My Genealogy Surprise Package - Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about the genealogy package that my aunt sent me. We've already discussed the binder of my grandmother's research. Today we find out what was in the envelope...

The binder really distracted me from what I thought was going to be in the package. I thought I was getting a bunch of gravestone pictures. But instead I found a one-inch binder of paper. So after I figured out how many awesome things the binder contained, I opened up the envelope.

Inside the envelope I found:

• An SD card
• Two cemetery lists
• A letter from my aunt.

In the letter my aunt told me what she had sent and asked if I thought I was "opening a can of worms." She must not realized that I opened that can of worms the first time I found the 1930 census records for both my grandmothers. I want everything that will help me further my family tree (even if it is overwhelming at times).

She also said that she was working on getting some more research on the EISWERTH family from my grandfather's cousin. That would be nice since I can't get that line anywhere.

So what was on the SD card? 121 gravestones from St. Boniface Cemetery in Williamsport, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania and Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Bastress, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania.

My aunt has almost zero computer skills. She can check her email, I don't know if she can do anything else. So my dad and I had speculated on how I was going to get these pictures. We thought that even though she had just bought a new digital camera she would have each picture printed off and then send it to me. Which meant that I would get to scan them back to digital. I was not looking forward to the extra work, but I knew that I would do whatever I had to do to get those pictures.

Instead my aunt bought a new SD card, put it in her camera, took the gravestone pictures, and then sent me the card. I thought that this was a good, easy alternative to sending the pictures electronically. It might be a good idea for others who want some pictures. Just send an SD card to the person (as long as they have a digital camera) and get the pictures back in the mail. This is also good for people with slow internet (My aunt is still on dial-up. It hurts just thinking about it.)

Most of the pictures are distant relatives or non-relations with the same surname. But I have obtained her permission to post them on Find-A-Grave so others will be able to see them. Plus now I have pictures for Tombstone Tuesdays!

Now I need to think of a good thank you gift to send my aunt. (I can't just send her back the SD card and tell her to fill it up again, can I?)