The A to Z challenge is coming up - April 2014

I did this challenge last year with my California blog. I did a California destination for each letter of the alphabet. On the challenge, you post every day but Sunday which works out to 26 days.

This year, I am doing my Yeakley/Jones family. I am already doing the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks which is hard to do because while I know things about this side of the family, I am woefully ignorant about ancestors beyond my immediate family. Fortunately, I have had two cousins miraculously appear this week which has given me new material to research.

When I originally decided to do the A-Z, I thought I'd go back in time and pick ancestors who had interesting stories. Then it occurred to me, with all my aunts and uncles gone, it would be a good idea to put down what I remembered about them. My perspective is that of a child growing up with these people. 

The problem with genealogy and family history that we tend to overlook the obvious. We quite often lament that we didn't ask the questions when we had the chance. With this challenge, I have the opportunity to share what I remember and the photos I have. So for part of the 26 days, you will get to meet my family. It probably won't be all that interesting as they were all nice people (for the most part). No one divorced and they were all happily married when they died.

What I am going to do for the other 18 days is open to what comes my way. Ernest Marvin Yeakley and Nancy Ellen Jones had 8 children. Some of them I knew well and some, not so much. Still, that gives future family historians a little bit of personality to go along with the boring and sterile birth and death dates for my aunts and uncles. 

Blogging Challenge

Genealogy blogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued a challenge this morning to blog about one ancestor every week for a year. She's calling it 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks. I got the Google + email right after I setup this new blog to start on the Yeakley/Jones family. I would call it coincidence but I don't believe in coincidence. I think it's one of those moments when you know it was meant to be and besides, I have never have been one to resist a challenge. This is going to be fun.