RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Free Weekly E-zine Vol. 5, No. 17, 24 April 2002, Circulation: 943,591 (c) 1998-2002 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ Do not reply to this message. This is a post-only mailing. Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist RWR-Editor@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees: http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ WorldConnect (family trees): http://wc.rootsweb.com/ Help Desk: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ ====================================================================== IN THIS ISSUE 1. Connecting through RootsWeb: Timeless Connections; Taking Advantage of Technology 2. News and Notes (2a. SSDI Update; 2b. Klez Worm Wiggles Across the Net; 2c. Focus on Volunteers; 2d. New User-contributed Databases; 2e. Creating Databases; 2f. Spotlighted Web Pages; 2g. Scotch-Irish; 2h. Tracing Scottish Ancestors) 3. New Mailing Lists 4. New Web Pages 5. New FreePages and HomePages 6. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: Leaving Gifts; Headstones, Epitaphs and Education 7. What's New for Ancestry.com Subscribers 8. WorldGenWeb and USGenWeb 9. Humor: Bite Me 10. Submissions Guidelines; Reprint Policy; Subscribe or Unsubscribe Instructions; HelpDesk Contact ================================================================ 1. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Timeless Connections By Patrick K. Best bestp44@hotmail.com Edmonton, Alberta, Canada About three years ago my paternal grandmother passed away and in her records we found that she had written down her family history. Since this was written on paper and I have a computer, I thought what a great opportunity to put all of this information on a disk and share it with the rest of the world via RootsWeb. I did just that and named the information Bessie BARKER Family. Since then, I have had three very long-distance cousins locate the information and contact me. Two years ago I installed software to keep track of all of this information, and I am happy to say that to date, I have more than 2,600 names in my database that I am related to one way or another. My oldest lines date back to the year 214 [sic] in Sweden and Normandy. I truly believe that even though our ancestors have passed on, we, the living should keep their memories alive, even if it is on a disk or on paper. Just as long as it is somewhere where we can share it with the rest of the world. And just to prove that it all works, I am a descendant of Thomas and Anne HOWSE, who lived in Cirencester, England in the mid-1700s. One of their sons, Joseph HOWSE went to Canada with the Hudson's Bay Company and became a well-known historian with it. One of Joseph's brothers, Edward HOWSE, went to South Africa. He was killed there in the late 1790s at the age of 26. I have been able to track down some of Edward's descendants who live in Natal, South Africa. Even though more than 200 years have passed, it is possible to get in touch with relatives of some sort -- thanks to RootsWeb. * * * Taking Advantage of Technology By Frank Bouley FBouley@prodigy.net http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=bouley http://pages.prodigy.net/fbouley/index.html I have been working on my family for almost 40 years and have more than 8,000 individuals listed in my "Master Tree," which is uploaded onto WorldConnect at RootsWeb for all to study. It is updated regularly. I know there are many with more names, but mine is a little different since it includes many pages of sources and notes. In any case I only mention all of this because I receive close to 70 e-mails a day from people requesting information, and I was beginning to drown -- finding it impossible to keep up. Partial solution: I use PAF [Personal Ancestral File] and discovered PAF companion that allows me to create beautiful RTF [Rich Text Format] file including sources and notes. I went back to my immigrant ancestors and created descendancy charts from each immigrant down to the point where the line "daughtered out." Now when I receive a request for information on a family I simply, and swiftly, attach that family's chart to my reply. 2. NEWS AND NOTES ----------------- 2a. SSDI UPDATED. The March 2002 Social Security Death Index (SSDI) update is now online. The number of names has reached 68,021,492: http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ Get the most out of this unique American database: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson10.htm 2b. KLEZ WORM WIGGLES ACROSS THE NET. No, RootsWeb.com is not sending you a virus or worm in an attachment -- no matter what these "forged" addresses with RootsWeb name in it say. Be sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and that you use it. Never open any e-mail attachments unless you have confirmed with the sender that she or he did indeed send it to you for a reason. Do not assume that the attachment came from where it says -- these sophisticated worms are able to forge addresses and they are fooling lots of people. Some even claim to be "worm removal tools." Don't believe them. The Klez worm has been able to spread because of a security vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer (browser) and because many people do not update their browser and download these patches. Don't risk the loss of your personal and genealogical data: Update your browser now: [2-line URL]: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/ q290108/default.asp/ Most antivirus vendors, such as Symantec, McAfee and Sophos, offer Klez patches. Is your computer virus free? Find out at: http://housecall.antivirus.com/pc_housecall/ 2c. FOCUS ON ROOTSWEB'S VOLUNTEERS. During Volunteer Appreciation Month on RootsWeb.com, we have shined the spotlight on five volunteers who show immeasurable dedication and support to the genealogical community. These volunteers donate their time and talents by creating and administrating genealogical resources, translating documents or just by answering the questions of fellow researchers. Visit our Volunteer Spotlight Page to see what others do for you as well as how you can give back to the genealogical community. http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/spotlight/ 2d. NEW FREE USER-CONTRIBUTED DATABASES AT ROOTSWEB: The following user- contributed databases have come online recently: ENGLAND. Lincolnshire. PINCHBECK Burials, 1560-1578 (an index) 822 records; Michael J. EDGOOSE http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ ENGLAND. Nottinghamshire. Annesley Parish Marriages, 1599 to 1638 88 records; Ranae Burt http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ IRELAND. Country Clare Baptisms 21 records; Joan Soderlund http://userdb.rootsweb.com/uki/ U.S.A. ARKANSAS. Union County. Marysville Cemetery 225 records; Martin and Geri Braswell http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ ILLINOIS. Cook County. 1870 Census Index "R" surnames 100 records; Brenda Johnson Gaetz http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ ILLINOIS. Cook County. Ackerman listings from Cook County death index, 1871-1916; 58 records; Brenda Johnson Gaetz http://userdb.rootsweb.com/deaths/ ILLINOIS. Cook County. Partial death index, 1871-1916 87 records; Brenda Johnson Gaetz http://userdb.rootsweb.com/deaths/ INDIANA. Jefferson County. 1965 Yearbook, Madison High School, 1,012 records; B. Salmons http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ INDIANA. Jefferson County. 1966 Yearbook, Madison High School 1,144 records; B. Salmons http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ INDIANA. Jefferson County. North Madison High School 1943 Senior Class Roll; 44 records; B. Salmons http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ INDIANA, Martin County. Miscellaneous, selected marriages 12 records; Michelle Holland http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ KANSAS. Sedgwick County. Derby High School 1966 Class Roll 277 records; Linda Shumaker http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ KANSAS. Sedgwick County. Derby High School 1967 Class Roll 323 records; Linda Shumaker http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ KANSAS. Sedgwick County. Derby High School 1968 Class Roll 294 records; Linda Shumaker http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MICHIGAN. Delta County. 1926 Graduating Class Escanaba High School 127 records; Paul Christensen http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MICHIGAN, Delta County. 1927 Graduating Class Escanaba High School 138 records; Paul Christensen http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEBRASKA, Saunders County. Mead High School, 1890, 93, 95, 97, 98 40 records; P. A. Scheele for the Mead Library http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW JERSEY. Hudson County. Holy Family High School, Union City Class of 1955; 44 records; Peter Halpin http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW JERSEY. Hudson County. St. Anne Elementary School, Jersey City, Class of 1951; 39 records; Peter Halpin http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW YORK. Warren County. Hartman Hill Cemetery 234 records; Tom Lynch http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ OHIO. Lake County. Harding High School, Fairport Harbor, 1943 and 1945 Seniors; 89 records; Karen Shanower http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ OREGON. Lake County. Fort Rock Cemetery Transcriptions 69 records; Linda Woll Preston http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ PENNSYLVANIA. Luzerne County. Obituaries from the Wilkes-Barre Record, 1893; 1,268 records; Nancy Cook http://userdb.rootsweb.com/obituaries/ PENNSYLVANIA. Luzerne County. Obituaries from the Wilkes-Barre Record, 1894; 1,580 records; Nancy Cook http://userdb.rootsweb.com/obituaries/ PENNSYLVANIA. Lehigh County. U.S. and Canadian Orphans 37 records; Cindy Kanny, Carol Holmbeck for the Orphans' Home Website http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Union County. Beresford 1898 and 1899 school alumni 36 records; Brian M. Hass http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ TENNESSEE. Sevier County. 1920 Census Index. 6,716 records; Owen Wolfe http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ TEXAS. Tyler County. Miscellaneous, selected marriages 12 records; Michelle Holland http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ 2e. CREATING DATABASES. Do you have a family treasure in your house, perhaps grandma's high school or college yearbook? Have you ever thought there might be others who would love to know who all was in that class of long gone? Consider RootsWeb User-Contributed Databases as a place to make the information publicly available to anyone doing a search. You do not need any fancy or difficult-to-understand database program to prepare your information for submission. Type the data directly into whatever word-processing program you normally use -- Word, Word Perfect, Works, or even the Windows Wordpad program. Create a database for submission to RootsWeb, by starting with a list of column headings of items to be included for each record. Let's say, for instance, you want to include these items for each record: Name Year School City County State and that your first two records are as follows: John Doe 1926 Rose Hill Academy Rose Hill Mercer KY Mary Smith 1943 Baptist College Anytown Unameit NY Type them just as they are typed above leaving a single space by hitting the spacebar between each item, or use a comma or some other unique character that doesn't appear elsewhere in the data between each item, to separate the items in each record. Hit the enter key to start a new line for each record. Be sure that each record lists the items in exactly the same order as they are shown in your column headings. In other words, each item in each individual record must be consistent with the column heading for that item. If you do not have an item for a particular record (for instance, you don't know the town in which an individual lived), just skip that entry by marking it with an additional space or comma or whatever symbol or character you have chosen to denote the separation between items, so that subsequent items for that entry will match the column headings. When you are satisfied that your data is formatted in a clear and consistent manner and ready for submission, go here: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit Using the submission form, browse to the location of the file on your computer or type in the path to the file, and upload it automatically for inclusion in a master database of similar records. See the guidelines, tutorial and examples of data formats for user- contributed data: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/guidelines.html RootsWeb thanks the individuals and groups who contribute their material to share with the genealogical community. See the full list of contributors at http://userdb.rootsweb.com/contributors.html * * * 2f. SPOTLIGHT ON SOME DISTINCTIVE WEB PAGES AT ROOTSWEB ------------------------------------------------------- STUART GENEALOGY. In addition to his STUART family database and information about John Wesley DIXON and Jonathan Hicklan DAVIS, his family members who fought on opposite sides during the American Civil War, David G. STUART'S home page has HTML versions of nearly 60 genealogy-related stories you'll want to read, such as: "Alcatraz Ernie," "Coffee Mill Riddle," "Doppleganger," "Filming to Find Grandma Rita," "Melusina's Storm," "The Wescott Fiddle," and "Winging it in Wales." http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dgstuart/dgs.htm TEXAS. NAVARRO COUNTY. Confederate Civil War Rosters and information by company, with links for some soldiers found in "Known Civil War Veterans Buried in Navarro County." Includes: 13th Texas Infantry, Company E -- Moss' Company. 15th Texas Infantry, Co. E -- Halbert's Company 15th Texas Infantry, Co. G - Fouty's Company 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Co. E--Corsicana Invincibles 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Co. I, Winkler's Company--Navarro Rifles 19th Texas Cavalry, Co. I -- Dresden's Texas Cavalry Regiment 20th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted) Company G or H -- Lockhart's Company 20th Texas Cavalry, (Dismounted) Company B -- Martin's Company 20th Texas Cavalry, (Dismounted) Co. H -- Molloys' Men Morgan's Texas Cavalry -- Co. F. -- McKie's Company http://www.rootsweb.com/~txnavarr/war/civil_war/rosters/ Also see this page dedicated to Texas Ranger Captain Cicero Rufus PERRY: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txnavarr/Bios/cr_perry/index.htm 2g. SCOTCH-IRISH. To our cousins outside the United States, who expressed their opinions about the term "Scotch-Irish" recently: Yes, we know the difference between Scots and Scotch. However, Scotch-Irish is a perfectly acceptable genealogical term. It refers to the descendants of the Presbyterians from Lowland Scotland who settled in Ulster, the northernmost province of Ireland, in the 17th century and subsequently emigrated from there to America. It is used by historians and genealogists alike and the term has been in use in America since the early 1700s. There are other such peculiar terms that one encounters in genealogical research. For example, the American "Pennsylvania Dutch" are not Dutch, they are Germanic, but so named by our British progenitors, who didn't know their Dutch from Deutsch. 2h. LEARN HOW TO RESEARCH YOUR SCOTTISH ANCESTRY ($29.95). Course fee includes a 30-day subscription to all of the family history databases on Ancestry.com. Starts Monday, April 29. Janet Reakes teaches genealogy basics and covers sasine records, surname databases and clan societies, Scottish civil registration districts, and Gretna Green and Border marriages. http://www.myfamily.com/isapi.dll?c=home&htx=training%2FgenClass3 3. NEW ROOTSWEB MAILING LISTS ----------------------------- [Editor's Note: The following are NOT Web pages--they are mailing lists.] For more information and an index to the more than 24,500 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists and the subscribing options, please go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS MAILING LISTS. For an index to more than 24,500 RootsWeb- hosted genealogy mailing lists, visit http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BALTER, BAPTISTE, BLINN, BOEHRINGER, BRACKNEY, BRAUNE, BROOMBAUGH, BUREL CANT, CIFERRI, COBDEN FAGGIANELLI GARRIGUES, GRONSKY, GUNTON HOLTER, HUERD, HUYA INLOW KALEY LICHTENBERGER, LUMMUS MCDOLE, MONETTE, MUDGETT NEWMANN SHEPARDSON, SIKORSKI, SPEARPOINT THOMSSEN, TREVORY WEIT, WILKESON, WITZKE YARBERRY, YARDY ZELLAR NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS BAKER-UK -- The BAKER surname in the United Kingdom CHAMBERS-UK -- The CHAMBERS surname in the United Kingdom DUNN-UK -- The DUNN surname in the United Kingdom IRISH-AMERICAN -- Irish immigration to the United States of America JONES-FREEMAN -- Descendants of Freeman JONES (wife Christian/Christina PARRISH/PARIS) LEES-UK -- The LEES surname in the United Kingdom NE-CZECHS -- Czech ancestors that immigrated to Nebraska OR-CEMETERIES -- Cemeteries in Oregon (help finding cemeteries, cemetery photos or cemetery transcriptions) STONE-UK -- The STONE surname in the United Kingdom TN-NATIVEAMERICAN -- Native Americans in Tennessee NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS ENG-LAN-LEIGH -- The town of Leigh in Lancashire, England IN-EAST-CENTRAL -- East Central Indiana mail (counties included: Delaware, Hancock, Henry, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, and Wayne) USA SWE-ANGERMANLAND -- Angermanland, Sweden To subscribe or unsubscribe to/from any RootsWeb-hosted mailing list, send a plain text (not HTML) e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the message body to: [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to: [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode) To request a new mailing list: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ 4. NEW WEB PAGES AT ROOTSWEB ---------------------------- 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 next week. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ [account name] Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required. To request a free Web account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ENGLAND engmanche -- Manchester U.S.A. flegsf -- Englewood Genealogical Society of Florida, Inc. gabenhil -- Ben Hill County, Georgia iaohms -- Odebolt Historical Museum Society (Iowa) itcheyen -- Cheyenne-Arapaho, Indian Territory itkiowa -- Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Lands, Indian Territory ksmcpher -- McPherson County, Kansas txgfpl -- Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc. (Texas) wiaagsm -- African American Genealogical Society of Milwaukee (Wisconsin) wiozauke -- Ozaukee County, Wisconsin 5. NEW PERSONAL FREEPAGES AND HOMEPAGES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------------------- [Note: When your new personal webpages at RootsWeb are up and ready for visitors, please send the URL (address) along with a brief description, but do not abbreviate localities to: rwr-editor@rootsweb.com ] Comments and questions about any of these independently authored webpages should be directed to their respective compilers/webmasters.] BARGANIER. Information/exchange for the Barganier surname. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~barganier/ CLOUGH FAMILY TREE -- from New Zealand. Includes CLOUGH, HOSKINS, MAYER, CARTLIDGE, COPE, SMITH, RUTTER, LIVINGSTONE, UNDERWOOD, OWEN, MERRICK, GIRVIN, MITCHELL, FLOOD, MAHER, CLENDON, CHITTY, BARKER, COOKE, and COCHRANE. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~okclough/ CRISCUOLO, BENVENUTO GENEALOGY. Surnames include: ATELLA, BENVENUTO, BRUNO, COTUGNO, CRISCUOLO, DECOLA, DESANTIS, DEANGELIS, DEMENT, FRANGIOSA, LONGO, LUCENTEFORTE, MARINO, PALOMBO, RATINO, RICCI, ROCCO, SALOMONE, SAPIENZA, and SCAFIDI. Specializing in the Italian town of Venafro, but also has data from the towns of Cassino, Casalduni, Contrada, Napoli, and Naso (Sicily). http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~criscuolo/ HOWARD FAMILY TREE AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RALPH JOHN WESLEY HOWARD. Members of the Howard Clan were some of the original homesteaders of the North Bend District (in the Frenchman Butte area), which is just northeast of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is hoped that many will enjoy the history of this clan and its struggle to live and its part in Saskatchewan's history. http://www.rootsweb.com/~sklloydm/Howard/ LEE. Index to the book, "Robert E. LEE and Fort Pulaski" [Georgia, 1829-1864] written by Rogers W. Young ca 1940, reprinted 1970 by Eastern National Park and Monument Association in cooperation with Fort Pulaski National Monument, National Park Service. Lookups are available. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~debic/leepulsk.htm MANLEY/MANLY, SOKOL/SOCKOL and allied families. History, genealogy (family trees), and includes photos, and documents. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chatsol NEVADA. ELKO COUNTY VETERANS CEMETERY RECORDS. In honor of the service and memory of Elko-area veterans; includes name, birth and death dates, plus a link to the gravemarker image, when available. Gravemarkers in most cases have additional information. http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~schmoe/vetcemold9.html RANDALL. If you are researching the RANDALL surname, and have a family website or GEDCOM online, you are welcome to join the RGR. Spelling variants include RANDALL, RANDAL, RANDLE, and RANDELL. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~randallancestry/rgr1.html SCOTTISH. EVER A SCOT. Information on surnames, clans, and septs plus Scotland's history. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~everascot/index/ ************************PAID ADVERTISEMENTS************************ NO-FIND NO-FEE OFFER FROM BRITISH ANCESTORS BRITISH ANCESTORS have taken the risk out of engaging professional researchers with their amazing NO-FIND NO-FEE offer. Researchers throughout England and Scotland will search birth, marriage, death, census and church records for your ancestors (1800 to 1950) and will make no charge if your ancestors are not found! They also provide FREE e-mail consultations and a new CERTIFICATE ORDERING SERVICE! http://www.britishancestors.com * * * Save up to 70% on inkjet cartridges and get FREE Shipping too! No minimum order required for U.S.A. and Canada. All our products are 100% Guaranteed. Finding what you need is very easy. Our customer service team is top rated. Fast everyday shipping. Prices are lower than major office supply stores. http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?inkjetsavings+ByKWt5+index.html * * * The Mar/Apr issue of FAMILY CHRONICLE is on the newsstands now or you can obtain a free trial copy by visiting http://www.familychronicle.com/ Articles include "Confederate Records," "Immigrant Stories -- First Impressions," "Researching WWII Veterans," "Where Have All the Ancestors Gone?" "87 Web Sites You Have to See," and "Your Heritage and How it May Affect Your Health" plus many others. Purchase our fastest-selling special ever, "Dating Old Photographs" at $12 including shipping: http://www.familychronicle.com/ * * * Obtain a free trial copy of the new HISTORY MAGAZINE http://www.history-magazine.com/ Articles include "Evolution of the Skyscraper," "Geronimo", "Quantrill's Raiders," "New York Society 1860s," "Wine, the Divine Gift," "Torture and Capital Punishment," "Anesthesiology," "The King Who Lost the Crown Jewels," and many others. Obtain your copy by visiting http://www.history-magazine.com/ * * * SPOTLIGHT ON GENEALOGY MAPS: If you're doing U.S. census research -- including 1930 research -- you need the MAP GUIDE TO THE US FEDERAL CENSUSES to pinpoint your census county or town. Check out the MAP GUIDE, AMERICAN PLACE NAMES OF LONG AGO, and all the geographical finding aids at genealogical.com. http://www.genealogical.com/search_gen.cfm?Cat_ID=AG Do you own our CD gold mine of 500,000 Quaker records, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN QUAKER GENEALOGY? If not, learn more about it today! http://www.genealogical.com/item_detail.cfm?ID=7192 Genealogical.com's APRIL NEW BOOKS and CDs cover subjects from Maine to Georgia. Read about them out at: http://www.genealogical.com/new_products.cfm Visit the GENEALOGY WAREHOUSE. All books are discounted 40 % or more! Supplies are limited on some titles. http://www.genealogical.com/warehouse.cfm **********************END OF PAID ADVERTISEMENTS********************** 6. FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG -------------------------------------------- Leaving Gifts By Lindsay Merritt lmerritt@stratacare.com My mother and her younger sister were separated and given up for adoption as young girls. After a series of foster homes, a wonderful couple adopted her and she lost all contact with her sister. She heard years later that her sister had been adopted by a wealthy family living in a town close by. One day while on vacation in that town, my mother gathered her courage and went to the address given to her as her sister's home. The door was answered by a butler. My mother asked to see Margaret and began to explain her relation. She was interrupted by an old woman who emerged at the door and began screaming, "Go away, you are not wanted here." Shocked and embarrassed, she left and never pursued finding her sister again. She was 16 at the time. One morning, about 10 years ago, my mother opened her local newspaper to read of a terrible murder. As she continued to read the details she realized that the victim had the name of her lost sister. More shocking than this, she had been residing in a apartment not more than a mile away from my mother's home for many years. They had probably passed each other in the grocery store aisle on many occasions. Margaret's funeral was held in a nearby cemetery and though my mother couldn't bring herself to go to the church service, she went to the graveside to say goodbye one more time. She stood off to the side and from a distance she could barely hear the words spoken. But she did observe a young man staring at her intently. Every time she looked toward him he was gazing intensely at her. She remembers feeling self- conscious and turning to leave. As she walked away she felt a gentle arm on her shoulder. She turned to find the same young man beside her. "Excuse me, my name is Brian, who are you? Did you know my mother? You seem so familiar to me, do I know you?" My mother smiled and decided after looking into this young man's eyes that she would tell him that he had an aunt. He couldn't speak at first, he could only hug and look at my mother, exclaiming, "You look so much like her." That morning began a beautiful new beginning of a new family, of Brian and his two sisters and their beautiful babies. That morning my mother received her sister's gift. * * * Headstones, Epitaphs and Education By Jan Veacock janmveacock@yahoo.com Teacher Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia I know that many epitaphs are humourous, some are poignant, and some are even mysterious. They and their headstones also make pretty good teaching aids. I teach in an environmental education centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. One of our historical programmes is conducted in a "memorial garden" next to Christ Church, an Anglican church in inner Brisbane and close to the site of the large Paddington cemetery, which closed in the late 19th century. While many of the headstones (and coffins) were removed to the new cemetery at Toowong when the cemetery closed, more than 550 headstones were collected and stacked domino fashion in the grounds of the church. During the Great Depression, nearly 530 of the headstones were smashed to make roadfill as a "work for the dole" scheme. Only 20 are left in this garden. The "tough" high school students (ages 12-15) who complete the programme find the following epitaph very moving: In memory of Medora Ann LITTLE Wife of Robert LITTLE of Brisbane Crown Solicitor of Queensland who departed this life Feb. the 17th 1872 aged 37. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he praiseth her. Proverbs: xxxi 28 Robert LITTLE obviously adored his young wife. He and Medora nee GEARY had at least six children, the last one born in 1867. One of the students who completed the programme recently was very "cool," and quite disruptive until we actually arrived at the garden. He then was assigned the headstone of Susan RALLS nee BREWER and her son George RALLS to further study. Susan RALLS died on 21 May 1870, aged 27; George died 13 May 1870, aged 5 days. The student was quite upset that a child had died that young and that his mother had died from complications of childbirth. When it was pointed out to him that of the 40-odd people commemorated in the garden, 11 of them died before their fifth birthdays, he was appalled. The headstone of William and Ellen SHEEHAN nee HALEY also commemorates Jane SHEEHAN who died 5 Dec 1843 aged 1 day and Jane Ann SHEEHAN died 1 Mar 1846 aged 11 days, children of William and Ellen. This tough young man was moved that so many children had died so young. The student's first action on returning to the classroom with his regular teacher who hadn't accompanied that class to the memorial garden was to regale her with his findings. The teacher could not believe that something had penetrated his tough attitude to that extent! 7. WHAT'S NEW FOR ANCESTRY.COM SUBSCRIBERS ------------------------------------------ "Et tu, Shakespeare?" Many researchers are already aware that the "United Kingdom and Ireland Parish and Probate records" at Ancestry.com provide vital information for family historians. Prior to 1837, the civil registration of vital records was not required in Great Britain. As a result, these parish and court records remain particularly important to those searching English ancestry. As the month of April marks the birth and death of William Shakespeare, it is exciting to note that the baptismal and burial records of the Bard are located in the Ancestry.com "Warwickshire Parish and Probate" database. Warwick: Stratford on Avon -- Parish Registers of Baptisms, 1558-1652 26 Apr 1564 Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakspere. Warwick: Stratford on Avon -- Parish Registers of Burials, 1558-1623 25 Apr 1616 Will. Shakspere, gent. Whether it is your own ancestry or that of a historical figure, use the Ancestry Parish and Probate Records to discover the past. Subscribe to the UK & Ireland Collection today. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?sourceid=1380&targetid=3323 8. WORLDGENWEB and USGENWEB --------------------------- The WorldGenWeb Project http://worldgenweb.org/ is one of the several volunteer genealogy projects and many of its pages are hosted by RootsWeb. You might be surprised at some of the free treasures here. The USGenWeb Project http://usgenweb.org/ is another volunteer genealogy project and many of its state and county Web pages and mailing lists are hosted by RootsWeb. You'll find the USGenWeb Archives Newsletter at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/newsletter/index.htm 9. HUMOR: Bite Me ------------------------------------- Posted on: OK-MUSKOGEE-CENTRAL-HS-L@rootsweb.com by Carolinastation@aol.com While waiting for my first appointment in the reception room of a new dentist, I noticed his certificate, which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered that a tall, handsome boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 50 years ago. Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was too old to have been my classmate. After he had examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Muskogee Central High School. "Yes," he replied. "When did you graduate?" I asked. He answered, "In 1954." "Why, you were in my class!" I exclaimed. He looked at me closely and then asked, "What did you teach?" 10. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, REPRINT POLICY, SUBSCRIBING HELP ----------------------------------------------------------- Short (500 words or less) articles, stories, or letters submitted for consideration for publication in the RootsWeb Review should be sent to rwr-editor@rootsweb.com as a plain text e-mail message (no attachments). We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Back issues of RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance. 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