Hello 2014

     Today is the start of a brand new year.  I am happy to say goodbye to 2013 and welcome 2014 with a smile.  :)
     Last year was not a good year for me.  I had a migraine headache most of the year so I didn't get much research or blogging done.  On a happy note: I finally convinced my best friend to let me work on her genealogy.  She was hesitant at first because she didn't know anything about her family.  She gave me her parents names and the names of her maternal grandparents and I took it from there.  I traced Lillian's maternal line to her 2nd great-grandmother, Anna who was born in Ireland and buried with other family members in Brooklyn,NY.  I got the names of Anna's parents from her death certificate and added them to the tree.  I didn't get as far on Lillian's paternal line so after reaching her great-grandparents, I put Lillian's family on hold so I can get back to my own research.  Lillian and her husband have a 23 year old daughter who is their only child.  Lillian had been told that she can't have anymore children so imagine her surprise when she found out a few months ago that she's pregnant and her miracle baby will be born on my son's birthday which is January 5th.  How Lillian didn't know she was pregnant for seven months is another story and possibly a blog post.  Lillian and Anthony are expecting a boy.
     I told Lillian that since she and Anthony are now having a boy to carry on the family name then I will try to work on Anthony's line in the family tree.  I have Anthony's parents and grandparents names and that's it.  Anthony's father is dead and his mother, according to Lillian has not been helpful at all with supplying names and dates which would assist us with our research.  Lillian was finally able to get a few dates from her mother-in-law which helped with my progress on Anthony's maternal line.  I went back to Germany and England with Anthony's mother's side and his father's side is from Italy.  Anthony's father was born in New York but his paternal grandparents were from Italy.  I asked Lillian to try and get me dates of death for her father-in-law and his parents.  If those dates are not available then I'll take the name of the cemetery so I can call and bother them.  Until I get more information from Lillian, her tree as well as her husband's has been put on hold and I can go back to stalking Emily.
     I don't usually make resolutions because I don't keep them.  I plan to try and make this year, 2014, a happy, productive, positive year.  I will ignore the negativity at work, focus on happy thoughts and tune out the world around me while I write.  I will try to update this blog more often and work on my genealogy.  Is 2014 the year I find my 3rd great-grandmother, Emily who emigrated from Ireland as a young girl in the early 1850's?
     Before I wish everyone a Happy New Year, I need to wish my maternal 2nd great-grandfather a Happy Birthday in Heaven.  ♥  Daniel Davis was born on this day in 1860.


            Happy Birthday ! ! !

                                   Happy New Year ! ! !