My Family Puzzle

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Maternal Grandfather's Paternal Line

2012-01-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

Find a living male person in your database from your maternal grandfather's patrilineal line who could take a Y-DNA test. Answer these questions:

1) What was your mother's father's name?

My mother's father is Michael Bocamazo (born 1930 in NY).

2) What is your mother's father's patrilineal line? That is, his father's father's father's ... back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?

Michael's father was Joseph Bocamazo (1897 in Italy).
Joseph's father was Michele Boccamazzo (1867 in Italy).
Michele's father was Domenico Boccamazzo (1845 in Italy).
Domenico's father was Michele Boccamazzo (1816 in Italy).
Michele's father was Francesco Boccamazzo (born in Italy).

3) Can you identify male sibling(s) of your mother's father, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)? If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.

My grandfather, Michael, had one sibling/brother named Natale; he's still alive today. He had 4 kids, all boys. Natale or his sons, would be my best option. My grandfather, had my uncle, so he would be another option.
Joseph had 5 brothers, only 4 lived to adulthood. John (1903 in Italy), Andrew (1907 in NY), Dominic (1910 in NY), Nicholas (1912 - 1915 in NY), and Nicholas J. (1915 in NY). John, Andrew, Dominic, and Nicholas had no children.
Michele had one sibling/brother, Angelo (1872 in Italy). Angelo had 6 sons.
Domenico had 3 brothers. Francesco (1839 in Italy), Giovanni (1848 in Italy), and Giuseppe (1851 in Italy). Francesco, Giovanni, and Giuseppe had no children.
Michele had 3 brothers. Angelo (1810 in Italy), Pietro (1820 in Italy), and Giovanni (1825 in Italy). Angelo had one son, Pietro had no sons, and Giovanni had no children.

SNGF - Do Some Random Research

2012-01-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

1. Go to The Random Name Generator and click the red “Generate Name” button at the top of the screen (more than once if you want). Pick one of the names you see.

2. Go to Ancestry.com and enter your generated name in the search box on the main search page. [Randy's add: If you don't have Ancestry.com, go to https://www.familysearch.org/ and do it there - it's free.]

3. From the results, your research target will be the first census result for your generated name.

4. Using whatever online resources are at your disposal, see what else you can discover about your random person and write about it. It can be a formal report complete with footnotes, or just a “research story” about what you tried, problems you overcame, or success you had. Maybe you want to create a research plan for practice.

1. From the generator, I got Kristina Parks, but that didn't turn up any results. So I tried again and I got Melva Tucker.

2&3. According to the 1930 US Census, Melva Tucker was black, born about 1910 living in Congaree, Lexington, South Carolina. She was 20 years old, living with just her mother, Mainda Tucker, who was 59 at the time.

4. After searching Ancestry and Family Search, I couldn't find any other information on her. All I found was the 1930 census.

Tombstone Tuesday

2012-01-17T13:39:00.001-05:00

Brig. Gen. William. C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ

John J Rutledge

PVT US Army

Jan. 4, 1923 - Aug. 5, 1990

Purple Heart

His Wife Gertrude

July 4, 1925 - May 1, 1998

John Rutledge and Gertrude (Lesser) Rutledge are my great uncle and aunt, Gertrude being my grandmother's sister. Also buried here is their daughter Kathleen (1953 - 1996).

Tombstone Tuesday

2011-12-13T17:16:00.000-05:00

Peakes Cemetery in Ohio:

Aaron Van Benschoten

Rev. War

Died: 1/18/1836

Aaron is my first cousin 8x's removed on my paternal grandmother's side.

Here's his biography:

Born in Dutchess County, New York, he served the first year of the Revolutionary War under Captain Van Benschoten, his counsin; later under the command of General George Washing. Because of his passionate liking for horses, he was detailed to care for Washington's saddle horses. For awhile he was in the Honor Corps and served as George Washington's body guard. He never received any compensation for any of his services in the was. He was, however, a land owner. Aaron, with his wife, daughter and two of his sons moved to Huron County, Ohio, in 1816. He was pensioned at the age of 86 and died at the age of 90, on 18 January 1836. The name Van Bunschoten was changed to Van Benschoten in this generation.

Tombstone Tuesday

2011-11-01T07:51:00.000-04:00

Palm

Betty (1861-1935)

John (1857-1937)

Ella Stenberg

Died Oct. 15, 1908

Cemetery: Evergreens in Brooklyn, NY

Buried here is my gg grandfather, John Palm and his second wife Betty. Also buried here is John's first wife and my gg grandmother Emma (1863-1898). She's not listed here for some odd reason but I know she's buried here. Also buried here is Ella Stenberg. I don't know who she is but it could be John and Emma's daughter or a friend. I need to ask my aunt about her.

There's just a slight problem though. John is listed as being born in 1857. That's completely wrong. He was born in 1859 because according to his death record he was 78 in 1937.

Henry O'brien

2011-10-27T16:29:00.003-04:00

This the baptismal record for my ggg grandfather Henry O'brien who was born in 1827 in Canada to Patrick O'brien and Bridget Dillon (he's on the right page, third one listed). There's only one problem, it's in French and I can't read a single word.

So if you happen to know French or know someone who does, please let me know. I would love to know what this says, it may give me a clue or two where he was exactly born or something.

The Ancestors Geneameme

2011-10-20T19:23:00.002-04:00

This game is taken from Geniaus.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents (Yep, all 16)
Can name over 50 direct ancestors (Most likely)
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist (Yes I do! So excited when I found him).
Met all four of my grandparents
Met one or more of my great-grandparents (Only 1)
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s (My great grandmother's name, Theresa, is my confirmation name)
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe
Have an ancestor from Africa
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi
Have an ancestor who was a midwife
Have an ancestor who was an author
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
Have an ancestor born on 25th December (Most likely)
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day
Have blue blood in your family lines
Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth
Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century
Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine (Tell us where)
Have published a family history online or in print (Details please)
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries
Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family
Have a family bible from the 19th Century
Have a pre-19th century family bible

I'm related to 3 Presidents!

2011-10-18T16:28:00.006-04:00

Well, it looks like I am at least. If I'm correct and I found the correct 3rd g grandmother, which I believe I have, I'm related to President Ford and the two Bush's, George Sr. and George W. I'm not sure how with Ford (long story and very complicated) but apparently I'm 8th cousins once removed with George W. and 7th cousins twice removed with his father. I'm related through my Dutch line, which I'm not 100% positive is correct but I have a feeling it is and most of the time I'm right.

I found out about this possible Dutch line a few years ago and I've been keeping quiet about it, researching the family and all. I haven't even told my grandmother yet. But I believe it's true, everything matches up nicely. Now if I cam only confirm my 3rd g grandmother's parents, then I'll be set. That's my only hang up, I'm not 100% sure about her parents, at least her mother. If it's correct then I have the correct family. If not...well, we can't be perfect all time and that means I have a lot of deleting to do. So let's hope I'm right. See the thing is, I found Louise's (3rd g grandmother) "parents" on family search on a marriage record. They had their birthdates and marriage date listed but when I search for Louise or search for children of Sarah (her "mother") I can't find any children nor any parents. But ancestry.com has Louise and her parents on a census. So I don't know.

Well, off to tell my grandmother the news.

I'm back!

2011-10-11T14:14:00.001-04:00

I know I've been away for quite sometime but I've been busy. But the good news is that I'm back! I just got back into doing my family tree (I like to take a break from it every few months) and I recently (well, more like yesterday) found out that I'm not just Swedish, I'm also Finnish. I always knew I was Swedish but I didn't have enough information on that side of my family. So I started looking at my gg grandmother's side of the family more and dug around a bit. After digging a bit and putting some pieces together I figured it out and opened a big can of worms. I went back to the 1600's and to my 10th great grandfather who was born in Finland. From doing some research, Finland was part of Sweden back then, so it makes sense. I get find any information on my gg grandfather, who happens to be Swedish as well but that's ok for now.

It all starts with Emma Wictor. Now, Wictor isn't a common last name in Sweden. Actually, from doing research on that last name, it's not a last name in Sweden, more like a first name. So I came to the conclusion that she changed it when she came over here. I was thinking it was Viktor, Victor, Vikstrom, etc. But none of those people that I looked up matched her birth date which is now 1863 (I thought it was 1864 but when she died she never had her next birthday). Eventually I came across the last name "Wikstrom". I used that as her last name, with her birth year being 1863, and found an Emma Carolina Wikstrom born in December of 1863. I figured it had to be correct because she never had her next birthday when she died and she obviously changed her last name when she came over here. So I took it and ran with it.

Then I came into a little snag. Her mother was apparently born/baptized in Stockholm, which isn't where Emma, her father, and siblings are born. They were born in Kopparberg. Stockholm and Kopparberg aren't that close to each other either. So I figured that she was just born there/baptized there and her parents moved back to Kopparberg. I mean it's possible right? If her parents were traveling, they had her there probably, then decided to baptize her there, and move/travel back to Kopparberg. She's an only child, so I don't have any siblings to base this on. If I found the right mother (I believe I did because her middle name is Carolina and that's Emma's middle name as well) her parents were born on Kopparberg and so was the rest of the family.

Anyway, I continued researching and found my 10th great grandfather, Pal Larsson Turpoinen born in 1600 in Finland. I've been reading some of the notes on him and his family, including my 9th great grandfather, and Finnish/Swedish doesn't translate very well into English. It's like reading broken English and it makes absolutely no sense. But from what I can understand it's kind of funny.

The names and last names are so confusing and I think this has to be the most tedious family tree yet. I mean my trees are but now as I think about it, it's nothing compared to this. The children don't have the same last name as the father and they all have the same names basically.

That's it for now. Have a nice day!

Treasure Chest Thursday

2011-08-11T12:08:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, I received a message from a distant cousin of mine who said he was the grandson of my gg great aunt, Eva Vaccaro. So, after we talked a bit, he told me he had letters from my gg grandparents, Natale and Mary Vaccaro to my gg great aunt. So here is one of the two letters, he sent me.

The letter was written by my gg grandmother, Mary (Eva's sister in law). It says:

335 Humbdolt Street

Brooklyn, NY

Aug. 28, 1941

Dear Sister and Sister-in-law,

Received you letter and was glad to hear that everyone is fine. The weather out here isn't so nice as we hoped it would be but it is better than having those heat waves. We were very sorry to hear that Vito ran over his baby and that Tony is ill. We also hope that your knee is much better.

Your brother and sister in law,

Natale and Mary Vaccaro

On the back:

PS. Don't forget to let us know when you are coming down to see us.

I loved reading my gg grandmother's handwriting and seeing what she was thinking or doing back in 1941. I don't know who Vito is, but I feel bad for him and his baby. The only Vito we have in the family, is Natale's nephew. He had kids but all them lived and none died at a young age. And for Tony, the only "Tony" I can think of is Natale's brother in law and Vito's father. I'm going to show this to my grandfather to see if he can shed any light on the letter and all.

Next letter, will be next Thursday.

Morris Lesser's Naturaliztion Record

2011-05-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

This is my ggg grandfather Morris Lesser's naturalization record. He was naturalized on Nov. 18, 1857 in NYC. I really want to order his naturalization papers and see what else I can find out about him. But the only problem is I don't have the petition number, so I'm going to have to go in person and order it. Hopefully I get some good information.

Treasure Chest Thursday

2011-05-19T08:39:00.001-04:00

This is my ggg grandfather, Morris Lesser's, U.S Civil War Draft Registration record. (He's the last entry on the page).

Name: Morris Liessar
Living: 40 Cherry St,
Age: 40 (which is completely wrong because he was born in 1828 and 40 years old (in 1864) makes his birth year 1823)
Occupation: Barber
Status: Married
Country of Origin: Germany

On the bottom:
Station: Headquarters 4th Cong. District of New York
Date: July 10, 1864

I was not expecting to find this yesterday. I was so excited to have finally found someone in the civil war. My dad's family gets more interesting by the minute.

Morris Lesser's Death Certificate

2011-05-17T18:28:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks ago I ordered my ggg grandfather, Morris Lesser's, death certificate. It took forever to come but today it finally arrived in the mail. I was so happy to get it! Anyway, here it is:

Name: Moses Lesser (He went by 2 different names; Morris and Moses)
Birthplace: Germany
Age: 81yrs
Place of death: 413 East 180th Street
Married, Widowed, Single: Widowed (Dora died in 1908)
Occupation: They don't list it but I know he was a barber

Father's name: Michael
Birthplace: Germany
Mother's name: Bertha Leizer*
Birthplace: Germany

I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from August 16th, 1909 to August 19th, 1909, that I last saw him alive on the 18th day of August 1909, that he died on the 19th day of August 1909 at 4 A.M, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the cause of death was as follows: acute gastro enteritis.

Place of Burial: Maimonides Cemetery
Date of Burial: August 22, 1909

*Leizer happens to be my gg grandmother Dora's (Moses' wife) maiden name. I found it interesting that Bertha and Dora both have the same maiden name. Who knows, maybe there's a relationship there or maybe it's just a coincidence.

The Dyson's

2011-05-01T17:08:00.010-04:00

I don't talk about the Dyson's a lot on here and I have no idea why. About 2 months ago my grandfather gave me pictures of my gg grandparents and some of their children. There are a lot of their children and quite a few of my gg grandparents. Anyway, here are just some of the photos that I thought I would share. I'll probably do another post like this in a few days.

Elizabeth (Macdonald) Dyson in 1912.

Elizabeth (Macdonald) Dyson on Christmas Day 1912.

Elizabeth (Macdonald) Dyson

Gabriel Dyson (my gg grandfather, Elizabeth's husband; the above photo was taken on Christmas Day 1912)

Gabriel and Elizabeth Dyson

Jewish Relatives part 2 and My Conclusion on How We Became Catholic

2011-04-17T19:52:00.006-04:00

Remember when I spoke about finding my Jewish relatives back in January. Well, the gg grandaughter of Fannie Lesser (Morris' daughter and my gg grandfather's sister), contacted me the other day. She told me that Morris and Dora were Jewish as well. Which means my gg grandfather Michael was Jewish. She also told me that Morris and Dora came from Berlin in the 1840's. Morris was a barber-surgeon and Dora was a ladies maid who worked for a wealthy Jewish family. They lived on 40 Cherry Street in NYC and also on West 40th Street in the city, which is now the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel.

So this is my conclusion on how my family became Catholic. Michael Lesser, who was Jewish, married Lavinia Ferris, who was most likely Catholic. They had Henry and gave him to a home in 1900. Since he grew up in a home, he probably took his mother's religion. Which concludes how we became to be Catholic. Now I can only assume why Michael abandoned Henry and Lavinia (one of many reasons I believe). Michael was Jewish and Lavinia was Catholic. That could of caused some tension or problems back then. So it makes sense why he would leave.

On a side note, I think I found Michael on a passport application and married to another women in the early 1900's, after Henry was given to a home. According to the application he was married to a women named Sylvia Goldstein. She was traveling to the Netherlands/Holland to visit Michael who was living there already. According to the application he was a English teacher. Now I can't find a death certificate for Michael in New York nor Sylvia. So I can only guess or assume or conclude that this his him and he and his wife died in the Netherlands/Holland. Who knows, right? Since he abandoned the family and his family didn't like it, he probably did move as far away as he could. As far as Lavinia goes, I'm still hunting for her whereabouts and her death certificate. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that I find her and hope that this Michael is my gg grandfather.

Henry F O'brien's Death Certificate

2011-04-15T14:49:00.003-04:00

In the last post I talked about Henry F. O'brien's father, Henry O'brien's death certificate. Now I'm going to talk about the son, Henry F O'brien's death certificate. His cause of death was very interesting.

Name: Henry F. O'brien
Age: 59
Single, Married, Widowed
Occupation: Contractor
Birthplace: NY
Name of father: Henry
Birthplace: U.S
Name of mother: Alice Mulally
Birthplace: U.S
Former residence: 338 Prospect Ave.
Date of death: Sept, 8, 1930

I certify that I have this 12 day of Sept. 1930, taken charge of the body of deceased found at morgue and that I have investigated the essential facts concerning the circumstances of the death. I further certify that I have viewed said body and from examination and evidence that he died on the 8 day of Sept. 1930 in the morning and that the chief and determining cause of death was fractured skull; struck by a taxi cab at 4th Ave. and 15th St.

Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery

On the next page:

Manner of injury? Struck by a taxi cab
Nature of injury? Fractured skull
Accident, suicide or homicide? Accident

When I ordered the certificate I just wanted to confirm the parents names. I was not expecting that cause of death. Struck by a taxi cab?! I was speechless when I read that. I mean I've seen many cause of death and none have been that exciting (for me). I've been searching the newspapers for a report on the accident but I've had no luck yet.

Now, according to his death certificate his father was born here in the U.S. But according to his father's death certificate, he was born in Canada. So who knows.

Henry O'brien's Death Certificate

2011-04-15T09:36:00.004-04:00

First of all, I'm so sorry for not posting a lot. This weekend and next week I'll be posting quite a bit. I have a lot of new information to share.

Anyway, let's look at Henry O'brien's, Henry F. O'brien's father, death certificate. When I found Henry's death certificate I wasn't 100% positive that it was him. I'm not certain but I feel that it's the right person. I usually go on my gut feelings when it comes to ordering death certificates and deciding whether or not a certain person is my relative. I'm usually right 99% of the time. So I went on my gut feeling and ordered it. Like I said, I'm pretty certain it's him. It would help if they listed his wife's name. If she was listed then I wouldn't have any doubts. Anyway, let's look at the certificate. Bare with me since the writing is fading and it's very hard to read.

Name: Henry O'brien
Age: 60
Single, Married, Widowed
Birthplace: Canada (That could make me Canadian)
Occupation: nothing
If of foreign birth, how long in the U.S: 49 years
How long a resident in the City: 49 years
Father's birthplace: Ireland
Mother's birthplace: Ireland
Place of Death: somewhere in Brooklyn

I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from April 14th, 1887 to June 13th, 1887. That I last saw him alive on the 13th day of June 1887, that he died on the 13th day of June 1887 about 1:00 a.m. and that the following was the cause of death: some type of pneumonia and asthma (I think so).

Buried at: Holy Cross Cemetery

Now, his son Henry F O'brien is buried at Holy Cross. So it would make sense that they buried the son in the same cemetery as the father. Also, on a census Henry's birthplace is listed as Canada. So everything seems to fit my conclusions pretty well. But I have one question, once again why can't they list the parents names? I don't care that much where they were born. I already know they were born in Ireland. I want to know the parents names. That's the whole reason why I order these things.

Anyway, later today or sometime next week I'll be posting more information.

Treasure Chest Thursday

2011-02-17T20:00:00.002-05:00

This is my gg grandfather, John Palm's death record. John Palm was my great grandmother, Clara (Palm) Dyson's father.

Name: John Palm
Lived: 77 St. Marks Place in Brooklyn, NY
Single/Married/Divorced/Widowed: Widowed*
Wife: Betty
Date of Birth: blank
Age: 78 (which means he was born in 1859)
Occupation: Ice Dealer
Total time in occupation: 40 yrs
Birthplace: Sweden
How long in U.S: 50 yrs
How long in NYC: 50 yrs
Name of father: Per Plam (apparently Per is Peter in Swedish)
Birthplace: Sweden
Name of mother: Hannah
Birthplace: Sweden
Date of death: July 11th, 1937

I herrby certify that deceased was admitted to this institution on March 19th, 1936, that I last saw him alive on the 11th day of July 1937, about 8 A.M.
Cause of death: Arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, and bronchiopneumonia (hard to read)

Buried: Evergreens Cemetery
Burial: July 13th, 1937

*The reason he was listed as widowed is because his first wife Emma, my gg grandmother and Clara's mother, died in 1898. He then married Betty, my step gg grandmother and Clara's step mother.

Treasure Chest Thursday

2011-02-03T16:41:00.002-05:00

This is a photo of my gg grandfather Nicholas Lindner, who I spoke about last Thursday, and his wife and my gg grandmother Mary Nalewlaska on their wedding day in 1892 in NYC. Together they had my great grandmother Helen and her sister Cassie.

Mary arrived here in 1890 at the age of 19. After she married Nicholas, they moved to Queens and Nicholas owned a grocery store in the early 1900s for about 10 years. I found him on the city directory under Grocers.

Anyway, apparently Mary was a good cook, which is probably where my grandmother got her talent from. She died in 1948 in Queens.

Interesting fact: According to Mary's death certificate, she was born on July 23, 1871. Guess what? My grandmother was born on July 23, 1930. I find it interesting that my grandmother and gg grandmother were born the same day; that granddaughter and grandmother (Mary and my grandmother), had the same birthdays.

Treasure Chest Thursday

2011-01-27T10:35:00.004-05:00

This is a photo of my gg grandfather Nicholas Lindner, my grandmother's grandfather. I never knew a picture of him existed until one day I asked my grandfather if I could see the cemetery deed that my Aunt Cassie had. While we were looking for it we stumbled upon this photo and 3 others. One is Nicholas and Mary Lindner's wedding photo. The other 2 are big portrait size pictures of Nicholas and Mary. I don't what kind of paper they're on but the paper is ripping and browning. I need to get a photo of them before something happens to them. I was so happy that I find these photos. Certainly not what I intended to get.

Anyway, Nicholas was born about 1868 in Poland to Joseph Lindner and Amelia Drobinski. I believe he had 3 brothers but it hasn't been confirmed. He went by another name, Charles and on my great grandmother Helen's birth record, his name is Michael. So I guess he went by 2 names. He arrived here in the 1880's and married Mary Nalewalski about 1892. They had my great grandmother Helen and her sister Cassie.

He was one who built the dollhouse for my grandmother. Which was passed down to my mother and now it's mine. He also built the furniture for it and a cabinet that sits in my grandfathers garage. My grandmother used to say that she liked him and he was very nice.

He died Oct. 17, 1947 here in Brooklyn, NY.

Emma Wictor Palm

2011-01-26T20:21:00.003-05:00

I realized that after I ordered Emma's death record, sometime last year, I never posted it. So here's an early Treasure Chest Thursday.

Emma (Wictor) Palm is my gg grandmother, my great grandmother Clara Dyson's biological mother. Emma died in 1898 at the age of 35 and John Palm, Emma's husband, re-married someone named Betty. I learned something interesting today; Clara was 1 of 7 children. Her and her sister, Gertrude (who I never knew existed), were the only 2 to survive. I knew Clara had a brother, William, but he died at the age of 1.

Since the document is really faded I'm going to try my best to transcribe.

Name: Emma Palm
Age: 35
Relationship Status: Married
Birthplace: Sweden (I can barely make it out but I can make out few letters)
Occupation: Housework
How long in the US?: 15 years
How long a resident of NYC?: 15 years
Father's birthplace: Sweden
Mother's birthplace: Sweden
Place of Death: Brooklyn, NY
Number of families in house: Eight (I'm not sure what it says)
On what floor: Second

I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from Dec. 11, 1897 to April 1, 1898 that I last saw here alive on the 1st day of April 1898; that she died on the 1st day of April 1898, about 7:00 PM and that the following was the cause of death:
1. Consumption
2. ? (can't read it)

This certificate delivered to John Palm at 9 AM on April 2, 1898.
Buried at Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.

The document doesn't state the parents names. Do you know how upset I was? I mean that's the whole reason why I order these; to find the parents names. And all they could give me was the birthplace. Not happy. That means another brick wall that I was hoping would come down.

I need to go to the cemetery and find her, her husband, and his second wife. They're all buried at the same plot. I also need to find out the names of the other siblings.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Do Some Random Research

2011-01-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

1. Go to The Random Name Generator and click the red “Generate Name” button at the top of the screen

2. Go to Ancestry.com and enter your generated name in the search box on the main search page. [Randy's add: If you don't have Ancestry.com, go to http://www.familysearch.org/ and do it there - it's free.]

3. From the results, your research target will be the first census result for your generated name

1. The name I got was Alba Maxwell.

2. I was surprised to see that there was an Alba Maxwell.

3. According to the 1920 census she was 4 years old living in Alabama with her parents Dave and Mattie and her siblings Walter, Leon, Mary, Eva, Christine, and Mattie.

SNGF: Ancestor Name List Roulette

2011-01-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

1) How old is one of your grandfathers now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel"). Who is that person?

3) Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."

1) My maternal grandfather, Michael Bocamazo, is 80 (he'll be 81 next month). 80 divided by 4 is 20.

2) The 20th person in my tree is Michael's father, Joseph Bocamazo, my great grandfather.

3) Joseph died when my mom was 6/7 years old. From what my grandfather tells me he seemed like a cool person.

So here are 3 facts that I never mentioned:

1. He went up to the 6th grade
2. Because of #1 he taught himself at the NY Public Library every week
3. He painted oils, built boats, radios, and carved wood.

I have Jewish relatives!

2011-01-17T11:08:00.004-05:00

That's right. I have Jewish relatives. (I'm Catholic by the way)

Once again we visit Morris Lesser and his 6 children. This time it's Fanny Lesser (Esther's sister, one of 5 girls; 1854-?). She married Michael Sherrick. Together they had Louis and Beatrice.

Louis married but from what I found had no children.
Beatrice on the other hand, married Maurice Hartman. Together they had Fanchon (1898-1980).

Fanchon was born in Illinois in 1898 and then moved with her parents to Connecticut. She married Melvin Title in 1924 (this is where the Jewish relatives come in, I believe Melvin was Jewish). Together they had Samuel and Elaine.

Elaine wrote up an article on her Jewish heritage (http://www.cbict.org/docs/2008CongHourElaine.pdf). It talks about her mother get confirmed and having a Bat Mitzvah out of respect. (It doesn't make sense though because she was confirmed in 1912 and in that year she was 14). It also mentions that her mother's wedding dress in on permanent display at the National Jewish Heritage Museum in NYC. (I did a little happy dance when I read that).

Elaine married Jerome Lowengard. Together they had 6 children; Mary, Sarah, Henry, Alexander, Benjamin, and Jeremiah. She has 6 grandchildren and one great grandchild. (That means more cousins!).

Samuel on the other hand, married Sally Gershel. They had David, Betty, and Diane. I couldn't find much on Samuel though. But I do know Diane married and had 2 children and David married and had 3 children. (More cousins!).

PS. More posts will be coming tonight, tomorrow, and the rest of the month.

Where to Start?

2011-01-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

I found so many new relatives, that I don't know where to begin. So I guess I'll start with my paternal grandmother's side.

My ggg grandfather Morris Lesser had 6 children; 1 boy (my gg grandfather) and 5 girls. Esther Lesser (one of the 5 girls; 1866-1918), who I've been looking for, for years now, finally came up while searching familysearch.org. I found her, her husband, 4 out 8 children, and her parents (Morris and Dora) on the 1905 NY census living in the Bronx. (Unfortunately, ancestry.com doesn't have the 1905 census. I wish they did. So thank God for familysearch.org).

Anyway, she married Alexander Heine. Together they had 8 children; Joseph and Morris (twins; this is the 2nd or 3rd set of twins in my family), Alvin, Clara, Frances, Julia, Beatrice, Arthur (or Abraham; not sure of his name).

Frances married Herman Dober. Kids? Couldn't find any yet.
Julia married Isidore Bloom. Together they had 2 children; Alexander and Laurel.
Beatrice married Walter Dornhoefer. Kids? Couldn't find any yet.
Clara married William Appel (or Appell). Together they had Esther and I believe Francine.

And for the boys, I'm not sure if they married. So maybe they died young or decided not to marry.

Happy New Year

2011-01-17T10:49:00.002-05:00

I'm sooooooooo sorry that I've neglected this blog. It's been about 6 months since my last post. And since I took a break from ancestry, I guess I forgot all about it. But don't worry. I've been doing some more ancestry recently and I have new information to share; starting today.

But I just wanted to say Happy New Year! Hope that it's healthy and wonderful year.

SNGF: A Prolific Dad

2010-06-19T15:07:00.005-04:00

Determine who is one of the most prolific fathers in your genealogy database or in your ancestry. By prolific, I mean the one who fathered the most children.

The most prolific fathers is my ggg grandfather Peter Macdonald (1802-?). He was born in England and had 13 children with Susannah Scholes (1808-1851) who was also born in England. They got married Oct 9, 1825 in England.

Together they had Ernest and Lydia (1829; I believe they were twins), Peter Ashton (1830), Hannah (1834), Joseph (1835), Mary (1839), Sarah Swindells (1841), Alice (1843), Susannah (1845), Ashton (1846), Elizabeth (1848-1931; she's my gg grandmother. She married my gg grandfather Gabriel Dyson on March 22, 1871), Ann (1850), and Hannah (1851).

I'm Back!

2010-06-01T08:46:00.000-04:00

I'm so sorry that I've neglected this blog. I've been quite busy at school and my computer has been down twice. Today, I'll be getting my computer back and hopefully there are no more problems or viruses. Plus, tomorrow I start my driving lessons. Since school is over now and my computer is fixed, I'll be back to blogging. Well, I'm going to try to blog more often on here. Anyway, look for some posts today and tomorrow.

See you soon!
PS. I can't believe I missed my blog's birthday! It turned 1 on May 13th.

Tombstone Tuesday

2010-06-01T08:22:00.002-04:00

Holy Rood Cemetery

My great uncle and aunt:

Robert Lesser (1921-1977)
Louise Lesser (1920-1975)

Robert Lesser is my grandmother's brother.

SNGF: Matrilineal Line

2010-05-08T20:54:00.003-04:00

1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

1) Courtney Dyson
2) Lisa (Bocamazo) Dyson - b. March 24, 1960 in New York
3)Dorothy (Ziminski) Bocamazo - b. July 23, 1930 in New York
4) Helen (Lindner) Zieminski - b. April 26, 1893 in New York
5) Mary (Nalewalski) Lindner - b. July 23, 1871 in Poland
6) Anna (?) Nalewalski - born: abt. 1851, probably in Poland

2) No I haven't been tested for mitochondrial DNA

Weekly Planner: Create a Master List of Surnames and Variations

2010-04-25T18:04:00.001-04:00

When we’re searching databases for those hard to find ancestors, we often find ourselves rotating in any number of variations for that surname. It’s easy to lose track. Create a list of variants and keep it handy by your computer. Then just go down the list to get a more complete search than just entering names at random. It serves as a reminder so you don’t miss anything and also makes it easier to log what names and variations you’ve searched for.

-ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2010-03-30T10:55:00.004-04:00

Maimonides Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY

(Left): Moses Lesser (my ggg grandfather)

Born in Germany
Died Aug. 19, 1909 at age 81

(Right): Dora (Leizer) Lesser (my ggg grandmother)

Born in Germany
Died: Dec. 17, 1908 at age 73

Weekly Planner: Map Ancestral Migrations

2010-01-17T10:44:00.001-05:00

Create a map of your ancestors’ travels, noting the dates for each location. As you follow the route they took, you may find places where families intersect, or places along the route where they may have left a trail of records. Investigate the transportation options that were available to them. Tracking their route may not give you a clearer picture of their experience, but you may find a new pathway in your research.

-ancestry.com

The Year Was 1883: Where Was Your Family?

2010-01-15T09:49:00.001-05:00

The year was 1883 and people were on the move. In Europe, the Orient Express began running between Paris and Giurgi (Romania), with stops along the way in Strasbourg, Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest. By the 1920s, its route would extend to Istanbul and an alternate route would take it to the south through Switzerland with lines to Venice. Royalty mingled with the rich and famous in its opulent cars.
The expansion of railways in the U.S. was still going strong and with the arrival of railroad schedules came the need for a standardized system of time zones. Prior to 1883, the time was determined locally by the position of the sun, and early railroads had to contend with different timekeeping at various stops along the line. It was on 18 November 1883 that Standard Railway Time went into effect, dividing the continental U.S. into the four time zones that we know today (although here in Indiana the debate raged on another 120 years).
A huge feat in transportation took place in New York with the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, which connected Brooklyn with Manhattan. Work on the bridge began in 1870 and the total cost exceeded $15 million dollars, as well as twenty lives. It was viewed as a triumph in architecture and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. It towered over both cities; at that time only the spire of Trinity Church in Manhattan was taller. Prior to the opening of the bridge, travel between the two cities relied on ferries and at times the East River crossing could be hazardous and even impassable. Storms, fog, and ice frequently caused interruptions in service.
While there was much ceremony with the grand opening of the bridge in May, there was still speculation and fear about the capacity of the bridge and on Memorial Day of 1883, with 20,000 people on the bridge, a woman tripped and screamed setting off a panicked stampede that killed twelve people and injured many more.
Railroads were extending westward in the U.S. and the tide of immigration to western states that had been boosted with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, continued. And as travel between the East and West became easier, stories of the “Wild West” captured the imaginations of easterners. Dime novels glamorized folk heroes. William F. Cody–better known as “Buffalo Bill”–a former Pony Express rider, Indian scout, and buffalo hunter became a showman in 1883, bringing tales of the Wild West to venues around the world. His outdoor show reenacted buffalo hunts, Indian attacks (including Custer’s Last Stand starring Lakota Indians who had fought in that battle), and a Pony Express ride. Famous Native Americans who starred in the show included Geronimo and Sitting Bull; show performers like Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok became celebrities around the world.
The newspaper business entered an era of sensationalism as Joseph Pulitzer acquired the New York World. His newspaper catered to the working class and promised to root out corruption in government. Pulitzer believed that, “There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy. Get these things out in the open, describe them, attack them, ridicule them in the press, and sooner or later public opinion will sweep them away.” The sensational headlines and use of images grabbed the attention of the public and Pulitzer was able to increase the circulation of the newspaper tenfold within five years.

-ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing in 1883?

Weekly Planner: Chronicle the Homes in Your Life

2010-01-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered about the homes of your ancestors and wished you knew more? Chances are that future generations will be wondering about the homes your family lived in. Take some time to record the memories you have of the homes you’ve lived in and those of family members. Add photographs if they’re available and make a chronological history with addresses, favorite features, family gathering places, etc.

-Ancestry.com

Happy New Years!

2009-12-31T21:13:00.002-05:00

Hope you all have a safe and healthy year!

Timeline Tuesday

2009-12-22T08:19:00.003-05:00

Gabriel Dyson (my gg grandfather)

Born: Feb. 18, 1850 - Dukinfield, Chesire, England
1851 - Resided in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England (1 year old)
1861- Resided in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England and worked as a Cotton Piecer(11 years old)
1868 - Emigrated from Liverpool, England to U.S (18 years old)
1868 - 1878 - He lived here in the U.S (18 - 28)
March 22, 1871 - Married Elizabeth Macdonald (21 years old)
1871 - Resided in Oldham, Lancashire, England and worked as a Cotton Spinner (21 years old)
Aug. 7, 1871 - Arrived in Boston, MA (21 years old)
1881 - Resided in Droylsden, Lancashire, England on 7 Angola Street and worked as a Cotton Spinner (31 years old)
1891 - Resided in Durham, England and worked as a Temperance Missionary (41 years old)
1901 - Resided in Durham England and worked as a Cinematograph Operator (51 years old)
Died: June 29, 1928 - England (78 years old)

Even though I have a lot of information, I still have big gaps. I need to fill in the years 1868 to 1878 and 1901 to 1928. I still have a lot of work to do.

I Love Finding Out About New Family Members

2009-12-20T10:29:00.002-05:00

Last night I had dinner at an Italian restaurant with my parents and my grandfather. For some reason my grandfather started talking about someone named Charlie. I thought, "Who is Charlie?" So I decided to ask. It turns out he was my grandmother's cousin. So I said, "Oh, ok. How is he related?" It also turns out (and this is the part I love) my great grandfather, my grandmother's father, had 2 sisters and Charlie was the son of one of these sisters. These sisters were named Barbara and Sophie. My great grandfather, Alex, was the middle child. All three children left their parents, my gg grandparents, behind in Poland. They came here to America and never saw their parents again. Anyway, the reason Alex left with his sisters was he didn't want to join the Russian Army at that time. Barbara married and had Charlie and Edward. Sophie married and had Julia, Mary, Stephen, John, Edward, Helen and Walter. Also living with Sophie was Alex and his 2 daughters, Irene and Eugenia. Alex's previous wife (and mother of Irene and Eugenia) died a few years after Eugenia was born.

Weekly Planner: Learn About Your Ancestor’s Environment

2009-12-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

Use the Internet, read books, or visit your local library to get to know the area in which your ancestor lived. What geographical features are in the area? Hills, mountains, streams, rivers, desert? What is the weather like? Are there long winters or no winters? How far did your ancestor have to travel to go into town? Was there a geographical hazard between your ancestor and the closest town that might have made it more convenient to do business in a town further away? How would he have traveled? By horse or perhaps by boat? Did waterways freeze over in winter? Getting to know the lay of the land will give you a better understanding of your ancestors’ lives and will add interest to your family story.

-Ancestry.com

The Year Was 1894: Where Was Your Family?

2009-12-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

The year was 1894 and the world was still in the midst of the “Long Depression.” In the U.S., following the Panic of 1893, unemployment was estimated at more than 18%. People were desperate for work and in 1894, Jacob S. Coxey led a protest march from Massillon, Ohio to Washington, D.C. Starting out with one hundred men, five hundred arrived in Washington demanding work on public projects. They were denied and the Coxey was arrested for trespassing when he tried to speak. “Coxey’s Army” was one of several groups planning to march on Washington, but the only sizeable group to complete the journey. (The image accompanying this post iis of Coxey’s Army from the Library of Congress Photo Collection at Ancestry. Click on the image to enlarge it.)
In Chicago, George Pullman had cut pay for his employees by 25%. All of his workers were required to live in “Pullman City” and paid rent to Pullman–a rent that remained static despite the pay cuts. The hardship this created pushed three thousand Pullman workers to strike. It was a “wildcat” strike (without the approval of the union), but some American Railroad Union workers followed in support, refusing to move any train with a Pullman car, unless it carried mail. Since most trains by this time had Pullman cars, this affected the railway system across the country. Eventually a federal court ruled that the strike was illegal and federal troops were called in. Violence ensued as riots broke out and in a violent confrontation with soldiers on July 7, many rioters were killed or wounded.
In New York, 10,000 tailors went on strike on Labor Day to bring attention to sweatshop conditions. At that time workers worked under a “task” system wherein they were given a certain number of garments that needed to be created for a fixed price. The tasks had been increasing in size, while wages remained static requiring workers to work longer hours. This meant that workers were being paid around a dollar a day, and working in some cases eighteen hour days. While the strike did attract some attention, the problems of wages and working conditions in the garment industry would continue to be a problem.
The railroad era had been a boon for the timber industry in the Upper Midwest. The ability to transport lumber by rail, rather than by water–a mode plagued by perilous log jams, rapids, and other obstacles–gave rise to small lumber towns in the Upper Midwest. The town of Hinckley, Minnesota, located between the Twin Cities and Duluth, was one such town. Surrounded by forests and built entirely of wood, on 1 September 1894, a firestorm swept through the town killing at least 419 people. Many of the victims suffocated because firestorms use up the oxygen in the area. Survivors found refuge in muddy Skunk Lake or in a gravel pit, and others were evacuated by trains that were approaching the town when the fire struck.
In London, England, traffic on the London Bridge had become a problem. While there were bridges crossing the Thames to the west, there were none to the east. With population growing on east end of London travel on London Bridge was sometimes delayed for hours. A new bridge was needed and in 1894 the famous Tower Bridge opened. At the time of the opening, it didn’t receive the warm welcome you’d expect, but it has since come be a beloved landmark of the city.

-Ancestry.com

Tips from the Pros: Genealogical Trip Savings, from Michael John Neill

2009-12-20T10:24:00.002-05:00

Note: Sorry I haven't posted in 2 weeks and have neglected to post. I was quite busy the last 2 weeks with finals and my school work. But don't worry I'm back!

Summer is travel time and genealogists are no exception. Keeping in mind that what works for one person may not work for another, here are a few quick ideas for stretching your genealogical travel dollar.
Can you take the train? The next time I go to downtown Chicago to do research, I plan on taking Amtrak. While not everyone lives close to an Amtrak station, for me this is an easier option and gets me downtown without the hassles of driving. Is gas mileage the problem? If one day of research will do you, consider getting a weekend car rental. I have rented a car before on Thursday afternoon, returning it on Sunday. This works well for facilities that are open on Saturday as well as during the week. Many times this qualifies me for a much cheaper rate and I usually get a car that gets better mileage than mine. An added benefit is that if I have car trouble a distance from home, the rental company has to deal with it–not me. Make digital copies. I love taking digital pictures of records, or using digital scanners (where available) to make copies from microfilm. On recent trips to Salt Lake and Ft. Wayne, I did not make one microfilm or photocopy the entire time. While not all facilities support digitally scanning microfilm, some do, and those who are adept at using their digital camera may even have success photographing microfilmed images. I would suggest that this technique be practiced at home before your trip. Get advice from the locals. If you will be traveling a distance to perform research in your ancestral hometown, post a question about local accommodations and other info to the message boards at Ancestry. Residents in the area may be able to give you suggestions on the best inexpensive motel, inexpensive activities to occupy spouses and children, and maybe even ideas on how to save money at the courthouse. Network with other researchers at your local genealogical society and with friends in your destination area to get additional ideas. Are there other locations where you get the same record for less? Does the Family History Library or a state archives have the same record the county has? Do they charge a different fee than the local records office? A vital records clerk is not going to tell you that someone else has the same information or document at half the cost.
How are you saving money on your genealogical travels this summer? Feel free to post more suggestions in the comments section of this blog post.

-Ancestry.com

Weekly Planner: Play with Numbers

2009-12-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

As family historians, we collect a lot of dates, but too often we fail to look closely at that information. Choose an ancestral family and examine all the information you have gathered. How old were the parents when they married? How old were they when they had children? How old were the children when a parent died? If you know the cause of death, was it preceded by a prolonged illness? If so, how old might the children have been when a parent became ill? What impact might the answers to these questions have had on their lives? The implications may also affect the course of your research.

-Ancestry.com

1877

2009-12-04T17:52:00.002-05:00

In 1877, my ggg uncle, Michael DeCosmo, was born in Italy to Joseph and Angelarosa (Ciancullo) DeCosmo. He was the 1 of 6 children and my gg grandmother's brother. About 1897, he married Mary Vassallo. Together they had 3 children, Andrew, Joseph, and Angelina.

In 1877, my cousin, Louis Sherick, is born in New York to Michael and Fannie (Lesser) Sherick. Not much his known about him unfortunately.

1936

2009-12-04T14:29:00.004-05:00

On December 8, 1936 my grandmother, Virginia Lesser, was born. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to Henry and Catherine (O'brien) Lesser. She was the baby of the family, with 5 other siblings. In 1955, she married my grandfather, Albert Dyson. She was 19 at the time, my grandfather, 24. They had 5 children, including my father. She was 21 when she had her first child, my aunt. Then in 1972, they divorced. She was 36 and my grandfather, 41. My dad was 12 years old at the time. On December 8, 2009 she will celebrate her 73rd birthday.

On April 19, 1936 my cousin, Joan Askew, was born. She was born in Darlington, Durham, England to William Askew and May (Dyson) Askew. She was the baby of the family, with 1 other sibling. She never married and died Sept. 30, 2001 in London, England at the age of 65.

The Year Was 1936: Where Was Your Family?

2009-12-04T14:26:00.001-05:00

The year was 1936, and the world watched as Nazi forces marched into the Rhineland. Following World War I, areas along the Rhine River were designated as a demilitarized zone by the Treaty of Versailles to serve as a kind of buffer between Germany and France. On March 7th, Hitler defied the treaty and troops rolled into the area unopposed, once again stirring fears of war.
Despite this aggressive move, the Nazis were putting on a show for the world and in August of 1936, the Summer Olympics were held in Berlin. Anti-Semitic signs were removed, and eight hundred Roma were detained near Berlin. There were fears for the safety of Black athletes competing in these games in the heart of Nazi Germany. Despite the whitewashing, Hitler’s views on anti-Semitism and racism were well known by this point. He had hoped that his “Aryan” Olympians would dominate in the games that year, and indeed they did, taking the lion’s share of the medals in those games. But Afrian-American athletes dominated in the Track and Field competition, undermining Hitler’s Aryan views.
Jesse Owens won four gold medals, beating the popular German track star, Luz Long, who had actually given him a tip that helped him to qualify. Long went on to publicly congratulate Owens after the event. The German crowd also gave Owens a standing ovation for his outstanding performance. Owens would later say, “You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment.”
The German crowds gave Owens a standing ovation too. Sadly, Jesse Owens’ reception in his home country was cooler. After his initial return to a ticker tape parade, there was no invitation to the White House, and no endorsements. Following the parade, he had to take the freight elevator to a reception in his honor at the Waldorf-Astoria. He made some money through self-promotion, racing against horses, motorcycles, and people. He found success in starting his own Public Relations firm.
In Spain, 1936 marked the start of the Spanish Civil War. Following the abdication of the monarchy in 1931, there had been unrest among the ruling factions and in 1936, a military coup under the leadership of General Francisco Franco would begin. Franco’s troops received support from Germany and Italy, while the Republican government forces turned to Russia for aid. In 1939, Franco’s forces would prevail and he would go on to rule Spain until his death in 1975.
A number of significant weather events marked the year 1936 in the U.S. In Pittsburgh, following a year with heavy snows, March brought with in heavy rains, and when a storm dumped 1.75 inches on St. Patrick’s Day, causing the largest flood in Pittsburgh history. The downtown area was inundated and sixty people were killed in the flooding with another two hundred wounded.
Then in April a huge system moved through the Southeast sparking seventeen tornadoes that caused widespread wind damage and flooding. Two hundred and sixteen people were killed in Tupelo, Mississippi (the fourth deadliest tornado on record), and two hundred and three people perished in another twister that struck Gainesville, Georgia, making it the fifth deadliest tornado.
While the “Dust Bowl” years were winding down, they would not go out quietly. The summer of 1936 broke heat records across the North American continent. More than five thousand deaths are attributed to the heat in the U.S. and in Canada another 780 people perished. Ironically, that summer had followed one of the coldest winters on record.

-Ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: Be Careful with the Years

2009-12-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

There are times to search for specific years and there are times when we should not. Many searches at Ancestry.com allow users to include more than just a specific year as a part of their search. Before you mindlessly enter some search terms and click “search” think about that year and that range you entered.
If you know (reasonably) that a relative immigrated to the United States in 1850, you may want to search for 1850 immigrations allowing for an error of plus or minus two or five years, depending upon how reliable you think the 1850 date of immigration is. It may be necessary to broaden the search even more.
If you are searching for someone in the 1860 census whom you think was born in 1840, you may want to search for them as being twenty years of age, plus or minus a few years, again depending upon how reliable you think the year of birth is. The older a person is, the more likely their age is to be incorrect.
Newspapers may be a little different. Some would run a “days beyond recall” column, where items from 20, 30, or even 50 years earlier were re-published in the newspaper. Consequently a death notice from 1890 may appear in a 1940 edition of the paper. Do not assume that a reference to your ancestor 40 years after his death cannot be his. It may be that the paper is rerunning part of an earlier notice. Death notices typically do not appear thirty years before a death, but they may occasionally appear thirty years after.
Think about the record you are searching. How accurate does that date need to be? And it is possible that the range of years you are searching for needs to be larger than you think?

-Ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-12-01T15:16:00.002-05:00

St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, NY.

Buried here is my grandmother Dorothy (Ziminski) Bocamazo. She was born July 23, 1930 and died Dec. 29, 2003. She died due to a stroke. The doctor told my mom and grandfather, if they decided to keep her alive her whole body would be paralyzed and I think they said she wouldn't remember anyone. I wasn't at the hospital that day. Since I was off from school, I stayed at my gg aunts house. She recieved the phone call when she died and all I remember was asking her, over and over again, "She died?".

RIP Grandma.

Weekly Planner: Catalog Your Heirlooms

2009-11-29T08:52:00.000-05:00

As keeper of the family history, you probably have some family heirlooms scattered around your house. Have you ever taken the time to note their significance? Why not create your own catalog, complete with digital photographs. Tell who the original owner was, whether it was a gift on a special occasion, and any story about the item? You will be helping to ensure that the item doesn’t end up on a flea market table once you’re gone, and you can also store a copy of your catalog off-site for insurance purposes.

-Ancestry.com

The Year Was 1821: Where Was Your Family?

2009-11-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

The year was 1821 and Spain was losing its grip in the Americas. The Mexican War for Independence that began in 1810 came to an end in 1821. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Spain was facing huge debts and turned to its colonies in South and Central America to replenish its empty coffers. Obviously this wasn’t very popular on this side of the ocean and it led to a series of rebellions. In August of 1821, Mexico won its independence.
Simon Bolivar and his forces were also well on their way to liberating much of South America that had been under Spanish rule. In 1821, he defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Carabobo, freeing Venezuela and by the end of the year, Ecuador would be liberated as well, with Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia now united as the territory of Gran Colombia.
Spain’s officially relinquished its last foothold in continental North America with the ratification of the Transcontinental Treaty in 1821, which ceded Florida to the United States. Following the Missouri Compromise of 1820, in August of 1821, Missouri was admitted as the twenty-fourth state in the Union.
Missouri became a launching point for those traveling west. Prior to 1821, the Spanish had not allowed trade with the U.S., but with Mexican independence all of that changed. In September 1821, Captain William Becknell left Missouri for Santa Fe, New Mexico, (part of Mexico at the time) on a trading expedition along a route that would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. More traders, and eventually settlers and gold seekers would follow the trail west in the years to come.

-Ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-11-24T14:24:00.002-05:00

St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, NY

Esposito

In Memory of Beloved Wife and Mother

Pasqualina

1868-1936

Cuono

1868-1955

Anthony

1906-1973

Joseph

1902-1983

Weekly Planner: Overhaul a Family File

2009-11-22T17:26:00.000-05:00

Do you have a family file or binder that’s bursting at the seams? Maybe it’s time to reorganize and break it down into several smaller files. Check and make sure all of the information in your files is up to date with your family history database and that your timelines are current. If you haven’t started a timeline for that family, do that too. Timelines are a great way to jumpstart your research! Learn more about creating timelines here.

-Ancestry.com

The Year Was 1877: Where Was Your Family?

2009-11-20T14:30:00.002-05:00

The year was 1877 and following the disputed election of 1876 it was still unclear who the next American president would be. Samuel Tilden had carried the popular vote by more than 250,000 votes, and held 184 of the electoral votes. Rutherford B. Hayes only had 165 of the electoral votes–but twenty electoral votes from South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida were still being disputed. There was also an issue with one elector from Oregon.

To resolve the problem, Congress set up an election committee, comprised of fifteen men–five from the Senate, five from the House of Representatives, and five from the Supreme Court. Along party lines, the count was seven Democrats, seven Republicans, and one Independent. As if things weren’t complicated enough, the Independent, who was from the Supreme Court, refused to accept the position and was replaced by a Republican, shifting the balance of power in their favor. The twenty votes in dispute were awarded to the Republican candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes. Southern Democrats began a filibuster to protest the decision and eventually an informal agreement was reached. The agreement was that a southern Democrat be admitted to the Hayes administration; that all U.S. troops be removed from the South; a second transcontinental railroad through the South was to be built; and federal legislation was to be enacted to aid the industrialization of the South. More information is available at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.

The U.S. was facing difficult times when Hayes took office. Following the Panic of 1873 and the subsequent failure of many railroads, farmers that relied on the failed railroads were left without transportation for goods. Businesses were facing tough times. With an influx of cheap labor flowing into urban areas from failing farms, wages plummeted while business tried to get more work from their employees.

When the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad cut the wages of its workers for the second time in eight months, the workers had had enough and stopped work. Railroad officials brought in local militias, but they and the townspeople sided with the railroad workers. The work stoppage quickly spread throughout the industry and beyond as canal boatmen, miners, and others struck with them in a display of solidarity. Despite widespread support, the strike was over within a few weeks, with no gains for the workers. After early failures to control the strikers and outbursts of violence, law enforcement officials regained control and the movement died out. It did, however, leave a legacy that would pave the way for future reforms. (For an interesting look at the Railroad Strike of 1877, there is a more detailed article available on the New York State Library website.)

The sagging economy also led to anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly against the Chinese. The Workingman’s Party, led by Irish immigrant, Denis Kearney, staged several violent protests in San Francisco in 1877. Chinese immigrants were forced eastward in the United States in search of a more hospitable environment–an environment that most of them would not find.

Native Americans continued to be pushed off their lands and for years the Nez Perce had been struggling to keep the lands of the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon as the flow of settlers continued into the area. In 1873 President Ulysses Grant had divided the valley, reserving lands for the Nez Perce, but in 1875 he rescinded that Presidential Order and opened the entire valley up for settlement. Although the Nez Perce tried to co-exist with the settlers, tensions kept rising and eventually the Nez Perce were chased 1,100 miles through the mountains by U.S. military forces before surrendering in Montana.

In Europe, the final Russo-Turkish War began in 1877. The Treaty of Berlin, following the war would grant Romania, Montenegro, and Serbia independence from Turkey and Bulgaria was granted autonomy.

-Ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing? Leave your responses in the comment section or create your own blog post.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-11-19T15:18:00.003-05:00

I want to thank Lynn at The Armchair Genealogist for this wonderful award. So here are 7 things you didn't know about me:

1. I'm in college right now.
2. I started having an interest in genealogy after a family tree project in 5th grade in 2001.
3. I have 8 nationalities: Irish, German, Polish, Albanian, Swedish, Scottish, British and Italian.
4. I love to bake.
5. I want to travel to the U.K. (England, Ireland and Scotland) and Sweden.
6. I'm only child.
7. I live in NYC.

My picks for the award:

Grace and Glory
100 Years In America
Family Tree May Contain Nuts
Ancestors Within

Tips from the Pros: Do You Really Know the Name? from Michael John Neill

2009-11-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Assumptions get us into all kinds of trouble. For years I searched for an ancestor, Noentjelena Grass, in passenger lists, trying all kinds of variants of her first and last names. Censuses, family tradition, and her date of marriage gave me a consistent immigration time frame, but I still could not find her.
I had almost given up. Then I received copies of letters she had written to relatives about ten years after her marriage. Not one clue about her immigration, but there were more subtle revelations. The letters were all signed “Lena.” Not Noentjelena or Noentje (names I thought she used), but Lena. After reading the letters it dawned on me–I had never really searched extensively for that first name in the manifests. So I went back.
A search of the passenger lists at Ancestry.com during New York’s Castle Garden era contained an entry for a Luie Gross arriving in 1873. The year was correct for my ancestor. Looking at the actual manifest the name looked like Lena to me, although I could see how it could have been read as Luie. Fortunately this entry was for a single female with a year of immigration and an age consistent to be my ancestor. Further work needs to be done so I can be reasonably certain I have the correct person, but I think I am on the right path.
Do you really know your ancestor’s name? Have you considered every nickname he or she might have used? Failure to consider one may cause the relative to remain unfound forever.

-Ancestry.com

Dora Lesser

2009-11-18T17:44:00.004-05:00

Recently I ordered a death ceritficate for my ggg grandmother, Dora (Leizer) Lesser.

Here's what said:

Name: Dora Lesser
Birthplace: Germany
Place of Death: 413 E. 180th
Age: 73 Yrs. 8 Mos.
Divorced/Widowed/Married: Married
Character of premises: Private House
Occupation: House work
Father's Name: Jacob Leizer
Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Name: Not Known (ughhhhh....)
Birthplace: Germany
How long in the U.S: 55 years
How long in NYC: 55 years

I hereby certify that I attended deceased from July 8th 1908 to December 17th 1908, that I last saw her alive on the 16th day of December 1908, that she died on the 17th day of Decemeber 1908, about 12 A.M. and that to the best of my knowledge and beliefe, the cause of her death was: Pulimonary Oedema and Diabettes.

Witness my hand this 18th day of December 1908.
Sign: Henry Walur
Residence: 638 Eagle Ave.

Place of Burial: Maimonides Cemetery
Date of Burial: December 20, 1908

Weekly Planner: Re-Visit and Re-Search

2009-11-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Internet resources and databases are ever-changing and those at Ancestry are no exception. Make it a point this week to re-visit databases you haven’t searched in a while. New content is constantly being added and you may find that a tweak in search functionality has uncovered the ancestors that had evaded you in the past. You may also find that another researcher has posted a correction to the record of an ancestor that you had been unable to locate because of a mangled name or mis-transcription. Not only does this allow you to find that elusive ancestor, but you may find a new cousin to research with through the Ancestry Connection Service!

-ancestry.com

The Year Was 1765: Where Was Your Family?

2009-11-13T13:29:00.001-05:00

The year was 1765 and the British Parliament was in need of revenue to offset the costs of newly acquired territories in the Americas. Following the French and Indian War, the Treaty of Paris in 1763 had ceded all of the land east of the Mississippi and Canada to Britain and it now required numerous troops to secure these territories. In an effort to raise funds in the American colonies, Parliament enacted the Stamp Act in 1765, which imposed a tax on all paper goods.

In the previous year the Sugar Act of 1764 had caused a stir, and there were rumblings of “No taxation without representation,” referring to the fact that there were no representatives from the colonies in Parliament. Following the Stamp Act, those rumblings increased greatly in volume. In response a small group formed in Boston. The “Sons of Liberty” at first put pressure on those in charge of enforcing the Stamp Act, sometimes with violence. By the end of the year the movement had grown and had a presence throughout the colonies.

The Quartering Act caused even more strife. It shifted the cost burden of quartering troops who were returning from western posts following the French and Indian War to posts near eastern cities, as well as fresh troops who were being brought in to keep the colonies protected. The Americans viewed this infusion of troops with suspicion and weren’t too happy with the prospect of the additional financial burden this would put on colonial assemblies.

Across the ocean in the British Isles, folks there weren’t too crazy about taxes either. To avoid paying duties on imported spirits, tea, and other commodities, there was a thriving smuggling trade. In the middle of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man offered a central jumping off point for duty-free goods that could then be smuggled into England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. To help curb these activities, Britain purchased the Isle of Man from the Duke of Atholl in 1765.
In the Auvergne and South Dordogne areas of France in the years surrounding 1765, the people lived in fear of “La Bête” or the Beast of Gévaudan. This wolf-like creature, thought by some to be a werewolf, killed more than a sixty people.

-Ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing? Leave your responses in the comment section or create your own blog post.

Tips from the Pros: Get out of the Rut, from Michael John Neill

2009-11-12T18:41:00.000-05:00

After you have researched for a while in a specific locality, it is easy to get into a rut. You use certain records, search in certain ways, and you emphasize certain materials. Without realizing it, you may be using the same procedure to work out every problem. Sometimes this does not work. One way to avoid this pitfall is to go back and read a guide or how-to book for the state or area your research covers. This is good advice even for those who are seasoned researchers; all of us occasionally forget something and a quick review may remind us of sources we have neglected.

Red Book (rev. 2004) provides an excellent overview of each state, summarizing the types of records typically found and where they can be located. The research guides written by the Family History Library are also good reading material. County genealogical society websites, state historical society or archives websites may also have helpful information. They are easily found by searching the Web. Sites maintained by private individuals may be helpful too, but official sites tend to have more accurate information.

Reading genealogical journal articles on related topics is another excellent way to get your genealogical wheels spinning again. Sometimes I find it helpful to attend a conference lecture or read an article on what I think is a topic “unrelated” to my research. Many times on the surface the topic does not have a direct connection, but I find that learning about something new gets me thinking about my old problems in a different way. I have no Italian ancestry, but a lecture several years ago on Italian research got me thinking about my wife’s German lines. While many of the specifics of the lecture did not apply to my research, the presentation gave me a new perspective. And the discussion of reading and interpreting Latin in Catholic Church records was directly helpful to my work on German Catholic families.

Review what you think you know. Learn about something new. It may be just what you need to get out of your research rut.

-ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-11-10T19:37:00.001-05:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

James J. Hand

CPL

CO C

14 REGT

NY INF

SP AM WAR

April 9, 1876 - Feb. 15, 1956

Weekly Planner: Catalog Your Heirlooms

2009-11-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Year Was 1842: Where Was Your Family?

2009-11-06T16:50:00.002-05:00

The year was 1842 and the issue of child labor was coming under scrutiny. In Britain, one-third of coal mine workers were under the age of eighteen, as were one-fourth of metal mines workers. Following a mining disaster in 1838, there was an investigation of mining conditions.

In 1842, Lord Ashley delivered a report citing the deplorable conditions, and, invoking Victorian morals, he revealed that girls were working alongside boys and men, and that the warm conditions of the mine led to improper clothing. The report led to swift enactment of the Coal Mines Act of 1842, which forbid women and boys below ten years of age from working underground. For more on mining conditions, see “The Peel Web” website.

In the U.S., child labor was also a growing problem. Children often went to work in the dark and returned in the dark, only seeing the light of day on Sunday. In 1842, Massachusetts passed legislation limiting the children’s work day to ten hours. Unfortunately these laws weren’t always enforced.

There were other labor concerns in Britain as well. Chartists had gathered around 3.3 million signatures on a petition in support of the People’s Charter of 1838 and added to it other complaints, including factory conditions. The petition was rejected by an overwhelming margin, infuriating supporters. In August 1842 protesters marched into mills and effectively shut them down by emptying mill dams and removing boiler plugs. The movement, known as the “Plug Riots,” led to violence in some areas, but eventually the Chartist movement would die down again, as its supporters waited for another opportunity to press their case.

In Hamburg, a fire burned much of the city, leaving fifty-one dead and more than 20,000 people homeless. After the devastation, the city rebuilt itself, this time installing water pipes under the streets and making other improvements.

In North American, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty finally decided the Maine-Canada border, although the Oregon Territory border with Canada was still being disputed.

Dr. Crawford Long made his mark in medical history in 1842 when he became the first to use ether to anesthetize a patient for surgery. At that time surgeons typically used alcohol or hypnotism to relax patients during medical procedures. Dr. Long had seen the effects of laughing gas and ether at parties or “frolics” and noticed that although people exposed to the substances ran into things, they didn’t seem to feel the pain. Other doctors began experimenting with the procedure and Dr. Long made his findings public in 1849.

-ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing? Leave your responses in the comment section or post your own blog.

Tips from the Pros: The Value of Browsing, from Michael John Neill

2009-11-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

Don’t get me wrong, I love the “point and click” way in which individuals can be located in the census. It can save an inordinate amount of time when looking for an individual when the location is unknown. However, looking at only the “hit” on the census page can cause the researcher to miss clues about the ancestor and his or her neighborhood.

Looking at the place of birth for the neighbors can indicate whether your ancestor is in the majority or minority when compared to his neighborhood and indicate the ethnic mix of the neighborhood.

Looking at the occupation of the neighbors can also provide clues about the type of neighborhood in which your ancestor lived. Is it working class? Middle class? A mix?

If the census is recent enough, looking at the place of birth for the parents of the heads of household can tell you if the family lives in a neighborhood composed primarily of “children of immigrants” from a specific area. If the heads of household are born in the United States, looking at only their place of birth may cause you to overlook this cultural clue.

Even pre-1850 census searches may benefit from this browsing technique. Look at the names next to your ancestor on the census–do they appear to be roughly alphabetical? If so, the census taker may have attempted to alphabetize the names, thus destroying any clues as to neighbors. And scan through the entire township or district. You may find something like what I found in Franklin County, Ohio, in 1830: all the single men listed last.

Seek only the ancestor’s name and you may find him or her (if you are lucky). Seek the neighbors and others on the page and you may learn more than you expected.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-11-03T16:08:00.003-05:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

William H O'Brien
New York
PFC
5 CO CAC
World War II
December 21,1895 - March 20, 1968

Weekly Planner: Honor Those Who Served

2009-11-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

Military records can contain details that may help you move your research forward. Browse your family tree for males who would have been of an age to serve during military conflicts, including siblings and other collateral relatives. Use age as a guideline, but bear in mind that many men fudged a little to get accepted into the service of their country–some older and some younger. Most family history programs include the option to sort your family database index by date of birth, making this task an easy one. What better way to honor your family members who served in the military than to keep their story alive for generations to come?

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1833: Where Was Your Family?

2009-10-31T19:17:00.001-04:00

The year was 1833 and with the growth of the Industrial Revolution, child labor abuses were coming to the attention of reformers. In England, the Factory Act of 1833 prohibited child worker under the age of nine and reduced the hours of children aged nine to thirteen to nine hours per day. Older children aged thirteen to eighteen were only allowed to work twelve-hour days. It also prohibited them from working between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. and required two hours of schooling in the day. However, this legislation was limited to the textiles and manufacturing industry “wherein steam or water or any other mechanical power is or shall be used to propel or work the machinery,” and only four inspectors were appointed to oversee all of the factories in England.
Another significant piece of legislation in Britain that year was the Slavery Abolition Act. The slave trade had been abolished in 1807, but the Slavery Abolition Act abolished slavery throughout British colonies, provided for the apprenticeship of freed slaves, and compensated former slave owners.
The Abolitionist movement was beginning to gain momentum in the U.S. as well, with the formation of the American Anti-Slavery Society under the leadership of William Lloyd Garrison. Auxiliary societies under its banner grew to include between 150,000 and 200,000 people by 1840.
Many women took to the abolitionist cause. Some, like Prudence Crandall went further than joining the societies that were forming. Prudence operated a school for young ladies, and when an African American child, Sarah Harris, came to her and asked to be admitted so that she could teach other African American children, Prudence allowed her to attend. The move outraged the town of Canterbury and she responded by inviting more African American children to attend her school, establishing a school “for young Ladies and little Misses of color.”(1) She was eventually jailed for violating the recently passed “Black Law” which prohibited such establishments. Sarah Harris and several other students of Prudence Crandall went on to become teachers.
In Alabama, the Leonid Meteor shower caused quite a stir on a clear night in November 1833. At the time people were unfamiliar with the phenomenon and many thought that the falling stars were a sign that Judgment Day was upon them. The event is commemorated on some Alabama license plates with the slogan, “Stars Fell on Alabama.” The city of Chicago can trace its roots back to 1833 when it was first established as a town of 350 people, occupying three-eighths of a square mile. By 1837, the fast growing city was incorporated with 4,170 people.
One of Chicago’s first contributions to the world was a new form that was at first ridiculed as a “balloon construction.” It was thought to be too lightweight and flimsy to be of use, but the structure proved sturdy, using two-by-fours and factory made nails that created the frame–although the name stuck. This new form of construction made it easier and more inexpensive to build houses, making home-owning a more viable option for the masses. Many houses today use an adapted form of “balloon construction.”

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What where they doing? Leave your responses in the comment section or create a blog post.

Tips from the Pros: What Have You Preserved Lately? from Michael John Neill

2009-10-29T18:49:00.000-04:00

Recently I was asked to make a presentation at a family reunion. As part of the process, I had temporary access to the “reunion book” which had been kept since the mid 1950s. This book had a record of everyone who attended the reunion and the town they were living at the time (including a list of out-of-state addresses from the early 1970s). There were lists of births, deaths, and marriages, along with lists of reunion expenses, entertainment, and prizewinners. There was even a record of the great debate in the early 1970s whether to donate $25 or $15 to the church for use of the hall. I realized that there was only one copy of this book and that the information it contained could easily be lost. Since I had to return it, the easiest way to immediately preserve it was by photocopying it in its entirety. My next step is to determine whether I should make additional copies, scan it, and burn some CDs. I’m still considering my options. But at least now there is more than one copy. The next time you have access to an “unpublished” source, ask yourself, “Is there some way that I could preserve this for future generations?” Someone in 100 years may thank you for it.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-10-27T17:08:00.002-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

James Eugene Golde
New York
PVT 31 ARTY CAC
World WAR II
July 1, 1897 - July 20, 1949

Weekly Planner: Re-Examine Old Family Photographs

2009-10-25T19:52:00.001-04:00

Often when we look at old family photographs, we develop a kind of tunnel vision. We look at the faces and tend to ignore everything else. Take another look. This time grab a magnifying glass and look closely at the background, searching for clues. Check out family heirlooms, things hanging on walls, clothing, house numbers, cars, or whatever else you see in the picture. Write down what you see. You may find clues that can help put a date on undated photographs. Plus, the background details can add interest to your family history.

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1788: Where Was Your Family?

2009-10-23T07:21:00.001-04:00

The year was 1788 and in France, there was an unusual uprising in the city of Grenoble in France that was the first rumbling of the French Revolution. The lower classes in France were taxed heavily, while the nobility and clergy enjoyed the fruits of their labors–free of taxes. That and the lack of a voice in government made for an angry working class. On 7 June 1788, after the King tried to limit the powers of the Parliament and refused to let members meet, the residents of Grenoble attacked the King’s troops hurling tiles from the roofs of buildings in what is now known as “The Day of the Tiles.”

In the Southern Hemisphere, eleven ships arrived in Botany Bay in Australia. Known as the First Fleet, these ships carried 759 convicts and guard troops, some with their families, who would be the first European settlers in Australia. Following the American Revolution, Britain had to look elsewhere to transport convicts out of England. That along with overcrowding in British jails led to the creation of the Australian convict settlement. The convicts and the military personnel charged with guarding them endured two very difficult years, with food rationed and scarce, until the arrival of the Second Fleet in 1790.

In the U.S., the new country’s Constitution had been only been ratified by the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In 1788 another eight would follow, and with the ratification of the ninth state (New Hampshire) it went into effect. North Carolina followed in 1789 and Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the Constitution in 1790.

On Good Friday morning in New Orleans (March 21), a fire began that would destroy more than eight hundred homes and businesses. It began in the home of the Spanish Treasurer and gale force winds fed it for five hours until it burnt itself out after leaving 80% of the city in ruins.

In New York, some young boys playing near the New York Hospital looked into a window and saw a medical student wielding the arm of a corpse who taunted him, saying that it was his mother’s. The distraught child whose mother had coincidentally just died ran home to tell his father. When his father found his wife’s grave had been emptied, a mob gathered and ransacked the hospital. Most of the doctors and students escaped and the few that remained were escorted to jail by the authorities.

The mob continued to search through the night for the doctors and medical students and Governor George Clinton called in the militia, led by Baron Friedrich von Stueben. Founding Fathers, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were also on hand to try to calm the crowd. They were stoned and John Jay was knocked out with a rock. When von Stueben was hit with a brick, he gave the order to fire and eight of the rioters were killed. The Doctors’ Riot was the first riot in American history, and it didn’t do much to solve the problem. Graverobbing continued to be a lucrative industry in New York and elsewhere until the mid-1800s.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: Read the Entire Manifest, by Michael John Neill

2009-10-22T14:53:00.000-04:00

Genealogists are encouraged to always look a few names before and after their ancestor’s name on a manifest to determine if other family members immigrated on the same ship as the located relative. Sometimes names may not be as close as you think.

Anna G. Fecht is listed as entry number 100 on the “Main,” which landed on 8 March 1879. Ninety names away from hers is the name of Harm Alberts Fecht, her nephew. If I had looked at only nearby names, I would have missed this reference. Of course, I could have located the entry for Harm by searching in Ancestry’s index, but genealogists sometimes forget to look for all related surnames, and occasionally names are difficult to read and get mis-transcribed. Even if you do not find names of actual relatives you may notice last names of neighbors of your ancestor. These are names that one does not usually think to search for.

Even families can get split on a manifest. I have seen entries where the grandma was travelling with a married child and that child’s children. For some reason the parents and one child were listed quite a few names away from Grandma and their other children. It usually takes only a few minutes to scan the other names on a manifest and the “extra” name(s) you find may make it worth your while.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-10-20T08:55:00.002-04:00

Pinelawn Natioanl Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

MARY
WIFE OF
CHMACH
C H MCKINNEY
USA
Dec 31, 1868-Feb 16, 1960

Note: Shes the wife of Charles McKinney from last week's Tombstone Tuesday.

Weekly Planner: Learn About One New Resource

2009-10-18T16:16:00.000-04:00

Is there a particular record that you have avoided working with because you don’t have experience with it? Land records? Tax lists? Coroners’ records? Court records? Take the bull by the horns this week and research that record type and its availability in the areas in which you are researching. Start with a reference book or look for an article on the subject in the Ancestry Library. Follow up with research on the websites of repositories that may hold these records and determine what records are available and how they can be accessed (e.g., snail mail requests, online and e-mail requests, interlibrary loan, etc.). Then make it happen. You’ll wonder why you ever put it off!

-Taken from ancestry.com

SNGF: A Family's Increase

2009-10-18T08:57:00.002-04:00

1) Pick one of your four great-grandparents - if possible, the one with the most descendants.

2) Create a descendants list for those great-grandparents either by hand or in your software program.

3) Tell us how many descendants, living or dead, are in each generation from those great-grandparents.

4) How many are still living? Of those, how many have you met and exchanged family information with? Are there any that you should make contact with ASAP? Please don't use last names of living people for this - respect their privacy.

I chose my great grandparents Henry Lesser (1895-1954) and his wife Catherine (O'Brien) Lesser (1898-1993).

Children = 6 (3 living, 3 deceased)
Grandchildren = 15 (12/*11 living, 3/*4 deceased)
Great Grandchildren = 19 (all living)
Great Great Grandchildren = 7/**8 (all living)
GGG Grandchildren = 0

I've met:
Living children: 2 out of 3
Deceased children: 1 out of 3 (2 of them died before I was born)
Living grandchildren: 5 out of 12/*11
Deceased grandchildren: 0 out of 3/*4
Living g grandchildren: 6 out of 12
Living gg grandchildren: 1 out of 7/**8

I've exchanged information (over email) with my dad's cousin's wife, Linda who lives in CA, and I have gotten in contact with some of the great grandchildren who live in CA over Facebook. And I've exchanged information with my grandmother.

*Note: My family and I don't know the whereabouts of my dad's cousin, Robert. He could be married with children but we don't know and he could be either living or dead.
**Note: My family and I, again, don't know the whereabouts of my cousin, Jennifer. She mostly likely is still living but we don't know if she's married with children or not.

The Year Was 1925: Where Was Your Family?

2009-10-16T07:38:00.001-04:00

The year was 1925 and three years after creating a fascist regime, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini seized dictatorial powers. “Il Duce” would rule Italy banning opposition parties and keeping strict controls over the news media.

Following World War I Germany was struggling to make reparations. While France was facing huge post-war debt. In 1923 France had invaded the Ruhr region of Germany (an industrial area that produced coal, steel, and iron) in an effort to extract reparations. The invasion cut off the area from surrounding regions and limited commerce, creating shortages. In 1925, under pressure from the U.S. and Britain, the French withdrew from the Ruhr region.

In Alaska, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the town of Nome. The town only has a small amount of the antitoxin needed and it was beyond expiration. The town’s doctor alerted the governor and U.S. Public Health service of the dangerous situation requesting additional supplies of antitoxin. Because it was January, Nome was all but cut off from the world. At that time, there were no planes available to fly into the frigid climes. A small amount of antitoxin was located in Anchorage–not enough to inoculate the entire town, but enough to slow the epidemic until more supplies could reach the area by ship. It was decided that it would be conveyed, first by railway to Nenana and then by a relay of twenty dog mushers and about one hundred and fifty sled dogs the remaining six hundred and seventy-four miles. They would complete the trip through brutal weather conditions in five and a half days making Balto, the lead dog in the last leg of the trip a national celebrity and saving the town of Nome and its surrounding communities from the epidemic.

Severe weather swept through three states in March of 1925 as the devastating “Tri-State Tornado” carved a two hundred and nineteen mile swath through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Six hundred and ninety-five people died in the storm and two thousand were injured, with the greatest damage in Illinois.

Another storm was brewing in Tennessee in 1925. Modernism was changing society. Women had earned the right to vote in 1920. It was the age of flappers and Jazz, and many Americans flouted Prohibition laws. But as some saw the pendulum swinging too far in that direction there was a pull back to more conservative values and Fundamentalists began to work to restore the values of previous eras.

By that year, legislation was pending in fifteen states banning the teaching of evolution in schools. In Tennessee, legislation passed in 1925 making it illegal to teach “any theory that denies the story of divine creation as taught by the Bible and to teach instead that man was descended from a lower order of animals.”

In the town of Dayton, Tennessee a young teacher named John Scopes who had used textbooks including Darwin’s theories of evolution was enlisted by the ACLU to challenge the new statute. William Jennings Bryan was chosen to lead the team for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow led the case for the defense. The case, now widely referred to as “Scopes Monkey Trial,” received widespread coverage in the media. In fact, it was the first time a trial was broadcast over the radio.

A circus-like atmosphere took over the small town as the trial began, with refreshment stands, banners and signs, and even chimpanzees. Darrow called Bryan to the stand as an expert on the Bible, and proceeded with a withering interrogation. Darrow then called for an immediate verdict from the jury, preventing Bryan from delivering his closing speech. Scopes was found guilty and fined, but vowed to continue to fight the statue. That fine was later overturned because it was determined that any fine of more than fifty dollars should have been delivered by the jury rather than the judge, as was the case in the first trial. Bryan died five days after the trial, due to complications from diabetes.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: The Name’s the Same, from Michael John Neill

2009-10-15T06:12:00.001-04:00

Could couples with the same first and last names be confusing your research? My wife’s ancestors, George A. Freund (1858-1928) and his wife, Katherine Cawiezell (1855-1922), were both born and died in Scott County, Iowa. The problem is that George A. Freund had a first cousin, George K. Freund who was also born in Scott, ca. 1855, where he later died. This George K. was married to a Catherine Schilling (1856-1925). Both couples lived in Scott County, Iowa, their entire adult lives. With the similarity of the names, they can be easily confused, and researchers are known to have credited the wrong couple with the wrong children. George A. and George K. were aware of the potential confusion and used their middle initials in many records, particularly after their marriages.
The potential confusion continued. In a later generation of the Freund family, there was a George Henry Freund, born in 1888 and Henry George Freund, born in 1889. Both of these Scott County, Iowa, natives appear in the World War I Draft Card database at Ancestry.com. One has to be careful in these situations too. If your ancestor is using a middle initial, ask yourself why. Is it to distinguish himself from someone with a similar name? Never grab the first hit or search result with the “right” name and assume you have the correct person. It always pays to search census indexes and other finding aids completely to determine if there might be more than one person with the same name. Never assume a first and last name combination is so unusual that there could not be two separate individuals with that combination. Tax and census records are a good way to locate these “duplicate” people, particularly when other records are not available.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-10-13T15:35:00.001-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

Charles M. McKinney
CMACH
US NAVY
SP AM WAR

Weekly Planner: Make a List

2009-10-11T08:05:00.000-04:00

During busy summer months, it is easy for our research to get off track. Files that were stashed when family came to visit may still be waiting in the closet to be filed properly. Information that got pulled out to share with family at reunions, or that got left out during a late night research session may be cluttering your workspace. Whatever your organization problem is, take steps this week to remedy it. Start with a list of what needs to be done. Then schedule a few minutes each night to check something off your list. If your filing pile has gotten too large, break it into smaller files by surname first. Then file a surname every night until you’re up to date. While you’re at it, keep a pad of paper and pen handy to jot down the research ideas and to-do items that will undoubtedly come from your filing exercise. Those next steps you find will make it well worth your effort!

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1817: Where Was Your Family?

2009-10-09T17:41:00.001-04:00

The year was 1817 and Europe was facing a devastating famine. Harvest failures in the years prior caused rising prices, while troops returning from the Napoleonic Wars faced rising unemployment. The combination led to poverty throughout Europe and mass migration, with many people jumping on ships to the Americas, while others migrated east to areas of Russia that hadn’t been hit as hard. Because so many of the immigrants were poor, many either traveled to the U.S. via Canada–a trip that cost less than traveling directly to U.S. ports. Many Irish immigrated to England, settling there or staying temporarily before moving on.

As refugees gathered in camps, disease also became a problem. Typhus was particularly prevalent in many areas of Europe, England, Scotland and Ireland. The typhus epidemic, which would last until 1819, claimed an estimated 65,000 lives in Ireland and parts of Scotland were also particularly hard hit as well.

Across the ocean, the U.S. was growing. Alabama Territory was split off from the Mississippi Territory, and Mississippi would achieve statehood later that year.

The growing country needed a growing transportation system and these needs were met in a variety of ways. The steamboat era had started six years prior, but until 1817 traffic was limited to travel between New Orleans and Natchez. In 1817, the steamboat Washington made the first round-trip voyage between New Orleans and Louisville. That trip took forty-one days.

Construction began at Rome, New York for another waterway that would provide a vital link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes via the Hudson River. The Erie Canal would be completed in 1825 and opened up areas west of the Appalachians to settlement and commerce.

An improved overland route westward was completed in 1817 as the Cumberland, or National Road reached from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, Virginia on the Ohio River (now part of West Virginia).

There was tension along the Florida border in 1817. Under the control of Spain, Florida was a popular haven for runaway slaves. Attempts to reclaim the fugitive slaves met with resistance from the Seminole Indians who lived in the northern part of Florida. They retaliated with raids on nearby Georgia homesteads and troops were called in under General Andrew Jackson. The First Seminole War would last into 1818 when Jackson captured the Spanish fort at Pensacola.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: Recording County Names, from George G. Morgan

2009-10-08T06:59:00.000-04:00

When recording information about the locations where births, deaths, marriages, divorces, land and property transactions, wills, and other events occurred, it is essential to include the name of the county, parish, province, shire, state, or other geopolitical jurisdiction at the time the event was recorded. Inclusion of a county name, for example, points other researchers to the right place when they want to verify your research and access the records for themselves. Most genealogical software programs will also prompt you to repeat this practice as you record future sources. Along with entering correct source citations, this diligence in recording precise geopolitical jurisdiction information is the mark of a scholarly researcher.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-10-06T15:09:00.002-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

Frank Kroegel
MU?
231 NY INF
SP AM WAR

Welcome to the Family!

2009-10-05T19:56:00.002-04:00

My cousin, Meagan, is getting married to someone named Robert.

Congrats Meagan and Robert!
And welcome to the family Robert!

Weekly Planner: Read a Historical Newspaper

2009-10-04T19:03:00.001-04:00

One morning this week, after you read the morning paper with your coffee, why not get a little history lesson and read a historical newspaper online too. Ancestry has a large historical newspaper collection and a growing number of free newspaper archives are turning up online. The New York Times is free for most years, as is the Chicago Tribune, and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Even if your ancestor doesn’t live in one of these locations, the coverage in these newspapers was international and you may learn about events in areas of the world where your ancestors were living. Once you find an event that you believe may have impacted your ancestor, use that as a springboard and research the topic more thoroughly through books, the Internet, local histories, and other newspaper articles. You can find links to more newspapers through Joe Beine’s Genealogy Research Guide and Cyndi’s List.

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1844: Where Was Your Family?

2009-10-03T08:33:00.001-04:00

The year was 1844 and in the United States, it was an election year. Former president Martin Van Buren went in to the Democratic convention hoping to win the nomination, but when it became clear that he would not, he threw his support behind the first “dark horse” candidate–James K. Polk. Henry Clay was on the ballot for the Whig Party, and a new anti-slavery party on the political scene, nominated James G. Birney.

At the heart of the election were the issues of the annexation of Texas and slavery. Slavery opponents opposed the annexation of Texas because it would upset the fragile balance of slave vs. free states. Polk supported the annexation, solving the balance issue by also committing to secure the Northwest areas that now include Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and part of British Columbia. His slogan, “Fifty-four Forty or Fight,” referred to the northernmost latitude of that territory.

In the closest election in American History, Polk won by a mere 38,367 votes, and didn’t even carry 50 percent of the popular vote. The third party candidate had played a huge role. He won votes that Clay needed to carry the state of New York. Had Clay won that state, he would have won the election.

1844 was also a year that would transform communications. On 24 May Samuel F.B. Morse sent the words “What hath God wrought?” electronically through wires from the capitol in Washington, D.C., to a train station in Baltimore, some forty miles away. Soon, his telegraph machines were tapping out messages throughout the country and in 1866, communication by telegraph connected Europe with America, dramatically reducing the time in which news reached foreign shores.

A New York farmer named William Miller had been spreading the word that based on calculations he drew from Scripture, there was to be a second coming of Christ on 22 October 1844. As the date approached many of the Millerites left their jobs, sold all that they owned, donned white robes, and prepared to meet their Maker. When the day came and went without event, many became disillusioned with the movement, while some remained faithful and formed the Adventist Church.

In 1844, Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his brother were murdered by a mob in a jail in Carthage, Illinois. Continued violence following their deaths would lead to the Mormon exodus to the West under the leadership of Brigham Young in 1846.

Already wagon trains had begun making the 2,000 mile trek across the U.S. along the Oregon Trail to settle in the Pacific Northwest. In April of 1844, seventy-two wagons, carrying 300 people (called the Independent Colony), began their journey along that famous route. Among these pioneers was the Sager family. Both parents died along the trail leaving seven children to be cared for by other families in the wagon train. When they arrived in Oregon country, they were adopted by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, missionaries who had traveled to the area in one of the first wagon trains in 1836. The Sagers were orphaned a second time when the Whitmans were massacred by Cayuse Indians in 1847, along with the two Sager boys. The daughters were captured and held for ransom. One of the girls died in captivity and the rest were freed a month later. The oldest daughter of the Sagers, Catherine, later wrote an account of their journey that is among the few first-hand accounts of the westward migration.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were the doing?

Timeline Thursday

2009-10-01T15:39:00.002-04:00

Alice (Dyson) Hall (my ggg aunt)

Jan. 22, 1844 - born in England
1851 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1861 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
Dec. 1863 - marriage to Joseph Hall
1871 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1881 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England on 65 Oxford Road Grocers Shop
1891 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1901 - residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
March 22, 1923 - died in England

I have some big gaps, especially from 1901 - up to her death. I need to find what she was doing for the years that I don't have.

Happy Birthday

2009-10-01T15:34:00.001-04:00

Today is my cousin, Maureen (Eagan) Foy's birthday.

Happy Birthday Maureen!

Tips from the Pros: An Inexpensive Genealogist’s Desk, from George G. Morgan

2009-10-01T15:32:00.000-04:00

Many genealogists have difficulty carving out a space in their homes or apartments to work on their research. The kitchen or dining room table is often used as a temporary work area, but this means constantly having to relocate your research–that or eating out a lot. A quick and inexpensive solution is to purchase a pair of two-drawer file cabinets at a thrift shop or garage sale, followed by a five- or six-foot length of oak or pine shelving at least 30″ deep. Use the file cabinets to support the shelving and you have a workspace spanning across the cabinets. You can paint or finish your desk to your liking, add a good lamp, a wire in/out tray, and a pencil cup, and position it in a quiet, out-of-the way area. Make the desk more permanent by drilling holes and bolting the wooden surface to the top of the cabinets. The file cabinets provide immediate storage space for your paperwork and forms, and the desk gives you space to spread out and work without having to frequently pack everything up and move it.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Timeline Tuesday

2009-09-29T15:18:00.003-04:00

Mary Ann (Wood) Dyson (my ggg grandmother)

Jan. 14, 1813 - Born in England
Feb. 1841 - Marriage to Gabriel Dyson
1851 - Residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1861 - Residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1871 - Residing in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England
June 26, 1878 - Died in England

Again, I have big gaps. I have a lot of work to do on Mary Ann. I need to find what she was doing and where she was from 1813 - 1841, 1841 - 1851, 1851 - 1861, 1861 - 1871 and 1871 - up to her death.

Timeline Tuesday

2009-09-29T15:05:00.002-04:00

So I decided from reading Ancestral Notes post on Family Timelines that I would create timelines for my family.

Gabriel Dyson (my ggg grandfather)

1818 - Born in England
Aug. 1, 1818 - Christening/Baptism
Feb. 1841 - Marriage to Mary Ann Wood

1851 - Residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England and working as a Cotton Comber
1861 - Residing in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England
1871 - Residing in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England
Oct. 10, 1871 - Died in England

Wow, I have big gaps. Which means I have a lot of work to do on Gabriel Dyson. I need to find what he was doing and where he was from 1818 - 1841, 1841 - 1851, 1851 - 1861 and 1861 - up to his death.

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-09-29T07:08:00.003-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

Walter Zaeko

New York

SGT CO C

187 GUI INF

World War II

Aug. 10, 1921 - April 23, 1972

Weekly Planner: Review Collateral Relatives

2009-09-27T08:51:00.000-04:00

Make some time to look at the known siblings and cousins of your direct ancestors. When your research takes you back to times and places where few or no records were created or have survived, you may find clues in the records of other family members. Track their movements through directories and census records and follow up with probates and otherrecords, some of which may include references to your direct ancestors.

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1901: Where Was Your Family?

2009-09-25T07:25:00.001-04:00

The year was 1901 and it marked the end of the Victorian Era. On 22 January, Queen Victoria died at the age of eighty-one after ruling the United Kingdom for sixty-four years–the longest reign in British history. Her reign is largely remembered as a period of economic and imperial expansion, although her popularity wavered at times.
The 1901 Census for England was taken on the night of 31 March 1901. Enumeration forms were distributed to all households a couple of days before census night and were to reflect the individual’s status as of 31 March 1901 for all individuals who had spent the night in the house. The following information was requested: name of street, avenue road, etc.; house number or name; whether or not the house was inhabited; number of rooms occupied if less than five; name of each person that had spent the night; relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family; each person’s marital status; age at last birthday (sex is indicated by which column the age is recorded in); each person’s occupation; whether they are employer or employee or neither; person’s place of birth; whether deaf, dumb, blind, or lunatic. (This census is available to Ancestry members with a UK or World Deluxe membership.)
The year had begun with the birth of the Commonwealth of Australia as the British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia were united. The occasion was celebrated widely throughout the continent with parades and pageantry.
In the U.S., William McKinley began his second term as president of the United States. His term ended tragically and abruptly when he was shot in September 1901 by anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, at the Pan-American Exposition.
He was succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, who became the youngest president in U.S. history. During his terms as president, Roosevelt earned a reputation as a “trust buster,” who used the Sherman Antitrust Act to dissolve a large railroad monopoly. He also began work on the Panama Canal, fought for conservation of our natural resources, and won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
Roosevelt’s invitation to Booker T. Washington, president of the Tuskegee Institute, to dine at the White House angered many in 1901. The Atlanta Constitution reported on 18 October 1901 that, “There is a feeling of indignation among Southern men, generally, that the president should, in the face of his declaration of friendliness toward the people of the south, take this early opportunity to show such a marked courtesy and distinction to a negro.”

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: Who Served in the Civil War? from Mary Penner

2009-09-24T16:25:00.000-04:00

Are you trying to discover if your relatives served in the Civil War? First, check the index on the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors website sponsored by the National Park Service. This index, compiled from the general index cards of Compiled Military Service Records, lists more than 6 million names of Union and Confederate servicemen. Why 6 million names when roughly 3 million served? Because separate CMSRs were created if the soldier served in more than one unit or if his name was spelled differently on different records. Each CMSR merits a separate entry in the database.
Then, surf to the Civil War Collection on Ancestry to search various Civil War related databases including the General Index to Pension Files. More than 2 million pension applications are indexed in this database.
You can also spot veterans on census records. The 1890 Special Veteran’s census schedule still exists for states beginning with the letters K through W. Actually, only half of the Kentucky records are still available. For your long-lived veterans, check the 1910 census. Look under column 30. Here you might find a check, indicating the person served in the Civil War, or a scribbled “ua” for Union army or “ca” for Confederate army. For really long-lived veterans, scan the 1930 census. Columns 30 and 31 posed questions about military service. You’ll see “Civ” written for Civil War veterans.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-09-22T15:25:00.003-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

William J. Sharkey
New York
CPL
43 Aero SO
World War I
September 15, 1894 - February 13, 1972

Weekly Planner: Record Summer Memories

2009-09-20T08:22:00.000-04:00

As the end of summer nears (or winter for those of you reading this from “down under”), now is a good time to reflect on and record the events and memories of the season. What happened with your family? Were there vital events, health issues, gatherings, or other milestones? What was the season like for you? Were there wild weather conditions or other natural disasters? What local or world events impacted you? What is your view on the current state of things–at home, in your community, and throughout the world? Make a record of this season to live on in your family history. Don’t you wish your ancestors had done the same?

-Taken from ancestry.com

SNGF: Ahnentafel Roulette

2009-09-19T19:41:00.003-04:00

1) How old is your father now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ahnentafel. Who is that person?

3) Tell us three facts about that person with the "roulette number."

4) If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then spin the wheel again - pick your mother, or yourself, a favorite aunt or cousin, or even your children!

1) My father is 48 (will be 49 this Friday so I'm using 49). 49/4 = 12.25 or 13.

2) #13. My great grandmother, Theresa (Vaccaro) Bocamazo. She was born Oct. 14, 1903 in New York. On April 27, 1929 she married Joseph Bocamazo in New York. Together they have 2 children; my grandfather, Michael, and his brother, Natale. On June 7, 1998 she died.

She was the oldest child (1st born) and had 10 siblings, 2 of which died at birth. Because she was oldest she took care of her younger siblings. She worked as a seamstress and because her feet became frost bitten from the snow she had discolorization that stayed with her until she died.

The Year Was 1867: Where Was Your Family?

2009-09-18T09:19:00.001-04:00

The year was 1867 and on July 1st, the Province of Canada, which consisted of Ontario and Quebec, united with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to form the Dominion of Canada, with Ottawa as its capital.

In 1867, hospitals were dirty, dangerous places. Those who survived excruciating surgeries would most likely die from subsequent infections. The general perception at the time was that exposing flesh to air was the cause of the infection, but when Louis Pasteur theorized that the infection was actually a form of decomposition, a British surgeon, Joseph Lister, took note. After noticing that surgical patients seemed to fare better in a cleaner environment (and following the work of Pasteur), he experimented with carbolic acid, applying it to bandages and then covering the wound. He discovered that the practice improved survival rates. In 1867, he made his finding public in the British medical journal “Lancet.” Unfortunately it would be decades before the medical community fully accepted the use of antiseptics in surgery.

In the U.S., yellow fever was a widely feared epidemic–and with good reason. In 1867, the disease claimed roughly 30 percent of the 1,000 or so residents of Corpus Christi, Texas. A New York Times article in 1870 reported a loss of 1,776 lives in New Orleans from the disease in 1867.When epidemics like yellow fever hit cities, often an exodus of citizens seeking to escape the scourge followed.

At the start of the year 1867, what is now the state of Alaska was in Russian hands. However, Russia had found that it was tough terrain to defend, and the hostile environment didn’t seem to offer much so it had been “shopping around.” U.S. Secretary of State, William Seward, worked out an agreement where the U.S. would pay Russia $7.2 million dollars (about two cents an acre) to acquire the territory. The deal met with a great deal of ridicule and Alaska was referred to as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox.” Most folks changed their tune in the 1890s when gold was discovered in the Klondike area of Canada’s Yukon Territory. Miners flocked to Alaska and mining towns sprung up, many turning into major cities like Nome and Fairbanks. The discovery of oil, a thriving fishing industry, and income from tourism continue to prove the naysayers wrong.

The U.S. also admitted Nebraska as the thirty-seventh state in 1867. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 had taken the lands that had once been reserved for Native Americans and opened them up for settlement. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres to settlers, with the requirement that they make improvements and live on the land for five years prior to taking ownership. Railroads were granted huge tracts of land, and they in turn built railroad lines and encouraged settlement by selling surrounding land at low costs to immigrants. Between the opening of the lands in 1854 and 1870, the population of Nebraska grew from 2,732 to 122,993 in 1870.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?

Tips from the Pros: They Went Home, from Michael John Neill

2009-09-17T15:21:00.001-04:00

One good rule of thumb when an ancestor “disappears” at an older age is to look and see if they are living near any children who might have moved a distance away from the family home. One of my ancestors “disappeared” after her husband died in Indiana in 1861. The end result was that she moved further west, into Iowa to live with one of her children. As a matter of course, I always check near all the adult children of an ancestor to see if Grandma or Grandpa went to live with them as they got older.

But once in a while you’ll find one who moves back to where they used to live, even if they have no family left there.

Louis Demar came to Chicago, Illinois, from Clinton County, New York ca. 1905, probably looking for work. He seemed to evaporate after the 1920 census and could not be located in city directories or other records after the mid-1920s. Where was he? He had moved back to Clinton County, New York. There he was enumerated in the 1930 census and that is where he died a few years later in the mid-1930s.

George Trautvetter and family immigrated to the United States in 1853, settling in Illinois. In 1869, at the age of seventy-one years, he returned to Germany, leaving his family behind in America. The pastor writes in his burial entry in the church register that George returned “to live as a retiree.” He was not just making a short visit back home to see family.

Not everyone was happy in their new home, and sometimes instead of moving further west into new territory, they simply moved back to where they were from, where they possibly felt more comfortable.

So if someone disappears, consider the possibility that they went home, rather than seeking newer pastures somewhere else.

-Taken from ancestry.com

Tombstone Tuesday

2009-09-15T16:18:00.003-04:00

Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY

Thomas Sweeney O'brien
Pennsylvania
WT
US Navy
World War I
July 5, 1895 - 1959

Note: He's not related to my family but who knows maybe he is.

Weekly Planner: Scan Ten Photographs a Day

2009-09-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Do you still have a boxes or albums full of old photographs that are still not in electronic form? I know I do! These photographs are deteriorating as we procrastinate preserving them in digital form. In addition to creating a back-up copy of the original photograph, scanning photographs makes them easier to share with family, on a CD, on a MyFamily or some other photo sharing site, or even attached to an e-mail to brighten someone’s day. This week, grab a big stack and scan just ten photographs a day (and if you get carried away and do more, I won’t tell!). By the end of one week, you’ll have seventy photographs (or more) backed up in electronic format and in a way that’s easy to share.

-Taken from ancestry.com

The Year Was 1812: Where Was Your Family?

2009-09-11T07:12:00.000-04:00

The year was 1812 and Napoleon’s Grande Armée was moving towards Russia, but things were about to go terribly wrong. On the twelfth of June, Napoleon’s troops crossed into Russia. They anticipated quick victories over the Russian army at the Russian frontier, but instead the Russian army retreated deeper into the country. As the Grande Armée pushed on into Russia, supplies became scarce and troop losses increased.

By September, Napoleon had arrived at Moscow, but by the time he entered the city, it had been evacuated and a fire broke out in several locations, destroying food, weapons and 70 percent of the city. Napoleon proposed peace talks with Alexander I, but received no response. Unable to remain in the destroyed city through the winter, he was forced to leave. The retreating army was met with counterattacks by the Russians, frigid conditions, disease, and hunger.

By December 25th Alexander I announced that the Patriotic War was over and the French had been expelled. The campaign had cost Napoleon the vast majority of the Grande Armée, as well as many Russian lives, but he wasn’t finished. He would go on to raise more troops the following year and fight yet another even larger campaign before being defeated in the “Battle of Nations,” the largest of the Napoleonic wars, which led him to finally retreat to France.

With its Navy stretched from the Napoleonic Wars, Britain was exercising its right to remove British sailors that it found on American ships, but often the removals also included Americans. The practice, known as impressment, became one of the central causes for America to declare war on Britain in 1812. The War of 1812 was fought primarily at sea, along the Canadian border, in the Chesapeake region, and along Gulf Coast. The war was ended with the Treaty of Ghent on 24 December 1814, although word didn’t reach the United States until after the Battle of New Orleans, in which Gen. Andrew Jackson and his troops won a decisive victory over the British.

Another war of sorts was taking place within England, as a movement known as Luddism fought advances made through the Industrial Revolution. With the introduction of labor-saving machinery, skilled textile workers feared the loss of their livelihood. Unskilled workers could be brought in to operate the machinery at a lower wage. The artisans banded together and broke into factories destroying the offending machinery. In 1812, Parliament passed legislation that allowed the death penalty in cases where Luddites were caught breaking machines.

In the U.S., Louisiana was added as the eighteenth state. The remainder of the Louisiana Territory became known as Missouri Territory.

In January 1812, the last of three devastating earthquakes rocked a large portion of Missouri Territory along the New Madrid fault and for many miles around it. The quake, which would now be measured at above 8.0, damaged most structures within a two-hundred and fifty mile radius of New Madrid, Missouri where the quakes were centered. The quakes were felt over much of central and eastern United States, and even rang church bells in Boston, some 1,000 miles away.

-Taken from ancestry.com

So where was your family? What were they doing?