Paula's Genealogical Eclectica

FGS 2012 Birmingham Conference Registration is now open!

2012-01-16T10:20:00.000-06:00

January 16, 2012 – Austin, TX. Registration for the 2012 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, scheduled for August 29 - September 1, 2012, in beautiful Birmingham, Alabama, is now open. This year’s conference theme is “Indians, Squatters, Settlers and Soldiers in the ‘Old Southwest’,” and the local host is the Alabama Genealogical Society (AGS).

This year's FGS conference offers an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in researching their family history. Over 175 educational sessions and 13 luncheons are designed to balance the needs of genealogists at all levels, exploring a variety of records, strategies, and other tools available to those interested in researching their family history. Special sessions include a wide variety targeting members and leaders of genealogical and historical societies. In addition, special events, such as the Alabama Genealogical Society Opening Social at the Alabama Theater, the FGS Evening Social at the historic Sloss Furnaces, Spotlight on Societies, and daily sponsored lectures provide an excellent environment to meet and network with others interested in family history and genealogy. Session sponsors include FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, findmypast.com, the National Archives and Records Administration, and others.

Conference Highlights

Librarian’s Day: On Wednesday, August 29, 2012, ProQuest is sponsoring a full day of sessions designed for librarians, archivists, and other information professionals serving family history researchers.
Conference Sessions: A wide variety of genealogy-related lectures and workshops for all experience levels. Topics include Southern research, Settlers and Indians, soldiers, strategies and techniques, technology, and writing.
Special Events: Include the AGS Opening Social at the Alabama Theater and the FGS Evening Social at the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark—all providing an excellent environment to meet and network with others interested in family history and genealogy. This exciting week of genealogy closes with a Farewell Brunch on Sunday.
Exhibit Hall: Filled with a wide array of vendors and organizations, Cyber Cafe and lounge area sponsored by RootsMagic, and a special Spotlight on Societies area will showcase local and regional genealogical and historical societies.

There are more activities and research opportunities too numerous to list. However, you can learn all about the 2012 FGS Conference and register for this exciting four-day event at http://www.fgs.org/2012conference. Be sure to also visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org for more information and travel advice. We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham in August!

Learn More and Stay Connected

Visit the Conference News Blog: http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org
Follow the Conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fgs2012 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fgs2012
Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.birminghamal.org

Weller's opens in time for SLIG, RootsTech, and the PMC

2012-01-14T14:27:00.000-06:00

You may already know this if you live in the Salt Lake City area. The throngs of people with an interest in genealogy, history, libraries, technology and other things who will visit there in the next 3 weeks might not know it yet.

The Sam Weller bookstore formerly on Main Street has now reopened in Trolley Square as Weller Book Works. Check out the full news article in today's Salt Lake Tribune. Be sure to look at the picture that heads the article and be prepared to drool.

SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy): www.infouga.org
RootsTech: www.rootstech.org
PMC (Association of Professional Genealogists): www.apgen.org

U.S. National Archives New Copiers/Scanners/Copy Cards

2012-01-10T19:37:00.000-06:00

From the National Archives blog NARAtions I just learned that The U.S. National Archives is replacing "copiers and the copy card system in the research rooms of College Park, MD (Archives II) and Washington, DC (Archives I) in early 2012. The new copiers/scanners will have more features than the current copiers. The new machines produce paper copies and digitized scans that can download to thumb drives."

You may read the entire post here.

Listen to genealogy radio online to kickstart 2012.

2012-01-06T13:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, sit in your pj's with the libation and snack of your choice at hand and listen to great shows on your computer, iPad, etc. Sign in to join in the chat rooms. They are fun, chatty, and I do learn a lot. I plan to listen to both shows this weekend and to participate in the chat rooms.

Tonight, Friday, January 6th is Geneabloggers Radio. www.blogtalkradio.com/geneabloggers

Hosted by Thomas MacEntee, the special guests include:DearMYRTLE of DearMYRTLE.com who will have tips and handy information on how to keep your genealogy data and materials organized; Amy Coffin, of the We Tree genealogy blog will discuss setting genealogy goals and resolutions for 2012. And Jan Meisels Allen, Vice President of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and a member of the Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC) with important information on how you can get involved with the preservation and access of vital records, especially the Social Security Death Index. And, as usual, you never know what other aspects of genealogy and family history will be covered at GeneaBloggers Radio so tune in! GeneaBloggers Radio is about the most fun you can have with your genealogy on a Friday night!

Tomorrow, Saturday, January 7th is FGS My Society Radio www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies. This week’s episode hosted by FGS board member, Randy Whited, is entitled New Year, New Board Members. Our guests will include Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt, president of the Massachusetts Genealogical Council (MGC) and editor of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Voice Newsletter. In addition, we’ll be highlighting FGS member society, Clallam County Genealogical Society (Washington) in our weekly Society Spotlight feature. Tune in to FGS Radio – My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Minnesota has lost a wonderful genealogist

2012-01-03T21:16:00.001-06:00

Jean Legried was one of those people you admired. I thought about her last week when I realized I hadn't received her usual Christmas letter. Now I know why, Jean passed away on January 1st and her health had been declining.

I first met her back in the early 1980s. She taught me that a disability or other challenge need not stop a person from living, helping others, or from becoming a knowledgeable professional genealogist who kept up with standards and education.

Jean was a well-known genealogist is the Norwegian research community, in Albert Lea and Freeborn County as well as in Minnesota in general. She served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Genealogical Society with me. She taught us about the importance of handicapped accessibility at our meetings (and library) and that such access did not mean the dirty freight elevator! She was 200% correct. People who have been active on the discussion list of the Association of Professional Genealogists and other online lists may remember her posts of past years. Jean was also an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists for many years.

Her late husband Peder was a fantastic cook and I remember the chicken salad he made for a meeting of a group of Minnesota professional genealogists many years ago. Jean bragged about her son, daughter-in-law and especially about the grandkids. I met her mother a couple times and she was so nice.

Genealogy has lost a special person.

Thank you to Sandy Thalmann for alerting me to Jean's obituary http://www.bayviewfuneral.com/obits/obituary.php?id=140931 I love the picture her family chose for the obituary.

Don't ever give up the search

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

You may have already seen this article or a variation of it. It really touched me. The headline in the Huffington Post reads "Minka Disbrow, 94, Reunites With Biological Child 77 Years Later." The reunion happened several years ago and now Minka is about to celebrate her 100th birthday with the daughter she gave up for adoption in 1928.

It's a real lesson about not giving up the search for family members that you lost contact with through adoption, split family, divorce, or other reasons. The person may still be alive as this article shows.

Click here to read the article.

Don't boycott RootsTech 2012

2011-12-11T13:11:00.000-06:00

Last night I lay in bed thinking about all the controversy surrounding RootsTech and booksellers. I was itching to write about it. I did comment on FaceBook several times last night but kept feeling like I wanted to say more. When I began to see the comments about boycotting RootsTech I decided to comment further right here.

Am I registered for RootsTech? Yes. Will I still be attending? Yes. Am I unhappy about the book dealers not being there? To a point. RootsTech can set its own parameters but apply them equally. Do I like the way this has all been handled? Nope. I am in favor of RootsTech. RootsTech and its parent, FamilySearch, are important to the family history community. We need them. They need "us" too. In today's social media (tech!) world news both good and bad spreads quickly and takes interesting twists and turns.

I was not at RootsTech last February but have read first-hand accounts and talked with many people about the wonderful experience they had. When the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy changed the dates to be closer to RT I decided that I might stay for RT. At another genealogy conference I was urged by several FamilySearch employees to sign up for RT and I did. I am looking forward to it.

Recent first-hand reports from some of our field's important book dealers dismayed me. Some have told about being strongly encouraged to sign up for booth space at the 2012 RootsTech. They did and recently were informed they were not being provided the space. Huh? They were told (quoting from Leland Meitzler's own blog):

"Leland,
RootsTech exhibit hall is for technically related products and services. We are purposefully not accepting applications from genealogical studies, book publishers, book resellers or arts and crafts dealers.
Please call to discuss if you like.
Gordon Clarke
RootsTech Exhibit Hall Coordinator"

I am not sure what "genealogical studies" means but then checked the RootsTech website and found this description:

"Don’t miss the Expo Hall where you can experience high-tech product demos in the Demo Theater, as well as relevant and exciting genealogy and technology exhibitors. You can also explore the Family History Library mini-lab, RootsTech Playground game area, get some refreshment and take advantage of networking opportunities."

I was more confused. Then I looked at the map of the Hall and found hotels, genealogical societies, and other entities that really don't seem to fit in this hall the way it was described to the rejection note book sellers have received. Were those organizations told they could not bring any of their book inventory to sell or could not take book orders? Hmmmmm. I have stayed in both of the hotel vendors in Salt Lake City and like them both but just can't figure out their tech connection. By the way, many of our genealogy booksellers also sell CDs, flash drives, and tech equipment. Why are organizations or businesses that promote professional genealogists for hire OK for the Hall? They must be relevant genealogy exhibitors but book sellers are not?

I think it's more that they are letting in other organizations and businesses that are not strictly tech. There is a double standard.

I have chaired large genealogy related conferences and know that there are a few things said, written, planned, or done that we wish we could take back or had done differently. I hope RootsTech does as it now says on its FaceBook page and revisits how this was handled. Why encourage and then take away? Why not apply the guidelines the same to all vendors? Why lump our devoted booksellers with arts and craft dealers? How many of the booksellers have been ramping up inventory for RT, made hotel, shipping, airline, and other other arrangements? Ouch. Do the speakers who are authors know they won't be available in the Expo Hall? Speakers are not paid for this event nor is their travel covered. They do it at their own expense and I am guessing some of them hoped to sell some books.

It's their conference and they can make whatever guidelines they want, but apply them equally. And inform the people you are encouraging to vend or attend that you are changing your mind. Now, let's support RootsTech and encourage the organizers to think this through and let's all get along. I have been so pleased that most comments I have read online have been civil but also pointed. Let's play nice and keep RootsTech alive. See you there in February!

More on the subject: (Many others have blogged about this, too! Just search on RootsTech and limit your search to the past day or so.)

Leland Meitzler's Genealogy Blog with comments from individuals and other turned away vendors: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=15788#comments

RootsTech Facebook comments page: https://www.facebook.com/RootsTech?sk=wall
RootsTech Expo Hall map with vendors names: http://rootstech.org/files/rootstech-expohall.pdf

I know many of the speakers and am even a member and volunteer with some of the organizations already listed in the Expo Hall. I will be there to support them. Now I better get back to compiling the syllabus material for my course at the Salt Lake Institute - this material is a mix of websites, online books, and even many printed books.

Christmas list: genealogy books & supplies

2011-12-10T20:32:00.000-06:00

Another idea for the family historian's Christmas wish list is books. Yes, we can go to the major online websites or bookstores, but we also need to support our wonderful genealogy booksellers and publishers. I have listed a few below and I have purchased things from all of them. Let your gift-buying relatives know about where to get those genealogy books on your list. There are many other book dealers that carry family history related books. One place to find links to a variety of publishers, sellers, stores, and related businesses is http://www.cyndislist.com/books. Don't forget about the books that genealogical societies sell, too.

Family Roots Publishing: www.familyrootspublishing.com
Genealogical Publishing Company: www.genealogical.com
Heritage Books: www.heritagebooks.com
Higginson Book Company: http://higginsonbooks.com/
Jonathan Sheppard Books: www.jonathansheppardbooks.com
Maia's Books: www.maiasbooks.com/

Cemetery found under ball field in Jeffersonville, Indiana

2011-12-09T00:14:00.002-06:00

A Louisville, Kentucky TV station reported on cemetery that was found under a baseball field in Jeffersonville (Clark County), Indiana. Archaeologists have been brought in. I wonder if any area genealogists will be contributing to the documentation of this cemetery? Might some early genealogists or a DAR Chapter have done any research on this? According to the article, one archaeologist thinks that burials began in the early 1800s. It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds.

Click here to read the WKLY TV report.

Great places to Christmas shop

2011-12-08T18:09:00.000-06:00

Are you looking for some unique Christmas gifts? When's the last time you checked at the gift shops in the historical societies and museums in your area? I was at the Minnesota Historical Society's gift shops in St. Paul a couple days ago. I found some great things and will probably stop back there for a few more items.

Many county level historical societies have gift shops. So do history, science, and children's museums. Some public libraries also have gift shops.

I almost laughed at the Janet Lennon paper dolls. No, I didn't buy them.

Tonight's Geneabloggers Radio correction

2011-12-02T17:51:00.000-06:00

The correct link for tonight's show is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/geneabloggers/2011/12/03/capturing-family-memories-all-year-round. Please see the previous post for more details.

Radio shows for genealogists

2011-12-02T14:28:00.001-06:00

The weekend is nigh and for family historians that means we have two opportunities to "talk" and listen to genealogy on the radio. Well, on our computer. In addition to listening to the shows be sure to sign in and join in the chat rooms.

Friday, December 2d (that's today already!)
Geneabloggers Radio hosted by Thomas MacEntee
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. CST. Click here to be reminded via email: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/geneabloggers/2011/11/19/celebrate-your-family-in-film
This week's show is entitled Capturing Family Memories – All Year Round. Special guests will include: Stefani Twyford, President and Founder of Legacy Multimedia in Houston, Texas who will help us understand why
preserving family memories is so important and various methods you can use; Jennifer Shoer of The Scrappy Genealogist blog who’ll explain some of the methods and resources she uses to capture family memories; and Lorel Kapke of Sort Your Story whose product can help you organize not just your genealogy data but photos, stories and more!

Saturday, December 3d
FGS Radio (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Radio hosted this week by Thomas MacEntee
[I am a member of the FGS Board of Directors and listen to and recommend these shows for your society and for anyone with an interest in family history and education.]

Click here to create an email reminder to listen to FGS Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2011/12/03/insiders-guides-to-genealogy
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

This week’s episode is entitled Insider’s Guides to Genealogy. Our guest will be Kathryn M. Doyle, of the FGS-member society California Genealogical Society and Library in Oakland, California. Kathryn will explain how her society was able to compile and publish their Insider’s Guide to California Genealogy in an amazingly short six-week period! In addition, we’ll be highlighting FGS member society, San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society in our weekly Society Spotlight feature.

NGS Conference registration now open

2011-12-01T14:24:00.000-06:00

Registration is now open for the National Genealogical Society's annual Family History Conference which will be held 9–12 May 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The online searchable program is available at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/2012Program.cfm and the PDF brochure is available at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info. The brochure includes an overview of the sessions, workshops, tours, pre-conference events, registration times, and rates as well as general conference and Duke Energy Convention Center details.

To register online, visit the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration and complete the registration form. I'll see you there next May.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy still has some open spots!

2011-12-01T05:00:00.029-06:00

Yes, you read that correctly! A few of the courses have a waiting list and it never hurts to get on those. Some courses, like the one I coordinate, have agreed to add a few more students so that we don't turn you away. Not all course set-ups allow for that, but I was happy to be able to do this. I hope you are able to join us in January 2012.

I coordinate and teach in Course 1: American Research and Records: Focus on Families which is an intermediate level course that provides in-depth learning on 19th-21st century U.S. sources and the methodology for using them. The 2012 course focuses on topics related to researching families and individuals. Informative and interactive classroom hours on five mornings and one afternoon delve into significant records and strategies that take you beyond basic research tools both online and off. On-site scheduled consultations at the FHL from course instructors on three afternoons provide one-on-one
assistance and guidance with your own research. We also offer mini-tours of the FHL in this course. The class will do one hands-on project during the week. This course alternates every other year with Part I of this course with resources related more directly to localities. This course helps you extend your research skills with light, optional homework assignments to immediately apply the classroom information to research on your own families. There is ample time for open research in the afternoon and evening. We have fun with the learning, too.

Participants should have advanced beyond the “bare bones” beginner. We suggest rereading one or more basic genealogy guidebooks and being familiar with the Family History Library Catalog. (Online at www.familysearch.org). It will help if you have taken a basic level genealogical class or two and attended at least one genealogical seminar. Students should bring along some of their own family research materials including ancestor charts and family group sheets to use in immediately applying what they learn in class.

In order to give you all an enhanced learning experience, I have asked these fantastic instructors to help during the week.
Cath Madden Trindle, CG
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS
Debra Mieszala, CG
John Philip Colletta, Ph.D
Kory Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA
Karen Mauer Green, CG (consults only)

The dates are January 23-27, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel in Salt Lake City and near the Family History Library. Check out the course line-up here along with the more details.

Do you love Cyndi's List as much as I do?

2011-11-30T13:07:00.001-06:00

Now you can be reminded of this remarkable website when you sip hot chocolate, tea, coffee, when you dream your research plans during the night, as you decorate and marvel at your Christmas tree, or share it with others when you wear your Cyndi's List t-shirt or sweatshirt to the library or grocery store. One person who purchased the pajamas said she is looking forward to great research ideas forming as she sleeps!

Cyndi Howells, the Cyndi who does all the work for us on Cyndi's List, announced the opening of the Cyndi's List Boutique this week!

"I'm pleased to announce the launch of the new Cyndi's List Boutique on CafePress.com. You'll find t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs, glasses, and even Cyndi's List pajamas and a stadium blanket to snuggle up with as you do your research from the comfort of your home! We plan to have more genealogy-related graphics available in the boutique in the future. Get your Cyndi's List gear today! Or put it on your wish list and tell Santa he can find it here: http://www.cafepress.com/CyndisList

The Cyndi's List Boutique on CafePress is your one-stop shopping place for Cyndi's List genealogy t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, computer items, and more!"

Check out Cyndi's List here and "like" the CL page on Facebook!

Ancestry.com adds mobile apps for iPhone, iPad

2011-11-29T21:49:00.000-06:00

A neat press release from Ancestry.com today. Doesn't do much for my Blackberry but others will enjoy this.

New ‘Ancestry.com Mobile’ iOS App Gives Users the Ability to Access Billions of Historical Records to Build Their Family Tree

PROVO, UTAH (November 29, 2011) – Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, today announced the availability of a new, upgraded version of its Ancestry.com Mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with features designed to enable more rewarding discoveries as users build, update and share their family trees. The Ancestry.com mobile app, which to-date has been downloaded more than 1.7 million times, is now available for free from the Apple App Store.

This upgrade adds three new features to Ancestry.com’s existing family history app:

Ø “In-app purchasing,” which allows non-Ancestry.com subscribers to view, then buy fascinating historical records about their ancestors – such as World War I draft cards, Census records, birth/death certificates, and school yearbook photos, from among billions of historical documents in the Ancestry.com database

Ø A “Shaky Leaf” hinting feature that employs predictive analytics to suggest possible new connections between a user’s family tree and undiscovered documents in the world’s largest family history database

Ø A new merge feature, which automatically identifies and extracts information about family members from historical records so users can quickly and easily update their family tree

“Our goal with the new Ancestry.com mobile app is to enable more people to discover their family history through our billions of historic records, and allow them to share their findings easily with others,” said Eric Shoup, Senior Vice President of Product at Ancestry.com. “Our ‘Shaky Leaf’ hinting feature has resulted in tens of millions of successful family history discoveries online and it’s now accessible to our growing mobile user base.”

For users new to Ancestry.com, the latest iOS app provides an easy way to get started by giving access to relevant historical documents on the site without a subscription. For existing Ancestry.com members, the new app gives them the ability to grow their tree using Ancestry.com records and share them with others while on-the-go.

The Ancestry.com mobile app offers many of the most popular features available in the online version of Ancestry.com’s industry-leading family history website, including the ability to add and edit family information, view and share documents and photos, take and attach photos and create and navigate multi-generational family trees.

To get started, download the free Ancestry.com mobile app to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and either register for a new, or log in to an existing Ancestry.com account and choose a family tree. Ancestry.com subscribers can download family history records in the app free of charge. Non-subscribers pay a special introductory price starting at $0.99 for each record purchased through the Mobile app’s “in-app purchase” feature.

Is my computer going to the laptop cemetery? Mozy and Dropbox first!

2011-11-23T17:22:00.000-06:00

I have been babying this laptop for more than a year. I purchased it in August 2006 and really like this Toshiba Satellite A-105. For the last few years I have had a cooling pad underneath. This pad plugs into the computer via a USB port and the fan really does keep the overheated battery a bit cooler. I am good about backing up, clearing out cookies and other garbage, and doing defrag. Today it is making some new noises and that made me do an extra backup to Mozy and to an external hard drive. Then I double checked to make sure some vital files were backed up in Dropbox. All of this is so easy.

All this ensures that my personal files, research client files, genealogy databases, articles in progress, and other projects won't be lost in case the computer dies. Of course, the restoration of the programs and files to a new computer isn't a quick process, but at least I have the files from which to do just that! Backup your files today!

Dropbox is also great for sharing files with others. A lot of my volunteer work and some client work are shared via Dropbox. Check out Dropbox at http://db.tt/1XkTiSA and see how easy it is. I own no stock in the company but I could get some extra storage space if you sign up for Dropbox through this link.

Geneabloggers Party like 1621!

2011-11-22T21:08:00.001-06:00

One of my fellow Geneabloggers has included me in a special Thanksgiving greeting and I am laughing so hard. Sheri Fenley made a video card for Geneabloggers. I am in it along with Randy Seaver, Bill West, Marian Pierre-Louis and Lisa Alzo. "Party like 1621." Still laughing. I apparently had talents back then that I don't have today. Thanks, Sheri! http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/TdhY0nb4Aj7DdmB7sXyJ

Click here to view Sheri's blog, The Educated Genealogist.

Research in animal bounty records

2011-11-18T17:45:00.001-06:00

Chippewa County, Minnesota has announced that it will again pay bounties for coyotes due to the damage they are doing to farm animals. According to TwinCities.com "The Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to pay $10 for every coyote trapped or shot in the county and brought to the sheriff's office from Dec. 1 through April 1 each year. Those that kill a coyote will be able to sell its pelt, which is worth about $15."

Historically many towns and counties have paid bounties for such animals. If you have Minnesota ancestral ties you might find details of a bounty paid to an ancestor or other family members. Within the state archives collection at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul researchers have access to bounty records from a variety of locations. These records put the person in a specific place at a specific time. They might even help to prove that a person was still alive in a given month and year. The information varies but usually contains the name of who the bounty was paid for and the amount along with details on the animal or pelt. A few examples from the Minnesota collection:

Wilkin County: wolf, fox, crow, lynx, bobcat, and bear bounties (1928-1965)
Rice County: wolf bounties 1897-1900
Eagan Township, Dakota County: wolf bounties (1889-1918)
Sherburne County: wolf bounty certificate books (1878/1879, 1893-1897; 1897-1899)
Bemidji Township, Beltrami County: gopher and wolf bounty records (1901-1960)

Guide to using Archives

2011-11-16T19:26:00.001-06:00

The Society of American Archivists has a helpful online guide Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research. It has many great tips for potential users. I have read most of it and felt like I was reading my own advice when I teach about the gems found in archives and special collections departments. It's worth reading.

Several entries from the Table of Contents

Need a speaker for a seminar or other event?

2011-11-11T16:43:00.004-06:00

I am updating my 2012 and 2013 speaking calendar and have some dates available that might fit with your organization's needs. If you are looking for a speaker, just email me with the name and location of your organization and the date or dates you are thinking about. PaulaStuartWarren@gmail.com. I have spoken at events of historical, genealogical, church, civic, fraternal, and other types of organizations. Occasionally I am available on short notice.

I will let you know if those dates are open on my speaking calendar and will send you my biographical and experience resume, an extensive list of the lectures I could present, capsule descriptions of the lectures, and the details on costs and arrangements. Once we have agreed on the date, I will send my standard contract so that we both know that the date is reserved for your group once that is signed and the advertising can begin. I am also willing to assist with publicizing your event. Some of my upcoming events are listed in the right-hand column of this blog. A few events do not get listed as they are not open to the general public. I am also willing to work with organizations that may want to hire me for more than one event and share the expenses.

When I am hired for an event, I am yours! That means I am available all that day to interact with your registrants. Whether it's a one day or multi-day event, the people in attendance are an important part of the experience. I truly enjoy that interaction and find that it adds to the success of the event. I am also willing to have dinner with whatever group of area genealogists or your society's board members on Friday and/or Saturday evening.

My presentations are delivered with a dash of humor where appropriate and with the passion about family history that I am known for. I aim to help the audience become focused, motivated, careful, and excited researchers. My presentations open up new research possibilities and further expand knowledge about what they may currently know. I work diligently to stay up-to-date and to make sure the lecture, visuals, and handout material are informative, clear, and most of all provide the steps needed to further research. My presentation visuals are done in PowerPoint.

John Bye retiring

2011-11-10T18:59:00.000-06:00

It's been a few years since I visited the The Institute for Regional Studies and University Archives at the North Dakota State University in Fargo. Researching there was always a pleasure. I just read that the Director, John Bye, has retired. John was helpful to me on my research visits, made suggestions, and was rightfully proud of the collection. Over the years I ran into John at history events.

At NDSU I researched distant cousins of my own and also worked on client requests. One outcome of the research there that included advice from John was the short history Helendale Farm and the James. B. Power Family that I co-authored in 1998. Helendale Farm was one of the renowned Bonanza farms in North Dakota.

Read more about John and see links to further info at http://library.ndsu.edu/archives/whats-new. I wish John a relaxing time in retirement. I know that somehow he will remain an active historian.

Association of Professional Genealogists Announces Election Results

2011-11-10T05:00:00.005-06:00

WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 9, 2011−The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG®) today announced election results for its 2012–2014 executive committee, as well as for nine regional directors and two new nominating committee members. Kenyatta D. Berry of Santa Monica, Calif. was elected president. Berry, a genealogist, entrepreneur and lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in genealogy research and writing, served as APG vice president during the last term. She will succeed Laura G. Prescott of Brookline, New Hampshire.

“I am honored to be elected and excited at the depth and breadth of experience represented by our incoming officers, board and committee members,” said Berry. “APG made great strides during the last administration,
growing to more than 2,400 members, adding new Chapters and expanding internationally. I look forward to continuing the important work of this organization.”

Kimberly D. Powell of Pennsylvania was elected APG vice president. Powell has been writing and blogging on genealogy for About.com since 2000. She is the author of several genealogy books and currently serves as a member on the APG board.

Janice S. Prater of Denver, Colo. will serve as secretary. Prater is the editor of the International Society of British Genealogy and Family History’s quarterly publication and is treasurer for the Colorado Chapter of APG. APG treasurer will be Joan Peake of West Virginia, a certified public accountant and the president of the Great Lakes Chapter of APG and the Fayette Ohio Genealogical Society.

APG members elected the following regional directors:

West region: Jean Wilcox Hibben, CG, is president of the Southern California Chapter of APG and the Corona (Calif.) Genealogical Society, secretary of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. Joan A. Hunter, MLS, CG, serves as Librarian General for the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, and is a past president of the Oregon Chapter of APG.

Midwest region: Billie Stone Fogarty, M.Ed., fulltime genealogist and lecturer and president of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. Jay H. Fonkert, CG, is a fulltime genealogist, lecturer and writer and a founder of the Northland APG Chapter.

Southeast region: Alvie L. Davidson, CG, is a Florida-based private investigator and circuit court qualified expert, specializing in missing persons and genealogical applications of investigations. Michael Hait, CG, is a professional genealogy researcher, writer and lecturer who currently serves as vice president of the National Capital Area Chapter of APG.

Northeast region: Debra Braverman is a professional genealogist in New York City, specializing in due diligence for trust and estates matters, and 19th–21st century New York research. Michael Leclerc of Massachusetts is a genealogist who most recently served as director of special projects at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

International regions: Michael Goldstein of Israel, traces roots worldwide, specializing in family reunification, heir searches and Holocaust research.

Elected to one-year terms on the nominations committee are: Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, a director for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and Debby Horton, professional genealogist and web designer.

November 12 FGS Radio Show

2011-11-09T21:28:00.001-06:00

Click here to create a reminder to listen to this Saturday's FGS Radio show. The reminder will arrive in your email inbox.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2011/11/12/genealogy-and-the-vital-records-access-crisis

Show time for Saturday, November 12, 2011
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

This week’s episode hosted by Thomas MacEntee is entitled Genealogy and the Vital Records Access Crisis. Our guest will be Frederick E. Moss, FGS legal advisor and member of the Records Access and Preservation Committee, a joint committee of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National Genealogical Society, and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. Fred will help us understand how access to vital records is currently being threatened and what you can do to ensure access for all genealogy and family history researchers. In addition, we’ll be highlighting FGS member society, Root Cellar - Sacramento Genealogical Society in our weekly Society Spotlight feature.

Guest
Frederick E. Moss, JD, LL.M. Fred Moss currently serves as advisor to the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and was presented with the 2000 George E. Williams Award for significant contributions to FGS. He is a member of the Records Preservation and Access Committee, a joint effort of FGS, The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society. He often lectures on beginning genealogical research and society management issues at national conferences.

From 1990 until the summer of 1998 Mr. Moss served as Associate Dean, Dean of Students and Associate Professor of Law with Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. The Student Bar Association named a student leadership award in his honor. Prior to joining the law school faculty, Mr. Moss served for twenty-six years as a legal officer in the armed forces. His assignments took him to four continents where he served as the senior legal officer of an array of units and installations. He has lectured on a variety of topics at The George Washington University School of Law, the Clark School of Law at Brigham Young University, the Southern Methodist University, the Defense Systems Management College, the Industrial College of the National Defense University, and the Army Judge Advocate General’s School. Colonel Moss was awarded the Department of Defense Superior Service and the Legion of Merit medals.

He was the Editor-in-chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. He is the founding editor of the Proceedings of the Council of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association, the Section’s first on-line publication.

He also served as the Stake Family History Consultant and as volunteer librarian in the Plano Texas Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is the spouse of Lynell B. Moss, the former Director of that facility. He regularly conducts staff training in the use of technology in family history research for several area family history centers and gives presentations for other genealogical groups in North Texas.

Records Access and Preservation Committee: http://www.fgs.org/rpac/

Society Spotlight
This week's FGS Member Society Spotlight features the Root Cellar - Sacramento Genealogical Society. ROOT CELLAR, was formed in 1978 when our members found a common interest in the gathering and sharing of genealogical information. Since that time, our goal has been to help our members with genealogical research through education, the publication of information, and the preservation of records. Everyone sharing an interest in genealogy is welcome. Our meetings also help to meet the needs of those researchers and genealogists who were unable to attend daytime meetings. The first meeting was held in June at the Fair Oaks Library.

Stan Gilliam of "The Sacramento Bee" coined the name ROOT CELLAR in his column, and with his permission, it became the official name of the organization. The name and insignia were registered with the California Office of the Secretary of State on August 6, 1979.

Root Cellar - Sacramento Genealogical Society: http://www.rootcellar.org

Join Us Each Saturday Afternoon at FGS Radio -- My Society each week to learn more about genealogy societies and join in a discussion of the issues impacting the genealogical community.

Dispute in the ownership of a 1775 currency plate from New Hampshire

2011-11-08T10:50:00.001-06:00

I read an interesting story in yesterday's [St. Paul] Pioneer Press about a Minnesota man, Gary Eldon Lea, who made a purchase at an estate sale in Fillmore County. "It was a 13-by-8-1/2-inch copper plate created in 1775 to print currency for pre-Revolutionary War New Hampshire."

According to the story, he subsequently put the item in an auction but the New Hampshire state attorney general asked that it be removed from sale because "Once it is state property, it's always state property, unless the state disposes of it properly in some way,"

The state found details about when the work was contracted for but not when the plate was disposed of. I know that governments don't always keep every single piece of paper created. And in many cases, especially in early years, paper trails weren't even created. Many newspaper stories over the years have told the stories
of items being found in dumpsters. Was there a paper trail at one time for this plate or was it simply discarded?

I am a firm believer in history being preserved and also in things being returned to owners if there is proof that it was taken under false pretenses. But then I am also aware of governments disposing of a whole lotta "stuff." State historical societies and archives are also known to pay large amounts to obtain documents and artifacts. The amount of money they spend today to purchase a piece of sheet music that belonged to a famous musician or a desk on which a specific document was signed is staggering.

This situation is already the focus of lawsuits. It will be interesting to learn about the outcome. Mr. Lea's attorney stated ""New Hampshire declared statehood in September 1776," Lea's attorney wrote in his brief to the appeals court. "Therefore, it is unknown whether the copper plate was ever the property of the state of New Hampshire." The full story can be read here.

New website for The Newberry

2011-11-07T20:38:00.002-06:00

The Newberry library debuted its new website look last week. It has a nice clean look and is filled with collection details, finding aids, catalog, visitor information, and much more. If you have never researched there, add it to your bucket list.

I have researched in manuscripts, photographs, maps, and books at Newberry. Their American Indian and railroad materials are superb. They cover far beyond the city and state where this private but very large library is located. A few years ago I was one of the lecturers during a day devoted to railroads. It was wonderful to
tell the audience about a great set of records that were in the very library where we were meeting. I have researched ancestors from the city and from other geographic areas on different trips to Newberry.

Walk a few blocks away and you have great restaurants and a bit further for a wonderful shopping experience.

If you don't know about this fabulous library, are you wondering where it is located? It's in Chicago. That's one of my pet peeves with many websites of repositories and newspapers too. The location is a bit buried on the website. http://www.newberry.org/visit. A great picture of the Newberry's main entrance is on that page. It's a place to go for research just because of the building itself!

Newberry has a new Genealogy Blog. Bookmark this link so that you don't have to search for the link on the website. http://www.newberry.org/genealogy-blog. Their News category will help keep you up-to-date on events and collection news.

Maybe someday the location of The Newberry will appear somewhere on the main page of their website.

Update! Yesterday, November 9th, I noticed that this has been added to the top of Newberry main page: "Chicago's Independent Research Library Since 1887." In my mind, that completes the page.

This Saturday I'm in Kansas

2011-10-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, 22 October, I am privileged to be the seminar speaker for the Johnson County Kansas Genealogical Society's annual event. It takes place at the Lenexa Community Center. I am looking forward to this all-day event. It's a great opportunity for family historians in the greater Kansas City area to get together for some networking, too. I love networking with attendees, too.

The four lectures I will be presenting are:
•    Finding Ancestral Places of Origin
•    A Baker's Dozen: Easy Ways to Begin Writing Your Family History
•    Tho They Were Poor, They May Have Been Rich in Records
•    Newspaper Research: Dailies, Weeklies and Beyond

For more details and location: http://www.johnsoncountykansasgenealogy.org/annual.html

Grabbing the knowledge in documents

2011-10-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

I was looking at some old document copies today. I can't decipher all of the words as I carefully transcribe it into a nice typed document. I need to use some of my proven methods for figuring out what it says:

Put it way for a while
Try to read it away from your home or the library where you copied it
Give it to another genealogist to decipher (don't tell them what you think it is)
Give it to a non-genealogist to decipher (don't tell them what you think it is)
Yes, I have already compared the letter and word formation with others on that page and a few pages before and after

9 times out of 10 one of these methods works. When it doesn't I tend to lecture myself that I should be able to figure this out. My youngest son can figure out what things say in a variety of languages so I should be able to read something in English, no matter the era!

Budget Choices in Life and in Family History

2011-10-13T16:53:00.001-05:00

I was just looking at my budget. My car will be paid for in December. Might I be able to finally get a new TV? No, I think I need to use that "extra" money to catch up on some other bills. After how lousy last winter was here, I really wish I could afford some vacation time in a warmer area in the first couple months of 2012. Budget says it's not going to happen.

And then there's the food budget -- I have been dreaming of lobster recently but that's not a part of the grocery budget right now.

It's the same way in our family history research and education. I would like to order a whole bunch of birth and death records for members of the extended ancestral family. A genealogy cruise would be so nice. So would attending an institute that I am not teaching at. And then there are all the neat conferences. My bucket list includes onsite research in Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and a long list of U.S. states. Choices have to be made.

Think about that last paragraph as far as your own family history. We aren't the only one who can't attend everything. When we do attend, we might be sharing a room with 1-3 roommates to cut costs. We bring along
granola bars for some meals.

For our own continuing education we can't forget programs put on at our home area historical and genealogical societies and even at public libraries. We can take part in online webinars and discussions. Yet, there's still something that draws our hearts and minds to the bigger events like institutes, conferences, and to places like Washington DC, Fort Wayne, and Salt Lake City for research. It's the camaraderie in those settings that draw me as well as the education.

Just like a family saves for a vacation, that new TV, or to replace the ten year old vehicle, we need to have our genealogy savings fund. Maybe it's a few less lunches or dinners out each month, or telling relatives that we don't need another sweater, tie, or scarf but would appreciate a gift towards that conference, institute,or library visit. I have a jar into which I put all my loose change and then take that to the bank before trips.

If you still have young children at home, maybe someone could give you a gift of taking care of them for a few days. I know many genealogists who care for elderly parents. Some respite care would be nice even if it's only for some local area research time.Can't get away this year or next? Education will still be there the year after that. When you can finally go to the event in 2012 or 2013 there will be others who can't go in those years.

Choices are not easy. Family history is not easy. But we need to work to make choices and preparation that help our family history knowledge and progress. Off my Thursday afternoon soapbox!

Join me in St. Cloud this weekend!

2011-10-12T18:26:00.001-05:00

The St. Cloud Area Genealogists (SCAG) and the Stearns History Museum are hosting a Family History Month event this Saturday, October 15th. The second annual Family History Conference takes place this Saturday, October 15th at the museum from 8:00 a.m. - Noon.

"Robert Torborg will present “Old Family Photos: Their Care and Safety” and Paula Stuart-Warren will lead a program titled “A Baker’s Dozen: Easy Ways to Begin Writing Your Family History.”

Click here to read the full notice in the St. Cloud Times.

For directions visit the Stearns History Museum website. To reserve your seat, call the Museum at 320.253.8424. The cost is $10.00 for Museum or SCAG members and $15.00 for non-members.

See you there!

FGS election results!

2011-10-12T14:06:00.002-05:00

October 12, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces the results of its recent election for FGS board members and directors. The election was conducted online September 1 - 30, 2011 with all FGS delegates eligible to vote. Office terms for those elected will begin on January 1, 2012. With the recent election results, Pat Oxley, President of FGS states, “I'm thrilled to have this talented group of genealogists bring their experience and skills to the FGS board.”

Re-Elected FGS Board Members: The following board members and directors were re-elected:

· George G. Morgan (Florida) – Vice-President Membership

· Curt D. Witcher (Indiana) – Vice-President Development

· Loretto “Lou” Szucs (Illinois) – Director

New FGS Board Members: The following board members and directors were newly elected:

· Kim Kasprzyk (Illinois) – Treasurer

· Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt CG℠ (Massachusetts) – Director

· Angela Walton-Raji (Maryland) – Director

· Randy Whited* (Texas) – Director

*Whited was first appointed to the FGS board as a Director in early 2011 and elected outright in this recent election.

I am privileged to serve on the board with these fine colleagues.

Genealogy Bloggers: A chance to win a free SLIG registration

2011-10-11T19:12:00.001-05:00

Are you a genealogy community blogger? That's step one. Would you like a chance to win free tuition for a course at the 2012 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy that is held each January in Salt Lake City? It's easy -- you just need to write a blog post and place the link in a specific place to be eligible. Sound too simple? That's the thing, it is simple. You just have to write about why you want to attend and which of the open courses you would choose. SLIG is a fun and educational week. I have been a part of SLIG for many years. Don't forget the Family History Library with all those microfilms, fiche, books, computers, databases and more is there, too. The 2012 SLIG dates are January 23-27. Onsite registration, syllabus pick-up, and a reception are held the evening of Sunday, January 22nd.

The Utah Genealogical Association's blog carries the contest details. Click here to read them all. Here are a few points from their post.

"The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is excited to announce our first ever blogging contest. We believe that SLIG is one of the best educational opportunities available for genealogists—and we want to hear why you think so to. For the next week we would like to encourage all the fantastic bloggers in the genealogy community to let us know why you would like to attend SLIG. The contest will run through Saturday, October 15, 2011 at midnight (Mountain Time). The prize will be a tuition waver to SLIG 2012 (note that only those classes which haven’t filled are eligible).

How do I enter?

Step 1: Write 500 words or more on the topic of why you want to attend SLIG. Include which course you would like to take, and whether you have attended before. Please include the link www.slig.ugagenealogy.org when referring to SLIG’s website."

140th Anniversary of the 1871 Chicago Fire

2011-10-08T19:30:00.000-05:00

"Today and tomorrow, Oct. 8 and 9, mark the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871."

Click here to read the full post on the Newberry Library's Genealogy News.

Click here to read about the fire on the Chicago History Museum's website.

Tour Landmark Center, St. Paul

2011-10-05T15:06:00.000-05:00

Oh, I wish I could take part in this free tour in downtown St. Paul. Landmark Center is a beautiful old federal courthouse building that today houses various offices and cultural entities including the Ramsey County Historical Society.

"Nooks and Crannies
Come to the Landmark Center, St. Paul, for a Nooks and Crannies tour, Sunday October 9, 2011, 1 p.m. See areas usually closed to the public, including the legendary North Tower. Free."

For more tours, classes, and other events check the October 5th issue of the Local History News from the Minnesota Historical Society. Click here to read it.

Civil War era National Cemeteries

2011-10-02T16:33:00.000-05:00

The National Park Service has a website page that lists "Civil War Era National Cemeteries: Honoring Those Who Served." The listing is by state and includes sites designated as national cemeteries. Click here to learn more about each site. This does not represent all cemeteries where Civil War related burials took place.

For more listings in National Cemeteries and others see Nationwide Gravesite Locator. As that site says, "Search for burial locations of veterans and their family members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker. . . Information on veterans buried in private cemeteries was collected for the purpose of furnishing government grave markers, and we do not have information available for [those] burials prior to 1997."

Many states also have listing online or off that include veterans burials. During the WPA (Works Progress Administration) era of the late 1930s and early 1940s some lists of veterans burials were compiled.

Check these examples for more details. Read the information included with each to learn more about the parameters of the listings. Most clearly state that the details are not comprehensive. These sites do not all have online databases. Other states include Florida, Iowa, and South Dakota. Other places where WPA workers compiled lists of burials did not produce separate veterans and civilian records.

Minnesota Veterans Graves Registration Index. http://people.mnhs.org/vgri/
Westchester County, New York: http://collections.westchestergov.com:2009/wcacustom/vetguide.php
Indiana: http://www.in.gov/icpr/2557.htm
Johnson County, Kentucky: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyjchs/wpagraves1.html
Hamilton County, Ohio: http://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/helpful_information/cemetery_locations.html

Also check Findagrave.com, Interment.net, and other compilation websites for other veterans burials.

Dublin, Ireland libraries: architectural treasures

2011-10-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

If you love books of any kind and the buildings that house them, then you want to read this Washington Post article from Friday, September 30th. Yes, you may just look at the pictures but the accompanying story is as superb. Now I want/need to go to Dublin for another reason beyond family history research.

I love the treasures that these buildings themselves are. The architecture, the plaster work, the artwork on walls and ceilings, and the lovely old wooden tables are just some of what draws me in to the "feeling" of being a perfect place for old books.

October is Family History Month

2011-10-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Isn't every month? Many libraries, historical societies, archives, and genealogical societies celebrate Family History Month each October with special events. What are you doing for Family History Month? I urge you to do something this month to honor the importance of family history. Need a few prompts? Here they are:

Now's the time to write a short biography of a favorite ancestor. Don't forget to include the sources of the details you write about. You will probably be starting a task list of more research to do as you compile this biography.
Schedule a few days this month or parts of days to work on your collection of photos (both in the overstuffed drawer and on your computer).
Talk to a family member about some aspect of family history. It might be one of the photos you rediscovered or the bio you wrote. Maybe it's asking a few questions about their memories of a deceased relative.
Visit at least one courthouse, archive, or genealogy library to do some research or at least learn more about the place.
Visit at least one subscription and one no charge online genealogy site that you haven't checked in a while. There may be something new to discover.
Don't know what some of the abbreviations are in this post? It's a good month to learn.
Read a guidebook. A book printed on paper. A how-to do genealogy guidebook. Make notes on things you want to research as you are reminded of them during the reading.
What can you do to help others continue to learn about family history? Maybe volunteer to do something for your area genealogical society?
Take out your calendar or open up the one on your computer

Add upcoming genealogical meetings, conferences, and seminars to it. Look at SLIG, RootsTech, NGS, NIGR, IGHR, GRIP, FGS, and others
Look for upcoming webinars to add to it.
See what your local historical or genealogical society is offering during October. Maybe it's a lunchtime lecture, a tour, or special class.

Next month I will let you know what I did during Family History Month.

Sacramento Archives Crawl

2011-09-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

What a great idea. Tomorrow, Saturday October 1, 2011, the archival community in Sacramento, California is sponsoring the free Sacramento Archives Crawl. This is a neat opportunity that appeared in my news feed from the Sacramento Bee newspaper. "Four historical organizations are partnering in the crawl and include the California State Archives, California State Library, The Central Library, and the Center for Sacramento History." The public gets to see a lot of behind the scenes activity. Free parking is provided, too.

For more details check out this blog: http://www.sacarchivescrawl.blogspot.com/

I have heard of art crawls and similar things for a group of bars and restaurants. Love that it's occurring in the area of history. Wish I was going to be in Sacramento tomorrow. I have researched at three of these places but would love to see more behind the scenes.

Proud to announce a Civil War Prisoners website

2011-09-28T00:21:00.001-05:00

I received a very special email tonight. It was about a friend's years of work being preserved and even better, being shared. I first met fellow Minnesotans Jack and Carol Lundquist in the 1990s when they joined us on the group research trips we used to lead to the Family History Library. I would still see them when we had occasional trip reunions. Sadly, Jack passed away a few years ago. Carol wanted his special research projects preserved and I am happy to announce that she has done just that. Jack loved history and especially that surrounding the Civil War. One of Carol's Civil War ancestors was imprisoned during the Civil War.

Carol wrote to me: "You know how important Jack's Civil War research (obsession?) was to him. Well, I'm thrilled to announce the birth of www.CivilWarPrisoners.com. It's up and live and I'm already getting some very nice feedback from some of the Civil War groups that Jack worked with. After two years, I feel like I can breathe again knowing that his work is preserved - it's really been weighing on me.Jack never would have cared about a website, but I wanted to be sure and preserve his work."

What is it? Jack worked long and hard to document Civil War prisoners at Andersonville and Cahaba. Because more than 800 prisoners from Cahaba perished when the steamboat Sultana exploded in 1865. As the website says: "Jack combined a lifelong love of history, especially the Civil War, with a mind that loved crunching data. After retirement in 1990 he initially set out to research only the Sultana Disaster with the aim of compiling the most accurate list of names of those who were on the ship. This soon expanded into researching Cahaba Prison, and then Andersonville as well as other Southern prisons such as Salisbury and Florence."

Check out Jack (and Carol's work): CivilWarPrisoners.com - Main Page

FGS Radio Show: Facebook Issues Confronting Genealogy Societies

2011-09-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

The Saturday, September 24th, the online episode of the Federation of Genealogical Society's radio show is entitled "Your Society’s Facebook Presence." Using a Q&A format which was popular in workshops at the recent FGS 2011 conference, host Thomas MacEntee will review some of the issues involved with making sure your genealogy society can harness the power of Facebook. Has your society wanted to create a Facebook page to attract new members and to keep current members posted on society news and events? Do you have concerns about privacy or the proper way to create a solid Facebook presence?

The Elgin (IL) Genealogical Society will be in the weekly FGS Member Society in the "Society Spotlight" feature.

Click here to create a reminder to listen to FGS Radio this Saturday.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2011/09/24/your-societys-facebook-presence

Saturday, September 24, 2011
2-3pm Eastern US
1-2pm Central US
12-1pm Mountain US
11am-12pm Pacific US

Join us for the next episode of FGS Radio - My Society, an Internet radio show on Blog talk Radio presented by the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Facebook is a great and free way to promote your society and its events.

Need a reminder for the show? Click here, now: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2011/09/24/your-societys-facebook-presence

A bit of disclosure: I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

FamilySearch.org adds 16 million more images

2011-09-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

Have you checked FamilySearch.org lately? Just this week alone more than 16 million digitized images have been added.

As their press release says, "Among the 16 million records added to FamilySearch.org this week, over six million are from the United States, including new collections from California, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. Additionally, five million new Civil Registration and Catholic Church records from Mexico are now available for free viewing at FamilySearch.org. Begin searching now!"

Click here to see the full list that is accompanied by the number of images. It will be worth your time!

Education in Minnesota during Family History Month

2011-09-22T00:55:00.000-05:00

October is Family History Month and the Minnesota Genealogical Society offers some opportunities for us to expand our knowledge including these:

October 7-8, Edina Minnesota: North Star Conference featuring one of the Genealogy Guys, George G. Morgan, and other great speakers.

October 22, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Family History Fair in conjunction with the Minneapolis Central Library of the Hennepin County Library system.

Click here to visit the MGS website for more details.

Alzheimer's Action Day: My Mom

2011-09-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

My Mom passed away in 2008. For far too many years before that she suffered from Alzheimer's. Far too many years. Looking back to the early 1990s we can now recognize behavior that may have been early signs.

Mom was also having those small strokes that affected her behavior. We had begun to talk every 2-3 days in the 1980s and that is something I miss a lot. My Mom was not easy to live with. She was a stickler for neatness, things being done only her way, and at her time no matter what worked for everyone else. Plus she was a strict mother. All that said, no human being should ever have to go through what she did.

Mom would have been mortified if she knew her once careful and coordinated dressing, haircut, and classy jewelry were reduced to stained clothing, bedhead, and no jewelry. She would have be embarrassed to realize that she hit the people she loved and those who helped care for her. She would have rather missed going out in public than to have others be embarrassed by her behavior. To know that she had to be fed at the end would have given her nightmares and they probably did happen.

She did have a few lucid moments. One time she asked me whose little boys those were in her living room. I said they were Katie's (my daughter) boys. She said Katie was too young to have kids. I would watch old movies with her and she would nod when I talked about watching movies in our old living room where I grew up. I never told her my husband had left me as it wouldn't have been understood or so I thought. I was sitting with her one day as Sarah, one of the caregivers, was feeding her. Sarah and I were talking about the change in my life and we suddenly noticed tears running down my mother's face. She understood. From then on I talked to her as if she really did understand things and just told her about things going on in the family. I would sometimes explain in detail about the person to whom I was referring. She lost her ability to speak but at times the frightened look in her eyes said volumes.

No one should have to live almost as a vegetable, unable to talk any longer, and unable to enjoy life for a dozen years or more. My father became her security blanket and she would panic if one of us took him to do errands. That knowledge would have shocked this once strong woman who was very self-sufficient and yes, controlling. In the study of my family's history I have not come across knowledge that would lead me to think we have a history of Alzheimer's or any form of prolonged dementia. So, why Mom?

2011 FGS Conference is over and I am smiling

2011-09-17T17:39:00.000-05:00

Am I glad? Somewhat. Am I sad? Very much so. It was a great week made even greater because of wonderful volunteers. I have some new friends. They understand me. They love research, learning, networking and working well together. We laughed, teased, and even addressed issues together and I am still smiling. This was the second time I co-chaired a FGS Conference and I will do it again in 2013 for FGS Fort Wayne with Dawne Slater-Putt. I am smiling about that. It really is a neat volunteer experience.

Post-conference let-down hit me really hard. I was tired but also found it difficult to leave Springfield where I had so much fun. Springfield treated us royally. The main conference team was also amazing. They know who they are and I hope I don't miss any names. They all made me smile. Josh, Pat, David, Susie, Janice, Thomas, Linda, Julie, Kim, Cath, Sue, Amy, Jane, Carol, Karen, Polly, Stephanie, Dan, Sue, Tim, Jean, James, Gordon, George, and Drew. The Illinois State Genealogical Society, the local host, rocks!

I found this to be a conference where the education seemed to have great importance. The level of chatter around the convention center and the hotels showed that networking was right up there, too. During breaks in sessions the aisles of the convention center filled. The new FGS Booth design was a smash hit. Sue T. did an amazing job on that. FGS board and committee meetings went well with many folks piping up to take on tasks and give sensible advice. I walked away from those meetings with a good feeling. The volunteer training that Josh and I did for many of those who helped out over the week was fun. We joked a bit, were silly, but also talked about our guests for the week and that we needed to see to as many of their needs as possible. That made me smile.

I watched some of our key volunteers walk up to the folks from Birmingham (FGS 2012, August 29-September 1) and offer help and advice. That made me smile. Yes, I am working on the team for that conference, too. I will be once again be doing the conference blog and also co-chairing National Publicity with Thomas MacEntee.

I have heard from many who attended that they had a good time during the week. That makes me smile. Though I didn't get to spend as much time with friends as I hoped to, it was still great to see them. I was able to see many of the speakers and greet them. One plan I had was to get around to each vendor in the Exhibit Hall and thank them for being there but too much running around and also some need to rest the tired feet kept me from doing that. Their dedication to the genealogical audience makes me smile.

We could not have put this conference together without the platinum sponsors, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. More smiling. And other sponsors Family Chronicle, New England Historic Genealogical Society, RootsMagic, and ProQuest, too. And the many participating organizations that sponsored lectures and luncheons and the many door prize donors. Many other reasons for smiles.

I want to publicly thank my co-chair, Josh Taylor, a special colleague and friend who asked me to join the committee. Pat Oxley, President of FGS, was there with us every step of the way. FGS 2011 was truly a team effort and I thank each and every one of you who was a part of it.

Register for SLIG 2012 soon and save $50.00

2011-09-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

Five days of in-depth genealogical education. Five days of networking in small groups. Five days of learning from faculty representing a wealth of knowledge. That's SLIG 2012. Plus, of you register for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) by October 30th you save $50.00. SLIG offers multiple courses taught by some of the top U.S. genealogists. There is still room in some of the courses. Another neat aspect of the SLIG courses is the proximity to the Family History Library so that you can put your new or enhanced knowledge to work immediately.

I am the coordinator for Course I, an intermediate level offering: American Records and Research: Focusing on Families. In addition to some hands-on work, interaction with the instructors, and one-on-one consultations at the FHL, the course line up is helpful. Check out the details here.

No matter which course you choose, your week will be amazing. Save January 23-27, 2012 on your calendar and participate in a great week.

War of 1812 Pension Project has a deadline

2011-08-31T00:48:00.001-05:00

This is an ongoing project and fundraising effort to digitize and preserve the 7.2 million images from the War of 1812 pension and bounty land records files. Digitized because genealogists and others wanted them preserved. These files supply individual, family, military, national, state, and community history. And if we get this all funded, then the images will be online for anyone to view and copy for FREE. This is another project of the Federation of Genealogical Societies ongoing Malcolm Stern NARA fund which helps to preserve records at the U.S. National Archives and make them accessible.

A special effort by the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS) ends tomorrow, August 31, 2011. I donated. Have you? I want to be able to stand and cheer with pride when the IGS check is presented to the War of 1812 Project fund at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Springfield, Illinois next week. I want to say I am a part of this.

From the IGS website: The Indiana Genealogical Society is proud to support the Federation of Genealogical Societies' "Preserve The Pensions" campaign, which aims to raise $3.7 million to digitize the War of 1812 pension files held at the National Archives and make them freely accessible online. The digitized pension files will be available for free on Fold3.com - see http://go.fold3.com/1812pensions/ to view the files that are available so far. Ancestry.com is matching match ALL donations up to $10,000, meaning that donations made to that point for make to the $10,000+ Match Challenge will actually be QUADRUPLED! And IGS is matching donations up to $15,000

If you donated $50.00 that means IGS' match made it $100.00 and for that first $10,000 total, a match from Ancestry.com, it means your $50.00 meant $200 to fund the project.

Donate today so you can stand up and cheer no matter where you will be next week when the check is presented. The Archivist of the United States will be there at the ceremony. Let's remind him how smart, important, and supportive we family historians are.

Loving a library!

2011-08-17T22:47:00.001-05:00

And they aren't even genealogists. Claude Peck and Rick Nelson write for the [Minneapolis] StarTribune on food, clothing trends, culture, and more. They are usually lighthearted and sometimes irreverent in their conversations. I was surprised to see their column today "Downtown library a real town hall" in praise of the Minneapolis Central Library. This library is part of the well-known and heavily used Hennepin County Library system. This location is at 300 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. It is a beautiful building and many more items are on open shelves than in the old downtown library which often didn't look like a library because so many books were in closed storage and had to be requested. Now browsing is wonderful.

Click here to read their conversation.

If you live in the area and haven't visited the downtown library to do some family history research, it's time you put that visit on your calendar. Special collections is a must but it is not open as many hours as the main parts of the library. The library has many databases, old city directories, newspaper clippings, newspaper indexes, genealogy periodicals, yearbooks, censuses, and a wealth of things you might be interested in.

Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference online registration ends August 20th

2011-08-14T15:00:00.006-05:00

Saturday, August 20th is the last day to register online for the upcoming FGS Conference in Springfield, Illinois. You may also mail in a registration as long as it is postmarked by the 20th.

If you have already registered, what about adding one or more of the luncheons, a workshop, the FGS 35th Anniversary celebration, or purchasing a printed syllabus? The deadline is the same for all these.

If you register on or before that date (or postmarked no later than the 20th) you will be able to have access to the syllabus BEFORE the conference! It won't be too long till we registrants hear from the syllabus team that it is accessible online. Then we can read the sections of interest and print those for the sessions we plan to attend.

I am a National Conference Co-Chair for this event and I hope to see many blog readers at the conference that takes place from September 7-10. Education, fun, networking, a full Exhibit Hall, and excellent door prizes await. Check out the many details at:

FGS Conference News Blog: www.fgsconferenceblog.org
FGS Conference website: http://fgs.org/2011conference/

Hastings, Nebraska psychiatric hospital burials

2011-08-14T02:01:00.002-05:00

The Adams County [Nebraska] Historical Society has posted the names of 957 people buried in a former psychiatric hospital cemetery in Hastings, Nebraska. The burials cover 1889 to 1957. It was a state funded institution and researchers can expect to find that the individuals were sent to Hastings from all over Nebraska. This site also has some history of the institution.

In order to obtain this information, the historical society had to battle for in in a court battle. Congratulations to the society for undertaking this important task.

To check the list click here. This site also has some history of the institution

Awesome Library of Congress Documentary

2011-08-04T08:36:00.000-05:00

I really need to get back to my client work this morning, but something else has captured my interest. It's a 91 minute documentary about the Library of Congress by C-SPAN. I assume it must have been broadcast on C-SPAN but I have missed it.

"The Library of Congress, is a behind-the-scenes look at the national repository, providing the history of the institution, a tour of its iconic Jefferson Building, and glimpses of some of the library's rare book, photo, and map collections. The film also featured some of the presidential papers housed at the Library of Congress, ranging from George Washington through Calvin Coolidge. Viewers learned how the library uses technology to preserve its holdings and expand public access to them, as well as how technology is helping to uncover new information about some of the items in its collections."

The images, the history (of the library and the country), the statistics, and all the rest are enlightening. It's been a long time since I researched or visited the LOC and now I am itching to go back.

Is it worth your 91 minutes? I am not finished yet, but am enthralled by it. Click here to view it.

Minnesota Normal Schools publications

2011-08-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

That's Normal School as in teacher's colleges. Many such schools across the country had newsletters and that includes those in Minnesota. These provide great insight into the school, curriculum, faculty, students, alumni, and education in general. In Minnesota most of these became state universities. Some of these school publications had literary offerings, ads from local businesses, famous quotations, community information and other details. These are great research resources.

Those from two of the state normal schools have been digitized and are available online for free.

The Mankatonian: published monthly by students at the Mankato Normal School; 1891-1913 digitized.
Normalia: published by the St. Cloud Normal School; 1892 - 1904 digitized.

Both newspapers are searchable by keyword but don't neglect to do some browsing page by page to get a feel for the time period.

These are part of Minnesota Reflections which has nearly 62,000 images and documents shared by more than 120 cultural heritage organizations across the state. This site offers a variety of resources on Minnesota's history for researchers, educators, students and the public." The main page lists recent additions and upcoming digital images. The photographs on this site are phenomenal and give great insight into the state's history and include images of the schools, faculty, and students.

Be ready to spend some time on the websites browsing through the collections. I keep finding things I missed previously or maybe they were just added!

The image above is from The Mankatonian, Volume 2, Issue 2, October 1892.

FamilySearch updates

2011-08-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

1.8 Million Records and Images Added to 23 U.S. Collections

Additions Made to Collections from Seven Other Countries

2 August 2011

Historic records from eight countries have been digitized and added to FamilySearch.org. In addition to 1.8 million new U.S. records, collections from seven other countries were added: Canada, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, and Poland. There are many gems for curious minds, such as the updates to the South Dakota 1945 State Census, New York court records, Indiana marriage records, or how about the service affidavits of Utahans who served in the militia during the Indian Wars from 1909-1917. Begin searching now at FamilySearch.org.

New adoptees support service in Minnesota

2011-08-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

The Minneapolis StarTribune carried a story today about adult adoptees and a new support service: "Adoptees Have Answers opened last year to offer services for and about adult adoptees, including support groups, public events and webinars."

Quoting from the article: The group aims to support adoptees but also to promote a better understanding of what it's like to be adopted. The hope is that parents, social workers, adoption professionals, therapists and lawmakers will be listening. "We believe there is a basic underlying situation, when a child and her original mother are separated, that has lifelong consequences," said Kate Maloney, manager of Adoptees Have Answers. "We need to be really, really sensitive to those lifelong issues."

Services and support aside, it's still a struggle for adult adoptees to find out more about their birth families and it's costly as the article alludes to. Costly to learn about themselves. Still this way in 2011. Sad.

Click here to read the full story.

Genealogy library electronic news

2011-07-25T23:45:00.000-05:00

These are three examples of helpful electronic publications from libraries that have extensive genealogical research collections. I have researched in all three libraries and highly recommend them and their publications.

Mid-Continent Public Library, Independence, Missouri: http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/news-bytes-newsletter
Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois: http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/news/
Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/E-zine.aspx

Sympathy Saturday: Johanna Walsh Hanley

2011-07-23T23:03:00.001-05:00

My maternal Great Grandmother Johanna Walsh/Welch Hanley was born on the beautiful Dingle peninsula in Ireland. She was born 12 June 1859 and her baptism on that same date is recorded in the parish of Ballyferriter. She arrived in the U.S. by September 1889 as on 3 September 1889 in Winona, Winona County, Minnesota, she married widower Michael Hanley. Michael and his first wife Margaret had six children who were left motherless when Margaret died on 14 March 1888 in Winona.

Michael and Johanna then had six children and I descend from their son Maurice Michael Hanley. Johanna raised a whole household of kids by herself after her husband died in 1905.

I never knew Johanna. She died 11 April 1937. The only story I ever heard about her was from my mother, Patricia Margaret Hanley Stuart, and it explained a lot about why my mother avoided funerals. As a child and as a teenager it was rare that I even heard of family funerals. I did go to a couple funerals and as I got older I wondered why we never went to them for other relatives and family friends. It took my getting bitten by the genealogy bug to learn why. My mom didn't share a lot of family info with me, but she did tell a story about when her Grandmother Hanley died. My mom remembered being forced to go to the casket at age 10 and kiss her dead grandmother. It traumatized her and unfortunately she passed that on to her own children.

MN family digs grave for their own gravedigger father

2011-07-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

What a tribute to their deceased father.

"RICHMOND, Minn. -- On Wednesday afternoon at Sts. Peter and Paul cemetery in Richmond, Harold Hemmesch's family gathered to dig his grave.It wasn't the first time Hemmesch's children dug into the ground of the cemetery. Their father had been a gravedigger for 50 years, and they had all grown up helping him dig graves." Richmond is in the St. Cloud, Minnesota area in central Minnesota.

The other heartwarming part of this story is the wonderful care that Harold gave to this cemetery. Click here to read the full story on the website of the Twin Cities' TV station, KARE11.

If you have St. Cloud area ancestry (Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties), you might be interested in the cemetery compilation of the St. Cloud Area Genealogists. It was very helpful in researching my brother-in-law's ancestry.

Take the bus to FGS Springfield!

2011-07-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

If you live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa or Illinois and are planning to attend the September 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Springfield, Illinois, you need to know about two bus trips!

The Minnesota Genealogical Society and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society are both sponsoring coach bus trips to Springfield. It's more fun to travel as a group, make new friends, maybe take a nap, and save on gas!

The Minnesota route will go through Iowa and the Wisconsin route will go south from Wisconsin.

It's also a great way to talk with others as you plan which lectures to attend and on the way home you can all compare notes!

MGS trip: http://www.mngs.org/programs.htm#springfield

WSGS trip: http://wsgs.wetpaint.com/

Is that obituary totally factual?

2011-07-13T08:32:00.001-05:00

How many obituaries have you read in recent years that had some sort of error? Sometimes you see the newspaper print a correction but that is rare and usually separate from obituaries or death/funeral notices. Any time such an announcement is prepared, several chances for errors loom. The same applies to all such notices in newspapers in any time period. I love the names, places, relationships, and other details but remember that these need to be verified.

Is the person compiling the notice in shock at the loss of a relative or friend?
Did a family member give the information orally and someone at the newspaper or funeral home wrote up the notice?
Was the notice written by someone at the newspaper who did not consult with the family?
Maybe Aunt Sally only guessed at the places of residence of her sister's children and grandchildren.
Mispelling of names could be a product of almost anyone.
Typos are not purposely done but do happen. It might be the original typist or that newspaper typesetter.
Did the person compiling the notice double check the person's birth date or year?
In the rush to get the notice published, was one of the children omitted?
Perhaps the deceased's brother Samuel was incorrectly listed as an Uncle.
A follow up story that lists who attended the funeral and from where may have errors in the names and places of residence.

Now if I could only find one of those full page length obituaries I see in older newspapers for a member of my own family. How can we get descendants of those families interested in family history research? They have gold mines of clues waiting for them.

56 Days till the FGS Genealogy Conference begins!

2011-07-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

You read that correctly. The Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Conference begins on September 7th in Springfield, Illinois. The local host, the Illinois State Genealogical Society is helping to pull out all the stops to make this a great educational, fun, prize winning, memorable, and all-around great event.

If you haven't checked the FGS Conference News Blog in the last couple of weeks, you have missed almost 30 blog posts with conference news, insights, reminders, and tips. I am the editor of that blog and co-chair of the conference and the blog posts contain info from many of the conference staff.

At this point, registrants are coming from 46 states plus the District of Columbia. That includes Alaska and Hawaii. Then there are Canada, England, Israel, and Sweden represented among the registrants.

Helpful websites:
FGS Conference News Blog: http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org/
FGS Conference Website: www.fgs.org/2011conference/
Illinois State Genealogical Society: www.ilgensoc.org

Vacation on a budget

2011-07-12T00:19:00.001-05:00

Are you getting some "wish you were here" postcards or watching your neighbors hook up the boat and trailer and feeling like you are missing out on some vacation time? Many genealogists interpret vacation as going somewhere to research, attend a conference or institute or order a bunch of birth and death certificates. How about a few ideas for something to do that is different from your everyday life and yet have a history, genealogy, technology, or family connection? I recently received a post card from Germany where my oldest granddaughter was on an exchange program. It's not possible budget or time wise for me to go to Germany so I will be taking the three youngest grandchildren to visit Germany in Minnesota -- New Ulm in Brown County.

Are any area cemeteries or historical societies sponsoring cemetery history walks?
Check to see what computer related classes might be offered a public library.
Is there a museum that is only open in the summer?
In Litchfield, Connecticut, the historical society is offering historical walking tours http://www.registercitizen.com/articles/2011/07/05/news/doc4e13e01056fef255876732.txt
Attend the August Swiss Wine Festival in Vevay, Indiana http://www.swisswinefestival.org/
Be part of Irish Fest in Milwaukee http://www.irishfest.com/

To find more opportunities, check out city, county, and state tourism sites.

Isanti County, Minnesota history destroyed

2011-07-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

Grab a box of tissues because you will need them after you read this. The Isanti County Minnesota Historical Society's building was totally destroyed by an arson fire early this morning. According to the Princeton Union-Eagle newspaper, it's a total loss. Documents, artifacts, publications, and more are gone forever.

Check here to see the many items we will never again have access to. Read all the way to the bottom of the page. I don't have any known ancestral connections to Isanti County, but my heart is breaking for those who do.

Bottom line is that history has been destroyed due to some selfish person or persons. Why? What did they gain from this? It's a loss of individual, family, community, county, and state history.

4th of July: Freedom and Family

2011-07-04T07:26:00.001-05:00

The 4th of July was a big day in our neighborhood when I was growing up. It meant family and neighbor time. Some years it meant patriotic singing, led by my Dad's booming voice. It meant hot dogs and hamburgers cooked by my Dad, Bill, and our neighbor ,Ernie Lindberg. For many years the biggest fireworks production in St. Paul was at Highland Park on Montreal. We didn't travel to see them as our backyard on Bowdoin Street was a perfect venue for lining up the lawn chairs and watching, with sparklers in hand. As the older Lindberg sons hit their teens, somehow we had our own fireworks displays in a city where that wasn't allowed. But we reveled in it.

When my parents moved out of their house, one place they lived was a condo across from Central Park in Roseville, Minnesota. We would just walk out their patio door and watch the fireworks from Central Park. The grandchildren loved that view. Of course, we had sparklers. I miss those days.

One year my husband and I were in Washington, DC on the 4th. Talk about a busy place but what a place to be on the 4th! The music, parade, but most of all for me, the feeling of history and freedom was everywhere.

Yes, it's a day to celebrate and remember. But I also remember the Native Americans who suffered and were forced to gave up their freedom in this beautiful land. Let's not forget their sacrifice.

Family Tree Finders

2011-07-02T20:02:00.002-05:00

I have known Jan and Warren Mitchell for years. Last weekend at the Minnesota Genealogical Society's Winona Genealogical Program they were among the vendors. They gave me a gift, some Family Tree Wine Glass Charms! I think I need to have a party now. These cute charms hook around your wine glass so that you know which is your glass. I wonder who would choose the marriage license, library, birth certificate, tree, or maybe the skeleton in a casket. I think that there might be a fight over who got the skeleton. I have no stake in their company but just thought I would tell you about my gift.

Jan and Warren and their company Family Tree Finders will be among the vendors at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference for the Nation's Genealogists in Springfield, Illinois this September 7-10. They also carry a variety of genealogy related cards.

Century Farms in Minnesota

2011-07-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

The Century Farms program in Minnesota began 35 years ago in 1976 and a list of them is now online. Depending upon which website or news article you look at, it's of 8,000-9,000 farms that have been recognized as a Century Farm since the program began.The application forms through the 2009 designees are at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul.

A farm must meet three requirements to be designated a Century Farm and complete the application:

be at least 100 years old according to authentic land records [Yep, the ones genealogists love to use such as deeds, land patent, abstract of title.]
have been in continuous family ownership for at least 100 years (continuous residence on the farm is not required). [Family means cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren.]
the size must be at least 50 acres.

The Sesquicentennial Farms program honors families that have "owned their farms for at least 150 years, are at least 50 acres in size and are currently involved in agricultural production." This program began in 2009.

Back in December of 2009, I blogged more about Century Farms, website, and publications. Click here to read that post.

Click here to see the Farm Bureau's lists of Century and Sesquicentennial farms in Minnesota. A search may be done by name or county.

Only 3 more days to save $50.00 on FGS Genealogy Conference

2011-06-29T09:49:00.001-05:00

If you still haven't registered for the FGS genealogy conference, do it now! Why? 11:59 Friday evening, July 1st, is the end of the discount period. That means your online registration must be completed by 11:59 p.m. (your computer time) or a regular mail registration must be postmarked no later than that time.

Click here to see the full details.

The FGS registration team for the 2011 conference welcomes your registration after July 1st, but they want to make sure you know about the discounted registration opportunity.

Even the St. Paul police need genealogists

2011-06-23T12:25:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday evening I saw an article at Twincities.com that told of a tombstone being found in St. Paul and that the police had been unable to determine where it belonged. It read "Marie Olsen 1879-1932." The article stated police had done a search of birth and death indexes but had not found her. I called the phone number that was in the article and left a comment that I had found at least two possibilities for this Marie doing some online searches.

Additionally, I wonder what birth index they checked? The statewide Minnesota birth indexes at Ancestry.com and the Minnesota Historical Society's website do not include 1879 era births. If she was born in Minnesota, there might be a city, township, or county level birth record. However, most births in that time period were not registered. Marie may not have been born in St. Paul or even in Minnesota and a death record might provide that clue as would censuses.

I checked the Minnesota death indexes at Ancestry.com and on the Minnesota Historical Society's (MHS) website. One possibility at Ancestry.com was a woman listed "Marie Andrew Olsen" who died in Ramsey County on November 21, 1932. Then I found a "Mrs. Marie Andrew Olsen" on the MHS website with a death date of November 21, 1932 in Ramsey County.

My next check was the 1930 census at Ancestry.com using the name Marie Olsen, born 1879 and with a spouse Andrew and living in Minnesota. I didn't hit pay dirt this way so searched for a Mar* Olsen, born 1879, husband Andrew, living in Minnesota. I tried several different search strategies but didn't spend much time on it as I have some work deadlines to tackle.

The online newspaper article was upated at 11:17 P.M on Wednesday and this was added: (yes, it really did say ancestory instead of ancestry).

"A Pioneer Press search of ancestory.com Wednesday found a woman named Marie Andrew Olsen died in Ramsey County on Nov. 21, 1932. It could not be determined where she was buried. In addition, a city directory showed that in 1931, Andrew A. Olsen, a carpenter, lived with his wife on Bradley Street."

Next steps? Just several ways to continue the search:

Visit the Minnesota Historical Society and check city directories to see if a wife is listed in 1931 and what her name is.
Then check the next few years of directories to see if this Andrew no longer has a wife if the wife had been listed as Marie or Mary.
While at MHS obtain a copy of the death record for just 35 cents to see if the cemetery is listed.
At MHS also check the St. Paul Pioneer Press and St. Paul Dispatch on microfilm for an obituary or death notice for Marie that will hopefully list survivors.
Bring those survivors forward in the city directories and other records to maybe find living descendants.
If that didn't yield some people to contact, I would also check at the Ramsey County Courthouse to see if a probate was filed for either Marie or Andrew.

Blogtalk Radio this Saturday features Paula Stuart-Warren and Josh Taylor

2011-06-15T16:06:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know, I came on board in January as co-chair of the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2011 Conference that is being held September 7-10 in Springfield, Illinois. This Saturday you have a chance to listen to me and my co-chair, Josh Taylor, on FGS "My Society" talk radio.

It's as simple as booting up your computer and listening to the show Saturday, June 18th. It's on at 2:00 p.m. EDT, 1:00 p.m. CDT, Noon MDT, and 11:00 a.m. PDT. The show is one hour long and once you are logged on to the blogtalk radio site you can also participate in the Chat Room, make comments, and ask questions. That's also the place where you'll find links to online information that we talk about. We also welcome your input on the importance of attending these FGS Conferences.

Josh will be talking from the East coast and I will be at home in the Midwest. The full highlights will be published on the FGS Conference News Blog and on FGS' Facebook page tomorrow. Among the things to be covered will be what to expect if you are coming to an FGS conference for the first time, one speaker will be featured, some not yet publicized door prizes will be announced, and we will talk about special new features of this year's conference. One of the FGS Member Societies will also be featured.

Mark it on your calendars, visit the FGS website. and click on the blogtalk radio detail. Our fellow FGS board member and show host, Thomas MacEntee, has posted an easy to follow set of directions there so that you may join us on Saturday.

Sentimental Sunday: Thinking about on-site family history searches

2011-06-12T21:58:00.000-05:00

I love to sit at my computer checking Ancestry.com, Facebook, NewspaperArchives, American Ancestors and a bunch of other websites. Today I was thinking about some other research ventures that involved on-site researching. I find it exhilarating to touch original records, get my fingers dirty paging through an old volume of court records, view an original will, or whatever the sought after record might be.

City directories at the St. Paul Public Library: discovering other people with the same surname (Cook) as my maiden grandaunts living at the same address in St. Paul. I had never heard their father or brother's names before.

Civil court records at the county courthouse: finding my father's divorce papers from his first wife. Yes, she did run off while he was overseas during WWII. There were no children.

Correspondence with a distant cousin: finding out that our mutual ancestral surname was not Dow and was not English or Irish, but was Daoust and French-Canadian.

Family History Library in Salt Lake City: reading deeds from Arkansas on microfilm and finally connecting some Warren relatives of my father-in-law's.

Genealogical society meeting: shared something about a 1st cousin twice removed and a fellow attendee ended up giving me a box full of clippings and stories about MY cousin who had lived in the same town with her aunt.

Newspapers at the Minnesota Historical Society: finding the 50th wedding anniversary story about Nils Christian Carlsen and Betsy Peterson, a set of my maternal great grandparents.

Newspaper clipping file at the St. Paul Public Library: finding the clippings about my mother-in-law's cousin Eddie Green that told us he was an associate of John Dillinger's.

File at the public library in Clarksville, Arkansas: seeing the names of other people also researching my father-in-law's family.

Civil war pension reading at the National Archives in Washington, DC: viewing the complete pension files of ancestors and siblings.

Area Research Center in Wisconsin: seeing the signature of my own great grandfather in the papers of the St. Andrew Society.

Cemeteries in Wisconsin: seeing the stones for my German ancestors in Fort Atkinson and Watertown.

Illinois adoptions: more access soon

2011-06-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

"Illinois Department of Public Health officials are bracing for a flood of requests in November when a new law will allow thousands of adult adoptees to obtain their birth certificates. The law passed in Illinois last year could give some adoptees the names of their birth parents for the first time. Birth parents can remain anonymous and have their names redacted from any released birth certificate by filling out a form by Nov. 1."

This is from an article posted by the Chicago Tribune this evening. A year ago I blogged about an earlier Tribune post that allowed those born before 1946 easier access to their original birth certificates. This new round takes place beginning this coming November and those born after 1946 will now get that same access unless the birth parents notified the state otherwise. The article states, "If biological parents fail to do so, the state will assume that the information is fair to release."

The article quotes Chicago radio personality Steve Cochran who is an adoptee himself who has made contact with his birth mother. At one time Steve was on radio station KDWB-FM here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Wouldn't this be a great type of legislation to spread from state to state? There are a few other states that allow some access to the original record.

FGS genealogy conference blog update

2011-06-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

If you are thinking about registering for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference for the Nations' Genealogists you might want to look at all the recent news. The FGS Conference News Blog has been busy lately and many more exciting posts are on the way between now and early September.

The conference takes place in the Land of Lincoln, Illinois -- Springfield to be exact. The dates are September 7-10, 2011. When you look at the conference website, you will see that it's less than 90 days till the conference begins!

Wish for an index to the blog?
Scroll way down and see the "Labels" section in the right hand column

Want to look over the full conference list of sessions?
Click here or here to see two different layouts of the sessions.

FGS Conference News Blog http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org/
FGS Conference Website http://fgs.org/2011conference/

Disclosure -- I am the editor of the FGS Conference News Blog and Co-Chair of the 2011 Conference.

Cyndi's List Launches a New Web Site

2011-06-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard the great news! Cyndi Ingle Howells has done a major upgrade of Cyndislist.com to celebrate 15 years of service to the genealogical community. As I blogged earlier, she does this by herself and I bless her everytime I make use of a link from her site.

EDGEWOOD, WASHINGTON (June 6, 2011) – Cyndi's List is proud to announce a newly upgraded web site. With improved navigation, a custom database, and a custom administrative interface, the upgrade means that everything will be quicker and easier for both visitors and for the site's owner and administrator, Cyndi Ingle Howells. The upgrade has been done by fusionSpan of Maryland. Their staff worked closely with Cyndi to make improvements and to implement new technology and new ideas designed specifically for Cyndi’s List and for the genealogical community.

Part of the upgrade was made possible by donations from generous users of Cyndi’s List. To date, 20% of what was accomplished in the project was thanks to them. Donors have been listed on the web site.

What's New with the Upgrade:

* The front page of the Cyndi's List site has a rolling genealogy news feed and a link to The Cyndi’s List Daily, a daily dose of family history news as tagged in Twitter and Facebook. Start each day with the
front page of Cyndi's List and read the current genealogy news stories.

* The links are now contained within a database and pages will be dynamically loaded on each visit.

* The custom database and administration interface means that maintaining the link list will be much easier for Cyndi, which ultimately benefits the user with faster and more frequent updates.

* The new interface means that the backlog of uncategorized links can be processed much faster. The goal is to get the entire backlog done by the end of this year.

* New links will be reviewed, approved, and categorized within 24-72 hours after submission by visitors.

* Updates made to Cyndi's List will be immediately available to the public.

* Previous to the upgrade, the "What's New" page and mailing list post contained only new links submitted by visitors. The new "What's New" page and e-mail will contain those, as well as links added to the site during the day by Cyndi, *and* existing links that have been updated throughout the site (new addresses, updated descriptions, etc.).

* Across the site links have been labeled with graphics as "new" or "updated" when appropriate. With the upgrade these will now be text-based notations (easily spotted in green), which means that you can
search on a page for "new" or "updated" with the Edit>Find function in your web browser.

* Now sub-categories within a category heading each have their own page. And each page displays 20 links, with pagination in place to go to the next page and so on. This means there will be a lot less scrolling through long pages as in the past. Shorter pages mean faster load time in the browser as well.

* Intuitive navigation at the top of the category makes it easy to find your way to previous category headings.

* The number of links within each category/sub-category is displayed at the top right on each page.

* Each of the U.S. counties (more than 3,100) now has a designated page of its own.

* URLs (addresses) for the pages have changed so bookmarks, favorites, and links to Cyndi's List will need to be updated.

* Opportunities to shop, support, or donate are highlighted on each page.

What Has Stayed the Same?

* The category and sub-category names are all the same.

* Related Categories are highlighted at the top right on each category.

* The layout and format of the links are the same.

* The policies, procedures, and disclaimers for maintaining the link list are the same.

* The Cyndi's List Mailing List will still distribute a daily What's New e-mail and a daily Link Activity e-mail. However, the What’s New e-mail will contain information about all new and updated links.

* You can still follow Cyndi's List on Facebook and Twitter.

* The purpose and intent of Cyndi's List is to be a free jumping-off point for your daily genealogical research.

* Cyndi’s List remains free for everyone to use just as it has for the past 15 years.

* This is still just a one-woman show!

"I started doing genealogy research in earnest back in 1998 and Cyndi's List has always been one of my very favorite websites. It is on my 'Go To' list because I always find so much good information there.” --Kay F.

"I've relied on your website as THE best resource on the 'net to help with my research..." --Jan J.

"Where can you get at all things genealogical in one fell swoop? Everyone knows it's CyndisList.com. Every genealogist who uses the web MUST use Cyndi's List." --Polly K.

About CyndisList.com
CyndisList.com is the world's largest one-woman family history resource, with more than 300,000 categorized links for genealogical research. For more than 15 years Cyndi's List has helped hundreds of thousands of people with their online journey to trace their family history. The site averages 275,000 unique visitors and 5,000,000 page hits every month. Cyndi's List has won numerous awards and consistently remains one of the top genealogical portals for beginners, intermediate, and veteran researchers.

Wordless Wednesday: My Paternal Grandmother Olga (Carlsen) Stuart

2011-06-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my cousin, Dave Gustafson, for sharing this picture of our grandmother. She was also known as Grandma Toots!

Found: Brooklyn, New York guardianship records (1830s-1852)

2011-06-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Today I have pride in an extremely good deed done by a fellow genealogist. Sandra M. Hewlett (Sandi) returned some missing early Surrogate's Court records to Brooklyn according to today's Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The article states, "The record books, Brooklyn’s “Bonds of Guardianship, Vol. 1 through 4,” date back to 1830 and record the details of guardianships through 1852. The historic volumes were found last year at a used bookstore in Philadelphia by professional genealogist Sandra Hewlett." Sandi is a Board-certified genealogist.

I am particularly pleased because there might be some clues in there related to my brother-in-law's family.

Read the full article in the Brooklyn Eagle here.

This Is The Face of Genealogy

2011-06-05T18:59:00.002-05:00

This is a photo of my great grandmother Betsy Peterson Carlsen and three of her grandchildren, including my father. She arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1882 as a single young woman. Born in Sweden, she married Niels Christian Carlsen and they raised a whole houseful of daughters! I work on my family history to learn more about where I came from to find out where my ancestral families lived, whether they served in the military during wartime, to learn about their struggles and appreciate where I am today.I have origins in nine different countries if you include the U.S. My ancestors, their siblings, and descendants are accountants, storekeepers, Post Office inspectors, housewives, a founder of the postal service in Porto Rico, railroad superintendent, fleet truck salesman, tombstone carvers, fire chief, farmers, secretaries, mayor, nuclear physicists, archivist, painter, jailer, professional genealogist, poet, writer, inventor, plasterer, butcher, and so many other hardworking individuals. Yes, there are a few scalawags, but pretty much every family has some of those. I look at that as a chance to find other records that may give a better look into the dynamics of my family.

Among my fellow genealogists/family historians are a former mayor, owners of companies, department store founds and family members, authors, ministers, rabbis, nurses, historians, archivists, librarians, scholars, engineers, active and retired military personnel, storeowners, clerks, judges, county sheriff, police personnel, bus driver, machinist, teachers, professors, students, publishers, housewives, actors, software developers, journalists, photographer, and like with my family, many other occupations. Their religions, ethnic backgrounds, and education are varied. We share a love of history and family history. We educate ourselves constantly at classes, seminar, conferences and institutes. The Los Angeles Times publication ,LAWeekly, posted a short item about one event, the Southern California Genealogical Jamboree, and some insensitive person at the newspaper included a denigrating photo. It has since been taken down. Many of my fellow Geneabloggers are posting family photos that show the real faces of genealogy. I hope folks at the Los Angeles Times/LAWeekly view our photos and publish a prominently placed apology to all of us who are family history researchers. What were they thinking!?

Added note: I have been asked where people might view the photo that LAWeekly published. This is a link to it: http://www.geneabloggers.com/face-genealogy/

What does serving on a board or committee mean?

2011-06-04T16:18:00.001-05:00

Did you get that call, too? You have been asked to run for a position on the board of the genealogical or historical society, the friends of the library, or maybe at your church or school. If you feel flattered, that's wonderful. If you feel that it's nice, that's great, too. If you don't understand or really feel that it is a responsibility, that's not so great.

While I was listening to the FGS My Society radio show today and heard Janet Havorka, President of the Utah Genealogical Association, talk about UGA planning and activities, she mentioned their great and active board. They have ideas and people are doing things! That's the way it should be.

I have or am serving on boards or committees for a state genealogical society, an ethnic genealogical society, a genealogy library, several national level genealogical and professional organizations, a county historical society, my school reunions, a school my children attended, and some other places. Sure this does add to my visibility as a professional genealogical researcher, lecturer, and consultant. But this service also gave me a confidence boost, added to my business knowledge, my research knowledge, my circle of friends, and has allowed me to give back to the various communities in which I am involved.

You are a face of that organization whether you want to be or not! What you do, don't do, say, or don't say affects you, the organization, and how your fellow volunteers think about you. How many people are involved in running whatever organizations you belong to? Have you ever offered your time? Maybe you aren't ready to step up to be the President or Chairman, but what knowledge, time, and friendliness can you offer? Do it now and you will reap great rewards. A few caveats, though:

It does take time, so accept whatever jobs you can truly give the time to
Agree to run for that position only if you are ready to really participate
Participating is more than just being present, you need to be involved
Ask for details before you run for a position or agree to serve on a committee
It's like a regular paid job, you can get fired from a volunteer job for ignoring duties!
If you agree to do a specific task, actually do it and on time (or reasonably close)
Do this because it will add to your comfort level of being around people
Be honest. If a deadline is approaching or something you promised to do just isn't going to happen, let the others know about it. Maybe someone else can step in or at least assist.
Show up for committee and board meetings
Be visible as a participant at events the organization produces (after all, if you aren't participating why should anyone else?)
Let others know about that organization, it aims, and events. That's part of being a good volunteer, too.
Don't disappoint others on that committee or board. They have things that goof up their schedules too! It's called life.

Within any organization, there is some discussion "behind the scenes" and you don't want to be the person with whom they feel some disappointment. In that vein, don't bite off more than you can chew!

Now I better go check my task list to make sure I am not disappointing any of the organizations that I have promised time and knowledge to. I don't want to disappoint my friends.

SLIG and FGS Radio, Saturday,. 4 June 2011

2011-06-03T23:09:00.004-05:00

Let's talk about these in three parts!

1. At 9:00 a.m. MDT (10:00 CDT, 11:00 EDT, etc) the registration opens for the 2012 edition of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. It will be the 17th SLIG! Click here to get to the SLIG page at the Utah Genealogical Association's new website. A hint to smart readers -- go in and register for the course you wish and then check out. That will allow you to register more quickly since many of the courses fill up! You can go back later and register for evening and lunchtime presentations.

2. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) radio show "My Society" is on ever Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CDT (2:00 EDT, Noon MDT, and 11:00 a.m. PDT). Where is it found? Right on your own computer! Click here to go to the FGS website page with more info and a link to get you started. The 4 June 2011 show will have Thomas MacEntee, a member of the FGS Board of Directors, as host.

3. The "My Society" show on 4 June will have two guests. They are UGA President Janet Havorka and SLIG Director Christy Fillerup. UGA is one of FGS' member societies. You will learn some special things about SLIG, UGA's virtual chapter and video training library.

Hometown Newspapers

2011-06-02T10:34:00.001-05:00

Do you subscribe to the current newspaper in the city or towns where your ancestral families lived? This is especially helpful in smaller cities and towns. Many are online but not all of those are the complete newspaper for the day or week. The current newspaper may have a column reprinting news tidbits from 50, 75, or 100 years ago. In smaller cities and towns you may find articles on the local historical society, genealogical society, and stories on older homes and buildings. From these you may learn who are the knowledgeable persons in that area as far as history. You might learn who is the head of the Comfort Rest Cemetery committee.

Don’t forget to borrow older newspapers on microfilm via Interlibary Loan and and spend some time reading these to get a feeling of the time when your family was in that locality. Check at your area public library about borrowing newspaper films from other places. Many older newspapers on now online in growing numbers but I still think it is easier to read through an entire newspaper on microfilm. Make copies (or save to your computer) the pertinent articles and other news items.

My Blogoversary

2011-06-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

On June 1st, 2007, I posted the first entry on my own blog. Four years later and I am still here. I enjoy blogging both here and on the FGS Conference News Blog. I haven't run out of things to say, share, or sometimes rant about. I have not shared all that much about my own family history, but am doing that a bit more. It's time that I sometimes run out of. Gaps in blog posts mean that I am taking care of the work that pays the bills, spending time with my family, or catching up on volunteer work.

My grandkids are no longer babies. The eldest granddaughter is about to go off on an exchange student adventure in Germany. The other three and I are taking a mini Minnesota history vacation this summer. I have wonderful friends from grade school that I still see. My genealogy friends are vital to my life.

Thank you for reading my words and for the responses I get both as blog comments and as private emails.

Salt Lake Insitute of Genealogy: Registration begins June 4th!

2011-05-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

The next Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) takes place from January 23-27, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. It's a short walk to the Family History Library. SLIG is operated by the Utah Genealogical Association which has members from around the world.

SLIG Registration opens June 4, 2011 at 9:00 am Mountain Time. Classes will fill quickly! Click here and then on View Our Brochure. Have fun choosing which course to take!

As the UGA website states, "The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy prides itself on providing the top tier in genealogical education. Each year we bring in the best educators in the field to provide the best genealogy educational experience available. The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy has been providing top-notch genealogical education for fifteen years. The courses are primarily focused at the advanced level, with Course 1: American Research and Records Parts 1 and 2 with Paula Stuart-Warren, providing a good intermediate foundation. SLIG is structured in "tracks". Each track equates to either a locality or a methodological subject. Each track provides at least twenty hours of in-depth instruction. Students choose one track for the week and leave with a deeper understanding of their chosen topic than a traditional conference can impart. SLIG is dedicated to providing a forum for the best genealogical educators in the field to present their knowledge to avid family historians."

2012 marks the 14th year I have been involved with SLIG. No matter which course you choose, you will learn, network, laugh, and make new friends. And with the course I coordinate and instruct in, Course I, American Research and Records, you get extra hours with one-on-one consultations right in the Family History Library. Many of the classes in this course are interactive, meaning you don't just sit and be lectured to. It involves some hands-on work, discussion, and tasks designed to help you incorporate the knowledge gained into your own family history research.

Memorial Day 2011: War of 1812 Ancestry

2011-05-30T16:13:00.000-05:00

Several times this past week I drove by Fort Snelling National Cemetery. My father and mother, father-in-law and mother-in-law, and some other relatives are buried there. Seeing all those rows of stark white stones against the vibrant green grass is both sobering and exquisite.

I have U.S. ancestors and family that participated in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. I have no known Revolutionary War or War of 1812 ancestry.

But, no matter the war, I am happy when the stories of those who served are preserved. Diaries, journals, letters to and from, photos, pension and service records, enlistment and discharge papers, and other documents tell us more about each person.

During our Federation of Genealogical Societies board meeting this past week we talked about the War of 1812 pension and bounty land papers because FGS is in the midst of the "Preserve the Pensions Project." This project is a joint venture of FGS, the National Archives,the genealogical community, and now Footnote.com. The goal is to get all 7.2 million pages digitized and online for anyone to view. Right now 5,000 images are free to view on Footnote.com. This will remain FREE viewing if we all pull together and raise the funds to do so. It takes money for the digitization equipment and operators among other costs.

Click here to read a press release about the initial posting on Footnote.com and the commitment of iArchives to this project.

These more than 5,000 documents are online and free to view, download, or print at http://go.footnote.com/1812pensions/. This is less than 1% of the total records to be digitized. We need to keep this number growing. For every $100 donated, 200 more images can be done. For $500 that means 1,000 more pages. In 2012 we will celebrate the bicentennial of the beginning of this war. Wouldn't it be neat to have this fund-raising effort nearing completion before the end of 2012!

Click here to donate to this worthwhile effort.

To learn more about records at the federal level that are related to those who served in the War of 1812, visit the website of the U.S. National Archives at www.archives.gov. Enter the phrase "War of 1812" in the search box you see in the upper right hand corner.

Minnesota Vital Records

2011-05-28T17:17:00.003-05:00

This is an overview of what exists for Minnesota birth, death, and marriage records and ways to access them. This is not a 100% comprehensive finding aid, but it should lead you to more records.

Birth & Death Records
Birth and death records were generally created at the county level beginning in 1870 or later if the county was not in existence in 1870. Most early recordings were a one line entry across two pages in a registration volume and the information is not extensive. In some localities these were also recorded at the township level until the mid 1950s. Many of the township records books can be found at the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). For many years, the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis also registered births and deaths. Today these are found with their respective counties. Beginning in 1900 for birth records, and in 1908 for death records, the event was also reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). You may find differences in all versions in the years there were multiple reportings.

For death records before 1908, contact the county in which the person died. Some are also at the Family History Library and the Minnesota Historical Society. MHS has microfilms of the MDH death record cards for 1900-1907. The microfilmed records may be viewed on-site at MHS,

Even though there are early registrations of births and deaths in Minnesota, not all events were registered. It was well into the 20th century before the registrations were “complete.” In the 1940s the state health department was still urging complete compliance with the registration laws. You may be among the fortunate researchers who find that a delayed birth certificate was created and there might be supporting documentation. The person
filing a delayed birth certificate and who no longer lived in Minnesota, may have applied for the certificate in the place of residence at the time of the application.

By law, the birth and death records in Minnesota are public records. This does not always mean that researchers have "hands-on" access to the original records. The record books may be in deteriorating condition, they may contain non-public information such as illegitimate births, or the office which holds the records may not have room to let researchers check the record themselves. And, yes, in some cases, the record keeper simply does not wish to have researchers on-site. With the proper MDH form and the payment of the fee of $13.00 for death records (either certified or non-certified), $26.00 for a certified birth record ($13.00 non-certified) a record may usually be obtained. The fee includes payment for the search time and the fee is not returned if no record is found.

The MDH no longer accepts walk-in vital record requests, but the county registrars do. The MDH website has information on this. The counties have direct access to the electronic database MDH has created for many of the twentieth century records for all counties. Some of the registrars already have computers that may be used by customers to check for records. The electronic format is an excellent way to find the initial information, but this does not contain all the original details. It is important to request a photocopy of the actual certificate from the MDH, from the county where the event occurred, or from the microfilmed records at MHS.

Marriage records
Marriage records were generally created from the time a county officially began and the marriage records generally remain in the county. The majority of Minnesota marriage records do not contain large amounts of genealogically significant information. Marriage records are generally more open to "hands-on" research. In most counties, the researcher can hand copy the data. Marriage records ion microfilm for some counties are at MHS and at the FHL.

Divorce Records
Divorce records for Minnesota are part of the District Court's civil court records at the county level. Some older county civil court records are found at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Many Minnesota vital records are also available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Check under both the county and the state categories. As mentioned earlier, for the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, births and deaths were also filed at the city level and the FHL has microfilmed these up to the 19teens, but some indexes are for later years.

Vital records indexes online
Ancestry.com Minnesota vital record indexes to records filed at the state level
    Birth Index 1935-2002
    Death Index 1908-2002
    Marriage Index 1958-2001
    Divorce Index 1970-1995

Minnesota Historical Society www.mnhs.org; vital records indexes to state level registrations. Be sure to read the FAQs for each of these indexes as they are extremely helpful.
    Birth Index 1900-1934
    Death Index 1904-2001
MHS also has the actual records on microfilm. You may copy the death records at MHS for .35 but must pay the state imposed fee of $9.00 for the copies of birth records made at MHS.

MOMS Minnesota Official Marriage System www.mncounty.com.Free online index to county marriage records. Some counties are more complete than others at this time.

Additional links:
DeathIndexes.com http://deathindexes.com/minnesota/index.html
Minnesota Department of Health http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/osr/index.html

FGS Radio Show

2011-05-21T12:51:00.000-05:00

At 1:00 CDT today (Sat. May 21) , the Federation of Genealogical Societies "My Society" radio show will begin! Go to http://fgs.org/fgsradio/ to show you how to listen. You can even chat online with others!

FGS Conference early registration deadline

2011-05-18T13:46:00.001-05:00

I just returned from several days in Charleston, South Carolina where I was attending the National Genealogical Society Conference. I lectured, shopped, learned, volunteered, networked, laughed, ate, slept a bit, and just basically enjoyed the time.

I am now staying home all summer getting ready for the Federation of Genealogical Societies' 2011 conference that is this September 7-10 in nearby Springfield, Illinois. As full disclosure, I am a member of the board of directors of FGS and the co-chair of the 2011 FGS conference. If you live in the Midwest, this is such a perfect spot. It's the Land of Lincoln and a great place for research and historical siteseeing. Added to that it's an easy place to drive to!

The FGS Office reports that there are already people registered from four countries and the full conference registrations and special event interest is
growing. To attend this fun and educational event:

You do not have to be a member of any genealogical organization
If you do belong to a genealogical society that isn't a member of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, you may still attend. (FGS does hope you take the membership info and some helpful suggestions back to your society, though!)
If you have even the slightest interest in genealogy, family history, community history, DNA, software, Abraham Lincoln, slave research, Twitter,
or maybe you are interested in post-adoption research, photo restoration, Swedish research, writing your family history, Canadian border crossings, becoming certified, Swiss research, Ohio ancestry, Apps for the professional genealogist
Maybe you have roots in Ireland, Germany, Scotland, England, Missouri, or have Native American Ancestry
Love to browse and shop in a sold-out Exhibit Hall full of software demos, genealogy and history books and databases for sale, some genealogy gift ideas, historical and genealogical society booths, the National Archives, and even hotels in Salt Lake City
If you fit into any of the above interests, we hope to see you in Springfield in September
And if these are not your interests, we have many more sessions you will find helpful

Just click here to see the full program and then look under the other topics to see what else is going on during the week of the conference. Full conference paid registrants just might win a trip for two to Salt Lake City for a "vacation" at the Family History Library, including airfare, meals, and copy cards. But you need to attend the FGS 35th anniversary celebration on Friday evening for that chance! Read the FGS Conference News Blog for these and many other details.

Update on Railroad Retirement Board records

2011-05-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

I emailed the National Archives Southeast Region in regard to access to the Railroad Retirement Board records mentioned in my earlier post and received this almost immediate reply:

"This is in reply to your inquiry regarding researching the records of the Railroad Retirement Board in person at the National Archives at Atlanta. The simple answer is Yes. However, we will need to screen the records first to make sure we do not release any personal information about living retirees or their dependents named in the files. This screening can usually done in about 20 minutes. It is best to notify us ahead of time so we can first, locate the file, and second, have it screened before arrival. If we receive 'drop-ins' we do a quick
screening while the patron waits.

Thank you for inquiring about these records. We have 54,000 cubic feet of these records equating to about 1.5 million files. We are anxious to see them used."

Thank you Rob Richards, Director of Archival Operations at NARA Atlanta!

My Hanley and Welch families and the Minnesota Genealogical Society in Winona

2011-05-16T23:44:00.000-05:00

I am looking forward to being a part of the MGS all day meeting in Winona, Minnesota on June 25th. It's the birthplace of my Grandpa Mike.

My maternal grandfather Maurice Michael Hanley was born there 12 September 1893. His parents were Michael Hanley and Johanna Welch/Walsh. Johanna was the sister of other Welch's who came to Winona from the parish of Ballyferriter which is situated on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.

Among the families that some of these Welch siblings and others married into were Feiten, Hinds, McGrath, and Kellner.

Michael Hanley, the father of Maurice Michael (Grandpa Mike), was first married to Margaret Carney and they had six children. Michael and Johanna also had six children. Grandpa Mike's sister Mabel Hanley Hewson was the one who gave me the family connections.

It will be my first time to present a lecture in Winona. The day has many other speakers. To see the full program, register for the day, and order your lunch, click here. The day is co-hosted by the Winona County Historical Society.

Railroad Retirement Board records moved to NARA Southeast

2011-05-16T19:57:00.001-05:00

In his 3 May 2011, column Ken Thomas reports that the great records from the Railroad Retirement Board have been moved from Chicago to the National Archives Southeast Region in Morrow, Georgia. Morrow is just outside Atlanta.

This is FANTASTIC news. I will do some further checking to see if this means we are now able to personally view a file or have a professional researcher do that at NARA Southeast.

The Railroad Retirement Board was created in 1936 and has no records for workers who retired or died before 1937. If an ancestor still worked for or began service for a railroad after that date, there may be a file. To see if a file exists, it is best to have that person's social security number. Other helpful details would be the complete name, the railroad(s) worked for, time period of employment, birth and death dates. Common surnames may need additional details. Recent files are not included.

The social security number generally begins with a 7 and may be found in some old records left by the worker. It is also likely you will find it on the official death record. I have files I obtained for two of my great granduncles and they were helpful with many genealogical details.

Read the NARA Southeast page on the RRB records by clicking here.

Read Ken's full column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution by clicking here.

New genealogical institute in 2012

2011-05-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

NEW GENEALOGY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN 2012

Announcing The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2011 - Pittsburgh, PA – GRIP – The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh – a new genealogical institute of learning announces a genealogy educational opportunity planned for July 2012. Consisting of four courses, it will be held Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27, 2012, at LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, and Deborah Lichtner Deal, directors of GRIP, “the demand for in-depth genealogical education is so high that week-long courses sell out shortly after registration opens, disappointing many potential students. At the same time genealogists who have
taken many courses want new content.” GRIP seeks to satisfy this growing need for high quality genealogy education through its week-long courses with internationally recognized instructors.

Nestled in the Pittsburgh suburbs, LaRoche’s campus includes economical air-conditioned “en suite” dormaccommodations steps from the classrooms, a buffet-style cafeteria, and free parking. The instructors are all experienced researchers, lecturers, and writers who bring their expertise into the classroom with case studies and problem solving exercises. Registration will begin in February.

· Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. Warren focuses on unusual resources, manuscripts, methodology, and analyzing records. She researches across the U.S. and has coordinated and taught at multiple genealogical institutes and conferences. Warren serves on the Federation of Genealogical Societies board and is President of the Northland Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

· Advanced Research Methods with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS. Jones has edited the National Genealogical Society Quarterly since 2002. A former trustee and a past president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, he works as a researcher, writer, editor, and educator. Jones coordinates courses at Samford University’s Institute on Genealogy and Historical Research, at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and he teaches in Boston University’s Genealogical Research Certificate program.

· Beneath the Home Page: Problem Solving with Online Repositories with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS. Taylor is Director of Education and Programs at New England Historic Genealogical Society, and has appeared on the television program “Who Do You Think You Are?” A frequent speaker at various venues, Taylor is a course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. He is also Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), where he serves as co-chair of the FGS/ISGS 2011 National Conference.

· German Genealogical Research with John T. Humphrey, CG. Humphrey is an award winning author who specializes in German and Pennsylvania research. In 2010 he was invited to give a presentation on researching Germans in America in the Rhineland-Palatinate; in 2008, at the request of the German Embassy, he presented the keynote address at the 400th Anniversary Celebration commemorating four centuries of German immigration into the United States. Humphrey is a past president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society and past vice president of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.

Read about it at www.GRIPitt.org. Watch for the full course outlines and instructors over the next few weeks.

200th anniversary of the Coppings leaving London

2011-05-05T23:29:00.000-05:00

Two Hundred years ago today, May 5th,1811, my ancestors left London and sailed for Canada on the SS "Lively." George and Elizabeth (Saggers) Copping and the four children they had at that point arrived in Canada on July 2, 1811. The first lived in Quebec City, then Montreal, and lived out their lives in Rawdon, Montcalm County, Quebec, Canada. George kept a journal and portions survived. Today the remnants of his journal are on the McGill University (Monteal) website.

They added seven more children and among those was my Great Great Great Grandmother Clarinda Copping. Elizabeth was said to be Irish, George was a staunch Anglican. Several of their children and grandchildren married French-Canadian Catholics. George did not always speak favorably of the Irish or of the Catholics.

FGS Conference Update

2011-05-04T23:21:00.001-05:00

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for saving $50 off the conference price ends July 1st. It's been ten years since FGS was in my part of the Midwest. I was co-chair then and am co-chair now. We have some wonderful lectures, workshops, special events. special discussion opportunities, and neat door prizes that we will begin telling you about very soon.

Check the FGS Conference News Blog to see the many recent posts including a way to get a refund of some of the registration fee by giving some volunteer time during the conference week.

My clone has not arrived: genealogy in high gear

2011-04-30T15:20:00.002-05:00

Spring is always a busy time of the year. I didn't help that by doing something to my left knee at at Minnesota Twins game on Easter Sunday. Didn't break it but it decided to give out under me as I was walking down steps. Really quite comical but the pain wasn't too funny. My oldest son and granddaughter had to come and pick me up since I could not walk, drop me at the emergency clinic, and leave for the airport to pick up their German exchange student. First time in my life I had to use crutches and was so thankful for them. Have now progressed to a cane, physical therapy, and am finally back to a somewhat normal schedule. That schedule has included several local area lectures and I have been getting ready for my May presentations.

May 7th: Austin [Texas] Genealogical Society Mini-Seminar. Click here for registration details.

Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking [yes, the pun is intended!]

Tho' They Were Poor, They May Have Been Rich in Records

A Baker's Dozen: Simple Ways to Write Your Family History

May 7th, Federation of Genealogical Societies BlogTalk Radio "MySociety. at 1:00 p.m. CDT you can listen free on your computer to my fellow FGS board member Randy Whited and me discuss what it takes to put on a one day event, invite a speaker and discuss it from a speaker’s view in terms of booking, contract, travel, presenting etc. This weekly show is available by clicking here and then on the BlogTalk Radio logo or the term FGS Radio in the left hand column. Also watch the FGS website www.fgs.org and the Facebook page and other social media for future topics and access to archived episodes.

May 11-14th: National Genealogical Society Family History Conference, Charleston, South Carolina. Click here for the full program and other details. I will be doing these presentations:

Friday, May 13th, 2:30: Southern Deeds: More than Land
Saturday, May 14th, all day: Genealogy 101, Getting Started with Family History. I am presenting this day-long workshop with co-presenter D. Joshua Taylor. This has a separate extended handout and other neat info.

FamilySearch passes a great milestone

2011-04-30T14:10:00.003-05:00

A press release this past Monday from FamilySearch was titled "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Collections—600 to Be Exact!"

April 25, 2011

Latest Additions Reach New Milestone in Free Online Historic Record Collections

The latest additions to FamilySearch's online collection of free historic record collections pushes it to 600! That's right, 600 free, original source record collections online from all over the world. The tally of insomniacs will certainly expand as the numbers of family history researchers enjoy the latest updates. This week there are new international records from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and Spain. Now take a seat while the list of updates for the U.S. collections are noted—California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State, Wisconsin, and the Virgin Islands. Whew! See the table below for details. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you are enjoying the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider "giving back" as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

To see the full press release including a chart of the recent additions and updates click here.

Getting others involved in your genealogical society

2011-04-23T16:49:00.001-05:00

I really enjoyed listening to the Federation of Genealogical Societies first BlogTalkRadio show today. The theme was "Bringing Genealogy Societies into the 21st Century." Today's host Thomas MacEntee and guest Curt B. Witcher did a fantastic job with the show. I found myself nodding in agreement with what they said during the hour-long show.

Some posts in the chat room during that show focused on how to get others involved with the tasks of running a genealogical society. In many cases, it takes just some small steps. It may be a case where someone doesn't really feel they are part of the organization or doesn't know anyone. If you ask them to take over the Program Chair job or the Publications Committee if they have only been to a few meetings, you are likely to hear "no."

Let's look at some steps that may begin to get new folks involved. I think that once some people feel comfortable they will become more involved. One of the best things I ever did was to become involved in the
Minnesota Genealogical Society, some of its Branches, and with the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, and some other groups. As I felt more familiar with them I agreed to take on some tasks. In retrospect that was a smart thing to do.

Do you have preregistration for society meetings and seminars? Look at the list of those registered and email them to ask if they would arrive about 15 minutes earlier than the doors open. For those without email, use a postcard! They could be your greeters. If the weather is decent one could stand outside, smile, and welcome folks. The person or persons inside could direct them to the registration table and to where the lectures will be held.
Ask others to help direct people to open seats in the sessions. Assure them they can reserve their own seat ahead of time and won't have to miss anything.
Ask others to keep any eye out for the neatness of the refreshment table. Do napkins, cups, or other items need to be replaced? Are there spills to be mopped up? They won't have to miss the sessions, but will be giving valuable service. Maybe in a few months, they would be willing to take over more (or at least a part) of the setup of this table.
Speaking of registration and refreshments, do folks then just go in the room to wait for the lecture? Why not have a few tables and chairs for them to sit and talk. This lets people meet each other. You could have a few board members in this area to begin some chats.
No one on your society's board seems to think it's a smart idea for your society to have a blog or an electronic newsletter? How about a fifteen minute PowerPoint presentation at the next board and committee meetings showing some of the great ones that are out there?
People in your society not comfortable with a computer? See if a local library has classes or perhaps the local senior center does. Let you members know about these. Perhaps your society could have a few computer and getting to know the Internet sessions before or after your monthly meeting.

When your meeting starts does the person that first speaks introduce him or herself? Then do they welcome those there for the first time?

Does it appear that one or more of these helpers at a meeting are quite competent and outgoing? Ask them to help with other short-terms tasks.

Do you have team building events? It could be as simple as getting together at an area cafe, coffee shop, or having a picnic with no other agenda.

Does your organization have some committees that don't involve large time commitments? Maybe a couple hours a month. Start people off on these committees.

Are your board members identified as such? Do they mingle at meetings? Designate at least 2-3 board members to do this. They can talk with people one-on-one. Ask about their research, let them know about the next big event, or just be there to talk.

At one or multiple day events, have a drawing to see who gets to sit with your main or other speakers at lunch. Board members are not eligible! Make it a table of 4, 6, or 8.
Having door prize drawings? Have some of the newer folks help distribute these as the tickets are drawn.
Do you have a new member orientation? Do you honor your volunteers?

Don't just ask them if they know HTML, are a whiz at databases, know how to run the microphone system or are great at signage. Task board members with learning such things in the midst of other conversations.

Pair new volunteers with a season volunteer. That helps in learning the ropes and also means the new person will get to know someone else!

These are just some tips to help people feel more comfortable with your organization. THEN you can ask them to be more involved. We are almost through April which is National Volunteer Month. Did you honor your group's volunteers?

Didn't listen to today's show or want to listen again? It's free and the archived edition is at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety/2011/04/23/bringing-genealogy-societies-into-the-21st-century.
The next show is Saturday, April 30th at 1:00 p.m. CDT. That means 2:00 EDT, Noon MDT, and 11:00 a.m. PDT. For those of you outside the U.S. just google time zones or time zone converters to figure out when the show airs in your time zone. I will let you know about future radio shows and the new FGS webinars that debut next Saturday.

(Disclosure: I am a members of the Board of Directors of FGS and am also on the committee developing and overseeing the radio show and webinars. I am not compensated for either of these volunteer jobs.)

Federation of Genealogical Societies RADIO DEBUT

2011-04-20T12:13:00.002-05:00

I just received this exciting press release.

April 20, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces the debut of My Society, the first Internet radio show dedicated solely to genealogy societies. Broadcast weekly each Saturday at 1:00 pm Central, My Society will host discussions of genealogy society topics with a variety of guests including well-known genealogists and genealogy community leaders. This unique media outlet can be accessed at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mysociety.

Debut Episode of My Society with Special Guest Curt Witcher
On Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm Central, Curt Witcher, Senior Manager for Special Collections at the Allen County Public Library, will be the special guest on My Society hosted by FGS board member Thomas MacEntee. Witcher, who is also a former president of both FGS and the National Genealogical
Society as well as the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society, will discuss bringing genealogy societies into the 21^st century.

Internet Radio and FGS
Each week, My Society will focus on a selected topic relevant to genealogy society management and the role societies play within the genealogy community. Future topics will discuss increasing membership, developing a social media and Internet presence, member services, and more. In addition, each episode of My Society will spotlight a member society of FGS and discuss their various programs and offerings. Using the Blog Talk Radio platform, listeners will not only be able to hear a live broadcast, but they will also be able to call in and speak with the show’s host and guests to discuss their own genealogy societies.

George G. Morgan, FGS Vice President-Membership and veteran genealogy podcaster notes: “FGS strives to provide information and value to its members and to the entire genealogical community. We recently announced the FGS series of webinars, beginning on April 30th. However, we are also significantly expanding our offerings in 2011 to include the launch of regularly scheduled, live FGS Radio broadcasts over the Internet. These program will feature leaders in the genealogical field, and genealogical and historical societies sharing their success stories and best practices. Listeners can call in with their questions and comments. The programs will be recorded and made available for free download at the FGS website. We are very excited and proud about this new offering and look forward to expanding communication in the genealogy community.”

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)
The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

Disclosure from Paula: I am a member of the Board of Directors of FGS and a member of the committee that is working on this new initiative.

Ancestors from Costa Rica, England, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, or the U.S.?

2011-04-14T21:48:00.001-05:00

Received from FamilySearch:

Got Ancestors from Costa Rica, England, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, or the U.S.?

The latest free collection updates might just have what you’re seeking!

What a grab bag of records added this week! Let’s see—for its online patrons’ free viewing pleasure, internationally, FamilySearch added church records from Costa Rico and Mexico, Bishop’s Transcripts and Poor Law records from England, Hindu pilgrimage records from India, municipal records from Spain, and civil registrations from Nicaragua and Peru. In the U.S., those with Arkansas andOklahoma ancestors are going to have a proverbial field trip with the 500,000 new county marriage records added—and the indexes are linked to the original images! Additional records were also added for Maine and Texas. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you are enjoying the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider “giving back” as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

Click here to see the full chart of additions.

ISBGFH announces 2011 British Institute

2011-04-14T21:00:00.001-05:00

WESTMINSTER, Colo., 11 April, 2011—The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History is excited to announce its speakers for this year’s British Institute, to be held from 3–7 October in Salt Lake City. This year’s host hotel will be the Radisson Downtown, just a couple of blocks from the Family History Library. Registration is now open and class size is limited. The Institute consists of three tracks:

Barbara Baker, AG will offer Finding Records of Property Ownership in England. There is no national registry of deeds in England until after 1862 and Barbara’s course will cover various types of land and records and where to look for the them.

John Kitzmiller, II, AG, FSA, (Scot), FSG (Eng.), will present The Amazing Honourable East India Company (HEIC). The HEIC was instrumental in making many a military officer or civil servant becoming quite wealthy during their tenure in the service. Learn the history of the HEIC, where to find the records and

how to apply them to your research.

David Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, will present Genealogical Research in Ireland-Advanced Methodology. This course will include Strategies for a Solid Beginning, Catholic Strategies and Research, Scots-Irish Strategies, Mining the Evidence and Drawing Conclusions from the Evidence.

More detailed information can be found at the ISBGFH’s Web site http://www.isbgfh.org and you can register on-line, or print, fill out the application and mail to ISBGFH, PO Box 350459, Westminster, CO 80035-0459. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to admin@isbgfh.org . When registering at the Radisson Downtown Salt Lake, ask for the British Institute conference rate.

About The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History

The International Society for British Genealogy and Family History has been around a long time–longer than it takes to say the full name. Many of us who have been involved for years talk about “ISB” not only for convenience, but because the nickname suggests what the organization is—small, practical and friendly.

ISB got started in 1979 due to the efforts of several people who saw the need for an organization that would help genealogists tracing the origins of their British Isle emigrant ancestors. Thus it is no surprise that the members of ISB live all over North America and overseas.

The Society continues to evolve but it retains its original purpose. ISB is here to help members overcome the challenges of researching British Isles roots from a distance. See http://www.isbgfh.org for more information.

The end of the WDYTYA? season

2011-04-08T22:35:00.001-05:00

What a season even though I am bummed that it's over. Who Do You Think You Are? was great in its inaugural season last year but 2011 was tons better. Gone were the constant recaps of what had just been said. The 2011 content flowed better and showed more details and techniques. Not bad for a one hour mainstream television show.

I now need a new activity for Friday nights. Can you have withdrawal symptoms from not having a certain TV show to watch?

I saw several great researchers that I know on this years shows. That seems to add more impact for me. Those folks included Natalie Cottrill, Mark Lowe and Josh Taylor. We also need to thank Ancestry.com and other advertisers for enabling the broadcast of these shows. Lisa Kudrow and ShedMedia deserve a round of applause, too.

Watch for a future blog post about upcoming events at which Mark and Josh can be seen live!

Who Do You Think You Are? TONIGHT

2011-04-08T18:08:00.002-05:00

Tonight WDYTYA? is on at 7:00 p.m. CDT. Ashley Judd is the celebrity. Josh Taylor, who was on last year in the Sarah Jessica Parker episode, will be the show on this evening. Josh is my co-host for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference being held this September in Springfield, Illinois.

At 9:00 p.m. CDT tune in to Geneabloggers Radio to hear host Thomas MacEntee interview special guests that include Josh Taylor of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Heather Wilkinson Rojo of the Nutfield Genealogy blog and Diane Rapaport of Quill Pen Historical.

Click here for more info on the radio show that you listed to on your computer. If you sign in you may participate in a real time chat room.

Can't watch or listen tonight? No problem. Visit NBC.com for a replay of the TV show and revisit the radio website for info on that archived broadcasts.

p.s. It's the last show of the season.

CNN and Civil War memorabilia

2011-04-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

On its website, CNN has been asking for people to share their photos and stories. This year is the 150th anniversary of the start of the war and the Their topic is "History in your home: The Civil War" and some people have contributed images of a variety of records and artifacts. Some people have shared a story about the document, artifact, or about the person. The last day to contribute is this Friday, April 8th. It is another way to share your family history information and maybe find a new cousin as happened with one contributor and someone who commented on the letter.

Next Tuesday, April 12th is the anniversary of the actual day the war is said to have begun.

National Tartan Day: my roots in Scotland

2011-04-06T15:12:00.002-05:00

April 6th is National Tartan Day in the U.S. I have some proud Scottish ancestry.

Among the names I find in my ancestry in Scotland are
Stuart: Strathdon, Aberdeen; Abroath, Angus;
Grant: Strathdon, Aberdeen
Leighton/Lighton: Farnell, Angus
Niddrie/Nedry: Farnell and Kinnell, Angus
Allardice/Allardyce: Kinnell, Angus
Edward/s: Brechin, Forfar, and Abroath, Angus
Cowie: Brechin and Forfar, Angus

In the U.S. the Edward/s and Stuart families and descendants are in Fond du Lac, Ripon, Beaver Dam, Rhinelander, Sheboygan, Omro, Berlin, Fort Atkinson, and Oshkosh Wisconsin; Rutland, Vermont; Chicago and Elgin, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Salina and Marysville, Kansas; and St. Paul and Roseville, Minnesota. Some descendants have lived in New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Colorado later in the 20-21st centuries.

A reminder of knowledge to be shared

2011-04-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

I just returned from the 2011 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference in Columbus, Ohio. I presented three sessions, saw many friends and colleagues, learned some from other attendees, and most of all, came away with a smile.

When I present genealogy lectures I also receive education. As soon as I work on a handout and lecture I know I need to be stating facts. It's not a casual conversation where you can say I think that those birth records begin in 1905 or it seems those probate court records are all still at the courthouse. What if it is actually 1908 for the birth records or that some of the older probate files have been transferred to the state archives. That means double checking the content. Website URLs must be current. The most recent edition of a book needs to be cited unless an earlier edition has something the newer one is missing. That's why some items in a bibliography need to be annotated.When presenting the lecture my PowerPoint slides must be correct.

The education doesn't stop there. One of the great benefits of attending a conference or seminar is the way our minds work off each other's. I usually come away learning about a new book or a cool website from someone in the audience. No one knows it all. Then I sit at lunch or other meal with a couple of colleagues and our conversation becomes one of sharing knowledge and resources. There is something neat about the face to face time. If I am writing about a resource during an IM chat or on Facebook, I may not feel like typing out a full description of an item or giving more than one reference book or website. That's so much easier to do when we are in the same place.

That said, I will see many of you during the rest of this year in Austin, Charleston, Winona, Springfield, and several other places. Check out my schedule in the right hand column. Come prepared to share, that makes it more fun (and of course, educational) for all of us. Plus, the vendor areas are great for browsing and purchasing. I am one of those people who really like to see a book or ask a question of a software developer before I spend money on it.