This video was so interesting that I simply had to pass it on for your perusal. Enjoy.
https://mashable.com/video/microscopic- ... nto-future
Micro Robots
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Any topic is acceptable, and topic drift is permissible.
Re: Micro Robots
Yes, neat, I've read a lot about them.
They could be a great boon to the medical industry.
But they could also be a Pandora's Box if they hide them in things like Covid Vaccine Injections.
They could be a great boon to the medical industry.
But they could also be a Pandora's Box if they hide them in things like Covid Vaccine Injections.
Re: Micro Robots
Still attending those QAnon meetings, are you?But they could also be a Pandora's Box if they hide them in things like Covid Vaccine Injections.
Re: Micro Robots
I wouldn't put it past our government to use whatever methods they can hide in order to control us all.
Re: Micro Robots
I like your creative and inventive mind. You have accomplished much and made a difference in the life of many people by thinking out of the box. You certainly deserve recognition and congratulations for all that. But, when it comes to politics it sometimes appears that your mind has drifted an unhealthy distance away from the box.
Re: Micro Robots
Has it? How many soldiers witnessed the first atomic bomb tests without protection?
How many times has the government bought up commodities only to bury them, to force prices up?
Rather than send things like cheese to starving countries, they dug a hole and buried over 60,000 pounds at one dig.
How many times have they paid farmers for a crop, then told them to just plow it under?
And what about our public school system of indoctrinating kids?
I won't put anything past our government!
How many times has the government bought up commodities only to bury them, to force prices up?
Rather than send things like cheese to starving countries, they dug a hole and buried over 60,000 pounds at one dig.
How many times have they paid farmers for a crop, then told them to just plow it under?
And what about our public school system of indoctrinating kids?
I won't put anything past our government!
Re: Micro Robots
I guess government subsidies weren't invented yet when your family was farming.
Re: Micro Robots
We were mainly horticulture, aka flowers, about the time the government started paying farmers to plow under crops.
That being said, we were once paid to dump a certain variety of poinsettia plant. But I don't think that check came from the government, I think it came from the grower who sold us the rooted cuttings. Perhaps they violated someones patent.
After that, we got ALL of poinsettia cuttings from Eckies Poinsettias. They also gave us a better price since we bought so many, and often a special variety they only sell the larger growers.
That being said, we were once paid to dump a certain variety of poinsettia plant. But I don't think that check came from the government, I think it came from the grower who sold us the rooted cuttings. Perhaps they violated someones patent.
After that, we got ALL of poinsettia cuttings from Eckies Poinsettias. They also gave us a better price since we bought so many, and often a special variety they only sell the larger growers.
Re: Micro Robots
So ... I guess that means your floral business never felt that it was being controlled by the government through price supports. Apparently they had bigger fish to fry.
Re: Micro Robots
When Grandpa was alive, he grew the business from next to nothing, to the largest in the state.
Then when his sons took over, there was never anything new done, and everything had to be done the way grandpa did it.
They had no desire to expand any more than what they had, because it would mean more work for them to do.
Delegating authority to do some of the things was very hard for them to do, but they eventually had to.
I became the manager of the cut flower shop, as was expected, so dad only had the accounting to do.
My cousin became manager of the wholesale end of the greenhouses, minus the area used for growing cut flowers.
And another cousin from the same father became manager of the retail end of the greenhouse side of the business.
My uncle who was the grower for cut flowers, and outdoor farming areas, his kids were not interested.
So another one of my first uncles kids got saddled with working in those areas, but staying away from the uncle who handled the cut flower crops.
We also had the owners of other greenhouses who sold out to us as managers of specific divisions of the greenhouses, such as the raising of certain season potted plants, like poinsettia's and lilies. While the main cousin took care of the bedding plants.
And I have mentioned we used to have a propagation lab where outside hired horticultural engineers and chemists would come up with new crops, and also figure out how to correct things going wrong with our plants and crops. Grandpa is who started that department, and how it was run was nearly etched in stone, so it was never changed from how he had it set up. As employees in that department retired, other employees from that department would pick who we should hire to fill the void. And of course, each time a new employee was hired, that was the time they also wanted some new machine or device that was big bucks. But, in order to cover the expense, they had to come up with something that was profitable to warrant having such a machine or device. So one of the major changes I remember is them starting many of our crops in test tubes. Heck we even sold them to the public as Test Tube Babies, hi hi.
Then when his sons took over, there was never anything new done, and everything had to be done the way grandpa did it.
They had no desire to expand any more than what they had, because it would mean more work for them to do.
Delegating authority to do some of the things was very hard for them to do, but they eventually had to.
I became the manager of the cut flower shop, as was expected, so dad only had the accounting to do.
My cousin became manager of the wholesale end of the greenhouses, minus the area used for growing cut flowers.
And another cousin from the same father became manager of the retail end of the greenhouse side of the business.
My uncle who was the grower for cut flowers, and outdoor farming areas, his kids were not interested.
So another one of my first uncles kids got saddled with working in those areas, but staying away from the uncle who handled the cut flower crops.
We also had the owners of other greenhouses who sold out to us as managers of specific divisions of the greenhouses, such as the raising of certain season potted plants, like poinsettia's and lilies. While the main cousin took care of the bedding plants.
And I have mentioned we used to have a propagation lab where outside hired horticultural engineers and chemists would come up with new crops, and also figure out how to correct things going wrong with our plants and crops. Grandpa is who started that department, and how it was run was nearly etched in stone, so it was never changed from how he had it set up. As employees in that department retired, other employees from that department would pick who we should hire to fill the void. And of course, each time a new employee was hired, that was the time they also wanted some new machine or device that was big bucks. But, in order to cover the expense, they had to come up with something that was profitable to warrant having such a machine or device. So one of the major changes I remember is them starting many of our crops in test tubes. Heck we even sold them to the public as Test Tube Babies, hi hi.
Re: Micro Robots
Your description is that of the quintessential family run floral business. I'm guessing that business model would still work in the year 2022 assuming you didn't do any government work. All that nepotism would probably make it illegal in that case. The business environment in and around O'Fallon isn't like the one up in Illinois. The issues I have here are that frequently the people called are not local even though they advertise that they serve the local community. While they do exist, I found it difficult to locate electricians, HVAC people, and appliance repair technicians based in O'Fallon, or anywhere near for that matter. When I do find such folks they are a treasure because the quality of their work is what I recall it being back up north. It makes sense that a local family would go the extra mile because first of all the neighbors know who they are. Plus, being in business for themselves means they have a stake in repeat business. It's not like working for somebody else where you get paid no matter how good or how bad you perform. I never had much need for flowers so that even if I was around when your family owned this town, I might not have run into you. Then again, if your specialty was funerals, I'd be glad that I would not need your services. LOL
Re: Micro Robots
We were a fairly large florist with many greenhouses too. We usually had at least two, but often three or four weddings per week to set up and break down. We also handled the flower arrangements for numerous catered affairs each week, and some of them were quite large shindigs with over 50 tables to make arrangements for. And of course, the school proms, and graduations were another annual thing where they all hit around the same time each year. This is when we would meet many of our relatives and friends who came in to help us out when we were swamped with orders to handle. One sorta has to chuckle a bit when their family barber is who delivered flowers to them on a big holiday, or the town pharmacist, hi hi. Many already busy folks would pitch in and help us out around holidays. You won't find things like that happening these days!
Re: Micro Robots
My hunting up genealogical facts has made me aware of how much the concept of "family" has changed over the decades. The memories I have of some of those folks is due to the fact that they all lived nearby and would gather together to celebrate a holiday or an event several times a year. Neither side of my family was into business like your family, but they did come around to help each other as the occasion would warrant. Today the closest family member (aside from my wife of many years) is 330 miles away. They couldn't just drop by to see if I needed anything or help out with some chores. Then the grandchildren aren't interested in forming a traditional family at all. One lives a communal life style in NYC, which I suppose she would argue is her family. I have not heard any talk about children from any of the granddaughters. Don't blame them for that, but the point is ideas about family in 2022 is nothing like it was during the Eisenhower Era.
I've mentioned this before and it is somewhat relevant here. The folks in O'Fallon seem quite friendly on the surface. Around the holidays, or during arctic cold spells, or during pandemics, they are encouraged to come around a check on us old folks to be sure we are safe and sound. It truly is heartwarming to see all that happen. I've been approached by a few of the neighbors regarding my well being and had a few shovel some snow too. Well, that is nice, but I have no friends here. Not a single one of those neighbors interact socially. It's kind of amazing in some ways to see how they all express an interest in the older folks in the community yet not a single one of them would have anything close to a friendship with us. So much for the community family idea.
I've mentioned this before and it is somewhat relevant here. The folks in O'Fallon seem quite friendly on the surface. Around the holidays, or during arctic cold spells, or during pandemics, they are encouraged to come around a check on us old folks to be sure we are safe and sound. It truly is heartwarming to see all that happen. I've been approached by a few of the neighbors regarding my well being and had a few shovel some snow too. Well, that is nice, but I have no friends here. Not a single one of those neighbors interact socially. It's kind of amazing in some ways to see how they all express an interest in the older folks in the community yet not a single one of them would have anything close to a friendship with us. So much for the community family idea.
Re: Micro Robots
Boy do you have that right!
Back in the 1800's when someone decided to move to a new state, it was like the entire family, including aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and grandparents all made the move together. But once the picked a place to drop anchor, that is where they stayed for the next 100 years, or at least three generations. Then individual family members would split away from the rest of the family and move anywhere. A lot of this had to do with kids going off to college and finding their mate there. So they would pick a new home, often half way between the two families, or where the highest paying job was located.
Despite the fact we moved into Debi's parents home, which I bought for her. All but one of her relatives that lived in this same area has passed away. Meaning her parents brothers and sisters, and their firstborns. Most after the firstborn managed to go to college, get married, and land jobs in various areas of the country.
I was the oldest living in my family, so naturally I ended up working at the florist. My brother started his own vending business with his offices up in St. Charles, and my next in line sister worked as an airline stewardess and was stationed in Puerto Rico for many years, and my youngest sister lives out in Springfield, MO as a high paid nurse. Yeah, some of them do make the big bucks, hi hi.
Right after I moved down here, Debi's father passed away, and I became caretaker for his wife, which was like a full-time job. So the house I started on for Debi and I got shelved, and I eventually sold it, which is how I got the money to buy her parents home for her. But needless to say, what couple of relatives still lived near us, all passed away within a couple of years. We do have some nice neighbors though, who help us a little, but we have not become social with them. It's a totally different era now!
My son moved to Florida before I moved south, and after I moved down here, he moved back home again, but is now back in Florida again, but left his wife and kids back home to finish school and get into colleges.
And although I really do need some help down here, there is literally no one who can come to help me, and I surely can't afford to pay someone to come help me with some things I need to get done.
Ironic in a way. When I moved down here, I went through and organized all of Debi's fathers things, so when he passed away, it was all ready to be distributed to those he wanted the stuff to go to.
My stuff is still packed in the boxes they were put in when I moved down here 20 years ago.
There is a lot of it I would like to sell, but honestly, my health has gone so far downhill, I can't even move a box from one side of the room to the other anymore without having a panic attack trying to breathe.
Back in the 1800's when someone decided to move to a new state, it was like the entire family, including aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and grandparents all made the move together. But once the picked a place to drop anchor, that is where they stayed for the next 100 years, or at least three generations. Then individual family members would split away from the rest of the family and move anywhere. A lot of this had to do with kids going off to college and finding their mate there. So they would pick a new home, often half way between the two families, or where the highest paying job was located.
Despite the fact we moved into Debi's parents home, which I bought for her. All but one of her relatives that lived in this same area has passed away. Meaning her parents brothers and sisters, and their firstborns. Most after the firstborn managed to go to college, get married, and land jobs in various areas of the country.
I was the oldest living in my family, so naturally I ended up working at the florist. My brother started his own vending business with his offices up in St. Charles, and my next in line sister worked as an airline stewardess and was stationed in Puerto Rico for many years, and my youngest sister lives out in Springfield, MO as a high paid nurse. Yeah, some of them do make the big bucks, hi hi.
Right after I moved down here, Debi's father passed away, and I became caretaker for his wife, which was like a full-time job. So the house I started on for Debi and I got shelved, and I eventually sold it, which is how I got the money to buy her parents home for her. But needless to say, what couple of relatives still lived near us, all passed away within a couple of years. We do have some nice neighbors though, who help us a little, but we have not become social with them. It's a totally different era now!
My son moved to Florida before I moved south, and after I moved down here, he moved back home again, but is now back in Florida again, but left his wife and kids back home to finish school and get into colleges.
And although I really do need some help down here, there is literally no one who can come to help me, and I surely can't afford to pay someone to come help me with some things I need to get done.
Ironic in a way. When I moved down here, I went through and organized all of Debi's fathers things, so when he passed away, it was all ready to be distributed to those he wanted the stuff to go to.
My stuff is still packed in the boxes they were put in when I moved down here 20 years ago.
There is a lot of it I would like to sell, but honestly, my health has gone so far downhill, I can't even move a box from one side of the room to the other anymore without having a panic attack trying to breathe.
Re: Micro Robots
A lot of what you and I have just commented on is due to cultural behaviors. There are societies in today's world where the older generation is revered and taken care of fully. I recall a neighbor back up in Illinois who lived in one of those million dollar mini castles just around the corner from my tiny shack of a ranch house. She was married to an Asian Indian and I don't recall what business he was in. But I had to ask her one day why they needed such a big house. She opened up about how it is tradition for the husband's parents to live with the oldest son. They are provided for and well taken care of because that is what they have been doing for centuries. However, she lamented about how unhappy she was because her mother-in-law apparently was in charge of what happens around the house. Inlaw problems are nothing new, but to have them in the same house with you could be a disaster. She thought it was and wanted to live like modern Westerners instead of traditional Indian.
The bottom line to that story is that it is possible to have too much family contact. In the case of this neighbor lady it went beyond inlaws where she longed to change something embedded into traditions of her ancestors. She claimed that she wanted to live like American women because she lived in America now. I had a lot of sympathy for her especially knowing she more than likely was forced into the marriage by her parents arranging it.
It would be nice if my kids were close by so that I could lean on them for help when I need it. It won't be too many years in the future when I will likely require help in ways similar to what you describe. Just maintaining the house could get to be a burden if my health fails or my wife needs me to care for her most of the time. I see it coming but have no way to prepare for it. Just about all my life I did things to keep my mind fresh and active. It must be working because just the other day my oldest daughter commented on Facebook that that she thought I was ... lucid. That's actually the brand I was aiming for. I never realized over all those years of training that being lucid might have a downside. I can see the freight train coming full speed ahead, and I can't get off the track. I'm fully aware of what is approaching.
The bottom line to that story is that it is possible to have too much family contact. In the case of this neighbor lady it went beyond inlaws where she longed to change something embedded into traditions of her ancestors. She claimed that she wanted to live like American women because she lived in America now. I had a lot of sympathy for her especially knowing she more than likely was forced into the marriage by her parents arranging it.
It would be nice if my kids were close by so that I could lean on them for help when I need it. It won't be too many years in the future when I will likely require help in ways similar to what you describe. Just maintaining the house could get to be a burden if my health fails or my wife needs me to care for her most of the time. I see it coming but have no way to prepare for it. Just about all my life I did things to keep my mind fresh and active. It must be working because just the other day my oldest daughter commented on Facebook that that she thought I was ... lucid. That's actually the brand I was aiming for. I never realized over all those years of training that being lucid might have a downside. I can see the freight train coming full speed ahead, and I can't get off the track. I'm fully aware of what is approaching.
Re: Micro Robots
Hmm. I guess my family was Olde Skewl, because that is exactly HOW they lived when great-grandpa was still alive.
We had a humongous old homestead house, where all the kids families would live, at least at first. The main reason being is it was cheaper to have service workers take care of the mundane stuff, and for them to all live and eat together.
But then too, also remember, we were a fairly large farm and orchards at that time. So everyone worked on the farm.
This tradition was still going on to some extent when I was a little tyke. We all got dressed up in our Sunday Best to meet at the Homestead House for Dinner. Even after our great-grandparents were long gone, we still did this every weekend.
Three of my aunts and uncles still lived in that old place, up until my grandpa built a new house for each of them.
Grandpa did this sorta twice. Before grandpa built his big 18 room brick house, he had built a two story frame farmhouse, which he knew would only be temporary. Rather than it sit empty after he and grandma moved into their new home, he gave that house to uncle Leonard, who would be getting a new home later on. He built uncle Clarence's home first, and four years later my dad's home in 1949, and uncle Louis did not want his home with us, so that lot was used for farming. Leonard didn't get his new house until after the back 40 was turned into a subdivision, where all the girls each got a brand new house.
Aunt Florence did not like living next door to aunt Dolores and across the street from aunt Rosemary, so Florence built another new home in the same subdivision but closer to Leonard's new home, and then Rosemary built a new home north of uncle Leonard at the far end of the subdivision.
Aunt Muff who never married stayed with grandma in that big 18 room house until grandma became ill, and then built a house down at the far left end of the subdivision.
Sad to think, they are all gone now.
My Sister lives in Springield, MO, about 1000 miles from me. And by brother lives in the far end of St. Charles at the Duck Club Yacht Club. He sold his house and lives on his now aging Yacht. My son moved to Florida before I moved south, then he moved back home to St. Louis County, and now he is back in Florida and his wife is still in St. Louis County, at least until her kids graduate one last year, and one this year. But his son now has a business going back home, so probably won't move to Florida. Debi's older sister is blind and much older than Debi, and her son lives in Nashville. So I figure after I kick the bucket, she will stay here as long as possible, then move in with him, probably. She don't want to and hopes her son will pay for lawn service and housekeeping for her for as long as she can stay here.
We had a humongous old homestead house, where all the kids families would live, at least at first. The main reason being is it was cheaper to have service workers take care of the mundane stuff, and for them to all live and eat together.
But then too, also remember, we were a fairly large farm and orchards at that time. So everyone worked on the farm.
This tradition was still going on to some extent when I was a little tyke. We all got dressed up in our Sunday Best to meet at the Homestead House for Dinner. Even after our great-grandparents were long gone, we still did this every weekend.
Three of my aunts and uncles still lived in that old place, up until my grandpa built a new house for each of them.
Grandpa did this sorta twice. Before grandpa built his big 18 room brick house, he had built a two story frame farmhouse, which he knew would only be temporary. Rather than it sit empty after he and grandma moved into their new home, he gave that house to uncle Leonard, who would be getting a new home later on. He built uncle Clarence's home first, and four years later my dad's home in 1949, and uncle Louis did not want his home with us, so that lot was used for farming. Leonard didn't get his new house until after the back 40 was turned into a subdivision, where all the girls each got a brand new house.
Aunt Florence did not like living next door to aunt Dolores and across the street from aunt Rosemary, so Florence built another new home in the same subdivision but closer to Leonard's new home, and then Rosemary built a new home north of uncle Leonard at the far end of the subdivision.
Aunt Muff who never married stayed with grandma in that big 18 room house until grandma became ill, and then built a house down at the far left end of the subdivision.
Sad to think, they are all gone now.
My Sister lives in Springield, MO, about 1000 miles from me. And by brother lives in the far end of St. Charles at the Duck Club Yacht Club. He sold his house and lives on his now aging Yacht. My son moved to Florida before I moved south, then he moved back home to St. Louis County, and now he is back in Florida and his wife is still in St. Louis County, at least until her kids graduate one last year, and one this year. But his son now has a business going back home, so probably won't move to Florida. Debi's older sister is blind and much older than Debi, and her son lives in Nashville. So I figure after I kick the bucket, she will stay here as long as possible, then move in with him, probably. She don't want to and hopes her son will pay for lawn service and housekeeping for her for as long as she can stay here.
Re: Micro Robots
There is indeed a lot of old school and tradition in the stories you write here. It's all pretty amazing stuff and highly contrasting to my own family's lifestyle. The grandparents were traditional and did things like they were done back in the old country. Their kids (my aunts and uncles) adapted to the American way but managed to stay within walking distance of each other, at least as far as my dad's family goes. My mom's side was a bit more spread out, but they were big on family gatherings. My age makes me concerned about my well being as I approach my end of life cycle. It's a natural instinct to want to be close to the family in that situation, but the family is well spread out all over the country. I talked to them about winning the lottery and building a family compound somewhere everyone could be comfortable. That idea went over like a lead balloon. The only interested party was my granddaughter who is living with a bunch of non gender specific people in New York City. They would love the idea of a family compound and a coop, which would be fine with me too. But nobody else thought it would be fine. They all like where they live now, hundreds of miles apart, and are not inclined to change residences even for the sake of family.
So, I've changed over to Plan B. When I win the lottery I will build the most luxurious house I can in some isolated and gated community. Hopefully my wife will be with me to enjoy it all. As far as maintaining things and running the household goes, it will be a service staff of young nymphs who can cater to my every want and need. Being old I will not have a lot of wants, but I will go out in style surrounded in beauty. Clothing for those nymphs would be optional. I might have lost functionality by that time, but desire will never dissipate.
So, I've changed over to Plan B. When I win the lottery I will build the most luxurious house I can in some isolated and gated community. Hopefully my wife will be with me to enjoy it all. As far as maintaining things and running the household goes, it will be a service staff of young nymphs who can cater to my every want and need. Being old I will not have a lot of wants, but I will go out in style surrounded in beauty. Clothing for those nymphs would be optional. I might have lost functionality by that time, but desire will never dissipate.
Re: Micro Robots
As ornery as family members have become over the later generations, perhaps it is good they stay far apart from each other.
But I understand, I miss the old days myself when family stuck together like glue, all except for that one uncle we all have.
But I understand, I miss the old days myself when family stuck together like glue, all except for that one uncle we all have.
Re: Micro Robots
Thanks to my research on Ancestry.com, I discovered it's not a recluse uncle in my dad's family. It's some lady I do not recall ever being talked about. She never attended any of the family gatherings and, while she did live in Chicago with the rest of the family, it was quite a distance away. There is nobody around anymore to ask about her, except those people who are also working on a parallel family tree that includes her. I'm curious but am not going to pay Ancestry to find out who they are or what their tree looks like. There's probably a simple explanation for her absence, but I may never know what it is.But I understand, I miss the old days myself when family stuck together like glue, all except for that one uncle we all have.
Re: Micro Robots
I hear ya. I hate looking at other Ancestry members own trees because most of them are convoluted as all get out. It's like they just want to build up their count of people, whether correct or not. So I normally ignore the public family trees, and use only the sources first, then I may check a public family tree where I sometimes pick up some useful things, like their middle name instead of just an initial.
If you cannot find data on a person from normally reliable sources, then it is best to assume that person does not exist, and was plugged in by someone, possibly in error.
I have a mess in my family tree with the Troutt family, my grandmother on mom's side of the family. She spelled hers with one T as did her father, but the kids spelled theirs with two Ts so they didn't sound like a fish. As I worked my way back to the eldest Troutt I could find, everyone used two Ts on the official records. For the life of me, I cannot find anyone, other than my grandmother and her father who's records only used one T. And then I learn some of the stories she told us for most of her life were a bunch of bunk. I had several branches in my tree based on stories she told me about her mothers side of the family. And now that we have easier access to source records, many with images we can view of the actual documents, we can see who was who. In many cases, especially with census records, a person is shown with one name on one, and another name on another. So for a time you have more kids shown under the parents than they actually had, at least until you start getting actual birth dates and death dates to line up. So you finally figure out William and Kenneth are the same kid, but were they named William Kenneth or Kenneth William. You finally find the Birth record and it shows it as William Kenneth, and later you discover a marriage license which shows it as Kenneth W. Grrrrrrrrr. And then comes the Draft Card record that uses Willie like two of the census records.
One thing to watch out for with marriage licenses. The date ON the marriage license is the Date of Issue, and you don't have a copy of the signed by the officiator showing the actual date of the marriage. I have hit a few who's marriage date was shown prior to their obtaining the license, hi hi. Since the date I knew may have come from the family bible or the church records, I normally use the one I think is the most likely correct.
I had one family that was driving me nuts. I found five totally different names for the man's wife, different first name and different surname. At first I showed them as separate wives. Then I get birth certificates with one name, marriage license with another name, and tombstone data with yet another name. Same birth date, same death date, same marriage date.
And if I check other peoples files, they are even more confusing. They showed the parents of the gal based on the surname they knew belonged to her. I spent a long time checking the census files on each of those names, only to find they do not appear on the census records at all, under anyone. They could have been adopted, they could have been shuffled around to foster parents, or lived with grandma and grandpa, who knows. But then I finally found a little more clarity, which is how I learned she was only one person with many different names.
It is normal for a marriage license to show a divorced woman by her new surname on the license, and at that time she then takes her new husbands surname. But those kinds of changes you can figure out fairly easily as time goes on. But when they change their first name also, which they are allowed to do of course, it creates a convoluted mess. Especially if she still uses her old names, like on her bank account or Will, and another name on her later census records, which are sometimes the nickname she goes by. It can drive a person crazy trying to figure out some of them, and in the end, you are still not sure what it really the correct name, even if you finally find out who her real father is, and the spellings of his last name are also convoluted from one census to the next.
I had a Ramon, Rahmen, Ronnie, Raymond, Ronald, and Roman, as the names shown on different records for the same person.
If you cannot find data on a person from normally reliable sources, then it is best to assume that person does not exist, and was plugged in by someone, possibly in error.
I have a mess in my family tree with the Troutt family, my grandmother on mom's side of the family. She spelled hers with one T as did her father, but the kids spelled theirs with two Ts so they didn't sound like a fish. As I worked my way back to the eldest Troutt I could find, everyone used two Ts on the official records. For the life of me, I cannot find anyone, other than my grandmother and her father who's records only used one T. And then I learn some of the stories she told us for most of her life were a bunch of bunk. I had several branches in my tree based on stories she told me about her mothers side of the family. And now that we have easier access to source records, many with images we can view of the actual documents, we can see who was who. In many cases, especially with census records, a person is shown with one name on one, and another name on another. So for a time you have more kids shown under the parents than they actually had, at least until you start getting actual birth dates and death dates to line up. So you finally figure out William and Kenneth are the same kid, but were they named William Kenneth or Kenneth William. You finally find the Birth record and it shows it as William Kenneth, and later you discover a marriage license which shows it as Kenneth W. Grrrrrrrrr. And then comes the Draft Card record that uses Willie like two of the census records.
One thing to watch out for with marriage licenses. The date ON the marriage license is the Date of Issue, and you don't have a copy of the signed by the officiator showing the actual date of the marriage. I have hit a few who's marriage date was shown prior to their obtaining the license, hi hi. Since the date I knew may have come from the family bible or the church records, I normally use the one I think is the most likely correct.
I had one family that was driving me nuts. I found five totally different names for the man's wife, different first name and different surname. At first I showed them as separate wives. Then I get birth certificates with one name, marriage license with another name, and tombstone data with yet another name. Same birth date, same death date, same marriage date.
And if I check other peoples files, they are even more confusing. They showed the parents of the gal based on the surname they knew belonged to her. I spent a long time checking the census files on each of those names, only to find they do not appear on the census records at all, under anyone. They could have been adopted, they could have been shuffled around to foster parents, or lived with grandma and grandpa, who knows. But then I finally found a little more clarity, which is how I learned she was only one person with many different names.
It is normal for a marriage license to show a divorced woman by her new surname on the license, and at that time she then takes her new husbands surname. But those kinds of changes you can figure out fairly easily as time goes on. But when they change their first name also, which they are allowed to do of course, it creates a convoluted mess. Especially if she still uses her old names, like on her bank account or Will, and another name on her later census records, which are sometimes the nickname she goes by. It can drive a person crazy trying to figure out some of them, and in the end, you are still not sure what it really the correct name, even if you finally find out who her real father is, and the spellings of his last name are also convoluted from one census to the next.
I had a Ramon, Rahmen, Ronnie, Raymond, Ronald, and Roman, as the names shown on different records for the same person.