Stardust 'n' Roots

Abundant Genealogy -- Week 7

2012-02-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

Week #7 – Historical Documents: Which historical document in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors? (Thanks to Amy Coffin and Thomas MacEntee.)

I must begin with an admission.
I am not a repository for historical documents. I am not a collector of historical documents. I have very few historical documents in my possession and most of those relate to my immediate family. When I have access to historical documents, I want to have them in my possession only long enough to scan and digitize them. Then they go back to their rightful owners. I am also taking the same approach to my own documents which someday might be considered "historical" -- I digitize them and enter the digital copy into our private Research Wiki. I then back-up those copies on my hard drive, an external hard drive, a memory stick, and in the cloud. I am overdue for putting the digital copies of the records of my wife and me on disk to give to my children. Fortunately, my son is my genealogy research partner so he has the same access as I do to our online private Research Wiki.

So, the truth is that I am not genuinely happy to have any historical documents in my possession. That admission may get my genealogy hobbyist credentials revoked, but I will continue to put my efforts into preserving and documenting records, not documents.

With that in mind, my re-framing of this week's question is: Which historical document was I happy to have in my possession, if only for a brief time? The answer to that question is: the letter from Eduard Schaar to his nephew, George H. Mieding. I had possession of that letter for a Summer many years ago (perhaps, 1968). It took me the whole Summer to transcribe (from Old German script to modern German) and translate (from German to English) the letter. At the time, the letter was in the possession of my Grandmother Brenner (George's daughter - Grace Ada Mieding). Upon my grandmother's death, the letter was passed on to my aunt (grandmother's daughter); and now to her daughter. I could have access to the letter again if I desired. Instead, I may just ask my cousin to take new images of the letter, since I did not have access to very good equipment in 1968 when I did the translation. Two previous posts ("Mein lieber neffe Eduard - Transcribing and Translating" and "Mein lieber neffe Eduard - Extracting Information") describe the letter's contents and the process of transcribing and translating.

RootsTech Learning #3 - GEDCOM X and/or BetterGEDCOM and/or FHISO

2012-02-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

RootsTech 2012 was kicked off by keynoter, Jay Velkler, past president and CEO of FamilySearch. Verkler laid out a vision for the future of genealogy and family history as of 2060. As part of that vision, the GEDCOM X project became publicly launched on 2 February 2012.

The Past:
The GEDCOM standard was developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and released in 1984. Its latest official update, GEDCOM 5.5, was released in 1996. Much has changed since then, and GEDCOM is no longer adequate for the task. This is no surprise, since GEDCOM's original purpose was to facilitate communication between the users of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software and FamilySearch. GEDCOM was developed by and for LDS and its members. Because GEDCOM was the only viable standard for communicating between genealogy software programs, it became the industry standard as vendors found ways to adapt and extend it capabilities. Unfortunately, because the LDS was no longer interested in upgrading GEDCOM as a standard protocol for genealogical communication, GEDCOM is now broken as a standard. Interestingly, most genealogy software programs cannot even read a GEDCOM file that they have created, without losing the integrity of some of their own data.

The Present:
BetterGEDCOM was formed because of the fragmented 'standard' the GEDCOM had become since the LDS chose not to provide any further support or development for it. Something has to be done. BetterGEDCOM has been an effort by some significant spokespersons within the broader genealogical community to deal with their frustration, anger, and desire to develop a new, functional universal standard for communication between various genealogy networks and software programs. The good news is that those involved in this effort are knowledgeable, passionate, and articulate about genealogy. The bad news is that open discussion among people with diverse opinions (and strong egos) just takes time. While there may be general agreements about basics, the development of a universal standard requires broad-based agreement. That has not yet been reached.

Enter FamilySearch and GEDCOM X! FamilySearch is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Because the LDS, the Family History Library, and FamilySearch are the largest repository and provider of genealogical information, and because they have been at the task for such a long time, they have a inordinate influence in matters genealogical. On the one hand, FamilySearch is one of the best friends of the genealogist and family historian. The amount of data available for free online and at FHL is incredible. For that we are all thankful to the LDS. On the other hand, FamilySearch has been able to develop its own standards (e.g., GEDCOM) and then present those standards to the genealogical community. In the long run, that approach has not served us well. Now we are in an era of open source programming and broad-based collaboration. "Collaboration" was one of the buzz words at RootsTech 2012. Broad-based collaboration must happen as standards are being developed, not after they have been announced.

I suspect that the issue here is not so much about who develops the standard, as it is about how standards for a particular community are 'governed.' To announce and implement a standard in relative isolation is not collaboration. From the little that I have seen so far (http://gedcomx.net/; http://www.gedcomx.org/; https://github.com/FamilySearch/gedcomx) FamilySearch is willing to have input to the standard that they expect to develop.

One of my concerns has been, as follows -- Can we trust FamilySearch to develop and implement a standard (GEDCOM X) in relative isolation when, in the past, they developed both the GEDCOM standard and GEDCOM XML (GEDCOM 6.0), finally abandoning them when apparently they no longer fit their needs? The truth is that FamilySearch is probably the only player in the field that is influential enough and big enough to develop quickly a new standard protocol for transferring our genealogy data between differing desktop and online programs. My hope is that there is some broad-based initiative to oversee the new standard (GEDCOM X) for the future. Jay Verkler talked about a community-owned standard. That is indeed what we need. For more information about GEDCOM X, check out Tamura Jones' website, Modern Software Experience.

The Future: The Family History Information Standards Organization (FHISO) was recently formed for the purpose (my best guess) of moving the divergent conversations of BetterGEDCOM toward convegence into a standard. I also wonder if a part of the intent is to ensure that GEDCOM X, while developed by FamilySearch, will have a broader community-base for its continuing development. FHISO is too young to assess and evaluate. It does, however, hold some promise. It is now the sponsor of BetterGEDCOM . FHISO intends to be a community owned organization "created to develop standards for the digital representation and sharing of family history and genealogical information." My hope is that FHISO, if it truly becomes what it intends to be, and GEDCOM X will forge a strong partnership. GEDCOM X will develop the standard with broad-based input from FHISO, BetterGEDCOM, and others in the genealogy community. FHISO will represent the on-going oversight of the standard, with input from FamilySearch and the broader genealogy community. However this develops, there needs to be much more communication than there seems to have been in the past.

There is one huge issue that stands in the way of developing a new standard for sharing the digital sharing of genealogy and family history information. In a word, the issue is "Metadata." Functionally, the primary concern revolves around sources and citations. At RootsTech 2012, D. Joshua Taylor present a coherent, systemic outline of the issues needing to be resolved for the development of a metadata standard for genealogy. A copy of Taylor's presentation ("A User’s Perspective: Developing a Universal Metadata Structure for Genealogical Content Providers") is available for download from the RootsTech website. I highly recommend it for those of us who want to learn more about the broader conversation about metadata from the perspective of one who is (in RootsTech terminology) a user, not a developer.

The most positive thing that I heard during my week at RootsTech, was Bruce Buzbee's answer to the question: "How long will it take you, once a new standard is developed (e.g., GEDCOM X), to incorporate that standard in your software?" Without any hesitation, the RootsMagician said, "30 days!" To which John Ohana (Ohana Software) piped in, "I can name that tune in 29 days!" Louis Kessler (Behold) nodded in agreement. So, contrary to what some of us were led to believe, the bottleneck for change is not necessarily the software vendors. As long as they are kept in the conversation, they can (and likely will) implement the changes necessitated by new standards in a very short time.

What We Can Do:

I have seen a lot of messages suggesting that, if we want change, we need to talk with the vendors of our favorite genealogy programs. That might have been the case in the past as we have wanted our desktop software to provide a better interface for citing sources in accord with Evidence Explained or Cite Your Sources. Of course, many have done that and done it well; and went the further step to provide their templates for the BetterGEDCOM conversation. Now we need a different strategy. I consider myself an avid genealogy hobbyist. (See my blog, "A Hobbyist's Genealogy Manifesto.") I think we all -- hobbyists and professionals, users and developers, old-timers and new-comers -- need to stay informed about the continuing development of new standards for genealogy and family history... Who is in the conversation? Who is not? What is being said and developed? and all this with a question ever-present in our minds: "How can we interact with those in the conversation and 'hold their collective feet to the fire?'" I don't have an answer to this last question, but I do believe that the responsibility lies with us. After all, whatever standards are developed, we will be their primary consumers. I am reminded of a saying from a couple of centuries ago which, paraphrased, would be "Family historians and genealogists were not made for GEDCOM and Metadata standards; GEDCOM and Metadata standards were made for family historians and genealogists." So, let your voice be heard in the coming months and years. And how to do that?

Perhaps you have some suggestions...

RootsTech Learning #2 - German Church Records

2012-02-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about RootsTech was the availability of the Family History Library (FHL). In fact, on Friday evening FHL stayed open until midnight to accommodate RootsTech attendees. In addition to Friday evening, I was able to spend time on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at FHL. I suspect that there will be a number of posts resulting from that research. For this post, however, we begin with a test.

The following image contains a given name. What do you think the name is? A clue -- the language is German. (Read further for the answer.)

About two years ago, I was in communication with a newly identified "cousin." He had done extensive research on the ancestors of Johanna Catarina Venninger. He indicated that his research was all done via FHL. His work, researching the FHL indexes, extended Johanna Venninger's line back about 12 generations. I had checked out a few of the references, was convinced that the data was likely an accurate reflection of the indexes, but was unwilling to claim the data as mine until I had done some further research -- namely, viewing the records, not just the indexes.

The Venninger extended family came from towns primarily in Baden (now Baden-Wuerrtemberg, Germany). Baden church records -- births / baptisms, marriages, deaths -- are primary records. "Between 1810 and 1870, the clergy of Baden had to maintain the church books as civil documents of the citizenry and every year deliver duplicates to the district officials." ("Baden State Archives" - translation of data from Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe.) FHL's microfilm for Baden church records is a reproduction of the Karlsruhe microfilms.

My son and I were able to find (and make digital copies of) the actual records for 91 events for Venninger ancestors in the towns of Adelshofen, Sulzfeld, Kuernbach, Ittlingen, Neipperg, and Stettin in Baden and Waiblingen, Wuerrtemberg. Our findings included the following baptismal record from Evangelische Kirche Sulzfeld (Sulzfeld Protestant Church) for Christoph Venninger.

Yes, the answer to the test is Christoph. Were you able to figure it out? Me, neither! Fortunately, I was able to build on the work of a cousin who had the place / name / event / date already recorded. After finding that date in the Sulzfeld church records, I was able to go back to the name and figure out which letters were which!

Christoph was born on 23 June 1739 and died on 17 July 1739. His parents were Johann Georg and (Mary) Margretha (Nast) Venninger.

Old German script is not easy to read. Years ago I laboriously translated a letter to my great-grandfather from his uncle in Germany. Yes, it was written in the old German script. It took me a whole Summer to complete. When done, I sent a copy of the letter and my translation to my Dad's cousin who taught at a major state university. I asked her to check with someone in the German department to see if my translation was close to being accurate. Upon seeing the letter the chair of the German department responded, "I can't read this old handwriting." That's one point for us hobby genealogists!

RootsTech Learning #1 -- Ancestral Lines Pairing System

2012-02-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

Prior to leaving for RootsTech 2012, I indicated that I would not be blogging during the conference, but would begin to put my learning to work and report on the results. My first after-RootsTech post is about a newly developed numbering system for genealogical purposes.

My son and I have discussed for a long time the possibilities of a numbering system for our genealogical records. The most prominent systems available to us as genealogists is, of course, derive from the Ahnentafel system which dates back to Michael Eytzinger in 1590. I recently spend time looking at William Dollarhide's combination of the Ahnentafel and Henry systems -- in particular, Terry Cole's adaptations of Dollarhide. In truth, none of the systems we discussed, "invented," or tried out seemed to be what we had hoped for. A RootsTech workshop on the Ancestral Lines Paring System, attended by my son, has changed that.

The Ancestral Lines Paring System was presented by Capers W. McDonald its developer. NEHGS has published McDonald's paper which describes the Ancestral Lines Paring System. More information about the system can be found at the Ancestral Lines website. This system differs significantly from Ahnentafel. The Ahnentafel system begins with the root person in your pedigree and counts that person's ancestor's in numerical order, moving backwards through the generations. The Ahnentafel system is based on simple arithmetic progression. It is designed to be an index number, a locator. It contains no genealogical content -- that is, each Ahnentafel number is simply a pointer to a particular individual in your pedigree. By itself, it does not convey information about a person's ancestral line or generation.

Each Ancestral Lines Paring System two digit number, on the other hand, indicates precisely the ancestral line and the generation to which the individual belongs. I found the concept of Ancestral Lines Paring System intuitively to be quite clear. Each direct ancestor's number is a combination of the ancestral line and the generation. 1.7, for example, represents the 7th generation direct paternal ancestor of the root person in the pedigree. In our case, since we have my son listed as the root person, 1.7 is Georg Friederich Brenner (my son's 4g-grandfather). The full implementation of the Ancestral Lines Paring System , on the other hand, took a bit more than intuition. Yesterday, with some patient coaching by my son, I was able to identify the Ancestral Lines Paring System number for all direct ancestors in our newly pruned data base. (Recently I pruned a 7000 individual RootsMagic 5 database down to 700 persons. I removed many, many unsourced people and a ton of collateral lines.)

The root person (female or male) establishes ancestral line #1. They are also the 1st generation, so their Ancestral Lines Paring System number is 1.1 -- the first is the line; the second, the generation. All their direct line paternal ancestors are line #1, but a different generation. Dad Brenner is 1.2 (1st line, 2nd generation); Grandpa Brenner is 1.3; Great-Granddad Brenner is 1.4; and so forth.

The root person's mother (Mom Brenner) establishes the second ancestral line in the pedigree and is numbered 2.2 (2nd line, 2nd generation). Note Mom Brenner (nee Weaver) is second generation relative to the root person. Each direct ancestor at the same level in your pedigree tree will have the same generation number, but a different line number.

Grandpa Brenner (Dad's Dad) is 1.3 as noted above -- ancestral line #1, 3rd generation. Grandma Brenner (nee Deeter), the same generation number as Grandpa, establishes a new line, the third one so far. Her number is 3.3 -- ancestral line #3, 3rd generation. Mom's Dad, Granddad Weaver, is 2.3 (remember, Mom Brenner established ancestral line #2) -- ancestral line #2, 3rd generation. Mom's Mother (don't call her "Mom"), Grandmother Weaver (nee Gregg), establishes the 4th ancestral line, so she is numbered 4.3

As we continue to add maternal lines, their number is determined by a mathematical formula (see Capers McDonald's paper). Here are the basic concepts involved:

Generation #2 contains two people - the father and mother of the root person.
Once established, ancestral line numbers persist as you continue to expand your pedigree; generation numbers change.
All ancestral lines extending back from the root person's father (line #1) will be odd numbers (3, 5, 7, 9, etc.).
All ancestral lines extending back from the root person's mother (line #2) will be even numbers (4, 6, 8, 10, etc.).
Each new ancestral line added will be a maternal line -- odd number, if the lineage is from the root person's father; even number, if from the root person's mother.
As each new ancestral line continues, it is treated as a paternal line -- that is, the line # persists, the generation number increases by one for each new generation. Even though each ancestral line begins with a mother, it continues through her father / grandfather / great-grandfather / etc.
The computation of each new maternal line is as follows: take the ancestral line number of the woman's husband (that is, the ancestral line into which she marries) and increase it by the total number of possible direct ancestors in the previous generation. (McDonald provides a formula because the actual number of possible direct ancestors in each generation increases exponentially - 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc.)

The Ancestral Lines Paring System can be expanded (three-number format) to include siblings of direct ancestors or, alternately, a four number format can be used to identify all siblings plus half-siblings. At the present time, we have chosen to use the simple format and will perhaps move to the three or four number format in the future.

I have entered the Ancestral Lines Paring System reference numbers into our RootsMagic 5 database (as "Reference Numbers") and have transferred that data to our TNG website. As we redevelop the website (coming soon), my son hopes to add code that will have all outputs display the Ancestral Lines Paring System numbers. My next step is to add the Ancestral Lines Paring System numbers to our organizational filing system (our private Research Wiki).

Conceptually and visually, the Ancestral Lines Pairing System is quite clear and simple; and it adds content information to each individual's identifying number. Computationally, it can be somewhat more complex. Once the computational method is understood, however, the addition of Ancestral Lines Paring System numbers is very straight-forward,. I commend Capers McDonald on his work. He has done a great service to genealogists. I look forward to the increasing adoption of the Ancestral Lines Paring System and, eventually, its inclusion in genealogical software and online systems.

Happy 2nd Blogiversary!

2012-02-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

On 4 February 2010 I took a bold step into an unknown future by establishing "Stardust 'n' Roots" and publishing my first post. In these two years I have published 149 posts -- not a spectacular number (Randy Seaver. probably does that in a month) -- with more than 12,000 pageviews over the two years.
By far, my most popular post has been "A Hobbyist's Genealogy Manifesto." Blogger stats indicates that it has received 550 pageviews, equal to the next two most popular combined ("Location! Location! Location! A Question Answered" and "Name Collecting - 'Mythology' or the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Option").

I have been fortunate to have posts listed as "best" or "favorite" of the week by Randy Seaver's Geneamusings, Greta Koelh's Greta's Genealogy Bog, Ruth Blair's The Passionate Genealogist, and Elizabeth O'Neal's Little Bytes of Life. What an honor! Thanks! Then it was almost more than I could comprehend when I found my blog listed among Randy Seaver's "Best of Geneablogs for the Year 2011" (based on the number of times listed in Randy's "best of the week").

Even more astounding is where the blog is being read. Blogger stats indicates that there have been page views from: United States, Russia, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Latvia, Ukraine, France, South Korea, Japan, Belgium, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, Sweden, South Affrica, Guatemala, Kuwait, Ireland, Italy, Egypt, Nigeria, Slovenia, Turkey, Singapore, and New Zealand. Put it on the Internet and it is truly available everywhere.

I was surprised to find that a Swedish blog (iFokus) had a brief post dedicated to my "Sometimes Less is More!" post. He not only recommended the content of the post, but suggested that Swedish bloggers might use the post to improve their English reading skills. Thankfully, Firefox had a translation of the Swedish ready for me.

When I began this venture, I never expected this kind of response. I am both amazed (actually, befuddled) and honored by the response. Thanks to all who have taken the time to read one or more of my blog posts. And special thanks to those of you who have taken time to leave comments. A few "cousins" have come forward and I now count a number of you as my genea-friends.

My birthday wish for all of you: May your searches uncover new resources on a regular basis, may your source citations be accurate and up-to-date, may bricks start to fall from your brick walls, and my your ancestors prove to be as kind to you as you have been to me! Blessings on you all!

Off to Salt Lake City and RootsTech!

2012-01-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

This morning the adventure begins. In about three hours, I leave for Salt Lake City.

Tomorrow I will spend the day at the Family History Library. In the evening my son, Russell, will join me. Together we will have three jam-packed days of RootsTech 2012 - he, mostly in the "developer" track; me, mostly in the "user" track. We will have Sunday to compare notes, do some strategic planning, and maybe even spend time at FHL.

I look forward to meeting up with a couple members of the US Records Study Group and a goodly number of Geneabloggers, as well as other genealogists. Here's to a great week for all!

The Bucket List GeneaMeme

2012-01-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

Jill Ball writes: "I invite all genealogists and family history freaks to join me by sharing your bucket list of events, places, people and resources you would most like to experience before you leave this mortal earth."

The list should be annotated in the following manner:Things you would like to do or find: Bold Type
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments after each item

I am a kinda "bloom where you are planted" person. In my 71+ years, I have had so many extraordinary opportunities and experiences, that it is difficult to even think about a bucket list of things that I would want to add. Moreover, new experiences and opportunities keep presenting themselves to me. So, with that caveat in mind, here's my list --

1.    The genealogy conference I would most like to attend is RootsTech 2012 and NGS 2012.
(I am registered for both this year.)
2.    The genealogy speaker I would most like to hear and see is Elizabeth Shown Mills.
       (I hope to be in one of her workshops in Cincinnati at NGS.)
3.    The geneablogger I would most like to meet in person is... actually, too many to list.
        (and a lot of them will be at RootsTech 2012)
4.    The genealogy writer I would most like to have dinner with is Thomas MacEntee.
   (Thomas has such an open, caring, and helpful spirit, I'd love to pick his brain and listen to him talk about genealogy and life.)
5.    The genealogy lecture I would most like to present is....
6.    I would like to go on a genealogy cruise that visits....
(Cruises don't interest me.)
7.    The photo I would most like to find is Jacob Bartel (Barthel)
       (Jacob Barthel is my 2g-grandfather. My given name is Barthel. I know very little about Jacob. He is a brick wall.)
8.    The repository in a foreign land I would most like to visit is Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg - Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe
      (I believe this is the state archive that would have the most information regarding the region of Baden from which my German Brenner ancestors came.)
9.    The place of worship I would most like to visit is the Chapel at St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado.
10.    The cemeteries I would most like to visit is Forest Rose Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio (and other cemeteries in Fairfield County, Ohio).
        (Great and 2g-great grandparents come from Fairfield County, Ohio.
11.    The ancestral town or village I would most like to visit is Adelshofen, Baden (now Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany).
         (My 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, came from Adelshofen. He is the first of my direct line Brenner ancestors to arrive from Germany (in 1856).
12.    The brick wall I most want to smash is Macob Bartel (Barthel)
         (See #7, above.
13.    The piece of software I most want to buy is....
   (I have a preference for open source software.)
14.    The tech toy I want to purchase next is probably a Flip-Pal scanner (or maybe an iPad 3)
         (I would prefer an Android tablet, but got my iPad early on before the Androids hit the market. I have too many iPad apps that I would have to abandon (or re-purchase) if I made a switch now.)
15.    The expensive book I would most like to buy is....
   (If it is not in ebook format, I'm not interested.)
16.    The libraries I would most like to visit are 1) Family History Library (Salt Lake City, UT); 2) Historical Genealogy Department, Allen County Public Library (Fort Wayne, IN); and Midwest Genealogical Center (Independence, MO).
17.    The genealogy related book I would most like to write is....
         (I'll stick to writing blog posts.)
18.    The genealogy blog I would most like to start would be about....
         (I currently have one public and one private genealogy blog. That's enough for me!)
19.    The journal article I would most like to write would be about...
         (See # 17, above.)
20.    The ancestor I most want to meet in the afterlife is my great-grandaunt, Julia Huffman (nee Brenner)
    (See: “Stardust Stories - Julia (Brenner) Huffman, Truant Officer”)

My RootsTech Strategy

2012-01-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Thomas MacEntee has posted an Open Thread Thursday topic: What is Your RootsTech Strategy?

If you are attending RootsTech, what are your plans to not only participate in sessions and experience the Expo Hall, but to also report on the happening via social media? Will you post to your blog each day or several times a day? Will you give a recap at the end of RootsTech? Or will you use social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter? And what are your goals in attending RootsTech?

Since there are two questions (over-all plans and reporting plans), I'll try to answer both.

My Basic Approach:

I just finished Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. Isaacson reports that Jobs adopted the motto: "Think Different" and later added: "Accept Uncertainty." I expect to be challenged to "Think Differently" at RootsTech. There will likely be an information overload. That will certainly present enough "Uncertainty" that my ability to accept it will be challenged. So, I will venture to think differently and accept uncertainty as I wend my way through keynotes, workshops, exhibits, break-out sessions, unconferencing, and interaction with other attendees.

My overall strategy:
1. I will be attending RootsTech with my son, Russell. (He is the IT specialist of our two member genealogy project; I am the field researcher and data manager.) This will be our first joint conference. Top priority will be the reciprocal sharing of our learnings - his on the developers side; mine, the users. I hope we will also have time to discuss the continuing development of our website (including the installation of Joomla and Wordpress).

2. I will arrive in Salt Lake City on Tuesday evening and leave on Monday morning. This will allow me to spend significant time in the Family History Library. I will be viewing microfilms for a number of ancestral towns in Baden (Adelshofen, Neipperg, Stetten, Sulzfeld, Kurnbach, Leonberg, Schoeckingen) to expand and validate data for ancestors of my 3g-grandmother, Johanna Catarina Venninger. Perhaps in this search I will also be able to learn more about her husband, Georg Friedrich Brenner.

3. I hope to meet a fair number of other geneabloggers and vendors. I have a short list of "must meets!" and a lot of open space at the bottom of the list to fill in as I go.

My reporting strategy:
My previous experience with attending national conventions as a regional denominational executive and reporting to the folks back home has shown me how exhausting that can be. So, I have only minimal expectations of reporting while on sight. My gifts as a reporter are in the capacity to sum up a corporate experience and report it in a coherent manner to both attendees and non-attendees. While I am intrigued with Thomas' idea of micro blogging, I have avoiding that avenue up to now. I do not have a Twitter account. I use Facebook and Google+ to promote my blog posts, but not to do micro reporting.

What I expect to do, in the aftermath of RootsTech 2012, is to put new learnings, gleaned at RootsTech 2012, to work in my genealogical research and report the effect of those learnings in blog posts in the next few months (perhaps for the next year). Previous experience suggests that I quickly integrate new learnings (not just in genealogy) into my practices and I usually find myself teaching / reporting those new learnings rather quickly. Hopefully, that will continue to be the case as I return from RootsTech 2012, continuing to think differently and accepting uncertainty.

Abundant Genealogy - Week 4

2012-01-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

Week #4 -- For which free offline genealogy tool are you most grateful? How did you find this tool and how has it benefitted your genealogy? Describe to others how to access this tool and spread the genealogy love. (Thanks to Amy Coffin and Thomas MacEntee.)

This week's question was a bit more difficult for me since I have done most of my research online. Without any doubt, I am most grateful for 1st cousin once removed, Dana Jack Bode. His research (done mostly in the days of pencil, paper, notebook, and film-based camera) is the foundation of my work. However Dana, while offline, is not a resource that others can access.

As I have been getting ready for RootsTech 2012 and my opportunity to have a couple of extra days in the Family History Library, there is one tool that has been quite helpful as I have been organizing my To-Do list -- namely, source citation cards. While I have developed my own cards, I have to admit that the idea came from "Cite Your Sources" sticky-notes that can be obtained from Fun Stuff for Genealogists, Inc. (www.petersenprints.com/store/contents/en-us/d111.html) The "Fun Stuff" website is full of neat things for genealogists: archival resources, T shirts, bumper stickers, jewelry, maps, scrapbooking resources, etc. (Note: I have no connection with Fun Stuff for Genealogists, Inc. I mention them because they were the origin of the idea.)

While I was impressed with their "Cite Your Sources" sticky-notes, their notes weren't quite what I wanted for my own record-keeping. So I designed my own. Mine fit on 4" X 6" cards and use both the front and back to add information.

I keep a stack of the cards near my desktop computer so I can quickly pick up one when I have located something online that I want to preserve. Mostly, citation material for my online research is saved in a digital form. Occasionally, however I reach for one of the citation cards.

I have found these citation cards most helpful while doing offline research at a repository. Take a picture, scan a document, transcribe a paragraph from a newspaper or book... then the citation card is crucial for securing the necessary data for the citation. While I have not used them for such, the cards could also provide input to a research log.

The front contains the basic information necessary for creating the citation.

The back gives me a place to indicate the quality of the resource. It also has space for any information or comments that I want to record.

I have found the citation cards to be most helpful as I have been preparing for my trip to Salt Lake City. I intend to research my 3g-grandmother Brenner's ancestors in Baden. Johanna Catarina Venninger married Georg Friederich Brenner in Adelshofen, Baden, in 1822. In 1836 my 2g-grandfather, Johannes (John) Brenner, was born. John was the first of my direct-line Brenner ancestors to come to the United States (1856).

I have received extensive data from an online "cousin," detailing Johanna Venninger's ancestors. They came from the Baden villages of Adelshofen, Kurnbach, Ittlingen,Neipperg, Stettin, Sulzfeld, and Waiblingen. FHL has information taken from church and civil records of those communities. I intend to explore those microfilms to validate the information that I have received.

For each village, I have a list of individuals (with events and dates). I have prepared citation cards with all the pertinent information about the respective microfilms for each village. Since I will not have to develop a separate card for each item I find, I have numbered all the citation cards and will simply note on my lists the citation card # plus additional information. If any particular find takes me in a new direction or provides new information, I will prepare a separate card.

I have found these cards to be most helpful.

Abundant Genealogy -- Week 3

2012-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Week # – Free online genealogy tools are like gifts from above. Which one are you most thankful for? How has it helped your family history experience? (Thanks to Amy Coffin and Thomas MacEntee.)

Once again, it would be easy to list resources such as FamilySearch.org or Heritage Quest or all the Google tools. But that would be too easy. Instead, I thought I'd probe a little more deeply. I have two free resources to suggest:

Tami Glatz's RelativelyCurious Community Toolbar. The RelativelyCurious Toolbar serves the function of a genealogy toolbox. The menu buttons include: "Resources" (22 categories, 138 links); "Free" (5 categories, 414 links -- including both US and International links); "Subscription" (9 links); "In Print" (7 categories, 42 links); "Connect" (15 categories, 21 links); "Gadgets" (16 links). A couple of examples: Resources >> Search & Directories >> Steve Morse One Step Search Engines OR Free >> United States >> Ohio >> OH Ohio Obituary Index OR In Print >> Libraries >> World Cat OR Connect >> Google +.

A personal favorite resource has been the "Interment Database" of Woodlawn Cemetery (Dayton, Ohio). Some of my ancestors came through Dayton and are buried at Woodlawn. Furthermore, my wife is from Dayton. Some of her ancestors are buried there. A recent trip to Dayton provided me the opportunity to find the graves of my 2g-grandfather's extended family. The database provided me section # and lot #, as well as a list of who was buried in the lot (along with their death and burial dates and age at time of death). Thanks to Woodlawn and the Montgomery County Genealogical Society.

Getting Ready for FHL

2012-01-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

Our US-REC Study Group is working on libraries as sources. Our first assignment is to determine which libraries we haven't yet explored for research. Since I am relatively new to the St. Louis metro area, I have just recently procured my library cards for St. Charles and St. Louis county libraries. The St. Louis county library is most interesting to me because a) it is the repository for the National Genealogical Society book loan collection and b) the library is developing a Family Heritage Center that slated to open sometime this year. The Center will be about 25 minutes from my house. I have so far made only one short trip to the library. I will begin making regular trips to the library this Spring. A second major library is the Midwest Genealogy Center in suburban Kansas City, Missouri. I have actually stopped at the library twice while driving between Omaha and St. Louis. I was able to do a little bit of research, but need to spend a whole day or two there.

Right now, however, my greatest interest in in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
I will arrive early for RootsTech 2012 and stay an extra day so that I can spend time in the FHL. While this assignment is for our study of American genealogy records, I am actually going to spend most of my time on records related to a small area centered in what is now Eppingen, Baden-Würrtemberg, Germany. My 2g-grandfather (John Brenner) immigrated to the United States in 1856. He was born and raised in Adelshofen, Baden. I have information from a recently found cousin indicating about 10 generations of my 2g-grandfather's maternal Baden ancestors. The ancestors come from Adelshofen (88 events - baptism, marriage, death), Neipperg 28 events), Stetten (15 events), Sulzfeld (53 events), Kürnbach, 26 events) and Ittlingen (29 events). Each of the town is within about 6 miles of Eppingen. Not on the map below is Waiblinger (39 events) or Loenbrunn (5 events). Waiblingen is about 30 miles southeast of Eppingen. I am unable to locate Loenbrunn. Those events, however, are indicated in the records from Adelshofen.

I utilized the Place List function in RootsMagic 5 -- generating and printing a list of all events and persons associated with each of the towns.

I then did a "place" search in the FamilySearch catalog for each of the towns.

I made copies of the micorfilm numbers and their contents for each of the towns.

The event lists for each town and the cards holding information about the appropriate microfilms for each town are clipped together and ready to be packed. I also have uploaded FHL Floor Plans to my smartphone and iPad. So, now I have a clear plan and the advance preparation to assist me in carrying out that plan.
Purpose/Goal: Validate information regarding the Venninger line (plus cognates)
Process: While in Salt Lake City, view as many FHL microfilms from Evangelische Kircher in selected towns in Baden as time permits. Un-viewed microfilms to be ordered for viewing at Hazelwood FHL after returning home. Write one or more blog posts describing the actual process of locating and viewing the microfilms, and the results thereof.

Abundant Genealogy -- Week #2

2012-01-12T04:29:00.000-08:00

Week #2 – Paid Online Genealogy Tools: Which paid genealogy tool do you appreciate the most? What special features put it at the top of your list? How can it help others with their genealogy research? (Thanks to Amy Coffin and Thomas MacEntee.)

My first thought was to simply name Ancestry.com as my most appreciated paid genealogy tool. It is, after all, my first "go-to" resource as I seek new / more information about my ancestral lineage. Further reflection, however, brought about a change of direction. While Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org have provided my primary portals into online genealogical information, without Darrin Lythgoe's "The Next Generation of Genealogical Sitebuilding" I would not likely have been introduced to the add-on of MediaWiki which houses my personal Research Wiki. Before the development of my Research Wiki I had a veritable mess instead of an organized filing system. I had files strewn throughout the various filing systems on multiple computers and external storage devices.

Thanks to the urging of my son, long conversations with him about digital organizing and collaborating, and a few 'fits ans starts' while learning MediaWiki markup language, I now have
a comprehensive management system for my genealogy data that allows me to locate data with a minimum number of mouse clicks. I know where my current data is and where / how I will store future data.

A fuller description of how I have developed and used my Research Wiki can be found at the "About My Research Wiki" tab at the top of this page.

A Hobbyist's Genealogy Manifesto

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

There has been a very interesting discussion happening among a number of geneabloggers over recent weeks regarding the nature of the “genealogy community.” Two recent posts – Geneabrarian's “Eliminating the Hobby from Genealogy” and Greta Koehl's “Genealogy: A Trivial Pursuit” (see also, Greta's post, “Why I Want to Remain an Amateur”) have raised questions that I need to answer for myself – namely, How? And Why? do I pursue genealogy with such passion?

While I am not a professional genealogist, I do understand the uneasiness and apprehensions that professional genealogists must have when any of us hobbists publish unsourced information and/or invalid inferences drawn from the information. While the professionals have standards that relate to their certification, we hobbists have only the principles and practices by which we informally abide. Here are mine:

1. I will explore
Sometimes my explorations will be orderly and goal-oriented; sometimes, more like a feeding frenzy. I am a data hunter and gather. I will not reject any data that is pertinent to my family lines, even if that data conflicts with and/or contradicts previous data. When I find a conflict, I will continue to gather data until I can reasonably resolve that conflict. While I primarily use the internet for finding information that relates to my family lineage, I know that on-site research is sometimes necessary.

2. I will share (both giving and receiving)
Through my blog and the presence of my online family tree, I will share my research and my conclusions with family members as well as other genealogists and family historians. I will also gather and share data with “cousins” who are also researching any of my family lines. Where possible I will be in contact with those “cousins” to determine the sources and validity of their information; and I will share with them the sources of my information. While I will not publish undocumented “cousin” information as if it were established (validated), I will use such information as clues for further research.

3. I will cite
Insofar as possible, I will provide accurate source citations for published research (in my blog and on my website). I adhere to the Pirates of the Carribean philosophy of citation – that is, they are not so much 'laws' (to be slavishly followed) as they are 'guidelines' to assist us (see my previous blog post). When entering information in my RootsMagic 5 database, I use RM5's built-in citation templates. When entering data in Research Wiki or my online database, I use E. S. Mills' Evidence Explained as a guide, as well as templates I have downloaded from Pro Genealogist's website and others, and templates I have developed myself.

4. I will learn
I know that I will continue to make mistakes in my research, in organizing my information, in making inferences and drawing conclusions, in citing sources, and in transferring data. I will, therefore, not only strive to correct such mistakes but will also seek to learn so as not to repeat them. When others point out mistakes I have made, I will accept their insights and wisdom with grace. I will admit mistakes when I am aware of them and then correct them to the best of my ability. I will continue to learn more about standard processes and protocols by reading genealogy blogs, attending genealogy workshops and conferences, participating in online study groups and webinars, and/or engaging in formal courses of study.

5. I will stay connected
My entrance into the world of genealogy was heralded by the gracious gift of Dana Jack Bode, a 1st cousin once removed, and enhanced by the gift of former brother-in-law, John Boyer. Those gifts taught me the importance of connections within the family. My contact with other geneabloggers and internet searchers have confirmed the importance of staying connected with other genealogists and family historians. Most importantly, my genealogy is a joint project with my son, Russell. He is the webmaster and IT manager of our project; I am the field researcher and data manager. I can't conceive of doing genealogy or family history without staying connected.

6. I will operate with integrity
Wikipedia defines “integrity” as “a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes.”

Elizabeth Shown Mills, in a comment on “Eliminating the Hobby from Genealogy,” suggests that genealogy is “not a game of solitaire or an afternoon of knitting in which our screw-ups can be quickly unraveled with no affect on others. As in all research fields, most genealogical screw-ups – all those wrong conclusions – can be prevented by following the standards and practices that create reliability.”

I hold myself accountable for my genealogical research by remembering my two grandchildren – Olivia (7) and Benjamin (5). 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 commit myself and my genealogical endeavors to a consistency that embraces “the standards and practices that create reliability.” To that end, I commit!

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 12

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 6 - Twelve Drummers Drumming (Day 121)

12 is the number of completion, fullness, or wholeness. In Old Town St. Charles, Missouri, each Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is a parade down Main Street of 50 or more storybook characters and Santas from around the world. The parade is led by the Lewis and Clark Youth Fife and Drum Corps. Santa and Mrs. Clause are given the honored position of riding in the horse-drawn carriage at the end of the parade. If your genealogy were to be on parade, who would lead the parade and who would be in the horse-drawn carriage at the most honored position in the parade?

Without any hesitation or equivocation, I would have Dana Jack Bode (1920 - 2007) in the place of honor for my genealogy parade. Dana's mother, was the sister of my paternal grandfather. Dana is my cousin, once removed. Over 30 years ago, Dana ("Dan") stopped in for a visit as he was on his way from Texas to Pennsylvania. He showed me his two genealogy notebooks -- one for the Bodes and one for the Brenners. Each notebook contained hand-drawn family group sheets, along with photos of the individuals and of various documents pertaining to their lives. I was not interested in genealogy at the time, but I knew a treasure trove when I saw one... and this was definitely a treasure trove. With Dana's permission I copied all the pages in Dana's Brenner notebook. (I have since digitized those images.) Because I had made copies of Dana's files, other family members looked to me as the family historian (or, at least, the family history repository). Periodically I would be sent pictures or documents that "someone" needed to save. I simply put all that material in a box, thinking that I might spend time with it after I retired. Before retirement I had begun to put data in a FamilyTreeMaker database. I collaborated with a brother-in-law regarding my wife's family. And then, toward the end of 2007, as I retired I began to work in earnest on genealogical research for my family. Since Dana's death, his sister's (Mary Anna and Miriam) have given me access to his Brenner notebooks (now there are 2 of them). They have formed the foundation of my research.

Thank you, Dana, for your love of genealogy, for the research you conducted and preserved, and for planting the genealogy seeds in me.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 11

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 5 - Eleven Pipers Piping (Day 11)

Theological interpretations of the carol suggest that the 11 Pipers represent the 11 faithful apostles. Of course, the unspoken word here is that there was a 12th -- a blacksheep. In doing a bit of googling for this post, I learned that there is an International Blacksheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG) Interestingly enough, the IBSSG has a "Tender Lambs Corner" for private sharing of stories that might have a negative effect on a living individual or on the family in general. Have you discovered one or more blacksheep among your ancestors? Can you write about them? If so, share the story with us.

Encer (Ensor, Enser) Cole was my 3g-grandfather. He was a deserter in the War of 1812. He served as a private in Captain George W. Magee's infantry company, 1st Regiment, Maryland Militia.

Pictured above are two of the Company Muster Roll and Company Pay Roll for Enser Cole's company. They show that he began service in Magee's Company on 22 July 1814. From that date to 13 October 1814, he was paid $21.23 for 2 months and 23 days service. The second Company Muster Roll (14 October 1814 to 10 January 1815) bears the simple message that Enser Cole "Deserted Dec. 6. 1814."

Enser married Elizabeth Shaffer in about 1812. Not to long after that Enser and Elizabeth moved from Maryland to Columbiana County Ohio. Did Enser desert in order to marry Elizabeth? or Had they already been married? Was Encer's move to Ohio occasioned by his desertion? These are questions I have not yet been able to answer. Other than the War of 1812 Muster Rolls, the earliest records I have for Enser are Tas Assessment for his farm in Beaver Township, Columbiana County, Ohio in 1833 and the 1840 Census for Columbiana County.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 10

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 4 - Ten Lord A-Leaping (Day 10)

It has been suggest that the Nine Ladies Dancing were all invited guests to the festival. The Ten Lords A-Leaping were more likely professional dancers (see "Morris Dance"). Who among your ancestors had an interesting, but unusual profession?

Richard A. Smith, my 2g-grandfather, had a most interesting resume. The following information comes from two published sources: History of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County Ohio by Rev. A.W. Drury (S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909) and Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County Ohio, edited by Frank Conover (W. W. Bowen & Co., 1897).

John A. Smith was born in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in 1828. At age seven, his parents hired him our to a preacher for 75 cents a month. At age fourteen, he moved to Seneca County Ohio and began working for his uncle, eventually being employed by the Mad River Railroad to help build the first railroad from Sandusky Ohio to Springfield Ohio. At age nineteen he began a three year carpentry apprenticeship. At then end of his time as an apprentice, John was a horse-trader for a little over a year. In 1851, at age 23, John A. Smith moved to Marshall Illinois as a journeyman carpenter to work on the construction of a Presbyterian college. While there, he met and married the daughter of a plasterer (and ordained minister). In 1852, John and Amelia Smith moved to Dayton Ohio. John plied his trade as a carpenter by building houses and then moving houses. John served as a Union Soldier in the Civil War. He was injured, breaking an arm. He was transferred to the Dispensary in Nashville where, because of his acquired medical knowledge, he served until his discharge. After the war, he returned home to Dayton and continued in his profession as a house mover. It appears that he moved houses all over the Southwestern area of Ohio. As a trustee in the Brethren Church, John became the Superintendent of the Greencastle cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in Montgomery County Ohio. John A. Smith died in 1910 at 82 years of age.

John was primarily a carpenter, building and moving houses. He also worked as a servant, railroad construction hand, horse trader, medic, and cemetery superintendent.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 9

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 3 - Nine Ladies Dancing (Day 9)

Dancing is often in our genes. (Unfortunately, my wife will tell you that it is not so with me.) Most of us (even me!) have learned to do the genealogy "happy dance." Do you remember your first genealogy "happy dance?" Write a post about what led to that dance. Or, pick another "happy dance" time and write about it.

Before I got serious (= addicted) about genealogy, I translated a letter that had been sent to my g-grandfather, Edward Herman Mieding. The letter was sent from his uncle, Eduard Schaar, in Germany. It took me most of the Summer to transcribe the letter from Old German script to contemporary script and then translate the result from German to English. When completed, I asked a cousin who taught at a university to check out my work with someone in the German language department. The German professor indicated that he couldn't read the Old German script very well, but thought that my translation seemed reasonable. I didn't know about the genealogy happy dance at that time, but I am sure that I must have done something that faintly resembled it.

After I began to be more serious and intentional about researching my family's history, I decided to do a Google search for Eduard Schaar. He had owned a brewery (Schaar Brewerei) which he son had taken over upon his retirement. Not only did I find information about the brewery (it had been bought out by the Rose Brewery), but I found a picture of Eduard.

All of a sudden Eduard became a "real" person, not just a name on a letter. Whenever I see this picture, a part of me does a happy dance.

What I Do (Technology)

2012-01-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Our US Records online study group is off and running for 2012. The first part of our assignment for January is to read chapter 9 in Greenwood's Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy and chapter 2 in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy. These chapters have to do with the use of computers and technology in genealogy. We are to assess our use use of technology using the "What I Do" meme that Thomas McEntee created in July 2010.

We were also encouraged to "Pick a new computer/technology tool and try it out in January."
Basic Equipment:

HP Pavilion p67401 PC running Windows 7…....... desktop PC
Acer Extensa 4200 running Linux Mint Debian …....... laptop
Acer Aspire One running Linux Mint Debian …....... notebook
HP OfficeJet Pro 8500A (all-in-one printer, scanner, fax)
iPad

Note: I prefer the Linux operating system and open source software. On Linux-based computers I run Windows programs (e.g., RootsMagic 5) via Crossover or VirtualBox.

External storage:

1 TB iOmega HDD …....... external hard drive (All my genealogy files a re backed up on this drive)
160 GB Seagate FreeAgent Go …....... external hard drive (additional backup)

Online storage:

Dropbox (5 GB) .......... I have my active RootsMagic 5 (RM5) databases and GEDCOM files stored here. The default location for RM5 databases, on each computer, is the Dropbox folder. Changes to RM5 are therefore synced with Dropbox online. This allows both me and my son to access the most current versions of our RM5 databases. (The only drawback is if we both are making changes to an RM5 database at the same time.)
Box (50 GB) [Mobile app users are able to upgrade from 5 GB to 50 GB for free] .......... I have my genealogy digital files backed up here. These are the files on my 1 TB iOmega HDD (see above) and my Personal Research Wiki (see below).
BackUpMyTree .......... Automatically backs up all genealogical database files and GEDCOMs from my desktop
Personal Research Wiki .......... Primary storage of active files – by PersonNAME and EventTYPE. This Wiki is my file management system (storage and organization) and the “sandbox” for preparing Wiki pages to be included in our online TNG site.
Evernote .......... I use Evernote's webclipper to store data while doing online searches. Data is later transferred for storage to iOmega HDD and Personal Research Wiki

Backup: (See “online storage”)

RootsMagic ToGo stores current RM5 files on memory stick (and syncs with desktop)

Scanner:

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500A (all-in-one printer, scanner, fax)
VuPoint Magic Wand Portable Scanner
CamScanner This is an extraordinary phone app that converts photos into PDF files and allows cropping and also adjusts for parallax distortions. I now tend to use my phone for travel scanning, rather than the VuPoint wand scanner.

Phone:

Motorola Droid 2 (Verizon Wireless)

Phone apps:

Dropbox
Evernote
CamScanner
Ancestry

eBook Reader: (apps on iPad)

Kindle
Nook
iBooks
GoodReader

Tablet computer:

iPad (version 1)

Tablet apps:

GedView
Ancestry
Genealogy Gems
MobileFamilyTree Pro
Research Logger
iTranslate
FlipBoard (blog reader)
Evernote
Dropbox
Google Earth
Box
Facebook
CoolApp G+

Blog:

“Stardust 'n' Roots” hosted on Blogger (will be moving to WordPress) .......... 144 posts since 4 February 2010
“Stardust Memories” hosted on Blogger (private blog – saving my personal genealogical memories) ......... 21 posts

FTP:

FireZilla

Text editor/word processor:

LibreOffice Writer (computer word processor)
Pages (iPad word processor)
Notepad++ (text editor)
jEdit (text editor)

Spreadsheet:

LibreOffice Calc

Note taking:

Evernote
LibreOffice Writer
Pages

Digital camera:

Olympus FE-4010
Motorola Droid 2 smartphone

Graphics/Image editing program:

GIMP
Paint
Paint.net

Screen capture:

I use the internal screen capture function in Windows 7, Linux MintDebian, and iPad
Evernote (web clipper)

Social media:

Google+
Facebook

PDF generator:

LibreOffice (Linux and Windows)
Pages (iPad)
ScanSoft PDF Professional 4 (Windows)

PDF Reader

Foxit (Linux and Windows)
iAnnotate PDF (iPad)
GoodReader (iPad)

PDF Mark-Up

iAnnotate PDF (iPad)
GoodReader (iPad)

Genealogy database:

RootsMagic 5 (primary) – desktop
TNG (The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding) – online
Legacy 7
FamilyTreeMaker 12

Podcasts:

Genealogy Gems

Online classes/webinars:

RootsMagic Webinars
FamilySearch Webinars
NGS Webinars

Trying Out New Technology:
I will be trying out “Outwit Hub” during January. “OutWit Hub breaks down Web pages into their different constituents. Navigating from page to page automatically, it extracts information elements and organizes them into usable collections.” I learned about Outwit Hub (OH) from Tony Timmons' blog, Ancestral Wormhole. He describes using OH to extract data from FamilySearch in a post entitled “FamilySearch for TIMMINS in 1881 using Outwit Hub.”

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 8

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 2 - Eight Maids A-Milking (Day 8)

While "maids a-milking" may be a common occurence on a farm, let's go in the opposite direction today. What woman among your ancestors worked in a non-tradition setting or occupation? Or, perhaps one of the women in your family tree, broke with traditional gender-expected roles. Write a post about her.

The rest of this post repeats a post from February 2010.

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).

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 7

2012-01-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

January 1 - Seven Swans A-Swimming (Day 7)

Swans are beautiful and graceful on the water. Do you have a picture of a swimmer? Share it. (Doesn't have to be beautiful and graceful.)

You want bathing beauties! Sorry! All you get is one of my early trips to Lake Milton, about 20 miles east of Youngstown, Ohio. The year was 1941 or 1942. Lake Milton (a reservoir built by the City of Youngstown) became a state park in 1988.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 6

2011-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 31 - Six Geese A-Laying (Day 6)

Symbolically, eggs represent renewal of life. Who among your ancestors had the largest family? How many of the children lived into adulthood? Share a picture if you have one.

John and Kate Brenner married on 1 October 1861 in Columbiana County Ohio. They had 15 children, nine of whom lived beyond their 22^nd birthdays.

Judson, 1862-1929; Grant, 1863-1925; Grace (Austin), 1864-1960; Ruth (Jacobs), 1865-1957; Lloyd, 1867-1945; Blanche (Welk), 1870-1935; Belle (Hutzen), 1876-1962; Julia (Huffman), 1877-1969; Tod, 1884-1941.

Oscar, 1868-1882; Homer, 1871-1882; Rufus (no picture), 1872-1872.

Herman, 1874-1895; John Jr., 1878-1888; Kate, 1880-1881

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 5

2011-12-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 30 - Five Golden Rings. (Day 5)

We immediately think of jewelry, but the original intent of the song was to continue the focus on birds. Therefore we have golden ring-neck pheasants in this days gift. Pheasants have been called a very distinctive and colorful species. Today, post a photo of a well-dressed, distinctive, colorful ancestor. (Yes, black and white, or sepia photos are very acceptable. Color can be more a matter of mind than of vision.

As I look through the pictures I have of my ancestors, I have come to the realization that the last couple of generations have a lot of snapshots, but not so many formally posed photographs. I have two pictures – my Dad, Donald George Brenner (1912 – 1990), and my great-grandaunt, Grace Brenner (1864 - 1960) – that I will post without further comment.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 4

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 29 - Four Collie Birds (Day 4)

No! Not "calling" birds (whatever they might be). The original lyrics of this carol has "collie birds" which were simply blackbirds. Perhaps you remember the Beatles song, Blackbird: "Blackbird singing in the dead of night / Take these broken wing and learn to fly / All your life / you were only waiting for this moment to arise." Paul McCartney writes: “Those were the days of the civil rights movement, which all of us? cared passionately about, so this was really a song from me to a black woman, experiencing these problems in the States: 'Let me encourage you to keep trying, to keep your faith, there is hope. “ Who among your ancestors has taken "broken wings and learn[ed] to fly? or Who has cared passionately enough to do something about those who are learning to fly with broken wings?

This post repeats most of a post from 2010.

Julia Huffman (nee Brenner), my great-grandaunt, was quite a remarkable woman. In 1927, she began working as the first woman truant officer for the Youngstown (Ohio) public schools. 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).

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 3

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6 and Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 28 - Three French Hens (Day 3)

French hens were just domesticated chickens. Where does your genealogy have French connections? Who migrated into France? or from France to elsewhere? Did any of your immigrant ancestors sail from France?

The Boyer family really originated in France. From there some of its members emigrated to Germany because of religious persecution. They located in Bavaria, where the family name became changed to Beyer. The great-grandfather of Mr. Boyer was Johannas Nicholas Beyer. He was born in 1753 and in 1755 came with his parents to America.

Until recently I would have said that I have no known French roots. Now I know that one family of Pennsylvania German stock, was originally from France. On the basis of William E. Connelley's “A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans” (page 2530) and numerous membership application to the Sons of the American Revolution, my 4g-grandfather (Johannes Nicholas Boyer) emigrated from Bavaria with his parents in 1755. Connelley wrote: “The Boyer family really originated in France. From there some of its members emigrated to Germany because of religious persecution. They located in Bavaria, where the family name became changed to Beyer.” The indication is that the family name in France was Beyerre. So, we have Beyerre (France) to Beyer (Bavaria) to Boyer (United States).

John Brenner and his brother, Conrad, both sailed from LeHavre, France, in the 1850s. My reading has suggested varying reasons that emigrants from southern Germany would choose LeHavre as port of departure. 1) It has been suggested that those from southern Germany were not in love with north German cuisine (which included much more seafood). 2) There was also a thriving southern German community in the port city of Lehavre. That not only meant more familiar cuisine, fewer language barriers, and rooming facilities prior to booking passage on a ship. 3) It seems that it was easier to book passage where fewer questions were asked (LeHavre), rather than where every “i” needed to be dotted and every “t” crossed (the ports in northern Germany). It was easier for someone who was running away to do so from LeHavre.

Because of the travel pass, it would appear that John Brenner was not running away (at least, not officially). His story reads like that of one who saw the new world as a land of opportunity. He took full advantage of that opportunity once he arrived in the United States.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 2

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

As I began this post, I was ready to write about my 2g-grandmother, Adelia Mieding. In the 1900 census, her immigration year is listed as 1859 (5 years later than another 2g-grandparent, John Brenner). I had neglected to check conflicting data (in that same census enumeration). In the column following the 1859 year of immigration, 51 is listed as the number of years of residence in the United States. 51 years of residence would put the immigration year as 1849 (not 1859). I then went back and checked the 1860 census for Adelia. She is listed with seven children. The oldest four were listed as born in Saxony (aged 19, 17, 15, and 13). Hetty, the 13 year old, would have been born in 1847 or 1848. The youngest three children (ages 7, 5, and 3) were born in New York. Teckla (listed as Thackler), at seven years old, would have been born in 1853 or 1854. The other two who were born in New York would also have been born in the 1850s. Therefore, I would conclude that Adelia Mieding (along with her husband and 4 children) arrived in the United States in 1849 (not 1859). I can only guess that whoever provided the information to the census enumerator made a mistake in calculating the year of arrival. Whatever the reason for this mistake, it means that my 2g-grandfather, John Brenner, is the most recent direct line ancestor to immigrate to the United States.

I have not, in any of my research, discovered a reason why John emigrated from Germany. I do know that his older brother, Conrad, left Germany for the United States two years earlier. In 1854, the year of John's immigration, Conrad was now married and living in Columbiana County Ohio. John and Conrad's aunt and uncle (Katharine & Martin Winterbauer) were living in Youngstown, the next county north of Conrad. John was 18 when he arrived. He first visited acquaintances in Philadelphia and acquaintances or relatives in Rochester, New York, before moving to Ohio.

I received a copy of all the research of Dana Bode (a first cousin, once removed). Dana's mother was a Brenner, sister of my grandfather. John Brenner was Dana's great-grandfather. In Dana's records is a handwritten translation of a travel pass, John received in Germany. I am guessing that Dana did not have access to the original document or he likely would have a copy of it. I also pretty sure that Dana did not do the translating. I compared the handwriting of the translating with handwritten documents Dana developed. Dana's work tends to be printed in a very neat hand. The travel pass translation was written in a less neat manner. Also, comparing letter formation would likely point to another translator. All this to indicate that I cannot at this time verify the accuracy of the translation or the original document to which it is purportedly related. (The typed transcription is mine.)

The travel pass does not give any reason why John is emigrating in order to take up permanent residence in North America. It is significant, however, that it addressed “To whom it may concern both civil and military.” This would seem to indicate that John is free of military, legal, and financial obligation. For an 18 year old living in Baden emigration might have seemed a good idea. Baden had just been through the Revolution of 1848/9 and the Austro-Prussian war was just 10 years ahead. It must have been a politically upsetting time. If John were to have received a letter or two from older brother Conrad and/or from uncle & aunt Winterbauer, a trip to the United States could have looked like it might provide a better future. (Of course, I have no evidence that such letter(s) had been received.)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 1

2011-12-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

John Brenner (my 2g-grandfather) left his home in Adelshofen, Baden, traveled to LeHavre, France, where he booked passage to the United States on the William Tell packet ship. He arrived in New York City (Castle Garden) on 23 October 1854. I have reviewed all 13 pages of the ship's passenger manifest and have found no other relatives. It appears that John (age 18) sailed to the United States alone. His brother Conrad F. Brenner (9-10 years older than John) arrived in the United States two years earlier. There is no record of another Brenner on the Zurich (the ship upon which Conrad sailed). So, it seems that Conrad also sailed to the United States alone. Conrad, after his marriage to Catharine Siegel in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, moved to Columbiana County Ohio.

John went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York, before joining Conrad and Catherine in Ohio. After a short time with Conrad and Catharine, John moved a few miles north to Youngstown, Ohio, where (according the the 1860 census) he live with his uncle and aunt, Martin and Katharine Winterbauer. Katharine, nee Brenner, was the sister of John's father.

I have found no evidence that John's father (Georg Friederich Brenner) or mother (Johanna Catarina Venninger) ever emigrated from Germany. John Brenner lived most of his adult life in Youngstown, Ohio, where was in the nursery business; was superintendent of Oak Hill Cemetery; sold cemetery monuments; and was office manager for a construction business. He and his wife, Katharine Welk, were parents of 15 children, nine of whom lived beyond their 22^nd birthdays. John served as a union soldier in the Civil War. He died in 1910 at age 73. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Youngstown; later, son Judson had his remains moved to Belmont Park Cemetery.

The 12 Genealogical Days of Chistmas

2011-12-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

My Rooted Technology

2011-12-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

Jill Ball started it and Thomas MacEntee promoted it... finally I am catching up with it. What is it? It is the My Rooted Technology meme. This is a prelude to RootsTech 2012. My son (the technically savvy and proficient member of the team) and I (the field researcher and data collector) are attending together. RootsTech will be an opportunity for the two of us to spend a few days together immersed in this venture for which we both have passion -- the intersection of genealogy and technology. I am also going to spend a few extra days at the Family History Library, so I am setting my goals and organizing my travel "papers."

If you want to join in the fun and show off your own tech cred, here are the rules for the My Rooted Technology meme:

Technology you already use: bold face type
Technology you would like to use or learn more about: italicize (color optional)
Technology you don’t use, have no interest in using or no longer use: plain type
Explain or give opinions in brackets [ ] at the end of each bullet point

I have an iPad that I use for genealogy
I have downloaded one or more apps to a Smart Phone or similar device. [my favorite is CamScanner]
I belong to a genealogy society that uses social media.
I use GEDCOM files and understand the various compatibility issues involved [and am frustrated by the lack of compatibility from one vendor to another]
I have added metadata to some of my files and digital photos. [but not as much as I could/should]
I have utilized an API from a genealogy-related application or website. [I guess I need to have a conversation with my techie son about this one]
I have taken a DNA test related to my genealogy research.
I have used the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have Facebook and Google+ accounts and use them regularly for genealogy.
I use tech tools to help me cite my sources in genealogy research. [cut & paste, templates... any tool that will help me provide clear and accurate citations]
I have developed a genealogy-related app for a Smart Phone or similar device. [and don't expect that I ever will]
I use a genealogy database program [RootsMagic 5 and The Next Generation of Genealogy Software (TNG)]
I use cloud computer resources to store my genealogy data. [Dropbox, Box, Apple iCloud, BackUpMyTree, and my own personal Research Wiki]
I have made one or more contributions to the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
I have attended a genealogy webinar.
I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy.
I use apps involving GPS and Geo-caching for my genealogy research. [GPS, but not Geo-caching]
I have a Google+ account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I have created and published a family history e-book. [Maybe someday?!?!]
I have created a wiki related to my genealogy research. [I have my own personal Research Wiki. It is my primary organization and storage system.]

I have organized and administered a DNA testing group related to my genealogy.

I read genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. [FlipBoard on my iPad is a constant companion]
I have one or more genealogy-related blogs to help improve my own research. [a public blog for research; a private blog for my own genealogical memories]
I have a Twitter account and use it regularly for genealogy.
I have one or more genealogy-related websites which I run and administer. [I am the content manager for our TNG website; my son is the webmaster]
I have created a screencast or video related to genealogy and posted it at a video sharing site (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).
I use one or more digital tools to capture and record my family history. [Firefox & Chrome; Evernote; my Research Wiki; TNG; am experimenting with Outwit Hub; this blog]

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

May Christmas help you see the Godliness that is all around you... May Hannukkah attune you to the miraculous Light that radiates from within each person... May Kwanza embrace your life as you embrace those around you. May the spirit of this holiday season fill you and yours!

The 12 genealogy Days of Christmas - Part 2

2011-12-10T10:37:00.001-08:00

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. Although the 1st day of Christmas is actually Christmas day itself, I will start my posts on December 26. (I plan on being with my 5 & 7 year old grandkids on Christmas day.) I invite you to join me. Here is my outline of the last 6 Genealogy Days of Christmas.

January 1 - Seven Swans A-Swimming
Swans are beautiful and graceful on the water. Do you have a picture of a swimmer? Share it. (Doesn't have to be beautiful and graceful.)

January 2 - Eight Maids A-Milking
While "maids a-milking" may be a common occurence on a farm, let's go in the opposite direction today. What woman among your ancestors worked in a non-tradition setting or occupation? Or, perhaps one of the women in your family tree, broke with traditional gender-expected roles. Write a post about her.

January 3 - Nine Ladies Dancing
Dancing is often in our genes. (Unfortunately, my wife will tell you that it is not so with me.) Most of us (even me!) have learned to do the genealogy "happy dance." Do you remember your first genealogy "happy dance?" Write a post about what led to that dance. Or, pick another "happy dance" time and write about it.

January 4 - Ten Lord A-Leaping
It has been suggest that the Nine Ladies Dancing were all invited guests to the festival. The Ten Lords A-Leaping were more likely professional dancers (see "Morris Dance"). Who among your ancestors had an interesting, but unusual profession?

January 5 - Eleven Pipers Piping
Theological interpretations of the carol suggest that the 11 Pipers represent the 11 faithful apostles. Of course, the unspoken word here is that there was a 12th -- a blacksheep. In doing a bit of googling for this post, I learned that there is an International Blacksheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG) Have you discovered one or more blacksheep among your ancestors? Can you write about them? If so, share the story with us. Interestingly enough, the IBSSG has a "Tender Lambs Corner" for private sharing of stories that might have a negative effect on a living individual or on the family in general.

January 6 - Twelve Drummers Drumming
12 is the number of completion, fullness, or wholeness. In Old Town St. Charles, Missouri, each Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is a parade down Main Street of 50 or more storybook characters and Santas from around the world. The parade is led by the Lewis and Clark Youth Fife and Drum Corps. Santa and Mrs. Clause are given the honored position of riding in the horse-drawn carriage at the end of the parade. If your genealogy were to be on parade, who would lead the parade and who would be in the horse-drawn carriage at the most honored position in the parade?

Well, that does it for the 12 Days of Genealogy Christmas. If you join in the fun, leave a comment on this post or the previous one.

For a bit of additional fun with the 12 Days of Christmas, check out Kerry Scott's 2010 post in Clue Wagon -- "Screw A Partridge In A Pear Tree. I Want Death Certificates."

The 12 Genealogy Days of Christmas - Part 1

2011-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not a just day. Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th). As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

Many have suggested that this carol is, in reality, a catechism -- that is, a learning device in which each of the gifts represents a gift from God: a partridge in a pear tree = Jesus; two turtle doves = the Old and New Testaments; an so forth. Such an interpretation, as intriguing and useful as that may be in some settings, has little relationship to the song in its original setting. Sometimes "three French hens" are just chickens.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way) to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. Although the 1st day of Christmas is actually Christmas day itself, I will start my posts on December 26. (I plan on being with my 5 & 7 year old grandkids on Christmas day.) I invite you to join me. Here is my outline of the 12 Genealogy Days of Christmas.

Dec. 26 - Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge belongs to "a non-migratory Old World group." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partridge
When your ancestors come to this country (that is, the country in which you now reside) who did they leave behind? Also, Who did they travel with? and/or Who did they come to join? (Who proceded them?)

Dec. 27 - Two Turtle Doves
Turtle doves are "migratory birds whose population in Europe has allen by 62% in recent times due to changed farming practices." Who is your most recent direct line ancestor to have immigrated to your current country? Why did they come? Was it for economic reasons or for adventure or to avoid something back in their country of origin?

Dec. 28 - Three French Hens
French hens were just domesticated chickens. Where does your genealogy have French connections? Who migrated into France? or from France to elsewhere? Did any of your immigrant ancestors sail from France?

Dec. 29 - Four Collie Birds
No! Not "calling" birds (whatever they might be). The original lyrics of this carol has "collie birds" which were simply blackbirds. Perhaps you remember the Beatles song, Blackbird: "Blackbird singing in the dead of night / Take these broken wing and learn to fly / All your life / you were only waiting for this moment to arise." Paul McCartney writes: “Those were the days of the civil rights movement, which all of us cared passionately about, so this was really a song from me to a black woman, experiencing these problems in the States: 'Let me encourage you to keep trying, to keep your faith, there is hope. “ Who among your ancestors has taken "broken wings and learn[ed] to fly? or Who has cared pasionately enough to do something about those who are learning to fly with broken wings?

Dec. 30 - Five Golden Rings.
We immediately think of jewelry, but the original intent of the song was to continue the focus on birds. Therefore we have golden ring-neck pheasants in this days gift. Pheasants have been called a very distinctive and colorful species. Today, post a photo of a well-dressed, distinctive, colorful ancestor. (Yes, black and white, or sepia photo are very acceptable. Color can be more a matter of mind than of vision.

Dec. 31 - Six Geese A-Laying
Symbolically, eggs represent renewal of life. Who among your ancestors had the largest family? How many of the children lived into adulthood? Share a picture if you have one.

(Due to length, I will contue this in a second post.)

Sometimes Less is More!

2011-12-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it! It may be a big mistake... or, it may be the start of something much better. I have begun the process of pruning my RootsMagic database. And a drastic pruning it is. Here are the before and after stats:

That's right, I pruned 4448 people out of my primary RootsMagic 5 database. A database of 575 people is about right for sampling desktop and online software programs. It hardly seems like a fair assessment of what 30+ years of genealogical 'lurking' and collecting, plus 4 years of serious work, would amount to. Was my research so bad (or so lacking) that not much was worth preserving? Or did I do the genealogical equivalent of drinking the Jim Jones Kool-Aid?

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not "folded, spindled, or mutilated" my original, primary RM5 database. I still have copies (both RM5 and GEDCOM) on my 1TB external hard-drive, dropbox, a DVD, and BackUpMyTree.com. I am not abandoning that data. What I am doing is trying to preserve some integrity for the work I have already done and the work I will continue to be doing. Here is my strategy and my process.

I began my pruning at the point in my RM5 database where there was as much supposition and guess-work as there was hard data. In some cases, the data pruned was rather 'soft' -- that is, lifted from online, undocumented trees. In many instances, I have had some good, but partial, data. The online trees seemed to confirm and extend my data, often to the point where it was pure supposition. I kept saying to myself that I was preserving the data as "clues" for further research. In most cases, I never got around to doing the future research to make the data (and conclusions) mine. Now, with all that data in what used to be my primary database, I will rename it to reflect that the data in it is just the starting point for future research. Some of that data represents solid research by other genealogists, but I don't necessarily have all the documentation that help me confirm that it is appropriate for my database. A couple of genealogists have shared the fruits of their labors with me. One has traced the lineage of my 3g-grandmother, Johanna Catarina Venninger, back 12 generations in Germany. I received a wonderful packet of printed materials from him, mostly following work he did using the resources of FHL. Another trace the lineage of my g-grandmother, Mary Ellen Cole, back about 26 generations in England. He provided me with two CDs - one with copies of the pertinent Family Group Sheets; the other with copies of 45 documents (and correspondence) relating to the presence of the Coles in America.

The major pruning of my RM5 database related to the Cole lineage. I had added a lot of data from downloaded GEDCOM files. There were not only data from the 26 generations of direct line Cole (Coale) families, but thousands of collaterals. It was all the collateral families that provided the impetus to prune and prune drastically. My pruned RM5 database basically goes back just 4 or 5 generations for each of my wife's and my family lines. I have been slowly moving evidence into master sources and source details in RootsMagic5. When that is done for the primary individuals among the 575 persons in the new RM5 database, I will return to my old RM5 database for the purpose of generating new To-Do lists and Goals for further research. As evidence gathers, I hope to be able to drag and drop individuals and families from my research-hint database to my new primary database.

I was feeling pretty good when I could say that my genealogy database had over 5000 people in it. I know that such an amount pales in comparison with those who have databases with 10-, 20-, 30-, or 40-thousand entries. But I could hold my head up high with my database growing toward 6000 entries. But what am I to do now? Do I admit that my years of collecting and researching have only netted a paltry 575 confirmed entries? You know what!?! I think I can. I am much more satisfied about the results of my genealogy with a solid 575 entries than with a wimpy 5023. Sometimes, LESS is more.

The Cat Pulled Over the Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

Actually, we no longer have a cat around the house. But I do remember the time when Midnight, as a kitten, pulled over our Christmas tree. I felt that way as I was previewing a new blog post. After finding what I thought was a spectacular Christmas theme for this blog, all of a sudden the blog design was compromised. I don't know what happened and I am only marginally conversant with HTML markup language, so I decided on a quick change of template and theme for the Holiday season. I am only marginally pleased with the look now, but it will suffice until after the first of the year, when I return to my original design.

A New Christmas Blogging Tradition - Blog Caroling!

2011-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

My blog is all decorated for the holidays. It's time to add a new (for me) tradition - Blog Caroling! as presented by footnoteMaven. She writes "Blog Caroling is posting the lyrics, youtube video, etc. of your favorite Christmas carol on your blog." Since this is a new tradition for me, I decided to over-do it this year. Here are the background, the words, and two YouTube videos (one vocal, one instrumental) for my favorite carol:

"I Wonder As I Wander' grew out of three lines of music sung for me by a girl who called herself Annie Morgan.
The place was Murphy, North Carolina, and the time was July, 1933. ... Annie Morgan came out--a tousled, unwashed blond, and very lovely. She sang the first three lines of the verse of 'I Wonder As I Wander'. At twenty-five cents a performance, I tried to get her to sing all the song. After eight tries, all of which are carefully recorded in my notes, I had only three lines of verse, a garbled fragment of melodic material--and a magnificent idea. With the writing of additional verses and the development of the original melodic material, 'I Wonder As I Wander' came into being." --John Jacob Niles

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die
For poor on'ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God's Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King

Location! Location! Location! -- A Question Answered

2011-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

The mantra of real estate agents is "Location! Location! Location!" I am beginning to think that this may also be the mantra of genealogists.

I have the distinct pleasure of participating in an online study group -- twelve of us exporling American Records using Greenwood's "The Researcher's Guide to American Records" and "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy" by Eicholz, et al.

I am beginning to find an answer to a question I raised when dealing with an assignment on "organizing our data." At the time, I mused: "I am curious about why Greenwood considers locality such a primary factor in a research organizer. Can anyone explain that to me?"
A little over a month later, I began to get an answer to that question when reading William Dollarhide's "Managing a Genealogical Project." He writes "There are three vital pieces of [genealogical] information ... (1) a name, (2) a date, and (3) a place. ...Of these three, the place is the one that tells you where to look for further information. The place of the event ... is what a genealogist must know before a copy of that record can be obtained."

Dollarhide's input helped me better understand Greenwood's concern, but it didn't convince me that I needed to change anything that I was currently doing. More recently I read James Tanner's post entitled "Searching 40 TB of Records on an iPad," which draws from a NARA report on the 2011 Large Data Analysis and Visualization (LDAV) symposium. Based on NARA's work, Tanner suggests four areas in which genealogical researchers need to develop greater proficiency, especially as "large record repositories ... make more of their collections available electronically." One of the areas he suggests relates directly to the concern for locality. "Genealogists need to understand maps and be more consistent in recording the location of events. ... The whole NARA project points out the geographical basis for nearly all organizations of record collections."

As users of websites with huge datasets (such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org), we continuely face the frustration of changed search templates for accessing wanted data. It's "old search" versus "new search;" "New search" versus "newer search;" etc. etc. etc. We expect the proprieters of websites with large datasets to have perfected their search engines so that we can find easily the data we are looking for. I never even thought about how they might organize their data or how their search engines operated. I just knew that when I typed in my 2g-grandfather's name, I expected to find all the records for him that existed in their datasets. Of course, I was always frustrated when the searches provided either 124,728 results (too general a search) or 0 results (too many "exact" filters in my search).

Of course, we don't develop sophisticated search engines to access our own data - whether it is stored in physical file folders and filing cabinets or in digital folders on hard drives and/or the Cloud. We either just look until we find or we have a simple tracking system. My files (4.6 GB) are in stored in a) in my 2TB external hard drive, b) on Box.net, and c) in my online Research Wiki. They are filed by name and, in the WIKI, cross-referenced by event type. The only files I have by location are some histories of particular location. I can't imagine having to look through a personal storage system with 40 TB or more of data. Then I would truly need a rather sophisticated and complex personal search engine. In the environment of large datasets, locality (geospatial information) seems to be the key ingredient for genealogical records. As I access my records, my primary concern is for the people in my family tree. That's how my records are organized.

My conclusion from this: I don't need to change my organizational system, but I do need to be more aware of the central importance of locality as I continue to search online providers of large data sets. Without that awareness, I might find myself having access to less and less records, rather than more and more!

New Features in RootsMagic 5

2011-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, I reviewed one of the new features in RootsMagic 5. Today, in response to one of the members of the online study group I am a part of, I did a synopsis of many of the new / changed features in RM5. Perhaps you are interested in what's new in RM5. I did a blog earlier in the week on the Resource Manager. This post will simply give a brief synopsis of some of the other new or revised features. For a fuller treatment, I'd recommend a) watch Bruce Busby's webinar "What's New in RootsMagic 5?" or c) check out Randy Seaver's exceptionally thorough reviews of RootsMagic 5.

Let me begin by saying that RootsMagic is getting better and better. The To-Do list has been modified with the addition of a button allowing a To-Do list can be transferred to a Research Log by a simple click. The information in the To-Do list is automatically entered into the appropriate fields in the Research Log. This can then be edited to indicate the results of the search.

I was most impressed with the County Check function. When entering a date and place for an event, RM5 checks to make sure that the county/state/country were correct for that date. If not, suggestion(s) are given for appropriate identity at the originat time of the event. There is also a County Check report form which can print out (or save) a list of all errors in the Place List along with suggestions of the appropriate identity. My County Check error list with suggested corrections was 50+ pages long. (Got some heavy work to do here!) As an example: enter "Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States" in 1621 and RM5 returns "error: Massachusetts wasn't created until 4 March 1629" and "United States wasn't created until 15 November 1777" followed by "suggestion: Plymouth, British America." Pretty Neat, eh?!?!

RM4 had a Timeline list function. RM5 adds a graphical image to the text listing. (Only the text list is printable.) There is also a list called “On This Day.” Select a particular date (month and day) and the list will identify every event in the database related to that month and day. You can also include Famous Births, Famous Deaths, and Historical Events.

One of the more significant changes in RM5 is the way multimedia files are handled. In RM4 multimedia files were attached to people, families, events, places, and/or sources, often resulting in multiple copies of multimedia files (e.g., a census file being added to each individual in the household). When RM5 imports a database from RM4, it consolidates the files in the multimedia gallery, eliminating all duplicates by tagging each multimedia files with the name of the people, families, events, places, and/or sources to which it had been attached. The RM5 user now has the capacity to tag new multimedia files as appropriate and/or edit tags to existing files. The end result is: only one copy of any multimedia file is kept in the database.

Descendant lists (Ahnentafels) were numbered with generation numbering in RM4. In RM5 you have the choice of four numbering systems – generation, Henry, D'Aboville, or outline. You can also filter the list to direct line descendancy between two individuals. The Place List report now includes the option to print out events that happened “near” a selected place. You can choose the number of miles of radius to be included.

So, color me impressed! The folks at RootsMagic have certainly been listening closely to their user base, as well as the experts like Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Decorating for the Holidays

2011-11-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sheri Fenley's “My Decorations are Up” provided all the encouragement I needed to decorate my blog for the Christmas season. Thomas MacEntee's “Resources for Holiday BlogDecorating” provided detailed instructions (two 'how to' videos and links to holiday templates) for changing the blog template. DHETemplate provided the free “Christmas Night” template.

The only hard part of the process was sorting through all the possible templates and choosing just one... that is, it was difficult until I saw the “Christmas Night” template. This template looked as if I might have commissioned its design for my Stardust 'n' Roots blog.

Have you decorated for the holiday season? Give it a try. May your Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanza bring peace and joy to you and yours!

Research Manager in RootMagic 5

2011-11-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received notice of the release of RootsMagic version 5. I immediately upgraded my software. I was particularly interested in some of the new features – Research Manager, Timeline View, and County Check. Today I had my first foray into using the Research Manager.

As I was entering Census records into my RM5 database, I discovered that for the 1870 census my g-grandmother (Mary Adeline Messerall, who was 3 years old at the time) was living with her grandparents and her uncle's family. No indication of her parents. This had slipped by me when I had originally downloaded the file. Both her father and her grandfather are named John. Because I was focused on Mary A's presence in that census page, I had only glanced at the head of the household. I had seen “Messerall, John” and skipped right over the name of his wife, Ann. Mary A's grandmother Messerall was Ann; her mother, Susanna.

I began to wonder -- had my g-grandmother been orphaned? The dates I have for her parents deaths (1895 and 1905) would suggest that either a) I have the wrong dates for their deaths or b) I have the wrong 1870 census file or c) the parents were elsewhere in 1870. I do have a copy of the 1900 census listing her father and her brother's family; so, I think option "a" is no longer available.

Fortunately, I have collaborated with another genealogist (an amateur like me) on my g-grandmother's family. I immediately sent her an email to see if she could shed any light on the quandary.

Interestingly, I discovered that my census records for this family were all screwed up. 1840 - no Messerall listed on the file I had saved; 1850 - another Messerall, but not one that I have been researching; 1860 - the grandparents (and the father) of my g-grandmother; 1870 - grandparents and Uncle's family, plus my g-grandmother and her sister; 1900 - my g-grandmother's father and her brother's family. The short-comings of former "shoddy" research practices are catching up with me. And, of course, the lesson is: it's always easier to straighten things out the first time through, rather until months or years have passed.

Back to my RM5 database. I used the Research Manager to do a log entry for this quandary. Here is the Research Log initial entry screen:

The Research Manager can be accessed from the “List” tab on the main screen or for within the database. The initial entry form for the Research log asks for a name for the Research Log being created. Whatever is typed in this box will appear in the listing of Research Logs in the main screen of the Research Manager. I had originally entered: “Email to Deb ???? (1870 Census and Mary A. Messerall).” I then changed it to: “Messerall, Mary A – 1870 Census (Email to Deb ????).” Since my file system is based primarily on persons, this seems the most effective way for me to quickly scan the Research Manager for any research logs on which I need to work. You may choose to name your logs differently. It is important to note that multiple log entries can be attached to one named research log.

A drop down menu provides you with options for who/what is the focus of this log: General / Person / Family / Event / Place. After choosing the type of log being created, another drop-down menu gives the option to scroll through the people, families, or places in the database in order to choose the specific focus of the Log. When Event is chosen as the type you have the choice of an open search for event type, or to select a person / family / place and be given a listing of all the events associated with that person / family / place. Because I had opened the Research Manager while looking at the file of Mary Adeline Messerall, the drop-down already listed “Person” and her name was entered in the appropriate space. One last step before entering the actual data of your research – namely, determining “the objective of this research log.” That field is a open text field that you can fill in as you choose.

Once that information is all collected, you have the choice of clicking on “Add research item,” “Edit research item,” or “Delete research item.” Of course, since this is my first log, I chose “Add...” which opened a new screen.

At the top of the “Research Log Entry” screen you are asked for: “Date of your search” (with a drop-down calendar) and a “Reference Number.” I chose today's date on the calendar and the space was immediately filled in with the date. I had originally left the “Reference Number” field empty, but have since entered 19.0, which is Mary Adeline Messerall's Ahnentafel number (based upon my son as #1.0).

In the text box titled: “What were you trying to find?” I included the text of my email to the other genealogist which included what I found as I carefully checked the census records that had previously been stored in the digital folder for John Messerall (REF=38.0) and John Messerall (REF=76.0) – Mary A. Messerall's father and grandfather.

The remaining portions of the Research Log Entry are: “What source did you check?” “Where did you check (repository and call#)” and “What were the results of your search?” These fields seemed rather straight forward in what they were asking for... and, because they are open text fields, I was able to tailor my entries to the specific case of an extended email and follow-up research.

I found the Research Manager and Logs to be fairly straight-forward to use. As mentioned above, in review of what I had done, I found it advantageous to change the name of the particular Research Log so that I would be able to find it quickly once the list of Logs grows. I will pay attention to naming as I go along and may choose to change the way I name logs in order to find them more easily. Hopefully, I will continue to use the Research Manager feature extensively in the future.

Disclaimer: I am not employed by, nor have I received any good or remuneration from RootMagic. RootsMagic is sijply my desktop genealogy database of choice.

Surname Saturday Meme (on Monday) -- My Wife's Tree

2011-11-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jill Ball, I caught Thomas MacEntee 's revival of Craig Manson's 2009 meme: "Names, Places & Most Wanted Faces. Thomas suggests that this meme is "'surname bait' for other researchers to find out on Google and other search engines." The directions are fairly straightforward:

1. List your surnames in alphabetical order as follows:

[SURNAME]: State/Province (county/subdivision), date range

2. At the end, list your Most Wanted Ancestor with details!

In a previous post, I listed the surnames from my family tree. This post list my wife's family tree --

ANDERSON surname: Virginia (Frederick County) prior to 1850; Kentucky (Jefferson County) 1840 to present.

FITZMAURICE surname: Ireland (County Kerry) prior to 1850; Ohio (Montgomery County) 1850 to present.

GRAHAM surname: Kentucky (Nelson County, Jefferson County) to present.

GREGG surname: Virginia (Loudoun County) prior to 1800; Kentucky (Nelson County, Jefferson County) 1800 to present; Ohio (Montgomery County) 1900 to present. Related by marriage are the Spitzers, Grahams, Tobins, Browns, Crumes, Barrets, and Cottons.

HILL surname: Ohio (Ross County, Montgomery County) to present

LEWIS surname: Ohio (Ross County) prior to 1900

SPITZER surname: Canada prior to 1900; Kentucky (Jefferson County) 1860 to present; Ohio (Montgomery County) 1900 to present. Related by marriage are the Andersons, Garvins, Bradfords, Shuberts, Wheelers, and Offuts.

WEAVER/WEBER surname: Germany prior to 1840; Ohio (Montgomery County) 1840 to present. Related by marriage are the Fitzmaurices (Ireland then Ohio), McCarthys, Cooks, Glavins, Lewises, Hills, and Greggs.

MOST WANTED ANCESTOR: Dudley Hill – Emma Frances Hill (my wife's paternal grandmother) and her brother, Joseph, were listed in the 1900 census living with an aunt and uncle in Dayton, Ohio. (Emma was 17; her brother, 18). Family lore has Emma and Joseph orphaned at a fairly young age. They were likely born in Chillicothe, Ohio. Their mother was Catherine Lewis (I have a picture of her) and their father, as far as I can tell, Dudley Hill. I have no more information on him, although I do have a copy of his picture.

Surname Saturday Meme (on Monday) -- My Tree

2011-11-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

1. List your surnames in alphabetical order as follows:

[SURNAME]: State/Province (county/subdivision), date range

2. At the end, list your Most Wanted Ancestor with details!

In this first post, I'll list the surnames from my family tree (to be followed by a similar post listing my wife's family tree) --

BARTHEL/BARTLE surname: Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) prior to 1870; Ohio (Mahoning County) 1865 to present.

BRENNER surname: Baden (Adelshofen) prior to 1854; Ohio (Mahoning County) 1854 to present. Related by marriage are Welks, Coles, Renkenbergers, Crumrines, Miedings, and Deeters.

COLE/COALE surname: England prior to 1618; Virginia (Elizabeth County) 1618 – 1665; Maryland (Baltimore County, Frederick County) 1665 – 1840; Ohio (Columbiana County, Mahoning County) 1820 to present.

DEETER surname: Pennsylvania prior to 1879; Tennessee (Lawrence County) 1851-1880; Ohio (Montgomery County, Mahoning County) 1881 – present. Related by marriage are the Kneppers and Smiths.

KNEPPER surname: Ohio (Fairfield County) to present

MESSERALL surname: Pennsylvania to present; Ohio (Mahoning County) 1885 to present.

MIEDING surname: Germany prior to 1857; New York (Monroe County) 1850 to 1879; Ohio (Mahoning County, Trumbull County) 1880 to present. Related by marriage are Messeralls (Pennsyvania), Schaars (Germany then New York), and Shoemakers.

SMITH surname: England prior to 1800; Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) 1800 – 1840; Ohio (Seneca County, Montgomery County, Mahoning County) 1840 to Present; Illinois (Clark County) 1848 – 1852. Related by marriage are Boyers/Beyers (Germany then Pennsylvania), Barthels/Bartles (Pennsylvania), Wentzels (Pennsylvania), Bucks (Pennsylvania), and Albrights (Pennsylvania)

MOST WANTED ANCESTOR: Encer Cole – I have a lot of “abouts” for my 3g-grandfather (born abt. 1793 in Frederick County Maryland; married abt. 1812 to Elizabeth Shaffer in Baltimore County Maryland; died abt. 1846 in Columbiana County Ohio). A lot of research has been done on the Cole lineage, stretching back in England perhaps as far as the 12^th Century. Supposedly my Coles link into that lineage, but I haven't been able to document Encer Cole's lineage.

Research Trip to Dayton, Ohio

2011-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a day in Dayton, Ohio, doing some genealogical research. I had three primary goals regarding John A. Smith (my 2g-grandfather): 1) visit the Dayton Metro Library to examine City Directories to see if I could learn more about John's house-moving business; 2) to visit the Montgomery County Records Center & Archives to search for John's probate records; and 3) to visit Woodland Cemetery to search for and photograph the markers for John's family. I had hoped to find John's last known address in Harrison Township (now, inside Dayton city limits) and the old Greencastle Cemetery (of which John was Superintendent for a period of time). A three hour luncheon with a long-time friend necessitated a revision of my plans. Because of the time constraints (as well as awareness of the fact that I could order probate records via mail) I did to not the Records Center & Archives.

I found a fair number of old city directories – the earliest dating back to 1866-67. I found John (A.) Smith listed in all of them. In most editions, his occupation was listed as carpenter; in the 1880-81 directory he was listed as “contractor and builder.” In 1874 his residence is listed as the south end of Broadway;” in 1880-81, “Broadway s of Germantown” is listed as both his business and residential address. His death certificate lists 1004 South Broadway as his home address. John's wife, Amelia Catherine (Boyer), was living with her daughter's family at 1053 South Broadway at the time of her death. I discovered that neither of those houses were still standing as I drove the area.

I did find the old Greencastle Cemetery, of which John A. Smith was Superintendent. It is most likely the oldest cemetery in Dayton (the earliest tombstone bearing an 1817 date. It was, at first a family cemetery, and later developed as related to the United Brethren Church. John was a officer and trustee in the United Brethren Church. Unfortunately most of the cemetery's records were destroyed in the 1913 Dayton flood. The cemetery, as well as the addresses above, were in Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, at the time. Since then, the southern portions of Harrison Township have been merged into the city of Dayton, Ohio.

John A. Smith's grave (as well as those of family members) are not at Old Greencastle Cemetery. Instead he was buried at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton. Woodland has a good online interment database, so I had already known that John and family were buried in section 113, lot 470. That lot held 15 graves. I was familiar with 10 of those buried in that lot; but not the other five. When I arrived at section 113, lot 470, I found two corner markers – one for John A. Smith and one for SAS (apparently for Samuel A. Spindler). One problem solved, The Smith family occupies 2/3 of the lot and the Spindler/Siegfried family the other 1/3. In the Smith lot are the graves for John A. and Amelia C. Smith; Amanda A. Smith (daughter who died at age 11 and whose marker bears the barely-readable words “now I am with the angels”); Hattie M. and Otto E. Jones (John & Amelia's daughter and son-in-law, who both died in their early 30's – he in 1893 and she in 1898); Rev. Joshua and Susanna Boyer (Amelia's parents); Cassia Boyer (1824-1856, probably Joshua & Susanna's daughter); Amanda Boyer (1854-1855, perhaps a daughter of Cassia??); Catharine Kinsey (1803-1874, don't know where she fits into the family, but I had already encountered her name as she was living with the Smiths in the 1870 census.)

My mother tells me that she remembers stories that indicated that her great-grandfather John Smith “had money.” The biographical sketches indicated that John owned a number of properties in the area. His construction and house-moving business seemed to flourish, as reports indicate that he moved houses in the whole area of southwest Ohio – Dayton, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Columbus. Also Lot 470 at Woodland Cemetery contained a number of graves that had been moved to Woodland in October, 1908. In addition to headstones, there was a central 8 foot high pillar that had all ten individuals names inscribed (along with birth and death years). Next steps in researching John A. Smith will be to check real estate deeds and probate records.

I was interested to note that Joshua Boyer was listed as “Rev. Joshua Boyer.” In a previous reading of an online biography of John A. Smith, I learned that John met and married Amelia Catherine Boyer in Marshall, Clark County, Illinois. That account listed Amelia's father as “Rev. Joshua Boyer.” My reading of the census records (1850 and 1880) had Joshua listed as a “plasterer” Since John was in Marshall, Illinois, as a carpenter, reportedly working on the construction of a new Presbyterian college, I had guessed that Joshua, as a plasterer, was doing the same. I wondered if someone, in researching the biographical sketch of John, had heard “pastor” when “plasterer” was said. As I reviewed the 1860 census record for Joshua (Buckeye, Stevenson County, Illinois), it would appear that his occupation is listed as “Parson.” I had not paid much attention to Joshua Boyer previously. This new-found information provided the impetus to do a Google search for “Rev. Joshua Boyer.” I found some interesting hits – online documented biographical sketches and trees for Joshua's father (Johannes Nicholas Beyer/Boyer/Beyerre) who migrated from France to Bavaria to Berks County Pennsylvania. Joshua's father served in Pennsylvania's 3^rd Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Joshua seemed to be the chief informant regarding information on his father. Joshua had been ordained as a Lutheran pastor, later switching to the Evangelical Association. Apparently he was what we would call today a “tent-making” pastor.

While searching the Dayton city directories, I also found an entry (1912-13) for Harley H. & Mabel (Smith) Deeter. Mable was a grand-daughter of John & Amelia Smith. Harley and Mabel are my mother's parents. While I did not search for the house in which they lived in I was able to find a street view of the hose on Google maps after returning home. I had hope that I might find an entry a couple of years earlier for Harley Deeter that would reveal the name of his first wife. No such luck. It looks as if this will be another search at the Montgomery County Records Center and Archives.

Pedigree Analysis - John A. Smith

2011-10-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

Part of this month's assignment for the US-REC study group is to analyze the pedigree of a person or couple for whom I have a research question. The model for our analysis is Val Greenwood's "T" chart (The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy). I have chosen my 2g-grandfather, John A. Smith. I have 5 Census records (1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900) and a death certificate. His death date and place are established; birth is fairly certain, but not proved; birth place is only known as Pennsylvania; marriage date and place are unknown. My goal is to complete proof of birth / marriage / death dates and places. I am also interested in learning more about his movement from carpenter to journeyman carpenter to building mover.

John A. Smith 44.0
What I Know	What does this Suggest?
Death Certificate: b. 22 August 1828 (Pennsylvania); d. 7 April 1910 (Dayton, Ohio); buried 9 April 1910 at Woodland Cemetery; Lived at 1004 S. Broadway, Dayton Ohio. Wife: Amelia C. (Boyer). Occupation – contracting Carpenter. Father Richard Smith (b. England); Mother: Catherine Albright (b. Pennsylvania)	Check Ancestry & FamilySearch for Richard and Catherine Smith in Pennsylvania to see if it is possible to discover John's birth place. Since John & Amelia were both born in Pennsylvania, it is likely that they were married in Pennsylvania. But, Where? Check Woodland Cemetery & Find-a-Grave for John's (and Amelia's) burial site.
1860 Census: John (age 31) & Amelia (age 27) are in 2nd Ward Dayton, Ohio. Frances (age 6); Amanda (age 4); Dayton (age 1). [Next line: John (age 24) & Lydia (age 21) Albright [John's cousin?] John is a Carpenter.	Check to see if there are Dayton City Directories for 1860 and beyond for record of John A and Amelia C Smith
1870 Census: John (age 42) and Amelia C. (age 41) are living in Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. He is a Journeyman Carpenter. Frances S (age 15); Dayton W (age 10); Dora E (age 9); Harriet M (age 2). Catherine Kinsey (age 66)???; Joshua (age 65) and Susan (age 67) Boyer [Amelia's parents] John owns property worth $12,000.	Check property records for Montgomery County. Check city directories for possibility of discovering information about John as a journeyman carpenter.
1880 Census: John A (age 51) & Amelia C (age 50) are living in Harrison Township, Montgomery county, Ohio; Hattie M (age 12). Joshua (age 76) & Susannah (age 77) Boyer [Amelia's parents] are in the previously enumerated dwelling. Also there are John M Messler (age 23); Ellen (age 18); Grace (age 9/12). Joshua is a retired Plasterer; John Messler, a gardener)
1890 Census (Special Schedule): John A Smith is living in West Precinct, Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. He served as a private in the 155th Company, 2nd Battalion , Virginia Reserve Corps – enlisted 6 October 1862; discharged 18 July 1865; serving 2 years, 9 months, 12 days. He incurred a broken arm.	Check records for 2nd Batallion, Virginia Reserve Corps (155 Company). Question: Was John a Confederate soldier (Virginia?) or a Union soldier (W. Virginia?) Check NARA for pension records. Check for 1890+/- City Directories for Dayton.
1900 Census: John A (b. August 1829, age 70) & Amelia C (b. Nov 1830, age 69) are living at 1004 Broadway in Precinct “D”, 6th Ward, Dayton, Montgomery county, Ohio. He owns his home, with a mortgage. John is a Building Mover. The have been married 48?? years Grandsons John J Jones (b. October 1892, age 7) and Elsworth S. (b. June 1894, age 5) are living with them. Next enumerated family: Earl (age 23) & Dorothy (age 19) Rulerbaugh. [Renters. I don't know of any family connection.] Living in that same residence (and the owner) as the Rulerbaugh's is Dayton W (b. April 1859, age 41) & Emma L (b. April 1858, age 42) Smith. [John and Amelia's son] Martha M (b. January 1893, age 7); Robert E (b. February 1894); Bessie D (b. May 1895, age 5); Mellie B (b. February 1898, age 1) Dayton W Smith is a Carpenter.	Check for city directories. As a building mover, there should be some kind of listing in any present directories. What records might be available re: mortgages?

Timeline for John A. Smith
1828	22 August	John's birth in Pennsylvania
1852	(about)	John & Amelia are marrried (probably in Pennsylvania)
1855	(about)	1st child born – Frances S
1857	(about)	2nd child born – Amanda (apparently died before 1860)
1859	12 April	3rd child born – Wilbert Dayton
1860	21 July	John & Amelia are living in Dayton, Ohio (2nd Ward)
1860	21 July	John is a carpenter
1861	(about)	4th child is born – Dora E
1862	6 October	John enlists (Civil War)
1865	18 July	John is discharged
1868	(about)	5th child is born – Harriet M
1870	2 June	John & Amelia are living in Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio
		John owns property worth $12,000
		John is a journeyman carpenter
1900	8 June	John & Amelia live at 1004 Broadway in Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio
1900	8 June	John is a building mover
1910	7 April	John dies in Dayton, Ohio
1910	9 April	John is buried at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio

At the end of this week, I am traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio, to visit a friend while my wife is on her annual Sister's trip. Since I will be only about 40 miles from downtown Dayton, I will spend one day doing research in Dayton. I will be putting together a research plan, hopefully prior to leaving home. I will spend time at the main branch of the Dayton Metro Library and Woodland Cemetery. I will also find 1004 South Broadway.

Guardian Records - Enser Cole Children

2011-10-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Part of our October assignment for US-REC study group is the transcription of an ancestor's will. Since the only ancestor wills I have are typewritten, I have chosen to transcribe two court reports on guardianship for the children of my 3g-grandfather Encer (Enser/Ensor) Cole.

2 Guardian Records Volume 1 Mahoning Co.
Ohio

[Left Column:]
Box 1
No 3
Fees
Bond 33
Certi[f]icate 50
Paid H Canfield 112?

Misc Acct 295

Rec. Dec. 18/54 275

[Main Content:]
Rutherman W. F. Cole and other Minors

May Term A.D. 1846 - On motion the
Court appoint Abraham Cole Guardian
to Rutheman W. F. Cole, aged 11 years, George
W.F. Cole aged 11 years, Arian F Cole, aged
9 years - Catharine Cole aged 7 years. and -
Apalina Cole aged 5 years - minor children of
E. Cole late of said county Deceased - Bond
to go in the sum of $300. with Moses Good and
Amos Ruhlman as sureties Bond filed May
11th 1846 Certificate issued same day -
Final Account of Guardian filed
Dec. 16th 1834.
??? to Record ? Feb 8th 1835

Recorded n Book A. page 328 ??

[Left Column:]
Box 1
No 6
Fees
Bond 33
Certificate 50
Paid to H.C. 112?
x.Account 280

[Main Content:]
Eli Cole Minor 20
May Term A.D. 1846. The Court appoint
John Shaffer Guardian to Eli Cole Minor
and child of Enser Cole late of Beaver in
said County Deceased - Bond in the sum of $200.
with Moses Good and Amos Ruhlman as
sureties - Bond filed May 11th 1846 - Certificate
issued same day -
Sept.22.1856 Final Account filed Nov.6.1856. Amend as
record J?p.55 Recorded in Record of Accounts B p. 303 & d

There two guardianship records are for the minor children of Enser Cole who, at the time of his death, resided in Beaver Township in Mahoning County, Ohio. [Note: Mahoning County was established on March 1, 1846 from portions of Trumbull County (to the North) and Columbiana County (to the South). Beaver Township was one of five townships (each 6 miles square) to make the move from Columbiana to Mahoning County.] On the date of these records (May 11, 1846), the Coles had been living in Mahoning County for just 72 days.

Abraham Cole (age 24, the second oldest of Enser Cole's children was named guardian for five of his brothers and sisters (George, RuthAnn, Arian, Catherine, and Emeline). John Shaffer, likely a brother or nephew of Enser Cole's wife, Elizabeth Shaffer, was named the guardian of the youngest son of Enser and Elizabeth Cole.

My records indicate that the Coles had a daughter named Ruth Ann, born in 1835. Twice appearing in the first record is a name that I cannot fully read. It obviously begins "Ruth..." but the rest of the name is not so obvious. My best guess is that the name is "Rutherman." (I gave my best shot at trying to read it as Ruthann, but I could not sustain that reading.)

The "W.F." in the names of the first two children and the "F" in the name of the third caused some extra reflection. My first guess was that the abbreviation stood for "white female" and "female." If that is true, then a mistake was made in recording this action -- George Washington Cole (my 2g-grandfather, born 24 June 1834) is listed as W.F. So, unless my initial guess is correct, I have no idea what "W.F." and "F." stand for. Any help out there?

"Mein lieber neffe Eduard" -- Extracting Information

2011-10-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

Edward Mieding ("lieber neffe Eduard") was born in Rochester, Monroe, New York, on 14 January 1857. His mother, Adelia Schaar, was born in Saxony in 1816. The 1860 census record for Adelia Schaar (the "onkel" was her brother) would indicate that she immigrated to the United States between 1850 and 1853 with her husband and 4 children. Edward and two other children were born in New York.

The letter is written on the letterhead of Schaar & Sohn Bierbrauerei (Schaar & Son Beer Brewery) in Blankenburg, 14 January 1896. (Check Google & historic maps for Blankenburg.) [Previous research indicated that the Schaar Brewery was sole to the Rose Brewery. The picture of Eduard Schaar in my previous post came from Rose Brewery's website.]

The first paragraph is general greetings with a chiding of Edward for not corresponding with relatives in Germany. ("It had been my hope that correspondence with you would have transpired long ago but you, dear Edward, did not seem to give much thought to your many relatives.")

"Your mother's plaintive letter of 1863 (at the time of the terrible war in America), your father's death, and the lack of an answer to my letter left me with the unhappy thought that my sister was no longer among the living and that the fortunes of her children had been dispersed to the four winds."

Edward's father (I have conflicting information on the name of Edward's father -- Carl O. Mieding or Herman Mieding) died no later than 1863, perhaps in combat in the Civil War. (Check Civil War pension records to see if Adelia filed a claim as a widow. Check the New York rosters of Union soldiers to see if I can find Carl O. , Herman, or other Mieding from Rochester.)

Following the 1863 letter, Adelia corresponded with her brother in Germany "after a long time. ... The letter cam in a roundabout way to Pössneck to my son Paul" (Check maps for Pössneck.)

"I still have the [photograph] I received from her, taken in 1863, which showed a young boy on her lap. Since you were born in 1839 [sic] it could well have been you in the photograph." [Uncle Eduard has obviously made a mistake about nephew Edward's year of birth. If Edward had been born in 1839, he would have been 24 in 1863 -- not a "young boy." I have wondered if uncle Eduard had intended to write 1859. Even that year, however, does not fit with data extracted from census records. 1900 Census has Edward born in New York in May 1857.

"That you have spent 22 years in an occupation in one and the same region..." This confirms other data that indicate the Edward Mieding worked for most of his adult life in the lumber business - planing mill foreman.

"I have concluded that you live comfortably and have a wife and three darling children." Edward was married to Mary Adeline Messerall. Their three children were Grace Ada (b. 1888), George Leroy (b. 1890), and Carl Edward (born 1892). A fourth child, Clara, was born to the couple in 1899. Eduard Schaar then writes about his children: Maria and Klara are at home and unmarried; Elisabeth, unmarried, lives in Switzerland; Hedwig lives in Halberstadt and is married to a locksmith [or mechanic]; Berthe, the oldest of his children (by his first wife) lives in Neustadt T.O. (Thuringia); Paul, the oldest son, has been running the brewery since 1883, and is now "going through the dissolution of the business." The younger son, Richard, is a brewer in Muskau (Silesia). (Check maps and gazeteers for: Halberstadt, Neustadt T. O., and Muskau.)

Marginal note: "Clara Borchard cheered me with a letter..." Clara Borchard is Edward Mieding's sister.

If I ever journey to Germany on a genealogical research tour with my son, I will further research Eduard Schaar's children, grandchildren, etc. as possible people to contact in order to share stories and data.

"Mein lieber neffe Eduard" - Transcribing and Translating

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our US-REC study group is working on transcribing handwritten documents. This task leads me to review a difficult transcription and translation I did a few years ago, and enter the extracted information into my Research Wiki and my RootsMagic database. While the US-REC study group is focused on American records, the transcription and translation were on a letter in German. The task of transcribing, however, is the same. When I have completed this task (2 posts), I will transcribe two guardianship records from Mahoning County, Ohio, to complete my US-REC assignment.

This was a complex project. The German letter was in the possession of my Grandmother, Grace Ada Brenner (nee Mieding). It was sent to her father, Edward Herman Mieding, by his uncle, Eduard Schaar. In order to protect the letter while working with it, I pressed it between two sheets of glass and built a frame around it. This enabled me to handle the letter, viewing both sides, without causing wear and tear.

The first task was transcribing the handwritten text (in German, old script) into contemporary (German) script. I was working with the original, not the above image -- the text was much easier to view. Because my command of German is not very good, this was a very difficult task... I had to make many corrections in my transcription as I started to translate. I did the transcription with a German-English dictionary (from approximately the same time frame as the letter) open and accessible. Often I was transcribing words with which I was not familiar. I ended up with 6 pages of hand-written transcription.

While transcribing I began to log the German terms that I would need to translate. These notes were altered as I chose between two or more terms, most decision determined by the context. I now have seven pages of
translation notes. At this point I was ready to begin translating the letter.

The entire process took me about 3 months to complete. It was slow going, but a genuine sense of accomplishment when I finished. A first cousin, once removed, (a grand-daughter of Edward Mieding) was teaching at a university when I completed my translation. I sent her a copy of the letter and my translation, asking her to check with someone in the languages department to see if my translation was viable. A German professor, after viewing the two documents, indicated that he was totally unable to read the old script but, from what he saw, the translation was probably on target.

I will follow up with a second post from which I will extract the crucial data for my genealogical research.

The Ancestors' Geneameme

2011-10-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is my response to The Ancestors' Geneameme developed by Geniaus.

Things I have already done or found: bold face type

Things I would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)

Things I haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents (15 of the 16... the given name of the 16th is Jane)

Can name over 50 direct ancestors

Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents (5 of 8...)

Have an ancestor who was married more than three times

Have an ancestor who was a bigamist

Met all four of my grandparents (3 of 4... one of those when an infant)

Met one or more of my great-grandparents (2)

Named a child after an ancestor (unwittingly... almost When my wife's grandmother heard what we named our son she exclaimed "Good, they kept a family name." We had no idea! The name was the son of one of the Mayflower passengers. Later research has shown that the line does not go back to the Mayflower.)

Bear an ancestor's given name/s (I bear my g-grandmother's surname)

Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland (my 3g-grandfather was born in England)

Have an ancestor from Africa n

Have an ancestor from Asia

Have an ancestor from Continental Europe (lots of ancestors from Germany)

Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer (lots of farmers and farm laborers)

Have an ancestor who had large land holdings

Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi (a 3g-grandfather was a minister)

Have an ancestor who was a midwife

Have an ancestor who was an author

Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones (Smith line begin with my maternal g-grandfather)

Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng

Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X

Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z

Have an ancestor born on 25th December (6th cousin 4 times removed was named Christmas Day Coale)

Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day

Have blue blood in your family lines (probably, but I haven't yet proven the connections)

Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth

Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth

Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century

Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier

Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents

Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X

Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university

Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence

Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime (my 2g-grandfather was mugged after getting off the boat...Welcome to America!)

Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (Tell us where) (in my blog - http://geneapoppop.blogspot.com)

Have published a family history online or in print (Details please)

Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries

Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family

Have a family bible from the 19th Century

Have a pre-19th century family bible

How to be a Genealogy Steward -- Following GPS

2011-10-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia defines stewardship as "an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources." In one of my earliest posts I wrote: "Some have suggested that we human beings inhabit the universe's capacity for self-awareness. to be self-aware is to know something about where and how we fit into the big picture. To be self-aware is to be on a quest toward meaning., One metaphor for that quest for meaning is genealogy." A Genealogy Steward, therefore, is one who carefully tends to, not just the facts, but the meaning conveyed by the facts.

In my car I have a GPS device that shouts out directions for me, especially when I take a wrong turn or choose to go by an alternate route. As I review my genealogical journey, I have come to realize that I have gradually come to follow a different GPS (the Genealogical Proof Standard). Genealogy's GPS is the culmination of 74 standards by which the Board for Certification of Genealogists determines qualifications for professional genealogists. This can all seem rather scary and intimidating for those of us who do not aspire to become "professonal" genealogists but are content to do the best we can as stewards of our family's history and lineage. So, here's my advice to Newbies and others who desire to be faithful Genealogy Stewards but have not yet integrated the GPS into their genealogical work:

Find Facts. Find as many facts as you can. When you think you have found all the facts about one ancestor or family, search some more. You can never have enough information. (GPS: a reasonably exhaustive search)
Make Sense of the Facts. 'Making sense' means knowing where, when, and how you discovered the facts so that you can always go back and check them. This also allows others to check out that the facts actually do make sense. Of course, this means identifying the sources where you found the facts, including how and when you found them. In genealogy speak this is citing your sources. There are wonderful models for citing sources (Elizabeth Shown Mills' Evidence! and Evidence Explained; Richard S. Lackey's Cite Your Sources; Progenealogists' Citation Guide contains cut and paste templates; EasyBib's Citation Guide; and more). From a previous post: "What I have come to realize is that I have chosen to take the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' option when approaching the GPS and source citations - that is, they are not so much 'laws' (to be slavishly followed) as they are 'guidelines' (to assist us)." Our genealogy software is increasingly capable of assisting us in presenting quality citations. (GPS: complete and accurate citation of sources)
Mine the Facts for Meaning. Facts, by themselves, are just facts. Their value for you is in their meaning. When you begin to extract meaning from the facts, they shift from being 'information' and become 'evidence' -- evidence that your ancestor immigrated in 1854 and arrived in New York on the William Tell; or that she bore 15 children, 9 of whom lived past their 22nd birthdays; or that your grandmother was actually your grandfather's second wife. (GPS: analysis and correlation of the collected information)
Make Connections. Make sure that you have explored all the data, including those data which conflict with each other. Make sure you resolve those conflicts, based on the evidence not on a pre-determined assumption of what "must" be true. You can be quite certain that you great-grandmother was not born on two different dates or in 2 different years (even if different sources suggest differing dates). If you can't resolve the differences, keep on searching for more facts that can lend credibility to one date over the other. (GPS: resolve conflicting evidence)
Tell the Story. Here is the crux of the matter for Genealogy Stewards, telling the story of your ancestors -- based upon the quality of the sources you searched, the validity of the facts you discovered, the meanings you extracted and the connections you made. Genealogy without stories is a bland technical activity that does not inspire. No one in my family wants a Joe Friday (Dragnet) genealogy -- "just the facts, ma'am, just the facts." They love when the facts tease out stories. They most often remember the stories; occasionally they may remember the facts. They will re-tell the stories, even after they have forgotten the facts. (GPS: present soundly reasoned and coherent conclusions)
Do the Genealogy 'Happy Dance!' No, this step is not outlined in the GPS... and I think that is a mistake. Rejoice... celebrate... delight... enjoy... revel... stand a little taller... and be glad! You and your ancestors have earned it!

Genealogy stewardship is about (re-)discovering and preserving the meaning of your family's lineage. This quest for meaning is what distinguishes us as human being. Genealogy engages us in the dance of life -- no wallflowers here. From another previous post: "For me, genealogy is a dance in which 'proven' and 'undocumented' whirl around the dance floor together -- occasionally stepping on each others toes, sometimes 'wow-ing' the on-lookers with the grace of their steps, and mostly just keeping time with the music." GPS is simply a tool -- the metronome, if you will, that helps us stay in rhythm and on tempo as we dance with our ancestors.

This post is part of my participation in Tonia's #31WBGB (31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog). This weeks task is "to write a post that solves a problem that your readers (or potential readers) have. " Another great challenge!

US-REC - October "Rating My Genealogical Maturity"

2011-10-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Ancestry Insider has posted a series of rating scales to help assess one's "genealogical maturity" based upon his earlier description of “Genealogical Maturity Model Definitions.” At about the same time, Michael John Neill's tip of the day is "Becoming a better genealogist is a daily process of growth." In March 2010 I used Ancestry Insider's scale to rate myself. Now, as part of the October assignment for our US-REC study group, I get to rate myself once again using those same scales. I have added a new column (2011) to the tables I reported in 2010. (A lower case "x" indicates that I am working on this area.)

#	Level	Sources	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	Typically relies on compiled genealogies.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Mostly relies on compiled genealogies and online sources.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Uses a limited number of record types and repositories. Mostly relies on online and microfilmed sources.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Uses a wide variety of record types. Often contacts record custodians to obtain copies of high-quality sources.		X
5	*Stellar*	Insightfully pursues research at multiple, targeted repositories, making use of a plethora of records and record types. "Burned counties" are not roadblocks.		x

I am rather comfortable with a wide variety of online sources -- FamilySearch and Ancestry.com are my first go-to sources. Over the past year and a half, I have been digitizing and integrating original records, documents, and pictures held by relatives (and new cousins found via internet searches). I have been revising my primary database so that it reflects the sources used to extract information. My next steps are to 1) visit the Midwest Genealogical Center to become acquainted with their resources, 2) a research trip to Youngstown, Ohio, and 3) I am registered for RootsTech 2012 and will spend three extra days in Salt Lake City at the Family History Library.

#	Level	Citations	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	Captures URLs for online sources and citations for published sources.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Increasingly captures necessary information for manuscript sources.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Typically produces complete source citations.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Gives complete and accurate source citations including provenance and quality assessment.	x	x
5	*Stellar*	Overcomes limitations of genealogical software to create well organized, industry standard reference notes and source lists.	x	X

This has been my major effort for the past year and a half. I have developed in my Research Wiki my own citation templates, mostly based on ESM's Evidence Explained. All information entered into my Research Wiki contains complete source citations. When I enter data into my RootsMagic 4 database, I use RM4's templates to write source citations. When templates are not available, I use the free form template to enter citations as present in my Research Wiki. My short-coming in this area is that I have only periodically used RM4's capacity to rate the quality of the source / information / evidence. It will be necessary for me to review my citations in order to complete the task of quality assessment.

#	Level	Information	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	Typically does not realize the need to judge information quality and has no basis for doing so.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Emerging realization that information quality differs. Muddles evaluation by thinking of primary/secondary sources instead of primary/secondary information, leading to muddled evaluation when sources contain both.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Judges information by source type, informant knowledge, and record timing. Applies "primary/secondary" to information instead of sources.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Additionally, learns history necessary to recognize and evaluate all explicit information in a source.	x	x
5	*Stellar*	Additionally, utilizes implicit information in a source. Finds information in cases like illegitimacy that stump most researchers.	x	x

I finally understand the distinctions between original and derivative sources; primary and secondary information; and direct, indirect, and negative evidence. I need to expand my exploration of relevant history so as to help understand better the context of my ancestor's lives and to evaluate the information about them.

#	Level	Evidence	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	Limited understanding of evidence and the role it plays. Typically ignores conflicting evidence.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Captures direct, supporting evidence and increasingly depends upon it.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Additionally, captures directly conflicting evidence.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Additionally, recognizes and captures indirect, supporting evidence.	x	x
5	*Stellar*	Additionally, recognizes and captures indirect, conflicting evidence.	x	x

Most of my work with conflicting information has been the result of others with names the same as those of my ancestors. I have also dealt with conflicting information about birth dates, death dates, etc. I haven't become proficient in this area, but am moving in that direction.

#	Level	Conclusions	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	In the absence of analysis, reaches conclusions by instinct.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Learning to evaluate the quality of sources, information, and evidence. Emerging ability to resolve minor discrepancies.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Additionally, resolves conflicting evidence or uses it to disprove prevalent opinion. Usually applies correct identity to persons mentioned in sources.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Additionally, when necessary creates soundly reasoned, coherently documented conclusions utilizing direct and indirect evidence.	x	X
5	*Stellar*	Additionally: Publishes clear and convincing conclusions. Teaches and inspires others.	x	x

I took a major step n this area a couple of months ago after an online feeding frenzy around data for my great-grandfather Aaron B. Knepper. I developed a post that sorted through the data using the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). While I was dealing with information that was generally in agreement, the use of the GPS helped me develop "soundly reasoned" conclusions which were "coherently documented." As I said in a subsequent post, " Having a copy of Mark Tucker's visualization of the process involved in the Genealogical Proof Standard on my computer table, helped keep me on focus. It was a reminder that Having the data was not enough."

#	Level	Conclusion Trees	2010	2011
1	*Entry*	Merges or combines individuals in trees without evidence.	X	X
2	*Emerging*	Growing hesitancy to merge or combine individuals without evidence.	X	X
3	*Practicing*	Never merges entire compiled genealogies into own tree. Contributes or changes community trees only with evidence.	X	X
4	*Proficient*	Manages evidence separately from conclusion tree. Not interested in trusting high quality conclusions to a low maturity community tree.	x	X
5	*Stellar*	Publishes highly respected conclusion trees.	x	x

I have recorded a lot of information from compiled genealogies. I am currently revising my primary database to provide more soundly reasoned data with conclusive documentation. This is a work in progress.

Category	2010	2011
Sources	3	4.5
Citations	4	4.5
Information	3.5	4
Evidence	4	4
Conclusions	3.5	4.5
Conclusion Trees	3	4.5
TOTAL	21	28

Range	Maturity Level
6 – 11	1 – Entry
12 – 17	2 – Emerging
18 - 23	3 – Practicing
24 - 29	4 – Proficient
30	5 – Stellar

I suspect that my final score -- toward the upper end of the "Proficient" range is slightly over-rated. I do know that I have made a lot of improvements in my research techniques and my ability to process the information I find. When I did the assessment in March 2010, I concluded with the following paragraph (which is still valid):

I would suggest two additional areas for assessment, both have to do with publishing data: 1) Collaboration (What level of collaborative proficiency do I exhibit? This could include: random acts of genealogical kindness, sharing with & receiving data and sources from others, blogging...) and 2) Story-telling (Can I convert data into coherent and accurate stories about the people and families in my genealogy? To what degree, do I integrate general historical data into the stories?) As a genealogist who falls into the primary sub-category of "family historian" (rather than "professional genealogist"), my primary focus is the discovery and publishing of the stories that reside in the data (rather than just collecting, documenting, and publishing the data). I do not mean to suggest that a family historian is not concerned about the accuracy of data and its sources, nor that a professional genealogist only cares about the data and its sources. I believe, however, that there is a subtle difference of focus.

SNGF - GMP Statistics

2011-10-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

Randy's Saturday Night Genealogical Fun this week is to 1) check statistics in my Genealogy Management Program (GMP) and 2) tell which GMP I use and list the statistics in a blog post, etc.

I use RootsMagic 4 as my primary desktop GMP and my online GMP is BrennerFamilyTree using TNG.

This is a good time for me to check statistics between the two GMP's. While my untimate goal is to get all my data into the online BrennerFamilyTree, my primary GMP is still RootsMagic 4. My last upload to TNG was 11 May 2011. My RootsMagic 4 database is current as of this evening. My goal has been to get my source citations in order in RootMagic 4 before my next upload to TNG. Looking at the statistics for the two GMPs will tell me how much progress I have made since May. In the following list, current stats from RootsMagic 4 are listed first, with the statistics from TNG's May upload in parentheses:

RM4 (TNG) difference
People... 5012 (4947) +65
Families... 1748 (1728)   +20
Unique Surnames 1086 (1051)   +35
Events 9171 (????)
Places 713 ( 707)   +06
Sources 164 ( 117)   +47
Citations 2468 ( 117)   +2315

In the past five months I have added a few individuals and families to my working database (RM4). The big change, however, is in the addition of a significant number of citations. That reflects the work I have done over the past five months. Hopefully, in another 5 or 6 months I will have doubled or tripled the number of citations. It is slow work, but rewarding to see the changes in statistics.

1910 Census Enumerator, Which John Brenner?

2011-10-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many times I have looked at the 1910 Census record for my 2g-grandfather's family (John Brenner). Today I saw something I had missed every other time. At the top of the page, there is was -- "Enumerator: John Brenner."

Before I could jump to a quick conclusion, however, I had to sort this one through a bit more. You see, there are three John Brenners in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1880. I can eliminate one of the John Brenners (the youngest son of my 2g-grandfather was named John; he was 1 year old). Our John Brenner, born in Baden, was 44 years old at the time of the 1880 census. At the time of the census, he and his wife are listed with 12 children. The other John Brenner, also born in Baden, 26 years old, was listed with his wife and a 6 month old child. Both John Brenners were living in the same enumeration district (#112) -- the other John on page 444A; my John, 444C.

I am well aware that my 2g-grandfather periodically held other jobs in addition to the three different primary positions he held during his working life -- cemetery superintendent, marble salesman, and bookkeeper / office manager. It would make sense to assume that he was the census enumerator. Of course, to make that assumption and enter it into my records would be to commit genealogical heresy. It could lead to my records (and, perhaps, even me) being "folded, mutilated, stapled, and spindled."

As I looked at the listing of my 2g-grandfather, I realized that I had seen "John Brenner" written in a very similar hand. I had previously extracted his signature from a letter he wrote and attached it to his picture (see above). All I had to do was compare that with the listing of John Brenner in the Census record (see below).

Comparison: The "B" is formed in the same manner - the rounded loops seem the same. Both "J"s have the same long descending loop and the ascending loop on the "h"s appears to be the same. I am not a handwriting expert, but the two examples of "John Brenner" seem to have been written by the same person.

My conclusion: my 2g-grandfather was a census enumerator for 1880. He not only enumerated his own household, but also that of the other John Brenner. I am delighted to claim him as a census enumerator because the records he wrote are clear and easy to read. Way to go, "Uropa!" I have silently cursed (both as researcher and indexer) those enumerators and record keepers whose writing is almost impossible to decipher. Thankfully, my 2g-grandfather is only going to get accolades from me.

#31WBGB: Update a Key Page

2011-09-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

This week's assignment for 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog is to Update a Key Page.

If you have followed "Stardust 'n' Roots" in the past, you will perhaps notice a change on the home page. Using Blogger's "dynamic views," I have revised the basic format of the blog, while maintaining some of its previous look. The view into deep space that has served as the background for my blog for some time remains. If you notice, however, my blog posts cover the width of the content area. Previously a portion of the screen was taken up by the sidebar. I have moved the Welcome message into the header, have removed a number of features that seemed to provide a lot of clutter in the sidebar, and moved the rest to the footer. My goal in all this -- make it easier for those who choose (like you) to read my blog posts more easily. I think this looks neater and cleaner. I removed the brief "About Me" item from the sidebar because I already have a separate page about me and another one about my blog. (Check out the tabs at the bottom of the header.)

#31:WBGB: Develop an Editorial Calendar

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

This weeks task from Tonia (www.toniasroots.net) is “planning a posting schedule (aka editorial calendar) to keep up with all those ideas [that we developed in last week's challenge].”

This will be a first for my blog. I have worked totally on serendipity and “as the spirit strikes me.” I have previously not set any goals about how often I want to publish a post or what the nature of those posts might be. Recently my posting has been somewhat more ordered because of my participation each week in #31WBGB and the beginning of the US-RES Study Group.

While I procrastinated making decisions about setting up a posting schedule, I decided to copy Tonia's spreadsheet idea for my Editorial Calendar.

Of course, I was immediately able to enter a weekly post for #31WBGB. Not knowing how often I would be developing posts for the US-REC Study Group, I initially put it in every week, but then decided that every other week might be more appropriate since a lot of the interchange goes into our Facebook group. The final decision was to include a once-a-week post drawn directly from my genealogy – initially using the list of ideas for blog posts that I developed last week as part of #31WBGB.

I won't promise to 'slavishly' follow the Editorial Calendar. I tend to "go with the flow;" but I will give it my best. I suspect that use it some of the time and not use it at other times. It's primary use for me may using it as a place to store ideas that I am not ready to write about right now. We'll see!

#100 - Some Learnings Along the Way

2011-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Prior to establishing my blog, I have been reading about 35 blogs. I was impressed with the quality of writing and the breadth of interest. I was particularly interested in Amy Coffin's “52 weeks to Better Genealogy.” I actually did some of the exercises in my mind and had considered doing them privately. When I began my blog, I was intimidated by the thought of jumping right in and showing the world how little I knew about genealogy. What a mistake! Two learnings: 1) I have learned that the geneablogging community is very gracious and accepting of bloggers at all levels of competence and writing ability. I wish I had immediately entered in. 2) I have learned that geneablogging is a collaborative activity, not a competitive one.

Initially I wondered if anyone would be interested in reading my musings and if so, why? After all, there are so many highly qualified genealogists and exceedingly competent writers, why would anybody be concerned with what I have to say. After 4 initial posts that set the scene for my blog, the first real post received a comment from Karen of AncestorSoup. Wow! Someone actually read one of my posts. Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith commented on a number of posts saying, “Keep these ancestor stories coming!” There are 52 people who “follow” my blog and 60 different individuals who have commented on one or more blog posts. Greta Koehl of Greta's Genealogy Blog heads the list with 15 comments; Tonia Kendrick of Tonia's Roots comes next with 11 comments. Perhaps Greta said it best, “we seem to share an interest in musing on the 'deeper significance' of genealogical research.” Yes, I am always looking for the deeper, symbolic meanings (occupational hazard for a Presbyterian minister). 3) I have learned (actually “re-learned”) what a friend once told me as I began a new career venture: “Figure out what you do best and do it most!” That relates to geneablogging, as well as ministry and other ventures in life.

4) I have learned to do the genealogy “happy dance.” I was surprised when one of my post on “The Eight Stages of My Genealogical Development” got mentioned in Greta Koehl's Follow Friday Newsletter. Soon thereafter 5 or 6 posts were mentioned in Randy Seaver's “Best of the Genea-Blogs.” I was beginning to get “heady.” Randy Seaver then used my “Sears Catalogue of Genealogists” as the basis for his “Saturday Night Genealogical Fun.” I began to think that I must have “arrived” as a geneablogger. Actually, the learning was somewhat more painful. 5) I have learned that a lot of attention and affirmation can be an addictive trap. For a couple of weeks, I was writing in order to be recognized – that is, to be listed in someone's “best of.” I quickly discovered that my ideas were drying up and my writing suffering. 6) I have learned that getting mentioned in Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings blog is a remarkable source of referrals. 251 visits to my blog have come by way of www.geneamusings.com; 180, via www.littlebytesoflife.com. Thank you Randy Seaver and Elizabeth O'Neal

Fortunately, Tonia Kendrick had issued the invitation for other geneabloggers to join her for 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog. That challenge was just what I needed to get me back on the path! Week by week (for 13 weeks now) we have been focusing on one specific way to improve our blog and our blogging. Tonia's summarizing of Darren Rowse's book, “31 Days to Build a Better Blog,” and he outlining of specific tasks for each week have been very helpful... and productive. 7) I have learned that the discipline of regular involvement in a challenge organized by another geneablogger helps keep the blogging juices flowing... and it has put me in contact with another group of blogger. What a bonus! I wish I had been willing to do this earlier in my blogging.

Saving the Best for Last: 8) I have learned that the geneablogging community is a remarkably collaborative and caring community that

shares from the heart stories, practices, and struggles
builds upon good ideas and practices
reaches out to its members when they are facing difficult times
enables geneabloggers to learn from and with one another
provides a venue to “pay it forward”

Genealogy blogging is a very collaborative venture. Darlene of “My Colored Roots” raised a question concerning my mentioning a swimming pool from my childhood in Youngstown, Ohio. She was right, I had not remembered correctly. (How many times does that happen in genealogical ventures?!) Her comment caused me to do a bit of research, which corrected my memory and my records. Sometimes we want to do better as genealogists / family historians, but feel intimidated by the high quality, highly competent (often professional) genealogists who blog and hold up very high standards. 9) I have learned that the geneablogging community wants to help. Put your thoughts and ideas out there. You might be surprised who responds to encourage and support you. Often we aren't aware of the effect we have on one another through our blogging. Perhaps the most gratifying response I have had came from George Geder, commenting on my “On Not Listening to the Genealogy Gods.” He said “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You've made my head stop sweating from the brow. You've reduced my blood pressure. You've just echoed the worries of so many family historians who don't want to spend enormous amounts of time slogging through the citation maze.” I am humbled by such a comment.

(A revision:) In addition to #9, above, I have two additional learning that I missed when I first published this blog. 10) I have learned that creativity and initiative is appreciated. You don't have to copy someone else's style. Be yourself. Your ideas and practices will likely strike a positive chord with somebody. And, 11) I have learned (and this is a minor, technical point) that I probably should have named my blog "Stardust and Roots" instead of "Stardust 'n' Roots." When the name gets translated in html markup language, it sometimes prints as "Stardust 'n' Roots." (That is pretty ugly when it is present in someone's list of blogs that they follow.)

In conclusion, 12) I have learned that I enjoy geneablogging as much as I do genealogy itself. Margaret Wheatley, in her newly revised Leadership and the New Science, reminds us that information is not just facts but “networks of relationships.” Genealogical research involves finding our ancestors in the facts and their contexts. But what we are all about, as meaning-making beings, is entering the 'networks of relationships' with our ancestors. Geneablogging helps this relational processing. Dr. Bill has it right: “Keep these ancestor stories coming!” I am deeply grateful to all the blogs I read, and all the bloggers that read mine.