2010 Resolutions
Posted by David | Filed under Burger, Lankau, Reinmiller, Rick, genealogy
Last year at this time I was rehashing old resolutions that weren’t completed during the previous year. 2010 looks to be more of the same, though I did accomplish a few things. From 2009:
Order records or outsource research in Germany on at least five different family lines. I didn’t contact the Evangelical archives in Hessen like I wanted to last year for REINMÖLLER research, so that’s on the list. And I now have leads for help in Bavaria and Niedersachsen to help with a few more families.
Well, I did get started on the Hessen records for the REINMÖLLERs. I consider that a success, especially since some of the info I received helped immensely when it came to finally resolving conflicting details from years past. But in order to make ordering the rest of the records I need easier, it’s probably going to take all of 2010 to check another source of info to extract names and dates. I can do this cheaply and at my own pace.
Another succes was obtaining some of the Bavarian records I had intended to order for the BURGER family.
Resume researching deeds. I started on this years ago, but got away from it.
I failed miserably here.
Get a new computer. Things are starting to drag, especially opening large image files.
I did get the new computer and the faster speed did help a lot. I’m also using a dual monitor setup which I now consider an absolute must for all genealogists. It’s not that expensive or hard to implement.
Convince one of my brothers into helping more. What’s the best way to get someone addicted to genealogy?
Nope, no progress here. I did get a nephew hooked on going to cemeteries and taking photos, but he’s only four and his productivity is more for my enjoyment than serious results.
Make more of an effort to track down photos with a broader approach to contacting relatives.
Nothing done here either.
Pick one family, see what holes need to be filled and publish a book through Lulu or a similar service to see how well that process works.
I’m really hoping to begin this soon.
For 2010, my resolutions are:
- Finish the REINMÖLLER civil records from the FHL and order their counterparts from the Hessen Evangelical Archive.
- Complete and edit the RICK report before spring.
- Edit a new LANKAU report before spring.
- Implement my new checklist system.
- Implement my new filing and scanning system.
- Start working on my web site again.
- Maybe buy a new camera.
So I don’t have any overly ambitious plans. I just need to keep things moving forward.
This is Encouraging
Posted by David | Filed under Heaton, cemetery, genealogy
On a brief trip to the library the other night, I took a quick glance at a few films — one which will be written about soon for what I didn’t find — and pulled a few books.
I have been wanting to revisit an issue that came up regarding the Odd Fellows Cemetery near Granite City and the library has two volumes of Madison County cemetery transcriptions that cover this burial ground. One volume’s info was apparently source from Odd Fellows lodge records, while the other from a cemetery walk about 25 years ago. What I was trying to figure out was what exactly had been recorded as being on the gravestone of Isaac HEATON. If what was written is correct, a rather obvious error was made; Isaac was not the son of Valentine and Emmaline as noted. These three were siblings. I state that with almost 100% certainty because I don’t believe there was another family in the area with these names and these were the names of three of John HEATON’s children.
Another visit to the cemetery will have to be made when it’s warmer. We didn’t find the stone a few weeks ago. While disappointing, I wasn’t surprised by the outcome. On one hand, vandals apparently did a number on this cemetery beginning in the 1960s and it doesn’t appear to very well maintained, if at all. On the other hand, a stone was found in the mid-1980s. Is it among the pile of broken stones at the back of the property or a few inches under ground in the plot where it originally stood? That’s what the next visit will hopefully determine.
The thing that most excited me during this library visit was that while pulling books a small booklet fell off of the shelf. It was an older guide to records in Madison County. I hadn’t seen this before locally or during trips to Alton and Edwardsville. Among the few pages with small text were a handful of potential keys to help me unlock the mystery of John HEATON’s origin.
If none of those sources pan out, I will finally have to do something drastic that I’ve put off for a couple of years…
Keep Dreaming
Posted by David | Filed under genealogy
Genea-Musings’ latest SNGF asks which databases we’d like to see made available online. In that post, Randy mentions that he’d like to see probate indexes and files, regardless of locality, digitized and indexed.
John at TransylvanianDutch writes that he’d like to see complete databases for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat.
All three of those ideas would be toward the top of my own list, so I’m really going to shoot for the moon with my wishes.
1. I’d like for the church records from the Osnabrück area in Germany to be put online. Even an index to the records would be helpful. (Frankly, I’m settle for a paper copy of each church’s index.) Seven of my thirty-two 3rd great-grandparents were from the area roughly between Bramsche and Buer. That’s 22% of my ancestry.
What makes this subject somewhat frustrating is that another five 3rd great-grandparents were also from this general area, in most of the cases just a short distance south of Osnabrück, and their church records are readily available from the Family History Library. But cross that border from Westphalia into Osnabrück and the availability of records is, at best, hit and miss.
I understand that the churches and archives are protective of this information and the records, but it’s 2010. Let’s at least work towards helping researchers find clues. I can be as big of a cheapskate as the next person, but I’d gladly spend money for certain indexes, copies of records or to hire someone in Germany when I know results are there to be had.
2. Any databases that tell me which towns Ferdinand EBERT and John HEATON were from.
FamilySearch Indexing
Posted by David | Filed under genealogy
Too much time passed between my initial excitement about the FamilySearch indexing project and actually helping, so about a week ago I created an account and got started. I have no plans to index an enormous number of names, but every little bit helps.
The Beginner projects are very easy and most of the types of records can be completed in no time at all. Some of the Intermediate projects are also easy to complete without spending too much time per batch. This type of involvement is the perfect kind of project. I’ve been skeptical reading others comment that FamilySearch indexing was addicting, but it actually kind of is.
To register, click here.
Another Way to Kill Time
Posted by David | Filed under St. Louis, genealogy
Late Monday, while working on a checklist of online resources to be used in conjunction with a new printed checklist I’ll put to use soon, I browsed the databases available on the local library’s web site. My favorites are America’s Obituaries & Death Notices and HeritageQuest Online, but a new listing caught my eye: St Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-1922) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers). Like John, who wrote about this yesterday, I spent hours searching for different family names.
A handful of the search results were alarming; mentions of a stabbing on the levee, embezzlement charges and other crimes. Once I have time to sort through all of these articles, though, I don’t think many will end up actually being about my ancestors and collateral relatives. For instance, the articles about a “train boy” accused of embezzling $50 probably don’t refer to my ancestor of the same name who was 40 years old at the time. And the stabbing story looks like another case of the victim’s name not being all that unique.
I won’t know how well this database works until I spend more time searching for items such as obituaries that I know were published in the Post, but this definitely has potential.
MRUA
Posted by David | Filed under Germany, Schoknecht, genealogy
For Randy’s lastest Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:
My “Most Recent Unknown Ancestors” (MRUA) would be the parents of #35 Sophia Maria Friederike Johanna SCHOKNECHT, #70 and #71. The problem I’ve run into is that American records are not specific enough about when or where she was born. I can narrow her origin to an area of several towns in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, but without having an exact DOB there were too many SCHOKNECHT girls with similar names* born in that area when Lutheran church records from the 1830s were reviewed.
It’s been a while since I last worked this branch and it’s not one that’s on my radar for the near future, but it would be relatively easy to check or recheck a few sources to see if I missed a clue, perhaps a notation written in German that I neglected to translate.
I don’t believe there are any online resources to help in this case.
* Her name varies from record to record, so that doesn’t help the situation.
FamilySearch’s San Francisco Funeral Home Records
Posted by David | Filed under Rick, funeral, genealogy
I checked Bloglines tonight after work and one of Randy’s posts mentioned a new addition to the FamilySearch Pilot site: San Francisco Funeral Home Records. It’s rare that I take notice of California databases, but there were some distant collateral lines that made their way that far west. In this case, a database having to do with San Francisco records caught my eye because I’ve been trying to connect Jacob RICK (1836-?) to the Jacob RICK who was the half-brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, August RICK (1830-1915).
After entering the last name of RICK into the search tool, up popped a handful of records for or connected to Jacob RICK and his family. Although Jacob’s funeral home record does not name his parents or place of birth, it does list his date of birth as 25 Dec 1836. That is the same DOB for August’s half-brother.
Is this definitive? No. But I feel a lot better that the Jacob RICK who settled in San Francisco is the same Jacob RICK who was briefly in St. Louis (where August and other relatives lived) and the same Jacob RICK from Siegelsbach, Baden.
Mapping My To Do List
Posted by David | Filed under genealogy
For some time I’ve been playing with Google Maps to display different subjects — local church and cemetery locations, family migrations, etc. — but haven’t gotten around to finishing any of those. Here’s another I can add to the unfinished list, prompted by Randy’s recent post: things I need to do or places I need to go. Most of the locations on the map are places I’ve already been, but need to go back to for new info.
2009 is Looking Pretty Good
Posted by David | Filed under Burger, Germany, genealogy, news
Back in July, I attended a panel discussion hosted by one of the St. Louis Genealogical Society’s subgroups, the German Special Interest Group. The one tip that stuck with me the most was to send letters to everyone who could possibly help. Send a letter to the mayor. Send a letter to the church/pastor. Send a letter to a local history museum. Just send letters. The more the better.
A couple of days later, I went to the post office and bought several International Reply Coupons. I typed a couple of sets of letters targeting Friedewald and Kaudorf, where my REINMÜLLER and BURGER ancestors once lived. The goal was to make it obvious I was really interested in finding new information for my ancestors. I was hopeful for responses from Friedewald, but anything at all would have been icing on the cake considering that I am already in contact with the regional Evangelical Archive for this area and they have been very helpful so far.
About two weeks after the letters were mailed, I received a reply from the Bürgermeister (mayor) of Bechhofen. (Kaudorf is now part of Bechhofen). He forwarded my letter to the church which now had the records for Kaudorf.
Roughly two weeks later, I went to the library in a futile attempt to finish a roll of microfilm so that I could have it sent back to Salt Lake City rather than renewing for another month. I stayed until the library closed, grabbed a late dinner and watched a DVD that had come in the mail. I did not look at the rest of the mail until right before bed, which was a mistake because one of the envelopes caused me not to get much sleep that night.
The postmark was German and the town name was one I recognized as being near Kaudorf. Inside the envelope was a three-page letter with information for five generations of my BURGER ancestors. My request had made its way to a local researcher who occasionally volunteers to help with records from the many small villages in the area around Kaudorf.
While I was, and still am, excited and happy to have all of this information, it also felt good to know that the collateral research I and a cousin had been pursuing was worth the effort. It turns out that our belief of another group of BURGERs who also resided (briefly) in Grundy County, Illinois, were in fact related. More specifically, the two men we thought were brothers to our Georg Stephan BURGER were in fact his younger brothers, and the woman named as their mother was Georg Stephan’s mother, too. (The only downer from this discovery is realizing that the missing immigration and burial information for a once suspected relative is now the missing, and unlikely to be found, missing information for a confirmed ancestor.)
The bottom line is, if you know the name of a town where an ancestor was from and you cannot get information from the Family History Library or any other local resources, just take the plunge and write to as many people as possible. My letters were in English and I still got results.
Genealogically, this year is shaping up to be pretty successful. Finally taking the next step, making contact in Germany, is starting to pay off.
2010 Census Scams
Posted by David | Filed under census, news
Snopes: Census Concerns.
