Genealogy and historical societies

Have you attended or joined your local genealogy or historical society?  You are missing out on a valuable resource for your research.

It amazes me as I travel across Ohio and Michigan on the subject of genealogy how few people attend the meeting.  With the creation of TV programs covering the subject and the aggressive marketing of Ancestry in all medias the research of one's family is very popular.  A missing component to your research is collaborating with like minded folks in your community on the subject of genealogy and history.  Many of the members are more than willing to share with others concerning ways to conduct their genealogy and get over many of the brick walls.  The projects of indexing records or taking cemetery censuses is invaluable resource for current genealogist as well as those into the future.  These projects are coordinated at this level.  They need your help in participating.

Another important component is the programming that is offered normally on a monthly basis that will help you learn about genealogy.  Yes, lot's of this can be found on line these days, but the local meetings offer a local flavor.  You also get the immediate gratification of getting your questions answered by a genuine person.

If you are a member of a group make sure they advertise.  The groups I find with the best turnout have sent press releases to the local paper of radio stations.  Please help support these groups you don't know what you are missing.

New England Research

Many of our ancestors in this area trace their migration pattern back to New England.  A excellent book has come out recently published by the New England Historical and Genealogical Society that updates the bible of research titled "Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research" edited by Michael J. Leclerc.

This book is in it's fifth edition.  The updates include essay introductions for each state, maps of the state and counties, updates to the various repositories and list of parent and daughter towns.  With the large amount of research that I have done in both my personal and clients genealogy I have found it to be a invaluable tool.

The introductions for each state offer a short concise overview of the history of the records within the state and the location and archiving practices of each state.  Locating records is often the biggest trick to breaking down a brick wall.  This book allows you to minimize the difficulty involved with this task.

One of the major issues I have had with my own research in New England has been the location of borders and  the creation of counties.  There is a general assumption that the way it is today is the way it has always been done.  Not so.  Many of the smaller states in this area when it came to probate were not done on a county basis, but were done in districts.  The records were then centralized within the district and not be in the county that you are looking for your ancestors.

Identifying the information available in the various states is key.  With the shear size of documents created in New England since the 1620's knowing where they are stored is key.  The helpful description of key sources in each state was one that I found valuable for research.  Realizing where the records or family papers are located is a outstanding resource.  Understanding the shear size of records available and understanding that not all things are on the internet is key.

While researching in New England towns appear and disappear like popcorn.  The section that helps you in understanding what cities were original and where the new towns came from was excellent.  The dating of the creation of the various counties and towns is critical to knowing if your family was located in the correct place when you are looking for them.  I have fallen into the trap of thinking the towns were always there and find that in fact they were living in a adjacent town or county.  This book helps with improving those happy moments of discovery.

Please check out the new book area of your local library or historical society for this book.  Better yet order a copy for yourself, because it should be a part of your genealogical library when it comes to New England family research.  www.americanancestors.org

Offline vs Online Genealogy

A interesting question has been bouncing around in my head about Online resources vs offline resources.  Genealogist today are fortunate because of the abundant amount of records and lineages that are online, but it does not come without it's pitfalls.

One of he primary reasons for me getting professional work for clients is that they have reached a brick wall and they are unable to locate the records that they seek online.  For this reason they do not believe the records exist or do not know how to locate them.  Reality is that close to 95% of genealogy is not located online.  The records that you need to resolve your brick walls are still located in libraries, archives, court houses and historical societies.  Realizing this fact is key to doing your research and staying in the world of reality.

We are fortunate that so much is online and continues to be added to the internet, but the vast majority is not available.  This is why a research plan for each family group in your genealogy that includes both online and offline sources is so important.  There is so much information hidden away offline that provides the key to our brick walls.  I am convinced that it is out there we just have not looked in the correct place yet.

The lineage sites that are online can provide many pitfalls to our research.  First most of them are undocumented.  This we know is against Genealogical Proof Standards.  The major websites do not police or verify the accuracy of the genealogies posted on their sites.  We still need to verify everything and be suspicious of everything.  Until you document and meet the criteria of the Genealogical Proof Standard we are making a good book of fiction.  Just because hundreds of people say a lineage is right does not make it correct if they do not sight sources.  Someone who lived their whole life in the 1700's in Virginia does not have parents that share the surname that lived their whole lives in Massachusetts.  Be very careful.  Some websites that you can trace your lineage from you to King John in two hours.  Reality is it takes years.

For the sake of all future genealogist check all your resources both online and off.  You will soon find that the best resources are not online and will not be for a while.  Trust nothing until you locate proof.

Sandusky Register referal

Want to thank all you folks that are visiting due to Sandusky Register posting.  Please leave comments if you need help on your search?  Remember to I teach genealogy at Terra in Fremont and will be teaching a week long course in Lakeside this summer starting July 9.  Thank you for your visit.

Websites- Family Search

Family Search provides a constantly updated genealogical database for free.  The site provides four different ways of conducting searches which include records, trees, catalog and books.  All of them prove to be valuable tools in conducting our genealogical search.

When accessing the Family Search page you will see the option of entering a name to conduct a search in the records.  If this is your first time visiting the site it is important to become a registered user.  The icon to click is in the upper right corner.  You will need to select a users name and password.  An email will then be sent to you that you will need to confirm your information.  By registering you will be allowed access to the scanned records like census page and vital records.  There is a big advantage to see the original source for the transcription.

Once you have become registered you will need to go back to the starting page.  You are given several options on this first page.  You have the four selections of records, trees, catalog and books.  Included on this page you can search by location or also look at the many databases that are available. 

The records search allows you to access many of the databases.  They are all location specific.  Providing as much information for the historical search is important so you are able to look at a smaller group of choices.  Records here are census, vital, migration, military, probate and other.  The more specific that you are with the details the smaller your group of people will be, but you can vary your search parameters.  One that I like to do is searching for a surname in a specific location like Lucas County, Ohio.  This gives you a list of people that go by the same last name in a specific location during certain time periods.  I have found this good when looking to search collateral lines.  Information when searching this way helps you in connecting families and to find more things that you would not be able to find in a very specific search.  When you are not certain of the specific location, but know a state for instance you can get a much larger group.  This does not work as well for popular names.  I will talk about various search methods in upcoming articles.

A note on the records search options is that not all the databases are available in the search option.  Example of this would be the Archdiocese records for cemeteries and parishes in the Toledo Ohio area.  This source can be accessed by clicking on the “All records Collection” that is located just below the search function on the first page.  All records are listed by location.  Here you would have to move down to Ohio in the listing and look for the Toledo Archdiocese records.  Descriptions of the databases are included on the databases first page.  This section is by far the most updated and you should look at it regularly.  As I mentioned many records are not included in the Records search database, but are located on the site.

Now go back to the records search and look at what we got with our name search.  The returns for your search will cover all the databases included in the search.  For the sake of discussion we will be looking for a death record in Lucas County Ohio.  We are given the option to look specifically for the death date.  Once you reach the second page which is the results of your search you need to look at the options of the databases searched.  If you conduct a narrow search for the name in the location and the way you have the name spelled the results will be very narrow.  If there is a chance the name could be spelled several different ways in a specific location narrow the search by making it location specific. 

To see what databases have been searched click on the word “Collections” in the filter section along the left side of the page.  Here you will see all the databases that were searched and how many were found.  You should come up with three different databases specific to Ohio which is divided by time period and the SSDI index.  By clicking on one of the four it will narrow the amount of names.  Search each database.  Information can vary.  Once you get to a record that you feel applies click on the name.  Here it will have a transcription if available of the actual record.  You can not look at the scan if you are not registered.  Much more information is included on the actual scan of the document.

The key here is to have a plan for what you are searching for and trying to learn.  Narrow the search by location.  Don’t be afraid to try different methods for searching the databases.

Summer of Learning 2012

June 1- Dr. Deborah Abbott, PHD Presents Genealogy 101:Using Online Resources- 10 am
June 2- Julie Wilson presents "Using Newspapers in your Research"- Find out what else is out there to add to your family history, you'll never know what hems you are missing in old newspapers! 10 am
June 16-22- More than 25 classes with Kimberly Powell, Craig Scott, Elissa Powell, Shirley Hodges, Peggy Lauritzen, Dr. David McDonald, Dr. Deborah Abbott, Robert Keener, Missy Derrenberger, Fee:$265 members, $295 non-members, Register online. Weekling
July 12- Dr. Deborah Abbott, Ph.D. presents "Shaking the dust off the courthouse records" Learn waht records are available and the information found in these records. 10 am
July 20- Chris Staats presents  "Weaving a Web: Using Internet Resources to Create and Effective Research Plan"- Successful online research may not necessarily mean finding information about your ancestors in a database or online image collection. 10 am
August 3- Derek Davey- presents "researching your War of 1812 ancestors". 10 am
August 9- Dr. Deborah Abbott, Ph. D, presents "Researching the Federal Census and Other Overlooked Schedules" with the 1940 Census, learn what information can be found before it is indexed. 10 am
August 10- Derek Davey- presents "using FamilySearch for your free research" learn what FamilySearch has available for records and how to navigate their website. 10am

All programs are held at the Samuel D Isaly Library of the Ohio Genealogical Society 611 SR 97 W, Bellville, OH 44813.  Pre registration is required.  Please call the library at 419-886-1903 or email ogs@ogs.org to register.

War of 1812

The War of 1812 is referred to by many as our Second War for Independence. For the genealogist it provides another source for family history information during a period of time in our country’s early history that generally lacks good data.

As the western edge of civilization at this time, Ohio was the site of many important battles. Recent settlers defended their land against both Native American and British forces. Survival skills gained by early settlers—fighting a harsh environment and wielding a gun—played an important role in minimizing the duration of the war.

Northeast Ohio and the area around Cincinnati were important areas for recruitment for militia. Soldiers were organized by the U.S. government from local units originally created to defend against the local native population. Service tended to be short term and men had several short stints of service. They were called up when a threat was apparent or a campaign was being organized. Men were also organized into federal units that primarily occupied the forts that were created during this period.

A series of trails and forts were created in the state to help defend the frontier. The trails would become important routes of migration and trade in later years. For example, a trail ran from Cleveland down through Fremont and then to Perrysburg, where Ft. Meigs was located. This was a very big fort for its day and played an important part in the war. From here you could go further west down the Maumee River to Ft. Wayne or directly north along the western half of Lake Erie to Detroit. The route between Cleveland and Perrysburg would become Route 20 in Ohio and the northern route followed closely I-75 up to Detroit from Toledo.

From Cincinnati a trail was made that reached all the way to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, a major trading post at the time. All along this trail, a series of blockhouses were built that would provide protection for troops during potential Native American attacks. The locations of many of these outposts would later become towns.

In northwest Ohio, the Black Swamp acted as a barrier from the east and the south. Troop movement in this area was difficult. There was really no good time of the year to travel through this area. In the rainy season you had to travel through several feet of water along with large swarms of mosquitoes. In the winter, a solid sheet of ice ran for miles. This was a major reason for the direction of the trails created during this time. The Black Swamp also created a need for very hardy soldiers.

Finding Your Solider

How can you determine whether your ancestor served in the War of 1812? This war tended to accept a much larger age group for service. Check for those who lived in the area that were between the age of 18 and 50. Remember men were in short supply in the frontier so everyone was needed.

The Ohio Historical Society has a searchable War of 1812 Roster of Ohio Soldiers , which lists all soldiers who fought in this war. Ohio furnished 1,759 Officers and 24,521 enlisted men for this war, representing 10% of Ohio’s total population. The Roster can be searched by first and last name. Members and officers of a unit are identified. If it’s known what part of the state the unit was from, it is identified.

A microfilmed index to service records for soldiers and sailors can be found at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) (M-602, 234 rolls). This listing is for volunteers. Actual service records are currently in the process of being filmed. The records for the Regular army are in “Registers of Enlistment in the US Army 1798-1914” (NARA M223, 81 rolls). In the index, you will find name, rank, organization of unit, dates he was mustered in and out and the state from which he served. Editor’s note: Some muster rolls and other records of Ohio military activity are available in Ohio repositories. See related article, “Selected War of 1812 Resources in Ohio.”

Pension records can be found in two places:

·         The “Old Wars” series covers death and disability claims (covered under special Congressional acts) for service during the entire period. The records are organized alphabetically and there is an index (NARA, T-316, 7 rolls). Included is the name, rank, military or naval unit and period of service. If the person applied for a pension, it will include age or date of birth, residence and sometimes place of birth. When a widow applied for a pension it shows her age, place of marriage to the veteran and maiden name. If the veteran left orphans, the names of the children, ages, and place of their residence will be listed.

·         The “The War of 1812 series” (NARA, M-602, 234 rolls) resulted from Congressional acts passed in 1871 and 1878. Due to the late passage of these benefits, most the people affected had passed on. Included in these records is a subseries that includes death and disability claims as well as bounty land warrants. This makes this source a valuable item due to the increased amount of soldiers covered and closeness to the actual war. The soldier’s information included in this file shows name, age, place of residence, if married, maiden name of wife, place and date of marriage, rank, military or naval unit, date and place of entering the service and date and place of discharge. The widow’s declaration includes name, age and place of residence of the widow, date and place of marriage, name of official conducting the ceremony, date and place of the veteran’s death, his rank, his military or naval unit, the date and place of his entering the service, and the date and place of discharge. This series is indexed on Ancestry .

Bounty land records are the final piece of War of 1812 documentation. For those who may have had family that relocated to the territories of Missouri or Illinois where the bounty land was given, this information is very important. The normal amount was 160 acres. Unlike other wars, land grants awarded from War of 1812 service could not be sold. This will help in understanding the migration pattern and hopefully will move you on to your next step in your genealogical research.

Find War of 1812 Military Bounty Land Warrants, 1815-1858 (NARA M-848, 14 rolls) indexed on Ancestry.

Portable Scanners

Have you ever been researching in a library, court house or archives where you need to make copies of documents?  This can be a challenge with having the correct change, standing in line for the copier or the facility may not have the capabilities to make reproductions.  Having your own hand scanner can resolve this problem.

Technology today has developed where you have the ability to copy pages in a book or copy photos using a hand scanner.  One of the nicer ones on the market today is the Flip Pal.  This scanner has a 4 x 6 inch scanning area.  You have the ability to copy pages in a book and download it into your computer.  It does not plug into the wall, but uses batteries for power.  This makes it very easy to use and allows you to work in areas without a electrical outlet or your computer.

Another excellent feature of this product is it's excellent reproduction quality of photos.  The image can be scanned directly off the image or over the protective cover the picture is stored in.  Recently I saw a demonstration using this product that allowed it to scan a much larger picture and stitch the smaller images together to make the larger picture.  The fascinating part was you did not see the seems.

So when taking a look at a scanner take a look at the Flip Pal.  For further information please contact me directly.flip-pal.com/derekdavey

Ohio Network of American Research centers

This is a link to the locations in Ohio where records have been transferred from the courthouses due to limited space.

http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/lgr/networkl.html

Genealogical Resources in Ohio Michigan with Derek Davey 04/12 by BerniceBennett | Blog Talk Radio

Genealogical Resources in Ohio Michigan with Derek Davey 04/12 by BerniceBennett | Blog Talk Radio

House History

So take some time and look at your home.  Do you live in a old home?  Are your curious about the families that have lived there before?  A excellent idea is to check out the purchase history of your home since it was built.  Researching your home and the families that lived there will give you a deeper appreciation of what you have.  Many changes happen to a home over it's life.  Changes occur architecturally as well as the families that live there.

Many homes that we live in today were built before electricity and in some cases indoor plumbing.  The many changes that the families had to go through in the life of our house.  Can you imagine not have lighting?  Yes life did exist before air conditioning.  Many changes have taken place over the past two hundred years.

Researching the sales transactions of a home can be a fascinating process.  Included with this is researching the families that lived in the home prior to you.  What did they do for a living?  What did they do later in life?  What events occurred during their time of living in your home?  The history that has gone on before may surprise you.

arch the homes that our ancestors lived in.  Do they still stand?  What is unique about the homes architecture?  What neighborhood did they live in?  Did they live in the country?  All interesting elements that paint a more complete picture of our ancestors lives.

1940 US Census

As we all know the 1940 US census is out.  A monumental task is the indexing of the census.  Have you signed up to help with the transcribing?  The picture quality of this census is excellent.  It makes it much easier to read and to transcribe.  Please join us in this task.  You can sign up with Family Search, Ancestry and New England Historical and Genealogical Society.

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

Upcoming Class

Here is a class that I am teaching in the fall.

PRINCIPLES OF GENEALOGY

Instr. Derek S. Davey, Professional Genealogist

Monday, Oct. 4-11-18--25-Nov. 1-15 (6 wks)

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

(No class on Monday, Nov. 8 to allow students to attend the seminar on “The Financial Meltdown and Government Intervention”)

This class is designed for anyone interested in family history research. The instructor will teach you about genealogical principles and ethics, research tools, records and their use. Students in this class will learn how to research, organize, and evaluate their findings. Also included will be newspaper sources as well as records including vital, court, church, immigration, military, cemetery and burial, probate and land. The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) will also be discussed.

Derek began researching his own family when he was only 13 years old in 1974. He is an active expert on Ancestry.com. His specialty areas include computer genealogy, Civil War and New England research. He is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Genealogy Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Interpetation and Evaluation

One of the most important of sound genealogical research is the ability to use the information we find correctly the first time. We have all had instances where we get a document or fact that at the time does not seem to have significance, but we realize later that it was what we needed to resolve the pieces of the puzzle.
Special attention should be spent to the details. Take for example one of the most common documents that we use in genealogical research the marriage certificate. At first glance we may be just looking for the names of the people getting married, the date and location. Many other interesting facts though can be learned from this document. Why did people get married in a different location? Were they married in a church or by a justice of the peace? Who were the witnesses. Were the parents listed.
A common occurrence in marriage certificates was being married in a different location. Many people traveled to the next town or to a completely different state. In the case of my own family I have ancestors that were married in another state and came right back to where they lived. Another married in a different city that had not connection to either party getting married. Understand the circumstances that caused these events.
Another interesting clue is where did they get married. Were they married in a church? What was the denomination of that church? Once you identify the church you will be able to evaluate there records as they relate to your family. Traditionally the marriage occurs in the brides home church.
Witnesses like on any document are often overlooked by genealogist. There is normally a strong connection to the people that are listed on a document. Check out their backgrounds. This will often shed light on unknown family relationships.
Finally use the marriage document to find the parents of the bride and groom. All though it does not state this on every document more times than not it does. This is one thing in my professional research that I am amazed that people don't check.
Please send in any further questions or problems you might have. They will be answered in this blog.

Update on status

Well since I last posted here I have had lot's of changes happen in my genealogical life. I have started talking to various groups about genealogy across Ohio and Michigan. This has brought me in contact with many of my fellow researchers.

Recently I graduated from Boston University with a certificate in genealogy. This was a very difficult process, but helped me to improve my skills of research. The course was done online and was a very exciting process to go through.

Since May of 2009 I have been participating on Ancestry as a genealogical Expert. This has taken up a great deal of my time. This has also helped in developing my skills and has caused me to take my professional career to a all new level.

Genealogy has changed in many ways over the past year. I look forward to getting your feedback.

Update

I will begin to write again on a weekly basis. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Huron Co. - Naturilization Records

The county of Huron is unique, because they had many gaps in recording the Naturalization records in the county. Records are stored in two separate locations. They are the Common Pleas Court and the archives in Bowling Green.

The records at the county level are located at the Common Please court in Norwalk. Dates are sporadic on their coverage. Here are the dates from the archives and they will be the same at the courthouse. Nat Records 1864-1893, Aliens 1903-1905, Declaration of Intent 1859-1905, Minors 1185-1903 and proof of residency 1864-1903 . Be sure to check ahead prior to looking for your records to make sure your relative falls within these dates. Be sure to get copies of the documents or take copious notes.

Searching for these types of records in Huron Co will be a challenge. Have a great day.

Wood County Public Library- Bowling Green, OH

When researching ancestors in Wood County you must do some of your research at the main library in Bowling Green. They hold a variety of sources that include.

Cemeteries

Bound indexes are available for the cemeteries in the following townships: Bloom, Freedom,
Grand Rapids, Henry/Jackson, Lake, Liberty, Milton, Montgomery, Plain, Perry, Perrysburg,
Portage, Troy, Washington, Webster, Weston. There are also indexes for Bradner (Town),
Eisenhour, Fort Meigs Union, and Oak Grove Mausoleum.

Census Records

The census for Wood County is on microfilm for the years 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870,
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The U.S. census for 1890 was destroyed by fire; the
Wood County special 1890 census of war veterans is available.

Bound indexes for the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910 are
available for Wood County, as well as indexes for the Ohio Census for the years 1820, 1830,
1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Directories

Older Bowling Green City Directories, Wood County Directories and Bowling Green
Telephone Directories and Wood County Telephone Directories are shelved in the locked
case. A staff member will unlock these materials for your use.

Family Histories

The Local History area has many bound family histories catalogued as 929.2. These books
are shelved in a special Family History collection. Additional family history material in
notebooks, folders, and envelopes is located in drawers labeled Family History.
Ancestor charts are also available in the Local History area. The charts are in notebooks, and
there is a surname index that identifies the names that have a chart on file. There is also an
online index to the Ancestor charts. Copies of the charts are available for purchase through
the Wood County Genealogical Society.

Newspapers

The following newspapers are available on microfilm in the Local History area. An on-line
index is available for the Sentinel-Tribune only. This database provides partial indexing from
the 1960’s to 1995 and comprehensive coverage from 1995 to the present.
BOWLING GREEN ADVOCATE - May 18, 1866 – November 30, 1866
BRAD BRADNER ADVOCATE - October 26, 1894 – September 30, 1954
DS DAILY SENTINEL June 23, 1890 – present
DST DAILY SENTINEL TRIBUNE
ST SENTINEL TRIBUNE
NBWB NORTH BALTIMORE WEEKLY BEACON
November 27, 1884 – July 14, 1893
(WCOGS has been donating additional rolls – check microfilm drawer.)
PL PEMBERVILLE LEADER - November 28, 1890 – December 30, 1976
PJ PERRYSBURG JOURNAL - March 10, 1853 – July 28, 1939
(WCOGS has been donating additional rolls – check microfilm drawer.)
UNIQUE WEEKLY - March 8, 1907 – June 24, 1948
UNIQUE DERRICK- July 1, 1948 – December 25, 1958
WCFP WOOD COUNTY FREE PRESS - August 3, 1900 – February 4, 1910
WCS WOOD COUNTY SENTINEL - February 22, 1867 – December 27, 1906
WOOD COUNTY TRIBUNE - October 3, 1889 – September 25, 1890
MISCELLANEOUS NEWSPAPERS – ROLL NO. 1 AND ROLL NO. 2
BUCKEYE GRANGER - May 11, 1876 – February 28, 1878
MIAMI OF THE LAKE - October 5, 1836
WOOD COUNTY PACKET - March 20 – 27, 1839
PERRYSBURG NEWS - July 5, September 27, December 27, 1842
MIAMI OF THE LAKE ERIE - 1844 – 1846
OHIO WHIG - 1838 – 1840
NORTHWEST DEMOCRAT -1852 – 1854
MAUMEE VALLEY DEMOCRAT -1854 – 1856
WOOD COUNTY INDEPENDENT - 1862 – 1863
PERRYSBURG NEWSPAPERS – ROLL NO.1
FORT MEIGS REVEILLE - June 3, 1848 – May 31, 1851
PERRYSBURG STAR - June 7, 1851 – May 15, 1852
(INCLUDES THE START OF THE PERRYSBURG JOURNAL)

Vital Record Indexes

The following indexes are available to help with genealogical research in Wood County:
Probate Birth Records, Wood County, Ohio, Volume I, 1867-1880
Probate Birth Records, Wood County, Ohio, Volume II, 1880-1887
Wood County, Ohio, Marriage License Applications, 1899-1927: Bride and Groom
Indexes
Wood County, Ohio, Marriage Records, Volume I through Volume 4, March 1820 through
February 1867
Wood County, Ohio, Marriage Records, Volumes 5, 6, 7, and 8, March 1867 through
February 1888
Probate Death Records, Wood County, Ohio, Volume I, 1867-1887
Probate Death Records, Wood County, Ohio, Volume II, 1888-1901
Probate Death Records, Wood County, Ohio, Volume III, Dec 1901–Dec 1908
Index to Naturalization Records, Wood County, Ohio, Book One – Probate Court 1859-1925,
Book Two – Common Pleas 1849-1906, Addendum 1837–1841, 1847–1852
Index to Wood County, Ohio, Wills, Estates & Guardianships, 1851–1900.

Plan ahead for your visit. Create a list of things that you want to work on.

I will be back on Monday.

Huron County- Obituaries

The fantastic thing about obits in Northwest Ohio is that most of them have been indexed. All of the information is available on line and can be ordered on line. The wonderful list is located on the Hayes Obituary Index. RB Hayes Obituary Index

The other location to locate these records is at the library in Norwalk as well at the Norwalk County Genealogical Connections.

Make sure to make copies. Note the date and page as well as the name of the newspaper for these records.

Huron Co.- Wills

The discovery of a ancestors will offers valuable clues to ones life and relatives listed in the will. This document will provide valuable clues to a persons life that you will not find anywhere else in your search. Wills for the county of Huron exist in the court house at the probate court in Norwalk and the archives in Bowling Green.

The courthouse records are located in the Probate Court and run from 1852 to present. Be sure to know the approximate time of death and work back from that date to locate your will. Time varies on the filing of a will from days to years. Sometimes these searches can be extensive.

The archives in Bowling Green has those wills that run from 1903 to 1911. All these records are on microfilm.

Be certain to make copies of these documents so that your are able to trace all the names in the document. Wills offer valuable clues to blood relationships that may not be available in any other document. Daughters are often listed with maiden names and executors on the will may also be relatives with different last names.

Other than land records wills are the most valuable document in determining relationships within a family group. Have a wonderful day.

Huron Co.- Death Records

Death records in Huron County are stored and available at two different locations. The first is at the courthouse in Norwalk and the archives in Bowling Green, OH. Provide valuable information concerning our relatives and relationships.

The courthouse records start in Huron Co and run from 1867 to current. It is here that you can obtain the certified copies. As I always say if you are visiting in person be sure to call ahead to make sure they will be open when you are coming and be patient if you are going in person or mailing in your request.

The second area to locate the death records would be at the archives in Bowling Green. The archives has copies of both the index and the actual death records. Their information only runs from 1867 to 1908. All these files are on microfilm.

Findlay Hancock Public Library

For those of us that are conducting research in Hancock county the primary resource for information here is located at the public library. The room to visit is the local history room located at the main library. The collection includes-

• CDs
• Cemetery Indexes
• City Directories
• High School Yearbooks
• Family Histories
• Local History
• Microfilm/Microfiche
• Newspaper Index (limited availability)
• Newspapers-local (Mid-1800s to present)
• Obituary Index (Hancock County)
• Ohio Census
• Passenger Lists (including Germans to America)
• Vital Records: Birth (1908- Present), Death (1908- Present) and Will Indexes

So when researching Hancock county have a list of what you need to research and go.

I will be away from my computer for the next three days. Back posting on Tuesday.

Huron Co.- Marriage Records

The county of Huron started recording marriage records in 1818. This is a very early period of time as compared to many other counties. The records are located at the courthouse in Norwalk as well as the Bowling Green Archives. The records at the court house are up to now and up to 1977 in Bowling Green.

During my own research I have traced my ancestors through this county and I was amazed that they had marriage records as such a early date. All of the records are indexed and many of them have also been published. Be sure to pay special attention on marriage records to who the witnesses are on the document. They often provide valuable clues to family relationships that are often overlooked when doing your genealogy. Be sure to make copies of this document, because some of the names don't always stick out as clues immediately. In my family a person listed on a marriage record as a witness later was traced to be the maiden name of the mother once I traced the family back into Northeast Ohio.

Tomorrow I will be going over the death records of the county. Thank you again for your support and please send any questions or ideas you might have.

Genalogical research

What was it that first got you doing your genealogical research? In my case it started over thirty years ago. Was in my teens at the time and was very curious about where my family came from. My interest in history grew out of this and my eventually getting into speaking, researching for others and blogging on the topic. Please send me your stories.

I'm Back

Don't think to many folks check this blog out much, but I guess I will just write for myself and hope that people are able to come back to the site. I will resume covering the various records that are available for the various counties. If you have ideas on topics that you would like to see covered please do not hesitate to contact me.

Family Search Record

Watch out pay sites. Recently a site was developed that allows you to search many records previously available only on pay sites. Check this link out.

FamilySearch Record Search

Good luck in your search.

Huron County- Marriage Records

Marriage records are important for verifying and confirming relationships. In Huron Co., OH the records can be found at the Huron County Court House and the Bowling Green archives.

The records at the court house run from 1818 to present. This is again the place to obtain records that are certified. It is wonderful that the records reaching such a early date.

The Archives in Bowling Green has the marriage records from 1818 to 1977.

Be certain when checking marriage records for the witnesses on the document. They often can provide valuable clues of marriages and related surnames.

Good luck in your marriage hunt.

Outline of things to come

I will be attempting to keep up with this blog a couple of times a week. The blog will contain a review of the available records in a particular county. The review of the local libraries and other resources will also be included. Other surprises will come up along the way.

Please be sure to email on other ideas you may have concerning this blog. Tomorrow I will be starting the profile of a new county.

Welcome Back

It has taken some time to come to this conclusion, but I am going to start doing my blog again. Thank you for the many kind emails of motivation. They have done a lot to help me get to this point. Look for me to resume the articles beginning tomorrow.

Please send me any questions you might have concerning future articles. Please spread the word.