...Genie Thoughts

NGS Conference 2012 - Day 2

2012-05-17T22:54:00.001-04:00

Although this was the second day of the conference, it was our first full day and what a day it was! My head was swimming with so much information and I was itching to put it all to use. But with two more days of the conference to go, there was no way to start applying all this wonderful knowledge...it had to wait until I got home.

My first session on Thursday, May 10, was "Gateway to the West: Researching in Ohio" presented by Diane VanSkiver Gagel. Some highlights I learned were: (1) indentures can be from counties other than where they were working; (2) Ohio cannot deny records because they have an open record policy; (3) you can take your own digital equipment to the Recorder's Office to copy records; (4) inactive voter registrations are good for locating naturalization records; (5) tax records will give you a yearly census of land owners; (6) soldiers did not have to file discharge papers--it was voluntary; (7) probate court was established in 1850; and (8) the State Auditor's website has a free e-book "The Official Ohio Lands Book" available on their website.

Next was "Indexes! Indexes! Indexes! How to Find the People Who Don't Seem to be There" presented by Elizabeth Shown Mills. First, I have to say that Ms. Mills is a wonderful speaker and if you haven't seen her in person, you're missing out! She discussed some basic principals, such as, an index is not a record and for every problem there is a solution--if you understand the problem. She also stressed to slow down! When looking at indexes, you must be diligent in reading and interpreting what has been misread or mistyped. There are nine basic problems when using indexes which include erratic spelling, dialects, record destruction, clerical laziness and human error. Ms. Mills also listed specific strategies when using indexes such as: slow down (can't say it too many times), study indexes for composition and arrangement, and if a surname if unknown look for clusters of given names. She ended the session discussing some common errors and substitutions.

"Navigating the NARA Branches" by Julie Miller was next. NARA's website is www.archives.gov. NARA administers the regional archives which houses collections that are historically significant and permanent and are free and open to the public. The types of records available are: microfilm, files, electronic, maps, photographs, and drawings. When you are preparing for your visit, you need to make a plan which includes: (1) what you looking for; (2) what type of record is it; (3) where was it recorded; (4) when was it created (generally); and (5) where are the records located. The website has a a guide to assist you in research at the National Archives. The guide is available in a three volume set or you can visit the website which gets updated more often and is searchable. Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States.

The fourth session of the day was "Red Herrings and a Stroke of the Dead Palsy: Analyzing and Correlating Evidence" presented by Stefani Evans. This was a BCG Skillbuilding Session about analysis and evidence. Start with: (1) what I know; (2) what I want to know; and (3) develop a research plan to form your hypotheses. Its easiest to make a table of the various information gleaned, isolate the units of information, analyze each item, and identify sources. Always weigh the integrity of the source and identify the source type (original or derivative); information type (primary or secondary); and the type of evidence (direct or indirect). Refer to BCG Standard 20 for more information.

The last session of the day was "Assumptions: A Genealogical Slippery Slope" by Claire Bettag. The BCG Standard 28 presents three basic types of assumptions: fundamental, valid and unsound. Do not presume information is accurate, regardless of appearances or, as Ms. Bettag put it, "assumptions allow the best in life to pass us by." Some highlights I gleaned from this session were: sworn statements can be fraud; no one source is good - get as many sources as you can; look at all possibilities; negative evidence is no evidence at all; and evidence must directly answer the question asked.

Keep watching for the remaining two days.

Your friend,
Susan

View from our hotel

NGS Conference 2012 - Day 1

2012-05-17T22:22:00.002-04:00

I attended my first national genealogy conference -- the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference from May 9-12, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. My friend and I were so excited to attend a national conference, especially since it was in our home state. We were not disappointed! At first, it was a little overwhelming because there were 8 to 10 sessions during each time slot to choose from and so much information to absorb.

I'd like to use this blog to write about the conference and the sessions I attended as a way for me to recap some of what I learned and to share it with you. Since there were five sessions each day and the conference was four days long, I'll write blogs for each day.

The Vendor Hall

Wednesday was the first day of the conference and since we were driving, we missed the morning sessions. The first session I attended was "Using Excel to Create Time Lines" by Robert Raymond. Mr. Raymond discussed using a vertical time line, the XY Scatter Graph, and Stacked Bar Charts. The session was good, but since I'm already familiar with Excel, I didn't get too much out of the session.

Next was "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury: The Evidence Presented Clearly Shows..." by Barbara Vines Little. This session was a BCG skillbuilding lecture about writing proof summaries and arguments. Very important -- never rely on a single record! She discussed two styles of proof summaries (list and narrative), proof arguments, and writing the proof summary. A proof statement allows you to summarize all the evidence and evaluate each item against previous assumptions. Narrative allows you to explain both the record and the evidence. Writing proof summaries requires that you know what you want to prove, that you have clear, definable proof, and that you present your summary in a clear, succinct and thorough document statement. Ms. Vines Little also covered the BCG Evidence-Evaluation Standards (which is 19-34).

Hope this blog was helpful to you and you'll read my write-ups of the remaining days at NGS.

Your friend,
Susan

Potter's Field Cemetery - Ohio

2011-10-29T19:37:00.002-04:00

Have you heard about the type of cemetery called "Potter's Field"? It is a cemetery where the county or city bury the poor, the homeless, the unknown, and the unwanted. There are no signs, no grave markers, and no headstones. I find this extremely sad. This particular cemetery is a 17 acre site dating back to 1906 and is the final resting place for over 16,000 people. 16,000 people and not one headstone...sad indeed!

This is the entrance - no signs, just a broken fence.

Except for some flags and a couple of crosses, there are no markers whatsoever at Potter's Field.

There is only one marker of any kind at this cemetery and that is the memorial rock. It contains a Biblical passage: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

People have left things at the base of memorial rock ... an old wooden box, flowers, rocks, money, and a rosary.

I found out about this particular cemetery because my stepson attends St. Ignatius - a catholic all-boys school on the west side of Cleveland. St. Ignatius has a Pallbearer Ministry that handles the funerals of the poor and today they had a special service - the "2011 Potter's Field Prayer Service in Commemoration of All Saints and All Souls". It was a touching service and tribute to all those unknown, unclaimed people buried at Potter's Field.

Fr. Streicher saying the mass.

About 100 people attend this special service held at a forgotten, unknown place on a very cold October day. I'm sure all of us that were there will never forget this cemetery or this prayer service.

Thank you Fr. Streicher and St. Ignatius for introducing me to Potter's Field!

Have a blessed day.

~Susan

Genealogy Pox ... Do You Have It?

2011-10-04T20:14:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! I recently came accross this little ditty and just had to share it with you. The author is unknown and it has been reprinted in many genealogy newsletters (and now blogs).

GENEALOGY POX

The symptons are a continual complaint as to the need for names, dates, and places. The patient has a blank expression and is sometimes deaf to spouse and children. She has no taste for work of any kind except to feverishly look through records at libraries and courthouses. She has a compulsion to write letters. She is made at the mailman when no mail is received. She makes frequent visits to strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, and remote, desolate country areas. She makes secret night calls and hids phone bills from her spouse. She mumbles to herself and has a strange faraway look in her eyes.

The treatment of the ailment finds medication useless. The disease is not fatal, but it does get progressively worse. The patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines, and be given a quiet corner in the house where she can be alone.

The prognosis is that no known cure is known, but the disease can be contagious; and the sicker the patient becomes, the more she will enjoy the ailment!

I have the Genealogy Pox!!! Do you?

I would love to hear from you.
~Susan

Update on Portable Scanners

2011-08-04T14:17:00.000-04:00

Hello Readers,

I was checking some of my favorite blogs and found a discussion about the Flip-Pal Scanner and want to share that with you as a follow-up to my 12 July 2011 blog about portable scanners.

In her 2 Aug 2011 blog, Dear Myrtle shares an email conversation about using the Flip-Pal Scanner at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

If you are considering a scanner, I hope Dear Myrtle's blog will help you with your decision.

Thanks for reading!
Susan

Fort Wayne Ancestry Day

2011-08-04T10:30:00.003-04:00

On July 23, 2011, my friend and I attended the Fort Wayne Ancestry Day sponsored by Ancestry.com and the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and spent a couple hours just wandering around the Allen County Public Library - very impressive. Equally impressive was the Genealogy Center - very large, well lit, lots of tables and computers, and an unbelievable amount of material. We didn't know how much time we would have at the Library, so we didn't take any files or materials for research. Next time! Until then, here is a brief overview of the topics, speakers and some miscellaneous tidbits:

Insider Search Tips for Ancestry.com presented by Juliana Smith.

Start your search with basic information and then narrow it down.
Use the default settings link when specifying places and add multiple lived in events if your ancestor lived in different places.

Portable Scanners

2011-07-12T21:44:00.003-04:00

Hello. Do you have a portable scanner? I believe every genealogist should. They are great! I personally have two different portable scanners that I would like to discuss.

VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand. It has many great features going for it such as the size and portability...it only weighs half a pound. With the Magic Wand you can scan any color or monochromatic images such as documents, photos, and magazines. It has standard (300dpi) and high (600dpi) resolution. It uses a micro SD card and saves images in jpeg format. The Magic Wand comes with a USB cable, two AA batteries, pouch, and user's manual. It's so easy to use - just put in the batteries, turn it on, and begin scanning. You can find the Magic Wand online for about $90.00, just remember to buy the micro card to save your images. The only negative comment I have about the Magic Wand is that it goes through the batteries pretty fast.

Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner. The Flip-Pal is larger than the Magic Wand but still very portable at only 1.5 pounds and scans anything and everything from small to large in size. You can scan photos by placing them on the glass or removing the lid and setting the scanner on photos in albums or frames, documents, drawings, newspapers, and small objects. The Flip-Pal also has two resolutions - 300 and 600 dpi and uses four AA batteries. The Flip-Pal comes with a 2GB SD memory card to USB adaptor and batteries and sells for $150.00. If your computer does not take memory cards, just insert the memory card into the "flash drive" adaptor and insert it into your computer and download your files. Another unique thing about the Flip-Pal is that you can have it on your lap and scan pictures while watching tv. It's so quick and easy. When I received mine, I took it from the box, reviewed the Quick Start Guide and had the Flip-Pal working in about 5 minutes then scanned 40 pictures in less than 20 minutes. When you insert the SD card into the computer for the first time, it will ask you to register your Flip-Pal and download and launch the Flip-Pal Toolbox. After that just download your pictures and enjoy.

I recommend both of these scanners and will continue to use both - the Magic Wand for documents and anything in a frame and the Flip-Pal for photos and small objects.

Please leave your comments or questions about these scanners or different scanners that you use.

Thank you and have fun scanning! :)

Happy Church Memories

2011-04-24T14:42:00.002-04:00

I was in church this morning for Easter mass and was flooded with memories of going to church as a child. Growing up we attended St. Procop Church and school in Cleveland, Ohio and Fr. Vesley was my favorite priest. While in school he would come out on the playground and watch us playing duck duck goose and ring around the rosy. Of course, he would tease everyone and get us all laughing. When mom took us to Saturday evening mass and Fr. Vesley was the priest saying mass, we would always plead with her to go into the sacrestry and visit with Father. He was fun and great with kids.

One of my favorite memories of Fr. Vesley is his blessings with holy water. He would walk down the aisle sprinkling everyone with holy water and pause with a little twinkle in his eyes when he saw us, he would then dunk the wand in the holy water and give a really good flick and drench us. It was great! We looked forward to it and would chuckle when he did it ... and so did everyone around us seeing us girls get so wet. It's such a good memory and I have to laugh even now thinking about it.

Just a little memory I wanted to share. I hope everyone has a very nice Easter!!!
Susan

Have you Heard About the Pocket Tree?

2011-04-20T23:35:00.003-04:00

The Pocket Tree is a portable ancestor chart to take with you wherever you go.

Pocket Tree is a 9+ ancestor chart that when folded is the size of a large index card (6-3/4 x 4-1/2). It unfolds first to reveal vintage photos and unfolds again with wonderful reminders when interviewing your family and a sampling of recommended questions. The next opening reveals a 9-generation ancestor chart. How handy is that?

I had read about the Pocket Tree online, but was skeptical. Would it work? Can you really fit all that information into something that small? Is it sturdy? Well, the answers are yes, yes, and yes.

I purchased my Pocket Tree while at the 2011 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference. I have it completed up to the 7th generation on my dad's side. It's very sturdy and fits in my purse and goes with me everywhere. After all, you never know when you'll come across a library or repository and just want to "stop in for a minute."

Check it out for yourself. Just click on the Pocket Tree badge located on the right-side of this blog to purchase and let me know what you think of the Pocket Tree.

Welcome

2011-04-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

Hi and welcome to my new blog!

I started this blog to share general genealogy stories, thoughts, ideas, goals, wishes, brickwalls, and successes. In other words ... anything. This blog will not discuss my specific family - for those stories visit my other blog at mygenealogyfamily.blogspot.com.

I hope you enjoy this blog and feel free to leave comments (good or bad).

~Susan