Week 52: Personal Genealogy Website. For which private genealogy website are you most grateful? Who runs the site? How has it helped your family history research? Share the link to the site as well as its highlights as a way to say thanks to those behind the scenes.
The genealogy site of Linda Sparks Starr was the first that site that I thought of:
Colonial Virginia Connections
I consider Linda a fellow researcher and a friend. We were almost kin. My 3 great grandfather was once married to one of her ancestors, so I guess we are step-kin. My husband and I both had assorted colonial Virginia ancestors and the research that Linda has gathered together on this website has been very helpful to me and if you have colonial Virginia ancestors, you should probably take a look around the site.
Hey - I made it! The whole 52 weeks! Sort of a challenge to myself. I plan for my posts to take a different path in the new year, but I feel really good that I was able to persevere and complete the year's 52 prompts.
Showing posts with label 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 51
Week 51: States and Provinces. What is your favorite state or province for genealogical research? Who is most generous with their records? How has this helped your family history research? Share with others your tips and tricks for researching in this location.
The answer depends on where in that particular state I most need to research. Virginia counties have a wealth of information, or practically none at all. Pretty much feast or famine. The counties that do have extant records usually have a wealth of tax, land, court, and probate records, most of them filmed by LDS. The Library of Virginia website has access to so much free digital content - the land records and many Bible records, and now many of the chancery court records. The Parish records that exist and many of the other records have been transcribed and abstracted and can be found in print in many genealogical libraries. Therefore, Virginia would be my pick - when it's not a "burned" county. Unfortunately I had family that lived in those, too.
The answer depends on where in that particular state I most need to research. Virginia counties have a wealth of information, or practically none at all. Pretty much feast or famine. The counties that do have extant records usually have a wealth of tax, land, court, and probate records, most of them filmed by LDS. The Library of Virginia website has access to so much free digital content - the land records and many Bible records, and now many of the chancery court records. The Parish records that exist and many of the other records have been transcribed and abstracted and can be found in print in many genealogical libraries. Therefore, Virginia would be my pick - when it's not a "burned" county. Unfortunately I had family that lived in those, too.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 50
Week 50: Genealogy Database. Which individual database has been most helpful in your genealogy research and why? Is this database available for free or is it behind a subscription wall? What does this database include and how can it benefit other genealogy researchers?
Until recently, I would have to admit that Ancestry with its census record would have to qualify as the most useful. FamilySearch has added so much now, and unlike Ancestry, provides the data free of charge. I honestly couldn't do without either of them. Both sites have such a wide range of materials and are made of such divergent databases, that something is there for nearly everyone. The online opportunities for research have expanded so much in the last ten years, I don't believe anyone could limit their research to a single database.
Until recently, I would have to admit that Ancestry with its census record would have to qualify as the most useful. FamilySearch has added so much now, and unlike Ancestry, provides the data free of charge. I honestly couldn't do without either of them. Both sites have such a wide range of materials and are made of such divergent databases, that something is there for nearly everyone. The online opportunities for research have expanded so much in the last ten years, I don't believe anyone could limit their research to a single database.
Monday, December 3, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 49
Week 49: Research Location. Which genealogy research location or city brings a smile to your face? What makes this place special to you? What family history treasures does it hold for you? Why should others visit this place?
I'd just like to daydream about a place I'd like to go to research and have never been. Russellville, Kentucky in Logan County was a place my husband's ancestors frequented for many years. They lived out side of town on the Black Lick Fork of the Gasper River. There were many second cousins and families that had also come to Logan County from Virginia just around the beginning of the 19th century. I have read so many deeds, court records, wills, and tax records about these families that I sometimes think I might recognize some of them walking down the street. I know the local genealogical society maintains a library near the courthouse. Oh, I'd love to poke around in their files and visit that courthouse!
I'd just like to daydream about a place I'd like to go to research and have never been. Russellville, Kentucky in Logan County was a place my husband's ancestors frequented for many years. They lived out side of town on the Black Lick Fork of the Gasper River. There were many second cousins and families that had also come to Logan County from Virginia just around the beginning of the 19th century. I have read so many deeds, court records, wills, and tax records about these families that I sometimes think I might recognize some of them walking down the street. I know the local genealogical society maintains a library near the courthouse. Oh, I'd love to poke around in their files and visit that courthouse!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 48
Week 48: Genealogy Society Member. Genealogy society members are a vital part of the family history community. We’ve made many acquaintances this way and we all benefit from their friendship, support and expertise. Share with us a genealogy society member that has left a memorable impression on you.
Unfortunately my own experience with local societies has been less than stellar. However, I can honor a gentleman that I feel has contributed to his own local society for beyond the norm. I have a friend who was married to a distant cousin. He has been a longtime member of his local society and volunteers to research all inquiries that come to the society. In his city he has both his society's library and a good public library and he visits both to answer the inquiries to the best of his ability. He has spent untold hours helping others.
I have had similar experiences writing to societies far distant from where I live. I have been so grateful to those individuals who have taken the time to search and copy records for me.
Unfortunately my own experience with local societies has been less than stellar. However, I can honor a gentleman that I feel has contributed to his own local society for beyond the norm. I have a friend who was married to a distant cousin. He has been a longtime member of his local society and volunteers to research all inquiries that come to the society. In his city he has both his society's library and a good public library and he visits both to answer the inquiries to the best of his ability. He has spent untold hours helping others.
I have had similar experiences writing to societies far distant from where I live. I have been so grateful to those individuals who have taken the time to search and copy records for me.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 47
Week 47: Small Genealogy Vendors. Which small genealogy vendor is your favorite one to see at genealogy conferences? What does this vendor offer to the genealogy community? Why do you like visiting this vendor in the exhibit hall? Share web site links or contact information for this vendor so others can benefit from their products.
Oh, I don't want to call her a "small" Vendor. To me, her contributions are quite large within the genealogy community. My favorite among the smaller booths is Lisa Louise Cooke and her Genealogy Gems booth. She offers so much to us through her podcasts and her down to earth research help books. If she's not there to greet you with a smile, perhaps her daughter will be. Her classes and workshops are always excellent. She has recently updated her webpage and you can find everything she does right there.
Genealogy Gems
Oh, I don't want to call her a "small" Vendor. To me, her contributions are quite large within the genealogy community. My favorite among the smaller booths is Lisa Louise Cooke and her Genealogy Gems booth. She offers so much to us through her podcasts and her down to earth research help books. If she's not there to greet you with a smile, perhaps her daughter will be. Her classes and workshops are always excellent. She has recently updated her webpage and you can find everything she does right there.
Genealogy Gems
Sunday, November 11, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 46
Week 46: Large Genealogy Vendors. Which big genealogy vendor is your favorite one to see at conferences? What does this vendor offer the genealogy community? Why do you like visiting this vendor in the exhibit hall?
I like them all. The exhibit hall is my favorite part of conferences. I honestly really don't buy much, but I certainly look around and ask a lot of questions. My favorites are those that have drawings, neat giveaway items and something hands-on to do while you visit their booth. That would include, I think, all of those meant by "big genealogy vendor" in this prompt. FamilySearch. Ancestry. FindMyPast. Those three are the ones I think of first. I like the fact that they have people present to answer questions and perhaps show you a new trick or two.
But, then, the smaller vendors - the booksellers, the software vendors - can be very helpful if you have questions about their products. There are very few booths I pass by - the exhibit hall is just plain fun!
I like them all. The exhibit hall is my favorite part of conferences. I honestly really don't buy much, but I certainly look around and ask a lot of questions. My favorites are those that have drawings, neat giveaway items and something hands-on to do while you visit their booth. That would include, I think, all of those meant by "big genealogy vendor" in this prompt. FamilySearch. Ancestry. FindMyPast. Those three are the ones I think of first. I like the fact that they have people present to answer questions and perhaps show you a new trick or two.
But, then, the smaller vendors - the booksellers, the software vendors - can be very helpful if you have questions about their products. There are very few booths I pass by - the exhibit hall is just plain fun!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 45
Week 45: Genealogy Speakers. Which genealogy speaker has left the biggest impression on you? What is it about that speaker that you like the most? What is his or her general focus? Does this person speak at regional or national conferences? Share why other genealogists should attend this speaker’s sessions.
I would have to say Elizabeth Shown Mills is my favorite. She is always prepared, concise, and speaks directly to her topic - a professional in every possible way. She could probably lecture on any genealogy topic but is best known for her emphasis on citing sources. I particularly enjoy her sessions regrading researching men of the same name and other frequently encountered but often difficult research problems. I have had her as my instructor at IGHR in Birmingham and always attend her lectures at national conferences. I have heard some of her sessions more than once and would listen to them again at any given opportunity. Why I think others should attend her session? Because, quite simply, she is the best of the best the genealogy world has to offer.
I would have to say Elizabeth Shown Mills is my favorite. She is always prepared, concise, and speaks directly to her topic - a professional in every possible way. She could probably lecture on any genealogy topic but is best known for her emphasis on citing sources. I particularly enjoy her sessions regrading researching men of the same name and other frequently encountered but often difficult research problems. I have had her as my instructor at IGHR in Birmingham and always attend her lectures at national conferences. I have heard some of her sessions more than once and would listen to them again at any given opportunity. Why I think others should attend her session? Because, quite simply, she is the best of the best the genealogy world has to offer.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 44
Week 44: Genealogy Conferences. What was your best genealogy conference experience? Why is it so memorable in your mind? Who hosted the event? What did you learn from this experience? How does it impact your genealogy research today?
RootsTech 2012! The energy of this conference is definitely a notch above any other conference I've attended. Perfect blend of genealogy and technology. And to add to the excitement is the fact it is in Salt Lake City near the Family History Library. Conferences inspire me to keep learning, not to even imagine I've found all the records of my ancestors, and to keep trying to break through those brick walls. Since it's scheduled for March in 2013 I won't be able to attend again. Bummer.
RootsTech 2012! The energy of this conference is definitely a notch above any other conference I've attended. Perfect blend of genealogy and technology. And to add to the excitement is the fact it is in Salt Lake City near the Family History Library. Conferences inspire me to keep learning, not to even imagine I've found all the records of my ancestors, and to keep trying to break through those brick walls. Since it's scheduled for March in 2013 I won't be able to attend again. Bummer.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 43
Week 43: Memorable Genealogy Moment. Think back to when you first started researching your family history. Is there a memorable early genealogy moment that stands out in your mind? Describe this event or discovery and how it impacted your research going forward.
In 1992, I had the task of cleaning out my in-law's house after they had both passed away. Their sons worked full time - they had lived in the house over 40 years. Things came in, nothing much had ever gone out, since they moved in. In a desk drawer, I found a large brown envelope with a return address in Ladonia, Texas, where both my mother-in law and father-in-law had been born and it had a post mark from the 1970's. When I looked inside, it contained information on the Wishard families - the family of my father-in-law's maternal grandmother, along with a request for information on the current family of my in-laws.
I had been thinking about doing some family research as I had a book on my mother's family and had always wondered how much of it was correct. The material in the envelope was really interesting but only had the Wishards back a few generations, along with a rather fanciful story of how they arrived in America. The story of the early generations and the facts on the more current generations did not meet in the middle. I love solving puzzles and certainly this qualified.
I decided to try and get in touch with the person whose name was inscribed therein and whose address was on the envelope. I knew that not much changed in the small town of Ladonia, so I just called information and got the number of the first person with that surname. The gentleman who answered the phone was the son of the lady who had prepared the envelope of materials. He told me she was in a nursing home, in bad health, but mentally alert, and he was sure she'd like to know I was interested in the family history.
A few days later, I received a return phone call. Not only was my researcher thrilled to know someone else was interested in knowing more about the Wishards and trying to continue the research, but she had directed her son to mail me additional information she had compiled during the intervening twenty years. No one in her immediate family had any interest.
I believe finding the envelope and being able to make contact, was the beginning of how I've spent much of my time over the past twenty years. I was able to connect the generations and document the Wishards back to the immigrant although there's still a great deal of doubt about his story. My benefactor died only a few months after I contacted her son. Finding that big brown envelope was definitely my first genealogy serendipity.
In 1992, I had the task of cleaning out my in-law's house after they had both passed away. Their sons worked full time - they had lived in the house over 40 years. Things came in, nothing much had ever gone out, since they moved in. In a desk drawer, I found a large brown envelope with a return address in Ladonia, Texas, where both my mother-in law and father-in-law had been born and it had a post mark from the 1970's. When I looked inside, it contained information on the Wishard families - the family of my father-in-law's maternal grandmother, along with a request for information on the current family of my in-laws.
I had been thinking about doing some family research as I had a book on my mother's family and had always wondered how much of it was correct. The material in the envelope was really interesting but only had the Wishards back a few generations, along with a rather fanciful story of how they arrived in America. The story of the early generations and the facts on the more current generations did not meet in the middle. I love solving puzzles and certainly this qualified.
I decided to try and get in touch with the person whose name was inscribed therein and whose address was on the envelope. I knew that not much changed in the small town of Ladonia, so I just called information and got the number of the first person with that surname. The gentleman who answered the phone was the son of the lady who had prepared the envelope of materials. He told me she was in a nursing home, in bad health, but mentally alert, and he was sure she'd like to know I was interested in the family history.
A few days later, I received a return phone call. Not only was my researcher thrilled to know someone else was interested in knowing more about the Wishards and trying to continue the research, but she had directed her son to mail me additional information she had compiled during the intervening twenty years. No one in her immediate family had any interest.
I believe finding the envelope and being able to make contact, was the beginning of how I've spent much of my time over the past twenty years. I was able to connect the generations and document the Wishards back to the immigrant although there's still a great deal of doubt about his story. My benefactor died only a few months after I contacted her son. Finding that big brown envelope was definitely my first genealogy serendipity.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 42
Week 42: Biggest Genealogy Accomplishment. What do you feel is your biggest genealogy accomplishment? What were the steps you took to get there, and what was the end result?
I can't say that I've had a "big" genealogy accomplishment. Putting together my family tree has been a step-by-step and day-by-day endeavor. I've had multiple thrilling moments when I was able to hold an original document in my hand in an archives. I've had those gratifying moments when the genealogy-technogical world collided and I was able to get that report I wanted out of my software, or upload my webpage and it both looked and functioned as I intended. I've broken through minor brick walls, but often that was done either with the aid of new-found genealogy Internet friend or genealogy work that had been done previously. Collaboration with other researchers has helped sort out some difficult problems when earlier faulty research had led us down the wrong path. I've been very happy to have helped others connect to their families or to helped them find records they did not know existed. It could be that my biggest accomplishment was the day I decided to start this journey and see what I could find out about my family! I discovered my passion which has enriched my life in so many ways.
I can't say that I've had a "big" genealogy accomplishment. Putting together my family tree has been a step-by-step and day-by-day endeavor. I've had multiple thrilling moments when I was able to hold an original document in my hand in an archives. I've had those gratifying moments when the genealogy-technogical world collided and I was able to get that report I wanted out of my software, or upload my webpage and it both looked and functioned as I intended. I've broken through minor brick walls, but often that was done either with the aid of new-found genealogy Internet friend or genealogy work that had been done previously. Collaboration with other researchers has helped sort out some difficult problems when earlier faulty research had led us down the wrong path. I've been very happy to have helped others connect to their families or to helped them find records they did not know existed. It could be that my biggest accomplishment was the day I decided to start this journey and see what I could find out about my family! I discovered my passion which has enriched my life in so many ways.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 41
Week 41: Past Genealogy Resources.
Nothing good lasts forever and that is definitely true in family history. Think of all the genealogy tools, magazines or websites that no longer exist. Which one stands out in your mind and why? Are there still archives of this tool that can be accessed by the public? Share any information you may have.
I am very sad that The Maybury Family newsletter ceased publication with the Fall, 2011 issue. The newletters had been published by Don Collins since 1995 and have been of help to me in my own personal research of my Maybury/Mabry/Mayberry lineage, but has been very interesting and sometimes fun to read.
The website is The Maybury Family and there is a link on that page to the email address for Don Collins, as well as many other links to the research of this family and the Y-DNA project. At the time he ceased publication of The Maybury Family, Mr. Collins was hopeful that he could combine all the newsletters on a searchable CD. If such an event happens, and I certainly hope it does, an announcement should appear on the webpage.
I am very sad that The Maybury Family newsletter ceased publication with the Fall, 2011 issue. The newletters had been published by Don Collins since 1995 and have been of help to me in my own personal research of my Maybury/Mabry/Mayberry lineage, but has been very interesting and sometimes fun to read.
The website is The Maybury Family and there is a link on that page to the email address for Don Collins, as well as many other links to the research of this family and the Y-DNA project. At the time he ceased publication of The Maybury Family, Mr. Collins was hopeful that he could combine all the newsletters on a searchable CD. If such an event happens, and I certainly hope it does, an announcement should appear on the webpage.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 40
Week 40: Wild Card.
Is there something for which you are thankful that has not been discussed yet? Share your genealogical abundance on a personal level. How does this person/item/group/memory or other entity impact your family history?
I am the family secret - the skeleton in the closet, if you will. The details of my birth and my father were obscured from view for the first fifty years of my life. Oh I did know that my mother was married twice and that my stepfather had adopted me and they had my name changed - I knew all about the tip of the iceberg.
But the desire to uncover what lay below the surface is what sent me full throttle down the genealogical research path. Little did I know how my life would be enriched by the journey - how many wonderful friends I'd make, how much history I'd learn, how many places I'd go, and that I would ultimately come to know a great deal about that other half of my family.
Of course once hooked on family research, there's no stop sign. I have researched not only my birth father's families, but those of my mother. Then on to the families of my stepfather, but he was adopted and so there is his adoptive family and his birth family to work on for my half siblings' benefit. And my husband's kin needed proper attention so my children would know that side of their heritage. And my son-in-law's father's family because his dad asked me if I ever ran across his surname...
Is there something for which you are thankful that has not been discussed yet? Share your genealogical abundance on a personal level. How does this person/item/group/memory or other entity impact your family history?
I am the family secret - the skeleton in the closet, if you will. The details of my birth and my father were obscured from view for the first fifty years of my life. Oh I did know that my mother was married twice and that my stepfather had adopted me and they had my name changed - I knew all about the tip of the iceberg.
But the desire to uncover what lay below the surface is what sent me full throttle down the genealogical research path. Little did I know how my life would be enriched by the journey - how many wonderful friends I'd make, how much history I'd learn, how many places I'd go, and that I would ultimately come to know a great deal about that other half of my family.
Of course once hooked on family research, there's no stop sign. I have researched not only my birth father's families, but those of my mother. Then on to the families of my stepfather, but he was adopted and so there is his adoptive family and his birth family to work on for my half siblings' benefit. And my husband's kin needed proper attention so my children would know that side of their heritage. And my son-in-law's father's family because his dad asked me if I ever ran across his surname...
Sunday, September 23, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 39
Week 39: Society Journal or Quarterly. Share with us your favorite genealogy society journal or quarterly publication. How long have you been reading it? Which group publishes it? Why is this publication one of your favorites? How has is helped you research your family history?
This is another one of those situations where I could never choose just one. I always enjoy a good case history and someone else's success! Their journey is often helpful regarding methodology and possible obscure sources.
I have been receiving The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, since the mid 1990's. I have considerable New England heritage and there have been articles published during that time of subscription that dealt directly with one of my families, or perhaps illuminated a location where they lived. If you are a member of NEHGS, the back issues of the Register are all online and searchable from their main search engine using the advanced search at American Ancestors.
I have also been a subscriber of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly - for probably almost as many years. There is a searchable index on their website (for members of NGS) for articles in the Quarterly since 1912, as well as pdf copies of each Quarterly since 1982. NGSQ publishes special issues from time to time - my two favorites were Evidence, Volume 87, No. 3, September 1999, with the highlighted article Working with Historical Evidence: Genealogical Principles and Standards", by Elizabeth Shown Mills, and
Jefferson-Hemings, Volume 89, No. 3, September 2001, containing the article, "Sally Hemings's Children: a Genealogical Analysis of the Evidence" by Helen F. M. Leary. I've had the joy of sitting in classrooms with both of these ladies at IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research), Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
On a more personal level and directly related to research of one of my husband's families is the Frey Family Association Journal, published by the Heinrich Frey Family Association. The surname is found most often now as Frye or Fry. Jon Frye has been the editor of the Journal since July of 1992. It has been published at least twice a year, although some years there were quarterly issues; I have a copy of every issue. The articles are of course, pertinent only to the immigrant, Heinrich Frey and his descendants, but are of the highest quality compared to other family association journals I've read. Many errors in past research have been revealed, as well as new branches of the family discovered. Anyone who researches this family would find the Journal a necessity to sort out the many faulty family trees published online [so many Frey/Frye/Fry gentlemen with the same given names have been confused], as well as understand some of the imaginative early "traditions" about Heinrich Frey that weren't quite true. My own research of my husband's Fry lineage can be found here - many of the references in the narratives will be from this publication.
Happy reading!
This is another one of those situations where I could never choose just one. I always enjoy a good case history and someone else's success! Their journey is often helpful regarding methodology and possible obscure sources.
I have been receiving The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, since the mid 1990's. I have considerable New England heritage and there have been articles published during that time of subscription that dealt directly with one of my families, or perhaps illuminated a location where they lived. If you are a member of NEHGS, the back issues of the Register are all online and searchable from their main search engine using the advanced search at American Ancestors.
I have also been a subscriber of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly - for probably almost as many years. There is a searchable index on their website (for members of NGS) for articles in the Quarterly since 1912, as well as pdf copies of each Quarterly since 1982. NGSQ publishes special issues from time to time - my two favorites were Evidence, Volume 87, No. 3, September 1999, with the highlighted article Working with Historical Evidence: Genealogical Principles and Standards", by Elizabeth Shown Mills, and
Jefferson-Hemings, Volume 89, No. 3, September 2001, containing the article, "Sally Hemings's Children: a Genealogical Analysis of the Evidence" by Helen F. M. Leary. I've had the joy of sitting in classrooms with both of these ladies at IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research), Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
On a more personal level and directly related to research of one of my husband's families is the Frey Family Association Journal, published by the Heinrich Frey Family Association. The surname is found most often now as Frye or Fry. Jon Frye has been the editor of the Journal since July of 1992. It has been published at least twice a year, although some years there were quarterly issues; I have a copy of every issue. The articles are of course, pertinent only to the immigrant, Heinrich Frey and his descendants, but are of the highest quality compared to other family association journals I've read. Many errors in past research have been revealed, as well as new branches of the family discovered. Anyone who researches this family would find the Journal a necessity to sort out the many faulty family trees published online [so many Frey/Frye/Fry gentlemen with the same given names have been confused], as well as understand some of the imaginative early "traditions" about Heinrich Frey that weren't quite true. My own research of my husband's Fry lineage can be found here - many of the references in the narratives will be from this publication.
Happy reading!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 38
Week 38: Funny Ancestor Stories. Tell us a funny ancestor story that stands out in your mind. When did you first hear the story? Do other family members tell different versions? Does this tale play a large part in your family tree?
I hadn't forgotten this week's assignment. I'm just stuck. Apparently my family isn't very funny! We have the usual Indian heritage story, the three brothers story - all the common genealogical myths. We have stories that aren't funny but have been passed down in assorted versions depending on who was doing the telling.
We do all struggle with the various forms and spellings of our ancestors names. Sometimes we aren't sure of the spelling, or the nickname, or even which was a first name and which was the middle name. Some of our ancestors even changed their names with no legal process, apparently just a change of mind. Or maybe relatives didn't really know what the name was. This may not just be a problem of the past.
Thanksgiving of 1999, my husband and I went back "home" to help my Mom cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for her three visiting brothers. The siblings, all in their late 70's, early 80's, had not all been together for several years and weren't sure they would ever be again. [Sadly, they were not.]
Now my Mom's given names were Josie Ellen. Her grandmother's were Josie Hays and Ellen Comstock and she had been named for them, but all her life she had gone by the blended name, JoEllen.
I was there mostly to be the chief cook but I had brought my laptop so I could show Mom and my uncles some of the genealogy I'd been working on.
My laptop itself was an alien object in this particular gathering, but one of my uncles got close enough to look over my shoulder and tell me, "You've got your mother's name wrong!" To which I replied that was most assuredly her name. Now I had everyone's attention as I told them her name was Josie Ellen. She was nodding and agreeing with me. Her own brothers sat right there and told me that, no, her name was JoEllen and that they had always teased her by calling her "Josie" because it made her mad. But it wasn't really her name - her name was certainly just JoEllen.
Mom and I spent considerable time explaining how she had been named for her grandmothers and that her name really, really, was Josie Ellen. I'm not sure they were ever completely convinced. There is a delayed birth certificate filed for her, but at that time I had not obtained a copy. Her parents put the name Josie Ellen on that document. But I'm not sure that would have been any more convincing. Of course Mom always knew that was her full name - I had known that was her name since the beginning of my memories. It was hardly a family secret. How could three brothers growing up with her have missed that!
No wonder sometimes we are confused about named two centuries ago! Their contemporaries probably were, too.
I hadn't forgotten this week's assignment. I'm just stuck. Apparently my family isn't very funny! We have the usual Indian heritage story, the three brothers story - all the common genealogical myths. We have stories that aren't funny but have been passed down in assorted versions depending on who was doing the telling.
We do all struggle with the various forms and spellings of our ancestors names. Sometimes we aren't sure of the spelling, or the nickname, or even which was a first name and which was the middle name. Some of our ancestors even changed their names with no legal process, apparently just a change of mind. Or maybe relatives didn't really know what the name was. This may not just be a problem of the past.
Thanksgiving of 1999, my husband and I went back "home" to help my Mom cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for her three visiting brothers. The siblings, all in their late 70's, early 80's, had not all been together for several years and weren't sure they would ever be again. [Sadly, they were not.]
Now my Mom's given names were Josie Ellen. Her grandmother's were Josie Hays and Ellen Comstock and she had been named for them, but all her life she had gone by the blended name, JoEllen.
I was there mostly to be the chief cook but I had brought my laptop so I could show Mom and my uncles some of the genealogy I'd been working on.
My laptop itself was an alien object in this particular gathering, but one of my uncles got close enough to look over my shoulder and tell me, "You've got your mother's name wrong!" To which I replied that was most assuredly her name. Now I had everyone's attention as I told them her name was Josie Ellen. She was nodding and agreeing with me. Her own brothers sat right there and told me that, no, her name was JoEllen and that they had always teased her by calling her "Josie" because it made her mad. But it wasn't really her name - her name was certainly just JoEllen.
Mom and I spent considerable time explaining how she had been named for her grandmothers and that her name really, really, was Josie Ellen. I'm not sure they were ever completely convinced. There is a delayed birth certificate filed for her, but at that time I had not obtained a copy. Her parents put the name Josie Ellen on that document. But I'm not sure that would have been any more convincing. Of course Mom always knew that was her full name - I had known that was her name since the beginning of my memories. It was hardly a family secret. How could three brothers growing up with her have missed that!
No wonder sometimes we are confused about named two centuries ago! Their contemporaries probably were, too.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 37
Week 37: State Archives. Which state archives repository is your favorite? Have you been there in person? What does their website offer to visitors? Share any advice you can to potential visitors who may visit the archives in the future.
The state archives that I've visited most often is the Alabama Archives in Montgomery. I used to live about 15 miles north of that city and spent a number of hours in the Archives. However, I moved away in 2004 and had not been back until last week. On the Tuesday before the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Conference in Birmingham, I took the time to spend a morning at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. I knew when I moved away, a new wing had been planned for the building, but I had never been able to see it. Oh my! What a wonderful facility. Everything is much, much easier to access now. Sorry, I didn't take a photo!
I recommend you visit their website, link above, to discover what is available. You will find links to their online databases, the county holdings, the form and instructions for requests by mail, their hours and location. If you can visit in person, it is always best to prepare a list ahead of time for film or books you wish to see - the catalog is available online. There was plenty of free parking in a lot across the street. You will be able to take a laptop inside, but not in its case; also only a single file folder/notebook and pencils are allowed. You might like to have a sweater or light jacket. Lockers are available and readily accessible for your belongings.
The state archives that I've visited most often is the Alabama Archives in Montgomery. I used to live about 15 miles north of that city and spent a number of hours in the Archives. However, I moved away in 2004 and had not been back until last week. On the Tuesday before the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Conference in Birmingham, I took the time to spend a morning at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. I knew when I moved away, a new wing had been planned for the building, but I had never been able to see it. Oh my! What a wonderful facility. Everything is much, much easier to access now. Sorry, I didn't take a photo!
I recommend you visit their website, link above, to discover what is available. You will find links to their online databases, the county holdings, the form and instructions for requests by mail, their hours and location. If you can visit in person, it is always best to prepare a list ahead of time for film or books you wish to see - the catalog is available online. There was plenty of free parking in a lot across the street. You will be able to take a laptop inside, but not in its case; also only a single file folder/notebook and pencils are allowed. You might like to have a sweater or light jacket. Lockers are available and readily accessible for your belongings.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 36
Week 36: Ancestor Photos. For which ancestral photograph are you most grateful? Who is in the photo and how did you acquire it? Why does the photo hold a special place in your heart?
I'm late again, but I'm hanging in there with this year-long project. Had to unpack from my trip to FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) in Birmingham and a side trip to visit to my granddaughters at Mississippi State University.
My great-grandmother lived to be 97 - I had my first child before she died so I knew her well. She lost a daughter. Lelia Ethel was born 18 Nov 1890 in Crawford County, Arkansas - she died at age thirteen, 12 Feb 1904. I was always told she died of an abscess in her side - whatever that might mean. As far as I can determine no death certificate was filed. Lelia was the 4th child in the family. Grandma's first child - another daughter named Dora - had died soon after birth, but she always told me you didn't grieve for a baby who died so young like you did for a child you raised. Grandma kept a portrait of Lelia in her bedroom and as a young girl, I was fascinated with this other young girl who never got to grow up. The picture was likely made shortly before Lelia died. I've never known what happened to the portrait after Grandma died and her house was sold. I never expected to see a picture of Lelia again.
However, my Mom had lots of pictures that had belonged to her parents - Lelia had been a sister to her father. One day in going through a box of old photos we found the following picture - grainy and faded but recognizable.
The couple is James Monroe Comstock (1860-1928) and his wife Lucretia Ellen Wood (1867-1963), my great grandparents. Left to right the Comstock children are Ira Vard (1892-1968), Kenney Marcus - my grandfather in the bow tie - (1887-1958), Nora Hessa (1889-1973). And standing to the outside of her mother is LELIA. The youngest child in the center is Fanny Maude (1894-1988) who later lived with Grandma and took care of her. She's probably about three - so that dates the picture as made about 1897-98. There would be four more children in the family.
I'm late again, but I'm hanging in there with this year-long project. Had to unpack from my trip to FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) in Birmingham and a side trip to visit to my granddaughters at Mississippi State University.
My great-grandmother lived to be 97 - I had my first child before she died so I knew her well. She lost a daughter. Lelia Ethel was born 18 Nov 1890 in Crawford County, Arkansas - she died at age thirteen, 12 Feb 1904. I was always told she died of an abscess in her side - whatever that might mean. As far as I can determine no death certificate was filed. Lelia was the 4th child in the family. Grandma's first child - another daughter named Dora - had died soon after birth, but she always told me you didn't grieve for a baby who died so young like you did for a child you raised. Grandma kept a portrait of Lelia in her bedroom and as a young girl, I was fascinated with this other young girl who never got to grow up. The picture was likely made shortly before Lelia died. I've never known what happened to the portrait after Grandma died and her house was sold. I never expected to see a picture of Lelia again.
However, my Mom had lots of pictures that had belonged to her parents - Lelia had been a sister to her father. One day in going through a box of old photos we found the following picture - grainy and faded but recognizable.
The couple is James Monroe Comstock (1860-1928) and his wife Lucretia Ellen Wood (1867-1963), my great grandparents. Left to right the Comstock children are Ira Vard (1892-1968), Kenney Marcus - my grandfather in the bow tie - (1887-1958), Nora Hessa (1889-1973). And standing to the outside of her mother is LELIA. The youngest child in the center is Fanny Maude (1894-1988) who later lived with Grandma and took care of her. She's probably about three - so that dates the picture as made about 1897-98. There would be four more children in the family.
Lelia is buried in the Uniontown City Cemetery in Crawford County, Arkansas. On her stone is
"Her many deeds of kindness form the noblest monument to her memory"
And here is what appeared in the local newspaper:
From Van Buren Argus, 9 Mar 1904:
Lelia Comstock, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Comstock, died February 12, 1904. Aged 13 years.
While we mourn the loss of her sweet face, we rejoice that she has joined the angelic choir, and has left her earthly tabernacle to dwell in the house not made by hands.
Lelia confessed her faith in Christ September 3, 1902, and was baptized on September 7th. She was a faithful member until death, and now the tired little soul, which has been afflicted for several years, but clung tenaciously to the promise of God, is now safe in the realms of bliss, where earthly sufferings are forgotten in the everlasting joys of Heaven.
J.J.H., Chairman Secretary, Uniontown, Ark.
OBITUARIES, DEATH NOTICES AND NEWS ITEMS EXTRACTED FROM THE VAN BUREN ARGUS, Vol. 8, Fran Alverson Warren, 2001, p.18
Sunday, August 26, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 35
Week 35: Genealogy Friends.
Genealogy friends are wonderful people. Don’t you agree? Tell us about a genealogy friend in your life. How did you meet? Do you share any common ancestors or research interests?
I do agree. I'd say I have Abundant genealogy friends. I have met them in many ways - at conferences, on message boards, from my blog and website, researching at libraries. One of my genealogy friends was a volunteer at the local Family History Center - we saw each other weekly and realized we were working on family at some of the same places in the same time period. I found one of her ancestors while researching my own - at a time and place she had "lost" him. That find helped her to prove his Revolutionary service. We always thought we might find a kinship, or that she might be related to my husband, but no connection was ever revealed. We are positive our ancestors were acquainted.
The most fun we had, were the days we'd travel to a nearby city where there was a large genealogy library. We would meet and leave early enough to be at the door when the library opened. We packed a lunch so we could run to the car and eat instead of wasting our research time at a restaurant. Took all of 20 minutes. She still had a teen-ager in school, so usually she had a time to be back home. We had the drive timed perfectly so we could research until the last possible moment. The drive was about an hour and a half so we discussed our findings of the day, all the way home.
We also attended IGHR at Samford University in Birmingham and roomed together several times. We shared every night and it was almost like being able to take two simultaneous courses!
Unfortunately life got in the way and I had to move and our research frenzies came to an end. If we were together today, I'm sure we'd take up exactly where we left off - describing the latest finds and picking each other's brains for ideas!
Genealogy friends are wonderful people. Don’t you agree? Tell us about a genealogy friend in your life. How did you meet? Do you share any common ancestors or research interests?
I do agree. I'd say I have Abundant genealogy friends. I have met them in many ways - at conferences, on message boards, from my blog and website, researching at libraries. One of my genealogy friends was a volunteer at the local Family History Center - we saw each other weekly and realized we were working on family at some of the same places in the same time period. I found one of her ancestors while researching my own - at a time and place she had "lost" him. That find helped her to prove his Revolutionary service. We always thought we might find a kinship, or that she might be related to my husband, but no connection was ever revealed. We are positive our ancestors were acquainted.
The most fun we had, were the days we'd travel to a nearby city where there was a large genealogy library. We would meet and leave early enough to be at the door when the library opened. We packed a lunch so we could run to the car and eat instead of wasting our research time at a restaurant. Took all of 20 minutes. She still had a teen-ager in school, so usually she had a time to be back home. We had the drive timed perfectly so we could research until the last possible moment. The drive was about an hour and a half so we discussed our findings of the day, all the way home.
We also attended IGHR at Samford University in Birmingham and roomed together several times. We shared every night and it was almost like being able to take two simultaneous courses!
Unfortunately life got in the way and I had to move and our research frenzies came to an end. If we were together today, I'm sure we'd take up exactly where we left off - describing the latest finds and picking each other's brains for ideas!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 34
Week 34: Genealogy Challenges.
Which genealogy challenge has given you the best sense of accomplishment? What was the research problem you had to hurdle? What steps did you take that led to success? Do you have any words of encouragement for others who are facing their own genealogy challenges?
Oh, I'm late this week! But it is because I couldn't think of a single challenge. Sometimes very small successes - that one single record - brings on the genealogy happy dance. I've been extremely fortunate that there have been many other researchers of most of the family lines of both me and my husband's ancestry and I've been able to further expand on that work. I've found many online friends (even distant cousins) and we've been able to collaborate and piece together our families, correct old research errors, and find previously unseen records.
I do still have those brick walls I'd like to climb over, but I can say that I have knocked down a few and I'm happy to say that I have actually knocked down a wall or two for other people researching their families when they discovered my website.
My words of encouragement would be to persevere - sometimes you might have to lay your research aside for awhile and take another look later. But don't give up. Be patient. You will sometimes have to dig through a lot of courthouse records and look at many rolls of microfilm. Really, folks, it isn't all on the Internet. I have been absolutely amazed at times when I found that record that had been there all along and it was very obvious that other researchers had not found it ...because there was the proof in black and white, just waiting to be found.
Many of my problems have been solved when I was willing to take a broader look at an ancestor - that FAN stuff. Look at the other Family members, the Associates, the Neighbors for clues.
Just one word of warning. It can be very exciting to find a new connection, but please be sure it is the correct connection. Be sure that really is your family!
Which genealogy challenge has given you the best sense of accomplishment? What was the research problem you had to hurdle? What steps did you take that led to success? Do you have any words of encouragement for others who are facing their own genealogy challenges?
Oh, I'm late this week! But it is because I couldn't think of a single challenge. Sometimes very small successes - that one single record - brings on the genealogy happy dance. I've been extremely fortunate that there have been many other researchers of most of the family lines of both me and my husband's ancestry and I've been able to further expand on that work. I've found many online friends (even distant cousins) and we've been able to collaborate and piece together our families, correct old research errors, and find previously unseen records.
I do still have those brick walls I'd like to climb over, but I can say that I have knocked down a few and I'm happy to say that I have actually knocked down a wall or two for other people researching their families when they discovered my website.
My words of encouragement would be to persevere - sometimes you might have to lay your research aside for awhile and take another look later. But don't give up. Be patient. You will sometimes have to dig through a lot of courthouse records and look at many rolls of microfilm. Really, folks, it isn't all on the Internet. I have been absolutely amazed at times when I found that record that had been there all along and it was very obvious that other researchers had not found it ...because there was the proof in black and white, just waiting to be found.
Many of my problems have been solved when I was willing to take a broader look at an ancestor - that FAN stuff. Look at the other Family members, the Associates, the Neighbors for clues.
Just one word of warning. It can be very exciting to find a new connection, but please be sure it is the correct connection. Be sure that really is your family!
Monday, August 13, 2012
52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 33
Week 33: Ancestor Legend.
What is your favorite ancestral legend or family lore? Who originally told the story and what was the claim? Have you been able to prove the story true or false? What steps did you take to do so?
We had the usual Indian princess story. Well, she wasn't exactly represented as a princess - just that one of the grandfathers in the chain had a mother who was half-Indian. We never knew exactly where - although at one time my granddad sat and figure for awhile and then told me thought he was perhaps 1/8th Indian so my mother was 1/16th and I would be 1/32nd. Choctaw. If my granddad was 1/8th Indian then the generation of the full-blood would have been his great-grandfather or great-grandmother. Hints were that my grandfather's grandfather, Elijah "Tom" Comstock was the carrier of the Indian blood.
Once I began the genealogical journey, I realized that the story just didn't work. If Tom's mother was "half Indian" as the story went, the full-blood Indian would have been back another generation and my granddad would have been 1/16th, not 1/8th. But there was a bigger problem. Tom's parents are well identified. The Comstock line is just about as English as it's possible to be - descendants carry the most common Haplogroup found in the British Isles - the Atlantic Modal Haplotype. His mother was Nancy Goodman - the most likely candidates for her parents were an Abraham & Nancy Goodman living in Maury County, Tennessee in the early 1800's. This isn't carved in stone, but they are the only viable candidates in that time and place. Nancy Goodman had married her Comstock husband, Ephraim, in Maury Co in 1823.
Nancy Goodman had also been wrongly identified in some of the family genealogies as being from Graves County, Kentucky - the grain of truth is that some of her probable siblings lived later in Graves County, 1850's and later. But Nancy never lived in Kentucky. And the likelihood of her being of Indian heritage seems remote - by scant evidence, the Goodmans had arrived in Tennessee via North, then South, Carolina. The only census when Nancy Comstock appeared under her own name was 1850 and she did indeed state she was born in South Carolina. Goodman is a very common name among British Isle folks.
The claim of Choctaw heritage didn't fit the above locations too well, not for Nancy, nor for her probable parents - they were primarily located in Mississippi. This added to the puzzlement...
I've had autosomal DNA testing done by both FamilyTree DNA and 23andMe. If there was ever a single drop of Indian DNA in my body, it's gone. I've found paper trail + DNA matches all over my family tree - some as far back as 8th and 9th cousins. It seems unlikely that every trace of Indian DNA would have disappeared, but I'm told it could happen.
What I did discover is this, which may have influenced the family "tradition". One of my 4th great grandmothers, gg grandmother of the maternal grandfather who furnished the Indian heritage story, was Dorothy Amos Poindexter (1805-1846) whose younger brother Micajah did indeed marry a Cherokee lady in Kentucky by whom he had two sons before her untimely death. Grandsons and great-grandsons were enrolled in Oklahoma and rightly so - because of the area where they were living they were included on the Choctaw rolls, even though they were Cherokee. Some of Micajah's Indian descendants were denied because they claimed through a later wife and through Micajah's mother, neither of whom were Indian - they were apparently unaware of the true identity of Micajah's first wife.
Over 800 members of the vast Poindexter family applied for Indian rights but most were refused as most of the other lines could not prove their descent. Their confused and confusing testimony is an amazing read as few could even agree on the same Indian connection in the same generation. Much of this testimony can be found on Fold3, the Guion Miller Rolls and the 1896 Dawes Applications.
I don't believe that the Indian story originated with my Granddad, although he seemed very proud of it. It's well known in the family that old Elijah "Tom" Comstock loved to tell a good story and there does exist a letter by one of his wife's sisters claiming that Tom Comstock was said to be "part Indian". Old Tom lived long enough to have told the story to his grandson [my Granddad]. I very much suspect the story originated with Tom. I also believe the story actually applied to Micajah Poindexter's family - Tom may very well have "borrowed" it - he also may have been simply one of the carriers of the various Indian stories that seemed to proliferate throughout the Poindexter descendants.
I am convinced that it is all just a bedtime story. We have no Indian heritage.
What is your favorite ancestral legend or family lore? Who originally told the story and what was the claim? Have you been able to prove the story true or false? What steps did you take to do so?
We had the usual Indian princess story. Well, she wasn't exactly represented as a princess - just that one of the grandfathers in the chain had a mother who was half-Indian. We never knew exactly where - although at one time my granddad sat and figure for awhile and then told me thought he was perhaps 1/8th Indian so my mother was 1/16th and I would be 1/32nd. Choctaw. If my granddad was 1/8th Indian then the generation of the full-blood would have been his great-grandfather or great-grandmother. Hints were that my grandfather's grandfather, Elijah "Tom" Comstock was the carrier of the Indian blood.
Once I began the genealogical journey, I realized that the story just didn't work. If Tom's mother was "half Indian" as the story went, the full-blood Indian would have been back another generation and my granddad would have been 1/16th, not 1/8th. But there was a bigger problem. Tom's parents are well identified. The Comstock line is just about as English as it's possible to be - descendants carry the most common Haplogroup found in the British Isles - the Atlantic Modal Haplotype. His mother was Nancy Goodman - the most likely candidates for her parents were an Abraham & Nancy Goodman living in Maury County, Tennessee in the early 1800's. This isn't carved in stone, but they are the only viable candidates in that time and place. Nancy Goodman had married her Comstock husband, Ephraim, in Maury Co in 1823.
Nancy Goodman had also been wrongly identified in some of the family genealogies as being from Graves County, Kentucky - the grain of truth is that some of her probable siblings lived later in Graves County, 1850's and later. But Nancy never lived in Kentucky. And the likelihood of her being of Indian heritage seems remote - by scant evidence, the Goodmans had arrived in Tennessee via North, then South, Carolina. The only census when Nancy Comstock appeared under her own name was 1850 and she did indeed state she was born in South Carolina. Goodman is a very common name among British Isle folks.
The claim of Choctaw heritage didn't fit the above locations too well, not for Nancy, nor for her probable parents - they were primarily located in Mississippi. This added to the puzzlement...
I've had autosomal DNA testing done by both FamilyTree DNA and 23andMe. If there was ever a single drop of Indian DNA in my body, it's gone. I've found paper trail + DNA matches all over my family tree - some as far back as 8th and 9th cousins. It seems unlikely that every trace of Indian DNA would have disappeared, but I'm told it could happen.
What I did discover is this, which may have influenced the family "tradition". One of my 4th great grandmothers, gg grandmother of the maternal grandfather who furnished the Indian heritage story, was Dorothy Amos Poindexter (1805-1846) whose younger brother Micajah did indeed marry a Cherokee lady in Kentucky by whom he had two sons before her untimely death. Grandsons and great-grandsons were enrolled in Oklahoma and rightly so - because of the area where they were living they were included on the Choctaw rolls, even though they were Cherokee. Some of Micajah's Indian descendants were denied because they claimed through a later wife and through Micajah's mother, neither of whom were Indian - they were apparently unaware of the true identity of Micajah's first wife.
Over 800 members of the vast Poindexter family applied for Indian rights but most were refused as most of the other lines could not prove their descent. Their confused and confusing testimony is an amazing read as few could even agree on the same Indian connection in the same generation. Much of this testimony can be found on Fold3, the Guion Miller Rolls and the 1896 Dawes Applications.
I don't believe that the Indian story originated with my Granddad, although he seemed very proud of it. It's well known in the family that old Elijah "Tom" Comstock loved to tell a good story and there does exist a letter by one of his wife's sisters claiming that Tom Comstock was said to be "part Indian". Old Tom lived long enough to have told the story to his grandson [my Granddad]. I very much suspect the story originated with Tom. I also believe the story actually applied to Micajah Poindexter's family - Tom may very well have "borrowed" it - he also may have been simply one of the carriers of the various Indian stories that seemed to proliferate throughout the Poindexter descendants.
I am convinced that it is all just a bedtime story. We have no Indian heritage.
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