Holiday Happiness

What makes you happy during the holidays? Like others, I enjoy having some of my family around, watching them laugh and hearing them tell stories, share a little gossip and eat like it's their last meal. I also recall memories of loved ones. Some are very close to my heart and mind and others are names and events in my family files. They pop up on my computer like robots. Wouldn't it be nice is we could turn them into human beings for just one moment?

If you were given one minute of conversation with an ancestor, what would you ask? I would quickly ask about their parents, particularly if I'm missing that vital link. You have those in your family tree, don't you? Would you ask something personal? Maybe that is why I treasure old photographs, drawings and paintings of my family. It's a glimpse at that special ancestor in the family file. They become more than robots!

A year ago my granddaughter, age 11, told me I should make ornaments for the Christmas tree out of old family photographs. I wouldn't use the originals but scan and print off ones that could be placed on some kind of ornament. The rest of the story along with photos of the tree is at my blog, You Go Genealogy Girls.

It was a fun project, but even more fun looking at the photographs. I never tire of studying them. Last night my granddaughter was staring at the tree and commented, "He is pudgy." Indeed that ancestor had pudgy cheeks. The other day I was looking at an old uncle on the tree who was born in 1792, but lived long enough to have a photograph taken in about 1870. Then I realized that he knew my 3rd great grandparents. They died long before photography and were undoubtedly too poor to set for a painting. Looking at his eyes I knew that he had seen my past and his mouth had opened and spoke to my ancestors. He had witnessed wars and celebrations. He had lost children and relatives and wept. The Ancestor Tree has brought them alive, just in time to bring Holiday Happiness.

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are going, do it with care and a happy heart. But, always remember your past and realize what your ancestors have given you to enjoy today.

Reading Old Script

One of the obstacles in doing genealogical research is reading old documents. It's a game of out guessing the clerk or scribe who put words to ink and paper. This is further complicated by the variations of style through the years. Foreigners who arrived in America often had their names and information slaughtered by an Anglo clerk who had no clue how to spell or write foreign names.

The complications of reading old script become heightened when we begin researching records of a foreign country, such as Germany, France and Italy. That's when we think it's time to go back to school.

Help is available! Script Tutorials, Resources for Old Handwriting & Documents presented by Brigham Young University, is just what you need. They offer guidance in deciphering manuscripts and other old documents. The languages include English, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. By clicking on a specific language, you will be guided with preparation techniques, alphabets and sample documents.

These tutorials have many links that will take to study. However, they are definitely worth the time spent. One word may be all you need to solve the puzzle. It's usually that one word you cannot read. With the help of Script Tutorials, you might be able to get over the brick wall.

NGS Video Presentation

Whether you are a member of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) or not, you need to watch their new video, "Paths to Your Past." It takes close to twelve minutes, but it is worth every minute. This well done video gives you some insight into how other genealogists think about research, along the way telling about NGS and the benefits of membership.

So, what are those benefits? Check out the NGS web page. Their mission is to serve and grow the genealogical community. In doing this they provide education and training and foster increased quality and standards. They also promote access to and the preservation of genealogical records. They have been doing it for many years as NGS was organized in Washington, DC in 1903.

They sponsor an annual conference along with other events throughout the year. The next annual conference will be "Follow Your Ancestral Trail" to be held 28 April - 1 May 2010 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Membership brings the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and NGS Magazine to your mailbox. Both are excellent. In addition, they have book discounts for members. With membership you receive a free online course, Family History Skills. You can also pay and take their NGS American Genealogy: Home Study Course.

This is a great support group for genealogists. It is worth every penny you pay for membership. Watch the video and enjoy!

Free U.S. Military Databases

One of the best web pages which links to a wide variety of free military web pages, is ShoeString Genealogy: Free U.S. Military Databases.

All in one location you can link to a variety of databases, such as The Veteran Ancestor Registry, U.S. National Cemetery Administration Nationwide Graveside Locator, 1820 U.S. Pension List and more. The nice thing about ShoeString Genealogy's link area is that each link has comments which supply more information.

The topics are general and then break down into various wars, beginning with King Philip's War (1675-1677). Under the Revolutionary War you will a variety of records, including the British, German and Loyalist Officers in the American Revolution, along with the Valley Forge Muster Roll and more.

The links continue through the Vietnam War and conclude with some miscellaneous databases. It is certainly a great place to explore and further your knowledge of the various types of military records. I hope that you hit pay dirt and find what you need in your search for military ancestors.

Diggin* in Land Records

Land records may at first appear to be uninteresting documents of land transactions, but they can hold numerous clues to your ancestry. Not only do they allow you to sketch out migrations of your ancestors, but piecing together the information will show family relationships. They point the way to probate research, both testate and intestate. The sale of land reveals the marital status of the grantor (seller), along with the given name of the spouse, if married. In some cases, the former residence (at the time of the transaction) of the grantee will be shown.

If you think your ancestor purchased land in the public land states from the federal government, you need to visit the web site of the Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office. Be sure to read before you research. The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) area is particularly helpful. To better understand the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), be sure to read about it here.

There is a good selection of states that have land records online. One of these is the Kentucky Land Office. There is a variety of records that can be searched, so read and study your search options.

The Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales database contains information from land sales of the public domain that were transferred to the Illinois State Archives in 1957. The database contains information on about 550,000 land sales in Illinois.

Numerous online records, including land records, are indexed on the South Carolina Department of Archives and History web site. These include the plats for state land grants, 1784-1868, which include 51,809 items.

If you have ancestry in Pennsylvania, be sure to check the Land Records available at the Pennsylvania State Archives. You will be ahead of the game if you read the explanations of their records.

Be sure to explore the Texas General Land Office databases. There are several ways to search, so check all of your options. It is also helpful to browse the Texas General Land Office web page for information.

There are many more land related web pages on Internet. Try using Google or your favorite search engine to find them. There's nothing more fun than diggin' in the dirt ... I mean land records!

Researching With Maps

Maps make your family history come alive. It is impossible to understand the lives of ancestors without consulting maps. There are many online that are helpful and can be downloaded or purchased.

The Library of Congress offers maps collections. Two of my favorites are the Civil War Maps and the Railroad Maps. Use the Civil War collection to enhance your ancestor's military information. The railroad collection will enable you to visualize the growth of the system and in so doing understand your ancestor's migrations.

One of my favorite web sites is Color Landform Atlas of the United States. You can view maps by selecting from the options of shaded relief map, black and white map, county map, satellite image, 1895 map or PostScript map. The shaded relief map is not only colorful, but allows you to see the mountains or hills, along with rivers and valleys.

Another extensive collection of maps on Internet is the David Rumsey Map Collection. Here you will find over 20,000 maps and images of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Determine exactly where your ancestor lived in 1895 by using the 1895 US Atlas. Here you will find population statistics, an index of towns and cities and map of the state and county as it appeared in 1895. The 1914 County Maps by State provides similar information only for 1914.

Various states have maps online that are historical and helpful. Historical Maps Online from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place to look for topographic maps of Illinois, but they also have maps of other locales. Virginia County and State Maps is great for that state.

An extensive collection of links to maps is Historical County Lines (USA). You can locate a county of interest online at County Boundary Map. It's easy to link counties together and see the towns and cities.

The New York Times hosts an Interactive Map Showing Immigration Data Since 1880. You can select a foreign-born group to see how they settled across the United States.

Search for maps online by using Google or checking out map categories on Cyndi's List.

Illinois Goes Digital

Get out of the rut of researching Internet's gigantic genealogy databases. They are extremely worthwhile, but there is much more to explore on the Internet. I have discovered many great web sites for Illinois. They offer digital images.

The Illinois Digital Archives is worth checking. I recommend that you begin by clicking on the Collection Directory. This will give you an idea of what is there, then you can browse and search. There is also a help site if you have questions. Some of the collections include Illinois Veterans History Project, Illinois State Highway Maps, Illinois Historic Aerial Photographs and collections of various state historical societies and libraries.

Another great digital collection is the Illinois Historical Digitization Projects from the Northern Illinois University Libraries. Some of the projects include Illinois during various periods, such as the Civil War, 1861-1865, The Mexican-American War and Illinois Civil War Newspapers.

Be sure to check out the Illinois State Archives. There are many links to information about doing genealogical research in Illinois, the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD), and online databases. Their holdings include digitals of the Federal Township Plats of Illinois.

There are many databases to check at the Illinois State Archives. These include Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900, Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 and Illinois Statewide Death Index 1916-1950. There is a listing of records in IRAD, plus lists of veterans. I particularly like the Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database.

If you have Chicago ancestors, be sure to check out the Chicago Public Library Digital Collections. Another interesting web page is Chicago Ancestors.org from The Newberry Library.

There's more out there, so be sure to Google for your areas of interest in Illinois and include the word "digital."