When I first became interested in genealogy, I read many library books on the subject and ordered even more by interlibrary loan once I had exhausted my local library's small selection. Early on, I order a book titled "Collecting Dead Relatives", by Laverne Galeener-Moore... when it arrived, I was disappointed because it was not a 'how to' manual, but instead more of novel or genealogy memoir.... My disappointment evaportated after reading a couple of pages!
This book is hysterical! And while some of the subject matter is getting outdated today, as it was published in the late 1980s (pre-Internet!), when I first read it 20 years ago, it was fresh and enlightening. The follow up book "Further Undertakings of a Dead Relative Collector" is just as funny! I have read and reread my copies many times over the years. Yes, I eventually purchased them for my own collection because I enjoyed them so much!
Laverne Galeener Moore has an easy writing style and gives laugh out loud scenarios that all genealogists are far too familiar with! Sadly, she passed away in 2005, but I feel like I knew her and her husband Alan for years as I shared in their escapades! This link- http://www.dcoweb.org/memorials/Laverne.html has a little Bio of LGM and shows that genealogy was just one of her passions!
So, treat yourself to a break from blurry Ancestry census records and laugh out loud at the (mis)adventures of one of genealogy's finest- Laverne Galeener-Moore! I'm sure that are copies of her books floating around libraries, at least I hope so... Because I know I'll never part with mine! In fact... as I type this, they are beckoning from the bookcase!
A full page ad from a 1989 Genealogical Helper
This book is hysterical! And while some of the subject matter is getting outdated today, as it was published in the late 1980s (pre-Internet!), when I first read it 20 years ago, it was fresh and enlightening. The follow up book "Further Undertakings of a Dead Relative Collector" is just as funny! I have read and reread my copies many times over the years. Yes, I eventually purchased them for my own collection because I enjoyed them so much!
Laverne Galeener Moore has an easy writing style and gives laugh out loud scenarios that all genealogists are far too familiar with! Sadly, she passed away in 2005, but I feel like I knew her and her husband Alan for years as I shared in their escapades! This link- http://www.dcoweb.org/memorials/Laverne.html has a little Bio of LGM and shows that genealogy was just one of her passions!
So, treat yourself to a break from blurry Ancestry census records and laugh out loud at the (mis)adventures of one of genealogy's finest- Laverne Galeener-Moore! I'm sure that are copies of her books floating around libraries, at least I hope so... Because I know I'll never part with mine! In fact... as I type this, they are beckoning from the bookcase!
A full page ad from a 1989 Genealogical Helper
Nickster, Thanks for sharing such colorful and intuitive research on your ancestry. What an extraordinary family you come from which isn't hard to believe considering the amazing person you are. I've always wanted to research my descendants but never took the initiative, fearing it would be an insipid process. So much for my theory. You make it seem both fun and educational. Even more impressive is your willingness to share your research, including the scandalous family secrets. Thanks to your persuasiveness, I purchased both Laverne Galeener-Moore' books. Looking forward to more posts on your research.
ReplyDelete