Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Hardest Update

Genealogists get so excited over things that "normal" people don't: An obituary. A death certificate. A tombstone. We can be an odd bunch.

We also get excited over the additions we get to make to our genealogy databases because of information we find in an obituary. On a death certificate, or on a tombstone. We do the genealogical happy dance. We post a status update on Facebook. We tweet. it's all good.

Except when it's not.  Yesterday I had to make the most difficult change to my genealogy database that I ever had to make.

 
 
 

Dennis Joseph McHugh
17 Jan 1937 - 15 Feb 2010
Pictured in 1985 with Regina (Jean)(O'Rourke) McHugh
18 Jan 1938-13 Nov 1988
I Love You, Mom and Dad.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Super Bowl of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Thanks, Randy, for my favorite SNGF activities to date. I am one big NFL fan, and this was truly a blast! Here are the rules:
1) Tell us about your dream game of the Super Bowl of Genealogy!
* Where would it be played?
* What teams would play?
* Who would be the head coaches?
* Who would be the stars of the game?
* Who would win?
* Who are the cheerleaders?
* If you were playing in the game, what would be your dream play?

2) Who do you think will win the NFL Super Bowl Colts-Saints game on Sunday? Your score prediction, please!

3) Post your thoughts on your own blog, on a Facebook comment or Note, or as a comment on this blog post.

Welcome to the super-spectacular event of the year! What an exciting time for Pennsylvania, as the Nanticoke Miners take on the Pittston Roaders in the game of the year! It has been quite the ride for the DL & W Field to win the bid for the Super Bowl game; how exciting that the opponents would be Luzerne County’s very own rival teams? History has been made in Wilkes-Barre PA!

Coaching for the Nanticoke Miners we have a spirit: The spirit of Tennessee Ernie Ford. He is somewhat of a hero in these parts. Few people in the old mining towns of this area would tolerate a slight against the lamenter of the residents’ coal-mining ancestors. Though he may be a guest coach and a "spirit", he will be here for just this one game.  These fans would storm Canton if they thought it would earn Mr. Williams a spot in the National Football League Hall of Fame.

Coaching for the DL & W Roaders we have Mr. Lehigh as he’s known. Just as Williams is revered by the Miners, Lehigh is an icon for the railroading town of Pittston. Yes, folks, this game is rich in fans, who are expecting their teams to play as hard as their ancestors worked. Losing this game means more than just losing a game; it means disappointing the spirits of miners and railroaders past.

Starring for the Nanticoke Miners is Chevalier de la Luzerne IV, at the quarterback position. He is single-handedly expected to bring this team to victory, given that the county which is home to both teams was named after his great-grandfather.

On the other side of the game, we have Alack  Awanna who holds the record for the most receptions in the history of the game. He is doubly talented as a passer, as we are likely to see in the infamous Statue of Liberty play.  Awanna’s skills as a catcher have made the passing game of the Roaders the talk of the town, and believe me folks, it’s hard to beat the Railroading Industry as the topic of talk in this town. 

The game is likely to be close, but it is predicted that the Miners will walk away with the trophy, given that their cheerleaders, the Nanticoke Spokes, are the most zealous in the league. Adding to that dynamic is the half-time show, a star-studded spectacular honoring their famous one-time resident, Jerry Orbach.

Down south of Wilkes-Barre, another Super Bowl is about to be played, and given the propensity for big teams to win, I suspect this year will be an exception, and I predict one of the most exciting games ever as the Saints Go Marching On to a Win! I'll say 28-26.