RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine Vol. 6, No. 28, 09 July 2003, Circulation: 981,768+ (c) 1998-2003 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ RootsWeb Review is a free weekly e-zine * * * Find your ancestors: Post genealogical queries on all relevant surname, locality, and topic message boards and mailing lists: Message Boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ Mailing Lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ WorldConnect: http://wc.rootsweb.com/ * * * See Section 9 below for RWR subscription guidelines and instructions If you wish to reach the RootsWeb Review, DO NOT use your e-mail application's "REPLY TO" option to this publication. Write to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Do not send any subscription/e-mail changes/requests to the editor ================================================================= In This Issue: 1. NEWS AND NOTES. 1a.Mailing Lists: "Help! Let Me Off!" 1b. "Spam Filters: Cures or Killers?" 1c. TIPS FROM READERS: "Finding Scouts" 1d. SUMMER SCHOOL ONLINE: Upcoming Classes 2. Connecting through RootsWeb: "Hiding Under Another Spelling" 3. New Webpages at RootsWeb 4. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 5. New User-contributed Databases 6. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 7. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Finding an Elusive Ancestor"; "Contriving Coincidences"; and "Cleaning Up Cemeteries" 8. Humor/Humour: "Your Ancestor Did What?" 9. RWR Reprint and Submissions Guidelines; Archives; Addresses; Subscription Modification Instructions ================================================================== 1. NEWS AND NOTES. MAILING LISTS. 1a. HELP! Let Me Off! Let's say that once upon a time you subscribed to the OHROOTS-D mailing list in Digest mode at RootsWeb because your 3g-grandfather, Clyde VonVagabond settled in Ohio for a short time on his way to Indiana, Illinois and the Oregon Territory. You suspected that he married while in Ohio and you struck gold in that someone on the list had the information you were looking for proving that your 3g-grandmother, previously known to you only as Martha, had a maiden name of Singletary. So now you want to unsubscribe from this list and move on. Uh oh. You search high and low for those instructions that were sent in the "Welcome" letter when you subscribed to the list Did you copy them to disk on that hard drive that long since failed or did you print them out on paper that later was used in house training Fluffy, your new Bichon Frise pup? In either case, you haven't a clue where the information is. You send an UNSUBSCRIBE request, but get a reply stating that your address cannot be removed from the list because it wasn't found on the list. Huh, how can that be? You KNOW you are receiving mail from the mailing list. What to do next? RootsWeb's Mailing List software is not capable of removing an address that it doesn't find subscribed to the list, so there is a problem somewhere. Check the rotating taglines (those blurbs of information found at the bottom of the list's messages) to see if the mailing list has them for removal instructions. The taglines might clue you in as to what you're doing wrong. Not all lists have such taglines, but many do. If you don't find the information you need there, pay a visit to Password Central at http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ and which despite the name, isn't just for passwords. Password Central also has all of your Mailing List subscription information and instructions on how to unsubscribe from each. Make sure you are trying to unsubscribe from the correct mailing list. Some of the names are quite similar. If you are subscribed to OHROOTS-D@rootsweb.com, sending an unsubscribe request to OHIO-L-request@rootsweb.com or OHIO-D-request@rootsweb.com won't get you removed from the OHROOTS-D list. These are different lists even though the names are similar, and each list has its own unsubscribe procedure and address. By the same token, since you are subscribed to the OHROOTS list in Digest mode (that's what the "D" stands for), sending your unsubscribe request to OHROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com (note the "L") won't get you unsubscribed either. You must unsubscribe from the exact same name list and the exact same mode -- in this case you need to send your unsubscribe request to: OHROOTS-D-request@rootsweb.com -- for your request to be successfully processed. Remember when you are subscribing to or unsubscribing from a mailing list that you are making a "request" and the mailing list address you send this to always has the word "request" in it. However, when you are posting messages to a mailing list you use the mailing list's address (that is the one without the "request" in it). And, here's what trips up many of us. You must SEND your request to unsubscribe FROM the exact same e-mail address under which you are subscribed. You can't unsubscribe from your office or laptop e-mail accounts (if you have different e-mail addresses there). If you have changed addresses and you arranged with your old ISP to have genealogy mailing list mail forwarded to your new address, and you can no longer send mail from your original address, drop a note to the list administrator at: LISTNAME-admin@rootsweb.com (no -L or -D). Replace the generic word LISTNAME with the actual list name. In this example it would be OHROOTS-admin@rootsweb.com. Let the administrator know you want to unsubscribe and that you are most likely subscribed under an old, inaccessible address (and don't forget to give him or her that full e-mail address). In cases where you need to write to the list administrator for assistance in unsubscribing, it is extremely helpful if you include a copy of the most recent message you have received from the mailing list in question with full, expanded headers. Don't know how? See: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/listadmins/headersfull.html for information about obtaining the full headers for the most popular e-mail programs. You need not feel trapped like poor Charley on the MTA in the old Kingston Trio song, when you join a RootsWeb Mailing List. If you managed to get yourself subscribed, use these tips to get off -- if you can remember where you've saved them, of course. * * * 1b. SPAM FILTERS: CURES OR KILLERS? Sick of spam? Aren't we all? Many of us use various spam filters and/or our ISP does in a futile attempt to stem the flow of this garbage, but some of the latter are imposing Draconian methods that are causing more problems -- at least for genealogists -- than they are solving. Increasingly, e-mails sent from your favorite genealogy mailing lists and colleagues are getting bounced or trashed before they even reach you. In our overzealousness to rid ourselves of one problem (spam) we are creating additional ones (locking out the information that might be the key to solving a 100-year-old family history mystery). Additionally, if you are falling for some of the advertising hype to get the latest and greatest (so touted) anti-spam filters, especially those requiring everyone be put on your "white (approval) list before you can receive mail, you are creating a huge barrier for your genealogy mailing lists and colleagues. While we all hate spam, it is unacceptable for anyone who subscribes to a RootsWeb mailing list to be forced to validate an e-mail address for some other list subscriber. If you or your IPS has a spam-filtering program that insists upon only "approved" addresses being able to send you mail, then you should put the address of "rootsweb.com" in an accept list. If you have installed some anti-spam filters yourself then learn the software configuration and fix it so that mail from your mailing lists does not bounce back to the RootsWeb's listadmins. Don't rely on the default settings of your ISP or anti-spam filters. Your genealogical answers may be trapped in a "trash" folder on your computer now or even worse may never reach you. * * * 1c. TIPS FROM READERS: Finding Scouts Thanks to: J. Nelson Howell nelson@purdue.edu There have been a number of cemetery cleanup projects by Scouts in the Sagamore Council (north-central Indiana). Not all of them have been Eagle Scout projects. The local Order of the Arrow lodge schedules one or two cleanup projects each year. For Americans who wish to contact a local Boy Scout Council, get the address and phone number from: http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?c=lc Just enter your zip code and the council contact information and website (if available) will be displayed. It can also give you the contact information for the Order of the Arrow. Among other things, the OA is a community service-oriented brotherhood of Scouts and adults. http://usscouts.org/honorsociety/oahistory.html * * * 1d. SUMMER SCHOOL ONLINE: Each class is only $29.95 with a 30-day subscription including Ancestry's online census images. Instructors cover eight lessons, two lessons a week. You can work at your own pace on your own schedule. Prerequisite: A working knowledge of computers (please view the Beginning Computer Genealogy course outline to see if you know the basics). Details here: http://www.myfamily.com/isapi.dll?c=home&htx=gentraining&_lin=1 NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES RESEARCH CLASS. Starts July 15. Come join accredited genealogist Cindy Rowzee to find those lost ancestors in the Northeastern U.S. These lessons include information about all the records that a genealogist normally uses (census, vital, land, probate, etc.) as well as unique sources to these specific areas. This is important since records may be similar from place to place, but there can also be important differences. Records can contain different kinds of information, be found in different places, and start at different times. These lessons are designed to help you know exactly WHAT to look for, WHERE to look for it, and for WHEN you will be able to find them. http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4438&sourceid=481 Check out these other Online Classes that are coming up: German Intermediate Research Class-- Starts July 15 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4622&sourceid=481 Native American Research Class -- Starts July 17 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4551&sourceid=481 Intermediate Genealogy Research Class -- Starts July 24 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=3668&sourceid=481 Eastern Europe Research Class -- Starts July 24 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4624&sourceid=481 Irish Research Class -- Starts July 29 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=3560&sourceid=481 Slovak Intermediate Research Class -- Starts July 30 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4667&sourceid=481 English Family Trees -- Starts July 31 http://ancestry.myfamily.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=3567&sourceid=481 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Hiding Under Another Spelling By Pam Hillier (from Adelaide, South Australia) pamhillier@iprimus.com.au My grandfather was William James HILLIER. This name has various spellings -- HELIER, HILLYER, and variations thereof. I found my family on the 1901 census when it first came online and the brickwall started to crumble. Then I went right through every single HILLIER on the familysearch.org 1881 census, but to no avail. Through various means and a lot of helpful people on numerous RootsWeb lists, I found my family. The census was taken at the HILLIER house in Deptford (London/Kent) but the census enumerator had recorded the name as FELYER. Why? Imagine a broad Dorset accent and a London enumerator! Yes, he had written the name down as it had sounded to him. I now have a 21-year-old brickwall crumbling. Thanks to a RootsWeb OPC that understood the Dorset accent. Where would I be without you guys and gals? Many thanks. ======================= Paid Advertisements ======================== Ancestry Members Special Free pack of 6" x 4" Premium Glossy Photo Paper with any order http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4680&sourceid=7108 Print out your family photos for less. Save up to 80% on black and color inkjet cartridges, plus, get a pack of premium glossy photo paper ­ a $7.99 value -- FREE with your order. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4680&sourceid=7108 * * * Find Old School Friends, Lost Loves or Anyone @ Reunion.com Send e-mail, post on discussion boards, view pictures and more. Find out what your old friends are doing today! http://affiliates.reunion.com/affiliatewiz.asp?BannerID=41&AffiliateID= 2013&Task=Click ==================== End of Paid Advertisements ===================== 3. New Webpages at RootsWeb To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these pages might not yet be accessible. They are created by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or next week. http://www.rootsweb.com/~[accountname] Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. Example: The Carroll County, Illinois website can be found at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcarrol/ CANADA oncerin -- Erin Township, Wellington County, Ontario SCOTLAND sctcskip -- Skipness Parish, Argyll, Scotland U.S.A. aljgcdar -- James Gadsden Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (Gadsden, Etowah County, Alabama) flocdar -- Osceola Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida) gatalbo2 -- Talbot County, Georgia ilcarrol -- Carroll County, Illinois ilwhites -- Whiteside County, Illinois kybourbo -- Bourbon County, Kentucky mtblain2 -- Blaine County, Montana mthill2 -- Hill County, Montana pacheste -- Chester County, Pennsylvania tnrccdar -- Rhea Craig Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (Sweetwater, Monroe County, Tennessee) vaawcdar -- Augustine Warner Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (Gloucester, Gloucester County, Virginia) 4. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- The following are Mailing Lists, not websites. For more information and an index to the more than 27,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and easy subscribing options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ANGELSTEIN BOLLWITT CHARPING, CORKERY, CRAY CLARK-AUS-UK -- The CLARK families who went to Australia (predominantly from the United Kingdom) EDDOWES, ELSTER FEEST GUDAITIS JUENGER LAIPPLE, LECKEY MACHAMER, MACHEMER, MACHMER, MASTERTON, MEEUWIG MESSER-JAMES-SC -- The families of James Messer (born 1735 in South Carolina) OTLEY RUEL SKAIN, SPANITZ, STEPIEN, STUTTS TINAYA, TUMELTY NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS ELSALVADOR -- El Salvador (the country) 5. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The following user-contributed databases have come online recently. They are searchable, but not browseable. ENGLAND. Church Warden's Accounts, Parish of Henstridge, Somerset, 1776; 157 records; Judy Meibusch http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ WALES. Llanelltyd Baptisms, 1733-1836 1,054 records; Alwyn ap Huw Humphreys http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ U.S.A. Military Records: Members of Company 688 B-1, Camp Peary, Virginia, June 1944; 123 records; Julia E. Massey http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ Book Indexes: Minnesskrift 1858-1908 tillegnad Minnesota-Konferensens af Ev. Luterska Augustana-Synoden 50-års Jubileum; 302 records; Laura Pruden http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/ ALABAMA. Cullman County. Alumni Lists. Marie Beckman. Hanceville High School Underclassmen (Grades 7-11), 1962; Hanceville; 431 records http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Hanceville High School, 1953, (Grades 9-12), Hanceville; 229 records; http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Hanceville High School, 1960, (Grades 7-12), Hanceville; 504 records; http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Hanceville High School, 1962 Seniors, 65 records; http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ ILLINOIS. Clark County. Tax and Voter Lists: 1900 Tax List, Melrose Township, 280 records; Ron Cornwell/Cindy McCachern http://userdb.rootsweb.com/tax_voter/ INDIANA. Lake County. Alumni Lists: Dani Shubert Roosevelt High School, 1936 Alumni, East Chicago; 195 records; http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Roosevelt High School 1937 Alumni, East Chicago; 176 records; http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ KENTUCKY. Boyle County. Alumni Lists: 1941-1942 Danville High School Graduates; 132 records; Sherri Hall http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MINNESOTA. Alumni Lists: St. Olaf College, 1923 and 1925 Alumni, Northfield; 585 records; Karen Cuccinello http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MINNESOTA. Selected City Directory Listings, STEIDEL surname, SaintPaul/Minneapolis; 25 records; D.E.Mayes King http://userdb.rootsweb.com/citydir/ NEW YORK. Alumni Lists: Westchester County, students, 1937 (Grades 7-12); 126 records; Karen Cuccinello http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NORTH CAROLINA. Carteret County. Cedar Island, North Carolina Past and Present, Vol. 1; 124 records; E. F. Kerley http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/ NORTH CAROLINA. Durham County. Alumni Lists. E. F. Kerley; Duke University Medical School Alumni, 1984, Durham; 110 records http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Durham High School Alumni, 1940, Durham; 300 records http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Durham High School Alumni, 1942, Durham; 346 records http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Durham High School Alumni, 1943, Durham; 322 records http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NORTH CAROLINA. Swain County. Towstring Cemetery; 131 records; Ted Thompson http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ NORTH DAKOTA. Bottineau County. Tombstone Transcriptions of the Weeks Cemetery; 18 records; Richard E Williams http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ NEVADA. Lyon County. Desert Memorial Gardens, Cemetery Transcriptions, 168 records; Jacque Jones http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ OHIO. Lucas County. Edward D. Libbey High School Alumni, 1934, Toledo 553 records; E. F. Kerley http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ TENNESSEE. Selected federal census records for the HYATT surname, in 1930 Tennessee; 66 records; Serena Hyatt http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ UTAH. Garfield and Piute counties. Cemetery Records; 7,004 records; Sharon Sawyer http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ VIRGINIA. Alumni Lists: Various. St. John's Hospital Training School for Nurses (1904), Union Theological Seminary (1914), and William and Mary (1915); 36 records; Paula L. Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ 6. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages at RootsWeb -------------------------------------------------- Note: Comments and questions about any of these independently authored webpages should be directed to their respective compilers/webmasters. When your new, updated, or substantially revised personal pages located at RootsWeb (they will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL) are up and ready for visitors, please send the URL (Web address), along with a brief description, including the major pertinent surnames and what is available on your site, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com AUSTRALIA. Australian Transcriptions. The three main areas of this site pertain to: Miscellaneous transcripts from Australia, Greville’s Post Office Directory of NSW 1872, and Penrith District Dispensary Registers 1847-1860. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hcastle/ INDIAN TERRITORY: "The Indian Territory--Its Chiefs, Legislators and Leading Men." Biographies and historical information from this 1892 book about early Eastern Oklahoma. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pennstreet/IndianTerr.htm INDIANA. Noble County Indiana has an excellent website; it has all the cemeteries, many obituaries, and much more. It is also updated on a regular basis. http://www.rootsweb.com/~innoble/ MICHIGAN. Iosco County. Research tips and links. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ioscocountymichigan/ SCOTLAND. Skipness Parish, Argyllshire. Contains some extracted OPR records, census, session minutes, photos, etc. The site has existed for several years but just recently moved to RootsWeb. http://www.rootsweb.com/~sctcskip/Skipness.htm WILLSON. In 1829, Ephraim WILLSON Sr., his wife and their two children, Amy and Ephraim Jr. arrived in the Waterloo Township area of Ontario, Canada from Yorkshire, England. Allied names include: BRIGHTON, MCCLOY, GOFTON, WOOLNER, and STAUFFER. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~waterloowillson/ 7. FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding an Elusive Ancestor By Doris LaCava Anguzza Doris_Anguzza@attbi.com A friend asked me if I have checked the passenger arrivals for Ellis Island. I said "yes," but I decided to try again. I had tried it using my grandfather's name, but for some reason Francesco LaCAVA didn't show. I thought about the problem and decided that I needed to know who he arrived with. I never did find out, but then I remembered about my great-aunt, but the only first name I had was Angelina. My brother-in-law told me that was an Italian nickname and told me the true name was Angela. With that information I was able to find her in the passenger lists and I have found the ancestral island at least. It turned out everyone was wrong. We were not from Sicily as was thought. We were from an island called Panarea, which is northeast of Sicily in the Province of Messina on the Tyrannean Sea. So after 18 years of searching now I know where to look for further information -- Lipari Island is where the records are stored. Thanks for teaching me that persistence pays off. * * * Contriving Coincidences By Mary Anne brumah@yahoo.com Re: "Encounters Among Tattered Leaves Down Under" (RWR6:25, 25 June) I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Eacott Hannan's declaration that serious researchers encounter a lot of coincidences in their never- ending hunt for ancestors. I too have been "led" by an ancestor to find his obituary or stumbled upon an important fact while looking for something else. When these things happen to me, I am reminded of a quote from "The X- Files" (TV show): "If coincidences are really coincidences, then why do they seem so contrived?" We want to believe they are serendipity, but in reality they are result of diligent research -- the foundation of good genealogy. * * * Cleaning Up Cemeteries By John Cunningham Murphy5va@aol.com Here in Prince William County, Virginia, Boy Scouts have cleaned up the 21st Georgia Vol, Infantry cemetery located in Manassas Park (unit cemetery used when the unit was garrisoned here) and many cleanup projects at the Quantico National Cemetery. Typical projects include: -- scrubbing moss from stones that are placed in shady areas -- restoring unit memorials and memorial trail (mulch-covered trail) -- cleaning and staining/sealing benches My son wanted to do an Eagle project of cleaning up and fencing a small family cemetery located in an overgrown area in our development. When we actually crawled the grounds, we found more than 100 graves (last identifiable grave from 1905), a far bigger project than he could undertake. There were only a few headstones with legible writing and a few foot stones. Many of the coffins had apparently collapsed because we found ground depressions of 6"-12". There were many small trees growing out of graves. The bad news, however, is that there are few mechanisms for obtaining official help for something this big, since it isn't county property and the exact ownership is murky. Our troop in Harbor City California used to put American flags on veterans' graves before Memorial and Veterans' Days. The good news about all this is the Scouts actually read the stones as they are working on and around them and notice family connections, wars, and awards -- all things that they might learn in school but that really don't register. Finding a kid who was 18 when KIA (killed in action) really registers on them. 8. Humor/Humour: Your Ancestor Did What? -------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to: Marilyn Young themayor@mindspring.com While researching my family in Moorland Township, Michigan in the 1870 census I came across an interesting occupation: Olive A's occupation is listed as "drinks whiskey." 9. Submission Guidelines, Advertising Contacts, Reprint Policy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500 words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the right to edit all submissions. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be for publication -- send in plain ASCII text (please, no attachments) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS: Ad Sales Operations Mgr. Shana Davis sdavis@myfamilyinc.com U.S. West Coast: Sacha Yenkana syenkana@myfamilyinc.com U.S. East Coast: Dan Arnold darnold@myfamilyinc.com * * * 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) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 6, No. 28, 09 July 2003. * * * SUBSCRIPTIONS: Do not send any subscription requests/changes to the editor. We have special e-mail addresses exclusively for this purpose. Send only subscription requests to: RWR-off@rootsweb.com -- this removes you from the RWR Mailing List. RWR-on@rootsweb.com -- this adds you to the RWR Mailing List. * * * *