Third Annual iGene Awards - TransylvanianDutch Chapter

The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the TransylvanianDutch Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor our best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on our blog in 2009. Best Screen Play - The family story we shared in 2009 which would make the best movie, along with suggested casting. Best Documentary - Best informational article written about a place, thing, or event involving our family's history in 2009. Best Biography - Best biographical article we wrote in 2009. Best Comedy - Best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that we shared on our blog in 2009.

Best Picture

This was a difficult choice, but I picked Nellie and Barney Newmark in front of the London Dining Rooms. Barney was my great grandfather, and Nellie his sister. The Newmark family left London for America on two ships, the first in 1908 carried Barney, his brother Sol, and their father, Sam. The second in 1909 carried the rest of the family. This is the only photograph I have, so far, of my great grandfather prior to his arrival in the US. Along with this photo, I received a couple others of Nellie from one of her descendants.

Best Screenplay

Not only have I chosen the best screenplay, I already have part of the script. I am choosing my series of Amanuensis Monday posts transcribing the audiotape my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, and his siblings Ted and Berta created in 1977. The transcriptions start here.

I'm not familiar enough with the current child actors out there to pick any to play my grandfather or his siblings when they were young. Since the Deutsches were Hungarian, I'd like Theodore Bikel to play my grandfather in 1977, as he was the "Dialect Expert" in the musical "My Fair Lady." Eliza Doolittle referred to him as "The Hairy Hound from Budapest," in one of the musical numbers. He looks nothing like my grandfather, but accurate appearance isn't necessarily crucial.

Best Documentary

My choice for Best Documentary is July 2, 1917 - East St. Louis and the follow-up Return to the Race Riot. (The latter does cross the 2010 nominating line by 4 days, but it refers back to the original post.) -- These entries provide information on a deadly race riot that occurred in East St. Louis at a time when several of my Cruvant relatives were living in the area. One of them was peripherally involved.

Best Biography

For Best Biography I am choosing an entry I wrote about myself, under the theory that autobiographical memoir counts for this category. We're an Academy of One, anyway. I make the decisions.

The Meaning of Khanike -- I feel through this entry I reveal a little of the child I was at age eight, and a little of the adult I am now.

Best Comedy

Several good competitors in this category, however I chose my Xmas in July series of holiday postcards from the 1930s. Several individuals have commented to me that they were shocked at how risque they were. I think every generation believes they were the first to rebel against the 'moral standards' of society.

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That wraps up the five main categories, but the TransylvanianDutch chapter of the Academy of Genealogy and Family History is adding one.

Best Genea-Blogger in a Supporting Role - I present an award to show my gratitude to another Genea-Blogger who commented upon, or in some other way responded to an entry, providing me with more information on my family.

And the award goes to Cynthia at ChicagoGenealogy who posted Chicago Births at Record Search: When the Index Doesn't Match the Record in response to my query What Was the Indexer Looking At? I noticed that the record index on FamilySearch had a different name than on the actual image of the birth certificate. Even stranger, I knew the index was correct -- and the birth certificate was wrong. Not only did she tell me that the missing document was a Certificate of Correction, she provided a copy of the certificate from the Family History Library microfilm.

My selections for the:

• Second Annual iGene Awards
• First Annual iGene Awards