September 2012 Scanfest

Mug Book Monday: Reuben Wohlford SNOOK (1833 - 1912)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

 

     "REUBEN W. SNOOK.--Born in Center [sic - Centre] county, Pa., June 27, 1833, and reared and educated in that sturdy old commonwealth, Reuben W. Snook brought to Forsyth, Mont., the qualities of industry and frugality for which the people of his native state are distinguished, and has put them to good and productive usefulness. His parents, Levi and Margaret (Wohlfort [sic]) Snook, were born in Pennsylvania and they there died; the former in 1879 [sic - 1889] and the latter in 1881 [sic - 1882]. Their ancestors on both sides of the family came to the United States with a Germany colony in 1684, and settled near York, Pa., where they were profitably engaged in farming for generations. [Correction: The SCHNUCH family came to Dutchess County, New York c. 1736 and the WOLFARTH family came to Berks County, Pennsylvania sometime before 1730. Reuben's maternal grandfather, Phillip WOHLFARTH, I did immigrate to York County, Pennsylvania from Berks County.] Reuben Snook remained at home working on the farm and attending the district schools in his neighborhood as he had opportunity until he reached the age of maturity. After leaving school he learned the trade of a carpenter. He worked in his native state as a journeyman and railroad bridge builder until 1883. In the spring of that year he brought his wife and children to Montana and located at Forsyth. There he followed the business of contracting and building for eight years, and erected most of the frame buildings that were put up in the early growth of the town--about forty in all. In 1893 he quit working at this trade and homesteaded a ranch on the Yellowstone which he sold soon after and removed to his present ranch, one mile from Forsyth. This ranch, compromising 168 acres, was purchased by Mr. Snook in 1890, and is devoted to horses, cattle, farming and dairying. Mr. Snook also owns valuable town property in Forsyth. In politics he is a Republican, and has rendered faithful service in various official stations. He was a justice of the peace for a number of years, was appointed public administrator in the spring of 1901, and was census enumerator in 1900 for district No. 104, then in Custer county.
     "Mr. Snook was married in Center [Centre] county, Pa., in 1858, to Miss Mary Walker, a native of that state, who died there in 1873 [sic - 1870]. He contracted a second marriage in 1874 [sic - c. 1871], at the same place, being united on that occasion with Miss Margaret [sic - Elizabeth] Nearhood, also a Pennsylvanian by nativity. They are the parents of seven children: Annie, wife of W. H. Armstrong, a stockman near Forsyth; William, living at home; John and Howard, cowboys; Edward, an Alaska miner; and Lizzie and Maggie, living at home. The children of the first marriage are: Austin, married and living at Johnstown, Pa.; Emma, wife of Amos Fehl, a tanner at Clearfield, Pa.; Helen Martha, wife of Ira Blumgard, a farmer in Center [Centre] county, Pa.; Rebecca, wife of Rice Westerby [sic - George Rice Westaby, II], living at Forsyth, Mont., and Sadie, wife of J. H. Kenealy, a dairyman, near Forsyth."

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Reuben Wolhford SNOOK was my children's 4th-great-grandfather on their father's side. The above biography, while giving a detailed description of Reuben's life in Montana, is an example of how such biographies can be riddled with simple errors such as spellings and dates which are off by a few years, as well as gross errors such as the completely incorrect background on the immigration from Germany to colonial America. While I'm still sorting out Reuben's children by both wives, I do believe several children are missing from the lists detailed here. There is also a family story that says the Snooks first went to California from Pennsylvania, before heading to Montana, but so far, I've found no documents to back this up.

Forsyth, Montana was originally a part of Custer County. In 1901, Rosebud County was formed from part of Custer County with Forsyth as the county seat.

This biographical sketch was taken from Volume Part II of Progressive Men of the State of Montana, published in Chicago by A. W. Bowen and Company, c. 1902. Reuben's sketch was found on pages 1815 and 1816. This county history, along with many others, can be found at the Internet Archive.

Scanfest is Coming!

The September 2012 Scanfest will take place here at AnceStories this coming Sunday, September 30th, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.
 
What is Scanfest? It's a time when geneabloggers, family historians, and family archivists meet online here at this blog to chat while they scan their precious family document and photos. Why? Because, quite honestly, scanning is time-consuming and boring!

Scanfest is a great time to "meet" other genealogists, ask questions about scanning and preservation, and get the kick in the pants we all need on starting those massive scanning projects that just seem too overwhelming to begin.

To get started, you need to know the basics about scanning:

1. Don't use commercial glass cleaners (i.e. Windex) or paper towels to clean your scanner's glass plate. Use a soft, clean cloth, preferably microfiber. If you must use a liquid, use water sprayed directly onto the cloth  and make sure to let the plate dry thoroughly before placing photos or documents on it.

2. Wear cotton gloves (available at many art and/or photography supply shops) when handling photos and old documents.

3. Don't slide the photos around on the glass plate. Place them exactly where you want them. Photos should NEVER be scanned by a scanner that feeds the document through the machine, but ALWAYS on a flat-bed scanner.

4. Set your scanner to scan at no smaller than 300 dpi (dots per inch). Many experts recommend 600 dpi for photographs.

5. Photographs should ALWAYS be scanned and saved as .tif files. Use "Save As" to reformat the .tif file to a .jpg file for restoration and touchups, emailing, or uploading to an online photo album. ALWAYS retain the original scan as a .tif file.

6. Documents can be scanned as .pdf files or .tif files.

7. When you are done scanning your photos, don't put them back in those nasty "magnetic" photo albums. Place them in archival safe albums or boxes found at websites such as Archival Products or Archival Suppliers. Do NOT store any newsprint (articles, obituaries, etc.) with the photos. The acid from the newspaper will eventually destroy the photograph.

Now about the chatting part of Scanfest:

We will be using Blyve, a live blogging platform that you access right here at AnceStories. This is a new platform to us, so please be aware that there may be some technical difficulties or delays as we try out this new product.

On Sunday at 11 AM, PDT, come right here to AnceStories and you'll see the Blyve live blog/forum in the top post. It's not really a "chat room," per se, it's more like a live forum and anyone visiting this site can read and see what is happening in the forum.

You will not need to download any software.

We look forward to having you participate with us!

Mug Book Monday: Jeremiah "Jerry" F. YORK, II (1855 - 1946)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

     "Jerry F. York, a well-known and progressive farmer of Atlas Township, this county, was born in that township and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in section 36 of that township, south of the village of Goodrich, March 28, 1855, son of John H. and Anna (Crothers) York, both of whom were born in Erie county, New York, who came to Michigan in 1850 and settled in this county, where they spent their last days.
     "John H. York was born in 1823, son of Jeremiah and Rhoda (Sweers) York, the former of whom was a soldier in the War of 1812 and a person of prominence in his home community, a well-to-do farmer, who at one time and another held various local public offices. John H. York grew up to the life of the farm and in 1847 married Anna Crothers, who was born in 1825, daughter of John and mary (Wycoff) Crothers, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of the state of New York. In the fall of 1850 he came with his family to this state and settled ona farm of forty acres in the north half of section 36 of Atlas township, this county, and there established his home. He later added to his farm until he became the owner of one hundred acres and was accounted one of the substantial farmers of that neighborhood. He was a Republican and he and his wife were members of hte Methodist Protestant church, in which he was a class leader and in which his wife served as a steward. He died on November 12, 1898, and his widow survived until February, 1904. They were the parents of seven children, of whom three are deceased, one who died in infancy, one who died when two years old and Marium, who married Henry Frick and died in 1912. The survivors are Mrs. Ella Dillenbeck, of Atlas township; Mrs. Matilda Watkins, of Goodrich; Jerry F., the subject of this sketch, and James L., who is living on the old home.
     "Jerry F. York remained on the old home farm until his marriage in December, 1877, after which he began farming for himself. For two years he continued farming on the old home place and then moved to the village of Goodrich, where he made his home for sixteen years, a part of which time he was engaged in the harness business. In January, 1896, he bought a farm of sixty acres in section 10 of his home township and ever since has made his home there, doing well at his farming operations and becoming quite well circumstanced. Since moving there he has bought more land adjoining and now has a well-kept farm of one hundred and twelve acres. He and his wife are members of the Maccabees and he is a member of the Masonic lodge at Ortonville.
     "Mr. York has been twice married. It was on December 23, 1877, that he was united in marriage to Rachel Ann Baxter, who also was born in Atlas township, daughter of Eli and Rachel Ann (Cummings) Baxter, both members of old families in this county, having come here with their respective parents in the days of their youth and growining up amidst pioneer conditions of living. Eli Baxter, who lost his life while serving as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, was a son of Edward and Mary (Herrick) Baxter. Mrs. Rachel A. York died on May 26, 1880, leaving one child, a daughter, Leno, who married Robert Goodfellow, now living at Castle Rock, Washington, andhas four children, Lee, Warren, Loretta and Lola Lillian. On April 22, 1896, Mr. York married, secondly, Eva Cummings, who also was born in Atlas townshp, daughter of Edward and Susan (Dalby) Cummings, the former a native of this county and the latter of Erie county, New York, who are still living on the old Cummings homestead north of Atlas, for many years honored and useful residents of that community. Mr. and Mrs. York are rearing a lad, Clarence Streater, whose care they assumed in June, 1906, when he was six years old. Jerry F. York is a Republican and has been treasurer for twelve years of school district No. 10, Atlas township, and is serving his third term as justice of the peace.
     "Edward Cummings, father of Mrs. York, is an honored veteran of the Civil War and for many years one f the most influential residents of his part of Genesee county. He was born on a farm in section 3 of Atlas township, January 22, 1844, son of Lewis and Elsie (Cummings) Cummings, both natives of Erie county, New York. Lewis Cummings was born in 1814, son of Stephen Cummings and wife, the former of whom was a solder in the War of 1812, and grew to manhood on a farm in his native county. There he married Elsie Cummings and in 1836 came to the then Territory of Michigan with his wife and two children, Rachel and Orlando, and settled on a tract of four hundred acres in section 3 of Atlas township, this county, which he had picked out ona previous trip to this part of the country, and there he and his family established their home in a little log house, being among the very earliest of the settlers of that part of Genesee county. Lewis Cummings was a good farmer and a man of excellent judgment and prospered in his affairs, until he presently came to be regarded as the wealthiest man in Atlas township, the owner of six hundred and forty acres of fine land and ever interested in movements having to do with the advancement of the community of which he was from the very first one of the leading factors. He was for many years member of the Congregational church at Goodrich and was ever foremost in local good works, so that at the time of his death on October 1, 1883, he was widely missed in that community. Lewis Cummings was thrice married, his first wife, Elsie, having died in 1851, leaving seven children, four sons and three daughters, Orlando, Oscar, Stephen, Edward, Rachel, Loretta and Elsie.
     "When the Civil War broke out Edward Cummings was still in his teens, but he enlisted for service in the Union army and served until the close of the war as a member of Company I, Thirtieth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Upon the completion of his military service he resumed his place on the old homestead farm in Atlas township and has lived there ever since, the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of his father's considerable estate. On April 19, 1866, he was united in marriage to Susan Dalby, who was born about twelve miles from the city of Buffalo, in Erie county, New York, in 1839, daugher of Benjamin and Sarah C. (Paxton) Dalby, the former a native of Pennsylvania and th latter of New York state, who came to Michigan with their family in 1855 and located about twelve miles south of Pontiac, whence they moved to Goodrich, in this county, where Benjamin Dalby conducted a blacksmith shop the rest of his life, his death occurring about 1871 and that of his widow in the spring of 1888. On April 19, 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Cummings celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and were the recipients of heartfelt congratulations on the part of their hosts of friends in this county. During her earlier years Mrs. Cummings was a school teacher in this county, having taught sixteen or seventeen terms of public and private, or 'select' school, and amonght ehosts of youngsters who learned their letters under her careful tutelage was the editor of this history, who has never ceased to entertain the highest regard for his old teacher."

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This is indeed a long biography! Although Jerry YORK was not my ancestor, he was the older brother of my great-great-grandfather, James L. YORK, who is given a brief mention at the end of the second paragraph. He was named for his paternal grandfather, Jeremiah F. YORK, I, and was frequently called "Jerry". Jerry's ancestors, John H. YORK, Anna CROTHERS, Jeremiah F. YORK, I, Rhoda SWEERS, John CROTHERS, and Mary "Polly" WYCKOFF are all my ancestors and are mentioned here as well. This biography may sound familiar, since the one of Jerry's father, John H. YORK, was featured in last week's Mug Book Monday. This biography was published 24 years later, so there is updated information from his father's; namely, the deaths of his parents and sister Marium.

There is a great deal of information on the CUMMINGS family in this biography, since both of Jerry's wives were CUMMINGS descendants and were first cousins to one another. This is a great example of paying attention to those families who intermarried with your own, because by tracking them, you can often track immigration trails and further your own research. The CUMMINGS family lived near the YORK family in the Town of Clarence, Erie County, New York, before both families migrated to Atlas Township, Genesee County, Michigan. Also noted is that both Stephen CUMMINGS and Jeremiah F. YORK, I served in the War of 1812. It's possible they served together, although I have not found information to prove so. What I have discovered is that many New York War of 1812 Veterans moved to the western part of the state after the war, notably Niagara and Erie Counties, having previewed the land while being stationed at Black Rock near present-day Buffalo. This was the case for my Jeremiah F. YORK, I, who had originally been from Saratoga County, New York in the eastern part of the state. 

This biographical sketch was taken from Volume II of History of Genesee County, Michigan: Her People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families by Edwin O. Wood, LL. D., President, Michigan Historical Commission, published in Indianapolis by the Federal Publishing Company, 1916. Jerry's sketch was found on pages 609 through 612. This county history, along with many other Michigan ones, can be found at the Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project website.

Wordless Wednesday: John Dennis CONCIDINE (1854 - 1925)

John Dennis Concidine. Bef. 1925. Original photograph privately held by Catherine Robbins, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Coopersville, Michigan. 2012.

Mug Book Monday: John H. YORK (1823 - 1898)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

     

     "JOHN H. YORK. Our readers will be pleased to find upon this page a sketch of one of the most worthy and venerable citizens of Atlas Township, Genesee County. This septuagenarian is a representative of the best class of our citizens, and is a native of Erie County, N. Y. His birth took place December 27, 1823 and he is a son of Jeremiah and Rhoda (Sweers) York, the latter being a native of Vermont and the former a soldier in the War of 1812.

     "From early youth John York was engaged in the work of a farmer and received his education in the district schools of his native county. His father was a prominent man in his township and served as Constable, Collector and Deputy Sheriff for eleven years.

     "Our subject was married March 11, 1847 to Anne [sic - Anna] Crathers, who was born in Erie County, N. Y. December 11, 1825, and was a daughter of John and Mary (Wycoff) Crathers. The father was a Pennsylvanian and the mother a native of the Empire State. Seven children have blessed the home of our subject and five are now living, namely: Marian, wife of Henry Frick; Jeremiah; Ellen, now Mrs. Alton Dillenbeck; Matilda, who married Charles Watkins; James. Milton and John N. are deceased.

     "In the fall of 1850 Mr. York removed with his family to Genesee County, and settled upon the farm where he now lives, a property which was then only partially improved. Upon this he has bestowed great labor and has it now in an excellent condition. It comprises one hundred acres of some of the best land in the county and it is in a highly productive condition. All this is the result of the united efforts of our subject and his wife, who have labored shoulder to shoulder through the hard times of pioneering and together have accumulated a property which provides well for them in their old age.

     "Mr. York has served as School Director and is active in promoting all educational movements. He and his wife are both members of the Protestant Methodist Church in which he is Class-leader, and Mrs. York is now serving her third year as Steward in the church. He is a Republican in politics and both he and his wife are highly esteemed members of society."

---

John and his wife, Anna CROTHERS (CRATHERS is an alternate spelling) were my 3rd-great-grandparents. It is believed that both of them were born and married in what is now the Town of Clarence in Erie County, New York. Listed in this biography are four of my 4th-great-grandparents: Jeremiah F. YORK, I; his wife Rhoda SWEERS; John CROTHERS; and Mary "Polly" WYCKOFF. Also listed is my 2nd-great-grandfather, James L. YORK, John and Anna's son. Finding this biography many years ago was like winning the lottery, as John's great-granddaughter, who was my paternal grandmother, was an adoptee, and I was building this family tree from scratch, with little information. I used this biography for a spring board to check vital and census records, land records, and to order Jeremiah's War of 1812 Veteran's Pension Record from the National Archives, which provided me with even more material. The land in Genesee County that John farmed was originally claimed by his (presumed) uncle Stephen YORK as part of his bounty land for serving in the War of 1812, although it appears that Stephen never resided on it, but remained in Erie County, New York.

This biographical sketch was taken from Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan, containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of teh Presidents of the United States, published in Chicago by the Chapman Brothers, 1892. John's sketch was found on pages 600 and 601. This county history, along with many other Michigan ones, can be found at the Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project website.

Wordless Wednesday: The ROBBINS Children, First Day of School, 1955

Four of Five Children of Robert Louis and Jeanne Marie (Holst) Robbins. First Day of School, Coopersville, Michigan. September 1955. Original photograph privately held by Catherine Robbins, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Coopersville, Michigan. 2012.

Mug Book Monday: Ezra DICKINSON (1798 - 1886)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

Ezra Dickenson [sic], a retired farmer of Auburn, was born in Sharon, Litchfield Co., Conn., Aug. 26, 1798. He was reared a farmer, living with his parents till his majority. In 1819 he went to Ohio and located in Johnson Township, Trumbull County, where he bought a tract of wild land which he cleared and cultivated, residing there until 1836, when he came to Indiana and entered 120 acres of Government land in Concord Township, De Kalb County. In 1842, having three children who were [deaf] mutes, he sold his farm in Concord Township and bought one near Hicksville, Ohio, that his children might have the advantage of the deaf and dumb asylum. In 1852 he sold his farm, and returned to De Kalb County and bought a farm in Wilmington Township where he lived till 1880, when, feeling the infirmities of old age creeping on, he sold his farm and bought a residence in Auburn that he might spend the rest of his life in a more quiet manner. When he came to Indiana, De Kalb County was a dense wilderness. Indians were plenty, but white people scarce. There were no roads, and oxen were the only teams used. He was one of the first Petit Jurymen of the first Circuit Court of De Kalb County. The first court was held in a log house on the site of the present court-house in Auburn. The jail was a loft over the court-room, which was entered through a hole in the floor, and the ladder taken away to prevent the escape of prisoners. The nearest markets were Fort Wayne and Hicksville. While living in Wilmington Township, Mr. Dickenson served four years as Justice of the Peace. In 1861 when, in his sixty-third year, he enlisted in Company F, Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry, barely passing the examination of the mustering officer, who took him to be about forty-five. April 3, 1862, he was discharged for disability. He is living with his fifth wife who was Mrs. Rebecca (Waldron) Sibert, to whom he was married April 22, 1882. He is the father of twelve children, eight of whom are living. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his wife of the Lutheran church. He is a member of DeLong Post, No. 67, G. A. R. He has affiliated with the Republican party since its organization.

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Ezra was my fourth-great-grandfather. His first wife, Cynthia PHILLIPS, was my ancestor, as was their daughter, Lucy May (DICKINSON) KIMBALL, who is one of the four children deceased by the time this sketch was published. Several years ago, I highlighted Ezra's Civil War service here.

This biographical sketch was taken from History of De Kalb County, Indiana, together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, published in Chicago by Inter-State Publishing Co., 1885. Ezra's sketch was found on page 864. This county history, along with many others, can be found at the Internet Archive.

Wordless Wednesday: Benjamin Henry KIMBALL (1845 - 1924)

Benjamin Henry Kimball. Bef.1924. Original photograph believed to be privately held by Steve Robbins, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Muskegon, Michigan. 2012.

Mug Book Monday: John D. CONCIDINE (1823 - 1906)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

      "John Considine was the eldest son of Dennis and Nora (Gilligan) Considine, and was born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. He was brought to the United States when four years old by his parents, who lived in Rochester, N. Y., four years, and then went to Wyoming county [New York] and spent the remainder of their lives. In 1849 Mr. C. went to Grand Rapids and engaged in the lumber trade seven years, when he purchased 80 acres of land, sec. 16, Byron tp. He gave 33 acres to his son when he attained his majority. He was married in Bowne, Trent [sic Kent] Co., Dec. 25, 1849 to Elizabeth, daughter of Duncan and Mary (McPherson) McDiarmid, who is of Scotch ancestry, and was born at Wheatland, Monroe Co., N. Y., Oct. 2, 1829. Of nine children four are living, born as follows: Effie, Aug. 23, 1852; John D., Sept 3, 1854; Mary E., Aug. 16, 1863, and James W., April 25, 1869."

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John was my adoptive third-great-grandfather. The family name was generally spelled with a second C: CONCIDINE. This sketch lists six other direct, albeit adoptive, ancestors: his parents Dennis and Honora ("Nora"); his wife Elizabeth; her parents Duncan and Mary; and their son John Dennis, listed here as John D. I have found the senior John listed in other documents as John D, and the younger as John Dennis. It's likely they both were John Dennis, Senior and Junior, but until I find clarifying documents, I have them as John D. (the elder) and John Dennis (the younger) in my database. John Dennis CONCIDINE's daughter was Nellie May. She and her husband Alfred Henry HOLST adopted my paternal grandmother.

Four of the five children (all who seem to have died young) who not listed in this sketch were Amy, b.c. 1854; Mary, b. c. 1856; Peter, b. c. Nov 1859; and a stillborn child born 21 Sep 1867. The last child is unknown.

This biographical sketch was taken from History of Kent County, Michigan; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, published in Chicago by Charles C. Chapman & Co., 1881. John's sketch was found on page 612. This county history, along with many other Michigan ones, can be found at the Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project website.

August 2012 Scanfest

Surname Saturday: GUSTAFSDOTTER and Related Surnames

This family is my adoptive great-great-grandmother's line. I first saw the surname as GUSTAVSON, which would be a common Americanization/Anglicization of her Swedish surname, although the correct Swedish spelling would be GUSTAFSSON. My ancestor's proper surname was GUSTAFSDOTTER, because she was "Gustaf's daughter" and not his son. Patronyms (surnames based on the father's first name) were used in Sweden by all social classes (nobility often took traditional surnames) until 1901, when the Names Adoption Act was passed and patronyms were banned.


Stories and History:

Rather than list the direct paternal line of Ida Charlotta GUSTAFDOTTER from her earliest known ancestor down to the present as I do in most Surname Saturday posts, I am listing her complete ahnentafel as known, using my ahnentafel numbers. I use the letter "B" after each ahnentafel number to distinguish my adoptive family ahnentafel from my biological one.

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #5 - Jane Marie YORK, a.k.a. Jeanne Marie HOLST (1924 - 2012)

Ahnentafel #10B - Alfred Henry HOLST (1882 - 1952) - read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #21B - Ida Charlotta GUSTAFSDOTTER (1861 - 1939) - Born in Hamneda, Sweden, Ida was one of eight children, and as a young adult immigrated with a number of her siblings to Hannover, Germany. There she met Johan Deidrich HOLST, whom she married on 6 Feb 1880. With their young son Alfred, they left Germany on the ship Lessing via the port of Hamburg, stopping at LaHavre, France, and arriving in New York City on 5 Jul 1883. Their destination was Western Michigan, where Johan's sister and brother-in-law, Anna and Claus BORCHERS lived. The HOLSTs first lived in Spring Lake Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, where their daughter Annie was born. Their next three children, Jennie, Mary, and Margaret (Maggie) were born in Crockery Township., Ottawa County, followed by their youngest son John's birth in Ravenna Township, Muskegon County in 1894. Another child died young. The family lived in Sullivan Township in Muskegon County in 1910 and 1920, but had returned to Ottawa County by 1930, living in Coopersville for the rest of their days.

Ahnentafel #42B - Gustaf NILSSON (1822 - 1869) - born in Vittaryd, Sweden; m. Martha Stina SVENSDOTTER by 1848; died in Hamneda, Sweden.

Ahnentafel #43B - Martha Stina SVENSDOTTER (b. 1826) - born in Hamneda. She and Gustaf had eight known children, several of which emigrated to Germany. It's possible Martha emigrated there as well after Gustaf's death, as I do not find her death listed in the Swedish parish records.

Ahnentafel #84B - Nils - Gustaf's father; no further information is known.

Ahnentafel #86B - Swen Bosson HURTIG (1794 - 1850) - Martha's father, born, married to Anna (1821) and died, all in Hamneda

Ahnentafel #87B - Anna JONASSON (1801 - 1885) - Martha's mother, also born and died in Hamndea. Had at least seven children.

Ahnentafel #172B - Bo MANSSON - Swen's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #173B - Marta Stina SVENSSON - Swen's mother; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #174B - Jonas - Anna's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #354B - Mans - Bo's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #356B - Sven - Marta's father; no further information is known


More About the GUSTAFSDOTTER and Related Families, plus useful resources:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): GUSTAFSDOTTER/GUSTAFSSON ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some GUSTAFSDOTTER obituaries

3. Posts about GUSTAFSDOTTER ancestors and relatives on this blog

8. ArchivDigital - Swedish genealogy subscription site with digitized church records - free access available at many FamilySearch Centers (special free access this weekend, 25 and 26 August 2012)

9. Anna-Karin's Genealogy Blog - helpful information (in English) on researching Swedish families and records. Anna-Karin personally helped me with my GUSTAFSDOTTER research! She also has a terrific genealogical podcast (also in English), here.

The GUSTAFDOTTER Immigration Trail:

Vittaryd, Sweden > Hamneda, Sweden > Ottawa Co., MI > Muskegon Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Scanfest is Coming!

The August 2012 Scanfest will take place here at AnceStories this coming Sunday, August 26th, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time. (I apologize for the late reminder, but until recently, wasn't sure if I would be available to host this event.)
 
What is Scanfest? It's a time when geneabloggers, family historians, and family archivists meet online here at this blog to chat while they scan their precious family document and photos. Why? Because, quite honestly, scanning is time-consuming and boring!

Scanfest is a great time to "meet" other genealogists, ask questions about scanning and preservation, and get the kick in the pants we all need on starting those massive scanning projects that just seem too overwhelming to begin.

To get started, you need to know the basics about scanning:

1. Don't use commercial glass cleaners (i.e. Windex) or paper towels to clean your scanner's glass plate. Use a soft, clean cloth, preferably microfiber. If you must use a liquid, use water sprayed directly onto the cloth  and make sure to let the plate dry thoroughly before placing photos or documents on it.

2. Wear cotton gloves (available at many art and/or photography supply shops) when handling photos and old documents.

3. Don't slide the photos around on the glass plate. Place them exactly where you want them. Photos should NEVER be scanned by a scanner that feeds the document through the machine, but ALWAYS on a flat-bed scanner.

4. Set your scanner to scan at no smaller than 300 dpi (dots per inch). Many experts recommend 600 dpi for photographs.

5. Photographs should ALWAYS be scanned and saved as .tif files. Use "Save As" to reformat the .tif file to a .jpg file for restoration and touchups, emailing, or uploading to an online photo album. ALWAYS retain the original scan as a .tif file.

6. Documents can be scanned as .pdf files or .tif files.

7. When you are done scanning your photos, don't put them back in those nasty "magnetic" photo albums. Place them in archival safe albums or boxes found at websites such as Archival Products or Archival Suppliers. Do NOT store any newsprint (articles, obituaries, etc.) with the photos. The acid from the newspaper will eventually destroy the photograph.

Now about the chatting part of Scanfest:

We will be using Blyve, a live blogging platform that you access right here at AnceStories. This is a new platform to us, so please be aware that there may be some technical difficulties or delays as we try out this new product.

On Sunday at 11 AM, PDT, come right here to AnceStories and you'll see the Blyve live blog/forum in the top post. It's not really a "chat room," per se, it's more like a live forum and anyone visiting this site can read and see what is happening in the forum.

You will not need to download any software.

We look forward to having you participate with us!

Wordless Wednesday: Joseph Josiah ROBBINS (1820 - 1905)

Joseph Josiah Robbins. Bef 1905. Original photograph believed to be privately held by Steve Robbins, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Muskegon, Michigan. 2012.

ArkivDigital for Free August 25-26

The Swedish genealogical records site, ArkivDigital, is offering free access to their image database containing over 36 million images this coming weekend, August 25 and 26, 2012. They are also offering a discount on a one-year subscription to their website from now through September 9th. To find out how to access ArkivDigital for free this weekend, what records they cover, and more information about their special subscription price, read their press release here.

Tuesday's Tip: County Histories and Biographies (Mug Books)

What They Are and Why They're Useful
Yesterday I started a new theme for my blog, Mug Book Monday. "Mug books" are are collections of biographical sketches usually found within or alongside county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. As our nation celebrated its centennial in 1876, genealogy and local history became of interest to the layman, and this spurred the publication of county histories and biographies. Often, a family or individual had to pay to have their biography written up and published. If a person were lacking in finances or interest in having their life story published, then there possibly won't be a biography for him, even if he were a prominent citizen. Also, keep in mind that because someone might have paid to have the biography written, it would tend to highlight only the positive aspects of this person's life or ancestry. It's also possible that there could be erroneous information given, perhaps even deliberately. Beware of sweeping generalizations, such as "the subject's mother-in-law was of Scottish heritage" or "his grandfather fought with Washington in the American Revolution." Nevertheless, county histories and biographies are great secondary sources for genealogists because they often list parents, siblings, children, spouses, and in-laws; track migration; depict photographs of the individual and/or their home or business; and give birth, marriage, death, and burial dates and locations. This is especially important as vital records were not usually kept until the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries in many states. Additional information often includes occupations, religious and political affiliations, and societies in which the individual was a member. Remember to check to see if your ancestors' siblings, cousins, or in-laws were featured in mug books, as an indirect way to glean genealogical gems.

Does Your County of Interest Have a Published History or Biographical Sketches?

One of the best resources to find out if your county of interest has a published history or biographical sketches is A Bibliography of American County Histories compiled by P. William Filby. Your local library or genealogical society may have this title. If not, you could possibly order it through interlibrary loan (ILL) at your public library (more on ILL below). This will not only let you know if there are mug books for your county, but what the titles, compilers, and publication dates are for those items. This covers over 5,000 county histories published as of September 2000.

Another good resource to check is the FamilySearch catalog, which lists all the books, microfilm, and microfiche held at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. At this point, you're not looking to actually obtain the book. You're simply doing a place-name search in the catalog (remember to list the state first, then the county), then looking for titles in the biography and history sections for that location. Once you have a title, you can again check your local library or genealogical society to see if they have the mug book, or use WorldCat to have one sent to you. Another option is to order the microfilmed or microfiched book to your local FamilySearch Center or have a researcher at the Family History Library do a look up in the book for a small fee (more on that below).

By entering the county name and a phrase such as "spokane county history" or "muskegon county biographical", Google can come up with a linked title either available in electronic format on the Internet or listed in a online bookstore, such as Amazon. Note that if your county name is very common, you may wish to list the state name in your search as well: "lincoln county washington" "county history".

Where to Find Mug Books Online

The easiest way to access a county history or biography is right here on the Internet. Many have been digitized or transcribed and are available on subscription or free websites. Here are five ways to access these books:

1. Subscription sites - here are some well-known genealogy subscription websites containing many county histories and biographies; you may already have subscriptions to these or can access them for free via your public library or FamilySearch Center: American Ancestors (NEHGS), Ancestry, GenealogyBank, WorldVitalRecords
2. Digitized free book sites - FamilySearch Family History Books, Google Books, Hathi Digital Trust Library, HeritageQuest Online (requires a library card from a participating library; many FamilySearch Centers also have free access), Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg
3. Archives, Libraries, Societies, Genealogical County Sites - to find digitized mug books, check out state, county, local and university archives (many are linked at my blog in my Online American Digital Archives and Databases series, or the Repositories of Primary Sources site); public library sites; and genealogical and historical society sites. Many transcribed mug books can be found at genealogical county sites such as USGenWeb, USGenNet, or GenealogyTrails. Use all these sites by going to the local level of your county of interest to find what might be available. For instance, use the PublicLibraries site to find a library in your county of interest to see if there is a digitized local history book on that library's website.
4. Portals - sites that link you to other sites where the digitized or transcribed books reside: Cyndi's List, DigitalBookIndex, LearnWebSkills' County and Town Histories, Linkpendium, Online Books Library Page. Depending on the site, you can either run a search on a title, or work your way down to the county page to find the book of interest.
5. Google Search - Go to Google or your favorite search engine and enter the name of the title you want, in quotes: "History of the counties of McKean, Elk, and Forest, Pennsylvania, with Biographical selections"

Where to Find Mug Books Offline

Because everything is not on the Internet (shocking, I know!), your best success in finding the mug book with your ancestor's story may come at your local public library or the collection at your local genealogical or historical society. Most public libraries and some societies have their card catalog available online, allowing you to do pre-research. Keep in mind that mug books are nearly always considered reference books and usually aren't allowed to be checked out. If you can't locate the mug book at a local library, using interlibrary loan (ILL) is the next best step. Check out WorldCat to see where the title may be held, then ask your local librarian to help you order it through interlibrary loan. Some library districts, like my own, allow their patrons to make an ILL request directly from their website. At others, you will need to come into the branch and fill out a form. Keep in mind that depending upon the policy of the lending library, you might not be allowed to bring the book home and can only view it at your library's branch. If that is the case, see if you can are allowed to photocopy or photograph the pertinent pages containing your ancestor's biography. In other cases, the book may not be available to lend to your library, but you can request the holding library to make photocopies for you and send them to your library or mail them to you directly. There may be a small fee for this.

Yet another offline option is to use your local FamilySearch Center. Volunteers at these local branches of the Family History Library (FHL) can help you order mug books on microfilm or microfiche from Salt Lake City to be viewed on machines at your local FamilySearch Center. Once you know how to do this, you can also order these directly on the FamilySearch website. There is a small rental fee involved. Books are not generally loaned to a FamilySearch Center from the FHL. However, you can request that a researcher at the FHL do a look up for one of your ancestral names in a mug book. If found, photocopies can be made and mailed to you, again for a small fee. Check with the volunteers at the FamilySearch Center for assistance with this.

Mug Books in Other Countries

The United States does not have a monopoly on county histories and biographies. Canada's Local Histories Online site is called Our Roots/Nos Racines.While I haven't found specific Canadian ancestors so far, I've enjoyed reading the local history of where they lived. In 1899, the Victoria County History was created, "an encyclopaedic record of England's places and people from earliest times to the present day." These books can be found at Victoria County History and British History Online. For these and other countries, many links to online county histories and biographies can be found at WorldGenWeb sites.


Join Me

I encourage you to attempt to find a biography or family history in a mug book. Even if you don't find one, take the time to read the local history and look at the maps to gain insight into the background and geography of where your ancestors lived. If you're lucky enough to discover an ancestor or relative has been highlighted, then please join me in blogging about them on Mug Book Monday. There's definitely going to be a limit to the amount of posts you can write for this theme, as we only have so many ancestors that had histories published. However, this is a great way to share these published treasures with our family and other researchers!

Mug Book Monday: Joseph Josiah ROBBINS (1820 - 1905)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

     "JOSEPH J. ROBBINS, farmer, was born in Otsego County, N. Y., December 4, 1820, and was married January 15, 1842 at Tioga County, Pa., to Miss Marinda Robbins. He enlisted September, 1861, in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Pennsylvania Infantry, which was consolidated with teh Fifty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry. He was discharged January 9, 1865, at Chapin's Far, Va. He lost his eyesight by sunstroke in 1864, and still suffers from the same cause. He came to this township, May, 1865, locating on his farm a short distance north of Hesperia. He has resided for some time in the village of Hesperia. He has seven children--Charles H., Emmeline C., Berson [sic - Benson], Benjamin L., Evaline E., Benjamin F. [sic - Ben Franklin], and William W."

---

Joseph was my fourth-great-grandfather. His wife Marinda was his second wife, and she was my ancestor, too. Their son, Charles, was my third-great-grandfather. I wrote a little sketch about Joseph's Civil War service, here. All the details about Joseph's life mentioned here appear to be correct, as I analyze them against other documents. The only exceptions are his children's names. Their full names, with correct spellings, should be: Charles Henry, Emeline Catherine, Joseph Uzza Benson, Benjamin Leader (he went by "Lee"), Evaline L., Ben Franklin (nicknamed "Frank") and William Wallace Robbins. Evaline died in March 1880 and William died in July 1882. It's possible the material for this book was gathered several years prior to publishing, and therefore the death of Evaline (and possibly William) before publication would not have been noted.

This biographical sketch was taken from History of Manistee, Mason and Oceana Counties, Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, published in Chicago by H. R. Page & Co., 1882. Joseph's sketch was found in the Oceana County section, on page 147. This county history, along with many other Michigan ones, can be found at the Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project website.

Surname Saturday: M(a)cARTHUR

MacArthur and McArthur are two common spellings of this Scots patronym. The surname simply means "son of Arthur". Who that man, Arthur--the originator of my particular family line--was, has been lost in time at this point. Using church records indexed at FamilySearch, I've been able to trace my line back five generations from my paternal great-great-grandmother.


Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #336 - Donald (or Daniel) MacARTHUR (b. 1716) - I've seen both Donald and Daniel listed as first names for this man. It's likely one is a mis-transcription of the other, a common mistake in genealogy. He married Katherine McNAUGHTON on 15 Jan 1754 in Kenmore, Perthshire, Scotland. They had nine children, all born and/or christened in Kenmore. Donald/Daniel was buried in Argyllshire, Scotland.

Ahnentafel #168 - Duncan MacARTHUR (1753 - 1842) - my immigrant ancestor was born in Kenmore. He married Janet HAGGERT, also born in Kenmore. It's not clear if they married in Scotland or in Canada. All seven children were born in Canada. Duncan died Aug 1842 in Martintown, Glengarry Co., Ontario.

Ahenentafel #84 - Donald MacARTHUR (d. bef. 1842) - I know less about this ancestor than I do his own father, due to the fact that he died young, before his father did and before civil registration of deaths in Canada. He married Catherine "Nancy" Anne MUNRO, who was also born in Canada. They had at least three children.

Ahnentafel #42 - Daniel J. MacARTHUR (1827 - 1919) - Another immigrant ancestor (to the U.S. this time), he served for the Union during the Civil War. I did a sketch about him here when blogging a series about Civil War Soldier and Sailor ancestors. I also blogged about him and his wife, Martha JOHNSON, here.

Ahnentafel #21 - Mary "Mae" E. McARTHUR (1875 - 1959) - read her AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #10 - Howard Merkel YORK (1898 - 1945) - read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #5 - Jane Marie YORK, a.k.a. Jeanne Marie HOLST - (1924 - 2012)

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More About the M(a)cARTHUR Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): McARTHUR and MacARTHUR ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some McARTHUR obituaries

3. Posts about McARTHUR ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned McARTHUR photos

5. Some scanned McARTHUR documents

6. My  McARTHUR Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave

My M(a)cARTHUR Immigration Trail:

Perthshire, Scotland > Glengarry Co., ONT > Montcalm Co., MI > Clinton Co., MI > Gratiot Co., MI > Clinton Co., MI > Genesee Co., MI > Kent Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA