Frog In North Georgia » guam

Family Search Indexing

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:31:44 +0000

The site Family Search, has a project where volunteers can transcribe genealogical documents for general use. I found out about the site and it’s services shortly after I stumbled into family history research. And signed up to do some indexing shortly after that.

I would guess that I’ve been indexing since last December. I find it very interesting to look at old records. I can see how the forms are organized. And by reading an entire group of records, see possible trends in the information. For example, a lot of marriages that include the surname Bailey, who may be related.

I also like that someone else is going to proof my work. But strangely enough, the past two index images that I downloaded asked me to do the proofreading! I make constant use of the handwriting helps screen, and blow images up to enormous proportions sometimes to read them. I did not feel qualified.

I got stuck on a humorous error : mole destroyer. That is what was transcribed. I can see why the person was confused. The words were in French, IMHO. I think louer (to rent) , or noyer (walnut). It was a very old UK form. And the professions of other people on the page related to fishing. And the master list of professions had nothing that looked like it could be handwritten as the words in the field. Ah well, I did my best.

I even waved DH over to help. He was a good sport. But he couldn’t read it well either.

This error plagued me. I imagined this person to be the very old, beloved Uncle Dave of someone else. My Uncle Dave, I eventually found, his name incorrectly transcribed as Atiegna rather than Atienza. So I felt duty bound to transcribe correctly.

Usually, there’s no pressure.

I received a congratulatory and thank you email for transcribing 100 batches. Congratulations, you’re qualified to do more difficult things! Ha.

The Island Calls Book

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:55:31 +0000

The Island Calls by Teresa Garrido Roberts, is an interesting journey of a woman who searches for her Chamorro father who abandoned the family when she was only three years old. The story is not uplifting. In fact, it is quite grim at points.

Low tide at Asan Beach by cappuccino_iv

Without giving the whole story away… She doesn’t find her father, but rather his deeds, family, and life story. The author’s is a story of ethnic identity. And of overcoming great trauma and finding a sense of closure.

I felt throughout the novel that Roberts was holding back parts of her story. Too painful? Legally dangerous? Offensive to other family members? I appreciate these concerns as a family historian. But as a reader, would like to know the entire story.

As a hafa houle myself, I share the author’s quest to learn the history of Guam and the despair and victories of war that nobody talks about. Though she was clearly looking for information of an even more personal nature.

I am very pleased to find literature online now about Guam and the Chamorro people. There seems to have been such a dearth of both historical records and personal accounts in the past.

The Island Calls is a good read. I am glad that the author has the courage to share her lifes investigation.

Hold the Marianas Book

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:25:09 +0000

Since I’m still obsessing over the family tree, and the fact that I can discover what life was like on Guam during the Japanese occupation by researching, since no relative would ever tell me, I am reading Hold the Marianas: The Japanese Defense of the Mariana Islands . I got an inter-library loan, thinking it would be dry and boring and not a book I would want to own. But actually, I am fascinated.

Camp Roxas, Agat, Guam (1946 – 1972) by Camp Roxas, Agat, Guam

It’s a rough book to read. The Japanese were absolutely brutal. And I can see clearly why no family member would discuss the subject with a young child. Though now that I’m an adult, they all seem surprised that I didn’t know a thing about the occupation. The author is a scholar, D. Colt Denfield. I keep thinking I’ve read something by him before. But I haven’t turned anything up, which is odd. It is very military-technical and covers the battle and occupation from the Japanese perspective. So I skim quite a bit of it.

I am fascinated by the many, many photographs credited to the National Archives. And the government documents in the bibliography, that my own internet searching of the National Archives did not uncover. I guess I really must go to the Atlanta branch and search from there, rather than my from my pc right here. Clearly, all of the holdings have not made their way from microfilm to internet.

Cluster Genealogy

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 09:00:32 +0000

In my typically obsessive manner, I have been researching the family tree and doing as little else as possible. I had begun to tire of it when I discovered the names of my great-grandmothers sister. That led me to more previously unknown family members. And voila, I was sucked back in.

Great Aunt and Cousins

It’s easy though, to be interested in a project when there are others working on it and encouraging you. That’s how I feel about it anyway. Several cousins are really involved. There are now 857 family members names on the tree and about 79 who have logged in. I don’t know how many are regular visitors to the site. But it is definitely a family project. I especially love the old photos.

It turns out that traditional genealogy is when you begin with yourself and research each direct ancestor back in time in a linear fashion. What we’re doing is called cluster genealogy, where you pick a common ancestor and work down every branch of the tree. I started with my great grandfather Lucio, and great grandmother Tomasa – the link between me and the cousins who originally contacted me.

I told DH I could not image doing it any other way with this part of the family and he rolled his eyes and groaned. lol.

Back to cluster genealogy vs regular genealogy. I think it is interesting to find ancestors and investigate family stories. But I think it is even more fun to actually meet live people. We spent Thanksgiving with cousins I had never met before. They have lived in the same metro area the whole time I’ve been here. I would not have found them had I not looked at all the branches of the tree. Or more fairly, I put them on the tree. But John, who is a far better extrovert than I am called and said he saw that my phone number is in Atlanta. I cannot express to you how much I enjoy hearing the Guam accent again.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10:08 +0000

I’m not a huge fan of turkey. I appreciate the skill of a good cook, who can make one just right. But I don’t love the turkey taste. I like it well enough at Thanksgiving. But I’ve never understood people who will buy the biggest bird they can find and eat the leftovers for days on end.

Last year one of my SILs made a turkey sage soup. And that is probably my most favorite use of turkey leftovers yet.

So today, I get to the Kroger, and there is almost no chicken for sale. Which is weird since there are dozens of poultry farms nearby. Are they called farms if it’s for chickens? Chicken ranch? Anyway, I saw only a few types of chicken. And all of it is more expensive than last week.

Am I the only person trying to buy chicken this week? How odd.

I made cadon for dinner. Pronounced kuh-doo. It’s Chamarro beef stew. I did this by accident, which seems to be how it always happens. I make lots of Guamanian food on purpose, especially the fried rice. But the cadon is always a surprise. I just put stuff in the dutch oven, and might even think to myself beef stew. But out comes cadon.

I submitted it on allrecipes. But it isn’t approved yet, so can’t share it yet. But I have two other recipes showing there.

DD ate a whole lot of it. I gave her a bowlful and she wolfed it down and asked for more. My dad would be so proud.

Cadon

How Very Thoughtful

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:40:00 +0000

DH has been recording things on the tivo for me recently. This is very nice. He recorded a French film that he stumbled upon on IFC, and also the Little League World Series Game of Guam vs. Somebody-or-Other.

We watch the Little League World Series whenever it is on. Those kids are just amazing. I like to watch Guam. The broadcasters interview the kids and they say they like kelaguen and lumpia and other foods I remember from childhood.

Kids are so fun that way. They are so happy to tell you about their favorite meal or other simple joy in life.

The point is that it is near Japan

Christine Eclavea Mercer — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:01 +0000

What an odd geographic reference. It has always been it’s proximity to Japan that has made Guam important to the U.S.

Rescuers search off Guam for crew of crashed B-52 | ajc.com

The accident is the second for the Air Force this year on Guam, a U.S. territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.