Roots & Branches

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Not long ago I blogged that my husband, mother and I were about to set off and a DNA journey.  Several years ago I contacted Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who is a renowned genealogist and asked which of the DNA testing sites he would recommend.  Mr. Gates is well known for the PBS series’ African American Lives and Faces of America. 

Because of Mr. Gate’s expertise we used his recommendation of 23 and Me.  I must say I was very happy to find recently that the cost has dropped substantially.  When I first checked into using this DNA test it was in fact $500 for the genealogy and medical testing. They have dropped the price to $99 per test.  I was thrilled to say the least and the tests were ordered.

The boxed test comes very quickly by mail.  Everything you need is included in the box.  The instructions explain that you will need to spit in a small tube.  By doing this and following the remaining instructions your sample is then preserved and can be mailed back to the lab.  It takes about six to eight weeks for the sample processing to take place.  I must warn you waiting is the worst.  Of course you will impatient to know the results, but it does take time. You will register your sample kit when it is received and can follow the process on line.  Once the email was received that the results were in we were able to access the website and view the results.  Here is where all bets are off. 

Most of us have a family oral history of what we have been told our blood lines/roots are.  My family had an oral history that stated my mother’s line was believed to be Native American.  The oral history story went thus: My great-great grandmother Nancy was on a wagon train and it was attached by “Indians”.  She gave birth to a daughter Malissa nine months later.  The photos of Malissa do seem to show that she was indeed Native American.  My mom would tell us that her father would relay stories of when he was a young boy.  He and his brothers would play cowboys and Indians.  His grandmother would sit on the front porch and cry whenever they did this.  The boys were always asked to play something else.

The test result arrived.  Image my surprise, my DNA shows no Native American.  I could hardly account for the results.  I showed 100% European, which was generally no surprise, but we did believe there to be some Native American.  By the information shared by the family I should be 1/16^th Native American.

The results, broke down into regions, showed Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and a very small portion Jewish from the Austrian area. The big surprise was another small amount showing Portugal, Spain, or Italy.  REALLY!  Holy Cow.  The science should not lie. 

After a couple days of rolling this over and over it dawned on me that the story of the attack probably is true.  I can’t image reporting something like that to your family and it not being true, especially considering the era it took place in.  I do think it possible that the person that was thought to be a Native American might have been another race or was dressed in Native American clothes and just seemed to be of the same nationality.

The very difficult part of this is we may never know for sure.  All my family had waited to see what “tribe” we were.  Image the shock.  My grandfather looked very Native American so this is just mindboggling.  We have decided to do a second test with Ancestry.com as well.  They also offer a great deal of $99 for DNA testing.  I will order the test soon and let you know when those results are received. 

Let me know if you have done your own testing.  Do you have advice or ideas to share?  I would love to hear from you.

We all have many items in our homes that are stored or set aside.  Many of these are made of paper.  Unfortunately if you have a flood or water leak in your home many of these items may not protected. First suggestion is to start now and find more suitable storage for paper or delicate items.  Always keep any item the can be damaged by water up off the floor.  You may choose to use risers of some type.  The recommended height off the floor is at least one foot.

In case it is too late and you have water damage now, here are some suggestions.

Care of Books and Papers After A Flood

Dry books and papers slowly:
1. Place books on end with leaves separated.

2. When they are partially dry, pile and press books to keep pages from crumpling.

3. Alternate drying and pressing until books are thoroughly dry. This helps prevent mildew. Use a fan to hasten drying.

4. If books and papers are very damp, sprinkle cornstarch or talcum powder between the leaves to absorb moisture. Leave powder for several hours and then brush off.

5. When books are nearly dry, apply low heat with an electric iron. Separate the page to prevent musty odors. This is a tedious process which you may want to use only with valuable books.

6. When books are thoroughly dry, close them and use C- clamps to help them retain their shape.

Even if books and papers appear to have dried successfully, they may disintegrate rapidly because of materials in the flood water. Any important documents or paper should be photocopied as a precautionary measure.

References

This article was written by Anne Field, Extension Specialist, Emeritus, with reference from the USDA Disaster Handbook.  

Information was listed on the Michigan State University Extension Office website.  Thanks to them for their valuable information. 

Thanks to one of my readers, Esmerelda, for the following article suggestion.  Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.  Please feel free to send ideas to me at any time. 

We work so hard to record our family’s photos, military histories, christenings, marriages, births and death.  Family historians work diligently to keep all the records up to date and correct. There is one thing I personally keep forgetting to record … family heirlooms.   I always seen to have the best of intentions, but time seems to get away from me. Bad me. J

 Have you recorded your family heirlooms yet?  In our home we try to do a bit of spring cleaning once the weather starts to warm up.  Every year as I clean I notice things that need to be recorded.  It is our habit to mention to our children what items are important family treasures and what is not.  Also it is very important to tell the story behind each item, but this is not enough in my estimation.  It is time for me to take the time and record each item as I come across them.  Great-grandma Brown’s photo plate is obvious, but the trinket box owned by Great-grandpa Gilmore is not.  The trinket box has no markings or indications of who it belonged to or where it is from.  The trinket box was made from a wooden box that shaving soap came in.  It is very unique. It would be a shame for it to be lost.

The time has come. 

My method will be to tag each item with a number and then list each with a full description.  Photo albums are available that provide a space for a photo and a description.  This just might be the tool I need.  At some point a number might come off or other information may get separated from the heirloom.  I think this would work well for any keepsakes. Any recording method would do.  What ever works for you, just do it.

Not all old or sentimental items will be included.  For us, there are so many that at some point there has to be a limit made.  Along with the recording, my husband and I have started giving items to our boys.  We only have two, so for us it is not too bad.  One is more interested in hunting, the other coins.  That was easy.  A bonus is we are starting to clear out our house a bit.  I rather like that some items are now in a home where they are appreciated and I can still visit them often. 

For us, local history has always been a passion as well.  Our family enjoys the silver spoons, huge collection of postcards, and unique bottles and such.  When the time comes for the sorting of our things, they may not want it all or have room for.  There is a provision that any local history that they choose to not to take, should be donated to the local museum.  The local museum and historical society do a great job of sharing items with the public and the idea that many items will be seen and enjoyed by so many is a great comfort to us.

It is never too late to start.

Good Luck!

For many of us genealogy is just part of who we are.  We gather photos and documents, oral histories and mementoes’.  We do our personal best to compile any information that will help us to tell our story.  But sometimes, just sometimes even that is not enough.

Have you worked on a family line for years and found yourself standing at the proverbial brick wall?  No matter how hard you tried you just could not make the connection to that person you have worked so hard to find.  In the age we live in there are other options for us. 

A few years ago, I emailed Henry Louis Gates, Jr.   For anyone that does not know who he is let me explain.  Mr. Gates is one of the top genealogists in the country.  I had a question for him regarding African American genealogy and he was the host of the PBS series African American Lives. Mr. Gates was gracious enough to take the time and email me back.  In my email to him I had asked which of the DNA testing companies he would recommend.  He of course said 23 and ME which is the one used in his show.  Mr. Gates did two seasons of African American Lives and later did Faces of America which would profile two people whose lives were parallel through genealogy.

Time has passed and life seemed to get in the way, but because 23 and ME have been running a special on the price of the kit, I took the plunge and signed up.  I actually sign not only myself, but my husband and my mother.  My father died many years ago.  By using my DNA and my mother’s, we can compare the difference and that should show my father’s DNA as well. 

About one week after the kits were ordered they arrived at my home.  With this company you are asked to register each kit and I did.  Next you give a saliva sample in a tube, close the cap.  In the cap is a solution that preserves your DNA until it reaches the lab.  Once the DNA is extracted and recorded we should receive a report showing our basic genome outline.  We should be able to find where each of our genetic groups originated.

23 and ME are in the process of doing samplings from around the world.  By doing so they are creating a database for genealogy purposes.  For example, if you are African American and your family were slaves in the South and there are no records of your family.  This is a possible way to show you were those slave family members originated.  You may be jumping over the brick wall, but by using DNA testing you may be able to continue the research beyond.

Please stay posted in future blog articles for in information that I do receive.  My figures are crossed and I have big hopes. 

For more information on 23 and ME please visit their website at:

https://www.23andme.com/

Is your great-grandfather lost?  Are you having trouble finding someone that has passed?  I had this problem a couple years ago.  I was looking for my great uncle and his family.  One family member had one story about his wife and another side of the family had a totally different story.  Who do you believe?

Census records were a good place to start but some pertinent information was missing.  My cousin was sure that he was married to a woman names Opal.  I could not find any listing of this.  I tried every record I could think of.  Nothing.  It was so frustrating. I made up my mind to try to think outside the box and try again.

Some may scoff but I believe in genealogy guardian angels.  Just when I think things will never be found it seems some clue comes my way and soon I have an answer. This worked just that way.  As it turned out I have my great-grandfathers funeral cards and the box of letters from his funeral from before I was born.  My mother and had looked at them years ago and they were put away in the closet.  For some strange reason I got a call from a family member to see who was a pallbearer in his funeral.  So down came the box. 

As I worked through the cards and letters for someone else, I found a card from the great uncle and his family.  Listed on the card was Edward Brown and children Ben, David, and Opal. Opal was in fact a daughter, not the wife.  Here was my new clue.  Next I started looking for information on the children’s church records.  Sure enough in the church baptism records were the listing showing Edward and Mar Brown as the parents.  I went back and looked for a Mar/Mary Brown.  She was listed but there were some errors on the listings for family.  All in all I was able to find Maribeth Brown listing in the cemetery listings which showed she had been married to Edward.  Finally I had my answer and I was able to add her to the records and move on.  What a good feeling it is to have that completed. 

My point in sharing this story with you is to show that if you look outside the box and try new things it can work for you.  In several searches I have gone back and reviewed what I have on record and from time to time this too has yielded the information I needed.  So often we are so busy recording that we miss small but important clues.  When you hit that brick wall always take the time to review what you already have.  I previously found that I overlooked records, names or places that were worked on previously because I had not gotten to that family yet.  Newspaper obituaries are great for this.  By going back and reviewing who attended the funeral, especially those from out of town, you might just find the person you are looking for. 

These are just a couple clues I have found to work.  Maybe you can think of others that will help to make the difference in your own research. 

Good Luck!

New on the blog Genealogy Insider by Diane Haddad,

the Ellis Island records are in danger of on-going problems due to Hurricane Sandy.

Her blog states:

Ellis Island Immigration Museum Archive Relocated
Posted by Diane  February 6, 2013

The National Park Service has moved treasures from the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York Harbor to a federal storage center due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Oct. 29, the hurricane flooded Ellis Island and water filled the basement of the Immigration Museum, which houses the Great Hall where millions of immigrants started their lives in the United States.

Fortunately, the water didn’t touch the museum’s archive of records and immigrant artifacts, which were located elsewhere in the building. But it did knock out the island’s electricity, wreaking havoc on the museum’s carefully controlled climate and causing mold to grow on the artifacts and condensation to build up on walls.

You can learn more about the move and see photos and a video in this TribecaTribOnline article.

Both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (on nearby Liberty Island) remain closed. Park Service plans call for reopening, but a date is yet to be determined.  You can get updates on the Statue of Liberty Hurricane Sandy Recovery page.
As always this brings to mind the constant worry of record keepers of any kind, keeping the records safe.  Whether it be water, sun, heat, or cold we all try our best to preserve the records we have painstakingly gathered.  Luckily in this age and time we have scanners and digital means to help us.  Take the time to digitize your records if possible.  I know it takes time.  I am still working on my own collection.  Find a place that is safe to keep the records when done. 

 There are several online sites that with a subscription, allow you to constantly upload to their online vaults.  Personally I have done that as well as purchased a detachable hard drive.  A year or so ago my family invested in a very large gun safe.  Yes we have a couple guns, but mostly it was to protect what we feel is valuable.  Some things you might laugh at, but they are valuable to us. 

 The detachable hard drive is housed there along with SD card holders.  As I finish printing what photos I want from my camera I save them on set SD cards which are then put in the safe.  I generally label the tags what year and if it is a special occasion.  So far this is working well for me.

I currently own a flatbed scanner.  I am thinking of buying also the new Neat Desk Scanner system.   If it does what is promised, it may save time and effort. Either way, in my opinion everyone should have a scanner.  If you can’t buy one, try your local library.  Most have scanner access.

Everyone will have to decide for themselves how they choose to archive their collection.  Whichever way you choose, make sure it is fire safe, water safe, and bug safe if possible. No one wants their hard work to be lost.  

Best of Luck!

I am very pleased to share with you a new book, a companion to the 1940 Census This is Who We Were. What a great treasure trove of information.  Anyone working on the 1940 census will find this new book to be a resource that will save time and help explain everything 1940’s.

Inside you will find:

What our jobs were like, the clothes we wore & games we played, how much we paid for rent, bread & movies, what we read about the world around us, day to day ife in our neighborhoods, town & farms.   Plus 1940 & 2010 census comparisons & rankings, media response to the 1940 census, insightful economic data, 1940 census summary.

Background Information: Then & Now-Preface, Media Response, 1940 and 2010 Census Data: State by State, Total Population, White Population, Black Population, American Indian/Alaska Native Population, Asian Population, Hispanic or Latino Population, Foreign-Born Population, Males per 100 Females, Median Age, High School Graduation Rate, College Graduation Rate, College Graduation Rate, One-Person Households, Homeownership Rate, Median Home Value, Median Gross Rent, and Households Lacking Complete Plumbing.

Section One: Profiles-This section contain 26 profiles of individuals and families living and working in the years prior to the break out of World War II.  It examines lives at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods.  Based upon historic materials, personal interviews, and diaries, the profiles give a sense of what it was like to live in the years leading up to 1940.  In addition, profiles with a star (*) include actual 1940 census pages, specific to the city profiles.

Section Two: Historical Snapshots-This section includes lists of important “firsts” for America, from technical advances and political events to new products and top selling books.  Combining serious American history with fun facts, these snapshots present, in chronological categories, an easy-to-read overview of what happened in the decade leading up to 1940.

Section Three: Economy of the Times-This section looks at a wide range of economic data, including food, clothing, transportations, housing and other selected prices, with reprints of actual advertisements for products and services of the time.  It is arranges chronologically, year by year, and brings to life the economic engine that drove our country into the 1940’s.

Section Four: All Around Us-What we saw, wrote, read & listened to.  This section includes reprints of newspaper and magazine articles, letters, posters, and other items designed to help the reader focus on what was on the minds of Americans in the decade prior to the 1940 Census.  As they moved from 1930 to 1940, these printed pieces show how popular opinion may have formed, and changed, by the time Americans responded to the 1940 Census.

Section Five: 1940 Census Summary & Comparison Data.  This section includes actual 1940 Census material, including a comprehensive U. S. report that summarizes individual responses, and twenty-six data tables that compare the 92 principal cities (plus the five boroughs of New York City) in 1940—those with 100,000 population or more.         

For anyone that works with details, visit your local library and ask for this exciting new book. 

The Sweetwater County Library also has on its shelves many other genealogy books, videos and reference items for your use.  

You may also visit our webpage at http://sweetwaterlibraries.com/genealogy/ for helpful information and useful links.

In the Gilmore house genealogy has always been part of our lives.  I have always loved family history but once I was married it became a passion.   My husband’s family was very good as keeping records, but mine was not as good.  It became my job to work on my family lines and fill in the blanks. 

Whether my children appreciated it or not this was part of their upbringing.  As the years progressed I would share stories, an oral history lesson, with them and their cousins. At times they would sit and listen intently to every word, at other times not so much.  Now that they are adults I have found that at least a good share of the stories and family information did stay with them.  During our family night or some family event one thing or another will bring up a family story.  To my amazement one of the younger generation would start telling what they knew.   Yeah!  This is just what I had hoped for. 

A couple years ago a cousin passed.  His wife contact my family stating that she had several military items that she wanted us to have.  Not long after a box arrived and treasures were inside.  Two great-uncles had been in WWII.  Uncle Howard had been killed in Germany.  He was one of the first local boys to be killed and it is well known in family lore.  A local street is named after him.  The family is very proud of him and the honor the town showed toward him.  In the box were his dog tags, hat, metals and papers.   In the papers was the actual telegram notifying my great-grandparents of his death.  This was sobering.  Also in the box were his brother’s, my Uncle Wilson’s, hats, metals, and papers.  He was my favorite uncle and was like a second father to my sister’s and I.  These were treasures indeed.

The military items started my sons and nephew in a huge discussion.  I was heartwarming to hear how much of the family history they knew.  How wonderful that they were now sharing histories and talking about “did you know….” And “let me tell you……”.  This was fantastic.  I just loved to sit back and listen.  Every now and then they would ask me a question, but how great is it that they are now the ones sharing. 

I hope you too can start a tradition of sharing.  Tell your oral history, share with your children.  Every family has some stories.  Print out a chart to show and explain who the people are.  My kids jokingly call it the “road map” and always remind me they need a “road map” to know who is related to whom.  Photos and area maps are also very helpful.  I tried to show as often as possible where each person was from.  The photos give a feeling that they are real people.  I always found it fun to give each child a chance to tell what they knew and when they got it right you could see the pride in their eyes.  What is better than that?

It has been said that by knowing our past we can make a better future.  I hope this is true.  My children hopefully will have a strong sense of who they are, where they come from and why they are who they are.

Are you the family historian?  Do you find everyone in the family seems to call on you for information and old photos?  If this is you, you might consider starting a family newsletter.  By publishing a family newsletter you can provide important information as well as little know stories for all generations.

In the past I maintained a newsletter, Roots and Branches, for about five years.  My guidelines were simple.  As long as there was enough interest in the content I would write and publish a newsletter.  Personally I found it totally enjoyable and by researching the stories I wanted to share I learned more about the family and I was able to share with others.  Many of the articles centered on one person or family group.  By focusing my attention I was able to tell more personal details about a person or family.  By learning more about them we all were able to understand better who they really were and how they lived.  My readers seemed to be very pleased with this which made my job all the more easy.

The Schultz Family newsletter was sent quarterly.  On the last page of each edition I would post due dates for information to be submitted for the next edition.  This worked very well.  I charged a $5 fee per year for the postage.  In hind-sight I should have charged a bit more.  By being the author/editor you can set the rules and regulations.  Find what works for you.  In later editions several cousins contacted me asking to send their copy by email as a PDF (portable document format).  If you do not have the PDF ability currently on your computer you can find free downloads on the internet.  This is more cost efficient and less work for you by cutting out the printing, folding and mailing. Microsoft Word is great for a newsletter, but if you also have Microsoft Publisher it is even better.   If you take on this task of newsletter editor make sure you make it publishing work for you. 

At one point I wanted to delve into the life of my great-great grandfather Karl Emil Schultz and his family.  They were the first in that line to come to America.  It seemed that the family always talked about his son, my great-grandfather Max Schultz, but not his parents and siblings.  I started with facts and photos.  These were helpful but I wanted to see what else I could dig up.  I then began interviewing a few of the older relatives to find what tidbits they might have to share. 

The Schultz family was originally from Sagan, Prussia.  This is what you know today as Sagan, East Germany.  By doing a search on the internet I was able to find Sagan and information about the area.  We are close to the boarder of Poland and according to one relative may actually have Polish roots hidden somewhere in this line.  The Schultz’s were a large family in Germany and we are assumed to have a multitude of cousins in the area still. During WWII the Sagan area was unfortunately one of the internment camps.  Many of us were surprised by this and would like to find out more about the remaining family in the area. 

My time as the Roots and Branches publisher/editor was fun and I loved the idea that it brought family closer.  For me this is always my goal for doing genealogy, to keep family connected and informed. 

If you have questions please feel free to ask.

Each year we make grand plans to lose weight, save money and pay off bills.  We take a look around and decide what needs to be changed for the better. For me it is time to de-clutter my life.

 I am the daughter of two pack-rats and I learned well.  My family history is very important to me.  I always feel the need to save extra copies of everything.  This was great in the old days, but now days there are many ways to de-clutter and I am hoping to do just that.  As I look at my workroom at home I see multiple copies of things that I just don’t need.  I kept copies of things that were given to me and many times I was given the same thing again and now I have more copies than I need.  Do you see my bad habit?

I own a flatbed scanner and I use it for many photo and document projects.  It is one of my favorite tools.  It has occurred to me that it is now time to use it to scan the many documents, maps, photos, etc. that are piling up and I need to create a digital collection.  I know many of you will cringe and say “NO”, but it is time to start clearing out the old and unnecessary paperwork.  Why keep things that are just sitting in multiples?  Now it is time to get busy.

My plan for the year is to  spend at least an hour each week scanning and adding the digital copies to each family member’s record.  This may not sound like much to some, but I work full-time. I use Family Tree Maker and have for many years.  I like the format and it works for me.  There are many others available if you do not have a software program yet.  Several websites also offer a free download of PAF or Personal Ancestral File. Take a look and find one that works for you and the record types you wish to record. 

My photos have definitely gotten out of control.  This is one area I must start updating.  I currently have a huge amount of photo albums and I know my sons would appreciate my digitizing the more important photos.  I am a huge picture taker.  Every family has one person that is always taking photos.  I am that person for our family.  Yes, there are times people get annoyed, but most times I find they come back asking for copies of the picture they didn’t want to take.  ( Sorry, this always makes me laugh.)   I have started saving most of my photos from the last few years on SD cards and I also save them on a detachable hard drive for safe keeping.  A tip I use is to also burn important photos on to a disk or two and send them to my sisters.  Chances are at least one of the sources will survive a disaster.

One item that I struggle with is I have two history books that two different relatives put together.  Each is unique and but they have conflicting information.  I have not been able to find which is correct.  This makes it hard when you run into conflicting information.  These books will just have to stay the way they are for now.  I have entered all the information on Family Tree Maker with notes explaining the problem.  I hope for anyone in the future that this will make sense.  My sons always say to me “Mom, no one cares as much about all these people than you do.”  I guess it probably is true, but this will be my legacy to my family.  Whether they use it or just refer to it only on special occasions, it is there for them, a gift of love from their silly old mom. 

Here’s hoping the genealogy bug has bitten.