I have to agree that Hugh raised a very valid point, and its something to think about as we work towards preserving our genealogy. I have a however as well. Nothing is fool proof and I think we just have to keep on trucking, hoping that another family member will pick up where we left off and work towards some sort of preservation of our work, no matter what that medium might be. Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> > Hugh has raised a valid point. HOWEVER, if we cannot rely on the continuity > of what we create, whether of our own times or of those we collect from our > ancestors, then we may as well just drop the whole idea of genealogy and do > something else.

Hugh has raised a valid point. HOWEVER, if we cannot rely on the continuity of what we create, whether of our own times or of those we collect from our ancestors, then we may as well just drop the whole idea of genealogy and do something else. I agree that many of what we thought were the best storage mediums have "gone the way of all flesh". I have been through tape saving, external disks, (believe it or not, paper tape data), floppies, zip disks and now I am up to CD burning. As the new and better (?) storage materials arrive, I copy the old to the new as I am confident many other researchers, professional and, like me, amateur, do. Other than books, most of the storage mediums of today were developed within the last century. The original computer was developed during WWII. Personal computers are only 25 years old. That is new in earth cycles. Frankly, we are in an age of rapid development. Realize that many researchers use computers and I believe that CDs will last for some time. They are easy to produce and easy to store. They can be replaced in a computer and, when a better storage medium comes along, they can be transferred to the new medium, just as many of the present and obsolete storage mediums of today can be, have been and will be transferred over time to more modern storage devices. The ingenuity of man will prevail! Cliff Hayes ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cooperstown Village Historian" <coophist@stny.rr.com> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 4:55 PM Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Suggestion for a new form of tithing - genealogy wise > In response to Cliff's otherwise excellent proposal, I fear that one big > problem this kind of project faces is that of > technological obsolescence, which is clearly becoming a major problem for > the storage of all kinds of information -- and especially of the family > history variety. > Black and white pictures could, ideally, last more or less forever; most > color pictures fade after a certain number of years. While movie film is no > longer the dangerously degenerative nitrate variety of the early days, it > too tends to deteriorate and fade. > Sound recording has similar problems -- especially at the "player" end. > You can't play 78 rpm records without a special turntable (unless you've > saved an old one, as I have), and they require a different kind of needle or > stylus (the modern 45 or 33 rpm stylus is too narrow and will rapidly > destroy them). > I remember when the wire recorder was all the rage (which, I guess, > dates me); but aside from the fact that wire recorder players are extinct, > the wire was subject to frequent and disastrous tangling, and also to being > erased by nearby magnetic influences. Reel-to-reel tape has also become > obsolete, tends to degenerate, and becomes more fragile with time; the same > is certainly true of audio-cassette tapes. Ditto for video tape -- > obsolescence (remember BETA format), fairly rapid deterioration. And you may > have noticed how most of the Television tapes of the early days have > disappeared or gone bad -- look at the occasional attempts to show excerpts > from them for historical purposes on modern TV shows. > Does anyone really think that our current equipment is going to last > much longer than these other great (but now dying) information revolutions? > Many "photo" prints that come from scanners and copiers are fragile -- > printer ink is water soluble and washes off. > Remember the story of books: books and newspapers printed (before, say, > the Civil War) on rag paper last indefinitely; many books and especially > newspapers, etc., printed on cheap woodpulp paper during the second half of > the 19th century, are now disintegrating far faster than they can be copied > or saved, even when there were multiple copies to begin with. > > It seems to me than anyone planning records to leave for their posterity > had better think very carefully about (1) will the physical product I am > producing survive? and (2) will the machinery necessary to interpret it > still exist? In all too many cases, I fear, the answer to both questions is > going to be no. > > Hugh MacDougall > Official Historian > Village of Cooperstown > 8 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326-1016 > coophist@stny.rr.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> > To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 8:07 PM > Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Suggestion for a new form of tithing - genealogy > wise > > > > A bouquet to you, Jan Cortez. I wonder how many others are doing the > same, > > if not for the community, for their descendants. I am developing a > personal > > time line and plan to do a video of me relating my life and events, I > guess > > what they call an oral history, only with video, for my kids, grandkids > and, > > when they come, great grandkids. I already scanned many photos from way > > back and gave each of the kids a CD with the photos on it. > > > > Any other ideas on what we can do as the ancients for the future > > generations? They will look to us because our ancestors had to work hard > > just to remain alive. It is only since WWII that many of the gains we > have > > achieved have come to fruition: modern homes, good roads, fast cars, TV, > > cheap phone service, computers, air travel, most household electrical > > appliances and the list goes on. > > > > Cliff Hayes > > > > > > > > > ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from this list in digest mode send an email with > the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message > to the following address: NYOtsego-d-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >

In response to Cliff's otherwise excellent proposal, I fear that one big problem this kind of project faces is that of technological obsolescence, which is clearly becoming a major problem for the storage of all kinds of information -- and especially of the family history variety. Black and white pictures could, ideally, last more or less forever; most color pictures fade after a certain number of years. While movie film is no longer the dangerously degenerative nitrate variety of the early days, it too tends to deteriorate and fade. Sound recording has similar problems -- especially at the "player" end. You can't play 78 rpm records without a special turntable (unless you've saved an old one, as I have), and they require a different kind of needle or stylus (the modern 45 or 33 rpm stylus is too narrow and will rapidly destroy them). I remember when the wire recorder was all the rage (which, I guess, dates me); but aside from the fact that wire recorder players are extinct, the wire was subject to frequent and disastrous tangling, and also to being erased by nearby magnetic influences. Reel-to-reel tape has also become obsolete, tends to degenerate, and becomes more fragile with time; the same is certainly true of audio-cassette tapes. Ditto for video tape -- obsolescence (remember BETA format), fairly rapid deterioration. And you may have noticed how most of the Television tapes of the early days have disappeared or gone bad -- look at the occasional attempts to show excerpts from them for historical purposes on modern TV shows. Does anyone really think that our current equipment is going to last much longer than these other great (but now dying) information revolutions? Many "photo" prints that come from scanners and copiers are fragile -- printer ink is water soluble and washes off. Remember the story of books: books and newspapers printed (before, say, the Civil War) on rag paper last indefinitely; many books and especially newspapers, etc., printed on cheap woodpulp paper during the second half of the 19th century, are now disintegrating far faster than they can be copied or saved, even when there were multiple copies to begin with. It seems to me than anyone planning records to leave for their posterity had better think very carefully about (1) will the physical product I am producing survive? and (2) will the machinery necessary to interpret it still exist? In all too many cases, I fear, the answer to both questions is going to be no. Hugh MacDougall Official Historian Village of Cooperstown 8 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326-1016 coophist@stny.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 8:07 PM Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Suggestion for a new form of tithing - genealogy wise > A bouquet to you, Jan Cortez. I wonder how many others are doing the same, > if not for the community, for their descendants. I am developing a personal > time line and plan to do a video of me relating my life and events, I guess > what they call an oral history, only with video, for my kids, grandkids and, > when they come, great grandkids. I already scanned many photos from way > back and gave each of the kids a CD with the photos on it. > > Any other ideas on what we can do as the ancients for the future > generations? They will look to us because our ancestors had to work hard > just to remain alive. It is only since WWII that many of the gains we have > achieved have come to fruition: modern homes, good roads, fast cars, TV, > cheap phone service, computers, air travel, most household electrical > appliances and the list goes on. > > Cliff Hayes > > >

Thanks Sandy! Susan M. Roe Seal Beach, CA SueMHR@aol.com If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may live in peace. Thomas Paine

HI Sue, The address is Otsego County Planning Department, 197 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 The cost was $1 plus shipping and handling. Sandy SueMHR@aol.com wrote: > Sandy, > Could you tell me again where to get the Otsego Co. Cemetery map? I know you > told us a long time ago but I lost all my email in a computer crash and never > followed up. > Thanks! > Sue > > Susan M. Roe > Seal Beach, CA > SueMHR@aol.com > > If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may live in > peace. > Thomas Paine > > ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from this list in list mode send an email with the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message to the following address: NYOtsego-l-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237

NYS Historical Assoc. in Cooperstown $1.50 i think... -----Original Message----- From: SueMHR@aol.com [mailto:SueMHR@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 11:32 AM To: NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Cemeteries of Otsego Map Owners Sandy, Could you tell me again where to get the Otsego Co. Cemetery map? I know you told us a long time ago but I lost all my email in a computer crash and never followed up. Thanks! Sue Susan M. Roe Seal Beach, CA SueMHR@aol.com If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may live in peace. Thomas Paine ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from this list in list mode send an email with the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message to the following address: NYOtsego-l-request@rootsweb.com ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237

Sandy, Could you tell me again where to get the Otsego Co. Cemetery map? I know you told us a long time ago but I lost all my email in a computer crash and never followed up. Thanks! Sue Susan M. Roe Seal Beach, CA SueMHR@aol.com If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may live in peace. Thomas Paine

For those of you have have the "Cemeteries of Otsego Co." Map, please note that there is a listing in the town of Milford for "Cooperstown Junction" Cemetery. In working with the cemetery, I just learned that the actual name is "Colliersville Cemetery" located in Cooperstown Junction. You might want to note that on your maps. I will also notify Jan to make the change on the county webpage. Sandy Goodspeed

A couple of census entries -- Wilson/Boyd 1910 US Census, New York, Otsego County, Oneonta, 127-152, 2 Herman Ave., p. 245 James Leon Wilson, head, male, white, age 30. Married once, married 6 years. Driver, grocery wagon. Born NY, parents born NY Julia Netter Wilson, wife, female, white, age 26. Married once, married 6 years, 2 children, 2 living. Born NY, parents born NY Russell C. Wilson, son, male, white, age 3, single.. Born NY, parents born NY Beulah Irene Wilson, daughter, female, white, age 1 year 10(?) months, single. Born NY, parents born NY Sarah E. Wilson, mother, female, white, age 66, widowed. 1 child, 1 living. Born NY, parents born NY 1930 US Census, New York, Otsego County, Town of Otsego, Cooperstown, 294-335, 22 Maple Street, p. 45B-46A Francis Boyd, head, male, white, age 26, rents ($30 per month), has radio, married, married at age 22. Mechanic, automobile. Born NY, parents born NY Beulah Boyd, wife, female, white, age 21, married, married at age 17. Born NY, parents born NY Patricia J. Boyd, daughter, female, white, age 9 months, single. Born NY, parents born NY. Hugh MacDougall, Secretary/Treasurer James Fenimore Cooper Society 8 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326-1016 jfcooper@stny.rr.com http://www.oneonta.edu/external/cooper ----- Original Message ----- From: "Renne M Blocker" <im2funny4u@juno.com> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 3:02 PM Subject: [NYOTSEGO] Wilsons and Boyds in early 1900's > I'm looking for any information on the WILSON family that would have been > in Oneonta circa 1909. Beulah Irene WILSON was born there1909. Her > parents were James Leon WILSON and Sarah Julia RUSSELL. Francis Herbert > BOYD was born 1903 in Oneonta, NY. He married Beulah WILSON and they had > a daughter PATRICIA who was born in 1929. Patricia and her mother are > found in > the 1930 census of Cooperstown, N.Y. PATRICIA BOYD married Robert > JELINEK. Patricia is now Reverend Patricia Jelinek. > She united my husband and I in marriage and I am trying to compile a > family tree for her. Any information on the abovementioned > people would be helpful in my efforts for her. Thank you in advance, > Renné Blocker > >>

I'm looking for any information on the WILSON family that would have been in Oneonta circa 1909. Beulah Irene WILSON was born there1909. Her parents were James Leon WILSON and Sarah Julia RUSSELL. Francis Herbert BOYD was born 1903 in Oneonta, NY. He married Beulah WILSON and they had a daughter PATRICIA who was born in 1929. Patricia and her mother are found in the 1930 census of Cooperstown, N.Y. PATRICIA BOYD married Robert JELINEK. Patricia is now Reverend Patricia Jelinek. She united my husband and I in marriage and I am trying to compile a family tree for her. Any information on the abovementioned people would be helpful in my efforts for her. Thank you in advance, Renné Blocker ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

A lot of your new HP Scanners have a program called Memory Discs with the driver for the scanner. We recently had to move my mother in with my sister in Maryland because of illness. There are eight of us kids, while cleaning out her house I found all of her old photos. I scanned them all and gave each of my brothers and sisters a copy of the cds with all the photos on (over 8000 scans in all) Then the original photos were given to the individuals that were in them. This way not only do I have them to pass on down through the family (even though I have no children of my own) but there are 7 other copies to be passed down through their lines. Now I have to get going on scanning my own personal photos. I also took the pictures of mom's growing up and did a Memory Disk of her from 3 years old to last year. A few years ago I did a family book and went around to all of the aunts and uncles and got scannings of their photos and these were also included in the cds I gave to my brothers and sisters. It doesn't cost much just a little time for the future generations. Marlene Andes

Hi Cliff, Jan & All What Great Idea's these are. My Mother left such a Gift to me. As Jan knows I recently lost my beloved Mother and my youngest sister who was living nearest Mom at her last home in New Hartford NY had the job of going through mother's personal items and distributing them as per mother's direct instructions (all written out). Connie saved mine for my recent Birthday (and we won't mention which one) and I have never had such a wonderful Birthday in my entire life. I sit for hours going over and over the gifts of love with tears in my eyes thinking how wonderful it is that Mom took the time to do this. . Mother had saved pictures for almost a Century (one could tell she had been in a Historian Office) and labeled each one with the Date, Place and Age and names of who was in the pictures and made a scrapbook for each of her children. Included in mine were pictures of my father at a young age (they were divorced), my Paternal Grandfather, Paternal G Aunts & Uncles, Grandpa's Cottage at Sackets Harbor NY, his family home in Westfield NJ. She had that wonderful picture of me on the blanket on the lawn with "???" on, at 4 1/2 months, pictures at 9 mo, 1 yr., and also photographs of family members done professional and made copies for each one of us. An Ancestor of ours who visited another cousin in Colorado who was associated with a mining company in the late 1890's had returned with several Amethyst Stones and after his death (1940's) they were sent to my mother. They were still in the box she received them in. My Sister knowing this was my Birth Stone (and per Mom's instructions) took them to a custom jeweler in New Hartford NY and had a beautiful ring made for my Birthday. A Gift of love from her, Mom and our G Uncle who brought them back Included in all this was the newspaper article in the Watertown Daily Times of my 5th Birthday Party with my lst Grade Class members all named who attended (I even had to invite the ones I didn't like). My high school days and college days were all included. I have the photograph of her adopted mother's graduation from Katherine Hepburn Hospital Nursing School (we believe to be the first class) and many other wonderful pictures of other family members. Included were letters from WW 2 from her brother, letters from lher Bio Mother in NB Canada and other family memento's. Mother did all this without the knowledge of any of her children so we would remember her. She left me a treasure that money is unable to buy and I will always cherish it and reward my children with such. Regards Pat R

Pat, This is a great way to share family history with our children. It keeps family history personal and private [I'm referring to personal information one wants to keep from prying eyes of outsiders so to speak] at the same times as giving a family legacy and identity for our children and so on down the line. Thank you! marilyn PNUTREG@cs.com wrote: >Hi Cliff, Jan & All > >What Great Idea's these are. My Mother left such a Gift to me. As Jan knows >I recently lost my beloved Mother and my youngest sister who was living >nearest Mom at her last home in New Hartford NY had the job of going through >mother's personal items and distributing them as per mother's direct >instructions >(all written out). Connie saved mine for my recent Birthday (and we won't >mention which one) and I have never had such a wonderful Birthday in my >entire life. >I sit for hours going over and over the gifts of love with tears in my eyes >thinking how wonderful it is that Mom took the time to do this. . > >Mother had saved pictures for almost a Century (one could tell she had been >in a Historian Office) and labeled each one with the Date, Place and Age and >names of who was in the pictures and made a scrapbook for each of her >children. >Included in mine were pictures of my father at a young age (they were >divorced), my Paternal Grandfather, Paternal G Aunts & Uncles, Grandpa's >Cottage at >Sackets Harbor NY, his family home in Westfield NJ. She had that wonderful >picture of me on the blanket on the lawn with "???" on, at 4 1/2 months, >pictures at 9 mo, 1 yr., and also photographs of family members done >professional and >made copies for each one of us. > >An Ancestor of ours who visited another cousin in Colorado who was associated >with a mining company in the late 1890's had returned with several Amethyst >Stones and after his death (1940's) they were sent to my mother. They were >still in the box she received them in. My Sister knowing this was my Birth >Stone >(and per Mom's instructions) took them to a custom jeweler in New Hartford NY >and had a beautiful ring made for my Birthday. A Gift of love from her, Mom >and our G Uncle who brought them back > >Included in all this was the newspaper article in the Watertown Daily Times >of my 5th Birthday Party with my lst Grade Class members all named who >attended >(I even had to invite the ones I didn't like). My high school days and >college days were all included. I have the photograph of her adopted mother's >graduation from Katherine Hepburn Hospital Nursing School (we believe to be >the >first class) and many other wonderful pictures of other family members. >Included >were letters from WW 2 from her brother, letters from lher Bio Mother in NB >Canada and other family memento's. Mother did all this without the >knowledge of >any of her children so we would remember her. She left me a treasure that >money is unable to buy and I will always cherish it and reward my children >with >such. > >Regards >Pat R > > >==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe from this list in digest mode send an email with >the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message >to the following address: NYOtsego-d-request@rootsweb.com > >============================== >Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration >Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > > >

An especially large bouquet to Jan for operating the Rootsweb page for Otsego County. Do the local town historians have email addresses? If so, t would be nice to have the email addresses as well a the snail mail addresses on that page. I went through high school in Schenevus and wonder what the local historians might want for their files. I recall that Schenevus had a sesqui-centennial (150 years), I believe in the late 1930s on what is now Borst Field. I also went to school with Dick Busacker and Dave Huntington from Westford (when the schools were centralized). We were the class of 1943, the third class to graduate from A. S. Draper Central. The class of 1941 never went to school there, just went there to graduate. Cliff Hayes ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jan Cortez" <cristian@netonecom.net> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 7:25 PM Subject: [NYOTSEGO] Lost & Found > It's only taken me a couple of years to do this, but, I have finally started > a lost and found page for Otsego County. A couple of wonderful ladies have > sent me tintypes, old photos, letters, etc. that were found in different > places and are hoping that these can be rejoined with family members. I've > procrastinated long enough and wanted to get them online - so here is the > start. The rest will have to wait until next weekend, as I have a very busy > week ahead - but take a look and let me know what you think, and/or if you > have anything to contribute. > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyotsego/ You'll find the link under lost & found. > > Jan Cortez > Otsego County Coordinator > > > > ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from this list in digest mode send an email with > the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message > to the following address: NYOtsego-d-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >

Elaine, You, of all people, should understand how important it is to preserve memories of your current life for your descendants since you apparently do not have photos of your ancestors. I HAD two albums of photos, etc that ere lost in Hurricane Alicia in 1983. Fortunately, I have many cousins and a brother who loaned their photos to me so I could recover many of the photos I had lost. They could not replace the photos I had of WWII and the horrors of Dachau, etc or those of friends, some of whom are fertilizing American cemeteries in Europe. I hope that many out there will not need such memories to prod them into memorializing their lives for future generations. I put my suggestion on Rootsweb for Dutchess, Schoharie and Otsego counties and am delighted with the responses and the suggestions that I have seen. Cliff Hayes ----- Original Message ----- From: <ElaineDecker@cs.com> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 7:55 PM Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Lost & Found > In a message dated 3/7/04 8:25:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, > cristian@netonecom.net writes: > > << week ahead - but take a look and let me know what you think, and/or if you > have anything to contribute. >> > > How beautiful. I would give my eye teeth if I could have even one old > picture of an ancestor. > Elaine > > > ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from this list in digest mode send an email with > the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message > to the following address: NYOtsego-d-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > >

In a message dated 3/7/04 8:25:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, cristian@netonecom.net writes: << week ahead - but take a look and let me know what you think, and/or if you have anything to contribute. >> How beautiful. I would give my eye teeth if I could have even one old picture of an ancestor. Elaine

Videos are an excellent idea. I can't begin to tell you how many times I wish I had asked my folks about some of these family things before they passed away. We take so many things for granted. I have been going thru all my family photos and making sure they are marked on back with who they are, when taken, where, etc. I have a very large box full of antique photos and unfortunately, I haven't the faintest idea who they are. It's a shame. I'd love to see some of my great grandparents, and their siblings, etc. I have one of a 4th great grandfather and only because his portrait hangs on a courthouse wall as the first judge of that county, and I have a photo of it. Now is the time to begin work on those photos, and keepsakes, etc. and preserve them for the next generations. Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> I am developing a personal > time line and plan to do a video of me relating my life and events, I guess > what they call an oral history, only with video, for my kids, grandkids and, > when they come, great grandkids. I already scanned many photos from way > back and gave each of the kids a CD with the photos on it. > > Any other ideas on what we can do as the ancients for the future > generations? They will look to us because our ancestors had to work hard > just to remain alive. It is only since WWII that many of the gains we have > achieved have come to fruition: modern homes, good roads, fast cars, TV, > cheap phone service, computers, air travel, most household electrical > appliances and the list goes on. > > Cliff Hayes

It's only taken me a couple of years to do this, but, I have finally started a lost and found page for Otsego County. A couple of wonderful ladies have sent me tintypes, old photos, letters, etc. that were found in different places and are hoping that these can be rejoined with family members. I've procrastinated long enough and wanted to get them online - so here is the start. The rest will have to wait until next weekend, as I have a very busy week ahead - but take a look and let me know what you think, and/or if you have anything to contribute. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyotsego/ You'll find the link under lost & found. Jan Cortez Otsego County Coordinator

Jan & others ~ Great Idea on the videos! For my parent's 50th Wedding anniversary we put together a "collage" of their life together. It was over 200 favorite photo's we had digitized. We had a Specialized video Person put this together either a video cassette(or you can burn it to CD also). He made us all copies for a few dollars, after the original of about 100$. If you want more pictures of course it can run you more. Add a favorite song of the couple's throughout the tape, a few special effects of frames, fading etc and Voila!! You have a person's collage of their life on video or CD. We were thinking of doing this for special milestone Birthdays also in our family. We did it for my Husband's grandmother's 105th birthday! Now that was some video! A woman who had seen it all... from Horse and carriage to Vaudeville to the Space Shuttles! It was wonderful!. I still watch that tape of my parent's together now and then, and it shows their life span together, from young until now, and it still brings a joyful tear to my eye, when I watch it....(laughing) There are lots of love and memories in that Tape. Seriously folks, I agree with Jan, it is a wonderful way to seize the span of a persons short life here on earth. It seems to pass so quickly! We need to Seize the moment in Genealogy and capture it for future generations any way we can. I have seen some great ideas on this subject pop up...any others out there? Keep them coming. Penny ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jan Cortez" <cristian@netonecom.net> To: <NYOTSEGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 7:44 PM Subject: Re: [NYOTSEGO] Suggestion for a new form of tithing - genealogy wise > Videos are an excellent idea. I can't begin to tell you how many times I > wish I had asked my folks about some of these family things before they > passed away. We take so many things for granted. I have been going thru > all my family photos and making sure they are marked on back with who they > are, when taken, where, etc. I have a very large box full of antique photos > and unfortunately, I haven't the faintest idea who they are. It's a shame. > I'd love to see some of my great grandparents, and their siblings, etc. I > have one of a 4th great grandfather and only because his portrait hangs on a > courthouse wall as the first judge of that county, and I have a photo of it. > > Now is the time to begin work on those photos, and keepsakes, etc. and > preserve them for the next generations. > > Jan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> > > > I am developing a personal > > time line and plan to do a video of me relating my life and events, I > guess > > what they call an oral history, only with video, for my kids, grandkids > and, > > when they come, great grandkids. I already scanned many photos from way > > back and gave each of the kids a CD with the photos on it. > > > > Any other ideas on what we can do as the ancients for the future > > generations? They will look to us because our ancestors had to work hard > > just to remain alive. It is only since WWII that many of the gains we > have > > achieved have come to fruition: modern homes, good roads, fast cars, TV, > > cheap phone service, computers, air travel, most household electrical > > appliances and the list goes on. > > > > Cliff Hayes > > > > ==== NYOTSEGO Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from this list in digest mode send an email with > the word, unsubscribe,in the subject field & body of the message > to the following address: NYOtsego-d-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.605 / Virus Database: 385 - Release Date: 3/1/04

Well Cliff, I think its an excellent idea, as I have been doing that for some time. Guess I thought everyone did. I've even done a history on the township in MI, where I'm a township clerk, putting the old with the new. This is the way it looked back then, this is what I'm seeing today, and what is happening with the different families, businesses, government, etc. In this history, I ask that some one will update it again in another 50 years, just to keep current. Jan Cortez ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clifford Hayes" <cliff.hayes@earthlink.net> > It seems everyone is searching for this, that or the other ancestor - asking for help and/or giving it. What are each of you doing for your descendants when 50 or 150 years from now they are looking for you? I suggest that we tithe and give ten percent of the time we spend searching for our ancestors putting our lives on line and giving our descendants some insight as to what we are doing, what problems we are facing, how we live, etc. Sure, they can read the newspapers and magazines for the BIG picture. We can do the same for our ancestors but does the BIG picture tell us how great great grandma or her peers lived? > > It will be interesting to see what, if any, comment this suggestion inspires. > > Cliff Hayes, (a leftover from WWII).