I am looking at a transcription from FamilySearch.org fromthe "Michigan, Births and Christenings, 1775-1995," for Lucia M. Drake. The reason I printed this out was because it was a record for Lucia stating that she was born in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. I have also found a document that said she was born in Ohio. It was just something to think about as the folks in that part of Michigan went back and forth across the state line all the time, but I was looking for more information about my great grandfather Allison Royce Drake.
Anyway, on this birth record, it says her mother is Jane Drake, but the father's name is Henry Drake. Now I don't think that Jane had a child with a Henry Drake, but I'm wondering if the reason I can't find any death records, or newspaper articles or anything like that is because he went by the name Henry. His son Royse Allison went by the name "Bill." Apparently his uncle, Frank Converse (Lucia Melissa's daughter) husband, that said Royse was too pretty of a name and he was going to call him Bill ... and it stuck.
So maybe Allison went by Henry. I think he was a shady character and maybe he was looking to disappear. It's something to check out, at least. Leave no stone unturned.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Last Will and Testament of William Drake
The Last Will and Testament of William Drake
Transcribed by: William Richard Stout
Transcribed on: 20 Jul 1999
Will Written: 22 April 1826
Will proven: 21 Jun 1826
I William Drake of Lyons Town, Wayne County, New York, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. Viz. All my estate real and personal I desire may be sold by my executor, my personal property to be sold in one month after my decease, and my real estate at such times, in such manner and on such credit as in his judgement shall be most conductive to the interest of the parties concerned, and the money arising therefrom to be divided into thirteen equal parts, and applied as follows, Vis" To Aaron Drake, Gideon Drake, Joab Drake, Nathan Drake, Amos Drake, Amelia Stout, Susanna Wikoof, Sarah Beard, Elizabeth Knapp, Marry Riggs, Francina Forgerson, my sons and daughters, each one share. To John Stout, James Stout, Simon Stout, Mabel Puttess (?), Mary Baikley, Eliza Ann Stout, and Katherine Stout, sons and daughters of my deceased daughter Katherine Stout, on other part to be equally divided amongst them. To Charles Stafford, Mary Stafford, and Susanna Stafford, son and daughters of my deceased daughter Else Stafford, the one other part to be equally divided amonst them. And I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my grand son James Stout sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other and former wills by me at any time heretofore made. In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six.
William Drake (seal)
Signed sealed published and declared by the said testator, William Drake, as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto, in the presence of the testator. Richard P. Price, John N. Bloomer, Josiah Colcord. My wearing apparel I give and bequeath to my son Amos Drake.
Be it remembered that on the twenty first day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight and twenty six personally appeared before me (unknown name) Esquire, Surrogate of the County of Wayne, Richard P Price who being duly sworn, did depose and say that he de??? saw William Drake late of the County of Wayne, deceased, sign and seal the written instrument, then show unto him of which the aforegoing is a true copy, purporting to be the Last Will and testament of the said William Drake deceased, hearing date the twenty-second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six. That at the time thereof, the said William Drake was of a sound disposing mind and memory, to the best of the knowledge and belief of him the said deponent and that he the said deponent and John W Bloomer and Josiah Colcord subscribed their names and witnessed to the said will in the presence of each other , and the presence of the Testator.
(Unknown name)
I have not seen this document myself. I believe the original is still in the courthouse in Lyons, New York, but it was transcribed by a Stout Cousin. We've emailed each other a few times and he seems to be a bright man, so I would trust that he transcribed it exactly as he read it.
Transcribed by: William Richard Stout
Transcribed on: 20 Jul 1999
Will Written: 22 April 1826
Will proven: 21 Jun 1826
I William Drake of Lyons Town, Wayne County, New York, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. Viz. All my estate real and personal I desire may be sold by my executor, my personal property to be sold in one month after my decease, and my real estate at such times, in such manner and on such credit as in his judgement shall be most conductive to the interest of the parties concerned, and the money arising therefrom to be divided into thirteen equal parts, and applied as follows, Vis" To Aaron Drake, Gideon Drake, Joab Drake, Nathan Drake, Amos Drake, Amelia Stout, Susanna Wikoof, Sarah Beard, Elizabeth Knapp, Marry Riggs, Francina Forgerson, my sons and daughters, each one share. To John Stout, James Stout, Simon Stout, Mabel Puttess (?), Mary Baikley, Eliza Ann Stout, and Katherine Stout, sons and daughters of my deceased daughter Katherine Stout, on other part to be equally divided amongst them. To Charles Stafford, Mary Stafford, and Susanna Stafford, son and daughters of my deceased daughter Else Stafford, the one other part to be equally divided amonst them. And I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my grand son James Stout sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other and former wills by me at any time heretofore made. In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six.
William Drake (seal)
Signed sealed published and declared by the said testator, William Drake, as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto, in the presence of the testator. Richard P. Price, John N. Bloomer, Josiah Colcord. My wearing apparel I give and bequeath to my son Amos Drake.
Be it remembered that on the twenty first day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight and twenty six personally appeared before me (unknown name) Esquire, Surrogate of the County of Wayne, Richard P Price who being duly sworn, did depose and say that he de??? saw William Drake late of the County of Wayne, deceased, sign and seal the written instrument, then show unto him of which the aforegoing is a true copy, purporting to be the Last Will and testament of the said William Drake deceased, hearing date the twenty-second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty six. That at the time thereof, the said William Drake was of a sound disposing mind and memory, to the best of the knowledge and belief of him the said deponent and that he the said deponent and John W Bloomer and Josiah Colcord subscribed their names and witnessed to the said will in the presence of each other , and the presence of the Testator.
(Unknown name)
I have not seen this document myself. I believe the original is still in the courthouse in Lyons, New York, but it was transcribed by a Stout Cousin. We've emailed each other a few times and he seems to be a bright man, so I would trust that he transcribed it exactly as he read it.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
More About Sophia Eagle Drake and Husband, Jehiel Drake
To be honest, for a long time I thought that "Jehiel" was a misprint. I had never even heard of a name like that before. And in the 1870 United States Census, our boy is actually listed as James. But that is the one and only time. I can say this with certainty, whenever you are searching on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org or any time you have an opportunity to look at the actual record -- and not the indexer's transcription of the information -- you gotta do it. I just finished indexing 1000 words for Family Search.org and, I tell you, it is hard to read many of these records. Names, dates, birth towns -- when an indexer is looking at it cold, they just have to write down what they think they see. And we could be wrong. I still don't think there is any excuse of spelling a name but in that regard -- I indexed 100 men in a row, in Tennessee for the draft, and everyone of those men made their mark. That means they couldn't write their own name. I guess that might mean that they might not be able to spell it either.
Anyways, back to the children of Sophia Eagle Drake and Jehiel Drake. In my last post, I think I mentioned a son, William Drake. William was born in 1886 in Michigan. On 12 Feb 1909 he married Denia Dick in Hillsdale, Hillsdale, Michigan. I think it's important to keep track on the in-laws names. Many times they show up as names on children in the next generation. Denia Dick's father was John Dick and he other was Lillie Hubbell. As of right now, I have a tiny notation on my old family tree that William and Denia had two children, both boys, Richard and John.
Anyways, back to the children of Sophia Eagle Drake and Jehiel Drake. In my last post, I think I mentioned a son, William Drake. William was born in 1886 in Michigan. On 12 Feb 1909 he married Denia Dick in Hillsdale, Hillsdale, Michigan. I think it's important to keep track on the in-laws names. Many times they show up as names on children in the next generation. Denia Dick's father was John Dick and he other was Lillie Hubbell. As of right now, I have a tiny notation on my old family tree that William and Denia had two children, both boys, Richard and John.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Fly Like an Eagle -- Sophia Eagle
I was listening to a lecture not too long ago from one of the gals over at Ancestry.com. She was talking about getting stuck and some of the ways to get around your lack of information. One of her techniques is to run family group sheets. She made me start thinking about that in relation to my own family, and even if it doesn't provide me with one single clue for my own stuff, it makes me see my family in a totally different light. Many of us are so focused, that if you look at our family trees you would think that we were all only children, that we were the only child of two people who were only children. It's a wonder if any of us survived at all.
Now I know that all families are special and unique, but we did something really well in my family. Apparently we had lots of sex and that resulted in lots of babies -- heavy on the boy children. Oh, sure, big farm families was kind of the norm, but we not only had lots of children, but we managed to raise them up. The married and then they had lots of children. And up until the John Stout Drake group, we all seemed to be pretty healthy. I haven't found anybody that lived to be over 100, but we had plenty of 80 year olds that were still farming.
Anyway, I've been trying to work my family group sheets, partly because I'm kind of stuck right now, but also I'm hoping to unearth some little tidbit of information along the way. I have also recently spent a week with my children in Alabama and just looking at them and their off spring, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we are one of the whitest families in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that we continue to marry folks of English, French, German, Irish and Dutch extraction. I wonder if that might have been what weakened the family. We don't even have any Italians in the family. So I went on a search to find someone in the family that wasn't English, French, German, Irish, Scots, Dutch and so on.
My John Stout Drake was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. And John Stout Drake was not an only child. One of his brother was William who married Miss Lucy Alfred. Now, William and Lucy had several children, but the one I've been chasing after is a boy named Jehile Drake. Or Jihle Drake. Or Gehile Drake. And in the 1870 United States Census he was listed as James. James married a gal named Sophia Eagle. Could there be Indian blood there? I haven't really pursued that yet, because I've been busy just gathering the basic information. So here is what I have found so far, although I'm not 100% sure of the info.
I started with the family tree chart that I painstakingly copied down in the summer of 1979. The writing is so tiny, I need a magnifying glass to read it. I've kept this chart and look back on it periodically because I always seem to find new information or it refreshes my memory.
Jehiel A Drake was born 22 Sep 1856. He married Sophia Eagle. They had a daughter, Lucy L Drake. According to her marriage license information, she was born in 1883, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. On 28 Feb 1903 she married a boy named Carlton A Moore. Carlton was born in Ohio, in 1880. Lucy and Carlton went on to have six children of their own: Helen who married George Annis, Cecil who married Jane Lowry, Hazel, Ronald, Marion and Marietta. I know, I know. I have to see if I can flesh out those kids who are just names. Hard to believe that this family would have 4 kids who never married, right? I mean a house full of grown up unmarried children was kind of common in the 1930s, coming off the depression and all, but not so much at the turn of the century.
Now Jehiel A Drake and his wife, Sophia Eagle had a son named William. Pretty sure he's named after Jehiel Drake's dad, William Drake. We'll go there tomorrow.
Oh, and one more thing before I forget, on the marriage license information, Jehiel A Drake and Sophia Eagle Drake, were married on 21 Jan 1882, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. They were married by Jehiel Drake's uncle, John Stout Drake who was a justice of the peace. Witnesses to the union were George and Jennie C Priestly. Jennie C Priestly was John Stout Drake's daughter (and Jehiel Drake's first cousin). It's nice to think they were keeping it in the family.
Now I know that all families are special and unique, but we did something really well in my family. Apparently we had lots of sex and that resulted in lots of babies -- heavy on the boy children. Oh, sure, big farm families was kind of the norm, but we not only had lots of children, but we managed to raise them up. The married and then they had lots of children. And up until the John Stout Drake group, we all seemed to be pretty healthy. I haven't found anybody that lived to be over 100, but we had plenty of 80 year olds that were still farming.
Anyway, I've been trying to work my family group sheets, partly because I'm kind of stuck right now, but also I'm hoping to unearth some little tidbit of information along the way. I have also recently spent a week with my children in Alabama and just looking at them and their off spring, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we are one of the whitest families in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that we continue to marry folks of English, French, German, Irish and Dutch extraction. I wonder if that might have been what weakened the family. We don't even have any Italians in the family. So I went on a search to find someone in the family that wasn't English, French, German, Irish, Scots, Dutch and so on.
My John Stout Drake was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. And John Stout Drake was not an only child. One of his brother was William who married Miss Lucy Alfred. Now, William and Lucy had several children, but the one I've been chasing after is a boy named Jehile Drake. Or Jihle Drake. Or Gehile Drake. And in the 1870 United States Census he was listed as James. James married a gal named Sophia Eagle. Could there be Indian blood there? I haven't really pursued that yet, because I've been busy just gathering the basic information. So here is what I have found so far, although I'm not 100% sure of the info.
I started with the family tree chart that I painstakingly copied down in the summer of 1979. The writing is so tiny, I need a magnifying glass to read it. I've kept this chart and look back on it periodically because I always seem to find new information or it refreshes my memory.
Jehiel A Drake was born 22 Sep 1856. He married Sophia Eagle. They had a daughter, Lucy L Drake. According to her marriage license information, she was born in 1883, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. On 28 Feb 1903 she married a boy named Carlton A Moore. Carlton was born in Ohio, in 1880. Lucy and Carlton went on to have six children of their own: Helen who married George Annis, Cecil who married Jane Lowry, Hazel, Ronald, Marion and Marietta. I know, I know. I have to see if I can flesh out those kids who are just names. Hard to believe that this family would have 4 kids who never married, right? I mean a house full of grown up unmarried children was kind of common in the 1930s, coming off the depression and all, but not so much at the turn of the century.
Now Jehiel A Drake and his wife, Sophia Eagle had a son named William. Pretty sure he's named after Jehiel Drake's dad, William Drake. We'll go there tomorrow.
Oh, and one more thing before I forget, on the marriage license information, Jehiel A Drake and Sophia Eagle Drake, were married on 21 Jan 1882, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. They were married by Jehiel Drake's uncle, John Stout Drake who was a justice of the peace. Witnesses to the union were George and Jennie C Priestly. Jennie C Priestly was John Stout Drake's daughter (and Jehiel Drake's first cousin). It's nice to think they were keeping it in the family.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Alfred Bird Drake or Bird Alfred Drake?
You've got to have patience when you are gleaning information from a census. One little piece of wrong information can send you so far down the wrong path that you think you've lost your mind.
It started with the 1860 United States Census. There I have John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, married and living under one roof in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. John is 35 and Lucia is 34 and they have 7 children:
James A. 13 years old
Eugene E 12
Anna R 10
Sidney S 8
Mary C 6
Alfred B 4
Allison C 1
Sweet little Alfred B. If he was 4 years old in 1860, then he would've been born around 1856...give or take. But, you see, I'm a skeptic. I see this perfectly fine record, but Allison's middle name was Royce. At least that is what I've always been told. Allison Royce Drake would eventually have a son named Royce Allison. But I"m getting side tracked.
The mystery arises from the 1870 United States Census. In the 10 years that's passed, Lucia has died, John Stout Drake has remarried a gal named Elinor. James A and Eugene have left home, which was probably about right because they would have been 23 and 22 respectfully. But Allison is gone as well, and he would have only been 11. That whole mystery with Allison is for another day. Today we are dealing with Alfred. The 1870 United States Census has six kids still living at home:
Bird A 13 years old
Alfred 11
Ann 20
Mary S 16
Jane 9
Lucy 6
Bird? Who the heck is Bird? And where was he in the 1860 Census? Then I thought that maybe he was Elinor's boy and by 1870 John Stout Drake had decided to adopt him.
Back in 1979, at a Drake/Converse Reunion, I copied a family tree chart that was taped to the wall, the whole wall. I was 8 months pregnant, it was hot and I was miserable. I had a notation that a Jennie Drake married a George Priestly. And I had a note that Bird Drake married a Eugenia Priestly. I thought it was kinda sweet, and not uncommon among farm families.
The 1880 US Census finds Alfred Drake living in the home of George and Jane Priestly.
Alfred Drake is listed as the Son-in-law. But where is Eugenia? I pulled her birth date off of her death certificate -- 09 May 1855. In 1880 she would have been around 25 years old. There is a Mattie Drake, daughter of George who was 24. Could Mattie be Eugenia? I haven't been able to find anything with the initial M as a middle name.
In the 1900 Federal Census, Bird Drake shows up again. Born in June of 1857. Bird was born in Michigan and it says that both his parents were born in New York. His daddy, John Stout Drake was born in New York, but his mama, Lucia Cahoon Drake was born in Michigan. Again, I don't know who was the one answering the census taker's question. Lucia would have been for almost 20 years by this time. Also, in the "Number of Years Married Column" it says 1. According to my records they were married in 1879. So they would have been married 21 years. Also, poor Eugenia had born a child, but it had not lived.
1905: In the Hillsdale phone book, A. Bird is married to Eugenia. He is working in a saloon at 47 N. Broad, in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is living at 86 E. Sharp.
I have a copy of Eugenia Priestly Drake's Death Certificate. Born 09 May 1855. Married 02 Nov 1879. Died 09 Apr 1908. I know it's the right one because there are a few more clues. Father was George Priestly, born in England. Mother is Jane Hardy, born in England. Eugenia died of La Grippa terminating in heart failure. Spouse: A.B. Drake. She is buried in North Adams, Cemetery.
In 1909 Alfred B Drake marries Ella Conway Ryan. She is a nurse and both of them have been married one time before.
I found a copy of Alfred's death certificate. Albert B. Drake died 13 Feb 1912. Whoever provided the information said he was born 13 Jan 1861 -- which is several years off. The also spell his mother's name -- Lucia Calhoon -- which sounds like it but is wrong. But that I will prove another day.
It started with the 1860 United States Census. There I have John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, married and living under one roof in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. John is 35 and Lucia is 34 and they have 7 children:
James A. 13 years old
Eugene E 12
Anna R 10
Sidney S 8
Mary C 6
Alfred B 4
Allison C 1
Sweet little Alfred B. If he was 4 years old in 1860, then he would've been born around 1856...give or take. But, you see, I'm a skeptic. I see this perfectly fine record, but Allison's middle name was Royce. At least that is what I've always been told. Allison Royce Drake would eventually have a son named Royce Allison. But I"m getting side tracked.
The mystery arises from the 1870 United States Census. In the 10 years that's passed, Lucia has died, John Stout Drake has remarried a gal named Elinor. James A and Eugene have left home, which was probably about right because they would have been 23 and 22 respectfully. But Allison is gone as well, and he would have only been 11. That whole mystery with Allison is for another day. Today we are dealing with Alfred. The 1870 United States Census has six kids still living at home:
Bird A 13 years old
Alfred 11
Ann 20
Mary S 16
Jane 9
Lucy 6
Bird? Who the heck is Bird? And where was he in the 1860 Census? Then I thought that maybe he was Elinor's boy and by 1870 John Stout Drake had decided to adopt him.
Back in 1979, at a Drake/Converse Reunion, I copied a family tree chart that was taped to the wall, the whole wall. I was 8 months pregnant, it was hot and I was miserable. I had a notation that a Jennie Drake married a George Priestly. And I had a note that Bird Drake married a Eugenia Priestly. I thought it was kinda sweet, and not uncommon among farm families.
The 1880 US Census finds Alfred Drake living in the home of George and Jane Priestly.
"United States Census, 1880," Alfred Drake in household of Geo. Priestly, Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan
« Back to search results| Name: | Alfred Drake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence: | Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthdate: | 1857 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | Michigan, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relationship to Head: | Son-in-law | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Birthplace: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | New York, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | New York, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race or Color (Expanded): | White | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnicity (Standardized): | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Martial Status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age (Expanded): | 23 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NARA Film Number: | T9-0580 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page: | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page Character: | B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entry Number: | 682 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Film number: | 1254580 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Household | Gender | Age | Birthplace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SELF | Geo. Priestly | M | 59 | England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WIFE | Jane Priestly | F | 56 | England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SON | Edwin Priestly | M | 30 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAU | Mattie Drake | F | 24 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAU | Katie Priestly | F | 18 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alfred Drake | M | 23 | Michigan, United States |
Alfred Drake is listed as the Son-in-law. But where is Eugenia? I pulled her birth date off of her death certificate -- 09 May 1855. In 1880 she would have been around 25 years old. There is a Mattie Drake, daughter of George who was 24. Could Mattie be Eugenia? I haven't been able to find anything with the initial M as a middle name.
In the 1900 Federal Census, Bird Drake shows up again. Born in June of 1857. Bird was born in Michigan and it says that both his parents were born in New York. His daddy, John Stout Drake was born in New York, but his mama, Lucia Cahoon Drake was born in Michigan. Again, I don't know who was the one answering the census taker's question. Lucia would have been for almost 20 years by this time. Also, in the "Number of Years Married Column" it says 1. According to my records they were married in 1879. So they would have been married 21 years. Also, poor Eugenia had born a child, but it had not lived.
1905: In the Hillsdale phone book, A. Bird is married to Eugenia. He is working in a saloon at 47 N. Broad, in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is living at 86 E. Sharp.
I have a copy of Eugenia Priestly Drake's Death Certificate. Born 09 May 1855. Married 02 Nov 1879. Died 09 Apr 1908. I know it's the right one because there are a few more clues. Father was George Priestly, born in England. Mother is Jane Hardy, born in England. Eugenia died of La Grippa terminating in heart failure. Spouse: A.B. Drake. She is buried in North Adams, Cemetery.
In 1909 Alfred B Drake marries Ella Conway Ryan. She is a nurse and both of them have been married one time before.
I found a copy of Alfred's death certificate. Albert B. Drake died 13 Feb 1912. Whoever provided the information said he was born 13 Jan 1861 -- which is several years off. The also spell his mother's name -- Lucia Calhoon -- which sounds like it but is wrong. But that I will prove another day.
Friday, August 10, 2012
How to Write Dates for Your Genealogical Records
There can be confusion regarding how to write dates for your genealogical records. And I believe that confusion is caused by where you grew up, where and how you were educated and if you were in the military.
Dates are extremely important in genealogy as sometimes a year is the only information we've got on an ancestor. I am always reluctant to write down a specific date unless I am absolutely positive in it's accuracy. And as I progress with my family history, I try to think about the body of my work when I'm dead and gone -- how it will be regarded. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has spent a tremendous amount of time straightening out our family's misinformation, half facts, coupled with blase attitudes towards fact and then we have down right lies. When our families were creating records, I don't think they realized the importance, so it's hard to blame them, but as students of genealogy, we do know and therefore should always demand accuracy from ourselves.
If you are a new genealogist, there is a whole set of skills that you will be developing. And so here is my tip of the day for you...
I consider the Church of the Later Day Saints to pretty much set the standard for collecting genealogical data and they have contributed a lot to the education of young genealogists. They suggest that you write your dates military style. That means double digit day, followed by the month, followed by four digit year.
Example: 09 April 1871
Personally, I like to see a double digit day. That shows me that whoever was recording the information absolutely intended that particular date, in this example the 9th day of April. Not the 19th day or the 29th day, but the 9th day. As a genealogist you'll learn to question every piece of information that you come across.
In my house -- since my husband was in the military but also because he is stubborn as a mule, we use a three letter abbreviation for the months:
Example: January = JAN
February = FEB
March = MAR
April = APR
May = MAY
June = JUN
July = JUL
August = AUG
September = SEP
October = OCT
November = NOV
December = DEC
Now give it some thought. Once you decide on how you're going to write the dates for your genealogical records, stick with it.
I have spent a lot of time indexing records for Ancestry and Family Search and it makes me absolutely nuts to try to decipher bad handwriting. If the sloppiness comes in the name, many times you can tell what that name is, but in dates, you don't get that luxury. There are only 10 possible digits, but I've seen 7s that look like 9s, 5s that look like 2s, 3s that look like 8s. What I am asking is that you try really hard, to write you numbers beautifully. Write them like you were in 5th grade and actually getting a grade in handwriting. It will make your own records so much easier to read, but also who ever picks up where you left off.
Dates are extremely important in genealogy as sometimes a year is the only information we've got on an ancestor. I am always reluctant to write down a specific date unless I am absolutely positive in it's accuracy. And as I progress with my family history, I try to think about the body of my work when I'm dead and gone -- how it will be regarded. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has spent a tremendous amount of time straightening out our family's misinformation, half facts, coupled with blase attitudes towards fact and then we have down right lies. When our families were creating records, I don't think they realized the importance, so it's hard to blame them, but as students of genealogy, we do know and therefore should always demand accuracy from ourselves.
If you are a new genealogist, there is a whole set of skills that you will be developing. And so here is my tip of the day for you...
I consider the Church of the Later Day Saints to pretty much set the standard for collecting genealogical data and they have contributed a lot to the education of young genealogists. They suggest that you write your dates military style. That means double digit day, followed by the month, followed by four digit year.
Example: 09 April 1871
Personally, I like to see a double digit day. That shows me that whoever was recording the information absolutely intended that particular date, in this example the 9th day of April. Not the 19th day or the 29th day, but the 9th day. As a genealogist you'll learn to question every piece of information that you come across.
In my house -- since my husband was in the military but also because he is stubborn as a mule, we use a three letter abbreviation for the months:
Example: January = JAN
February = FEB
March = MAR
April = APR
May = MAY
June = JUN
July = JUL
August = AUG
September = SEP
October = OCT
November = NOV
December = DEC
Now give it some thought. Once you decide on how you're going to write the dates for your genealogical records, stick with it.
I have spent a lot of time indexing records for Ancestry and Family Search and it makes me absolutely nuts to try to decipher bad handwriting. If the sloppiness comes in the name, many times you can tell what that name is, but in dates, you don't get that luxury. There are only 10 possible digits, but I've seen 7s that look like 9s, 5s that look like 2s, 3s that look like 8s. What I am asking is that you try really hard, to write you numbers beautifully. Write them like you were in 5th grade and actually getting a grade in handwriting. It will make your own records so much easier to read, but also who ever picks up where you left off.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Henry R Scovill of Ypsilanti, Michigan
Here is an article regarding my great great grandpappy. Apparently it wasn't just the Drakes that had it going on. This is from a publication called Ypsilanti Gleanings:
Henry R Scovill:
During the one hundred and eighty year history of Ypsilanti, many people have had a major influence on the history of the City. Henry Scovill's influence was social, financial, and political during his Ypsilanti years.
The son of Amasa and Laura Scovill, Henry was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 28, 1843. His father moved the family to Ypsilanti in the 1850's. When the Civil War erupted, Henry could not resist President Lincoln's call to arms and was one of five members of the Light Guards who volunteered. He saw the battle of Bull Run and participated in a number of skirmishes with Confederate troops.
On his return to Ypsilanti he was restless and set out for the West, going as far as the railroad would take him and then continuing by boat to Omaha, Nebraska. There he secured employment as a driver for a mule team freighting outfit serving Salt Lake City and for weeks drove across unbroken prairie. He soon mastered the trick of wielding a black snake whip and driving six mules with aid of one line and the use of mule language. For all of this, he earned fifty cents per day. The only Indians encountered on the trip were bent on mule stealing. He met some of the leading gunmen of the day, among them one known to the Mormons as “The Quieting Angel,” no doubt a reference to the permanency of the sleep his guns provided.
It took Henry two months to drive his six mules to Salt Lake. With $30 saved, Henry bought passage on a wagon train to California. In California he worked on a ranch and hunted gold in his spare time. The search was unsuccessful and he eventually returned by ocean steamer to Nicaragua, traveled across the isthmus by river boat and mule pack. From Nicaragua he went by ship to New York and finally back to Ypsilanti.
Back in Ypsilanti, Henry married Mary Jarvis, daughter of William and Ann Jarvis on February 15, 1868. After the death of Mary, he married Nina Mavis on January 25, 1888. Together, Henry and Nina built and lived in a large brick home at 160 North Washington.
In 1869, Henry started Scovill Lumber Company adjacent to the mill race that surrounded the east side of our present day Frog Island Park. The Huron River was used for power and nearby forests furnished the lumber. The saw mill was an important factor in business life when scores of farmers brought huge loads of logs on sleighs from all sections of the surrounding country to be sawed into lumber for summer building. He did import white pine from the Saginaw area. After a flood that wiped out his lumber company and with the coming of electricity, the lumber company moved to the corner of Jarvis and North Huron. Pine lumber recently occupied the site. Self storage units are now for rent at this location.
Henry was first elected Mayor of Ypsilanti in 1881 and was reelected in 1882 and 1883 for three successive one year terms. In his first inaugural address, he recommended that the council proceed at once to build a number of cisterns at different places about the City for fire protections. Several of them were built and kept filled with water until the City put in a water works system. During his second term, payment of road bonds was an issue. The City lost a law suit and, through the tax payers, were forced to pay $10,000 each year for ten years to pay the bonds off. One wonders what the alternative method of payment might have been. After serving three years as mayor in the 1880's, Henry was elected again for two one year terms in the 1890's. After serving these terms, he declined to run again and retired from politics. D. L. Davis, a long time associate of Henry, is quoted saying “Mayor Scovill's administration was noted for its economy and business like management and I feel that we owe him a debt of gratitude for what he did for the City of Ypsilanti at that time.”
Like many Ypsilanti residents who never expected to spend their lives in Ypsilanti, Herbert Bisbee came to Ypsilanti to attend college, Cleary College in his case. He met and married Henry's daughter and joined the Scovill Lumber Company in 1910.
In 1929, Henry drove his horse drawn delivery wagon on North Huron as he frequently did. At the intersection of Forest Avenue, an automobile collision resulted in fatal injuries for Henry.
The business became Scovill-Bisbee Lumber Company and continued in business until September 3, 1962. The family run lumber company operated continuously for 93 years. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Scovill and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Bisbee are buried on a hill in the northwest corner of Highland Cemetery overlooking the Frog Island site of Scovill Lumber and the Huron Street site of Scovill-Bisbee Lumber.
Henry R Scovill:
During the one hundred and eighty year history of Ypsilanti, many people have had a major influence on the history of the City. Henry Scovill's influence was social, financial, and political during his Ypsilanti years.
The son of Amasa and Laura Scovill, Henry was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 28, 1843. His father moved the family to Ypsilanti in the 1850's. When the Civil War erupted, Henry could not resist President Lincoln's call to arms and was one of five members of the Light Guards who volunteered. He saw the battle of Bull Run and participated in a number of skirmishes with Confederate troops.
On his return to Ypsilanti he was restless and set out for the West, going as far as the railroad would take him and then continuing by boat to Omaha, Nebraska. There he secured employment as a driver for a mule team freighting outfit serving Salt Lake City and for weeks drove across unbroken prairie. He soon mastered the trick of wielding a black snake whip and driving six mules with aid of one line and the use of mule language. For all of this, he earned fifty cents per day. The only Indians encountered on the trip were bent on mule stealing. He met some of the leading gunmen of the day, among them one known to the Mormons as “The Quieting Angel,” no doubt a reference to the permanency of the sleep his guns provided.
It took Henry two months to drive his six mules to Salt Lake. With $30 saved, Henry bought passage on a wagon train to California. In California he worked on a ranch and hunted gold in his spare time. The search was unsuccessful and he eventually returned by ocean steamer to Nicaragua, traveled across the isthmus by river boat and mule pack. From Nicaragua he went by ship to New York and finally back to Ypsilanti.
Back in Ypsilanti, Henry married Mary Jarvis, daughter of William and Ann Jarvis on February 15, 1868. After the death of Mary, he married Nina Mavis on January 25, 1888. Together, Henry and Nina built and lived in a large brick home at 160 North Washington.
In 1869, Henry started Scovill Lumber Company adjacent to the mill race that surrounded the east side of our present day Frog Island Park. The Huron River was used for power and nearby forests furnished the lumber. The saw mill was an important factor in business life when scores of farmers brought huge loads of logs on sleighs from all sections of the surrounding country to be sawed into lumber for summer building. He did import white pine from the Saginaw area. After a flood that wiped out his lumber company and with the coming of electricity, the lumber company moved to the corner of Jarvis and North Huron. Pine lumber recently occupied the site. Self storage units are now for rent at this location.
Henry was first elected Mayor of Ypsilanti in 1881 and was reelected in 1882 and 1883 for three successive one year terms. In his first inaugural address, he recommended that the council proceed at once to build a number of cisterns at different places about the City for fire protections. Several of them were built and kept filled with water until the City put in a water works system. During his second term, payment of road bonds was an issue. The City lost a law suit and, through the tax payers, were forced to pay $10,000 each year for ten years to pay the bonds off. One wonders what the alternative method of payment might have been. After serving three years as mayor in the 1880's, Henry was elected again for two one year terms in the 1890's. After serving these terms, he declined to run again and retired from politics. D. L. Davis, a long time associate of Henry, is quoted saying “Mayor Scovill's administration was noted for its economy and business like management and I feel that we owe him a debt of gratitude for what he did for the City of Ypsilanti at that time.”
Like many Ypsilanti residents who never expected to spend their lives in Ypsilanti, Herbert Bisbee came to Ypsilanti to attend college, Cleary College in his case. He met and married Henry's daughter and joined the Scovill Lumber Company in 1910.
In 1929, Henry drove his horse drawn delivery wagon on North Huron as he frequently did. At the intersection of Forest Avenue, an automobile collision resulted in fatal injuries for Henry.
The business became Scovill-Bisbee Lumber Company and continued in business until September 3, 1962. The family run lumber company operated continuously for 93 years. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Scovill and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Bisbee are buried on a hill in the northwest corner of Highland Cemetery overlooking the Frog Island site of Scovill Lumber and the Huron Street site of Scovill-Bisbee Lumber.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Henry R Scovill of Ypsilanti, Michigan
But as I write this I am close to tears. I never realized it before, but those are the eyes of my father. Dark, deep set with smudges under them, that can get really dark when tired. He has a very round head and quite a broad jaw. My brothers, Dob Jr. and Mike Drake, have very round heads, as does my daughter, Jessi and Mike Drake's boy -- Mike Drake. We've been known to call that a bullet head.
And there is that nose! I was the only one in the family to end up with that schnoz. I never cared to much because it was just like my dad's. He once told me that I had a Roman nose, and I thought that was pretty great because I thought Italians were beautiful. And then he hit me with the punch line "It roams all over your face!" As if he could talk. My daughter Nicole has that nose, and I'm pretty sure that her daughter has that nose as well.
Here's a picture of Donald Duane Drake. What do you think? Do you see the resemblance?
Apparently, Henry R. Scovill was a pretty big deal in Ypsilanti. He was a lumberman as well as a residential builder and some of his houses are still standing. I'll cover that next time.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Put it on Paper!
I'm a letter writer. Always have been. When I was away at college I kept up with a dozen different people, always managing to find time to write, even though I was working, taking 18 hours and making the dean's list. I love the internet, don't get me wrong. And I love the quick little note from my kids, and the long distance phone calls. But that leaves nothing left over to write about. Long flowing letters, where one shares one's heart -- too complicated to say over the phone, too intimate to drop into the ethernet.
One of my greatest possessions is about thirty letters from Illda's side of the family, letters saved because the writer was missed, and cherished for 100 years. This is the only insight I have to the family members I never knew. I was watching a little article on Youtube on how a handwriting analyst could tell you a lot about people in your family, just by the way they wrote. Was he a powerful personality, was he sad. Did he pay attention to detail, what was his level of education. What are people going to take away from the 20 word emails we leave behind?
So I urge you to pick a family member and write them a letter. Even if it's just at Christmas. That person won't through it away. They'll stick it somewhere safe. In in a 100 years, someone will find it and remember you and wonder about who you were.
This is a letter that my grandmother Illda Martha Austin wrote to her gran Elizabeth "Libbie" Moore Austin. This is one of the letters I've used to track down which Daniels and Austin Family I'm connected to. See if you can pick out the clues:
Denver Colo
Sunday
My Dear Dear Grandma:
Your letter of recent date at hand + if I had not been so busy I would have answered sooner. You see I have been in the dentists hands for over 2 weeks. For more than four years my teeth have been in terrible condition + Aunt Addi knew I could not stand all those abcesses (sic) another year so she left me $25.00 to pay for them. I go every afternoon + stay from 12 to 4 o'clock. Then I am in my spare time making a silk dress for my sister + besides that I am trying to locate something to work at. But can't start before my teeth are ready. you know how badly ever since Papa died that I have wanted to be a nurse + I guess I will have to give it up. Because you have to have a High School education + that I have not. So I have lost quite a little time investigating into that.
I would so love to come to you + would do so only there would be no work when I got there, so what would I do?
Aunt Addie wants me to come to her but I can't think that it would be best for me to do so.
You know we have been here jut about a year + 2 weeks now. Just before we came there was a terrible cloud burst in Houston and our house was all but demolished + what furniture we did have left we brought along. I was buying the other furniture on time (that we were using here in Denver.) So when I sold the furniture that was our own I got $25.00. So now you know my financial end of the situation.
No, I am + have been (since Aunt Addie went back) been staying with friends who I don't think will take any board. I have here for a week yesterday (Sat). So I am not with this man or his daughter + and while dear Grandma I haven't taken you into my confidence it isn't because of anything of which I am ashamed but rather its too long a story to write at the present. I shall have to tell you when I see you. My mother, bless her memory, did what she did for me, not her self for to her the idea of marriage again was most repulsive. To think then that I have been the cause of what terminated a most unhappy affair, make me more than miserable. But I will make it up to her in the next world. Because I know there is a world whose pleasures have not yet been tasted by the living + I know too, my mother is numbered among its people. I have confidence too that I shall meet that weary little soul only it will be so changed. Because for some time past I have accepted God as my Saviour + Father + now this morning when Church time comes I am about to do it publically (sic) much to the pleasure of many of my dear friends who all walk in the path of God. So that my influence dear Grandma is the most Christian and Godly.
No I am not refusing to make a confident of you. But just at this time I am too much shaken to go through with the details one by one which were the direct cause of mamma's death.
And I shall have to stay here until I see whether he settles mamma's bills or not. Because if he doesn't I shall have to do so + I don't want to go until I know.
No, do write me very often dearest Grandparents because while friends are very very dear they aren't so much to us as our own relatives.
Lovingly Illda
4212 Stuart St.
What a lovely letter from Illda Martha Austin. And I know for a fact that up to this point, Illda had only gone to school for one day. She told me years ago that she went to school one day and that she was so traumatized that her mom didn't make her go back.
One of my greatest possessions is about thirty letters from Illda's side of the family, letters saved because the writer was missed, and cherished for 100 years. This is the only insight I have to the family members I never knew. I was watching a little article on Youtube on how a handwriting analyst could tell you a lot about people in your family, just by the way they wrote. Was he a powerful personality, was he sad. Did he pay attention to detail, what was his level of education. What are people going to take away from the 20 word emails we leave behind?
So I urge you to pick a family member and write them a letter. Even if it's just at Christmas. That person won't through it away. They'll stick it somewhere safe. In in a 100 years, someone will find it and remember you and wonder about who you were.
This is a letter that my grandmother Illda Martha Austin wrote to her gran Elizabeth "Libbie" Moore Austin. This is one of the letters I've used to track down which Daniels and Austin Family I'm connected to. See if you can pick out the clues:
Denver Colo
Sunday
My Dear Dear Grandma:
Your letter of recent date at hand + if I had not been so busy I would have answered sooner. You see I have been in the dentists hands for over 2 weeks. For more than four years my teeth have been in terrible condition + Aunt Addi knew I could not stand all those abcesses (sic) another year so she left me $25.00 to pay for them. I go every afternoon + stay from 12 to 4 o'clock. Then I am in my spare time making a silk dress for my sister + besides that I am trying to locate something to work at. But can't start before my teeth are ready. you know how badly ever since Papa died that I have wanted to be a nurse + I guess I will have to give it up. Because you have to have a High School education + that I have not. So I have lost quite a little time investigating into that.
I would so love to come to you + would do so only there would be no work when I got there, so what would I do?
Aunt Addie wants me to come to her but I can't think that it would be best for me to do so.
You know we have been here jut about a year + 2 weeks now. Just before we came there was a terrible cloud burst in Houston and our house was all but demolished + what furniture we did have left we brought along. I was buying the other furniture on time (that we were using here in Denver.) So when I sold the furniture that was our own I got $25.00. So now you know my financial end of the situation.
No, I am + have been (since Aunt Addie went back) been staying with friends who I don't think will take any board. I have here for a week yesterday (Sat). So I am not with this man or his daughter + and while dear Grandma I haven't taken you into my confidence it isn't because of anything of which I am ashamed but rather its too long a story to write at the present. I shall have to tell you when I see you. My mother, bless her memory, did what she did for me, not her self for to her the idea of marriage again was most repulsive. To think then that I have been the cause of what terminated a most unhappy affair, make me more than miserable. But I will make it up to her in the next world. Because I know there is a world whose pleasures have not yet been tasted by the living + I know too, my mother is numbered among its people. I have confidence too that I shall meet that weary little soul only it will be so changed. Because for some time past I have accepted God as my Saviour + Father + now this morning when Church time comes I am about to do it publically (sic) much to the pleasure of many of my dear friends who all walk in the path of God. So that my influence dear Grandma is the most Christian and Godly.
No I am not refusing to make a confident of you. But just at this time I am too much shaken to go through with the details one by one which were the direct cause of mamma's death.
And I shall have to stay here until I see whether he settles mamma's bills or not. Because if he doesn't I shall have to do so + I don't want to go until I know.
No, do write me very often dearest Grandparents because while friends are very very dear they aren't so much to us as our own relatives.
Lovingly Illda
4212 Stuart St.
What a lovely letter from Illda Martha Austin. And I know for a fact that up to this point, Illda had only gone to school for one day. She told me years ago that she went to school one day and that she was so traumatized that her mom didn't make her go back.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Alfred Joseph Hughes
This is a document that I recently found among my grandfather -- Cleo Mallison Hughes -- papers. It is the obituary for his father, Alfred Joseph Hughes. It was not written by my grandfather, but definitely in a manly handwriting.
Obituary
Alfred Joseph Hughes was born in Menia, Dutches (sic) Co New York in the year of 1861 and departed this life at his home in Battle Creek Mich July 23 - 1910 at the age of 48 years ten months and 24 days.
Deceased was 1 of a family of 11 children and moved with his parents to Storm Lake Iowa at the age of 11 years. of which place he made his home until 1884 when he came to Michigan locating in Dowagiac at which place he lived for 17 years returning to Storm Lake for 2 years thence to Coldwater Michigan and later to Battle Creek at which place he passed peacefully away of heart failure Saturday night July 23.
In the year of 1882 he was united in marriage to Miss Emily Hannon of Storm Lake.
To this union was born 4 children the eldest dyeing (sic) in infancy namely Alfred L of Kalamazoo Michigan Mrs. Bertha LaDow of Girard Michigan and Fray A of Battle Creek. The wife of this union preceding him to the better land in the year 1899.
In the year 1900 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Ella Mallison, to this union was born 3 children Louis Lee. Cleo M. and little baby Thelma all of which are left to mourn. the loss of a kind and affectionate husband and loving father beside one step son Charley Mallison. The greatest part of his life was spent at his favorite occupation that of carpentering.
The funeral was held from his home 418 Upton Ave. Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock conducted by Rev. R. Skimmerhorn of Hudson Michigan. Internment takeing (sic) place at Oak Hill Cemetery. Three sister (sic) and 2 brothers from Storm Lake Iowa and relatives and friends from Coldwater Quincy Kalamazoo Charlotte and Dowagiac attended his last remains.
The grief striken (sic) wife and family have the sincere sympathy of all their neighbors and friends in this their great bereavement.
Friday, August 3, 2012
My Number One Bit of Advice
Whenever a new genealogy enthusiast asks me for a piece of advice, this is pretty much what I tell 'em:
1) Go slow. Go slow in printing everything you find about everyone you find on the Internet. It is to easy t get overwhelmed.
2) Go slow. Go slow in inking in people on your family tree chart. It's up to you to validate. Not some cousin 17 times removed who's family tree chart you found on the Internet. Many of us keep two charts. The working chart that is done in pencil. I keep that with a list of questions that I need answered before I claim this person as my own. Then there is the much smaller, much more pristine chart that is written in ink, with no scribble scrabbles or smudges.
3) Go slow. I know it's tempting (because I did it myself) but don't rush out and get paid subscriptions to all the genealogy sites out there. You will probably eventually want to join Ancestry.com, but look around and see what you can find for free.
* FamilySearch.org -- This is a free site from The Church of the Latter Day Saints.
* Pull out your library card. My county's library has a subscription to Heritage Quest that you can access from your home computer. Heritage Quest isn't as user friendly as Ancestry, but there are some genealogists that swear by it and prefer it. Also see if the library system has a subscription to Ancestry. Many do, but you have to actually go into the library facility to access it.
* Look in the phone book and see if your town has a Family History Center. Connected to the Mormons, but last time I checked they did not charge for research you do at the center.
* If you are lucky enough to live in the same town where your family has resided for years, check to see if there is a local historical society or a local genealogical society. Sometimes there is a membership fee, but it's usually pretty miserable.
* Cyndi's List -- Wikipedia defines Cyndi's List this way:
* YouTube.com -- go ahead and search their site for "genealogy." They have a TON of videos and lectures and from those you can get thousands of tips and tricks.
1) Go slow. Go slow in printing everything you find about everyone you find on the Internet. It is to easy t get overwhelmed.
2) Go slow. Go slow in inking in people on your family tree chart. It's up to you to validate. Not some cousin 17 times removed who's family tree chart you found on the Internet. Many of us keep two charts. The working chart that is done in pencil. I keep that with a list of questions that I need answered before I claim this person as my own. Then there is the much smaller, much more pristine chart that is written in ink, with no scribble scrabbles or smudges.
3) Go slow. I know it's tempting (because I did it myself) but don't rush out and get paid subscriptions to all the genealogy sites out there. You will probably eventually want to join Ancestry.com, but look around and see what you can find for free.
* FamilySearch.org -- This is a free site from The Church of the Latter Day Saints.
* Pull out your library card. My county's library has a subscription to Heritage Quest that you can access from your home computer. Heritage Quest isn't as user friendly as Ancestry, but there are some genealogists that swear by it and prefer it. Also see if the library system has a subscription to Ancestry. Many do, but you have to actually go into the library facility to access it.
* Look in the phone book and see if your town has a Family History Center. Connected to the Mormons, but last time I checked they did not charge for research you do at the center.
* If you are lucky enough to live in the same town where your family has resided for years, check to see if there is a local historical society or a local genealogical society. Sometimes there is a membership fee, but it's usually pretty miserable.
* Cyndi's List -- Wikipedia defines Cyndi's List this way:
You could spend weeks and months, just combing through that website seeing what they have to offer. Here's a link: http://www.CyndisList.com/create-a-link-to-cyndis-list/
- "Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet is a categorized and cross-referenced list of links for genealogical research. The site contains roughly 260,000 links in 180 categories. Cyndi's List supplements operating expenses with affiliate advertising."
* YouTube.com -- go ahead and search their site for "genealogy." They have a TON of videos and lectures and from those you can get thousands of tips and tricks.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Crazy!
Some crazy things have happened to me since I started getting into genealogy.
Several years ago, I put a message on the Ancestry Message Board looking for anybody that had any information about Illda Martha Austin. I was stuck. I was stumped. I was a rookie and didn't know what my next step should be.
A lady contacted me and said that she collects antique photos, and she had one that had the name Illda Martha Austin written on the back of it. She had picked it up (along with a box of other photos). She said that she would send me a copy. Yea! Great! Oh, and to get a print of it would cost $14 and shipping. Really? Oh, I'm a skeptical soul. Sounds like someone is trying to flamboozle me. But it was only $14 so I fell for it and mailed her a check. At least she gave me a real address, not a PO Box address.
Guess what? A couple of weeks later, I got the picture in the mail. I know. I couldn't believe it. And it was indeed my grandmother at about age 4 or 5. And, really, I didn't need the name Illda Martha Austin to know it was her. It looked just like her. And years later, I found the same print in an old album in the attic.
But I wonder how it got into the antique shop. The lady found it in Jackson, Michigan and I have some family in that neck of the woods, but who would get rid of a child's portrait. Did the last person who knew who she was die and the photo meant nothing to no one? How sad.
Several years ago, I put a message on the Ancestry Message Board looking for anybody that had any information about Illda Martha Austin. I was stuck. I was stumped. I was a rookie and didn't know what my next step should be.
A lady contacted me and said that she collects antique photos, and she had one that had the name Illda Martha Austin written on the back of it. She had picked it up (along with a box of other photos). She said that she would send me a copy. Yea! Great! Oh, and to get a print of it would cost $14 and shipping. Really? Oh, I'm a skeptical soul. Sounds like someone is trying to flamboozle me. But it was only $14 so I fell for it and mailed her a check. At least she gave me a real address, not a PO Box address.
Guess what? A couple of weeks later, I got the picture in the mail. I know. I couldn't believe it. And it was indeed my grandmother at about age 4 or 5. And, really, I didn't need the name Illda Martha Austin to know it was her. It looked just like her. And years later, I found the same print in an old album in the attic.
But I wonder how it got into the antique shop. The lady found it in Jackson, Michigan and I have some family in that neck of the woods, but who would get rid of a child's portrait. Did the last person who knew who she was die and the photo meant nothing to no one? How sad.