![Text Box: I’ve been dabbling in our family history for decades and now that I’m retired I have more time to devote to genealogy. I hope to create a place where family members can meet and exchange information. Let’s save what we know now for our descendants.
FamMail was originally created in (1990?) as a (paper) newsletter (never sent).
[will have links to pdf examples here.]
You’ll see that several ideas from the printed FamMail have been carried forward into this online version. Much later I shared my ideas with Sondra and she liked the idea of a family history site so we are working together to make this “FamMail” website and the associated “FamMail” blog a source of information as well as a place to gather information about our families.
Overview
The website is not interactive (there is no place for you to add information or photos, make comments or ask questions). The FamMail Blog will fill that role and we invite one and all to comment in the blog and share stories, information and photographs via email so that we all will learn more about our ancestors.
The home page will have a “Featured Ancestor” with a focus on gathering and sharing as much information as we have about that person. At this time there is no weekly or monthly schedule for changing the Featured Ancestor. It will be done periodically.
The Nightengale and Ratzloff “museums” will be pages devoted to photos and descriptions of items of interest that belonged to our ancestors. Most of us have many photos stored in albums that other family members have never seen. We also have objects (tools, dishes, quilts, rings, knives, etc.) that could be shared on this site.
Conventions
I use Ratzloff family names first and spouses second (not necessarily male first) as in:
Sondra & Chuck, Gordon & Carole, Renee & Darrin, Richelle & Jared, etc.
Mom & Dad = Rolan David & Eleaner Florence (Nightengale) Ratzloff
Grandpa & Grandma (Gpa & Gma) Nightengale = Fred & Anna (Ratzlaff)
Grandpa & Grandma (Gpa & Gma) Ratzloff = Jonas & Katherine (Holdeman)
GGpa = Great Grandpa GGGma = Great Great Grandma
Navigation
(Moving between website and blog)
Click on the “FM FamMail Blog” logo to go to the FamMail blog.
The “About FamMail” blog page has a link to return to this website.
If it’s easier you could always access these sites through your favorites list.
You have added ceilingunlimited.com/FamMail and fammail.blogspot.com to your favorites haven't you? ;-)
When a link has no menu option for return to the website or the blog, please use your browser “Back” button.
Presentism
A word about how our present-day views of the world may potentially differ from those of our ancestors. We may have dissimilar political or religious beliefs or hold significantly different attitudes regarding human rights, animal rights, etc.
The definition of presentism that I caution against here is the application of current ideals, morals, and standards to historical figures and events. It can be difficult to avoid moral judgments and to set aside present-day values when we learn of past customs or traditions and yet we must do so if we are to understand our predecessors and their times.
As we look back decades and centuries it is important to remember that our people were living in their own “modern times.” Theirs was a world as modern and enlightened to them as our present time is to us.
BTW: We cannot know how our descendants will view our “modern” values.
~gtr](index_image1110.gif)
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About FamMail
FamMail is a website and associated blog to celebrate the lives of Rolan & Eleaner (Nightengale) Ratzloff, their ancestors and descendants. |
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Please notify us if you find errors. We welcome your questions and suggestions.
Email us: |
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File downloads will be listed here.
Gedcom (Legacy export) file for genealogy software.
Videos Audio files PDF files |
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Home | Rolan & Eleaner | Gordon | Sondra | Connie | Nightengale | Ratzloff | About FamMail |
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“When an elder dies, it is as if an entire library has burned to the ground.”
-African saying |
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About the home page banner
(Coming soon) Each picture will be clickable with a larger view and a brief “why this is part of the banner” paragraph. |