Winter 2010 Genea-Bloggers Games - Final Tally (GeneaPopPop)

It is time for a final accounting:

Compose

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
150 sources cited in Research log; filed and indexed in Research wiki.  (Alright, enough already!  I continue to “Go Back and Cite” but I an not counting anymore.)
Platinum Medal

2. Back Up Your Data!
C. Data backed up using flash drive, external hard drive, and online. 
D. All data backed up digitally and secured physically (I am confident of being able to recover from a disaster while losing a month or less of research work.)
Silver Medal

3. Organize Your Research!
B. Organized 140 digital files into folders, labeled, etc.
E. Scanned 28 documents...     created 24 digital entries in my database
F. Created a master list of files, posted in Research wiki, described process in blog post, notified son.
Gold Medal

4.Expand Your Knowledge
A. Created a Google Map for my gg-grandfather's home and work in Youngstown, Ohio, and posted it on my blog.
B. Created a timeline for my gg-grandfather, John Brenner, and posted it on my blog.
C. Created a memorial page for my Dad, Donald George Brenner, on Footnote's Create A Page.
D. Visited and read articles on tutorial and learning pages of Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, National Geological Society, Genealogy.com.
E. Used Wordle to create two surname visualizations and posted the graphics on my blog
Platinum Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!
A. Wrote a summary of my blog and posted it as a new page on the blog.
C. Wrote and pre-published three blog posts.
D. Wrote a brief biographical sketch of my gg-grandfather and published it in my blog along with the timeline I created for his life.
E. Created a new page on my blog listing the surnames I am researching.
Diamond Medal

6.Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
A. Commented on four new (to me) genealogy blogs
D. Assisted another researcher by providing photos and a document regarding a person we are jointly researching.
G. Using Blogger's Follow feature, I added five more genealogy blogs that I am following.
Gold Medal

Final tally:  1 Silver medal; 2 Gold medals; 1 Diamond medal; 2 Platinum medals.

I must say “I surprised myself!”  I expected to complete 4 or 5 tasks... and I actually completed 18.  What a great way to move my research into high gear!   Thanks, Thomas, for initiating this challenge; and thanks to all the others who participated.  I had a blast!

John Brenner's Youngstown, Ohio (GeneaPopPop)

For the sheer fun of it...   for the sheer learning of it...    and for credit as part of the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games...    I have used Google Maps to map out three important locations for my gg-grandfather, John Brenner.


View John Brenner's Youngstown in a larger map

John lived at 700 High Street for most of his adult life.   He was the first Superintendent for the Mahoning Cemetery, which was later to become Oak Hill Cemetery.  Later John was in the marble business.  I am guessing that this began as selling tombstones.  Perhaps it moved beyond that. 

One serendipity in this process.  As I was looking for the address of his marble works, I found a listing for John in the 1891-2 Burke's City Directory for Youngstown, Ohio.  His occupation was "sanitary policeman." This was a new one for me.  A brief web search helped me understand this occupation.  Public Boards of Health were formed toward the end of the 19th (and even into the early years of the 20th) Century.  Today we would call these individuals public health inspectors.  In 1891, one of the apparent duties of a sanitary policeman was to quarantine homes where contagious diseases were present.

One description of the function of sanitary policemen

Timeline for John Brenner (GeneaPopPop)

I created this timeline using TimeToast.  This is the timeline for my gg-grandfather, John Brenner.  John was born in Adelshofen, Baden (now Germany) and lived most of his adult life in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio.



John Brenner emigrated to the United States on the William Tell packet ship in 1854, s
ailing from LeHavre, France. After surviving 36 stormy days at sea, John was mugged on the docks of New York harbor. Welcome to America!

Undaunted, 18 year old John, made his way (walking and picking up odd jobs) to acquaintences in Philadelphia where he was able to secure enough funds to travel to Rochester, NY. In the short time he spent in Rochester, John worked as a nurseryman - a trade that would eventually propel him into service as a cemetery manager, then a marble salesman, and finally office manager for a construction firm.

From Rochester, John moved to Columbiana County, Ohio (south of Youngstown) to join his brother Conrad who had earlier emigrated to the U.S. John did not stay long with Conrad, but moved to Youngstown, where he secured lodging with Martin and Catherine Winterbauer.  Catherine, only 6 years older than John, was his aunt. She and Martin Winterbauer was also from Adelshofen, Baden (now Germany).

John married Kate Welk from New Middletown (Columbiana County) in 1861.  For most of their married life, they lived at 700 High Street in Youngstown, Ohio.  Together they brought 15 children into the world, nine of whom survived beyond their 22nd birthdays.

John worked with John Manning in their own nursery company (Brenner & Manning) until 1865 when he was named superintendent of the Mahoning Cemetery (later to become Oak Hill Cemetery). He went into business with George Enders (selling monuments) and took over the business himself when Enders retired in 1880. Subsequently, John Brenner joined with Niedermeier & Restle, general contractors, where he served as manager of the office force until his death.

In 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln issue his call for 100 day troops, John Brenner volunteered and served in the 19th 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (Company A, private). After being discharged, he subsequently volunteered and served as a corporal in the 155th OVI (Company D).   Complications from a stomach injury received during the war, exacerbated by colo-rectal cancer brought about his death in 1909.

Research Roundup - MediaWiki, My Research Journal (GeneaPopPop)

The last few days I have working hard at the task of organizing my digital files.   In the past, all attempts at organizing those files has made me feel like the bicycle rider in the picture.

Keep my digital files organized is a significant task, since my son and I have decided to keep all our records digitally on-line.  That way both of us can have immediate access since I am in Nebraska and he is in California. 

Previously, I had up-loaded file folders to our webside.  That was alright for a while; but it had its attendant problems - the chief problem being the necessity of indexing the files separately. 

A couple of months ago, at the suggestion of my son (who is the technologically proficient one of our team), I began to use MediaWiki as my Research Journal.  That was a good move, but I didn't begin to realize the major benefit to this Web 2.0 approach until I figured out how to use MediaWiki as an indexed storage system -- not a storage system with a separate index, but a storage system that is its own index.  Let me explain...

I had already re-organized my digital files into two categories:  Vital Statistic Records & SURNAME Records.  

The Vital Statistics category is subdivided into the following folders:  Birth Records;  Baptism & Confirmation Records;  Marriage Records;  Census Records (sub-divided by Census Year); Death Records;  Immigration & Naturalization Records;  Land, Deeds, and other Legal Records;  Military Records;  Location Files;  Extracted Signatures;  and Media Files.


I have the SURNAME category sub-divided into 8 folders - one for each of the 8 grand-parental lines of my children.   In each of these folders, I have separate folders for all the individuals (sorted by Surname, FirstName). Here I have all the data that does not fall into the categories of my Vital Records files.

I have those digital files arranged in this manner on my desktop and laptop; up-loaded to our website; backed up on my RootsMagic4 To-Go memory stick and my external hard drive.   Redundancy is a good thing!

This organizational schema provided me with the structure of my MediaWiki Research Journal.  I reworked every data entry in my original (date-oriented) Research Log.  I added the appropriate citations for each item.  (On a separate MediaWiki page, I have saved about 50 cut-and-paste citation templates - including one for each U.S. Federal Census.)  Since I had been negligent in adding source citations at the time of extracting online data, this was an important task to complete.  Once completed, however, it was simple to transfer that data to the appropriate Vital Record or SURNAME MediaWiki pages.   Now the data is all organized and online -- with source citations and links to digital images (or URLs).  Here is a screenshot of the SURNAME files for two leaves on our family's tree:

The entry for John A. Smith indicates that there are Census records for 1870, 1880, 1890 (veterans schedule), and 1900, as well as Death records and Military Records.  I have no records for him in any of the other categories.  Also, I have an extracted biographical sketch for him, as well as an indication of an unsuccessful search for the Smiths in Montgomery County Ohio.  Actually, I do have more records for John A. Smith, but I have not organized and provided the source citations for them yet.  That comes next, as part of an on-going process.

MediaWiki has provided me with a very workable online way of recording and organizing my research.  As long as my son and I have internet connectivity, those records are available to both of us.

And this citing and organizing has provided me with some medals in the Winter 2010 Genea-Bloggers Games.  But that is the subject of another blog.

Stardust Stories - Julia (Brenner) Huffman, Truant Officer (GeneaPopPop)

Among the family photos I was able to scan from the notebook of my 1st cousin, once removed, was this picture of my great-grandaunt, Julia Brenner (1877 - 1969) and her husband James Huffman (1874 - 1969).  The Huffmans lived in Mahoning County, Ohio.  I'm not sure whether this picture shows her as a tough non-conformist or a woman with a big sense of humor.  (It almost looks posed.)  Growing up as the twelfth of fifteen children, she probably had to possess both qualities.

Julia was quite a remarkable woman.  In 1927, she began working as the first woman truant officer for the Youngstown (Ohio) public school.  Her obituary in the Youngstown Vindicator remarked that "her willingness to help [youngsters] with their problems, real and imagined, forged a bond of respect between youth and the image of authority she represented."

Her concern for young people (especially girls and young women) was more than just her job, it appeared to be her calling.  She helped organize the first Camp Fire Girls group on Youngstown's South Side.  During the Great Depression she helped organize the Young Ladies' Opportunity Club, aimed at self-betterment and she campaigned for the development of a neighborhood Playground Association.  She was active in Big Sisters and the Women's relief Corps.  As the daughter of an immigrant, she taught Americanization classes to recent immigrants.

In her mid-70s, she was still well-known by the children in her neighborhood for her annual Easter Egg Tree.  Throughout the year, when baking she didn't break the eggs, but blew out the contents and saved the shells.  She then dyed the egg shells a wide variety of colors and would hang them outside on a tree for all to see.

 

Julia Brenner Huffman was a remarkable woman...   a non-conformist, an organizer, a champion for young people (and especially young women and truants). 

Winter Games Update (GeneaPopPop)

The first week of our Winter 2010 Genea-Blogger Games is coming to its end.  It's time to ask myself:  How Have I Done?  Did I accomplish what I had hoped to?  or less?  or more?

The good news is that I accomplished more than I had expected.  The great news is that I had a blast!

So...    here's my summary:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
101 sources cited in Research log; filed and indexed in Research wiki.
Platinum Medal

2. Back Up Your Data!
C. Data backed up using flash drive, external hard drive, and online.
D. All data backed up digitally and secured physically (I am confident of being able to recover from a disaster while losing a month or less of research work.)
Silver Medal

3. Organize Your Research!
B. Organized 101 digital files into folders, labelled, etc.
F. Created a master list of files, posted in Research wiki, notified son.
Silver Medal

4. Expand Your Knowledge
D. Visited and read articles on tutorial and learning pages of Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, National Geological Society, Genealogy.com.
E. Used Wordle to create two surname visualizations and posted the graphics on my blog
Silver Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!
A. Wrote a summary of my blog and posted it as a new page on the blog.
E. Created a new page on my blog listing the surnames I am researching.
Silver medal

6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
D. Assisted another researcher by providing photos and a document regarding a person we are jointly researching.
Bronze Medal

Stardust Stories - Edward "Tough Hands" Mieding (GeneaPopPop)

 George H. Mieding (4 May 1857 - 8 June 1934) was my great-grandfather. He worked at lumber yards all his life.  He was obviously known for his tough hands.  This article appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator (December 24, 1927).

The caption reads:  "The toughest hands in Youngstown are claimed by Edward H. Mieding, 70, of 125 E. Ravenwood.  Mieding has been working with lumber for 57 years.  This year, Mieding estimates, he has handled 90,000 rough boards, but not one sliver penetrated the tough fiber of his hands."

Not bad for 70 years old.  Don't you just love the smile!

Winter Games - Day Three (GeneaPopPop)

Two recent blogs from the company of Geneabloggers have helped me better to understand how I function as a genealogist / family-historian / default-'keeper-of-the-data.'  GenYGenealogist named my most comfortable style of working - namely, "batch genealogy."  Katrina's description of "batching" to save time, however, didn't quite ring true for me. Sometime I have put concentrated effort into acquiring data, without taking the time either to log or provide source citations. Saving a little time now; creating much more work for later.  TennLady provided a more accurate provided a more accurate picture when she wrote: "I work in fits and spurts."  The title of that particular blog was "The Distracted Genealogist with OCFRD*"  I, too, am afflicted with a distracted-OCFRD (Obsessive Compulsive Family Research Disorder).  Thanks to both GenYGenealogist and TennLady for the insight into my distracted research style.  Such insights help me chart a better path for my work.

Because of the challenges associated with participating in the "Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games" I have begun to correct some of my genealogical mistakes from the past and bad habits.  Since Saturday (especially with major roads being closed due to icing conditions) I have gone to a couple of the digital "heaps & piles" on my hard drive.  I collected and reviewed 55 Census images and 36 death certificate images that I had gathered over time. These images were just sitting there without source citations and I had made no notes about accessing them.  I have accomplished three major tasks with those images:  1) they all now have proper citations; 2) they are now logged and indexed in my research wiki; and 3) I have added a new page to my research wiki containing cut-and-paste formats for citing 45 different kinds of research data.  I have clearly reach Platinum in the "Go Back & Cite Your Sources" category, but I am not stopping there.  There is more citing to be done...  and I want to maximize the results of this spurt. 

Without realizing it, I have also been working on some of the other Winter Game challenges.  I have been organizing and backing up my data and adding appropriate pages, etc., to my blog.  I might just emerge from the rigors of these Winter Games with more medals than expected...   and without straining too many muscles..   More later.

Genealogy in the Clouds (GeneaPopPop)

I had some fun with Wordle, a website that allows you to create word clouds - either from a URL or from text that you supply.  I tried it both ways. Here are the results:

Wordle produced this cloud from my blog's URL.  I hadn't played with all the formatting options - font, layout, color scheme - but I liked the result and saved it.

For my second attempt, I submitted key surnames in my family research, plus three geographic locations.  In my submitted text, I varied the number of times a surname was included, so as to allow the names to show in font sizes that represent their relative prominence -- Brenner, Deeter, Weaver, and Gregg are my children's four grandparent surames; Mieding, Smith, Hill, and Spitzer are added as great-grandparent surnames; and so forth.   I like this one enough to include in as a regular part of the sidebar.

Pretty neat!

Winter 2010 GB Games - Day 1 (GeneaPopPop)

Let the games begin!

Thomas MacEntee of Genea-Bloggers is hosting the Winter 2010 Games for genealogy bloggers.  There are 6 possible events to enter.  Today's event for me:  "Go Back and Cite Your Sources!"

This has been a big challenge for me.  I have a lot of digital data files (images of documents, census records, indexes, etc.)    Too, too many come without source citations.  I have started the process of catching up, but it is a slow process. 

Today I was able to dig in and show some real progress.  I tackled my un-cited census files...   as a result of today's work I have no un-cited census files.    Here's the record of the census files for which I cited their source:

• 1840 (1) - Anthony Welk
• 1850 (2) - George Washington Cole, John Messerall, Anthony Welk
• 1860 (2) - Charles Weaver, Henry A. Welk
• 1870 (3) - John Messerall, Mary A. Messerall, Henry A. Welk
• 1880 (7) - George Washington Cole, Elmira Knepper, Nicholas Messerall, Edward H. Mieding, Dayton W. Smith, John A. Smith, Henry A. Welk
• 1890 Veterans Schedule (4) - John Brenner, George Washington Cole, Aaron Knepper, John A. Smith
• 1900 (13) - Lloyd Brenner, John Henry Deeter, James Adkins Gregg, Emma Hill, Aaron Knepper, Hedwig Borcherd, Adelia Mieding, Edward H. Mieding, Rudolph Allen Spitzer, Olive Lovinia Saltsman, John A. Smith, George A. Weaver, Henry A. Welk
• 1910 (9) - Emma Hill, Fred Bode, George H. Brenner, Harley H. Deeter, John H. Deeter, George A. Weaver, Catharine Welk, Olive Lovinia Saltsman, Erick Simstad
• 1920 (7) - Nathan Cole, Lloyd Brenner, Harley H. Deeter, George A. Weaver, George H. Brenner, Edward H. Mieding, Olive Lovinia Saltsman
• 1930 (6) - George H. Brenner, Lloyd Brenner, Nathan Cole, Cyrus Deeter, James Adkins Gregg, Carl E., Mieding

I'm off to a good start:  55 sources, not previously cited, now cited.

It's time for a break for a day or two, then there are about 45 death certificates, etc. waiting for source citations.  Another task for another couple of days.   I'm off to watch some Olympics!

Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games (GeneaPopPop)

Thomas MacEntee has lit the flame for the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games. 

My flag for the Opening Ceremony acknowledges the number of family lines (Brenner, Mieding, Schaar, Weaver, Renkinburger, Barthel, Knepper, Messerall) that go back to Germany or its predecessor states.

There is also a small Sudanese flag to honor Mary Anna Bode who served as a teaching missionary in the Sudan, and for the many Sudanese refugees in his country whom I can call Friends, especially the Sudanese Presbyterian Church of Omaha, NE.

There are six (6) events in the Games:  

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
2. Back Up Your Data!
3. Organize Your Research!
4. Expand Your Knowledge
5. Write, Write, Write!
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

I intend to enter events #1 and #5.  I have already been working of citing sources (#1) for old data I have had.  This will give me some incentive to tackle a large part of the remaining task.  Since this blog (my first) is less than two weeks old, #5 will challenge me to post more.   I may try my hand at a few tasks for the remaining games, but my priority will be for citing sources and blogging.

Let the Games begin!

Roots Among the Rocks - John Brenner's Passage to the USA (GeneaPopPop)

My g-g-grandfather, John Brenner, was born on 10 February 1836 in Adelshofen (now Eppingen), Baden. I have in my possession a copy of a handwritten transcription of what appears to be an official letter of recommendation permitting John Brenner's emigration from Baden at age 18. I was particularly interesting in the information giving his description:  18 yrs., 5'7", slender, long face with healthy color, brown hair, high forehead, brown eyebrows, gray eyes, medium nose, round mouth, no beard, round chin, good teeth, no other identification marks.

The copy of the transcription came from my cousin, Dana, who did most of the early work on the Brenner family line. Unfortunately, I do not have any source information regarding the transcription or its original (undoubtedly in German). Finding the original is a new research goal to add to my growing list.

Also from my cousin were copies of two obituaries of John Brenner (one in German; one in English). Since John lived in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, from about 1856 or 1857 until his death in 1909, I would surmise at the present that the obituary in German was from the Rundschau, Wm. F. Maag, Publisher and Proprietor, 16 & 18S Phelps, 30 September 1909, since the Rundschau was published every Thursday. (Another research goal: confirm publication date and that the obituary was actually from the Rundschau. From my translation of the obituary one of the most significant sentences was: “He arrived in New York on October 19, 1854.” Now, all I had to do was find the name of the ship and the passenger.

A quick search on Ancestry.com no listing for a John Brenner (both English and German variants were searched). A search of New York Times "ship landings October 1854" and the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild provided no listing of a ship landing on 19 October 1854. However, a Google search for {ship "19 October 1854" New York} sent me to a genealogical website listing an ancestral arrival aboard the Isaac Bell in New York on 19 October 1854. The Isaac Bell sailed from Le Havre France.

I quickly learned that Le Havre, France, was a preferred embarkation port for many from the Southern German states. I also learned that there are not good passenger lists for ships leaving from Le Harve.

While I previously searched the Castle Garden site (http://castlegarden.org), my son searched the site again. We found three ships that arrived at New York on 19 October 1854 – Isaac Bell, Nelson, and Waterloo. A careful review of the passenger lists of each of the three ships did not find John Brenner We had seemingly reached a dead end. Not to be daunted, my son continued on searching the Castle Garden website. Allowing for name alterations, he searched for Jo* Br* arriving in 1854 and found one Johannes Brenner, age 18, arriving from Le Havre on the William Tell on Oct. 23.

(click on image to enlarge it)

Voila! Age matches John Brenner's; date is close to date reported in obituary; port of departure was Le Havre. Problem solved? Not completely, but we are well on the way!

2010 Census (GeneaPopPop)

Abba-Dad ( I Dream of Genea(ology) ) had a great idea -- namely, to gather 2010 census data from family members now rather than waiting for it to become available publicly in 2082.     So, here is the email I drafted to all members of my extended family for whom I have email addresses:


To: My Extended Family

One of the tasks of a family historian (genealogist) is to find and preserve crucial information (and the stories behind that information) about our families so that future generations of family members will better understand who they are by knowing more about their roots.   One of the key places to find information is in the data of previous US Federal Censuses.  Because the federal government does not make individual census data available for 72 years, the latest census information we have available is the 1930 Census.

This morning while reading another genealogist's blog I discovered a remarkable way to get ahead of the curve - that is, collect and preserve 2010 data from as many members of my extended family as possible.   The information being sought by the Census is not very intrusive.  The 10 simple questions being asked cover the following areas:

• Name
• Sex
• Age and date of birth
• Hispanic origin
• Race
• Household relationship
• If you own or rent your home

You can see the actual form at this web address --    http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php

If you would be willing to send me a copy of your responses to the census questions, I will be glad to preserve that data with our family's records.  I won't be around in 2082 (72 years hence) when this year's census data is made public; but I will make sure that our family's descendants will have access to my information during all those intervening years.  I invite you to do the same.  If you don't wish to send the information to me, I would encourage you to make a copy of it for your records.  That way your grandchildren and great-grandchildren and... will have access to it.    If you choose to send the census data, please also send me a few paragraphs (or pages) describing the people living in your household -- not the ID bracelet information, but the stories that bring those individuals to life.

I will treat your information with tender care.  I will not make any of it public without your permission. 

Thanks for your cooperation.

Research Roundup: "What'll I Do With All This Stuff?" - Part 2 (GeneaPopPop)

Following my son's recommendation, we installed MediaWiki to our website. My first challenge then was to build a wiki data display template for our family tree. I focused on John Brenner (1836-1909). my g-g-grandfather. I found my data clustering in a number of areas:

1. Basic Vital Records (gender, birth/baptism information, death/burial information, UID)
2. Family Group Information (parents, marriage information, spouse, children)
3. Narrative (information gathered from official records, biographical sketches, obituaries, personal data)
4. Notes & Sources
5. Notebook (this became a separate Notebook page, listing additional information and narratives – census data [including 1890 Veterans Schedule & 1889-90 Youngstown Directory], German & English obituaries, biographical sketches, Civil War service & Pension Claim data, immigration)
6. Research to do (this morphed into a separate Research Journal page: a template for tracking all information and sources about the individual – birth, marriage, death, military, immigration & naturalization, census & related data, family sources, education, employment, estate, miscellaneous. This one-stop gives a quick overview of data possessed and data not-yet-found.)

The next step (one I should have initiated long ago) was building my research log – another wiki page. This is the simplest one to develop (and, for me, the one that takes the most discipline to maintain). Each day's work is listed under the date – name of person researched, data found, data not found, sources cited.

It didn't take long to realize that I needed some kind of indexing system for my research log (one that would also allow me to catalogue all data that I have previously held). Actually, two indexes began to emerge: 1) a name index (organized by the surnames of the 8 lineages we are following) – all data for an individual, including the data not yet entered into an overview template (see #6, above) or listed in my research log; 2) by data type – census records (by year), birth records, baptism/confirmation records, marriage records, death records, and military records. The categories of this index will be expanded as other record types are found – for example, wills and deeds. I will also be adding a media index to contain listing of all photographs.

I only have one plastic storage case containing about a half of a standard filing cabinet of papers and original documents. Everything else is scanned and digitized (and, of course, backed up multiple times). Other family documents are still in the possession of the family members I borrowed them from. The more data I enter into our research wiki, the clearer the overall picture becomes and the easier it is to access stored data. Actually, even though I still have a ways to go, I am beginning to feel as if I were organized. Perhaps, before too many moons rise and set, I will be able to say that I am organized... except that data continues to happed. After all, that's the genealogy way!

Research Roundup: "What'll I Do With All This Stuff?" - Part 1 (GeneaPopPop)

A little over 30 years ago I was introduced to genealogy by Dana Jack Bode (1920-2007), my 1st cousin once removed.  Dana's files were in notebooks.  At the time I made copies of all the pages in his BRENNER notebook:  hand-drawn, hand-written family group sheets; photos of documents, newspaper articles, and tombstones; family pictures; and a few biographical sketches transcribed from published works.  While Dana's research was very thorough, it was lacking in source citation.   Since his death, his sisters have allowed me to scan his second BRENNER notebook (the results of his continuing research since our get together 30 years ago). 

More recently, I have received GEDCOM files from my ex-brother-in-law, John Boyer, presenting his research on my wife's family.  John did a fairly good job of consolidating family family and citing sources for much of his work.  He also provided me with large number of media files.  Actually John and I have been trading files for a long time.  At first it was Family Tree Maker files; more recently, since I have migrated my work to RootsMagic, GEDCOMs.

In the past few years, I have begun to fill in some of the gaps in the data – especially online research on census files, death certificate and indexes.  And this all has led to the problem:  What'll I do with all this “stuff?”   How can I organize it so it can be retrieved in an orderly fashion when needed?  and   Will this data be available in a usable way for the family after I am transformed from genealogist into ancestor?   (I still don't even have all my data entered into RootsMagic.)

I have read many articles on organizing genealogical files.  Most of the articles, however, were written by people who think in orderly, rational categories.  I am a highly intuitive person; for me, organization happens at a much different level.   The first system I found that worked for me was Robert Ragan's GATHER, DUMP, STORE and QUICK FIND Computer Genealogy Method. It is the first “intuitive” rather than “linear-rational” filing system I have found.   As long as I was confining myself to a desktop operation (RootsMagic), that system worked fine.

My son, Russ, is my collaborator in this genealogical venture.  Russ is the technologically proficient one.  (At one point in his life described himself as a “techno-geek.”)  He has coaxed and coached me toward a Genealogy 2.0 solution.  We had moved our data from RootsMagic to PhpGedView and later to TNG (The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding), where it now resides.   While our ultimate goal is for Russ to develop our own wiki-style program, I found myself back to the question:  What'll I do with all this “stuff?”     This has become a critical question because “all this stuff” has become much more “stuff” than before.   We have scanned and digitized all our files.   (Actually, I have one full box of pictures and letters that was passed along to my wife's uncle and loaned to me – all waiting to be scanned.)

Too many computers;  too many memory sticks and external storage;  too many files duplicated in too many storage folders.    With my son's encouragement, I began to find a solution to my organizational “twilight zone” in the form of a wiki.

In my next post I will describe my wiki-solution to organizating and storing our digital files

Research Roundup -- Searching for Lloyd Brenner in 1910 Census (GeneaPopPop)

For the past few days, most of my genealogical research time has been spent poring through the 1910 Federal Census records for my Great-Grandfather Lloyd Brenner.

Lloyd Brenner was born in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, on 1 May 1867, 5th of 15 children of John & Kate Brenner.  Lloyd married Mary Ellen Cole on 30 September 1887 in Columbiana County, Ohio (just south of Youngstown).  They had 5 children (the eldest was my paternal grandfather).  Lloyd died in Youngstown on 25 February 1947, having lived his entire life in Youngstown, Ohio.

 

4 generations of Brenners

This is a favorite picture of mine.  That's moi sitting in Great-GrandPa Lloyd's lap.  The handsome young man in the middle is my Dad, Donald George Brenner (1912 - 1990);  GrandPa, George Henry Brenner (1888 - 1955), is on the right.  (Picture from about 1943.)

My goal was to complete my census records for Lloyd Brenner.  He is listed in the 1870 and 1880 census enumerations, living at home with his parents.  The 1889-90 City Directory for Youngstown shows Lloyd's address as 700 High Street (the home of his parents, John & Kate Brenner).  Lloyd and Mary Ellen are listed in the 1900, 1920, and 1930 census enumations.   But, what about 1910?

That question set the goal for my research mini-project.  Once again, I checked Ancestry.com for the 1910 census index and the 1910 Miracode Index for Ohio.  No listing of Lloyd or Mary Ellen.  Knowing that in previous record searches, both the census enumerators and the indexers have misspelled family names, I tried the logical alternatives (Brener, Brinner, Braner...   even Renner and Rinner).  I knew that the Miracode Index should have picked up many of the possible misspellings, but I tried any way...  and with no success.  I went to the individual records for Youngstown, Ward 5, where I have previously found 700 High St. and 312 Garlick St. (Lloyd and Mary Ellen's home)... again with no success.   With no evidence that Lloyd and Mary Ellen anywhere but Youngstown, Ohio, (as well as broader searches on Ancestry.com finding no additional information about their whereabouts in 1910, only one option remained...    go page by page through the 1910 census records for Youngstown (56 enumeration districts)... again, with no success.

My learnings:   some pages are so indistinct (faint) or blurred that they are impossible to read or decipher;   some enumerators had exceptionally poor penmanship, while a few would have made their teachers proud;  indexers have an incredibly difficult task (in some cases, only already knowing the names of those listed would lead to a correct indexing; being able to enlarge the images on-screen made it possible to read some fairly indistinct names.

What's next as I attempt to complete the data loop for Lloyd and Mary Ellen Brenner?   Offline research!  This coming Spring or Summer, I will travel back to Youngstown (my place of birth) and survey Youngstown city directories and newspapers for the years around 1910.  Until then, the "gaping hole" in Lloyd Brenner's records will remain.

Legacy Log -- Aunt Katie's Poetry (GeneaPopPop)

Yesterday the mail brought an awaited treasure.  A couple weeks ago I received an email from Barbara.  She introduced herself as the daughter of a friend of my Great-Uncle Fred Bode.  She was in the process of cleaning out her father's effects after his death.  She had come across a book of poems by Katharine Brenner Bode entitled "My Victory Garden of Thoughts."  The book was self-published and bore the copyright date of 1943, plus Aunt Katie's address in Pittsburgh.

Barbara had done a web search for "Katharine Brenner Bode" and discovered the site where our TNG-based family tree is displayed. She contacted me and asked if I would like to have the book of poems.  Of course I said "Yes!"   Aunt Katie was my paternal grandfather's sister.

I have fond memories of the Bode family.  Uncle Fred was a YMCA secretary and later a High School coach.  Son Dana got me started in genealogy over 30 years ago.  I am still assimilating the research he gathered.  I remember Freddie because he played the bagpipes.  I still stay in touch in daughters Mary Anna and Miriam.  Mary Anna was a teaching missionary for the Presbyterian Church, serving in Sudan and Egypt.  Miriam was a teacher in Pittsburgh.  I remember my Mom talking about Aunt Katie's kitchen:  "When she baked, flour was every where.  And so was the love."

Aunt Katie's poetry tells us something about the person she was deep within --  a woman of deep faith and strong citizenship, with a vibrant love of life and a caring spirit toward others.  Here are two poems from her book:

       TREASURES
True friends,
Like rare treasures,
Altho' not on display;
Or met with often, are priceless
        Today.

       THROUGH MY GARDEN
I do hope you like my garden,
     And all my little flowers;
'Cause I need friends to help them grow,
     Friendship gives sun and showers.

And that's why I love to share it,
     With the ones who with me roam;
I hope you've picked a big bouquet
     To take with you to your home.

Thanks, Barb.  You have left a few of Aunt Katie's flowers with me.  I'll treasure them.

Stardust Stories – Birth of a Genealogist (Genea-PopPop)

The serendipitous processes of creation had 13.7 billion years of practice that went into my formation. The Psalmist states it more poetically:

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out, you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God – you're breathtaking! Body and soul I am marvelously made.” (Psalm 139;19f The Message)

That formative process began in the latter part of December, 1939, a little more than 3½ months after Hitler’s invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the Second World War. Eleanor Roosevelt, in her syndicated column “My Day,' noted the dampening effect of the early months of that international conflict as she wrote about a diplomatic reception. “It was sad though to see so many people go by, whom you knew must be heavy hearted. The gay uniforms, beautiful dresses and jewels can not hide people's eyes, and the eyes are the mirrors of the soul. Through them one can tell when suffering has left its mark on a human being.” The hostilities and the sadnesses increased; and, nine months later, on September 16th the day of my birth, Congress passed and President Roosevelt sign into law the act that created the first peacetime draft in U.S. History. Three months later, the U.S. was at war.

It was an auspicious time to begin a life. With the helping hand of C. W. Sears, MD, I checked in at 3:55 pm (7 pounds, 8½ ounces [birth announcement distributed by parents]) at Northside Hospital in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio. [Ohio Department of Health, Birth Certificate #13471] As a warning to this future genealogist, my mother's maiden name was misspelled on that Birth Certificate – “Deiter” instead of “Deeter.” Fortunately, my name was spelled correctly – “Barthel” (the maiden name of my mother's maternal grandmother; and my grandson's middle name).

Mom, Bessie Garnet Brenner (nee Deeter) was 25 at the time of my birth; Dad, Donald George Brenner, was two weeks shy of his 28th birthday. They had been married for a year and a half and were living in the Youngstown home that had belonged to Dad's maternal Grandfather. As the U.S. was plunged into the war, we were fortunate that Dad did not have to take up arms, since he was employed at the steel mill, working in the electro-plating shop at the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company.

Organizing My Blog (GeneaPopPop)

I hold myself accountable for my genealogical research by remembering my two grandchildren – Olivia (almost 6) and Benjamin (4⁺). To them I am just “PopPop,” not a genealogist or family historian. In 20 or 30 years, I hope they will entertain some fascination with our family's history... and when they do, I want them to have the best records that I can leave. One of the ways I ensure such a legacy, is to use this blog as a means to record reflections on my genealogical work and the stories which I find that need to be told.

For the past couple of months I have been following other genealogical bloggers using BlogBridge (which I highly recommend – blogbridge). Currently I subscribe 70 blogs. (That is nowhere near the almost 600 read daily by Randy Seaver (Genea-Musings), but enough to help me get started with this blog.)

As I begin this blog, I am not quite ready for “GeneaBloggers Calendar” or “52 Weeks to Better Genealogy.” In imitation of them however, I have developed five themes to help me organize my thought:

1. Research Roundup – ruminations about technology, methodology, and finding in my family history research. This will focus upon the actual data upon with which I am working at the present time.
2. Stardust Stories – stories from the cloud of witness in my family tree. Here I will begin to “flesh out” the data, giving vibrance, personality, and context to our ancestors. In particular, I am working on: Brenner, Deeter, Mieding, Smith family lines (my grandparents) & Weaver, Gregg, Hill, Spitzer family lines (my wife's grandparents)
3. Philosophical Posts – pondering the deeper meaning of genealogy and life. This moves beyond the stories toward purposefulness. Because of my training, my philosophizing may be tinged with theological overtones. (I'll be careful, however, not to turn this into a sectarian venture or to preach.)
4. Legacy Logs – learnings from the collaborative nature of genealogy. I am convinced that genealogy only “works” for me when I am able to collaborate with my ancestors and my descendants. We are all in this together. My ancestors can only speak through the records that they have left (and that we can find). My descendants (my grandchildren and their grandchildren) are the listeners for whom the stories are told and the legacy that we have left. Looking back, looking ahead... that's the genealogical task.
5. Roots among the Rocks – reframing the metaphor of “breaking down brick walls.” I am always fascinated by the trees, bushes, and flowers that grow out of cracks in the side of a cliff. I can't see the root system, but I know it must be strong. I would rather search the rocky ground for evidence of hearty roots than break down brick walls. I recently read that wildflowers are good for rock gardens. I suspect there are some wildflowers in my family history. I hope to find them.

(Next Post: “Stardust Stories – Birth of a Genealogist”)

Why “Stardust 'n' Roots?”

In her book, The Geography of Love: A Memoir (Broadway Books, August 2008), Glenda Burgess writes: "Physicists say we are made of stardust. Intergalactic debris and far-flung atoms, shards of carbon nanomatter rounded up by gravity to circle the sun. As atoms pass through an eternal revolving door of possible form, energy and mass dance in fluid relationship. We are stardust, we are [hu]man, we are thought. We are story."

I am fascinated by the process of serendipitous creativity, which many of us name as “God.” That such a process might develop nuclear furnaces to refine the basic known elements is a remarkable story. That this process would continue to evolve over 13.7 billion years to bring about sentient beings with the capacity for self-reflection and story-telling is almost beyond comprehension. In short, it is awesome!

The movement from stardust to story excites, deep within us, a strong desire toward meaning and purpose. And so we ask: Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my destiny? What are my roots? my wings?

So, here I am... what astrophysicist James Gort calls “second generation star material” … looking toward the stars while searching for my roots.... Hence, “Stardust 'n' Roots.”

(Next Post: Organizing My Blog)

Welcome to Stardust 'n' Roots!

My name is Bart Brenner (alias GeneaPopPop) and this is my first attempt at a blog. I am a retired Presbyterian minister who loves to fly fish (and I am getting better at tying my own flies). As a pastor and regional executive for the Presbyterian Church, I served in Delaware, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa-Nebraska, and South Dakota.

About thirty years ago, our family received an unexpected visit from my first cousin once removed. He was passing through St. Louis on one of his many trips that combined family business with genealogical research. This was back in the days of paper and pencil record keeping. I was only mildly interested in genealogy, but I realized what a treasure trove his “Brenner” notebook was. With his permission, I copied all the pages of that notebook.

Periodically during the time since that visit I gathered a few more records – no citing of sources, no organization, just a box that got fuller and fuller. My extended family dubbed me as “family historian” and continued to send materials my way.

Toward the end of 2008, I retired. It took two to three months for genealogy to move from a casual venture to an addiction. I admit it... now I am 'hooked,' just like the rest of you. And I am trying to catch up. My biggest task currently, organizing all my digital files so I can expand the citing of sources for my records.

(Next Post: Why “Stardust 'n' Roots?”)