FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2008Noontime Programs at the National Archives in April 2008

Washington, DC. . . The National Archives will present three noontime programs in April on records preservation, presidential speechwriting, and memorials to Abraham Lincoln. These events are free and open to the public and will be held in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, which is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave. and 7th Street, NW. The building is fully accessible.

Preserving America’s History at the National Archives Wednesday, April 9, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater Doris Hamburg, the National Archives Director of Preservation Programs, explores how the National Archives preserves and protects the more than 12 million permanently valuable Federal documents and artifacts it holds. Co-sponsored by the National Archives Assembly.

White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters Wednesday, April 16, at noon, Jefferson Room Writer Robert Schlesinger, son of famed historian and JFK speechwriter Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., discusses White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters, the first book to offer intimate comparative portraits of all our modern Presidents and the men and women who helped shape their public record. Drawing on interviews with current and former speechwriters and on archival research, Schlesinger reveals how the crucial relationships between Presidents and their speechwriters can make or break a presidency. A book signing will follow the program.

Summers with Lincoln: Looking for the Man in the Monuments Thursday, April 17, at noon, Jefferson Room Local author and educator James A. Percoco examines many of the nearly 200 memorials erected in memory of Abraham Lincoln-part of a quest to learn what these monuments meant when they were unveiled, what they mean to the nation today, and what they mean to him. His book is the first in 50 years to explore Lincoln sculpture in the context of post-civil rights America. Summers with Lincoln gives a tantalizing new look at Abraham Lincoln, encouraging the reader to question assumptions about Lincoln, civic commemoration, American civil religion, collective memory, and mythology.

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I came across this heartfelt genealogy post at another blog and felt it was very much worth sharing. Paula Stuart-Warren writes in her article, “Are You Up to Date” . . .

My Mom, Patricia (Hanley) Stuart, passed away on 8 January 2008 while I was teaching at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. I remember exactly when I received the call from my sister, Linda. I was eating a hot fudge sundae at JB’s in the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel with a friend while another friend was massaging my neck and shoulders already tight from stress and not enough sleep. Mom always did things on HER own schedule! That night I stayed up ‘til the wee hours of the morning writing Mom’s obituary and a tribute to her.

It got me to thinking. Whether you use paper to record your family history or a software program such as Family Tree Maker, are you up-to-date? I mean, have you entered all recent family data, logged those cute new family additions, added marriages and spouses, checked for your family in the Social Security Death Index, gathered obituaries, funeral cards, and even prepared questions for the next family gathering of any kind?

Read the Full Article

Paula goes on to write about the key areas of a genealogy project and how this relates to her recent experience. She goes on to discuss topics such as:

• Obituaries and Tombstones
• Family Group Sheets
• Funeral Guest Books
• Social Security Death Index
• Other key considerations

Paula, if you read this, my condolences and thank you for sharing such a great article. It is truly the testament you intended and a solid introduction to Genealogy and thus I felt it fitting to share it with the visitors here.

Thank you – Chris

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Another great article by Leo Talbot

Social security death index. What is it? Containing around 65 million names and vital information of mainly deceased Americans, the SSDI is an extremely large and important database, especially for genealogy enthusiasts.

What sort of details are kept? For information to be archived in the SSDI, a death needs to have been reported, or, for example, a surviving relative may have contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) seeking to stop the Social Security Benefits (SSB) of a parent.

Social Security Death Records

Social Security Death Records (SSDR) contain the following data on a deceased person:

• Last name
• First name
• Date of Birth
• Date of Death
• Where the last SSB was sent
• State of residence
• Where the SSN was issued
• Last known address

A Search Tip: When doing a search in the SSDI, do not include the middle initial. Middle names were not indexed. Use first and last names only.

What period is covered by these records? Most of the birth dates recorded are from the early decades of the last century: 1900 to 1930 Death dates are mainly from the period 1962 to 1988. It was in the early 1960’s that the SSA commenced using computer technology to store and archive vital records. Although there are birth dates as far back as the 1850’s (about 1856), and death dates prior to the 1960’s, not all earlier data has been included in the current SSDI.

A SSDI Search Tip #1: Use maiden names when searching for women. SSDI is a valuable genealogy tool. The SSDI can assist your genealogy research by providing data that will help you locate birth certificates and death certificates. By providing the names of parents, a female’s maiden name, people’s places of residence and their occupation, it may also assist in the search for marriage certificates and other vital records.

A SSDI Search Tip #2 : Start your search on the SSDI with just a few facts. This facility allows you to search on any combination of data. A last name and known possible birth period may do for starters? If the results are very large, then add additional data and search again.

Note: There is a very useful feature, “Soundex Search” which assists where names may have been misspelled. Leo Talbot writes genealogy articles such as the social security death index and others.

(A Genealogy Beginner Sponsor)

I thought this was interesting when I came across it.  More than 2 million family members… that was a big genealogy project for sure.

JINAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — He’s been dead for 2,500 years but his family just keeps growing and growing – Confucius, or more properly his descendants, are alive and well and flourishing in China and across the globe, according to the latest version of his family tree which is set to triple the size of his kith and kin.

The job of registering new members to the family tree of revered Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC), was finished by the end of 2007, and the number in the updated tree now stands at more than two million.

The family tree will be published in 2009, according to the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee.

Read the full story

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The Latter-day Saint Family History Library contains the largest collection of genealogical information in the world. This means the largest collection of death records, obituary searches, and other critical resources to the genealogy process regardless of how many generations back you’ve gone. The library, originally founded by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1894, is committed to capturing on film all worldwide data on public record such as deeds, wills, marriages, births and deaths.

The Web Site.
Visit the Family History Library Web site to get information about the library location and its history. You may want to organize documents and prepare for your obituary searches. You will find that this website has one of the richest set of online sources available anywhere.

http://www.familysearch.org/

Preparing for Your Visit.
Locate the directions to the library, a layout of the library records, and information about hotel accommodations. (Click the “library” tab at the link on the top of their web page.)

The library is located at 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It will probably require a bit of planned travel so set a date for yourself (even if it’s a year or more away) and start saving your pennies. (You won’t find a more complete archive of death records anywhere.)

Note the library’s hours. With the exception of Sundays and seven other days each year, the library is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays and from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The library is 142,000 square feet and covers 5 floors. You’ll want to plan ahead.

LDS Orientation.
Visit the orientation center upon entering the library. You be able to attend the short orientation session to become familiar with this sizable library. There are five floors, four of which are open to the public. Make sure you get a printed guidebook, which can help you use almost every system in the library.

You might want to check out the schedule of the various classes that are available throughout the day. Look for any classes focused on death records and how to manage obituary searches. These classes are free and given by volunteers and staff members to aid in your use of the databases and resource information. Plan your day around the classes. Like the orientation, these classes are extremely valuable.

Doing Death Record Research and Obituary Searches.
Take advantage of the more than 70 computer research terminals available at the library. Use a stand-up computer for quick searches. (Use is limited to about 15 minutes; utilize a sit-down computer for up to one hour.) If they’re all full, you’ll find more computers one block away in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. These off-site computers have access to the library indexes and are recommended for beginners.

You can check out up to five films or five books at a time. Don’t forget that these are available for use in the library only. You can take advantage of the assistants available on each floor. Don’t let yourself get stuck for too long. Your visit is too costly and valuable to waste being lost. They are there to help patrons learn how to search, but not to find the information for you.

Print out information from a computer for about 5 cents per page, and make photocopies for about the same price. You can also get printouts of microfiche for 20 cents a page. If you want, you can also download data onto your own disks or purchase disks from the library. (Be prepared to wait in line to make copies.)

You’ll want to plan to spend at least half a day getting oriented and another two days on research. Keep in mind that research can be quite exhausting. Plan ahead by creating a schedule for yourself. The LDS Family History Library is the single best source of death records under one roof. Their resources for obituary searches are bar none.

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(Looks like a two-fer from the National Archives. Another Press Release…)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN FEBRUARY

Washington, DC . . . The National Archives will celebrate Black History Month birthday in February with special films, public programs, lectures and films. These programs are open to the public and will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. All events are free, unless otherwise noted.

Please note: The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Ave. between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC. The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road. Both locations are fully accessible. For directions, see: http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

Banneker Monument Unveiling and Panel Discussion Friday, February 15, at 7 P.M., William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Building The Center for the National Archives Experience, in partnership with the Washington Interdependence Council, will host the unveiling of the prototype of the Benjamin Banneker Memorial, a monument to the 18th century African American mathematician, astronomer, clockmaker, and publisher. The monument is planned as part of the L’Enfant Plaza/Banneker Overlook Park promenade in Southwest DC. The program will include a panel discussion exploring Banneker’s impact on history. Moderated by actor and activist Clayton LeBouef, the panel will include Kevin Marvel, executive officer of the American Astronomical Society, and Michael Eric Dyson, author and professor at Georgetown University. Tina Allen, celebrated California sculptor and Artist of Record for the Banneker Memorial, will share her interpretation of the subject and unveil the prototype, and poet Ty Gray-El will perform a poetic tribute to Banneker.

RELATED NATIONAL ARCHIVES “KNOW YOUR RECORDS” PROGRAMS

What’s New in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC)?
Wednesday, February 20, at 11:30 A.M., Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue) Archives specialist Jill Reilly James will review general records of genealogical interest described in ARC and will present new ARC descriptions of and web pages related to African American history. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, February 21, at 11 a.m.)

Using Federal Records for African American Genealogical Research
Saturday, February 23, 10:15 A.M.-1:30 P.M., National Archives Building
Jefferson Room Archivist Reginald Washington will discuss using census records, military service and pension files, Freedmen’s Bureau records, and other Federal records for African American genealogical research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

FILM – EYES ON THE PRIZE
February 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, at noon National Archives Building, William G. McGowan Theater On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout February, The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives and the National Archives Afro-American History Society will show this landmark 14-part PBS series, which first aired in 1987. Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights movement from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions changed the fabric of American life. Each showing is 60 minutes.

Two Societies (1965-68)
Friday, February 1, at noon Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership onference come north to help Chicago’s civil rights leaders in their nonviolent struggle against segregated housing.

Power! (1966-68)
Tuesday, February 5, at noon The call for Black Power takes various forms across communities in lack America.

The Promised Land (1967-68)
Friday, February 8, at noon In the midst of political organizing, Martin Luther King detours to support striking sanitation workers in Memphis, where he is assassinated.

Ain’t Gonna Shuffle No More (1964-72)
Tuesday, Febraury 12, at noon A call to pride and a renewed push for unity galvanize black America.

A Nation of Law? (1968-71)
Friday, February 15, at noon Black activism is increasingly met with a violent and unethical response from local and Federal law enforcement agencies.

The Keys to the Kingdom (1974-80)
Tuesday, February 19, at noon In the 1970s, legal rights gained by the civil rights movement are put to the test. In Boston, some whites violently resist a Federal court school desegregation order.

Back to the Movement (1979-mid 1980s)
Friday, February 22, at noon Power and powerlessness: Miami’s black community-pummeled by urban renewal, a lack of jobs, and police harassment-explodes in rioting.

To request an accommodation (e.g., sign language interpreter) for a public program, please email public.program@nara.gov or call (202) 357-5000 at least two weeks prior to the event. To verify the date and times of the programs, see the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar/.

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(Just received from National Archives Press List…)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES MARKS WORLD WAR I VETERAN’S 107TH BIRTHDAY
Archivists present last living American WWI veteran with a copy of his military file

WASHINGTON, DC* The National Archives celebrated the 107th birthday of the nation’s last living World War I veteran, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, this week.  To honor Mr. Buckles — and by extension all of the men and women who served — National Archives archivists Mitch Yockelson and Richard Boylan visited with Mr. Buckles at his home in West Virginia and presented him with a copy of his military service record.

Frank Woodruff Buckles was born in Harrison County, Missouri, on February 1, 1901.  He enlisted in the US Army in 1917, at the age of 16 (he said he was 18).  During the war, he was stationed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.   He served as an ambulance driver, and after the Armistice was signed in 1918, he escorted prisoners of war back to Germany.  Following the war, he was stationed in Germany, and he was discharged from service in 1920 having achieved the rank of corporal.

In the Second World War, Mr. Buckles was a civilian working for the White Star steamship line and was in Manila on business in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He was captured by the Japanese and spent over three years as a POW at the city’s University of Santo Tomas.

The archivists located records relating to much of Mr. Buckles’ service in Europe.  The National Archives photo lab then scanned and made prints of nearly three dozen documents that comprise his military file.  His file includes his troop ship manifest, personnel rosters, and a history of Base Hospital 35 in Winchester, England, where Mr. Buckles spent part of his military career as a driver.

More than 4,700,000 men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I.  Of that number, roughly 2,000,000 served on foreign soil.  Today, Mr. Buckles is the only living veteran.  Ninety years after the end of World War I, Mr. Buckles recalled his service and said he was honored to be “the last known American veteran.”  He pondered how World War I will be remembered when there are no surviving veterans.

Background
Among the vast holdings of the National Archives are the official historical records relating to the American participation during World War I.  Such records are housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC, College Park, Maryland, and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Among the holdings are several million pages of unit files and personnel records, and close to a million maps, photographs, motion pictures and posters.  For information, see Archivist Mitch Yockelson’s article entitled:  ”They Answered the Call:  Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919″ at:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/fall/military-service-in-world-war-one.html

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I wanted to take a moment to recommend a great online article by Sue Morgan titled, “What You Should Know before Hiring a Professional Genealogist.”

The purpose of Genealogy Beginner is to help you get started with your genealogy search so you don’t have to hire someone. However, there will come a time when you need a helping hand. If you find this in a great librarian or good friend, fantastic. However, if you find yourself thinking it is time to call in the professionals you need to make sure you understand what is involved.

In her article, Ms. Morgan outlines:

• What you can expect to receive for your money
• How long a search takes
• How much it will cost
• What the researcher will need to know when beginning work

You can read the full article by clicking here.

If you have used the services of a professional genealogist before, go ahead and leave us a comment below to offer some of your own advise.

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This is a neat idea that more county councils should consider.  What better way to show your residents about their tax dollars at work than a family tree search Sunday.

The Scarborough Evening News reports…

RESIDENTS in Scarbor-ough will be able to take part in a special day to help them trace their family history.

North Yorkshire County Council’s Record Office is now taking bookings for a unique family history day school which has been especially designed to help beginners take their first steps.

Led by experienced family history tutor, Jackie Depelle, the day includes contributions by Record Office staff on census, registration and other archive sources.

County Cllr Chris Metcalfe, executive member for adult and community services, said: “If you have ever wanted to trace your family tree successfully and extensively, the family history for beginners’ workshop is an invaluable resource in doing so, led by a respected archivist and family historian.”

“With guided access to parish and non-conformist registers and a lesson in researching census and registration records, this study day is useful to all.”

Read the full article …

Too bad it isn’t a bit close to home.

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Ancestry.com announced today a suite of new free death records databases today including:

• Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819
• St. Mary’s church Gateshead, Durham, England, Burials, 1750-1886
• Missouri State Census Collection, 1844-1881

This ads to the other databases updated in just the past 10 days:

• Families of Beaver County, Pennsylvania
• Everyname Index to Egle’s Notes and Queries Chiefly Relating to Interior of Pennsylvania
• Early Pennsylvania Land Records
• Early Friends Families of Upper Bucks
• Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Volume III
• Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Volume II
• Complete American Armoury and Blue Book 1903 Edition
• Complete American Armoury and Blue Book 1907 Edition
• The History of Haverhill [Massachusetts]

The folks over at Ancestry.com seem to keep at it, day and night, providing us with great resources.  They state it well on their own website and I couldn’t agree more:

“The entire team at Ancestry.com is committed to connecting you with the lives and stories of your long-lost ancestors. They do this by providing the largest historical records collection available online and making these records easily accessible to beginners and experienced genealogists alike. Ancestry.com partners with you to create a priceless family history that you will cherish for years to come.”

If you haven’t visited recently, it is worth a trip to view this amazing site for free death records and other vital genealogy search information.

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