Saturday, January 31, 2009

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!

Friday, January 30, 2009

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!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

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!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

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.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Looking For Future Hosts

As everyone probably knows by now, I am still looking for hosts for future editions of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. Here are the months that are still available:
  • April
  • May
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

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

Monday, January 26, 2009

Looking For Future Hosts ...

I just want to let everyone know that I am still looking for future hosts for upcoming editions of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. Here are the months that are still open:
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

If you are interested in hosting a future edition, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

15th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

The fifteenth edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has finally arrived! For this edition, the submitters were asked to submit articles on history books they read or are reading that deal with Central and Eastern European history. This edition is a bit longer than the last edition, but it contains articles on history books from different countries. So, let's take a look at the books!

First off, we have an article from Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy. In Ukraine: An Illustrated History -Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 15th Edition, she writes about an illustrated book on an overview of the history of Ukraine, and she also recommends other history and genealogy books that deal with Ukraine and Ukrainian emigration to Canada.

Next, we have an article from Lisa of 100 Years in America. In A lot can happen in 100 years, she writes about a book that depicts images of places around the world from 100 years ago to the present day, and some of the pictures she highlights were taken in Central and Eastern Europe.

Next, we have an article from Miriam of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. In The Zion Covenant Series, she writes about a series of historical fiction books that are mostly set in Central and Eastern Europe during the Holocaust and World War Two.

Last, but not least, we have two articles from Jessica of Jessica's Genejournal. In The Byzantine Empire: A History Book, she writes about a history book she is reading that gives an overview of the history of the Byzantine Empire. In A History of Hungary, she resubmits a previous submission on a book that gives an overview of the history of Hungary.

Well, that is it for this edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I hope a history book that you might be interested in reading. The topic for the next edition will be a carousel, so all articles that focus on genealogy and Central and Eastern Europe will be accepted. Submissions are due on February 22, and the edition will be published on the 24th. You can submit your article here. Enjoy!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Three Ladies in the 1940s?


This photograph is another picture from my great-aunt's album, and again, I do not know who these women are. I am assuming that they are either family members or friends of my great-aunt. I am guessing that this picture was taken in the 1940s and that it had to be either summer or early fall when this picture was taken. This picture could have been taken in Michigan, but I do not know for sure. If you recognize any of these ladies, please contact me by e-mail at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!