Thanksgiving interviews

Paula Stuart-Warren  Oral history  2 Comments

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving and all the holidays that follow in the next several weeks? Don’t forget to prepare some oral history questions to ask the relatives. I have some questions to ask the women in your family. Pick two or three to ask during dinner.

To add more to the flavor of the women in your family history, ask some emotion producing questions. Grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and cousins can add much to the family memories. Do it before these strong women are gone from this life. I wish I had asked my Grandma Gert what it was like to be 21 when women earned the right to vote in 1922. I would have had asked her mother, Nana, for details on growing up without a mother and why did they leave Canada. (She undoubtedly would have detailed all the relatives they used to visit in Montreal and Rawdon.) Some suggested areas of questions:

  • What was it like to raise a family of 9 without electricity? (Or without inside plumbing, or something else)
  • What was it like to vote for the first time (those alive when women got the right to vote)
  • What was it like to make the decision to leave your home country and come to the U.S., Canada, England, or _____
  • What was it like to walk the picket line during the ___ strike?
  • What were the family dinners like as you were growing up?
  • How did your brothers react when you went on your first date? When you announced your engagement?
  • Would you like to tell me about your reaction when Uncle Bill was killed during the Korean War?
  • How did your father react when you told him you wanted to go to college in 1925?
  • Was it tough being the child of a woman who worked full-time to support her family in 1945?
  • What was it like to be divorced in the 1950s and raising children alone?
  • What did it feel like when I handed you the copy of the 1880 or 1900 census with the listing for your grandparents and their six children? Or the 1930 census with you as a little girl?
  • Who was your female role model – the woman who most influenced you?
  • Tell me about your experience of giving birth to a child in 1955?

Ask the permission to include some of the stories in your 2010 holiday letter, family round-robin e-mail, or family newsletter. These memories might spark additional memories from other family members.

Free advertising for society events

Paula Stuart-Warren  Federation of Genealogical Societies, Genealogical Societies  Leave a comment

What could be better than free advertising?! On top of being free, this free advertising reaches thousands of readers. Don’t you want more members and more folks registered for your seminars?

The Federation of Genealogical Societies offers just such an opportunity. Your event listing has the potential of appearing in the FGS Voice blog, FGS Voice monthly newsletter, and in the quarterly FGS Forum. Read more about this by clicking here.

Someone might read the event listing and decide to attend your event. This person might not know about your society. It might be that Suzy Q in California reads about your Indiana event and tells the cousin back in Indiana about the seminar.

So, why is your society ignoring this opportunity for mass exposure? And don’t forget to have a very clearly marked “Membership” table at your events. Catch those folks who haven’t yet joined your society and those who need to renew!

First impressions should be captured

Paula Stuart-Warren  Research  1 Comment

Today was spent at a client’s home. We were doing some organizing and research planning. This made me think of a column I wrote for Ancestry’s old electronic newsletter a few years ago. I reread and updated it and present it here as some food for thought.

The following words are based on the premise that most of my work steps have not varied over the years.

The first impression when reviewing something new is often a fantastic impression. I have learned to not just think about the project or task and the research process, but to actually make immediate notes. In the excitement upon finding or receiving a family clue or record my mind goes off in a dozen different directions. Years ago after simply letting my mind go in these directions, I realized that many of those thoughts were actually great research routes to take. There were times when the first impression ideas did not magically reappear.

When something new arrives
When I open the regular mail, check my e-mail, or find something online – I do so with pen and paper at hand and make notes. This way I do not miss any of those important first impressions that may not rush into my mind when I actually begin the follow-up research.
The same pattern is followed when working with a new client.

The in-person version
There are many guides to doing oral interviews. Of course these advocate taking notes or taping the sessions. There is one more part related to family history research that is often ignored. Whether you are interviewing on the telephone or in person, make immediate “to do” notes as they surface in your mind. Maybe a statement the person makes gives you the idea that the 1900 census indexes be checked to help verify the location given. Get that task written down before the thought disappears.

The on-site version
Visualize yourself sitting at a microfilm reader or in the courthouse viewing a census, probate, or land record. The leads that record supplies are beginning to send your mind in a hundred different directions. The clues may be ones to help solve some tough research spots.

Don’t skip any of those thoughts
Make a list of those ideas or clues that jump out as you read through the paper or papers. You might immediately see mention of an event in the person’s life that begs for further research. Often some of the unanticipated ideas are not as evident on the second reading as you are sitting down to detail a research plan. At that second or subsequent reading you are so intent on the process that you have other ideas, but the first ones may not surface or are overlooked.

If you aren’t sure what to do
This advice may help you target your thoughts after the first impression. Make yourself a general list of various types and years of records to check for an ancestral area. (Such as state census, federal census, probate, church, tax, land, etc.) Then reread that newly found clue or record. Use that general list to determine other possible records to check. My client said that she is relying on me for assistance with this research planning.

Challenge yourself
I have a task for you. This is a first-impression experiment. Either go online or to a library to obtain a copy of a 1900 census record or a pre-1920 obituary. This record should be for someone you have never heard of before. As soon as you read the record and print it, pretend it is your own ancestor and think about the research clues you just found. As thoughts flow through your mind, jot down the research paths you need to follow from the clues in this copy. Now put the notes and the copy away in a file folder.

The next step
Take out your calendar or daily planner and make an appointment with yourself for at least a month from now (further out is even better). This appointment is a reminder to revisit that file folder. You will then reread the copy (but NOT your notes) and make another list of what research tasks you should do based on the contents of the record. Compare the notes and see if you had some impressions from the first reading that do not appear on the second and vice versa.

Add one more step
You could make a copy of this record and have a genealogical friend repeat the same process as you. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences in the task lists when they are compared. In past columns I have often advocated bringing in another set of eyes to evaluate a record.

Another way to capture a first impression
Even without asking a genealogy friend to follow this same process, you can still capture a first impression. Once you have a copy of a record, an obituary, or a family letter you are often tempted to show it to someone else. Let’s say you are at your genealogical society’s next meeting and have brought along a copy of this item. As you excitedly show it to someone and ask them to read it, be prepared to write down the thoughts expressed. Perhaps this person will have some first impressions that you did not have. As they say “wow, you should check the . . .” or “If I were you I would see if there are also . . .”

Are first impressions the best?
I have often thought this, and, yes, I have been proven wrong on occasion – but not often. As with assessing any situation or person, the first impression is important – but may not present the whole picture. This is true in our family history research, too. Don’t let the rush of ideas get away from you when you first review a new record. At the same time, don’t let that be the end of your planning process.

National Archives (US) “Inside the Vaults” for Veterans Day

Paula Stuart-Warren  National Archives  Leave a comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    
November 10, 2010
National Archives Launches “Inside the Vaults” Video Short Commemorating Veterans Day
Video highlights National Personnel Records Center and military records requests
Washington, DC. . . How does a veteran apply for a copy of his military service records?  Can this be done online?  How does the National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), operated by the National Archives, in St. Louis process these requests?  How many requests are received each week?  And how long does it take?  Find out at http://tiny.cc/NPRC.
In commemoration of Veterans Day, the National Archives today launched its ninth “Inside the Vaults” video short featuring the National Archives National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO.  Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero said “As a Navy veteran myself, I know the importance of having access to military records.  The NPRC preserves and makes these records available to those who have served our nation.”
The National Archives-produced 3:06 minute “Inside the Vaults” video short “America’s Veterans and the National Archives,” is a journey inside the vaults of one of the National Archives and Records Administration’s largest operations.  The video features National Archives employee and veteran Ricky Moe as he traces his own military file. 
NPRC staff showcase both the hi-tech and the low tech – from computer systems that track each request, to painstaking work by conservators to reconstruct documents damaged by a devastating fire in 1973. 
Background on the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis
The National Personnel Records Center is a central repository of personnel-related records, both military and civil service.  The NPRC’s mission is to provide world class service to Congressional offices, Government agencies, military veterans, former civilian Federal employees, family members, as well as researchers and historians.  Records include
Military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century, as well as medical treatment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependent and other persons treated at naval medical facilities.
Background on “Inside the Vaults”
“Inside the Vaults” is part of the ongoing effort by the National Archives to make its collections, stories, and accomplishments more accessible to the public. “Inside the Vaults” gives voice to Archives staff and users, highlights new and exciting finds at the Archives, and reports on complicated and technical subjects in easily understandable presentations.  Earlier topics include the conservation of the original Declaration of Independence, the new Grace Tully collection of documents at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library, and the transfer to the National Archives of the Nuremberg Laws.  The film series is free to view and distribute on our YouTube channel at http://tiny.cc/Vaults

Created by a former broadcast network news producer, the “Inside the Vaults” video shorts series presents “behind the scenes” exclusives and offers surprising glimpses of the National Archives treasures.  These videos are in the public domain and not subject to any copyright restrictions.  The National Archives encourages the free distribution of them.

Veterans Day free (Nov. 11-14) access to Ancestry.com military collection

Paula Stuart-Warren  Ancestry.com  Leave a comment
WEST POINT U.S. MILITARY CADET APPLICATION PAPERS, INCLUDING THOSE OF ‘STONEWALL’ JACKSON, COLONEL CUSTER AND GENERAL SHERMAN, RELEASED BY ANCESTRY.COM
Site Commemorates Veterans Day with Free Access to Entire U.S. Military Records Collection
PROVO, UTAH, November 10, 2010 – Ancestry.com, which has the largest online collection of historical military records, today added more than 115,000 U.S. Military Academy Cadet Application Papers from West Point to its online collection of military records to commemorate Veterans Day.
“Handwritten cadet application papers are true gems in family history research, as they provide such depth and personal insight into the military veterans that came before us,” said Quinton Atkinson, director of content acquisition for Ancestry.com. “It is a treasure when we can see personal letters and records intersect with our shared history as a country. This Veterans Day, we hope this new collection will allow millions of Americans to explore their military ancestry, while inspiring them to discover the rich history of our nation’s past military leaders.”

The West Point Application Papers include letters from applicants from 1805-1866 requesting appointment, letters of recommendation and notification from the War Department if the candidate was accepted and letters of acceptance from the candidate. Over 115,000 candidates are listed and include well known graduates of West Point, including:

·   William Tecumseh Sherman (1835) – known for his outstanding military strategy as a Union Army General during the Civil War,  this collection contains several letters of recommendation for Sherman from his guardian, Thomas Ewing. Ewing’s letter praises 16-year-old Sherman as a “stout athletic lad, and very well prepared for entrance, a good Latin, Greek & French scholar… His father died insolvent… [and] it was his father’s wish… that he should receive an education which would fit him for the public service in the Army or Navy.”

·   Thomas J (Stonewall) Jackson (1842) – one of the most well-known Confederate commanders, eighteen-year-old Stonewall Jackson was the subject of a nomination letter for West Point from South Carolina Governor F. W. Pickens. In his letter, Pickens asks if there are any vacancies at West Point for the state of South Carolina, and requests a copy of the department rules and qualifications for admission. Jackson went on to graduate 17th out of 59 students in the Class of 1846.

·   George Pickett (1842) – an acceptance letter now available on Ancestry.com shows that Pickett, known for leading the appropriately named “Pickett’s Charge” at the Battle of Gettysburg, was accepted as a cadet at West Point in 1842.  Also included in the collection is Pickett’s resignation letter from the US Army’s 9th Infantry in 1861 to join the Confederate army, which also shows that upon resignation from the Union army he owed $96.38 in “expenses recruiting.”  

·    George A Custer (1856) – most remembered for a disastrous military engagement at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer’s nomination letter describes him as “17, 5’ 9¾”, good health, no deformity, reads well, spells correctly, writes a fair and legible hand, able to perform with facility and accuracy the ground rules of arithmetic, fully possesses all the qualifications physical, mental, and moral required.” This nomination letter sent to Jefferson Davis was written and signed by Congressman John A. Bingham, the judge advocate in the trial of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and a principle framer of the 14th amendment. Custer went on to graduate last in his class at West Point.

The collection includes many other records and letters relating to artist James Whistler, Dupont dynasty heir and Civil War veteran Henry Dupont, and Union Army Major General George B. McClellan.
The West Point Cadet Application Papers are part of Ancestry.com’s U.S. Military Collection, which includes 100 million names that span more than three centuries of American military service.
In honor of America’s military heroes, the entire U.S. Military Collection on Ancestry.com can be searched free from Veteran’s Day through Nov. 14. To begin exploring your family’s military heritage, visit www.ancestry.com/military.
About Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM) is the world’s largest online family history resource, with nearly 1.4 million paying subscribers. More than 6 billion records have been added to the site in the past 14 years. Ancestry users have created more than 20 million family trees containing over 2 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries that help people discover, preserve and share their family history, including its flagship Web site at www.ancestry.com.

National Archives (US) offers digital reproductions of records

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  1 Comment
This press release just arrived from the National Archives. 
November 3, 2010
New Options Now Available for Reproductions of National Archives Holdings
Washington, D.C….The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has expanded the formats available to members of the public who wish to purchase copies of records from its holdings.
Copy options for immigration and naturalization records, land files, military service and pension records, court records, World War I draft registration cards, Native American records, census pages, and many other archival documents now include the possibility of purchasing a digitized version.   The per-image fee for digital copies is the same as the per-page fee for paper copies. In addition, NARA now offers digitized duplication of its microfilm holdings, at an increased per roll rate.  The digital copies that result from this new service are delivered via CD or DVD, depending upon file size.  In most cases, the files are provided in a Portable Document Format (.pdf).
To order copies of NARA’s holdings – including copies now available in digital form – use any one of the following methods:
1 – Visit the National Archives online ordering system at https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/.
2 – Download the appropriate form from http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html#part-a.  For microfilm orders, researchers can use the online ordering system at https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/ or they can download a paper form at http://www.archives.gov/research/order/microfilm-pubs.html.
3 – Contact the National Archives through http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html#part-b.

Genealogy Resource: The Buddy System

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  2 Comments

Did your mother ever tell you to never swim alone – to always have a buddy along? I advocate the same thing in genealogy. Your buddy may be a friend, family member, or fellow genealogist who becomes a friend. So much of our genealogy is done alone at a library, courthouse, or facing our computer screen.

Buddy assisted tasks may include proofreading and editing, organizing, research advice, research assistance, installing and understanding software, or running the copier. There are ways to pay them back and yield something more for yourself. Read on for several buddy opportunities.

Organization
When I present a lecture on organizing I begin by telling the audience that they have to invite the person next to them or behind them to their house or apartment. I tell them that surely they would not be embarrassed to have this person see the area or room where the genealogy materials are stored (piled?)! I usually hear some groans. Then I tell them that this is really a good idea. Ask a buddy to look at your genealogy area. This other set of eyes may have some good tips on how to get your area into shape and make better use of the work and storage space you have. Even a non-genealogist’s eyes are good for this organization session. Return the favor at your buddy’s home.

Solving tough research problems
My genealogy buddy Ann and I used to exchange genealogical problems. I met Ann through my state genealogical society. We were volunteering on the same project. Whenever either of us was stuck on a tough
family history problem we would exchange notes and files and would review each other’s work. Along with the review we would make a list of possible research avenues. Many times the buddy’s eyes got the research going in a good direction. Ann passed away years ago and I miss her help. I have new friends who provide some of this same advice, though they are many states away. It’s amazing what you can accomplish via e-mail and the cell phone.

The written word
Have you ever tried to proof or edit something you wrote yourself? How about your annual holiday letter or the family history you are writing before the next family reunion? Don’t forget the invitation you are composing to the family reunion. Have your buddy help with these tasks. It is amazing what another set of eyes can find in someone else’s writing.

On-site research
Ask your buddy to go to the library to help you do research. A buddy can retrieve and return microfilms to the cabinets. A buddy can do photocopying if it is self-service. A buddy can make sure you take some food and mind breaks. This buddy does not have to be a fellow genealogist. Just having someone along can make the first visit to a new research facility a bit less daunting.  Each of my children (in their pre-teen and some in later years) have accompanied me to do on-site research. Sometimes I paid for their help and at times there have been other rewards. As adults with their own households to support they no longer do it for free!

Electronic help
Your buddy might be someone who has extensive knowledge about some of that electronic equipment you have purchased. Does your new computer or software stymie you? Is scanning something you can’t get quite right? Ask a buddy for help. Having the buddy sitting next to you and your computer is mighty comforting. In return you might be able to provide some research assistance or proofreading help when they need it.

Motivation (also known as guilt!)
What about using your buddy to “motivate” you. You and your buddy agree that you will each work on your family history for all of Saturday afternoon or for three hours every other week. When you know that you will have to “report” to the buddy, you are more likely to do the work. After all, you don’t want that buddy to think of you as a lazy person. If you are a writer, bargain with a buddy to report your writing progress as some of my friends and I do. I have a network of buddies who chide me to get work finished. The payback on this? I get to nag them to do the same! Revenge is sweet.

Be a buddy at your genealogical society’s meetings
How about starting a program that sets up long-term members with newer members. Perhaps it can be car pooling to a meeting or to the library for research. It might be designating certain members as the buddies for making people feel welcome and keeping the conversation going at tables at the luncheon during the annual seminar. Your benefit might be adding a new genealogy friend/buddy who will be there for you.

Where to find a buddy
In today’s world we can find genealogical buddies online – but I much prefer the ones I meet in person at least one time. That person can pour over your research notes and copies with you. That person can visit the library with you. The family history advantage is that they are there to comment on a genealogical research problem, to tell me about something that has changed at the courthouse, or to tell me about a new guidebook that I should purchase.

There are many places to find buddies online in the form of someone who has contributed family history material or asked a question: Ancestry.com, Rootsweb.com, USGenWeb.com, familysearch.org [add hot links] and many others. I like to get acquainted with people at genealogy meetings, conferences, and institutes. I count some of those people as long-time genealogy buddies even though we live miles away from each other.

Paying your buddy back
In addition to the payback advice throughout this column, you can offer to check some books for them the next time you visit the library. You could offer to water plants when she is on a research trip and you were not able to go. You can purchase a gift certificate from a genealogy book/software vendor for her.

Selfishly, I feel I benefit more from my buddies than they do from me. I hope you find some good genealogy buddies, too.

Association of Professional Genealogists lectures online

Paula Stuart-Warren  Association of Professional Genealogists, Conferences, Federation of Genealogical Societies  Leave a comment

This press release was sent out by the Association of Professional Genealogists today. FGS is the Federation of Genealogical Societies which has an annual conference about genealogical research. APG is a long-time participant in FGS conferences.

“APG has once again partnered with FamilySearch to produce videos of this year’s Professional Management Conference. The videos present five of the seven lectures from the 2010 PMC, which took place on August 17 at the FGS Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Topics and speakers include:

  • “A Key to Success: Your Online Presence” with D. Joshua Taylor
  • “Expand Your Revenue: Produce and Sell Your Lectures in Video Format” with Donna M. Moughty
  • “Niche Planning and Marketing” with Paula Stuart Warren
  • “Choosing the Best Continuing Education Opportunities” with Elissa Scalise Powell, CG
  • “Get Published in Magazines!” with Leslie Albrecht Huber.

The videos are available on the APG website at http://www.apgen.org/publications/pmc_webcast.html and on FamilySearch at https://library.beta.familysearch.org/researchcourses.

Laura G. Prescott
APG President”

Next Genealogical Events: Anoka County and Little Rock, Arkansas

Paula Stuart-Warren  Lectures, Seminars  Leave a comment

I hope to see some of my blog readers at these events where I am presenting this week.

Monday, November 1st, 7:00 p.m. for the Anoka County Genealogical Society at Coon Rapids United Methodist Church, 10506 Hanson Boulevard NW. The topic is “The WPA Era: What it Created for Genealogists.”

Saturday, November 6th, all day seminar in Little Rock, Arkansas for the Arkansas Genealogical Society. The event takes place at the Holiday Inn-Airport. Click on the link to see about the cost, location and about the Friday evening lectures. My Saturday topics are:

  • Tho’ They Were Poor
  • Old Settlers
  • The WPA Era: What it Created for Genealogists
  • Railroad Records and Railway History: Methods for Tracking

Genealogy Institute registration savings

Paula Stuart-Warren  Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy  Leave a comment

Still thinking about attending the 2011 edition of the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy? Think quickly and you save $25.00! If you register today through October 31st you save that $25.00 off the full registration pricee. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, there are many 5 day courses from which to choose.

Click here for the description of the intermediate American Records and Research course that I coordinate. Click here for a list of all the courses.