Granduncle Mark's Genealogy Parlor

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Interesting Comments from my Visitors






    I get many e-mail messages in response to my Web pages.

    Many are complimentary, and I won't bore you with those. (Although, I appreciate them!)

    Some are insulting and too rude, crude, or shocking to repost. (But, sometimes I get a kick out of those, too!)

    However, some are simply clever, thoughtful, insightful, or humorous, and I'll share some of those with you.

    E-Mail messages are quoted anonymously, unless the writer specifically authorized me to use his or her name or e-mail address.




    Visitor Comments



    I'm looking for an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for Scrapple, preferably one which uses a pig's head. Can you help me?

    Thanks in advance for your assistance.

      -- I don't think so.



    Can you send me some mail on some cool things to hack into?

    thanx!

      -- I don't think so.



    Thanks for " What's A Second-Cousin Twice-Removed?." As you know, it perfectly illustrates what I have been trying to teach my mentally challenged "cousins" !!! (& could help in their education)


    I just wanted to send a quick note to say "Hooray for you" for your comments/suggestions about parents and homework assignments!!! I loved your site and I loved what you had to say on that particular subject. More people need to hear the truth and let their children learn. I'm sure you will wake up and encourage at least a few people with your comments. No response necessary, I'm quite sure you are overwhelmed with questions. Just wanted to throw a positive thought in there for you.


    I am a high school teacher checking out netsites for info on the different Numic groups in the southwest for my archaeology class. I came across your webpage. I just wanted to thank you for your comments to parents about the importance of their children learning to use research skills and doing the work themselves.

    Sadly enough, as a teacher, I see too many cases of parents thinking that it is acceptable for others to do the work but their children get the credit.

      -- And, the children are the losers, because they don't "learn how to learn" when their parents cover them that way.



    I'm a youth services librarian in a busy suburban library outside Portland Oregon - and I'm THRILLED by your website where you address homework assignments!

    We have well-meaning-but-short-sighted parents in here all the time doing their offspring's work. We try to convince them that they're doing their kids no real favor --- but you put it extremely well.

    May I have your permission to post your words - referencing your site of course - on a public and school librarians' list ?

    Either way - thanks for your recommendation that they use the library (and act responsibly and do their own work).


    I just wanted to thank you for all the great information you have put on your web site. It really helped me with my homework assignment that I put off till the day before it was due. The other thing I wanted to tell you is I think it is wonderful the part you added in about doing your homework using all available resources because as much as I have often wanted to cheat doing my homework I have learned so much more doing it by myself. Thanks, Stacey

      -- I believe that you're going to do well in life, Stacey!



    Hi, Mark ... I just got the lastest version of my home page up; visit me ... not that that you'll find anything interesting.

      -- Not exactly aggressive marketing of this person's Web site.



    Thanks for your useful page on protections against Mass E-Mail and Telemarketing.

    It's good to know that our rights are being protected by at least some government groups.

    It sounds like it's partly up to state and federal legislators having the courage to defy the pressure from big business.

    I'm going to write to my senators and congressional representatives about these issues.

      -- Great.



    My grandfather's name was Joseph Brown. His wife's name was Elizabeth. Please send me information about my ancestors.

    Thank you very much.

      -- I never want to discourage those who are new to genealogy. We all started at that point. But, this person doesn't yet realize that he hasn't given enough information to make the search possible, even if I did do research for other people -- which I don't, except to check my own database and books to help others.

      To procede with the amount of information he provided, I'd have to compile a team and spend the next 45-years going through the records and archives of every town and city on the planet, looking at every time period, at my own cost, and then let the writer select which of the 14,123 John and Elizabeth Brown's are his grandparents. Then we could finally start the research, except I'd probably have passed away by then.



    Good afternoon, Dr. Hickman.

    I was amazed when looking at pictures of you at how much we look alike. I never really get that with my own family.

      -- This must be from a very good-looking person! (Smile.)



    You have a very impressive Web site, but I don't have time to look at that many Web pages. Please reduce the number of your Web pages, and send me an e-mail to let me know you've done that, so that I can visit your site again.

      -- Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!



    I went into your Web page. About all I can say is that it is different

      -- And, about all I can say is that your e-mail was received.



    NATURALLY, I clicked on the do not click here link.

    LOL. Hilarious (although you didn't scare me).

      -- You're a very brave person, indeed.



    I am having a great time reading your questions and answers on your " What's A Second-Cousin Twice-Removed?" page.

    Especially love the very last one. This lady is strange. My adopted child is just as "real" as my biological child!

      -- Yes.



    I was reading a page on your website entitled " What's A Second-Cousin Twice-Removed?," and I found the entire selection quite informative. I am surprised ( even at myself) how only a few number of people actually use the family termonology correctly. I found the last question on this page rather offensive, and I was honoured by your response. I'm sure you must have been quite disgusted? to hear such a question proposed.

      -- Yes.



    Thank you for the Web pages you've done about " Testicular Cancer." I wanted you to know how glad I am that I found your site shortly after I found out that I had testicular cancer, too.

    You are very brave to share the personal details of your story. That really helped me to make my decisions about getting an artificial testicle to replace the testicle that I lost.

      -- Thanks. I'm glad that the Web site was helpful to you.



    Your Ute Tribes page is fantastic, and I certainly agree with your position that you do not do people's homework for them. It's a real shame how people try to take short cuts in their education. I admire you for standing firm on this issue!

    I, for one, am researching very hard for my own school project. I just need for you to answer a couple of questions for me, if you have a couple of seconds. Where were the Ute Tribes located? Were there different groups of Utes? What does "Ute" mean? How did Ute people live in their daily lives? What form of government did they have? What kind of religion did they have? What language did they speak? What kind of clothing did they wear? What role did women play in the group? How were children treated in the group? What battles did the Ute people have with American military? How did those battles turn out? Who were some of the Ute Chiefs? What kind of structures did Ute people live in? Were they hunters? Were they farmers? What kind of food did they eat? What was their relationship to other groups of Native Americans? Did they make pottery? Did they ride horses? Do they still exist today? What is their relationship to the United States Government? What is their relationship to State governments? What is their relationship to local governments? What were the arts and music of Ute people? How were their children taught? What are some stories and legends about the Ute people?

    I look forward to your quick response, and keep up the good work of telling people that they should use their homework assignments as opportunities to learn how to study. I agree with you thoroughly. Please write back today or tomorrow with the answers because my paper is due on Thursday. Thanks!

    P.S. You're very handsome.

      -- How dumb do I look?




      -- In response to the statement at the top of my main Genealogy page, wherein I state that going back 20 generations you will find that you have 1,048,576 family surnames among your direct ancestors, one visitor offered the following interesting calculation:


    I noticed your numbers and write to offer a formula in case it is of interest --

    If 'n' be the number of generations preceding one then 2^n (that is 2 raised to the n'th power) is the corresponding number of antecedents.

    For example, you listed 20 generations having 1,048,576 = 220 (2 raised to the 20'th power) antecedents in that generation..

    So in year 2002, we have come about 100 generations since the time of Christ when each of us would have had 2100 or (210)10 = 102410 antecedents --a very big number so Howdy Brother.


    Regarding your " Serendipity in Genealogy page, it was excellent!

    In the past two years of research, this has happened to me in many small ways. I have had two experiences in graveyards similar to the one that you describe on this site, to wit:

    1. I knew, at the time, only that my g-g-grandparents had lived at some point in Canajoharie, NY. I was on my way back from a site in Conn. with a friend when I decided to turn off the thruway and have a look around. I also knew, at that time, my g-g-g-grandfather's name, but not my g-g-g-grandmother's, and I knew of no connection to Canajoharie except that the son had been born in Ames, a short distance away. That was in my family bible. When I got to the main street in town, there were several other streets to choose. I just had the feeling that I should choose the one straight ahead. Before long, I was out of the city limits, but I kept going. About a mile out, over a hill, there was an old cemetery with three entrances. I chose the middle one and drove straight back, looking toward the right as I did. Sure enough, there was my g-g-g-grandfather--and his wife and some of their kids.

    2. On this year's trip, which was with my sister and a first cousin, we stopped in Canaan, NY, hoping to locate the graves of my g-g-g-g-g-grandfather and his son, also our ancestor, who were both in the Revolution. I knew that they were buried in Canaan Center Cemetery, because I had found that in a DAR book, but we needed to verify things like dates and connections to be sure. The cemetery only had a couple of fragmentary roads. The rest of the driving was on grass, and it was starting to rain. We were on our way back to the road, where only the backs of the tombstones could be seen, when I suddenly felt strongly that I should stop and look at the nearby rows in the center. I got out and walked straight to my g-g-g-g-g-grandfather's stone. Not only were he and his wife, and the son and his wife, buried in that section, but also the wives' parents, some of whose vitals I had lacked up to that point. They were not on the internet or anywhere else that I could have found. Not only that, but I found proof of another link that I had found on the internet--to my g-g-g-grandfather's uncle, after whom he was named. The uncle had died young, at just 25, after the tragic loss of his betrothed to illness. Whether he died of a broken heart or some other cause, I don't know, but these young lovers are buried together in his family's plot, as if the wedding had taken place.

    Until I saw your site, I thought that I was the only one with such experiences! Now I look forward to more of them.








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Copyright 1996-2008, Mark Ellsworth Hickman, PhD
(Granduncle Mark)

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