DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog

READERS' FEEDBACK: Docu-Challenge #1

2009-11-20T13:07:00.005-07:00

Pictured above: 2801 Perkins Lane, Seattle, Washington. Image from http://maps.Google.com .

DearREADERS,
Thank-you for your thoughtful responses when asked to work with the newspaper clipping originally posted in yesterday's blog entry. Here's a smattering for your review. Those of my DearREADERS who didn't submit a reply can compare their thoughts with those expressed by others below:

From: From: C. Waldhauser waldhauser@cox.net
DearMYRTLE,
Like so many of the "old"news clippings we find in our searches -- NO -- date -- Where ? -- and what paper it came from? Keeps us searching more ? Well maybe, at least this keeps us out of trouble. haha

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From: Cindy Drage cdrage54@yahoo.com
DearMYRTLE,
I would describe this document as an undated newspaper clipping. What is missing is the title of the newspaper, where it was published and the date of publication. What it does give you is confirmation of your parents and an address.

Next steps for research would be finding the missing information. You could possibly find this through Ancestry.com, Newspaper Archives or other sources. If you know or are able to find the city where they lived, a City Directory should be checked. Since the father is a Dr. (although you may not know if he is a medical doctor or not), a directory of Physcians in the area may reveal some information. Other research steps may be to search for a deed and to search church records in the churches nearest to the address given for a baptism for the child.

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From: Merryann merryann@palmersrv.com
DearMYRTLE,
Gee - this looks like my Grandmother's scrapbook! I would describe it in the caption or description text as: "Undated newspaper clipping, showing Patti Player, age 3, in the front seat of the family car."

If the girl in the picture is known to me (as it would be if it was myself), I might word it like this: “Undated newspaper clipping, circa 1954, probably from Big Rapids, Michigan, showing Patti Player, age 3 (daughter of Glen S. Player and wife), in the front seat of the family car.

First, what does the clipping tell me?

· The little girl is Patti Player, age 3

· Her father is Glen S. Player

· They live at 2801 Perkins Lane

· The car appears to be an early 1950's sedan

· Time of year is cool enough for a coat, but apparently not too cold.

What is missing?

· The date

· The name of the newspaper, which would give the city of publication.

· The name of the mother.

· The city the address is in.

What might this clipping lead me to consult for further information?

· The newspaper archives or microfilm for the year in which it appears that the article was printed. I would start with mid-fall to early winter and then go to late winter, early spring. Actual choice of search range would depend on just where the photo was taken and the general weather for the area.

· The city directory for the town the family lived in at the time. This would cement the date range due to the address, and likely give the name of the mother, and any other residents of the house. It may also tell me the type of doctor the father was - an MD as opposed to a DVM. It could also indicate if the residence was owned or rented. Also, the office address of the father's medical office may be found in the business section of the directory.

· Land records for the property would show (if the family owned) how long the family was at the residence, the name of the wife, and who owned the property prior to and after this family. This is of interest in the event that the property was purchased from or by, or inherited from, a family member.

· Since Patti is usually a nickname, a newspaper search for birth announcements during the time period of her indicated birth year may provide information on her actual birth date, full name, and possibly the maiden name of the mother. Depending on the prominence of the family, information may also provide information or clues on the grandparents, and any siblings.

· If I did not know the marriage date of the parents, this could also lead me to examine marriage indexes for them prior to the birth of this child, as well as microfilm records for marriage announcements.

It's amazing what a simple clipping will lead you to, isn't it!!

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From: Earline Bradt ejbradt@gmail.com
DearMYRTLE,
RE: If you ran across this document in your family history research, I think this is a great idea.

I would describe it as a newspaper article. I can tell that you are supposed to be sitting in the back seat and are impatient and curious about what's going on outside of the car. Besides the obvious car-seat, seat-belt and adult supervision, the name of the town is missing along with the name of the newspaper and date of the picture. I would do a search of where your father went to University, when he got his degree, any published papers in Medical Journals, where he practiced, any further newspaper articles about him. I would look into the property records for the address, was it a rental or did he own it.

Thanks for the challenge.

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From: Lynn landers1958@yahoo.com
DearMYRTLE,
*How would I describe it...Well preserved family photo.

*What can you tell about Ol' Myrt...She was a very cute little girl! You're wearing a nice, warm coat. Your father was a doctor and owned a car.

* What is missing?...the name of the newspaper, city and state and date it was published.

* Additional records...Father's Army Enlistment Records, family census records, obituary & burial information, property records, birth and death records.

I also searched for "2801 Perkins Lane" and found that 2801 Perkins Lane W. is considered an “environmentally critical area” by Seattle Department of Planning (31 Aug 2009).

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FROM: al99337@charter.net
DearMYRTLE,
RE: If you ran across this document in your family history research:

How would you describe it? Newspaper clipping with ‘Ol’ Myrt’ at age 3.

What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided? Cute. Known as Patti. Parent’s name and address. Age confirmation. Father was a doctor(specialty unknown). Parents presumably both living at the time.

What is missing? City and state. Name and date of newspaper.

Which additional records might this lead you to review? Assuming there is other evidence of age available, the year, at least, of publication of the paper, and possibly the location. A search of cities with a ‘Perkins Lane’ might yield the city and state. From these, I would try to locate the paper in which the picture appeared, as it possibly contains additional helpful information. A city directory might include more information (relatives, etc), if one is available. A medical association annual or directory might contain much valuable information regarding your father and his education and parents and siblings. State records should containing medical licensing information. Census records could determine the range of time you lived in this location. A review of the newspaper during this time span might yield much additional information regarding the family, particularly if it was from a small town, as a doctor would probably be included in much of the social news in such a place.

It’s amazing what a little photo can trigger!

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FROM: Betty Jean Fritts bjfritts@smt-net.com
DearMYRTLE,
Arriving at Grandparents house! There is something exciting out there, cute picture!

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From: John Newmark gavroche@gmail.com
DearMYRTLE,
Here are my responses:

How would you describe it? Patti [Player?], age 3, photo and caption, unknown newspaper, unknown date. (and then a transcription of caption).

What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided? When you were three years old, your father was someone with a Ph.D. (Whether this was your biological father is uncertain. What that Ph.D. was in is uncertain.) This father's name was Glen Player. You were called Patti. The Player home was at 2801 Perkins Lane. City and state unknown. It's a fair assumption the car, whatever model and make, was the property of Dr. and Mrs. Glen Player. Though this is an assumption, and isn't certain. Nothing can really be determined for certain about hair/skin color as it is a faded black and white photograph.

What is missing? The most important details missing are: The name and date of the newspaper. The location where the photograph was taken. The date the photograph was taken. The first name of the mother.

Which additional records might this lead you to review? I'd review my records on any individuals named Glen Player. If I know where they lived, I would use Google Maps to ascertain whether that city contains a "2801 Perkins Lane." If I don't have any Glen Players, I would review my records on all my Player surnames. Do any of them have a middle initial "G"?

Thanks for the challenge
John Newmark
http://transylvaniandutch.blogspot.com

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From: Laurie Hogan steelmagnolia19790@gmail.com

DearMYRTLE,
My replies inserted below.

How would you describe it? It appears to be cut from a newspaper. A photo of not recent vintage, based on the car, clothing of the child. Based on those factors, I'd say time frame is late 1930s-late 1940s (& would probably narrow to late 1940s) that being said due to the rationing during WWII.

What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided? Her father's full name (missing the complete middle name, though), his profession, the fact that the father's wife (assumed mother) is living, the street address. Based on the outer clothing, I'd think it was taken during colder weather.

What is missing? The child's full name (is Patti a nickname or her real name? If a nickname, is it a shortening of her real name?), the city & state, the newspaper name & location, the date, the page of the newspaper (for an appropriate citation).

Which additional records might this lead you to review? Google for the street address.

I will assume that certain information is known (i.e., the approximate time frame for the pic, the location or a general location) which would narrow down the search parameters to either a state or a general area of the country.

Once the address is identified & the newspaper is identified, then birth records can be checked (in newspaper or churches), the father's information can be checked.

The father's occupation can be used to locate the family. If i'm right, the AMA (American Medical Association) has a directory that can be searched.

Again, once location is determined, the courthouse records can be checked (marriage records, land records, business license, other legal documentation). The city directory, if available, is an option. Would school records be available? If so, other siblings might be discovered.

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From: Kathryn Lester Sewsoslow@aol.com
DearMYRTLE,
I would label it: Unnamed newspaper clipping, where found, who owns and address, when found.

What can you tell: The child's name, age, parents, and street address. It looks like she is wearing a heavier coat, so it could be during a colder time period, and in the region of the country that does get cooler (I wouldn't necessarily search in Texas, Florida, etc..) You can possibly get a time period from the clothing and the car style. Someone may even be able to identify what type of vehicle she is in.

What is missing: The name, date, page and column number of the newspaper, and is there more to the story?

Which additional records might this lead you to review: What is intriguing is that her father is a doctor. I would suggest looking up the license information for doctors at the state level. This could give you leads on where his schooling took place, and may give you the town he practiced in. When you know what town or county they lived in, you could try looking in the papers during the year that Patti is 3 years old. Depending on where they lived, it looks like she is dressed in a coat, so it could be during the regions cooler time period. You could try looking for an index of names in the local paper (I've been very fortunate in using Access Newspaper Archive). I would look in the city directories, local historical and genealogical society holdings also. You might look up local hospitals to find which one he was affiliated with also.

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From: Glenda Holmes glendaholmes@me.com
DearMYRTLE,
This picture is a cute one of a young (probable) girl. The car has a vent window which could be helpful to date the picture, if the person, in this case, you, was not known. The caption lists her parents, but not her name. An address is listed which gives a location, if you know the town of the newspaper.

The picture also gives a sense of the happy, outgoing nature of the child. No other children are shown, which might indicate she is an only child. Her father is a doctor which would lead you to medical association’s records of that time. If the location was not known, a Google search of the address itself might help locate the newspaper.

From my monitor, I cannot tell much about her clothing, which can give clues to the affluence of the family.

I do note that the child is in the front seat, which is now outlawed.

The child's haircut seems, to me, to be from the 1950s, which is another avenue of research for dating the era (again, assuming you do not know the family).

I am sure I am missing other clues.

You were a cute kid!

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From: Melissa Barker kaitysmom@peoplestel.net
DearMYRTLE,
Here are my responses to the Docu-Challenge #1:

How would you describe it? A newspaper clipping showing a photo of 3-year old Patti Player, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Glen S. Player, in the front passenger seat of a vehicle. Patti lives at 2801 Perkins Lane.

What can you tell about Ol'Myrt? She is in a car in the front passenger seat. She enjoys riding in the car and especially in the front seat. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Glen S. Player and lives at 2801 Perkins Lane. She has a very pretty smile!

What is missing?

-The name of the newspaper this was published.

-The date, page number and column this was published.

-The location that this newspaper is circulated (State, County, City).

Which additional records might this lead you to review?

-Birth records for Patti Player (this would give you a place of birth and a start on where Patti could have been living at the time of the newspaper clipping)

-City Directories for Dr. and Mrs. Glen S. Player and also listings for Dr. Glen Player's medical practice

-Deed records for Dr. and Mrs. Glen S. Player to establish when they obtained the property at 2801 Perkins Lane

Melissa Barker
Professional Genealogist for Tennessee and Kentucky
Visit My Website: www.freewebs.com/genealogyservices

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From: AnnL7777@aol.com
DearMYRTLE,
It is a clipping from a newspaper.

The paper has space for local-interest items. The name of the child and her parents are given. Their address is given. The child's name is given. She is a white child, probably middle class, lively and friendly.

The newspaper's name, its locaton and the date are missing.

The name of the town or city is not given.

I've met you,so I know your approximate age. Your parents may or may not appear in the 1930 Census. I looked on Ancestry and found a Glen S. Player, in Seattle, age 11, which means he was born about 1919. This is a good match since I know that your elderly parents recently died in Bellevue, WA.

I'd check the SSDI (Social Security Death Index) Seattle and Bellevue papers for an obituary. I'd double check in some of the Seattle City Directories for the 1950s for his name at that address.

That's a start.

===================
Ol' MYRT'S RESPONSE
===================

SO, DearREADERS,
Ol' Myrt here will give you the rest of the story, in true Paul Harvey style.

This picture of me in yesterday's blog entry was taken in the front seat of my mother Barbara’s car and was published in one of the Seattle newspapers, perhaps the Seattle Times or the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Since I was born in 1951,that would put the publication date at sometime after January 1954. My parents were still married at the time. I remember vividly the red corduroy coat and the big buttons. My mother cut my bangs.This picture was apparently before she gave me a Tony Home Permanent on the outside south steps of our home, built by my father Glen Shirl Player, MD on property he purchased for about $10,000 shortly after I was born. Not pictured is my brother Michael, born in December 1952. I remember when we lived in this house (we didn't move away when I was ready for 1st grade) that one time, when winding down to Perkins Lane, the passenger side car door opened, and Mike nearly slipped out, except that I was able to catch him and hold on until my mother stopped the car.

Ph. D or MD?
It never occured to me that "Dr. & Mrs." would lead someone to consider my father had a Ph. D. in something, since I've only known him as a physician and surgeon. This is a classic example of how my own experience clouds my description of something. This is something all researchers should avoid.

GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ADDRESS
Since two of you thought to Google for the address, I thought I'd do it for ya. The responses did NOT list our true address at the time 7801 Perkins Lane, Seattle, Washington which was guessed at correctly by Lynn. (Did you recall I have spoken of Seattle many times in past columns?) Google Maps only thought about:

GOOGLE SEARCH FOR GLEN PLAYER
WOW, I had forgotten about the special page dedicated to my father at Footnote.com. Its at the top of the list of hits for Glen S. Player:

That second one is Ol' Myrt's blog entry including Dad's obituary.

ANCESTRY RESULTS

That last entry surprised me. Ol' Myrt here hadn't heard of the BGMI. When I clicked, I found the following description of the collection: "This database is a compiled index to millions of Americans who have been profiled in collective biography volumes such as Who's Who in America, Women of Science, Who's Who of American Women, National Cyclopedia to American Biography, Directory of American Scholars, and American Black Writers. It includes information first published in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In addition to providing the individual's name, birth, and death dates (where available), the reference to the source document is included." The BGMI index entry for my Dad reads:

Name: Glen Shirley Player
Birth - Death: 1918-
Source Citation: Who's Who in the West. 14th edition, 1974-1975. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1974. (WhoWest 14)

Now, I do know that my Dad was listed in Who's Who in the West, and indeed, I have a copy of this publication.

THE RANDOMLY CHOSEN WINNER?
The 4GB Flash Drive goes to Merryann merryann@palmersrv.com. Merryann, if you would email mail me privately with your snail mail address, I'll have Amazon.com send one out to you immediately. Congrats!

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

Docu-Challenge #1

2009-11-19T17:25:00.001-07:00

DearREADERS,
If you ran across this document in your family history research:

How would you describe it?
What can you tell about Ol' Myrt (yes, this is ME at age 3!) from the information provided?
What is missing?
Which additional records might this lead you to review?

Write to Ol' Myrt, and give me your suggestions. A RANDOM pick from respondents will win a 4 GB flash drive. Send replies to Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com .

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

DAR: Online databases now available

2009-11-18T13:26:00.004-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at the NSDAR (National Society Daughters of the American Revolution). Please address all inquiries to Eric Grundset as indicated below:

From: Eric Grundset
Date: 1 Nov 2009
To: A public email list for Librarians Serving Genealogists

"After nearly a decade of scanning, indexing, and other behind-the-scenes work by DAR members and employees, the Daughters of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the availability of the DAR Genealogical Research System on our public website. Here are the direct links:

http://www.dar.org/library/online_research.cfm or www.dar.org (and click on the Library button at the top, then the second tab in the left-hand column).

The GRS is a growing collection of databases that provide access to many materials collected by the DAR over the past 119 years. Included in this collection of databases is the GRC National Index which has been available to researchers for the past few years. There are still some kinks we’re working out here and there.

When you go to the link above, you will find several tabs that will enable searching in the various databases:

Ancestor – established DAR Revolutionary War Ancestors and basic information about them with listings of the applications submitted by descendants who joined the DAR [updated daily]

Member – limited access to information on deceased/former DAR members – not current members.

Descendants – index of generations in applications between the DAR member and the Revolutionary War ancestor. There is much eighteenth and nineteenth-century information here. [ongoing indexing project]

GRC – everyname index to 20,000 typescript volumes (some still being indexed) of genealogical records such as cemeteries, Bibles, etc. This index is not limited to the period of the American Revolution at all.

Resources [In particular, the digitized DAR Library Revolutionary Pension Extract Card Index and the Analytical Index Cards. Other information sources will be coming in the near future, mostly relating to Revolutionary War service, bibliographies, Forgotten Patriots (updates), etc. Read the introductions to these to learn why these are both important genealogical indexes. For example, the Rev. War pension index includes the names of people mentioned in those pensions that were abstracted (not just the pensioner or widow)!!!!]

Library Catalog – our book, periodical, and manuscript holdings

Each of these has interrelated content, and a description of each is given more fully on the website. You will notice restricted information in many search results. This is the result of a concerted effort to protect the identity of our members while providing historical genealogical information to researchers.

The national numbers of members (without the names of living members) given in the search results are needed to order copies of applications and supplemental applications. They do not lead online researchers to any other information about the member.

Please pass this information on to your researchers.

Eric G. Grundset
Library Director
DAR Library
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
1776 D Street, N. W.
Washington, DC 20006-5303
egrundset@dar.org
202-879-3313

RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch

2009-11-18T13:17:00.004-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at RootsMagic.com. Please address all inquiries to support@rootsmagic.com.

RootsMagic Releases Free Genealogy Software for New FamilySearch

"RootsMagic Essentials" Becomes Only Free FamilySearch Certified Desktop Genealogy Software

SPRINGVILLE, Utah. — November 18, 2009 — RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of RootsMagic Essentials, free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake and is the only completely free desktop genealogy software certified to work with the New FamilySearch system.

Essential Features for Everyone
“Many of our users have told us that they have friends and family members who are interested in getting started in family history but aren’t ready to invest in a more comprehensive package like RootsMagic,” said Bruce Buzbee, president. “RootsMagic Essentials gives them the features they need to start researching and recording their family tree at a price that can’t be beat—free!”

RootsMagic Essentials shares many of the same features with the full RootsMagic software including clean and friendly screens, the ability to add an unlimited number of people and events, pictures and media management, the SourceWizard to write your source citations for you, powerful merging and clean-up tools, dozens of reports and charts, support for international character sets, FamilySearch integration, and the ability to share data with other people and software programs. The full version of RootsMagic is available for purchase and includes features not available in RootsMagic Essentials.

New FamilySearch Made Easy
As a FamilySearch certified application, RootsMagic Essentials bridges the gap between your personal family history data and the New FamilySearch internet site. It can seamlessly share your family tree with others through New FamilySearch as well as retrieve the information that you don't have. It also simplifies cleaning up, combining, and correcting information.RootsMagic is the first software certified to reserve and request LDS temple ordinances. It identifies persons that need ordinances, checks for duplicate ordinances, and reserves ordinances for you to complete. When you are ready, RootsMagic will even print an ordinance request at home that can be taken directly to the temple to print the actual ordinance cards.

Perfect Upgrade for PAF
Users of the PAF genealogy software will discover that their software is unable to directly work with New FamilySearch. RootsMagic Essentials has all of the fundamental features of PAF combined with New FamilySearch integration and much more. It also makes the transition painless by directly reading all of your information from PAF.

Free and Available NowRootsMagic Essentials is available now for free at http://www.rootsmagic.com. Users of other genealogy software products will find it easy to experiment with RootsMagic Essentials using their own data. RootsMagic Essentials can directly import data from PAF, Family Tree Maker (through 2006), Family Origins, and Legacy Family Tree. It can also read and write data using the popular GEDCOM format.

"We're excited to make RootsMagic Essentials available to the community," said Michael Booth, vice-president. "Our mission is to provide 'software to unite families' and our hope is that RootsMagic Essentials will encourage more people to record their family trees and connect with their family histories".

About RootsMagic, Inc.
For over 20 years, RootsMagic, Inc. has been creating computer software with a special purpose—to unite families. One of our earliest products- the popular "Family Origins" software, introduced thousands of people to the joy and excitement of family history.

That tradition continues today with "RootsMagic", our award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history fun and easy. "Personal Historian" will help you easily write and preserve your life stories. "Family Reunion Organizer" takes the headaches out of planning those important get-togethers. And "Family Atlas" creates beautiful and educational geographic maps of your family history.For more information, visit http://www.rootsmagic.com.Source: RootsMagic, Inc.

APG welcomes new President: Laura Prescott

2009-11-14T13:26:00.002-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was received from offices of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott [pictured above] of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very excited about the next two years. We have a diverse and enthusiastic group of people on the board. This enthusiasm, coupled with the momentum from the current administration, will surely bring benefits to our members.

Chapters will continue to play a vital role in reaching members and genealogists on a local level, while we try innovative ways, nationally and internationally, to educate and inform the membership, as well as aspiring genealogists. As professionals, we have a responsibility to set an example and support each other in making positive contributions to the entire genealogical community and to the profession.” APG members also elected three members of the board’s executive committee to two-year terms, eleven of its nineteen regional directors, and two members to one-year terms on the nominating committee.

Kenyatta D. Berry of Santa Monica, California, a genealogist, entrepreneur, and lawyer with more than 12 years of experience in genealogy research and writing was elected vice president of the nearly 2,000 member organization.

Andrew M. “Drew” Smith, MLS, of Odessa, Florida, president of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, and co-host of the Genealogy Guys Podcast was elected secretary.

Current APG treasurer, Gordon Gray of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was re-elected. He owns GrayLine Group, a genealogical/family history research business and is the president of the International Society for British Genealogy & Family History.

Eleven regional director positions will be filled by:

West Region:

Suzanne Russo Adams, AG, of Utah, specialist in Italian research and employee of Ancestry.com.
James Ison, AG, CG, of Utah, president of the APG Salt Lake Chapter and manager of Strategy and Planning for the Family History Library.

Midwest Region:

Mary Clement Douglass, Salina, Kansas, former museum curator and co-founder of the APG Heartland Chapter.
Jay Fonkert, CG, St. Paul, Minnesota, genealogical educator and writer, and president of the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

Southeast Region:

Alvie L. Davidson, CG, a Florida-based Private Investigator and Circuit Court qualified expert.
Craig Roberts Scott, CG, President and CEO of Heritage Books, Inc.
Melanie D. Holtz, of North Carolina, specialist in Italian research.

Northeast Region:

Debra Braverman, New York, national speaker and forensic genealogist who regularly testifies as an expert witness.
Pamela S. Eagleson, CG, Maine, researcher, writer, and teacher focusing on New England, the mid-Atlantic, and Midwest.

International Regions:

Michael Goldstein of Israel, traces roots worldwide, specializing in family reunification, heir searches, and holocaust research.
Carole Riley, a professional genealogist based in Sydney, Australia with a background in computer applications.

David McDonald, CG, of Wisconsin, currently serving as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and a director of the National Genealogical Society; and Donna M. Moughty, Florida, speaker and writer were elected to one-year terms on the nominations committee.

The Association of Professional Genealogists (http://www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents nearly 2,000 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers, and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring, and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy, local, and social history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada, and thirty other countries.

Eisenhower Quilts of Valor Challenge

2009-11-13T09:03:00.002-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from the Eisenhower Presidential Library. Please address all inquiries to eisenhower.library@nara.gov.

Eisenhower Quilts of Valor Challenge
13 Nov 2009

ABILENE, Kan. - The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to announce its first ever Annual Veterans Day Quilts of Valor Challenge. Participants will have nearly a year to work on their quilts for submission. Quilts will be collected and put on display in time for Veterans Day 2010.

In partnership with the Quilts of Valor Foundation and the Kansas Quilts of Valor, the quilts will be distributed to wounded service men and women. Distribution points will include military and VA hospitals, CVN-69 USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and other veteran organizations.

This challenge is being organized by Jan Hottman, staff member at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. "Not only were quilts and blankets made on the home front for troops during WWII, but support and concern for the troops was paramount to Eisenhower. This is one more way for us to carry on the legacy of the 5-star General and 34th President of the United States," states Hottman. "The Eisenhower boys helped their mother, Ida Stover Eisenhower, make quilts for the family while growing up in Abilene. He would understand the comfort and love of something made by hand."

The QOV organization provides heirloom quality quilts for men and women who have been injured serving our country. They deserve to have a quilt that will be handed down in their families. Think of the quilt as a special hug from you to them. The quilts may be pieced, quilted, and labeled by a single person, group, or school. If you are not able to complete the quilting, you may submit the top with backing and label to be completed by volunteers.

Quilt entries should be a minimum size of 50" by 60" and maximum is 72" by 96" and include matching binding and backing. The backing should be a surplus of 4" on all four sides of the top. Standard/twin size pillowcases made from extra material should also be included. These pillowcases can later be used for storing the QOV.

Additional details may be found on the web site at www.eisenhower.archives.gov.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration working to promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire. An admission fee is charged for the Museum only.

Footnote: Details of the Holocaust Collection

2009-11-13T07:46:00.006-07:00

DearREADERS,

Thank-you to Justin Schroepfer for providing valuable information about the National Archives (US) Holocaust Collection available at Footnote.com:

"Originally, we planned to have these records open to the public for only the month of October. However, due to the popularity of this collection, we have decided to keep the records open free to the public through the rest of this year. This will enable more people to search and explore the original records from the National Archives. On January 1, 2010 these records will become part of the paid subscription on Footnote.com. These records, however, will remain free to access through any of the National Archives physical locations. [...] The url for the microsite where these records can be accessed is: http://go.footnote.com/holocaust_records ."

Ol' Myrt here did a little research and discovered that the collection includes:

Ardelia Hall Collection -- intelligence reports, interrogation reports, captured documents, and general information regarding Nazi looting.
War Crimes Collection -- The documents are transcripts, in German, of trial testimony, clemency petitions, affidavits, prosecution exhibits, photographs of concentration camps, etc., as well as original German documents used as evidence in the prosecution of the numerous war crimes cases.
Captured German Records -- The majority of this collection consists of concentration camp records, including releases, transfers and deaths lists. There are daily reports of changes, as well as some administrative material from the camps.
Dachau Concentration Camp Entry Registers -- The first Nazi camp created for political prisoners, Jews, and other so-called undesirables. Records feature information including prisoner names and number, birth date, birth place, etc.
Flossenburg Concentration Camp Entry Registers -- Original records from the camp for political prisoners, criminals, and “asocial” individuals.
Mauthausen Death Books -- Lists of those held at what some consider the most physically brutal concentration camp of the Nazi regime.
WWII Nuremburg Interrogation Records -- Pre-trial interrogation transcripts as well as summaries and other pertinent records for nearly 200 individuals who were questioned by the Interrogation Division.

DATA POSTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PROCESSING
Note there is a caveat above the search box on the Holocaust Collection that reads "We are continuing to add records to our search database. If you didn’t find what you were looking for, come back soon and check again." Anxious to make individual records available as soon as possible, Footnote has decided to put indexes and images up on the website as soon as they are available, even if the collection isn't yet complete. (Wonderful!)

For example: Click to search an individual collection, the Dachau Entry Registers. The researcher is presented with a page containing more details about the registers themselves, in addition to the search box for that collection. There are also two useful options to keep you informed about the completeness of the collection, circled in the screen shot below:

Close review indicates that this morning the collection includes 573 pages and is estimated to be 57% complete, as shown below:

By clicking the "WATCH" button, a researcher may add the collection to his personal "watch list" and receive email when images or member discoveries are added to this specific collection. One may also "UNWATCH" the collection when research is complete.

PUT FOOTNOTE'S COMPUTERS TO WORK FOR YOU WHILE YOU SLEEP

Ol' Myrt here wouldn't advise "UNWATCHING" a particular collection, though you may be inclined to do so once you've located a document concerning your ancestor. Quite simply, you want to know when other researchers contribute to the collection.

That other researcher may be a here-to-fore unknown distant cousin. That other researcher may elect to attach a picture of the ancestor or the scanned image of a unique document handed down through his family. Most likely, additional information the other researcher has to share will prove valuable to your understanding of the common ancestor. Why not let the Footnote.com computers keep track of all this, so you don't have to go back and check each collection individually every few days?

This "WATCH" service is free, and is a win-win for researchers and Footnote.com alike. You stay on top of newly added content for the databases you are interested in reviewing, and Footnote.com has a legitimate reason to invite you back to their website.

FREE ACCESS AT NATIONAL ARCHIVES

As part of the digitization agreement with Footnote and other websites, the National Archives maintains free access to these digital images and indexes at all National Archives branches for researchers who wish to visit those locations in person. However, most of us find access through our home computers to membership sites, such as Footnote.com, a much better use of our research dollars. In my case, savings earned will go in the "travel kitty" so I can visit in person those places on the globe where my ancestors once lived but records are still buried in dusty government or church archives. In this day and age, any way to save money is well appreciated.

If you have any questions about the Holocaust Collection at Footnote.com, contact justin@footnote.com.

Happy family tree climbing!

Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

NEGHS: New scholarly journal

2009-11-12T20:53:00.003-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at The New England Historic Genealogical Society. Please address all inquiries to tchampoux@nehgs.org.

NEHGS ANNOUNCES NEW SCHOLARLY JOURNAL
American Ancestors Journal includes New York and other research beyond New England

Boston, MA – November 2009 – New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) announces the launch of a new scholarly publication, American Ancestors Journal, to be included in the October 2009 issue of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.

This new annual supplement will include valuable information outside of New England, including New York state and other regions popular with families migrating out of New England. American Ancestors Journal is automatically included with NEHGS membership, and will be available in both print and paperless PDF formats.

D. Brenton Simons, NEHGS President and CEO, said, “The creation of this new vehicle for communicating valuable scholarship beyond New England will serve our geographically diverse audience with first rate content and, at the same time, broaden our institutional reach.”
American Ancestors Journal will provide readers genealogical content of national scope, with an emphasis on New York State and out migrations from New England. This first installment is thirty-six pages and future issues may be longer. The editors are Henry B. Hoff and Helen Schatvet Ullmann, who are also the editor and associate editor of the Register, respectively.

Simons added, “Many good articles have been submitted to the Register that had only a minimal connection to New England — or none at all. Articles like these will now be considered for American Ancestors Journal. The editors are looking for short articles (eight pages or less), that solve identification problems or present a brief genealogy in the eighteenth and/or nineteenth centuries, with an emphasis on New York State and out migrations from New England.

The most recent survey of NEHGS members revealed that New York research was of great interest to members, second only to Massachusetts. The creation of American Ancestors Journal is one response to that survey. Other NEHGS initiatives for New York State research include the addition of New York material on NewEnglandAncestors.org, particularly “Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787–1835,” an essential resource for upstate New York research. Each issue of New England Ancestors Magazine now has a “Focus on New York” column, in addition to periodic New York articles.

About NEHGS
The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845, is the country's oldest non-profit genealogical organization. With more than 23,000 members nationally, NEHGS collects, preserves, and interprets materials to help make accessible the histories of families in America. Headquartered in Boston, the NEHGS library and research center is home to more than 15 million books, journals, artifacts, bibles, photographs, documents, microfilms, and other original records. NEHGS also boasts one of the largest genealogy manuscript collections in the country, covering more than four centuries of local and family history. The award-winning Web site, http://www.newenglandancestors.org/ contains more than 110 million names in more than 2,500 databases. The expert staff specialize in a variety of ethnic and geographic areas, including early and colonial American, New York, immigration, African American, Jewish, English, Irish, Scottish, European, and eastern and French Canadian.

Thanks for making the FIX, Ancestry.com

2009-11-12T11:01:00.005-07:00

DearREADERS,

Last month at the Utah Genealogical Association's Salt Lake Chapter (and DearMYRTLE Study Group) meeting at the Family History Library, I wasn't able to send a copy of an Ancestry.com census record to my Facebook page, as I had done earlier in the day. See DearMYRTLE's blog entry titled Ancestry.com: to FB or not to FB.

My problem was a misinterpretation of the "SHARE" buttons. See DearMYRTLE's blog entry titled Ancestry to FB: Follow up. Ol' Myrt's suggestion that using one "SHARE" button in two places, with different purposes was confusing, to say the least. Ancestry has apparently listened and resolved the problem.

Last night, at this month's UGA meeting, Ol' Myrt here demonstrated that one of the buttons had been replaced by an expanded option including the well-recognized icons for email, Facebook and Twitter.

THANKS for making the change, Ancestry.com. Now it is entirely clear that one may elect to share the image via Facebook, Twitter or email from the INDEX DETAIL page, shown above. We checked and discovered that the IMAGE VIEW, with the old-style "SHARE" button only offers the email option, shown below.

Ol' Myrt here just loves it when the folks at Ancestry.com listen! They may now be publically traded, but let's hope they continue to strive to listen to the little guy (or gal, as the case may be.)

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

Ancestry.com: free military records access

2009-11-11T09:55:00.003-07:00

DearREADERS,
Today through the 13th of November, our friends at Ancestry.com are providing free access to military records -- in honor of Veterans Day.

Please also note that a new collection has been added -- over 600 Navy Cruise books, in a new cooperative venture with the US Navy.

Check these out at www.ancestry.com/military

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

4 speaking invitations this week

2009-11-10T09:00:00.005-07:00

DearREADERS,
It's a busy week for Ol' Myrt, who jumps at the chance to visit with other genealogists. Here's the line-up:

Tuesday
10 Nov 2009
at the fire pit in Just Genealogy
6-7 pm Second Life time (same as Pacific US)
Each 2nd Tuesday of the month we tackle a few additional examples of citations found in Elizabeth Shown Mill's Evidence Explained.

Wednesday
11 Nov 2009
Utah Genealogical Association & DearMYRTLE's Study Group Meeting
at the Family History Library "(B-1 Classroom)
6 pm - 8:45 pm
The first 10 people can "share", then we'll discuss the first the first two groups in Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America by David Hackett Fischer:

East Anglia to Massachusetts: The Exodus of the English Puritans
The South of England to Virginia: Distressed Cavaliers and Indentured Servants

Though you may not have ancestors in either group, study of social, religious, housing, government and other "folkways" will serve to hone analysis skills when looking at our own immigrant ancestors.

Friday
13 Nov 2009
APG - Salt Lake Chapter Luncheon Meeting
Luncheon
"Finding Female Ancestors"
Contact Chapter President Jim Ison at jimison@comcast.net for details.

Saturday
14 Nov 2009
Port Angeles (WA) Genealogy Jamboree
via GoToMeeting.com
9 am (Pacific) "The Clothesline approach to Family History Research"
1 pm (Pacific) "Why Ol' Myrt likes Ancestry.com"

For those of you in the greater Salt Lake City area, I hope to see you sometime this week. If you can get to the Port Angeles Jamboree, and would like to know more, contact the local Family History Center Director, Kathy Fotens kfotens@olypen.com.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

Wi-Fi on Southwest Airlines

2009-11-10T08:10:00.005-07:00

DearREADERS,
Today's flight from Chicago Midway to Salt Lake International via Southwest Airlines offered a pleasant diversion -- Wi-Fi (for a price) above 10,000 feet. While there are no electrical outlets, those with charged batteries are sure to have access for at least an hour or so. This might justify the purchase of additional battery packs for business class laptop users.

During the test period, the costs range from $2 to $12.
The signal was a strong 5 bars most of the time.
The login screen was simple and quick with industry standard secure server credit card processing.

The opening screen features the Southwest flight plan, showing our progress across the country. Also on the opening screen is a "Destination" tab with a map of Salt Lake, points of interest, local hotels, etc.

The advertising flyer in each seat pocket explains:

"All you need is a Wi-Fi-enabled device, with an internet browser. Please note that cellular devices without a Wi-Fi component will not work with this system, and their use is restricted to Game or Airplane mode per current regulations."
"Please keep in mind that some heavy bandwidth applications (video downloads, voice calls, etc." will be blocked to preserve a high quality experience for all users onboard." This means I won't attempt to look at multiple Ancestry.com document images, but I wouldn't consider it unwise to use the Family History Library Catalog to do last minute preparations for a research trip. OK, that's a double negative.
"As is common on many other public networks, we will attempt to filter indecent content." Great! I wouldn't want to sit next to someone looking at a porn site.

If you decide to open additional browser tabs (I'm using Windows Vista and Firefox 3.0.12), there is a minor inconvenience that reminds users this is the Southwest Wi-Fi service. Its an unobtrusive, dedicated 1.5 inch top border advertising Southwest airlines, a banner ad from a partner (in this case Springhill Suites) and indication of destination (Salt Lake City); current altitude (23, 978 feet); and time-to-go (2 hrs, 50). But unlike the old freebie webspaces, this banner ad scrolls out of the way -- something useful for laptop users with smaller screens.

ISN'T THE COST TOO HIGH?
It would seem to me that the advertising revenue from the vendors at the destination city should more than cover the cost of providing the Wi-Fi on this Southwest flight, so I hope Southwest takes that into consideration.

BRAVO! to Southwest for thinking outside the box.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

Legacy Cruise: NZ & Australia Nov 2010

2009-11-09T13:57:00.003-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at LegacyFamilyTree.com. Please address all inquiries through their travel agent book@aatraveltime.com.

The 7th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, held November 8-21, 2010, starts and ends in Sydney, Australia and visits the following New Zealand ports: Fjordland National Park, Dunedin (Port Chalmers), Christchurch (Lyttelton), Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and Bay of Islands. We will sail on Princess Cruises Sun Princess ship.

Experience Australia and New Zealand the way you've always dreamed.

Australia and New Zealand provide some of the most unique and beautiful landscapes in the world. Spotlight the bustling metropolises of Sydney and Auckland, plus the incredible wildlife on land and at sea, and you have all the elements for a truly memorable vacation. From the sophistication of the Opera House and the world-class wineries, to the rugged individualism of the Outback and its inhabitants, Australia and New Zealand possess a wonderful diversity of sights, activities and cultures. Few travel experiences can rival the excitement of sailing into the glistening harbors of Sydney and Auckland, as well as inspiring attractions, such as scenic Fjordland National Park, just to name a few.

Genealogy Classes At Sea

On the days we are at sea attend the Legacy Family Tree genealogy classes and learn the real secrets to becoming an expert with Legacy and improving the way you do your research. Go home with the knowledge and tools you need to be more successful than you ever thought possible. You will be learning directly from the experts. Last year's classes were recorded for each of the students so they could replay them at home.

The Ship

Our ship, the Sun Princess, has more than 400 balcony staterooms, so you can wake up to your own exclusive vista. Take a dip in one of three spacious pools or spend your evening at one of the show lounges with unique performances each night. Dining options are also plentiful, including two formal dining rooms, the Sterling Steakhouse and the 24-hour Horizon Court. And don't miss the Lotus Spa for some pampering.

Reservations or Questions

Prices begin at US $1595 per person, double occupancy. The price includes:

genealogy classes
shipboard accommodations
ocean transportation
meals
some beverages
most onboard entertainment

Port charges, taxes, gratuities, airfare and optional tours are extra.

Click here to securely book your cruise online.

To reserve a cbain, or ask questions, contact our travel agency, AA Travel Time at 888-505-6997 or send an email to book@aatraveltime.com.

More Information

For class descriptions, frequently asked questions, descriptions of the places we'll visit, or pictures of our past cruises, visit http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2010.asp.

Getting there

2009-11-05T09:02:00.004-07:00

DearREADERS,
How's the research coming along? Got your ox in a ditch? Are you stuck in the doldrums? Let's take a moment to reflect on matters.

Do you think in our frantic search for ancestors, we miss the mark because we fail to plan from a logistical or financial point of view? If so, how very like our ancestors we've become. Indeed, perhaps history DOES repeat itself, with a new twist for each generation.

OUR ANCESTORS
By handcart, Conestoga wagon, stage coach or train -- it didn't seem to matter. Folks interested in adventure and the hope of a better world moved west in the American colonies, clear through the 1800s. See above: Ol' Myrt seated in a replica stage coach at the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. (And I thought driving cross country by car was challenging!)

Sometimes it was the "push" factor of neighbors getting too close, or unrest caused by political or religious differences. Sometimes it was the "pull" factor of railroad jobs, the prospect of gold or cheap land. Whatever the motivation, many of our ancestors put life as they knew it behind them, and turned their faces toward what they dreamed would be a more advantageous life.

Unfortunately for most gold diggers, the pickins were slim.

For some families, preparations weren't adequate to meet the task, as members of the Donner party discovered in the wild winter of the high Sierras.

For others, it was a matter of timing that caused their ruin, as members of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies will attest. They left too late in the season to make it across Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and into the desert of Salt Lake. Blinding winter storms caught them in Wyoming, causing them untold misery and heartache.

For some, it was merely Mother Nature's wrath that ruined crops within days of the harvest, or forced firestorms across the open prairie threatening homesteads and small towns within reach.

OUR ANCESTRAL QUEST
Some newbie researchers "go to the gold", attempting to link with a famous historical person who just happens to have the same last name. Reverse genealogy doesn't work. We must methodically work through each generation from us, our parents, grandparents and so forth, finding clues in documents created at the time those individuals lived.

Some are frustrated by the prep time it takes to get from "Point A" to "Point B" in their research. Without an official birth or christening record, some researchers jump to hasty conclusions, assuming an older someone in the area by the same name must certainly be the father of the known ancestor. A little more research, canvasing surviving records may or may not lead to an argument supporting a relationship theory.

Some expect things to be "free" on the internet and balk at the idea of ordering things like a complete US Civil War Pension file because it will cost some money. Never mind that all sorts of additional information about a soldier and his family will most certainly be contained therein.

Impatient researchers rely heavily on published family histories without checking sources. Internet-centric researchers run the risk of believing that one's 15 generation family history is merely a few mouse clicks away.

SO WHAT'S LEFT?
The thrill of the hunt.

The joy of discovery.

The true grit and determination to locate:

All that has previously been published on a family.
Any shred of additional evidence about an ancestor.
Record groups created in the place the ancestors lived.
Record groups created at the time the ancestors lived.
Share with a mentor to critique your lineage arguments.
Honor your ancestors by sharing your work in a published format.

SO, DearREADERS, how is your journey thus far?

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

IGHR Scholarship for librarians

2009-11-02T10:06:00.004-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The Institute for Genealogy and History Research at Samford provides a scholarly, in-depth week of studies. Please share this information with your favorite genealogy librarian.

Applications for the Jean Thomason Scholarship for IGHR are due by December 1, 2009 and will be reviewed by a Samford University Library committee. The winner will be announced in January.

Please include the following in your application:

* Name
* Address
* Email
* Phone
* The name of the Library where you are employed
* The length of time you have worked in a library
* The average number of hours (monthly) spent working with patrons
* The name of the course you plan to attend
* In 500 words or less (1 printed page), a description of how participation in this course will benefit your patrons
* A letter of support from a supervisor or colleague

Please send your application to:

Thomason Scholarship
Samford University Library
800 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35229

For more information or to submit your application via email, visit the IGHR website at http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR_scholarship.html.

NGS 2010 Conference: registraton now open

2009-11-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at NGSgenealogy.org. Please address all inquiries as indicated below:

Mark your Calendar for the 2010 Family History Conference, “Follow Your Ancestral Trail”, which will be held 28 April—1 May 2010, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Whether your family helped settle the nation, migrated across the country, stayed in the same place, or recently arrived in America, this conference has much to offer. A few examples of the Family History Conference’s diverse program offerings include the International Workshops which will focus on researching the cultural records of other countries through lectures, research, and problem solving; the Evening Celebration of Family History, which will incorporate a multimedia tribute to family history, a special guest speaker, and a mini-concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; and Ask An Expert, where the Utah Genealogical Association will sponsor twenty minute family history consultations to registered attendees.

Registration for the 2010 NGS Family History Conference to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, is now open. View the online conference program at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/2010Program.cfm or download a PDF version. For more information visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY If you have trouble logging on or registering, please e-mail Erin Wood at registration@ngsgenealogy.org or call her at (703) 525-0050 ext. 112.

To receive a conference brochure, please email Erin Wood.

Questions? Call (703) 525-0050 ext 221, or email Gayathri Kher

Tom Jones :quick notes from his presentations today

2009-10-31T11:41:00.003-06:00

DearREADERS,
Today, in all the excitement of attending the Fairfax Genealogical Society's fall conference featuring Thomas W. Jones, Ph. D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA Ol' Myrt here learned a great deal. His three presentations were titled:

Inferential Genealogy:Deducing Ancestors' Identities Indirectly
Going Beyond the Bare Bones:Reconstructing Your Ancestors' Lives
Methods of Proving Parentage

This last presentation provided 15 combinations of relevant sources and potential parents. Dr. Jones encouraged us to think outside the realm of the usual and customary types of evidence when attempting to prove parentage.

Snippets of info -- which could have become Tweets if I could figure out how to do Twitter better:

TOM JONES: (answers) Most premarital agreements are found in deed books. Sometimes they are called "mixed" record books that also include wills.
TOM JONES: Uses Microsoft Word rather than a genealogy management program. He uses a Word macro numbering system for when additional family members are added.
TOM JONES: The definition of INFER - arriving at a conclusion from evidence collected. (He recommends writing your proof argument, to pull all the info together.)
TOM JONES: The principle of COVERTURE - English law considering a married couple as a single entity, where the husband is empowered to conduct business. This makes it difficult to trace women in legal records.

This was a thought provoking day.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

Footnote.com: Entire US census now available

2009-10-31T09:03:00.000-06:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at Footnote.com. Please note Ol' Myrt's added emphasis with the red text below. Please address all inquiries to: Justin@footnote.com.

ENTIRE U.S. CENSUS GOES INTERACTIVE WITH FOOTNOTE.COM

-Footnote.com to feature original documents from every publicly available

U.S. Federal Census from 1790 to 1930

Lindon, UT – October 29, 2009 – Today Footnote.com (http://www.footnote.com) announced it will digitize and create a searchable database for all publicly available U.S. Federal Censuses ranging from the first U.S. Census taken in 1790 to the most current public census from 1930.

Through its partnership with The National Archives, Footnote.com will add more than 9.5 million images featuring over a half a billion names to its extensive online record collection.

“The census is the most heavily used body of records from the National Archives,” explains Cynthia Fox, Deputy Director at the National Archives. “In addition to names and ages, they are used to obtain dates for naturalizations and the year of immigration. This information can then be used to locate additional records.”

With over 60 million historical records already online, Footnote.com will use the U.S. Census records to tie content together, creating a pathway to discover additional records that previously have been difficult to find.

“We see the census as a highway leading back to the 18^th century,” explains Russ Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “This Census Highway provides off-ramps leading to additional records on the site such as naturalization records, historical newspapers, military records and more. Going forward, Footnote.com will continue to add valuable and unique collections that will enhance the census collection.”

To date, Footnote.com has already completed census collections from two key decades: 1930 and 1860. As more census decades are added to the site, visitors to Footnote.com can view the status for each decade and sign up for an email notification when more records are added to the site for a particular year.

View the Census Progress Page on Footnote.com.

In addition to making these records more accessible, Footnote.com is advancing the way people use the census by creating an interactive experience. Footnote Members can enrich the census records by adding their own contributions. For any person found in the census, users can:

Add comments and insights about that person
Upload and attach scanned photos or documents related to that person
Generate a Footnote Page for any individual that features stories, a photo gallery, timeline and map
Identify relatives found in the census by clicking the I’m Related button

See the 1930 Interactive Census record for Jimmy Stewart.

“The most popular feature of our Interactive Census is the I’m Related button,” states Roger Bell, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Footnote.com. “This provides an easy way for people to show relations and actually use the census records to make connections with others that may be related to the same person.”

Footnote.com works with the National Archives and other organizations to add at least a million new documents and photos a month to the site. Since launching the site in January 2007, Footnote.com has digitized and added over 60 million original source records to the site, including records pertaining to the Holocaust, American Wars, Historical Newspapers and more.

“We will continue to move aggressively to add records to the site, specifically those that are requested by our members and others that are not otherwise available on the Internet,” said Wilding.

Visit http://www.footnote.com/census/ to see how the census on Footnote.com can truly be an interactive experience.

Additional Resources

Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote

Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480

About Footnote, Inc.

Footnote.com is a subscription website that features searchable original documents, providing users with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.

NARA space changes

2009-10-31T08:36:00.003-06:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: Ol' Myrt here visited the National Archives yesterday and noted there were 3 researchers using the microfilm reading room. One research was concerned because the microfilm readers are not in good repair. Ol' Myrt wishes to keep her DearREADERS informed, but doesn't wish to get in the middle of the fight.

From: Harold
DearMYRTLE,
The National Archives is going ahead with its plans to cut the space available to researchers in half, reduce the number of microfilm readers, move the consultants into the Library, and make it very difficult to conduct research at the National Archives. These changes will start within the next couple of weeks unless you act now.

The Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives which is under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the House of Representatives is interested in hearing from researchers as to their feelings about the changes that the National Archives is planning to make in the near future.

You can provide the committee with your thought by clicking on the following link. It will take you to a page where you provide your name and address and your comments. It is very quick and will only take you a few minutes. It is important to keep your comments brief and specific about your concerns over how these changes will impact on individuals who research at the National Archives.

Just click on this link. It will only take you a few minutes to submit your input.

http://oversight.house.gov/contact/

READER'S FEEDBACK: Mormon Trail

2009-10-26T04:15:00.002-06:00

From: Donna
DearMYRTLE,

RE: Winter Quarters: circa 1846-1849 ancestral gleanings

There is a wonderful museum in Corydon, Iowa about the Mormon Trail and the writing of the song "Come, Come, Ye Saints". It is the Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County, Iowa and the web address is www.prairietrailsmuseum.org. Click on "Mormon Trail Exhibit" to see photos. Put together by the Wayne County Historical Society, the exhibit puts you in the shoes of those early pioneers of 1846, struggling through the knee-deep mud and tall prairie grasses to seek religious freedom.

The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail is marked across Iowa by over 100 signs, and described at www.nps.gov/mopi/index on the National Park Service web site.

The pioneer story is also well told at www.lds.org by clicking on A-Z Index in the top tool bar, and then on "Pioneer Story" in the P's.

DearDONNA,
THANKS for sharing these websites with Ol' Myrt and her readers. While on my honeymoon in September of this year, Gordon and I visited many of the historical trail markers along the Mormon Trail between Nauvoo and Salt Lake City. Some are more memorable than others -- Chimney Rock and Scotts' Bluff in Nebraska come to mind. But each bore a silent testimony to those who had gone on before.

Many will appreciate the last phrase of the hymn you mention by William Clayton -- "All is well, All is well".

That has been a comforting tune for me to sing when rocking my little ones to sooth their fevered brows, after the doctor's had provided the best Rx for an earache or some such malady. Having penicillin is a miracle of modern days, isn't it?

Thinking back on the problems I had as a young mother, I at least had a comfortable roof over my head and food on the table. My most distressing thought about housekeeping might have been when the automatic clothes washer broke down while doing a load of those old-fashioned cloth diapers that pre-date the current disposable style.

That was nothing, compared to giving birth on the windswept plains or washing clothing at the riverside on rocks.

PS - Keep those emails coming about your ancestors and SOD HOUSES. It is amazing what my DearREADERS have come up with already. I'll be posting a follow-up article shortly.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

READER'S FEEDBACK: NARA 1 services

2009-10-25T14:26:00.003-06:00

RE: NARA statement on improving services

From: Harold McClendon Jr (via Facebook)
DearMYRTLE,

I suggest you read the press release again. We are still losing half of the space to exhibits and a gift shop. We still lose the lecture room G-24. It is to be replaced by another room at some location that has yet to be identified. The consultants will be moved into the Library in the open space. It is not like Archives 2 because the consultants on the second floor, at least with the military record, have a separate room in the research area.

Have you ever tried to work with a consultant in that room? There is no privacy at all. As you are sitting at the table trying to talk to the consultant, there is another individual sitting beside you waiting for an opening to get the consultant's attention.

The only battle we have won is that we get to keep the microfilm for the time being. If the number of people researching at the Archives does not increase, we will loose all of the first floor.

DearHAROLD,
THANKS for an insider's view of the change of space challenges at the National Archives.

How I wish more people would use the National Archives (US) for on site research. Newbies tend to think that everything is online, but that simply isn't true for those of us who've progressed in our research beyond the federal census enumerations and a few military records . What's available in scanned image format is a drop in the bucket compared to the valuable documents that detail the history of our country, and the part our ancestors played in the process.

Thanks, Harold, for speaking up. I bow to your experience and thoughts on this controversy.

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

NEGHS: Key positions filled

2009-10-25T10:18:00.003-06:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following is just in from our friends at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Please address all inquiries as listed below:

NEHGS FILLS KEY POSITIONS

Boston, MA, October 22, 2009 - The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new staff positions:

Ryan J. Woods was promoted to a newly created position, Director of the Web site, where he'll lead the Society's strategic work in its online presence, including content, features, resources, and performance. Home to more than 110 million names in 2,400 databases, the award-winning site is currently undergoing a major rebuild, with an expected launch sometime in the first half of 2010. Ryan can be reached at rwoods@nehgs.org

D. Joshua Taylor is the new Director of Education and Programs at NEHGS, responsible for planning and overseeing more than 120 lectures, tours, programs, and other talks throughout the year. Josh joined NEHGS in 2006, and is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and researcher. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. You can reach Josh at jtaylor@nehgs.org

Rhonda R. McClure will take over as the new Director of Research Services at NEHGS. Her 20 years of experience give her a well-rounded background in all aspects of family history. She has compiled more than 120 celebrity family trees, and was a contributing writer to several national publications, including The History Channel Magazine. In addition to numerous articles and papers, she is author of eleven books, including the award-winning, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, as well as Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Rhonda can be reached at rmcclure@nehgs.org

D. Brenton Simons, NEHGS President and CEO, said, "We're very excited to fill these important roles with our existing staff. NEHGS is in the midst of great success and growth, and being able to promote from within the organization speaks well to the entire staff at NEHGS."

About NEHGS
Founded in 1845, New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country's oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization. NEHGS collects, preserves, and interprets materials that help make accessible the histories of families in America. The NEHGS research center, located at 99 Newbury Street, Boston, one of the most respected genealogical libraries in the field, is home to millions of books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, microfilms, documents, records, and other artifacts that date back more than four centuries. The award-winning web site www.NewEnglandAncestors.org offers access to more than 110 million names in 2,400 searchable databases. NEHGS has more than 23,000 members nationally. NEHGS staff includes some of the leading expert genealogists in the country, specializing in early New England and American, Irish, English, Italian, Scottish, Atlantic and French Canadian, African American, and Jewish genealogy.

NARA: Statement on improving services

2009-10-22T12:47:00.003-06:00

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: Looks like all the confusion about changes at NARA in Washington DC will be cleared up by this notice from our friends at the National Archives (US). Please address all inquiries to public.affairs@nara.gov.

Press Release
October 22, 2009
National Archives Statement on Improving Services to Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC
Washington, DC…The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) continually looks at ways to improve and increase our services to visitors and researchers. We conduct this review to ensure that we continue to provide the highest level of services to our regular clientele and to extend our services to potential users with different backgrounds and expectations.

It’s come to our attention that our researcher community may have received erroneous information about our plans for some adjustments to the Archives I research rooms. The following information is an outline of what we are considering.

Are you reducing the size of the Finding Aids/Consultation Room?
No. Current plans would more than double that space.

The current room on the ground floor of the National Archives Building (Room G-28) serves as the finding aids room, the consultation area, and as office space for three staff members. The area available in this space for consultation with the public is approximately 450 square feet and has three consultation tables. We are proposing to move the consultation area from G-28 to the adjacent area which is currently the National Archives Library, G-30. We will use approximately 1100 square feet of what is now Library space for this consultation area. The space will have eight tables for consultation. So, we will more than double the area and number of tables for researchers to consult with staff and use the finding aids. The three staff members who currently have their workspace in G-28 will have new workstations adjacent to the research room that they can use to do other work when they are not providing direct consultation service.

This plan is based on the successful model that has been in place for several years for consultants at Archives II in College Park.

Are you eliminating the Microfilm Reading Room?
No. Over the last few years use of our microfilm holdings has decreased by 70%. In fiscal year 2000 we had 53,000 microfilm researcher visits; in fiscal year 2009 we had 16,000 microfilm research visits. When our microfilm reading room was first designed and built we estimated the need for 100 microfilm readers. Because of digitization and other factors, there no longer is the need for so many microfilm readers. So we are considering reducing the number of microfilm machines to 30 and increasing the number of public access computers to meet the demand for the old and the new technology. We will maintain the number of microfilm machines at a level that is needed by those researchers who continue to have the need for microfilm.

Are you eliminating self-service microfilm?
No. For the convenience of both researchers and staff, the National Archives maintains a policy of allowing researchers to browse our microfilm cabinets and select their own microfilm. We will continue with this policy as long as research demand warrants it. We may, however, relocate the microfilm to another public area adjacent to the microfilm reading room.

Are you eliminating the Lecture Room?
No. Our current lecture room on the ground floor (G-24) is used daily for programs such as our very popular “Know Your Records” seminars. Any renovation of the ground floor research area will include a lecture room so our researchers, visitors, and NARA staff can continue to use it for critical outreach and other activities.

What are you doing with the Orientation and Registration Area?
While we may eventually re-locate those areas physically, we have no immediate plans to do so. We of course would not eliminate this critical function, and will ensure it is located appropriately.

These changes to the National Archives Building should improve the services we provide to researchers. No functions or services are being eliminated or reduced.

To ensure that the changes meet the needs of researchers, we intend to continue to have our quarterly meetings with our Archives I user group to keep users informed and solicit their comments.

Source: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2010/nr10-10.html

Nebraska Sod House?

2009-10-22T08:33:00.000-06:00

Window to the past

DearREADERS,

In sorting through pics taken during our honeymoon last month, Ol' Myrt found these three taken of a replica sod house in Nebraska at a spot called Windlass Hill Pioneer Homestead. If someone doesn't re-mud the walls, this window into the past will go to the wayside. I can only imagine the lifestyle of the inhabitants of such homes. A winter day would take on all sorts of chilly and isolated connotations if living in such a place.

Do you have an ancestor who lived in a sod house in Nebraska?

Do you have pics of real sod houses? I'd like to feature such pictures in follow-up blog entries, complete with a paragraph or two about the ancestors you discovered living in these interesting domiciles. From what I've read, later models were considered much more luxurious with the addition of movable shutters and whitewashed exterior walls.

After traveling back and forth across Nebraska, I can see why the typical building method in the 1800s was this form of sod and mud. Trees were not plentiful. In fact, I have an ancestor born "under Lone Tree, on the plains of Nebraska".

Do write to Ol' Myrt, and enclose a pic of the sod houses that are part of your family history. Together we can create a tribute to your pioneering ancestors.

Happy family tree climbing!

Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,

Your friend in genealogy.

Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com

DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog

READERS' FEEDBACK: Docu-Challenge #1

Glen S Player: biography, pictures and information - Footnote.com