Genealogical Gems

I had no focus last night but I still wanted to work on my Still family. While exploring various hints on Ancestry.com, I came across one for Agnes Armstrong Still. She was the wife of my 4x great grandfather’s brother David. Her hints however took me to a Civil War soldier who fought in the Colored Troops. Her first hint took me to the Romansville United Methodist Church in Chester County (on Find A Grave) where I knew her to be buried. She died in 1860. Her husband – my 4x great uncle David Still – remarried and lived until 1907. That led me to a hint from the Gerberich Collection which confirmed her burial on 24 February 1860 at Romansville. The Gerberich Collection is a collection of old Pennsylvania church records. She was included under the Romansville Methodist Episcopal Church. I still need to confirm if these are two separate churches or if there was a name/denomination change at some point during the years. Her entry notes that Agnes Still was the wife of David. S...

We all have various books on our reference shelf. They probably include books like “Genealogy Standards” and books on immigration or researching a specific ethnic background. My tip of the day – include a medical dictionary on your shelf. I have a couple medical dictionaries. One is “Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.” It was printed in Philadelphia by the F.A. Davis Company in 1958. The original copyright was 1940. Why is that important? Some medical terms have evolved over the years. Others are no longer used. A great aunt of mine died when she was just 15. She suffered epilepsy all her short life. Her death certificate lists the cause of death as “status epilepticus.’ Taber notes “status epilepticus” is the “rapid succession of epileptic attacks without regaining consciousness during the intervals.” The other is more recent. It is “The Bantam Medical Dictionary” and is copyrighted 1981. It provides a little more information on “status epilepticus.” It defines it as: ...

Last week – Friday to be specific – David Allen Lambert tweeted a “new genealogy idea” called a Longevity Pedigree. It was one of those Ah Ha moments for me. I’ve been doing something similar but this visual put things in a different perspective for me. Lambert, who tweets as @DLGenealogist, tweeted the following image: I have always recorded birth and death year, as we all do, and since I use Family Tree Maker (FTM), the person’s age has always been calculated for me. Using his visual as a guide, I created a longevity pedigree for my family. I also included the cause of death where known. In some cases, this visual also reminded me who I needed death certificates for yet. In my example, Daddy and I are still living so the only information is just that. Daddy’s mother lived 83 years. She was (still is) a huge part of my life and of course I was there often near her death but I cannot recall the exact cause of death. This visual reminded me that I need to acquire a death...

Ellis Island is probably the most well known and first thought of port of entry for immigrants into the United States over the years. However, it was NOT the only port! Today’s Tip … do not assume your immigrant came in through Ellis Island or even through New York. This clipping image, which is from 1880, reveals that over 30,000 immigrants came in through Boston that past year. That said, when this was written Ellis Island had not even opened yet. Ellis Island operated from 1892 to 1945. Source Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 15 October 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.    Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Use Ancestry.com? It is by far one of the most popular helpful websites for family historians and genealogists. Follow the hints. Accept only ones you are sure of and ignore the rest. You can always come back to them. Always document your sources thought. Do not get lazy. Remember too that not every database is indexed in such a way that it will reveal hints. You may still have to actually look through some. Check out the Card Catalog. You can search the Card Catalog by title or keyword. Read through the message boards on Ancestry.com. Often others can help here. You may be able to help someone too.     Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Sharing info on common ancestors is a great way to break down that brick wall. Ask the living before sharing any info on them though. Do not assume the person providing you with information is 100% accurate though; always verify information and document.   Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Write relatives for information. I personally found it easier to ask one or two questions per letter, especially with older relatives.   Remember the basics: who, what, when, where, why, and how.   Take notes. Do not ever assume you will remember something by the time you get to the car or home. If your grandparent, or whomever, is not comfortable being tape recorded, at least take notes. If you do record, take notes anyway just incase something goes wrong with the recording.   Always always always thank the person for their time.   Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Scour newspapers for birth, wedding, death notices. Estate notices were also published in local papers which might provide some insight into the family dynamics. Court reports often listed names and vital information. They also offer a glimpse into daily life during that time period.     Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Census records are not always 100% accurate. Use them as a guide. Sometimes enumerators wrote down what they thought they heard. Sometimes recent immigrants simply did not understand the question. Birth places over the years may read differently for immigrants who lived in countries that were constantly taken over (Poland) or where they was a strong distinction as to which faction they were (Ireland). Read the whole line. Often the last few questions offer an insight into your ancestor and how he or she lived.   Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Your grandfather may not have served but he probably filled out a Draft Registration Card. Do not overlook military records! Often these records will list the person's marital status, civil occupation and a brief physical description.   Both Ancestry.com and Fold3 are great resources for military records.     Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Cite your sources from the beginning. Document your sources, including interviews and other researchers. Note the physical location of sources as well, in case you ever need it again. If you found the source online, note the URL and the date you accessed it.    Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Do not discard name variations. Often census takers or others guessed or spelled names phonetically. Record them all in your notes.     Tuesday’s Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Start with what YOU know. Who are your parents and grandparents? When were they born? When did they get married? How did they meet?     Tuesday's Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

When interviewing family, do NOT ask Yes/No questions. Sometimes being vague is better than specific. Remember to ask why. Why did you get married at that time of the year? Why did you name your son that? Why did you choose her as your matron of honor and not your sister? Why? Let them elaborate on family events!   Tuesday's Tip is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015