Found: Brooklyn, New York guardianship records (1830s-1852)

Paula Stuart-Warren  Brooklyn, New York  Leave a comment

Today I have pride in an extremely good deed done by a fellow genealogist. Sandra M. Hewlett (Sandi) returned some missing early Surrogate’s Court records to Brooklyn according to today’s Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The article states, “The record books, Brooklyn’s “Bonds of Guardianship, Vol. 1 through 4,” date back to 1830 and record the details of guardianships through 1852. The historic volumes were found last year at a used bookstore in Philadelphia by professional genealogist Sandra Hewlett.” Sandi is a Board-certified genealogist. 

I am particularly pleased because there might be some clues in there related to my brother-in-law’s family. 

Read the full article in the Brooklyn Eagle here.

This Is The Face of Genealogy

Paula Stuart-Warren  Family History Library, Los Angeles Times  2 Comments
This is a photo of my great grandmother Betsy Peterson Carlsen and three of her grandchildren, including my father. She arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1882 as a single young woman. Born in Sweden, she married Niels Christian Carlsen and they raised a whole houseful of daughters! I work on my family history to learn more about where I came from to find out where my ancestral families lived, whether they served in the military during wartime, to learn about their struggles and appreciate where I am today.I have origins in nine different countries if you include the U.S. My ancestors, their siblings, and descendants are accountants, storekeepers, Post Office inspectors, housewives, a founder of the postal service in Porto Rico, railroad superintendent, fleet truck salesman, tombstone carvers, fire chief, farmers, secretaries, mayor, nuclear physicists, archivist, painter, jailer, professional genealogist, poet, writer, inventor, plasterer, butcher, and so many other hardworking individuals. Yes, there are a few scalawags, but pretty much every family has some of those. I look at that as a chance to find other records that may give a better look into the dynamics of my family.
Among my fellow genealogists/family historians are a former mayor, owners of companies, department store founds and family members, authors, ministers, rabbis, nurses, historians, archivists, librarians, scholars, engineers, active and retired military personnel, storeowners, clerks, judges, county sheriff, police personnel, bus driver, machinist, teachers, professors, students, publishers, housewives, actors, software developers, journalists, photographer, and like with my family, many other occupations. Their religions, ethnic  backgrounds, and education are varied. We share a love of history and family history. We educate ourselves constantly at classes, seminar, conferences and institutes. The Los Angeles Times publication ,LAWeekly,  posted a short item about one event, the Southern California Genealogical Jamboree, and some insensitive person at the newspaper included a denigrating photo. It has since been taken down. Many of my fellow Geneabloggers are posting family photos that show the real faces of genealogy. I hope folks at the Los Angeles Times/LAWeekly view our photos and publish a prominently placed apology to all of us who are family history researchers. What were they thinking!?
Added note: I have been asked where people might view the photo that LAWeekly published. This is a link to it:  http://www.geneabloggers.com/face-genealogy/

What does serving on a board or committee mean?

Paula Stuart-Warren  FGS Radio, volunteers  Leave a comment

Did you get that call, too? You have been asked to run for a position on the board of the genealogical or historical society, the friends of the library, or maybe at your church or school. If you feel flattered, that’s wonderful. If you feel that it’s nice, that’s great, too. If you don’t understand or really feel that it is a responsibility, that’s not so great.

While I was listening to the FGS My Society radio show today and heard Janet Havorka, President of the Utah Genealogical Association, talk about UGA planning and activities, she mentioned their great and active board. They have ideas and people are doing things! That’s the way it should be.

I have or am serving on boards or committees for a state genealogical society, an ethnic genealogical society, a genealogy library, several national level genealogical and professional organizations, a county historical society, my school reunions, a school my children attended, and some other places. Sure this does add to my visibility as a professional genealogical researcher, lecturer, and consultant. But this service also gave me a confidence boost, added to my business knowledge, my research knowledge, my circle of friends, and has allowed me to give back to the various communities in which I am involved.

You are a face of that organization whether you want to be or not! What you do, don’t do, say, or don’t say affects you, the organization, and how your fellow volunteers think about you. How many people are involved in running whatever organizations you belong to? Have you ever offered your time? Maybe you aren’t ready to step up to be the President or Chairman, but what knowledge, time, and friendliness can you offer? Do it now and you will reap great rewards. A few caveats, though:

  • It does take time, so accept whatever jobs you can truly give the time to
  • Agree to run for that position only if you are ready to really participate
  • Participating is more than just being present, you need to be involved
  • Ask for details before you run for a position or agree to serve on a committee
  • It’s like a regular paid job, you can get fired from a volunteer job for ignoring duties!
  • If you agree to do a specific task, actually do it and on time (or reasonably close)
  • Do this because it will add to your comfort level of being around people
  • Be honest. If a deadline is approaching or something you promised to do just isn’t going to happen, let the others know about it. Maybe someone else can step in or at least assist.
  • Show up for committee and board meetings
  • Be visible as a participant at events the organization produces (after all, if you aren’t participating why should anyone else?)
  • Let others know about that organization, it aims, and events. That’s part of being a good volunteer, too.
  • Don’t disappoint others on that committee or board. They have things that goof up their schedules too! It’s called life.

Within any organization, there is some discussion “behind the scenes” and you don’t want to be the person with whom they feel some disappointment. In that vein, don’t bite off more than you can chew!

Now I better go check my task list to make sure I am not disappointing any of the organizations that I have promised time and knowledge to. I don’t want to disappoint my friends.

SLIG and FGS Radio, Saturday,. 4 June 2011

Paula Stuart-Warren  Federation of Genealogical Societies, FGS, FGS Radio, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, SLIG  Leave a comment

Let’s talk about these in three parts!

1. At 9:00 a.m. MDT (10:00 CDT, 11:00 EDT, etc) the registration opens for the 2012 edition of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. It will be the 17th SLIG! Click here to get to the SLIG page at the Utah Genealogical Association’s new website. A hint to smart readers — go in and register for the course you wish and then check out. That will allow you to register more quickly since many of the courses fill up! You can go back later and register for evening and lunchtime presentations.

2. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) radio show “My Society” is on ever Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CDT (2:00 EDT, Noon MDT, and 11:00 a.m. PDT). Where is it found? Right on your own computer! Click here to go to the FGS website page with more info and a link to get you started. The 4 June 2011 show will have Thomas MacEntee, a member of the FGS Board of Directors, as host.

3. The “My Society” show on 4 June will have two guests. They are UGA President Janet Havorka and SLIG Director Christy Fillerup. UGA is one of FGS’ member societies. You will learn some special things about SLIG, UGA’s virtual chapter and video training library.

Hometown Newspapers

Paula Stuart-Warren  Newspapers  1 Comment

Do you subscribe to the current newspaper in the city or towns where your ancestral families lived? This is especially helpful in smaller cities and towns. Many are online but not all of those are the complete newspaper for the day or week. The current newspaper may have a column reprinting news tidbits from 50, 75, or 100 years ago. In smaller cities and towns you may find articles on the local historical society, genealogical society, and stories on older homes and buildings. From these you may learn who are the knowledgeable persons in that area as far as history. You might learn who is the head of the Comfort Rest Cemetery committee.

Don’t forget to borrow older newspapers on microfilm via Interlibary Loan and and spend some time reading these to get a feeling of the time when your family was in that locality. Check at your area public library about borrowing newspaper films from other places. Many older newspapers on now online in growing numbers but I still think it is easier to read through an entire newspaper on microfilm. Make copies (or save to your computer) the pertinent articles and other news items.

My Blogoversary

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  10 Comments

On June 1st, 2007, I posted the first entry on my own blog. Four years later and I am still here. I enjoy blogging both here and on the FGS Conference News Blog. I haven’t run out of things to say, share, or sometimes rant about. I have not shared all that much about my own family history, but am doing that a bit more. It’s time that I sometimes run out of. Gaps in blog posts mean that I am taking care of the work that pays the bills, spending time with my family, or catching up on volunteer work.

My grandkids are no longer babies. The eldest granddaughter is about to go off on an exchange student adventure in Germany. The other three and I are taking a mini Minnesota history vacation this summer. I have wonderful friends from grade school that I still see. My genealogy friends are vital to my life. 

Thank you for reading my words and for the responses I get both as blog comments and as private emails. 

Salt Lake Insitute of Genealogy: Registration begins June 4th!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, SLIG, Utah Genealogical Association  1 Comment
The next Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) takes place from January 23-27, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. It’s a short walk to the Family History Library. SLIG is operated by the Utah Genealogical Association which has members from around the world.
 
SLIG Registration opens June 4, 2011 at 9:00 am Mountain Time. Classes will fill quickly! Click here and then on View Our Brochure. Have fun choosing which course to take!

As the UGA website states, “The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy prides itself on providing the top tier in genealogical education. Each year we bring in the best educators in the field to provide the best genealogy educational experience available. The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy has been providing top-notch genealogical education for fifteen years. The courses are primarily focused at the advanced level, with Course 1: American Research and Records Parts 1 and 2 with Paula Stuart-Warren, providing a good intermediate foundation. SLIG is structured in “tracks”. Each track equates to either a locality or a methodological subject. Each track provides at least twenty hours of in-depth instruction. Students choose one track for the week and leave with a deeper understanding of their chosen topic than a traditional conference can impart. SLIG is dedicated to providing a forum for the best genealogical educators in the field to present their knowledge to avid family historians.”

 
2012 marks the 14th year I have been involved with SLIG. No matter which course you choose, you will learn, network, laugh, and make new friends. And with the course I coordinate and instruct in, Course I, American Research and Records, you get extra hours with one-on-one consultations right in the Family History Library. Many of the classes in this course are interactive, meaning you don’t just sit and be lectured to. It involves some hands-on work, discussion, and tasks designed to help you incorporate the knowledge gained into your own family history research.
 

Memorial Day 2011: War of 1812 Ancestry

Paula Stuart-Warren  Fed, National Archives, Preserve the Pensions, War of 1812  Leave a comment

Several times this past week I drove by Fort Snelling National Cemetery. My father and mother, father-in-law and mother-in-law, and some other relatives are buried there. Seeing all those rows of stark white stones against the vibrant green grass is both sobering and exquisite.

I have U.S. ancestors and family that participated in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. I have no known Revolutionary War or War of 1812 ancestry.

But, no matter the war, I am happy when the stories of those who served are preserved. Diaries, journals, letters to and from, photos, pension and service records, enlistment and discharge papers, and other documents tell us more about each person.

During our Federation of Genealogical Societies board meeting this past week we talked about the War of 1812 pension and bounty land papers because FGS is in the midst of the “Preserve the Pensions Project.” This project is a joint venture of FGS, the National Archives,the genealogical community, and now Footnote.com. The goal is to get all 7.2 million pages digitized and online for anyone to view. Right now 5,000 images are free to view on Footnote.com. This will remain FREE viewing if we all pull together and raise the funds to do so. It takes money for the digitization equipment and operators among other costs. 

Click here to read a press release about the initial posting on Footnote.com and the commitment of iArchives to this project. 

These more than 5,000 documents are online and free to view, download, or print at http://go.footnote.com/1812pensions/. This is less than 1% of the total records to be digitized. We need to keep this number growing. For every $100 donated, 200 more images can be done. For $500 that means 1,000 more pages. In 2012 we will celebrate the bicentennial of the beginning of this war. Wouldn’t it be neat to have this fund-raising effort nearing completion before the end of 2012!

Click here to donate to this worthwhile effort.

To learn more about records at the federal level that are related to those who served in the War of 1812, visit the website of the U.S. National Archives at www.archives.gov. Enter the phrase “War of 1812” in the search box you see in the upper right hand corner.

Minnesota Vital Records

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota, Vital records  1 Comment

This is an overview of what exists for Minnesota birth, death, and marriage records and ways to access them. This is not a 100% comprehensive finding aid, but it should lead you to more records.

Birth & Death Records
Birth and death records were generally created at the county level beginning in 1870 or later if the county was not in existence in 1870. Most early recordings were a one line entry across two pages in a registration volume and the information is not extensive. In some localities these were also recorded at the township level until the mid 1950s. Many of the township records books can be found at the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). For many years, the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis also registered births and deaths. Today these are found with their respective counties. Beginning in 1900 for birth records, and in 1908 for death records, the event was also reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). You may find differences in all versions in the years there were multiple reportings.

For death records before 1908, contact the county in which the person died. Some are also at the Family History Library and the Minnesota Historical Society. MHS has microfilms of the MDH death record cards for 1900-1907. The microfilmed records may be viewed on-site at MHS,

Even though there are early registrations of births and deaths in Minnesota, not all events were registered. It was well into the 20th century before the registrations were “complete.” In the 1940s the state health department was still urging complete compliance with the registration laws. You may be among the fortunate researchers who find that a delayed birth certificate was created and there might be supporting documentation. The person
filing a delayed birth certificate and who no longer lived in Minnesota, may have applied for the certificate in the place of residence at the time of the application.

By law, the birth and death  records in Minnesota are public records. This does not always mean that researchers have “hands-on” access to the original records. The record books may be in deteriorating condition, they may contain non-public information such as illegitimate births, or the office which holds the records may not have room to let researchers check the record themselves. And, yes, in some cases, the record keeper simply does not wish to have researchers on-site. With the proper MDH form and the payment of the fee of $13.00 for death records (either certified or non-certified), $26.00 for a certified birth record ($13.00 non-certified) a record may usually be obtained.  The fee includes payment for the search time and the fee is not returned if no record is found.

The MDH no longer accepts walk-in vital record requests, but the county registrars do. The MDH website has information on this. The counties have direct access to the electronic database MDH has created for many of the twentieth century records for all counties. Some of the registrars already have computers that may be used by customers to check for records. The electronic format is an excellent way to find the initial information, but this does not contain all the  original details. It is important to request a photocopy of the actual certificate from the MDH, from the county where the event occurred, or from the microfilmed records at MHS.

Marriage records
Marriage records were generally created from the time a county officially began and the marriage records generally remain in the county. The majority of Minnesota marriage records do not contain large amounts of genealogically significant information. Marriage records are generally more open to “hands-on” research. In most counties, the researcher can hand copy the data. Marriage records ion microfilm for some counties are at MHS and at the FHL.

Divorce Records
Divorce records for Minnesota are part of the District Court’s civil court records at the county level. Some older county civil court records are found at the Minnesota Historical Society.


Many Minnesota vital records are also available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Check under both the county and the state categories. As mentioned earlier, for the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, births and deaths were also filed at the city level and the FHL has microfilmed these up to the 19teens, but some indexes are for later years.

Vital records indexes online
Ancestry.com Minnesota vital record indexes to records filed at the state level
    Birth Index 1935-2002
    Death Index 1908-2002
    Marriage Index 1958-2001
    Divorce Index 1970-1995

Minnesota Historical Society www.mnhs.org; vital records indexes to state level registrations. Be sure to read the FAQs for each of these indexes as they are extremely helpful.
    Birth Index 1900-1934
    Death Index 1904-2001
MHS also has the actual records on microfilm. You may copy the death records at MHS for .35 but must pay the state imposed fee of $9.00 for the copies of birth records made at MHS.

MOMS Minnesota Official Marriage System www.mncounty.com.Free online index to county marriage records. Some counties are more complete than others at this time.

Additional links:
DeathIndexes.com  http://deathindexes.com/minnesota/index.html
Minnesota Department of Health  http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/osr/index.html