The project was started in November and abandoned after several weeks. I ran into some negative information and did not want to give “a negative gift” at the positive time of year, at the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After the first of the year, I confessed to the withdrawal of the gift. “That’s OK…, I want it anyway.”  The research continued and was ready to print. A family member looked at the information (in my Ancestry.com database) and delivered the bad news “the father is wrong.”  For two days, I have worked to correct my error and believe it is accurate. The image is only a fraction of the eight-hundred-thirty-two individuals in the database and several hundred (several thousand) sources. Gratefully, the “negative stuff” isn’t in this tree. ~~ I’m going to walk away from Ancestry.com for a few days (or a couple of weeks) so other projects can enjoy my time and attention. I’m sick and need to work on my health.

Here is a copy of the brief message I published on Ancestry.com.

With thirty-five years of genealogy research behind me and years of experience on Ancestry.com, I documented the TINER family for a friend. I believed I had everything 100% accurate and was prepared to print the information. A family member indicated I had the wrong father. How could that be? I had been extremely careful about names, dates, and sources.

There are two men named Garland E. Tiner. One simply with the middle initial “E” and the other with the middle name “Edgar.” Both men were living in Texas. This researcher began to attribute all the records to one man named Garland Edgar Tiner.

Garland Edgar Tiner was born 2 Mar 1923 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas, USA. He died 25 Dec 1997 in Odessa, Ector County, Texas, USA. His father was Garland E. Tiner, born 18 Dec 1900 in Arkansas, USA, and died 5 Oct 1922 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas, USA.

Garland E. Tiner was born 3 Apr 1923 in Lipan, Hood County, Texas, USA, and died 13 Oct 2000 in Tarrant County, Texas, USA.

This brief explanation may prevent another individual from making the same mistake while “climbing the family tree.”

I hope, and pray, I’ve corrected all the errors. Perhaps I’ll be able to sleep? My mind hasn’t been able to stop processing the dynamics. I’m so tired; I only got about three hours of sleep.

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Postscript: 1:15 PM and I haven’t gotten a wink of sleep. My mind is “very busy.” Now we have one-hundred-fifty individuals with the Tiner/Tyner surname and almost eight-hundred people total in the database.

In my mind, I’m playing the tragedy over and over. I’m “Lioness Forrester”  agonizing over the accident.

Recently, a friend complimented me saying I’m “good with words.” The recent auto accident by a famous golf celebrity prompted me to make some comparisons. (I won’t use the name because I don’t want this message circulated on the “worldwide web” because “Goodle” [sic] trawled my information. Know what I mean?)

I’m not bragging: I’m really very skilled at “climbing the family tree.” (A friend said I should write a book about navigating Ancestry. My reply: “I’m too busy ‘climbing the tree’  to write a ‘how to’  book.”)

Driving too fast? ———— Too many hours staring at a computer screen?

Texting while driving? —- Not focused on what I was doing?

The brakes failed?———“Too many hours” staring at a computer screen?

Time to retire? ————– Time to retire?

Question: Can we blame Covid-19?  🙂

Answer: Find a cave and hide from the few friends and acquaintances in my small circle. To my knowledge, I have never made a 200% error. I always strive for 200% accuracy!! I spent days climbing that tree (for a friend). I believe every individual is correct and the sources are accurate. It was the wrong tree!!!! I’m physically sick!! When the error was brought to my attention, I believed I’d find the two men named Garland Edgar Tiner Sr. are cousins. Several hours of searching, and documentation, and I haven’t found the slightest family connection. It is difficult for me to understand two men with the same name, living in Arkansas, and Texas, and not related. ~~~ “The old gray mare she ain’t what she used  to be, ain’t what she used to be, ain’t what she used to be, many long years ago, many long years ago.”

CORRECTION: Within a few hours, I was advised I climbed the wrong tree!!! I suspect the families are related so I was on the wrong branch of the tree!!! (No sleep tonight; I have to correct my errors.)

This database has more than six-hundred individuals and hundreds of sources. Lorraine is “climbing the family tree” for a friend.

Eleven o’clock and I hasten to write this blog and report an unusual event in my life. An hour ago I received a phone call telling me I am the newest winner of Publisher’s Clearing House and the Prize Patrol will be at my door later today. It was a twenty-minute conversation and I repeatedly laughed and said “This is a joke.”  I was assured it wasn’t a joke and I would receive 2.5 million dollars, $7,000.00 a week for life, and a new Mercedes. He wanted my name and I replied “Why do I have to give you my name, you have it?”  He wanted to know what I would do with all that money. “I would spread it all over Texas to all the hurting people affected by the recent bad weather that froze water pipes and shut down the electricity.”  The man had identified himself as “Jerry” and said he’s a Christian and he admires that I would share the money with fellow-Texans. It was actually a pleasant conversation but I was skeptical. The “scam” (in my humble opinion) came when he said I need to write a check for $3,500.00 and put it in the mailbox. It is the “Registration Fee” and needs to be paid before The Prize Patrol comes to my door. As I said, I kept up “pleasant conversation” and told him I’m an old lady on a fixed income “and we have gone through a year of the Coronavirus pandemic.”  I suggested they bring the money and I could pay the “Registration Fee” from the winnings. Next: Jerry was going to make an exception and I only needed to write a check for $1,000.00. I told Jerry I’m not lucky and I didn’t believe I was a Publisher’s Clearing House winner and I was going to hang up. I hung up!!!!! The phone rang a dozen times—a dozen separate calls—but I did not answer. ~~~~ I find this amusing—for me—but I feel pain for the individual who believes the story and writes out a check. ~~~~ Actually, I am very “lucky” I did not fall victim to a scam!!

P.S. I reported my experience to the Waco, Texas, Better Business Bureau. On their website, they have “Scam Tracker” and it was very simple to provide my information.

Before I go to bed, I have to share with my readers that I’ve just experienced remarkable television programs on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). First, at 7:30 PM (Central time) number three of the ongoing series titled The Chosen. It is on the life of Christ in a “remarkable” (there’s that word again) format that is very inspirational. That one-and-one-half-hour program was followed by the life and ministry of Billy Graham. I’ve checked for the Internet links to these programs or you can search for them. RECOMMENDED VIEWING!!

The NBC Today show shared an emotional experience in Houston, Texas. A visit to the Food Bank and discussions with folks suffering from the electricity and water crisis in Texas.

As an avid genealogist, I love geography and history, too. There are many stories of brothers who were on opposite sides in the Civil War. I’m heart-broken because a family member has rejected me because I’m a conservative Republican who voted for President Donald Trump. “Remembering Rush Limbaugh“ was unacceptable according to my family member. ~~ Praise God, we are “individuals” and not a cookie-cutter replication of one another.

I took a shower for the first time in two weeks. It felt wonderful; I feel extremely good!! Everything is copasetic at my residence: Propane tank is full and I have running water (and did not suffer broken water pipes). Yesterday afternoon, I was shoveling ice and snow. This afternoon the door is open to the seventy-degrees pleasant afternoon. Next projects: (1) Wash the dirty dishes, and (2) clean sheets on the bed. I’m singing: “Hallelu, hallelu, praise ye the Lord; Praise ye the Lord, hallelujah, praise ye the Lord!”  However, I am mindful of all the misery experienced by other residents in the state of Texas. The cost of repairs may be in the trillions of dollars and we will experience higher taxes, higher costs for produce, and—frankly—unforeseen expenses. Did you hear: The oranges and grapefruit crops are a total loss; baby chicks died; cattle had frozen ears (just to name a few…). All this while we are still suffering from the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Postscript: “Millions still in need of water.” Also, at 5:25, the TV news said “30,000 people without electricity.”  That’s the sad commentary about the situation in Texas.