RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 14 July 2004, Vol. 7, No. 28, Circulation: 838,091+ (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/ * * * =============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. NEWS AND NOTES 1a. Exploring RootsWeb Resources: "Devil in the Details" 1b. Editor's Desk: Some Sites Worth Seeing 1c. Tips from Readers: "Those Delightful Danes" 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: "Joint Effort Produces Online Tribute to Many Who Served" 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 "Changing Family History" "Romance, Genealogy, and the Net" "Gay Branches on the Family Tree" "Hiding Family Secrets" "Respecting Rights" "To Include or Not to Include" "Vive La Différence" 8. Humor/Humour: "Better Than Nothing?" 9. Submissions, Subscriptions, Advertising, Reprints =============================================================== 1. NEWS AND NOTES 1a. Exploring RootsWeb Resources: Devil in the Details Have you reached the point in your research where you feel you have learned all that is out there on your family and you are left with mysteries which you'd like to solve, but you don't know where to turn next? Don't give up! Often, when you have run out of obvious answers and have looked at all the resources available to you in plain sight, the next place to turn is to examine the little details and seek out information on collateral lines. What were the surnames of your ancestors' spouses' siblings? Go back and check for baptismal sponsor names, names of executors of wills, witnesses to deeds, neighbors immediately surrounding your families on census records and land warrant maps, as well as the names found near those of your ancestors on ship-arrival records or tax lists. Obviously, you don't have the time or resources to subscribe to mailing lists or send for original records for every name or possible lead you have come across involving collateral lines. However, there are some resources available at RootsWeb that might bring the knowledge and years of family history research of other genealogists more directly connected to these far-flung lines within your reach. Many a pedigree puzzle has been solved by going sideways rather than in the direct ancestral line. Search the vast WorldConnect/Ancestry World Tree database at: http://wc.rootsweb.com/ to see whether the man who might merely be grandaunt Matilda STONECYPHER's second husband, Clyde PAINTER, to you may be a direct ancestor to another genealogist. There may be a PAINTER family tree at WorldConnect with details you didn't know about your grandaunt Matilda included therein. This type of collateral information may lead, somewhat by accident, to demolishing your brick wall that's blocking your STONECYPHER research. What? Matilda listed her maiden name as STEINSEIFFER when she married Clyde in 1899. You didn't know the STONECYPHERs were German or that the name was originally spelled STEINSEIFFER. Eureka! That may be just the clue you need to connect to earlier generations before the spelling shifted. If you don't find what you are looking for in a WorldConnect tree today or tomorrow, try again next week as new trees are added constantly. One of the best resources available for delving into the casual collateral details you have uncovered in your research is posting a message on the RootsWeb/Ancestry message boards. You don't have to subscribe when you want to post a message on a board, so you can post to a relevant board and be notified only if and when someone replies to your message. It takes very little time and effort to post a query on a message board. Start here: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ Use the FIND A BOARD search box or navigate through the board index pages to find a surname, locality, or topic board that will be most relevant for posting your message. If the board upon which you have elected to post your query happens to be "gatewayed" to a corresponding mailing list for the same subject, you have the added benefit of list subscribers seeing and possibly replying to your query. Perhaps you'd like to know what could be learned by obtaining a copy of the original Quaker marriage records for your great-great-grandparents' siblings -- are these records likely to yield lots of information about family and friends? Would it be worth the effort or a waste of your time? Perhaps your great-great-grandfather, Richard ROBINSON, left the Quaker faith when he marched off to fight in the U.S. Civil War in 1861, but his siblings remained Quakers and you suspect the records are available for them. You know very little about Quaker records and research -- but someone on the Quaker-Roots message board may well have answers and good advice for you. Need to know what you could learn by ordering military and/or pension records for your Civil War ancestor? Find the relevant topical Civil War message board and post a query. Message boards can be your friends when it comes to learning about items of passing or casual interest in your research. You may discover clues that will help you scale your brick walls are only a click away when you post a question there. The answers to our pedigree puzzles often hide in seemingly minor details. So, don't overlook them. There is no query too minor, no detail too trivial, when trying to overcome those inevitable roadblocks in your path to unearthing your most elusive ancestors. * * * 1b. EDITOR'S DESK. Some Sites Worth Seeing Italy. WorldGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~itawgw/ New Jersey State Archives Imaged Collections http://www.njarchives.org/links/imgcollections.html New Jersey State Archives Genealogical Holdings http://www.njarchives.org/links/webcat/genealogy.html * * * 1c. TIPS FROM READERS Those Delightful Danes By Lyn Matthiesen While researching my husband's grandfather, who we knew came over to the USA from Denmark in 1888, we came across many records on microfilm [ordered through the local Family History Center] and, of course, they were all in Danish. We have no knowledge of the language so my first thought was how to get them translated. I called the local college and was told that they could interpret them but there would be a charge, so I called the high schools and found one that had Danish exchange students. The counselor put me in touch with a wonderful girl who sent the information to her father in Denmark and he in turn translated them and also contacted the local parish priest where the family still resides. Amazingly we found living relatives -- what a wonderful find and to this day we are still in contact with the girl's father. So think outside the box, as they say -- get in touch with your schools. 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Joint Effort Produces Online Tribute to Many Who Served By Patricia "Sunnyann" Davidson-Peters I've been a contributor to RootsWeb databases and have space on its freepages for the massive amount of research I've collected over the last 12 years. The story behind some of the Web pages is exemplary of the true nature of the volunteers and researchers who give so unselfishly of their time to honor others. One of the indirect branches off my maternal line is the SLAYBACK family whose daughter Caroline married my 2nd-great-grandfather's cousin, Isaac MOORE. Because the SLAYBACK line is still trying to confirm the parentage of Caroline's grandfather, I have posted a great deal of information on my website including photos, obits, censuses, etc., and more recently a narrative written by a descendant. This narrative by Joyce FRANZ was also posted on Glenwood Cemetery's website where the SLAYBACK and MOORE families are laid to rest in Madison County, Illinois. A viewer saw the narrative on that site and generously sent Joyce a photograph of one of the headstone that he had had placed in that cemetery. In his e-mail, he told her that he had also researched and applied for headstones of 67 other veterans who were buried there. When I heard this, I was so touched by his generosity to these veterans and their families who are not related to him that I asked if I might present his research on the web so that others could access and enjoy -- and he agreed. This man is Gene BEALS. Together with his research and my ability to post it we have compiled headstone photos of 59 Civil War, four 1812, two Spanish-American, one Black Hawk, and two Mexican War veterans. Each veteran's page includes a photo of the headstone, a roster, a link to his regiment, and often an obituary. Plus, there are a few others we are fortunate enough to have photos of. It is our hope that the descendants of these veterans will come to know that their ancestors have been honored and not forgotten. Should they locate our information and be able to provide more information, I shall gladly post it to my website. There is an index page of each war as well as various other photos honoring the "Boys in Blue" from a dedication ceremony in 1999. I'm putting on the finishing touches and adding a few links, but thought this site is surely representative of all that can be done when people volunteer and share with others. I'm sure there are others like Joyce and me who are most grateful for Gene's research and generosity. VETERAN MARKERS. U.S. Veterans laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery -- Collinsville, Madison County, Illinois http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sunnyann/bealsveterans.html SUNNYANN'S INDEX http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sunnyann/ 3. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brand-new mailing lists can be found under OTHER/MISCELLANEOUS until moved to their proper categories. For information and an index to the more than 28,200 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ALTY BAGGATE, BAYGAT, BEWS, BUTTERY, BYGAIT CHEGWIDDEN DECHER, DULSON FEINDEL, FULLINGIM FLICKER-UK -- The FLICKER surname from the United Kingdom GOODCHILD HASHA HOLDER-DNA -- The HOLDER surname DNA project MACCRAE, MACCREA, MCCREE, MCCRIE, MCRE, MCREA, MCRIE, MEAGER PROW ROSENZWEIG NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS NOR-VOSSELAG -- Vosselag region of Norway 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. For example, the Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio) Genealogical Society website is at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohcvgs/ Pakistan pakwgw -- Pakistan (WorldGenWeb) U.S.A. gaclinc2 -- Clinch County (Georgia) gagdncd -- General Daniel Newman Chapter DAR (Georgia) gaocone2 -- Oconee County (Georgia) gaquitma -- Quitman County (Georgia) ilknox2 -- Knox County (Illinois) iltmg -- Tinley Moraine Genealogists (Illinois) ilwarre2 -- Warren County (Illinois) kyafamer -- African American Resources (Kentucky) mdmws -- Maryland Welsh Society (Maryland) miscnews -- St. Clair County Newspapers (Michigan) ohcvgs -- Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Society (Ohio) tnalhn -- Tennessee American Local History Network (ALHN) state site txdc1812 -- David Crockett (#416) United States Daughters (USD) of 1812 (Texas) txlcgs -- Liberty County (Texas) Genealogical Society wafpc -- Fern Prairie Cemetery, Clark County (Washington) 5. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages -------------------------------------- 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 JOHNSON. Brief review of the life of William Johnson who brought all but one of his first family to Ontario, Canada in 1832. He had already re- married and was building his second family when he immigrated. In all, he fathered 22 children. Also shown is a reunion photograph of 230 of his descendants in 1933 -- 158 of these have been identified. His daughters married into ALLAN, WILSON, SWEATLAND, RUMBALL, PINKNEY, WALKER, MONTGOMERY, BUSH, and CHURCHILL lines. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wmjohnson1832/ OHIO: American Local History Network and Franklin County pages. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~rocky/ohio_alhn/ohio.htm http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~rocky/franklin_county/franklin.htm VERMONT. Danville. Tombstone inscriptions from the Massey Cemetery. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nekg3/files/cemetery_massey.htm VERMONT. Glover. Deaths from the annual town reports from 1926 to 1984. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nekg3/files/tr-glover.htm 6. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb ---------------------------------------------- Who Has the Data? Does your state, province, county, parish, church, old military unit or alma mater have material available that you think would be of interest to genealogists and historians? Do you have any compiled lists of names or databases -- other than your personal family tree because genealogies can be posted at WorldConnect: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ -- that you would like to share and that you think would be of value and interest to others? In most cases, RootsWeb would be proud to host them. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ No new databases this week. 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]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changing Family History By Mark Amanns There is a additional point to be considered. Some persons may truly be thinking more of themselves and their own feeling of propriety or selfishness, to ask that things of public record be hidden or ignored. On the other hand, there are others who have had traumatic experiences due to traumatic events or disastrous relationships. What if there was a child from rape, incest or other abuse? What if the "black sheep" was only a source of misery for them? I speak of this second group who might make a sincere request from the pain in their hearts. As I did not suffer through what they experienced, logic and reasoning are not enough. Even if we do not quite comprehend their personal situation, we should be as understanding as possible no matter what we keep in our records. I remember being asked not to mention a relative's daughter -- the request coming from her own parents! I was to refer to her children as their own. Imagine the heartache and distress she must have caused them for them to say that. I have an ancestor born in 1784 whose "parents" may actually have been his grandparents. Like many others, will I ever know the truth? * * * Romance, Genealogy, and the Net By G. Hallemann My "Sweety" and I met over the Internet and found out that we both were into genealogy. We would spend hours on the computer chatting back and forth, sending e-mails, and yes even phone calls. We both had ancestors in Pennsylvania and wanted to make a trip there, but did not want to go alone, so we planned a trip together, and before this trip we had never met. So the wings and arrows of Cupid were in motion. I drove to his place (a 4-hour drive) as it was closer from where he lived then from where I lived to go on from there on to Pennsylvania. We met for the first time that evening and took off the next day for a week in Pennsylvania. We found bunches of information on our ancestors and we also found out that we enjoyed each other's company. There was never an awkward moment and always had something to talk about. Well to make a long story short it has now been four years since our first trip to Pennsylvania, and for going on the last 3 years have been together ever since, and still enjoy each other's company. We help one another with finding our ancestors, and when we do happen to make a BINGO the other is just as excited as the one who BINGO'ed. It was all because of genealogy and Cupid's arrow that we are together today. * * * Gay Branches on the Family Tree By Nola Crewe, Toronto I use Family Tree Maker (genealogy software) and there is a problem with the setup in this day of unusual relationships. "Husband" and "Wife" don't work when both are husbands or both are wives. And with adoptions and artificial insemination, these relationships have children, so you can't just put down the one party to whom you are related and ignore their partner and the child's other parent. To arbitrarily deem one man the wife or one woman the husband does not work for me. And I'm sure it wouldn't work for the parties either. In Ontario, these people are legally married and able to adopt, so we are going to have to find a way to accommodate them in our genealogical records -- even if the programme designers didn't contemplate these complications. Any suggestions? [Editor's Note: You didn't mention which version of FTM you are using, but in the later ones, after the marriage date there are options for "Beginning Status" of the relationship, such as "married, friend, other, partner, private, single, and unknown." Choose "partner" and you will probably have to manually change the sex designation of the partners rather than accepting the default of one being male and female. A note can be added to your sources about the relationship. Click on the MORE option next to the names and use the FACTS and LINEAGE options to provide additional details about anyone in the tree.] * * * Hiding Family Secrets By Laura Flechsig Most Baby Boomers are used to children born of single parents or born less than nine months after their parents' marriage, but many in the older generations think that things like that should remain quiet. My parents were married several months after the anniversary we celebrate every year. (I found that out when I researched city hall divorces -- I knew they had separated for a time many years ago.) Surprise! I believe the date was "altered" because my brother was born only two months after the real wedding. Interestingly enough, though, Mom had always admitted the fact that she altered her birth certificate so that the marriage could take place. My husband's parents were married a full year after they claim (also gleaned from divorce court records) -- they both were married to others at the time of their supposed marriage. My husband was given the name of the first husband (Junior) at birth and later adopted by his biological father -- mom's second husband and his complete name was then changed. He discovered only a few years ago that he had two half siblings. We've kept quiet about the information we have on those two weddings (except to our siblings) so as not to upset Mom and Dad. Other items, however, have made it into the genealogy pages -- a cousin who sued his mother over the family farm, for instance. His daughter was very offended to read that, despite the fact that I had proof of the lawsuit. She demanded that I remove the information and I decided to comply -- into the hidden file it went -- for the time being. The hidden file is not distributed around the family, and will not be until the person in question and their children are deceased. It is simply kept in my computer (and as a paper file). Many skeletons reside in that file, but if all of the information was handed around the family, I fear my sources of family history would stop speaking with me. It does "falsify" some of the pages I distribute but those can be corrected at a later date. The information is available anyone who asks (and can keep a secret) or anyone I feel should know the true story now. What good is it to do up a family history if it alienates the family? * * * Respecting Rights By M. J. Lupton I was interested to read the original letter by "Lois in Iowa" and the responses in the next issue regarding the problem of other relatives wanting things removed from the family records. I have a somewhat different perspective than any of the respondents. In the first place, in my view, we only have a "right" to the information on our direct line families. I don't think we have the "right" to collect or, in particular, to disseminate information on other descendants, especially living ones. There is such a thing as the "right of privacy". [Editor's Note: There is misunderstanding about this subject among many family historians; you can read about "What is Privacy" at "Privacy Law in the USA" website: http://www.rbs2.com/privacy.htm ] While I don't condone the actions of the new husband in phoning and making threats, it would seem fairly obvious that Lois probed some very deep and still raw wounds. The responses of the others shows a lack of empathy for living people and the possibility of some very bitter and painful experiences in their past. In Howland's reply he tells of an aunt who refuses to tell him about the father of her child. What if that child was, for example, the result of rape? Some people have been known to keep the child despite the unfortunate circumstances of conception. Why would anyone be obligated to tell one and all of such a circumstance? I think that any children affected by sensitive information should know the truth for health reasons, if nothing else, but I don't think that information is necessarily public property. If I were adopted I would want to know who my biological parents were so that I could trace my bloodlines since that is what is flowing in my veins but my emotional ties might be with my adoptive family. I have a problem with self-appointed "Family Records Keepers." I especially have a problem with those who submit collateral lines to things like Ancestral File or WorldConnect or the Pedigree Resource File. I submitted my lines to Ancestral File back in the early 1980s. Since that time others have made submissions of inaccurate, incomplete information on some of the same families even though it was obvious from my previous submission that I had more complete information. Not one of them ever contacted me to find out my sources and improve their own data before submitting and what is especially irritating is that, in one case at least, the submitter is not even a descendant of that family line. I tried contacting them and sent copies of my sources but neither ever bothered to let me know if they got the information or replied in any way. If other family members in collateral lines of descent are willing to share their information with us, we should be grateful for their willingness to do so and treat their information with respect and not pass it on without their previous knowledge and consent. For example, if we are gleaning information for a family book on descendants of a particular couple we should make that very clear at the outset and obtain permission to include the information in any publication even if the book is only to be distributed to other relatives. Living people have certain rights with regards to privacy and we do the genealogical community no favours when we choose to ignore the rights of others. The fact that we may have an ancestor in common somewhere in the vast regions of the past does not give us any claim on the personal information of another. Please respect the rights of others and show some concern for their feelings. You may not know what they have been through and I say again, we who are passionate about preserving our families records do not have any claim on the personal information of other descendants. * * * To Include or Not to Include By Ruth A. Bartley I enjoyed reading the comments of those who have been asked to NOT include certain information in their records. I always remind my family in this manner, "Everyone of us has things that we are not proud of but would you want me to leave YOU out of the family records?" I was also pleased to read the person that was including information of a grandparent that was suffering from alcoholism. This is a proven heredity illness and if you are including this type of information then this too must be included. Children of the families that shared that grandparent have that right to know so they can make an informed decision if they choose to drink. In my family I have all sorts of things that can be hereditary and yes, I am including all of them in my records. I am also including the fact that my father attempted to commit suicide twice and that he also was, as a young man, imprisoned for a mistake that he made. To me this information should be added as it tells me the character of the man I called Dad. He made mistakes, but he didn't repeat them and he was very careful to make sure that none of his children made similar mistakes. I feel that all information should be included for those of the future that may need the information. I would include in my information if a family member was homosexual, adopted, born out of wedlock, parents not married but shared in the birth of children, I would even include if a family member was abusive, either physically or sexually, these too have a tendency to be hereditary. This is what makes up our families so why leave it out? No, I would not put this information out on the Internet, even if I posted my family there. I would leave that out as the world doesn't need to know, but the family does! This is putting the meat in those old bones! * * * Vive La Différence By Donna Gore I agree with the majority of others who don't see how you can "erase" someone you don't like from the family record. You can't change court records, church records, census records, etc. Overall, I have encountered nothing but kindness so far in my research. One cousin I had just met over the Internet offered to meet me at the small town where our mutual relations lived. She spent her whole day off (it was a national holiday) driving me around to all the cemeteries. I will never forget her kindness. However, I have had a couple of unpleasant experiences. I met one cousin who befriended me warmly but promptly turned on me when he found out that I don't share his political or religious beliefs. Oh, well! I guess some of us are just more tolerant than others. Out to my first-cousin level, my family includes Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, and agnostics; Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. We all get along and actually enjoy one another's company. We can discuss politics and religion without anybody taking anything personally (as mature, civilized adults should be able to do). And we are always there for each other, in the good times and the bad. Because family comes first . . . I was recently thanking one of my relatives for loving me and accepting me in spite of my rather unorthodox views. She said, "The only thing that matters is how you treat other people." 8. Humor/Humour: Better Than Nothing? ------------------------------------- Thanks to Christine Clement of New Zealand http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sooty/ I noticed this in the Ochiltree, Ayrshire, Scotland parish records (page 208 of film 609/1). SOMETHING -- George Something lawful son to Whatyecallhim in Mains of Barskimming was baptised April 9th 1704. Did he go though life with the surname SOMETHING? 9. Submissions, Subscriptions, Advertising, Reprints ----------------------------------------------------- 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 TEXT (please, no attachments) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Search/download past issues of the RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ * * * SUBSCRIPTIONS. To manage your e-mail communications (i.e. to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to sign up for others), visit our newsletter management center any time at: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of MyFamily.com, Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Operations Mgr. Shana Davis sdavis@myfamilyinc.com U.S., Worldwide Sales: Sacha Yenkana syenkana@myfamilyinc.com * * * REPRINTS. 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: 14 July 2004, Vol. 7, No. 28. * * * *