[It appears “someone” saved this as a draft on Thanksgiving instead of publishing it…LOL Well, here is my belated thankful list.]
Thanksgiving is the day we spend some time in contemplation. We mull over the year and remember our blessings. When it comes to genealogy, there are so many things to be thankful. I am sure to leave something or something off, so don’t see this as a complete list.
I am thankful for genealogy software that allows me to keep track of my thousands of relatives in an easy and organized way.
I am thankful for the members of the Portuguese Hawaiian genealogy Facebook group who keep our history and heritage alive.
I have thankful for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun which often challenges me and makes me view my genealogy in new ways.
I have thankful for weekly genealogy prompts that help me find things to blog about.
I am thankful for people who are interested in reading my blog.
I am thankful that the internet allows new cousins to find me more easily.
I am thankful to France for putting their vital records online so that I could go through Ogeu les bains, Castet, Izeste, and other towns to find my ancestors.
I am thankful to language dictionaries that help me read French, Portuguese, Latin, Dutch, and Hawaiian records.
I am thankful to other genealogists who take the time to offer tips about my genealogy problems.
I am thankful for the Hawaiian archives for putting marriage licenses online for Kauai.
I am thankful to my ancestors who sometimes reveal their stories in the strangest ways.
I am thankful to the French Genealogy Blog for it’s insights into French heritage and history.
I am thankful to all the Irish genealogist who give me hope that some day I might get my ancestors back to Ireland.
I am thankful for the California Digital Newspaper Collection for posting San Francisco newspapers.
I am thankful for my San Francisco relatives that left tidbits in newspapers that have allow me to unearth their stories lost in 1906.
I am thankful to the US for taking census records every 10 years and for allowing us to view them.
I am thankful for my cousins who share stories and photographs that make our history have more meaning.
I am thankful to Cheri Mello and all the work she does for Portuguese genealogists.
I am thankful for all the people who work at churches, cemeteries, and other facilities who over the years have answered my letters and most of the time given me more than I originally requested.
I am thankful that Theodoro Pacheco’s death certificate said he died of leprosy which correctly the family story on why he changed his surname.
I am thankful for Patrick Dolan who died in 1905 in San Francisco just before official state recording happened, who’s probate file was not completed in 1906, and whose refiled probate in 1907 caused a huge dispute in the family and brought forward cousins from the East Coast that I was completely unaware of.
I am thankful for family and friends who tolerate my genealogy happy dances even though they could probably careless that I have a record that my great great grandmother signed.
I am thankful for WikiTree for giving me the chance to put my Jones family tree online.
I am thankful to the LDS Church and familysearch.org for putting so many California and Hawaii records online free. You do not know how much this disabled person who can’t get around very well appreciates it!
I am thankful to Doris Naumu and the volunteers at the Portuguese Genealogical Society of Hawaii who do such good work!
I am thankful for the Genealogy Gems and the Stuff You Missed in History Class Podcasts which offer so many insights.
I am thankful for genealogy carnivals and all the great writing that goes into them.
And, thank you to everyone I missed, the bloggers, the website owners, the professional and amateur genealogists, the historians, the computer geeks, the proofreaders, the volunteers of all stripes…and anyone else who is aiding in getting genealogy information out there. Whether it is a digitized database, a transcribed list of names from your research notes, the sharing of pedigrees, or the telling of tales, you work is appreciated! You just don’t know how many people you’ve touch and how many mysteries you have solved. For that I will always be thankful!