The 2011 iGene Awards for Kinexxions

It's time for the Annual iGene Awards in which we announce our “best” blog posts from last year in five categories. Created by Jasia at Creative Gene for the Carnival of Genealogy, this year marks the 5th anniversary of the awards.

And this year, the ceremony for kinexxions is coming to you from Salt Lake City! What better place for such an event? And now, the winners...

Best Picture: Going through my Mother's papers after her death last February, I discovered a photograph that I had never seen before. In Mom :: Before she was Mom I presented that photo and several a lot of others. Is this my Mom?

Best Screen Play: The post Joslin Rendezvous :: The Homestead discusses a few of the trials and tribulations encountered by Virgil Joslin when he homesteaded in South Dakota in the early 1900s. Additional material written by his son Irwin would be used to create a feature-length movie that would star Sam Elliott and Meryl Streep as Virgil and Mary Joslin.

Best Documentary (investigative research): This past summer I decided to take on my Switzer family in Columbiana County, Ohio and found that there were Not One, Not Two, Not Three, but Four of Them! with “them” being men named Jacob Switzer. One of them was my ancestor, but which one? Yes, this is one of a series of posts, all of which are listed here.

Best Biography: The rules are going to be stretched a little in that two series of posts are being selected, neither were actually “written” by me. The Life of Hazlette Brubaker presents the story of my Grandmother's life, as told in her own words, in a series of 15 articles.

The Berlin Family :: John D. and Susannah is the first in a series of articles that includes family Bible Records as well as 35 letters written between 1861-1895 between family members. (Links to those documents are included at the bottom of the selected post.)

Best Comedy: Humorous writing is not really my forte (I've often been told that I have a very dry sense of humor, almost humorless.) At any rate, I've selected One Half of an Old Mare called Van Dora for this category. Maybe you “had to be there” but finding Van Dora in the inventory of the estate of William B. Jones had Carol and me cracking up for several days.

And that brings to a close the iGene Award Ceremony for 2011... hmm, well, not just yet. Since I've been doing a bit of traveling I thought I'd modify the categories in several areas and present a “travel” version also...

Best Picture: Nature's Trifecta

Best Screen Play time with Geneabloggers: Ah... Anastasia and St. Augustine

Best Documentary: It Sounded Too Good to Pass By

Best Biography Unique Event: Badlands :: Where the Buffalo Do Roam

Best Comedy: A Great Big Ball of Twine

Written for the 114th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

The 2009 iGene Awards for Kinexxions

Created by Jasia, the iGene Awards are a bit unusual as far as awards go. There is no actual competition, no pitting one genea-blogger against another. Rather, the iGene Awards provide an opportunity for us to be able to recognize and honor what we consider to be our best blog posts for the past year, in five categories. Not an easy task to make the selection by any means.

1. Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.

I really, really like the Wiseman Siblings and the photo of Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob is one of my all time favorites but I've selected Little Darlings! Who are you? as this years' winner. They are some of my unknowns and they are rather unusual photographs. They aren't ancestors, but they are likely relatives, though I still don't know who they are!

2. Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

For this category, it would have to be the series of posts written about how my grandmother connected with her 2nd cousin, Irwin Joslin. It likely wouldn't play to a wide audience, but it is sure to have genealogists riveted to their seats. Yeah, right.

Angela Lansbury would be perfect for the role of my grandmother. And how about Sam Elliott to portray Irwin? I just love Sam's voice, among other things. And maybe Megan Smolenyak could take on the role of Mrs. Wessler? If not, perhaps one of the actors from the History Detectives would.

• Joslin Family :: First Contact
• Joslin Family :: Grandma Responds to Irwin's Letter
• Joslin Family :: Irwin's Letter of March 25th
• Joslin Family :: Grandma Invites Irwin to Visit
• Joslin Family :: Irwin Visits Grandma

3. Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?

It would be interesting to see how Ken Burns might handle a topic like Warnings Out in New England. The entry for my ancestor, recorded in Jonas Joslin :: Warning Out, 1814 wasn't really very informative, but in reading through some of the other entries in the ledger at the Town Clerk's Office in Charlotte and in the Rollins book, it appears to me that there are some incredible stories therein that could and should be told.

4. Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?

In looking over my posts, I see that I didn't really write any other biographies last year! Books have been written about The Reverend Mr. Stoever, a controversial character for his time. My little piece about John Caspar Stoever and the Hebron Lutheran Church certainly doesn't do him justice.

5. Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?

Ah, well. 'Twas just a little prank for April Fool's day, but I can't help dreaming of receiving, The Best Gift - Ever!

The 2008 iGene Awards for Kinexxions

The Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, was created last year by Jasia as a means for us to be able to spotlight and honor our "best" posts of the year. And it is that time of the year, again! It was really difficult to select just one post (okay, maybe two) in each category. So, without further ado, here are the posts that have been selected as "The Best of the Best!" here at kinexxions in 2008…

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2008.

It is truly a blessing to possess so many wonderful family photographs, but I really couldn't pick just one of them, so you get a trio of charming images from the past with Little Billy, the Gentleman Farmer, and The Hover Children :: All Dressed Up.

Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2008 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

A distant relative, Robert Quillen was truly An Independent Spirit. Well known during his lifetime, his name and deeds have nearly been forgotten, even in his adopted hometown. Richard Gere would be perfect playing the part of Robert. Good-looking, charming, a bit adventurous and daring, but a down-to-earth sort of fella.

Best Documentary - Best informational article you wrote in 2008 about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history?

The Case of the $12 Box Coat, in which an 1844 court case may provide clues to family relationships, was interesting to review and dissect, but I have to admit, locating the home of my 3rd great grandfather in Huntington County was far more exciting!

Best Biography - Best biographical article you wrote in 2008?

This would be the two-part post on my great grandparents, Maude Wise Brubaker Yontz and Charles Romain Brubaker. Star-crossed lovers, perhaps, who got off to a rocky start, fumbled their way through the first 20 years of marriage, to finally separate and go on to live their own separate lives.

Best Comedy - Best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2008?

It's not anything I did or wrote, but I can't help but laugh every time I see these Two Stylish Ladies in their swimsuits. My grandmother and her sister Jane having a fun time at the lake. It brought back some nice memories of times spent at Goose Lake when I was (much) younger.

The 2007 iGene Awards for Kinexxions

With the call for contributions (scroll, way down, to the bottom of the post) to the upcoming Carnival of Genealogy, Jasia created the Academy of Genealogy and Family History (AGFH) in which, with this post, I now become one of the founding members! As such, we are to select blog posts from the past year that we feel deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement in five categories. The chosen posts will be awarded the first ever iGene award, also created by Jasia. Choosing the "BEST" of anything is certainly not an easy task and this definitely was not easy for me, I changed my mind many times. It is akin to asking a mother who her favorite child is or an actor the favorite part they ever played. But the deed is done, so, without further ado, my selections for Kinexxions are noted below.

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2007. Tell us which you liked best and why.

The group of four pictures of my grandmother, Hazlette Brubaker, in Grandma's Story are the pick for Best Picture on Kinexxions. My favorite of the four is the one of her as a young girl, but all of them together create a stunning portrait of one woman's life, at least I think they do.

Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2007 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

The heroic nature of Grandma Jones traveling from Ohio, with her five children, pushing an oxcart, and the tales of their first night spent in Whitley County wins the iGene award for Best Screen Play on Kinexxions. While her children were becoming fine upstanding citizens of the county, her brother and his sons were causing all kinds of commotion in Hell's Half Acre.

The part of Grandma Jones (Elizabeth Helms) would be played by Meryl Streep. She is one of my all-time favorite actresses, but I especially liked her in The Bridges of Madison County, Out of Africa and The River Wild. She shows a soft feminine side in her portrayals of women, but a toughness as well. Richard Dreyfus would play the part of Elizabeth's husband, William B. Jones. An odd combination, I know, but I just adore him and the various roles he has played.

Sam Elliott would portray Elizabeth's son Dewitt Clinton who was a blacksmith. Her son, Curtis Warren, who was a lawyer would be played by Hal Holbrook. Her daughters Maxia, Catherine and Mary would be portrayed by Glenn Close, Sandra Bullock, and Jodie Foster.

Elizabeth's brother George and his two sons would be played by Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Somewhere in there would have to be Robin Williams. I'm sure he could take on one of the "bit" parts and turn it into something memorable. At any rate, it's an eclectic combination of actors and actresses to be sure. But they are some of my favorites, and they'd do a fine job of telling the story of the Helms and Jones families.

Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2007?

I was going to go with Dad and the 511th. Clint Eastwood could certainly do that story justice, but more research would need to be done, and perhaps there have been enough movies on the events of World War II, but then again, maybe not. However, after much thought it is the more mundane story of life on The Goose Lake Farm that wins the bid for Best Documentary on Kinexxions. Ken Burns could surely turn this into an epic adventure (well, maybe adventure isn't the right word) based upon the memoirs of my grandmother, the Civil War service of William Brubaker and the untimely, early death of his son Hale.

Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2007?

It was a really tough to make a selection for this category. There have been more than a few biographies written here in the past year, and of course, I think they were all quite good ;-) but since I can only select one, I'll go with the story of my Grandpa Vic, primarily because (aside from my grandmother) he is the one that I have the most personal information on, and I think his is an interesting story. You might also want to read about Grandpa's Candy making exploits which adds a bit to his personality.

Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2007?

'Tis sad to say, the humor gene is one that eludes me, at least from a "creative" gene standpoint. When I tell jokes, they lose something in translation. Or I forget the punch line. My attempts at fulfilling some of the humor challenges have sometimes fallen short, which is why I so admire those who can write funny stuff. It is a given that I'll never be able to compete with (not that I really want to even try) Chris or Janet in the funny-bone department. That said, the iGene award for Comedy on Kinexxions goes to A bit of humor for April 1st posted on March 31st for the Funny, Foolish, Family edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

Speaking of the Carnival of Genealogy, a "special" Kinexxions iGene award for Outstanding Contribution to Genea-Blogging for the year 2007 goes to Jasia of Creative Gene without whom the COG would not exist. The topics for each edition of the COG have challenged me (and others, I assume) to write on topics that perhaps we wouldn't normally address. The COG has brought together bloggers of great diversity and varied talents and created a community that is open and welcoming to new bloggers. Having hosted just one COG, I am aware of the amount of time involved with creating each edition. So, quite simply, I'll just say "Thank you, Jasia."