Gena's Genealogy

What If You Can't Go?: RootsTech 2012 Edition

2012-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Last year for the FGS conference I posted an article on how to "attend" the conference from home. What If You Can't Go To FGS 2011 was a look at ways you could still participate in the conference from home and even look towards attending in 2012. I thought it fitting to post an update for those unable to go to RootsTech this year. All is not lost, there are still ways you can participate.

Download the RootsTech Syllabus. I love that RootsTech has provided the syllabus for the conference for free on their website. This allows everyone to share in what is happening and for those of us not able to attend, we can still benefit from the presentations. To download the syllabus, see the RootsTech Downloads page.

Follow RootsTech on Twitter. By using the RootsTech hashtag #rootstech you can follow the latest news from the conference including information about vendors, presentations and events.

Check out the RootsTech Bloggers. Whether you follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or their blogs, you are sure to learn about what is happening both during and after the conference. Click here for a list of RootsTech Bloggers.

Attend RootsTech from Home. RootsTech is live streaming 14 presentations starting on Thursday. You can find the list of presentations and times by going to their homepage and scrolling down.

Be a Winner. RootsMagic is holding an online scavenger hunt where you can win an iPad 2. Winners will include both RootsTech attendees and non-attendees. Look for the announcement tomorrow about which blogs will have clues. To learn more about this giveaway, see the RootsMagic blog.

What About Next Year? In my original posting for FGS 2011, I wrote "The FGS conference (or RootsTech) is yearly, start planning now to attend next year. With 12 months until the next conference you can work on finances, clearing your calendar and arranging for someone to take care of family members or even bring them with you. (Those who know me often see my kids trailing behind me.) I have written before on this blog and also in an article for Internet Genealogy about saving money so you can do more genealogy. And I mean it. Yes, I use coupons, specials and discounts so that I can save money and go to conferences. Save money now to store away but also consider ways to save during the conference like finding a roommate, shopping for travel deals, etc. Start now, it's always great to have something to look forward to."

It's impossible to go to every genealogy conference. Fortunately, conference organizers are finding ways for those unable to attend to still participate. Take advantage of these opportunities and let conference organizers know how much you appreciate attending from home.

Church Record Sunday: Church History Library

2012-01-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

The Church History Library for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints houses the archives and historical library for the Church. This resource now has their catalog online (beta). To find it you can use this link or go to the Church's website at www.lds.org and then choose, Menu>The Church>History.

From the Church History Library page you can search the catalog as well as search the index for the Journal History. This new website also has Research Guides and Digital Collections.

Church Record Sunday: Film, The Shakers

2012-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

A GenealogyWise member shared with me a movie done in the early 1970s that featured one of her Shaker ancestors. This documentary includes interviews with some of the last Shakers, all women, and is an interesting look at their lives and their dying way of life.

While The Shakers is not a church record per se it is a great piece of history that can benefit anyone with Shaker ancestors. Aside from the interviews and facts given, the women also sing some traditional Shaker hymns.

Church Record Sunday: Church Records Toolbox

2012-01-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

Church Records Toolbox is a list of links to various denominations on the Family Tree Magazine website. Here you will find the name of the denomination/resource, their mailing address, phone number and a link to their website.

If you scroll to the end of the list, a link for a printer friendly version is available. You could print the list and keep it in your research binder for future reference or add it to a virtual research binder in Evernote or other cloud computing application.

Women's Research Resource: Across the Generations

2011-12-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History Through Family Papers is a digital collection available on The Smith College Libraries website.

The introduction to this collection makes it clear that it doesn't matter if your family isn't represented in a manuscript collection it still can have importance to your research. "Family papers contain a wealth of information. Most obviously, the history of a particular family can be learned by examining the records a family leaves behind. At the same time, the larger trends and events can be traced within the records of one family."

Documents in this collection have been divided into themes that include Family Life, Social Awareness and Reform, Arts and Leisure and Work.

Church Record Sunday: 1828 Quaker Census

2011-12-11T04:19:00.001-08:00

As genealogists researching American ancestors, one record set we focus on is census records. Now we tend to think of this mostly in terms of the U.S. Federal Census but most genealogists are also aware there are state and territorial census records as well.

But the government wasn't the only entity counting its population, some religious groups have also taken a census. One example is this counting of Quakers in 1828, available from the Family History Library on microfilm.

Quaker Census of 1828: Members of the New York Meeting, the Religious Society of Friends (in New York, Ontario, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Quebec) at the time of the seperation in 1828.

Remembering Pearl Harbor: Researching Your World War II Soldier

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

The following are some resources for researching your World War II soldier.

Books

Gawne, Jonathan. Finding Your Father's War: A PracticalGuide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War Ii U.s.Army. Philadelphia:Casemate, 2006.

Knox, Debra J. World War II Military Records: A FamilyHistorian's Guide. Spartanburg, SC: MIE Pub, 2003.

Johnson, Richard S, and Debra J. Knox. How to LocateAnyone Who Is or Has Been in the Military: Armed Forces Locator Guide. Spartanburg, SC:MIE Pub, 1999.

Websites

Veterans Service Records

U.S. Department of Veterans Nationwide Gravesite Locator

American Battle Monuments Commission

How to Trace Your US Military Ancestors

Cyndi’s List: World War II

Research Military Records (NARA)

World War II APOs (a previous blog posting from Gena's Genealogy)

Women's Research Resource: Women Veterans

2011-12-06T03:36:00.000-08:00

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/5532511896/

Aswe remember those who served during World War II and Pearl Harbor Day, considerthe following sources in researching military women ancestors.

Whenresearching any ancestor it is vital to learn about the time period and whatlife was like during that time and under those circumstances. Military Women Veterans: Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow includes information on stories of women who have served from Revolutionary Warto the present. There is a link for eachconflict including World War II.

Experiencing War: Women at War is a project of the Veteran’s History Project. Twelve women’s stories are available on video and audio to download and listento. You must have Real Player to listenand view the films, which is a free download with a link available at the site. These interviews represent civilian andmilitary women serving during World War II to the Persian Gulf.

Similarly,the Idaho State Historical Society has a Women in World War II Veteran’s HistoryProject. There is a Finding Aid to this collection . This collection includes 48 interviews withwomen who served or were somehow affected by the war. Interviews include a Japanese American womanwho was interred at Camp Minidoka, a woman who was in the British Royal AirForce, women who were in various branches of the military, and a woman who waspart of the underground in the Netherlands. These stories bring alive the experience ofwomen during this time period and can provide those of us who were not part ofthis era with some ideas about what lifewas like and women’s contributions during this time.

Idaho is not the onlystate that have or currently capturing the stories of women veterans. Maine and North Carolina havesimilar projects. A project that chronicles Rhode Island women’s experienceis called “What did you do in the War Grandma.”

Church Record Sunday: A Blog Post about Online Sources

2011-12-04T14:52:00.001-08:00

Typically, for me, Church Record Sunday looks at a source for a religion or denomination's records. This week I would like to highlight a post I came across on the blog Religion in the American West. The post entitled, Religion in the 19th-Century West: Primary Sources Online by Joshua Paddison includes links to newspapers, books and pamphlets, manuscript collections and images. While some of the links are related to sources for Mormon pioneers there are many that would be helpful for anyone's research.

Take some time to browse older posts on this blog. I found quite a few that would be of interest to genealogists including Mapping Religion and New Digital Archive for Native American History.

Women's Research Resource: American Women's History A Research Guide

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the biggest challenge in researching a topic is finding resources. Once you Google a phrase or keyword, what do you do next? In researching female ancestors, it is vital to research the historical era for what laws affected women and how women's lives were impacted by their roles as mothers, wives, daughters, widows, church members, employees, volunteers and more.

The website American Women's History: A Research Guide provides researchers with links to primary and secondary sources focused on women's history collections. One of the many great things about this site is the Subject Index which allows you to look through various subject keywords that describe women's lives and then find links. A link to the search engine for the Discovering American Women's History Online provides researchers with a digital collections of materials having to do with American women's history. This collections is searchable by keyword but also browseable by state, time period, subject, and primary source types.

A link to the Women's History Sources Blog provides you with a steady diet of new sources and ideas. This is a good one to add to your Google Reader.

New RootsMagic 5 Software Released

2011-11-28T07:19:00.001-08:00

**Note from Gena: I'm a big fan of RootsMagic so I was very happy to see this announcement when I woke up this morning.

Latest Version of Genealogy and Family Tree Software Now Available to the Public

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 28, 2011 — RootsMagic, Inc. today announced the official release of RootsMagic 5, the latest version of the award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history easy and enjoyable. With this release comes an update to the popular “RootsMagic Essentials” free genealogy software.

Family History Made Easy

A July 2009 review of RootsMagic 4 by Family Tree Magazine said, “Probably the best all-around genealogy program, RootsMagic offers a winning combination of features for both casual and serious genealogists.”

Throughout it’s 10-year history, RootsMagic has helped people research and share their family trees with innovative features such as moving people from one file to another with your mouse, a SourceWizard to help you document your work, creating a Shareable CD to give to family and friends, and running RootsMagic off of a USB flash drive when you are away from home. RootsMagic also received the award for “Easiest to Sync” from FamilySearch for their work in interfacing with that system.

New Features

RootsMagic 5 adds many new features while making existing features even easier to use. “This release includes something for everybody,” said Bruce Buzbee, president. “Whether you’re a grandma wanting to share your family history with grandkids or a professional researcher trying to organize your work, RootsMagic 5 has something new for you.” New features include:

Timeline View - put a person’s life in context with events from their own life and from the lives of family members.
CountyCheck - confirm and correct the existence of a county, state, or country on any given date from a multi-national database. It can even show you online maps of county boundaries for that date.
Research Manager - avoid “reinventing the wheel” by keeping track of research goals, sources, and results that you have collected on a person, family, or place
“On This Day” List - bring your family history to life and view family events along with famous births, deaths, and historical events for any given day of the year.
Media Tagging - tag your media with people, families, sources, or places. For example, tag an image of a census record with the people, families, and places mentioned in the record as well as the census’ source citation.
Plus over 80 other enhancements and features

Free “RootsMagic Essentials”

RootsMagic 5 is also available in an updated, free edition named, “RootsMagic 5 Essentials”. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features from the RootsMagic software and the two products are fully-compatible with one another. “Many people are curious about their family history and don’t know where to begin,” said Michael Booth, vice president. “RootsMagic Essentials is the perfect way for someone to get started, risk-free.” RootsMagic Essentials is available for download at http://www.rootsmagic.com

Available Now

RootsMagic 5 is now available online at http://www.rootsmagic.com or by calling 1-800-766-8762. New users may purchase RootsMagic 5 for only $29.95. Users of previous versions of RootsMagic and it’s predecessor, Family Origins may purchase RootsMagic 5 for the upgrade price of only $19.95.

About RootsMagic, Inc.

For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose- to unite families. One of our earliest products- the popular “Family Origins” software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.
That tradition continues today with “RootsMagic”, our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy. “Personal Historian” will help you easily write and preserve your life stories. “Family Reunion Organizer” takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers. And “Family Atlas” creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.

For more information, visit www.rootsmagic.com
Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

What's on My Kindle: November 2011

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've posted before about my obsession with reading and some of the books that I have on my Kindle. For those who are concerned about the loss of "real" books due to eReaders, take heart, not only do I buy copious amounts of digitized books for my Kindle and iPad, I also buy books from new and used booksellers both online and in brick and mortar stores. My family is currently waiting for me to die under a stack of books in the next big earthquake.

I am always interested in what other people are reading so I thought I would once again share some of the titles that I currently have on my Kindle. The following is simply a list, not a review of books. I review books for the genealogy newsletter GenWeekly so some of the books have been reviewed there. I read mostly non-fiction and my tastes encompass social history, religious history, food history, quilts, women's history and genealogy. Feel free to leave a comment about what book/s you are currently enjoying.

Just a note: I've linked the title below to make it easier for you to find. I in no way benefit from the links, I am not an Amazon affiliate.

True Miracles with Genealogy by Anne Bradshaw (both volumes 1 and 2)

Genealogy Using Chicago Maps and Property Records by Jennifer Holik-Urban

The Big Genealogy Blog Book by Amy Coffin

Food and Everyday Life on Kentucky Family Farms, 1920-1950 by John Van Willigen and Anne Van Willigen

The Ballad of Tom Dooley: A Ballad Novel by Sharyn McCrumb

Legacy: The Story of Talula Gilbert Bottoms and her Quilts by Nancilu Burdick

Civil War Resources on the Internet by Nancy Hendrickson ( I actually have most of Nancy's ebooks)

Storied Dishes:What our Family Recipes Tell us About Who We Are and Where We've Been by Linda Murray Berzok

Stand Facing the Stove: The Story of the Women who gave American the Joy of Cooking by Anne Mendelson

Killer Stuff and Tons of Money: Seeking History and Hidden Gems in Flea-Market America by Maureen Stanton

Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine by Andrew Smith

Now it's your turn. What's on your bookshelf?

Church Record Sunday: Unity Archives

2011-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Unity was founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore "as a healing ministry based on the power of prayer and the power of our thoughts to create our own reality." According to Unity's website there are approximately 900 Unity Churches today.

Unity Village in Missouri has a Library and Archive. While checking out the library and archive webpage, don't forget to look at the Archive Research Guide located at the bottom of the page. One of the categories of records listed is denominational records.

Someone Posted my Family History Back to 1600 or Don't Believe Everything You Read

2011-11-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

Many years ago when my brother was in middle school he shared a lesson that his teacher had just taught about the Mormons. They were studying 19th century American history and she decided to include religious groups in that history. So he retold how she taught about Joseph Smith's martyrdom. This was a story that included exciting chases on horseback, hangings and more. Very exciting...but none of it was true.

Now this story was not in his state issued history book so I'm not sure where she came up with it. (Mind you this is long before the days of the Internet.) Her story was similar to one that I have read in a 19th century "autobiography" that was done by an author who reportedly left "Mormonism." These 19th century autobiographical novels/anti-Mormon literature were very dramatic, often plagiarized and included some fuzzy history. Any source, no matter what it is, needs to be evaluated for potential problems.

So I ended up writing a note to his teacher explaining that her story, while exciting, was not historically accurate. I then provided the real story about the death of Joseph Smith with sources. My brother gave it to her the next day and she quickly replied that my version was just one story of how Smith died. At the time it was a good lesson for me that some people, even when given historically accurate evidence will deny that information.

Now, Joseph Smith was a historical figure who can be studied. People witnessed his death, both those who killed him and those who were Church members. While there might be different versions of that core story, the "facts" remain the same.

Fast forward to present day. I'm reading a book the other night and it talks about the prophet Joseph Smith's time in Utah. So I reread the same sentence about five times to make sure I'm reading it right. (Right about now anyone who knows about the Mormon church should be scratching their heads). This was a book that I had been enjoying. It had some interesting historical "facts" that I felt could be useful to genealogists up until that point. I found myself perplexed over how a book with historical "facts" could have got something so wrong.

I am telling these two instances as a cautionary tale. First, as we have all heard don't believe everything you read. This is not just a pithy saying. Anyone can write a book. If the person hasn't cited any sources than what they have written is hearsay. If you want to use it for your genealogy, then you need to verify the information and not take it at face value, even if it is something that the author says they witnessed. It's sorta like what one of my friends use to tell people, do you want to research your Johnson family or someone else's? If you take everything you read at face value you might find out 5 years down the road that you researched someone else's family.

So while it is nice to believe that all your genealogy, back to the olden days, was done by someone else and they posted it on the Internet for you, if there are no sources then it is nothing but words on a page. Use it as a clue but do your own research to verify, no matter how good it looks or who the person was. This is a lesson many genealogists know. But in addition, no matter what type of book you found some information that is useful to your research, I don't care who the author is, if it isn't cited, do your own research to verify it.

Thanksgiving Memories 2011

2011-11-23T08:50:00.001-08:00


http://wordplay.hubpages.com/hub/Thanksgiving-vintage-postcards

First, I want to wish my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. No matter how you spend it this year, I hope it's a time to reflect on family, memories and the future. I hope eating a lot of good food is also part of your day.

On my other blog, Food.Family.Ephemera, I posted some questions you might consider reflecting on and then writing down so that your descendants will know more about your life. You can find that posting, Thanks for the Memories: Thanksgiving, here.

Church Record Sunday: Database of Early American Jewish Portraits

2011-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

There is so much rich information being added to the internet by historical societies, museums, archives and libraries. This content encompasses images, documents and transcriptions.

An interesting digital collection is the Database of Early American Jewish Portraits found on the website for the American Jewish Historical Society. According to the website this collection is of "all known American Jews before 1865 in oil and watercolor, supplemented by a comprehensive collection of silhouettes and early photography."

This collections is searchable by subject name, artist name, portrait date, or keyword. You also have the option to sort by name or date.

Church Record Sunday: The Relief Society Magazine

2011-10-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Churches publish many different kinds of periodicals, brochures, leaflets, books and tracts. In some cases, the publications were meant to spread the gospel to non-members and others were/are publications meant for members that may include the names of everyday individuals. These publications, rarely indexed, provide a place for descendents to look for information about their ancestor. One ancestor of mine was a member of the Salvation Army in the late 1800s. It was through searching microfilmed copies of the Salvation Army newspaper, The War Cry, that I was able to find a mention of him.

One example of a church periodical is The Relief Society Magazine printed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1915-1970. The magazine was later replaced by the Ensign which is read by adult members of the Church, both female and male. The Relief Society Magazine provided gospel doctrine information but also celebrated the accomplishments of the Relief Society and it's members. To read more about The Relief Society Magazine see the wiki article found here.

The great thing about this magazine is that it included pictures of individual members as well as their names. These names could be found throughout the magazine, in birthday congratulations, letters to the editor, a section entitled Notes from the Field and in small paragraphs about individual achievements.

An index to The Relief Society Magazine does exist, however, some of the sections that would include women's names are not included in the index such as the birthday congratulations, letters to the editor, hobby features and very short articles. You can read more about the Index here. The Relief Society Magazine Index was created by students at BYU.

Internet Archive and Google Books both have some digitized copies of The Relief Society Magazine. Several university libraries including BYU have copies of the magazine. You can search on WorldCat to find libraries with copies. You can also find issues for sale on eBay. I was able to purchase some from a Deseret Thrift Store in Southern California.

A book about the history of The Relief Society Magazine is entitled, A Legacy Remembered, 1914-1970. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1982.

Church Record Sunday: Panoramio

2011-10-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Panoramio, a Google product, is a photo sharing map site that allows users to post photos of events and buildings connected to a specific location. Photos are placed on a map according to where the photographer was standing when they took the photograph. While not a "church record" it is a place to look for images of the church houses where your family has worshiped.

You can search Panoramio by either specifying a location or using tag keywords like "church" "temple" or even "cemetery." It's a great way to find photos of places that are too far away for you to visit easily.

Panoramio photos are copyrighted by each individual photographer. If you would like to use the photo in your family history you will need to become a member of Panoramio and then email the photographer and ask permission. Make sure you specify why you want to use the photograph and how you want to use it.

Church Record Sunday: Online Archive of California

2011-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Records can be anywhere and while church records seem like they should be housed in churches or church related facilities, that is not always the case. As you research make sure to do a thorough search of libraries, archives and museums that cover the region your ancestor lived in.

Case in point, the Online Archive of California (OAC). This union catalog of various institutions in California holds many different church records, along with other great stuff. Now, I should also say that not everything here documents only California. These are the records of institutions in California, but they can be and are of various places. One of the unique record sets is Polish Catholic Church Records from the Hoover Institution.

Do a search on the word "church" and you will see over 2,000 results that include actual church records from the 19th century to the 20th century. Unique records include those from the Japanese internment camps, San Francisco's Chinatown, images, postcards, church bulletins and records amassed after the People's Temple murder/suicides.

You can also search by the name of the denomination or religion. A search on the word "Jewish" returned over 1,000 items.

The OAC catalog allows you to narrow your search once it is conducted, by institution and date. Some items in the catalog are digitized and available to view online while others must be researched in person.

Church Record Sunday: Writing Your Personal Church History

2011-09-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today's Church Record Sunday is more of an idea for genealogists to consider rather than strictly a source. As genealogists we are passionate about the past but we also need to be equally passionate about the present. By writing up the present we leave behind a trail for our own descendants.

The website LDS History Blog is somewhat of an enigma. It doesn't have an About Me page, there's no telling how old the information is, and it's name is too generic. What is purports to do is provide LDS church members a place to upload ward, state, area and stake histories. There are some histories that include sources and the name of the author (I'm assuming that is the website owner as well). So for LDS church members in Arkansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin (these are the states that have histories currently) you may want to check out the histories posted. But I love the idea behind this website.

I would encourage genealogists who are current church goes, of any religion or denomination, to consider putting together histories of their local congregation. Even somthing simple could benefit generations years from now better understand their past. At least write up something that you can include in a history of your own life. Some ideas to write on include:

Background history of the local church
How long you've been a member there
People you know in the church
Leaders of the church
Regular activities you participate in
What a typical service is like
What special sacraments or ordinances have you participated in or that take place there
A synopsis of the denomination's beliefs
Where the church is located and what's near it in the neighborhood, including photos

Even just on a personal level this information will be interesting to your descendants and give them a little taste of what it was like in the "olden days."

These are a Few of my Favorite Things: FGS 2011

2011-09-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, the FGS 2011 conference has concluded and there is a lot that can be said of it. I have to tell you, it was one of the best conferences I have been to. (Yes, I was an official blogger but they didn't tell me to say nice things or gush about them).

I don't say that lightly. Yes, there were a lot of people there. Yes, there were great presenters. Yes, the exhibtors had products and services that would help any genealogist. But there were other factors at play that made this a great experience.

Here's what I liked that you might want to consider if you are planning, and you should, to go to the FGS 2012 conference in Alabama.

The Vendor Hall. FGS 2011 had a great vendor hall that included a diverse group of exhibitors. There were books vendors (yay!) and all kinds of libraries, archives and societies. There were new exhibitors including Catalyst Consulting, Accessible Archives, PhotoTree and HistoryGeo. And of course there were plenty of old favorites like RootsMagic, Family Tree Magazine, Family Chronicle, APG, NGS, National Institute for Genealogical Studies and more. Overall, a great vendor hall with information, services, and products.

Recorded Presentations. Let's face it, even those of us who get to go to the conference aren't able to go to all of the presentations we want to. That's the great thing about having recordings available. It's ok if there are two presentations you want to hear at the same time or that you felt ill and went to your hotel or you overslept. Recordings have the added bonus of allowing you to listen to presentations over and over again. Something that can help you absorb the information in your long term (or longer term) memory.

Didn't get to go to the conference? No problem, just order the recordings that interest you. To peruse the available recordings made at FGS 2011 see the website for Fleetwood Onsite Conference Recording. Recordings are available on a CD or as a MP3 file.

I'm a big believer in buying conference recordings and I use them in my continuing genealogical education.

There was lots to do. There was so much one could do at the FGS conference. Presentations, luncheons, tours, live radio shows and even GenSpiration sessions that allowed participants to hold impromptu discussions on genealogical topics. Anyone could lead/moderate one of these discussions and it is a good way to get together and delve more into a topic. Official FGS blogger, Amy Coffin held a GenSpiration session and discusses it here.

There were other extras that were nice including the Cyber Cafe made possible by RootsMagic that included computers and printers for printing out handouts, checking email and surfing the web. There was even some couches for those who need a minute to sit down and chat with other conference participants.

Location. Springfield was a great place to hold a conference. Within a short walking distance of our conference hotel were major Lincoln historical sites including the Old State Capital building, Lincoln's law office and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Other Lincoln sites included Lincoln's home and tomb. Because we flew into St. Louis, Missouri and drove to Springfield, we were able to check out the Gateway Arch and museum.

When you go to a conference, budget some extra days to either play tourist or to research. We had added an additional two days to see the sites and they didn't disappoint. There were also numerous research opportunities that were available. It's easier to take advantage of these opportunities when you are already there than to say "well, I will do it one day...."

Do your homework in advance of the conference by calling the convention and visitor's bureau. They can tell you about local restaurants, discounts to attractions and other insider info. They will even send you maps and other brochures. A special thanks to the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau who helped me with directions and information.

Food. Ok, this really doesn't have much to do with the conference per se. But just a side note, when you travel try to experience something new, try the local food. In this case Springfield is known for the Horseshoe Sandwich (for those who can't tackle a whole sandwich there is the Pony Shoe). The Horseshoe is an open faced sandwich with meat (like hamburger, roast beef, chicken, etc.) and then french fries and a cheese sauce. If you go to an Italian restaurant than they will have an Italian Horseshoe (in one restaurant we went to that was garlic bread topped with spaghetti and meatballs and marinara sauce or garlic bread topped with chicken fettuccine.) We also saw a Greek Horseshoe and a Breakfast Horseshoe . The Horseshoe is a big deal and we even had someone who, as we were leaving Springfield, wanted to make sure we knew all about it.

I also found out later that Springfield has made other important food contributions including being the home of where corn dogs were first served on a stick. Unfortunately, I only found out about The Cozy Dog and it's role in hot dog history when I got home.

In Conclusion. So what would I change about the conference? Really, nothing. I think the conference organizers did a fabulous job. Things were well done and it looked like everyone had a great conference experience. A lot of work goes on before a conference happens from staff to volunteers to local groups. Conferences are a lot of hard work and I appreciate everything that was done.

I think my only enhancement suggestion is to help those who are overwhelmed with all the information they have heard in presentations. Have a room with a genealogy video/videos playing on a loop where people can sit, relax, still learn about genealogy but chill for a bit. Hey, there can even be popcorn. Maybe this would be something FamilySearch can sponsor and use some of their research courses or other videos. (hint, hint).

Yes, a conference is an all around experience. Of course it's an important time to network, learn and discover but it is also a time to explore new places, foods and sights.

Getting the Most out of Genealogical Conferences Redux

2011-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 2009, I was getting ready to go to the FGS conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was fortunate to be asked to be on a social networking panel and was looking forward to the conference. Since then I have been to many conferences and always enjoy the opportunity to learn.

The following is a reworking of a post from this blog back in the summer of 2009 about going to conferences. For those looking forward to attending the FGS 2011 conference, these are just a few of my ideas about getting the most out of attending.

My opinion is that genealogy conferencesare vital to the life-long learning that a genealogist must spend timeacquiring. Without this learning, you miss out on new resources, websites andtechniques that can help you find your ancestors.

How do you make the most of the opportunities you do have to go to a conference?Here are some ideas:

Network, Network, Network
When I am at a conference I’m scanning participant’s name tags for ancestralsurnames. I’m talking to other conference goers in between sessions, askingwhat presentations they went to and what they learned. I'm networking with other genealogists and learning from their experiences.

I even use this chance to speak to my "genealogical heroes." I approach them andtell them how I love their book or ask a specific question about research thatI think they may be able to provide some insight. No, I don’t sit there andgrill them about my grandfather’s land grants. I may ask a quick question but it's important to remember that speakers are busy so you don’t want to tie up all of their time as they prepare for presentations, but there’snothing wrong with asking a quick to the point question.

Exhibit Hall
Use your time at the conference to visit genealogy vendors and have themdemonstrate their products, ask for help with their search engine, check outthe books for sale and purchase resources that are hard to find. Duringconferences, exhibitors tend to place items on sale as a "conference special."Use this time to get a discount on an item that you have been wanting. This is a great time to compare products and ask questions of staff members who know their product.

Don’t Skip Sessions
It can be tempting to go use the hotel pool or see the local sites but don’tskip sessions. This is your opportunity to invest in your genealogicaleducation-use it. Even when you think that you know everything about thesubjects being presented. I have sat in on many genealogy lectures,even lectures that I present to groups, and picked up additional ideas orwebsites. Everyone approaches a topic differently. I would also recommend attending lectures on topics that might stretch your current knowledge.

FGS has provided those who pre-registered for the conference with the syllabus, available as a download. Use this time, pre-conference, to figure out which presentations are your must-sees.

Read The Syllabus, All Of It
When you are waiting in between sessions, eating lunch or even relaxing in thehotel at the end of the day, read the handouts from all of the sessions. Thesehandouts provide valuable insights including bibliographies and websites. Evenin sessions that have nothing to do with the research you are doing, you mayfind an approach, a technique or a website that may be of help. I spend time, before during and after the conference reading the entire syllabus. It's a great way to review the presentations you heard and learn from the presentations you couldn't go to.

Follow Up
When you get home, make sure you follow up on those new websites you learnedabout. Check them out and share what you learned with others through yourgenealogical society newsletter, Twitter, blogging, Facebook, GenealogyWise or just by tellingyour friends. Sharing information also helps you to remember it.

What if You Can't Go To FGS 2011?

2011-09-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

It's always exciting the weeks before a genealogy conference. Bloggers start posting about conference activities. Announcements are made about speakers, vendors, and even prizes. The conference organizers promote all the great things that are scheduled.

But, what if you can't go?

For some, the excitement about an upcoming conference can be a source of disappointment because they are not able to go. There are lots of reasons that stop a person from attending. Obviously, finances might play a part. Maybe you are the sole caretaker for younger or older family members. Maybe your health stops you from traveling. Or you may lack resources.

First, know that we have all been there. So even though you may be hearing a lot about a conference, it doesn't mean that everyone can attend. And even when you can't attend, there are ways to participate.

1. Follow Social Media: Conference attendees, organizers, staff and volunteers take to social media in the weeks before, during and right after a conference. Follow social media outlets to see what those who are attending/volunteering/organizing are talking about. On Twitter, follow the #FGS2011 hashtag for posts about the FGS conference. On Facebook, you can follow FGS on their page or on the FGS Conference page .

2. Follow the Blogs: FGS is one of the conferences that has picked Official Bloggers to help keep readers in the loop about conference events. The Official Bloggers for the conference are:

Amy Coffin from We Tree
Schelly Talalay Dardashti from Tracing the Tribe
Dear Myrtle from Dear Myrtle
Dick Eastman from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
Jennifer Holik from Generations
Linda McCauley from Documenting the Details
Caroline Pointer from Family Stories
Randy Seaver from Genea-Musings
Ginger Smith from Genealogy by Ginger's Blog

and me.

In addition to the Official Bloggers, you can also read the FGS Voice Blog and the FGS Conference News Blog . All of these blogs provide you with an opportunity to learn more prior to and during the conference. Also, look for recap postings after the conference from Official Bloggers and from those who attended. You can do a Google Blog Search for the words "FGS Conference" to find additional blog postings.

3. Take the Conference with you: Typically, with a conference there is some recording of conference sessions. These CDs or audio files can be purchased at the conference or even afterwards from the vendor who provided the service. I don't know if the FGS conference is being recorded but if it is I will post that information.

I can tell you that I use these recording as continuing education. I listen to them at the gym, on long trips and anytime I have some quiet time. I also listen to them multiple times. These recording are a great way to learn something new, review what you heard in person and advance your genealogical education. Even if you buy all of the recordings that were done at a conference, it is still less expensive than attending. So consider budgeting for that.

4. Plan for Next Year: The FGS conference is yearly, start planning now to attend next year. With 12 months until the next conference you can work on finances, clearing your calendar and arranging for someone to take care of family members or even bring them with you. (Those who know me often see my kids trailing behind me.) I have written before on this blog and also in an article for Internet Genealogy about saving money so you can do more genealogy. And I mean it. Yes, I use coupons, specials and discounts so that I can save money and go to conferences. Save money now to store away but also consider ways to save during the conference like finding a roommate, shopping for travel deals, etc. Start now, it's always great to have something to look forward to.

Church Record Sunday: James Madison University Subject Guide on Genealogy

2011-08-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

The James Madison University Library Subject Guide on Genealogy is a great list of websites and repositories that should interest all genealogists. In addition to links for all types of record group categories, there are also religious records links for the Anabaptist, Amish and Mennonite churches. If you continue to scroll down you will see links for websites for other religious records as well under the heading Church and Religious Records. Those with Virginia ancestors will be interested in the links found at the very end of the Guide.

Other Subject Guides can be found on the Subject Guides homepage.

Church Record Sunday: American Church History Bibliography

2011-08-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to look at when I read a book is the bibliography. (Most of those who know me also know that I love footnotes). A bibliography provides you with options for conducting your own research. It guides you to resources you may not have found otherwise, or at least would have taken you time to uncover.

Genealogy is so much more than hunting down names, dates and places. It is about having an understanding of how the ancestor lived and what life was like for them in a specific place and time. That's why to me, Church Record Sunday is more than uncovering archives, manuscript collections and documents; it's about learning more about the religion of our ancestor's locality and how that religion informed their life.

The American Church History Bibliography, from the Harding School of Theology Library website, has some great resources for better understanding your American ancestor's religion. While this is intended to be a resource for university students, some of the titles have applications for the family historian. Resources like, Bibliography of Religion in the South; Religion and American Life: Resources; Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches; Atlas of American Religion: The Denominational Era, 1776-1990; and Encyclopedia of African American Religions, just to name a few. Once you find a title you would be interested in, contact your local library or use WorldCat to find a library with that tile.

Church Record Sunday: Tennessee State Library and Archives

2011-07-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

State libraries and archives are an essential resource for genealogists. While they are often an archive for the records of the state government, in some cases they also have church records. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has an online Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts and Books. This Guide comes in three sections, representing where the materials can be found at the Library; Church Records on Microfilm, Church Records in Manuscripts, Small Collections, and Manuscript Files and Published Church Records Found in the Library Catalog.

This collection spans the 1700s to the 1900s.

**Special thanks to Miriam Robbins, author of the blog AnceStories and the websites Online Historical Newspapers and Online Historical Directories for providing me with the link for the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Schools out for the Summer but the Library is Open

2011-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Cambridge Library, From Flickr: The Commons

It's no secret that I believe university libraries are just one of the places you should utilize in the search for your family history. I even wrote an article about it for the Archives.com Expert series. My trip this week to one of the libraries on the University of California, Riverside campus reminded me of even more tips that can assist as you prepare to visit an academic library.

Chat with a Librarian

Prior to my trip I did peruse the online card catalog for books that I was interested in. As part of my search, I used the Ask A Librarian feature to ask about resources that I may have overlooked. Librarians search the card catalog differently than you do. It's worth it to use a Ask A Librarian feature to get even more ideas. I used the online chat, and received help in real time as well as assistance in finding additional books. Librarians know their collection, so take advantage of their expertise.

Membership has Privileges

I had read the Library's website and knew that community members could, with a donation, receive a library card. After speaking with a librarian I found out other ways that community members could receive a library card. My new UCR library card allows me to check out books at any UC school. This is a great perk when I don't have the time to sit at the library and research.

Books and Food, What a Great Combination or Things are Sure Different than when I was a Kid

It's always good to do your homework prior to leaving for the library. I had a list of all the books I wanted to look at, that was no problem. But the directions the school provided to the library via their website were lacking. Because they basically got me to the campus and that's it, I spent a good 15 minutes driving around. Asking the librarian while I was chatting with them online might have saved me some time. Also, while I was there I learned that they allow snacks and beverages, within reason. No, you can't have pizza delivery but other snacks are allowed in the library. Had I known that I wouldn't have decided to try to fast through lunch. With the option of eating while you are researching you can sit amongst the books for hours! Free wifi, books and food, what more could a genealogist ask for?

As you research, consider all the places that you should be conducting your research in your quest for a reasonably exhaustive search. University libraries are just one example of a library to check out (pardon the pun). For other libraries see the website Libraries in the United States.

Church Record Sunday: Central Coast Museum Consortium

2011-07-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

This week I had the privilege of speaking to the Ventura County Genealogical Society. As I was finalizing my presentation slides I came across a union catalog of museums, libraries and archives for the central coast of California called the Central Coast Museum Consortium.

You may be thinking "I don't have California ancestors." That's ok, a search on this catalog does show California church histories, cookbooks, and records but there is also at least one resource not documenting California.

Genealogical records, volume II : Port Byron, Illinois records of Methodist Episcopal Church 1833 to 1900, Congregational Church 1849 to 1900, and extracts from the diary of August Henry Wendt 1881 to 1900 / compiled by Genealogical Committee Mary Little Deere Chapter, DAR.

If your ancestor is from Moline, Illinois you may want to see what repository near you has the above title.

A search on the word "church" found 250 results in this catalog ranging from research guides, cookbooks, membership roles, histories, memoirs, encyclopedias, hymns, bibliographies and more.

Church Record Sunday: Canadian Church Records

2011-07-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

The FamilySearch Research Wiki is such a wonderful tool for genealogists. It is here that you can read more about the records of a locality, record types and methodology. Take some time to scan some of the almost 60,000 articles available.

Canada Church Records is one example of what you can learn about an area and the records available.

Church Record Sunday: Inventory of Vital Statistic Records in Montana

2011-07-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Genealogists greatly benefit from the work done by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s. Not only did this program help put people to work, it cataloged records that genealogists and researchers use.

Recently while doing some research for another project, I came across a listing of WPA records for Montana. Collection 2336- WPA Records, 1935-1942 is available through the Montana State University Library. This collection of WPA records include two sets that will be of interest to anyone looking for church records for their Montana ancestors.

Series 2: Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations is a directory that is arranged by county and then the name of the church. The description indicates that some other states are also represented and lists Arizona, Delaware and Utah. You would have to contact the university to see if this is just a few scattered listings or an entire directory for those states.

Series 8: Inventory of Vital Statistics Records of Churches and Religious Organizations in Montana includes documents used by WPA workers to gather information about records kept by these churches and religious organizations. This set looks like a dream for genealogists looking for what vital records would have existed and where they were archived.

This collection is another good example of the value of special collections found in places like university libraries for genealogists. Not all documents leading to church records are kept at a church.

Church Record Sunday: University of South Carolina Libraries

2011-06-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

For those with South Carolina roots, this collection of church records in the University of South Carolina Libraries Manuscript Collection includes original and transcribed church records as well as the information from the 1930s WPA Church Survey of church archives that "contains basic information on founders, buildings, and location of extant church records at that time."

Also, on this page for their manuscript collections, there is a link for their genealogy collection. Make sure to check out this as well for any manuscripts that can assist you in your research.

I'm Going to FGS, Are You?

2011-06-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

I enjoy learning and part of my overall genealogical education plan involves going to conferences. I'm excited to have been named one of the FGS Bloggers for the Springfiled conference this year. I'm in great company and am looking forward to the presentations being offered . (More on that later).

You can learn more about the conference below:

FGS Names Official Bloggers for FGS 2011 Conference

National Genealogy Conference Continues to Tap into Social Media

May 31, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), along with local host Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS), announce the Official Bloggers for the upcoming FGS 2011 Conference - Pathways to the Heartland – to be held in Springfield, Illinois, September 7-10, 2011. The Official Bloggers are:

Amy Coffin of We Tree (http://wetree.blogspot.com)

Schelly Talalay Dardashti of MyHeritage Blog (http://genblog.myheritage.com) and Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog (http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com)

Dick Eastman of Eastman’s Online Genealogical Newsletter (http://www.eogn.com)

Jen Holik-Urban of Chicago Family History (http://chicagofamilyhistory.wordpress.com) and GenerationsBiz (http://generationsbiz.com)

Linda McCauley of Documenting the Details (http://lfmccauley.blogspot.com)

Gena Philibert Ortega of Gena’s Genealogy (http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com) and Food.Family.Ephemera (http://foodfamilyephemera.blogspot.com)

Carolyn Pointer of Family Stories (http://yourfamilystory-cmpointer.blogspot.com) and For Your Family Story (http://www.4yourfamilystory.com)

Ol’ Myrt of DearMYRTLE (http://www.dearmyrtle.com)

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings (http://www.geneamusings.com)

Ginger Smith of Genealogy by Ginger (http://genealogybyginger.blogspot.com)

With less than 100 days left before the start of FGS 2011, be sure to follow each of the Official Bloggers for their perspective on the upcoming conference. Many will be posting about research resources in the Springfield, Illinois area, what to pack for the conference and more. In addition, during the conference look to the Official Bloggers for live reporting via blog posts, Facebook and Twitter.

Complete conference information can be found on the conference website at http://www.fgs.org/2011conference/. We look forward to seeing you in Springfield in September!

Learn More and Stay Co

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

From Flickr: The Commons.

A Coast Guardsman stands in silent reverence beside the resting place of a comrade., 1944

Memorial Day is such an important holiday. Today our family spent the morning placing flags on graves at the Riverside National Cemetery. At a time when many people don't know the meaning of Memorial Day, it was nice to see so many boys and young men remembering those who fought for our freedom.

Memorial Day, also known as and originally referred to as Decoration Day, dates back to the time right after the Civil War. General John Logan, of the Grand Army of the Republic, was the first to proclaim a Memorial Day in 1868, and it was first celebrated on 30 May 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery. Initially, the South refused to celebrate the holiday and, instead, honored their dead on a different day. Eventually, after World War I, the holiday became a time to honor all war dead, not just those who had died during the Civil War.

One tradition that came out of Memorial Day was the wearing of red poppies. The wearing of poppies derived from a poem written by Lt. Col. John McCrea of the Canadian Army. He was a military doctor who was inspired to write the poem after watching the pain and death that comes from war and, specifically the death of a young friend.

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the Poppies blow
Between the crosses row by row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Church Record Sunday: Church Bulletins

2011-05-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Some church records are ephemera. They are not meant to preserved or archived. But despite that, we know that some ephemera does end up being archived or donated to special collections. Most likely, church bulletins listing names in your family are either going to be a home source or part of a special or manuscript collection.

A few weeks ago I went to a vintage paper fair. This turned out to be a great resource for finding materials that have genealogical value. One of the items I picked up was a church bulletin that not only had the usual listing of ministers, church staff and advertisements, but it also included a list of the names of people in their congregation serving in the military as of November 28, 1943.

This church bulletin is from the First Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California.

19th Century Paper Photographs: A Genealogist's Guide to Cartes de visite and Cabinet Cards.

2011-05-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that I love books. I don't care if they are books I pick up at the used bookstore or if they are ones I download to my eReader or iPad. I just love reading. Like most genealogists, I also love old photographs. I've read with interest any book or magazine I can get my hands on about vintage photographs.

Recently, I had the opportunity to check out this new eBook about photographs, 19th Century Paper Photographs: A Genealogist's Guide to Cartes de visite and Cabinet Cards by Gary Clark of PhotoTree.com. Gary is currently showing his new book at #NGS 2011. If you are at NGS I would highly recommend you go check out his booth, PhotoTree and take a look at his latest book.

As a side note, I have always loved Gary's website PhotoTree and have highly recommend it to others. In fact, prior to my knowing him I did recommend it to people as a great place to learn more about dating photos that includes examples and a photo gallery. In case you are wondering, Gary did give me a free copy of the book and I provided some feedback but I have been recommending Gary's website for quite a while.

This book is a great addition for any genealogist, historian or anyone else with an interest in vintage photos. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the comprehensive look he takes at dating photos including what was available to photographers and their studios during various decades in the later 19th century.

The following is the press release about the above book:

PhotoTree.com Announces New Book:

19th Century Paper Photographs

A Genealogist’s Guide to Cartes de visite and Cabinet Cards

New EPUB formatted book brings a unique approach and fresh information to 19th century photograph research.

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA - May 10, 2011 – PhotoTree.com™, a developer and publisher of genealogical research tools announced today a new book titled 19th Century Paper Photographs: A Genealogist’s Guide to Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards. This book, in EPUB® format for the iPad® and iPad 2 tablets, presents a fresh and comprehensive approach to researching and dating 19th century photographs.

By following the easy-to-use numbered clues, reviewing tables and checklists, and comparing images to their own, the genealogist can easily become an expert at dating old family photographs. This book – the first in a series – presents a unique way to benefit from over 220 high quality, documented images from the 1800s. Unlike many e-books that are merely PDF files of older printed works, 19th Century Paper Photographs was conceived and developed to take advantage of new electronic publishing capabilities.

“The new generation of tablets brings exciting features such as interactive images to e-book reading,” said Gary Clark, founder of PhotoTree.com. “We took the extra steps and time during development to create a new way for genealogists to look at old images and take advantage of advanced tablet capabilities and the native EPUB format,” he continued.

iPad tablets allow the reader to tap on an image, and enlarge it to the full window size. The reader can continue to enlarge the photo with two-finger movements. In addition, by simply rotating the iPad, the screen view will change from single page in portrait mode, to a two-page layout in landscape mode. Features of the EPUB format also include the ability to enlarge or reduce the text size, change fonts, and create bookmarks. The EPUB format is a nationally recognized standard for e-book development and is supported by leading publishers and e-reader manufacturers.

Along with taking advantage of the next generation of publishing capabilities, 19th Century Paper Photographs presents the most complete information source for dating old photographs. Gary Clark’s twenty years of collecting and researching 19th century photographs has yielded new datable evidence, providing the researcher with the knowledge to establish most photograph dates within two to six years of when the picture was made.

19th Century Paper Photographs is will be introduced at the National Genealogical Society conference in Charleston, SC on May 11, 2011. It will be available for purchase from the Apple® iTunes Store on May 18, 2011 for $16.95 (ISBN: 978-0-9835785-9-5). A free sample of the book, optimized for the iPad family of tablets, will also be available from the iTunes Store. E-book versions for additional tablet models including the Zoom from Motorola will be announced soon on the PhotoTree.com website. Paperback printed versions will be available Summer 2011.

About PhotoTree.com

PhotoTree.com provides products, services, and research tools to genealogists, photograph collectors, and historians that guide them through the process of dating 19th century photographs. Professional services include restoration and quality reproductions of 19th century photographs. New in 2011, PhotoTree.com is publishing a series of books that help the researcher identify and date their 19th century family photographs. Research tools include a web-based online gallery of more than 1,000 dated images in over 50 categories to compare with researchers’ undated family photos. This website includes an extensive history and description of 19th century photographs and is freely available to the public. More information is available at www.phototree.com.

Phototree.com is a trademark of PhotoTree.com. iPad is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. EPUB is a registered trademark of the International Digital Publishing Forum.

Contact: Gary Clark

gary@phototree.com

Church Record Sunday: Connecticut State Library Church Records Index

2011-05-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

For those with Connecticut ancestors, you might be interested in the records of over 600 churches dating back to the 17th century that the Connecticut State Library holds. That's right, the records of over 600 churches.

The homepage for this collections explains, "The Church Records Index covers, at best, only about one-quarter of the church records held by the Connecticut State Library, mostly Congregational. For information on what church records were abstracted, check the Guide to Church Records in the Connecticut State Library (looking for entries that have been annotated "SLI"). There is no specific cutoff date for the index; most entries date before 1850, but there are some to the early 1900s."

Just another good example of how sometimes, you may not church records at a church.

Church Record Sunday: Your Methodist Ancestors

2011-05-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Looking to know more about your Methodist ancestor? Check out the guide, Researching Your Methodist Ancestor on the United Methodist Church General Commission on Archives and History website .

Church Record Sunday: Southern Historical Center, Salvation Army

2011-04-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have any Salvation Army ancestors? You may want to consider browsing the website for the Southern Historical Center of the Salvation Army.

This research facility includes a museum, library and archive. Just some of the materials you can research include "older and out-of-print Salvation Army materials, current and back issues of Salvation Army periodicals from the nineteenth century to the present on microfilm, church histories and oral histories of the personal faith pilgrimages of members that provide researchers with materials to access and interpret the cultures, ethos, and belief-systems of The Salvation Army in the American South."

Share Your Family's Food Trandtion

2011-03-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

The following is a press release about a new book from F & W Media, the same publishers that bring you Family Tree Magazine. Typically, I don't post press releases but this one is different. It's is about a book that I am writing.

I am very excited about this different look at our ancestor's lives and hope that you will consider telling your family's food story.

March 31, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jacqueline Musser

(513) 531-2690 x 11467 or

jacqueline.musser@fwmedia.com

Share Recipes and Traditions for a New Family Tree Book

Food is a key ingredient in every family’s history: Dad’s Saturday morning pancakes, the marzipan Granny served every Christmas, the spaghetti sauce recipe passed down from your Sicilian great-great-grandmother. Family Tree Books wants to know about your family’s food traditions—we’re collecting short essays for a book to be published in spring 2012. We’ll select 8 submissions to feature in the book based on these criteria:

Submissions should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words.
Essays should tell the story of a real tradition, specifically:

o What is the tradition?

o Who started it and when?

o What cultural or regional background does the dish or tradition represent? (for example, is it a US regional specialty or a product of your ancestry in Germany, Sweden, Mexico, etc.?)

o What does the tradition mean to you and your family?

Submissions should include a recipe described in the story and a family photo—of the original chef, people described in the story or yourself. (Pictures of the dish itself may be submitted but likely will not be published.)

To enter: E-mail your essay to FTMedit@fwmedia.com with the subject line: Family Food Traditions no later than July 13, 2011. To be considered, submissions must adhere to the following specifications:

Essays in Microsoft Word (.doc or .rft) or plain-text format. Do not paste your essay into the body of an email.
Photos in JPG or TIFF format, 300 dpi or higher resolution.
Name, mailing address, phone number and email address given in email message and within the essay.

By submitting, you acknowledge that your entry is your original, previously unpublished work, and you give F+W Media, Inc., permission to use your submission in all print and electronic media. Submitters of chosen essays will be notified via email by September 13, 2011, and receive a copy of the book after publication in May 2012.

Websites for Finding Vital Records and their Alternatives

2011-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I spoke to a DAR group and we discussed the topic of vital record alternatives. Through that talk I discussed some websites that I find useful and thought I would share them here. I also based the handout on two articles I wrote for the WorldVitalRecords newsletter. You can find those two articles, 40 Places to Find Vital Records Information, here and here.

Libraries in the United States

WorldCat

Repositories of Primary Sources

Online Archives of California

Online Death Indexes

Online Birth & Marriage Records Indexes

NUCMC

Ancestry Wiki

VitalRec

Church Record Sunday: Church Almanac by the Protestant Episcopal Tract Society

2011-03-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Several different denominations put out an almanac. These almanacs can give you information about the history of the church as well as names of various leaders within the church.

This Church Almanac by the Protestant Episcopal Tract Society provides information about various diocese around the United States, clergy names, and vendors for the church. This particular set includes almanacs for the years 1852, 1862, 1869, 1872, and 1880, so make sure that you page through the whole digitized copy.

Colleen Fitzpatrick Presentation This Saturday

2011-03-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

For those who live in Southern California, we have many great opportunities to hear genealogy presentations at societies, libraries, seminars and conferences. This weekend is no exception. This Saturday, Colleen Fitzpatrick will be speaking at the Los Angles Public Library at 2:00pm. You can find details about this presentation as well as Colleen's speaking schedule at her website, Forensic Genealogy.

I have heard Colleen speak many times and not only is she a great presenter but the topics she presents on are fascinating. I first met Colleen many years ago when she had just published her book Forensic Genealogy. I have always loved this book and recommend is to anyone wanting to learn more about analyzing photographs and thinking like a detective as you research your family history. (Colleen has two other books which are also great). Colleen's approach to forensic genealogy is something that all genealogists can benefit from. I highly respect Colleen and have learned many things from her. One of her best pieces of advice to me was to always be reading.

Looking to learn more about genealogy this weekend? Consider attending Colleen's talk. I know you will be glad you did. You might want to spend the day at the LA Central Library and research before and after Colleen's presentation. They open at 10:00 am and you could research in their fabulous genealogy section, eat at the library cafe and their underground parking is only $1.00 on Saturday.

Church Record Sunday: NYPL Digital Gallery Postcards

2011-03-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

Documents and records of our ancestors are vital to what we do as genealogists. But it can also provide some perspective to find images to help tell the story of our ancestor's lives. One way to do this can be by using vintage postcards.

You can find vintage postcards that depict almost all aspects of a place and sometimes events. Postcards of churches exist that can help you illustrate your family history narrative.

The New York Public Library Digital Gallery has many great images spanning all types of mediums. One collection is the Detroit Publishing Company Postcards from the Leonard Lauder Postcard Collection. According to the Collection homepage, "The Detroit Publishing Company was one of the largest American publishers of postcards and photographic views during the early decades of the 20th century. This digital collection represents a portion of a larger collection, totaling 14,500 postcards, donated to the Library in 1986 by Leonard Lauder, executive, philanthropist, and art collector. According to The New York Times, Mr. Lauder began collecting postcards at the age of 6. Today he continues to collect at the rate of some 1,000 postcards per year-for "the pleasure of discovery, and once discovered, the pleasure of preservation."

You can conduct a keyword search on this specific collection. A search on the word "church" results in 124 hits for churches in various states.

Be considerate of copyright restrictions. Remember to consult the library/archive or the website before you use any image in a narrative that you will be publishing in any format.

Church Record Sunday: Canadian Methodist Women

2011-02-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes books can provide us with an idea of the everyday lives of our ancestors. They can provide some social history as well as names of those our ancestor's knew or even the ancestor themselves.

The book, Canadian Methodist Women, 1766-1925: Marys, Marthas, Mothers in Israel is a good example of a book that can provide you some information about the life of your female ancestor in Canada. I would also recommend checking out the Notes and Sources section of this book for other resources that can assist you in your research.

According to the Book News Synopsis (2004): "They were missionaries, mothers, musicians, suffragists, Proverbs wives, scholars, and teachers, but mainly they were the women of Methodism, drawn by vocation or family to the new land of Canada. Informed by the tradition of the itinerant preacher, they provided hospitality for visitors, founded churches in which they could preach, and served as the foundation of the parsonage. Some led the vanguard for equal rights, and some stayed home and waited; but the Methodist take on grace and purpose sustained them until the first Methodist woman was ordained in 1936. Independent scholar Whiteley drew on periodicals, biographies, autobiographies, early histories of Methodism, and records of women's groups across Canada to present this study for those interested in the history of women in religion and in Canadian society."

You can see a preview of this book through Google Books . To find a library with this book, see WorldCat.

Church Record Sunday: Religious Archives for Philadelphia

2011-02-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Have ancestors from the Philadelphia area? The Free Library of Philadelphia has a list of religious archives to contact for church records. Religious Archives in the Philadelphia Area lists Catholic, Jewish, Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Quakers, Methodist and Presbyterian churches and archives.

The website also has other research guides that are valuable for those with Pennsylvania ancestors.

Church Record Sunday: Locating Church Records by Val D. Greenwood

2011-02-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Many readers may recognize the name Val D. Greenwood. Greenwood's, "The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy" is one of the books in American genealogy. If you do not have this work, you need to make it a priority to buy a copy.

This week's Church Record Sunday is not a link to an archive, rather it is a link to an article entitled Locating Church Records by Greenwood. This excerpt from his book includes information on why church records are important, what they can reveal and a list of repositories around the United States with church records. This list of archives alone is a valuable edition to your Internet bookmarks or your research notebook.

This excerpt is just that, the chapter in his book is about 40 pages long and includes discussions of various denominations and the records they produced.

Church Record Sunday: Immigration History Research Center

2011-01-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, today's Church Record Sunday involves records from the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC), part of the University of Minnesota. If you haven't checked out this website, I encourage you to do so. They have an interesting collection of resources for immigration research that goes beyond what we tend to think of searching for as genealogists, namely "ship manifests and naturalization records." They have a list of record types describing what they do have and why they are important, such as fraternal organization records and newspapers. Their Guide to Collections is searchable by ethnic group and can help you get a better understanding of what records are available.

So what about church records? Well IHRC has them. According to their website "The IHRC maintains records of several individual churches, church auxiliary societies, and national or regional administrative bodies. Many of these collections contain documentation on church members in the form of birth, death, marriage, baptism, or other records reflecting rites of passage or sacraments. Important information on individuals is also available in papers of ethnic clergymen." (emphasis mine)

"A common item on the IHRC's shelves of published material is the church jubilee or anniversary album. Prepared in celebration of a church's founding or in commemoration of a major event such as the opening of a new place of worship, these monographs usually include listings of current and past members, brief histories of the church and sometimes of the local ethnic community, profiles of the church's leaders, numerous photographs, and ads or notices from the various sponsors of the publication. Some of these publications offer surprisingly detailed and unique information for local and family history research."

To search the collection click here . Records in their collection that are microfilmed may be borrowed via inter-library loan. Otherwise you will need to visit the Center in person or hire a researcher. They will do limited research for $40.00/hour.

Church Record Sunday: Shiloh Presbyterian Church (Indiana)

2011-01-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

Religious records can be found in many different locations aside from a church. Don't forget to be on the lookout for books that tell the story of a community as well as those that are histories of a congregation. Books that appear to be more about local history may turn out to have some great information.

Take the book, Making a Neighborhood. Speech Delivered at the Shiloh Reunion May 26, 1887 by D. D. Banta (Shiloh, Indiana) digitized on Internet Archive. This book begins as a speech delivered by D.D. Banta but ends with church records that are a valuable resource for anyone with Presbyterian ancestors from this area.

The book includes pages with the names of members of the Shiloh Presbyterian Church. This table of members includes their name, how they joined the congregation, when they joined, from what congregation they came from, date of dismissal, where they went and death dates. (This list begins on page 39 of the book). A list of infant baptisms follows the membership list. Dates for both lists are limited to the 19th century.

Internet Archive is a valuable resource for digitized books covering genealogy and local history topics. To search their genealogy section click here.

Some Recent Writings

2011-01-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

I don't always have time to post articles on my blog so I thought I would list a few other places where you can find some of my more recent articles.

Dissertations and Theses as Genealogical Sources in the December 2010 issue of Family Chronicle

Weekly Tip: The Music of the Holidays on the Family History Expos Blog

How Did Your Ancestor Celebrate Christmas? and Turn Your Christmas Cards Into Dinner Conversations about Family History in the Family History Expos December 2011 Newsletter.

Finding Books for Your Genealogy and Using Menus to Learn More About Your Ancestor in the WorldVitalRecords Newsletter (23 December 2010)

Here Comes 2011: 10 Genealogy Resolutions and Packing for a Research Trip in the WorldVitalRecords Newsletter (6 January 2011).

Also, please check out my other blog Food. Family. Ephemera.

Sometimes Searching Means More than Just a Surname

2011-01-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

As genealogists, we get use to searching everywhere for our ancestor's surname. Afterall, that makes sense right? We are looking for specific people and so we should look for them, typically by surname.

Surname searching is useful in many types of databases and indexes. However, surname searching will only get you so far. It is also important to incorporate in your search the name of the locality your ancestor resided, what religion they were a member, their occupation and other affiliations. And sometimes, searching means looking page by page.

I've been getting ready for presentations that I am delivering at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. One of my classes has to do with finding images for your family history narrative. One example I am using is a photo from an Images of America book by Arcadia Publishing. This book on Snowflake, Arizona by Catherine H. Ellis has a photo that involves my grandmother but you would never know it unless you took a close, careful look. You will not find this in an index of the book, through Google Books. It's a good example of making it a priority to look for resources on local history and to not believe everything is in the index.

On page 67 is a photo of two women holding up a quilt, with an enlargement of two of the quilt squares. Below is the bottom of that page with my grandmother's (Clara M. Nikolaus) quilt block on the left hand side.

If I strictly limited my research to surname searching I would miss out on learning about this signature quilt block made by my grandmother. Her name does not appear in the text for this page, you would have to examine the photo see her name.

As the much used phrase instructs, "think outside of the box" you never know what you might find.

Church Record Sunday: Brethren in Christ Historical Library and Archives

2011-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Messiah College Brethren in Christ Historical Library and Archives contains primary and secondary sources for those with Brethren in Christ or "River Brethren" ancestors. The home page for the Archives provides a synopsis of their holdings with primary sources, special collections, books and periodicals. Information about the Archive and their guidelines can be found here. Looking for a specific Brethren member? This list of available manuscript collection authors includes church leaders and lay members.

Because there are various Brethren groups, you may want to contact the Archives first to make sure your Brethren ancestors would be included in this collection. A list of Brethren groups is here.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

Church Record Sunday: Zoar Lutheran Church, Colorado County, Texas

2010-12-18T19:05:00.001-08:00

There are many examples of people putting church records online. This not only provides access to the records by those interested in the names they contain but also archives them digitally. In some cases those records might be digitized and in others they may be transcribed. The following example shows the importance of checking the websites of public libraries for local history information they may have available online.

An example of transcribed records can be found on a page for the Nesbitt Memorial Library in Columbus, Texas (Colorado county). The Zoar Lutheran Church Baptism, Marriage, Death, and Other Records, 1905-1973 is a transcription of records left behind by this church. This church discontinued services in 1951 and thereafter only continued as the Zoar Cemetery Association. According to the website, after the closing of the church, members went to congregations in Columbus, Cat Spring and Sealy. The names of those buried in the cemetery are online. Click here to see the list.

You can see a list of other records available from the Nesbitt Memorial Library here. This list includes additional church records.

Do You Have a Genealogy Learning Plan?

2010-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

It is a relief to hear that everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
-----Irma Rombauer 1936 Edition of The Joy of Cooking

Teachers create learning plans for the school year. These plans includes all of the activities that students are going to participate in and accomplish in various subjects. The purpose of the plan is to give some structure but also help track progress.

It is my belief that genealogy requires lifelong learning. Between the technological advancements and the multitude of resources that can help your research, genealogy is a pursuit that requires constant learning. We are lucky in that there are many ways to pursue this learning including books, magazines, newsletters, online classes (both free and fee based), conferences, workshops and genealogy societies.

So what's on your genealogical learning plan this year? As you plan out what you will learn think about what your skills are and how they need improving. Consider what your brick walls are and what would help you break them down. Is there research you haven't tackled because you are unsure how to start researching in a foreign country? Even if you think you are an advanced researcher, life-long learning is essential.

My plan in 2010 included attending conferences, using my mp3 player to listen to podcasts and conference talks, and reading books, newsletters, journals and magazines. As you think about your genealogical goals for 2011 don't forget to include your continuing education.

Here are just a few suggestions to consider. This is not an exhaustive list.

FamilySearch Online Classes

Genealogy Podcasts

National Genealogical Society

Federation of Genealogical Society

Family History Expos

BYU Genealogy Conferences

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Genealogy Books on WorldCat

JAMB recordings from Genealogy Conferences

A Thank You is in Order

2010-12-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you. First a thank you to fellow blogger Alanna Fant of the Confessions of a Gene-a-holic blog for awarding me the Ancestor Approved award. I have known Alanna for about a year through GenealogyWise and appreciate her thinking of me.

Second, I was surprised to learn this week that this blog was nominated for the Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Genealogy Blogs. I want to let the person or people who nominated know that I appreciate it greatly and am humbled by even being nominated. Sometimes I think as a blogger you may wonder if anyone reads anything you write. It's nice to know that someone does read it and even likes it!

You can read more about the Top 40 nominations and the other bloggers honored at the Genealogy Insider blog.

Once again, thank you so very much.

Finding Resources at Your Local Friends of the Library Bookstore

2010-12-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

I think we all know that I love books. Hardbacks, paperbacks, audiobooks, ebooks, I love them all. And because I love them all I am always looking for a good buy. One of the great places to find books that can help your genealogical research is your local Friends of the Library Bookstore.

Most Friends of the Library groups have some sort of book sale whether it's a yearly sale or a nook in the library with books or a whole store of books. Near my home, I am lucky in that the library actually has a Friends bookstore that is a large store in a strip mall. Now, why is this important to genealogy?

Opportunities to look through used books can be helpful in allowing you to find everything from how-to books, to social history books, to even local history books. On my trip yesterday with my fellow genealogy blogger/presenter Madaleine Laird I picked up A Day At A Time: The Diary Literature of American Women from 1764 to the Present by Margo Culley, Cheap Amusements: Working Women and Leisure in Turn-of-the Century New York by Kathy Peiss and The Belles of New England: The Women of the Textile Mills and the Families Whose Wealth They Wove by William Moran. These social history books will allow me to learn more about women in the era and locality that these books study. That knowledge will then help me know more about the lives that my female ancestors lived. Social history is an important aspect of enhancing your knowledge of your ancestor's daily life.

I also picked up the 1972 book Genealogical Research: A Jurisdictional Approach by Arlene H Eakle, Vincent L Jones and Mildred H Christensen. You may be wondering why in the world would I pick up a how-to book from the early 1970s. Well I believe that even with an older book on genealogy you can still learn something. Although the methods we use to find information may be different today because of technology, the research techniques and resources they discuss are still important in today's research. I agree with the forward to this book written by Rulon T. Burton, "The early telephone was not as fully perfected as the phone of today, yet the principals discovered by Alexander Graham Bell remain the same." I know Arlene and respect her greatly. Already, I have found some interesting resources that I want to check out that are discussed in this book. At the bargain price of $1.00 this book was a great buy.

And even though I picked up some great books, I also left behind some that would help other genealogists. One book was about Polish people in California and provided biographies. What a great buy for someone with Polish ancestry. Another was about working women in Italy, in case you have any black sheep in your family.

As you research your family, don't forget the value of Friends bookstores. It is through the donations of others that you may find a book that will help you better understand your ancestors and their lives.

Church Record Sunday: Amish Resources at the Library of Congress

2010-12-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

This week I spent some time watching the online video, The Library of Congress: Pursuing Your Family History in the National Library. This video is free and available from the Online Classes section of the Family Search website. I highly recommend watching these videos.

One of the resources from the Library of Congress is a web page from the Journeys and Crossings series that details what resources they have for Amish Resources. This page includes listings of books, periodicals and websites. There is even a webcast with a history of the Amish.

You can peruse more of the Library of Congress Journeys and Crossings pages by clicking here.

Where's the Pepper?

2010-12-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

For about two months I have not been able to find the pepper shaker. I always place it in the same spot on a bottom shelf in one of the kitchen cabinets. But one day it just disappeared. I basically gave up looking for it since I couldn't find it and decided to just use the pepper in the spice jar that I fill the pepper shaker from.

Well, yesterday I found it. It was where I always put it, on the bottom shelf of the cabinet, but it was behind the slim piece or wood that divides the cabinet. The wood was just big enough to obscure the pepper.

When this happened, of course it reminded me of genealogy. Do you ever have those times when you can't find something and you look and look and then you give up? After awhile, maybe someone suggests a website or maybe you look again for grandma and you find her in a database where you have looked so many times before. Why does this happen? Well I'm not completely sure but I think we sometimes are blinded and we need a break from the research, to talk with someone with different research experiences or to try searching in a new way.

So here's some ideas when you are stuck, to help you find what you are looking for.

Ask Someone What They Think. Now there is no doubt that asking another genealogist for help can be beneficial. This can be done at a genealogy society meeting or on a surname mailing list. In my previous job working on GenealogyWise we had many members ask for help in the chat room. I recommend all of these options but also don't negate the importance of asking a non-genealogist what they think. When I was working on finding information from the Final Pay Voucher for my great-uncle who fought in World War II, my dad, a non-genealogist was vital. He had been in the military so he could help me with some of the military jargon. He loves studying about World War II so that was beneficial as we looked at the battles his uncle took part in. Notice how when you watch the History Detectives that they ask all sorts of experts what they think about a case they are working on? That is something that would benefit the work of genealogists.

Stop Falling in the Same Holes. Have you ever heard that saying that insanity is when you keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results? Well if you are conducting your research in the same way and not finding anything there could be a reason. If you are searching online, try to search on various keywords. We assume that our ancestor went by his/her first and last name the way we want to spell it. Or that they or no one else ever used initials. If you are searching for John Smith then try J. Smith, Jno Smith and various ways to spell Smith. I realize he may not have spelled his name differently than S-M-I-T-H but someone who filled out the document you seek may have. If you search genealogy subscription sites the same way every time, try something different. Search on just the record type you need or browse the records in a database.Yes, it takes longer but you might find something was misindexed. Finally, step away from the computer and go to a library or archive. Use interlibrary loan. Try something different. It's like how they use to say on the TV show the X Files, "the truth is out there." Your ancestral truth is out there it just may not be on the Internet.

Research a Different Line. Sometimes it's best to take a break from researching a particular family line and start working on a different one. First, When you stop working on a particular problem you sometimes come up with the solution. Sort of like when you lose something, and you can't find it. But when you wake up the next day you suddenly remember where it is. Second, by researching a different line you may learn new research techniques and sources that will help you in your overall research.

It's Love All Over Again: Google eBooks

2010-12-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have written before of my love of Google Books. Simply, Google Books is one of the best genealogy websites, that is not a genealogy website, that you can use.

Now, life has gotten even better with the advent of Google eBooks which allows you to download books to your computer, eReader (except for Kindle) or iPod/iPad. Yes, there are books that you pay for to download but there are also free books. There are 3 million books to peruse as of its launch yesterday.

So why is this important? Well first, the selection includes numerous family history/surname books that are available for free. You can also purchase, at a discount, some genealogical how-to mainstays. I spent last night downloading 20 free books that will help me in a project I am working on. The books look great on my iPad and it provides me one more way to carry my library with me when I go out to research. Digitized books provide convenience in that you can take numerous books with you wherever you go.

Downloading the app took seconds. I simply connected the iPad to my computer and had selected the download app button from the Google eBooks website. That in turn opened up the app on iTunes and allowed me to download it onto the iPad. I then started playing with it, searching for books I wanted to download. The search engine did not always work as I expected. I even had a few times where I searched on the same phrase and got entirely different results. There is no advanced search feature like with other Google products. But since it was the first day of this new product I would assume there may be some issues.

Some features I think would be helpful include the ability to easily return to your search results page instead of the site's homepage when you buy a book. It would be nice to be taken back to your search in case you wanted to buy more books in that category. It would also be nice to be shown the book's table of contents when you are looking at a book and deciding whether to buy it. However, you are able to download a free sample of the book which allows you to read some of the book first. I use this a lot with my Kindle and plan on doing the same with Google eBooks.

Google eBooks, the website on your computer, is synched with the Google eBooks app you have on your mobile device. So the books I added on my iPad are shown on my computer. This is another reason for having a Google account which is free and only requires an email address and password. So your reading is in the cloud, thus allowing you to access it anywhere. (This is also true for other eReader devices).

I highly recommend you check out Google eBooks. Even if you don't want to purchase digitized books, check out what free books are available that may help you with your genealogy research.

Church Record Sunday: Family History Cultures and Faiths by Michael Gandy

2010-12-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

At the NGS conference in April of this year, I picked up quite a few books from the various booths in the vendor hall. One of the vendors was selling book published by the UK National Archives. I bought several of their books in an effort to learn more about English research.

One of the books I purchased was Family History: Cultures and Faiths by Michael Gandy. This book focuses on the records of different religious groups in England and how to find the records they left behind. The National Archives bookstore website says this of the book,

"For centuries, the patterns of our ancestors’ lives were shaped by traditions of culture and faith, and they left a rich legacy of documents, registers and possessions. This wide-ranging guide shows how to use religious records of life’s milestones – such as christening, confirmation, marriage and burial – in family history research, drawing on material in the National Archives and elsewhere. It covers the diverse faiths of Britain – Church of England, Catholic, Noncomformist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and others – and suggests the best sources for each, from the earliest records to more recent times."

"Full of practical advice for all levels of experience, the book offers solutions for common problems and advice on how to find out more. It also explores how and where communities maintained their beliefs, from celebrations and festivals to religious buildings and schools."

This book is really a must have for those with English ancestors. This very readable reference provides you the information you need regarding what religious records are available and how to find them. It gives you the knowledge you need to conduct an exhaustive search and almost as importantly, what records are not available so you don't waste your time. The great part of the book is the history it covers so you fully understand why some religious records exist. A bibliography for further reading is also included. I would suggest that if all you know about English research is that you should research parish records, you need to get a copy of this book.

Arsenic: It's not Just for Rats in the 19th Century

2010-12-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sears, Roebuck and Co. 1909 Catalog. New York City: Ventura Books. 1979

I read with interest Miriam Midkiff's post entitled The Strange Tale of Uzza Robbins; or His One Hanging, Two Murders, Three Exhumations and Four Burials on her blog AnceStories. Simply, it is the tale of her ancestor who killed two family members and tried to kill a third. One of the tools he used was arsenic.

In the 19th century arsenic was easily accessible as a rat poisoning. One could go buy some with the excuse that they had rats in their barn or somewhere else. Quite a few women killed their loved ones or others with arsenic. One of the more famous cases was immortalized in the play/movie Arsenic and Old Lace. A recent book about the real story behind the fictionalized version is The Devil's Rooming House: The True Story of America's Deadliest Female Serial Killer. The true story is one where greed played a large factor.

Women were familiar with arsenic for another reason. They used it to better their complexion. The above advertisement is from a reproduction of a Sears catalog from 1909 that I recently bought from a used book sale (page 382). The advertisement tells women that "By taking them according to directions, a clear, dainty, transparent and altogether beautiful complexion is possible." It goes on to say "Dr. Rose's splendid tabules produce a transparent and pellucid complexion. The effect of these arsenous tabules upon the skin and muscular tissues of the body is to drive out impurities, banish unnatural oiliness and give a transparent texture and beauty." This beauty aid came in the form of a wafer which you ate. Of course your complexion took on a whole new look if you ate too many.

Arsenic was not only ingested for beauty's sake but for other reasons as well including the belief that it helped men. (I will let you guess what it helped men with; life has not changed that much throughout history).

Ancestry.com just came out with a new collection of Sears catalogs. You can conduct a keyword search and find other instances of arsenic sold as a beauty aid, condition powder for cattle and a homeopathic remedy.

Makes you wonder about our ancestors. It would be interesting to know how many of our ancestors used arsenic for activities other than poisoning rats. It also makes me wonder what poisons we are ingesting that generations from now our descendants will think are strange.

Presentation List 2011

2010-11-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

I want to publicly thank all the societies and conference organizers that have invited me to speak this year. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on a subject I love, genealogy, and share that passion with others. I am also humbled by the support I continue to receive from the genealogy community. Like most of those who present, my speaking schedule is completed for 2010 and I now look forward to the opportunities that 2011 will bring.

Just some of the topics I have available for presentations are listed below. I have also updated my 2011 schedule here on my blog.

Research Techniques

I LOVE Libraries: Using Libraries for Your Genealogy

Step Away From the Computer: Using Archives, Academic Libraries and Museums for your Research

Journals, Store Ledgers and Letters to Aunt Mary: Using Manuscript Collections

Citing Sources

Combining Historical Research with your Genealogy

Increasing your Genealogical Knowledge

California Dreamin'

Institutional Records

Putting Flesh on your Ancestor's Bones

Grandpa was in Jail!? Researching the Black Sheep and Other Infamous Relatives

Read All About It: Your Ancestor in the Newspaper.

Elusive Genealogy Sources

Female Ancestors

The Secret Lives of Women: Researching Female Ancestors Using the Sources They Left Behind

Women’s Work

Remember the Ladies: Finding your Female Ancestors

The Cigar Factory Quilt: Tracing Women’s Lives through Quilts

Church History and Records

19^th Century American Religions

Researching LDS Ancestors

American Church Records

Where Can You Find Religious Records?

Technology

There an App for That? Apps for Genealogy

Finding Images to Tell the Story of Your Ancestor

Hidden Genealogy Websites

Advance your Family History through Social Networking

Finding your Genealogy in Digitized Books

Using Google for your Genealogy

More Google for your Genealogy

50 Internet Sites Every Genealogist Should Know

Social History Websites That Bring Your Ancestor’s Story to Life

Cemetery Research

Researching Your Ancestor’s Death

Cemetery Research

Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra

Church Record Sunday: Church Bulletins from World War II Internment Camps

2010-11-27T18:11:00.000-08:00

Church bulletins have a lot to offer the genealogist. Unfortunately, they are not always archived; they fall in the realm of ephemera, paper items not meant to be kept for long periods of time. When they can be found, typically in an archive or in a private collection, they provide a snapshot of our ancestor's church life at a specific time. Names of members, events, upcoming activities and more can be part of the bulletin.

The collection found on the Online Archive of California entitled Japanese-American internment camp church bulletins and newsletters collection, 1942-1945 includes church bulletins and newspapers from seven of the Japanese-American Internment Camps. In the cases of these church bulletins, there is much more mentioned about the community the church served than would be found in a typical church bulletin.

The collection description says, "The bulletins and newsletters provide orders of worship for Sunday services, articles, announcements, notices of baptisms, mariages, deaths, and other items of interest for the church members. Several have sections reprinting parts or all of letters received from members who had left the camps for school, jobs, or to serve in the armed forces. Though there are more extensive runs for the churches in Minidoka, Rohwer, and Poston camps, all are incomplete."

This collection is housed at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, California . The original materials in this collection are fragile and require permission from the archivist to be used. There are photocopies available for research. This collection is not available online.

Adding a House History to Your Genealogy

2010-11-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been thinking of my maternal grandmother's house a lot. We use to go visit her every summer and stay for weeks. Her house was a totally different world for us kids living in Southern California. Her home in the White Mountains of Arizona were slower paced and full of different things to explore. Because she lived in a small town we could walk everywhere and would enjoy eating out of her garden, wading through the irrigation in her garden, throwing apples from her crab apple tree at cousins and picking currants. In a time before multi-plex theaters, her local movie theater was only a block away and that always seemed exciting. When we would go pick up her mail at the Post Office all we would have to say is that we were there for Grandma Nikolaus' mail and they knew exactly who we were talking about.

Unfortunately, Grandma's house burned down about 10 years ago. She had died years before but family members lived there and it was still referred to by us as "Grandma's house." When that house burned down so did a lot of memories.

As I was pulling old family photos out of a magnetic album this week and scanning them to preserve them, I came across pictures of her home. That mint green with white trim house brought back memories. There were pieces of petrified wood on the outside facade (she lived in Arizona where you could find such materials and people in the early 1900s used it for decoration). It got me to thinking how important a family member's home can be to our genealogy. Yes, the names and dates are important but the stories of where our family lived, where we sat with them, where we had meals and laughed can be so important.

Your inclusion of a house history with your genealogy can include photos (inside and outside), drawings, deeds, newspaper articles, plat maps, and remembrances. I wrote a brief article about researching a home for the WorldVitalRecords newsletter that you can find here.

A house history can add more detail to your family history narrative and help your children and grandchildren to know why your grandmother's house (or even your childhood home) was so special to you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

From: http://hubpages.com/hub/Thanksgiving-vintage-postcards

California Archives: California State Archives

2010-11-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

If you have California ancestors, you will want to check out the California State Archive for records that may pertain to your family. A list of their family history resources can be found here. Some of their materials are available on microfilm and can be borrowed through inter-library loan.

What records do they have? Well their collection includes:

Probate
County, District, Judicial and Superior Court
Bond, Letters and Wills
Naturalization
Deeds
Homestead
Birth
Death
Marriage
and Miscellaneous records from various county offices including records pertaining to occupations, the military, mental health facilities and prisons.

For those with ancestors who were amongst the earliest settlers of California, the archives collections includes Mexican and Spanish land grants.

The California State Archive collection can be searched through the Minerva online catalog or the Online Archive of California.

Church Record Sunday: Provo Community Congregational Church Records

2010-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today's church record collection is a good example of being open to the possibility of records being in any number of places. In this case, records for the Provo (Utah) Community Congregational Church are archived at the University of Utah. I found this collection on the Mountain West Digital Library website.

According to the page for this collection, "The Provo Community Congregational Church Records (1883-1986) consist of the records of various church-sponsored organizations, board and committee materials, Sunday bulletins, minutes, financial records, correspondence, histories, and miscellaneous papers. The Provo Community Congregational Church was one of the earliest churches organized in the state of Utah."

There's many great records here including church bulletins from 1925-1982, yearbooks, baptismal records, and a Pastor's diary.

In some cases, church records may be donated and kept as a manuscript collection at an academic library. Fourteen linear feet of documentation from this church is open for research by the public but it is recommended that you call 24 hours prior to your visit to the University of Utah library.

So the next time you are looking for church records, consider a nearby academic library as a resource.

52 Weeks of Genealogy Sources: Insurance Library Association of Boston

2010-11-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Was your ancestor an insurance agent or in the insurance business? Then you might be interested in A Catalogue of the Library of the Insurance Library Association of Boston (1899) available from Google Books. This is a catalog listing of books from the Insurance Library Association of Boston. You can learn more about the Insurance Library Association and research opportunities on their website.

While this is not a "genealogical" source it is one that includes some books with genealogical information, like names and dates. The chapter entitled "Insurance Almanacs, Directories, Year Books, Etc.", starting on page 96 does list directories of agents and others working in the insurance industry.

If your ancestor was part of the insurance business you may want to contact the Insurance Library Association of Boston and ask what types of materials they may have that might list the locality your ancestor lived in/worked in for that time period.

This is a great example of how you can research an ancestor's occupation by going to organizational associations and private libraries.

The Ephemera Society of America

2010-11-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's amazing all the great stuff you can find online. Take for example the website for The Ephemera Society of America. Ephemera is typically paper items that weren't meant for long term use. There are many different objects that can be called ephemera such as postage stamps, movie posters, calenders, and business cards. Although meant to be used only once or for a short amount of time, ephemera can have genealogical applications. Take World War II ration stamp books for example, they had a cover where a person wrote out their name and address. Business cards place a person at a specific occupation and location. Maps provide historical geographical information about an ancestors's locality. Postcards can provide a sneak peak into our ancestor's family, friends and their thoughts and travels.

To see a list of some items considered ephemera, see the "What is Ephemera" page of the Society website here.

One of the great aspects of this website is their list of online exhibits of ephemera. One of my favorite links in this index is the Hearts at Home: Southern Women in the Civil War exhibit.

The Ephemera Society of American website can help you think of ephemera that may be a home source or could be archived in a repository that will shed light on your ancestor's life.

Church Record Sunday: St. Francis Church, Naugatuck, Connecticut

2010-11-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

I've written before about using maps as a way to find out more about your ancestor's religion. Maps pinpoint religious migration routes, outline religious communities and more. Here's yet another example of what you can find in a map collection.

The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection has more than 22,000 maps and images online. These maps cover the world and various historical eras.

One of the digitized images is from the book Town and city atlas of the state of Connecticut. Compiled from government surveys, county records and personal investigations. D. H. Hurd and Co: Boston, 1893. This book includes drawings of various buildings including churches. One of the churches included in this work is the St. Francis Church and Rectory in Naugatuck, Connecticut. However, it is not the only one.

It's a good idea to check all kinds of sources when researching your ancestors.Using images of the buildings where they worshiped can help your readers better picture your ancestor's life in a written narrative. In cases when you lack photos of an ancestor, images of the places they were involved with can be a substitution. Check out the David Rumsey Historical Maps site and search on the places that your ancestor lived. You might just find something that helps tell the story of your ancestor.

(Please note that the website does include copyright information for their materials. They also provide an option to purchase images).

52 Weeks of Genealogy Sources: Wyoming Ancestors

2010-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

What I absolutely love about Google Books is that it can lead you to books that you had no idea had anything to do with genealogy. Here is a case in point.

I was searching on a keyword and came across the book, Wyoming: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases. So I was a little bewildered what that book had to do with what I was searching for but I thought I would take a look. The book's preface states. "Ever need a fact or quotation on Wyoming?...It (the book) represents a compilation from a variety of sources with a linguistic emphasis on anything related to the term "Wyoming"..."

When you first start looking at this book it is mostly phrases, saying and songs having to do with Wyoming but as you continue searching it includes a list of non-fictional works that have to do with Wyoming. So you can find works relating to sociology, geology, history and yes, even genealogy.

Just some genealogical examples (I have included the title of the work, the name it is listed under in Wyoming... and the page number where it appears):

Wyoming 1890 federal census index, editor Ronald Vern Jackson, page 27.

Stark Co., Il., Toulon Twp, cemeteries : Toulon Mawberry , Publisher Ada A Terwilliger, page 28

A church in Wyoming; a sociological study, by Herbert Charles Kimmel, page 152

Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County Pennsylvania., by George B. Kulp, page 158

Archives in Colorado and Wyoming: a directory, 1996. , compiled by Mary L. Linscome, page 165

Pioneering on Cheyenne River: the stories of pioneers and early settlers in Northern Niobrara County, Wyoming, Southern Weston County, Wyoming, Western Fall River County, South Dakota, publisher Harold Lusk, page 170.

This is not all the bibliographic listings that have to do with genealogy. Because this is a limited preview book in Google, not all of the pages are available to view. And some of these listing are not just focused on Wyoming, I saw mentions of Canada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and Colorado.

This is a great example of a book that can lead you to other sources. Don't limit yourself to only genealogy books. Information is out there, just be curious!

To All Who Have Served

2010-11-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the brave men and women who have served in our military. Your service is not forgotten.

From http://hubpages.com/hub/US-Military-Veterans-Memorial-Day

Church Record Sunday: Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage

2010-11-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

For those with Mennonite or even Amish ancestors in Pennsylvania the Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage Illustrated Quarterly might be of interest. It is available as part of a membership benefit to the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. You can also check out back issues through indexes available on the website.

According to their website, the "Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage focuses on historical background (Europe and America), religious thought and expression, culture, and family history of Mennonite and Amish-related groups originating in Pennsylvania. Additional features: Genealogical tips, readers’ ancestry, queries, Pennsylvania German dialect stories, and book review."

The predecessor of the Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage is the Mennonite Research Journal. Published between 1960-1977, some issues are available for purchase. You can see a list of some article from previous issues on the web page for the Journal.

52 Weeks of Genealogy Sources: Was Your Ancestor a Weaver?

2010-10-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

Was your ancestor a weaver? No, not did they have the surname Weaver but did they weave? Sometimes knowing an ancestor's occupation can help you find more information about them.

A good case in point is the book American Coverlets and their Weavers by Clarita S Anderson. This work is a fabulous non-genealogy, genealogy book. If you have a weaver in your family tree, check this one out. There is a biographical dictionary at the end of the book with names and bios of over 700 weavers. These historical bios include information about where the weaver lived, name of spouse and where the authors found the person in the U.S. Federal Census, as well as when they weren't found in the census. Here's an example of what you can find:

Adolf (Adolph), Henry

Born: ca. 1815 in Alsace, France

Died: 1907

Spouse: Elizabeth

Location: Montgomery Co., Ohio: Wayne Co., Ind.; Noblesville, Hamilton Co., Ind.; Mahaska Co., Iowa; North Twp., Dade Co., Mo.; Clinton Twp., Douglas Co., Kansas; Walnut Grove, St. Louis Co., Mo.

Extant Coverlets: 1840-1881

History: Henry Adolf immigrated to Montgomery Co., Ohio, in 1835...

That is just part of an example. What great information that can be had out of this book!

This is another great example of thinking outside of the genealogy box as you approach researching your ancestor.

Church Record Sunday: Congregational Library

2010-10-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Congregational Christian Historic Society has over 255,000 volumes relating to the protestant faith of Congregationalism which includes the United Church of Christ. There's a lot to like about this website including a necrology search on the homepage with obituaries for 25,000 clergy and missionaries covering more than two centuries.

An Online Catalog allows you to search their collections. A Resources tab includes a history of the denomination, resources including primary sources and a tab for archives and finding aids. Don't forget to check out the Digitized Resources under the Resources tab for periodicals, digitized manuscripts and more.

This Library is on Facebook and Twitter. So there are lots of ways to learn about their collections. Make sure to join their mailing list to keep up to date with their collections.

On the Bookshelf: The Public Record Research Tips Book

2010-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

In genealogy, we are focused on tracing our family back several generations. However, there is also value in tracing our family forward. All families have branches that they have lost touch with over the years. Connecting with cousins can be a crucial step in learning more about your ancestors. Afterall, successful research is more than just tracing our direct line ancestors, it is also tracing our collateral relatives.

So with that in mind, I decided to pick up a book new to my local library, The Public Record Research Tips Book: Insider Information for Effective Public Record Research by Michael Sankey. (This book was published in 2008.)

Now this blog posting isn't meant as a review, since I just picked this book up this afternoon. But so far, as I browse the book I know it will provide some useful informaiton. There is quite a bit on genealogy with website recommendations and information about vital records. But I am interested in those things not traditionally considered genealogy and this book looks like it will deliver. Chapter headings are as follows:

Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Public Record Searching
Chapter 2: Searching Criminal Records
Chapter 3: Searching State and Local Court Records
Chapter 4: Searching Federal Court Records
Chapter 5: Searching Liens and Recorded Documents
Chapter 6: Searching Business Entity Records
Chapter 7: Searching Motor Vehicle Records
Chapter 8: Working with Public Record Vendors
Chapter 9: Searching A thru Z (lots of great tips here for everything from aviation records to passport records to trade associations).

Now, I have read quite a few books similar to this one. So far my favorite is written by genealogist Kathleen W. Hinckley. I have to say her book, Locating Lost Family Members & Friends: Modern Genealogical Research Techniques for Locating the People of Your Past and Present (Betterway Books, 1999) is a must read. Unfortunately, it is out of print but you should be able to get it through a library or used bookstore.

I highly recommend reading some books about finding lost relatives. The techniques will not only help you find your present-day relations but give you tools to help your research into the past.

Was Your Female Ancestor a Physician?

2010-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Every week I write and edit the WorldVitalRecords newsletter. This last week I wrote about using almanacs for your genealogy. (To read this article click here) I just love finding sources that aren't the everyday "genealogy" sources and see how they can help genealogists find their ancestors.

So I'm writing my article and going through one of the almanacs which includes a business directory and I see a list of physicians. I turn some pages and notice that all the physicians are women. Mind you this is a Boston Almanac/Business Directory from 1878.

So I do a double take and find that this section is indeed female physicians, all 1 1/4 pages of them.

Now mind you this list of "physicians" includes midwives and phrenologists but this list also is one of women who are M.D.s To put this in a historical perspective, this list of women doctors are practicing 29 years after the first woman in the United States, Elizabeth Blackwell, earned a medical degree. But in that relatively short time, Boston has 84 women identified as physicians.

This says something to me that we need to watch our assumptions about our female ancestors. Yes, women have always been relegated to the home where they cook, clean and take care of others. Yes, women are disproportionately absent from official records. But don't count women out, they can be found but sometimes it takes looking in unexpected places.

This almanac and other Boston almanacs are available from Google Books have a great business directory section, I highly recommend them if you have Boston ancestors.

***Above screen shots from The Boston Almanac and Business Directory (1878) pages 364-365. Available from Google Books.

Church Record Sunday: ATLA Digital Resources

2010-10-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Postcards of Methodist Churches in the United States Yale University Divinity School Library
New Haven, CT, 2006. From ATLA CDRI

The American Theological Library Association has a website, the Cooperative Digital Resources Initiative that includes digital resources from member libraries. While some of these resources are more of interest to theologians and those studying ancient history, others are image collections that may be a welcome addition to the family history narrative. Just some of the image collections you may be interested in are:

Postcards of Methodist Churches in the United States

Postcards of New England Congregational and Baptist Churches

Postcards of Unitarian and Universalist Church Buildings

Portraits of Some Baptist Leaders

Church Record Sunday: Protestant Episcopal Almanac and Parochial List

2010-10-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today's resource is found on Google Books. First, let me just say if you are not using Google Books, you are not finding some of the greatest resources for your genealogy.

The Protestant Episcopal Almanac and Parochial List for 1898 provides the researcher with information about the location of churches, ministers, and church leadership for the United States and other parts of the world. There are also other great materials from the era in here including advertisements geared towards church leadership like manufacturers of stained glass, church furniture and then non-church related advertisers like banks, life insurance and hotels. Information about other church sponsored activities like schools are listed.

This is quite a large almanac so I would recommend checking out the table of contents found on pages 2 and 4 to find the locality you are interested in. There is also an index of advertisers found on page 6.

On the Bookshelf: What's on Your Kindle?

2010-10-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise that I love reading. I read quite a bit and I buy hardcover and paperback books as well as e-books. I love my Kindle, it allows me to take a collection of books with me to peruse wherever I go. The great things about these different e-reader systems, is that you can use the software on your computer, iPod/iPad and smartphone for free.

I typically read non-fiction books. As I read, mostly books with a historical slant, I am checking out the footnotes and bibliography to see what other books/articles about the topic might be of interest to me. I am also searching the book for research methodologies and sources the author has used. Often times, history researchers, journalists, and other genealogists, may use a different source or conduct their research in a way that I think might be helpful to genealogists. I use these observations when I give presentations and I write articles.

So what's on my Kindle? Lots of books! But some are those that I think could be helpful to genealogists as they think about researching an ancestor or writing a family history narrative. Although I have these books on my Kindle, you don't have to purchase them in e-book format.

From Hardtack to Homefries by Barbara Haber. I've written about this book before. It's a great study of cookbooks and foods during different time periods. Some of the time periods/topics covered are the FDR White House, WWII Japanese Interment Camps in the Philippines, African American Cookbooks and more. You can read more about this book and the author at her website.

The Lost Ravioli Recipe by Laura Schenone is an interesting look at a woman who is trying to regain some of her family history by learning about their ravioli recipe and how it has changed as the family immigrated and came to America. Her search includes interviews, travels and more. Very interesting how she takes one small part of her family history and vows to learn more. You can read more about this author and her books at her website.

How to Do Everything Genealogy by George G. Morgan. I actually have the book version and the e-book version of this book, both editions. I love this book by George, I firmly believe if you buy one genealogy book, this is the one.

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that one of my favorite books is Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg. This book written by a journalist is one of the best treatments of what can happen with good genealogical research. It's the story of a man who knew nothing about an aunt who was his mother's "secret" and researched her until he pieced together her story. His quest includes interviews with over 120 people. When's the last time you interviewed people, aside from family, to get to the bottom of your genealogy? He interviewed neighbors, school friends, physicians, and other experts. What a great example of a different way to research your genealogy. Learn more about this book at Steve's website.

Jeannette Walls is known for her book The Glass Castle, the story of her life growing up with a family that is less than ideal. But her second book, Half Broke Horses answers the question, "why in the world did her mother allow this to happen?" This is the story of her maternal grandmother and the life she lived and how her experiences shaped Jeannette's mother. This book is a fictionalized account of that grandmother's life and while I wished she had done more genealogy on her grandmother, she does consult two family history books and use interviews with her mother. This book is a good example how a genealogist could take some information and write their genealogy as a fictional account. You can read more about this book on Amazon.

The last book I will list, is one by my friend Ron Arons, The Jews of Sing Sing. This book is an interesting look at one group of prisoners locked up in the famous Sing Sing prison. Ron's research no doubt lead him to write his follow-up book, Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records.One of the interesting discussions in Ron's book is about bigamy and the prevalence of it. I have believed for some time from my own research that bigamy happened more often than we know. I have researched people who in the early19th century stereotypically left the house to get a loaf of bread and never came back. However, they were really in the next county with a new wife and family. An interesting topic for further research.

So what's on your Kindle?

Church Record Sunday: Shaker Village Map, Canterbury N.H.

2010-10-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the least used resources in researching an ancestor's religion is maps. Afterall, not many people would think about finding maps that relate to a religion. But maps are a great source in so many ways including their documentation of the migrations of a denomination and religious life of a community.

One example of this comes from the Library of Congress American Memory Map Collections. The Library of Congress has 4.5 million maps, this website shows just a fraction of those maps digitized. You can find all kinds of maps here from atlases and transportation maps to bird's eye view maps to maps drawn from explorations.

One of the maps in this collection is the "Diagram of the south part of the Shaker Village, Canterbury, N.H." This detailed diagram shows the buildings in the village along with a key to the purpose of each building. For those with Shaker ancestors who lived in this village, this map would be a great way to better understand their life.

Once you checked out that map, you could learn more about the Canterbury Shaker Village at their website, where there is another map of the village that allows you to click on a building and see a modern photograph and learn more about the building.

Food. Family. Ephemera and the Writing Stylings of Gena

2010-09-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

I noticed as I looked over this blog that my writings have been minimal in the last weeks. Well, one reason is life has been busy. But that doesn't mean I haven't written anything. It just means that I haven't written anything here. But I promise I will catch up with more writing on church records and unsual sources for genealogy.

In the meantime, you can read some of my recent writings at other sites including:

Food.Family.Ephemera is my newest venture. It combines my passion in combining women's studies with genealogy and my love for unsusual sources, in this case community cookbooks.

You can read a blog posting I wrote for Family History Expos on the USDA Library. There are some great resources out there for our genealogy that are not "genealogy" sources. One of my favorites on this website was a link to 19th century farm newspapers. (Read the blog posting for the link). I am going to write more about some great finds I made on this website and will be posting them on Gena's Genealogy in the near future.

As many of my readers know, I am the editor of the WorldVitalRecords newsletter and the GenealogyWise newsletter (and a few more...). You can sign up to receive the WorldVitalRecords newsletter for free on the homepage and you can read back issues through the newsletter archive here. The GenealogyWise newsletter is free for members. But hey, membership is free so come join us! We have some great member participation in that newsletter.

I have some great articles that will be available soon on the above mentioned websites as well as the blog Genea-Quilters. I look forward to sharing some great research ideas in the coming weeks.

Church Record Sunday: The Lutheran Church and Concordia Historical Institute

2010-09-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Have Lutheran ancestors? I found an interesting Q & A on the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod website about genealogy. The question had to do with tracing Lutheran ancestors, the answer provides information on what records might be found at a local parish level (baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals). In addition there is some information about the Concordia Historical Institute and publications they have about researching there and researching your genealogy.

The Concordia Historical Institute is located on the grounds of the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Their website provides access to their holdings including their archives which is one of the "world's largest repositories of information on Lutheranism in North America."

By scrolling down the homepage you will see a link for Lutheran Church Records Online. This appears to have some great links related to Lutheran Church Records and German Emigration. An important stop in learning more about researching Lutheran ancestors.

Church Record Sunday: Churches Around the World

2010-09-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Churches Around the World is a blog that posts photos of the world's churches. It's tagline states that it is a "Photo Archive of Religious Buildings Around the World: Churches, Cathedrals, Chapels and Monasteries."

The countries represented here are vast and include Cuba, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Khazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and New York City.

The map website, Panoramio is also a good place to look for photos of church buildings all over the world. This website allows people to "tag" maps of places with photos they have taken. You can search this website by place and see what photos have been uploaded for that place. You can also search by keyword.

Church Record Sunday: Community of Christ

2010-09-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

In July I had the opportunity to attend the Midwest Family History Expo. As part of a pre-conference event we went on an LDS History tour that included historical sites in Indpendence, Missouri and the area. One of the sites we briefly saw was the temple of the Community of Christ.

The Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is headquartered in Independence, Missouri and shares an early history with the Mormon church. Simply, after the death of Joseph Smith there were questions of who should lead the Church. Those who went to Utah with Brigham Young are the Mormons and those who stayed behind in Independence and the area are the Community of Christ. (This is a simplified explanation, you can read about the history of the Community of Christ church here).

The Community of Christ has an archive and library that would be of use for those with Community of Christ ancestors as well as Mormon ancestors.

The Archive holds primary source materials pertaining to the history of Community of Christ, which would include early Mormon church history. Online they have a research request form as well as information about the archive.

According to their website, the Library has over 20,000 books as well as audiocassettes, periodicals and videos. You can conduct a search of the library catalog through their website. Read more about the library here.

You can read about some of the Community of Christ's historical sites on their website. Their temple in Independence includes a museum with early artifacts. According to it's website, the museum " collects, maintains, and exhibits artifactual materials, relating to the mission and history of the Restoration (LDS or "Mormon") Movement, mostly from the United States and Canada, particularly the states of New York, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, with some materials reflecting church activity in Australia, the British Isles, French Polynesia, and other international missions." Admission to the museum is free. When we were there, we were told that photography is not allowed in the museum.

Church Record Sunday: PCA Historical Center

2010-08-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

This website for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Historical Center has quite a bit for those who are interested in history and those who want to preserve their history.

By clicking on the tab for the Collection Overview, you can learn more about the archive's holdings. The homepage for the Collection Overview includes a list of organizations and individual names for with they have records. The Research Library link on this page provides a list of 19th and 20th century Presbyterian periodicals with indexes. This website appears to be a work in progress as this page shows upcoming links for their card catalog and manuscript holdings.

Under the Local Historians tab you will find resources for church historians including how to write a church history. This is a great guide for even those of other religious faiths and what better way to do genealogy then by preserving our own history? This page also provides a year by year summary of church histories that they have received and archive.

Never been to an archive? There is even an article on this website about how to research at an archive.

This website is an important resource for learning about what is available for your Presbyterian ancestors and what you can do to write history for your descendants.

Thanks to Miriam Robbins Midkiff for letting me know about this resource. Miriam has a bunch of great resources she works on including her websites Online Historical Newspaper, Online Historical Directories and her blog AnceStories

On the Bookshelf: Fruits of Victory. The Woman's Land Army of America in the Great War

2010-08-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Missouri was touring the World War I Museum in Kansas City. Let me just say that if you go to Kansas City, this museum is a must stop. They have the largest collection of World War I artifacts outside of Britain. When you go, plan on spending the whole day there checking out the exhibits. You can also go downstairs and research in their library.

While at the museum I picked up a book that is a fabulous history of the Woman's Land Army. This book is Fruits of Victory by Elaine F. Weiss. What was the Women's Land Army you ask? "From 1917 to 1920 the Women's Land Army brought thousands of city workers, teachers, artists, businesswomen, and college students into rurual America to take over the farm work after men were called to wartime service." These women played a vital part in America's history but their service is pretty much forgotten.

Elaine F. Weiss also has a website that is a good resource for learning more about the book and the role that these women played.

This book is a good reminder that some of the things are ancestors were part of will never be found in an online computer database. One of my soapbox issue is the importance of libraries, museums and archives to our research. Checking out those sources will only enhance your research and help you to better know your ancestors. What I love about authors like Weiss is that they do the interviews and archival research that brings these long forgotten aspects of history to us so that we can then use it in our understanding of our family history.

Church Record Sunday: Shaker Records at the Library of Congress

2010-08-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Library of Congress has such great resources for the genealogist. One such resource is their collection of Shaker documents. According to the finding aid for this collection, the manuscripts include:

"The Shaker Collection includes correspondence, diaries and journals,
recipes, photographs, financial and legal papers, community laws and rules, church records such as covenants, hymns and hymnals, orders and instructions, spiritual communications, prayers, inspirational writings and drawings, registers, lists of members, logbooks, lectures and speeches, and writings by and about members, including poetry, autobiographical,biographical, and historical sketches, essays, memoirs, testimonies, and notes and book drafts. Most of the collection concerns the period from 1792 to 1937, although some retrospective material relates to events as early as 1676."

Church Record Sunday: Western European Ancestors

2010-07-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Genealogist Leslie Albrecht Huber has a new book out, The Journey Takers. This book is based on her research into her ancestors who left Germany, Sweden and England for the United States. Though I cannot provide a full review of the books, since I just started reading it, you can read what Randy Seaver has written in his review found on his blog Genea-Musings.

Leslie has a website, Understanding Your Ancestors, which also has some great information for those genealogists researching their Western European ancestors. In particular, check out the Religion page. This page goes into a discussion about the religions these ancestor's practiced and some ideas about where to find records. Don't forget to check out her article on Parish Records also found on her website.

Church Record Sunday: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

2010-07-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a good example of why genealogists need to check out museums for genealogical research. By exploring the links located under the Research link, found on the left hand side of the website page and on the top toolbar, you can explore online exhibits, learn more about the Museum's collections and even ask questions.

By clicking on Search the Collections, you will see a list of the online catalogs you can explore including catalogs for the library, archive and photo archives. The Holocaust Names List Catalog is a searchable database of Holocaust-related names. However, it is not searchable by the name of an individual. To learn more about using this databases click here.

The Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center has a mission "to ensure that the individual experiences of survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi-era persecution are collected, preserved and disseminated for future generations." In keeping with this mission, the Center collects information about Holocaust victims and survivors. On this page of the Museum website you can learn more about the Survivors Registry and the International Tracing Services.

Not sure how to start your research into your Holocaust-era family? Check out the Museum's Frequently Asked Question or check out their Ask A Question page, a virtual reference desk, "intended to help you find information concerning the Holocaust that is not available at your local library."

What is Privacy in Genealogy?

2010-07-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am speaking to the San Diego Genealogy Society on the topics of Copyright, Plagiarism and Privacy and their affects on genealogy. These are important topics that affect us all as genealogists. Plagiarism is one that has affected me quite a few times with those who have taken content off my blog, handouts and articles without citing me.

Privacy is an interesting topic. We all want it. We all want to have our "private lives" left alone. The irony is that we are pursuing an interest that is all about uncovering family secrets, stories and legends. By the very nature of the research we pursue we are delving into the private lives of others.

So how should we look at privacy as genealogists? One unspoken rule of genealogy is that you don't publish family trees or information about the living on the Internet. That seems obvious. Most people don't want their birth date and place on the Internet. But what if you were born in California prior to 1997 and your birth date, place of birth and mother's maiden name is on the California Death Index? We like to have that Index available to us to research but should it include people who are still living? What about other ways of finding people like through various public record searches. Through one public record search I was able to find my birth date and year as well as every address that I have lived at. This particular search is a genealogical search and is helpful for finding living cousins so we can compare family history research but in some aspects it does infringe on privacy.

People have all sorts of reasons for wanting privacy. It may just be that they feel their lives are no one else's business. In the work I use to do, working with domestic violence victims, privacy can mean the difference between life and death.

What about family secrets? Maybe a divorce or out or wedlock birth? What about a mental disability? In some cases medical information can mean the difference in treating the lives of those who are living. But with HIPAA laws access to that information is almost impossible. While we may not think that is scandalous, other family members may feel it causes shame.

A person whose presumed father really isn't her birth father may not want other people to know that. I once had a client whose parent's in the 1920s were divorced. The father shortly thereafter died in a car accident. In between those two incidents the woman was conceived; Her parent's were not married at the time. However, she had no idea of that fact, she didn't even know they were divorced. As a genealogist hired by her I was in a difficult position. Do I tell her that her parents were divorced at the time of conception or do I leave it be?

Well my personal genealogical code is that I think we should do no harm. I decided in the above case that it would serve no purpose to explain a timeline of her parent's lives. It would most likely be more harmful to her to know that fact. There was no greater good to be served. What once was shameful may still feel shameful to someone if told. Privacy in genealogy means not causing harm to the living.

Because of the work I use to do, confidentiality is important. I think as genealogists we need to consider the living, and the recently dead when we compile our family histories and share those histories with others. We need to not share what would not be appropriate, respect the living's wishes and in some cases not print things about the recently dead that would be harmful to those who are still living.

Part of privacy is also checking out sources. A participant in a recent presentation I did told me that there is a tree on Ancestry that has her listed as being deceased. She has tried to get a hold of the tree contributor but the person has not answered. This tree provides her birth date and place and a death date and place that is actually another relative. This is a good example of conducting thorough research and citing our sources. When you don't, you may be infringing on other people's privacy.

52 Weeks of Genealogy Sources: Week 12, Jury Duty Excuses

2010-07-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

This week's source seems apropos since I have jury duty next week. I came across the following example when I was doing research at the California State Library a few years ago for my book, Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra. I was looking at a collection of records from the Mono County courthouse and thought these were a unique and interesting resource.

This collection, called "Excuses of Jurors" (Box #27, folder 16) is unique in that it includes hand written letters from residents to the court asking to be excused for jury duty. Some of the letters include the names of other people, including friends, the judge and notaries, and provide a snapshot of the person's life.

The above example from a man in 1903 begs to be excused due to "Having been eaten out by grasshoppers last year and not wishing to go through that same misfortune this year. I have commenced to cut my hay which is laying in the field. And my absence from my property at this present time will cause me great financial loss."

Financial loss was but one excuse for missing jury duty, there were also people who asked to be excused for health reasons. One man went to the courthouse and testified to the judge that his friend "he believes him to be now, in feeble health having Chronic Diarrhea, that he is in the opinion of the ..unable to attend as a juror, without endangering his life and impairing his health." (September 28, 1880). Such a find for a genealogist might help to explain a death or decline in health in an ancestor.

These jury excuses show that people have always been people. You may need to be excused from jury duty and so too did your ancestor. These excuses prove once again that doing a search for all kinds of documents will provide you with the gems you want to enhance your family history research.

Church Record Sunday: Southern Baptist Historic Library and Archives

2010-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like about the website for the Southern Baptist Historic Library and Archives is that they have a page that addresses family history and what records they have and don't have. What a great way to know what is and isn't available for your research project.

This is a great website with everything from details about their collections, information about visiting their Archives in Tennessee, finding aids, a few biographies and links to other sites that may be of use to your research.

Why Can't You Find Grandpa's Grave?

2010-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

One of the frustrating aspects of genealogy can be finding the burial place for an ancestor. Sometimes it can feel like you have checked out every cemetery in an area and still not find where that ancestor was buried.

The more I know about cemeteries the more I am convinced that it is a miracle when we do find a burial. Too often there are a host of reasons why an ancestor's burial place cannot or may not ever be found. A good example is the use of wooden crosses or headstones to mark a burial. These deteriorate over time making them unreadable. In some cases even granite headstones can become difficult to read.

The place where a person is buried can lead to why you cannot find their burial. In the case of one of my ancestors, he is buried on the family farm that has not been owned by family since the early 1900's. The land is now used for grazing cattle and the home and cemetery are no longer visible. In another example, a family cemetery is now under the 9th hole at a golf course with no monument left to remember those buried there.

The examples could go on and on. In at least 2 instances in Southern California there are cemeteries that, because they were in disrepair, were turned into parks. Families was notified and those that wanted to move their loved ones to another cemetery were given that chance and those that weren't removed are now buried under a city park.

(Photos courtesy of Audry McDonald (c) 2010 )

One example of this comes from Whittier, California where two adjacent cemeteries, Mount Olive and Broadway are now the Founders Memorial Park. What did they do with the tombstones? Well they piled them in the back of the Whittier Museum where they now sit. While there is a memorial marker at the park with names, one descendant has told me that their ancestor's name is missing. To learn more about this and to see a list of the burials see the website for the Whittier Museum. The above photos show the tombstones behind the Whittier Museum.

In San Diego, the Mission Hills Calvary Cemetery was also turned into a park and the tombstones "stored" in a ravine at the part. This cemetery is now known as Pioneer Park. According to a website, burials for this cemetery were as recent as 1960.

So how should we, as genealogists, feel about this re-purposing of cemeteries. For most people, they care little about the future of those who are buried, unless they are recently dead. I should also point out that there are other places where the dead have been moved because of the expense of real estate (San Francisco-to read more about the removal of graves from San Francisco, see the website San Francisco Cemeteries), the limits of space to bury the dead (island countries like the Azores and Puerto Rico) or the reuse of graves due to lack of space or the expense of endowment care (some European countries).

Our idea of going to the burial place of our ancestor may in many cases may be more of an ideal than a reality.

Church Record Sunday: Genealogy Book Links

2010-06-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Genealogy Book Links is a list of links to digitized books. The list is indexed by state and topic. One of the topics found on the right hand side of the website is Religion. Clicking on the Religion link provides a page of links to books about various religions. You can choose a specific religion (Catholics, Mormons, Baptist, Jewish, Methodist or Quakers) and see links for books just about that religion. Remember some of these books are histories and some include information about members.

Indexes like Genealogy Book Links provide a great starting place for your search and then you can continue searching for digitized books by going to websites like Google Books, Internet Archive, Heritage Quest or the Hathi Trust.

Do You Have a Brickwall?

2010-06-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

I love to hear about other people's brickwall ancestors. Today I am speaking at the Palm Springs Genealogy Society where we will be discussing brickwalls. I am most interested in why certain ancestors are brickwalls. My feeling is that for the most part it is because there is a document somehwere out there that the researcher hasn't found yet. That document helps to prove whatever fact the person is searching for.

But how do we find that one document?

My advice starts with researching a place you've never researched before. If all you do is internet research, then go out and get to an archive or university library or order films from the Family History Library.

If all you are looking for are vital records and census records then take a great book like The Source, Hidden Sources, or Printed Sources and check out what other records might help you to find information about your ancestor.

One of the things that struck me about the presentations I went to at the NGS conference, is that the speakers talked about records that most of us are not aware of. We aren't aware of them simply because they are not the records that we hear a lot about. But those "hidden sources" have great genealogical value to researchers.

Break down a brickwall today by finding that hidden source that leads you to knowing more about your ancestor.

Privacy Rights and Family History

2010-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Privacy is a touchy subject these days. Legislators are in a hurry to pass laws that "protect" privacy to make their constituents happy. In California we have had bills passed "protecting" vital records. Even though identity theft originates in other ways, we keep passing laws restricting the access to vital records. Seems like we should be passing laws that really address the causes of identity theft.

Now before you get mad and tell me identity theft is a huge problem, I know it is. Someone stole my husband's credit card number and used it for several purchases. And even with all the proof we had that someone stole his credit card number, the credit card company would not credit us the amount back. But the person who did this didn't get my husband's information from his birth certificate, they got it through the internet.

And then we have privacy in relation to medical files. The theory behind this is a good thing; most of us don't want the world to know about medical procedures or a diagnosis we have had. But what happens in the case of someone who has passed away? Our laws state that person still has a right to privacy. But what if that person's privacy and a current family member's right to know intersect? What if someone in the past had a disease that affects current family members? Who does the privacy protect in that case? And who does it harm?

I once spoke to the record keeper at a local mental health hospital and she was telling me how they have records going back 100 years. They destroy much of the record to save space but they keep a portion of each file. However, in the state of California you as a family member cannot access that record, unless you get a physicians request or a court order. Do people from 100 years ago need protection from their descendents? From what? Wouldn't a greater good be served to allow descendants to have access to information that may affect their own health?

These are important issues that too often are answered with a knee jerk response, instead of a careful analysis.

I think most of my readers know that one of my all time favorite books is Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg. It is now out in paperback and is a great genealogical primer. I have heard Steve speak and he is one of the best presenters I have ever heard. When I heard him I wished that he was given much more than one hour.

Steve has written an op-ed piece on our medical privacy laws that should be read. This is an important topic for genealogists, as well as everyone. I encourage you to read it.

Church Record Sunday: Foursquare Gospel

2010-05-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel was founded by Aimee Semple McPherson in 1927. McPherson's ministry headquartered in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, has now grown to a membership of over 8 million worldwide. When McPherson built her church, it's 5,300 seat facility was filled to capacity, three times a day, 7 days a week according to the Foursquare website.

Was your family a member of McPherson's Foursquare Gospel Church? The Foursquare website has a research link that states that they will be happy to assist researchers wanting to know more about the history of the Foursquare Church and Aimee Semple McPherson. "Feel free to contact us if you would like assistance in researching any aspect of Foursquare's history."

One of the features I especially like about their website is that they have a listing of all of their credentialed ministers who have died and which region they were working in. Gone to Be With the Lord would be even better if it provided information on ministers throughout the history of Foursquare. (It appears that it just lists the most recent deaths.) An archival feature would be a nice resource for those researching the church and their family history.

You can email for information about research at their Los Angeles headquarters at heritage@foursquare.org .

**Image from Wikipedia

Checking out Genealogy on SlideShare

2010-05-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

As I was working on an article for GenWeekly, I came across a website that although I've seen before I've never really played with much. This website has some great slideshows on it that will provide you with additional ideas for your genealogy.

Slideshare is a community for sharing presentations. You can upload Powerpoint slides, PDF's, OpenOffice presentations thus allowing others to learn from your presentation/research. Their "About" page states,
"SlideShare is a business media site for sharing presentations, documents and pdfs. SlideShare features a vibrant professional community that regularly comments, favorites and downloads content. Content also spreads virally through blogs and social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter. Individuals & organizations upload documents to SlideShare to share ideas, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses. Anyone can view presentations & documents on topics that interest them. The site is growing rapidly with over 25 million monthly visitors."

"SlideShare is the best way to get your slides out there on the web, so your ideas can be found and shared by a wide audience"

So basically SlideShare is a Web 2.0 website that allows you yet one more way to network with others or learn from others.

While obviously this website was not created with genealogists in mind, there is a lot of great genealogical content. Search on the words "genealogy," "history," or "family history" and you will find everything from slides made about an individual's research, genealogical how to's, and resources.

While I was playing with the site I came across some great presentations from fellow blogger Mark Tucker. I love Mark's blog and his presentations, some of which you can review on SlideShare, including The Twittering Genealogist and Navigating Research with the Genealogical Proof Standard.

It can be difficult to go to all the presentations, society meetings or conferences that you want to but with Slide Share you can learn more about genealogy from the comfort of your home and best of all it's Free.

Retro Recipes: Jello Vegetable Salad

2010-05-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

I have a few interests in my life that go along with my passion for genealogy. Two other of my interests are quilt history and cookbook/food history. I like to look at genealogy through a social history lens, not just collecting names and dates, but truly understand what life was like in an earlier time.

So one of my collections is old cookbooks. I find them interesting and in some cases they are of genealogical value-something I will write about later. As I look at some of these recipes I wonder, "did people really eat these things?"

Case in point, jello salads using vegetables. Now I know that plenty of people have ate tomato aspics and I think I have ate jello with carrots in it. I actually had a coworker make an aspic for a potluck about 20 years ago. But did you or a family member actually prepare and eat jello salads with such ingredients as onions, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, olives, pimentos, bell peppers, celery, etc. Maybe you even went as far as adding tuna, shrimp or salmon.

Now, I don't mean this as a way to make fun of your eating habits. I really want to know how prevalent this type of salad was for people in the 1950s to 1970s. Obviously taste preference changes with different historical eras and even regionally. Anyone knows from watching the Food Channel that what they eat in a different country or even in a different region may not appeal to everyone. At one time Jello did make a vegetable flavored gelatin for use in these types of salads. This flavor apparently didn't last long. But if you family enjoyed such salads, was it because it made vegetables "interesting"? Was it just because it was a fad? What is your familiy's experience with these salads?

One of my cookbooks in my collection is the Joys of Jell-O by General Foods Corporation, circa 1963. There are a plethora of vegetable salad recipes in this cookbook, that are most likely not seen as delicious by our present tastes. A good example is a recipe simply titled Vegetable Salad.

Vegetable Salad
Your favorite vegetables can be used in this very versatile salad.

1 package (3 oz) Jell-O Lemon, Lime, Lemon-Lime, Orange or Orange-Pineapple Gelatin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons grated onion
Dash of pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped cabbage*
3/4 cup finely chopped celery*
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper*
2 tablespoons diced pimentos*

*or use any vegetable cobination listed below or 1 to 2 cups of your favorites.

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add cold water, vinegar, onion and pepper. Chill until very thick. Then fold in vegetables. Por into a 1-quart mold or individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold. Makes about 3 cups, or 6 side salads or 8 to 10 servings.

Other Vegetable Combinations:

Use 1 1/4 cups cauliflower florets and 1/4 cup diced pimentos
Use 3/4 cup diced tomato and 1/2 cup each diced cucumber and celery
Use 3/4 cup grated carrots and 1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers
Use 1 1/2 cups finally chopped cabbage, 1/2 cup sliced stuffed olives and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Use 1/2 cup each thinly sliced radishes and chopped celery and 1/4 cup thin onion rings.

You can read a blog posting from Michael Procopio who actually made this salad at his blog Word Eater. Apparently, it is not as easy and beautiful as it is in the Jell-O cookbook.