Are you looking for a way to connect with family members? Try Facebook Groups. I started a Fredricks Genealogy group on Facebook in 2010. I thought it would be a great place to share family information and pictures with family members who might not read a blog regularly. This group covers information on the family of my grandparents, Otto August Fredricks and Daisy Ellen Graf.
I am so pleased with the results of this group. My hope was that this would be a place to connect with family members. I hoped we could open up our photo albums and share; and share, they did.
One of the pictures shared was an early photo of my aunt, Lola Fredricks Brown. I had never seen it. Her granddaughter shared it along with their wedding photo.
Another one I loved seeing was of the twins, Norma Jean 'Jeannie' and Norman Eugene Fredricks and their cousin, Rose Marie. It is precious, and another one I don't know if I would have seen if it wasn't posted by Rose Marie's daughter. A discussion ensued on facebook about this that was fun to read.
I am so pleased with the results of this group. My hope was that this would be a place to connect with family members. I hoped we could open up our photo albums and share; and share, they did.
One of the pictures shared was an early photo of my aunt, Lola Fredricks Brown. I had never seen it. Her granddaughter shared it along with their wedding photo.
Lola Fredricks Brown, date unknown
Another one I loved seeing was of the twins, Norma Jean 'Jeannie' and Norman Eugene Fredricks and their cousin, Rose Marie. It is precious, and another one I don't know if I would have seen if it wasn't posted by Rose Marie's daughter. A discussion ensued on facebook about this that was fun to read.
L-R Norma Jean 'Jeannie', Norman Eugene, and Rose Marie taken on the Fredricks Farm, Brethren, Michigan
In December, I started posting mystery pictures. Some I knew who were in it and a couple I didn't know. The first one I posted was of Valentine Graf and Nancy Mast on their wedding day in 1888. Valentine and Nancy Mast Graf were Daisy Graf Fredricks parents. It was a photo I was sure no one had seen before. It was fun to see the guesses. Eventually, someone guessed correctly and then I re-posted it with the information about it.
Valentine Graf and Nancy Mast, 24 November 1888, Indiana
The pictures I didn't know about were solved by other family members. I posted baby pictures, Christmas pictures, etc. My cousins seemed to enjoy the guessing games, from these posts stories started coming out. I was even contacted by a cousin in California. She shared pictures with me via email. She gave me permission to post the pictures on Facebook.
The Fredricks Facebook group has been a fun way to share the information I have found on the family, but even more fun has been seeing what others share. Do you have a unique way that your family shares information? Please share in the comments.
If you are interested in starting your own Facebook Group, I wrote a how-to here.
The Fredricks Facebook group has been a fun way to share the information I have found on the family, but even more fun has been seeing what others share. Do you have a unique way that your family shares information? Please share in the comments.
If you are interested in starting your own Facebook Group, I wrote a how-to here.
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Posts
January 02, 2013 10:59 PM
Hi Brenda, I'm fairly new to genealogy research and I love your blog. I'm signed up for direct email posts which I find very informative and helpful. I'm going to consider beginning a FB family page; that would be a cool idea indeed. I've re-discovered around 5 cousins on FB in 2012 and am thrilled!
January 03, 2013 2:24 PM
Thank you, Loretta. You should start a facebook page, it is amazing what you can learn from other family members. Yay, to rediscovering cousins, it is thrilling indeed.