#31WBGB: Update a Key Page

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Sep 292011
 

This week’s assignment for 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog is to Update a Key Page.

If you have followed “Stardust ‘n’ Roots” in the past, you will perhaps notice a  change on the home page.  Using Blogger’s “dynamic views,” I have revised the basic format of the blog, while maintaining some of its previous look.  The view into deep space that has served as the background for my blog for some time remains. If you notice, however, my blog posts cover the width of the content area.  Previously a portion of the screen was taken up by the sidebar.  I have moved the Welcome message into the header, have removed a number of features that seemed to provide a lot of clutter in the sidebar, and moved the rest to the footer.  My goal in all this — make it easier for those who choose (like you) to read my blog posts more easily.  I think this looks neater and cleaner.  I removed the brief “About Me” item from the sidebar because I already have a separate page about me and another one about my blog.  (Check out the tabs at the bottom of the header.)

#31:WBGB: Develop an Editorial Calendar

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Sep 232011
 
This weeks task from Tonia (www.toniasroots.net) is “planning a posting schedule (aka editorial calendar) to keep up with all those ideas [that we developed in last week's challenge].”
This will be a first for my blog. I have worked totally on serendipity and “as the spirit strikes me.” I have previously not set any goals about how often I want to publish a post or what the nature of those posts might be. Recently my posting has been somewhat more ordered because of my participation each week in #31WBGB and the beginning of the US-RES Study Group.
While I procrastinated making decisions about setting up a posting schedule, I decided to copy Tonia’s spreadsheet idea for my Editorial Calendar.  
Of course, I was immediately able to enter a weekly post for #31WBGB. Not knowing how often I would be developing posts for the US-REC Study Group, I initially put it in every week, but then decided that every other week might be more appropriate since a lot of the interchange goes into our Facebook group. The final decision was to include a once-a-week post drawn directly from my genealogy – initially using the list of ideas for blog posts that I developed last week as part of #31WBGB.

I won’t promise to ‘slavishly’ follow the Editorial Calendar.  I tend to “go with the flow;” but I will give it my best.  I suspect that use it some of the time and not use it at other times.  It’s primary use for me may using it as a place to store ideas that I am not ready to write about right now.  We’ll see!

#100 – Some Learnings Along the Way

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Sep 192011
 
Prior to establishing my blog, I have been reading about 35 blogs. I was impressed with the quality of writing and the breadth of interest. I was particularly interested in Amy Coffin’s “52 weeks to Better Genealogy.” I actually did some of the exercises in my mind and had considered doing them privately. When I began my blog, I was intimidated by the thought of jumping right in and showing the world how little I knew about genealogy. What a mistake! Two learnings: 1) I have learned that the geneablogging community is very gracious and accepting of bloggers at all levels of competence and writing ability. I wish I had immediately entered in. 2) I have learned that geneablogging is a collaborative activity, not a competitive one.

Initially I wondered if anyone would be interested in reading my musings and if so, why? After all, there are so many highly qualified genealogists and exceedingly competent writers, why would anybody be concerned with what I have to say. After 4 initial posts that set the scene for my blog, the first real post received a comment from Karen of AncestorSoup. Wow! Someone actually read one of my posts.  Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith commented on a number of posts saying, “Keep these ancestor stories coming!” There are 52 people who “follow” my blog and 60 different individuals who have commented on one or more blog posts. Greta Koehl of Greta’s Genealogy Blog heads the list with 15 comments; Tonia Kendrick of Tonia’s Roots comes next with 11 comments. Perhaps Greta said it best, “we seem to share an interest in musing on the ‘deeper significance’ of genealogical research.” Yes, I am always looking for the deeper, symbolic meanings (occupational hazard for a Presbyterian minister). 3) I have learned (actually “re-learned”) what a friend once told me as I began a new career venture: “Figure out what you do best and do it most!” That relates to geneablogging, as well as ministry and other ventures in life.

4) I have learned to do the genealogy “happy dance.” I was surprised when one of my post on “The Eight Stages of My Genealogical Development” got mentioned in Greta Koehl’s Follow Friday Newsletter. Soon thereafter 5 or 6 posts were mentioned in Randy Seaver’s “Best of the Genea-Blogs.” I was beginning to get “heady.” Randy Seaver then used my “Sears Catalogue of Genealogists” as the basis for his “Saturday Night Genealogical Fun.” I began to think that I must have “arrived” as a geneablogger. Actually, the learning was somewhat more painful. 5) I have learned that a lot of attention and affirmation can be an addictive trap. For a couple of weeks, I was writing in order to be recognized – that is, to be listed in someone’s “best of.” I quickly discovered that my ideas were drying up and my writing suffering. 6) I have learned that getting mentioned in Randy Seaver’s Genea-Musings blog is a remarkable source of referrals. 251 visits to my blog have come by way of www.geneamusings.com; 180, via www.littlebytesoflife.com. Thank you Randy Seaver and Elizabeth O’Neal

Fortunately, Tonia Kendrick had issued the invitation for other geneabloggers to join her for 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog. That challenge was just what I needed to get me back on the path! Week by week (for 13 weeks now) we have been focusing on one specific way to improve our blog and our blogging. Tonia’s summarizing of Darren Rowse’s book, “31 Days to Build a Better Blog,” and he outlining of specific tasks for each week have been very helpful… and productive. 7) I have learned that the discipline of regular involvement in a challenge organized by another geneablogger helps keep the blogging juices flowing… and it has put me in contact with another group of blogger. What a bonus! I wish I had been willing to do this earlier in my blogging.

Saving the Best for Last: 8) I have learned that the geneablogging community is a remarkably collaborative and caring community that
  • shares from the heart stories, practices, and struggles
  • builds upon good ideas and practices
  • reaches out to its members when they are facing difficult times
  • enables geneabloggers to learn from and with one another
  • provides a venue to “pay it forward”
Genealogy blogging is a very collaborative venture. Darlene of “My Colored Roots” raised a question concerning my mentioning a swimming pool from my childhood in Youngstown, Ohio. She was right, I had not remembered correctly. (How many times does that happen in genealogical ventures?!) Her comment caused me to do a bit of research, which corrected my memory and my records.  Sometimes we want to do better as genealogists / family historians, but feel intimidated by the high quality, highly competent (often professional) genealogists who blog and hold up very high standards.  9) I have learned that the geneablogging community wants to help.  Put your thoughts and ideas out there.  You might be surprised who responds to encourage and support you.  Often we aren’t aware of the effect we have on one another through our blogging. Perhaps the most gratifying response I have had came from George Geder, commenting on my “On Not Listening to the Genealogy Gods.” He said “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’ve made my head stop sweating from the brow. You’ve reduced my blood pressure. You’ve just echoed the worries of so many family historians who don’t want to spend enormous amounts of time slogging through the citation maze.” I am humbled by such a comment.

(A revision:)  In  addition to #9, above, I have two additional learning that I missed when I first published this blog.  10) I have learned that creativity and initiative is appreciated.  You don’t have to copy someone else’s style.  Be yourself.  Your ideas and practices will likely strike a positive chord with somebody.  And, 11) I have learned (and this is a minor, technical point) that I probably should have named my blog “Stardust and Roots” instead of “Stardust ‘n’ Roots.”  When the name gets translated in html markup language, it sometimes prints as “Stardust ‘n’ Roots.”  (That is pretty ugly when it is present in someone’s list of blogs that they follow.)


In conclusion, 12) I have learned that I enjoy geneablogging as much as I do genealogy itself. Margaret Wheatley, in her newly revised Leadership and the New Science, reminds us that information is not just facts but “networks of relationships.” Genealogical research involves finding our ancestors in the facts and their contexts. But what we are all about, as meaning-making beings, is entering the ‘networks of relationships’ with our ancestors. Geneablogging helps this relational processing. Dr. Bill has it right: “Keep these ancestor stories coming!”   I am deeply grateful to all the blogs I read, and all the bloggers that read mine.

#31WBGB: Coming Up with 10 Post Ideas

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Sep 172011
 

This week’s challenge from Tonia’s Roots is to review my last five posts, brainstorming ideas about how each post might be extended — for example:

  • Pick up a question or idea from the comments
  • Explore the opposite point of view from the post
  • If you do news posts or press releases, then write an opinion piece
  • Take a theoretical post and write a “how-to” on the same subject
  • Expand on ideas you may have glossed over in the first post

As often happens with my research, one thing leads to another which goes in a different direction which…  In short, reviewing my five most recent posts led me back to many previous posts and even to emails about posts.  I didn’t even try to “mind map” the circuitous route that lead to the following ideas for new posts:

  1. Since this is my 99th post, my next post is #100.  What have I learned about blogging and about genealogy at this mile marker along the adventuresome genealogy highway?
  2. Picking up an old theme in my blog:  Blogging my Ahnentafel – I would do separate posts on John Brenner (#16), Mary Ellen Cole (#9), Edward Herman Mieding (#10).
  3. “Slogging Thru the Citation Maze” (a comment by Geder Genealogy)
  4. Genealogy Feeding Frenzy (pick another of my ancestors for whom I have little information).
  5. “The Cosmic Genealogy Blog Club” ( a comment by by Tony Timmons – Ancestral Wormhole)
  6. “Multiple Personality Disorder” Genealogy / Genealogists (a comment by Jill Ball – Geniaus)
  7. “Pirates of the Caribbean” Genealogy — Redux  (an old blog post of mine)
  8. Genealogical “Meandering” (a comment by Greta Koehl – Greta’s Genealogy Blog)
  9. “On Listening to the Genealogy Gods” (opposite point of view re: recent post of mine)
  10. “Forward to the Basics” (What are genealogy basics in a Web 2.0 / 3.0 world?)
  11. My Experience with Research Summaries (a goal I set as part of the US-REC study group)
I am impressed with those who already have a number of topics chosen for future posts.  I have gone from post to post, writing when the spirit strikes or when I’ve decided that it has been long enough without a post. Maybe this will jump-start a new pattern for me (but, I’ll not hold my breath on that one!)   Any way, this was a good exercise and it did give me some good ideas to choose from.

The Tech Savvy Genealogists’ Meme

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Sep 162011
 

Thanks to Jill Ball of Geniaus for “the Tech Savvy Genealogist’s Meme.” 

Here’s my list ( have done or found   would like to do or find    haven’t done and/or don’t care to):

  1. Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad
  2. Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
  3. Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes
  4. Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor’s home
  5. Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree
  6. Have a Twitter account
  7. Tweet daily
  8. Have a genealogy blog
  9. Have more then one genealogy blog
  10. Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic
  11. Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise
  12. Have a Facebook Account
  13. Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
  14. Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
  15. Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society
  16. Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
  17. Have registered a domain name
  18. Post regularly to Google+
  19. Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
  20. Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
  21. Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner
  22. Can code a webpage in .html
  23. Own a smartphone
  24. Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases
  25. Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
  26. Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
  27. Use Chrome as a Browser
  28. Have participated in a genealogy webinar
  29. Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes
  30. Have a personal genealogy website
  31. Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
  32. Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
  33. Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files
  34. Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
  35. Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry
  36. Own a netbook
  37. Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes
  38. Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit
  39. Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
  40. Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
  41. Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
  42. Backup your files to a portable hard drive
  43. Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite
  44. Know about Rootstech
  45. Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy
  46. Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
  47. Schedule regular email backups
  48. Have contriibuted to the Familysearch Wiki
  49. Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs
  50. Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format
     So, 37  7  7.    Not too bad for a 71 year old — somewhat social media aversive.  But, that’s me!
    A couple of ‘techie’ things to add:
    51.  Dual screen monitors for doing genealogy research on desktop computer.  (Occasionally they are “dueling” screen monitors.)
    52.  Have Linux, Windows, and Apple (iPad) computers.
    53.  Can actually converse about techie matters with my techie son.

On Not Listening to the Genealogy Gods

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Sep 152011
 

1. “Keep a Record of your Genealogy in a Research Logs”
I have suffered major genealogical guilt because I have not consistently entered my searches, finds, and non-finds in a research calendar / log.  When I have used a research log it has been as a temporary holding place until I can transfer the information to my personal Research Wiki..  My Wiki is
well organized and cross-referenced (via hyperlinks). As a result, any research logs that I have created sit empty, devoid of content.  Quite frankly, I not sure that I ‘believe in’ research logs.  The genealogy gods are not happy!

2. “Keep Families Organized with Family Group Reports” and “Keep a Copy of the Appropriate Pedigree with each Set of Records.”
So much emphasis is placed on paper genealogy forms that I have a computer folder filled with copies of forms and hot links for more forms: pedigree charts, family group reports, ahnentafels and descendancy charts, census extractions, etc.   I have forms as PDF files, as text files for my word processor, and spreadsheets.  But, genealogical slug thst I am, I don’t use them.  If I need a paper copy, I will just print it out from RootsMagic.  Most of the time, however, I am developing wiki-pages for our online family tree.  I think my grandchildren will benefit more from these.  And the genealogy gods are frowning!

3. “Have a Goal for Every Search” and “Don’t Waste Time by Repeat Searches”
I know that every bit of genealogical research is supposed to begin with a goal AND the process of the search is supposed to be well documented (research logs, again)…   All this so that I won’t waste time.  Hey! It’s my time and I don’t mind wasting it occasionally.  I’m a browser, much like a snorkeler swimming on the surface most of the time and then diving deep when something catches my eye.  Sometimes my research is one thing leading to another, which takes me in a different direction, which leads to something else, which …   Well, sometimes I find the most interesting information about ancestors in places I never would have thought to look.  What a remarkable  way to waste time!  And the genealogy gods are cringing in horror.

4.  “Cite Every Source using one of the Standard Formats”
Now I am going to risk being excommunicated and/or shunned by the genealogy gods.  I don’t slavishly follow one source citation formatting style — not APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian…   nor even Richard Lackey or Elizabeth Shown Mills.  Don’t get me wrong…  I am doing my best to make sure that I get sources cited, but I’m not disturbed if I use a comma where there is suppoesed to be a semi-colon or italicize the wrong words.  I often find myself searching through ESM’s “Evidence!” looking for a ‘proper’ source format, but I sometimes lose my way…  likely ending up with a citation format that doesn’t look like any of the standard formats…  but all the information will probably be there.  I want my citations to be pointers to the source, but not necessarily a work of art to be displayed in a museum.  Was that the sound of a door slamming as the genealogy gods left the building?

No! I am not just another genealogical curmudgeon, happy to dispute anything that looks like standard procedures.  Instead, I do my genealogical research out of a deep love for the task AND with a deep and abiding appreciation for those who have paved the way and, along the way, have taught all of us so much.  I don’t, however, do my genealogical research for them; I do it to leave a legacy for my grandchildren (now ages 7 and almost 5).  By the time they are old enough, they will be able to read the stories and review the events of a significant number of their ancestors.  If they are so inclined, they will be able to trace back my research to the original sources and then expand upon those sources to discover more ancestors.  For me, that’s what this marvelous adventure / hobby / passion / addiction called “genealogy” is all about.  What’s that?  Did I just see the beginnings of a smile on the faces of the genealogy gods?

Organizing My Research Using MediaWiki

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Sep 132011
 

A member of our newly formed US-REC study group invited a discussion about the types of systems that other members of the group use for organization. Here is a description of my Research Wiki

Until about two years ago, all attempts at organizing my research files made me feel like the bicycle rider in the above picture. Since that time however, I have been developing my own genealogy organizational system. It all began with a decision I made (together with my son) vis-a-vis our joint genealogy project for which he is the webmaster and technology expert; I, the field researcher and data manager. Our decision was to digitize all our records and keep them online so that both of us can have immediate access to them. This is important since I am in Missouri and he is in California.

Previous attempts at organizing my genealogy records did not seem to work well for me. As I have been reading and re-reading Val Greenwood’s chapter on organizing, I have begun to realize why. Most systems were developed with the assumption that it is papers and documents that needed to be organized — dependent upon file folders and notebooks and archival storage media, etc. Previously, I had up-loaded digital files to our website and stored them in folders. That was alright for a while; but it had its attendant problems – the chief problem being the necessity of indexing the files separately.

My discussions with my son about the attendant problems of trying to maintain an active and accurate index of the digital files, led to his suggesting that I consider using a Wiki format. He then installed MediaWiki on the website that held our TNG family tree. The MediaWiki was not set up for public access, but only for access by the two of us. I began to use MediaWiki as my Research Journal. That was a good move, but I didn’t begin to realize the major benefit to this Web 2.0 approach until I figured out how to use MediaWiki as an indexed storage system — not a storage system with a separate index, but a storage system that is its own index. Let me explain…

Recently a search for a marriage date for my gg-grandfather, Aaron B. Knepper, expanded into a feeding frenzy. (The feeding frenzy resulted in three blog posts, beginning with “Who Do I Think You Are, Aaron Knepper?”  ) I found a number of newspaper articles relating to him and his family. In addition to those newspaper articles, I found records for 8 census years, death certificate, Civil War registration & pension card, marriage registration, and more. As I found each record, I copied the image to my hard drive (in the “Knepper, Aaron B.” folder).

My hard drive currently has 255 separate folders for Individuals (alphabetized by SURNAME) and 18 folders for miscellaneous files related to individual SURNAMES. That may seem to be a small number when compared to the 4965 individuals in my RootsMagic database. It is, of course, an expandable list. As I uncover records (documents, certificates, citations, photos, etc) for others, I simply add new folders. I keep the files for women in folders bearing their birth name. Records that relate to families (marriage licenses and; certificates, census records, etc.) are easily copied and filed in the individual files of both the man and the woman.

When I began to move my records to MediaWiki, I set up separate pages (the Wiki equivalent of folders) for each SURNAME of the 8 grand-parental lines of my children. In each of these pages (folders), I have the capacity to establish sub-categories for other Surnames related to the primary one. (The Brenner page, for example, separates out Coles, Welks, Crumrines, Renkenbergers, and a miscellaneous link to other cognate individuals.
 
Each individual record has a template added (“see also, data stored in: …”) that serves as the cross-referencing index (hotlinks) to the Vital Statistics categories where the primary data are stored. Looking at Aaron B. Knepper’s log, I see that I have records for “Birth.” “Death,” “Marriage,” and “Military;” as well as census records for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920.

The additional entries are for two newspaper articles. As I look at this image, I note that the “Obituary” should have been filed on the Vital Statistics page for Aaron Knepper’s “Death” records. Not a problem, I can easily cut and paste it where it should be.

The Vital Statistics category is subdivided into the following categories: Birth Records; Baptism and Confirmation Records; Marriage Records; Census Records (sub-divided by Census Year); Death Records; Immigration and Naturalization Records; Land, Deeds, and other Legal Records; Military Records; Location Files; Extracted Signatures; and Media Files. These records are all filed alphabetically by “SURNAME, First, Middle .” Census records are also categorized by year.

Each record entry contains its appropriate citation plus any notes I wish to save. If there is an image associated with the record, there is a hotlink for that image. On a separate MediaWiki page, I have saved about 50 cut-and-paste citation templates – including one for each U.S. Federal Census. And, because it is a Wiki, I can add citation templates whenever needed.

Each page in my Research Wiki has a navigation table at the top of the page. This table has hyperlinks to each SURNAME page, to each Vital Statistic page, and to a page of Citation cut-and-paste templates, etc. From any page on the Wiki, I am just a few clicks to any particular record.

While I do not always record my purpose for searches, when I do I can use my Research Wiki for a full description of the search and its successes, along with an indication of what was not found. My search for passenger records for gg-grandfather Johannes (John) Brenner’s immigration in 1854 shows a description of the search, its results, and the decision-making.  Since it is actually more than a standard page of copy, I have not included it here.  However, if you can put it into words and paragraphs, you can store it in a Wiki.

In Conclusion:  
My Research Wiki has provided me with a very workable online way of recording and organizing my research. Would I recommend a Wiki as a vehicle for a research organizer? Yes, with a proviso… MediaWiki can be a more complex tool.  I had my technologically proficient son who was able to install and tweak MediaWiki for me at the beginning. Initially I had to learn MediaWiki markup language. That took a bit of practice. Subsequently I had my son install a rich text editor on the Wiki, though I continue to make most of my entries using markup language. There are some easier (free) Wiki resources available. I am aware of TiddlyWiki: areusable non-linear person web notebook. You can actually download TiddlyWiki, install it on your computer and use it offline. There are others, but I have not tried them.

American Records (US-REC) Study Group – Assignment 1

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Sep 132011
 
Thanks to Valerie Brown Elkins and Tonia Kendrick an online group has been formed to study American Records (US-REC). I am delighted to be part of that group. We will be spending the next 15 months studying Val D. Greenwood’s The Researchers Guide to American Genealogy and The Source: A Guidebook Of American Genealogy by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. In addition to those wonderful print resources we will, of course, be resources for one another. 
Our first month’s task has been a) to read Greenwood’s chapter on “Organizing and Evaluating Research Findings,” b) assess our own organization using 20 different statements [such as “1. My research notes are simple enough that anyone can understand them.” and “My notes indicate the purpose of every search made.”] , and c) take one or more steps to improve organization.
My Self Assessment — My rating score was 52 out of 80 (6 4s, 4 3s, 6 2s, and 4 1s).  According to the rating scale we used that puts me in the following category: 
Total Score: 51-70– You are already pretty organized, but there are a few areas that could be tightened up. Pick one or two items from the list to work on. These could be things that you do“sometimes,” but not “usually” or “almost always.” Or maybe there is some aspect of your system that is just not working for you; take this opportunity to try a new way of doing things.
My Strengths:   I have developed a Research Wiki for maintaining my research.  (A full description of my Research Wiki will be in a blog post following this one.)  Using the Research Wiki has helped me develop a system that is easily accessible for those who follow; complete enough that others can use my notes to locate their sources; files cross-referenced (using hot links) by type and by individual; records that are difficult to read are noted; when searches fail to find sought after records such a notation is made.  In conclusion, my Research Wiki has provided me easy access to files, citations, and images.

My Weaknesses:   I do not regularly indicate the purpose of searches; nor write regular research reports to myself (except when I develop blog posts about my research); and seldom prepare a short research summary when I reach a stopping point.
My Uncertainty:    I had difficulty relating to two statements in the assessment tool — namely, #14 (“I cross-reference my research logs to each other when I have more than one surname in a locality, rather than making identical logs for each surname.”) and #15 (“I keep a copy of the appropriate portion of my pedigree in every research file.”)  When doing research, I have a copy of my Research Wiki open on one screen, while my RootsMagic database pedigree is open on my second screen.  (This keeps me in touch with the necessary pedigrees.)  I keep my hard drive (genealogy > surname) folder open and minimized.  New findings, documents, records, images, and citations are then filed where appropriate (with hot links) in the Research Wiki; digital copies are also filed in the appropriate individual’s file on my hard drive.   I have not found any need to keep records by locality (even though this seems to be a primary function of Greenwood’s recommended organizational system.  When I need to check on specific localities, I can print a “place list” from my RootsMagic database and see all the facts and events related to that locality. I am curious about why Greenwood considers locality such a primary factor in a research organizer.  Can anyone explain that to me?
In order to improve the quality of my research organization I will:
  • for the next 4-6 weeks, write a brief summary at the end of each day’s research, “so that I can quickly pick up the line of research again, whether it is days, months, or years later” and
  • for the next 4-6 weeks, write a weekly research report to my son (since he is my partner in our genealogy project)
At the end of 4-6 weeks, I will review what I have done and make decisions about how to proceed in those areas.

I have to admit that I have some ambivalence about recording “the purpose of every search made.” In the past, there have been times when a search for one record or for records about one person lead in different and unexpected directions.  I have often followed those new directions.  Sometimes they have been “rabbit trails” producing little of value;  other times, however, they have led me to places and resources I hadn’t expected. I’m willing to be a bit more intentional about “purpose” for searches, but I am not willing to establish any goals at this time.

#31WBGB: Two Weeks Worth

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Sep 102011
 
I have spent the last week and a half recuperating from a medical procedure and am, therefore a little behind.  I’ve been reading blogs, but not writing.  As a result I am doing two weeks worth in one blog post.
Week 9′s task was to participate in an online genealogy group – either joining one or spending 10-15 minutes participating in a group for which I am already a member. Thanks to the work of Tonia Kendrick and Valerie Elkins a new online study group has formed focused on Val Greenwood’s The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy and Szucs and Luebking’s The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. This should prove to be an exciting opportunity. I have joined and waited (lurked) as everyone is coming on board. I look forward to significant participation in the weeks and months to come.
The task for Week 10 is: 
  1. Get started monitoring!  Make a list of search topics relevant to your blog and/or research.  Test them out in Google to make sure you get the results you want.  Remember, exact phrases can go in quotes to give you more targeted results.
  2. Set up some alerts.  Let us know what service(s) you used and some of the keywords you chose in the comments.
I have set up a number of Google Alerts. I have 14 alerts – 10 are “surname + genealogy” alerts and 3 are “location + genealogy” alerts. The surnames used are: Barthel, Brenner, Cole, Deeter, Knepper, Messerall, Mieding, Renkenberger, Smith, and Welk. The locations use are: Columbiana County (Ohio), Mahoning County (Ohio), Youngstown + Ohio, and Youngstown. While setting up the Youngstown alerts I found a website (“The Youngstown Genealogy Website”) that I had not seen before.   
I also took a quick look at Scoop.it, Paper.li, and Technorati Watchlist but have decided to stick with Google Alerts for the time being.  [To be noted:  Technorati had discontinued "watchlists."]

SNGF: Ahnentafel Roulette! – Ensor Cole

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Sep 042011
 

Randy Seaver’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun invites us to:

  1. Find a “roulette number” by dividing by 4 the age of great-grandfather (if he were still alive today), and rounding off that number to a whole number.
  2. Determine what person has that number in your ahenetafel.
  3. Tell three facts about that person
Running a little behind, here is my “Sunday” Night Genealogy Fun response:

My paternal great-grandfather Lloyd Brenner was born 1 May 1867.  Were he still alive, he would be 144 years old.  144 divided by 4 = 36.  #36 in my ahnentafel is Ensor (Enser / Encer) Cole (Lloyd Brenner’s wife’s paternal great-grandfather) and my paternal 3g-grandfather.

Ensor Cole was born in abt. 1793 in Frederick County, Maryland.  He married Elizabeth Shaffer in Baltimore, Maryland, abt. 1795 or 1812.  He died abt. 1846 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  He and Elizabeth had 11 children, including George Washington Cole (my 2g-grandfather).  Unfortunately, all this information is in the “supposedly” category because it come from Ancestry.com Family Trees.  Listed sources loop to other Ancestry Family Trees or OneWorld Tree.  

Three “facts” about Ensor Cole:

  1. I received from Alan Fredrickson a copy of 2 documents regarding Enser Cole’s participation in the Maryland Militia during the War of 1812.  Pvt. Enser Cole was present for the Company Muster Roll on 13 October 1814, earning him $21.23 in pay for the previous 2 months and 23 days.  The next Company Muster Roll was on 10 January 1815.  Here he is listed as having deserted on 6 December 1814.  
  2. Ensor Cole is listed in the Tax Assessment records of Beaver Township, Columbiana County, Ohio for 1833.   He is listed as owning one horse (valued at $40) and 1 cattle (valued at $8).  His tax liability (stated as D|C|M) was listed as follows:  State 0|14|40; County  0|18|00; Road 0|04|80;  Twp 0|04|80;  Poor 0|04|80; for a total tax of 0|46|80.   Since this was my first foray into tax records, I made a guess that the three columns (D|C|M) were to be interpreted as D=dollars; C=cents; M=mills.  A search for “dollars cents mills” (without the quotation marks) led me to a Wikipedia article entitled “Mill (currency).”  This confirmed that property taxes were “expressed in terms of mills per dollar assessed.”  So, Ensor Cole’s tax liability for 1833 was a whopping 46.80 cents.
  3. My third fact about Ensor Cole, and the only other “fact” that I have, is that he was enumerated in the 1840 U.S. Federal Census as living in Springfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.  He was, by the way, mis-indexed as “Ensor Cale,” with a comment indicating that the proper reading of the record would be “Cole.”  The following facts are enumerated for Ensor Cole:  1 boy and 2 girls under 5; 2 girls, 5-9; 2 boys, 1-14; 1 man, 40-49; 1 woman, 30-39; for a total of 10 persons (4 of whom were employed in agriculture).
Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on Ensor Cole.  The Ancestry Family Trees give some good clues, but no supporting sources.  Since one of the trees focuses on the Cole family and the tree owner has an interest in the Coles of Ohio.  I shall begin by using Ancestry’s internal messaging system to contact that person to see about the sources of their information — that is, whether I can track back to some real sources.  I find this search to be a potentially interesting and profitable one since I have been previously in correspondence with a Cole family researcher who has sent me a CD 25 original documents relating to the Cole family and his correspondence with another Cole family genealogist whose notes trace the Coles back to Ann Arundal County in 1657.  This all connects to a Thomas Cole who was born abt. 1634 in Tillingham, Essex, England, son of Humphrey Cole.  Some have traced Humphrey Cole’s lineage back 17 generations to William Cole born 1160 in Huntenesleigh, Devonshire, England. 

Let the hunt begin!