Tag: geneabloggers Page 44 of 72

Preparing for Genealogy Vacations

On 14 April 2015

Going along with yesterday’s theme, I’m going to show you how I prepare to visit my ancestor’s hometowns. Everyone is different, I realize, so obviously adjust this to your needs or come up with something new altogether!

First, I have a constant list going. Once I discover a town where ancestors probably left records, I start to create a list for records that I can’t find online (so, nearly all of them in most cases). I include the ancestor’s name, their life span, the information I want, what documents would have that information, and where those documents are located. Sometimes, depending on the ancestor and the place, it’s best to do a city list instead of a county list. It depends on how far the county seat is from the city and where the majority of the records are held. At the top of my list, I also include vital record information. Here is an example of what I mean:

To create the list, I need to know several things:

When were vital records kept (most of this information can be found on the county’s website or FamilySearch.org’s wiki on the county)
Where records are kept for specific items – for example, the Lutheran church records I want are held in the historical society, not at the church.
What records are kept at the county level vs. city level
What records have been destroyed
What records the library holds

Of course, there is a lot of legwork I do before I even get to the city I’m visiting. For example, the will I want I have read on FamilySearch.org but it only included the will, not the rest of the probate documents. There is information on FamilySearch.org for me to write down so I know what box/book/file, etc. the rest of the records are held in. I also contact the county to be sure the records are there and not in say the state library or archives. Sometimes some information can also be obtained by email. So, I email say the historical society, to be sure the church records they have are for the dates I’m looking for and they can sometimes email me a copy of the information I want. This may lead me to other information I would want and I can focus on other records while I am in town.

As most of you know, most records lead to more questions, more records, and more family members. I try to keep focused though and be sure to get what I can on the ancestors on my list, changing it as need be with the information I get. However, I do continue making my list while researching and add in the new people and the information I want on them. Then, if I can, I’ll tackle those new people with what I can find.

I love to travel and see new places and have a tendency to get ADD when it comes to my genealogy research! I’ll start after the new people I find and then never finish what I came all that way for! To prevent that, I need to PLAN as much as I possibly can and then focus on my list, editing as need be, to finish what I started. Since these trips are time-constrained, I do try to pack in as much as I can and this list helps me to focus and answer some of my genealogy questions (and doing some sight-seeing).

By Jayu from Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A. (Hummelstown, Pennsylvania) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What do you all do to prepare for your genealogy-related trips? Put any suggestions you have in the comments!

Happy hunting!

10 Tips on Successfully Researching in an Archive

By Nichelle Barra

On 13 April 2015

In Research, Resources

It’s almost summer! Which means travel! Genealogists will travel all over exploring where their ancestors may have left records. That means exploring cemeteries, county records, local libraries, and, specifically, archives.

So what are archives and what could you find in them? Archives hold many published and unpublished records that tend to be very unique. You’ll find items like diaries, letters, books, manuscripts, etc that tend to be from the area, although not always. Some places, like universities, may gather items that they know will be used by staff and students research specialties. All of these items though are very one-of-a-kind type of records that can be a great find for any genealogist.

These records are available to people, but you normally can’t just walk in on any day and peruse the shelves like at a library. Because of the nature of these unique records and their age, most archives keep their records in controlled rooms and restrict their access to prevent wear and tear. These restrictions make researching in an archive a very unique experience as well as one that some genealogists find intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be.

With that in mind, here are ten tips for successfully researching in an archive:

By Tony Webster (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Know your research questions. Because of the restrictive nature of archives, this is not a place for you to have a vague idea of what you want answered. Be sure you know exactly what you are looking for to get the most out of your research.
Know what types of records the archives will have. Many places have a certain focus for their record collection, especially in universities. For example, I live near the University of Notre Dame and their university archives have items about the Catholic Church in America among other items. This helps you to understand what archives you should visit depending on your research question(s).
Know the collections in the archives. Once you know what archive you want to visit, then you’ll want to know what collections they have. Many places have websites that will list their collections and records so you can do some research before you go.
Know what records you’d like to see. Write down the information on specific items in the collections you want to look at. When you contact the archives, you’ll then have a list of items you can tell them you’re interested in and they’ll let you know if the records are available or not.
Know the hours and open days. Not all archives have regular business hours. Some you may have to set up an actual appointment to get to see what you want. Also be sure you know about parking – where you can park and what it will cost – before you show up so you won’t be late for an appointment.
Know the restrictions. Some places you can bring in a laptop, others you cannot. Some allow only pencils and paper. Some have lockers for your items, some do not. Some allow cell phones/cameras/etc., some do not. Some require archival gloves, some do not. Check out the website to see what is or isn’t allowed in their reading room.
Know their copying rules. Some may allow you to make your own copies on their machines. Some may have you ask a worker to make a copy (this is more common for larger and more fragile documents). Some may have a copy card system or use only USB drives. Be sure you also know fees and if they only accept cash, card, or both. Also, some items may not be allowed to be copied so you’ll want to know that so you can prepare to transcribe them instead.
Contact the archives. This can be done by email, phone, or letter (email is probably the preferred method now but each archive will differ). Let them know when you plan on visiting to set up an appointment if need be and let them know what records you will want to see as mentioned in #4.
Bring ID and come early. Many archives require some form of ID before you can research. Some also have you fill out some information and they’ll issue you a researcher’s card (this link is to NARA’s information on theirs). This can take 15-20 minutes so be sure to arrive early for your appointment.
Take good and thorough notes. That way your steps can be retraced if necessary and if you need more information after you return home, you can email/call them and be very specific on what you need more information on. And, as always, cite your sources!

BONUS: ALWAYS check out the archives website for the best information on how to research in their facility specifically.

Happy hunting and travels!

Genealogy News April 3rd-10th

By Nichelle Barra

On 10 April 2015

In Friday Finds

Articles/Stories of Interest

“Baby Mohamed Clendennen: A Lesson in Creative Indexing” from On Granny’s Trail. A funny story and why it’s always important to check the original source before adding new information to our tree!
“Genealogist, high school classmates team up to find missing woman’s family” – who knew genealogy could provide such a resource? Very neat story.
“‘Gertie’s Babies,’ Sold at Birth, Use DNA to Unlock Secret Past” – A story about an interesting time in our history and how DNA is helping many people find their biological families.
Looking for old family photos? Crestleaf gives 7 places where you can find some!
Live near Chicago? The National Park Service is commemorating the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession from D.C. to Springfield. There will be stops along the way besides Chicago! Check out the full article for more information.
The idea of merging trees on Ancestry.com or other websites has always been met with a bit of healthy skepticism by many. But not all. And that can lead to some interesting results. Check out what one person discovered when researching Hillary Rodham Clinton’s family tree!
Going to NGS? Check out their mobile app for the conference! I used this last year and LOVED it! It was much easier to use when figuring out where I wanted to go next.
New Jersey is going to allow adult adopted children request their non-certified original birth record come 2017. Check out more about what that all entails and who specifically can ask by reading about it here.

Webinars/Videos

Have you ever used Gedmatch for DNA? It’s a great website and free to anyone who has taken a DNA test from any of the major companies. Check out a webinar on some basics of GEDmatch from Angie Bush here.
Speaking of DNA and Angie Bush, she also did a short video on the FTDNA chromosome browser with Dear Myrtle, which you can find here.
Ever wondered about why or how you should join a lineage society? AncestralFindings.com posted a short video on just that.
Legacy Family Tree has a free webinar today, in a few short hours (2pm eastern). It’s called “Hookers, Crooks, and Kooks – Aunt Merle Didn’t Run a Boarding House” by Jana Sloan Broglin. Register here for free!

Resources

FindMyPast has new records! Check out EOGN for last week’s additions and FindMyPast Fridays for this week’s additions (British newspapers, World War I records, wills index for Essex, and New South Wales records!).
FamilySearch also added a number of records from the Czech Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Ukraine, and the US. Check out a list here.

Wordless Wednesday: Senior Prom 1949

By Nichelle Barra

On 8 April 2015

In Personal, Pictures

The couple on the left are my grandparents – Bobbie Witherell and Mary Hummel. I’m not sure who is on the right.

The