Verifying Research

Once again, we've come to the inevitable discussion of how other researchers got the data that they put on their online pedigree charts and family group sheets. I've found more erronous family data from families linked together because of similar names, such as two wives named Minnie Burton from two generations but the wrong one is linked to the wrong husband. I know from my own careful research that these are NOT the same individuals as I see on this new source online. They are two unique individuals from two different families, so I will submit the corrections with my documentation.

You can't trust everything that you see in print- in fact, sometimes a mere check with a primary source, such as a birth or death index online or the federal census online can demonstrate a falsehood within seconds. We should all check our facts! We all can make mistakes. But let's work to also make the corrections when we find the error.

So how can the genealogical community strive to have all reseachers VERIFY data before publishing it? Let's teach it, write it, talk about it and encourage one another to be careful and always verify and when in doubt, to make that notation in our research logs and published work, for the benefit of those examining our data and our well- reasoned conclusions.

The Great Flu Epidemic and its Effects on Families

We've all heard about the great worldwide flu epidemic that hit the world at the end of WWI, but have you seen its devastating effects on families in your genealogy research firsthand?

While researching my Minnesota Jung/Pilger/Eckel/Pillen descendants, I ran across the following set of death certificates:
October 23, 1918 - death of Laurence Pillen, 35 year old father of the family, living in Synnes, Stevens County,Minnesota
October 26, 1918- death of Joseph Pillen, the five year old of Laurence and Elizabeth (nee Hendrickson) Pillen
October 28, 1918- death of Elizabeth, the mother of the family dies, along with her two year old daughter, Christine
November 3, 1918- death of the four-year old daughter of the family, Alice
November 15, 1918- the death of Elizabeth's 16 year old sister, Loretta Hendrickson, who had come to help from Iroquois, South Dakota to help the family. One surviving brother, Gustave, was taken to South Dakota to live with his maternal grandparents in the aftermath.

I had tears in my eyes by the time I had finished transcribing the effects of the epidemic on the family, seeing that they barely had time to bury family members as the flu spread in the household. The epidemic hit close to home!

VETERAN'S TOMBSTONES

As I read the "AOL news" update online this morning, I was struck by the fact that folks are reacting to current military operation names are being put on veteran's tombstones as they fall in service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Are these the same folks that urge moving cemeteries for city and highway development? Don't care if old stones fall into disrepair or are vandalized in their local communities?
Does it matter if a family wants recognition of a fallen family member's service noted on the tombstone, the last memorial to that individual? More than just a "WWII" notation would bring the history of the war alive to all who read the stone, don't you think? Shouldn't we always remember D-Day and the invasion of Iwo Jima? Or the siege at Khe Sahn? Or the liberation of Kuwait? What do you think?

NEW- Minnesota Birth Index Online

The Minnesota Historical Society has added the Minnesota Birth Index to their online site, starting with years 1900-1911, with years being added as the project proceeds. The site is located at http://people.mnhs.org/bci. As with the Minnesota Death Index, the researcher can search by Soundex or exact surname, always helpful with immigrant names often spelled by the clerk as he heard it, not necessarily the way the immigrant would write it out. One can search by year or a range of years and by county or all Minnesota counties, again very helpful once you have located an ancestor with a common surname through the censuses in a particular county. I especially appreciate the mother's maiden name category, helping me to pinpoint children to search in a logical manner and helping me in the eternal and more difficult quest for the maternal lines.

Copy your potential matches, with the entry for year and certificate number and then you can either transcribe or reader-print a hard copy over in the Research Room in St. Paul. The added advantage of Minnesota research is that you also have the newspapers for the state onsite on microfilm and can check all of the relevant entries in the local newspaper(s), although I generally find much more detail in the obituary and wedding announcements for families in the newspapers than in local birth announcements. Happy hunting!

FEEFHS Conference

Now I can feel like Dick Eastman and review the highlights of a genealogy conference with my readers! The FEEFHS conference was held this last weekend in St. Paul- this is a national organization emphasizing Central and Eastern European Genealogy. There were about 200 people there on Friday morning, though I believe that quite a few more showed up on Saturday. I saw name tags from Massachusetts and California and many Wisconsities and we enjoyed our lunches together but not the freezing temps in the various rooms- most folks wore sweaters and jackets indoors the whole weekend.

Dee Semon was the opening speaker and she used examples of her family's genealogical experiences to rev researchers up for the next three days of sessions. I attended the presentations on Meyers-Orts, Still Can't Find my Place Name, Developing an Online Genealogy Resource Group, Gleaning More From Maps, A Contrast of Research Procedures between NW Germany and Southern Germany, LDS Military Records for the Czech, German-Bohemians, and Slovaks, German Patronymic Names and presented my own lecture on the Genealogy Resources of the Immigration History Research Center. Some vendors set up tables in the common area between all of the conference rooms and they had some browsers and some buyers- I got a book on clearance for $6, normally $20 that I can use immediately for more German research. One table was full of free goodies, including a population distribution map of Minnesota and of the seven county metro area on the back. I also put in two hours of research at the Minnesota Historical Society and I got to meet and talk to two of my genealogy heroes, Larry O. Jensen and Ed Brandt, so I was a happy camper!

In general, some of the presenters delivered what the title and syllabus offered/printed and some did not. One recurring theme was that if it wasn't microfilmed yet and available through Salt Lake City, that doesn't mean that the record doesn't exist and also to continue networking as researchers- both good messages! Several presenters highlighted the fact that we have to know our history to be good genealogists- amen to that. My personal favorite was the Online Resource Groups- one more item on my "to-do" list. I walked away wondering the best way to utilize the new knowledge and skills that I gained and am grateful for the syllabus materials, so I can read through other sessions I was unable to attend.

Just post ?

First, I want to share an experience, protecting the name of the guilty, so as not to cause any embarrassment. You know how you check message boards from time to time and respond to those who may be able to shed some light on the "family mysteries", like why Great Uncle Al moved out to Montana from Minnesota of all places?

Well, a few weeks back I tracked down a distant relative with a posting about five years old and an expired e-mail address, located the current snail mail address, and sent the requested information on their direct pedigree family line. This information was all online for free on the IGI site, by the way. I kid you not- the thank you note I got back said, "Thanks- I was beginning to think that no one was going to do the research for me!"

Did this person think that if you just post a genealogical query, that someone will do the work for you, and for free? How many other folks out in cyberspace think the same way? Am I naive about this or do many people do the same thing? Do you have a similar story to tell?

Celebrating heritage

I went to Irish Fest, a local celebration of the Irish heritage, here in the Twin Cities over the weekend. I usually also go to an ethnic weekend celebration at the Renaissance Festival, like the Highland Fling celebrating Scottish heritage, at the end of summer as well. Each time I marvel at the richness of the contributions of the specific culture and social traditions that are still strong here, even after generations of living here in the Midwest. Many people come dressed in native costume, some more authentic than others, and ethnic food is also sold for all of us to enjoy.

Music is crucial to both festivals and I enjoy the bagpipes quite a bit myself and have instructed my children that I would like bagpipes played on a nearby hill at my gravesite ceremony, when the time comes. Many vendors and even genealogists and family and clan historians make their appearances at booths and tables at both events. Many volunteer their time to help those interested and who have questions. One can also view the artist contributions with ethnic symbols and themes for sale as well at both events.

I think we should raise our children to be proud of their varied and strong heritages, and should allow them to hear the music, taste the food and see the dance and demonstrations that are available locally whenever possible. Celebrate our past and whom who come from !

One Reminder- FEEFHS Conference

This upcoming weekend, August 19- 21 is the Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies (FEEFHS) conference in St. Paul. Over ninty presentations will be given Friday thru Sunday, ranging from the inexperienced beginner to the advanced level, on twenty-five ethnic and religious groups and various research techniques and challenges. I'm speaking on Saturday and am looking forward to the national level conference experience and will report back on the sessions that I attend here on the blog.

I finished my own notes on the Genealogical Resources of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota on Friday and am, as usual, over-prepared. I really don't think that I can cover my eight pages of outlined notes in an hour, but I feel confident that I will be able to hightlight the collections and their potential nicely. I also plan to answer questions, as any good teacher should!

The summer of extensive research and blogging has also prompted me once again, to focus on getting some of my insights and knowledge published in a few places and getting myself on track to becoming recognized regionally and eventually, nationally. That plus working full-time, raising my family, studying for the A.G. exam, and volunteering in a few organizations sure should keep me out of trouble!

Immigrant Milwaukee, 1836-1860

This 1976 book by Kathleen Neils Conzen focuses on "accommodation and community in a frontier city", which she worked on as a graduate student with a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin. She wondered if immigrants effectively grouped together to make the transition as new Americans. Milwaukee is, of course, primarily a destination for German immigrants, some of them, my own ancestors. She found a high concentration of Prussians, Pomeranians, Bavarians, and Mecklenburgians in Milwaukee in 1860, using census data. 41 % of the heads of households of German descent listed skilled labor as their occupation, in contrast to only 17% of the city's Irish residents.

As the German immigrants adjusted to their new lives, Conzen analyzes the importance of socializing in taverns, the role of religion, fraternal and political organizations, German associations, cultural activities, educational endeavors, and the German press. By the third generation, she notes that assimilation was fairly typical, just as we know that it is for more recent immigrant groups. My one main concern is the lack of photographic evidence in the book, something which would have added greatly to the richness of the publication.

Tracking Down Scarce Research Books

I've been researching several immigrant family lines that moved about the Midwest and eventually settled in small, rural communities. Around the time of the nation's bicentennial, it became popular for many communities to publish local histories, often including histories and genealogies of early settlers and prominent citizens. Obviously the publications wouldn't have large runs and copies were often placed in local libraries or state historical societies. However, these publications seldom circulate.

My first recommendation is to check inter-library loan possibilities. While it may take weeks or months to get the book to your library, it is usually worth the wait. If not accessible in this manner, see if the book has been microfilmed by the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, and if not and they own a copy of the book, request a microfilm or microfiche be made of the book. This process takes months, as they contact the author(s) and request permission to do so but it costs you no money.

Secondly, see how far away the nearest copy of the book is to you and whether the non-circulating book is worth a drive for research purpose. Thirdly, you can also check , and so forth online to see if they have a copy of the research book in a warehouse somewhere. While you decide if the book is worth the price, you may consider also donating the book to your local genealogical library once you have finished using it, so that it is available to others in your area in the future. You never know when a vital clue to your ancestry will turn up in these local histories!

How did they MEET?

I'm constantly amazed while researching 19th century families and finding couples who lived a state or two apart with their families getting married! The question I keep wondering is: how did they meet?

For example, my paternal grandparents lived in central Minnesota and southern Illinois. (I know the answer to that one after asking my Grandmother- newspaper ads in a regional German newspaper, an extended correspondence, the family meeting the intended groom after he drove down in his Model T, and love bloomed.) The Jones family that I'm researching lived in central Illinois and central Wisconsin. I can't see how they met- no crossing of siblings' paths that I have discovered yet. But it is all pretty amazing.

If you have one of those mysteries, be sure to ask the oldest living relatives still around- it could be quite the story but you won't know if you don't ask!

Follow-up

I followed up on the lost gravestone out in Tripp County, South Dakota and got a nice letter from the Historical Society there in return. The Koenig gravestone has been broken down and is fenced in, the owner said. She also included the newspaper clipping of the deaths of my relatives in the drowning accident ion 1911.

Here it turns out one of the sisters jumped in to try to save the other siblings and sacrificed her life in the attempt. Hulda was the middle of the three oldest of the family that drowned and the story said: "The affair was accompanied by an act of heroism on the part of Hulda Koenig, aged fourteen, which sheer bravery and self-sacrifice could not be surpassed by any of the strongest men living in this county or anywhere else, and which, had her strength and skill been equal to her courage, would have resulted in saving the lives of her brother and sister. ... With her life she paid the price of her great live for her brother and sister."

I get tears in my eyes again as I reread the entry and am glad for the follow-up research, as there was more to the story than my Grandfather, only seven at the time and a witness to the accident, remembered, or at least, more than what he told. Only eleven years later his mother died of cancer and as the then oldest child, he was left to help raise his younger siblings, which he did until his marriage to my Grandmother in 1933.

Amazing Technology

I'm not all that old but I have been a genealogical researcher for over thirty years now and yesterday I just had to pause and be amazed again at how technology has revolutionized our research! I had three to five programs and databases running simultaneously on the computer as I researched individuals and families on several computer databases, verified information with digitized censuses online and updated my working computer family database, working between the programs for several hours and compiling two generations further than I was when I started. AMAZING!!!!!!

Remember when we had to wait three weeks for the federal census or state microfilm to get to the local Family History Center, hoping that the family would be in the same locale as ten years ago because AIS nor any other group had yet indexed the counties that your ancestors lived in? Then paging through a bad copy that really strained your eyesight and your patience, only to discover that the family didn't appear to reside there any longer? Pulling some hair out trying to decide what the next best guess would be as to where they had moved or if the parents had both died already? I suppose one day this will sound like "tall tales" when we reminisce about how we used to research, huh?

Your Motivation ?

Over the decades and with my social sciences background, I find that I'm always watching people and listening. One of the things I listen to is the reason(s) why we do, or why we say we do, certain things. In this case, the question is what is your motivation for doing genealogy and family history? Did you come to this passion early in life or later? Was there a specific piece of information that someone needed that got you started in the work, like whether or not great-grandpa immigrated in 1885 or sooner or if someone in the family served in the Civil War? Were you intrigued to find out which countries your immigrant ancestors came from or why they came? Or if there were any noteworthy individuals that you could be related to?

And why do you continue? What is your motivation? Plenty of researchers give up on lines or on research all together. When "the going gets tough", some of them drop it altogether. Why do some of us press on, turning over every possibility and then still go on looking for answers and records? Why does it become more of an obsession than a hobby for some, like me? If I could, I would spend as many hours a week on research as I do on working for pay- this work is like breathing and eating to me- necessary. What's your story?