Monday Genea-pourri, Week of March 30–April 5, 2026

I left for Eugene, Oregon, on the Amtrak Coast Starlight on Monday evening and was picked up by Jacqueline Tuesday afternoon. I spent a lovely six days, and board the train back on Sunday afternoon, to arrive back home on Monday at 8 a.m.

 Genealogy

Genealogy Volunteer/Work:
Wednesday, it rained all day and Jacqueline and I spent time on our computers, set up in the dining room. Actually I got in a little bit each morning and evening, when we weren’t doing other activities. I have the draft of the BCG Webinar for April written and approved and I will send it out on Tuesday. I received a request to pick up certificates and court records.   

Genealogy Meetings: I didn’t attend any meetings this week. 

Genealogy Writing/Research: I began working on the Wollenweber family for April. I created a timeline for Matilda Wollenweber, as a start in discovering more that I can research on her. Next up would be her father, Ludwig “Louis” Wilhelm Wollenweber. I wrote my column for the California Nugget and finished reading the Researching Sisters by Sunny Morton. I’ll be writing a review of the book for the Nugget. I also wrote up what I know about Martha Jane Polly for 52 Ancestors.

Blog Posts Published:

Is Lydia M. “Liddy” Polly’s Maiden Name “Rose”? A Brick Wall Problem
For the theme of “A Brick Wall Problem,” I wrote about my ancestor without a surname.

12 for ’26: Matilda “Tillie” Wollenweber (1859-1878) Timeline
I wrote out a timeline Tillie’s life from the documents that I have, while making comments about the information found in the documents.

SNGF:What Was a “Turning Point” in Your Parents’ Life?
I wrote about my father’s turning point when his parents separated and they moved to Napa.

Webinars/Courses Viewed: I attended no webinars this week, but did attend sessions of the two courses I am taking: Writing for Discovery, and Advance Your Genealogy With AirTable.

Other:
What did I do in Oregon with Jacqueline? 

• Worked on genealogy during a rain storm. 
• Took a long walk on the beach picking up shells and stones, and for a bonus, watched U.S. Coast Guard unit training in the Siuslaw River where it enters the ocean. 
• Went to Sea Lion Cave where we watched the sea lions and added a few birds to our life list. Mine was Pigeon Guillemot. We watched a couple of pairs in pre-mating rituals. We also saw brown pelicans, Brandt’s cormorants, and a bald eagle. 
• At their house, I saw many Rufous hummingbirds come to their feeder and a pair of wood ducks on their pond. We heard a purple finch but could not locate it in the bushes.

 I am reading: 

• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• Searching for Sisters: A Guide to Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States by Sunny Jane Morton—FINISHED!

Photos for this week. Some photos from my trip.

Coast Guard training

Seen from the train

Jacqueline & I on the beach

Barry and I on the pond in a paddle boat

Sea Lions

Sea Lion Cave

Genealogists are great at documenting our ancestors’ lives, but not so great at documenting our own. I’ll write about what I’ve been doing the past week. This idea came from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing, who started this meme.

Copyright © 2011-2026 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.