GenBlog

Friday Finds – 01/27/12

2012-01-27T08:06:00.000-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Copyright Issues for the 21st Century Genealogical Community, California State Genealogical Alliance
A Family Tapestry, Jaqui

Online Articles/Posts

The Chart Chick’s Quick Insider’s Guide to Salt Lake City, Janet Hovorka
DAR's Publication Forgotten Patriots is Now ONLINE!, NGS
Questions for Ancestry.com at RootsTech 2012, Randy Seaver

Print Articles

“How Do I Keep My Hats Straight?,” by Elizabeth Shown Mills, APG Quarterly, June 2004.

Websites

Join a Facebook Research Community, FamilySearch
GeneaJobs
German Numbers: Counting In German, About.com

Peculiar, With a Side of “Huh?”

2012-01-26T23:43:00.001-06:00

A few months back, I posted about finding the birth record for Margarethe Kremer, my second great-grandmother. The record was found in FamilySearch’s Luxembourg Civil Registrations record collection. Periodically, over the last few months, I’ve continued to review more of these records, working mainly on the line of Margarethe’s husband Johann Schwatrz. Research was going well, even though I can’t read German (or even French, which started to appear the further back I went). I can get the gist of the records since they follow a pre-printed register, and therefore, a (usually) predictable pattern. While I had much success with the Schwartz family (going back two more generations than previously known), I can’t say the same for the Kremer side. To illustrate the research path I took and ultimately present my predicament, I will outline what I did, step by step.

It all started with the information found on the marriage license for John Schwartz and Margarethe Kremer (Kane County, Illinois; 1888). Margarethe’s parents were listed as John Kremer and Magdalena Terres, and her place of birth was “Konsdorf,” Luxembourg. This information, coupled with an alleged date of birth from Margarethe’s death certificate (Kane County, Illinois; 1945), gave me a place to start while looking at the Luxembourg birth records. And there is was, in the right place, the same birth date, and the correct (sort of) parents. The birth record (Consdorf, 1866) listed the parents as Johann Kremer and Catharina Terres. Well, I though, everything else is spot-on, so perhaps someone in one of the records goofed.
I continued looking though the birth records and found five more births in Consdorf (from 1857 to 1870), where the parents were listed as Johann Kremer and Catharina Terres. A marriage record (Consdorf, 1857) confirmed this union and listed their parents respectively as Franz Kremer and Catharina Muller, and Mathias Terres and Maria Sinnen.
I then began to search for the birth records for Johann Kremer and Catharina Terres. There are two possibilities for Johann, one in 1824 and one in 1829, both born to Franz Kremer and Catharina Muller (later research did not find a death for a Johann to these parents from 1824 to 1829 to suggest the reuse of the name due to death of an earlier child, so I’m not really sure what’s going on here—but that’s another mystery for another time). I noticed that there were never any records for the surname Terres and thought perhaps Catharina was from another location. I went back to their marriage record and realized that she was from the neighboring town of Rosport. So off to the birth records in that area. Starting in 1820, I found the birth of Catharina Terres in 1825, daughter of Mathias Terres and Maria Sinnen. Perfect! (I also realized, if I’m reading the German and handwriting correctly, that their ages at marriage were 32 and 31, making the Johann born in 1824 the likely suspect.)
Eventually, I moved on to the death records for Consdorf, from 1821 to 1890. In 1860, I found the death of Catharina Terres (they record women with their maiden name), born in Rosport, daughter of Mathias Terres and Maria Sinnen. Not even thinking about it (note to self, don’t do serious research when you’re in a bad mood), I recorded the death in my database. This was yesterday. Today, with a slightly clearer head, I noticed that something didn’t seem right. Catharina, who apparently died in 1860, had four more children between 1860 and 1870. Huh???
I’ve gone back over the records several times and cannot figure out what happened here. Each of the children born between 1860 and 1870 all say Catharina “Theres,” which is a variant (especially when the surname never appears in this location, ever from what I can tell). Catharina’s marriage record ties her to her birth record, both in turn seemingly connecting her to this death record. But what if I’m reading the death record wrong? I can see the parents names, but I’m having a hard time deciphering the rest of the record. In neighboring towns, if the female was married, they would list her parents, as well as her spouse (deceased or not). This record also contains the name Pierre Kremer, which may be the person who reported the death (if the death records follow the same pattern as the birth record). I’m also having a hard time reading the age at death of Catharina. I don’t get it. Name matches, parents are the same across all records, all three records indicate a birth in Rosport…again, I say, “huh?”

To say I’m confused would be an understatement. Perhaps I’ve screwed up somewhere. Perhaps Mathias and Maria had two daughters names Catharina (odd, but you never know, there appear to be two Johanns in the Kremer family, with two more born in later years, with at least one of the previous, my ancestor, living). And remember, my second great-grandmother listed a completely different first name (Magdalena) for her mother when she applied for a marriage license. While all of the other records so far would indicate that her mother’s name was Catharina, maybe the name Magdalena means something and is some sort of clue. Who knows.

At this point, my first step has got to be getting the 1860 death record for Catharine Terres translated. It’s the only way I can know for sure (I hope) that they either are, or are not, the same person. If anyone wants to take a stab, I’ve inserted the death record below, but a larger version can be viewed on the FamilySearch website by clicking here (record no. 30, top left). Any help at this point would be welcomed!!

RootsTech & FHL Checklist

2012-01-26T15:39:00.001-06:00

Preparing for my trip to RootsTech 2012:

	Review syllabi of session to make a final decision on which to attend
	Add selected session syllabi to Kindle Fire
	RootsTech app on Android phone (also Apple App Store)
	Expo Hall map saved to cell phone and Kindle Fire
	Families app on Kindle Fire (synched with Legacy and ready to go)
	FHL research list
	Important research documents saved to the cloud
	Research toolkit (including laptop, Flip-Pal scanner, notebook, pencils, camera
	GeneaBlogger beads (geesh, I almost forgot!!)

RootsTech 2012 – Expo Hall

2012-01-24T14:42:00.001-06:00

Don’t forget to visit the Expo Hall while attending the RootsTech 2012 conference. This is your chance to learn more about genealogy-related products and services.

Head over to the Expo Hall page to see who will be there. There’s a nice map that shows the location of each vendor that you can download (PDF) and print. The page also includes a listing of each vendor with a description of its products or services.

Expo Hall Hours

Thursday, February 2	10am to 5pm
Friday, February 3	10am to 5pm
Saturday, February 4	9:30am to 3pm

Haven’t registered for RootsTech 2012? Click here to register.

Friday Finds – 01/20/12

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

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Barry’s Blog on Genealogy, Barry Ewell
Trippin’ Over Roots, Barry Kline
Researching Luxembourg Genealogy, Bryna O’Sullivan
Genealogy Puzzles, Ms Sherlock
Family History Services, Marianne McCalip

Online Articles/Posts

Climbing the Spiral Staircase: Learning Genealogy, Harold Henderson
Take the Challenge—Write Your Family History in 29 Days!, Lynn Palermo
Finding Your Massachusetts Ancestors: Genealogy Research From The 17th to 21st Centuries, Diane Rapaport
GenealogyBank Adds Irish Vital Records to Historical Newspaper Archive, Tom Kemp

Print Articles

“Tartan Tangles: Unraveling Scots With the Same Names,” by Amanda Epperson, Family Chronicle, Jan/Feb 2012.

Websites

US National Archives YouTube Channel
Numbered Record Books (records related to the Revolutionary War), Fold3
Research Guides @ Newberry Library (thank Miriam, I’d never seen this before)

11 Tips for Attending RootsTech 2012

2012-01-19T11:27:00.001-06:00

RootsTech 2012 is right around the corner so I thought I’d share some tips for attending the conference. While a version of this article appeared on this blog in August 2011, I have made a few changes and added a tip.

Choose your sessions wisely. Pick topics that will enhance your knowledge or that pique your curiosity. Choosing topics you already know a good deal about isn’t a bad thing (hey, we can all use a refresher), but if you could be the presenter for the topic, use this opportunity to learn something new.
Arrive early for those sessions! Venues have strict codes they have to follow regarding room occupancy. Once it’s full, it’s FULL! If the room monitor says it’s full, please listen to them and find another session. Arguing with the room monitor only prevents the session from starting on time or distracts the speaker and audience.
Bring business or “business” cards. I realize not all genealogists who attend conferences are professionals, hence the reason one instance of the word business is in quotes. In my opinion, all genealogists (professional or not) should have a card that can be handed out when attending conferences (or visiting libraries, archives, etc.). The “business” card would list your name and contact information; mine also includes a listing of my high-priority surnames on the back. See my post Genealogy Business Card for more information and an example.
Collect business or “business” cards. You never know when you might need these contacts. And be sure to write your own notes on the back like “could be linked to Garrison line,” or “specializes in colonial Connecticut research,” or “willing to speak at society meeting.”
Use your down time to visit the exhibit hall. This is your chance to explore vendor products and services firsthand. And don’t just stop by a table and pick up everything; say hello and engage in small talk…you never know when that contact will come in handy.
Network! This is probably one of the most important things about attending any type of conference, but for genealogists, it’s also very personal. While you’ll want to network with professional genealogists and vendors, it’s just as important to converse with everyone you run into…one of those people could hold the key you’ve been looking for to unlock that brick wall.
Attend social events. Although many people view social events (meals, special events, etc.) as networking opportunities, they also allow you to kick back and relax a bit from all the hustle and bustle of the conference. I’m attending the comedy night event, even though I could use that time to go to the library…since I’ll be in SLC all week, this will be a well-deserved mid-week break.
Dress comfortably. Temperature control always seems to be an issue in large venues, so be prepared by dressing in layers. And don’t forget comfy shoes!
Sit by people you don’t know. How can you meet new people when you hang out with your comfort group? View this is a learning and networking opportunity.
Bring your tool kit. Be sure you have pens/pencils, highlighters, paper/notepad, laptop/tablet, and camera.
Do some research. RootsTech 2012 is held right by the Family History Library. Even if you are not arriving before or staying after the conference, you can still find some time to pop over to the FHL for some research. In fact, the library is open until 9pm on Tuesday-Friday (5pm on Monday), so you’ll be able to grab a bite to eat after your sessions and spend the evening in the library. And, as a bonus, the library will be open even later (I think midnight) on Friday (be sure to sign up for this on your conference registration form). So bring your research toolkit and to-do list.

There are plenty of other tips out there, but for me, these are the big ones. Feel free to post your own conference attendance tips in the comments of this post.

Haven’t registered for RootsTech 2012 yet? There’s still time! Head over to the RootsTech website to register today!!

Friday Finds – 01/13/12

2012-01-13T08:57:00.000-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Living Ancestors, Christy Fillerup

Online Articles/Posts

Replace Your Research Log With Evernote, Denise Barrett Olson
Book Review: Murder & Mayhem on Chicago’s West Side, Jennifer Holik-Urban
Martin Sheen, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe Among 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Season 3 Cast, The Hollywood Reporter
Once a Miner, Twice a Breaker Boy - Tuesday's Tip, Nancy

Print Articles

“The War of 1812: An Introduction,” by David A Norris, Family Chronicle, Jan/Feb 2012.

Websites

Illinois Military Units in the Civil War (book), Internet Archive

RootsTech 2012 – There’s Still Time to Register

2012-01-09T07:32:00.000-06:00

I can’t believe that in less than a month, I will be on a plane and headed to Salt Lake City for some research at the Family History Library and to attend the RootsTech 2012 Conference. There’s still plenty of time to register for RootsTech 2012, which will be held February 2-4, 2012. And, if you register by January 13, you’ll save $40 off the full-conference rate. For a list of sessions, visit the RootsTech Schedule page.

To see a list of other Geneabloggers who will be attending RootsTech, see Who’ll Be at RootsTech 2012? over at Geneabloggers.

If you plan to be at RootsTech, post a comment or send me an email…maybe we can plan a get-together.

Hope to see you there!

A Family History Gift

2012-01-07T10:51:00.000-06:00

Although the holiday season is over, there are plenty of special occasions throughout the year. I thought I’d share a family history related gift that I mad for my husband.

It’s a family tree that links both of our families, going back to our great-great-grandparents. Using Microsoft Visio, I designed it to fit a 20” x 16” standard frame. I had it printed at Staples, framed it, and gave it to my husband for Christmas.

I wanted to keep it simple and clean. The idea here was to illustrate the bond between Jim and I, and that because of that bond, our families became one. I wasn’t concerned with dates and places…just who our ancestors are. This same idea would make a great wedding anniversary gift.

If you’re looking for someone to create a custom chart for you, check out Family ChartMasters.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

2012-01-06T12:08:00.001-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I opened Christmas presents and discovered the Kindle Fire among the bunch. I hadn’t asked for it, since I had just gotten a regular Kindle for Christmas the year before and it was working just fine for me. While I knew there were plenty new features with Kindle Fire, I was quite content with my plain-Jane Kindle. But I gotta say, I’m very impressed with Kindle Fire. Here’s why:

Tablet-Like

To me, the Kindle Fire is similar to a tablet-style laptop. You can do a ton of things on the Kindle Fire beyond reading books and documents:

Listen to music
Watching videos
Surf the net
Play games

It even has word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation-making software. You also have the ability to download apps (see Applications below).

Applications

There are several applications already available for Kindle Fire, and I’m sure there are more to come. First, I must admit my guilty pleasure of playing the game Words With Friends, so of course I have that app (it’s much more user-friendly than the Facebook version).

Although Legacy’s Families app was not initially available for Kindle Fire, as I was preparing this post, I found that it now is and am having fun setting it up and working with it. Very cool! It syncs back and forth with Legacy (on my PC), so now I can have an updated family tree wherever I go! And is has virtually the same user interface as Legacy, which is wonderful (you can “test drive” the app before you purchase it, and as you will see, it has the same look and feel as Legacy).

When I first got the device, Families wasn’t available so in the meantime, I downloaded the Ancestry.com app, which allows access to my online family trees. When you access a tree, it downloads it to your device, making it available offline as well, which is nice. The only problem with this is that my online tree is out-of-date, so when I tried to use it while doing newspaper research at the library, the family I was working on wasn’t up-to-date and the little bit of information I had was of little use to me. To “fix” this problem quickly, I created family groups sheets and saved them as PDFs and transferred them to my Kindle Fire. That helped tremendously. But now that Families is available, loaded on my Kindle Fire, and working, this will definitely become my new best friend for on-site research.

Portable

Since there are so many ways I can use the Kindle Fire, I think it will replace my laptop while conducting on-site genealogy research.

The One Negative, Which Isn’t That Bad

The battery life on the Kindle Fire is about eight hours, compared to my regular Kindle, which, with the wi-fi off can last over two months of consistent use. At first this worried me. But as I thought about it, the Kindle Fire battery lasts longer than my laptop right now (two issues, one being old batteries, the other being that since I upgraded to Win 7, it doesn’t find the second battery bay). So it’s really not that bad, when compared to my laptop, and of course the Kindle Fire is smaller, lighter, and easy to transport, while my laptop can be a pain in the a$$.

All-in-all, a great device for the money. And I’m still using my regular Kindle mainly for reading books. The nice thing is that the two devices will sync the books, so switching devices in the middle of a book is not an issue.

Tip for Microfilm Reading

2012-01-06T10:32:00.001-06:00

Do you get a sense of motion sickness or dizziness when you’re using microfilm? I know I do (and with my health condition, I’m dizzy most of the time).

One thing I’ve used for the last seven years came by way of a pregnant friend who had terrible morning sickness. They’re little wrist bands that use acupressure on the pressure points in your wrists to reduce the effects of nausea and dizziness. I find they also come in handy while using the microfilm reader and thought I’d share it with my readers who may have they same issue.

The brand I use is Sea Band, which can be found at Walgreens, both in the store and online. It’s usually near the motion sickness medications such as Dramamine.

Friday Finds – 01/06/12

2012-01-06T07:55:00.000-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Trials and Tribulations of a Self-Taught Family Historian, Shannon
The Legal Genealogist, Judy G. Russell

Online Articles/Posts

Focusing Your Family History Search: How to Keep Your Genealogy Research on Track, Kimberly Powell
Chicago Lying-In Hospital Birth Records, Cynthia

Print Articles

“It’s Amazing What You Can Learn From School Censuses,” by Leland K. Meitzler, Family Chronicle, Nov/Dec 2011.

Websites

Friday Finds – 12/23/11

2011-12-23T07:33:00.001-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Genealogy and Other Thoughts, Leslie Lawson
Kane County History Examiner, Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana

Online Articles/Posts

Case Studies: Learning by Example, Kimberly Powell

Print Articles

Irish Naming Conventions: An Introduction, by Rick Norberg, Family Chronicle, Nov/Dec 2011.

Websites

Perhaps He Was Abducted By Aliens

2011-12-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

I’ve been spending my “free” time reviewing old issues of Harvard Herald to learn more about my Miller family who lived in McHenry County, Illinois in the early 1900s. There have been many discoveries made, which have furthered my research on this family. But this find, well, it was quite unusual.

Last week, I had come across the following brief in the 4 December 1913 issue:

At first I wasn’t even sure it referred to my great-granduncle’s wife, but the address seemed familiar, so I made a copy of it. What was odd, was it seemed that Henry wasn’t in the picture, since she was looking for a “means of support for herself and little child.” This was why I initially questioned whether it was the same family. Consequently, I knew that sometime after 1920, they apparently divorced, but this was seven years prior, and two additional children were born of this union between 1914 and 1916.

Then yesterday, I finally understood why she was seeking work. Henry had disappeared, as evidenced by the following article I found in the 26 February 1914 issue:

How bizarre is that? I wonder what happened to him, where he went, and how he managed to find his way home. Who knows, maybe he was abducted by aliens ;)

2012 Resolutions

2011-12-21T00:02:00.001-06:00

In my last post, I reviewed my resolutions for 2011. Now it’s time to get down to business and set some goals for 2012. Here we go…

1. BCG Certification – My main goal is to “start the clock” this year for BCG certification. Almost a year ago, I began to figure out what I was going to do for each part of my portfolio. With all the craziness in 2011, it was not possible for me to conduct the remaining research needed to complete those projects. These last few weeks have been spent getting some of that research done to put me closer to this goal. While I may not be certified by the end of 2012, I should be on my way toward building and submitting my portfolio for evaluation.

2. Publishing Articles – In general, I’d like to publish more articles this year (especially since I don’t think I had any published last year). Also, this year, I’d like to submit articles to different publications than where I normally submit.

That’s it! Just two goals…piece of cake, right?

2011 Achievements

2011-12-20T07:40:00.000-06:00

Another year has almost passed, and like any good genealogist, it’s time to review my achievements for the year and set my goals for the upcoming year.

I resolved to do several things during 2011, and I must say, I’ve accomplished a lot, although not everything I set out to do. Let’s review.

Submit an entry for the 2011 ISFHWE Excellence in Writing Competition

Well this was an interesting one. Initially, the goal was do enter the 2011 competition, regardless of whether I decided to enter the 2010 competition (at the very last minute). While I haven’t entered the 2011 competition yet (I still have a few months), I did end up submitting an entry just days before the deadline—and I place third! You can read more about that here.

Submit a research-related article to the Illinois State Genealogical Society quarterly journal

All of the articles I’ve written for this publication have been more technical in nature and not focused on my personal research. My goal for this year was to submit at least one article that is about my own genealogy research regarding my Illinois ancestors. This is one goal I did not accomplish, simply because life got in the way. A similar goal is on the list for 2012.

Attend the 2011 FGS Conference

The 2011 FGS Conference was held in Springfield, Illinois and by golly, I attended. I also had several responsibilities to attend to since I was part of the local conference committee dealing with publicity and signage. This was my first national genealogy conference and I was very glad I attended. I learned a lot, made some new friends, and hung out with many of my genealogy buddies I’d met through blogging and Facebook. You can read more about my experience here.

Help someone else with their own genealogy

While I didn’t necessarily do any research for others, I did assist as a second set of eyes in a few cases, which helped further the person’s own research.

Finish ProGen Study Group

My group finished in April 2011. It was a good experience and I’m glad I pursued it. I learned a lot and it helped me focus on what I want to do in terms of a genealogy profession in the future.

Stop slacking on this blog

The first part of the year, I really tried to post more, but with all of the conference work and other obligations, I just didn’t do as much as I wanted. As soon as the conference was over, I picked up momentum, although an out-of-area move put everything on the back burner yet again. Hopefully things will pick up here after the holiday season. I posted 100 posts this year (not including this one or any between now and the end of the year). Here are some of my more popular posts from the 2011 year:

Not a bad year, considering all of the craziness that’s gone on in my life in the last 12 months. In my next post, I’ll outline my goals for 2012.

Friday Finds – 12/16/11

2011-12-16T17:40:00.001-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Didn’t run across any this week.

Online Articles/Posts

7 Mistakes That Are Holding Your Genealogy Back (great points, solid reminders to all of us)
Brothers, Apart for Decades, “Didn’t Feel Like” Strangers, Maui News
Package Lost 33 Years Finally Delivered to Anchorage Home, Baltimore Sun
Elizabeth Has Gone .com, DearMyrtle

Print Articles

Nothing this week.

Websites

Historic Pathways, Elizabeth Shown Mills
FamilySearch Learning Center (lots of online learning opportunities)

Newspaper Search Helps Identify Family Photo

2011-12-13T11:54:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I discovered digitized copies of newspapers for Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the Digital Archives of the Cedar Rapids Public Library website. I made several discoveries for my Rottman family that lived near Cedar Rapids.

One of those finds has to do with the identification of a car that my mother was photographed in when she was a child. I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.

Below are two photos of my mom, her brother, and their cousin in an antique (by today’s standards) car. I had no idea where the photo was taken, nor what the year, make, or model was of the car.

While I was doing my newspaper searches, I came across an article in the 14 August 1955 issue of The Cedar Rapids Gazette entitled, “Antique and Classic Autos at Fair.” In part, the article states:

“A 1904 Cadillac owned by Donald and Robert Rottman of Lisbon. This car was purchased new by the Rottmans’ grandfather and is in its third generation in the family.”

When I saw the year of the car, I had a déjà vu moment and thought about the photos above of my mom and the old car. Since there was no photo in the article, I put my thoughts aside, and continued my newspaper search.

Later, I came across another reference to the car in a photo caption, which was in the 11 July 1966 issue of The Cedar Rapids Gazette.

The caption reads:

“AN AFTERNOON PARADE was one of the Legion day features in Mt. Vernon Saturday. In this photo, from left, Roland Rottman, 9, David Rottman, 8, both of Mt. Vernon, and Cindy Levien, 14, of Solon ride in a 1904 Cadillac, which was one of the units in the parade.”

Although it’s hard to tell from the newspaper photo if it’s the same car that my mom was photographed in, I was of the opinion that it was certainly possible. I now had two references to this car and the family, so I emailed my mom both newspaper clippings and asked her if it was the same car. Her response was “Yes—think it’s Bob Rottman’s.” And according to the first article, indeed it was connected to Bob.

The first article indicated that Robert and Donald’s grandfather purchased the car new. That grandfather could have been either John Rottman or James Coster…another mystery for another day.

Friday Finds – 12/9/11

2011-12-09T18:15:00.001-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Family Tree Helper, Kelly
Scott Jangro’s Genealogy Blog, Scott Jangro

Online Articles/Posts

Genealogist Drowning in Data?, James Tanner
The Good News About Taxes: Finding And Using Tax Records In Your Genealogical Research, Susan Jackman
A Bit of Pre-Fire Chicago in the Burbs, Ray Johnson

Print Articles

None; too busy reading a novel (which by the way I have not done in a long time!!).

Websites

Got nothing…it’s been a non-genealogy week for me since I’ve been recovering from a medical procedure.

Friday Finds – 12/02/11

2011-12-02T12:09:00.001-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Genealogy Canada, Elizabeth Lapointe
Turning Pages – Ancestor by Ancestor, Ann Martin

Online Articles/Posts

Was LUTHER HUBER Who Died 1915 Nashville TN the Same Person as my Great Grandfather PHILLIP L HUBER who Disappeared 1882 Hardin Co Iowa?, Betty Tartas

Print Articles

“Developing Good Research Habits,” by Paula Stuart-Warren, NGS Magazine, April 2007.
“What is the Standard of Proof in Genealogy,” by Thomas W Jones, NGS Magazine, April 2007.

Websites

Digital Archives of Cedar Rapids Public Library

And There She Is…Hulda’s No Longer MIA

2011-12-01T07:45:00.000-06:00

I’ve written many times about Emil MILLER and Hulda WACH, both immigrated to the US from Germany and settled in Chicago, where they eventually married. I knew from notes in family papers that Hulda married a second time, to John Severing, and they had a daughter Lillian. Based on that information, I found that Hulda and John married in January 1901 in Chicago and they were found living together in McHenry County, Illinois in 1910. John is found in the 1920 and 1930 censuses married to someone else and I therefore concluded that Hulda either died or remarried between 1910 and 1920.

I asked a fellow genealogist to check the death index for McHenry County for Hulda between 1910 and 1920; she found nothing. So earlier this month, I decided to conduct research in the local newspaper in hopes of uncovering what happened to her. I started going week by week, looking at the entire contents of the eight-page (usually) paper; it took five hours to go through one year. During 1910, there were a few mentions of Hulda and her children, mostly noting visits to (or from) Chicago. By the end of August 1910, she was still living and known as “Mrs. John Severing” having visited Chicago along with her daughters Lillian and Ida (“Mrs. Charles Brunner”).

Having just moved to a new city, I contacted the local library on Monday to ask if they did inter-library loans with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, knowing that they have these particular newspapers on microfilm that they loan out. Thankfully, they do, so I went to the library, got my new library card, and requested the films for 1910-1920 (this saves me a two-hour drive, roundtrip and parking costs, so I was pretty excited about that alone!!). When the films come in, I plan to resume my search with 1911.

But here’s the kicker. While looking for something else (because it always happens that way), I noticed that the Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1970 collection on FamilySearch was updated on 29 November. Curious to see what had been added, I followed the link and discovered there were many new counties, one of which….wait for it…was McHenry! So naturally I looked to see what was available. Although it reads “Probate Records v. 4 1844-1985” I learned that it is only an index. I headed over to the surnames beginning with S. They are organized by year, so I started with 1910 and it didn’t take long to find an entry for Hulda Severing in May 1914 (right underneath was a listing for her minor daughter, Lillian).

Unbelievable. First, I can’t believe that I finally found some sort of source that gives me some clue as to when she died, especially since I anticipated continuing the search through newspapers for a span of ten years! Naturally, when I get the films, I will head directly to May 1914 and start there, but in all honestly, I still plan to go through all the years when the family lived there. I found so many interesting nuggets in just one year, I’m sure I will find other interesting things as I search the remaining years.

Second, I’m surprised there is a probate file for her. I plan to call the county ASAP to find out how to obtain a copy of the file and hopefully that will give me more information such as a specific date and place of death.

While I’ve found this little nugget, there is still much more to uncover on this family. I still have no idea what happened to her first husband, Emil. In addition to the local newspaper, I’ve found several other items related to the family of her second husband John in the Rockford newspapers available on GenealogyBank. It was through many searches that I finally learned what became of Hulda and John’s daughter Lillian. The pieces are finally starting to come together and this probate file will be one more piece of the puzzle.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read my previous posts about this family:

Technology & Genealogy: A Few Thoughts From My Readers

2011-11-29T08:18:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I ran a contest to give my readers a chance to win a free registration to RootsTech 2012 Conference. But in order to enter, they had to answer the following question:

Besides access to records online, what one tech-thing has helped you the most with your genealogy research and how has it helped you?

There were some interesting answers and I’ve received permission to share a few of the responses. You can also read the winner’s response here.

From Susan Kitchens
Family Oral History Using Digital Tools (http://familyoralhistory.us)

The one thing that's helped me the most is an old removable CD-burning disk drive (I think they call it a CD disk writer) and its accompanying software.

How has it helped?

I got it in the fall of 2000, when I had 6 cassette tapes that I'd recorded with my grandfather at the beginning of the year. I bought the drive so I could burn data CDs (my laptop had a CD-reading drive, but this was in the days when a portable CD-writer was in the early early adopter phase, and I didn't have the budget to be an adopter).

The CD drive and its accompanying software turned out to play a pivotal role in my pursuit of family history. I had six cassette tapes I'd recorded in January 2000 when I visited my grandfather. We recorded conversations about family history. The tapes sat around on a shelf in my mental sphere of Good Intentions Not Yet Acted Upon. My uncle had told me to "get those tapes with Grandpa typed up,"but I wouldn't let them out of my sight as long as they were my only originals. Once my new CD Burner showed up, the box of software came with a small application that would make it possible to create audio CDs from your phonograph or cassette tape collection. Hey, now I had all I needed to make a copy of those tapes so I could get them "typed up!"

It was early December, 2000, during the time that California had rolling blackouts during the Enron price-trading rip off of California utility customers. (I remember because in order to create audio for CD, I had to optimize the disk drive with all contiguous free space -- any blips or blocks in the free space would ruin the digitizing of audio. When optimizing disk drive for space, if the power went out, there'd be data loss.) Anyway, it was that process of burning the CD of my talks with Grandpa that set me on the process of recording family stories.

Do I use the drive nowadays? Nope. It's obsolete, now, mostly. Still amid the equipment I have around here, but I don't use it. I should fire it up one last time, maybe . Heading for the recycling bin.

From Deborah Campisano

The tech-thingy that has helped the most on my genealogical journey just has to be my genealogy software program. I use a couple of different ones for different projects now, but started many, many years ago with PAF -- Personal Ancestral File. I've been at this genealogy research quest for over 30 years now and genealogy software has helped tremendously in areas of organization and being able to "see the big picture" as far as figuring out which of five John Cundiffs belonged to a particular family. In the early years before the ability to attach GEDCOM files or Family Group Sheets to emails (heck! We didn't even HAVE email!) we would generate charts and FGSs using the software and SNAIL MAIL them to each other. Later we would generate a GEDCOM and save it on a floppy disc and then MERGE our work together.

With the new advances in genealogical software programming, I can easily update a family group with carefully crafted citations, create a chart and post on-line or save an entire family line to attach to an email for cousins many miles away to assess, correct and add their own updates. My genealogy software programs have been a blessing (and a curse at times!) but pieces of technology I would never do without!

From Julliana Lund

My answer is really two rolled into one. Recently I have been focusing my research on my husband's family from Denmark...but I don't speak Danish! So, I have used the Google Translate gadget on my homepage to help me with all the words I don't understand. But sometimes, I can't even read the words well enough to type it into the translator. That's when I go to the FamilySearch Forums for Denmark. I have received so much help in not only translating the records but explanations of historical events or laws that really explain what is going on.

Friday Finds – 11/25/11

2011-11-25T15:44:00.001-06:00

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve found.

New-to-Me Blogs

Sticky Notes, Ancestry.com
Forgotten New England, Ryan W. Owen
Explorations in Connecticut Genealogy, Bryna O’Sullivan
Remembering the Family, cklauer

Online Articles/Posts

Even More Things I’m Thankful for on My Genealogical Quest, Donna Pointkouski

Print Articles

“Getting Family History Information Through the Back Door,” by Jean Wilcox Hibben, NGS Magazine, Oct-Dec 2011.
“Name Dropping,” by David A. Fryxell, Family Tree Magazine, January 2012.
“Using Manuscripts to Create a Family History,” by Laura Prescott, NGS Magazine, Jan-Mar 2007.

Websites

Caleb Johnson’s MayflowerHistory.com

Flip-Pal™ Simple Gifts Blog Hop – Family Tree Photo Collage

2011-11-21T09:56:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, my husband got me a really neat Christmas gift, a family tree figurine with little hanging frames for family photos and a place to have it engraved. As a budding genealogist at the time, this was certainly a thoughtful gift. But, and I hate to admit this, I never actually replaced the photos with my own family photos, until the other day.

It’s not that I didn’t have the desire or the tools to do it, life just got in the way. What’s funny is that because I had to find to simple gifts for this blog hop, I committed myself to getting the family tree filled with MY family photos once and for all…and it didn’t take very much of my time to do it, so why it took me nearly two years to get around to it, I’ll never know.

While this was really a gift for me, it’s certainly something you could do for your relatives. There are many variations of the family tree photo collage and many are relatively inexpensive. Then all you need to do is scan some photos, use photo-editing software to resize the photos to fit the frame sizes, print them out on photo paper, cut them out, and place them in the frames. In just a few hours, you’ll have a nice, customized gift for your loved ones.

Here are a few more examples from Amazon and a link to the one my husband got me from Things Remembered. (None of these are affiliate links.)

Nickel Heritage Tree from Things Remembered
Family Tree w/ 6 Hanging Picture Frames from Amazon
Malden Our Family Tree from Amazon

Winner! RootsTech 2012 Registration

2011-11-19T09:32:00.000-06:00

I am very pleased to announce Doug Williams as the winner of the RootsTech 2012 free registration giveaway that was hosted here on GenBlog. I asked entrants to answer the following question: Besides access to records online, what one tech-thing has helped you the most with your genealogy research and how has it helped you?

There were some great responses and I even learned a few things that sparked some of my own ideas. I will share a few of the responses within the next few days. But here is Doug’s answer:

My Motorola Xoom is my favorite new research tool. I use it when I go to a repository instead of lugging along my heavy older 17" laptop computer. The Xoom is great for taking pictures of book pages, microfilm reader screens, and spines of multi-volume books on the shelf. I use the wireless connection to access Google Docs where I transcribe information and access research logs. I'm transcribing the church records of a German Lutheran congregation in Western New York where 4 generations of my family attended, and when I'm having trouble reading the German script and the handwriting I use the camera to zoom in and help decipher the information. I shoot the pic, zoom in, and when I'm done with the problem text I simply delete the photo. The next app I need to download is Families so I can bring along my Legacy Family Tree!

I have not investigated tablets in a long time (since they first came out and the company I worked for was evaluating them). But after reading Doug’s response, I think I’m going to explore them again.

Congratulations, Doug!! Look forward to seeing you in SLC in February!

Don’t forget, you can still register for RootsTech 2012, and if you register by November 30, 2011, you’ll save $60 on the full-conference registration fee, so don’t delay…head over and register now!!