My Grandmother, Vesper Bennett Smith
My name is Lisa and I’m a high school math teacher. I have 4 children, 3 cats and 1 husband and I love puzzles! For me, genealogy is the ultimate puzzle and I’m searching for clues to find various “culprits” to fill in my tree. My confession is that I belong to no societies and I’ve never been to a courthouse or archive to do research. I’ve always been shy and I have a dream of finding a “genealogy buddy” to help me make it over the hurdles of my own personality!
The majority of my research centers around Russell Co, Kentucky, but I also research my husband’s line from Kankakee Co, Illinois.
This photo is a picture of my grandmother, who my mother says I look just like and who was shy, like me.
Until recently I belonged to no Societies, either, and I’ve never been to a courthouse, even though there is one, in Owensboro, that plays an important role in the aftermath of the death of a Grandfather.
I’ve been only once to the SoCal branch of the National Archives, and hope to go again since we are in the same county. ;-D
Lisa,
Being shy must run in the Bennett blood line, so is my wife. I have been researching my wife’s Bennett line for about 10 years. Glad to help you if I can. I am still trying to find anything I can. We went back in June 2008 and photographed a lot of headstones and did research at the county courthouse. I have back to Charles Bennett m. Mary Flanagan.
I only have Arnold under Enos and Vesper Bennett. Drop me a line when you can.
Hi Don!
We must have corresponded at some point because I have some of your notes in my database! I would love to “reconnect” to talk about our common ancestors!
You are the recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award!
Hi Lisa,
I have enjoying following your blog. I have give your blog a Beautiful Blog Award. Go to this link http://mequilter.blogspot.com/2011/06/beautiful-blog-award.html
and take the award, add it to your blog and share it with five other blogs. Have fun!
What a great blog! We have 2 big family reunions coming up and was wanting to put together a infomation sheet for each personal to fill out so I can hopfully gather more information for the family history. I love your excel spreadsheets but do not know what I’m doing or even know where to being.
Do you have any suggestions on how I should appoarch this at the reunion, I’m also very shy and of course both reinions are for my husband side which makes it more uncomforable.
Congratulations on your new technology assignment at your school! I hope your summer continues to go well and you are able to squeeze some genealogy time in.
Hi Iam related to George Washington Stephens. He was my g, g, grandfather. I’m interrested in any infornmative that you had on him and his family.
Hi Patty,
Can you tell me your George’s parents? I have a George W. and a George Washington Stephens in my database.
Hi I’m related to George Washington Stephens. He was my g, g, grandfather. I’m interested in any information that you had on him and his family.
Hi
My George W. was born in 1836 in Florence,Al. We think his father was William Stephens born born in 1813 in North Carolina.
Patty
I’m going to email you directly….
I am searching for Smiths from the same area. Wonder if you have seen a very old John Smith (105 yrs in the 1860 Scott Co.TN census)?
His family seems to be Henry & Lucretia Smith who moved to Wayne Co., KY for the 1870 census? I have another Smith connection in 1860 Wayne co to a Benjamin and Mahala.
Hi Teresa,
I’m sorry, I don’t have any information on your Smith line. There are soooo many Smith’s, I tend to concentrate on Russell County only. Wayne County before 1825 because that’s the same part of Russell County after its formation, but I don’t even have much on those Smiths. Good luck in your search! Lisa
Group Sheets using Excel – would you be willing to share a copy of your exel and word templates with me.
I absolutely will! Right now, I’m on my Mac, but as soon as I get back on my PC, I’ll send them your way. ~ Lisa
Lisa, I just found your blog via another blog while blog-hopping. You had left a comment…and I found your blog name so intriguing, I just had to take a look
You may claim shyness, but any math teacher of high school students, in my book, cannot possibly be shy. Intrepid is more like it!
Hopefully, by now, you have found a “genealogy buddy” to help you over your hurdles, and you can now waltz through the front doors of any courthouse clerk’s office unfazed!
Hi Jacqi! I’m so glad you “stopped by” the blog! My teaching journey has been funny. I started as an elementary teacher because “I could NEVER teach high school kids!”. When my kids became jr. high kids, a jr. high science job opened up and the school was desperate enough to take me. Soon that job included jr. high math and now I’m teaching high school math. I really think having kids of my own that are the same age as the kids I teach just makes it easier – almost like the students are my own kids! Believe me, grown ups are MUCH scarier! And no, I’m not quite to the point of walking into a courthouse unafraid… maybe soon!
Lisa, I COMPLETELY understand your fear…I *used* to be the same way! Just the thought of going into a public place without someone else terrified me. Even walking to the rest room in a restaurant mortified me. Tina Lyons posted that you’re coming to the Midwest Geneabloggers meet up, and I’ll really look forward to meeting you and talking with you about the ways I finally overcame my fear. Oh, and we can talk genealogy too!
Lisa, it sounds like you are not alone in your shyness. When I first started researching my family, I was intimidated by some of the repositories. But, as time goes on I am becoming more comfortable. I look forward to meeting you in Fort Wayne. See you there.