From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Mon Feb 6 08:51:10 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k16FpAE0029021; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:51:10 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k16Fp9ML018148 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:51:09 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k16DMmFI012590 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:22:48 -0500 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k16DMm3a012589 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 08:22:48 -0500 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k16ARIFI012223 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 05:27:19 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k16CtT5h005841 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 05:55:29 -0700 X-Envelope-From: treviawbeverly@houston.rr.com Mon Feb 6 05:55:29 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k16CtTE0005832 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 05:55:29 -0700 Received: from ms-smtp-04.texas.rr.com (ms-smtp-04.texas.rr.com [24.93.47.43]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k16CtPH8012384 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 05:55:26 -0700 Received: from oemcomputer (cpe-24-175-91-92.houston.res.rr.com [24.175.91.92]) by ms-smtp-04.texas.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with SMTP id k16CtO9C015567 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 2006 06:55:24 -0600 (CST) Message-ID: <004701c62b1c$edc9c5a0$6401a8c0@oemcomputer> From: "Trevia W Beverly" To: References: <200602052228.k15MSK61008070@lists5.rootsweb.com> <31891-34337@sneakemail.com> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Re: Why should people help you? **** not why but HOW *** Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 06:57:46 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1506 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1506 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com I had not intended to chime in, but I have been reading the responses. First of all, I hope that whoever posed the request in the first place has not left our list .... This list should be a way to help people who are either new or just have not mastered the 'normal' things in genealogy. And it gives the rest of us an opportunity to massage our ego because we know something that will help someone else. RE maps or any number of other questions. We have LIBRARIES (public, colleges & universities, genealogical, etc...) that can help. Larger ones, of course, have a regular reference line, but even smaller ones should be able to answer a simple question such as "where's ....?" There are also many maps online -- and I've found just putting something into your search engine will bring up more information that you really wanted. RE not enough information. We see it every day, and usually I presume that the person is new but I've learned that is not always the case. Sometimes it's the 'old hand' for whatever reason that does not want to share the information needed for us to help them .... I sometimes wonder if 'they' want to give me an exercise in reading minds. In order to help you, we need a date ... or at least a time period ... and a location ... and this means not just the town but the *county* as well. All records, even the federal census, is accessed on the county level. Here in Texas we have 254 counties and I surely do not know every city and town in all 254 --- heck, I might have a hard time naming all the counties ---. Yes, I could look up the Texas (or any other) town, but why should I? You need to look it up yourself because you need it for your records, and you need to know because you're going to be using other records from there. If your charts do not have *county* listed for those events (birth, marriage, death) then stop right now and look them up - call your library - etc., and do it. We can't give a lesson in beginning genealogy here but there is plenty of help on line, and many good books on the subject. If your library does not have one, perhaps they will get one for you through purchase or interlibrary loan. Join a local/area society if there is one. Members will be only too glad to take you under their wing and give you a hand. I find today that many new researchers want to take the easy way, thinking that all is on the Internet. A lot is - some source citied; most not. It behooves us all to remember that the Internet is only a tool, and the library and courthouse is not obsolete. Genealogy is a discipline that we must continue to do the old fashioned way - work for it! Get out from behind that computer and go to the library and to the courthouse and to the museum (they have wonderful verical files connected to their displays, you know - so if your family is somehow represented, I'd want to know what they have 'behind' the display). And one last thing ---- again and again and again ---- please say where you are located .... you can continue to give only your first name if you're afraid someone may recognize you, but let us know where you are. Why? Because it's common courtesy for one thing! And second, if I know where you're located it just might be that I can send you straight to where the treasure is! Seriously, I continue to be surprised when I do find out where someone lives and ask them if they've used xxxx library, they know nothing about it! So, if you don't know what is available in your home town, then find out! There are many pointers that many of us could contribute, but we are adults and must take some responsibility for educting ourselves and then knowing how to ask questions (and this includes use of the spell check and reading over your e-mail to be sure it makes sense). And speaking of education, do you go to local meetings? Do you go or ignore local/area seminars and workshops? Please - no wet noodles today; I'm too busy. Love you all! Especially that 'newbie' who has a whole new wonderful world out there to research in. Trevia Wooster Beverly Houston, Texas (see, this is my ego tallking --- I want you to know me so when we finally meet....) ----- Original Message -----