Do you have your genealogy paper work organized? In this day and age of electronics ant eh Internet you would think that we would not need to copy things on to paper anymore, but we still do. The mounds of paper that are still created with our research is endless. Keeping on top of this task can be a big part of our genealogical research process.
Create files for each family group. Organize those groups by generation. Use a pedigree chart as your guide. Include one of those in the first file for a particular surname. Only include items that relate to that particular family group in that file. Exception is the next generation. Example would be stuff that relates to you is in your family group file not your parents. Your parents would include their information plus your siblings.
Finally create a file for unsourced and information that has not yet been processed the family group folder. Make sure to file this information on a weekly basis. As you go to put it in the family group file make sure to include the sourcing for this document in your computer program. Maintaining organized paper files can be a large challenge, but it is a must.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
LegacyStories.org Unveils Life Lessons Slide Shows for Funeral Homes, Mortuaries and Assisted Living Communities - Houston Chronicle
Contact me if you are interested in learning more.
LegacyStories.org Unveils Life Lessons Slide Shows for Funeral Homes, Mortuaries and Assisted Living Communities - Houston Chronicle
LegacyStories.org Unveils Life Lessons Slide Shows for Funeral Homes, Mortuaries and Assisted Living Communities - Houston Chronicle
Naturalization
Immigrant ancestors often went through the process of becoming naturalized citizens of the United States. A couple things to remember about this process is that it took two steps. First was intent and finally was becoming naturalized. This process takes seven years.
Prior to women getting the right to vote in the 1920's they could only beceome a naturalized citizen of the United States in one way. Their husband had to be a naturalized citizen or US born. Depending on the nationallity some never became citizens. As documents go the naturilization records both the intent and the final document tend to be a little lacking in the information area. Majority of the time they only indicate the coutry that the person orginated from, but as it goes all documents as they relate to our ancestors are good to have.
Prior to women getting the right to vote in the 1920's they could only beceome a naturalized citizen of the United States in one way. Their husband had to be a naturalized citizen or US born. Depending on the nationallity some never became citizens. As documents go the naturilization records both the intent and the final document tend to be a little lacking in the information area. Majority of the time they only indicate the coutry that the person orginated from, but as it goes all documents as they relate to our ancestors are good to have.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Testimonial
For my fellow ancestry researchers, I want to *highly* recommend Derek Davey's assistance. Derek and I graduated high school together and he is a professional genealogist, teaching at Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio. I have never had such a treasure trove of documentation as that which he unearthed for me from the National Archives in Washington, DC. Can't say enough good things about Derek!
Maps
An important element of our genealogical research is the use of maps. Often we forget to look at maps in the time periods that our ancestors lived or migrated to a particular area. Over time the landscape as it relates to maps has changed dramatically.
Here in Northwest Ohio up until the 1840's the rest of the states was very well developed with county lines and roads. Northwest Ohio was just a blank space on the early maps. A big reason for this was the existence of the Black Swamp. It provided a natrual barrier to migration through the area to both the West and North. When the German population entered the area and drained the swamp it allowed for better roads and more people to migrate to the area. Not to mention some of the best farm land in the world.
Pay attention to maps. Easy explanations can be resolved for difficult brickwalls by looking at a map for the time period our ancestors were living.
Here in Northwest Ohio up until the 1840's the rest of the states was very well developed with county lines and roads. Northwest Ohio was just a blank space on the early maps. A big reason for this was the existence of the Black Swamp. It provided a natrual barrier to migration through the area to both the West and North. When the German population entered the area and drained the swamp it allowed for better roads and more people to migrate to the area. Not to mention some of the best farm land in the world.
Pay attention to maps. Easy explanations can be resolved for difficult brickwalls by looking at a map for the time period our ancestors were living.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Libraries
Have you been to a library to conduct your genealogy search? Please understand that the majority of stuff related to our families is offline. Books though are becoming a more popular item to be scanned in full and put on the internet.
When completing your research the local libraries where are families live often has some very unique resources that you will only find in that library. A common one is family histories. As genealogist complete their research and their families live in a specific area the finished genealogy will be given as a gift to the library. Many of my own family lines have genealogies that could find no where else than the local library where they lived. A variety of other records will also be at the library that have yet to be on the Internet. Take a look at the resources at the local libraries where your ancestors lived and plan a visit or hire a local researcher.
When completing your research the local libraries where are families live often has some very unique resources that you will only find in that library. A common one is family histories. As genealogist complete their research and their families live in a specific area the finished genealogy will be given as a gift to the library. Many of my own family lines have genealogies that could find no where else than the local library where they lived. A variety of other records will also be at the library that have yet to be on the Internet. Take a look at the resources at the local libraries where your ancestors lived and plan a visit or hire a local researcher.
Ancestoring's Orphan Photos: Gertie Kilby Storms of Pioneer, Ohio
Thought this might be interesting for folks in Northwest Ohio.
Ancestoring's Orphan Photos: Gertie Kilby Storms of Pioneer, Ohio
Ancestoring's Orphan Photos: Gertie Kilby Storms of Pioneer, Ohio
Monday, May 13, 2013
Known
It is always best when attempting to resolve a problem with your genealogy to work from the known to the unknown. This seemms like such a simple concept, but for a lot of genealogist they do not do this.
An excellent way of putting the know in a format that will allow you to understand the unknown is to put it into a timeline format. Starting with the birth date of the individual in chronological order identify each date that you have documented on the person. This will help you identify the gaps that you have as compared to what you know and will allow you to create a research plan to fill in the gaps. It will also force you to understand why certain records were not avaliable at certain time periods and force you to look at other sources to resolve the puzzle. In the end you should have a very clear understanding of the person once you have completed your exhaustive search.
Try it and let me know how you come out.
An excellent way of putting the know in a format that will allow you to understand the unknown is to put it into a timeline format. Starting with the birth date of the individual in chronological order identify each date that you have documented on the person. This will help you identify the gaps that you have as compared to what you know and will allow you to create a research plan to fill in the gaps. It will also force you to understand why certain records were not avaliable at certain time periods and force you to look at other sources to resolve the puzzle. In the end you should have a very clear understanding of the person once you have completed your exhaustive search.
Try it and let me know how you come out.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Jurisdiction
One of the common brick walls that we come across when doing our genealogy research it not locating families where we thought they would be. Making certain that you know the boundaries of the jurisdiction where your family often sheds light on boundary changes that we were not aware of previously.
Our ancestors would live in the same location their whole lives, but their geographic area would fall under different jurisdictions. Here in Northwest Ohio the northern strips of Fulton, Lucas and Williams were considered part of the Michigan Territory prior to 1837. It was after that time that they resolved the actual location of the boundary and the area became part of the state of Ohio. The Land transactions in this area seemed to bounce back and forth from Ohio to Michigan prior to the 1837 date. Finally there were entries after the 1837 law that transferred the land to it's proper jurisdiction. The whole time the family had never moved.
Boundaries have changed a great many times. Previously I have posted a link to he excellent map system at the Newberry Library on the internet that allows you to see the boundaries change on a map at a specific time. It will help you tremendously with understanding the changes in jurisdiction that have occurred in areas where are families have lived.
Our ancestors would live in the same location their whole lives, but their geographic area would fall under different jurisdictions. Here in Northwest Ohio the northern strips of Fulton, Lucas and Williams were considered part of the Michigan Territory prior to 1837. It was after that time that they resolved the actual location of the boundary and the area became part of the state of Ohio. The Land transactions in this area seemed to bounce back and forth from Ohio to Michigan prior to the 1837 date. Finally there were entries after the 1837 law that transferred the land to it's proper jurisdiction. The whole time the family had never moved.
Boundaries have changed a great many times. Previously I have posted a link to he excellent map system at the Newberry Library on the internet that allows you to see the boundaries change on a map at a specific time. It will help you tremendously with understanding the changes in jurisdiction that have occurred in areas where are families have lived.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Indexers
One of the limitations of genealogy records on the internet is that it takes humans to be able to read the old documents and put them in a format that the computer will understand. One of the large tasks that Genealogy world faces when it comes to the internet is having enough qualified indexers to format the documents so they can be used on the internet.
Both Ancestry and Family Search depend on a army of indexers to read the microfilm scans of documents and put it in the format that computers can read. At last count Family Search was adding close to 5 million individual records per week. All of us can help in this process. The process is easy. Once you have indexed the document two other people index the same documents. When the document has been indexed by three different people then the results are sent to a arbitrator. This person is a skilled indexer and above average at reading hand writing. This process has resulted in much more accurate databases on the internet.
Give it a try. When we all help it allows the records to get on the Internet much faster. We have not even scratched the surface with records that need to be done.
Both Ancestry and Family Search depend on a army of indexers to read the microfilm scans of documents and put it in the format that computers can read. At last count Family Search was adding close to 5 million individual records per week. All of us can help in this process. The process is easy. Once you have indexed the document two other people index the same documents. When the document has been indexed by three different people then the results are sent to a arbitrator. This person is a skilled indexer and above average at reading hand writing. This process has resulted in much more accurate databases on the internet.
Give it a try. When we all help it allows the records to get on the Internet much faster. We have not even scratched the surface with records that need to be done.
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