Genealogy discussion

My name is Mary & I live in central Wash. State. Both of my parents had done lots of genealogy research, and a couple years ago i inherited the information. So I'm fairly new to this addicting hobby. Like Liz, both of my parents' families trace back early settlements in New England, from England & Scotland, although i have a great grandmother who came from scotland in 1911. There are a few families from Germany, Belgium, and unknowns. Both my mom & dad's families came to Washington State in late 1800's, early 1900's, after the railroad was built.

Some of my maternal ancestors moved from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Iowa, then Washington. My paternal ancestors moved from Connecticut, Mass., New York, Penn., Maryland, Illinois, Colorado, Wash.
Mary

Hi I just joined this group and picked up the Guide to Cemetary Research on Saturday. My name is Mallory and I started doing genealogy on a regular about a year ago (although I've had an interest in it ever since I was a little kid). My research so far has concluded that my family came from all over the place - Kentucky, Indiana, Poland, Ireland, and Germany to name a few. I am truely addicted to my new hobby. I especially enjoy how much it has introduced me to hisotry in general. I wish I discovered it back in high school - all those history classes would have been a lot more interesting given my new perspective.

Look forward to discussing books with y'all!

Hi to all! I've been a lurker here for some time; I have neglected to introduce myself until now. I am what my mentor calls a "rabid Genealogist", but I tend to go in spurts.
As a professional librarian, I am thrilled that Genealogical queries defer to me. I absolutely love getting to see one of my patrons do the 'happy dance' after a successful search. One of my responsibilities is maintaining sections of our Library's Web Directory, including http://citruslibraries.org/genealogy..... I have also developed and teach a short interactive Genealogy class; see http://citruslibraries.org/info_class.... That class is by nature in a constant state of flux, one of the things that keeps this Hobby so interesting. I leave every class with new knowledge!
My biggest weakness is probably organization - filing those pesky records. I have stacks upon stacks 'to be filed'; haven't seen the top of my desk in far too long. I definitely lack motivation in that department. I am pretty good with documentation (citing sources) and backing up my findings, in print and electronically. My niece is my 'second'; I've sent her copies of most of what I have found, which she is good about filing - and preserving - properly. I use PAF currently, but will likely migrate to a commercial product with more bells and whistles. I'm leaning towards RootsMagic, but remain undecided. I also have a work in progress posted at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-b....
This past week, my daughter - getting ready for college next year - applied for two scholarships as the direct descendant of a WW II Marine; my Father. Having ready access to my dad's 201 file has proven to be practical, as well as inspiring for my daughter. She is quick to point out to anyone who will listen what a hero her Grandpa Walt is!
DAR offers scholarships for members too. Although we have indications my daughter is eligible for membership (word of mouth from a second cousin on her mother's side), we lack documentation to apply for DAR membership. We hope to get those records in a timely manner, which will allow her to apply for those scholarships as well. DAR representatives hold several meetings a year in my library, so I will be able to take advantage of their expertise in obtaining documentation.
I am a member of our local Gen Society - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flc... - and also maintain membership in the Chicago Gen Society at http://www.chicagogenealogy.org/ and the Florida Gen Society at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flsgs/.
"My" MUELLERs emigrated from Germany in 1888; my paternal grandfather was born in Chicago (actually Town of Lake) 4 July 1889.
Enough rambling for now! Thanks for reading this far.

Link posted above to my page did not work; hope this one succeeds.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-b...

Thanks Liz!
I've read enough Gen Software reviews to thoroughly confuse myself. Obviously, Legacy is your preference; have you used others that you can compare it to? I want something with a reasonable learning curve that other family members could catch on to without too much trouble, one not exorbitantly priced, and one not updated every year (no need to mention which one). GEDCOM compatibility is probably a given with any reputable software.
I've recently been charged with developing a second Gen class devoted to software (what to do with all the information they'll hopefully acquire from earlier classes). Requirements (actually preferences) are that the software be free, has a relatively simple learning curve (basically for beginners), and the vendor will allow installation on public machines. I contacted FHC and they do not allow their product to be installed on public machines.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Liz wrote: "Have you considered cloud-based Gen software?."

You wrote: "Not much help"
On the contrary, your comments are most helpful.

Our library computers do have Internet access, so this may be an option, but I would prefer to use a program that is readily available (to keep patrons from having to make a transition). Does cloud base software fit that bill? I'm not at all familiar with the term "cloud based", and a perfunctory Google search wasn't much help. Can you point me to where I can learn more?

I like the idea of attaching sources, importing pictures, etc. but consider it a convenient tool, not to be mistaken for a true or lasting back-up. Great when they work, for however long that may be.

Tom wrote: " I contacted FHC and they do not allow their product to be installed on public machines.
..."

Through more conversation on the GenaLib listserve, it turns out I was misinformed the first time regarding PAF. The FHC does allow that program to be installed on public computers. That being the case, I will likely go with that program for the class I'm going to develop. It was my first choice for several reasons:
Price; GEDCOM compatibility; ease of use; recognition; availability and my familiarity with the software.

Do you have thoughts on the use of PAF you'd care to share?

Hello,
I live in Denver, Colorado. I have a cool puppy :) I created the Online Searchable Death Indexes website and the German Roots website. I hope they are useful.

Online Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

German Roots: German Genealogy Resources

Happy searching.

My name is Craig. I use my dog as my online identity.

I took over my family's genealogy after my paternal grandmother passed away several years ago. Most of the work I've done to grow her research was to use the internet and finding family genealogy books (The Alvord Family, the Bigelow Family Genealogy, and the Brainard/Brainerd Genealogy). I've also purchased the Genealogy Dictionary of New England by James Savage. I am happy to look up anything if anyone would like.

Ruth wrote: "Joe wrote: "Hello,
I live in Denver, Colorado. I have a cool puppy :)

What sort of puppy?"

She's a poodle, but she thinks she's a wolf :)

Here's a picture:
The Little Raver Girl

My name is Kevin, and I live in Washington State. I have been researching my family’s genealogy for about five years. I started because, I kept on hearing stories my father and uncle told. Plus I didn’t know anything about either side of my family. I like the history that comes with the genealogical research.

Hi, my name is Lisa. I became addicted to genealogy when I was a teenager and was introduced to it by the children's librarian at my neigborhood library. When I asked my grandmother about our family, she gave me a family tree that her sister-in-law had commissioned in the late 1930's that was the start of my quest. I too, love the historical perspective that is such an integral part of family history.

Thank you, Liz. I'm looking forward to joining in on the discussions. I know so much more about my family now than I did then and I just didn't know what to ask. If I could go back and ask now . . .

Hi everyone, I am Anna and I have been fascinated by genealogy since I was ten years old. I particularly enjoy family history and capturing all of the stories that make families and ancestors come alive. I look forward to all of the discussions.

Hi everyone, my name is Cookie. I have been researching my genealogy for 3 years with my parents who are in their 80's. We have been very successful and have gone back to the 1500's in several branches.

I am looking forward to being a part of this group and reading the selection. I will try to catch up!

Hello! I have been interested in genealogy for years. I find it so fascinating. I haven't been too succesful in my research, though. On my mother's mother's side I am able to trace back to the 15th century. As for my mother's father's side and my own father's side, I have hit a road block. It is almost like nobody ever existed on those sides of my family. :) So I am hoping that I will be able to gain some knowledge here that will help me figure out how to "fix" the problem. :)

I spend a lot of time as a volunteer in our local genealogical society library. My constant mantra when someone walks in the door and says, "I don't know where to start!" is, "C'mon over here to the computer and let's Google your ancestor's name and see what comes up." Google has made all of our lives so much easier as researchers, and kudos to them for digitizing so many local history and biography books. I have been doing genealogical research for over 40 years, now with three Mayflower ancestors proven and one in the works, plus 18 Rev War heroes documented for the DAR. The family hasn't grown much over the years, so I have constantly practiced my skills as a sleuth on the neighbors, the pastor, the landlord, etc. Now that I am retired, I have hung out a little shingle with my name on it and get paid a little bit now and then for doing what I love to do. I specialize in the Civil War era in the four state area of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma--not many early records, so we have to get creative about finding adequate sources of proof. I currently have a couple of big brick walls on some of the ancestors of my stepchildren.

That's great. Meanwhile, for Civil War buffs, I have recently read some excellent materials that focus upon the borderlands of MO and AR.

"Fight and Survive," by Lady Elizabeth Watson, self-published (out of print; originally available from author at Tim F. Watson, Agent, 214 Vine St., Newport, AR 72112; printed by River Road Press, Conway, AR), 1974,203 pp. LOC number 74-29328.

The Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Vol. LVII, No. 3, Augumn 1998, "Buckwheat Cake Philanthropy: Refugees and the Union Army in the Ozarks," pp. 233-254.

Hello! My name is Amber, and I've been researching my families genealogy for about a year off and on. I started off focusing on my fathers side of the family but have found it easier to find information on my mother's side.

I'm running into the issue of finding information on the labor camp my grandfather was in during World War II. Anyone have any recommendation to where to start? My grandfather has passed and my grandmother isn't doing well to bring the subject up. My father doesn't talk about it, because he doesn't know much (my grandfather never talked about it) so I am pretty much starting this in the dark.

Yes I do have an ancestry.com account and I will check those books out, thank you.

Hi, I'm new also and was happy to discover this group. I've been doing family research for about 6 years, so I'm fairly new to this! My mother's family were, for the most part, from the British Isles, and migrated to either Virginia or Massachusetts, then into the Carolinas and settled in Georgia.

My paternal grandparents emigrated from Sicily in 1901 and 1902 to Westerly, Rhode Island, and then settled in New London, CT, where my father was born. I enjoy the variety of research that my two sides of the family provide. I have used the civil records from my paternal grandparents' ancestral village and have discovered more than I ever dreamed possible!

Anne

Hi everyone, I'm not sure why it took me so long to think to look for a genealogy group on here; and I apologize that I didn't introduce myself as soon as I joined up.

I've been doing my family's history for about 8 years now as well as some minor pro bono work for friends in recent years. I just took the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate course this year and am now strongly considering beginning to take on paying clients. I'm currently working through the (US) National Genealogical Society's home study course (which was recommended by the teachers of the BU course).

Anyhow, my family is pretty widely scattered geographically, in the past and present. All of my dad's folks that I've traced so far came over to the States in Colonial days and lived primarily in various places in New England with one branch that started out in New Jersey and another in Pennsylvania; so far, all but one line of his that I've traced to its origins has come from England or Wales, and the last is purported to have come from Switzerland but I haven't successfully traced them back past Colonial Pennsylvania yet.

My mom's got more divergent lines - such as New York Dutch from the time of New Netherland, Palatines who came over in the 1710 migration, Scotch who came in the late 1800's, English who moved to Canada in the mid-1800's and on to the US, and a line that was a brick wall for me for ages and I've just this year traced back to Massachusetts around the time of the Revolutionary War but have yet to take further. Many of my mom's early Colonial US lines moved up to Canada after the War and then came back to the States in the late 1800's.

I find my dad's lines generally easier to research because they generally lived in places and times that generated so many extant records and they tended to stay put for generations, and because several of them have had articles and books published on them that are places to start from, but my mom's lines have so much more variety (and more challenges) that I often find them more rewarding to solve the puzzles of who these people were and all the many places they moved around to, and because I often find that no one appears to have told their stories before so it feels especially satisfying to give voice to their lives.

"I tend to spend an in-ordinate amount of time researching my spinsters and childless aunts! The benefit is that they were frequently the ones that kept the extended families together . . . taking in orphans, etc."

Me, too! Perhaps partially because I am one myself. In my dad's lines there seemed to frequently be at least one spinster/bachelor in each generation who would often care for the elderly widowed parent, children who were orphaned or didn't get along with their parents or what-have-you, etc. It's interesting to research them. In my mom's lines - perhaps because they came from more varied cultures and were frequently living in frontier areas - it seems to have been much more common for people to marry and have children if at all possible, though even so there are some cases where all a couple's children died young, or one of the siblings never married, etc.

I have been lurking for a bit, it just took me a little while to post an intro. :) Thanks for the welcome.

I was at first researching one side of my maternal ggrandparents, and then it has blossomed into her father, his owning businesses in the turn of the century. I have picked up some books that have accounts of him in it, I am getting more fascinated in history from this standpoint.

Also, my husband's side of the family fought in the Civil War, not on the winning side. Some of the sons wanted to fight alongside their brothers, or some that did not make it on the battlefield even. It is so tragic yet poignant to hear and read stories such as these.

Hello! Anyone from Australia in here?
I've always had an interest in history and family trees. When I was young my grandmother's sister started one but at a certain point she stopped not liking what she found. I then got curious. Anyhow have ancestors from Ireland, England, Scotland, Channel Islands, France, Eastern Europe & Australian Aboriginal (the later two the hardest to crack). One Aunt I didn't know I had published her research on one line on my mother's side (Ireland) which was a huge help and fascinating. From that we had a reunion where about 200 were able to attend.
Thanks for the welcome, happy to be here, hoping to learn more. Especially if anyone has any hints about tracing in Eastern Europe/Bohemia/ Czechoslovakia/Moravia etc/Belarus/Russia.
Cheers.

This is Robin again. I think I am all over the genealogical charts, now it seems that I want to explore more my ancestor's mother since she is Native American and want to delve into that. I have requested numerous books from the library and will dive in from there. They were from Louisiana area, or maybe Natchez, Mississippi, which is just over the river .

Liz wrote: "Velvetink wrote: "Hello! Anyone from Australia in here?
I've always had an interest in history and family trees. When I was young my grandmother's sister started one but at a certain point she sto..."

Thanks Liz, I will don't have the book but will follow the comments.

Thanks, Velvetink.

Liz wrote: "Velvetink wrote: "Especially if anyone has any hints about tracing in Eastern Europe/Bohemia/ Czechoslovakia/Moravia etc/Belarus/Russia."

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies has 2 part..."

Thanks Liz, I appreciate the link and info, had no idea that existed.

This thread is a great resource for anything genealogical. I have found a few good leads, need to get all the books from the library.

Hello, I'm Denise. I'm a Florida native and heritage Georgian with family ties all over the southeast. Currently, I'm focused on my father's Savannah families.

I am also a genea-blogger (http://moultriecreek.us) - a growing group of genealogy enthusiasts who use blogs to document both their research and their family history.

Hello again to everyone!

One thing I'd like to know is how everyone organizes their research?. or is there another thread somewhere here on this subject?? I end up with bits of paper, folders, books and the MESS of it all and cannot ever lay my hands on what I need when I need it.
Do people have a system?, stationary preferences or what? that keeps your information organised?. (I've not graduated to storing info online or computer programs yet - my computer is too unreliable). Any thoughts?

I have scraps of paper but I have since winnowed it down to just primarily about pertinent things about my ancestor. I have different piles for other ancestors. I have some on ancestry which when people email me I either find out if they are related and have files on each one. They should have a file folder that is made for genealogy notations, but I have not found any out there.

Liz wrote: "Velvetink wrote: "Hello again to everyone!

One thing I'd like to know is how everyone organizes their research?. or is there another thread somewhere here on this subject?? I end up with bits of p..."

Oh my gosh, you would die to see the way I keep my material. You have given me a lot of food for thought and some great ideas. I've been very slack really, not putting it in order. I think because the habit of genealogy just kind of crept up on me bit by bit over the years..so there is suddenly a vast amount of paperwork now I need to deal with.

Thanks for the links to the books I will try and track them down. Excellent information.
Thanks again
V

Liz wrote: "Velvetink wrote: "Hello again to everyone!

One thing I'd like to know is how everyone organizes their research?. or is there another thread somewhere here on this subject?? I end up with bits of p..."

Thanks Liz!, (added my reply below) seem to have put it in the wrong spot). Will track this book down.
V

Hi,
I inherited a bunch of 3-ring binders from my mom & dad, so i use one for each family. It was getting to be a mess of papers & copies of documents, until i read of a better way to organize. I bought some plastic file boxes that will allow hanging files, also bought hanging files & manila folders. In that box are hanging files of each major surname, and file folders labeled "birth" "death" "photos" "other" "census", etc. in which i place those papers so i can easily look thru them. In the binders are just the family tree pages & family group records, divided with tabs. I use Family Tree Maker also, and that allows me to share files with family.

Thanks for the invitation to introduce myself. I've been doing genealogy since 1964 and have never stopped searching for family names--sometimes getting more involved, sometimes less, depending on the family situation, ages of the children, and writing commitments.

I'm an author and screenwriter, and have six published books, the latest of which is my pride and joy because it relates to this fascinating pastime we call genealogy. The book is titled "True Miracles with Genealogy~Help from Beyond the Veil," and I'll share more information with anyone who asks :-)

I was born and raised in England, and came to the USA with my husband in 1997, to be closer to our grown family who also live here.

Thanks Anne, my you sound like someone to consult if we have any relations that came from England. Welcome to you for joining our group.

My system so far is to have folders arranged by surname, with documents/copies in the front and other materials behind them, all arranged in accordion files. For families where I have a lot of info, I have broken the documents & other info into two files. I have a separate accordion file of folders of background information and other things that don't easily fit into one surname folder; most but not all of these files are place-based. Long-term I want to transition from folders to binders so that it's easier to look through the materials, but for now the folders are very portable. I also have what I think of as a "master binder" which is what I take with me to repositories, etc - it's my overall pedigree charts, family group sheets, etc. with some of the most important notes/copies (usually they are ones on brick walls) included with the relevant family. I also have a clasping file that I use to organize my handouts, syllabuses, etc. from lectures and such. Lastly, I have a paper notebook that I use to take notes at lectures, conferences, repositories, etc. (I may be the only person in my age bracket that doesn't like to take my computer to repositories unless I'm on a trip; I don't like having to worry about protecting it from being stolen.)

My other major goals besides transitioning to binders are: 1) Make enough copies of the background info that applies to multiple families to put a copy in each family's file; 2) Printing out the scans that I have stored on my computer that I haven't yet, to include in the files, as well as printing out the emails, bookmarked websites, etc. that I haven't yet to also add to files (be they family-specific or background). I've been paranoid about websites disappearing ever since, earlier this year, I found a page of transcriptions of an early membership list of a church some of my ancestors attended and went back to it two weeks later only to discover that the website had been taken down. Luckily it was recently enough that I was able to print out Google's cache of the page, but after that I immediately printed out copies of the other most important web pages that I hadn't yet printed, and aim to regularly print out a handful at a time until I have hard copies of them all.

When I took the Boston Unversity Certificate in Genealogical Research course this summer, near the end the TAs and teacher of that unit offered to answer any questions we had that weren't related to the material we were studying at the time, and one of the questions I asked was about what they did to organize and any tips they had. They explained what methods they personally had but all stressed that we needed to find a method that worked *for us* because no matter how good a system is, if it isn't one that works for you, you aren't going to stick with it in the long-term. And I can definitely see the point in that.

Liz wrote: I never expected at the start to have 16 linear feet of legal files - yikes!

I know what you mean! After eight years, I have a bookcase each full of genealogical reseach, specifically-genealogy-related books/journals/etc, and books/booklets/etc of background information on the places, subjects, etc. I am researching, as well as a couple little shelves of genealogy and background info CD-ROMs in my DVD shelving unit. I hesitate to imagine where I will be in eight more years! :-)

And I am just an itinerant genealogist, I do have stacks of paperwork but have not become organized as far as putting the "stuff" into accordion files, or in a binder. I just want to amass as much information as I can first. Any easier ideas?

"I just want to amass as much information as I can first. Any easier ideas?"

Personally I'm not sure what isn't easy about grouping things into surname files. But my main piece of advice is absolutely not to wait to come up with some sort of system till later, most especially if your current goal is, as you stated, "to amass as much information as possible." With stacks of documents on varying families, otherwise I think you will begin to find it difficult to find the piece of information or document that you want to consult.

Surname files sounds good, thanks.

Hi gang!

I'm Cindy, and my genealogy interests go back a long way. I'm pathologically nosy in general, so this kind of hobby is right up my alley.

I've lived in Texas most of my life, but was born in New England (CT), where my mom was born and raised. My father is a native Texan (last name IRVIN), and his brother traced that side of the family out to Scotland, to Drum Castle and Robert the Bruce. There are also ancestry from England, Ireland, Prussia, and Hungary. My uncle however did NOT trace his maternal grandmother's line, and there are some unanswered questions in that line that I'm interested in uncovering.

My mother started the search for her maternal side of the family years ago, then I took up the cause a few years ago. It's difficult for me however -- trying to do research in Vermont from Texas is hard, particularly since most of my family were farmers, and there isn't a lot of info out there on them. I've gotten lucky in that some Vermont cemetery records are online that correspond to a couple of my family lines. And those same lines have their own websites (EGGLESTON and ANNIS) that have given me some helpful info. I've found that I'm Scottish on this side of the family too, as well, as England and Irish, with some stories of Native American too, but I haven't found any evidence of that yet.

I'm stuck on one branch of the family, in that they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth about 1880. There is a tiny bit of info on them in the 1920 census, but not much else.

Another problem is that my maternal grandfather was born in Ukraine. There has been SO MUCH political turmoil in that area over the years, that it is almost impossible to get anything from there. There has always been some family rumors that his grandmother was Chinese, so that's another ingredient I can add to my genetic pot.

I have tried to do most of this by myself, so I'm sure there's a lot I don't know, and sources that I'm not aware of. I'm here to learn things like that, and see if I can answer some questions about my family's behavior, like where all the mental illness and general oddball-ness came from. YIKES!

Thanks a lot for the welcome! I haven't read either book, but they both sound like something I could use. I know that my Ukrainian grandfather came over to this country in 1913, I presume by boat. But which one and where he landed I don't have a clue. I'll see if I can acquire a copy of the January book so I can keep up with the group, and then maybe learn something to boot! Thanks again!

Belated welcome, Cindy! Many of my father's folks lived in Vermont for a long time, primarily moving there from southern New England. Are you a member of the Genealogical Society of Vermont? There's a fair amount of material in the members-only section of their website. FamilySearch Indexing is also in the process of transcribing and indexing older vital records for the site, and Ancestry.com has a lot of Vermont vital records (though Ancestry, as I imagine you are aware, is not free).

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Hello! I'm Lorna and I'm a professional genealogist living in Ireland. I'm also the author of Only You, a romantic suspense novel which is about a genealogy teacher/tutor who discovers that her fantasy man is a student in her class!



I have a pretty varied ancestry - Irish, Dutch, German, Welsh, English and Scottish.

I've managed to trace some of my Irish lines back to the mid-to-late 18th Century but I've traced my Dutch and German lines back to the mid 17th century.

www.lornapeel.com