My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions - One Year Later

Well, it has almost been a year to the day since I wrote my genealogy resolutions for 2010 and six months since I posted my update on my resolutions. I thought I would update everyone on my progress (or lack of progress) in completing my goals. So, here are my results:

1. Order William Oswalt's pension file. I ordered Benjamin's pension file, but I didn't do so for William. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that in the upcoming year, and I hope I will be able to determine if my ancestor is related to William. As of June 5: I have not ordered William's pension file, and I don't know if I will be ordering the records any time this year. As of December 26: I never ordered the pension file due to the fact that I have been so busy with school this year.
2. Research the tax records of Saint Joseph County, Michigan to obtain more information on my Oswalt, Detwiler, Stout and Havens-Mandigo families. As of June 5: I have not done any research into the tax records of Saint Joseph County, Michigan. Hopefully, I will get a chance to do so later this summer. As of December 26: I never got the chance to look through the tax records. I may have to put this goal off until next year.
3. Order a microfilm of Manchester, England church records for a marriage record of an ancestor. As of June 5: I haven't ordered any microfilms yet. I hope to get a chance to do so later this year. As of December 26: I didn't order any microfilms of church records, but I still did obtain the information contained in my ancestors' marriage record. I posted a look-up request on the RootsChat forum, and another researcher graciously looked up the record for me. (I've also posted two more marriage look-up requests, but so far, those requests have not been completed.)
4. Locate the German birthplace or home town for my ancestor, Carl. As of June 5: I haven't done any further research on my ancestor, Carl. As of December 26: I still have not determined Carl's birthplace. I probably will have to contact the church where Carl married to see if records from the time period survived in order to either determine who his parents were or where he was born.
5. Obtain Anton's naturalization record. As of June 5: I haven't ordered Anton's naturalization records. As of December 26: I haven't made any attempt yet to order Anton's papers. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to do so next year.
6. Determine who are the parents of my great-grandfather. As of June 5: I haven't done any research into this great-grandparent. I have always had a suspicion to at least who his mother was in the past, but I haven't been able to conclusively link determine who were his biological parents. As of December 26: I have not made any progress with this goal since my last update. It appears as though I will have to wait until I am out of school to make any additional progress on this brick wall.
7. Uncover Adam's religious affiliation. I do not know what church Adam attended except that it was a Protestant church, but I'll need to figure out what church he or his family attended so that I can continue researching my Oswalt ancestors. As of June 5: Sometime late last year or earlier this year (I can't remember when exactly, except that it occurred after Benjamin's pension file came), I happened to find a book (through Google books) that Benjamin Oswalt listed as donating some money to the Methodist Church of Three Rivers, Michigan. Of course, I still not sure if Benjamin is Adam's brother (I have yet to write about why I think he is related), but this could be a possible lead. I did not see Adam's name listed, but is it possible Adam belonged to the Methodist Church? As of December 26: I haven't worked on determining Adam's religious affiliation since my last update. I'll probably have to wait until I have more time.
8. Obtain or order more records from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania to continue researching my ancestors from those counties. As of June 5: I haven't ordered any records from Huntingdon County. Hopefully, I will still be able to do so this summer. As of December 26: I haven't ordered any records. Hopefully, I will be able to do so next year.

Well, that is what I have accomplished this year. Obviously, I haven't accomplished very much, but I've completed one goal. I guess you could consider that progress. Stay tuned for my 2011 resolutions, and until then, enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

I just want to wish everyone a wonderful and merry Christmas! Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submission Deadline for the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Will Be Here Soon!

I just want to remind everyone that the deadline for submissions to the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy is December 28. The topic for this edition is on Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's traditions, and you can submit your entry here. Enjoy!

101st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Topic Update

The topic for the 101st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! The topic is "My genealogy research/writing plan for 2011," and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

Blog Caroling 2010: Away in a Manger

FootnoteMaven has again challenged other genea-bloggers to post the lyrics to his or her favorite Christmas Carol. This is the third time that I've decided to join this challenge (here are the links to the first and second times), and this time, I've decided to post the lyrics to another one of my favorite carols, Away in a Manger. (Again, I have to confess that I did not even know all of the lyrics to this song before I posted this song.) Here are the lyrics, courtesy of Christmas Carols:

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

I hope you enjoyed this carol like I did. Enjoy!

100th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 100th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! The edition is broken down into four parts, and you can read parts 1, 2 3 and 4 by clicking the numbers. The topic for the next edition will be posted next week. Enjoy!

Surname Saturday: Oswalt Family Siblings Mystery Series List

I've finally finished earlier today my Surname Saturday series that chronicles my personal research into my ancestor's, Adam Oswalt, sibling. In order to make the series easier for other genealogists to find and comment, I've decided to post a lists all three articles together. Here are the articles and their sources:

1. Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One
2. Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude These Oswalts Are Related? - Part Two
3. Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude These Oswalts Are Related? - Part Three

If you have any comments or suggestions about my research, please feel free to leave a comment. I appreciate all feedback, and certainly would like some suggestions as to what other records I should examine. Thanks, and enjoy!

Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude These Oswalts Are Related? - Part Three

In my previous post, I continued my analysis of the possible children of Benjamin and Mary Oswalt, but I stopped before I got to William. For this post, I plan to complete the series, and I would appreciate everyone's feedback on whether or not I can reasonably conclude that my ancestor, Adam Oswalt, was related to the Benjamin and William Oswalt living in the Saint Joseph and Barry Counties, respectively, of Michigan.

So why do I believe that the William and Benjamin Oswalt are brothers to my ancestor, Adam Oswalt? How do I even know that this William and Benjamin Oswalt are the same ones as the William and Benjamin Oswalt listed as living in the household of Benjamin Oswalt in the 1850 census? Well, the information that tells me that the William and Benjamin Oswalt of Michigan are the same as the ones in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania comes from the Civil War records of William and Benjamin, who both served in Michigan infantries. William Oswalt enlisted in the E company of the reorganized Eleventh Michigan, and in the muster-in roll for company E, the birthplaces of the enlistees are listed. William's birthplace is given as Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. The birthplaces for Benjamin Oswalt and his fellow soldiers, who served in company G of the 25th Michigan Infantry, are not listed; however, from Benjamin's Civil War Pension file, I know that he was also born in Huntingdon County. (1) While I haven't yet obtained a copy of William's Civil War Pension file (Or to be more accurate, his widow's file), I can make that conclusion from examining Michigan's Civil War records. Of course, the Civil War records are not the only records that I have to connect William and Benjamin Oswalt.

So, what are my other sources? In the 1860 census, William Oswalt is listed as living the household of Daniel Black. Also living in Daniel's household were a Margaret and Mary Black. (2) While mentioning that William lived in the household of Daniel Black may not seem significant, but it is. In fact, this Daniel Black was also listed as a witness to Benjamin Oswalt's marriage to Elizabeth Freelove. Additionally, after Daniel died in 1901, Daniel's wife, Margaret, remarried to a David Elsey, and on the marriage record, Margaret listed the names of her parents as Benjamin Oswalt and Mary Robb. (Margaret's death certificate does not list the first name of her father or her mother's name, but does list her father's surname as Oswald.) (3) Margaret and Daniel provide the link between William and Benjamin. This link is especially important in that neither Benjamin or William's death records list the names of their parents. (Benjamin's Civil War Pension file does included testimony from Adam's brother and-sister-in-laws about Benjamin's early life.) (4)

So, how is Adam connected to William, Benjamin and Margaret? As I mentioned in my first post, Adam mentioned in his Civil War Pension file that he was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania and his death certificate listed his parents as Benjamin Oswalt and Mary Rough. (5) Except for the maiden name, Adam's certificate and Margaret's second marriage give the same names for their parents. While this my greatest link between Adam, Margaret, William and Benjamin, it is not my only link. In 1871, Adam and his wife, Ann, sold the property they had bought the year before, and the witnesses to the sell listed on the deed were an Elizabeth Oswalt and John Dowlin/Dowling (I forget which was the actual spelling at the moment.) As I mentioned above, Benjamin married a woman named Elizabeth, and I believe that the Elizabeth Oswalt who witnessed the transaction was her. Of course, it could also possibly be William's wife, but I suspect it was Benjamin's wife since William's wife's name was Eliza. (Eliza's maiden name was Mosier/Moshier, and she remarried after William's death in 1876. I have not yet found a marriage record for them.) (6)

The last possible sibling I have for Adam is Nancy Oswalt. In the 1850 and 1860 censuses, she is living in the household of Benjamin Oswalt; however, after Benjamin (the father) died in 1861, I don't know what happened to her or to Benjamin's wife Mary. (7) I have not been able to find them in the 1870 census.

So, that is the information that I have so far on the proven and possible siblings of Adam Oswalt. Do I have enough information or evidence to conclude that William and Benjamin are Adam's brothers? What do you think? Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Thanks, and enjoy!
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Sources

1. Michigan Adjutant General, "59-14 Ovs 16 Folder 02 Eleventh Michigan Infantry (Reorganized): Muster-In Rolls of Draft Rendezvous," Civil War Service Records, document 11, Seeking Michigan, http://seekingmichigan.org; Michigan Adjutant General, "59-14 Ovs 39 Folder 02 Twenty-fifth Michigan Infantry: Muster-In Rolls," Civil War Service Records, document 16, Seeking Michigan, http://seekingmichigan.org; Civil War Widow's Pension File of Elizabeth Oswalt (Benjamin Oswalt).
2. U. S. 1860 Federal Census, Michigan, St. Joseph County, Fabius Township, household of Daniel Black.
3. Marriage of Benjamin Oswalt to Elizabeth Freelove, Saint Joseph County, Michigan marriages, FamilySearch Record Search; Death Certificate of Daniel Black, Cass County, Michigan death records, Seeking Michigan, http://seekingmichigan.org; Marriage of David Elsey to Maggie Oswald Black, Van Buren County, Michigan marriages, FamilySearch Record Search; Death Certificate of Margaret Elsy, Van Buren County, Michigan death records, Seeking Michigan, http://seekingmichigan.org.
4. Death of Benjamin Oswalt, Saint Joseph County, Michigan deaths, FamilySearch Record Search; death of William Oswalt, Barry County, Michigan deaths, FamilySearch Record Search; Benjamin Oswalt's Civil War Pension file.
5. Civil War Pension File of Adam Oswalt; death certificate of Adam Oswalt, Kent County, Michigan death records, Seeking Michigan, http://seekingmichigan.org.
6. "Deed from Adam and Ann Oswalt to ? (I can't remember the men's names at the moment since I don't have the record at school with me), Saint Joseph County, Michigan land records. (I would list the volume and page number for the deed if I had my notes with me, but I do not at the moment; marriage of Eliza Mosier Oswalt to Reuben Pierce, Barry County, Michigan marriages, FamilySearch Record Search.
7. U. S. 1850 Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Walker Township, household of Benjamin Oswald; U.S. 1860 Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Juanita Township, household of Benjamin Oswalt.
   

Looking For Hosts: 2011 - Update

As you may remember from a previous post, I am looking for hosts 2011 editions of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, and wanted to update everyone on the months still available. The remaining months are:

• January
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

If you are interested in hosting one of these months, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Happy Hanukkah!

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

(I apologize for the belated announcement; I've just been very busy.)

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories Day Two: Holiday Foods

When I last participated in the Advent Calendar three years ago, the topic for day three was on holiday foods, but this year it is on day two. I always love the food around Christmas, and thus, I can't resist writing another post on this topic.

So, does my family have any traditional dishes that are served at Christmas? While I really can't think of any dishes that are unique to my family, per se, the main dish for dinner in past years has varied between turkey, prime rib, ham or a combination of the two. Many of the side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, salad or stuffing, are dishes that we also eat at Thanksgiving. (The dishes are freshly made for each holiday, of course.) So, I don't think our Christmas dinner is much different from other American families' Christmas dinners, but I could be wrong.

My most favorite part of the Christmas dinner, though, is the desserts. Usually we have different types of cookies (of which I'll write about in a future post) and pies. If the Christmas dinner is held by my parents, we either buy the cookies, make them or a combination of both, although it seems that in that past few years that we have bought the cookies.

As for breakfast on Christmas morning, my family doesn't have a traditional dish. In the past few years my mom has made a couple of different breakfast meals, but I wouldn't consider those dishes to be traditional because we have had different meals for breakfast in the past few years.

In short, my family doesn't have a dish that is unique or traditional when it comes to Christmas meals.

(Note: This post was finally published on December 15, 2010.)

Advent Calender of Christmas Memories Day One: Christmas Trees

When the Advent Calender Memories began three years ago, I wrote a brief article about Christmas trees in my family. In that article I mentioned the types of Christmas trees that my family usually puts up each year.

Traditionally, my grandparents would get a real Christmas tree, but in the past few years, I don't know if they've had a tree since I haven't over at their house during Christmas in the past few years. As for my family, we have always had a fake Christmas tree, and we put the same tree up every year. About ten years ago, we replace that tree with a newer tree, and since then I don't think that tree has been replaced.

Either way, I don't know anymore because I am usually away at school when the tree is put up by my parents. I don't know if the tree has been put up yet, but if it hasn't, I'm sure I'll helping putting up and taking down the tree this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Call For Submissions: Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

I just want to let everyone know that I will host the next edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. The topic for this edition will be on Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's. Submissions can be on anything that has do with those holidays, especially if they are connected to Central or Eastern Europe (like family traditions, for example). I am not going to define the topic any further, so I am leaving the interpretation to up to you, the submitter and reader. The deadline for submissions will be on December 28, and I will post the edition on December 30. Submissions can be submitted here. Enjoy!

(As a side note, I am also accepting offers for hosting future 2011 editions as well. Currently, all month are open. If you are interested in hosting an edition, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!)

Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part Two

In my previous post, I started to write about who I believe Adam's siblings were and why, but I ended the post before finishing because I realized that the post had become too long. Therefore, I decided to split up this Surname Saturday on the Oswalt Family to make it more readable. (This Surname Saturday will probably end up as multiple posts due to the length of the analysis needed to explain everything.) But before I go any further, I think I should list how many people were living in the household of Benjamin and Mary Oswalt (Adam's parents, according to his death certificate) during the 1830 and 1840 censuses.

Although Benjamin Oswalt isn't listed in Ancestry's index for the 1830 census, I did find him listed in the census living in Hopewell Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. (Correction: At least that was true prior to June 5, when I happened to look through the index again.) According to the census, 6 people were living in Benjamin's household at that time: 1 white male under 5, 1 white male between 5 and 10 years old, a white male between 30 and 40 years old, a white female under 5, a white female between 5 and 10 years old, and a white female between 30 and 40 years old. (1)

So, who might the people be living in Benjamin's household? Well, the 30-something year old man is Benjamin and the 30-something year old woman is Benjamin's wife, Mary. The male between the ages of 5 and 10 is more than likely, Benjamin and Mary's son, John. (Other census records indicate that John was born in either 1820 or 1821.) The male under 5 is probably Benjamin and Mary's son, Solomon (of whom, you may remember, I wrote about in the previous post). As for the two young females in the same age group as the boys, I can only guess although I believe the two to be Benjamin and Mary's daughters. One of females might be the Eliza Oswalt, who is listed in a 1848 marriage announcement as marrying a Thomas King. (I strongly believe Eliza is a sister of Adam for two reasons: In the 1870 census, Adam is listed as living in Three Rivers, Michigan and in addition to his wife and children being listed, a 20 year old Clara King is also listed as living in his household. In 1876, this Clara King married a George P. Mosher, and when she died in 1886, her parents are listed as Thomas King and Eliza King. From the marriage announcement, I know that Eliza's maiden name was Oswalt. Of course, my suspicion could be wrong, but that is how I have interpreted the records so far.) I later found Eliza and Thomas in the 1850 census living in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania with two young children: a two-year old Mary and a 4-month old Clara. (2) As for the younger female, I'm uncertain as to who she might be.

In 1840, Benjamin Oswalt is residing in Walker Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. According to the census, 9 people lived in Benjamin's household: 2 white males under 5, 1 white male between 5 and 10 years old, 1 white male between 10 and 15 years old, 1 male between 20 and 30 years old, 1 male between 30 and 40 years old, 1 white female under 5, 1 female between 10 and 15 years old, and 1 female between 30 and 40 years old. (3)

So, who might have been living in Benjamin's household in 1840? Well, the 30-something year old man and woman are most likely Benjamin and Mary Oswalt, even though they were listed as the same age in the 1830 census. The two males under 5 are probably Adam and Benjamin. The male between 5 and 10 is probably William. The male between the ages of 10 and 15 is most likely Solomon. As for the male between the ages of 20 and 30, I'm not sure who it is. Benjamin and Mary's son, John, had married earlier that year in March, and his household is listed separately from Benjamin's. (4) Although it is still possible that it is John, it is probably either a relative or a farm hand. I will have to do more research to determine who he is. The female under 5 is probably Margaret, and the female between the ages of 10 and 15 is most likely Eliza. (This list of possible names for the two censuses comes from the 1850 census I mentioned in the previous post and the sources I list for Eliza. The 1850 census for Benjamin Oswalt's household listed the names and ages of him and his family: Benjamin Oswalt, age 52; Mary Oswalt, age 50; Solomon Oswalt, age 24; William Oswalt, age 18; Margaret Oswalt, age 13; Benjamin Oswalt, age 11; and Nancy Oswalt, age 8. (5) )

In my next post in this series, I will continue my analysis, and explain why I believe William is Adam's brother. I will also include proof on how I know that Margaret is Adam's sister. Until then, have I made a good enough case to say that Eliza (Oswalt) King is a sister to my ancestor, Adam Oswalt? Please let me know what you think. Thanks, and enjoy!
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Sources

1. 1830 U. S. Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Hopewell Township, household of Benjamin Oswalt.
2. "Married," Huntingdon Journal, 21 November 1848, 3, http://205.247.101.31/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/ajuncnews&CISOPTR=3916&REC=5; 1870 U. S. Federal Census, Michigan, Three Rivers, household of Adam Oswalt; Marriage of Clara King to George P. Mosher, Saint Joseph County, Michigan marriages, FamilySearch Record Search; Death of Clara Mosher, Barry County, Michigan Deaths, FamilySearch Record Search.
3. 1840 U. S. Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Walker Township, household of Benjamin Oswald.
4. 1840 U. S. Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Walker Township, household of John Oswald; "Married," Huntingdon Journal, 1 April 1840, 3, http://205.247.101.31/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/ajuncnews&CISOPTR=5320&REC=1.
5. 1850 U. S. Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Walker Township, household of Benjamin Oswalt.
   

A Belated Acknowledgement - The Ancestor Approved Award

Back in early April, Miriam awarded me the Ancestor Approved Award, but I wasn't able to acknowledge the award at the time because I was extremely busy with school work. Thank you, Miriam, for the award! (I am really sorry and embarrassed for the delay!)

The requirements for this award are that I list ten surprising, humbling or enlightening things that I've learned about my ancestors and that I then give this award to ten other people.

Here are ten things I have learned about my ancestors so far:

1. Surprising - Family tradition stated that my great-grandfather (the one who served in World War One) lost both of his parents at a young age; however, the tradition did not mention the names of his parents or how they died. Until I discovered the names of his parents in his birth record and the name of his father in his marriage record, I did not know anything about them other than what was passed down in the family, and with the information that I obtained, I discovered that someone had posted some information on my great-great-grandparents on the Family Search website. (Obviously, I've been confirming the information I found.) Once I had the death dates for my great-grandfather's parents, I was able to get someone to look up the records for me, and later I was able to view the documents for myself on Scotland's People. From the death record, I learned that my great-great-grandfather had died in a freak accident. Of course, that was quite shocking to me, especially since the death record gave some details as how my ancestor had died. (I haven't looked yet, but I think I should look and see if there was an inquest on his death as the death record was updated a year after the original entry. Does anyone know if inquest records from the 1890s in Scotland still exist?)
2. Surprising - Discovering that one of great-great-grandfathers had been married at least three times. When I first started my research, I learned that this ancestor had been married twice, but until I actually did research at the St. Joseph County, Michigan's Clerk office, neither my grandpa or I knew that he had been married to another woman prior to our female ancestor. Additionally, the discovery of that first wife's death after two months of marriage and the cause of death was a bit of shock as well. (Of course, I still haven't found the marriage record for the third marriage, although census records and family stories point to my ancestor's remarriage after his second wife's death.)
   
3. Surprising - Discovering that my ancestor, Christoph Friedrich Cotta (Jr.), participated in the French Revolution. The family tree that had been done on the Cotta line did not mention anything about the French Revolution, from what I can remember. Of course, the tree is in German, so I could have missed something, but I am still slowly confirming everything on that family tree.
4. Surprising - Learning from secondary sources, the names of Christoph Cotta's maternal grandparents, and that his maternal grandmother had been a famous opera singer in her time. Even more surprising, that she was thrown in jail for eight years by the Duke of Würrtemberg.
5. Surprising - Finding the World War One military records for another one of my great-grandfathers. Well, what was surprising was the information in the records, but I'll leave the findings for another post.
6. Humbling - Uncovering and learning about the hardships that some of my ancestors experienced in their lives.
7. Enlightening - Discovering that Gelnhausen, Germany's church records are online, and being able to find and confirm information that I have on my Kees ancestors.
8. Surprising and Enlightening - Ordering Benjamin Oswalt's Civil War Pension file, and reading some of the information in the testimonies.
9. Surprising - Finding a deed for a piece land in St. Joseph County, Michigan that my ancestor, Peter Stout, had bought while in California.
10. Surprising and Enlightening - Finding the naturalization records for one of my ancestor's brothers, and then finding the declaration of intention for his father, my ancestor. I wrote about those discoveries here.

Well, those are my ten surprising, humbling and enlightening things that I have learned about my ancestors over the course of my research. At this point, I am supposed to nominate ten other genealogy bloggers for this award, but since it has been several months since I was given this award, I've decided not to do that. Here is what I will do instead: If you haven't received this award before and are reading this post, I am awarding this award to you. Enjoy!

My Apologies ....

As everyone has noticed by now, I haven't posted anything on my blog for months, and I just want to apologize for the lack of activity on my blog. The reason why I haven't posted in so long is that I have so been busy (and am still busy) with school work that I haven't had the time to post or read any updates on genealogy news in months. What has been happening in the past several months?

I also want to apologize for not keeping up with the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. I still want to keep the carnival going, but since I have been so busy, I've forgotten to contact those who were supposed to host the carnivals for the past several months. I am extremely sorry for that, and I would like to eventually resume the posting of carnival editions. Unless, someone else wants to host the edition in December, I might post that edition. I will also accept requests for hosting next year's editions, if anyone is interested. You can contact me about hosting at jess_history at yahoo dot com.

I don't know how often I will be able to post on my blog in the upcoming months due to the fact that I will be busy with school work, but I hope to be able to do so. Therefore, posting on this blog may be light until May or June of next year.

I also want to give my thanks to those who have served, and I apologize for the belated Veteran's Day thank you. Enjoy!

95th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 95th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Scrapbooking Your Family History! Here's a real challenge for you... Who's up to the task? Create a scrapbook page on any theme that suits one or more of your vintage photos. If you don't feel very artistic, lay a few photos down on a piece of colored paper, add a few captions, take a snapshot of it, and voila! You have yourself a digital scrapbook page! If you enjoy creating traditional scrapbook pages, take a picture of one you've done, and that works too. If you're up for creating something more artsy, buy a kit or make your own. Go for it! If you've never done scrapbooking before, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for! If you're an experienced scrapbooker, dig in and enjoy the creative process! The deadline for submissions is August 1st."

Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July!

I just want to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day! Enjoy!

20th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture Posted!

The 20th 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 Stories, and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

30th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted!

The 30th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! (Thank you, Al, for the wonderful edition!) You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on work or occupation, and the edition will be hosted by J. M. of Tracing My Roots. Submissions for the edition are due on July 16th, and the edition will be posted on the 19th. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

(Note: I just want to apologize for the delay in posting the announcement for the next edition. I've been very busy lately with school work.)

Happy Father's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a happy and wonderful Father's Day. Enjoy!

Reminder: Submissions Due In Two Weeks!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions are due in about two weeks. Al is hosting the edition, and you can read more about the topic here. Enjoy!

My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions - Six Months Later

Well, it has been six months since I posted my genealogy resolutions for 2010, and I thought I would update everyone on my progress (or lack of it) so far. Here are the results:

1. Order William Oswalt's Civil War pension file. I ordered Benjamin's pension file, but I didn't do so for William. Hopefully, I'll be able to that in the upcoming year, and I hope I will be able to determine if my ancestor is related to William. As of June 5: I have not ordered William's pension file, and I don't know if I will be ordering the records any time this year.
2. Research the tax records of Saint Joseph County, Michigan to obtain more information on my Oswalt, Detwiler, Stout and Havens-Mandigo families. As of June 5: I have not done any research into the tax records of Saint Joseph County, Michigan. Hopefully, I get a chance to do so later this summer.
3. Order a microfilm of a Manchester, England church records for a marriage record of an ancestor. As of June 5: I haven't ordered any microfilms yet. I hope to get a chance to do so later this year.
4. Locate the German birthplace or home town for my ancestor, Carl. As of June 5: I haven't done any further research on my ancestor, Carl.
5. Obtain Anton's naturalization record. As of June 5: I haven't ordered Anton's naturalization records.
6. Determine who are the parents of my great-grandfather. As of June 5: I haven't done any research into this great-grandparent. I have always had a suspicion to at least who his mother was in the past, but I haven't been able to conclusively link determine who were his biological parents.
7. Uncover Adam's religious affiliation. I do not know what church Adam attended except that it was a Protestant church, but I'll need to figure out what church he or his family attended so that I can continue researching my Oswalt ancestors. As of June 5: Sometime late last year or earlier this year (I can't remember when exactly, except that it occurred after Benjamin's pension file came), I happened to find a book (through Google books) that Benjamin Oswalt listed as donating some money to the Methodist Church of Three Rivers, Michigan. Of course, I still not sure if Benjamin is Adam's brother (I have yet to write about why I think he is related), but this could be a possible lead. I did not see Adam's name listed, but is it possible Adam belonged to the Methodist Church?
8. Obtain or order more records from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania to continue researching my ancestors from those counties. As of June 5: I haven't ordered any records from Huntingdon County. Hopefully, I will still be able to do so this summer.

Well, that is where I stand so far in accomplishing this year's resolutions. As you can see, I really haven't been able to fulfill any of my goals yet because I've been busy with school. Will I be able to complete one of the resolutions? I don't know yet, but I hope to be able to complete one before the year ends. Enjoy!

94th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 94th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be

"The Annual Swimsuit Edition! Yes folks, it's that time again... time to look over your photo collection of bathing beauties and select one to share. Bring us your pin-up girls, guys in Speedos, or kids building sand castles. Summer is here and it's time to show us how your family members have enjoyed the water and the summertime heat! The deadline for submissions is July 1st."

Enjoy!

May 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted!

The May 2010 issue of the Shades of the Departed Magazine has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For May 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that is is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for May 2010:

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

1. United States - 243 visits
2. Canada - 23 visits
3. Australia - 9 visits
4. United Kingdom - 8 visits
5. Germany - 7 visits
6. India - 4 visits
7. Israel - 2 visits
8. Russia - 1 visit
9. South Korea - 1 visit
10. Philippines - 1 visit

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

1. Ohio - 31 visits
2. California - 31 visits
3. Indiana - 29 visits
4. Illinois - 25 visits
5. New York - 13 visits
6. Florida - 12 visits
7. Wisconsin - 11 visits
8. Pennsylvania - 8 visits
9. Michigan - 7 visits
10. Georgia - 6 visits

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

1. My Heritage's Top 100 Genealogy Sites - 33 views
2. Saturday Night Fun - The Wayback Machine: A Walk Down Jessica's Genejournal Memory Lane - 19 views
3. 29th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted! - 16 views
4. 28th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted! - 13 views
5. Tombstone Maker Website - 9 views
6. Looking For Hosts Update - Again! - 8 views
7. Memorial Day ... - 8 views
8. 93rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 6 views
9. 26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 5 views
10. Google Analytics Report For April 2010 - 5 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. To my readers, I just want to say, "Thank you for reading!" Stay tuned for next month' s report, and until then, enjoy!

Memorial Day ...

I just want to wish everyone a wonderful Memorial Day, and I just want to say thank to this who have and are serving. Thanks!

Looking For Hosts Update - Again!

I haven't posted one of these updates in awhile, but I still have a few months open that need hosts for the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. Here are the months still open:

• July
• November
• December - (If no one wants to do December, I will host that month.)

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

29th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted!

The 29th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. (Thank you J. M. for hosting the edition!) The topic for the next edition will on "Arrival in New Lands dealing with the who, where, and why our ancestors may have left their homelands and settled in new countries," and will hosted by Al of Polish-American Genealogy Research. Submissions will be due on June 27, and the edition will be posted on June 30th. Articles can be submitted here. Enjoy!

Saturday Night Fun - The Wayback Machine: A Walk Down Jessica's Genejournal Memory Lane

It has been awhile since I participated in a Saturday Night Fun challenge due to the fact that school work has kept me quite busy until now, but since I have a little time, I've decided to participate again. For this challenge, Randy has challenged other genealogy bloggers to look up their blog in the Wayback Machine, and write about their findings. I've decided to participate in the challenge.

I tried to save a picture of the page, but I was unsuccessful. So, instead, I've decided to post the link for the page.

The interesting thing about the Wayback Machine's image of my blog is that the site did not capture an image of my blog until late June 2007. I started posting back in March of 2007, but the blog probably wasn't recorded by the Wayback Machine until probably June when I think I started to participate in the genealogy blog carnivals.

Well, the old web page is pretty close to what the blog looked like in the very beginning. I used to use different colored fonts until one my readers informed me that it was easier to read my posts in black, so I switched to just using black. Of course, I think this was prior to the time when I started making changes to the background and template of the blog in an attempt to give this blog a unique appearance. I think I finally succeed in that attempt.

Well, I never imagined at that time that I would still be blogging after three years, but here I am still blogging years later. I hope you enjoyed that walk down memory lane.

MyHeritage's Top 100 Genealogy Sites

I just happened to take a look at My Heritage's Top 100 Genealogy Sites list, and I discovered that this blog was listed! I am honored, and thank you to MyHeritage for putting my blog on the list. Also, I want to say, "Congrats!" to everyone else on the list.

Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!

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

What I've Been Up To Lately and Other Things ...

Well, as you all have probably noticed, I haven't posted very much in a long time. Up until a couple of days ago, I had been extremely with school work, and therefore, I didn't have very much time to keep up with what has been going on in genealogy lately. Unfortunately, I am unsure as to when I will be resuming my normal posting schedule since I will still be taking a couple of classes this summer, and I will only have a few weeks break before I begin the next school year. Thus, blogging is probably going to be pretty light into the foreseeable future.

On a lighter note, I've noticed as everyone else has that FamilySearch's Record Search has added or updated quite a few databases, and I've done a little searching in some of the databases. I believe I have found some useful information on a few of my ancestors, and so, I have a few new leads to look up. Of course, I don't know if I'll be able to follow up on them this summer, but sometime in the future, I will pursue them.

I also wanted to list a few links that might help other people in their research. The first link is for some digitized parish books from Austria and Germany, which I learned about when I happened to be looking the website for the historical society of Gelnhausen, Germany for ways to further my research into my Kees ancestors. Only some of the parish books for the locations listed have been posted, but at the moment, it is free to view the images online. If you want to download any of the images, though, you would have to pay.

The other two links deal with genealogy research in Lancashire, England. The first link has transcriptions of parish records for churches in Lancashire, and are free to view. Transcriptions are added frequently, so if you don't happen to find transcriptions for the churches you are looking for, they might be posted eventually. The other link is for an index to the Birth, Marriages and Death records recorded in Lancashire county in 1837 and later. The index is also free to view, and the site lists information on how a person can order a certificate for the record. This site also frequently updates the index as well.

I hope these records might be useful and helpful for others in their research. Enjoy!

93rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 93rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"The Changing Role of Women. In honor of Mother's Day, which is just around the corner, we're going to reflect on the changing roles of the women on our family trees. Do you have a "Rosie the Riveter" in the family? What about a "Suzy Homemaker"? Is there a woman who has made her way in a field traditionally dominated by men... a doctor, engineer, scientist, astronaut, police or military officer, etc? Or maybe you come from a long line of domestically oriented women. Discuss the changing roles of women in your family and share them with us in the next edition of the COG. The deadline for submissions is June 1st."

Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For April 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics Report! Here are the results for April 2010:

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

1. United States - 150 visits
2. Canada - 16 visits
3. United Kingdom - 8 visits
4. Germany - 6 visits
5. Australia - 3 visits
6. Malaysia - 2 visits
7. Sweden - 1 visit
8. Ireland - 1 visit
9. Puerto Rico - 1 visit
10. France - 1 visit

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

1. Wisconsin - 18 visits
2. Indiana - 16 visits
3. New York - 13 visits
4. Texas - 9 visits
5. Illinois - 8 visits
6. California - 7 visits
7. Ohio - 7 visits
8. Florida - 6 visits
9. North Carolina - 6 visits
10. Utah - 5 visits

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

1. Genealogy and History Thoughts Column One - 18 views
2. 92nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 17 views
3. Tombstone Maker Website - 13 views
4. Don't Forget! Submissions Are Due Today! - 10 views
5. Happy Easter! - 9 views
6. Google Analytics Report For March 2010 - 8 views
7. 2nd Edition of the Carnival of African American Genealogy Posted! - 7 views
8. Looking For Hosts - Update - Again! - 7 views
9. Looking For Hosts - Update - 4 views
10. Genealogy and History Thoughts - Column 8: Or Why I Prefer to Not Use Online Translators - 3 views

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

28th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genalogy Posted!

The 28th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. (Thank you Antra for hosting!) The topic for the next edition will be on religion, and will be hosted by J. M. of Tracing My Roots. Submissions are due May 14, and the edition will be posted on May 17. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

April 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted!

The April 2010 issue of the Shades of the Departed Magazine has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

19th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture Posted!

The 19th 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 "I speak from experience," and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submissions Are Due Today!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due today. The topic for this edition is war stories, and you can submit entries here. Enjoy!

2nd Edition of the Carnival of African American Genealogy Posted!

The 2nd edition of the Carnival of African American Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"They Served With Honor ~ In Memoriam, African-Americans In The Military 1914-1953

Host: Amy Cain of Reconnected Roots

Military research can yield important genealogical information. Yet, many overlook this valuable resource. Have you researched military records for your African American ancestors? In your research, what did you find out about their service? If you have not done any research in military records, this CoAAG presents the perfect opportunity to get started.

For the 3rd Edition of the CoAAG, tell us about your African American ancestor(s) who served in the military and write a post to honor them. If you don’t have an African American ancestor with military service, but know of one who served honorably make this an occasion to honor that person.

Submissions deadline: 12 May 2010"

Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

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

92nd Edition of Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 92nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Write a 'how to' series of articles! Choose a topic that you can give helpful advice on and write a series of articles (3+) about it. Series articles require a little more planning and a lot more writing so this next edition will have a deadline of May 1st."

Enjoy!

Looking For Hosts - Update - Again!

As everyone knows, I'm still looking for hosts for future editions of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, but I have to update the list again. Here are the months still available:

• July
• August
• November
• December

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

Google Analytics Report For March 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for March 2010:

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

1. United States - 240 visits
2. Canada - 37 visits
3. Germany - 11 visits
4. United Kingdom - 8 visits
5. Netherlands - 6 visits
6. Poland - 4 visits
7. Philippines - 2 visits
8. Sweden - 1 visit
9. Czech Republic - 1 visit
10. Austria - 1 visit

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

1. California - 30 visits
2. Indiana - 17 visits
3. Wisconsin - 15 visits
4. New York - 14 visits
5. Texas - 12 visits
6. Illinois - 12 visits
7. Michigan - 10 visits
8. Georgia - 10 visits
9. Florida - 9 visits
10. Arizona - 9 visits

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

1. 26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 31 views
2. 1st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies Posted! - 30 views
3. Google Analytics Report For February 2010 - 24 views
4. 3 Years Ago Today ... - 19 views
5. 27th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted! - 17 views
6. Genealogy and History Thoughts Column One - 16 views
7. Looking For Hosts - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 15 views
   
8. Tombstone Maker Website - 13 views
9. Cemetery Thoughts ... - 7 views
10. Trippstadt, Germany Civil Death Records, Part One: 1806-1829 - 7 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. To my readers, I just want to say, "Thank you for reading!" Stay tuned for next month's report, and enjoy!

Looking For Hosts - Update

Although I am still looking for additional future hosts, another month has been taken. Here are the months still available:

• July
• August
• October
• November
• December

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

27th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Posted!

The 27th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. (Thank you, Al, for a wonderful edition!) The topic for the next edition will be on war stories, and the deadline for submissions will be April 25. The edition will be posted on April 28th, and you can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Looking For Hosts - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

I just wanted to let everyone know that I still have some openings for future Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy editions, if anyone is interested. The months still available are:

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

I let the person hosting the edition choose the topic, submission date and publication date of the edition. If you are interested in hosting an edition, please contact me at jess_history at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

1st Edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy Posted!

The 1st edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

" Grandma’s Hand: Grandmothers and Their Influence On The Family

Host: Sandra Taliaferro of I Never Knew My Father

Grandmothers are often the matriarchs of the family. In fact, truth be told, many of us were raised by our grandmother; if not, she was definitely a constant in our lives.

For the 2nd Edition of CoAAG: Grandma’s Hand, write a post about your memories of your grandmother and be sure to include a picture of Grandma if you have one!

Submissions deadline: 12 April 2010"

Enjoy!

91st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 91st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Dance! Did you take dance lessons as a child? Did your parents go out dancing every Friday at the Elks Hall? Do you enjoy taking in a good ballet at the theater? Care to share a memory from your high school prom? What role does dancing play in your family history? Come on, let's cut a rug! Deadline for submissions is April 1st, 30 submissions will be accepted."

Enjoy!

3 Years Ago, Today ...

It's really hard for me to believe, but I started this blog exactly three years ago on this day. At the time, I never imagined that I would still be writing this long, nor did I ever imagine that I would post over 1,150 posts by now. It has been an interesting three years so far, and I can only imagine what the next several years will be like for this blog. Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submissions Due Tomorrow!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due tomorrow! You can read more about the edition's topic here. Enjoy!

(I apologize for not posting a reminder earlier. I've been busy with school work lately, and I forgot to post a reminder. I am really sorry about that.)

18th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture Posted!

The 18th 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 poetry, and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

March 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted!

The March 2010 issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

(I'm very sorry for the delay in posting this. I've just been very busy over the past several weeks.)

1st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies Posted!

The 1st edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Collaboration.

Does your society collaborate with other societies?

(genealogical, historical, lineage, etc.)

Or groups? (local library, family history center)

Why or why not?

What works or needs improvement?"

Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For February 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for February 2010:

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

1. United States - 277 visits
2. Canada - 41 visits
3. Poland - 11 visits
4. United Kingdom - 11 visits
5. Russia - 7 visits
6. Germany - 4 visits
7. Australia - 4 visits
8. India - 2 visits
9. Japan - 2 visits
10. Pakistan - 2 visits

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

1. Indiana - 46 visits
2. California - 24 visits
3. New York - 23 visits
4. Illinois - 17 visits
5. Georgia - 16 visits
6. Michigan - 13 visits
7. Wisconsin - 11 visits
8. Ohio - 10 visits
9. Florida - 9 visits
10. Oregon - 8 visits

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

1. 26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 57 views
2. 2009 iGene Awards: The Best of the Best of Jessica's Genejournal -29 views
3. 89th Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 20 views
4. Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8 - 17 views
5. A New Carnival! - 17 views
6. Another New Genealogy Carnival! - 15 views
7. What I've Been Up To Since Mid-December ... - 13 views
8. February 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted! - 13 views
9. Don't Forget! Submissions Due Thursday! - 11 views
10. 25th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 9 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. I just want to say to my readers, "Thank you for reading!" Stay tuned for next month's report, and enjoy!

Another Award!

Last month, Amanda of A Tale of Two Ancestors left a comment notifying me that she had nominated me for the Happy 101 award. I wasn't able to post my response until now, and I just want to say, "Thank you Amanda for the award!"

For this award, I have to list ten things that make me happy. Here are my ten things, in no particular order:

1. My faith
2. My family
3. My friends
4. My two dogs, Ben and Casey
5. Completing a paper/school work
6. Genealogy research
7. Historical research
8. Listening to Christian music
9. Writing posts for this blog
10. Doing something creative, like drawing or writing a story

Well, those are my ten things. For this award, I'm supposed to nominate ten other people, but since it has been so long since I was nominated for the award, I don't remember who received or didn't receive this award. So, instead of nominating anyone, here is what I'll do: If you haven't received this award yet and are reading this post, consider yourself tagged. Enjoy!

That Reminds Me ... The Archives and Regional History Library at Western Michigan University

I happened to notice Harold's post on the Archives and Regional History Library at Western Michigan University earlier this week, but I hadn't had a chance to write anything about the library until now.

As I mentioned in my comment to Harold's article, Western Michigan's Archives and Regional History Library holds documents and records relating to the Southwestern part of Michigan. So, if you have ancestors from the region of Michigan, it might be a place to look into to see if there are any records that might assist you in your research. Since I have ancestors from Saint Joseph County, I definitely want to go there to do research, although I haven't had a chance to do so yet. I hope I am able to go there one of these days.

You can look at their catalog here to see if there are any records you may be interested in, and the archives is located in the older section of Western's campus. You can read more about the archives here. Enjoy!

26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

Welcome to the 26th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy! The topic for this edition was a carousel - the articles could be on any topic. Several articles were submitted, and here are the articles for this edition:

First off, we have an article from T. Casteel of Tangled Trees. In The Village Church of Segenthau, Casteel gives a brief overview of the Catholic Church in Segenthau, Romania.

Next, we have an article from John Frank of Ancestry Chronicles. In The Soviet Takeover of Hungary: a Tale of Tragedy, he writes about the forced removal of ethnic Germans from their homes in Eastern Europe after World War Two.

Next, we have an article from Al Wierzba of Polish-American Genealogy Research. In Waiting For The Mail - Parish CD's, he writes about ordering parish records from a contact in Poland.

Next, we have an article from Antra of Discovering Latvian Roots. In Myths About Latvian Research, Antra writes about a few common myths in Latvian genealogy research and the reality behind those myths.

Next, we have an article from Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy or 'Jane's Your Aunt'. In Immigrants in Canada's West - 1898 - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, she transcribes a newspaper article that gives immigration statistics for Western Canada in the year 1898.

Next, we have an article from Zenon of Polish Origins. In Polish Genealogy Databases, Zenon provides a link for Polish genealogy databases that can be searched online.

Last, but not least, we have an article from Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal. In Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8, she writes about her discovery of a Declaration of Intent for one of her ancestors.

Well, that is it for this edition. The topic for the next edition is on "'The Village of my Ancestor'. Each article should deal with any known history of any location that one ancestor may have lived. It could be history of a town or area in the U.S. or an European Village," and will be hosted by Al of Polish-American Genealogy Research. The deadline for submissions will be March 19th, and the edition will be published on March 22nd. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Another New Genealogy Carnival!

Another genealogy carnival has been started, and this carnival is the Carnival of African-American Genealogy. The topic for the first edition will be on "Restore My Name - Slave Records and Genealogy Research," and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

90th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 90th 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! March is women's history month and a great time to honor the women on our family trees.This is will be the 4th annual edition on this topic so we're going to change it up just a bit to keep it fresh... Write a biography about a woman on your family tree starting with a timeline of their life. The timeline can be a separate post that you link to from your biography (which can itself be a series of articles) but please just submit one post to the COG. If you haven't written from a timeline before you may find it a great learning/research experience! Since this topic will likely require more research and writing time you'll have a full month till the deadline. There will be no March 1st edition of the COG. The deadline for submissions will be March 15th. Thirty submissions will be accepted."

Enjoy!

20th Edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival Posted!

The 20th 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

"'Give Their Face A Place.' March is Women's History month and you are asked to picture women back into history. The unknown, known and unsung women who are often the foundation of our family history. Give their face a place. The interpretation is yours. Admission is free with every photograph!"

Enjoy!

Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8

In my previous post, I promised I would continue writing about my Kees ancestors' connection to Cleveland, Ohio; however, I discovered a naturalization record during my time off in December that I want to discuss in this post.

While I was at the Archives of Michigan doing research for my thesis, I happened to spot the naturalization index for Saginaw County, and I thought I would check and see if my ancestor, Fred Klippel, had applied to become a naturalized citizen in Saginaw County, Michigan. What led me to believe that my ancestor might have applied for citizenship?

Well, a few months prior to my visit, I discovered that Footnote.com had digitized federal naturalization records for the Eastern district of Ohio, which includes Cleveland, and found the naturalization record of Fred's son, Adolph. In Adolph's application for naturalization, he mentioned that he was told by a family friend (I think?) that his father had become a citizen in 1874, and thus, Adolph believed he could legally vote. The only problem was that Adolph did not know where his father's naturalization certificate went, and thus, had his voting privileges challenged in 1916. Interestingly, Adolph did not apply for naturalization until 1919, and I wonder if he waited until World War One was over before he tried to apply.

Obviously, the information in Adolph's naturalization records intrigued me. I had wondered if Fred had applied for naturalization during his lifetime, but after viewing the Naturalization Indexes for Cuyahoga County put online by the Cuyahoga County GenWeb, I concluded that he hadn't applied for naturalization in Cuyahoga. (Of course, I was making the assumption that those indexes online were complete, and that may or may not have been the case.) Adolph's naturalization record was the first clue I had that Fred did apply. The only problem was that in 1874, Fred was still living in Cleveland, and I hadn't found a naturalization record for him as I stated before. Of course, Adolph could have got the year wrong, but at the time, I couldn't do any follow up on the lead as I was busy with school work.

By the time I visited the Archives of Michigan for other research, I had pretty much forgotten about the naturalization records. I just happened to spot the index for the Saginaw County Naturalization Records while I was looking for one of the volumes of the Michigan Pioneer Collection, and I just decided on the spur of the moment to look and see if I could find my ancestor. I found his name listed, and with the archivist's help, I discovered the record was for Fred Klippel's Declaration of Intent. The record was dated September 22, 1884, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to look and see if there were any more papers because the Archives was starting to shut down at that point. I had noticed that there was additional mention of a Fred with a last name spelled similar to Klippel, but I didn't have a chance to follow that lead. It may be my ancestor with his surname misspelled, but I'll have to wait until my next visit to the archives.

So, why is this naturalization record important? Well, for one, it narrows down my time frame of when Fred died. As you may or may not remember, the date of Fred's death has been a mystery for me since his death does not show up in Saginaw County's death records. (I haven't been able to find a possible match, through searching FamilySearch's Michigan vital records, in other Michigan counties either. I've only been able to find Amelia's death record.) The only information that I had been able to uncover as to a possible time of death were from two Saginaw directories. In the 1882 directory, Fred is listed as a baker, and thus, was still alive at the time of the book's publishing. The next available directory, though, wasn't published until 1887, and in that directory only Fred's wife, Amelia, is listed. Since Fred wasn't listed under the baker's occupation as he was for the 1882 directory, I concluded that he had died by 1887. My time frame for time of death was now between 1882 and 1887. I hadn't been able to narrow down the time frame any further as Saginaw County's records in the Michigan State Census of 1884 appears to not have survived. Thus, this naturalization record that gives an application date of September 1884 indicates that my ancestor was still alive by that date. (I should note also that my ancestor, Fred Klippel, is the only Fred Klippel living in Saginaw during this time period that I am aware of.) So, now I have a time frame for death between September 23, 1884 and 1887. I haven't had a chance to check for any deaths mentioned in Saginaw's newspapers yet, so I might be able to come up with a death date, but at least I have a much narrower time frame to search for a record of his death. If he did survive to become a naturalized citizen, then I will have an even narrower time frame of death. Of course, I still need to do further research to determine his exact date of death.

In my next article, I will continue writing about Amelia's family in Cleveland, if I do not uncover any additional information on Fred's naturalization records between now and my next post. So until then, stay tuned and enjoy!

Submissions Due Today!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due today. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submissions Due Thursday!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due on Thursday by 11:59 p.m. The topic for this carnival is a carousel, and submissions can be submitted here. If you need more, please do not hesitate to leave a comment requesting more time. Thanks!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy!

February 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted!

The February 2010 issue of the Shades of the Departed Magazine has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

A New Carnival!

Although I'm late in posting this, I still wanted to mention that a new carnival, the Carnival of Genealogy Societies, has been created! You can read more about the carnival here. The topic for the first edition will be on

"Doin' Things Right! Shine a spotlight on a specific program, project, or publication at a genealogical society and tell us why it worked. Tell an anecdote about how you benefited from a particular genealogical society service. Share a success story and be specific! The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2010."

Enjoy!

2009 iGene Awards: The Best of the Best of Jessica's Genejournal

For this upcoming edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, I have to come up with what I think were the five best posts from this blog that fit the categories of Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Comedy, and Best Biography. So, here are my five picks for the articles that I believe are the closest and best fits of the categories:

For Best Picture, I have chosen Wedding Belles: A Beautiful Wedding Picture. I chose this article not only because I love the picture but also because the Google Analytics site indicated that this photograph had the largest number of views in 2009 than any other photograph posted. Obviously, this photograph was the favorite of this blog's viewers.

For Best Screenplay, I have chosen Justice and Independence: Ancestral Experiences ... . My choice for this category is a little bit of a stretch as I did not really write an article that could be turned in to a screenplay; however, I believe this article is the closest fit for this category out of all the articles I wrote in 2009 because it highlights the experiences of one of my ancestral branches with events that occurred in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. The article is really a collection of very brief stories of my ancestors' experiences, and any one of the stories could be turned into a screenplay in itself since they are filled with high drama. Well, my brief descriptions do not contain any drama themselves, the described events are dramatic in themselves.

For Best Documentary, I have chosen Trippstadt, Germany Civil Death Records, Part One: 1806-1829. I believe this article is the best fit for this category out of all the articles I wrote for 2009 as it was the only informational article that I wrote. The article is part of a series of articles that will focus upon the nineteenth century death records of Trippstadt, Germany. Although I have not written any other articles in this series since this article, I do plan to do so in the future when I have more time.

For Best Biography, I have chosen Music in the Family .... I struggled to come up with an article for this category as I did not write a biographical article in 2009, and therefore, my choice is a bit of a stretch. I actually debated over whether or not to put this article in the screenplay category, but I chose not to as the article did not deal with an event or story. This article is really a brief sketch of an aspect of a talent that some of my family members and ancestors have or had, and since the article looks at my family over a span of time, I figured this article was the closest fit to anything biographical that I had written.

For Best Comedy, I have chosen And Now For Another Episode of the "Adventures of Ben and Casey" .... Again, my choice for this category is a stretch because I did not write any articles in 2009 that would be consider funny. The only humorous aspects of this article are the title and picture of my dogs. Since pets can do funny things and it was struggle for me to photograph my two dogs sitting together, I decided that this was the closest fit for the comedy category.

Well, those are my five choices? What did you think of my choices? Do you agree with my selections, or do you believe other articles are better fits for the categories. As always, you can leave a comment with your thoughts. Enjoy!

89th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 89th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"The Third Annual 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 2009 in the following 5 categories:

• Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.
• Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 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 2009?
• Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?
• Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?"

Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For January 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics Report! Here are the results for January 2010:

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

1. United States - 361 visits
2. Canada - 43 visits
3. United Kingdom - 21 visits
4. Australia - 13 visits
5. Germany - 8 visits
6. Netherlands - 6 visits
7. Singapore - 4 visits
8. Poland - 3 visits
9. Israel - 3 visits
10. Switzerland - 3 visits

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

1. California - 42 visits
2. Texas - 29 visits
3. Michigan - 29 visits
4. Indiana - 22 visits
5. Illinois - 21 visits
6. New York - 20 visits
7. Ohio - 17 visits
8. Florida - 16 visits
9. Washington - 14 visits
10. Georgia - 14 visits

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

1. Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One - 30 views
2. 25th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 29 views
3. January Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted! - 19 views
4. British World War One Records Updated! - 18 views
5. Google Analytics Report For December 2009 - 17 views
6. My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions - 16 views
7. 88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 16 views
8. Update to Looking For 2010 Hosts ... - 15 views
9. Trippstadt, Germany Civil Death Records, Part One: 1806-1829 - 14 views
10. Update to the Carnival of Genealogy and Topic for the 88th Edition - 12 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. As always, I just want to say to my readers, "Thank you for reading this blog!" Enjoy and stay tuned for next month's report!

What I've Been Up To Since Mid-December ...

As you've probably noticed, I haven't posted much recently, although I've wanted to do so. (At the time of this writing, I have about 13 backlogged articles that I am trying to finish and post.) Of course, I haven't had much time because I'm a grad student.

One of the articles I wanted to post was a summary of the genealogy research that I did over Christmas break. Well, it wasn't very much, but while I was doing research for my thesis at the Library of Michigan and State Archives of Michigan, I was able to do a few quick look-ups on a couple of branches. At the Archives, I discovered that my Klippel ancestor had filed a Declaration of Intent (I'll write about this later.), and in the Library, I found the burial records for a few Saint Joseph county ancestors and relatives. Unfortunately, I did not copy the burial records down as a result of being too tired from doing research for my thesis earlier in the day. Since I know where to find the burial information, I'll make sure to copy the information on my next visit to the Library of Michigan.

So, as you can see, I did not do very much genealogical research on my time off from school. Most of the time I did research for my thesis, or read the textbooks for my upcoming classes, and since I've returned back to school, I am still researching and reading for my classes. I do not know how many posts I will be able to publish in the upcoming months because of my school work, but I do hope to post whenever I can. So, there maybe periods of time when this blog is quiet, but it will be due to being busy with school work rather than neglect. Stay tuned for future articles ...

88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 88th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Ode to My Family's History! This time around we'll be composing a poem that tells our family's history. It can be long or short, rhyme or not rhyme, funny or serious, illustrated or not... you choose, but make it appropriate as an introduction for a book or video on your family history. The challenge is on! The deadline for submissions is February 1st, 30 submissions accepted."

Enjoy!

Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One

I've never participated in this meme before, but I did learn about the meme from reading Randy's post. Instead of just writing about where I've researched a certain surname, I thought for my first post in this meme series I would write some more about a research problem I have. Since I will be posting on all of my research on my Oswalt ancestors up to this point, I'll have to split this Surname Saturday into two or more posts to make the reading more manageable.

I did write about my problems trying to connect Adam Oswalt to Benjamin Oswalt and William Oswalt, but I only wrote about my research in general terms. I am hoping that by writing in more specific terms will generate more of a response on whether or not those three Oswalts are related. (I am hoping that other genealogy bloggers will comment; and give advice or suggestions on whether or not I can conclude that they were relatives, or where to continue my research.) In other words, would including Benjamin and William as brothers of Adam be acceptable? Do I have enough evidence to prove a relationship? How would a professional or experienced genealogist view my research? These are all questions that I am hoping other genealogy bloggers might be able to answer or at least suggest what I should do next in my research.

As you probably already know, I am descended from the Civil War veteran, Adam Oswalt. From Adam's pension file, I learned that he was born outside of Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania on May 15, 1836. (I have not yet confirmed this information with any primary sources yet, but hopefully, I will uncover church records some day.) Adam did not name his parents or any other relatives, but mentioned that his parents were illiterate. (1). Census records from 1880 through 1910 indicate that he was born about 1836. For some reason, the 1870 census suggests a birth year of 1837. His marriage certificate and muster-out military papers also suggest a birth year of 1837. (I do not know if those years are a mistake, or if the earlier records are correct. Again, I am hoping church records will resolve that issue.) (2). Adam married Barbara Ann Detwiler in 1861, and his age was given as 23 years old. His parents' names are not listed in the county marriage record as they were not required at that time. (3). The first record that gives Adam's parents' names is Adam's death certificate, and the certificate lists a Benjamin Oswalt and Mary Rough as his parents. (4). As to whether or not the informant is related, I do not believe he is, although there is always the possibility. What I do know about the informant is that he worked at the Old Soldier's Home Hospital as a clerk. Where did he get the information, if he was not related? It's probably very likely that he got his information from Adam's daughter, Myrtie, as she was listed as his nearest relative in his admission papers to the home. (5).

After uncovering the names of Adam's parents, I looked for them, and found them in the 1850 Census in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Among the children living with Benjamin and Mary were a Solomon, William, Margaret, Benjamin and Nancy Oswalt. Adam does not show up in the household. (6). Of course, the absence of Adam in the 1850 census does not mean that he was not Benjamin and Mary's son, and there are probably multiple reasons as to why Adam did not show up in the census. I also found Benjamin Oswalt and Mary living in Huntingdon County in the 1860 census, but Adam is not listed in that census either. (7). To this date, I have not been able to find Adam in the 1850 or 1860 census, even though Adam stated on his admission papers that he had been living in Michigan since March of 1859. (8). There is another Adam Oswalt living in Blair County (which was once part of Huntingdon County), but that Adam is too old to be my ancestor. It is completely possible, though, that this Adam is a relative of Benjamin Oswalt. I have yet to determine whether or not that Adam is a relative, though.

While I haven't been able to find Adam in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, I do know that he was living in Pine Grove Township, Van Buren County, Michigan at the time of his marriage in 1861. (9). Whether or not Adam began living in Michigan in 1859, I have yet to determine. It is possible that tax records for those years will help me narrow down when and where he was living in Michigan at that time. Although I haven't been able to find Adam, I did find a Solomon and William Oswald living in Saint Joseph County, Michigan in the 1860 Census. Solomon was living in the household of John Heinback in Park Township, while William was living with a Daniel and Margaret Black in Fabius Township. (10). The odd thing about Solomon was his age. He was still in his twenties in this census like he was in the 1850 census. Oddly enough, the age given was about the same age as Adam would have been. Could Adam have been living in the same household as Solomon but missed or mixed up? (11). All I can do is speculate until I go through the tax records of Saint Joseph County for those years. Of course, I do know Adam lived in Saint Joseph County after his marriage in 1861.

As for the Solomon Oswalt who was living in Park Township at the time of the 1860 census, he was not living there in the 1870 census, nor was I able to find a Solomon Oswalt that fit the previous censuses in Pennsylvania. (There is a Solomon Oswalt in Pennsylvania in the 1870 census, but that Solomon does not appear to fit the Solomon Oswalt in the 1850 Census.) (12). Originally I believed that he had died in Saint Joseph County after the 1860 census, but after looking at the Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania newspapers and Civil War records for Pennsylvania, it appears that Solomon returned to Huntingdon County. How was I able to determine that fact? Well, the newspaper, Huntingdon Journal, carried a marriage notice for a Solomon Oswalt who married a Mary Morningstar on February 14, 1861, and since the only Solomon Oswalt around the Huntingdon County area was the Solomon connected to Benjamin and Mary Oswalt, I think it is safe to assume that it is him. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Archives has a Civil War Veteran's index file, and it lists a Solomon Oswalt who served in September of 1862. This Solomon enlisted at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and I suspect that Solomon is Benjamin and Mary's son. (13). In 1869, a Mrs. Mary Oswalt is listed as marrying a Jno. Westbrook in a marriage announcement, which suggested to me that Solomon had died some time before the newspaper published the announcement and that his widow had remarried. To confirm my theory, I searched the 1870 census for a John Westbrook living in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania with a wife named Mary, and I found the couple. Included in the household were two children: William and Ann Oswalt. (14). Of course, my connection to these children and Solomon are tenuous, and I still have to confirm the relationship with some other form of documentation. Additionally, I only have the 1850 census to connect Solomon to Benjamin and Mary Oswalt.

Benjamin Oswalt (the father) died sometime before 28 September 1861 when his widow, Mary, renounced her right to administer his estate. She requested that their son, John, take care of his estate, but unfortunately, only John's relationship is stated in the will book. (15). When I looked at the Orphan Court's records to see if any further documentation might list Benjamin's heirs, I did not have luck. The court records only mention that the estate had been assessed and that the administration of it had been approved by the Orphan's Court. (16). Short of finding any other court records, I'll probably have to look for church records, but at the moment, I am not sure as to what my Oswalt ancestors religious beliefs were.

In the next post, I'll continue with my research into this Oswalt family by analyzing the information I have on William and Benjamin Oswalt. If I have rambled too much, I apologize for any confusion.

So, what do you think so far? Do I have enough information to conclude that Adam and Solomon are brothers? Any advise or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
____________________________________________________________________
Sources

(Some of the citations are not complete due to the fact that I do not have all of the documents in front of me at this time. I am relying upon my memory at the time of this writing.)

1. "1907 Statement." Civil War Pension File of Adam Oswalt.
2. U.S. Federal Censuses of 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910. (For the first three censuses, Adam is living in Saint Joseph County, Michigan. For the 1910 census, Adam Oswalt is living in Kent County, Michigan.)
3. "Marriage of Adam Oswald to Barbary Ann Detweiler." Saint Joseph County, Michigan Marriage Records. Book C, page 307.
4. "Death record of Adam Oswalt." Kent County, Michigan Death Records. His death certificate can also be viewed online at http://seekingmichigan.org/.
5. "Admission papers of Adam Oswalt to the Michigan Old Soldier's Home." Microfilm at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Admission number 5205.
6. U. S. 1850 Federal Census, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, Walker Township, household of Benjamin Oswalt.
7. U. S. 1860 Federal Census, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, Juanita Township, household of Benjamin Oswald.
8. See record in source number 5. Page 2.
9. See record in source number 3.
10. U. S. 1860 Federal Census, Saint Joseph County, Michigan, Park and Fabius Townships, households of John Heinback (sic) and Daniel Black.
11. See record in source number 10 for Park Township.
12. U.S. 1870 Federal Census for Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.
13. "Marriage of Solomon Oswalt to Mary M. Morningstar." Huntingdon Journal. 20 February 1861. http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/civilwar/Client.asp?skin=civilwar&AppName=2&AW=1257601112239; "Solomon Oswald." Civil War Veterans' Card File, 1861-1866. Pennsylvania State Archives. Between Oswald, John P. and Otis, Ora L. Item 17. http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us/archive.asp?view=ArchiveItems&ArchiveID=17&FID=1350300&LID=1350349&FL=O&Page=1.
    
14. "Marriage of Jno A. Westbrook (sic) to Mary M. Oswalt." Huntingdon Globe. 3 March 1869.http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/civilwar/Client.asp?skin=civilwar&AppName=2&AW=1257601112239; U. S. 1870 Federal Census, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Township, household of John Westbrook.
15. "Administrative letters for the estate of Benjamin Oswald." Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Wills, 1787-1918, Wills v. 5-6. FHL US/CAN Film 854233. Will Book 6, page 142.
    
16. "November 1861 Session." Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Orphan's Court Dockets, 1788-1866. Volume I, FHL US/Can Film 900592. Page 59 (?).