While some relatives take their family history stories to their grave, others become more willing to tell stories as they age. The reasons do not matter, but remain open to the possibility that Aunt Martha may eventually decide that the world will not end if she tells you that “family secret.” Or course some people are not going to tell you things no matter what. But some do become more open with age. It may be worth a try. Join Michael at either the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this summer!
“No one home” is a phrase that litters the 1950 census enumeration in many districts. The reference usually indicates where the actual members of the household are listed–usually at the end of the entries for the district that were made on the first sweep. The 1950 census is like many other records in that respect–things get added “at the end.” In some churches, baptisms of children whose parents were not married may be found at the end of entries for that year. A list of individuals on a personal property tax rolls may contain a set of additions at the end of what is otherwise a roughly alphabetical list. A set of birth certificates that appear to be in rough order for a year as they are browsed […]
Are there items in your family history collection that an institution, organization, or other group may be interested in? I knew my children were not going to want this 1951 group photograph of students from Carthage College. The great-grandfather’s sister is in the picture somewhere (probably) since she attended during that year and the item was found with other family history ephemera in her home. I reached out to the college’s archivist, sent her an image of the photograph and asked her if they would be interested. She said yes and the item is on its way to the collection. This can’t be done with every item. But I’m going to be taking a look at what I have and thinking of places to donate things that may […]
If you cannot find a person in a record where they are “supposed” to be, ask yourself how your search process would change if one detail that you think is correct actually is not? Or if one detail about the person is wrong in the record? Maybe you are looking in the right place, but the date of the event is off. Maybe you have the date right, but the location you think is right is not. Maybe the person’s age is off by one year. There are a variety of ways this could play out, but changing one thing could alter where and how you search for that person. That’s exactly what I had to do when searching for a birth certificate based on the date of […]
Inscribed in stone does not guarantee the information is correct. It reflects what was known by the person paying for the tombstone inscription. What they knew may have been correct–as it is in the illustration. Or what was given to the stonecutter was incorrect. Or the stonecutter could have made an unintentional error. Remember that humans provide information to other humans who inscribe that information on tombstones. Join Michael at either the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this summer!
My great-grandmother had a first cousin whose name was Fairy, but I never really believed that was her actual name. I had assumed for years that Fairy’s first name was not actually Fairy at all, but instead was Frauke, Folke, Feeke, or some other low-German name and that she had simply used Fairy as an alternative. My own great-grandmother’s actual name was Trientje, but I never heard her referred to as anything other than Tena and Tena was what she used on every record from her marriage going forward. Many others of their generation, born to parents (or at least a parent) who spoke a low-German dialect referred to as “Platt,” had names that were later replaced with English sounding nicknames, diminutives, or crude Anglicizations. But that was […]
In current genealogy terminology, “proof” is when we take the information we have on a certain problem, organize it, and write it up so that others can see our conclusion. Information that we use to make our point is usually referred to as “evidence.” Is it the end of the world if you use the terms “incorrectly?” No. The bigger problem is simply relying on compiled sources and not thinking about using original material at all. If you are looking in original materials, tracking where things are obtained, thinking about what the documents say, and summarizing what you find, you are on the right path. Readers interested in more about genealogy terminology, citation, and proof, can learn more in Evidence Explained.
According to her tombstone, Rebecca Mullen died on 29 February 1849 and is buried in Galena, Ohio. 1849 was not a leap year and there was no 29th of February. Given that, my transcription of the stone would include [sic] after the date. Given the time period and the place, it’s doubtful I find a contemporary record that provides a different date of death. But my transcription should indicate that the date was copied exactly as it was inscribed on the stone. Sic is the best way to do that. Join me in Salt Lake this summer for a week of research!
If you’ve found that 1950 census entry for your family, make certain you use that information fully in your research. Does the enumeration give you a new address for the family or person of interest? Are there any annotations for your family’s entry that provide additional information? Some enumerators made notes on some individuals–particularly regarding their residence and work Look at names of neighbors. Are there any that stand out? Have you asked other living relatives of the family of interest if they remember any of those neighbors?
I knew that my Mom had lived in a rental boarding house, complete with a housemother/landlord, when she went to college. I knew the street the home was on, but I did not have the address. There it was in Mom’s collegiate dictionary. That was one place I had really not thought to look. Clues can be anywhere and, in this case, a dictionary did more than just give me the meaning of a word. Old college textbooks may contain residential clues about your family members.
The population census images from the US 1950 census have been released on the National Archives website at https://1950census.archives.gov/
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