I don't often write about Spokane or Washington State historical figures or history on this blog, because I am the first in my family to live in this city. I've had a few ancestors and relatives live in this state (mostly on the west side), but only after living in New York State, Pennsylvania, and/or Michigan first (where most of my genealogical research takes place).
However, I have been in correspondence with Carol Wilkerson, who has written an interesting biography on her husband's first cousin, four times removed, Louis Frank Boyd. Frank was a Spokane city clerk for many years and went on to represent the city in the state legislature in Olympia. You can read Frank's biography, as well as see a newspaper clipping and a letter he wrote, on Carol's blog here. Carol also has other biographical articles on her blog, and I encourage you to read them.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Random Acts of Kindness Week
This series was featured in the February 16th Edition of Terry Thornton's "Harvest from the Blog Garden" at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi.
As a member of the National Education Association, I receive their monthly publication, neatoday. Each issue comes with a diversity calendar, highlighting holidays, celebrations, observances and month-long events. Did you know that February, in addition to American Heart Month and Black History Month, is also Library Lovers' Month? And yes, we all know about Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (Feb. 12), St. Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) and George Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22). Few American school districts celebrate the presidents' birthdays as distinct; now they are combined into Presidents Day, honoring all presidents, on the third Monday of the month; this year it's on February 18th.
Even those who don't observe Lent celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday - February 5), the day before Ash Wednesday, and many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese rang in the Lunar New Year on February 7. This year is the Year of the Rat!
Other days of note include February 15th, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, and February 21st, International Mother Language Day, which highlights mother tongues, many of which are in danger of disappearing. Also, National School Counseling Week was February 4 - 8.
Something new I learned was that February 11 - 17 (Monday through Sunday) is Random Acts of Kindness Week. What a great idea! I thought that for every day this coming week, I would share a way that we as family historians and genealogists can commit an act of kindness. As a group, we certainly are aware of passing a favor forward (rather than returning it), since most of us have been able to get where we are in our family tree research only with the help of others. I'll be writing about some traditional and, hopefully, new-to-you ways to pass on a good work to another individual or group. I'll be challenging myself, as well, to "up the ante" on paying it forward to the genealogical community.
Won't you join me?
1. Join a Lookup Service
2. Be a Sponsor
3. Volunteer for a Society
4. Share Your Data
5. Transcribe or Translate
6. Give a Hand
7. Be Grateful and Generous
As a member of the National Education Association, I receive their monthly publication, neatoday. Each issue comes with a diversity calendar, highlighting holidays, celebrations, observances and month-long events. Did you know that February, in addition to American Heart Month and Black History Month, is also Library Lovers' Month? And yes, we all know about Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (Feb. 12), St. Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) and George Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22). Few American school districts celebrate the presidents' birthdays as distinct; now they are combined into Presidents Day, honoring all presidents, on the third Monday of the month; this year it's on February 18th.
Even those who don't observe Lent celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday - February 5), the day before Ash Wednesday, and many Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese rang in the Lunar New Year on February 7. This year is the Year of the Rat!
Other days of note include February 15th, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, and February 21st, International Mother Language Day, which highlights mother tongues, many of which are in danger of disappearing. Also, National School Counseling Week was February 4 - 8.
Something new I learned was that February 11 - 17 (Monday through Sunday) is Random Acts of Kindness Week. What a great idea! I thought that for every day this coming week, I would share a way that we as family historians and genealogists can commit an act of kindness. As a group, we certainly are aware of passing a favor forward (rather than returning it), since most of us have been able to get where we are in our family tree research only with the help of others. I'll be writing about some traditional and, hopefully, new-to-you ways to pass on a good work to another individual or group. I'll be challenging myself, as well, to "up the ante" on paying it forward to the genealogical community.
Won't you join me?
1. Join a Lookup Service
2. Be a Sponsor
3. Volunteer for a Society
4. Share Your Data
5. Transcribe or Translate
6. Give a Hand
7. Be Grateful and Generous
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Oral History Project in Spirit Lake, Idaho
Spirit Lake Youth Equipped For Success has received a grant to complete an oral history project as part of the Spirit Lake Centennial Celebration. Part of the training will be conducted by Kathy Hodges, Idaho's Oral Historian, on February 20th. She will be speaking later that evening to the Spirit Lake Historical Society at their regular monthly meeting. It is open to the public and will be at 7:00 PM at the Spirit Lake Elementary School, 309 North 5th Avenue, Spirit Lake, Idaho. The SLHS welcomes anyone interested in hearing more about capturing oral histories and the importance of this medium as a record of historical content to plan on joining them. The elementary school is adjacent to Highway 41, just past the library (you can't miss it).
On February 21st, the historical society has made arrangements to seat 20 at Templin's, 414 East 1st Avenue, Post Falls, Idaho at a no-host luncheon so that Kathy can share information on oral history and answer any specific questions that any of the area historical societies might have. The Spirit Lake Historical Society is inviting Kootenai County, Westwood, and Post Falls Historical Societies' members to this meeting. While it isn't necessary to make reservations, it would be nice to have an estimated attendance from your group prior to the event.
The contact person for this is:
Shelley Tschida
Quality Services
P. O. Box 1162
Spirit Lake, ID 83869
(208) 623-2539 phone
(208) 623-6618 fax
(208) 691-9150 cell
qsistATverizonDOTnet
On February 21st, the historical society has made arrangements to seat 20 at Templin's, 414 East 1st Avenue, Post Falls, Idaho at a no-host luncheon so that Kathy can share information on oral history and answer any specific questions that any of the area historical societies might have. The Spirit Lake Historical Society is inviting Kootenai County, Westwood, and Post Falls Historical Societies' members to this meeting. While it isn't necessary to make reservations, it would be nice to have an estimated attendance from your group prior to the event.
The contact person for this is:
Shelley Tschida
Quality Services
P. O. Box 1162
Spirit Lake, ID 83869
(208) 623-2539 phone
(208) 623-6618 fax
(208) 691-9150 cell
qsistATverizonDOTnet
News from FamilySearch
2008 FamilySearch Developers Conference
Inaugural Event Launches the Future of Genealogy Technology
Inaugural Event Launches the Future of Genealogy Technology
SALT LAKE CITY—FamilySearch announced today its first annual conference for software and Web application developers. The 2008 FamilySearch Developers Conference will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, in conjunction with the Brigham Young University Computerized Family History and Genealogy Conference in Provo, Utah. FamilySearch engineers and community developers will discuss new FamilySearch Web Services (API) and share best practices from its application to a variety of popular software environments. Attendees can register online at http://familyhistoryconferences.byu.edu/familysearch.
FamilySearch now has a full platform for software developers—genealogy content, interfaces, tools, code, support, and training. This platform enables developers to launch a new business or boost their target markets by adding features that are programmatically linked to FamilySearch’s expanding online resources. “Developers can produce solutions that integrate private, shared, and public data about living and deceased individuals, including rich stories, photos, audio, and video. FamilySearch is putting developers into the driver’s seat to do what they do best—effectively create and deliver innovative products wherever there is a need and profit," said Gordon Clarke, FamilySearch Web Services Product Manager.
The developers conference is a milestone for FamilySearch, which historically has not shared technical information underlying its genealogy-related products and services. The needs of the genealogy and archives markets worldwide are diverse, numerous, and growing. “Industry needs are greater than any one entity can fulfill. In order to meet the tremendous needs in the marketplace, industry professionals and companies will need to work closely and collaborate on tools, standards, authorities, initiatives, and interfaces that reduce duplication and maximize returns while satisfying the customer,” said Ransom Love, director of Strategic Relations for FamilySearch and the keynote speaker at the inaugural conference.
The 2008 FamilySearch Developers Conference provides a unique forum and opportunity for developers of genealogy-related desktop and Web applications to meet with other professionals who use similar development technologies to confront common technical challenges and share effective solutions. Conference attendees will learn about the new FamilySearch Web Services (API) from FamilySearch engineers and best practices from current community developers. The new FamilySearch Web Services provides developers access at the programmer’s level so developers can ensure the data and functionality of their products and applications will interface transparently and effectively with FamilySearch and other industry applications as they are introduced or evolve.
The newly released FamilySearch Family Tree API and soon-to-be-released Record Search API will be main topics of discussion. Other popular topics will be how to read, write, combine, separate, and synchronize with new FamilySearch online resources, developer keys, tree cleaning, GEDCOM, and PAF.
Professional software and Web application developers interested in attending can register online at http://familyhistoryconferences.byu.edu/familysearch or call 1-801-422-8925.
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization that maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources. Patrons may access resources online at FamilySearch.org or through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. and is registered in the United States of America and other countries.
Monday, February 04, 2008
The 41st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Posted
Wow! Thirty-three bloggers, including what appears to be a record number of new COG submitters, have posted what their dream dinner with four ancestors would be like! Jasia of Creative Gene has just published the 41st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, and I'm looking forward to reading through all these great articles! (My own submission is here.)
We also have the 42nd edition of the COG to look forward to, and its topic is "The Best of the Best." Not a competition, it's a chance for us geneabloggers to brag a bit about our best posts of 2007. I hope you'll join us!
We also have the 42nd edition of the COG to look forward to, and its topic is "The Best of the Best." Not a competition, it's a chance for us geneabloggers to brag a bit about our best posts of 2007. I hope you'll join us!
Adoptee Reunites with Biological Sisters
From the Muskegon [Michigan] Chronicle:
Read how this woman reunited with four of her five biological sisters, here.As a child, Joyanne Converse used to look in the mirror and wish she looked like somebody -- anybody -- in her family.
Someone with the same color hair. The same eyes.
The same smile.
The same nose.
But as the youngest of Ed and Lucille Bell's five children growing up in Muskegon, all of whom were adopted, it seemed an impossibility.
"I didn't know anyone who looked like me," she says.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
New Prompt (Week Thirty) Available at AnceStories2
"Crafts and Hobbies" is the theme of the prompts I've posted for Week Thirty over at my other blog, AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants. I've been in a "crafty mood" lately and thought it would be a good idea to write about. Girls are usually taught things like needlework from their mother's line, and boys are often shown how to do woodwork and other hobbies from the men in their families. I know from written records that she left in the family history book that my direct maternal great-grandmother, Lillian Fern Strong, could sew and crochet. She taught sewing to her daughter, my grandmother, Ruth Lillian Hoekstra. My mother learned to sew in Home Economics, but I never took that class in high school. From this, you can see how the craft of needlework died off in my mother's line.I taught myself how to sew after my daughter was born when wanted to make her clothes. I also taught myself needlework such as crochet, knitting, cross stitch and plastic canvas work. These crafts are well practiced by the women in my father's family, but since I didn't grow up with extended family, I was never taught these by them. One of my dad's sisters moved to the area from Michigan in the 1980s, a few years after our own family moved from Alaska to Eastern Washington. She's always been available when I need help finding patterns or materials, or improving a technique.
I have tried to teach my daughter how to sew, crochet and do cross stitch. She has had a difficult time with all of them, and I think her lack of interest has overwhelmed any attempts she's made. However, she draws great quirky doodles and can make the loveliest cards and scrapbook pages. She also has recently shown an interest in beading and macramé.
When I was little, my dad and I collected stamps, and my mom started a coin collection. For a number of years, my son developed a fine coin collection and would do extra chores to earn money to purchase antique ones at a local numismatic shop. Nowadays, my dad has a fine model railroad collection; he specifically collects Marx toy railroads, and comes to Spokane frequently to buy, sell, and trade at model railroad and antique toy shows.
What sorts of arts, crafts and hobbies are practiced in your family?
Responses to last week's prompts on "Family Life" can be seen here.
Confederate Pensions Databases
At the first of six sessions of my Intermediate Online Genealogy class, my students and I covered military records: why they're important in genealogy, and where they can be found, both off- and online.
Most researchers know that if they have a Union Civil War ancestor, chances are he, his widow, his elderly parents, or the guardian of his orphaned child(ren) applied for a pension in his name; and that copies of these pension applications are available for a fee of $75 from the National Archives. Unlike military service records, pension records are chock-full of genealogical information, as the applicants had to prove there was no one in the family that could support them, or--in the case of widows, parents and orphans--that they were related to the deceased veteran.
What researchers often don't realize is that many Confederate veterans were also eligible for pensions; no, not from the Federal Government--the government against which they had waged war--but from a former Confederate state. The veteran had to apply to the state in which he currently resided after the war...not necessarily the state from which he served. Obviously, then, if the veteran resided in a Union state after the war, or a location that saw statehood after 1865, he would not have been eligible for a pension. Our family's only Confederate ancestor, my husband's 2nd-great-grandfather, Charles Anderson Midkiff, served in the Texas Cavalry and would not have received a pension. He lived in Colorado and California in his later years: a Union state and former territory, respectively.
One of my students requested some extra help in researching her Civil War ancestors. I helped her order her Union ancestor's pension record online at the NARA site, and then we searched the Texas Confederate Pension database online for her Confederate ancestor (no luck). I realized that there should be a list online somewhere that would have all the links for any online Confederate Pension databases, and I was right. Joe Beine had a list of where to order pension records (Union and Confederate) among all his great online military records links. I also found a list of where to order Confederate pension records with descriptive information on Troy Grove's Terry's Texas Rangers website. The descriptions include when pensions begin and who was eligible (the veteran only, widows, etc.). Each list has a few things the other didn't, and as often happens, some of the links were obsolete (neither Joe's nor Troy's fault; government websites are notorious for changing their pages' URLs, I've noticed). NARA also has a descriptive list and includes mail, phone and e-mail information for each archive office for the states that granted Confederate pensions. Again, some of their links are obsolete.
I decided to put together my own list of online Confederate veterans pension application databases, many from the former Confederate states' archives, shown below. Once you find your ancestor in the database, there is information on each website to help you order a copy of his pension application and record.
Alabama - The archives do not have an online pension application database. They do have a database of those who served from Alabama here, as well as those individuals who were exempted from service or who served in the militia or home guard. Contact information for the archives can be found on the bottom of the home page here.
Arkansas - State archives: http://www.ark-ives.com/documenting/confed_pensions.asp. FamilySearch has Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929.
Florida - State archives: http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/. Family Search has Florida, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955.
Georgia - http://cdm.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/TestApps.php. Ancestry now has the Georgia, Confederate Pensions Applications, 1879 - 1960 database available in their subscription area.
Louisiana - State archives: http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov/archives/gen/cpa-alpha.htm - this is a fairly new link to the pension applications index. A form to request a copy of the pension application can be downloaded here. FamilySearch has Louisiana Confederate Pensions,1898-1950.
Mississippi - Research requests information can be found here at the Mississippi State Archives (does not have records or indexes online). FamilySearch has Mississippi Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1900-1974.
North Carolina - http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov/BasicSearch.aspx - because this search engine is rather complicated, I recommend viewing the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS) video tutorials found on YouTube here. Also, FamilySearch has North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953.
South Carolina - http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/onlinearchives/search.aspx - choose Records of Confederate Veterans, 1909 - 1973 from the drop down menu under the Record Group field.
Another search: http://167.7.33.100/search2.aspx - click on Search for names in the upper left-hand corner to find your Confederate ancestor.
Try both search engines; in the past, I got different results using the same search terms on each search engine. Online request forms can be accessed here. Be sure to list that your request is for a pension application record, or you may be sent a military service record instead.
Tennessee - http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/pension.htm. Also FamilySearch has Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965.
Texas - https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/apps/arc/pensions/. Also, Ancestry has a database titled U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 that appears to contain names from "Texas, Confederate Pension Applications, 1899-1975. Vol. 1–646 & 1–283" from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.
Virginia - http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/mil/ - this page includes a link not just to the pension rolls, but to the electronic card index, the disability applications and receipts, and applications for admission to the Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home, as well as other Civil War military links. There are military links for many other wars, too. Also, Ancestry has a database titled U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 that appears to contain names from "Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows" from the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma granted pensions to its Confederate veterans after the war. Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory during the war, and its tribal governments supported the Confederacy. Kentucky and Missouri both had populations with strong Southern sympathies, rump (rival) governments, were admitted to the Confederacy, and had volunteer units which served in the Confederate Army. However, they were never under complete Confederate control and their Confederate governments ended up in exile.
Kentucky - FamilySearch has Kentucky, Confederate Pension Applications, 1912-1950.
Missouri - FamilySearch has Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications.
Oklahoma - http://www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/docs/pension.pdf - this index is in .pdf format, and you will need to use the Find feature or scroll through 164 pages to find your ancestor! Contact information for ordering copies of the pension applications can be found in the left-hand menu here.
--------------------------------------------------
In the event that you're reading this post long after I've written it, and you discover an obsolete link, do as I did: go to Google and enter the search term:
Please use the actual name of the state (Georgia, Texas, etc.) in place of nameofstate! Then use the archives website's site map or search engine to find confederate pensions. If that's no help, return to Google and enter the following term:
Of course, you'll enter the actual address of the state archive's website in place of http://statearchiveURL.gov! Just make sure to have the word site and the colon (:) directly in front of the address, with no spaces in between. This should help you find an updated link to the pension database just in case, as I said, the link becomes obsolete in the future.
Most researchers know that if they have a Union Civil War ancestor, chances are he, his widow, his elderly parents, or the guardian of his orphaned child(ren) applied for a pension in his name; and that copies of these pension applications are available for a fee of $75 from the National Archives. Unlike military service records, pension records are chock-full of genealogical information, as the applicants had to prove there was no one in the family that could support them, or--in the case of widows, parents and orphans--that they were related to the deceased veteran.
What researchers often don't realize is that many Confederate veterans were also eligible for pensions; no, not from the Federal Government--the government against which they had waged war--but from a former Confederate state. The veteran had to apply to the state in which he currently resided after the war...not necessarily the state from which he served. Obviously, then, if the veteran resided in a Union state after the war, or a location that saw statehood after 1865, he would not have been eligible for a pension. Our family's only Confederate ancestor, my husband's 2nd-great-grandfather, Charles Anderson Midkiff, served in the Texas Cavalry and would not have received a pension. He lived in Colorado and California in his later years: a Union state and former territory, respectively.
One of my students requested some extra help in researching her Civil War ancestors. I helped her order her Union ancestor's pension record online at the NARA site, and then we searched the Texas Confederate Pension database online for her Confederate ancestor (no luck). I realized that there should be a list online somewhere that would have all the links for any online Confederate Pension databases, and I was right. Joe Beine had a list of where to order pension records (Union and Confederate) among all his great online military records links. I also found a list of where to order Confederate pension records with descriptive information on Troy Grove's Terry's Texas Rangers website. The descriptions include when pensions begin and who was eligible (the veteran only, widows, etc.). Each list has a few things the other didn't, and as often happens, some of the links were obsolete (neither Joe's nor Troy's fault; government websites are notorious for changing their pages' URLs, I've noticed). NARA also has a descriptive list and includes mail, phone and e-mail information for each archive office for the states that granted Confederate pensions. Again, some of their links are obsolete.
I decided to put together my own list of online Confederate veterans pension application databases, many from the former Confederate states' archives, shown below. Once you find your ancestor in the database, there is information on each website to help you order a copy of his pension application and record.
Alabama - The archives do not have an online pension application database. They do have a database of those who served from Alabama here, as well as those individuals who were exempted from service or who served in the militia or home guard. Contact information for the archives can be found on the bottom of the home page here.
Arkansas - State archives: http://www.ark-ives.com/documenting/confed_pensions.asp. FamilySearch has Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929.
Florida - State archives: http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/PensionFiles/. Family Search has Florida, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955.
Georgia - http://cdm.sos.state.ga.us/cdm4/TestApps.php. Ancestry now has the Georgia, Confederate Pensions Applications, 1879 - 1960 database available in their subscription area.
Louisiana - State archives: http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov/archives/gen/cpa-alpha.htm - this is a fairly new link to the pension applications index. A form to request a copy of the pension application can be downloaded here. FamilySearch has Louisiana Confederate Pensions,1898-1950.
Mississippi - Research requests information can be found here at the Mississippi State Archives (does not have records or indexes online). FamilySearch has Mississippi Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1900-1974.
North Carolina - http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov/BasicSearch.aspx - because this search engine is rather complicated, I recommend viewing the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS) video tutorials found on YouTube here. Also, FamilySearch has North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953.
South Carolina - http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/onlinearchives/search.aspx - choose Records of Confederate Veterans, 1909 - 1973 from the drop down menu under the Record Group field.
Another search: http://167.7.33.100/search2.aspx - click on Search for names in the upper left-hand corner to find your Confederate ancestor.
Try both search engines; in the past, I got different results using the same search terms on each search engine. Online request forms can be accessed here. Be sure to list that your request is for a pension application record, or you may be sent a military service record instead.
Tennessee - http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/pension.htm. Also FamilySearch has Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965.
Texas - https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/apps/arc/pensions/. Also, Ancestry has a database titled U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 that appears to contain names from "Texas, Confederate Pension Applications, 1899-1975. Vol. 1–646 & 1–283" from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.
Virginia - http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/mil/ - this page includes a link not just to the pension rolls, but to the electronic card index, the disability applications and receipts, and applications for admission to the Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home, as well as other Civil War military links. There are military links for many other wars, too. Also, Ancestry has a database titled U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 that appears to contain names from "Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows" from the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
---
Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma granted pensions to its Confederate veterans after the war. Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory during the war, and its tribal governments supported the Confederacy. Kentucky and Missouri both had populations with strong Southern sympathies, rump (rival) governments, were admitted to the Confederacy, and had volunteer units which served in the Confederate Army. However, they were never under complete Confederate control and their Confederate governments ended up in exile.
Kentucky - FamilySearch has Kentucky, Confederate Pension Applications, 1912-1950.
Missouri - FamilySearch has Missouri, Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers Home Applications.
Oklahoma - http://www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/docs/pension.pdf - this index is in .pdf format, and you will need to use the Find feature or scroll through 164 pages to find your ancestor! Contact information for ordering copies of the pension applications can be found in the left-hand menu here.
--------------------------------------------------
In the event that you're reading this post long after I've written it, and you discover an obsolete link, do as I did: go to Google and enter the search term:
"nameofstate state archives"
Please use the actual name of the state (Georgia, Texas, etc.) in place of nameofstate! Then use the archives website's site map or search engine to find confederate pensions. If that's no help, return to Google and enter the following term:
"confederate pension" site:http://statearchiveURL.gov
Of course, you'll enter the actual address of the state archive's website in place of http://statearchiveURL.gov! Just make sure to have the word site and the colon (:) directly in front of the address, with no spaces in between. This should help you find an updated link to the pension database just in case, as I said, the link becomes obsolete in the future.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Our Week of Wintry Weather
How odd...I woke up this morning and didn't see any fresh snow on the ground. What was odder still...this was the second morning in a row that this happened.
In case anyone hasn't heard, it was the fourth snowiest January on record. We received about two feet of snow here in the city over the course of a week. Yes, I know that's really not a lot of snow, since I used to live up in the mountains of Northeast Washington, where we could easily get a foot of snow in a couple of hours. But it wasn't the amount of snow, but what the weather did meantime, that shut down our city, and county, and even most of our state (renamed the State of Emergency by our illustrious governor).
First of all, we received about six inches of snow Sunday morning, on top of the several inches we received the day before, on top of several inches of compacted snow and ice created by the previous week of single digit temperatures. This was followed by four more days of snow falling overnight, warming temperatures that turned the snow to slush during the day and freezing temperatures that turned it back to ice, followed by more snow falling overnight...well, you get the idea.
Driving around town was fun in our front-wheel drive with very good tires. Not. Tuesday, my daughter and I ventured out to the chapel at Fairmount Cemetery to attend Evelyn's funeral, about three miles west, easily accessible by nearby arterial streets. It took us half an hour, driving at no faster than 15 miles an hour. Navigating the side streets was like driving through about four inches of shifting sand. The main streets had supposedly been plowed. However, many vehicles, including the plows themselves, had used tire chains, which had tore up the snow into lovely washboard ridges before it refroze. Besides the ridges running perpendicular to our tires, there were ruts running parallel. The ridges and ruts would grab at our tires and send the back end of the car fishtailing if I attempted to go faster than 10 or 15 miles per hour. So I didn't.
The city school district ended up closing for a week, one day at a time. Tuesday, the district sent out 13 buses to check out the routes around town, especially the hilly ones. Within one hour, five of them had gotten stuck; one to the point of having to be towed. It was just too dangerous for either bussed students or those who had to walk on icy streets or sidewalks covered with snow berms to have school be opened. On top of that, officials have been worried about the amounts of snow and ice on school roofs. Friday was a planned day off; it was supposed to be semester break day. I imagine everything will be delayed by a week. The superintendent is looking into having an emergency waiver passed so we don't have to make up the four remaining days into the second half of June.
My second session of my Intermediate Online Genealogy class was canceled, and so was the February meeting of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society.
We stayed home as much as possible. Sunday, a plane skidded off the runway at Spokane International Airport. Over in Idaho, a shed collapsed under the weight of snow, trapping a 10-year-old boy, who was miraculously saved by a neighbor. There were nearly 700 vehicle accidents reported in the county in about 24 hours. Parking lots around the city are reduced to about 50 or 60% of their capacity, since we are running out of places to put the snow. Snoqualmie Pass, on Interstate 90, was shut down twice due to the worst avalanche threats it ever experienced. After the first shut down (72 miles of road closed), the Department of Transportation used 500 pounds of explosives to loosen the snow, and then the equivalent of 130,000 dump truck loads were removed from the highway along that stretch. Another small avalanche caught a couple of vehicles the next day, but thankfully, no one was hurt. The pass was closed again with hundred of truckers stranded on either side; our state economy being impacted by the hour.
The Army and Air National Guards has been shoveling snow off school buildings in Northern Idaho and clearing rural roads in West Spokane County. Prisoners at the Airway Heights Correctional Center have been removing snow berms from the mouths of the driveways of the elderly and disabled who've been trapped by the results of snow-removal vehicles. Volunteer and charitable organizations have been strapped to their limits attempting to help the homeless, the disabled, and those running out of food, unable to get to the grocery store.
We've seen a lot more neighborliness lately, though. When our car got high-centered in the alley on Sunday as we were trying to deliver a hot meal to a sick friend, several neighbors came out to dig us out and give us a push. In return, my husband took a roof rake and removed the heavy frozen snow from their porch roof, which was threatening a collapse. A semi with double flat-bed trailers got stuck down at the corner. A city grader driver stopped plowing for a few minutes, pulled out a length of chain, and hauled the big rig out of the snowbank. Hundreds of volunteers have called in to local charitable organizations offering to shovel snow or deliver meals where needed.
And I? I've been thankful, very thankful for our warm house, for our stock of supplies and food on hand, for the fact that we've all been safe and warm and able to rest and relax. It's actually been quite nice to have a week off work, with no agenda, no holidays to stress over, no huge dinners to make, gifts to buy, presents to wrap, etc. We saved money on gas, got to sleep in and spend lots of time on the computer. I was able to make up time lost on some presentations I'm working on--time I'd lost a couple of weeks ago when our modem went out. I got to check out GenealogyBank and the new California Voter Registrations database at Ancestry. My daughter discovered that she enjoys beading and macramé, my son was generous about sharing the main computer, and we spent a lot of time together as a family. It's too bad we couldn't make an annual event of this!
In case anyone hasn't heard, it was the fourth snowiest January on record. We received about two feet of snow here in the city over the course of a week. Yes, I know that's really not a lot of snow, since I used to live up in the mountains of Northeast Washington, where we could easily get a foot of snow in a couple of hours. But it wasn't the amount of snow, but what the weather did meantime, that shut down our city, and county, and even most of our state (renamed the State of Emergency by our illustrious governor).
First of all, we received about six inches of snow Sunday morning, on top of the several inches we received the day before, on top of several inches of compacted snow and ice created by the previous week of single digit temperatures. This was followed by four more days of snow falling overnight, warming temperatures that turned the snow to slush during the day and freezing temperatures that turned it back to ice, followed by more snow falling overnight...well, you get the idea.
Driving around town was fun in our front-wheel drive with very good tires. Not. Tuesday, my daughter and I ventured out to the chapel at Fairmount Cemetery to attend Evelyn's funeral, about three miles west, easily accessible by nearby arterial streets. It took us half an hour, driving at no faster than 15 miles an hour. Navigating the side streets was like driving through about four inches of shifting sand. The main streets had supposedly been plowed. However, many vehicles, including the plows themselves, had used tire chains, which had tore up the snow into lovely washboard ridges before it refroze. Besides the ridges running perpendicular to our tires, there were ruts running parallel. The ridges and ruts would grab at our tires and send the back end of the car fishtailing if I attempted to go faster than 10 or 15 miles per hour. So I didn't.
The city school district ended up closing for a week, one day at a time. Tuesday, the district sent out 13 buses to check out the routes around town, especially the hilly ones. Within one hour, five of them had gotten stuck; one to the point of having to be towed. It was just too dangerous for either bussed students or those who had to walk on icy streets or sidewalks covered with snow berms to have school be opened. On top of that, officials have been worried about the amounts of snow and ice on school roofs. Friday was a planned day off; it was supposed to be semester break day. I imagine everything will be delayed by a week. The superintendent is looking into having an emergency waiver passed so we don't have to make up the four remaining days into the second half of June.
My second session of my Intermediate Online Genealogy class was canceled, and so was the February meeting of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society.
We stayed home as much as possible. Sunday, a plane skidded off the runway at Spokane International Airport. Over in Idaho, a shed collapsed under the weight of snow, trapping a 10-year-old boy, who was miraculously saved by a neighbor. There were nearly 700 vehicle accidents reported in the county in about 24 hours. Parking lots around the city are reduced to about 50 or 60% of their capacity, since we are running out of places to put the snow. Snoqualmie Pass, on Interstate 90, was shut down twice due to the worst avalanche threats it ever experienced. After the first shut down (72 miles of road closed), the Department of Transportation used 500 pounds of explosives to loosen the snow, and then the equivalent of 130,000 dump truck loads were removed from the highway along that stretch. Another small avalanche caught a couple of vehicles the next day, but thankfully, no one was hurt. The pass was closed again with hundred of truckers stranded on either side; our state economy being impacted by the hour.
The Army and Air National Guards has been shoveling snow off school buildings in Northern Idaho and clearing rural roads in West Spokane County. Prisoners at the Airway Heights Correctional Center have been removing snow berms from the mouths of the driveways of the elderly and disabled who've been trapped by the results of snow-removal vehicles. Volunteer and charitable organizations have been strapped to their limits attempting to help the homeless, the disabled, and those running out of food, unable to get to the grocery store.
We've seen a lot more neighborliness lately, though. When our car got high-centered in the alley on Sunday as we were trying to deliver a hot meal to a sick friend, several neighbors came out to dig us out and give us a push. In return, my husband took a roof rake and removed the heavy frozen snow from their porch roof, which was threatening a collapse. A semi with double flat-bed trailers got stuck down at the corner. A city grader driver stopped plowing for a few minutes, pulled out a length of chain, and hauled the big rig out of the snowbank. Hundreds of volunteers have called in to local charitable organizations offering to shovel snow or deliver meals where needed.
And I? I've been thankful, very thankful for our warm house, for our stock of supplies and food on hand, for the fact that we've all been safe and warm and able to rest and relax. It's actually been quite nice to have a week off work, with no agenda, no holidays to stress over, no huge dinners to make, gifts to buy, presents to wrap, etc. We saved money on gas, got to sleep in and spend lots of time on the computer. I was able to make up time lost on some presentations I'm working on--time I'd lost a couple of weeks ago when our modem went out. I got to check out GenealogyBank and the new California Voter Registrations database at Ancestry. My daughter discovered that she enjoys beading and macramé, my son was generous about sharing the main computer, and we spent a lot of time together as a family. It's too bad we couldn't make an annual event of this!
Friday, February 01, 2008
The 3rd Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture is Posted
Lisa at Small-leaved Shamrock has just posted the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture. It's no coincidence that today is also St. Brigid's Day, who is second only to St. Patrick as one of the most revered saints in Ireland. In honor of St. Brigid's Day and all things Irish, nine participants have written 11 articles about their favorite real or fictional places in Ireland. My own post is about my ancestral home of Letterkenny, County Donegal, a place I'd love to visit someday. I hope you take an hour or so to enjoy your armchair travels to the Emerald Isle!
Lisa invites all of you to join her in the 4th edition of the Carnival, with the following details: "Whether you go traveling or not, plan to take a trip with us on the next Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: the 4th edition.
Lisa invites all of you to join her in the 4th edition of the Carnival, with the following details: "Whether you go traveling or not, plan to take a trip with us on the next Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: the 4th edition.
"Here's the scoop:
March is Irish heritage month in many places, thanks to the feast day of St. Patrick, beloved saint of Ireland. Our topic for this month will be anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture. Posts about St. Patrick will be appreciated, but posts related to any meaningful aspect of Ireland's heritage are welcomed. To borrow an idea from Bill West's genealogy parade, we'll have our very own virtual St. Patrick's Day parade!
"The deadline is March 14, 2008. Submit your parade entry here. Then come join us for the parade on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008. On the feast of St. Patrick, everyone likes to be Irish, at least for one day. Hope to see you at the parade wearing your green!"
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Native American Burial Ground Uncovered in Flint, Michigan
From the Grand Rapids Press blog:
Click here to read more.
Police have contacted the Tribal Council in Mount Pleasant to determine how to handle what may be an Indian burial ground near Atwood Stadium.
On Monday, the remains of what a Michigan State University anthropologist says are those of a very old Indian man were unearthed at a construction site at Stone Street and Third Avenue. A day later, another set of skeletal remains were dug up about 150 feet away from the first site. The MSU anthropologist also believes those to be Indian remains, Flint police said.
Click here to read more.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The March 2008 Issue of Internet Genealogy
On Monday, I received my March 2008 issue of Internet Genealogy. A bi-montly publication, I absolutely love this magazine, published by the same company as Family Chronicle and History Magazine. Many of the articles are written by authors who I know personally or from faithfully reading genealogy blogs, making reading each issue like getting a letter of helpful genealogical advice from an old friend! This month's issue contains the following articles:
"Jumping Over Hurdles in Western European Research" by Leslie Albrecht Huber
"Free Genealogy Software!" by Rick Crume
A Case Study, "The Case of John Barron, Early Illinois Settler," by Richard Crooks
"That's My Family" by Janice Nickerson (looking at a new database for Canadian researchers)
"Creating the Context for Your Ancestors' Lives" also by Leslie Albrecht Huber, in which she lists social history websites
"Researching Your French Ancestry Online" by Donna J. Pointkouski - hmmm, this looks especially interesting. Both hubby and I have a couple of lines that lead into France!
"Extend Your Research Reach with Mailing Lists" by George G. Morgan
"Checking the (Cyndi's) List" by Cindy Thompson
"Finding Huguenot Ancestors" by David A. Norris - another interest of mine, as it is believed that my Frisian surname, Renema ("of the family of Rene"), is actually a Huguenot line
"The Hidden Treasures of Gazetteers" by Leslie Albrecht Huber
"Passenger Records and Naturalization Records" by Diane L. Richard - I highlighted this one for my Intermediate Online Genealogy class, since that is the topic of our next session
"Libraries in Genealogy" by Mary Penner, looking specifically at online resources, of course
And in "Researching for TV," Janice Nickerson reveals what happens behind the scenes when researching family history for the Canadian television show, "Who Do You Think You Are?"
In addition, the following websites have been highlighted in the "Net Notes" column:
Lost Cousins - http://www.lostcousins.com
RadixIndex: Hungarian Genealogy and Local History Databases - http://www.radixindex.com/
ChicagoAncestors.Org - http://chicagoancestors.org
The Workhouse: England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Elsewhere - http://www.workhouses.org.uk
One of the nice things about Internet Genealogy is that they list all their links for each issue on their website, both current and past. Another is their very affordable subscription rate: $22.50 for a year's subscription (6 issues).
"Jumping Over Hurdles in Western European Research" by Leslie Albrecht Huber
"Free Genealogy Software!" by Rick Crume
A Case Study, "The Case of John Barron, Early Illinois Settler," by Richard Crooks
"That's My Family" by Janice Nickerson (looking at a new database for Canadian researchers)
"Creating the Context for Your Ancestors' Lives" also by Leslie Albrecht Huber, in which she lists social history websites
"Researching Your French Ancestry Online" by Donna J. Pointkouski - hmmm, this looks especially interesting. Both hubby and I have a couple of lines that lead into France!
"Extend Your Research Reach with Mailing Lists" by George G. Morgan
"Checking the (Cyndi's) List" by Cindy Thompson
"Finding Huguenot Ancestors" by David A. Norris - another interest of mine, as it is believed that my Frisian surname, Renema ("of the family of Rene"), is actually a Huguenot line
"The Hidden Treasures of Gazetteers" by Leslie Albrecht Huber
"Passenger Records and Naturalization Records" by Diane L. Richard - I highlighted this one for my Intermediate Online Genealogy class, since that is the topic of our next session
"Libraries in Genealogy" by Mary Penner, looking specifically at online resources, of course
And in "Researching for TV," Janice Nickerson reveals what happens behind the scenes when researching family history for the Canadian television show, "Who Do You Think You Are?"
In addition, the following websites have been highlighted in the "Net Notes" column:
Lost Cousins - http://www.lostcousins.com
RadixIndex: Hungarian Genealogy and Local History Databases - http://www.radixindex.com/
ChicagoAncestors.Org - http://chicagoancestors.org
The Workhouse: England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Elsewhere - http://www.workhouses.org.uk
One of the nice things about Internet Genealogy is that they list all their links for each issue on their website, both current and past. Another is their very affordable subscription rate: $22.50 for a year's subscription (6 issues).
Monday, January 28, 2008
The 3rd Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy Is Posted
Jessica at Jessica's Genejournal has just posted the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. Although I do not have (to my knowledge) ancestry from this part of Europe, I always find it interesting to read these sorts of carnivals, and to learn more about the history of different parts of the world. I encourage you to peruse these articles, and if you have Central or Eastern European ancestry, please participate in the next carnival. Jessica writes:
The topic for the next carnival is a carousel. Article topics for this carnival can deal with stories, traditions, food, history, etc. of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The deadline for the next edition of the carnival will be February 18th. You can submit your article here.
Guests for Dinner
Mr. Joseph Josiah Robbins
Newfield Township, Oceana County, Michigan
Mrs. Mary "Polly" (Wyckoff) Crothers Chappel
Millington Township, Tuscola County, Michigan
Mr. Franklin Preston Midkiff
Lincoln (now Moore) County, Tennessee
Mrs. Berber J. "Barbara" (DeJong) Valk
1315 West Leonard Street
Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan
You are cordially invited to attend a dinner
held in your honor at the home of your descendants,
Norm and Miriam (Robbins) Midkiff,
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
at 6 o'clock in the evening
on Friday, February 1st,
in the Year of Our Lord, 2008.
Newfield Township, Oceana County, Michigan
Mrs. Mary "Polly" (Wyckoff) Crothers Chappel
Millington Township, Tuscola County, Michigan
Mr. Franklin Preston Midkiff
Lincoln (now Moore) County, Tennessee
Mrs. Berber J. "Barbara" (DeJong) Valk
1315 West Leonard Street
Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan
You are cordially invited to attend a dinner
held in your honor at the home of your descendants,
Norm and Miriam (Robbins) Midkiff,
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
at 6 o'clock in the evening
on Friday, February 1st,
in the Year of Our Lord, 2008.
What a fascinating opportunity I would have if it were possible to invite these four ancestors to dinner! We would undoubtedly sit long into the wee hours of the night while I enjoyed their tales of the past and amazed them with the technology of the present. Here's what you might overhear me say, if you could also be present at the meal:
"Joseph, my fourth-great-grandfather, I know your father's name was George, but was he one and the same as George Washington Robbins who married Abigail Hicks? And that other George Robbins in Oceana County, was he your brother or some other relation? Tell me more about your first wife, Joe, Emeline C. What was her maiden name? Why, no one in the family had even heard about her until I obtained your pension record! And speaking of your Civil War days, did you really get captured by the Confederates and spend time in Andersonville?...because I can't find any evidence of that. I'm thinking your son Charlie was a bit of a tale-teller, or perhaps was a bit confused in his old age when he was interviewed by a reporter about your military experiences. He said you served in the War with Mexico and then started off to California during the Gold Rush but decided to come back home. Is this true? By the way, was Grandma your cousin? I mean, a woman named Marinda Robbins marrying a man named Joseph Robbins...it does make me wonder. And what was up with her surly old man, Uzza the blacksmith with the black temper? Sounds like he was a bit mentally unstable: poisoning his second wife with arsenic in her bean soup, and caving in the head of his son with an anvil, it appears. That surely must have been a scandal, and no wonder none of us for several generations had heard about it...until my friend Google helped me uncover the story! Good grief, what is with your obsession with the name Ben? Five sons, and three of them named Ben, Benjamin, and Benson! Did your daughter-in-law Viola ever tell you what she knew about her father Nelson H. Peck? Because he's another brick wall for me. Brick wall. It's kind of hard to explain. Yes, I know I'm being a pest, but just one more question: what happened to your daughter Evaline? Did she marry Joseph Lyttle, or was that another Evaline? If it's the same one, I need you to sign an affidavit, because the Oceana County Clerk has Evaline's maiden name as Stewart, not Robbins. You could really help me out here, Joseph, and I'm so glad you came for dinner! Now, let me show you how this TV works. TV...it's short for television, and it's quite amazing..."
"Grandma Polly, it's so nice to meet you at last! You're my fourth-great-grandmother, you know. I've admired your needlework for many years now. Yes, I'm the one that has your lovely cross stitch sampler that you made nearly two centuries ago. I've been taking good care of it, and I hope that it remains in the family for many more generations! Polly, I do need to know more about Grandpa John Crothers: can you tell me more about his life? When and where he was born, who his parents and siblings were, how you met, and yes, please tell me the sad story of his death. I heard he drowned in the Erie Canal, but that might be hearsay. It must have been so difficult being left with seven children, or is that number correct? I do know you had seven in 1840, but I only know five of their names for sure. Was Moses one of your sons? I've been checking into him and I've long suspected he was yours! How did you meet your second husband, William Chappel? And what became of daughter Euphema? I can't find her after 1860. Goodness, I don't even know what happened to you and William after 1880! I've looked online in death and cemetery records for Millington Township and you've been very elusive! Did you go live with one of your children in a different county in your elder years? I can't find a death or burial place for you anywhere! You know, you come from a long, proud line of Wyckoffs who trace their roots back to New Netherlands and your immigrant ancestor, Peter Claesen Wyckoff, who came over in 1637 on the ship Rensselaerwick. But your mother's line (sigh)...I can't find much. Tell me more about her, that Elizabeth Mainard. I see that Cornelius Mainard is buried in the same cemetery as your parents; isn't he your uncle? Wait, Polly, you can't put a metal spoon in the microwave..."
"Frank, I honestly don't know whether to shake your hand or just shake you. Why when you died so young, you left your poor widow Ellender (yes, I know you always called her Nellie) with at least five little ones to raise. Yes, I know there were two other girls, but there's no mention of them after 1840. I don't even know their names. When Nellie died later on, your kids were still pretty young and had to do a lot of fending for themselves. Except for Ann, they all took off for Texas. You'd be proud of them. After all, your descendants founded the little community of Midkiff, Texas! And who in the world were your parents? Someone tried to tell me they were John Midkiff and Cathy Miller, but your sons' names are full of clues to family surnames, I think: William Franklin, John Rufus and Charles Anderson. I kind of figured you all came from Virginia, seeing how Isaiah and Hasten Midkiff, your neighbors, hailed from there. You see, we have this DNA Project going (hang on, I'll explain later) and it shows that all the Midkiffs we've tested so far are related. Well, maybe that's obvious to you, but not to us here in 2008. We're still trying to figure out how these three and four different lines connect and how the Midkiffs came over to this continent. Do you have any family stories to share? I mean, it's kind of odd that we can trace your wife's Oliver ancestry back two hundred years or more, but yours kind of deadends. Norm, let's get a picture of you with your great-great-great-grandfather. Now, Franklin, that there is a remote for the stereo, and you need to be careful with it. You're increasing the volume and if you hit the "mute" button, our ears are going to get AAAAHHHHH!...give me that!"
"Hello, Barbara, I'm your great-great-granddaughter. Of all the guests tonight, you are the only one I've had an idea of what you looked like before we met. See these family photos? I've also had the pleasure of standing at your grave, and that of your husband and mother-in-law...the first ancestral graves I ever visited, back in 2000. I'd love to hear the stories of your growing up years in the Netherlands and how you came over to the U.S. in 1882 with your fiance', James. I actually found your names on the Surrey's passenger list, and even found a photo of the ship. Now, Barbara, I really need to know when and where you were born for sure, and the names of your parents. See, I'm guessing you were born in the municipality of Ferwerderadeel, Friesland like your husband was, probably in the village of Westernijkerk. But I think someone forgot to turn in your birth information to the authorities, and it never got written down! I know your father's name was Sjoerd deJong, but who was your mother? Let me guess...Janna (Jennie) or Grietje (Gertrude). See, I know how the Dutch name their children, and you kept naming your girls Catherine (for your mother-in-law), Jennie and Gertrude; even when one of your little girls died, you'd give the next one the same name. I'm sorry you and James lost so many children. It must've been so hard. You know, I've seen lists of deJongs at the Westernijkerk church yard online, and even one named Sjoerd, but he would have been too old to be your father...was he a grandfather? "Online" means on the Internet; let me show you this computer. It's like a window to the world. No, it's not black magic. There's nothing evil about it! Trust me..."
Oh, it would be an interesting evening for sure! Who would be more fascinated, more thrilled, more excited, we or our guests? Too bad we'll never know!
"Joseph, my fourth-great-grandfather, I know your father's name was George, but was he one and the same as George Washington Robbins who married Abigail Hicks? And that other George Robbins in Oceana County, was he your brother or some other relation? Tell me more about your first wife, Joe, Emeline C. What was her maiden name? Why, no one in the family had even heard about her until I obtained your pension record! And speaking of your Civil War days, did you really get captured by the Confederates and spend time in Andersonville?...because I can't find any evidence of that. I'm thinking your son Charlie was a bit of a tale-teller, or perhaps was a bit confused in his old age when he was interviewed by a reporter about your military experiences. He said you served in the War with Mexico and then started off to California during the Gold Rush but decided to come back home. Is this true? By the way, was Grandma your cousin? I mean, a woman named Marinda Robbins marrying a man named Joseph Robbins...it does make me wonder. And what was up with her surly old man, Uzza the blacksmith with the black temper? Sounds like he was a bit mentally unstable: poisoning his second wife with arsenic in her bean soup, and caving in the head of his son with an anvil, it appears. That surely must have been a scandal, and no wonder none of us for several generations had heard about it...until my friend Google helped me uncover the story! Good grief, what is with your obsession with the name Ben? Five sons, and three of them named Ben, Benjamin, and Benson! Did your daughter-in-law Viola ever tell you what she knew about her father Nelson H. Peck? Because he's another brick wall for me. Brick wall. It's kind of hard to explain. Yes, I know I'm being a pest, but just one more question: what happened to your daughter Evaline? Did she marry Joseph Lyttle, or was that another Evaline? If it's the same one, I need you to sign an affidavit, because the Oceana County Clerk has Evaline's maiden name as Stewart, not Robbins. You could really help me out here, Joseph, and I'm so glad you came for dinner! Now, let me show you how this TV works. TV...it's short for television, and it's quite amazing..."
"Grandma Polly, it's so nice to meet you at last! You're my fourth-great-grandmother, you know. I've admired your needlework for many years now. Yes, I'm the one that has your lovely cross stitch sampler that you made nearly two centuries ago. I've been taking good care of it, and I hope that it remains in the family for many more generations! Polly, I do need to know more about Grandpa John Crothers: can you tell me more about his life? When and where he was born, who his parents and siblings were, how you met, and yes, please tell me the sad story of his death. I heard he drowned in the Erie Canal, but that might be hearsay. It must have been so difficult being left with seven children, or is that number correct? I do know you had seven in 1840, but I only know five of their names for sure. Was Moses one of your sons? I've been checking into him and I've long suspected he was yours! How did you meet your second husband, William Chappel? And what became of daughter Euphema? I can't find her after 1860. Goodness, I don't even know what happened to you and William after 1880! I've looked online in death and cemetery records for Millington Township and you've been very elusive! Did you go live with one of your children in a different county in your elder years? I can't find a death or burial place for you anywhere! You know, you come from a long, proud line of Wyckoffs who trace their roots back to New Netherlands and your immigrant ancestor, Peter Claesen Wyckoff, who came over in 1637 on the ship Rensselaerwick. But your mother's line (sigh)...I can't find much. Tell me more about her, that Elizabeth Mainard. I see that Cornelius Mainard is buried in the same cemetery as your parents; isn't he your uncle? Wait, Polly, you can't put a metal spoon in the microwave..."
"Frank, I honestly don't know whether to shake your hand or just shake you. Why when you died so young, you left your poor widow Ellender (yes, I know you always called her Nellie) with at least five little ones to raise. Yes, I know there were two other girls, but there's no mention of them after 1840. I don't even know their names. When Nellie died later on, your kids were still pretty young and had to do a lot of fending for themselves. Except for Ann, they all took off for Texas. You'd be proud of them. After all, your descendants founded the little community of Midkiff, Texas! And who in the world were your parents? Someone tried to tell me they were John Midkiff and Cathy Miller, but your sons' names are full of clues to family surnames, I think: William Franklin, John Rufus and Charles Anderson. I kind of figured you all came from Virginia, seeing how Isaiah and Hasten Midkiff, your neighbors, hailed from there. You see, we have this DNA Project going (hang on, I'll explain later) and it shows that all the Midkiffs we've tested so far are related. Well, maybe that's obvious to you, but not to us here in 2008. We're still trying to figure out how these three and four different lines connect and how the Midkiffs came over to this continent. Do you have any family stories to share? I mean, it's kind of odd that we can trace your wife's Oliver ancestry back two hundred years or more, but yours kind of deadends. Norm, let's get a picture of you with your great-great-great-grandfather. Now, Franklin, that there is a remote for the stereo, and you need to be careful with it. You're increasing the volume and if you hit the "mute" button, our ears are going to get AAAAHHHHH!...give me that!"
"Hello, Barbara, I'm your great-great-granddaughter. Of all the guests tonight, you are the only one I've had an idea of what you looked like before we met. See these family photos? I've also had the pleasure of standing at your grave, and that of your husband and mother-in-law...the first ancestral graves I ever visited, back in 2000. I'd love to hear the stories of your growing up years in the Netherlands and how you came over to the U.S. in 1882 with your fiance', James. I actually found your names on the Surrey's passenger list, and even found a photo of the ship. Now, Barbara, I really need to know when and where you were born for sure, and the names of your parents. See, I'm guessing you were born in the municipality of Ferwerderadeel, Friesland like your husband was, probably in the village of Westernijkerk. But I think someone forgot to turn in your birth information to the authorities, and it never got written down! I know your father's name was Sjoerd deJong, but who was your mother? Let me guess...Janna (Jennie) or Grietje (Gertrude). See, I know how the Dutch name their children, and you kept naming your girls Catherine (for your mother-in-law), Jennie and Gertrude; even when one of your little girls died, you'd give the next one the same name. I'm sorry you and James lost so many children. It must've been so hard. You know, I've seen lists of deJongs at the Westernijkerk church yard online, and even one named Sjoerd, but he would have been too old to be your father...was he a grandfather? "Online" means on the Internet; let me show you this computer. It's like a window to the world. No, it's not black magic. There's nothing evil about it! Trust me..."
Oh, it would be an interesting evening for sure! Who would be more fascinated, more thrilled, more excited, we or our guests? Too bad we'll never know!
Locations of my (Scots) Irish Ancestors
I've been lucky enough to know the exact location where my SAYERS family originated in Ireland before they emigrated to Canada in the 1830s. Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, in the province of Ulster, Ireland, and apparently was the home of many Ulster Scots. I've mentioned before that I really haven't done much Irish research on my family, mainly because they lived in Ireland during a period of time for which it is difficult to access records, if they still exist. Many of the records that were kept when the SAYERS lived in Letterkenny were later destroyed, or are only accessed onsite.
I enjoyed reading through Wikipedia's descriptions of the place names I mentioned above. I also did a Google image search for Letterkenny, Donegal and Ulster, and by clicking on these links, you should be able to see some beautiful images as well.
When the SAYERS family came to Canada in the mid-1830s (the family immigrated in several stages over the course of about five years), they settled in Prince Edward County (not to be confused with Prince Edward Island), Ontario, particularly Picton and Athol Township. Some of the siblings and cousins moved into Hungerford Township in Hastings County, while my direct line traveled further to Cavan Township in Durham County and Port Hope in Northumberland County. I'm still studying the rather complicated histories of the locations and residences in which this family lived, backtracking bit by bit over time. As more and more information is available online (I haven't been able to find many resources for these areas at my local library), I've been able to educate myself further. There's much more to learn, and I've been keeping myself occupied with researching these lines after they came to Michigan.
I'd love to have the opportunities to visit all these locations and see the places where my Irish immigrant ancestors lived, worked, and worshiped. Until then, I'll be satisfied in being an armchair traveler using the amazing technology of the Internet!
Evelyn Gladys (McKINNEY) LUDKE (1908 - 2008)
LUDKE, Evelyn Gladys(Age 99)
Entered into rest on Friday, January 25, 2008. She was born on July 11, 1908 in Spokane, WA to Cora and I.E. (Mac) McKinney. Evelyn was raised with her brother and sister by her grandparents, Diedrich "Richard" and Mary Behrens on their farm in Rockford, WA. After graduating from North Central High School she worked as a beautician. In 1933 she married Harry Ludke. During her life she was involved in numerous clubs and organizations. Evelyn enjoyed being a member of the Phi Sigma Alpha National Fraternity, Gamma Chapter. She enjoyed reading, solving crossword puzzles, golfing and playing bridge. Evelyn also volunteered as an aid in hospitals. When she was in her fifties she graduated from Spokane Community College as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Then for a number of years she worked at St. Luke's Hospital as a LPN. She is preceded in death by her husband of almost 70 years, Harry in 2003; son, Keith: brother, Harold McKinney; sisters, Michel (Mickey) Webb and Mercedes Loffer. She is survived by her son, Gary and his wife, Marlys of Spokane, WA; two granddaughters, Diane (Mike) Midkiff of Spokane and Nancy (Doug) Marks of Aberdeen, WA; seven great-grandchildren, Jennifer (Nathan) Fawbush, David, Rebekah and Kayla Midkiff, Kari, Ali and Chase Marks and one great-great-granddaughter, Evelyn Fawbush, who was named after her. Funeral services for Evelyn Ludke will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 1:00 pm, at the Sunset Mausoleum Chapel at Fairmount Memorial Park. The Reverend Greg Carter will officiate. HAZEN AND JAEGER FUNERAL HOME, 1306 N. MONROE is in charge of arrangements.
Evelyn was the grandmother of my husband's sister-in-law. When my future brother-in-law and his wife introduced me to Evelyn, she gave me a huge hug and told me, "Welcome to the family!" even though I was actually joining the Midkiff--not the Ludke--family. She attended our wedding, and for many years, she was present at the birthday celebrations of my husband's nieces and nephew. I always enjoyed chatting with her. Having grown up in the Spokane area, she had a lot of stories to tell of local happenings in days gone by. I'll miss her.
Report on January 2008 Scanfest
This month's Scanfest was the largest, attendee-wise, that I've hosted so far! Our group included repeat Scanfesters Colleen of Orations of OMcHodoy, Apple of Apple's Tree, and Jasia of Creative Gene. We were joined for the first time by Thomas of Destination: Austin Family, Elizabeth of Little Bytes of Life, and Renee of Renee's Genealogy Blog.
As usual, there was a variety of items being scanned, as well as a variety of topics we discussed. Apple and I each had piles of old postcards, which she blogs about here. Colleen was scanning a pile of pictures that she had gotten from her dad's house last summer, and Thomas rescanned some favorite photos that he had originally scanned in low resolution. Sally Jacob's free download (available here with a sign-up for her free newsletter), 8 Blunders People Make When They Scan Photographs...and How You Can Avoid Them All, had educated Thomas on the correct resolution he needed for best photo preservation. Jasia was also working on photos, family ones from the early 1980s and later. Elizabeth had borrowed an album of old family photos from a cousin and was attempting to get her project done so she could return it. Renee couldn't join us until near the end; her pile of scanning to-dos included family documents from her husband's line.
We chatted about our scanning projects (of course), our scanners, parenting (teens and toddlers!), our mothers-in-law, the weather, our 80s hair days, homeschooling, our favorite music genres, and Broadway musicals (love 'em or hate 'em?). You sure get to know other genea-bloggers better during Scanfest, although you don't have to have a blog to participate. We sure enjoyed ourselves, and hope you will join us for the next one, scheduled for Sunday, February 24th, from 11 AM - 2 PM, Pacific Time.
As usual, there was a variety of items being scanned, as well as a variety of topics we discussed. Apple and I each had piles of old postcards, which she blogs about here. Colleen was scanning a pile of pictures that she had gotten from her dad's house last summer, and Thomas rescanned some favorite photos that he had originally scanned in low resolution. Sally Jacob's free download (available here with a sign-up for her free newsletter), 8 Blunders People Make When They Scan Photographs...and How You Can Avoid Them All, had educated Thomas on the correct resolution he needed for best photo preservation. Jasia was also working on photos, family ones from the early 1980s and later. Elizabeth had borrowed an album of old family photos from a cousin and was attempting to get her project done so she could return it. Renee couldn't join us until near the end; her pile of scanning to-dos included family documents from her husband's line.
We chatted about our scanning projects (of course), our scanners, parenting (teens and toddlers!), our mothers-in-law, the weather, our 80s hair days, homeschooling, our favorite music genres, and Broadway musicals (love 'em or hate 'em?). You sure get to know other genea-bloggers better during Scanfest, although you don't have to have a blog to participate. We sure enjoyed ourselves, and hope you will join us for the next one, scheduled for Sunday, February 24th, from 11 AM - 2 PM, Pacific Time.
New Prompt (Week Twenty-Nine) Available at AnceStories2
Continuing in the vein from last week, Week Twenty-Nine's topic is "Family Life." I wrote most of the prompts early this--I mean, yesterday--morning, but with Scanfest and all we were trying to do at home to make sure we could survive all the snowstorms we've been having, I didn't post it until now.FYI, Spokane has just about shut down. Spokane International Airport was closed all afternoon after a landing jet skidded off the runway (no injuries, thankfully). Jay Leno's show at the casino was canceled after the pilots for his private jet decided it was too risky to travel to this area, much less land at the air field. The school district will be closed on Monday for the first time since Ice Storm 1996 and for what is probably only the second time in the last 20-something years. We received about six inches of snow Saturday/Sunday night on top of the several inches of compacted snow and ice leftover from the 14 December and numerous January (I lost count) storms we've had this season. It snowed for most of the day AND it's supposed to snow every day for the next eight days. The county and city have 115 snow removal vehicles working 24/7 to keep the arterials, routes to the hospitals (mostly located on steep hills, of all places!), and bus routes open. About 9400 people were without power in outlying areas. Residential areas have about eight inches of snow-turned-slush-turned-ice on the streets. We ourselves got high centered in our alley/driveway attempting to leave to bring dinner to a sick friend. Fortunately our neighbors helped my husband dig my car out and then push it past the icy spots. My hubby spent four hours Saturday and eight hours Sunday shoveling snow and raking it off the roofs of our house and outbuildings.
Thankfully, the Internet has been working just fine, and I hope to post about the fun time we had at Scanfest in the morning.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Michigan Biographical Index
If you are researching Michigan ancestors, you may be interested in this site, Michigan Biographical Index. "This is a cumulative full-name index merging many Michigan publications and manuscripts," says the introduction. You search for an ancestor's name, and if found, you will be given information about the publication his (or her) biography is printed in. Some of these sources may be available online, for instance, at the Michigan County Histories site or on Michigan GenWeb or GenNet sites. You can Google the name of the publication; in fact, it may even be available at Google Book Search! Don't forget your local genealogical or historical society's library, or try InterLibrary Loan at your local public library to obtain a desired book. Many of these can also be purchased new or used at online bookstores.
Now go out and find your ancestors!
Now go out and find your ancestors!
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