RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine Vol. 7, No. 5, 4 February 2004, Circulation: 879,247+ (c) 1998-2004 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ 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. Your "REPLY TO" e-mail option will not reach the editor. * * * Search and share family trees: WorldConnect: http://wc.rootsweb.com/ Learn how to find your ancestors: http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ Post and search messages on all relevant surname, locality, and topic Message Boards and Mailing Lists: Message Boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ Mailing Lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ =============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. NEWS AND NOTES. 1a. Solving Problems with AOL 1b. AOLers and RootsWeb: New List and Some Tips 1c. Editor's Desk: Victorian Social History 1d. Tips from Readers: "Serving Their Country" 2. Connecting through RootsWeb: "Another Look at Mug Books" 3. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb 5. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 6. New User-contributed Databases 7. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Good OLD Great-granny"; "Fudging on Their Ages"; "Finding the Original Name"; "Hanging on to Family Stories"; and "Confessions of a Name Collector" 8. Humor/Humour: "And No Monkeying Around" 9. Reprint and Submissions Guidelines; RW Help; Advertising Contacts ======================================================================== 1. NEWS AND NOTES. 1a. Solving Problems with AOL AOL and RootsWeb's mail-delivery issues were resolved after amicable communication and work with the Internet Service Provider. RootsWeb thanks the postmaster group at AOL for its work with us on the various issues that were involved. AOL users are encouraged to re-check their subscriptions to mailing lists at PasswordCentral -- click on the PASSWORD tab at the top of the RootsWeb Home page: http://www.rootsweb.com/ Information and instructions for mailing lists can be found by clicking on MAILING LISTS tab at http://www.rootsweb.com/ 1b. AOLers and RootsWeb: New List and Some Tips Since AOL subscribers make up a large percentage of our mailing list members, RootsWeb has created a new mailing list that is being announced today. The mailing list is named AOLers-RootsWeb. It is to assist AOL users with questions related to their use of the RootsWeb mailing lists. Hopefully this new resource will help to forestall any future difficulties from arising between AOL and the RootsWeb mailing lists. The new list may also prove helpful to RootsWeb list administrators who are not AOL subscribers in answering questions for their list members who do use AOL. It will provide a place to direct AOL users where they can obtain accurate up-to-date information and assistance with RootsWeb mailing list issues that are specific and unique to AOL users. You will find this new mailing list categorized on the mailing list webpage at http://lists.rootsweb.com under OTHER/RootsWeb Support/ The direct link is: [This is a 2-line URL; copy and paste carefully]: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/RootsWeb_Support/ AOLers-RootsWeb.html During the past week or so RootsWeb mailing list subscribers who use AOL (America Online) as their ISP (Internet Service Provider) to receive list mail experienced a disruption of service that lasted several days. Family history researchers, who are often addicted to their daily "fix" of mail from their favorite RootsWeb lists, began sending e-mails to their lists in an attempt to ascertain whether or not the lists were working, for some, alarm set in. Don't panic if RootsWeb's list mail doesn't appear to be reaching your mailbox as it normally should. Instead, do the following: 1. Check the HelpDesk's yellow announcement box for news of any technical problems at RootsWeb or with your ISP's delivery of list mail from RootsWeb. http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ or click on HELP tab at the top of any RootsWeb page. 2. Check your currently subscribed lists here: http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ or click on the PASSWORDS tab at the top of any RootsWeb page. 3. Check the threaded mailing list archives to view the current month/year messages for your lists at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ 4. Contact the list administrator for help or information by writing to: LISTNAME-admin@rootsweb.com (replace the word LISTNAME with the actual name of the list -- using no -L or -D). NOTE: If there is a general problem involving RootsWeb mail delivery to a specific ISP and the list administrator to whom you are writing also uses the same ISP, he/she probably will not receive your inquiry for the duration of the problem with that ISP. 5. Contact your ISP's tech support representative and explain that RootsWeb list mail is not spam and this is e-mail you wish to receive. Enlist the support of your ISP in resolving the matter. Internet Service Providers should be more than willing to assist you -- their paying customer -- so that you are able to receive the mail you want. Here is what NOT to do if you suspect you are not receiving your mailing list messages: 1. Do not send repeated messages to the list asking if the list is working or if anyone has received your message. 2. Do not send any "TESTING" messages to a list. Remember that just because you are not receiving a message you have sent to the list doesn't mean that other list subscribers are not seeing your repeated messages and becoming annoyed by them. The mailing lists are for genealogical research for a specific subject and not for test messages. Use the above guidelines instead to help resolve any non- receipt of mail problems. You will find guidelines concerning non-receipt of RootsWeb list mail in a recent issue of the RootsWeb Review. You might want to print out this information and save for handy reference. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/20040107.txt * * * 1b. EDITOR'S DESK. Victorian Social History Those who love history, especially social history, and how it applies to our English ancestors in particular, will enjoy "Victorian Social History: An Overview" available on The Victorian Web. Occupations-- 1851, 1861, 1871 from the census records (under Miscellaneous) is an interesting sidebar for genealogists. http://www.victorianweb.org/history/sochistov.html * * * 1c. TIPS FROM READERS. Serving Their Country By Fran Bolton jfrbol@aol.com If you can't find your ancestor, especially if he is a young man, on the 1920 U.S. census in the state you know (or think) he lived in, consider putting "ALL" in the state box and do a search. He just might have been in the military at the time and listed at one of the service bases, stationed in another state, as mine was. I found mine at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. I scanned down the page and noted there were men from all over the United States -- from ages 13 to 45. 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Another Look at Mug Books By Mark Amanns markamanns@yahoo.com I read with interest the article "Worth a Thousand Words" where one reader buys old photos in hopes to finding a home for them. She is not alone, as others do the same. Often I've tried to find family descendants too, but usually just with Bibles and old documents being auctioned online. But I recently came across a find that stunned me in its unique research potential for numerous genealogists. I have researched my family connections in Bartholomew County, Indiana, (USA), for some 25 years, though I've been limited to just a couple actual visits. One day I happened to be on http://www.bookfinder.com/ and entered in that county's name. Among the usual recent books and reprints I saw "Complete Directory of Bartholomew County, Indiana, 1903-1904," which said in the description that it contained 1,488 portraits of its current and former settlers. I could not believe that claim since all directories I've seen are on cheap paper and never have photos and even most histories usually printed just photos of prominent citizens. After a month's hesitation, I bought it. Upon its arrival I was surprised at its excellent condition, apparently having been squirreled away in some library's collection. Sure enough, there were 130 pages of portraits, 12 per page, all about one inch square. The photos are grouped into various sections. First were prominent county officials and businessmen. Then educators, including several women schoolteachers, and veterans of the War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War are listed often with their company's description. "representative farmers" are often identified with their town or township. Then there's "former residents" for those who moved on to other counties and states. Lastly, the huge "memorial" section that contains information on residents' departed loved ones who didn't even have to have lived in the county, and these usually they have their year of birth and death. Unlike today, most men were bearded. Another happy surprise is that these photos are indexed in one of two indexes -- a general index and the memorial index. Alas, none of my direct ancestors who lived there for decades are shown, but I did find the husband of my great-great-aunt, Roseann (AMANNS) COHEE. The portrait of Nathaniel COHEE, born Dec 1839 in Butler County in southwestern Ohio, appears among the group of Civil War veterans. His Maryland-born father William COHEE and an uncle appear in the memorial section. Doubtless Nathaniel was the submitter. Although the directories for that county start in 1882, so far as I know that is the county's only directory stuffed with photos, although the publisher stated in the forward that they hoped to print the "mothers and wives" in the next edition. Perhaps they did and I don't know about it yet. I do not yet know if anyone has provided an online list or copies of these portraits. That would be a huge project in itself. Though small, they are surely a treasure for those of us who have nothing else. The county library and historical society both have copies available. [Editor's Note: Late 19th- and early-20th-century U.S. mug books are collections of biographical sketches and are often a rich source for genealogists and historians. Typically these books were published only by advance subscription. If a person had the funds to subscribe, he or she would have a biographical sketch in the book. For an extra fee, a photograph or sketch would be included. The cost of a subscription varied by location and publisher. However, a subscription, bio- graphical sketch, and portrait could have cost up to $60 or $70 -- which probably explains why so few of our ordinary farmer ancestors appear in them.] 3. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- For more information and an index to the more than 27,845 RootsWeb- hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BINNAS, BJUR, BLAKER, BUCKWELL CATALFO, CHRISTAFARO, COSENS DECARO, DESANTIS GRAZIANO, GUNKEL HOERR JACKEMEYER KINE, KLOUDA LEPKOSKY MACHIN, MEINECKE, MOSACK OARS PUSATERI, PYLAND REEVEY, RONSPIES SCHWIRIAN, SHEPAN, SOULIER, STANEART, SWATMAN TABB VANORDSOL WALDSPURGER, WEIHERER, WHEADON, WINZLER WALTMAN-WILLIAM-ASBURY -- William Asbury WALTMAN (born 3 February 1852 in Shubute, Clarke County, Mississippi and died 7 February 1943 in Wade, Jackson County, Mississippi); married Nancy N. GOFF NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS AOLers-RootsWeb -- List where AOL users and listadmins can receive assistance and exchange information with each other on matters pertaining to AOL/RootsWeb. CA-ONT-CEMETERIES -- Genealogical research assistance for cemeteries found in Ontario, Canada KYGenWeb-KVRP -- Kentucky Vital Records (a KYGenWeb special project) Project UK-CEMETERIES -- Genealogical research assistance for cemeteries and tombstones found in the United Kingdom NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS GA-OHOOPEE-RIVER -- Ancestors who settled along the Ohoopee River in east-central Georgia (counties include Washington (in 1784), adding Montgomery (in 1793), Tattnall (in 1801), and Johnson, Emanuel, Treutlen, Candler, Toombs counties -- where the Ohoopee flows into the Altamaha River ITA-SICILY-SERRADIFALCO -- Serradifalco, Sicily, Italy 4. New Webpages at RootsWeb To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these webpages 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. U.S.A. arwcags -- Washington County Arkansas Genealogy Society camhs -- Millville (California) Historical Society 5. New/Updated Freepages, Homepages, and WorldConnect Uploads ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 DUNHAM, WILCOX, TROTT and KIRK, plus more than 1,000 data files for Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and Michigan with 200 will and probate files for Middlesex County, Connecticut. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/ ELLIOTT. The ELLIOTT Family File includes the descendants of William ELLIOTT and Catherine BURT of Abbotskerswell, Devon; the descendants of John CROSS and Rebecca HARRIS of Stratford St. Mary, Suffolk; the descendants of Moses SOLOMON and Rebecca BARNETT of Aldgate, London; and the descendants of Jonathan POWELL and Mary PITCHER of Bristol, England. >From the landing page, follow the links to the ELLIOTT Family History and also the LEE family of Abbotskerswell, and Thomas WEBBER, convict of Abbotskerswell. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~alanelliott/INDEX.HTML HOLDEN, HOLDREN, HULL, THINNES, CLARK, and ROBITZER. Deb's Family Tree. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~holdengeneal/ MACDONALD, John [Francis?], died 1903, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Descendants of John Mc/MacDonald. Includes BURTIS, ORR, GENSBAUER, and MACDONALD of Philadelphia; MERCER and GILLILAND of Chester County, Pennsylvania; DeCURTONI, McKINLAY, and METROVICH of California. http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=sjmacd SOMERS. Somers of Caledonia County, Vermont. Descendants of Claud and Bartholomew SOMERS of Scotland. Surnames include: ABBOTT, AIKEN, ALBISER, ALLEN, ANDREWS, AVERY, BAILEY, BANDY, BATCHELDER, BEAUSON, BLAISDELL, BLANCHARD, BOVEE, BRADLEY, BROCK, BROWN, BUCHANAN, BURKE, BUTLER, BUTTERFIELD, BUTTON, CARR, CARRICK, CASCADDEN, CASSIDY, CHANDLER, CHAPHAM, CHENEY, CILLEY, CLARK, CLIFFORD, COULTER, COWAN, CROSS, CUMMINGS, CURTIS, DANIELS, DARLING, DENMEAD, DEWEY, DODDS, DYKES, EAMES, EMERSON, ESDEN, EVARTS, EVERDEN, FARNHAM, FARNSWORTH, FERGUSON, FOSTER, FREELAND, GALBRAITH, GAMMELL, GIBSON, GILCHRIST, GILFILLAN, GILKERSON, GILL, GOODWILLIE, GOUDY, GRAY, HACKETT, HADLEY, HALL, HARVEY, HOBART OR HERBERT, HOBART OR HURLBURT, HOOKER, HOSS, HUNT, HUNTER, HYNDMAN, IDE, INGALLS, JACKSON, JAMISON, JONES, KENNEDY, KENT, KIDDER, KIMBALL, KINNEY, LACKIE, LAIRD, LANG, LEE, LESTER, LEWIS, LINDSAY, LUND, MAGOON, MANN, MCCULLOCH, MCKEAGE, MCKERCHER, MCLAREN, MCNAB, MCNEIL, MCVANE, METCALF, MILLER, MILLS, MOORE, MORRIS, MORRISON, MORSE, MOSER, MOULTON, MOY, NELSON, NEWELL, NORTON, NOYES, PARKER, PARTRIDGE, PATERSON, PIERCE, PLUMMER, POLLARD, POTTER, RANDALL, RICHARDSON, ROCKWELL, ROLFE, ROY, RUSSELL, SAMUEL, SANDISLAND, SCHAFFER, SHEARER, SHELDON, SMITH, SPROAT, STROBRIDGE, STUART, SUMERS, TAISEY, THOMPSON, THORN, TOWNE, TRIMBLE, TRUMBULL, VITTY OR WITTY, WALKER, WALLACE, WARDEN, WATERMAN, WEEKS, WHITEHILL, WILLIS, WILSON, WOODS, WOODWARD, WORTH, and WRIGHT. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~earbar/somers/ ======================= Paid Advertisements ======================== THE LATEST GENEALOGY SEARCH ENGINE "Finding Your Roots Online" book review and webpage with multiple links to genealogy resources on the web. Click here to find out how to search for your ancestors on the Internet and then start finding them using the latest genealogy search engine technology http://www.genealogy4free.com/roots_review.html * * * U.K. Researchers Provide Low-Cost Research Service "This is without doubt the best money I ever spent on genealogical research"--(PM, Massachusetts) Our researchers will personally visit archives throughout England and Scotland to find your British ancestors. Just starting out or have a brick wall to overcome? We will search birth, marriage, census, church, and other records. Nothing is paid in advance, we accept payment in your own currency, and in most cases we offer a no-find, no-fee service. For a free e-mail consultation: http://www.britishancestors.com/rwr/ * * * Subscribe to Family Chronicle Today and Receive a FREE copy of "500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems" For a limited time, Family Chronicle, the magazine for people researching their roots, is offering a great bonus for new subscribers. Subscribe before February 13, 2004 and we'll send you a FREE copy of our newest book, "500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems" as our gift to you. This beautifully bound, 432-page volume, now in its second printing, contains more than 500 stories of people who have overcome their genealogy "brickwalls." For more information about "500 Brickwall Solutions" and to subscribe today, visit our secure server at https://familychronicle.com/rootsweb/free500.htm =================== End of Paid Advertisements ===================== 6. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ---------------------------------------------- The following databases have come online recently: U.S.A. Passenger Lists: Emigrants from Pallagorio, Catanzaro (Italy) to U.S.A., selective records, 1900-1924; 407 records; Chris Spezzano http://userdb.rootsweb.com/passenger/ CALIFORNIA San Diego County. Escondido. Escondido High School Class of 1928; 184 records; Nancy Edmonson http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Shasta County. Millville: A Bridge to the Past; 503 records; J. C. Thielemann for the Millville Historical Society http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/ IOWA. Monona County. Mapleton. Mapleton High School Alumni, 1889-1925; 334 records; Jean Carhart http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ LOUISIANA Caddo Parish. 1860 census; 1,638 records; Gary Hoss Caldwell Parish. 1860 census, 750 records; Gary Hoss http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ MISSOURI. Iron County. Immanuel Lutheran Church of Pilot Knob, confirmations 1865-1950; 352 records; Marcine (Amelung) Lohman http://userdb.rootsweb.com/churchrecords/ NEBRASKA. Gage County. 1888 Portrait and Biographical Album; 521 records; Angie Miller http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/ NEW YORK. Chemung County. Assignees at Civilian Public Service (CPS) Camp 46, Big Flats, June 22, 1945; 112 records; Patrick Lacher http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ PENNSYLVANIA. Adams County. Gettysburg. 1948 Telephone Directory; 2,004 records; Deb Jones http://userdb.rootsweb.com/citydir/ TEXAS. Cooke County. 1850 census; 50 records; Jack Ware http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ Confederate Pension Applications 363 records; Jack Ware http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ VIRGINIA. 1850 federal census of Virginia, KING surname; 1,887 records; Gary S. King http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ 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]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Good OLD Great-granny By Marilyn McCulley Lowmar@prodigy.net My husband's great-grandma lived to the ripe old age of 102. Family members all said so. Her obituary reported it. Her tombstone has the dates 1831-1933. Her death certificate gives her birth date as November 24, 1831. When I began research on the family more than 10 years ago, I wanted my information to be as accurate as possible, so I tried to collect documents to verify that date. There are no birth records to be found in Missouri for 1831. Her marriage record was unobtainable; the courthouse had burned long ago. (Anyway, old American marriage records I have managed to find seldom give ages for the bride and bridegroom.) Census records seemed to be my only source. Although the accuracy of information given on census records is often suspect, many times it is the only source available. I rely heavily on census records when tracing family members. I found great-grandma with her parents on the 1850 census, the first federal American census where every member of the family is listed by name. Her age in 1850 was given as 11. This would indicate she was born in 1838/39. Following the census trail, in 1860 her age was 20, in 1870 she was 27, and in 1880 she was 41. The 1900 census asked for month and year of birth and shows she was born in November 1838. Based on this birth date, her age of 61 in 1900 and 71 in 1910 appears to be correct. However, after 1910 she began to age rapidly -- she was 84 on the 1920 census and 97 on the 1930 census. She died on December 23, 1933, and the age given on her death certificate was 102 years and 29 days. Based on my research she was probably 95 years old when she died, not 102. I show her birthdate as November 24, 1831 on the family tree, and for documentation I list "census records" as my source. * * * Fudging on Their Ages By JRicke4761@aol.com After reading about the aging issues I had to write about my mother-in-law (now deceased). According to her birth certificate she was born in 1925.She married my father-in-law in 1945, which should of made her 20 years old. The marriage certificate has her age as 23 years old. The first son was born in 1946, which means she should of been 21. Birth certificate lists her as 24.The second son was born in 1957, that should have made her 32. Birth certificate list her as 31.My husband (the third son) was born in 1958, which means that she should have been 33. His birth certificate has her age as 42. After all the calculations my mother-on-law was born in 1916, 1922, or 1925. My suggestion is to check carefully all records for dates and ages -- some family members might have fudged their age just a little. * * * Finding the Original Name By Sandra Lunsford Sandycope@aol.com I would like to hear comments of those who have been successful in tracing their family history regarding how to determine what your original surname was -- if you have multiple spellings. I am researching the MAYNOR family for which I have found 13+ spellings. The spelling Maynor became standard for my line around the early 1900s. Would my original surname be MAYNARD, MAINARD/MAINORD, MAINER, MAYNOR or something else? Since I have been stuck in 1850 Chatham County, North Carolina for many years, tracing my family tree across the Atlantic Ocean is only a sweet dream at this time. * * * Hanging on to Family Stories By Israel Pickholtz isai8v10@actcom.net.il One more comment, if I may, on incomplete data. When I got serious about genealogy, I went through the box of papers from my dabbling days and found a card from my late father mentioning that his grandfather (who died when my father was eight) had an uncle named Selig. No further information, no documentation, nothing. I had no idea why my father would know this obscure piece of information, considering that he knew nothing about the family members who never left Europe. The name given name Selig did not appear anywhere else in our database and none of the surviving members of my father's generation -- either older or younger than he -- had ever heard of a Great-great-Uncle Selig. Eventually I found a Selig Pick in a 1863 birth record from our ancestral town and the son in that record had the same given names (in reverse order) as one of my father's uncles. Further, Selig's wife had the same maiden name as my great-grandmother. Further research confirmed that this was almost certainly my great-grandfather's uncle Selig Pikholz and apparently he was noteworthy (and mentioned in my father's presence) because he was related to us in two directions. This discovery led to learning that my ggf got his Pickholz surname from his mother's side, not his father's side. Without my father's note, this would not have come together. So, yes, take your information -- particularly family stories -- as they come. And treat them with respect. * * * Confessions of a Name Collector By Lori McLeod Wilke wilke_s@juno.com http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~formyfamily/ Four years ago I developed my obsession with genealogy. Pleased that one from my generation was beginning to show interest, my father and various aunts and uncles provided me with their own research, some of which was done by even earlier generations and had been passed on to them. I spent the first six months going through reams of handwritten notes, horrible copies of documents, family questionnaires etc., finally getting it all on the computer. In the beginning, I didn't bother much with the spousal information of my ancestors and their siblings. But I soon learned that by following the "sidelines" I could uncover much information about my direct line ancestors. Where did I do the sideline research? On the Internet and primarily on RootsWeb. And from whom did I find most of the information, some of which was sourced and some of which was not? From the so-called name collectors! After receiving the names of the parents and the siblings of the spouses of my direct lines and their siblings, I could then research the documentation of that family. In many cases, I found that those spouses were actually cousins of my own family, descended from an earlier generations siblings. What is my point? Well, although you will find many different surnames in my GEDCOM, I am related in some way to almost every single one of them, even if it is so distant as to be ignored by my genealogy software application or just one of marriage. For example, my great-grandfather was married before he married my great-grandmother. Although the children of his first wife were my half grandaunts and granduncles, I thought that was the extent of our relationship. By researching this woman who was the mother of my grandfather's siblings, I discovered that she was a cousin of my great-great-grandmother (her mother-in-law!). Therefore, I was not only related to her, but was doubly related to her children and by including her family in my GEDCOM back many generations, I was also including my great-great-grandmother's family back those same generations. McLEOD is my primary surname for research and there were many of them in the South, many of the same first name. During my research, I will find documents on all the Alexander McLEODS of the area and have to weed out my Alexanders from the others. What do I do with the information I glean on those unrelated McLEODS? I put it in my GEDCOM and share it with the world. Even if you consider my work to be that of name collecting, I will continue to post it on RootsWeb and on my website. If I help just one person knock down a brick wall, my effort is worth it. Thank you to all the name collectors out there. Give me the name and I'll find the documents. And then I'll share it with you. 8. Humor/Humour: And No Monkeying Around ---------------------------------------------------- A Danish newspaper "Ektra Bladet" reported a few years ago that an 83- year-old Danish woman, who died without issue, left her entire fortune of 67,000 Euros (about $84,000 U.S) to six chimpanzees housed in a Copenhagen zoo. To execute her will and in accordance with the Danish law, a lawyer went to the zoo to read the will aloud to the chimpanzees -- Jimmy, Trunte, Fifi, Trine, Grinni, and Gigi. The lawyer joked that they behaved in an exemplary manner, not disputing it at all. 9. Submission Guidelines, Changes, Advertising Contacts, Reprint Policy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Search/download past issues of RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ * * * If you need assistance with any RootsWeb resources or e-mail changes, kindly visit the HelpDesk: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help.cgi * * * HOW TO HANDLE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES Do not send any subscription requests or e-mail address changes to the editor. Please use these special e-mail addresses: RWR-on@rootsweb.com -- this adds you to the RWR Mailing List. RWR-off@rootsweb.com -- this removes you from the RWR Mailing List. * * * 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. 7, No. 5, 4 February 2004. * * * *