In the 19 January 1973 issue of the Galesburg Register-Mail a request is made for information on missing graduates of the 1923 class of Galesburg High School. One of the names is Pearl Trask. The Ancestry.com database entry for this Pearl Trask indicates that this means that Pearl Trask lived in Galesburg on the date of the newspaper. While it is possible she lived in Galesburg in 1973, what is certain is that the reference is indicating that a Pearl Trask graduated from Galesburg High School in 1923. It is possible she lived in Galesburg in 1973, but somewhat doubtful given the size of the town and the fact that the upcoming reunion was from a Galesburg High School class. Always check the original and make certain the […]
Keep in mind that there are some relationships stated in records that, after some research is conducted, are not as clear as we would like them to be. “Brothers” could be full brothers or half-brothers. One of the siblings could have been an adopted sibling. They could also be step-brothers or brothers-in-law.
When a manual search of census records is necessary, use a map. A map will help you keep a geographic perspective when searching and help guide you in knowing where to search if your ancestors are not initially where they are expected to be. The map can also be used to keep track of where searches have been conducted. The ideal map to use would be one that that shows the same enumeration regions that were used in the census. For censuses taken 1880 and after, these enumeration districts had maps created for the sole purpose of census enumeration and sometimes those districts had boundaries that followed civil government boundaries. These enumeration district maps are online at the National Archives and Records Administration website. For enumerations before 1880, […]
I had always known my mother lived with her grandmother between hr graduation from college and her marriage to my father. But if I had not, the 1966 annual church report from the church my mother and her grandmother had attended would have indicated they lived together for a time. Miss Constance Ufkes is listed at the same address as Mrs. Fred Ufkes. The relationship is not stated as it is for some in the directory. These directories can contain other clues as well–particularly addresses for church members who had moved away temporarily for school or military service. The directory may provide their school address or military rank and address. The difficulty is in locating these items. The church may have them. Local libraries or historical societies may […]
Never assume there cannot be more than one person with same name–or a name that’s very close to it–in the same area. Whether the area is rural or urban makes no difference. It is always possible. While writing a recent tip, I came across a person named Hilka Huls who died in the 1950s in Hancock County, Illinois. Wanting to make certain I had the correct person and the correct date, I did a little searching. There were two women with this name in that location. Both were born in the 1870s. Both died in the 1950s. They were sisters-in-law. Same namers may be related–most likely first or second cousins. They may be related by marriage–as in this case. They may also not be related at all. Sometimes […]
Inconsistencies in records can create a problem for the genealogist. Ages can be off. Specific dates of birth can vary from one record to another. Names can vary slightly from one ancestral reference to the next. Any piece of information about an ancestor can be different in different references. The difficulty is in determining whether these differences matter. Do we need to revise what we think we know about a specific ancestor or do we need to conclude that we do not have records involving the same person? It’s not an easy question to answer as it usually depends on the specifics of the situation. Generally though it’s best to look at each record as a whole in trying to determine if a record refers to the person […]
Congregational reports can contain a variety of unique information. The 1955 report from Trinity Lutheran Church in Carthage, Illinois, includes a list of members who passed away during the year and in whose name a donation was made to a children’s home. It’s not clear from the report whether the date given is the date of death or the date the donation was made. Locating these items may be difficult. Churches may have copies of old reports, but they likely will not search them for you. Denominational archives may have copies of reports of some of their congregations. Local historical societies may have them as well. Many copies from the 20th century are probably in attics, boxes, and other locations individual’s homes. That’s where this one was found.
In many rural areas of the United States, census enumerations do not provide exact residences for households. In some cases, particularly before 1880 when enumeration districts came into use, determining where someone lived at the time of the census may not be done with as much precision as we would like. In rural areas, the census may provide a smaller civil geographic area–such as a township or an election district. Other census enumerations may only be as specific as the county. In all of these cases, determining where your ancestor lived with more precision may be done potentially with land and property tax records (for landowners) or with land and property tax records for their census neighbors (for non-landowners). There may be other records that provide a more […]
I am giving a webinar on US funeral home records and creating children’s stories from genealogy materials on 27 October 2023–details on our announcement page.
Reminder that all US federal censuses are free on FamilySearch: United States Census, 1950 United States Census, 1940 United States Census, 1930 United States Census, 1920 United States Census, 1910 United States Census, 1900 United States Census, 1890 United States Census, 1880 United States Census, 1870 United States Census, 1860 United States Census, 1850 United States Census, 1840 United States Census, 1830 United States Census, 1820 United States Census, 1810 United States Census, 1800 United States Census, 1790
Families can be separated on passenger manifests. Always make certain to read the entire manifest for additional entries with the same last name as the person of interest. This 1869 manifest from the Hansa, which landed in New York City on 30 August 1869 contains entries for the Bruns family. Ulke (actually Ubbe) and Trientje Bruns appear on the manifiest approximately twenty entries before those for their children, Nanke, Jacob, Gerd, Albert, and Hinrich. Why the family is separated on the manifest is not known, but the fact remains that the names are not together. Always read the entire manifest for other potential family members who may have travelled with your ancestor.
A blast from the past: It can be easy to waste “research” time by mindlessly looking at online sites for one thing or another. Some ways to avoid these time wasting activities are: make a list of research tasks you wish to accomplish; turn your internet connection off; make a list of documents to transcribe; make a list of “done” ancestors that should be reviewed; set a schedule of when to go back and check a site for an update to a database (daily is probably excessive); lists in general are good. Chasing some research leads down those “rabbit holes” can be a good thing–sometimes. But it can be easy to waste an inordinate amount of time chasing after half-baked, uncooked leads on your computer, when you’ve got […]
“Great-grandma Neill wouldn’t let Nellie date the Humke boy because they were related.” I know someone told me that. I am not dreaming it. I had already known the Humke boy was related, but the dating (or potential dating) was news to me. I remembered the tidbit while doing something completely unrelated and the statement just popped into my memory from out of nowhere. The problem is that I cannot for the life of me remember who told what great-grandma said. I will include the statement in my notes on these individuals, but indicate clearly that I cannot remember who told me this or when I was told this. It is even more frustrating because I was told this little nugget years after I had started genealogy and […]
Sooner or later you will encounter conflicting information in your research. Record the information as it is provided on each source and put any analysis in your notes. Do not change, correct, or modify the information from an actual record. Your job is not to edit. If there are obvious errors, indicate that in a comment, but do not “fix” the record.
My uncle was married to his wife for ten days when he died of the flu in 1918. His widow never remarried and lived the rest of her life with her parents. In at least one federal census, she was enumerated with her maiden name. The listing is probably an error as later records use her married name. Everyone else in the household had the same name, except my aunt. It is very possible that the census taker simply got confused. Do you have a female relative who is inadvertently listed under their maiden name in a record created after their marriage?
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