ROOTSWEB REVIEW: RootsWeb's Genealogy News Vol. 3, No. 8, 23 February 2000, Circulation: 399,747+ (c) 1998-2000 RootsWeb.com, Inc. RootsWeb.com, Inc., P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798 Editors: Julia M. Case and Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG RootsWeb HelpDesk: Advertising: Media Contact: DONATIONS HELP ROOTSWEB HELP YOU AND ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. For details about support levels, benefits, and payment options (check or credit card), e-mail or visit . Mailing address: RootsWeb.com, Inc., P.O. Box 6798, Frazier Park, CA 93222-6798. (Please write your e-mail address on all correspondence and checks.) * * * * * IN THIS ISSUE: o News and Notes from RootsWeb o Confessions of a WorldConnect Addict o Connecting through RootsWeb -- A Brick Wall, A 100-Year-Old Obituary, and RootsWeb o New Genealogy Mailing Lists o New Genealogy Web Pages o GenConnect o USGenWeb Archives Project o Letters to the Editors o Humor o Reprint Policy, Back Issues, How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe * * * * * NEWS AND NOTES FROM ROOTSWEB SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX (SSDI). The January 2000 update of the SSDI is in place with a total of 62,917,259 entries. This version reflects 205,468 additions since the last update, 40,756 changes, and 1,537 deletions. The URL for the SSDI is: * * * ROOTSWEB'S GUIDE TO TRACING FAMILY TREES In addition to brief, interactive online genealogy lessons, you'll find links to relevant resources at RootsWeb and elsewhere on the Internet. Index to lessons: * * * RootsWeb learned today that it has been named one of the 101 best family history Web sites in the April 2000 issue of Family Tree Magazine, now on newsstands. The full list may be seen at: . **PAID ADVERTISEMENT** The March/April issue of FAMILY CHRONICLE features an article on "Researching Your Irish Roots" by renowned genealogist Angus Baxter. Other articles include "10 Best Local Library Resources," "Organizing Your Family Records," "How to Choose the Right Genealogy Software," "Why Film Research May Still be Your Best Choice," "Websites Worth Surfing" and many others. Top genealogy writers have this to say about FAMILY CHRONICLE: Ruby Coleman--"The quality of articles allows not only beginners but the seasoned trained genealogist to learn more about the various aspects of genealogical research"; Dear MYRTLE--". . . this is a must have magazine"; Carllene Marek--" FAMILY CHRONICLE is one of the very best genealogical magazines available today." Find out how you can obtain a trial copy by visiting Obtain a trial copy of February/March HISTORY MAGAZINE with articles "Life and Death on the Oregon Trail," "The 1820's," "The Impact of Refrigeration," "The History of Horse Drawn Carriages," "History of the Midwives Role In Birth," "The Grand Review to celebrate the end of the Civil War," "History Notes -- Tobacco, the Sewing Machine, Ice Cream, the Toothbrush," and many others. Top columnists have this to say about HISTORY MAGAZINE. Betty Kirkland--" You shouldn't miss a single issue of this delightful publication"; Aulena Scearce Gibson--" This interesting and high-quality magazine will appeal to those who are curious about the everyday lives of their ancestors"; Regina Hines--"Articles are written in a style that appeals to the average person rather than the historical scholar". Find out how you can obtain a trial copy by visiting Save $5 on Family Chronicle Collection, a reprint of articles from the six sold-out year-one issues by calling 1-888-326-2476. Offer good until 29 February 2000. Mention RootsWeb. **PAID ADVERTISEMENT** ====================================== FREE CATALOG --- 1300+ BOOKS & CD-ROMS all published by Heritage Books, Inc. Request New Free Catalog-150 1-800-398-7709 or heritagebooks@pipeline.com HERITAGE BOOKS, INC. 1540 Pointer Ridge Place, Bowie MD 20716 ====================================== **END PAID ADVERTISEMENT** CONFESSIONS OF A WORLDCONNECT ADDICT by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG Being a lark has its advantages for those of us who explore Web looking for virtual footprints of our ancestors. In the dawn's early light, while I have my first cup of coffee, I like to explore RootsWeb's WorldConnect to see if any of my cousins have uploaded or updated their GEDCOMs. No matter how many years you have been researching your family tree, there is nothing like the thrill of finding a brand-new link -- discovering the maiden name of your great-great-whatever- grandmother or learning that the reason you can't find your Kelly family in Kentucky records after 1860 is that they moved to Arkansas. There the husband of your ancestor got into a fight with his brother-in-law and the family feud escalated into something so ugly that one part of the family rode off into the sunset, so to speak, and wound up in California. Who would have thought to look for them out there? The other day I found a cousin who has the 1831 Bible of our common ancestors, listing the names of all the couple's children and, get this, the names of their spouses. What a lovely way to start the day. Genealogy is most rewarding when it is shared. This was brought home to me again recently as I discovered someone had uploaded their GEDCOM and had one of my Vanderpool ancestors listed but with only three children. I smiled, dug (electronically) in my files and sent the lady information about the other seven children and the direct line back nine more generations. An old colleague of mine (the friendship is old, not us) wrote to me recently about another matter we were working on together and mentioned how fascinating this "genealogy stuff" must be and how he knew nothing about his mother's people, who were supposedly early settlers of Kentucky, but that "someday" he was going to do some research on them. I went to WORLDCONNECT and typed in the surname of interest (it was a rare one, thank goodness) and up popped a couple of references. I copied the information, along with the name and e-mail address of the gentleman who had posted the material, and sent it to my colleague. He scorched the electronic mail lines letting me know that this was his family and how excited he was to find he had a cousin doing some research. Of course, the downside of finding all this wonderful information is I have to verify it and then update my own files and upload more of my GEDCOMs. While some genealogists hesitate to post their GEDCOMS, expressing fears that someone will "steal" their ancestors or the results of their hard work, I am not concerned. I don't own these ancestors of mine, and while I have spent many years researching my many families, I have decided I prefer to share. I trust my cousins will give me credit, where it is due, and be gentle regarding my errors. I also hope they will take the time to contact me and exchange additional information. On the other hand, if some people just want to grab a bunch of names to make their databases larger, that's OK too. However, for those who want to steal some of my ancestors, let me give you the list of those you are welcome to take. * * * * * CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. A BRICK WALL, A HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD OBITUARY, AND ROOTSWEB by Shirley A. Hartman Found among photographs and clippings that had been in the possession of my mother's mother was a small, original obituary of her husband's grandfather, Peter WORMWOOD, in Manlius on 11 July 1894. This line had me stumped outside of names and dates. And the surname is used by only a handful of living souls -- less than a dozen -- most being directly related. No one could give anything more than guesses based on family lore about where the family had come from or where they had lived prior to the Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin generation in the late 1800s. A few years earlier, I had come across, using Soundex, WORMUTHs, WORMWOODs, and other similar names in an area in central New York state and had found a pension record from the War of 1812 showing a Peter WORMOOD and his mother, Catharine, making application in 1844 in Onondaga County, New York, the widow's husband, the soldier, being John. Manlius is located in Onondaga County. The Onondaga County Web site was still in its early stages but there was a wealth of information already in place and more coming almost daily from some very dedicated people. I put out a query on the WORMOOD name and a couple of other surnames I knew had married into the family, and started going through every item the site had on line word for word trying to get an idea of the type of town it was in the early 1800s and becoming familiar with other families who were in the area during the 19th century. I wouldn't use the "find in page" feature for fear I would miss something with a different spelling. One night I decided to tackle the growing collection of cemetery listings. Having no idea which one to start with, I picked a couple of the obvious ones with the name of the town or area. No luck. A couple of nights later, I went to a few more cemetery sites on the page with the sinking resignation the WORMOODs could very well be buried in an unread cemetery. But there, at the bottom of one list, was the name Peter WORMWOOD, his wife Alphleda, four of his children who died young and his mother, Catharine! The yelp I let out had my daughter running into the room to see if I was okay. She saw this grown woman standing, pointing at the screen and shouting, "I've found them!" (To a 14-year-old, this was verging on someone losing her mind. To someone who has made that long sought out "find," no further explanation is needed!) In sheer gratitude, I e-mailed heartfelt thanks to the Webmaster and to the women who had done the reading of this particular cemetery. About two weeks later, one of these women e-mailed me asking if I was the one related to Peter. Yes, I was. What she wrote next was nothing short of the coincidence of sheer luck and the sound of bricks falling down. The Manlius Historical Society had just finished putting the finishing touches on its new home and was having an area graded for parking. The machine operator hit something big -- big enough for him to stop and call someone. What was unearthed was a 1,400-pound blue limestone carriage stepping stone that had been used by a previous owner of the property in the course of his blacksmithing business; a man who had owned the property for more than sixty years; a man named Peter WORMOOD. There was an article in the Manlius paper about this find and a group went to the cemetery where Peter and his family are buried. This woman not only sent photographs of the site, but also included the article and photos of the newspaper photographers taking pictures of this relic. Since then, more has been found concerning Peter's life there. Still have lots of questions but the wall of bricks and mortar was no match for an obituary over a century old, some very dedicated people and RootsWeb. **PAID ADVERTISEMENT** CEMETERIES -- NOT JUST FOR HALLOWEEN ANYMORE by Carol Gunby, Genealogy.com Death records are one of the three cornerstones of genealogical research. Along with birth and marriage records, they help create the outline of a family's relationships to each other. They are often also the records that are easiest to obtain for documentation of your family. But what if there is no death certificate available for an ancestor you're seeking? Or what if you want an extra sense of history and context in which to place him or her? Getting Started with Cemetery Records There are several ways to find out where your ancestor is buried. If you don't know the name of the cemetery in which your ancestor was buried, look in obituaries, wills, and on death certificates -- they often list burial information or the name of a funeral home that you can contact. Make sure that you also ask other family members if they are aware of any family plots. Also check the records of the church that your ancestor attended. Their records may have the name of the cemetery. If you don't know the location of the cemetery, you can find it in several ways. First look in telephone books for the area, or ask at the local courthouse, library, genealogical society, or even local churches. Second, look at U.S. Government Geological Survey maps of the area, available in larger libraries and often in sporting goods stores. These maps show all of the roads, houses, and even the small graveyards. Finally, check your local public and genealogy libraries for the AMERICAN BLUE BOOK OF FUNERAL DIRECTORS, published in New York by the National Funeral Directors Association. It lists cemeteries by location. If your ancestor is buried in the cemetery and you plan to visit the grave site, you should also find out when the cemetery office is open so that you can stop in and find out exactly where the plot is. This will save you the trouble of having to search the entire cemetery for your ancestor. Other Sources of Cemetery Records You may not actually need to visit a cemetery in order to look at cemetery records and gravestones. Many of these records have been transcribed and are available in the archives of various organizations and societies. Another new development in cemetery records research is the creation of online transcription archives. Some contain electronic versions of transcribed inscriptions, and some, like Virtual Cemetery , also provide a photo of the gravestone and contact information for the person who submitted it. Many people use computerized cemetery records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries also have computerized cemetery records indexes. Do keep in mind that it's best to try and verify any gravestone or cemetery information you find through these types of sources -- there is always the possibility of error in a transcription you find as a secondary source. Plus, it is often a moment of real connection when you finally do find the grave site of a long-sought ancestor; that sense of family place is well worth the trouble. If you find you enjoy this type of research, you may want to consider contributing to the Virtual Cemetery or to the USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project at . Those who follow you in the hobby will surely be glad you did. **END PAID ADVERTISEMEN** MAILING LISTS. For an index to most genealogy mailing lists hosted by RootsWeb, visit NEW MAILING LIST REQUESTS. Please request new mailing lists at: TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE from any RootsWeb-hosted mailing list, send an e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the subject and the body of the message to [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode). FOR EXAMPLE, to discuss historical and genealogical aspects of the BOER-WAR, send a SUBSCRIBE message to NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS, GENCONNECT BOARDS, AND CLUSTERS Argue Bagshaw, Barrescal, Barresdale, Battershell, Benningfield, Blurton, Bough, Broadus, Brodes, Bundrant Carhart, Cressy Derricott, Dolly, Dowbiggin, Droege, Druin Farnan, Freeny Gottschall Hall-John (descendants of John Hall, 1611 England-1696, Yarmouth, Massachusetts), Hardenbergh, Heinitz, Hitchcox, Hover, Hund Imming Kepley Lewins, Linnell, Luga McCardle Noonkester Parente Rasnick, Rehg, Reinacher, Rester, Runnalls Schlack, Shrimplin, Shultis, Sniatkowski, Stearman, StJosephs, Streetman, Swilley Thomaston, Traster Uribe VanValkenburg Waltes, Wates, Wearden Yoho NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS IRELAND IRL-LOUISBURGH -- Louisburgh (town) U.S.A. MACHELSEA -- Chelsea, Massachusetts (town) MACLINTON -- Clinton, Massachusetts (town) NEW ETHNIC, SPECIAL INTEREST, AND MISCELLANEOUS MAILING LISTS AMXROADS -- Combination locality, surname, history list for American Crossroads Web site AZSTATEGENSOC -- Arizona State Genealogical Society BOER-WAR -- history and genealogical aspects of the Boer War EFSS -- Early families in southern states MEXICAN-WAR -- Mexican War ancestors NYTRISTATE -- Families migrating between New York and adjoining states SPAN-AM-WAR -- Spanish American War ancestors WYMINING -- mining industry in Wyoming * * * * * NEW WEB ACCOUNT REQUESTS. Please see the instructions at NEW WEB SITES. Some of these might not yet be accessible. If one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or a week. . Note that the ~[tilde] before the account name is required. FOR EXAMPLE, to visit Montreal, Quebec, Canada Web page, go to CANADA abbiglak -- Big Lakes, Alberta qcmtreal -- Montreal, QuebecENGLAND engtwfhs -- Tipton and Wednesbury Family History Society U.S.A. camogc -- Mission Oaks Genealogy Club (California) inccgs -- Cass County Genealogy Society (Indiana) inmarsha -- Marshall County, Indiana maglgc -- Greater Lowell Genealogy Club (Massachusetts) modarcwc -- Missouri State Society Daughters of the American Revolution Cold Water Cemetery nvccngs -- Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society nygglshp -- Genealogy Group of Longwood Society for Historic Preservation (New York) nywcgs -- Westchester County Genealogical Society (New York) ohadams -- Adams County, Ohio txjchc -- Jasper County Historical Commission (Texas) txsaric -- Sons of the American Revolution, Independence Chapter (Texas) txwjbsrt -- William Joel Bryan Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas wvmigrat -- West Virginia Migrations wymining -- Wyoming Mining GENCONNECT. RootsWeb hosts many surname GenConnect boards that are in need of people to maintain them. o For a complete list of adoptable GenConnect surname boards o For the form to request to adopt a GenConnect surname board (the same form is used for surname mailing list requests) Have you found a genealogical treasure, such as a photo album or an old Bible containing a completed family record page, that you would like to see reunited with its family? If so, in addition to submitting a notice for publication in the "Somebody's Links" section of MISSING LINKS or in the SOMEBODY'S LINKS NEWSLETTER (to subscribe, send e-mail that says only SUBSCRIBE to: , also you may post a notice the GenConnect SOMEBODY'S LINKS board at * * * * * USGENWEB ARCHIVES -- THE ARCHIVES NEWSLETTER contains the current USGenWeb Archives submissions from the last week. February 21, 2000 issue USGW-ARCHIVES-ANNOUNCE-L is a read-only mailing list for weekly announcements of new updates and submissions to the USGenWeb Archives. It is open to anyone who wishes to subscribe. To subscribe, send e-mail that says only SUBSCRIBE to this address: * * * * * LETTERS TO THE EDITORS may be posted to the GenConnect board at http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/RWR-LettersToTheEditor or e-mailed to RWR-Editors@rootsweb.com. [RWR 3:7, Comment on "Someone might Steal My Research"] I had never thought about it that way. There are two kinds of people in the world, Lifters and Leaners. The idea to start this effort started simply. I would collect the necessary details to get my father a Pioneer Certificate for his 85th birthday. I did that, but by then family history was my passion. I didn't do it alone. I quickly discovered working together works best. RootsWeb is a great place to work with others. I share everything with "cousins" everywhere. If they share back they are lifters. If they don't share back, they are leaners. Sure, I'm disappointed by the leaners, but I haven't found many. When you give, you get. While sharing I've uncovered treasures that might otherwise have been lost. One of those was the STEWART Family Reunion Notebook 1908-1947, containing the minutes from annual gatherings held in North Park, Mansfield, Ohio. It began with a summary of the family's roots and each year listed who was born, married, and died, as well as who was in attendance, had new false teeth, or lost at horse shoes. I was allowed to photocopy the fragile pages, retyped the entries for the owner and made an extra copy for a library. I really enjoyed reading it and take a little pride in helping to assure it will be available 40 years from now for others. With the help of many my tree has grown to 6,000 descendents of Thomas HITCHCOCK 1747-1829. With the help of RootsWeb, branches on my tree sprout twigs and leaves. In sharing copies of public records I paid for, I acquired copies of old private photos and letters that I wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to view, let alone copy. Others can have the honor, glory and yes, the expense of publishing the first book. I just hope they get it done. Too often boxes of research are thrown out or languish in attics after the would-be-author passes on. Those who share their research on RootsWeb will know for sure their time and effort collecting it was not wasted. Mary Hitchcock [Update to Kathleen M. Bradburry's response published in ML 5:7, ". . . I am, by no means, alone in this problem. . . So, perhaps you could ask instead, `Why is someone only interested in collecting surnames in a database without the documentation?'," to Pete Daggett's, "Please, I may be really `thick,' but I really want to understand," published in RWR 3:6.] My mailbox has been swamped with people complaining of the same problem. The main theme that keeps repeating in most of the responses is one of frustration. There are a lot of people who take this very seriously - myself included. They keep searching for the documentation before adding an individual to their family, wanting to be sure they have truly found the correct person and can prove it. Years can go by while they search, with or without results, but no individual gets added without documented proof. And then, one day, they share their information, only to see it changed, merged, picked apart, etc. by someone looking for a quick and easy result. But, what they really shared was their family -- a part of themselves. To all who wrote to me, whether looking for answers, blowing off steam, expressing your feelings of victimization and even those who felt I was being selfish or out in left field, I thank you for your messages. I knew I wasn't alone in this but never dreamed the place was so crowded. I would love to write to each of you, but I don't think there is enough time. I quit counting after 75. The only advice that I can offer is to hope for a little more use of the often forgotten "Golden Rule," but I think that applies to just about everything in life. Kathleen M. (Cathy) Bradburry The RootsWeb WorldConnect site is so wonderful. Since uploading my GEDCOM to WorldConnect (and revising it several times) I have been contacted by three new "cousins" who have searched and found various surnames in my file and we have been able to connect our ancestors. From these wonderful new connections, I have been able to add to my family tree . . . and my newfound "cousins" have been able to add to their research from my file. A major concern for genealogists who are worried about posting information on any living individuals online is eliminated by the choices you can make as to what information you want posted to WorldConnect. Please keep adding your GEDCOMs! Gwen Mecum Hunt * * * * * HUMOR. Our thanks to "The Original Joke of the Day" at OH CANADA An elderly woman lived on a small farm in Canada, just yards away from the North Dakota border. Their land had been the subject of a minor dispute between the United States and Canada for years. The now widowed woman, lived on the farm with her son and three grandchildren. One day, her son came into her room holding a letter. "I just got some news, Mom," he said. "The government has come to an agreement with the people in North Dakota. They've decided that our land is really part of the United States. We have the right to approve or disapprove of the agreement. What do you think?" "What do I think?" his mother said. "Sign it! Call them right now and tell them we accept. I don't think I could stand another one of those Canadian winters!" * * * * * PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from ROOTSWEB REVIEW is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) thefollowing notice appears at the end of the article: Written by . Previously published by RootsWeb.com, Inc., RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Genealogy News, Vol. 3, No. 8, 23 February 2000. RootsWeb: BACK ISSUES OF ROOTSWEB REVIEW may be read online or downloaded from TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE from ROOTSWEB REVIEW and MISSING LINKS, send e-mail with only SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the message area to: . **PAID ADVERTISEMENT** FAMILYSTOREHOUSE SPECIALS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! So many people requested these two specials that we are putting them on special again! AMERICAN & EUROPEAN FAMILY FOREST CD-ROM MILLENNIUM EDITION. Your family history may already be done for you! If you have European ancestors, much of your family history is probably already lineage-linked in genealogical format and fully sourced. Normally $50 you can get it for $39.95. NETTING YOUR ANCESTORS by Cyndi Howell, a no-nonsense guide to Internet Genealogy! Normally $20 you can get it for $15.95. To order, visit . With every purchase RootsWeb gets a 10% donation. You can also call to order from the Family Storehouse Sales Department at 1-800-725-5013. ** END PAID ADVERTISEMENT** GENERATIONS MILLENNIUM COLLECTION is a 21 CD set that commemorates the millennium and the 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. The Generations Millennium Collection offers a compilation of tools that will make discovering one's heritage both fun and exciting. Included in the Millennium Collection you receive: exclusive Ellis Island content, EasyTree, EasyChart, valuable databases, a "how-to" book on American naturalization records, SnapShot Express (photo restoration software) and much more. Generations Millennium Collection continues the tradition of the Generations series to offer the finest charting available and offers the broadest spectrum of information in one place for family historians tracing their American heritage. For more information, visit