RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 5 July 2006, Vol. 9, No. 27 (c) 1998-2006 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com Certification: http://www.bcgcertification.org/certification/ * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for announcements: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ * * * ========================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES, AND SOME SITES WORTH SEEING NEWS: List Archives Search; SSDI Updated BOOK NOTES: History of Kostel (Slovenia) 1500-1900 SITES: Western Canada Land Grants; Volhynian Ancestry; Bremen Passenger Lists, 1920-1939 1b. Tips from Readers: Mapping the British Isles 1c. Using RootsWeb: Demystifying Mailing Lists and Message Boards 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: Gathering German Roots and Branches 3. New User-contributed Databases 4. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 5. New at RootsWeb 6. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: SUKing About Smashing SMITH Brick Walls Remedying a Painful Widowhood Dead Men Tell No Tales SNOWed Under Changing Occupations 7. Humor/Humour: Matrimonial Matters 8. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ======================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1a. EDITOR'S DESK: NEWS, NOTES; SOME SITES WORTH SEEING NEWS: List Archives Search. There is a new link on the main threaded list archives page: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ Clicking this link takes you to a beta search engine, which enables you to do a global search of all RootsWeb mailing list archives. http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search Keyword searches (simple searches) and advanced searches can be made from the appropriate tab on this page. Advanced searches offer the option to search by the entire message (labeled body), subject field, from field (e-mail address of poster), list (limit search to a single mailing list), date (limit search by a date using these formats -- 10 Jun 2005, Jun 2005, or 2005). A plus or minus sign before a keyword serves to include or exclude the keyword it precedes. * * * SSDI Updated. RootsWeb offers access to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which currently includes deaths records through May 2006. This free database contains several important bits of information on the more 77,584,245 persons whose deaths are on file with the U.S.'s Social Security Administration (SSA), including: social security number, date of issuance, state of issuance, date of birth, date of death, and last address of record. The SSDI is created from the SSA's Death Master File. It is a database of people whose deaths were reported to the SSA beginning about 1962. The SSA Death Master File and SSDI are used by leading U.S. government, financial, investigative, credit-reporting organization, medical research, and other industries to verify identity as well as to prevent fraud -- and to comply with the U.S. Patriot Act. http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/lesson10.htm * * * BOOK NOTES: History of Kostel (Slovenia) 1500-1900: Between Two Civilizations, by Dr. Stanislav Juznic. Historians often look askew at genealogists and genealogists can seem jaundiced toward the stuffiness and pretense of historians. This complex genealogical/historical text bridges the gap with significant consideration of personal history, but with academic rigor, meticulous documentation, frequent footnoting, and an array of economic data to overpower one looking for an easy read. The Slovenian Genealogy Society is proud to make this book available to English readers. Thoroughly documented and painstakingly footnoted, this classical academic text can provide insight into a time in our ancestors' past not available anywhere else. The History of Kostel is now available from the Slovenian Genealogy Society International, Inc. To order, please sent $42.50 (includes postage and handling) to: Slovenian Genealogy Society International, Inc., 52 Old Farm Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011 Website: http://feefhs.org/slovenia/frg-sgsi.html * * * SOME SITES WORTH SEEING. Western Canada Land Grants (1870-1930) is a searchable and free resource for locating settlers and their land grants in Canada's western provinces -- produced by Library and Archives Canada. Locate those who stayed in the West and find those who acquired land grants in the West, but ended up moving on to other opportunities. http://globalgazette.net/ For those with Volhynian (Ukraine) ancestry: http://www.volhynia.com/ Bremen Passenger Lists, 1920-1939. About 635 000 passengers are listed. The database can be searched by name, date of departure, destination harbors and home towns of the passengers. Searches are free. http://www.passengerlists.de * * * 1b. TIPS FROM READERS: Mapping the British Isles By David Hale in Adelaide, South Australia The following high-quality U.K. maps have recently been added to the MAPCO website: 1877 Map of London Showing the Boundaries of Parishes, Ecclesiastical Districts, and Poor Law Divisions http://archivemaps.com/mapco/parish/parish.htm This wonderful and detailed map clearly displays the parish boundaries of London and is a useful reference tool for all London researchers. Pigot and Co.'s Metropolitan Guide and Street Index to London ca 1820. http://archivemaps.com/mapco/pigot/pigot.htm One of the most beautiful London maps on the site is: Wallis's Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster, 1801 http://archivemaps.com/mapco/wallis/wallis.htm Visitors to the MAPCO website will also be interested in the enormous map of England and Wales -- Lewis's Map of England and Wales ca 1840 This massive, beautiful, and detailed map will be of assistance to all researchers with ancestors throughout England and Wales. http://archivemaps.com/mapco/lewis/lewis.htm For Scottish researchers, the site includes Betts's New Map of Scotland ca 1847: http://archivemaps.com/mapco/betts/betts.htm Each map includes high-quality clickable enlargements of each map section. MAPCO eventually will display more than 100 high-quality maps, atlases, plans and views of interest to family historians with U.K. interests. The maps are free for all to use for non-commercial projects. The site is free. http://archivemaps.com/mapco/index.htm * * * 1c. USING ROOTSWEB: Demystifying Mailing Lists and Message Boards Every RootsWeb user, at one time or another, probably has made use of two of RootsWeb's most popular features -- the free mailing lists and message boards. However, some are confused by the need to have both resources. Frequently asked questions are: Why do we need both lists and boards? What are the differences between the two? Which should I use? Lists and boards are resources for posting genealogical queries and awaiting possible answers to your research questions. Both can serve as repositories for genealogical data. But there are differences in their usage and there are instances in which one would be better than the other for posting your queries and data. Message boards are generally the best place for transcriptions of data/documents. You can even add a graphic copy of the original document as an attachment. Documents such as deeds, wills, military pension papers, family Bible records, and public domain biographies are all easily copied to the boards for archiving purposes so that they can be accessed by future researchers who browse or search the message boards. Queries posted to message boards can represent anything from an attempt to knock down a long-standing brick wall by a serious researcher to a casual query about a collateral line or the spouse of a distant cousin. Since a researcher doesn't have to subscribe to a message board in order to post a query on it, he can post queries that are only of passing interest as well as important research questions. When posting to a message board, patience is the keyword. Message board posts might be found weeks, months, or even years later by another researcher with the answer to your question or by someone who possess the puzzle piece you need to solve a mystery. It is important to keep e-mail contact addresses current on old message board posts for this very reason. It is quite easy to do so through the use of registration and keeping your account data up-to-date. Mailing lists are an e-mail forum for discussion among a group of researchers who subscribe to a list. Those on a mailing list receive all messages posted to a list by others. Since you must subscribe to (join) a list in order to post or receive messages from it, lists are relatively immune to spam and other undesirable content. Mailing lists function more "in the moment" than message boards do. The "real-time" discussion on a list often includes queries and responses on a specific thread until all aspects of the initial query have been thoroughly answered or covered. You will often find resident experts on a list who are well-informed and helpful. If you subscribe to mailing lists, remember that it is not possible to update your e-mail contact address should it change on old posts already housed in the mailing list archives. So, if your address changes, it is wise to re-post old queries in cases where you are still looking for the information. One valuable tool to aid mailing list subscribers in viewing message board posts is the "gateway," which makes board posts available on a corresponding list with a link to permit replying on the board. The boards that make use of the gateway option carry a yellow highlighted notation to that effect as well as a yellow envelope icon. For many researches, list and board gatewaying provides the best of both worlds by playing to the strengths of both the message board and mailing list forums. Don't just post once to a board or list and wait for answers. Keep your posts fresh and update them as you learn additional facts. Also, remember to give help as well as ask for it -- that's what these forums are all about. Find mailing lists here: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ Locate message boards here: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * Are You Scots-Irish? Tour Northern Ireland and Scotland 7-28 through 8-9 Learn about beginning of the Scots-Irish/Ulster-Scots and trace ancestors with local genealogy sources. Enjoy historical sites, castle tours, folk music, bagpipe championship, heritage groups, and cultural presentations, Scots-Irish anniversary festival, band parade, gorgeous countryside, shopping, free time for more research. Flexible arrival/depart dates. Limited space. Contact us today! Glen Pratt (806) 372-2039; HeritageTour@UlsterScotsSociety.com See Tour Interest Form at http://www.UlsterScotsSociety.com/ * * * ANCESTOR SEEKERS SIXTH SALT LAKE CITY RESEARCH TRIP -- THE IDEAL GENEALOGY VACATION! OCTOBER 22-27, 2006 Join others from throughout the USA and Canada for the ideal genealogy vacation. Spend a whole week at the Family History Library, accessing the world's largest collection of genealogical records with help and advice from accredited genealogist professionals. Opening social, theater trip, and sightseeing tours! "Thank you all for such a wonderful experience." (Marsha, Iowa) Call TOLL-FREE at 877-896-0974 (9-6 MST) or visit http://www.ancestorseekers.com/rwr/ * * * WOW! [Internet Genealogy] is stupendous . . . Internet Genealogy is a real asset . . . This new product fills a real need for researchers and is well worth checking out! . . . I'll go out on a limb and say that Internet Genealogy will soon become the most widely read genealogy magazine . . . You've come up with a winning product . . . I am very impressed! The articles are excellent . . . Thanks! You've done a splendid job on the inaugural issue . . . I absolutely LOVE the first issue! . . . It is just wonderful. These are all real comments about Internet Genealogy. See what people are raving about at http://internet-genealogy.com/IG_subsRW.htm * * * FREE $10 gift card with your $50 order Save now -- save even more later with this special offer: FREE $10 gift card with your $50 merchandise order. Shop our values for women, men and home. Shop clearance buys, too, at up to 70% off. Plus enjoy 99-cent shipping -- each item, online only. http://microurl.com/383028134 * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * 2. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB: Gathering German Roots and Branches By Ed Obermeyer-Kolb in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA Back in 1999 I sent out a request to find out if anyone knew where Retzstadt, Germany was. In a month or two Hans replied saying he lived 15 minutes from there. I couldn't believe my query was responded to by an actual German native. This village was where my great-grandfather Philipp KOLB was born and left for Minnesota when he was 17 -- back in 1890. Hans even met me at the Frankfurt Airport in 2003 and drove my wife and me to the village. What a great way to start a trip to Germany. After I put a family tree website together in April of 2006, I sent an invitation to Hans. He responded by taking information about Philipp KOLB in Retzstadt, Germany and doing archive research. Within a week he had a list of more than 100 relatives. The KOLB family lived in this small village for centuries. After just a month or so he had researched and sent me information on about 500 persons. His work connected a KOLB family branch, also in Minnesota, where the link goes back to the 1650s when two brothers went their separate ways. Hans is friendly and giving. He went out of his way to welcome us to our ancestors' country. I'm looking forward to visiting my mom's family roots in Ireland. I know I'll be greeted with welcoming arms. * * * Did you leap over some brick walls or cleverly figure out where your grandmother was hiding in a census? Do tell! Dazzle us with your brilliant sleuthing or uncanny luck. We're all ears. Send your tales of genealogical adventure to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 3. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ---------------------------------------------- SHARING OPPORTUNITY. Does your alma mater, old military unit, church, parish, province, county or state 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 genealogy) 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 such material. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ILLINOIS. Cook County. Chicago. James H. Bowen High School Class of June 1940; 402 records; Lynn Bernhard http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MINNESOTA. Minnesota cemetery records; 10 records; Kay Bolduan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ NORTH CAROLINA. Edgecombe County. Pippen Cemetery. 12 records; Annette Roebuck http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ OHIO. Monroe County. Marriages, 1925-1931; 1,508 records; Scott L. Byrd http://userdb.rootsweb.com/marriages/ VIRGINIA. Henrico County. 1904 Woman's College alumni list; 31 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Barton Heights School, 1904; 131 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ Rockingham County. Harrisonburg State Teachers College, 1935; 116 records; 1936 alumni list; 107 records; Paula Lucy Delosh http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ 4. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages -------------------------------------- Can your cousins find your website at RootsWeb? Has it ever been mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially revised website at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL)? Send the URL (its Web address), along with a brief description, including the major pertinent surnames and what is available on your site, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com DAVIS family in DeKalb County, Tennessee. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ajobebrown/davis.html KRENZELOK. Robert Krenzelok's military record as an Army Air Force Cadet in World War II. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~gregkrenzelok/Robert%20Military.html Joseph Krenzelok was a B-24 ground crew chief with the 15th AAF, 464th Bomb Group at Pantanella Air Base Italy during World War II. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~gregkrenzelok/Joseph%20Military.html NEBRASKA. Madison County. Lost and found photos -- some identified. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~sabthomp/nebraska/madison/nemalost.htm STAUDT. About the name and the city from where it comes has been newly revised and updated. In German and English. Surnames are mostly STAUDT, WÜST (Wuest), VINK, SLABA, and KUNZ. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staudt/ VERMONT. Saint Johnsbury Academy. List of trustees, teachers, and students for the year 1878 and list of students of the senior, middle junior and sub-junior classes. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nekg3/files/school_st-johnsbury-academy-1878.htm 5. New 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/~xxxxxx [accountname] ENGLAND engdevon -- Devonshire NICARAGUA nicwgw -- Nicaragua WorldGenWeb USA akcjunea -- City of Juneau (Alaska) azpima -- Pima County (Arizona) macframi -- Framingham (city, Massachusetts) meckhc -- Central Kennebec Heritage Council (Maine) micemete -- Michigan Cemeteries mimssusd -- Michigan State Society (Michigan) USD mivbccem -- Van Buren County Cemeteries (Michigan) nhmerrim -- Merrimack County (New Hampshire) papcs -- Pennsylvania Cornish Society scrichl2 -- Richland County (South Carolina) tnlake2 -- Lake County (Tennessee) txcdubli -- Dublin (city, Texas) txclapor -- La Porte (city, Texas) txcmorga -- Morgan's Point (city, Texas) txcstep2 -- Stephenville (city, Texas) txfaaa -- Friends of African American Ancestry (Texas) wauwgcpa -- University of Washington Genealogy Certification Program Association (Washington) wipgs -- Peninsula Genealogical Society (Wisconsin) Key: USD -- US Daughters of the War of 1812 6. 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]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUKing About By Jane Thursby I read with interest the "Revisiting the Wild LNUs" article. I have been doing genealogical research on my family for more than 10 years and when I started I, of course, had lots of "Unknown" relatives -- both surnames and given names. I still have some in my database especially with women’s unknown maiden names. Not being an expert on how to record these mysteries when I first started, I developed my own abbreviations. I used GUK for given name unknown and SUK for surname unknown. It worked well for me although I had to explain it to anyone who saw my information in reports. There was always confusion around my made-up acronyms, but the funniest was when a non-genealogy friend was looking over my reports and commented about how I had so many sisters of one family (the "SUK girls") marrying brothers of another family. The software I used required a name so I continued to use these acronyms and suffered the confusion until one day a woman called me at work. I asked for her last name and she said SUK. I asked her to spell it. She said "S u k." My mouth dropped open and I hesitated so much that I had to explain why. I asked what nationality it was and was told it was Czech. We had a good giggle over it. I changed the software I was using a few years ago and the new software gave me more flexibility. I went through and changed my GUK and SUK to the [--?--] standard. I certainly didn't want to confuse any future researcher. And while my family is interconnected with cousins marrying through the generations, the "SUK girls" only made it more bizarre. * * * Smashing SMITH Brick Walls By Debbi Snyder I recently smashed through one brick wall! Having researched since 1980, I really enjoy the Internet. My SMITH family went from New England to Canada and then back to the States to Illinois. I knew where my great-great-grandfather Henry Thomas SMITH was, but his parents were yet a mystery. Where were they buried? Finally found them in 1860 and then 1870 (censuses) in Illinois. Mother was a widow in both censuses. So I am still looking for the father. But the kids all moved to central Kansas in the late 1870s. I found them there in 1880 in McPherson County. My ancestor didn't happen to live in that county (next county over) but two weeks ago I shared that information with my brother, whose office was a block from the courthouse, and he said he would look up that information. I arrived back for a family reunion this weekend and lo and behold there was mention of the mother's (Eleanor SMITH) will being probated in May 1880. Since the federal census was taken in June 1880 that accounts for her not being there a month later. She and four of the children and their siblings had homesteaded here in Kansas. I ran over to the courthouse and printed copies. Meanwhile this spring I had researched some more of the siblings that I didn't have information on -- a Lucy MOSS in particular. Then I remembered that someone's mother I went to school with (my families lived in the same area for more than 100 years) was named MOSS. I e- mailed my aunt and sure enough, this lady is a descendant of that Lucy MOSS. I plan to share information with her this weekend and hopefully she knows where she is buried -- that I haven't learned yet. The 1880 Census Mortality Schedule brought me even more information -- what she died from and where her parents were born (both England). Eleanor was born in Nova Scotia before going to Ontario and meeting Alvin M. SMITH and marrying there. It's been amazing two or three weeks. * * * Remedying a Painful Widowhood By Mar Jo Jones. As I was searching different websites trying to find Ferro Clayton BERRY, my husband's great-grandfather, I ran across this brief newspaper article in the "Holston Intelligencer and Abingdon Advertiser" (1812): Married on Saturday last by the Rev. James HARPER, Major William LOVE, age 62, to Mrs. Prudence (ROWLETT DICKINSON) BERRY, age 57. It is hoped she will find some consolation in the society of her new husband for her painful widowhood, which lasted the dreadful period of seven weeks." * * * Dead Men Tell No Tales By Keith A. Nonemaker In the 28 June issue of RootsWeb Review, Randy CAMPISEA spoke of having claimed that his great-aunt was his grandmother in order to obtain a death certificate. It may not have occurred to Randy, but in making this fudged application, he created a government record that contains false information. If the government keeps these applications, it is possible that one day someone will read this application, take it at face value, and create for himself a false, but legally verified, lineage. Pennsylvania has similar laws that make it nearly impossible to make use of this treasure house of information. I understand the need to protect the privacy of an individual, but one would think that a person dead for 70 years or more would no longer benefit from such secrecy. * * * SNOWed Under By Sheri Snow I saw the article "Initial Confusion" about the gentleman who only used initials and the government added "only" to them. This was amusing to me because my father-in-law’s name was Leo SNOW (he did not have a middle name). When he enlisted in the army, the government listed him as Leo No Name SNOW. His army records all list him that way, which is funny because he is supposedly of Indian descent and "No Name" SNOW sounds like an Indian name. * * * Changing Occupations By Dixie Kline Richardson in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA When I began searching for ancestors in the early l960s, it was a matter of visiting courthouses and straining to read faded, old-style handwriting. While viewing records I thought it odd that an inordinate number of people were tanners. The light dawned and a new concept of reading writing was initiated when I realized the word was "farmer." 7. Humor/Humour: Matrimonial Matters --------------------------------- Thanks to: Sue Hembury-Kellow in the UK In the 1861 English census, I eventually found my great-great- grandmother, Harriet BAKER, working as a dairymaid for a local Somerset farmer and his family. It was quite a large household -- the farmer, William TARR, was married and had a number of children. He also had his 86-year-old father-in-law, John SURRIDGE (a widower), living with them. On the night of the census, they had an extra person in the household, classified as "visitor" -- 76-year-old widow Ann HOPPER. Farmer William TARR was obviously under no misapprehension about the Widow HOPPER's reason for being there: in the space for Ann's occupation, he had cynically put, "On lookout for a partner!" * * * Thanks to: Don Mclatchie in Jefferson, Texas, USA On the marriage certificate of Rebecca TRIPLETT and John M. SMITH in Marion County, Texas, 8 July 1871, the Justice of the Peace added a comment after the usual certification: "This Rebecca TRIPLETT is commonly known as Mrs. Bell JOHNSON, a woman of easy virtue." * * * Thanks to: Mike Steps In It Walton in Clinton, Maine, USA http://www.weareallrelated.info While researching my wife's family in Saint Albans, Maine, I was going though handwritten town records. It is easy to see when new town clerks take over as the handwriting changes. A new town clerk obviously took the job quite literally. The first marriage I encountered under the new handwriting had the following: Color of Groom: Dark; Color of Bride: Darker. * * * Found a "proper name for the job" or humorous sign, amusing entries in census, parish, church, etc. records? Send them to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com 8. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ----------------------------------------------------- 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/ If you use a spam-filtering program, in order to receive the RootsWeb Review please make sure that you're allowing e-mail from: newsletter@reply.myfamilyinc.com The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of MyFamily.com, Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * 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. The announcement of books and products is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any way. 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 and please include your full name and e-mail address in the text. * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Worldwide: Shana Davis, creative@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: 5 July 2006, Vol. 9, No. 27. * * * *