Henry County Historical Society

Another great historical society link.  http://www.henrycountyhistory.org/

Fulton County Ohio Historical Society

Another Historical society site.  http://www.fultoncountyhs.org/

Fostoria Historical Society

Another great Northwest Ohio Historical Society.  http://www.fostoria.org/Links/museum/museum.html

Bucyrus Historical Society

Check out this Historical Society page.  http://www.bucyrusonline.com/bhs/

Auglaize County Historical Society

Check out the Auglaize County Historical Society site. http://www.auglaizecountyhistory.org/webpages/index.html

Allen County Historical Society

This is a great Historical Society located in Northwest Ohio.  Check it out.

http://www.allencountymuseum.org/

Bad Software

6 Bad Things About Today's Genealogy Software
http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=875

Questions about the Grandparents

Where and when were your grandparents born? (both sets) What do/did they look like?  What were their occupations?  How did they come to meet and marry?

 

This is a important question, because this moves us on to the next generation.  Family members did not always come from where you thought they did.  My fathers family was in Ohio when he was born, but they were regionally from Michigan. My mom was born in Michigan, but her family was originally from Ohio.  Both families moved a great deal prior to getting settled in one place, but would eventually locate where other family members had already located.

Asking questions about appearance may not seem like much, but they may provide clues on ethnic origins.  It will explain many of the features and characteristics of our current generation that we may not understand today.

Jobs were so important to understanding our nations transition from a Agrarian society to a urban setting.  In my own family they had been farmers for generations, but then in the early 1900's they moved to cities and started working factory and railroad jobs.  They moved from living on large pieces of land.  They located in apartments and city houses.  Many things had changed from living a farmers life.

It is important to understand where your grandparents met, because it will offer clues on other family members.  Did they meet at church or school?  Maybe a place they worked or someone that lived in the neighborhood.  Were they friends with other family members?  All of these are important facts for our continued genealogical journey.

Blog to check out.

http://desktopgenealogistunplugged.blogspot.com/  Check out this blog.

Family interview continued

When and where were your parents born?  What are their full names?  What do/did they look like?  What were their occupations?  How did they come to meet and marry?  

Again the plan here is to the more interesting information about our families histories.  Understanding if they were born in the same town they live in now.  Were they born overseas and where?  Understanding what there full names will help in looking for future generations, because of the use of common naming patterns.  Understanding if names were changed and why.

I am always struck the looks of ancestors two generations ago and the resemblance to the people of today.  My father is short, but if you look at my grandpa and all his brothers they are very tall.  

Where did they work?  The jobs of yesteryear are often ones that do not even exist in today's world.  Were they laborers, farmers or work for the railroad.  Occupations and the accumulation of wealth often explains the lack of a paper trail.  People that did not have a lot of money did not normally have very good paper trails.

Where did they meet shows the closeness of neighborhoods.  Did they meet at church or school?  Were they a friend of another member of the family?  All important items for putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Monclova and Lourdes classes

Well it is another closing of my teaching sessions and visit to Ft. Wayne.  Awesome students this session.  Planning on classes coming up in January at Monclova with a beginners and advanced class.  Got discounts running till the 15th of December.  Contact me if you are interested.

Sandusky Graveyard hunting

http://graveyardrabbitofsanduskybay.blogspot.com/  Check out this awesome site.

Church records- Toledo Catholic diocise

Are you aware that the records for the Archdiocese of Toledo is located on Family Search?  The down side is that it has not been indexed yet, but it is totally searchable.  The time frame is from 1798-2004.  The key is knowing the parish that your relative attended.  Look in the explore collections portion of the Family Search site.  This is awesome.

Good Advice

Sometimes we need to forget we are a genealogist and

• think about census taking as if it were our job
• pretend we were the clerk that couldn't understand your ancestor
• imagine we are a semi-literate frontiersman collecting taxes
• imagine you are a non-English speaker with a fear of the government who sees the census taker coming
• think what it might have been like to have 4 small children, little money to spare, and barely able to afford a burial plot, let alone a tombstone

Remember, the research is about our ancestors and the people who created the records that we use--not necessarily about us.

 

Good advice from Michael Neill.

Online genealogy classes for begineers

Big news! We've created a whole new series of courses for beginners. These First Steps classes are designed to help you build a solid foundation of good research skills. Click on the link below to learn more about our newest class, "Using Birth Records" (but hurry—it starts on Monday!).

First Steps: Using Birth Records | FamilyTreeUniversity.com

www.familytreeuniversity.com

National Black Genealogy Summit

Still time to register for the National Black Genealogy Summit, Fort Wayne, Indiana 20-22 October. (Walk-in registrations will be accepted, but register ahead of time --frees up time for research in the Genealogy Center!)

Court house visit

If you are going to visit the court records office in a rural courthouse, considering finding out what days are days when court is in session. Offices are usually busier those days, and if possible, going on off court days may make things easier.

Migration sites

Great site. www.migrations.org

Google tips

Google Search Tips for Genealogists | TechTips | FamilySearch

www.familysearch.org

The Google Genealogist shares some tips to utilize the latest tools from Google to find your family history.

Input needed

Folks I need your input.  Do you have things you come across while searching your family that you have questions about?  Please post them on this site and I will respond with answers that will help you as well as other readers.  I look forward to your comments. 

Learning about our German ancestors

Fall Seminar - German Immigration, Settlement and Contributions [FA11m] : Ohio Chapter of Palatines.

www.oh-palam.org

Ohio Chapter of Palatines to America Fall Seminar - German Immigration, Settlement and Contributions [FA11m] - The Ohio Chapter Palatines to America2011 Fall Seminar"German Immigration, Settlement and Contributions" Saturday, October 15, 2011, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm The Der Dutchman Restaurant 445 S J...

German ancestors

Ohio Chapter - Palatines to America - German Genealogy Society

It's official: October is German-American Heritage Month in Ohio

Wall Photos

For the new genealogist

We're looking for our next Family Tree Firsts blogger. Maybe it's you! Click the link below to find out more.

Genealogy Insider - We're on the Lookout for a Family Tree Firsts Blogger!

blog.familytreemagazine.com

Continuing the family interview

When and where did you meet your wife/husband?  How did your meeting come about?  Was she/he your first love?  Can you describe the proposal, the wedding ceremony, the honeymoon? 

The stories that make genealogy interesting are those that brings our relatives lives alive.  These are not normally going to be found in a book or online.  They come from the memories of our relative both oral and those that have been documented.


Learning the events that led up to our parents marriage adds the important parts to our genealogy.  Getting the specifics of where they met.  How long the courtship lasted and such always provide interesting stories.  Learning of previous loves is always a interesting feature of the family interview.  


Then finally all the dealing with the wedding.  Who was in the wedding? Who attended?  What church were you married in?  Did you have a reception?  For future generations this is genealogy gold.  This is why we do the research we do.  We want to learn about our families lives.  Through understanding them our own lives start to make more sense.

Early Religion

This is a very interesting interactive site that shows early religions in Colonial America.  Excellent resource for many people that would eventually come to Northwest Ohio.

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historynow/09_2011/interactive.php

Genealogy Timelines

Historical Timelines | Luxegen Genealogy and Family History

Using a Timeline - Historical events help determine why our ancestors chose to migrate from the homeland to a new country.

Excellent search helper

just installed 16,234 new US and surname genealogy links from Karen and the Linkpendium volunteers at http://www.Linkpendium.com/ Linkpendium now indexes 9,467,172 genealogical Web pages. THANKS to all the volunteers who are submitting links -- everyone, please make sure we include your favorite sites!

Linkpendium

German Genealogy- Toledo Lucas County Public Library

Today at the library they are presenting a talk on "German Genealogy".  It will be conducted from 11am to 1 pm. 

Andersonville Civil War

Folks here is a new civil war site dealing those soldiers from the North that spent time at Andersonville.  It also talks about the Sultanna disaster that was bringing many poor souls back up North when it sank.


http://www.civilwarprisoners.com/

A site worth trying out

OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS, the quickest way to break through that "Brick Wall"

www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com

Welcome to OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS.......The Quickest Way to Find your Roots thru FREE Genealogy Research

Revolutionary Thought

Genealogy Tip of the Day

Not every research problem can be solved by an internet search. Some sources are only in their original form and require onsite access.

Genealogy- Putting together the flavor of family

When and where were your brothers and sisters born?  Did they marry?  Have Families? (Follow up for the details) What were they like?  Do you have any favorite memories of them? 

The important element of identifying the location of birth for the siblings is to put together the migration pattern of the family.  In my own family my grandmothers family moved from Northwest Ohio, Northeast Indiana, Northeast Ohio and then finally to Southeastern Michigan.  The motivation was the time period and the constant need to find employment.  In this situation it was not driven by family already being located in the area.  Each of my G Aunt's and Uncle's was born in a different location.  Meeting their spouses all along the way.

The importance of marriage is when you are looking to trace the siblings lines.  Learning about these families help in understanding the fabric of the family.


Understanding more about siblings helps in understanding more about your own family line.  This to me is what makes genealogy fun.

Genealogy- Ohio Genealogical Society Toledo

Giving a talk today on "Tracing your Civil War Ancestors" at the OGS meeting at the Toledo downtown library.  Love to share my talks. 

Finished orientation for Advanced and Beginners class at Lourdes.  I hope I get enough students.

Genealogy- Confirming the location

Where were you born and when?  Do you remember any stories that your parents shared with you about your birth?  Do you have your birth and/ or baptismal certificates?

It is important that you get all the information when determining where people were born.  Remember in rural locations the family home was a common place or the local midwife.  Remember to people would go to the closest city which did not always mean in the same county, state or country.  I did research for a client who had family in Vermont and could not locate them.  They happened to live along the US Canadian border.  Guess what the family filed all their records in Canada.  
When interviewing for stories in large families remember memories are going to vary a great deal from the youngest child to the oldest.  You will get surprises from the people that you would not have felt when you started would have had the most information.  Interview everyone that is willing.
In many cases the best source for birth records prior to a civil record would be the church.  Remember that baptismal certificates often indicate the date they were baptized not the day they were born.
Tomorrow more insight into the questions.

Genealogy Analyzing the Questions

What is your full name?  Do you know why your parents chose that name for you?  Were you named after an ancestor?  Someone famous?  Do you have a nickname? 

Why you say is it important to get the full name of the ancestor?  Well for one thing it was very common to get the middle name of many of our  ancestors from surnames on the maiden side of the family.  In my genealogy I had a middle name that was used repeatedly.  It turned out that two generations down the line it ended up being a surname.  This is very common.
Knowing why someone used a particular first name may offer clues to past generations.  Naming traditions were very common in many ethnic backgrounds.  The first born son was named after the fathers father, the first born daughter was named after the fathers mother, second son was named after the mother's father, second daughter after the mother's mother and so on down the line.  Please understand that our families were not real creative in coming up with regional names.  A relative uncommon name like Magdalena can be popular when naming traditions are involved.
A common name to someone famous does not indicate that your ancestor is related to that person somehow.  It is common today to have research done to prove relationships to people that are famous.  Proof is not always there.  
Finally pay attention to nicknames.  My own grandmother was named Babe for the first five years of her life, because my great grandparents could not decide on a family name.  Surprisingly these names appear many times in public records.  Checking several sources will help in finding the true name.  
So when doing your interviews be sure to ask questions that will offer solutions to problems that may be created as you do your research.

Genealogy- Putting together the questioning

•Questions to ask

–What is your full name?  Do you know why your parents chose that name for you?  Were you named after an ancestor?  Someone famous?  Do you have a nickname?

–Where were you born and when?  Do you remember any stories that your parents shared with you about your birth?  Do you have your birth and/ or baptismal certificates?

 

–When and where were your brothers and sisters born?  Did they marry?  Have Families? (Follow up for the details) What were they like?  Do you have any favorite memories of them?

–When and where did you meet your wife/husband?  How did your meeting come about?  Was she/he your first love?  Can you describe the proposal, the wedding ceremony, the honeymoon?

–When and where were your parents born?  What are their full names?  What do/did they look like?  What were their occupations?  How did they come to meet and marry? 

 

–Where and when were your grandparents born? (both sets) What do/did they look like?  What were their occupations?  How did they come to meet and marry?

–Who was the oldest person you can remember in your family as a child?  What do you remember about them?  Do you remember visiting other relatives or family friends as a child?

–Did you serve in any wars?  If so, which war?  Which branch of the service were you in?

–Are there any items, traditions or customs in the family which have been handed down from generation to generation (these could include everything from naming traditions to jewelry to recipes)?

   

I will be putting more questions together in the next few days.

 

Genealogy- Preparing for the interview

Gathering Oral History

–Decide where to start

•Start with the family historian.

•Interview the older members of your family.

–Make a Game Plan

•Start with setting a appointment.

•Write down questions to work off.

•Bring along family chart and things that you have found so far that will jog memories.

–Tips for interview

•Read information on doing proper interviews.

•Consider writing or emailing questions

•Use the Phone

–This by far can be the hardest. 

 

 

•Asking the correct questions

–Do your research.

•Make sure you know how the person being interviewed fits into the family.

•Use your charts as a guide.

–Use open ended questions.

•Get the person to tell stories instead of yes or no answers.

–Try to elicit facts.

•Be sure to find out the how, why, where, when and what

 

Tomorrow we will work on the questions to ask.

Genealogy Talking to the realtives

•

Visit Family members homes or via the phone to locate information.

–Be respectful of their wishes.

–Best way is to get them involved in the hunt.

–Remind them you are looking for personnel history.

–Make sure to have your questions ready.

–Use a family check list to complete your hunt.

 

•Clues from Family Sources

–Photographs

•Names and dates

•Photographers mark

•Clothing and houses

–Postcards

•Pictures may offer clues to where they lived.

•Comments on the back may offer clues.

–Vital Records

•May be stored in a variety of places.

•Just the fact they were saved makes them important.

•Birth, marriage & death certificates, baptismal certificates, naturalization papers, wills, patents, military enlistments, discharges.

 

•Clues from Family sources

–Diaries, Letters & Journals

•Here is where you learn the stories of your families past.

•These are the important facts that document the events of their lives.

–Family Bibles

•The births, marriages and deaths that are documented are invaluable.

•Traditionally given at the time of a marriage of a couple.

•Documents many facts that you may not find somewhere else.

–Scrapbooks

•Will include obits, wedding & anniversary announcements, graduation and other events of their lives.

 

Saturday I will add more.

 

 

Just wanted to thank those other sights that are sending their folks my way.  Please check out their blogs as well.

www.jessica journal.blogspot.com
www.limestones.blogspot.com
www.desktopgenealogiststunplugged.blogspot.com
www.historyfaces.blogspot.com



I will continue with contacting those relative tomorrow.

Genealogy Contacting the relatives

Now that we have gathered the information we have at home the next step is to put it in a context that we can understand where we need to go.   This step involved putting together all the names that you know starting with you.  This can all be put on what is know as a Pedigree chart.  Typically these are what is known as a five generation chart.  Start on the left side of the sheet.  Then work your way to the right and fill out as many blanks as you are able.  The top part of the charts is your paternal line (father's side) and the bottom portion is the maternal line (mother's side).  Be sure to fill out the categories of birth, marriage and death.  Please identify the date as follows. ex 4 September 2011.  Include the location of the event. (Toledo, Lucas, Ohio)  Don't worry about filling it all out if you don't have it all.  Reference where you got your information.  A genealogy without proof is fiction.
   Evaluate the blank spots.  This give us the areas where we need to find more information.  At this stage of the search it is now time to contact relatives.  Start by making a list of people you know.  As you go through the contact process be sure to ask for names with others that may be able to help.  Be aware that often the people you think will help and those you don't think will help do.  Information comes from the most unlikely places.  The stories from the oldest to youngest can vary a great deal.  Prior to making the calls, make a list of questions that will help you keep on track.  Tomorrow we will go over a list of questions.

Genealogy- Why start?

Are you thinking about researching your Family?  Most people face this question at the beginning of their search.  Many start after they retire, but for me it began when I turned thirteen years old.  Some people are just curious about there families past.  For others it becomes a search for medical history.

  One of the first steps in preparing for the search is to look to see what you have on hand.  For me it was a large box that was handed to my mother when one of our relatives died.
  Things to look for include obituaries, family bibles, discharge papers, birth announcements, etc. etc.  Much of this information will not make sense in the beginning, but make sure to keep it.  The family bible often given as a gift when a couple got married was the safe in olden times.  Don't just look at the family information on the inside, but leaf through all the pages.  Here if you get lucky you will find funeral cards, obits or military discharge records.
  Make sure to organize this information for later use. One of the largest challenges for any genealogist is keeping things organized.  This should start from the beginning.  The next step is to contact relatives.

Genealogy Class Begineers Monclova (Toledo)

The Monclova Community Center will have genealogy expert Derek Davey teaching a six-week course .
Class participants will also have the change to go to the Allen County Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the end of the course with Derek. Class size is limited.
When: beginning Friday, September 30 from 10 a.m. – 12 noon