The We Tree Genealogy Blog

2012 Genealogy Jamboree Bloggers and Friends on Twitter

2012-05-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree is almost here!

Below is a list of bloggers and attendees who have Twitter accounts and will be the 2012 SCGS Jamboree. Follow them for networking, or if you're at home follow them for live coverage of Jamboree. Use the hashtag #scgs12.

Bloggers and friends attending Jamboree

Me - @acoffin

Lisa Alzo - @lisaalzo

Ancestry Insider - @ancestryinsider

Ron Arons - @ronarons

Biff and Nancy Barnes - @STTBooks

Bruce Buzbee - @RootsMagic

Lisa Cooke - @LisaCooke

Missy Corley - @baysideresearch

Kim Cotton - @walkingyourtree

Schelly Talalay Dasdashti - @tracingthetribe

Elyse Doerflinger - @genealogistelys

Kathryn Doyle - @geneaphile

Valerie Elkins @elkinsvalerie

Barry Ewell - @barrysgenblog

Sheri Fenley - @sherifenley

Terri Fraser - @terrifraser

Jean Wilcox Hibben - @circlemending

Paula Hinkel - @phinkel

Daniel Horowitz - @myheritage

Janet Hovorka - @janethovorka

A. C. Ivory - @acivory

Michael Katchen - @mkatchen

Thomas Kemp - @genealogybank

Tonia Kendrick - @toniasroots

Susan Kitchens - @susankitchens

Angela Kraft - @LeavesOHeritage

Lisa Lee - @gotgenealogy

Denise Levenick - @FamilyCurator

Thomas MacEntee - @geneabloggers

Debbie Mascot @demascot54321

Leland Meitzler - @lmeitzler

CeCe Moore - CeCeLMoore

Michael John Neill - @mjnrootdig

Elizabeth O'Neal - @littlebyteslife

Gena Philibert Ortega - @genaortega

Cheryl Palmer - @HeritageHappens

Kim vonAspern Parker - @kimmyvon

Caroline Pointer - @familystories

Geoff Rasmussen - @legacyfamily

Randy Seaver - @rjseaver

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak - @megamsmolenyak

Denise Spurlock - @dspurlock01

Dennis Stack - @DennisStack

Patricia Standard - @tricia520

D. Joshua Taylor - @djoshuataylor

Tammy - @treelinescom (a Genealogy Idol contestant)

If you're going to the 2012 Jamboree, have a Twitter handle and are not on this list, let me know in the comments below and I will see that you're included. Thanks!

Also included in this series:

2012 Genealogy Jamboree Speakers on Twitter
2012 Genealogy Jamboree Vendors and Sponsors on Twitter

2012 Genealogy Jamboree Speakers on Twitter

2012-05-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree is almost here!

Below is a list of 2012 SCGS Jamboree speakers who have individual Twitter handles, or actively manage their own Twitter business handles.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to follow these folks so you don't miss a minute of the action. Use hashtag #scgs12 when talking about Jamboree or if you are following along at home.

Lisa Alzo - @lisaalzo

Ancestry Insider - @ancestryinsider

Ron Arons - @ronarons

Lisa Cooke - @LisaCooke

Crista Cowan - @cristacowan

Schelly Dardashti - @tracingthetribe

Elyse Doerflinger - @genealogistelys

Barry Ewell - @barrysgenblog

Jean Wilcox Hibben - @circlemending

Paula Hinkel - @phinkel

Daniel Horowitz - @MyHChiefGen

Janet Hovorka - @janethovorka

AC Ivory - @acivory

Michael Katchen - @mkatchen

Tonia Kendrick - @toniasroots

Angela Kraft - @LeavesOHeritage

Lisa Lee - @gotgenealogy

Denise Levenick - @familycurator

Thomas MacEntee - @geneabloggers

Leland Meitzler - @lmeitzler

Michael John Neill - @mjnrootdig

Gena Philibert-Ortega - @genaortega

Caroline Pointer - @familystories

Geoff Rasmussen - @LegacyFamily

Randy Seaver - @rjseaver

Drew Smith - @drewsmithtpa

Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak - @megansmolenyak

D. Joshua Taylor - @djoshuataylor

Noah Tutak - @tutak

Are you a 2012 Jamboree speaker/Twitter user who is not on the list? Do you know of someone who should be on the list? Leave a comment on this post and I will make additions to this list. Thanks!
--Amy (@acoffin)

Also in this series:
2012 Genealogy Jamboree Vendors and Sponsors on Twitter
2012 Genealogy Jamboree Bloggers and Friends on Twitter

2012 Genealogy Jamboree Vendors and Sponsors on Twitter

2012-05-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree is almost here!

Below is a list of vendors and sponsors who have Twitter accounts, as well a hand, a table, or a booth at the 2012 SCGS Jamboree.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to follow these folks so you don't miss a minute of the action. Use hashtag #scgs12 when talking about Jamboree or if you are following along at home.

Also don't forget to follow @scgsgenealogy, as they're the ones who put on this great event each year.

Vendors and Sponsors

@23andme - 23 and Me

@aboutone - AboutOne.com

@ancestorexperts - New England Historic Genealogical Society

@ancestrydotcom - Ancestry.com

@CAancestors - California Genealogical Society & Library

@CalArchivists - Society of California Archivists

@familychartmstr - Family ChartMasters

@FamilySearch - FamilySearch

@FamilyTreeMag - Family Tree Magazine

@findmypast - Find My Past

@fold3 - Fold 3

@genealogybank - Genealogy Bank

@geneastudies - National Institute for Genealogical Studies

@geni - Geni.com

@houstorypub - Houstory

@IGenealogyMag - Internet Genealogy, the magazine

@JustaJoy4U - JustaJoy.com

@LegacyFamily - Legacy Family Tree software

@LegacyStories - Legacy Stories

@LisaCooke - Genealogy Gems

@lmeitzler - Family Roots Publishing

@magikey - The MagiKey

@mobilescanning - Flip Pal scanners

@MoHistoryMuseum - Missouri History Museum

@MyHeritage - MyHeritage.com

@NGSgenealogy - National Genealogical Society

@PhotoDetective - Maureen Taylor

@ronarons - Ron Arons

@rootsmagic - RootsMagic

@scgsgenealogy - Southern California Genealogical Society

@STTbooks - Stories to Tell

@wikitreeonline - WikiTree

Please note that this is not a list of ALL the vendors and sponsors at Jamboree. These are the ones who have Twitter accounts.

Vendors with Twitter accounts: use them. We want to visit you at Jamboree. We want to spend money and tell others about your products. We want to learn about prizes, drawings, product demonstrations and/or Elvis sightings via our Twitter feeds. Interact with us before, during and after the conference. I really wasn't kidding about the "we want to give you money" part.

If I am missing any vendors here, let me know in the comments below and I'll add you to the list. Thanks! --Amy (@acoffin).

Also in this series (coming soon):

2012 Genealogy Jamboree Speakers on Twitter
2012 Genealogy Jamboree Bloggers and Friends on Twitter

RootsTech 2013 Call for Presentations

2012-05-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Call for Presentations

March 21-23, 2013 | Salt Lake City, Utah

The world of genealogy is changing at an ever-increasing rate through the development of new technologies. Millions of people are passionate about discovering their roots. They share an interest in learning about the latest technologies and methods to help them in this pursuit. The third annual RootsTech Conference brings together thought leaders and consumers who want to share and experience the latest trends in genealogy and technology. Building on the success and growth of previous years, RootsTech 2013 will reach thousands of participants on site and around the world. RootsTech includes engaging, interactive sessions that promote learning and the free exchange of ideas on improving the way genealogy is done. Genealogists and technologists attending this conference share a stance that is progressive and forward thinking. They are interested in the application of technology to simplify and improve the family history experience.

Unique tracks will be offered that address the specific needs of genealogists and technologists, with an emphasis on how they can more effectively work together. We invite proposals that address technology challenges and solutions that have the potential to improve family history and genealogical research. Additional consideration will be given to proposals that provide hands-on or interactive experiences, with presenters giving step-by-step approaches and live demonstrations for using technology for genealogy, including tips and helps for using software, hardware, standards, APIs, plug-ins, etc. Since RootsTech is designed as an interactive conference, traditional lectures depending entirely on text-based slides are discouraged.

Possible sessions for genealogists include:

Solutions for saving, accessing and sharing data
Publishing and sharing family history online
Tools for online collaboration and community projects
Using popular applications for family history
Reaching and engaging new genealogists through technology
Online sites and services for getting started

Possible sessions for developers include:

GPS and geo-mapping ancestral locations
Applications for mobile devices
Social applications
Standards and APIs
Records imaging and tree visualization
Gamification of family history experiences
Cloud-based solutions for saving, accessing, and sharing data

Submissions are due by June 15, 2012, with an extended deadline of October 15, 2012 for limited, late-breaking technology research submissions.

Types of Sessions

Presentations: Classroom settings that engage participants.
Panels or Discussions: Formal panels of experts discussing specific topics, led by a facilitator.
Hands-on Workshops: Labs where attendees have hands-on experience in a specific task or objective.
Unconferencing: Informal, participant-led discussion groups.

Submission Information

Proposals will be accepted online at rootstech.org from May 9, 2012 through June 15, 2012. Syllabus materials will be due from participating presenters on October 1, 2012 (other than late-breaking proposals).

Presenters participating in the RootsTech Conference will receive a complimentary conference registration and a syllabus. There is no monetary compensation for presenters at this conference. Out-of-state speakers selected to present three or more lectures will also receive hotel accommodations.

What I Scanned

2012-05-17T15:45:00.001-05:00

Once a week I drive across town and scan someone else's stuff.

This week when I got there I pulled a giant folder of letters out of the drawer. Within all the letters was this stack of about 120 index cards. They were regular lined 3x5 index cards. Nothing special, but each one had one or two sentences written in pencil on it. All were undated and included no names.

After reading a few of the cards, I realized that they were love notes from the WWII soldier man to his wife. Judging from the information on the cards, I'd say they were written after the war when the two were back in the same house.

What touched me was that each card was a love note. Perhaps the man left a card every day for his wife to read after he left for work. Each card was kind or funny, but all of them told this lady how much her husband loved her. And boy did he love her.

I was floored that no two cards were the same, yet each one was sincere. How many different ways can you say you love someone? This guy did it 120 different ways.

How would marriages change if we all did something like this?

Once the cards were done, I scanned a bunch of World War II era letters to and from the man and wife. Many from the man were short notes written quickly before bed. He was very busy in the military. Some of the letters deal with basic marital issues like getting the taxes filed, which is a challenge when the guy who does the taxes is serving the country.

My favorite letter of the day was to the wife from the wife's sister. The wife had a new baby and the sister was giving her parenting advice. Was the baby on orange juice yet? It was time to put the baby on orange juice. And cod liver oil. Do not forget the cod liver oil. It says so on page 76 of the parenting book.

When I read that, I turned the letter back over, looked at the date, and did the math in my head. The baby was a month old! Ay yi yi. I'll steer clear of 1940's parenting advice.

So that's it for this week's scanning. I had no idea so many people read this series and actually liked it. Thank you for the feedback and encouragement. This is my 3x5 index card to you.

SCGS 2012 Genealogy Jamboree Updates

2012-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree is approaching fast.

Here are some news stories about the Jamboree that may be of interest to you:

SCGS has instituted a youth scholarship program for aspiring genealogists from 18-29. This makes conference attendance very affordable for students and young whippersnappers.

Geneabloggers has a list of bloggers who will be at Jamboree. Follow them for all the latest Jamboree information.

Did you know that Jamboree has its own blog? Check it often for Jamboree updates before and during the conference.

Book review: On the Banks of Plaquemine Brulee by Gene Thibodeaux

2012-05-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

On the Banks of Plaquemine Brulee: Une Histoire de la Pointe de l'Eglise is a history of Church Point, Lousiana written by native Gene Thibodeaux.

My own interest in this book stems from my connection to the area. My great-great grandparents Noel Thibodeaux and Eliza Eldridge were married there. You may remember Noel as the one with the wandering eye.

Thibodeaux's book is organized into eighteen chapters, sorted by time period. The first chapter begins with the Native American history of the area. Later chapters each cover a set time period and the events that occurred during that time.

A typical chapter includes and overview of the national, state and local history of the era. Notable events, social changes and disasters are included. Readers will get a detailed picture of the region, it's economy and local flavor.

On the Banks of the Plaquemine Brulee is a history book with value to genealogists. Thibodeaux includes many names of Church Point citizens and their role in the city's history. A name index is included in the back of the book.

Numerous black and white photographs are featured in certain sections of the book. Thibodeaux also included an impressive source list and several appendixes featuring lists of names in historic Church Point groups, censuses, etc.

On the Banks of the Plaquemine Brulee is a well written, thoroughly researched look at a slice of Acadiana. It helped me get a sense of the former home of my ancestors and learn more about Louisiana. It also makes me wonder if I'm distantly related to the author through my Thibodeaux line. That's a search for another day, however. For now I'll just be content with my new knowledge of Church Point, Louisiana.

Information on ordering the book can be found here.

Inside History Magazine's Top 50 Genealogy Blogs List

2012-05-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

I have funny story.

Earlier this week, Inside History Magazine published a list of their top 50 genealogy blogs.

I subscribe to many genealogy blogs in Australia and New Zealand, which is the target market of this magazine.

Naturally, there were a lot of happy bloggers who were excited to make the list. I offered many congratulatory comments on their blogs because it's always cool to celebrate with another blogger.

The funny thing is that when I congratulated one blogger, he told me thanks and said, "Same to you."

Huh?

I've been so busy with my own work and trying to keep up with my genealogy blog reading that I hadn't even looked at the Inside History Magazine Top 50 Genealogy Blogs yet.

So I did.

And there I was.

I might be a little late to the party, but it's an honor to be included. Thank you to the kind folks at Inside History Magazine for the nod. I'd also like to extend a special thanks to the article author, Jill Ball of Geniaus and other genealogy endeavors (or do you spell it endeavours down there?)

It is an honor (honour? I'll get the hang of this) to be included with so many great blogs and bloggers. I follow many Australia and New Zealand genealogy blogs. I've learned so much from them. Some day I'll get down that way and go on a genealogy blogger meet-up tour.

Now I will go on with my day with a smile on my face. This was a nice surprise.

1000memories releases ShoeBox App for Android

2012-05-09T19:02:00.000-05:00

[Last November I had lunch with the kind folks at 1000memories. They asked for my input on their new ShoeBox app for the iPhone. I pulled my Android phone out of my pocket and set it on the table. They got the message.

I am pleased to share this press release with you today. I have downloaded the app and started playing with it. It is very easy to use. I'll let you know how it goes. In the mean time, read up on the latest developments with the 1000memories Shoebox app. ---A]

1000memories releases ShoeBox App for Android, ShoeBox 2.0 for iPhone

Photo-scanning app unveils new design; adds the ability to organize photos into digital shoeboxes.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2012 — Building on the popularity of its mobile photo-scanning app, 1000memories today launched ShoeBox for Android as well as a completely redesigned version for iPhone.

ShoeBox, which debuted for iPhone in October 2011, is the first mobile tool designed for digitizing and sharing photos from the past. Following its launch, ShoeBox grew to reach top 3 free apps in the photography category and top 2 in the family history category.

The app gives individuals, families and organizations the ability to quickly scan and instantly share photos that have previously been difficult to digitize. ShoeBox can auto-detect the edges of a photo and then quickly crop and straighten accordingly. Users can then add information typically written on the back of old photos - such as dates, names, and locations.

In today’s release, 1000memories also introduced its popular “shoeboxes” organization tool on the Android and iPhone apps. Users can now seamlessly organize scans into different collections and instantly share them with the right people using their mobile devices and the website.

“When we launched ShoeBox, our aspiration was to get closer to digitizing every one of the 2 trillion paper photos on earth,” says Rudy Adler, co-founder of 1000memories. "With the release of ShoeBox for Android, we’re one step closer to making that goal a reality.”

While often considered people’s most valuable possessions, old family photos and albums are traditionally neglected in shoeboxes, old albums or archived analog collections. 1000memories hopes to breathe new life into the photos from the past by making it easy to preserve and share them with the right people.

About 1000memories
1000memories makes the new shoebox for your old photos. Founded in 2010 in San Francisco, California, 1000memories is a free website recently featured in Oprah Magazine that helps families and friends share long-forgotten photos sitting in old albums and hard drives. For more information, visit 1000memories.com.

What I Scanned

2012-05-08T17:38:00.001-05:00

One day a week I scan someone else's stuff. It is part of a larger family history project in which I am involved.

Today I was really looking forward to opening those file drawers and seeing what today's scanning would be. That's when I realized that I had an attachment to the people in the files...as weird as that sounds. Instead of saying "good morning" to fellow employees, I was thinking it about the long deceased people in the files. After a week of being away, I was happy to see them again.

Do not report me for a bad case of crazy. I can handle this.

The actual scanning today was not very exciting. I did finish the records pertaining to one man's World War II service. There were applications, vouchers, correspondence, government paperwork and more government paperwork. Some things never change.

The most interesting thing in that set was a voucher for shoes. It was dated the day the man was honorably discharged. The government gave him a pair of shoes. Does that mean he had to turn in his military shoes?

The other items I scanned today were too personal to generalize here. Let's just say that the problems many people face today when it comes to the care of an elderly parent were also issues in the past. Some things never change.

I did have a brief touch-base meeting regarding the scanning and this entire project. It feels good to meet someone's family history needs and to help keep the memories of so many ancestors alive.

I am doing exactly what I should be doing and that makes me happy.

May Events at Houston's Clayton Genealogy Library

2012-05-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

There are some great programs coming to the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in May. Check them out:

Clayton Library Orientation

Saturday, May 19, 2012 10:30-11:45AM
Learn about the vast resources and how to efficiently utilize genealogical research materials housed at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research. No reservations needed, meet at the Information Desk in the library. Adults/Teens.

Clayton Library Friends General Meeting
Saturday, May 12, 2012 10:30AM-12:00PM
James Harkins of the General Land Office of Texas will be the speaker at the meeting. Registration will start at 10:15 at the Carriage House and the meeting will begin at 10:30. Adults/Teens.

At the Houston Public Library Central location (500 McKinney in the Julia Ideson Building)…
Clayton Library is proud to present a special day of Civil War related programs featuring Craig Scott and Robin Oliveira
Saturday, May 19 2012, 10:30AM-4:30PM
No reservations required. Adults/Teens.

10:30-11:30AM Civil War Confederate Records
Researching Confederate soldiers during the Civil War can be challenging. This lecture will be an overview of records that are available for research for the “boys in grey” that valiantly fought for the South.

11:45AM-12:45PM Civil War Pensions
Pension applications for American Civil War veterans can be a rich source of information regarding their service during the war and the lives of the pensioners after the War. These records are housed in many locations depending upon the side fought for. A presentation of the records and repositories will be highlighted.

1:00-2:00PM Medical Records in the Civil War
These records can offer a deeper look into the individual Civil War soldier’s history and stories regarding their service in the American Civil War. Found mostly in original source documents this group of records offer a special look into the harsher side of the conflict.

2:30PM Robin Oliveira
My Name is Sutter, a work of historical fiction, explores the dedication and devotion of Civil War nurses and doctors who endeavored to bring healing and comfort to wounded men with so little medical knowledge it’s a miracle that anyone survived. Cemented in years of research, including at the National Archives and Library of Congress, the book follows the story of a young midwife who wants to be a surgeon at a time of great turmoil and change. Robin Oliveira will discuss some of the medical challenges facing the physicians, the unprecedented medical research the war provoked, and the beginning of nursing in America. Book sales will be provided by Brazos Bookstore

Lineage Help –
Most Wednesday nights, 5:30-7:30PM
Looking to join the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution, or Daughters of the Republic of Texas? Come to Clayton Library on Wednesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30. Members of the Oran M. Roberts Chapter UDC #440 are here to help you discuss your lineage application research. This is available MOST Wednesday nights, but call 832-393-2600 to confirm the team will be here. Sign up when you get to the library. Adults/Teens.

What I Scanned

2012-05-01T19:47:00.000-05:00

Once a week I drive through Houston commuter traffic to scan someone else's stuff. Today was that day.

The items to be scanned are in files in cabinets. I do not know what I'm scanning until I open the file.

Today I scanned a high school reunion yearbook. It had lists for each class starting with the 1890's. It was a smaller school, so the early lists had between 5-10 people. In the 1910's section, the classes included photographs with each person named in the group. Little head shots of a couple hundred people dating back 100+ years. From a genealogical perspective, this is an incredible gold mine.

The next folder in the cabinet held documents pertaining to one man's military service during World War II. He was called to duty the day before his first child was born. Based on letters I previously scanned, this likely caused stress enough for his wife, and that is the very reason his child was born on that day.

Also included in this file was a set of War Ration Books:

I was surprised at how many stamps were still in them. I recognized stamp symbols for breads/grains and fruit, but there were some I could not place.

One neat item I scanned today was a letter from the man's pre-WWII employer happy that he was coming home and saying that his job was waiting for him.

I just scratched the surface of these WWII documents today. There's still plenty more to scan in the set. What I did take away from today was a better idea of the process young men experienced as they reported for service, the paperwork required to care for the family left behind (including life insurance should anything happen) and what was needed to put all the pieces of life back together once a man was discharged from the military.

I must confess that I cheated and peeked at what is coming up in the next few scanning sessions: letters this man sent home to his wife and new baby. Stay tuned...

SCGS 2012 Jamboree

2012-04-26T16:41:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year I considered skipping the 2012 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. It was purely a financial decision, trying to cut back on expenses and such. Air fare is expensive, and I always have to bring my son (he stays with my parents).

The about a month ago, I really started to miss my genealogy friends. Jamboree is always wild and crazy, clearly the fun party in the genealogy conference crowd. But it is also a place to reconnect with fellow bloggers and friends I have made along the way.

I realized that Jamboree provides the necessary social contact that I need at this time. The sessions are always top notch and I will learn a lot, but the down time provides value, too. It's a great opportunity for getting professional opinions, new ideas and even genealogy industry business gossip.

So now I am registered for the 2012 Jamboree. There are other ways I can save money, but Jamboree is not where I should be cutting corners. It's too important to my genealogy mind and spirit.

I also registered for the special Society Leadership Workshop on Friday. I'm not an officer in any of the societies to which I belong, but I figure I can bring back ideas to my groups back in Texas. Is anyone else registered for this track?

Early bird registration ends April 30. I hope you consider joining me in Burbank.

Collin County Texas Newspapers Available at Portal to Texas History Web Site

2012-04-25T08:53:00.001-05:00

DIGITIZED COLLIN COUNTY TEXAS NEWSPAPERS

The digitized and searchable Collin County newspapers from the 1860s-1930s are available for FREE on the Portal to Texas History Web site.

The Collin County Genealogical Society partnered with The University of North Texas' (UNT) "Texas Digital Newspaper Program” in digitizing the 1880-1930 newspapers from the best available microfilm copies obtainable. This project was primarily funded by a $4,000 grant from the Collin County Historical Commission with the remainder coming from the Collin County Genealogical Society.

UNT used another grant to also digitize the McKinney Messenger newspaper from 1860-1879.

There are thirteen digitized Collin County Texas newspaper titles:

The Democrat, The McKinney Gazette, The McKinney Examiner, The Daily Courier, The Daily Gazette, The Collin County Mercury, The Lion Roar, The Semi Weekly Courier, The McKinney Weekly Democrat-Gazette, The McKinney Advocate, The Southern Jerseyite, The Weekly Democrat-Gazette and the McKinney Messenger.

Start searching or browsing!

http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/TDNP/browse/?q=mckinney&fq=dc_type%3Atext_newspaper&fq=str_location_county%3ACollin+County%2C+TX&t=fulltext

How can you help us digitize more Collin County Texas newspapers quicker?

Send a check donation to:

CCGS - Digitization Project

Attn: Treasurer

PO Box 865052

Plano TX 75086-5052

Please write: “Digitization Project” in the memo field on your check.

CCGS is a 501(c)(3) corporation.

Your donations are tax deductible.

More information:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txcolcgs/DigitalProjects.htm

Jimmy B. Parker Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy Scholarship

2012-04-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

[My first trip to Salt Lake City, I struck up a conversation with Jimmy Parker. He took me to lunch. To this day I remember that event and his kindness. Below is information about a SLIG scholarship in honor of him. I thought some of you might be interested in it. --A]

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is pleased to announce we are now accepting essays for the Jimmy B. Parker Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy scholarship. Full tuition to SLIG 2013 will be awarded to the student whose essay and application exemplify the culture of giving back lived by Jimmy B. Parker. The scholarship will be awarded by a committee comprised of SLIG committee members and the family of the late Jimmy B. Parker.

Applicants are asked to submit the following via email to sligdirector@ugagenealogy.org:

1. A one-page essay detailing how attending SLIG will help you prepare to give back to the genealogical community, following Jimmy B. Parker’s example.

2. A short biography including previous volunteer and research experience.

3. The name of the course you would like to attend.

4. A letter of recommendation from someone who has benefited from your volunteer service.

The winning essay will be posted on the UGA blog at http://ugagenealogy.blogspot.com/.

1. The Salt Lake Institute runs from January 14-18, 2013 and the winning student will have their choice of the following tracks:

2. American Research and Records: Focus on Localities (with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA, FMGS)

3. Bridging the 1780-1830 Gap: From New England to the Midwest (and Points in Between) (with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS)

4. Researching Your English Ancestors: Beyond the Parish Register (with Apryl Cox, AG)

5. Advanced German Research (with F. Warren Bittner, CG)

6. Researching in Washington D.C. without Leaving Home (with Richard G. Sayre, CG, and Pamela, Boyer Sayre, CG, CGL)

7. A Genealogist’s Guide to the Internet Galaxy (with Thomas MacEntee)

8. Principles of Forensic Genealogy (with Melinde Lutz Byrne, CG, FASG and in partnership with Boston University)

9. Producing a Quality Family Narrative (with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.)

10. Advanced Genealogical Methods (with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS)

11. Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum (with Angela McGhie and Kimberly Powell)

12. Problem Solving (with Judith Hansen, MLS, AG)

Applications and essays are due by May 15^th and the winner will be announced May 31^st. SLIG registration opens June 2, 2012 at 9:00 AM Mountain Time.

ELCA Records at Archives.com

2012-04-18T18:38:00.001-05:00

Archives.com Partners with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to Publish Millions of Church Records

First Time a Comprehensive Historical Database of Lutheran Congregants Will Be Available Online

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 17, 2012 – Archives.com, a website that makes family history research simple and affordable, is pleased to announce its partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to digitize and index 1,000 reels of microfilm containing millions of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and funeral records. Archives.com will make these records available online for the first time as part of its ongoing effort to expand its collection of over 2.1 billion historical records.

With the help of digitization and indexing partners, Archives.com will create digital indexes of these records. The documents cover Lutheran congregations throughout the U.S., and will be accompanied by images of the original parish register ledger books. Dating from 1793–1940, these new collections will help users uncover valuable information about their ancestors that isn’t available anywhere else online.

Joel Thoreson, Archivist for Management and Reference Services at the Evangelical Lutheran Church Archives notes, “We’re very excited to work with Archives.com in digitizing and indexing these records. Researchers have long sought the ability to do easy searches for individuals across multiple congregations. Currently, without knowing the exact congregation at which ancestors worshipped, finding those individuals is a slow and painstaking process.”

Archives.com estimates that digital indexes and images resulting from the 1,000 microfilm reels will be available online later this year. Nearly all of the records were handwritten in Norwegian, German, Danish, and Slovakian, in addition to English, making this an especially unique and valuable record set.

Archives.com Senior Director of Product Joe Godfrey said, “Church records are rich with genealogical information, and we’re excited to be partnering with the ELCA to make their impressive collection available online for the first time. Access to these records will allow our users with ties to the Lutheran church to discover more about their ancestors than ever before.”

Archives.com makes over 2.1 billion records available to its users, including a comprehensive U.S. census collection and is continually adding new content. Please visit the Collections page to learn about the records available on Archives.com, and to receive regular updates about the website please visit the Archives.com blog.

About Archives.com

Archives.com is a leading family history website that makes discovering family history simple and affordable. The company has assembled more than 2.1 billion historical records all in a single location, and makes them available at a price that’s up to 80 percent less than the leading competitor. Archives also partners with other leading family history websites to provide a comprehensive resource for researching your family history. Archives.com is free to try for seven days, allowing anyone to explore the benefits of membership without risk or obligation. For more information and to start discovering your family history, please visit http://www.archives.com/.

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives

The Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America preserves and maintains the records of predecessor church bodies, inter-Lutheran organizations, as well as records of leaders, congregations, and synods of the church. Located outside of Chicago, the ELCA Archives hold genealogically rich collections of oral histories, microfilm, photographs, as well as other archival materials and exhibits. To learn more please visit http://www.elca.org/archives.

What I Scanned

2012-04-18T14:42:00.001-05:00

One day each week, I scan someone else's stuff. The process is slow and monotonous, but it gives me a chance to read the history of others and reflect on my own family tree.

This week, I scanned letters from a girl in college in the 1890's. She received letters at school from several girls. They mostly talked about boys. There was one girl in particular who had the attention of two boys. She was dating one, but did not love him. She had a crush on another.

The letters were amusing. Back in the 1890's girls wrote letters about boys. Now they text each other about boys. Some things never change.

The second group of letters were from the 1930's. The girl was now a woman and a widow to boot. Her youngest child was college age and wrote often from school. It is clear the boy loved his mother and felt compelled to look after her as the only man left in the family. The mother kept all of her son's letters.

The last batch of letters were from the late 1950's. Most are written by the boy who is now a man. The subject is his mother who is declining in health. He wrote to his siblings to discuss her living situation and related duties and costs. It's the same conversation many adult children have had about their parents.

Scanning these letters was an interesting experience. I read about this woman's life and experienced each stage until her death. In a period of a few hours I got to see how quickly life goes by...and moves on without us.

The silver lining in this Debbie Downer blog post is that these letters are now digitized. The written voice of the woman is preserved and will be documented and shared by her descendants.

We can't bring people back, but we can ensure they're not forgotten.

5 Little Known Genealogy Tax Deductions

2012-04-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here in the States, it's tax time. But before you send all your money to Uncle Sam, see if you qualify for any of these little known genealogy tax deductions:

1. Deduct $50 per instance of government incompetence inhibiting your process of getting a county record (max $300). Clerk with an attitude, missing volume, and stupid access rules all qualify, but you must document each occurrence with a venting blog post.

2. Deduct $25 for each full hour of work time you've spent deleting "the definition of professionalism" threads of APG list emails from your inbox.

3. Receive a $100 sanity credit for your valiant attempts in 2011 to reassure the public and semi-competent media outlets that genealogists aren't out to steal anyone's identities.

4. Deduct 5% of a conference registration fee for each session billed as general genealogy education, but in reality is just a chance for a vendor/speaker to sell products.

5. Receive a $50 credit for each time in 2011 you had to explain to your friends and/or family that you're into GENEALOGY, not GYNECOLOGY.

Houston Family History Expo Recap

2012-04-08T15:32:00.002-05:00

This weekend was the Houston Family History Expo. I wasn't available for the Friday afternoon/evening portion of it, but I did attend all day Saturday. Here is my recap:

I got to the conference hotel early for registration. I chatted with Sue Kaufman, who heads the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research and is also the president of the Texas State Genealogical Society. I also had nice conversations with dedicated FamilySearch volunteer extraordinaire Fran Ellsworth and Mark Olsen of MyHeritage.

The first session I attended was "Researching North and South Carolina" with Arlene Eakle. My own research is in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Arlene's talk focused on records about 100 years earlier than where I've stopped with my Jones line, so I got an idea of what to expect when I move my line further back.

Session two on my list was "How to Plan and Organize a Family History Book" with Biff and Nancy Barnes of Stories to Tell Books. This presentation was very helpful to me because it provided steps to developing a family history book. The Barnes' provided good examples and had one particular chart that was very valuable to me. I appreciate that this was a *real* genealogy session taught by vendors. At many conferences, genealogy vendors lead sessions that are more like product commercials. The Stories to Tell crew does not do that, for which I am thankful.

There was a break at lunch, so I found Lisa Alzo and we had a nice catch-up chat. Big conference where everyone is rushing around don't afford this opportunity so it was good to have time to visit. I also had a nice chat with Michelle Goodrum and Lisa Louise Cooke.

"Prussia or Germany?" with Barbara Bell was the third session I attended. I have significant German ancestry and I don't know as much about the region's history as I should, so I figured this was a good place to start. The best takeaway from this session was an animated timeline map of the history of Prussia's borders and just how fluid they were as the years passed. No wonder I'm confused about the area!

The last session I attended was "Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Present and Future" with Lisa Alzo. I enjoy Lisa's presentations because she always incorporates her own family history into them. She gave some good advice and tips I can use in my own search for my Austrian great-grandmother's immigration to Pennsylvania.

After the Expo was over, I gave Lisa Alzo a ride back to where she was staying with family in Houston. Before we got there, we made a pit stop for dinner at Goode's BBQ. If you ever come to Houston, I'll take you there, too.

Overall, I enjoyed my first Houston Family History Expo experience. Attendance was lower due to the Good Friday and Easter holidays (both widely observed here). Hopefully we get a chance at a next year on a non-holiday weekend and it will be bigger.

Two more Family History Expos are coming up in the near future: Oklahoma Family History Expo on April 11 and Albuquerque Family History Expo on April 13 and 14.

[Disclosure: I was an official blogger at the Houston Family History Expo. I received a complimentary registration. -- A]

What I Scanned

2012-04-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was scanning day and I forgot to tell you about it. Here's the lowdown on what I scanned.

All of the items are stored in olive green hanging folders in file cabinets. In those folders are other folders with labels on them. This is not my organization system, but one that was here before me. I never know what's in the folders I pull out of the cabinets.

Tuesday's folder included a packet of items from a 12 year-old boy who died in 1921. He was his parents' first child, the first in the family born in the United States, his father's namesake and #5 in a direct line of men with the same name. He had a minor illness that turned into diptheria very rapidly.

All the items in this folder were related to this boy. His school work, his poems, a death notice. It appeared to be items collected and saved by his parents, then passed down in the family to where they are now: on the desk waiting to be scanned.

After the boy's folder, I came across his father's folder. It included car registrations, membership in service clubs, business documents and legal forms. I saw the document that recorded the business he bought. I saw the document that transferred the business to his wife when he died. I saw the document that recorded the $1 sale of half of the business from the wife to her youngest son.

You might look at these cabinets as just a bunch of files. But when you get down in to the folders page by page, you see the story of a family told over many decades. They are no longer here to tell their stories but the records they left behind show their tragedies and triumphs.

Jumping in the 1940 Census Pool

2012-04-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

After two days of doing genealogy work for others, I finally found a chance to peek at the 1940 census this evening. I decided to start with my paternal grandparents, since I knew where they were supposed to be then. My grandparents were living in Los Angeles, near USC. It was in this house, as it is seen in present day:

I used Steve Morse's easy peasy tool to determine the enumeration district (ED 60-1205). Then I clicked on the link provided and went right to that ED. On page 32 of 33, I found them!

No big surprises here. It's my grandparents and uncle. My dad and his sister would come later. The family was living in a house they owned. I knew this, too, because they had it built. The house was worth $4250. Both of my grandparents had 4 years of college noted in the education column. In 1935, they were single, both living in their respective Oklahoma hometowns. Also not new information to me.

My grandfather's occupation was "feed man." The census says he was the owner of a feed store. I happen to know it was South Vermont Feed & Seed, named for the street it was on in Los Angeles. It's hard to believe this now-crammed (and kinda scary) part of Los Angeles once had a need for feed, but it did. On this census, my grandpa reported working 48 hours a week.

But wait, what is this on the census form I spy with my little eye?

I hit the supplemental questions lottery on my very first ancestor search! For my family, this means every 20th person in the 1940 census was asked a series of supplemental questions. My grandpa was one of those selected. These questions included the birthplaces of his parents, veteran status (no), and possession of a federal social security number (no, not until 1951 or so). Unfortunately no surprises here, either.

So there you go. One family down in the 1940 census, many more to go. Some will have to wait for the index, because they moved a lot and I have no idea where they might have been in 1940.

As for these grandparents, when the 1950 census becomes available, they'll be in Pomona, California. And get ready, dad, because you'll be in that one.

1940 U.S. Census Community Project: Call for Volunteers

2012-04-02T07:47:00.001-05:00

1940 U.S. CENSUS COMMUNITY PROJECT ANNOUNCES CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS TO CREATE FREE, SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF 1940 U.S. CENSUS RECORDS

Most Informative Record of American Life prior to U.S. WWII Involvement Has Potential to Unlock New Insights into the Past, Discovery of Unknown Family Connections

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2012) – The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project—a joint initiative between the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com, and other leading genealogy organizations—announced today a national service project to create a free, high quality, searchable database of the 1940 U.S. census records. Through the indexing efforts of online volunteers across the U.S., records from the 1940 census that were closed by law for 72 years will be easier to find. These census records capture countless untold stories of those who lived through the Great Depression—great men and women who have been called “the greatest generation.”

With the support of NARA, the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project is leading the digital transformation effort to create an index entirely by online volunteers. Fueled by the joy of discovering fascinating surprises from their own family history, volunteer indexers are excited to join many thousands of Americans in an online community effort to make the historic 1940 U.S. census readily searchable for others.

“Many of us living today know someone in the 1940 U.S. census, but we may not know much more than their name or the town in which they lived,” said David S. Ferriero, archivist of the United States. “The 1940 census will unlock some of these mysteries for us. We are delighted to join with the U.S. Census Community Project to produce an index which will make this census much more user-friendly.”

When complete, the index and images will also be available online for free through the sponsoring organizations’ websites. Those interested in lending a hand can learn more and sign up to be an official 1940 U.S. census volunteer indexer at the 1940 census website (the1940census.com). The project aims to make available to the public a fully functional, free, and searchable record database by the end of 2012.

“Many parallels exist between life in 1940 and 2012: international conflict, the political intrigue of an election year, and efforts to rebuild a flagging economy,” said Dan Lynch, spokesperson for 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. “Our goal is that through the work of online volunteers across the nation, a fully digitized and searchable database of the 1940 census records can help strengthen connections between Americans, their families, and an important time in our collective history while bringing renewed understanding of the resolute courage past generations had in restoring America.”

The 1940 U.S. Federal Census is the largest, most comprehensive, and most recent record set available featuring the names of people living in the U.S. at the time. In fact, the census contains more than one million pages and features a depth of detail that paints a more complete portrait than was previously available of the 132 million people living in the U.S. during the Great Depression. From this new vantage point, we can learn about the life and times of our people living 72 years ago. Several new census questions appeared for the first time in 1940, including:

·         Where people lived five years prior to the census
·         Highest educational level achieved
·         Detailed income and occupation

Perhaps more so than at any other time in American history, these individuals taught us lessons in hardship and survival. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the subsequent New Deal programs have left an indelible footprint on American history. In addition, many of these men and women listed in the 1940 census went on to support the fight or actually fought in World War II. Helping index the census, for many, is a way of giving something back to this great generation and rightfully preserving their place in our nation’s history.

For more information, see The1940Census.com. I'm an indexer and I hope you will be, too! --A

Fun With Search Terms

2012-03-30T10:53:00.002-05:00

It's time for another round of "Fun with Search Terms!" People type certain words or phrases into search engines. If the combination is right, my blog turns up in the search results. Sometimes the searches are funny. Sometimes I can provide more information to users, if only they'd comment on my blog. Either way, I enjoy the process. Please note that these searches are anonymous so I don't know who is stumbling on my blog. I just comment in the hope that they find it again.

Now on with the show. Actual search phrases are in bold.

Houston Family History Expo 2012
Yes, indeed. The Houston Family History Expo is coming up: April 6 and 7 at the Houston Marriott South at Hobby Airport. I'll be there, so let's meet up. More details and registration information here.

Chaparral Genealogical Society closed
Nooooooooooo!! The society is very much open and welcoming new members. The society library is currently closed for inventory and as the group gets set to make some changes. The society, however, is alive and well.

Amy Coffin starting over
I am? How am I doing? I did start over once, by building a family history database from scratch. I guess that fits the bill.

stories to tell blogspot
Hmm...I know of Stories to Tell, which is a genealogy-based publishing business. They do have a blog, but it's not on the blogspot platform.

I hereby enclose
I hereby exclaim

who is riley fuzzel road named after
Have we not figured this out yet, folks? Sigh...here is the answer again.

the best way to get back at someone you don't like
Remove them from your mind and lead a happy life. They hate that. Also research your family history.

Thanks for playing!

What I Scanned...

2012-03-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a project for another person that includes a scanning task to it. On Tuesdays, I drive to another location and scan someone else's stuff as part of a larger family history project that also includes research and more.

Today was scanning day.

First, I scanned a bunch of letters that were sent to the same man. Most of them were from his wife during a 1924 trip to California. The woman had brought the couple's youngest child along, a son about 9 years old.

The letters were addressed to the husband from the wife every 4 days or so. It appears she was in California for about 5 weeks. She complained often that her husband never writes her back and she doesn't know how the family is faring without her. Some things never change.

The wife also included letters to her older daughters at home.

When placed in date order, these letters are an interesting read. They are a travelogue of the wife and her son as they see the sights in California. She complains about all of the cars and traffic. Some things never change.

Southern California is where I'm from, so I enjoyed reading about what she did (took her son to swim at Long Beach) and the various experiences she had as a person from the small-town Midwest.

After I was done scanning letters, I scanned a folder of loose photos of the same family.

There were photos of sisters, photos of brothers, photos of multiple generations. It was bittersweet scanning these photos and studying the smiles and sincere expressions of these family members. I felt like I knew their future. In my hand I held a photo of two beautiful girls, ages 4 and 2, knowing that the youngest died a couple years after the photo was taken. The same with the 12 year-old boy in another photo, the young father in another photo. When those pictures were taken, they did not know their future, but now we do.

In family history, you have to record the good and the bad, the happy and sad. Some things never change.

Branching Out: Genealogy for High School, a review

2012-03-23T10:42:00.001-05:00

Family history is so important, especially as it pertains to the younger generations. It is up to us to ensure the stories, lives and accomplishments of our ancestors are honored and preserved for future generations.

Drumming up youth interest in genealogy is no easy task, however. The term connotes images of old stuff, boring stories and other topics at which teens love to roll their eyes. How do we teach the simple joys of genealogy while sharing the important stories of our families’ histories?

Noted genealogist, speaker, author and mother of 3 Jennifer Holik provides an exciting solution with Branching Out:Genealogy for High School, Lessons 1-15.

Branching Out part 1 is a series of 15 lessons geared toward the teen audience. Each lesson includes a goal, vocabulary words, assigned reading, lesson and activity along with some worksheets and projects.

For example, lesson 6 asks the student to collect family history information then write a story based on those facts. Links to online articles pertaining to this subject are provided. The task involves utilizing information gathered in the previous lessons to create a sound family history biography. The results include a solid written genealogy piece as well as expanded family history knowledge for the student.

The author does recommend the purchase of certain genealogy books (a list is provided), but many of them and the assigned articles can be found online or through the public library. A 3-ring binder and basic school supplies (pen, paper, etc.) are needed to execute the lessons.

Holik builds a solid family history foundation from lesson 1, letting each task build from the previous ones. Students also gain experience in research, writing, interviewing and analytical techniques on top of the treasured stories they will learn about their relatives and ancestors. There’s even a gentle lesson in etiquette, as students are instructed to write thank you notes to the family members who granted interviews. The final result also includes a notebook suitable for any budding genealogist, filled with records, information, stories and written pieces that describe the student’s family history.

Branching Out: Genealogy for High School, Lessons 1-15 is the first in a groundbreaking series of genealogy education tools from Jennifer Holik. They are suitable for a homeschool or traditional curriculum*, supplemental education, independent study, service project or any other educational opportunity.

* I am not an expert in homeschool or general education. After reviewing these lessons, I feel they are of good quality and would incorporate them in my own curriculum if I was homeschooling or teaching in the classroom.

For more information, see Generationsbiz.com.

[Disclosure: Jennifer Holik is my colleague and friend. I received a review copy of this book. The opinions are my own. --A]