Happy New Year's!

I just want to wish everyone a happy New Year's Day! Enjoy!

Happy New Year's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a happy New Year's Day! Enjoy!

My Genealogy Goals for 2017 - Year End Progress Report

Over a year ago, I made several goals that I wanted to accomplish in regards to my genealogy research in 2017. So, how did I do? Here are the results:

1. As I already stated above, my first goal is to increase the number of articles I post to this blog. For several years, I have been promising to either post articles updating my research in a couple of series or articles on specific topics, and I hope to finally publish articles on the topics I have listed under the Coming Soon section of this blog. End of year results: Well, I did not post any additional articles on this blog, so I failed in accomplishing this goal. I started a full-time job this year, so I ended up not having as much time as I thought I would have to write more blog posts.
2. To further branch off of resolution number 1, the second goal is to continue my series on my ancestor, Irene Havens. I haven't posted in a long time on my research on her, and I want to post an update in this series as I have been doing some rethinking on my conclusions so far. End of year results: See result for Goal Number 1.
3. A third writing goal would be to write an update or two on my research into my Oswalt ancestors as I've made some progress in the past few years. End of year result: See result for Goal Number 1
4. For my fourth goal, I would like to obtain the naturalization records for any of Anton's siblings, children, nephews and nieces that applied in Michigan after the cut-off date in Ancestry's naturalization database for Michigan. I would have mentioned Anton's records; however, Ancestry posted his Declaration of Intent online, and I was able to download a copy of it. (He apparently never completed the naturalization process, so this appears to be the only record available.) End of year result: I actually forgot about this goal, so I did not make any progress on this goal.
5. Fifthly, I would like to be able to obtain a record of Joseph Stout and Susan Kelly (or Kelley)'s marriage record as I believe that record would identify their parents. I have my suspicions about who their parents may be, but I am not completely sure that I have correctly identified them without obtaining further records that prove or disprove the connections. End of year result: I did not obtain the marriage record of Joseph Stout and Susan Kelly.
6. I also hope to visit the Saint Joseph County, Michigan courthouse to obtain copies of probate records for ancestors and siblings that I have not yet obtained. End of year result: I did not visit the Saint Joseph County, Michigan courthouse. I hope to be able to visit the courthouse this coming year.
7. To further branch off resolution 6, I would also like to view and obtain copies of any court minutes and court records of cases my ancestors may have participated in while residing in Saint Joseph County, Michigan. End of year result: See result for Goal Number 6.
8. I would also like to order the Civil War Pension files additional relatives of my ancestors who served in the Civil War. I would also like to obtain the service records for my Civil War ancestor and his relatives, but I want to finish obtaining the pension files first. End of year result: I did not order any additional Civil War Pension files or Civil War service records. I may order records this coming year.
9.  I would also like to order microfilms of church records from the Family History Library. At the top of my list would be: records from a couple places in historically Russian Poland that are not available online and may be places where my German ancestors resided, and the records from the church where my great-great grandparents married in Ireland. End of year result: This goal is the only one that I actually came close to completing this year. I did not order any microfilms, but I did view films that had been digitized. I have been able to work on a few of my lines from Germany, and I believe I may have found the civil birth record for my ancestor and his siblings from Russian Poland.
10. I also hope to contact the church where my ancestors, Carl and Anna, married to see if the church has additional information on where in Germany Carl may have been born or lists the names of his parents. End of year result: I did not contact the church, and I may contact the church next year.
11. Another goal is to uncover the maiden name of my ancestor, Mary Oswalt, who is the wife of Benjamin Oswalt (the son of Adam Oswalt and the father of Adam Oswalt, my Civil War ancestor). I have two possible maiden names, and I am uncertain as to whether or not either one of those surnames is correct. In the future, I will write a post about this mystery. End of year result: I have not uncovered the maiden name of Mary, my ancestor, and I did not write a post about this mystery. I plan to write about this mystery in the future.
12. I would also like to order a couple of marriage records from Wales for an ancestor's two marriages. As the ancestor and her husbands have extremely common surnames, I am hoping the father's name on the marriage records will help me narrow down possible locations of these ancestors in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. (In addition, the two marriage records may be both be civil marriages, so I might not be able to order microfilms of parish churches in the area. One of the marriage records is definitely a civil marriage, so I will have to order that marriage first as it is the second marriage and most recent.) End of year result: I have not ordered any marriage records from the United Kingdom, and I may order those records this coming year.
13. Another goal connected to my ancestors from Saint Joseph County, Michigan is to contact the cemetery sextons where my ancestors are buried to see if the sextons have additional information on my ancestors. As a couple of my female ancestors' deaths were not recorded by the county, I am hoping the cemetery may have more information on the cause of death, etc. End of year result: I did not contact any of the cemetery sextons, and I hope I can do so next year.
14. An additional goal connected to my Saint Joseph County, Michigan ancestors would be to visit the Zhang Legacy Center (Archives and Regional History Collections) at Western Michigan University, especially if I am unable to make a visit to the courthouse in Centreville, Michigan, as there are records from Saint Joseph County available at that archives. End of year result: I did not get a chance to visit the Zhang Legacy Center this year, but I hope to do so some time in the future.
15. Lastly, I would like to find out who Jacob Detwiler's grandparents are as that has been a mystery for me and another cousin, who has researched the family a lot longer. We know who his parents are, but we don't know who are the parents of Jacob's parents. Hopefully, some progress can be made on that line. End of year result: I have not made any progress on finding out who Jacob's grandparents are, but I intend to continue working on this line into the future.

As you can see, I have not made very much progress in accomplishing my goals this year. I hope I will make further progress in my goals for genealogy research next year. Stay tuned for my resolutions in 2018. Enjoy!

Happy New Year's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a happy New Year's Day! Enjoy!

My Genealogy Goals for 2017

Over the past few years I haven't posted very much primarily because I have been too busy to write many posts; however, I hope to publish more frequently this upcoming year than in previous years. So, to kick-start my writing I have decided to post my genealogy research goals for 2017 a little earlier than usual. Here are my resolutions for 2017:

1. As I already stated above, my first goal is to increase the number of articles I post to this blog. For several years, I have been promising to either post articles updating my research in a couple of series or articles on specific topics, and I hope to finally publish articles on the topics I have listed under the Coming Soon section of this blog.
2. To further branch off of resolution number 1, the second goal is to continue my series on my ancestor, Irene Havens. I haven't posted in a long time on my research on her, and I want to post an update in this series as I have been doing some rethinking on my conclusions so far.
3. A third writing goal would be to write an update or two on my research into my Oswalt ancestors as I've made some progress in the past few years.
4. For my fourth goal, I would like to obtain the naturalization records for any of Anton's siblings, children, nephews and nieces that applied in Michigan after the cut-off date in Ancestry's naturalization database for Michigan. I would have mentioned Anton's records; however, Ancestry posted his Declaration of Intent online, and I was able to download a copy of it. (He apparently never completed the naturalization process, so this appears to be the only record available.)
5. Fifthly, I would like to be able to obtain a record of Joseph Stout and Susan Kelly (or Kelley)'s marriage record as I believe that record would identify their parents. I have my suspicions about who their parents may be, but I am not completely sure that I have correctly identified them without obtaining further records that prove or disprove the connections.
6. I also hope to visit the Saint Joseph County, Michigan courthouse to obtain copies of probate records for ancestors and siblings that I have not yet obtained.
7. To further branch off resolution 6, I would also like to view and obtain copies of any court minutes and court records of cases my ancestors may have participated in while residing in Saint Joseph County, Michigan.
8. I would also like to order the Civil War Pension files additional relatives of my ancestors who served in the Civil War. I would also like to obtain the service records for my Civil War ancestor and his relatives, but I want to finish obtaining the pension files first.
9.  I would also like to order microfilms of church records from the Family History Library. At the top of my list would be: records from a couple places in historically Russian Poland that are not available online and may be places where my German ancestors resided, and the records from the church where my great-great grandparents married in Ireland.
10. I also hope to contact the church where my ancestors, Carl and Anna, married to see if the church has additional information on where in Germany Carl may have been born or lists the names of his parents.
11. Another goal is to uncover the maiden name of my ancestor, Mary Oswalt, who is the wife of Benjamin Oswalt (the son of Adam Oswalt and the father of Adam Oswalt, my Civil War ancestor). I have two possible maiden names, and I am uncertain as to whether or not either one of those surnames is correct. In the future, I will write a post about this mystery.
12. I would also like to order a couple of marriage records from Wales for an ancestor's two marriages. As the ancestor and her husbands have extremely common surnames, I am hoping the father's name on the marriage records will help me narrow down possible locations of these ancestors in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. (In addition, the two marriage records may be both be civil marriages, so I might not be able to order microfilms of parish churches in the area. One of the marriage records is definitely a civil marriage, so I will have to order that marriage first as it is the second marriage and most recent.)
13. Another goal connected to my ancestors from Saint Joseph County, Michigan is to contact the cemetery sextons where my ancestors are buried to see if the sextons have additional information on my ancestors. As a couple of my female ancestors' deaths were not recorded by the county, I am hoping the cemetery may have more information on the cause of death, etc.
14. An additional goal connected to my Saint Joseph County, Michigan ancestors would be to visit the Zhang Legacy Center (Archives and Regional History Collections) at Western Michigan University, especially if I am unable to make a visit to the courthouse in Centreville, Michigan, as there are records from Saint Joseph County available at that archives.
15. Lastly, I would like to find out who Jacob Detwiler's grandparents are as that has been a mystery for me and another cousin, who has researched the family a lot longer. We know who his parents are, but we don't know who are the parents of Jacob's parents. Hopefully, some progress can be made on that line.

So, as you can see, this list is longer than my resolutions in the past, and I hope I may be able to accomplish at least a couple of goals on this list, if I can't complete all of them. Realistically, I won't accomplish all of them, but I can still work on making progress. Stay tuned for future updates on my goals in 2017! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Happy New Year's!

I just want to wish everyone a happy New Year's Day! Enjoy!