RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 3 January 2007, Vol. 10, No. 1 (c) 1998-2007 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for announcements: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ARCHIVES: Current and previous editions: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0103.txt http://e-zine.rootsweb.com ========================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1. 1a. Editor's Desk: A Fond Farewell 1b. Using RootsWeb: Year in Review 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: RootsWeb Gives Again Finding Grandfather 3. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: Ask the Genealogy Genie 4. New at RootsWeb 4a. New User-contributed Databases 4b. New/Updated FreePages and HomePages 4c. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb 5. Humor/Humour: You Want to Know What? 6. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ======================================================= IN THIS ISSUE: 1a. Editor's Desk: A Fond Farewell Dear RootsWeb Review Subscriber, After ten years of expertly compiling and editing the RootsWeb Review, Myra Gormley has decided to retire. Myra began doing genealogy as an eleven year old, when she went to the local library and did research that disproved a family legend about Jesse James. But it wasn't until she was in her thirties that she began consistently researching. After experiencing a measure of success doing her own genealogy, Myra proposed writing a column on genealogy to the local newspaper editor. It took several years for Myra to convince him that genealogy had a wide appeal, but from the moment her column, "Shaking the Family Tree," launched in July of 1983, it experienced tremendous success. Soon the column was picked up by the Los Angeles Times syndicate and passed to other newspapers and readers around the nation. Myra continued writing the column for nineteen years. Some of Myra's other accomplishments as a genealogist include spending nine years writing a column and answering genealogy questions for Prodigy, an early Internet Service Provider, publishing numerous magazine articles and three books on family history, and helping to found the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. The RootsWeb staff will miss Myra's willingness to answer their genealogical questions and write guides for the site. And readers of the RootsWeb Review will miss her editorial expertise and years of genealogical know-how. Thank you, Myra, for all your hard work over the years and for helping all of us to overcome our own genealogical roadblocks and connect with our past. We will miss you. Sincerely, The RootsWeb Staff Note: Please be patient with us as we try to find a new editor for the RootsWeb Review. For the next month we will be re-publishing items from former issues of the newsletter. Hopefully this will give all of us a chance to review some important and interesting information from the last few years and to enjoy Myra's work a few more times. * * * 1b. Using RootsWeb: Year in Review 2006 was a great year for RootsWeb with many exciting additions and updates to the site! Thanks to the contributions and participation by RootsWeb members, RootsWeb has continued to grow. Your impressive contributions include: --More than 1.4 million new records added to user databases. --More than 2.6 million messages sent on more than 30,700 mailing lists and added to the list archives. --More than 1.3 million posts made to the message boards and more than 6,300 new boards created. --More than 3,000 new RootsWeb public profiles created since Public Profiles were added in October. --More than 450,000 new RootsWeb accounts created. The RootsWeb staff has had a busy year, too. One of our accomplishments this year includes the creation of "My Account." This may seem like a small thing, but it means you can now consolidate potentially dozens of usernames and passwords across all of RootsWeb tools and products into one central location and under one single username and password. In August and September, mailing lists were moved from the old list management system to Mailman, a new list management system. This update also included the addition of a new server, updates to the list administration tools, and updates to the list orphaning and adoption processes. In December, the message boards received a facelift. In addition to some technical updates, like a new database, changes were made to how the boards look and how you can post a message to the boards. Among other things, registration is now required for all message board posts; this will help reduce spam and enable message authors to keep their contact information current. 2006 also brought changes to how you can keep updated on additions and improvements to RootsWeb. The completely overhauled "What's New" page was launched in July and displays the newest databases, websites, and mailing lists that have been created. The RootsWeb Newsroom blog was launched in October (see http://blogs.rootsweb.com/newsroom/). It is a place for the RootsWeb staff to tell you about new and upcoming tools, features, fixes, and changes on RootsWeb. Other exciting updates and additions made in 2006 include: --RootsWeb headers added to all freepages in February. --"Public Profiles" launched in October, enabling you to let other RootsWeb users know more about yourself and your research. --The new "Archiver" search launched in June, making it easier to search the archives of all mailing lists. --"Find a List" search launched in November, making it easier to find and subscribe to a mailing list. The RootsWeb staff is looking forward to an exciting 2007 and are making plans for some great new tools. Keep an eye on the RootsWeb Newsroom and the RootsWeb Review for announcements! * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * REQUEST A SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS AT THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY ANCESTOR SEEKERS researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will search this vast collection for your ancestors from the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Russia, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy. Prices start from $55 (US). For a FREE! initial e-mail consultation visit http://www.ancestorseekers.com/research.rwr Or join us FEBRUARY 18-23 AT OUR SEVENTH SALT LAKE CITY RESEARCH TRIP-- THE IDEAL GENEALOGY VACATION!--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. * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * 2. Connecting Through RootsWeb: Originally published in the RootsWeb Review 27 September 2000, Vol. 3, No. 39. RootsWeb Gives Again By Joe Felt joensun@gte.net In December 1998, I was found by my lost sister's family after sixty-six years of separation. The reconnection occurred as a result of my surname entries into the RootsWeb Surname List http://rsl.rootsweb.com/ and a chance browse thereof by her daughter looking for my name. Well, this time it was my "FELT Family Search" website sitting there patiently waiting, hosted on RootsWeb's homepages that was the vehicle for a first-time connection with previously unknown first and second cousins. It was a spur-of-the-moment surname entry into a Web search engine by one of them that shed the light which has finally removed a depressing shadow from my life. Finding my sister did not totally disperse it since she remembers almost nothing of our childhood or family. For most of my seventy-two years I have lived with a subliminal sense of loneliness from having only minimal knowledge of my birth family and its members. I described its power to one of my new relatives as a dark cloud of perpetual lack of fulfillment living with you, a painful companion when one has seen, throughout life, examples of the intrinsic worth of families which maintain connected loving and caring groups, who want and fulfill each other. Because of the gifts of family that RootsWeb has made possible, I now have many living relatives. I feel complete at last and know that I am truly blessed. RootsWeb seems to have a magical power for fulfilling one of our most basic human needs: family. God bless you all for giving so much! * * * Finding Grandfather By Berill Michelsen berill@ts.co.nz My grandfather, Svend MICHELSEN, who was born in Denmark on 14 February 1895, went to the U.S.A. in the 1920s and we never knew what had happened to him. My father, the eldest of his four children, never knew him. I decided to start looking as I knew he had gone to America. When I began, I had no idea of his date or place of birth in Denmark, only that he had lived in Odense. I started going to our local genealogy center here in Nelson, New Zealand. After many searches I decided to subscribe to RootsWeb and found him in the U.S.A.'s Social Security Death Index (SSDI) http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ I sent for his 1975 death certificate and then advertised in Monroe, Washington, the town named on it. In response, I got a letter from a man whose mother had been married to Svend MICHELSEN in the last four years of his life and wrote to tell me a little about my grandfather. He had been a maintenance man at Johnson and Johnson Co. somewhere in Washington state, and now I am keen to know if he had other family in the U.S.A. We obtained some photos of him and these were sent to his children, my aunts, who for the first time saw a photo of their father and heard good things about him, which brought much joy. * * * 3. 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]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Originally published in the RootsWeb Review 27 September 2000, Vol. 8, No. 28. Ask the Genealogy Genie By Nicole Henke There is definitely a chance when you explore local shops that you might luck out and find some family photos. Two months ago I was at an antique store in Slidell, Louisiana and it had all the family photos for one family. Apparently there were no more relatives around to pass them onto (whether any existed elsewhere across the country, it is unknown). The collection went from pre-civil war to present, and there were photos it looked like of every family member in between. I stood there looking at all those pictures and thought how sad that such a precious legacy was relegated to being sold to anyone who wanted an "instant family tree." Had the cost not been so high, I would have considered buying it and trying to find a relative to pass them onto! In my personal search for family photos, I've found that putting requests on county or county genealogical sites to be better that local stores in larger areas. The more rural the area (small towns), the better odds for finding someone in your family tree (or an in-law). Chicago (or large cities) would be difficult, but you never know, the genealogy genie might grant your wish! * * * 4. New at RootsWeb 4a. New User-Contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit ---------------------------------------------- The following databases have come online recently. They are searchable, but not browseable. Search: To look for specific data or occurrence of text in a file. Browse: To view the entire contents of a file or a group of files. SOUTH CAROLINA, York County. Neely's Creek ARP Church Cemetery 1319 records; Evan Mitchell for the Neely's Creek ARP Cemetery Association http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ WISCONSIN, Brown County. Kunesh Cemetery, Town of Pittsfield, Brown County, Wisconsin, USA; 511 records; Janet Kersten http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ 4b. 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 * * * If your genealogical or historical related site is located somewhere other than at RootsWeb.com, you can add the link here: http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html * * * 4c. New Mailing Lists at RootsWeb Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- For information and an index to the more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ STYLE -- SURNAMES, REGIONAL, ETHNIC/SPECIAL INTEREST NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS BESECKER CATSON ELLMER LACHAT, LOUT MCCLEESE NORCUTT RYDEHEARD WACKLER, WHIPP NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS BAUMHARDT -- Focus is to connect Baumhardt family researchers with one another. BECKINGHAM -- This list would be used by those descendants or others who are researching the Beckingham and related families, both in America and in England. BEPPLER -- Focusing on the Beppler history and roots of origin. BUTTNER -- To research the Buttner name. CACKLER -- To research the Cackler name. CUNEIO -- To research the Cuneio name. DAULER -- To research the Dauler name. FEUZ -- This list would be for the surname FEUZ and its variations (FITES, FIGHTS, etc.). It will be used to share genealogical information with relatives and other interested people. HAYFORD -- To research the Hayford name and its history. HESKETH -- A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Hesketh name. HOLLON -- To research the Hollon name. INABNITT -- A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Inabnitt name. JAGLES -- Researching the Jagles name and variants. To pair with message board JAGLES. JASKOT -- This is a list for anyone looking for information on the names JASKOT, JASKOTPA, or JASKOTOW, or any other variations of the name. KRYNOCK -- To research the Krynock name. KURZENDOERFER -- To research the Kurzendoerfer name and other variations of the name. LIDDIARD -- To research the Liddiard name. LINCICOME -- To research the Lincicome name. LUKINS -- To research the Lukins name and other variations of the name. MCCLIMANS -- A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the McClimans surname and variations (e.g., McClymans, McClimands, McClymonds) in any place and at any time. MCGUINN -- It will be used for genealogical purposes by researchers focusing on the McGuinn and it's variants. MCKENNY -- To further research of the McKenny name and its history. MILLISON -- A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Millison name. MOELLENDORF -- A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding the Moellendorf surname and variations (e.g., Mollendorf, Mullendorf, Muellendorf) in any place and at any time. MUMA -- For those researching the surname of Muma including any name that could possibly be close in spelling to it. PULVERMACHER -- Anything to do with Pulvermacher name history, ancestors, descendants, and families they have married into. RUTLEY -- To research the Rutley name. RUTYNA -- This is a list for the surname RUTYNA, RUTINA, RUTENA, and all other variations of the name. SCHLECHT -- To research the Schlecht name. SHOOKMAN -- To research the Shookman name. SOWERSBY -- To research the Sowersby name. STARTT -- To research the Startt name. SUDA -- Focus is to connect Suda family researchers with one another. SUDASCH -- Focus is to connect Sudasch family researchers with one another. VIETEN -- To research the Vieten name. VISOR -- To discuss and share information pertaining to the Visor lineage, VA, KY, TN, TX, AR, MO. Will be used by anyone wishing to discuss information pertaining to the Visor family descendants. WALLBANK -- Wallbank and variants one name study. To contact and discuss with others the origin of the name. WALTHOUR -- To research the Walthour name and its derivatives such as Waltheur or Walthor. NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS CFHS-IDEAS -- This list is for members of the Cornwall Family History Society to discuss ideas and suggestions for the Society. DPS-QUEENSLAND HM-CUSTOMS-WATERGUARD IRISH-IN-WI -- Immigration and settlement of Irish families in Wisconsin, USA MI-KALAMAZOO-CEMETERY -- Kalamazoo Cemetery, Michigan WIREWALKING-ROPEWALKING * * * 7. Humor/Humour: You Want to Know What? -------------------------------------- Thanks to: Nancy Haugh nehaugh@comcast.net I thought readers might enjoy this paragraph written by census enumerator Mary Ames Atkins at the end of the 1880 Salem, Massachusetts census, Enumeration District 240: "A thorough, patient, faithful canvass, which I have prosecuted in spite of dogs, an ignorant post-master, pitiful penny-a-liners (livers?), "bad whiskey," a too sadly frequent assurance that my employer was "a meddlesome fool," and long journeys, often with no one to enumerate for great distances." * * * Found a funny or "proper name for the job" in old records or an amusing entry 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: rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of The Generations Network, 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: 3 January 2007, Vol. 10, No. 1. * * * *