Manasota PAF News
October  2003 -  Volume 10 Issue 1 - A publication of the Manasota PAF User Group, Bradenton, Florida - copyright 2003 
meeting dates & map to the library - members - favorite genealogy links - PAFNews
This is PART TWO - See also PART ONE
PRINT OUT FOR OUR MEETING 4Oct 2003  - Pat Richley, editor.

MORE ON USING THE 1880 US FEDERAL CENSUS ONLINE INDEX At FamilySearch.org. DearMYRTLE took the following steps:

1. She went to: www.familysearch.org

2. She clicked the SEARCH TAB.

3. She typed in the name of her ancestor WILLIAM FROMAN, with no other identifying information.

4. Myrt then scrolled around the following hit list, looking for someone that could be her known ancestor, William Gist Froman. 

5. A little farther down the page, Myrt clicked on the entry for WILLIAM G. FROMAN, which provided the found the following details in transcribed (typed) format:

6. Noticing the Census place was in the known county of CLINTON, Myrt could have ordered the Family History Library Film Number 1254682, or the National Archives Microfilm Number T9-0682 and looked on page 598A. Myrt could also click to view the census online "for a fee" at Ancestry.com. Since Mryt is a subscriber there, she only needs to supply her user name and password before viewing the image. Alternately, for members of the LDS Church who have logged in to FamilySearch.org, the view of that particular 1880 US Federal census image online at Ancestry.com is provided free of charge. Here's what the page looked like when Myrt first pulled up the census image online:

Notice that the BLUE & YELLOW box in the upper right portion of the screen denotes the position on the page for the view finder. Myrt clicked the down arrow button on the computer screen as shown above, to move the viewfinder a little bit lower, then ZOOMED in on the part showing her ancestor William G. Froman:

Fortunately, Elmer, the 7 year old son in this family wrote a letter in the early 1950s to my mother Barbara Jeanne (Froman) Player Tatham stating that his mother, Mary was the second wife of William Gist Froman, or we could easily misconstrue that because MARY is listed in this census record as the WIFE of head of household Wm. G. Froman, and that LJ Froman is listed as son, that Mary could have been his mother, when in fact she was not. Elmer explains how the previous marriage ended in divorce. (An unfortunate family tradition which has been passed down through three generations on the female side.) Elmer grew up to marry, but did not have any children, so without this important handwritten letter, many family secrets would have gone with him to his grave.

Myrt took one more step in the document collecting:

7. Mryt closed the Ancestry.com census view, and was back to the FamilySearch.org window listing the INDIVIDUAL RECORD for William G. Froman. Cut off in Myrt's screen capture for step 5. above is a clickable link to the HOUSEHOLD, where Myrt was able to print out the following typed summary of household members. Fortunately the individuals listed in the transcribed listing correspond to family members as Myrt knows them. Its entirely possible that errors occur in any one record, so it is best to obtain more than one old document to prove family relationships.

NOTE: There is the option to click back and forth among PREVIOUS and NEXT households to "see" who was living close by an ancestor in 1880.

This improved access to the 1880 US Federal Census index and images is particularly important for several reasons:

• The SOUNDEX (previously trusted index system) did not list a household unless it had children ages ten and under.

• Its possible to look for an ancestor in this newer FamilySearch.org without specifying a state of residence.

• The 1890 US Federal Census was all but destroyed by water damage due to a fire in the building where the originals were stored.

• Many US Civil War veterans may have been living in 1880, but died before the 1900 census was taken. 

• By 1900 many of those on the 1880 census may have passed away.

PLANS FOR UPCOMING MPAFUG MEETINGS.

This is the end of PART TWO - See also PART ONE
The Manasota PAF Users Group is a non-profit educational organization in the State of Florida. Copyright 1994-2003. All Rights Reserved. dearmyrtle@aol.com Webmaster. Personal Ancestral File is the registered trademark of the Corporation of the President, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Master Genealogist and FamilyTree SuperTools are  the registered trademarks of Wholly Genes, Inc. Family Tree Maker is the registered trademark of Mattel. RootsMagic is the registered Trademark of Formal Soft. The ideas expressed in this the Manasota PAFNews are merely the opinions of the contributors. The writers, editors, publishers, and the Users Group are in no way responsible or liable for any damages resulting from articles, opinions, statements, advertising, representations or warranties expressed or implied in this publication nor do we endorse or recommend any products or services mentioned or illustrated herein.
meeting dates & map to the library - members - favorite genealogy links - PAFNews