Time for the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Conferences/Institutes, Jamboree  Leave a comment

On June 1, I am off to Burbank, California for the Southern California Genealogical Society’s annual event known as Jamboree. Are you going? The great SCGS volunteers will still take your Jamboree registration “at the door.” For details: http://genealogyjamboree.com/.

If you aren’t able to attend, be sure to check out which sessions are live-streamed for free, courtesy of Ancestry.com.

From the Jamboree blog, this is information on the recordings of some presentations for those having trouble deciding which sessions to attend:

Jamboree 2016: Mastering the Art of Being in 2 Places at Once

What do you do when faced with the overwhelming possibility that at any one given hour at Jamboree, there is not just one, but rather two or more sessions and speakers you want to hear?

How do you decide?
The answer is really quite simple: Conference Resources will be on hand at Jamboree providing audio and video recording of many of the Jamboree sessions.
Take advantage of the wealth of opportunity! When planning your schedule, look at the Pink Sheets to find if the sessions you want are going to be audio or video recorded. The info will be in the lower right side of the session box.
You can actually pre-order and save 10% before the conference. That way, the recordings will be ready for pick up at Jamboree or shipped to your home after the conference.

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Native American remains returned to tribes

Paula Stuart-Warren  Native American  Leave a comment

That title above was painful to write. We are talking about the remains of a human being, someone’s ancestor or that ancestor’s sibling.

“Human remains excavated from Native American burial sites in Kansas soon will be returned to two tribes by the Kansas State Historical Society.”

That newspaper headline makes me smile because of the repatriation, but not a big smile because it involves human remains. It’s not the only historical society in possession of Native American remains. Many are being reclaimed by tribes; unfortunately in some cases it hasn’t been easy. Resistance still exists. Tribes, Archeologists, anthropologists, historians, and others are fully involved and aware of a variety of issues across the U.S. and in other places, too.

I know times have changed for the most part. Still some scavengers search for Native American remains and artifacts. It’s generally against the law to possess these. In my mind, it’s also unethical to even do the searching unless authorized by a tribe. Remains are sometimes discovered in an excavation or other building activity  but experts are usually called upon. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a 1990 federal law.

In this Kansas case, the remains were donated to the KSHS. That’s another awful sentence to write and I am not placing any modern blame on anyone. An article in the Topeka Capital-Journal tells that “In 1881, the remains of at least two deceased people were donated to the KSHS by William Griffing, a private collector, after being dug out of the ground in Pottawatomie County.” It has been determined that the remains are probably from the Kaw Nation, of Oklahoma, and Kickapoo Tribe, of northern Kansas.

Check out the full article in the online Topeka Capital-Journal.

Additional reading (and this is only a small sample of articles.) (more…)

1853 San Francisco “official” marriage record survives for Dubois & Marfing

Paula Stuart-Warren  Civil War, fold3.com  7 Comments

Years ago my one and only niece (thus my favorite niece) asked me to work on her family genealogy. We both have had many real life interruptions that slowed the progress but I still dabble on it here and there.

One of the special discoveries is that two “official” transcripts of a 1853 marriage record exists for her great great great grandparents. Why are these special? On 18 April 1906 the historic earthquake struck the San Francisco area. People died and otherss were injured, homes and business were destroyed and damaged, and the courthouse  destroyed along with the bulk of the records. Yes, there are alternative resources for some items but my excitement at finding this marriage record was strong.

One of the record sets that Fold3 has digitized from the U.S. National Archives is the Civil War “Navy Widows’ Certificates.” I knew her Great Great Grandfather Theodore Bailey DuBois (1826-1874) was a ship captain in his civilian life and also served in the Navy during the Civil War. Both T. B. and his soon-to-be wife were Brooklyn, New York residents.

I had seen mentions of a 1850s San Francisco marriage for them but never with any documentation. I could imagine this captain sailing around to San Francisco, but what was the bride, Elizabeth Theresa Marfing (1833-1894), doing there? I am still working on that last question.

The Navy widows pensions on Fold3 included that for Elizabeth T. DuBois, widow of Theodore B. DuBois. I will tell more about their full story in a future post, but this pension tells much about them, his service, his injury and subsequent trauma, some about their children, and much about Elizabeth’s own Marfing and Post families. It’s a gem. 165 page filled with details.

For the widow to petition for a pension, she had to prove marriage to the service person. Her trail to get a pension is long and includes not one, but two handwritten documents complete with official seal, stating in part:

I, John Satterlee Judge of the Superior Court hereby certify that on the 8th day of October 1853 I did join in marriage Theodore B. DuBois and Elizabeth Theresa Marfing in the City of San Francisco California.”

Navy Widows' Certificates, #2994, page 34. https://www.fold3.com/image/27633933/?terms=theo*%20dubois
Navy Widows’ Certificates, #2994, page 34.
https://www.fold3.com/image/27633933/?terms=theo*%20dubois

Fold3.com is full of other gems and the series of widows’ pension for other service in the Civil War is ongoing.

One great place to learn more about what does and does not exist for pre-earthquake San Francisco is San Francisco Genealogy.

Celtic Roots? This is the summer conference for you!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Conferences/Institutes, Ireland, Irish Genealogical Society, Irish Research, Scotland  Leave a comment

The clock is ticking! The Celtic Connections Conference ’16, August 5-6 in Minneapolis, is less than three months away, and you have less than a couple weeks to get the discounted registration fee of $150 for both conference days. This low rate is available only until May 31, so it’s time to get serious about attending this unique Midwest event! Minneapolis, the City of Lakes, lush green summertime, air conditioned meeting rooms, maybe a trip to the Mall of America or Como Park and Zoo in Saint Paul, and the company of hundreds of fellow family historians. Ready?

In 2014 IGSI (Irish Genealogical Society International) and TIARA (The Irish Ancestral Research Association) brought family historians the sold-out Celtic Connections Conference in Waltham, Massachusetts. This year’s Celtic Connections Conference “Celtic Roots across America,” comes to you by the same co-hosts and promises another successful offering combining genealogy, history, music, and literature.

The August 5-6 conference features internationally-known genealogists from Ireland and Scotland: Brian Donovan, Dr. Bruce Durie, John Grenham, Brian Mitchell, and William Roulston, along with nine other family history experts from around the U.S. Brian Mitchell, widely recognized for his genealogical expertise in North-West Ireland, leads off Friday’s sessions with a discussion of Irish place names. The Friday program continues with twelve hour-long sessions on topics aimed at beginning, intermediate, and advanced family history researchers, and concludes with an evening banquet featuring Irish-born entrepreneur Kieran Folliard. A bagpiper, a harpist and Celtic fiddlers will entertain at conference events. Saturday’s program continues with eleven hour-long sessions; an author luncheon featuring Erin Hart, well-known author of Irish mysteries; and a closing session on Irish records with distinguished genealogist and author, John Grenham.

Come a day early and experience a guided bus tour of scenic and historic areas of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“Celtic Roots across America,” takes place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Minneapolis Park Place, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. Specially-priced lodging for conference-goers is available at the conference hotel. Complete conference details, including the program brochure, hotel reservation information, and online registration, are available at http://celtic-connections.org/.

Native American genealogy crash course plus special Q&A time

Paula Stuart-Warren  Native American  Leave a comment

The next three days is your chance to learn more about Native American research and provides a place to ask questions! Family Tree University is offering this unique experience.  Learn about records, where to find them, how to learn more, some pitfalls of this research, and about the history and locality that are so important in this work.

Use the discussion board that accompanies the material to ask questions that I will answer whenever I check in. I will post my “live” question hours on that discussion board after you get started. Feel free to leave your questions at any time and I will respond every so often. Stop and start viewing at any time over the three days. There is a recorded general Native American presentation accompanied by an extensive handout with additional help (both by me), a recorded Dawes Roll talk, and an article on Native American research (also by me).

To access this course, sign up now: https://www.familytreeuniversity.com/courses/native-american-crash-course

 

What PERSI periodicals are already digitized on Findmypast?

Paula Stuart-Warren  findmypast.com, periodicals, PERSI  Leave a comment

PERSI (PERiodical Source Index) is a wonderful topical index to articles in thousands of genealogical and historical periodicals. Most are from the U.S. and Canada, but there are some from other countries, too.  PERSI is found on Findmypast.com under the tab “Search” and then the category of “Newspapers & periodicals.” The total number of index entries is more than 2.5 million. Surnames are indexed but only if it’s the main name in an article.

A growing number of periodicals are now digitized on Findmypast. Keep checking back on the page linked below as more are constantly added. I found some that I hadn’t realized were already digitized. I need sleep but this is more important! A PERSI search is free, but a subscription to Findmypast is needed to view the digitized articles.

Click here to view the long list of periodicals already digitized.

 

RootsMagic downloadable guides are free!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

Did you know that RootsMagic has free and downloadable “Magic Guides” that each cover a single RM topic? These include step-by-step illustrations and and tips. The latest RM newsletter states “These guides may be freely copied and distributed (but not sold). You may use them as handouts in user groups or when teaching RootsMagic classes.”

I was a Master Genealogist user for many years and since that is no longer supported I have been slowly changing over to RootsMagic.

Some of the topics:

  • Backup and Restore a RootsMagic Database
  • Importing Data From Family Tree Maker into RootsMagic 7
  • Downloading and Installing RootsMagic for Mac
  • Copying a RootsMagic Database to Another Computer

    http://www.rootsmagic.com/guides/  For the full list and the link to download each.

 

Findmypast releases more marriage records with some never online before

Paula Stuart-Warren  findmypast.com  1 Comment

Another nice press release this week!

FINDMYPAST ANNOUNCES ONLINE RELEASE OF OVER 10 MILLION NEW US MARRIAGE RECORDS

  • New records contain over 30 million names
  • Includes significant additions from Indiana, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maine
  • Includes 1 million names published online for the first time and only found on Findmypast

 Ft. Lauderdale, FL: 4 May 2016

Leading family history website, Findmypast, announced today at the 2016 conference of the National Genealogical Society the release of over 10 million new marriage records in the second instalment of their United States Marriages collection.

Released in partnership with FamilySearch International, the records contain more than 30 million names, nearly 1 million of which have never before been published online and can only be found at Findmypast.

The release marks the second stage of an ambitious project that will see Findmypast digitize and publish the single largest online archive of U.S. marriages in history. Covering 360 years of marriages from 1650-2010, when complete this landmark collection will contain at least 100 million records and more than 450 million names from 2,800 counties across America.

While the United States Marriage collection includes marriages from nearly every state, this second instalment includes significant additions from Indiana, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maine.

The records include marriage date, bride and groom names, birthplace, birth date, age, and residence as well as father’s and mother’s names. Customers with family trees on Findmypast will benefit from leads connecting relatives on their trees with the marriage records, thus generating a whole new source of research.

New and updated collections at FamilySearch

Paula Stuart-Warren  FamilySearch  Leave a comment

If you have been in the audience at any of my presentations at genealogy events, you know I stress that we need to keep returning to online databases because new and updated items are constantly added.  A selection from a press release from FamilySearch is a perfect example of this.

New FamilySearch Collections Update: May 2, 2016

Millions of new US an international records this week including Philippines Civil Registration (National) 1945-1984, New Zealand Archives New Zealand Probate Records 1843-1998, Massachusetts Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1626-2001, France Saône-et-Loire Military Conscriptions 1867-1940 Russia Tatarstan Church Books 1721-1939, Paraguay Catholic Church Records 1754-2015, and Ukraine Kyiv Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates 1734-1920.

Some of these items:

Drew Smith receives well-deserved Genealogical Librarianship award

Paula Stuart-Warren  Awards, Genealogy Guys, National Genealogical Society  Leave a comment

What does a blogger do when a dear friend receives a special award? Blogs about it, of course. I had lunch this past Saturday with Drew and his husband, George Morgan, plus Peggy Clemens Lauritzen at the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference. We talked and talked and, if he knew, he didn’t give the secret away. Congratulations, dear Drew. [Update he did NOT know about it!]

This is today’s announcement from the National Genealogical Society:

Arlington, VA, 3 May 2016— Drew Smith, MLS, is the 2016 recipient of the Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship. Smith, an Assistant Librarian in the Academic Services department of the University of South Florida Tampa Library, received his award and its $1,000 prize, which is underwritten by ProQuest, at the opening session of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2016 Family History Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The Filby Award is named for the late P. William Filby, former director of the Maryland Historical Society and author of many core genealogical reference tools that genealogists have relied on for decades.  Created in 1999 by NGS, the award has been sponsored by ProQuest and Mr. William Forsyth since 2006.

Smith joined the University of South Florida Tampa Library and Information Science (now the School of Information) as an instructor and held that post to 2007. During that time, he taught undergraduate-level courses in library/Internet research skills and website design, and graduate-level courses in genealogical librarianship and indexing/abstracting.  He is the founder and administrator of the GENEALIB mailing list, a service for librarians serving genealogists.

He has written articles on genealogy for Genealogical Computing, Digital Computing, and NGS NewsMagazine (now NGS Magazine) and currently writes Rootsmithing with Technology column for FORUM, published quarterly by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS).  In 2009, Genealogical Publishing Company published his first genealogy book, Social Networking for Genealogists. His second book, co-authored with George G. Morgan, is Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, published in 2013 by McGraw-Hill.

Smith regularly speaks at conferences and meetings of national, state, and local genealogy societies, especially on topics linking genealogy and technology.  Together with George G. Morgan, he has been the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast, the longest-running regularly produced genealogy podcast in the world, since 2005.  Smith presented “Genealogy Programming at Your Library” at this year’s NGS Conference Librarians’ Day.

Smith served nine years as the president of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa, two years as secretary of the Association of Professional Genealogists, five years as a Director of FGS, and is current chair of the Family History Information Standards Organization.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records.  The Arlington, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.