Across My Desk 8 January 2001
- Re: Surname Notebooks
- Please Help! New E-mail Address
- Family Tree Finders
- FamilyDiscovery.com
- AccessGenealogy: Native American Links
- WPA: Where Are The Records?
- Couple Longest Married in the World
- Use of January Organization Checklist
- More Organizing Files
- Couple NEWEST Married
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RE: SURNAME NOTEBOOKS
From: VBBrooks@email.msn.com (Vernia Brooks)
I have surname notebooks made up covering my 20 years of research as you suggested in your January
Organization list. I also begin each chapter with a story that I have written compiling all the info from certificates, census, etc. Following the stories, I put the pictures, then all the certificates, etc. to proof the story.
I find that my relatives who aren't too interested in the certificates are somewhat interested in the stories.
I really appreciate your very informative newsletters, thank you very much.
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PLEASE HELP! NEW E-MAIL SUBSCRIBER
Date: 01/08/2001 9:50:54 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: ruthhall@att.net (Ruth Hall)
DearMYRTLE,
Hi, I need you to unsubscribe my ruthhall@worldnet.att.net address.
They have shortened it to ruthhall@att.net and I have subscribed at that
address but can't get the old address to unsubscribe. Thanks, and sorry
to cause you extra work.
DearRUTH,
Not to worry about canceling the old e-mail address. With the RootsWeb mail servers, the server itself will automatically remove someone from a mail list when the e-mail has "bounced" (not been received) 3-16 times, depending on the list settings. This proved particularly painful for the folks at NGS because sometime last summer or fall their e-mail server was down for repairs for several days, and that meant the folks there were automatically removed from DearMYRTLE's mail list -- though they wanted to continue to receive it.
They had to subscribe all over again to become an active member of the mail list.
Understand that with everyone changing e-mail so frequently, this is a built-in culling mechanism to save the internet from getting bogged down with old, now-defunct e-mail addresses.
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FAMILY TREE FINDERS
Monday - 8 January 2001
by Rhonda McClure
"Don't get so overwhelmed by the names that you forget to truly evaluate the source."
TO SUBSCRIBE VIA E-MAIL
Send blank email message to: mailto:join-sodamail+FT@gt.sodamail.com
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FAMILYDISCOVERY.COM
Date: Sun, 07 Jan 2001 10:09:52 -0800
From: Dan and Laurie Isdell dli@modulair.com
To: GENMTD-L@rootsweb.com
Message-Id: <200101071809.KAA17953@bw-5.rootsweb.com>
Subject: Re: FamilyDiscovery.com
"Carole Hammond" <carolehammond@uswest.net> wrote:
> Does anyone know anything about this site? Can you get anything on
> this that you can't already find on Ancestry or FTM or
> FamilySearch.com? Is it worth the special $49/year fee?
Hi Carole and others,
From what I've been reading, they're bad news. They link to
otherwise free sites and have no original material of their own.
The worst part is that they've been lifting people's genealogy data
and then charging for it. They are being sued.
Here's something that another list moderator just sent us:
FAMILYDISCOVERY.COM (THEY'RE BACK)
It had to happen. We knew they wouldn't be gone for long...
To those of you who are new to genealogy computing:
FamilyDiscovery.com
is a company with a website that you might want to avoid at all
costs. They are rip-offs, will take your money and give you nothing
in return.
Additionally, they are selling FREE material to the tune of $69.00 a
year. They link their pages to Rootsweb and US GenWeb-site pages ~
all of which offer free genealogy material. Additionally, they are
linking to private Web sites without permission.
FamilyDiscovery.com is currently being investigated.
UPDATE: I can only presume the word got around too well regarding
their first name, Family Discovery, because they now have a new name
~ GenSeeker. I've been to this new site and seen what they're up
to. When clicking on their "freesearch link," the unwary customer
is taken to the FamilyDiscovery.com site.
Gene Olson has started an Anti-FamilyDiscovery.com update list from
his website. As you may have guessed, he IS still on their trail
and it's thanks to Gene that I have this update to pass on to you.
You newbies both to genealogy and computing would be wise to go to
his site and read up on this company so you won't be ripped off.
Click on the following link and you'll be taken directly to his
site: http://www.compuright.net/familydiscovery
. Gene's new email
address is gene_olson@bigfoot.com
. His toll-free number is
1-877-319-9699.
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ACCESS GENEALOGY: NATIVE AMERICAN LINKS
From: partridge@knology.net (CyberRoots)
CyberRoots
Edition 1, 2001. Published by Dennis N. Partridge
New DATA This Week at Native Links!
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/index.htm
Cooper Roll ~ 1855
Mississippi Choctaw Claimants ~ 1933
Mississippi Choctaw Identified ~ 1902
McKennon Roll ~ 1889 *In progress
Mdewakanton Sioux Census 1889 - With some great pictures
Field Survey Heart Bute District
Backfeet Indian Reservation, Montana 1921 - With pictures *In progress
The Reeves Report – 1916, of John T. Reeves
An announcement from Judy, host of the Native American Resource Center (NARC):
Native American Nations, a new section of NARC is coming together quickly. This is a new concept for us, and we hope you will join us in this project since we need your help to make this work. Many of you are very knowledgeable about your Nation or Tribe, and what we need are hosts for all Nations/Tribes. I want to make it very clear this is NOT designed to replace any Nations website. We want to provide the most information possible for genealogists on each Nation/Tribe in the United States. Maybe the best way to explain is: it is like USGenWeb's County Coordinators. We provide web space and format you provide the information. All information will always remain the property of the host (you) or the submitter of the information.
http://www.nanations.com
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/index.htm
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WPA - WHERE ARE THE RECORDS?
Posted by Maria Fedele Mfe26@aol.com on Thu, 04 Jan 2001
Surname: Fedele, Perfetti, Mattioni, Novelli, Tenisci
Hello,
I have been receiving your e-mail advice for about two years. This is the first time I have asked for some. I hope that you feel it is relevant.
My father worked for the WPA during the depression as a lithographer. My family does not have any samples of his work. We did, but they got lost. Does the WPA keep records and samples of work produced during these years? If they do how would I go about requesting a sample? I enjoy your web site very much. I also learn a lot from your e-mail news.
RESPONSE: Posted by joe webdreams@starmail.com
on Sun, 07 Jan 2001, in response to WPA Projects, posted by Maria Fedele on Thu, 04 Jan 2001
Hello Maria,
The National Archives is the repository for WPA material. You can contact them and ask for the material you are searching for. You will need to be specific so you should search through their online NAIL index to see what they have and how it is identified. Here is a link to the NAIL search engine...
http://www.nara.gov/nara/searchnail.html
Try the "standard search" first... do keyword searches for things like... artists or WPA lithography. Be creative and try various searches. You will need to give NARA the identifying numbers (like Record Group) when you contact them.
You also might try a "digital copies search" for the name of the person you are looking for.
Here is a link to learn how to contact NARA...
http://www.nara.gov/nara/howto_order.html
If NAIL doesn't help you then simply write to NARA with the information you have, his name and dates he worked and names (and dates) of specific lithographs he did while working in the WPA program.
Good luck with your search.
Regards,
Joe
MYRT'S NOTE: Thanks Joe, for the great response!
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COUPLE LONGEST MARRIED IN THE WORLD
Date: 01/05/2001 3:40:31 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: news@LDSSUPPORT.ORG (LDS Daily News)
See http://www.eacourier.com/news/stories/00121303n.html
An LDS couple has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for
being the longest married couple in the world -- 80 years. Doc and Viola
Colvin of Eden, Ariz. eloped when Doc was 17 and Viola was 13 in 1920.
Now, 97 and 94, the Colvin's tell stories of their marriage and how life
has changed in their hometown of Eden.
-------------
Copyright 2001, Intellectual Reserve, Inc. - all rights reserved.
LDS News webpage: http://www.lds.org/ldsnews/
To subscribe to LDS News, send a message to listserv@lists.lds.org
with "subscribe news" (without quotes) in the message body;
or to leave the list, say "unsubscribe news"
----------------------------------------------------
JANUARY ORGANIZATION CHECKLIST
http://www.dearmyrtle.com/my9601ck.htm
Date: 01/05/2001 2:21:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: dsz@bcpl.net (Dolly Ziegler)
DearMYRTLE,
Hello, Pat. You have outdone yourself with this one -- it's great. I've already forwarded it to two researchers (England and Texas) who I know will benefit.
I especially like your rationale for NOT numbering documents. I've never liked those numbering systems and never used one, but you state their shortcomings so clearly. ("Oh, yeah, THAT'S why I don't like those systems!")
The Baltimore Maryland Stake FHC is having our third annual workshop in June -- free to the community. May we photocopy this checklist for use in an "organization" class?
DearDOLLY,
Yes, you may! THANKS for thinking of my work! See also Myrt's Copyright Policy located at:
http://www.dearmyrtle.com/copyright.htm
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MORE ON ORGANIZING FILES
Posted by Karen Chappell k_chappell@altavista.com
on Fri, 29 Dec 2000
Surname: Fildes, Chappell, Fitch, Hubbell, Newman
DearMYRTLE,
OK! I admit it! I have tried three or four times to get my data organized.
I did step number one as noted below. As long as I stick with my direct ancestors. I don't have too much problem with that.
"1. Create a SURNAME NOTEBOOK for each major surname. You can combine them now, and divide them out when they grow too big. I prefer notebooks to file folders, because the pages won't fall out.)"
2. Put all direct line family group sheets in chronological order (youngest to oldest) in each notebook, with a divider tab clearly labeled DIRECT LINE (parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc.)
First, to get a grasp of the problem I am facing. I have at least 3,500 individuals in my family tree. I go back 16 -24 generations in several lines. For instance, the Hubbells and the Fitch family. In fact I have two Fitch lines that do not intersect.
My problem is when I start getting to the collateral lines in step #3.
The directions sound like you put all of the direct line people first in your notebook and then behind them, put the collateral lines. It seems to complicate matters in my case because after I have gone back 20 generations on the Hubbells, then I would start putting my cousins and my aunts and uncles.
It might make more since to put 1 direct line ancestor, then a tab for collaterals, then another direct line ancestor, then another tab for collaterals.
Is there any book that deals with projects this complicated?
I could limit the number of generations that I follow and at times I have done that. But I am interested in trying to find the connection to my two unconnected Fitch lines and it seems better to keep adding information.
Also I have not attempted to become a certified genealogist yet. I want to have my records organized enough that I can present a good, well documented record to become certified.
3. Put all collateral lines in chronological order in the same notebook, with a divider tab clearly labeled: COLLATERAL LINES (siblings of your direct ancestors, such as your aunts and uncles.)
Any Suggestions?
Karen Chappell
(Linda Cole, please note, this means the families of other children, the brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors are listed chronologically in this divider tab area. )
MORE...
Posted by Jan Hall halltall@aol.com
on Sat, 06 Jan 2001, in response to Organizing files, posted by Karen Chappell on Fri, 29 Dec 2000
Surname: Hall, Edson, Thayer, Musselman, DeBolt, Wagoner, manymore
Having worked my way back through my husband's New England families to as many as 12 generations, I have literally hundreds of surnames. If I made a divider-tab page for every female sibling marriage, and HER female children's marriages, my notebooks would be nothing but file tabs.
My solution is to make tabs only for the main family from which the collateral lines branched out. I run off family sheets for as many families as I have data on, but I three-hole punch them on the other side, so when they are in the notebook I look on the left-hand side to read them. This instantly alerts me to the fact that they are not the direct line.
I also type all direct-line ancestors in capital letters, which Family Tree Maker counts as an "error". But when you have 15 men with the same name (and don't we all) it helps to be able to pick the direct-line ancestor out of the lineup.
DearREADERS,
As notebooks get too full, you have to divide them into two, I'd say. I've go along just fine, then have seven on my Froman line. Other notebooks have five or six surnames in them. I guess the MAIN points are:
1. Computers can organize (read that as "not lose") collaterals better than our brains can comprehend, or our notebooks can display.
2. Provide a written explanation on the first page of EVERY notebook, describing your filing method, and where other items can be found for this particular family. This is particularly helpful when you have 3-d heirlooms like old desks, teacups and quilts that don't fit in notebooks. <grin>
PLEASE ALSO NOTE, that Dean DeBolt is an avid genealogist, and shares one of your family names, Jan. He can be reached at
DeanD8@excite.com
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy
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