If you have spent more than five minutes doing genealogy then you have heard of, and probably used, FamilySearch Online. Surely, you know the service is free and that there are millions upon millions of records just waiting to be found by avid researchers. But what is FamilySearch, really? What records does the sight contain? What is the difference between the new, wiki, forums, and indexing.familysearch.org websites? How can a researcher best use this online resource? The Guide to FamilySearch Online by James L. Tanner attempts to answer these questions and more.

FamilySearch is a top destination site for genealogist doing research on the Internet. The site serves genealogists at all levels of experience and expertise. Changes are made constantly as new information is made available. Records are digitized and many are indexed for easy search. Technology deployed in this endeavor changes on occasion. Time reveals new tools and better access to information. FamilySearch became New FamilySearch. This guide provides an up-to-date review of FamilySearch as it exists today, with all the information new users will need to get started using the site, as well as insights to tools and services experienced users may have yet to explore.

This guide will help the reader navigate all of FamilySearch. Each chapter breaks down the major sections of the whole. Topics range from introducing the interface to providing volunteers the tools they need to participate in the indexing efforts. Step by step the reader is provided a tour of the site, along with detailed explanations. For example, when covering how to run a records search, the author goes on to show how to limit the search to a more manageable results set. What good does 15 million results do anyone? But, if you can reduce the results to a functional size by adding additional information, then this book just became your new best friend.

Nearly every page in this book contains large clear screen captures. Added arrow and highlights make it even easier to understand which part of the screen in most relevant. Learn about Wikis, join the community and share your thoughts and research, learn to step up to the next level of research. Kept next to ones computer this guide becomes a valuable desk reference to use while searching, and getting to know FamilySearch.

 

Table of Contents

Preface

• What Is FamilySearch?
• FamilySearch, the Larger View
• Why You Need This Guide
• What Is and Is Not Included In This Guide
• How This Guide Is Organized
• What You Need to Have, Besides a Computer, to Use This Guide
• The FamilySearch Help Center
• More about Genealogy and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Section One: FamilySearch.org

• The Origins of the FamilySearch.org Website
• The Historical or Classic FamilySearch.org Website
• FamilySearch/Family History Library Catalog
• Analysis of the Old Databases
• The Updated FamilySearch.org Website
• Where do the records come from?
• Links on the Startup Page

1: Logo
2: Learn
3: FamilySearch Centers

• Back to the Startup Page

4: Indexing
5: Blog
6: Settings
7: Help

• An Introduction to Searching
• Searching in FamilySearch.org

8: Sign In

• LDS Account/FamilySearch Account

9: Feedback and Assistance
10: Records (Historical Records and Search Historical Records)
11: Trees

• More About #11 Trees

12: Catalog
13: Books (The Family History Archive)
14: Historical Record Collections
15: Links to featured content
15: Link to Previous Version of FamilySearch.org

• Items at the Bottom of the Startup Page
• Learn Links at the Bottom of the Startup Page

What’s New:
Getting Started:
Free Courses:
Browse Articles:
Indexing:

• General Links at the Bottom of the Startup Page

About Us:
Give Back:
Careers:
Blog:
Press:
Labs:
Store:
Privacy:
Terms:

• Resources Links at the Bottom of the Startup Page

Ask for Help:
Archivists:
Home:
About Us:
Services:
Preservation:
Worldwide Activities:
FAQs:
Developers:
Libraries:
Products:
Feedback:

• FamilySearch Indexing
• The FamilySearch Research Wiki
• FamilySearch TechTips
• FamilySearch Labs

Community Trees:
Other FamilySearch Labs Projects:

• FamilySearch.org in other languages

Section Two: FamilySearch Indexing

• What is the FamilySearch Indexing program?
• Access to FamilySearch Indexing
• Getting started with FamilySearch Indexing
• Skills needed for Indexing
• FamilySearch Indexing Quick Start
• FamilySearch Indexing Tutorials
• FamilySearch Indexing FAQs
• FamilySearch Indexing Ask a Question
• FamilySearch Indexing Glossary
• FamilySearch Indexing Forums Support
• FamilySearch Indexing Page on Facebook
• FamilySearch Contact Support
• FamilySearch Live Chat
• My Info
• Family Search Indexing Projects

Section Three: New.FamilySearch.org

• A Brief History of New FamilySearch
• New.FamilySearch.org in multiple languages
• Registration for New FamilySearch
• Links on the NFS Startup or Home Page
• New FamilySearch Certified Products
• The Introductory Page or Home Page of NFS
• What’s New in FamilySearch
• Learn How to Use FamilySearch
• See Temple Information
• NFS Operational Links
• Sign in to Help Someone Else
• Update My Profile and Preferences
• Data Ownership in NFS
• Viewing and Recording Family Information in NFS
• Conflicting and Duplicate Information in NFS
• Personal Detail Screens
• Combining Individuals in NFS
• Temple Ordinances
• Working with Other Users of NFS

Section Four Other FamilySearch Websites

• FamilySearch.org on Facebook and Twitter
• Film.FamilySearch.org
• The Family History Center Portal
• FamilySearch Developer Network
• FamilySearch Consultants’ Page
• FamilySearch Remote Control Agent

Epilogue

Glossary

Footnotes

Index

 

Explore FamilySearch.org with your own copy of The Guide to FamilySearch Online, available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: BG01, Price: $39.55.

Leister Productions has released Reunion 10, the latest version of their family history database software for Apple’s Macintoch platform; plus buddy apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad. This release is considered a major upgrade over version 9, adding to and improving on the older version.

Reunion’s List of Top New Features:

1. Pictures Everywhere — anywhere the user has saved a picture for a person, that picture will show up next to their name. In the tree view, reports, etc.
2. Tree View — the main view for the family is larger and more flexible than ever before
3. New Window — the window has been broken into three main areas; the navigation bar on the left, the tree view or main view window, and the side bar The side bar can show many different views and lists like places and people.
4. Side Bar — the side bar can show many different views and lists like places and people
5. Places — a new and improved placed database has been added, offering new features including geo tagging
6. Web Searches — intelligent web searchers from intelligent menus; for example, right click a person’s name and select web search. The user can search a variety of websites for the selected person
7. Customized Family View — the user can choose more options than before in customizing the family view
8. Chart a Relationship — with a few key strokes, a person can quickly chart the relationship between any two individuals in the database
9. New Reports — more features and options have been added to the reporting tools

 

There are dozens of new features listed on the company’s website: click here to read about these enhancements.

The cost is $99 for a new install, or $49.95 for an upgrade from older versions. If you purchased Reunion 9 after January 15, 2012 then you may qualify for a free upgrade — click here for details.

Hot off of the presses is the Fourth Edition of John Grenham’s popular Tracing Your Irish Ancestors. First printed in 1992, this 2012 volume truly embraces online research. The reader will find spread throughout this book a detailed guide to Irish online records. Grenham covers idiosyncrasies found in digital versions of records as well as helping the reader outline research strategies. The volume and depth of records and research materials is nearly overwhelming, but Grenham has clearly done his homework in identifying some of the best resources, explaining these records, and showing where and how to find them; whether, the records are online, in library, in museum, at an institute, or archive.

The author suggests, “genealogical research in Ireland has always depended on records that are more fragmented, localized and difficult to access than anywhere else.” Those struggling to find ancestral records in other countries might disagree, but there is no denying the difficulties many face tracing their Irish ancestors to the Emerald Isle. In many ways, this edition is the result of governments, libraries, archives and institutions recognizing genealogists are among their largest and most fervent constituents. Digitizing records in the past was largely an amateurish undertaking with little direction or cohesiveness. Now, more than ever, theses groups and agencies recognize the need for organized and directed digitization projects. All this has led to a dramatic increase in available resources for the researcher.

As with all professional genealogists, Grenham suggests you save time and effort by beginning your research at home. Collect all the family documents you can. Interview family members to learn names and locations. Use this information as your true jumping off point in search. From there the researcher can select where to begin in country research. For example, the book points out that descendants of Catholic tenant-farmers may need to learn when the starting date was for the local parish. This will help provide a parameter in years in which one may expect to find certain documents. With the Internet so readily available, begin ones research online makes sense. Many great research sites provide access to vital records and other key documents; including, National Archives of Ireland, sites www.irishgenealogy.ie and www.rootsireland.ie, and the National Library of Ireland. These are just the beginning of all the sites available today.

The first few chapters cover different record types in detail. Other chapters focus on using the Internet for research, emigration, and additional sources of information like newspapers and directories. The final two chapters look at records and resources by county and by parish. A word of advice to the reader: don’t forget to review the Abbreviations section up front. This is your guide to the resources listed throughout the book.

 

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

List of Illustrations

Preface to the Fourth Edition

Introduction

• Where to start
• What you can expect to find
• Starting research online
• U.S. sources for identifying Irish place of origin
• Canadian sources for identifying Irish place of origin
• Australian sources for identifying Irish place of origin
• British sources for identifying Irish place of origin
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Chapter 1: General Register Office Records

• History
• Access in the Republic
• Access in Northern Ireland
• the Mormons
• Information recorded
• Genealogical relevance
• Research in the indexes
• GRO research online Research techniques
• Living relatives
• Late registrations, army records etc.
• Using civil records with other sources

Chapter 2: Census Records

• Official censuses in Ireland
• 1901 and 1911
• Nineteenth-century census fragments
• Census substitutes
• Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
• Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
• Various dates

Chapter 3: Church Records

• The parish system
• Roman Catholic records
• church of Ireland records
• Presbyterian records
• Methodist records
• Quaker records
• Jewish records
• What’s online?

Chapter 4: Property and Valuation Records

• Irish placenames
• Tithe Applotment Books
• Griffith’s Valuation
• Using Griffith’s online
• Other indexes to Griffith’s and Tithe Books
• Valuation Office records
• Estate records

Chapter 5: The Internet

• Research online
• Sources online
• Starting points
• Discussion groups
• Geography
• Surname sites
• Archives and libraries
• Online family trees
• Commercial sites
• Commissioning research
• Lost websites

Chapter 6: Wills

• Part 1: Background
• Part 2: A reference guide

Chapter 7: The Genealogical Office

• Genealogical Office records
• Research in Genealogical Office manuscripts

Chapter 8: Emigration and the Irish Abroad

• Africa
• Australia
• Europe
• India
• North America
• Canada
• Mexico
• USA
• West Indies
• South America

Chapter 9: The Registry of Deeds

• The scope of the records
• Registration
• The indexes
• The nature of the records

Chapter 10: Newspapers

• Information given
• Persons covered
• Dates and areas
• Locations
• Indexes

Chapter 11: Directories

• Dublin directories
• Countywide directories
• Provincial directories

Chapter 12: Occupational Records

• Part 1: Army, lawyers, medics, clergy, teachers
• Part 2: Checklist of sources

Chapter 13: County Source List

• Census returns and substitutes
• The internet
• Local histories etc.
• Local journals
• Gravestone inscriptions
• Estate records
• Placenames
• Antrim
• Armagh
• Carlow
• Cavan
• Clare
• Cork
• Derry/Londonderry
• Donegal
• Down
• Dublin
• Fermanagh
• Galway
• Kerry
• Kildare
• Kilkenny
• Laois (Queen’s County)
• Leitrim
• Limerick
• Longford
• Louth
• Mayo
• Meath
• Monaghan
• Offaly (king’s County)
• Roscommon
• Sligo
• Tipperary
• Tyrone
• Waterford
• Westmeath
• Wexford
• Wicklow

Chapter 14: Roman Catholic Parish Registers

• Antrim
• Armagh
• Belfast
• Carlow
• Cavan
• Clare
• Cork East
• Cork North-West
• Cork South-West
• Derry/Londonderry
• Donegal
• Down
• Dublin
• Dublin City
• Fermanagh
• Galway East
• Galway West
• Kerry
• Kildare
• Kilkenny
• Laois (Queen’s County)
• Leitrim
• Limerick East
• Limerick West
• Longford
• Louth
• Mayo
• Meath
• Monaghan
• Offaly (King’s County)
• Roscommon
• Sligo
• Tipperary North
• Tipperary South
• Tyrone
• Waterford
• Westmeath
• Wexford
• Wicklow

Chapter 15: Research Services, Societies

• Repositories and Publishers

1. Research Services
2. Societies
3. Repositories
4. Publishers

Index

 

Order Tracing Your Irish Ancestors from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC2386, Price: $37.19.

It was announced today that NBC is cancelling the popular genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are?,” at the end of this season. Be that as it may, this season isn’t over yet and this Friday will feature an all new episode.

This week features Paula Deen, the famous southern-style chef.

Synopsis: Just how deep do her Southern roots go? Join Paula for a journey into her family history.

View the show this Friday, 18 May 2012 8pm/7pm Central.

Over 409,00 Civil War Union veterans became members of G.A.R. at its peak in 1890. Among other works, the group maintained a list of deceased members. Indiana Civil War Veterans: Transcription of the Death Rolls of the Department of Indiana, Grand Army of the Republic, 1882-1948, is taken from the Journals of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). This exhaustive work by Dennis Northcott, contains the names; ranks; company, regiment or ship; post, age, death date; and Journal entry for Union veterans who died in Indiana. This book is part of a series, each covering a different state or states. Last week I reviewed Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska Civil War Veterans: Compilation of the Death Rolls of the Department of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, 1883-1948.

The G.A.R. was the largest association of Union veterans to exist after the war. Begun in 1866, membership reached its peak in 1890, with the last member dying in 1956. Membership was limited to “Soldiers and sailors of the United States Army, Navy or Marine Corps.” Individuals must have served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1866 in the “war for suppression of the rebellion, and those having been honorably discharged therefrom.” The organization created departments on a state level, one per state. Each year the departments would requested the death rolls from local branches for those who had passed. These rolls were usually published in the annual Journal. Each year’s listing was usually a compilations of those who had passed the year before its issue. In other words, someone who died in 1901 probably did not get listed until the publication at the end of 1902. This volume contains more than 22,000 records for soldier from 31 states.

Sometimes the Journals listed obituaries for the deceased. These are not included in this book. However, where they did appear the author made a reference note and has provided an appendix listing to the original Journal reference for those who have an associated obituary. In addition to the Introduction, which elaborates the preceding information, page ix lists abbreviations the reader will encounter throughout the book. The author also provides a brief “How to Use This Book” page. Here are the basics from this section:

• Records are listed alphabetically, with all three states grouped together
• The last column for each record provides the reference data from which Journal of the Annual Encampment from which the record was extracted
• How to follow the reference for which Post the person served at or in
• Additional information regarding G.A.R. members may exist in those cases where original G.A.R. records have survived

These death roll records are another great piece to the puzzle of the lost 1890 census. Leads to information missing in the lost census may be found through these death roll records, and other G.A.R. held information.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Abbreviations

How to Use This Book

Death Rolls

Appendix A: Roster of Department of Indiana post names and locations

Appendix B: Roster of Department of Indiana annual encampment dates and locations

Appendix C: Roster of annual membership of the Department of Indiana and the national organization

Appendix D: Members with additional biographical information

Appendix E: Statistical summary of states from which comrades in this transcript served

Appendix F: Annotated bibliography of Grand Army of the Republic department-level rosters and indexes

 

Indiana Civil War Veterans: Transcription of the Death Rolls of the Department of Indiana, Grand Army of the Republic, 1882-1948  is available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: DN02, Price: $29.70.

The following news release was received from Regine Labossiere:

What does it mean to be Latino? This Sunday, the season finale of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the PBS TV series that explores race and identity through the genealogy of some of America’s best-known personalities, seeks to answer that question. Through the family histories of actors Michelle Rodriguez and Adrian Grenier, and Linda Chavez, an author, syndicated newspaper columnist and political analyst for FOX News, viewers will discover that Latino identity emerged from the tangled histories of European, Native-American and African peoples.

The three subjects of Sunday’s episode all share Spanish colonial roots, yet each views their identity very differently: as Native American, Puerto Rican, Dominican or simply Latino.

For instance, the Finding Your Roots research teams trace Chavez’s family all the way back to Spain in the 1500s. Chavez, who is also chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a non-profit public policy research organization, learns that her roots crisscross the world. Her American experience was forged by people who arrived in the New World long before the Mayflower. One ancestor was the last Mexican governor of New Mexico, and another was a Pueblo Indian. Perhaps most surprising of all, her family tree links her to “Crypto-Jews” – Spanish Jews who converted to Catholicism to survive the Inquisition, yet continued to practice their religion in secret.

The following excerpt is from Reuters website of May 14, 2012. Shares fell 18% on the news that NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? is being cancelled for a fourth season.

(Reuters) – Ancestry.com (ACOM.O) shares fell 18 percent on Monday after U.S. network NBC decided not to renew the company’s TV show for a fourth season.

Ancestry.com sponsors the American version of the popular British series Who Do You Think You Are.

The show, based on the idea of tracing celebrities’ family history through Ancestry.com’s databases, has been considered a major driver of new subscriber additions for the website.

THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS WERE RELEASED BY ANCESTRY.COM FOLLOWING CANCELLATION:

PROVO, Utah, May 13, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Ancestry.com Inc. ACOM -12.54% , the world’s largest online family history resource, today commented on NBC’s decision not to renew the Who Do You Think You Are? television series for a fourth season.

“We want to thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who they are and where they come from,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of Ancestry.com. “We have a great partnership with the show’s producers, Is or Isn’t Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other avenues of distribution.”

About Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com Inc. ACOM -12.54% is the world’s largest online family history resource, with 1.9 million paying subscribers. More than 10 billion records have been added to the site in the past 15 years. Ancestry users have created more than 34 million family trees containing approximately 4 billion profiles. In addition to its flagship site, Ancestry.com offers several localized Web sites designed to empower people to discover, preserve and share their family history.

From Marketwatch.com

Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia – Province of Sachsen I & Duchies of Anhalt & Brunswick is the 27th volume of the now 41 total volumes in the Map Guide to German Parish Registers series.

This map guide provides an historical background to the Sachsen region, including a complete list of rulers and political leaders. Rulers began with the Dukes of Saxony, dating back to  Hadugato who died after 531. The list covers the Dukes of Saxony, the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg, Dukes of Saxe-Molln-Bergdorf, Dukes of Saxe-Ratzeburg, Electors of Saxony, Kings of Saxony, and Oberprasidenten (Governors) of Sachsen. The last ruler listed is Rudolf Wilhelm Graf von der Schulenburg 1860-1930, ruled from 1917-1919. The book also listings of genealogical resources covering civil registration, emigration, lineage books, periodicals and genealogical collections, plus archives and repositories. Archive include both state, church, and district or city archives. Below is a complete list of localities covered in this volume.

Lineage books, or town lineage books, are available for many regions of Germany. These books are compiled from early parish and town records with data usually arranged by family unit and surname. Vital information, such as birth or christening dates, marriage dates, and burial or death dates were recorded in the books. This guide includes a list of available lineage books for the areas covered in the guide.

Map guides help make finding German Parishes easier. Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia – Province of Sachsen I maps and lists parishes for mid to late 1800s. These maps serve as a “snapshot” to the parish districts as they existed at that time. Parishes were defined by the town to which they were assigned, and vice versa. Like the other volumes in this series, this map book offers the following:

• Identifies the parish where an ancestor worshiped based on where they lived.
• Gives the FHL microfilm number for the family’s parish records.
• Identifies nearly every city, town, and place that included residents.
• Visually identifies church parishes for Lutherans & Catholics in each district.
• Identifies adjoining parishes in case an ancestor attended an alternate parish.
• Aids in area searches, particularly across district or regional borders.
• Provides visual identification of search areas in which to look for a family.
• Helps in determining proximity of one area to another.
• Aids in determining reasonable distances of travel from one area to another.
• Identifies population centers in each parish.
• Identifies archives, repositories, and other resources.
• Aids in identification of the location of minority religions.

The Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia – Province of Sachsen I & Duchies of Anhalt & Brunswick, like all in the series, is available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: FR0053, Price: $34.25. The hardback edition is available here; Item #: FR0054, Price: $63.70.

Listed here are the places found is this volume:

• Adelsborn Sachsen I
• Ahlstädt Sachsen I
• Alach Sachsen I
• Albrechts Sachsen I
• Altenbeuthen Sachsen I
• Altendambach Sachsen I
• Altengottern Sachsen I
• Altengottern I Sachsen I
• Altengottern II Sachsen I
• Alterstedt Sachsen I
• Alterstedt I Sachsen I
• Alterstedt II Sachsen I
• Alterstedt III Sachsen I
• Altienbrauerei Sachsen I
• Altienkeller Sachsen I
• Ammern Sachsen I
• Am Roten Berg Sachsen I
• Andisleben Sachsen I
• Anenteller Mittelwalde Brauerei Sachsen I
• Anrode Sachsen I
• Arenshausen Sachsen I
• Ascherode Sachsen I
• Augustaburg Sachsen I
• Axmannshof Sachsen I

[Read the rest of this entry...]

I don’t post many pictures of myself on the blog. But today Diane Miller, with Flip-Pal, came by the booth at the NGS Conference and took a shot of my grandson, Nicholas Meitzler, while I was holding him. This was Nicholas’s first National Genealogical Society Conference. However, it was the sixth genealogy conference he has attended. His first was at 5 days old in Bountiful. He’s now two and a half months old.

Playing Grandpa duties is okay by me. This makes life worthwhile.

Over 36,000 Civil War Union veterans from just three states listed in a single book. This is the Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska Civil War Veterans: Compilation of the Death Rolls of the Department of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, 1883-1948. Taken from the Journals of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), this exhaustive work by Dennis Northcott, contains the names; ranks; company, regiment or ship; post, age, death date; and Journal entry for Union veterans who died in Iowa, Kansas, or Nebraska.

The G.A.R. was the largest association of Union veterans to exist after the war. Begun in 1866, membership reached its peak in 1890, with the last member dying in 1956. Membership was limited to “Soldiers and sailors of the United States Army, Navy or Marine Corps.” Individuals must have served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1866 in the “war for suppression of the rebellion, and those having been honorably discharged therefrom.” The organization created departments on a state level, one per state. Each year the departments would requested the death rolls from local branches for those who had passed. These rolls were usually published in the annual Journal. Each year’s listing was usually a compilations of those who had passed the year before its issue. In other words, someone who died in 1901 probably did not get listed until the publication at the end of 1902.

Sometimes the Journals listed obituaries for the deceased. These are not included in this book. However, where they did appear the author made a reference note and has provided an appendix listing to the original Journal reference for those who have an associated obituary. In addition to the Introduction, which elaborates the preceding information, page ix lists abbreviations the reader will encounter throughout the book. The author also provides a brief “How to Use This Book” page. Here are the basics from this section:

• Records are listed alphabetically, with all three states grouped together
• The last column for each record provides the reference data from which Journal of the Annual Encampment from which the record was extracted
• How to follow the reference for which Post the person served at or in
• Additional information regarding G.A.R. members may exist in those cases where original G.A.R. records have survived

These death roll records are another great piece to the puzzle of the lost 1890 census. Leads to information missing in the lost census may be found through these death roll records, and other G.A.R. held information.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Abbreviations

How to Use This Book

Death Rolls (over 600 pages)

Appendix A: Roster of Department of Iowa post names and locations

Appendix B: Roster of Department of Kansas post names and locations

Appendix C: Roster of Department of Nebraska post names and locations

Appendix D: References to Grand Army of the Republic members with obituaries

Appendix E: Statistical summary of states and territories from which comrades in this book served

Appendix F: Annotated bibliography of Grand Army of the Republic department-level rosters and indexes

 

Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska Civil War Veterans: Compilation of the Death Rolls of the Department of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, 1883-1948  is available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: DN03, Price: $29.70.

This Friday, 11 May, will feature comedian Jason Sudeikis.

A journey into his father’s side of the family brings Jason to the coal mines of Pennsylvania, where he discovers surprising facts about his ancestors’ immigration to America.

The show airs Friday, 11 May 2012, at 8pm/7pm Central.

Click here to view a preview.

Germans have long been a scattered lot. Millions of Americans identify their ancestral roots as German. For many of these individuals, their ancestors spoke German but never lived in what constitutes modern Germany or even any previously identified German states or territories. From the middle ages on, German-speaking communities have thrived all across Europe, especially in the Eastern countries. Many identified themselves by their language, culture, and customs as German, but may have lived nowhere near modern Germany. The result is many German documents exist across a large geographical area in Europe. The language was used in written vital records across Europe. So where documents written in other languages but by German hands. Learning to read and transcribe these documents can be a stumbling block. Fortunately, Roger Minert has taken his more than 20 years of experience and applied it to producing Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in Germany; a book considered by many to be the preemptive guide on the subject.

This book is so much more than a basic treatment of Old German Script or Gothic letters. This book examine the history, the development, the alphabet, and the handwriting of not only the German language, but also Latin and French in German documents. In the author’s own words, he as added the following features to this book, not previously handled by other authors:

• “a brief but scholarly review of the history of handwriting styles and alphabets in German-speaking regions of Europe
• the introduction of a computerized, normed set of Gothic alphabet characters
• the inclusion of examples consisting of illustrations taken from genuine records
• a methodology for deciphering Latin texts in German source documents
• a methodology for deciphering French texts in German source documents
• the introduction of the only modern technology to be applied to the deciphering of words and names in old handwritten German documents — the reverse alphabetical index”

In addition to all this well-defined and unique information, the author facilitate the learning process with over 150 illustrations. These include 131 examples taken from authentic German vital records. These documents are used step by step along the path taught in this guide to decipher German handwriting. In many cases, the author has provided a transliteration to a modern typeset face of the sample’s text, a translation into English, and a useful analysis to better understand both the type of document as well as key points in the deciphering of the contents.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use this Book

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Handwriting Styles in Germany

• Introduction
• Early Handwriting Styles
• Handwriting Styles after the Middle Ages
• The Standardization of Handwriting Styles
• The End of the Gothic Alphabet in Daily Use
• Determining the Language of the Handwritten Document
• Notes

Chapter 2: Deciphering German Handwriting in German Documents

• Introduction
• The Gothic Handwriting Alphabet
• Lower Case Gothic Characters
• Upper Case Gothic Characters
• Consonant Clusters and Doubled Consonants
• Diacritical Marks and Punctuation
• Crossing the t and Dotting the i
• Abbreviations
• Similar and Confusion Characters
• Numbers and Dates
• Numerals
• Days of the Week
• Months
• Time of Day
• Seasons of the Year
• Cardinal Numbers vs. Ordinal Numbers
• Feast Dates
• French Republican Calendar Dates
• Learning to Write in the Gothic Alphabet
• German Language Tools
• German Grammar
• German Syntax and Word Order
• German Vocabulary
• Archaic German Language and Dialect Variants
• Personal Names
• Place Names
• Determining the Type of Record
• Basic Tactics in Deciphering German Handwriting in Vital Record Entries
• Extraction
• Transcription/Transliteration
• Translation
• Additional Tactics in Deciphering German Handwriting in Vital Records
• Index
• Chronology
• Alphabet Sampler
• Vowel/Consonant Environments
• Syntactic Analysis
• Deciphering Sample Vital Record Entries
• Church Birth/Christening Records
• Civil Birth Records
• Church Marriage Records
• Church Death/Burial Records
• Civil Death Records
• Other Types of Records
• Summary
• Notes

Chapter 3: Deciphering Latin Handwriting in German Documents

• Introduction
• The Latin Alphabet as Used in German Vital Records
• Abbreviations in Vital Records entries in Latin
• Numerals
• Dates
• Latin Grammar
• The Elements of a Typical Latin Church Book Entry
• Column Entries
• Sentence Entries
• Paragraph Entries
• Tactics for Deciphering Latin in Vital Records in German Documents
• Summary
• Notes

Chapter 4: Deciphering French Handwriting in German Documents

• Introduction
• The Practice of French Record-keeping in Germany
• Church Vital Records in the French Language
• Civil Registry Vital Records in the French Language
• Civil Registry Pre-printed Entry Forms
• Numerals and Dates
• The French Republican Calendar
• French Grammar and Language Tools
• Gender
• Number
• Capitalization
• Syntax
• Vocabulary
• Placement of Adjectives
• Analyzing French Entries in German Church Records
• Column French Entries in German Church Records
• Paragraph French Entries in German Church Records
• Analyzing French Entries in German Civil Records
• Paragraph French Entries in German Church Records
• Pre-Printed French Entries in German Civil Records
• Summary
• Notes

Conclusions

Foreign Language Competence

The Reverse Alphabetical Index

Annotated Bibliography

• Works Cited in This Book
• Additional Works Recommended to Family History Researchers

Glossary

Appendices

1. Normal Fraktur Printed Alphabet
2. German Genealogical Vocabulary
3. German Genealogical Vocabulary – Reverse Alphabetical Order
4. Latin Genealogical Vocabulary
5. Latin Genealogical Vocabulary – Reverse Alphabetical Order
6. French Genealogical Vocabulary
7. French Genealogical Vocabulary – Reverse Alphabetical Order
8. Common Genealogical Symbols found in German Vital Records
9. German Empire Civil Registry Forms (1876–1918)

Index

 

Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in Germany is available from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: M0001, Price: $26.41.

The following excerpt is from the May 8, 2012 edition of NewsandSentinal.com:

PARKERSBURG [West Virginia] – One year ago, representatives of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society volunteered to research existing death records and document those interred at Wood County’s pauper’s cemetery. That completed document was turned over to the Wood County Commission Monday.

Copies of the record will be sent to the West Virginia Department of Culture and History, made available at the courthouse, Wood County Library and may be put online at a future date at www.woodcountywv.com.

Bob Enoch, president of the society along with Jeff Little, with the society presented the documentation containing nearly 800 names of those buried at the Wood County Poor Farm Cemetery, which is located at Cedar Grover in the parking lot area of West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

“The earliest burials there we have are in 1888. There are another 25 years or so of burials that we have no records for, the county purchased the poor farm property back in 1864,” Enoch said. He noted there was a fire in February 1950 in the County Infirmary building and if records back then were kept, they were probably destroyed in that fire.

Read the full article.

THE WOODLAWN CEMETERY, a National Historic Landmark, is one of 40 sites participating in the Partners in Preservation New York City Initiative. American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are awarding funds to restoration projects through Partners in Preservation an online voting competition.

Established in 1863, New York City’s Woodlawn Cemetery is internationally known as the resting place of a host of history’s greats. Non-sectarian and multicultural from its inception, those interred here include giants in the fields of business and industry, civic life, the arts, entertainment, and more.

One of the nation’s distinctive “garden cemeteries,” Woodlawn provides a spectacular setting to honor the three hundred thousand individuals memorialized on its grounds. Its monuments represent some of the finest examples of memorial architecture and art in the nation, including over thirteen hundred private mausoleums.

Grants will be awarded to the sites with highest number of votes and the most creative and passionate supporters. To win, they need you to vote daily. You can promote the VOTE for Woodlawn on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or on your website. Voting starts April 26th and goes through May 21st. Click her to vote.

The above information is from the Woodlawn Cemetery website.

The most exciting news from the National Genealogical Society Conference in Cincinnati is that volunteers have now indexed over 30% of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census of 3.8 million records in just 37 days. Six states have now gone through the finalizing process (which takes about a week) with Oregon and Virginia going online on Wednesday. As of this moment Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, Virginia and New Hampshire are now fully indexed and posted online at Archives.com, FindMyPast.com, National Archives, ProQuest, and FamilySearch.org.

Lucky for me… I just happened to have all kinds of family living in Oregon, Colorado, and Virginia in 1940. This is all very exciting for me. Thanks to over 100,000 volunteers, my family history is expanding rapidly.

I did not know specifically where my father lived in Oregon in 1940 until today. With my grandson, Nicholas, in one arm I stopped by the FamilySearch.org booth at the NGS Conference and did a quick check of the index for the 1940 Oregon census. I found him instantly. I’d known that he lived in the same home with his sister and niece. However, I didn’t know or I’d forgotten that my twice-widowed grandmother, Nellie, also lived with them. One tiny tidbit that I found fascinating was that Dad (Theodore Meitzler) was farming, and rented their home for $5 a month. He married my mother to following January 1 (1941).

The following News Release gives more details:

SALT LAKE CITY, May 09, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project announced today the availability of a free, searchable index of 1940 U.S. census records for six U.S. states, including Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, Virginia and New Hampshire. Records for these states are now searchable by name, location and family relations thanks to the efforts of more than 100,000 volunteers nationwide.

“For the past month, Community Project partners have worked to establish the first free, searchable database of 1940 U.S. census records made possible entirely through the hard work of volunteers,” said Josh Taylor, spokesperson for the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. “We’re proud to bring easily searchable 1940 U.S. census records for Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, Virginia and New Hampshire online for people to learn about their ancestors and life and times in these states more than 72 years ago.”

Since April 2, Community Project volunteers have indexed more than 45 million records and this number continues to grow quickly as more than 10,000 volunteers sign up each week. Those interested in lending a hand can learn more and sign up to be an official 1940 U.S. census volunteer indexer at the 1940 census website (the1940census.com). The project will release searchable records for individual states on an ongoing basis with an aim to make the entire 1940 U.S. census searchable by the end of 2012.

The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project is a joint initiative between the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com, ProQuest and other leading genealogy organizations. Thanks to advancements in technology and to volunteers nationwide, Project partners and volunteers can lend a voice to countless untold stories of their ancestors living, working and persevering as the “Greatest Generation.”

“When you index U.S. census records, what you’re essentially doing is stepping back in time and walking in the shoes of the enumerator some 72 years prior,” said Megan Smolenyak, spokesperson for the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. “The indexing experience is much like walking down a street, ringing doorbells and learning about a specific neighborhood in 1940. Only now, volunteers can explore these fascinating records from the comfort of our own homes.”

To learn more about the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project and to track real-time progress of volunteer indexing efforts, visit the1940census.com.

About the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project (the1940census.com)
The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project is a web-based, national service project with the goal of creating as soon as possible a free, high quality online index linked to the complete set of census images. The index will allow the public to easily search every person found in the census and view digital images of the original census pages. The collection will be available online for free to the general public at 1940census.archives.gov, Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com and by ProQuest.com through public libraries. All of these organizations are respective website sponsors of the community project. Archives.com, findmypast.com, and ProQuest will make substantial financial contributions to make the 1940 U.S. census online name index possible and will work with the nonprofit organization FamilySearch to bring additional new historic records collections online–making even more highly valued family history resources available to the entire genealogical community.