Tag: New Jersey

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PBS Genealogy Roadshow Filming in Philadelphia

This past weekend the NSDAR was exhibiting in Philadelphia at the PBS Genealogy Roadshow filming.  On Saturday we were at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and had representatives from Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Washington DC.  We answered questions from attendees about NSDAR, their ancestors, possible membership and a host of other genealogy questions.  We had Darryn Lickliter, Head of the Genealogy department of NSDAR to answer the really hard questions (most of those were from the ladies behind the table).

The Genealogy Roadshow was filming Joshua Taylor and Kenyatta Berry helping break down brick walls for those family genealogists who are stuck on one of their family lines.  The show is scheduled to air in January.

On Sunday, we were at The Franklin Institute exhibiting during the taping of the show.  We were kept busy with all the folks who came in off the street to see if they could get some help with their genealogy.  I was beat, when I left, from non-stop talking.  This is what our Volunteer Genies live for – talking genealogy non-stop.  We used our computers to do look ups on the DAR websites, Ancestry. com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3.  I’m certain we have gained a few members for DAR and other Lineage Societies with all the look-ups.  Sunday we had DAR representatives from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, behind the table.  It was such a great experience for us all and  we have vowed to do this in our own areas to make more ladies aware of DAR and their eligibility to join.

We were excited to see one of our own being taped for the show and hope she doesn’t end up on the cutting room floor.  If you go on the PSSDAR Facebook page, you can see us in all our glory.  Another of our members was an extra for filming on Saturday.

A big thank you to all the ladies for coming to my rescue to help and for taking so much of their time to be in Philadelphia this weekend.

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Another Ancestor in the Revolutionary War

I have finally proven my ancestor, Susannah Shafer Shoemaker Ayres, to be the daughter of Adam Shafer and Elizabeth Swartout/Swartwood of Luzerne County, PA. This was a hard one. I first found her listed on an application for NSDAR, as one of the children of Adam and Elizabeth. I could prove all the other children, but could never find a record to connect my Susannah to any parents. I began to think maybe I was trying to prove a negative – these weren’t really her parents. I checked for records in many of the counties of Pennsylvania, between New Jersey, where Adam was born to Franklin County where he was living at one point.

“Never give up” is now my motto. I had sent an email many years ago to a person on the internet, inquiring if she had any information about my ancestor. Just about when my 2 years was running out on the DAR application, this wonderful person wrote back that she had transcribed some letters that might be helpful. The letters were written by Adam Shafer’s grandson and included connecting information about “Aunt Susannah”, he had attended the Shoemaker reunions, he knew his grandfather, viola, connection.

Folks, this is what it is all about. Share those family stories, letters, bible inscriptions. Put it out there so we can get connected. I now have another line of my family documented for the ages. We need to make these connections so our children and their children will know from where they are descended.