The Liebster Award

Kathryn at Kathryn's Quest has been reading my blog since it began in 2010 and has kindly nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thanks, Kathryn!

Liebster is a German word that means friend, dearest, adored, beloved, chosen one. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage them and to spread the word about interesting blogs to a new audience.

The rules for the award vary, but I’m following mostly in Kathryn’s footsteps. This is all optional of course and just for fun.

•   Thank the one who nominated you by linking back.

•   List 11 random facts about yourself/your blog.  (I’m only listing 5)

•   Nominate five blogs with less than 200 followers. (I’m only picking 3)

•   Let the nominees know by leaving a comment at their sites.

•   Add the award image to your site (optional). 

1. Other than the US, highest traffic is from Russia and I have no genealogical connection there. (Seems sketchy to me)

2. Search keywords with highest frequency:  Cayuga Asylum for Destitute Children

3. Most unusual, but oddly frequent, keyword search:  Spiders Ceiling Flooding (Not as odd as you might think)

4. Google is how most people find my blog. (Or so Google tells me)

5. Still can’t figure out how my blog manages to average 250+ views per month.

Here are my nominees for the Liebster Award:

1. Gen Wish List

2. Have You Seen My Roots

3. Genealogy Canada

The Match Game

The magazine, Life in the Finger Lakes, has published a general interest genealogy article focusing on my Murray search. It was great to see the photo of my great-grandfather on the opening page. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be read by cousins who recognize a shared history.

Searching for cousins who might know tidbits that will help me in my pursuit has become a bit of a mission for me.  For that reason, this post is designed to snag a cousin or two who might be doing some research of their own, but haven’t gotten far enough to connect the dots to me.

So, if you come from the Murrays or Van Pattens in the Cayuga and Seneca County areas of NY, particularly the towns of Auburn, Sennett, Waterloo, Geneva, Fayette, and Varick, we may be related.

I’ve done some census and newspaper archival research and have uncovered the following people who share ancestors with me. When listed, females’ last names are married names. These are not complete genealogies.

Richard Murray (married Ellen/Mary Ellen/Mariella)

            Son-John W. Murray (married Irene)

                        Son-Frank R. Murray

                                    Daughters-Lois and Evelyn

                        Son-Earl J. Murray

                                    Daughter-Victoria

                        Son-Donald Murray

            Son-Albert L. Murray (married U’elma)

                        Daughter-Laura Clise

                                    Daughter-Jean

                                    Son-Ward

                        Daughter-Ella Brooks

                        Daughter-Nellie McCoy

                        Son-Richard Murray

                                    Son-Alan Murray

                        Daughter-Mildred Speer

                                    Daughter-Joanne Sickles

                        Daughter-Lydia Fischer

                        Son-Almond L. Murray

                                    Son-Alan Murray

                                    Daughter-Doris

                        Daughter-Alice Brown

                        Daughter-Dorothy Maloney

Mary Jane Murray Van Patten (married Asa Van Patten)

                        Daughter-Violet Parish

                        Daughter-Jennie Chilson

                                    Son-Frank Chilson

                        Son-Fred Van Patten

                                    Daughter-Marjorie/Margery Sanders

                                                Daughters-Lucille, Lorraine

Maybe, at some point in the not-to-distant future, someone will do an internet search on one or more of these names and see a possible connection.  And if anyone does, just post a comment.

And then let’s see if we have a genealogical match.