As we got this new website up and running along with the Facebook page, I said I would place a monthly update on the news page for those that do not use Facebook.

In June I sent out 670 emails announcing this website and Facebook page. 107 of them had bad email addresses. (My counts must be off as it seemed like there were more.)  Of the 563 that apparently were received, 207 actually responded with comments from “yes, I’m still here” to sending a lot of updated information on their family. I still wonder if the 63% who did not respond actually read the email.

I had never really worked with Facebook. I didn’t like how the feed worked and the amount of junk that was placed on the feed. Like many seniors, I only looked at it occasionally to see what my grand kids and close friends might have posted. And unlike those that collect “friends” on Facebook, I have less than a hundred and they are all real people that I know.

Our FB page is an “organization” page. Items posted there will only carry to your own feed if you “follow” it. Our page does not collect a list of friends so I cannot tell who has ever looked at it. There is a tabulation sent periodically of the number of people who have looked at it but I have learned that some of those exposure are “paid lookers” as FB now will (for $15) have you most recent posting delivered to 1500 persons and it our case none of which could have a possible reason to read about a family activity.

The FB page carried announcements of what was happening on the website. Primarily in June and July, pages were established attempting to list all the Olmste(a)ds who have served in the military during war time. Those lists are far from complete. The largest thus far is the Civil War listing with over 250 Olmste(a)ds and I expect that number to grow to between 600 and 1000. I have yet to start on the adjunct list of spouses of Olmste(a)d women and direct descendants who have surnames other than Olmste(a)d; those will be placed on a separate page due to the number that may be found (probably another 500-1000).

Other pages in process include places (city, town, etc.) named Olmste(a)d and cemeteries with the family name Olmste(a)d as part of the cemetery name. These pages are listed on the contents page on the “Place by the Elms” tab at the top of every page (now 99) on our website.

We have uncovered, or maybe I should say opened the door, of may closets to find skeletons. One today was a short story of a woman whos husband left her as she “had too many men friends that she was fooling around with” so he divorced her. Three of their children were taken and put in state homes but for her to keep the fourth, they had to remarry. The story went on to say that they were legally married but didn’t speak to each other for many years.

Often I get behind as I know I’m trying to do too much — work on an old (1808) house, constant lawn & garden work, family activities, my military reunion, and just life in general. I will eventually answer your email.

Please continue to send family information for our files. If you wish, I’ll print out what I have and you can correct and update it.

Loading