' shelf - isn't this awful? Yes, that's my suitcases you almost see - if I'd been home more lately, surely this shelf would be empty.

Starting next week, I'll begin from the ground up, and sort, file or toss one shelf of paper at a time. I'm leaving the top shelf for last as I can see my mum's scrapbook pages with my baby cards there - no time yet to read and exclaim over each of those! That I'll save for last. I already have archival envelopes ready for the loose ones.

For more on the Treasure Hunt, see The Family Curator's own Treasure Cupboards:
http://familycurator.blogspot.com/2008/09/treasure-map-to-magic-cupboard.html