TransylvanianDutch chosen as 1 of 100 Top Genealogy Sites

MyHeritage has come up with a list of the "Top 100 Genealogy Sites," and has included TransylvanianDutch among its honorees.  We are pleased to wear the below badge.

Their naming of the list is slightly misleading.  From their list, it's obvious their focus, with some exceptions, was on genealogy bloggers.  (I wouldn't expect to be listed on a top-100 list if the list wasn't focused on bloggers.)  And when they say in their description  

"We put a focus on finding hidden gems in the community, so there's a good chance that some of these are sites you won't have seen before."

They mean they left out of their selection the not-so-hidden gems.  Which explains why several top-name genealogy bloggers aren't on the list. 

Regardless, I am still honored to be in their list.  I played around with their facial recognition software a lot a couple years ago.

Ancestor Approved Award

TransylvanianDutch has been chosen for the “Ancestor Approved” award by four separate blogs:

Ginisology
Wild Rhododendrons
Climbing My Family Tree
My Ancestors and Me

I want to express my gratitude to all four bloggers. I like to think my ancestors do approve of what I am doing here.

This award has been making the rounds on genealogy blogs. It was initiated a couple weeks ago by Leslie Ann Ballou at Ancestors Live Here

“As a recipient of this award I ask that you list ten things you have learned about any of your ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened you and pass it along to ten other bloggers who you feel are doing their ancestors proud.”

Ten things I've learned which have surprised, humbled, or enlightened.

1) My second great grandfather, Selig Feinstein, filed a patent
2) Selig was a blacksmith for his first ten years in America. The family knew of his success in the real estate business, but that was actually his third career.
3) I also discovered Selig was very active in the local religious charitable community, helping to form schools, and raise funds for the poor.
4) My great grandfather, Herman Feinstein, drove a jitney taxi.
5) My grandfather, Martin Deutsch, may have been a direct male descendant of Aaron
6) My Denyer ancestors may have emigrated from America for a couple years, before America expanded to include them again. It’s unclear when they entered Texas.
7) A bit of humor my great grandmother, Bertha Cruvant, liked to share, may have been rooted in Gematria.
8) Seven out of eight of my paternal second great grandparents are buried in St. Louis, where I have lived most of my life.
9) My eighth great grandfather, Myndert Frederickse, owned a slave.
10) Hartley and Denyer relatives testified in front of The Dawes Commission, hoping they would be granted land based on their Choctaw ancestry. (Their application was rejected, as they didn't have enough proof.)

I’m going to refrain from choosing ten blogs. It’s too difficult of a decision. However, I will pass it on to one. This sounds like it would be a more difficult decision, but it’s easy – Leslie Ann Ballou, of Ancestors Live Here.

It appears, even though she began this, and passed it on to the first ten people, no one has given it back to her yet – or at least, she hasn’t listed her “ten things that surprised, humbled, or enlightened.” It's now her turn.