Michigan Genealogist Newsletter 1st Edition of 2009 Posted!

The first edition of the 2009 Michigan Genealogist Newsletter has been posted! You can read it here! Enjoy!

Genealogy and History Thoughts Column 17 - My Thoughts on the IGI and LDS Rite, Baptism of the Dead, Controversy

Last year, when the controversy between the Catholic church and LDS occurred over Catholic parish records, I thought about writing a column on, but I eventually chose to not do so because I waited too long to write my column. So, when I happened to notice Schelly's post on the news about the baptism of the President's mother, I thought I would write about my thoughts on this issue. (But, before I continue with my column, I just want to mention that I understand that the LDS rite, baptism of the dead, does not mean the deceased person becomes a Mormon after the rite or being listed on the IGI.)

So, what I think about this controversy? Well, to be honest, I am torn between two different views on the rite and IGI listings. On the one hand, I am bothered by the rite but my issue with the rite is due to the fact that I am an Evangelical Christian. On the other hand, I do not have a problem with deceased people's names being listed in the IGI as the IGI has been useful in my research. For instance, I would not have uncovered the birth date for my great-grandfather as quickly as I did if someone had not entered the put the information on the FamilySearch website. I have also found other information on many other ancestors, such as marriage and birth dates, on the site and was able to confirm that information by using it as a guide in my search for sources and further research. The IGI has been a wonderful tool in researching my family's history.

With that said, I also understand that other people might object to their ancestors being listed in the IGI. Do I believe that it is insensitive for a person to have non-related people baptized in this rite? Yes. Those who object to having their deceased relatives listed probably do so out of privacy, religious or other concerns, and I think it is rude for someone who is not connected to a person to have the rite done. (Of course, I have not had a problem with finding any of my ancestors in the IGI only because the ancestors listed are at least separated by a generation from my living relatives, and thus, I haven't had to worry about any privacy concerns.) I realize that the person doing so may be doing it out of the goodness of their heart, but if that person is not connected to the person baptized, I think it would be best for that person to not submit the person's name unless the family has given him or her permission to do so. (I do not have as much of a problem if that person is descended from an ancestor, although I think he or she should consider the feelings of other family members before submitting a name.)

So, what does one do if one wants to memorialize the deceased? Well, in the case of uncovering the names of Holocaust victims, I think the proper procedure would be to donate the research uncovered on victims to a Holocaust survivor group or museum, and allow the members of those groups to decide if and how they would like to memorialize the victims. In other cases, I would avoid baptizing anyone who isn't connected to the person doing the research, and for those are having dead relatives baptized, I would check with relatives before having the names posted on the internet. I think depends on the situation of each case.

Should one donate the names of their ancestors to the IGI, if the IGI has been useful to their research? I think it depends upon the feelings of the researcher and his or her family. As to whether or not I will ever submit ancestors whose names are not listed in the IGI, I am not completely sure what I'll do. Right now, I believe my answer is no due to the fact that I do not want to offend any family members and that I want to respect the privacy of my relatives. Of course, I might change my feelings in the future, but I don't know for sure. Of course, I do not believe there are easy answers or guidelines for all of the issues connected to this controversy.

So, what do you think? Am I right or Wrong? As always, you can leave your thoughts in the comments section.

A New Award!

I just learned that Diane of Random Relatives has awarded me the "One Lovely Blog Award." Thank you Diane!

So, what does one have to do after receiving this award? Well, the recipient has to nominate seven other blogs for the award. So, here are the seven blogs I am nominating:

1. Wendy of All My Branches Genealogy
2. Diane of CanadaGenealogy or 'Jane's Your Aunt'
3. Claudia of Claudia's Genealogy Blog
4. Greta of Greta's Genealogy Blog
5. Cheryl of In Deeds
6. Lori of Smokey Mountain Family Historian
7. Alana of A Twig In My Tree

Enjoy!

71st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 71st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

Mothers! Mother’s Day is right around the corner and this is the perfect
time to honor your mother, grandmother, godmother, step mother, den mother,
aunt, neighbor, or friend who happens to be a mother. If you’ve written about
your own mother for the COG before, consider writing about another mom on your
family tree. Let’s make all our moms famous! The deadline for submissions is May
15th and next edition will be hosted at Creative Gene.

Enjoy!

Family History Center Visit 7

Yesterday, I visited the local Family History Center, and started to take a look at the two microfilms that had come in. I had only about an hour to do research, so I wasn't able to get too far into my research.

The first microfilm that came in happened to be of marriages from St. Matthew's Church in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. I had hoped to find my great-great-grandparents marriage record in this microfilm, since it was the church where my great-grandparents got married. Although the records went back to the time of my great-great-grandparents' marriage, their marriage was not recorded in this church. I'll have to take a look at other church records in the area, and order another microfilm. (Of course, before I return the microfilm, I will double check to make sure that I haven't overlooked any of the marriages of my great-grandmother's siblings as well.)

So, after quickly determining that my great-grandparents were not in that film, I decided to look at the other microfilm. This microfilm contained the records of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania's cemetery, church and bible records, and I quickly discovered that the microfilm contained a typed transcript of those records done by the local DAR branch in Huntingdon county. Despite being disappointed at not viewing the originals, I still decided to go through the film and see if I could find my ancestors mentioned. Unfortunately, I only got through about a third of the microfilm, so I'll have to make another trip to the center to finish going through the microfilm. Hopefully, I will get lucky and uncover more information on my ancestors on my next visit. Stay tuned for future updates ...

Google Analytics Report for April 2009

I cannot believe that April is already over, but since it is, that means it is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for April:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 470 visits
2. Canada - 43 visits
3. United Kingdom - 24 visits
4. Netherlands - 20 visits
5. Germany - 6 visits
6. Australia - 4 visits
7. South Korea - 3 visits
8. Israel - 2 visits
9. New Zealand - 2 visits
10. France - 2 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. Michigan - 84 visits
2. Illinois - 51 visits
3. New York - 41 visits
4. California - 34 visits
5. Virginia - 28 visits
6. Texas - 25 visits
7. Ohio - 22 visits
8. Tennessee - 21 visits
9. Colorado - 18 visits
10. Pennsylvania - 15 visits

The top ten locations in Michigan, in number of visits, are:

1. Whitmore Lake - 57 visits
2. Hamburg - 9 visits
3. Washtenaw County - 3 visits
4. Algonac - 2 visits
5. Flint - 2 visits
6. Lansing - 2 visits
7. Muskegon - 2 visits
8. Kent County - 1 visit
9. East Lansing - 1 visit
10. Roseville - 1 visit

The top ten articles, in number of views, are:

1. 18th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 24 views
2. 34th Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted! - 17 views
3. More Death Records Added to the Seeking Michigan Site! - 16 views
4. Tombstone Maker Website - 15 views
5. Forgot To Mention: It Has Been Two Years! - 15 views
6. Researching My Central and Eastern European Female Ancestors ... - 13 views
7. 12th Edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival Posted! - 13 views
8. 69th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 13 views
9. Madness Monday - More on Irene Havens, Part 5 ... - 13 views
10. Question About Pre-1906 Naturalization Records ... - 13 views

Well, that is it for this month's Google Analytics report. To all my readers, "Thank you for reading!" Stay tuned for next month's report! Enjoy!

New Records Added to FamilySearch's Record Search

I forgot to mention this earlier, but over the past week, FamilySearch's Record Search has added a couple databases to their site. The records added were the 1892 New York State census, church records for a parish in Jamaica, and some more records for a diocese in Spain. I hope these new databases will help you with your research. Enjoy!

Saturday Night Fun - Date Calculations

For this Saturday Night Fun, Randy has challenged other genea-bloggers to post on the use of their genealogy software's date calculator to find a birth date, and I thought I would participate in this challenge.

I have two genealogy programs on my computer: Family Trees Quick and Easy, version 5 that I use to keep track of my ancestry and Family Tree Maker 2005 trial version, so that I can open any gedcoms e-mailed to me. (I cannot successfully open gedcoms with the other program for some reason.) So, for this challenge I will use the date calculator in the Family Tree Maker version.

For this challenge, I have decided to calculate the birth date of my ancestor, Irene Havens. My only record of death happens to be her tombstone which states that she died on March 16, 1876 and was 35 years, 5 months and 25 days old at the time of her death. (I have not been able to find a record of her death, but it is quite possible that it never got recorded. I have a couple of other female ancestors whose deaths do not show up in the Saint Joseph county, Michigan death records either.)

To calculate the date of her birth, I opened Family Tree Maker software and selected the date calculator under the tools menu. I then entered the date of death and age of death as recorded on the tombstone, and the calculator came back with the date of 20 September 1840, although it mentioned that the calculation result was ambiguous. I'm guessing that the calculator does not know if the year was a leap year or not, so I'll have to do a little bit more research to find whether or not that is the case for 1876. So, I might have the right day of birth, but I won't know for sure until I uncover a baptismal record. Hopefully, I will find one for her.

18th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

Welcome to the eighteenth edition of the Carnival of Central and European Genealogy! The topic for this edition was on Easter and Passover traditions. Although this is a small edition, here are a few Easter and Passover traditions:

First off, we have an article from Greta Koehl of Greta's Genealogy Blog, who is also a submitting an article to this carnival for the very first time. In Easter Traditions in the Eastern Churches: The Easter Basket, she writes about what types of food go into the basket, and she includes a recipe a dish that is included in the baskets.

Next, we have two articles from Schelly Talalay Dardashti of Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog. In Passover Memories: NYC, Teheran, LA and Part 2, she writes about her experiences celebrating Passover in New York City, Iran and Los Angeles.

Last but not least, we have an article from Donna Pointkouski of What's Past is Prologue. In Happy Dyngus Day!, she writes about the Polish tradition practiced on the Monday after Easter.

Well, that is it for this edition. I hope you have enjoyed this edition as much as I enjoyed reading the articles. The topic for the next edition will be on food! Does your family have any traditional dishes that came from Central or Eastern Europe? Do you have a favorite dish from Central or Eastern Europe? You do not have to have Central or Eastern European ancestors to participate in this carnival. The deadline for the submission of articles will be May 20th and the edition will be published on the 22nd. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Family History Center Update

I just received an e-mail from the local Family History Center and learned that two of the microfilms I ordered have arrived. I know that one of the microfilms is of the church and bible records of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, but I am unsure of what the other microfilm is because I only ordered one microfilm from Pennsylvania this time around. I did order two microfilms of church records from England, so it is possible that one of the microfilms is from England. Either way, I'll find out which microfilm that one is the next time I go to the center.

Reasons Why I Haven't Posted Too Much Lately ...

As you have probably noticed, I haven't posted very much over the past few weeks. Part of the reason for the lack of posts is that I haven't felt like posting very much, and secondly, I've been doing research into one of my German branches. Most of the research has been with secondary sources, but I believe I have made some more connections on my Cotta ancestors. Of course, I'll have to back up the research with primary sources, but so far, the secondary sources (consisting primarily of biographies and history books) have been consistent. Either way, I'm thrilled to uncover new information.

So, I've been a bit busy, but I do plan to post other articles soon. I am still back-logged, but I hope to finish those posts soon. It just might take a while. Stay tuned ...

Question: Does Anyone Still Want to Submit Articles?

I forgot that yesterday was the submission deadline for the 18th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, and since I forgot, I'm willing to push back the deadline for the submissions and the publishing of the edition. Is there anyone who still wants to submit an article? Please let me know.

Also, I am still looking for people interested in hosting future editions of the carnival. Here are the months still available:

• May
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

If anyone is interested in hosting, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

70th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 70th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

Local History! As genealogists, we are used to tracing our ancestors and
the history of the places they lived. But not all of us live where our ancestors
did - do we take the time to see the history all around us? Use some of your
investigative skills to research the house, street, or town/city where YOU live.
Write about an interesting person, place, or event of local history. The
deadline for submissions is May 1st. This edition of the COG will be hosted by
Donna at What's Past is Prologue.

Enjoy!

12th Edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival Posted!

The 12th edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

All Creatures Great And Small. Show us a photograph of the family pet. The pet
that made it into every family snapshot. That pampered pet your ancestors took
to the photographic studio to immortalize in an expensive photograph. The best
friend who was there for your ups and downs.

Enjoy!

Question About Pre-1906 Naturalization Records ...

A few years ago, I found my ancestor's naturalization paper in the State of Michigan archives, and since this naturalization occurred before 1906, I figured that this was the only record. Lately, though, I have been wondering: Should I be looking for an additional record even though this is before 1906? I still am not having any luck in determining where my ancestor was born, and I wonder if there is more than this half-page to his naturalization record. Does anyone know?

Although I have posted the image so that other genealogists could look at the record, I have covered up the last name to protect the identities of living relatives.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Forgot To Mention: It Has Been Two Years!

I just realized that I forgot to mention on March 18th, that I began this blog two years ago. I didn't think about that fact until I noticed that other genea-bloggers were posting posts on their anniversaries.

Madness Monday - More on Irene Havens, Part Five ...

I've noticed that several genea-bloggers are taking part in a meme started by Amy Crooks, and I thought I would participate in this meme.

For this edition of the Madness Monday, I've decided to focus on my mysterious ancestor, Irene Havens, and post another article in my series on her. In my previous post, I mentioned the discovery that I made about Rhoda's parents. What I did not add at the time of that post was that I had also some additional information the mysterious Clarissa Mandigo that I recently mentioned in another post.

After looking up Rhoda's death record, I only came to the conclusion that the 1850 Rochester, New York census that included a Clarissa, Rhoda and Hirena Havens was the correct census when another genealogists suggested that the Hirena might be my ancestor in response to my request for help in finding Irene Havens in the 1850 census. (Up to that point, I wasn't sure if that census was the correct one as I have found an 1860 census that included a Rhoda Havens family living in Clinton county, New York. That family, that I mentioned in a previous post, happened to be the wrong family, and it was only Rhoda (Havens) Lang's death registration that revealed how incorrect my assumption was.)

Once I came to the conclusion that my Havens ancestor lived in Rochester, New York before coming to Michigan, I decided to figure out why I could not find the right Rhoda Havens in the 1860 Census. (I could find Irene, but Irene was living with a different family.) This time, I decided to look in Saint Joseph county, Michigan for the Mandigo family, and I came across the household of Archibald Mandigo. Archibald's household included a Clarissa and Rhoda Mandigo, and I began to suspect that Rhoda was listed under the Mandigo name instead of her own name. I also suspected that Clarissa Havens had remarried after the 1850 census to Archibald Mandigo. At the same time, the same genealogist who helped me, pointed out a biography of a Robert Mandigo as a source I should look at, and after viewing the biography, I decided to look for Archibald Mandigo's family in the 1850 census to prove or disprove my speculations. I found Archibald Mandigo and his sons living in Webster, Monroe county, New York in the census, and noticed that a female was not present in the household. This suggested to me that Archibald was probably a widower at the time of the census, and that Archibald might have married Clarissa. To further solidify my suspicions, I decided to go through the Rochester City Directories for 1849 and 1851. In the 1849 city directory, I found a Clarissa Havens mentioned, and in the 1851 city directory, I found a Clarissa Mandigo listed. Again, I suspected that these Clarissas were the one and same person, but until the Rochester, New York newspaper indexes were put online, I did not have a way to confirm my suspicions.

After going through the newspaper indexes, I discovered that Archibald Mandigo did marry a Mrs. Clarissa Novens (I suspect that her surname was misspelled), and that a Darwin Havens had married a Miss Clarissa Howe a few years earlier. I also discovered that Archibald had married a woman previous in the 1830s, and I suspect this woman had died before the 1850 census. To confirm my hypothesis, I needed to find out what the newspaper announcements said, and I put a look-up request on the Monroe County, New York Rootsweb message board, and a few days later, I received an e-mail from an man named Jim, who offered to do the look-up for me.

Due to the fact that this post is getting quite long, I will, for next week's Monday Madness, continue with the research into Irene Havens, and I'll mention the information that Jim uncovered. Eventually, I do plan on posting the sources I have used in my research so far, and I'll try to include my sources at the end of the next part. Stay tuned ...

Happy Easter!

I just want to wish everyone a happy Easter! Enjoy!

Family History Center Visit 6

Earlier today I visited the local Family History Center in my area, and I took a look at the microfilm of Trippstadt's death records from 1803 to 1839. I was able to find four death records for members of the the Kees and Cotta families, among which one of those death records happened to be for the Christoph Friedrich Cotta that I wrote about last year. The other three death records were of his grandchildren who died young, and I was able to print out images of all four of the death certificates.

After looking at the death certificates, I took a look again at the tax assessments for Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and I tried to find my ancestor, Benjamin Oswalt, listed in the tax records before 1823, but I was unsuccessful in searching the townships of Henderson, Porter and Huntingdon. I did, though, find information on a couple possible Householder ancestors. If I am going to find Benjamin in the tax records before 1823, I will have to order the other microfilms of tax records and look for him in other townships. I was unable to print out copies of the pages of those assessments because I ran out of time for research.

Before I left the Family History Center, though, I ordered three more microfilms. Two of those microfilms are of church records in England and the third microfilm is of church records for Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Hopefully, I will find more information on my Oswalt ancestors when the Pennsylvania church records arrive. Stay tuned for further updates ...

Happy Passover!

I just want to wish everyone a happy Passover! Enjoy! (I think I might be a little late in posting this, and if so, I am terribly sorry for not posting this yesterday.)

Family History Center Update

The Family History Center called earlier today, and I learned that another microfilm arrived. This microfilm happens to be the last microfilm of deaths for Trippstadt, Germany, so I'll soon be able to write my post on Trippstadt's civil death records after I get a chance to look at the microfilm. I just hope to be able to view the microfilm this week. Stay tuned ...

An Unknown World War Two Soldier

Here is another picture from my great-aunt's photo album. I do not know who this soldier or woman in the picture is, and I do not know where this picture was taken. He could be a friend of my great-aunt or a relative, but I don't know. All I know is that this picture was taken during World War Two.

So, What's My Area of Expertise?

I just happened to notice John's post on his area of genealogy expertise, and I thought I would also write about my area of expertise in genealogy as well.

So, what is my area of expertise? Although I am an amateur genealogist, I think I would have to say that my expertise is in Michigan genealogy as I have mainly researched in Michigan and with Michigan records and have ancestors who have resided in Michigan for over 150 years. Most of that research has focused on Saint Joseph county, but I have also researched records in the Library of Michigan, State Archives, Bay county, Saginaw county, and Detroit. In other words, I'm primarily familiar with records in Saint Joseph county, but that doesn't mean that my experience with Michigan records is limited to that county.

Of course, I have only been doing genealogy for the past six years, but I think I have enough experience and knowledge about Michigan records to advise or aid other genealogists who have research in Michigan. So, what do you think? Do you agree?

69th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 69th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "Uncle, Uncle! This edition is all about our uncles. Have you got a favorite or interesting uncle? Tell us about him! Maybe you had a older cousin, neighbor, or friend you called "uncle"... that works too! No uncles in your life? No problem. Write about any gentleman on your family tree who was an uncle to somebody." Enjoy!

34th Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted!

The 34th Shades of the Departed guest column has been posted! The author of this week's column is Donna McClure, and you can read it here. Enjoy!

New Year's Resolutions: How Am I Doing?

As you might remember, I posted my New Year's resolutions for this year back in December, and I thought I would update everyone on how far I have progressed in completing my New Year's resolutions. So, here's how I've been doing so far:

1. Look up and print other probate records of ancestors who lived and died in Saint Joseph County, Michigan. As of April 1st: I still have not had the chance to look up any more probate records, but I am still hoping to do so this year.
2. Order more microfilms of Trippstadt, Germany's civil records. As of April 1st: I have ordered two microfilms of death records, and so far, only one has come into the Family History Center. I am still waiting for the second one, and after I have obtained all of the death records, I will be ordering birth and marriage records.
3. Order naturalization records for my German-Russian ancestor Anton and his siblings. As of April 1st: I have not ordered any naturalization records, but I still hope to order some of these records.
4. Obtain the Civil War Pension files for Benjamin and William Oswalt, and try to strengthen their relationship to my ancestor, Adam Oswalt. As of April 1st: I haven't ordered any more pensions files although I would like to do so.
5. Find more information on my ancestor, Irene Havens. I am hoping to figure out who her parents are, and what her connection is to Rhoda and the Mandigo family. As of April 1st: A man named Jim, kindly looked up two newspaper notices for a couple of marriages in Rochester, New York and shared the information with me a few days after I posted my resolutions. Of course, I still need to do further research to figure out the exact relationship between my ancestor, the Mandigo family and Rhoda (Havens) Lang(e).
6. Find more information on my WWI veteran great-grandfather's family and ancestors. As of April 1st: I am doing a little research on my great-grandfather's family, but I haven't finished looking at records in Scotland.
7. Order birth, marriage and death records of ancestors from the United Kingdom. As of April 1st: I haven't ordered any vital records from the U.K., but I hope to order some microfilms of church records the next time I visit the Family History Center.
8. I hope to make more connections and to find more ancestors and relatives. As of April 1st: I've contacted a man who had information on a branch of my British ancestors, and he kindly shared the information he with me. Outside of that, I haven't made any other connections.
9. Publish posts listed in the "Coming Soon" box in a timely manner. As of April 1st: I am still working on this resolution, and I am still behind in publishing the posts I have listed.
10. Improve the writing quality of my posts. As of April 1st: I am still working on this resolution as well.

So, as you can see, I still have several resolutions to complete, but since I still have several months to go, I should be able to accomplish a few more resolutions before the year ends. Enjoy!

Google Analytics Results For March 2009

March is over, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for March 2009:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 572 visits
2. Canada - 53 visits
3. United Kingdom - 41 visits
4. Netherlands - 13 visits
5. Australia - 9 visits
6. France - 4 visits
7. Sweden - 2 visits
8. Ireland - 2 visits
9. New Zealand - 2 visits
10. Germany - 2 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. Michigan - 111 visits
2. Illinois - 50 visits
3. Texas - 41 visits
4. California - 40 visits
5. New York - 35 visits
6. Virginia - 26 visits
7. Ohio - 24 visits
8. Utah - 20 visits
9. Florida - 18 visits
10. Washington - 15 visits

The top ten places in Michigan, in number of visits, are:

1. Hamburg - 32 visits
2. Lansing - 32 visits
3. Whitmore Lake - 19 visits
4. Grand Rapids - 7 visits
5. East Lansing - 3 visits
6. Redford - 2 visits
7. Troy - 2 visits
8. Battle Creek - 1 visit
9. Commerce Township - 1 visit
10. Goodrich - 1 visit

The top ten posts, in number of views, are:

1. Celebrate Your Name Week - Day One - 46 views
2. Library of Michigan and State Archives News: Possible Closure? - 45 views
3. 31st Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted! - 42 views
4. Are They Related? Another Mystery Photo ... - 30 views
5. 68th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 28 views
6. Tombstone Maker Website - 23 views
7. 16th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 23 views
8. I've Left Facebook ... - 21 views
9. Forgot To Mention: 33rd Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted! - 19 views
10. 32nd Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted! - 17 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. For all of those who read my blog, thank you for reading! Enjoy!

17th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted!

The 17th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! (Thank you, Diane!) You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on Easter and Passover traditions. How are Easter and Passover celebrated in Central and Eastern European countries? Does you family have any traditions from Central or Eastern Europe? How did you ancestors celebrate Easter or Passover? You do not have to have Central or Eastern European ancestors to participate in this edition. Submissions are due April 20th, and the edition will be posted here on the 22nd. Enjoy!

More Death Records Added to the Seeking Michigan Site!

I just happened to take a look at the Seeking Michigan site and discovered that more death records have been added. You can read more about the records added here. Anyhow, I'm off to see if I can find any more death records for people connected to my family. Enjoy!

Researching My Central and Eastern European Female Ancestors ...

As many of you probably know from reading my blog, I have several ancestors who came from Germany or were ethnic Germans from the Russian Empire, and for this upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, I am supposed to write an article about my the resources I use for my research on a female ancestor from those regions in Europe. Instead of focusing on only one ancestor, I thought I would focus on a few of my German female ancestors, and write about the resources I have used or still need to use to trace them.

I have briefly written about my ancestor, Caroline, before, but I did not focus on the resources I have used or might use to research about her. I have not done as much research on her as I have on some of my other female ancestors, but the few sources that I have used have mostly been records created in the U. S. One of those sources happened to be a death notice that was published in a Detroit newspaper a few days after her death, and I have included the death notice below. (Note: I have blackened out the surnames of my ancestor and those of her daughters as a way to protect the identities of living family members.)

As you can see from the death notice, Caroline's surviving children are listed as well as her husband, and when I found this death notice, I was able to confirm relationships between her and other family members. Of course, this death notice was not the only source I used in doing my research on Caroline, and I was able to find her death certificate as well. Unfortunately, her parents were not listed on her death certificate, so I was unable to confirm my family's tradition about her maiden name. I also used the passenger manifest that had her and her three children (at the time) listed as a confirmation of when she entered America in and where she once lived. Unfortunately, her last residence was in Germany, so I'll have to do more research to determine where in Russia she was born. I am hoping that either her husband's naturalization papers or her marriage certificate will be able to answer some of my questions, but I have yet to obtain those records.

As for my other German female ancestors, I have a little more information on them due to the fact that my research into them has been easier than my research into Caroline has been. Emilia (Kees) Klippel is one of those ancestors that I have more information, but even then, I still do not have all the answers I wish I had. My first source of information on Emilia was a family tree that had been printed in the '30s or '40s, and that tree listed where she had married her husband. I used the information to order a microfilm of Trippstadt marriages, and I was able to find her marriage record. Besides finding her census record, I was able to use census records and a passenger manifest to trace her and her family movements in the U. S. Additionally, I used deeds to determine how long she and her family lived in Cleveland, Ohio, and I also used information from two books, provided to me by a woman over in Germany, to determine who her siblings were. Her brother's passport record also helped to confirm the relationship between the two. Besides those records, I also used city directories and her death record to determine where she lived and when she died. Unfortunately, I still have not been able to find the location of her burial, so I'll have to do some more research.

As for Emilia's mother, Amelia (Cotta) Kees, I am still doing research on her, but I have more information on her than I do on Caroline. Like Emilia, I also used the family tree as a resource to find information on Amelia, but I also used the two secondary sources to determine when Amelia married and who her children were. In addition, I used the death records of two of Amelia's sons and her death record to also determine when she died and who her children were. The death record for Amelia is below:

Amelia's death record lists her by her maiden name, and gives the names of her parents and husband. The record also gives her age and a possible birthplace. Thus, I have a few more leads as to where I should look for records, and hopefully, I will be able to do more research on her over this summer.

So, as you can see, I have used several different types of records to find information on my female ancestors. I just hope that I will be able to find more information on these three ancestors, and when I do find more information, I will let everyone know what I have found. Unti then, stay tuned ...

Family History Center Visit 5

Yesterday, I went back to the local Family History Center, and I looked through the Huntingdon tax records microfilm, that I ordered, again. As you may remember from my previous post, I was unable to finish looking through the assessments for Hopewell Township after 1815 on my last visit, so I finished going through the assessments for the township between 1815 and 1823. Of course, I was still able to find an Oswalt in the assessments for that township, but I was unable to find my ancestor, Benjamin Oswalt, in the records before 1823. The Oswalt that I did find in the assessments was an Adam Oswalt, and I suspect this Adam might be Benjamin's father as this Adam is old enough to pass for his father. Of course, this Adam is not to be confused with Benjamin's son, Adam, who served in the Civil War. (If that makes any sense!)

Of course, I was hoping to find Benjamin before 1823 because I am trying to trace his movements. I know that Benjamin did reside in Hopewell Township from 1823 until 1826, and then again from 1829 until 1833, when the tax assessments end, but I have not yet been able to find him or his family in the 1820 census. I did notice that there were other people living with an Adam Oswalt in the 1820 census, so I am trying to determine if that is where Benjamin was living. Of course, I will need to look at other townships in the area as it could be possible that Benjamin was living another township before 1823. I am hoping to narrow his movements so that I can figure out when Benjamin married and his age.

I noticed that at the end of the tax assessments, there was a section for single, freedmen, but I could not find Benjamin listed in that list either, for Hopewell Township. One of the tax assessments recorded that single men who were 21 and older were listed under that list. So, if I was able to find Benjamin in the tax assessment, that would give me an approximate year of birth and the removal of his name from the single men's list would give me an approximate year of marriage. Since I was unable to find him listed under any of Hopewell's tax assessments before 1823, I will need to look for him in another neighboring township. (When Benjamin does show up in Hopewell in 1823, I know he is already married as he is listed with the other heads of households on the assessment and not with the single men.)

So, I will have to visit the local Family History Center again, and look through the microfilm again. Eventually I will do a post on the tax assessments, but that will have to wait until I am able to go through the microfilm again. Stay tuned ...

Don't Forget!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the seventeenth edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due the 29th of March. M. Diane Rogers is hosting this edition, and you can find out more information about the edition here. You can submit your articles here. Thanks!

Forgot To Mention: 33rd Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted!

I forgot to mention on Friday that the 33rd Shades of the Departed guest column had been posted, and I am really sorry for forgetting to mention the post. The author of that column was M. Diane Rogers, and you can read it here. Enjoy!

Family History Center Visit 4

Earlier today I visited the local Family History Center, and I discovered that the another microfilm of tax assessments for Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania had arrived. I looked at the tax assessments for Hopewell township from 1788 to about 1815, and discovered that a possible Oswalt ancestor resided in the county from 1802. Of course, I have not proven that this man is my ancestor, but this man was old enough to pass for Benjamin Oswalt's father. I was unable to look at the tax assessments from 1815 to 1823 because I ran out of time, but I hope to look at those tax records again soon.

Now I have proof that Oswalts were living in Huntingdon County from at least 1802, so now, I need to figure out why I cannot find them in the 1810 census. I guess I'll have to look again and see if I can find the family. Stay tuned ...

Michigan Genealogy News: The Death Certificates and Other Things ...

I'm a little late in posting information about the Michigan Death Certificates, 1897-1920, but some of the deaths are up. (About 250,000 are up, or 25% of the death certificates are online.) Of course, I have already found a few people, and I'll probably write about those findings next week.

Before I even got a chance to write about this post, Miriam already posted about the records, and found a way to look at some of the death records online through a different site. (Of course, I should mention that that site only has about 20,000 records online.) Harold has also written about the records, and he posted his thoughts on the search capabilities of the site.

Update, 3/25 at 11:30 a.m.: I have finally gotten around to writing this post, and I thought I should add that Harold has also posted an update to the search problem at the site.

Family History Center Update

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but another one of my microfilms has come into the center. Obviously, I do not know what records are on the microfilm, but I hope to be able to visit the center in the next few days. As always, I'll report on what I find after my visit.

68th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 68th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "What if... This is your chance to rewrite history! Have you ever imagined your ancestor playing a major roll in history? Perhaps you've envisioned them single handedly winning the American Revolution, going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, or inventing the flutaphone. This is your chance to write a bit of fiction about your ancestor to delight and entertain us. It is the April Fools edition after all! This edition will be hosted by Bill West at West in New England. Thanks Bill! The deadline for submissions is April 1st so start spinning your tall tales!" Enjoy!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a happy Saint Patrick's Day. Enjoy!

12th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture Posted!

The 12th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "Irish names," and you can read more information about it here. Enjoy!

11th Edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival Posted!

The 11th edition of the Smile for the Camera has been posted! You can read the edition here. The topic for the next edition will be on "Noble Life. Show us a photograph of an ancestor, relative, or friend that is the embodiment of A Noble Life. A life that is worthy of those who came before and those who follow after. A Life filled with small but courageous acts; filled with love and honor. A simple life, an ordinary life, A Noble Life. Bring them to the carnival and share with us how you've honored them." Enjoy!

(Note: I am only posting my notice for this edition now as I was busy this past weekend, and I was unable to do any blogging when this edition was posted.)

32nd Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted!

The 32nd Shades of the Departed Guest Column has been posted! The author of this week's column is Sheri Fenley, and you can read it here. Enjoy!

Library of Michigan and State Archives News: Possible Closure?

I've just learned from a genealogy group on yahoo that there is some discussion about closing the Library of Michigan due to the budget. If true, this not good for genealogists. I'll try to find some more information, and post it here later if it is true.

Update at 1:12 p.m.: I've found a message from the State Librarian here. As for whether it is true or not that the Library might be closed, I'm still not completely sure.

I Haven't Posted Too Much Lately ...

As you probably have noticed, I haven't posted at all in the past several days. Part of the reason for not posting has been due to the fact that I have been busy taking care of stuff for graduate school in the fall. In addition, there have been a days where I haven't felt like posting although I have about four to five backlogged posts that I want to write. Of course, I plan to post these articles as soon as possible.

As for the Trippstadt, Germany death records, I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before I post an article on them as I am still waiting for another microfilm of those records to arrive. I still plan to do a post on the records, although I don't know when I'll get around to it.

Even though I haven't posted too much lately, I have added several genealogy blogs and a history blog in the past several months. A couple of the blogs I learned about from other genealogy blog posts, but I have mostly learned about genealogy blogs from the followers application and technocrati website. Unfortunately, I do not remember all of the blogs I have added in the past several months, so I really can't provide a listing of the blogs. Of course, if you happen to notice that your blog isn't listed, please leave me a comment with your blog's URL, and I will add it to my list. Thanks.

31st Shades Of The Departed Guest Column Posted!

The Shades of the Departed guest columns are back, and the 31st Shades of the Departed guest column has been posted! The author of this week's column is Terri Kallio, and you can read it here. Enjoy!

67th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 67th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on "A Tribute to Women. Write a tribute to a woman on your family tree, a friend, a neighbor, or a historical female figure who has done something to impact your life. Or instead of writing, consider sharing a photo biography of one woman's life. Or create a scrapbook page dedicated to a woman you'd like to honor. The next edition will be hosted at Creative Gene."

Celebrate Your Name Week - Day One

I just learned about the Celebrate Your Name Week from Amanda and Sheri's posts, and I thought I would play along. As everyone knows, my name is Jessica, and as a little girl, my parents told me that my name meant wealth. When I got older, I noticed in a store, a card with the meaning of my name. According to that card, Jessica came from Hebrew and means wealthy.
According to Behind the Name, Jessica as a name, "first used in this form by Shakespeare in his play 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name ISCAH which would have been spelled Jesca in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century." Meaning of Names also says the same, but adds a little more information: "In Hebrew, the name Jessica means- Rich. God beholds. The daughter of Shylock in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.. Other origins for the name Jessica include - Hebrew, Israeli.The name Jessica is most often used as a girl name or female name. Hebrew Meaning - Rich. God beholds. The daughter of Shylock in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. Origin - Hebrew." So, as you can see, the information that I had learned prior to looking on those websites was fairly close and accurate.

My parents named me Jessica because they liked the name, so I wasn't named after a relative. In addition, my middle name is unique in my family since none of my other relatives have that name. So, that's a little information on the name, Jessica.

Something To Think About ...

I just happened to notice Brenda's post on the Michigan Grange, and I thought I would mention it since the post reminded me about something I read a few years ago.

Since I had ancestors who were farmers, it is very possible that they were members of teheir local grange, and according to one of the local history books, one of my Detwiler ancestors' son was an officer in the local grange of his area. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that old grange records might still exist, but unfortunately, I do not remember where I read about it. Either way, the article I read mentioned that records would probably be held by the state's Agriculture college (or a college originally founded to study agriculture science), and in Michigan's case that would be Michigan State University. I suppose that it is something for me to look into, but I haven't had a chance to find out whether or not that information is true. When I get a chance to investigate the possiblity, I will let everyone know what I have learned. Stay tuned ...

Google Analytics Results For February 2009

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics report. Here's are the results for February 2009:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 660 visits
2. Canada - 76 visits
3. United Kingdom - 52 visits
4. Australia - 13 visits
5. Netherlands - 10 visits
6. Germany - 4 visits
7. Israel - 4 visits
8. Poland - 3 visits
9. New Zealand - 3 visits
10. Spain - 3 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. Michigan - 99 visits
2. California - 76 visits
3. Illinois - 57 visits
4. Texas - 49 visits
5. New York - 42 visits
6. Utah - 27 visits
7. Ohio - 25 visits
8. Washington - 23 visits
9. Florida - 21 visits
10. Virginia - 18 visits

The top ten places in Michigan, in number of visits, are:

1. Hamburg - 62 visits
2. Lansing - 8 visits
3. Southfield - 6 visits
4. Grand Rapids - 4 visits
5. East Lansing - 3 visits
6. Clinton Township - 2 visits
7. Washtenaw County - 2 visits
8. Oak Park - 2 visits
9. Redford - 2 visits
10. Detroit - 1 visits

The top ten articles, in number of views, are:

1. I've Left Facebook ... - 53 views
2. Updates in FamilySearch's Record Search - 47 views
3. How Does One Become Certified? - 39 views
4. Three Ladies in the 1940s? - 36 views
5. Another Shipwreck Found! - 30 views
6. Has Anyone Heard Anything New? - 29 views
7. Update on the Michigan Death Certificates, 1897-1920 - 29 views
8. Jessica's Genejournal's Best Of The Best 2008 - 25 views
9. 10th Edition of the Smile For the Camera Posted! - 24 views
10. 16th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 24 views

Well, that's it for this month's report. To my readers, I just want to say, "Thank you for reading!" Enjoy!

74th Edition of the Carnival of History Posted!

The 74th edition of the History Carnival has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

Data Back-Up Day: My Experience with Data Loss

As you may of may not remember, about nine months ago, I experienced a major loss in my genealogy data when I had a problem with my flash drive, and a few months before that incident, I experienced another close call with data loss when my computer crashed. So, I am no stranger to experiencing data loss.

So, what have I done since my two experiences with data loss? Well, I have burned CDs of my photos and school work that were on my flash drives, in addition to keeping the files on my flash drives. I have also burned family history information on to CDs. To prevent any data loss that might occur as a result of a computer crash, I have also backed up my files on my laptop, and I have burned the files of my most important applications and drivers onto three CDs. In short, I've made sure that I've backed up my data onto CDs so that I have a back-up in case I experience something similar to has already happened. I think I have done as much as I can, but I do appreciate any further advice on how to protect my data from loss. Thanks.

Family History Center Visit 3

Earlier today I visited the local Family History Center, and I took a look at the Trippstadt microfilm that had arrived. I was able to find two death records for one of my German lines, and I copied those two records. ( I will write a future post on these death records and post some images from those films.)

I also took a look at the Huntingdon county tax assessments, and copied images from the microfilm. In addition, I ordered two more microfilms, and those films I ordered were death records and tax assessments. Hopefully, I will be able to find more information on my family when those microfilms arrive. Stay tuned ...

A Surname Meme: Some of the Surnames I Am Researching

I just happened to notice that Jasia listed the surnames she was researching, and I thought it would be a great idea to do the same thing. Of course, I'm not going to post all of the surnames I'm researching because I want to protect my family members' privacy as well. Thus, I am only going to be posting surnames that are a few generations away from my living relatives. So, here are some of the surnames I'm researching:

• Oswalt: Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
• Detwiler: Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
• Householder: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (specifically interested in information on a Barbara whose father's name might be John.)
• Stout: Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Northampton County, Pennsylvania
• Havens: Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Monroe County, New York (tentative location)
• Kees: Cleveland, Ohio, Trippstadt, Germany and Gelnhausen, Germany
• Cotta: Trippstadt, Germany and Southwestern Germany (Stuttgart area, possibly?)

I thought I would just start with these surnames since I'm researching quite a few and since these surnames do not violate the privacy of any of my relatives. If you have a connection any of these surnames, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Update on the Michigan Death Certificates, 1897-1920

I forgot to mention a couple days ago that I heard back from someone who left a comment on my earlier post about the Michigan deaths, that is, until I happened to see Brenda's post on the Michigan deaths. I thought I would share the comment that was left on the previous post, and here is the comment from Mark:

"We are still working on uploading the records and improving the search. The
site is live but has not been officially launched yet. We hope to do that during
the first or second week of March.We hope to improve the advanced seek tab so
you can search across all fields at once."

I will definitely be looking forward to day that the death records will be released online. I hope this has helped someone.

Are They Related? Another Mystery Photo ...

This is another photograph from my great-aunt's album. Again, I do not know who these children are or if they are related to me. In fact, I do not know if any of them are siblings, but my guess is that some of them probably are siblings. If you recognize anyone in this picture, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Family History Center Update

I just learned earlier today that my third microfilm finally arrived. The microfilm is of death records from Trippstadt, Germany. I do not know when I will be able to visit the Family History Center, but I hope to do so soon. Before I go, though, I'll make sure I have list of names that I am looking for, and if I find anything, I'll let you know. Stay tuned ...

16th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

The sixteenth edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has arrived! The topic for this edition was a carousel, so the articles submitted could be about anything as long as they related to genealogy and Central and Eastern Europe in some way. So, what did fellow genea-bloggers write about? Well, here are the articles submitted:

First off, we have an article from a new submitter, John Newmark of Transylvanian Dutch. In the service of Franz Josef, he writes about his attempt to translate his great-grandfather's military records from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

Next, we have an article from Ambar, another new submitter, of Still More Genealogy. In Finding John Kohl (1840-1903), Ambar writes about hiring a pro genealogist to find out more information on his or her ancestor, John Kohl and where he came from in Germany.

Next, we have an article from Stephen Danko of Steve's Genealogy Blog. In Describing Place Names in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, he writes about providing descriptions for places in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in one's genealogy.

Next, we have an article from Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy. In Some Canadian research sources - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, she writes about a few Canadian records that might prove useful for a genealogist trying to trace his or her Central or Eastern European ancestors.

Last, but not least, we have two articles from Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal. In Looking For My German Ancestors - Part 5 and Part 6, she continues writing about her research into her German ancestors and explores their connection to Cleveland, Ohio.

Well, that is it for this edition. The next edition will be hosted by Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy, and the topic for that edition will be on "Women in Central and Eastern European Genealogy. Have you a female ancestor from Eastern or Central Europe you'd like to highlight, or do you have tips specifically for researching women there, or have you found a good article, book or website that assists in historical research about women from Central and Eastern Europe? You don't have to have ancestors from Eastern or Central Europe to participate in this Carnival." The deadline for the submissions will be March 29th, and the edition will be published on the 31st. You can submit your article here.

Has Anyone Heard Anything New?

I was just wondering: has anyone heard or read anything new about when the Michigan 1897-1920 death certificates will be put online? A few are up on the Seeking Michigan site, but I haven't seen anymore death certificates posted recently. Thanks.

Ancestor Number 21

Randy of Genea-Musings challenged other genea-bloggers to post information on their ancestor listed under the Ahnentafel number 21 on Saturday, and I am just getting around to participating in this meme.

So, who is this ancestor? Well, I have a name for this possible female ancestor, but I am still unsure as to if this is my great-grandfather's mother or not. I'm a bit uncertain due some family traditions and documentation, so I don't know what to put for this post. I am trying to unravel the ancestors of the great-grandfather, but I haven't had much luck yet. (This was the great-grandfather I tried to look for in the Catholic Church microfilm a couple of weeks ago.) Maybe some day I will post some information on my brick wall, but at the moment, I am a bit hesitant to post anything because I don't want to violate the privacy of my relatives. I hope to figure out his ancestry some day.

Submissions Are Due Today!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions are due today for this upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy.The topic for this edition is a carousel.

I am willing to extend the deadline if others need more time to get submissions done. Please let me know. Thanks.

Looking For My German Ancestors: Part 6

In my previous post, I started to write about my research into Anna's ancestry, and I mentioned that I would write about her family's connection to Cleveland, Ohio. I want to continue writing about Anna's family, and I hope to mention her family's connection to that city.

After Anna, her parents and her siblings entered to the U. S. in February of 1864, they eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Exactly when they did so, I am uncertain at the moment, but I do know that by the 1870 census, they were living in Cleveland. (They might have lived in New Jersey for a couple of years as a few records suggest Anna's brother, Jacob, was born there.) As I mentioned in the earlier post, Anna and her family were living in Cleveland at least until 1876 when her parents are last mentioned in the Cuyahoga County deed records, but what I did not mention was that Anna's older brother, Adolph, continued to live in Cleveland after the rest of the family moved to Saginaw, Michigan. (By the 1880 census, at least, he was living there.) Of course, I do not know why Adolph chose to stay in Cleveland, but he still had family members who remained in the city. Adolph's uncle, William worked as an insurance agent in the city, and land records indicate that they sold and bought land from each other.

Between 1880 and 1894, Adolph and Anna's brother, Jacob, moved back to Cleveland. Exactly when he did, I haven't determined yet, but he had to have been living there by 1894 when he got married. After 1900, their brother, Henry, and sister, Emilia, would also move to Cleveland, although I haven't determined when that was exactly. (And I don't know why they moved back either. It could be possible that they wanted to be near family.) Interestingly, Anna and Carl would move their family to Cleveland for a few years as well, but they eventually returned to Michigan, finally settling in Detroit. Whatever the reasons were for Anna's family to move back to Cleveland, it's probably safe to conclude that they liked living there.

In my next post I will continue to focus on Anna's family and write more about her maternal side of the family. Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submissions are due Sunday!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due Sunday. (Of course, if you need more time, please let me know.) The topic for this edition is a carousel, so the submission can be on anything that relates to Central and Eastern Europe and genealogy.

Also, I am still looking for hosts, and here are the months that are still available:

• April
• May
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

If you are interested, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Earlier today I learned that Wendy had awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you, Wendy!

So, here are the rules for this award:

1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.
4. Link to those sites on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

Now I have to nominate seven people for this award. So, here are the seven people that I am nominating for this award:

1. Harold of Midwestern Microhistory
2. Chery Kinnick of Nordic Blue
3. Cheryl of In Deeds
4. Al of Polish-American Genealogy Research
5. Elizabeth of Little Bytes of Life
6. Lisa of Small-leaved Shamrock
7. Terry of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi

Enjoy!

66th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 66th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition is on "'Nobody's Fool' – who in your family was known to have the best common sense, the best sage advice and basically just 'kept it together' all the time? Let's hear about them! The next edition will be hosted by Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family." Enjoy!

I've Left Facebook ...

You may or may not have noticed, but earlier today I decided to deactivate my account on Facebook. Why? I did so for a couple of reasons. I won't lie and say that the change in the terms wasn't a reason. It was, but it wasn't the only reason.

First off, I really don't use the site or go on it very often because I do not have enough time. Secondly, I am upset that Facebook changed its terms of service like it did. The change in the wording made me feel uncomfortable, and I believe that leaving Facebook for now is probably in my best interest.

I just wanted to let everyone know why I left, in case anyone was wondering.

How Does One Become Certified?

Does anyone know how to become a certified genealogist in the United States, or has been through the certification process? I am thinking of becoming a certified genealogist, and I am trying to figure out how to get certified. I found the Board for Certification of Genealogists website, but is this the only site that certifies genealogists? Does anyone know how it costs to obtain certification? Any advice or suggestions are welcomed. Thanks.

10th Edition of the Smile For the Camera Posted!

The tenth edition of the Smile For the Camera Carnival has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition is on "brothers & sisters? Were they battling brothers, shy little sisters, or was it brother & sister against the world? Our ancestors often had only their siblings for company. Were they best friends or not? Show us that picture that you found with your family photographs or in your collection that shows your rendition of brothers & sisters." Enjoy!

3rd Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival Posted!

The third edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival has been posted! (Actually, I'm late in announcing the posting of this carnival edition.) You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on Black Sheep Canadian Ancestors, and you can find out more here.

Just A Reminder ...

I just want to remind everyone that the deadline for the next edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy is week from Sunday. The topic for this carnival is a carousel.

Family History Center Visit 2

Earlier today I visited the local Family History Center, and I took a look at the two microfilms that had come in on Tuesday. The microfilms that came in were the church records for a Catholic church in Elizabeth, New Jersey and tax records for Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

One of my great-grandfathers grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was raised in the Catholic Church. This ancestor happens to be a bit of a brick wall to me because I am not completely sure as to who his parents were, and I thought viewing the records for the church he attended as a child might provide some answers. Well, I did take a look at the records, but I was unable to determine if the first communion records and confirmation records were of my great-grandfather as there were other boys listed that had the same name and the parents were not listed. So, I'll have to do a little more digging to figure out which one might be my great-grandfather, and until then, searching in this microfilm will be inconclusive.

Although I did not have as much success in searching through the church records, I did have more success with the tax records. Although my ancestors mainly lived in Walker and Juniata Townships, I knew from the 1830 Census that Benjamin Oswalt did live in Hopewell Township at one point, and I decided to order the microfilm that contained tax records for Hopewell Township. The microfilm included the tax records for the years 1823 to 1833 for the township, and to my surprise, I discovered that the tax payers were listed in alphabetical order by last name. (The only exception to that was the single free men section.) I do not have very much experience with tax records, so I am uncertain as to whether or not this is typical. Either way, the alphabetical order of the names made my job of searching the tax records a lot easier.

So, what did I find? Well, I found the listings for my ancestor, Benjamin Oswalt, and another Adam Oswalt. (From looking at the 1820 and 1830 censuses, it appears that this Adam Oswalt was older than Benjamin Oswalt, to the point that he was enough to be Benjamin's father, and therefore, I suspect that Adam might be his father. Of course, at the moment, I am only speculating as I do not have proof yet.) The tax records listed the number and type of animals and amount of land that a tax payer might own. For Benjamin, that happened to be mainly one cow and sometimes one horse, but for Adam, the tax record listed that he owned between 150-164 acres of land, one horse and one cow at various points. Of course, the ownership of land is news to me, so I have another lead to chase down on my Oswalt ancestors, possible and confirmed.

The tax records also contained for some of the years the papers giving a resident of the township the authority to assess all of the residents of the township, and it also listed how much each item was worth. Another column listed the total value of a person's taxable property, and how much the person had to pay in taxes. At the end of each year's assessment, the names of people who owned unseated land, single free men and the names of poor children were listed. Unfortunately, I did not copy any pages from the tax record at this visit, so I do not have any images to show as examples. On my next visit, I'll try to copy some of the pages and post a few examples.

So, that is what I accomplished on this visit. Although I did not find all of the answers I wanted to, I am still happy that I was able to find my Oswalt ancestors on the tax rolls. I know have a better idea of where they were living in between the 1820 and 1830 censuses. I did not order another microfilm as I am still waiting for the third film to come in, but on my next visit, I'll probably order some more microfilms.

Jessica's Genejournal's Best Of The Best 2008

It is February again and that means it is time for the Second Annual iGene Awards. Although this is only the second time that I have participated in this event, I still find it difficult to decide which articles are my best. So, here are my choices for the categories:

Best Picture - I posted several photographs this past year, but I think the best photograph posted was the photograph of my great-grandparents. (Please look on the right side of the page for the picture.) I posted this picture originally for the second edition of the Smile for the Camera, and you can read my post here.

Best Screen Play - This category was difficult for me to choose because I really did not go into detail enough about my family's stories, but I finally decided that the closest article I had to a screen play would be the article on my ancestor, Anton. This article was one of the very few that I happened to post that gave any personal details about my ancestors. Personally, I think the story of his life could probably be made into a movie, although the information in my post is sparse. I can't think of anyone who might portray him, though.

Best Documentary - Again, this was another difficult category for me, but I think the best article for this category was Poverty and My Ancestors: Blog Action Day 2008 Post. In this post, I explored my ancestor's experiences in living with poverty.

Best Biography - I think the article closest to being a biography was A Probable Ancestor: The Independent and Spirited Christoph Friedrich Cotta. Although I did not give too many details on his life (since I am still doing research on him), I think I was able to sum up his life in a couple of paragraphs.

Best Comedy - I think the best article for this category would be the Ten Signs You're Addicted to Genealogy. Of course, I cannot remember if I mentioned this article in last year's iGene awards, but since this was published in 2008, I'm including it even if I already used it last year.

Well, those the articles that I believe were my best? Do you agree with my choices? Which articles would you have chosen? As always, you can leave a comment with your thoughts or ideas. Thanks.

Family History Center Update

Earlier today I received a phone call from the local Family History Center and learned that two of the microfilms, that I ordered, have arrived. I am unsure of which of the two microfilms came in, but I hope to be able to look at the microfilms soon. I just hope that I find some more information on my ancestors. I'll let everyone know if I have found something.

Updates in FamilySearch's Record Search

I just happened to take a look at FamilySearch's Record Search and noticed that the Michigan deaths and marriages databases were updated yesterday. Although the death records will still only show the first half of the record, if you click the next button, you will now see the other half of the page. As for the marriage records, I haven't noticed what was changed or updated, but I will let everyone know once I have looked at the database. I hope this helps. Enjoy!

65th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 65th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition is:

"iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for
the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog
posts of 2008* in the following 5 categories:
Best Picture - Best old family
photo that appeared on your blog in 2008. Tell us which you liked best and why.
Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2008 would make the
best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?
Best Documentary -
Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or
event involving your family's history in 2008?
Best Biography - Which was
the best biographical article you wrote in 2008?
Best Comedy - Which was the
best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in
2008? Please
feel free to use this graphic on your post.Start digging back into your archives
and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding
achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to
spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family
history in 2008*.There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your
winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your
blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please act as your own "award
presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the
BlogCarnival submission form.The deadline for submissions is February 15,
2009.*We're going to define "2008" to include any posts written in 2008 as well
as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, 2009 as well (so that new bloggers can
participate)."

Enjoy!

Searching in FamilySearch Record Search's Germany Burials Database

On Saturday I mentioned that FamilySearch had added a database of German burials to its site, and afterward, I did a little searching in the database. Well, I found some information, and I thought I would share my thoughts on what I found.

So, did I find any information on my ancestors? Well, I did find some new information, and I might have been able to add another generation to one of my lines. I also found a possible sibling for one of my ancestors, and I was able to find the death and burial dates for a couple of my ancestors. Of course, I will still have to confirm the information with primary sources, but I think this new information will be able to help me narrow down dates of deaths for my ancestors. I just wish that FamilySearch had included the images from the microfilm with the database.

My only other gripe is that searching for burials by location does not work very well. I tried to search for graves by locations mentioned in the records, but it would come up as not having any results. My guess is that this might be a glitch in the database, and I hope that I will be able to search by location in the future.

Google Analytics Results For January 2009

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics Report. So, here are the results for January 2009:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 692 visits
2. Canada - 83 visits
3. United Kingdom - 65 visits
4. Jamaica - 11 visits
5. Australia - 10 visits
6. Israel - 7 visits
7. Norway - 6 visits
8. Germany - 5 visits
9. Ireland - 4 visits
10. Philippines - 4 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. Michigan - 108 visits
2. California - 66 visits
3. Illinois - 57 visits
4. Texas - 56 visits
5. New York - 55 visits
6. Tennessee - 36 visits
7. Virginia - 35 visits
8. Ohio - 29 visits
9. Pennsylvania - 26 visits
10. Utah - 20 visits

The top ten locations in Michigan, in number of visits, are:

1. Hamburg - 72 visits
2. Southfield - 7 visits
3. St. Joseph - 4 visits
4. Grand Rapids - 3 visits
5. Livonia - 2 visits
6. Lansing - 2 visits
7. East Lansing - 2 visits
8. Oak Park - 2 visits
9. Redford - 2 visits
10. Battle Creek - 1 visit

The top ten article, in number of views, are:

1. Some Info on the 1911 U. K. Census ... - 50 views
2. Who Are They? - 38 views
3. My Genealogy and Blogging Resolutions For 2009 - 34 views
4. Forgot To Mention: An Article and Genealogy Databases - 32 views
5. My Scotch-Irish Ancestors: My Key To Ireland? - 29 views
6. 63rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 23 views
7. Google Analytics For December 2008 - 23 views
8. Looking For Future Hosts: Update - 22 views
9. The 99+ Genealogy Meme - 21 views
10. More Records Added to FamilySearch Lab's Record Search -21 views

Well, that is it for this Google Analytics report. (If you would like to have Google Analytics monitor your blog, click here.) To my readers, thank you for reading my blog!

Another Shipwreck Found!

Another shipwreck has been found! This time the shipwreck was found in the English Channel. You can read more about it here.

Has the Griffin Been Found?

I just learned about a court fight over a shipwreck that might be the Griffin from Brenda's post. For those who don't know, the Griffin was one of the first European-style ships to sink in the Great Lakes in 1679, and since the ship sank, people have been searching for it. At the moment, I have not decided what I think about this story, but I might post my thoughts about this case later.

Another New Carnival!

I just want to let everyone know that there is another carnival, and this carnival is hosted by the Association of Graveyard Rabbits. You find out more information here. The topic for the first edition is a rare find.

More Records Added to FamilySearch's Record Search

I just want to let everyone know that more records have been added to FamilySearch Lab's Record Search. The records added are vital records for the Netherlands, Philippines marriage records, and burials in Germany. I hope you are able to find an ancestor. Enjoy!

A New History Carnival!

I just happened to learn about a new history carnival, the Black History Carnival, from Lidian's post. The topic for this edition of the carnival is Black History Month. You can find out more information here. Enjoy!

Family History Center Visit 1 for 2009

Earlier today I paid a visit to the local Family History Center, and I ordered three microfilms. I order a microfilm of Catholic church records that one of my ancestors attended, and I hope I'll find his confirmation record. I also ordered a microfilm of death records from Trippstadt, Germany and ordered a microfilm of tax records from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Hopefully, the records will all come in a couple of weeks, and I'll be able to find out more information on my ancestors. Wish me luck!

Doing the Happy Dance: Finding Answers

To be honest, I'm not sure I have ever done a happy dance after finding a key piece of information, but I do know that I have uncovered some key pieces of information in the few years since I started doing genealogy research. Even though I don't actually get up and dance when I find a new piece of information, I am cheering in my mind. So, here are a few of the successes I have had since I began researching my family's history:

• Finding an ancestor's grave. - I have already started to write about the search for this ancestor's grave on my other genealogy blog, but I haven't finished the story yet. You can read the first three parts here, here and here.
• Finding the county in Pennsylvania where my Civil War ancestor came from. - When I ordered Adam Oswalt's Civil War Pension file, he gave his birthplace as outside of Huntingdon, Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. Since the information came from his testimony, the chances are pretty good that the information is accurate.
• Finding my ancestors in the 1894 Michigan state census. - This census helped to establish a link to my ancestor to another man, who had the same surname as my ancestor, that I suspect was connected but did not have proof.

Of course, there are several other successes that I have had in the five plus years that I began doing genealogy, but at the moment, I can't think of all of them. Someday, I'll list the other successes when I have a little bit more time.

A Little Update on That Michigan History Article ...

I just want to give everyone an update on the history article for Michigan that I was going to post on this blog. I am unsure if I will actually post an article because I have decided to turn this idea into a book, but I might post something. At the moment, I have just begun to do research on the topic, and I don't know when I will finish my research. I might post some more updates on the topic in the future. I just thought I would let everyone know.