Janice Brown Is Lost In The Puckerbrush and We Miss Her

In Terry Thornton's blog post, One Blogger's Guide Through the Puckerbrush: The First Puckerbrush Blog Awards for Excellence, our host at the Hill Country of Monroe County asked, "Where is Janice Brown when we need her?" Where is she indeed.

For quite a while now those of us who call Janice our friend, have been searching for her out in the Puckerbrush. I still drop by and read through her archives; that was until I read a Tweet that said Cow Hampshire had disappeared in a cloud of pixel dust in the blogosphere. I went to see for myself. It's true. Cow Hampshire is gone.

I have to say this really hit me hard and is the reason I have had such a difficult time writing this post. Year's of work gone, just gone. It upset me; probably because I projected that loss on how I feel about my own blogs. Year's of work gone, just gone? I'd be devastated. Please, let all Janice's research, humor, photographs, and awards be preserved somewhere. Please.

At this time of year the Cow of Cow Hampshire would be waving the U.S. flag. But no more. The Cow is gone. So, with apologies to Terry and Janice, I reworked the Puckerbrush Blog Excellence Award to include the Cow and his flag. It gives me a small measure of comfort.

To the bloglings who have the privilege of being a recipient of the Puckerbrush Blog Award for Excellence, I'd like you to know something about the woman who is its inspiration.

Janice Brown was always starting something. The snowball fights. Do you remember the snowball fights? Then there was the dancing. Maven cut a rug with her old flame Mark Twain. Jib Jab has eliminated the dances. It no longer shows on my blog. What a shame. Watching my fellow bloggers was a scream. Apple, didn't you hula?

And Janice didn't just start things, she could finish things. If you were her friend she would defend you against all odds. Remember the late unpleasantness that kept us posting for weeks? Well, someone attacked me in Eastman's comments and Janice jumped into the middle of it guns blazing, to defend me. Circle the wagons. That woman could wield a word.

Then came the 30th Carnival of Genealogy. The topic was Genealogy Conferences and Seminars I'd like to see. Janice wrote a post Jasia described this way:

Starting us off with a hilarious post that had me laughing out loud, we have Janice Brown presenting Genealogy Seminars I'd Like to See posted at Cow Hampshire. Janice isn't the seasoned veteran that many others are when it comes to genealogy conferences but she sure has a good start on putting together a conference we'd all drop what we're doing to attend! Sign me up Janice! And thanks for sharing and making us laugh!

This was Janice's list:

I'll fess up that my seminar interests would probably not appear in any of the traditional conferences (mostly because I have yet to find a "Bizarre Twist" category). If Chris Dunham, the "Master of Fractured Genealogy Top Ten Lists," was willing to explain his creative methodology, I'd be the first in line to sign up.

Genealogy Seminars I'd Like To See include:

- Digging Up Dirt Through Cemetery Research.
- Clowning Around--Locating Carnival Performers Under Your Family Tent.
- Gleaning Gems From The Family Privy.
- My Auntie Made Gumballs: Discovering Family Businesses.
- Evaluating Scars and Pock Marks in your Ancestor's Photographs.
- Jailhouse Anecdotes: Was That Arsenic in Gramma's Tea? [or Peas in Miriam's case]
- The Chris Dunham Method: How Palm Prints Are Better than DNA
- Terry Thornton's Guide to Family Hills and Mounds.
- *footnoteMaven's Guide to Finding That Two Hundredth Victorian Woman in the White Dress.
- Steve's Guide to Translating Illegible Handwriting.
- John Newmark's "I'm Dracula's Cousin, Are You?.
- Blaine Bettinger: "I'm Related To You, Like It Or Not."
- *Bill West: "49 Things To Do With A Flutaphone."
- *Randy Seaver: "Performing Genealogical Research While Wearing a Mask and Snorkel."
- *Becky Wiseman: "Preserving Historic Outhouses."
- *Lori Thornton: "Unfortunate Tombstones."
- Jasia: "How to Gain Ancestors and Weight At the Same Time."
- Miriam Midkiff: "192 Year Old Trash To Treasure."
- Tim Agazio: "Power Trimming Your Family Bush."
- Craig Manson: "FOIA Is Not For Sissies."

Those with stars actually wrote the articles as a challenge and a tribute to Janice's wicked sense of humor.

Finding That Two Hundredth Edwardian Woman in a White Dress inspired by Janice Brown was then, and is now, my favorite post. I will be eternally grateful to Janice for her inspiration and good humor. That post along with Dating Old Photographs :: Becky's Mystery Photograph #9 was the impetus for creating my companion blog Shades of The Departed.

Janice could also write a wicked comment, which she did for my women in their white dresses.

Thank you so much for the dedication, I am truly honored. I have already updated your link.

As for your post... it is what I call a "jaw-dropper." Amazing isn't a good enough word. Lovely job on both the research, and for creating such a lovely story. Any genealogist or historian (whichever you call yourself) should find another calling if they can't tell a good story. You, on the other hand, could give lessons :D

Janice

When you're new to GeneaBlogging, comments like this are so encouraging. They're what keep you going. They are confidence builders.

We should all remember this as the new geneabloggers enter our community. We should go out of our way to offer encouragement to them through our comments.

To me the quality of Janice's work, the encouraging comments, her sense of humor and dedication are contained in this award.

I'd like to thank my good friend Terry Thornton for honoring Janice Brown, she deserves this. And I'd also like to express my gratitude for being named one of the first recipients of "The Puckerbrush Blog Award for Excellence." It is truly an honor. Thank you, Terry, it was a brilliant idea.

Janice Brown, phone home. Your fans miss you!

Now there will be another post where I thank those that have honored me and I will reciprocate with a few honors of my own.