Making a Family Tree

(Click above for introduction.)

Your Guide to Cemetery Research

This book will intrigue anyone involved in serious genealogical research, posing a whole new way to uncover family roots and facts through research into cemeteries and their contents. This book has all kinds of great information from funeral art to conducting cemetery surveys.

I personally found the following review very helpful:

“Carmack, a noted genealogist and an admitted cemetery addict, addresses a specialized area of genealogical research that can yield a wealth of historical and ancestral information. To locate an ancestor’s final resting place, one must be thoroughly familiar with American death records.”

“After explaining how to access and interpret coroner’s records, death certificates, obituaries, wills, prayer and memorial cards, funeral home records, and mortality schedules, the author outlines the often less than straightforward process of locating elusive cemeteries and individual graves. Also included are a discussion of American burial customs and an analysis of cemetery artwork and epitaphs.”

You can read more about this guide on Amazon.com:

Your Guide to Cemetery Research

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(Click for an introduction)

(In this article, Mr. Chandler tells us what we need to do after we’ve downloaded our blank family tree form to print. He walks us through the idea of “audit trails” which will help you move from step to step.)

The Family Tree

By: David Chandler

There are numerous genealogy sites out there that feature an assortment of articles on documentation of records for doing your genealogy search. We will look at how genealogy sites and the tools they offer will assist you to carry on a search.

Genealogy sites have plenty of tools that you use to keep records of your searches, but keeping records is not enough. You must know where to search next once you have found that piece of information that you are looking for. Genealogists usually draw conclusions from their records, to continue to dig deeper into the roots of their ancestry, which is often referred to as and audit trail.

An ‘audit trail’ requires that the thought process and analysis be included by documenting sources. Genealogy sites generally offer some software that is capable of analyzing the data and there are services from expert genealogists.

The fees from experts vary from site to site, but they are not always needed unless you get stuck and cannot find the additional information that you are looking for in your search or if you cannot go any further on your own. There are many purposes for an audit trail but one of the main reasons is for subsequent searches to obtain the records that were used and see how the initial researcher came to their conclusions. Keeping records is very important, along with maintaining them in a secure and good condition.

Suggestions for making an audit trail:

• When you make an assumption, clearly state why you came to the conclusion and any other information that could be useful. This can be the on the front page of your record and can be edited at anytime, remember that new information changes the search direction.
• By learning any historical background of the time period and region, will allow you to have a better of idea of what direction may be the next direction to head in. Most genealogy sites offer this information to you for this purpose.
• Learn as much information as you can about your ancestors, such as how they lived, their culture and any other relevant information that will help guide you in your search.
• Cite your sources, as this can lead you back to the information you need, or may add additional information for future searches that are completed.
• Writing notes in detail will make it easier for people who carry on your work in the future. This will allow them to see your thought process.

Make sure that you information is as accurate as possible, do not jump to conclusions. You can make the search nearly effortless, by leaving and audit trail which allows you or others to carry on the search easily.

(This article was written by David Chandler. Please visit some other articles written by Mr. Chandler by clicking on the link which is the author’s name.)

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Washington, DC. . . In March, the National Archives will feature a series of programs highlighting records from its holdings.  All programs are free and open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and will be held in the National Archives Building and at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland

The National Archives Building is located on Constitution Avenue, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC.  Visitors to all programs in the National Archives Building should use the Constitution Avenue entrance, except for programs in the Research Center.  For Research Center programs, the public should the Pennsylvania Avenue
entrance, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW.  The National Archives at College Park, MD is located at 8601 Adelphi Road.  For directions to both locations, see:  http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro.

But Grandma Never Carried a Gun
Locating Women Using Records Created by the Military Friday, March 7, 10:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL, will provide an overview of records created by the military which will help researchers locate information on the women who were the mothers, wives and sisters of soldiers. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Effective Internet Genealogy Searching
Wednesday, March 12, 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Washington Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will provide instruction on how to search the Internet when conducting research.  Participants will learn ways to creatively and effectively search the Internet for hidden tidbits to help them progress in their family history 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.

Beginning Your Irish Genealogy Research in US Sources
Friday, March 14, 10:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Jefferson Room, National Archives Building Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CG, CGL, will cover the basics of finding the origin of Irish ancestors using resources available in the United States.  She will share strategies for using passenger lists, immigration records, military records, census records, city directories, and other original sources of value in tracking down the origin of Irishimmigrants.  Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check (payable to NATF) at the door. Call 202-357-5333

Footnotes
Tuesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance National Archives Librarian Jeffery Hartley will discuss how the National Archives and Footnote.com are working as partners to bring unprecedented access to selections of the vast holdings of the NationalArchives.  He will focus on what is currently available and how to access and use Footnote.com.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 6, at 10 a.m.)

Civil War Records at Footnote.com
Tuesday, March 4, 11:00 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch Center Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceBeau Sharbrough, Vice President of Content for Footnote.com, willdiscuss Civil War records at Footnote.com.  (This lecture will berepeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture RoomB, on Thursday, March 6, at 11 a.m.)

Irish History
Thursday, March 13, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National Archives BuildingResearch CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceFintan Mullan, Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundationin Belfast, will discuss Irish records and Irish migration to America.

Researching Electronic Records via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 11 a.m., Room G-24, National ArchivesBuilding Research CenterPlease use the Pennsylvania Ave. entranceArchives Specialist Lynn Goodsell will offer an introduction toelectronic (”digitally-born”) records of interest to genealogists andhow to access the records online via the Access to Archival Databases(AAD) resource.  (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archivesat College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, March 20, at11a.m.)

From the Records Book Group
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 11 a.m. and noon, Room G-24, National Archives Building Research Center  - Please use the Pennsylvania Ave. entrance Following a lecture at 11 a.m. on records relating to Gettysburg, the Book Group will discuss These Honored Dead:  How the Story of GettysburgShaped American Memory, by Thomas A. Desjardin.  Please check theArchives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a specialdiscount for participants.  NOTE:  April’s book selection is All YouNeed is Love: the Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s, by ElizabethCobbs Hoffman

SAVE THE DATE!
National Archives Genealogy Fair The National Archives’ annual Genealogy Fair will take place Wednesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., in the National Archives Building Research Center.  This event is free and open to the public.

Both Archives facilities are fully accessible.  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, the public should call 202-357-5333, or view the Calendar of Events on the web at: http://www.archives.gov/calendar.

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The Jacksonville News writes:

01/23/08

A public memorial service was at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at Shades Mountain Baptist Church for William Bronner “Cornbread” Burgess, 2.

Bronner, the son of Rick and Sherri Burgess, died Saturday after falling into an indoors pool at the Burgess home in Indian Springs Village in Shelby County.

Rick Burgess, is co-host of The Rick and Bubba Show. Rick spoke at the funeral which was attended by an estimated 4,000 mourners. A shuttle service was set up at Berry Middle School to help handle the large number of mourners and
vehicles.

Shelby County deputies and North Shelby fire and emergency personnel responded to a call around 7:30 p.m. Efforts to save the child failed. He was pronounced dead at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

“We ask that you bathe Rick, Sherri, and the entire Burgess family in prayer as they deal with the loss of their youngest son, Bronner Burgess,” was a message on The Rick and Bubba website.

Our thoughts are with the Burgess Family.  Rick and Sherri also have a daughter, Brandi, and three sons, Blake, Brooks and Brody. Bronner’s paternal grandparents are Bill and Gynell Burgess of Jacksonville.

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When reviewing Obituaries, it is helpful to know that most follow a fairly standard template format.  However, there seems to be some confusion as to what this format is and, when reviewing or writing an obituary, what type of format to use or expect.

To assist with this, we’ve reviewed a number of free obituary templates sites and present them here for your research.  Please let us know if we missed anything.

http://obituaryguide.com
The author’s of this site write, “This website has tips and ideas for those who need to write an obituary for a friend or family member, or who wish to write  their own obituary. The aim is to help you write an obituary that is accurate, lively, and memorable.”

They go on to state, “Most people are not famous or fortunate enough to receive the attention of a news obituary in the newspaper. That is where this website comes in. You may find yourself needing to write an obituary for someone else. Or you may wish to get a head start on writing your own obituary.”

You can visit their section on templates by clicking here.

Write Express
Write Express is a site that sells letter writing software and the URL above directs you to their sales page.  However, it also has an interesting tip about writing obituaries that may help for those looking for free obituary templates. 

The authors of this site write, “The obituary appearing in a newspaper will be more formal than an announcement to family or friends. It contains specific biographical data about the deceased and information that those wishing to pay respects will need. Since the need for the information is immediate, you should either deliver the information to the newspaper in person or read it to the appropriate person over the telephone.”

So, writing an obituary will never be easy but if the task has fallen on your shoulders, a good set of free obituary templates may assist you in do it right.

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Visitors to Genealogy Beginner are often looking for family tree templates they can use to get a better understanding of what their family tree should look like.  Another great place to look is Google images.  Google has an archive of hundreds of thousands of images of family trees.

The list of websites below each have a link that will direct you to a web page where you can download free blank family trees.  We’ve avoided any sites that require registration and reviewed everything to make sure there were no strings attached.

Please feel free to bookmark this page.  As we come across new sites like these, I’ll be sure to add them to the list.  The bold links will bring you right to their site and and the bulleted links can be used to download the charts directly.

Family Tree Resources

• Family Tree Chart
• Research Calendar
• Family Tree Research Extract
  

Misbach Enterprises

• Family Tree Chart
• Kids Family Tree Chart
• Pedigree Chart
• Fan Chart
• Bowtie chart

Microsoft Templates

• Family Tree Chart (Requires MS Excel)

I hope you find these links helpful.  Let me close by recommending a great article by Rachna Gupta about family tree charts and templates.  She has some fantastic recommendations and does a wonderful job talking about how you can create your own, unique family tree design.

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Truly an amazing post the folks over at Ancestry.com.

In honor of Black History Month, Ancestry Releases Data from the U.S. Southern Claims Commission and the U.S. Freedmen Bureau

In honor of Black History Month, Ancestry.com has released the following databases:

U.S. Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871-1880
This database contains a complete index to all claims filed with the Southern Claims Commission, even those which were appealed. Gary Mills has combined all available indexes, created since these records were made public, into one. In it you will find all the information you will need to locate the case file.

U.S. Southern Claims Commission, Allowed Claims, 1871-1880
This database contains files of allowed claims filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871-1880
This database contains an index to all claims Disallowed & Barred Claims, filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Freedmen Bureau Records of Field Offices, 1865-1872 (Updated)
This database contains an index to all claims Disallowed & Barred Claims, filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Freedmen’s Marriage Records, 1861-1869 
This database contains Freedmen Bureau marriage records from 1861-1869. Record types include: marriage certificates, marriage licenses, monthly reports of marriages, and other proofs of marriage. Information listed in these records may include: the names of the bride and groom, their ages, date of marriage, and marriage place.

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PROVO, Utah, Jan 31, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Ancestry.com, the largest online resource for family history, today announced the launch of California Voter Registration Lists documenting more than 30 million names of Californians who registered to vote between 1900 and 1944.

Several California celebrities and political figures are found inside the collection, including:

• Actor and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan was registered to vote in 1942 as a Democrat and remained a registered party member until atleast 1954.  According to Reagan’s 1958 voter registration, he and wife Nancy Reagan changed their party affiliation to Republican.
• Lucille Ball is found in the collection registered as a Communist in 1936 and 1938, and was later asked to testify before Congress during McCarthy’s Communist witch hunts.
• According to the 1944 records, Ozzy and Harriett Nelson are both registered as Republicans. Harriett was employed as an “actress,” and Ozzy as an “orchestra leader.”
• In a 1924 voter registration list, Walt Disney is found alongside brothers Robert and Roy. Walt and Robert were registered as Republicans, while Roy chose to “decline statement.” In 1940, Walt’s wife Lillian changed her party affiliation to Democrat, while Walt remained Republican.

“These records give evidence of a changing and growing America,” said Smolenyak. “Every American with California roots can appreciate this collection and what it tells them about how their own family evolved over the years.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2008
National Archives Announces Extended Research Room Hours

Washington, DC. . . Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today that the National Archives will restore its evening and weekend hours in its Washington, DC and College Park, MD, research rooms. Effective the week of April 14, 2008, the extended hours will be 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Saturday. Hours on Monday and Tuesday will continue to be 9 A.M to 5 P.M.

Congress and the President provided a one-time appropriation of $1.3 million in the National Archives Fiscal Year 2008 budget to restore these hours. The funds will be used to hire new archival research room staff and to cover the costs of utilities, maintenance, and security during the extended hours.

“I am very grateful to the Congress and the President for their recognition of the importance of making our documentary heritage as widely available as possible. Extending the research room hours goes a long way in helping us attain this goal.

This increase in hours underlines our commitment to open government,” the Archivist said in making the announcement. “I would also like to acknowledge the enthusiastic support of our user communities,” he added.

Research room hours at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC and at the College Park facility were reduced in October 2006 as a cost-savings measure. Since then, the National Archives has had extended hours only once a month on Thursday and Friday evenings and on Saturdays. Prior to October 2006, the National Archives extended hours were Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The change from Tuesday to Wednesday evening late hours was implemented to make it more convenient and cost-effective for out-of-town researchers who travel to the National Archives for research.

* * *

For more information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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Posted by Diane Haddad at Genealogy Insider…

Starting Monday, Feb. 4, FamilyLink’s World Vital Records subscription database site will be outfitted with a new, gargantuan World Collection of international records.

Built through partnerships with more than 20 record-holding organizations, the World Collection has more than 1.5 billion records from about 35 countries, including England, Canada, Australia, France, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary and Portugal. It’ll double World Vital Records’ offerings.

Some of the new collection’s major components (more…)

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