03 May 2020

Missing Ancestor Report - SOLVED?

Click on image to enlarge

Well . . .

Here’s the deal.  I know what ultimately became of Mary, more about this in a bit.  But . . . there is a significant 10-year gap where she is (sigh) still “missing.”  Her gap years are 1935 and 1937 - 1946.  The 1930 US Federal census and Mary’s Social Security Application (SS-5), completed and signed by Mary in 1936, place her in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania and in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania respectively. 

In the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE the attached flyer included a plea to please contact me if anyone had information about Mary’s whereabouts, or had information that could help further the “investigation” (research) and help me re-unite Mary’s “leaf” with her family tree.  After publishing the blog and flyer, I received many supportive comments and emails.  There were several who did some sleuthing and I’d like to thank you ALL.   Special gratitude to two in particular – Elmer and Marilyn whose clues yielded results.

Okay, here is what I now know about Mary.  To recap, for those that may be new to Family Preserves, Mary Telthia LINDSEY was born in York, York County, Pennsylvania, 2 January 1908, to Walter Cleveland LINDSEY and Marguerite (AKA Margaret) Ethel LEARN.  Walter and Marguerite were living at 181 East Cottage Place, York, York County, Pennsylvania, at the time of Mary’s birth.1  In 1910, Mary, her brother Walter and her parents were living at 35 South Street, York City, York County, Pennsylvania.  And, in November of that same year, Mary had a new baby brother, William (Bill) Gordon LINDSEY; they were still living in the same home.2 Over the intervening years, 1911 – 1919, the Lindsey family is living at: 3 

1911: 938 East Philadelphia Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1913: 561 West Clark Avenue, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1915: 143 East Maple, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1917: 529 MacKenzie, York, York County, Pennsylvania
1919: 305 North West Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania


Mary’s parents were divorced by 12 June 1919.4  And, by 1920 the children were separated; Mary living in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, with the Emmanuel Crone family, with whom she lived until the age of 18.5  Mary’s siblings, Walter Galloway LINDSEY is living with the Beard O. Sharretts family in Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania;6 William Gordon LINDSEY is living in the Children’s Home of York and York County, York County, Pennsylvania;7 and Maretta Grace LINDSEY is living with her adoptive parents, M. H. and Catherine Bailey, in Shrewsbury Township, York County, Pennsylvania.8  And, their father, Walter Cleveland LINDSEY can be found still living at 305 North West Street, York, York County, Pennsylvania.9  After their divorce, Marguerite “farmed out” her two eldest children to work local farms and to earn their room and board.  She placed the two youngest children in the York & York County Children’s home, located in York County, Pennsylvania; Bill would live there until the age of majority and Maretta would be adopted by the Bailey’s soon after her arrival at the home.  The US Federal 1930 census shows that Marguerite married her third husband, Robert J Harris at the age of 33; Marguerite was born 1887 making their wedding year 1920.  I have, however, not been able to locate the Harris’ in the US Federal 1920 census.10 

We know from the US Federal 1920 census that Mary is living with the Crone family on their farm located in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.  Emmanuel Crone is the Head of Household.  His wife, Minnie; daughter, Laura; and Grandson, Chester Lancaster are also living in the home.  In the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE  I noted that the grandson of Mary’s sister Maretta uploaded a photo of Mary, dated 1926.  It is my belief that the photo may be Mary’s graduation picture.  In that post I noted that the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School (MASH) served several communities to include the borough of Upper Allen Township.  I did an initial search for MASH 1924 – 1926 yearbooks online at E-Yearbooks.com and Classmates.com; no luck.  My search for yearbooks continued.  I contacted the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School and spoke to the school librarian.  The earliest yearbook that the school library has in their collection is 1930.  I then contacted the Joseph T. Simpson Public Library in Mechanicsburg and learned from the Librarian the following . . .

“What we have pre-1930 is a 1926 yearbook and a 1920 Commencement Booklet that does list the names of some of the younger classes (not the entire class list however). Unfortunately, I’ve looked through both of these items and have not found your Grand Aunt’s name!  I have a sneaking suspicion that she somehow fell in the ‘gap’ that these two items do not cover.”

I had learned from the MASH school librarian, that a retired teacher, within the district, purchased a home from which he operates the Mechanicsburg Historical Archives.  It was suggested I reach out to him to see if he might have the MASH school yearbooks for 1924 – 1926; Bill got back with me a short time later.  Unfortunately, he did not have those years in his yearbook collection.  I next reached out to the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School Alumni on their Facebook Group of the same name and learned of a local Mechanicsburg restaurant, Dieners, located at 135 West Main Street Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania that has a collection of MASH yearbooks on display.  It was suggested that it might be worth contacting them to see if they had the yearbooks for the years I’m looking for.  This is still on my “to-do” list. 

This brings us to reader contributed clues.  

After reading the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE  , Elmer contacted me after having spent some time sleuthing.  Using what we did know, Elmer discovered Mary in the Reclaim the Records, NYC Marriage Index – Staten Island 1945 – 1946 at Archives.org.  And, Marilyn too, using what we knew, discovered an obituary for Mary’s sister Maretta.  The obituary mentioned a sister, Mary Perugini.  YAY!!!  Using these two promising clues I requested the marriage record; a three-page document consisting of the application, the affidavit, and the marriage license, from New York City.  Here is what I learned.

 On 14 January 1946 Mary and Richard H. Davis applied for license to marry.  The groom was living at 35 Andrews Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island, New York.  Richard was 30 years of age, born 8 November 1915 and employed as a seaman.  He was born in Newton, Massachusetts and his parents are Roscoe W Davis, born in the United States and Anne Curtin also born in the United States.  Richard had not been previously married.

Mary Telthia LINDSEY lived at 35 Andrews Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island, New York.  She was 38 years of age, born 2 January 1908 and employed as a waitress.  Mary was born in York, Pennsylvania and her parents were Walter G. [C] LINDSEY, born in the United States, and Margarita [Marguerite] Ethel LEARN, born in the United States.  Mary had been previously married once before.  Her former husband was Marland C. Rudy and he, at the time of Mary’s and Richard Davis’ application for marriage, was still living.  Mary and Marland Rudy were divorced 7 January 1946 in Richmond County, New York.  The grounds for divorce?  Adultery.  According to the application for marriage, Marland Rudy was served a summons in Meflinburg [Mifflinburg], Pennsylvania and did not appear in court in person; an attorney did not appear on his behalf or file for a waiver.  John J. Demane, Deputy City Clerk, solemnized the rites of matrimony, 16 January 1946 in the presence of Mary’s daughter, D. Marie Rudy and Joseph A. Diminico.11

This IS my Mary!  YAY!!  Mary records her father’s name as Walter “G” LINDSEY.  Her father’s name was actually Walter Cleveland LINDSEY.  However, her brother’s name was Walter Galloway LINDSEY.  Mary didn’t grow up with her father, she was 12 when her parents divorced, it is reasonable to assume that she either didn’t know her father’s middle name or perhaps forgot it.  Whereas, Mary had recently, between 1941 – 1946, briefly reconnected with her brother, Walter, so perhaps when recording her father’s name on the license and affidavit she mistakenly wrote her brother’s, rather than her father’s, middle initial. 

Mary states that her former husband, Marland Rudy, was served a court summons in “Meflinburg” Pennsylvania.  Marland was born,12 and indeed lived, the majority of his life in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania,13 except for a stint in the U.S. Army14 and his death in a New Jersey Tuberculosis Sanatorium, in 1953.15



To Do:  Order a copy of the divorce records.

Remember, I still have no clue as to Mary’s whereabouts 1935 and 1940 – 1946.  Now having the name of Mary’s 2nd husband, Richard H. Davis, and learning from their marriage records that she and Richard are living at 35 Andrew Street, South Beach 5, Staten Island and recognizing that to be the same address that my Grandmother, Mary’s sister-in-law, recorded on the back of this photo.  

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

I now wondered if Mary and Richard might be found together at that Staten Island address in the US Federal 1940 census?  No such luck.  I was not able to find Mary anywhere in Staten Island, New York.  I searched by the address, 35 Andrews Street, South Beach, Staten Island, New York; using her maiden name, Mary T. LINDSEY; using her married name Mary T. Rudy; using the name she recorded on her 1936 Social Security Application (SS-5), Marie T. LINDSEY-Rudy;16 and though I knew from the New York City marriage records that Mary and Richard were not yet married in 1940, I still searched for Mary using the name Mary T. Davis.  I also searched for Richard H. Davis in Staten Island, New York.  Nothing!  I did however, find Richard H. Davis living with his parents in Belmont, Middlesex, Massachusetts on 35 Alma Avenue.  He was living in the same household in 1935.17  I searched all 367 of Staten Island, Richmond County, New York’s enumeration districts image-by-image . . . nothing!

I should note here that I also looked for Mary in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, as that is where she was living and working at the time she applied for her social security number.  No luck.  And, I did the same here, searched all 72 of Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania’s enumeration districts image-by-image.  And, I also searched for 626 Chew Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania as that was her address in 1936.  And, I broadened the search. I looked for any Mary T. LINDSEY, Mary T. Rudy, Marie T. LINDSEY-Rudy and Mary T. Davis in any town or city in the United States.  You can imagine with a common name such as Mary and common surnames such as LINDSEY, Rudy, and Davis the daunting task.  I didn’t find her.

Had Mary returned to her husband and daughter, is she perhaps with them in 1940?  No.  Marland Rudy is living with his daughter Doretta M. and his parents, Elmer C. and Emma J. Rudy, in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania.  The date was 10 April 1940.  According to The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, dated 23 August 1940, Marland accepted a carpenter position in Valdosta, Lowndes, Georgia.18 And, on 16 October 1940, Marland reported to the Local Draft Board No. 1 Lowndes County, Georgia.  The address that Marland provides is 303 East Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Lowndes, Georgia.  He indicated that the person “who will always know your address” was his father, Elmer Charles Rudy.19  I also looked to see if Mary could be found in 1940 with her mother, Marguerite and her husband Robert J. Harris.  No.  Robert and Marguerite are living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 1628 Sydenham Street. 20 

Lastly, I also looked to see if Mary had returned to the Upper Allen Township or Mechanicsburg area, where she had grown up with the Crone family.  No.

As noted previously, Family Preserves reader, Marilyn, ran across an obituary for Mary’s sister, Maretta Grace LINDSEY Ziegler, that ran in the Thursday, 12 August 1982 York Daily Record, York, Pennsylvania, on page 7.  The obituary states “she was the daughter of the late Walter C. and Margaret LEARN LINDSEY.  Additional survivors are: . . . a sister, Mary Perugini, Staten Island, New York; three brothers, William LINDSEY, New Jersey; Maurice Bailey, Mount Joy, and Walter LINDSEY.”21

Click on image to enlarge

This IS my Mary! Mary’s and Maretta’s parents, Walter C. LINDSEY and Margaret LEARN are identified, as are their brothers, Walter LINDSEY and William LINDSEY.  Maurice Bailey?  The Bailey family had adopted Maretta circa 1920.

So, by 1982 Mary is remarried.  Did she and Richard Davis divorce?  Or, did Richard pass away?  When did Mary remarry? 

To Do: 
  • Look for divorce and/or death records for Richard H. Davis
  • Look for New York City / New York marriage record for Mary and [?] Perugini

So where in the WORLD did Mary Telthia LINDSEY Rudy go?  Mary, PLEASE STOP being so contrary!!

But . . . there’s a silver lining!!!  I found Mary’s granddaughter!  Note, to protect her privacy, I will only refer to her as “A.”  I was able to locate her via social media and reached out to her, sending her a letter introducing myself (hoping that she didn’t think I was a crazy loon!).  I included a copy of the Missing Ancestor Report - UPDATE .  And, she phoned!!!  We had a lovely conversation - getting to know one another and sharing information.  I learned . . .

  • Mary’s third husband’s name was Arthur Perugini

  • Mary had reconnected with her mother, Marguerite and, at the time of Marguerite’s death, Mary invited her step-father Robert Harris to live with her family

  • Mary died 28 January 1983 in Staten Island, Richmond County, New York (I’ve requested a copy of Mary’s death certificate from New York City.  I will have to wait though until the city’s government offices are open and operational again.)

And, “A” has thoughtfully remembered me, when she recently discovered some of Mary’s old photos and scrapbooks.  With her permission, I've posted a couple of them here.  There are three that we believe to be Mary, but "A" wasn't sure.  Looking over them closely and also asking for a "second opinion" from an unbiased party, the conclusion is we "believe" the photos in question to be her.   Click on image to enlarge.


Sadly, she does not know where Mary was in 1940; she too thought she must have been in Staten Island.
I thought about marking this “case” solved, but I am a huge proponent of striving to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) of an exhaustive research – leaving no proverbial stone unturned – and with Mary still “missing” in the “gap” years of 1935 and 1940 – 1946, I must continue to try and find her.

In addition to looking for her in the US Federal 1940 census, I’ve looked to see if she might be listed in the city directories for Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; Mifflinburg, Union County, Pennsylvania; Upper Allen, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and Staten Island, Richmond County, New York for the gap years in question.  No such luck.  I’ve also searched the usual newspaper online sites – Newspapers.com; Genealogybank.com; and ChroniclingAmerica.com.  Nothing!

To Do: Search the newspapers at Fultonhistory.com

If you are interested in a challenge, I welcome another set of eyes on this.

Tracy

Copyright © 2020 Family Preserves; Tracy L Meyers

___________________________________________

SOURCES:

1 Ancestry.com, Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906-1908 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com.  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, birth certificate, (1908), Mary Telthia Lindsey; Bureau of Vital Statistics, New Castle

2 1910 U.S. census, York County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, York City, ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 114, sheet 1-A, dwelling 10, family 10, Walter Lindsey; NARA microfilm publication T624_1435

3 Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com. 1911 page 469; image 239. 1913 page 497; image 246.  1915 page 498; image 252.  1917 page 491; image 233.  1919 page 593; image 301

4 Pennsylvania, York, Protonotary Court Files, Protonotary 93, April 1919 Docket Entry, scanned copy. 3 March 1919 Walter C LINDSEY vs Margaret E Lindsey, reference divorce from Margaret Ethel LEARN.

5 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Upper Allen, Cumberland, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1557; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 43; Image: 533.

6 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Cumberland, Adams, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1507; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 9; Image: 200.

7 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: York Ward 2, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1669; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 120; Image: 220.

8 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Shrewsbury, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1668; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 91; Image: 586.

9 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: York Ward 11, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1669; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 139.

10 Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2116; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 721; Image: 111.0; FHL microfilm: 2341850.

11 New York, Richmond, Staten Island, Affidavit for License; Marriage License; and Marriage Certificate to Marry, City of New York Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007, Affidavit for License to Marry, 0072, 16 January 1946; Richard Harding Davis and Mary Telthia Lindsey.

12 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147.

13 Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1655; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 185.

Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 0014; FHL microfilm: 2341884.

Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Mifflinburg, Union, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03615; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 60-17B.

14 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147.

15 New Jersey, State Department of Health of New Jersey, 244 E Hanover Street, Trenton, NJ, Death Certificate, 20228, 13 May 1953; Marland Rudy.

The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania (online archive), "Marland C Rudy, Former Mifflinburg Man, Dies," 14 May 1953, accessed 8 September 2019, obituary for Marland C Rudy.

16 Social Security Administration, Applications for Account Numbers, Form SS-5, Marie (Mary) Telthia Lindsey Rudy, 171-03-9334, filed 24 November 1936.

17 Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Belmont, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: m-t0627-01603; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 9-69.

18 "Many People Now Visiting Mifflinburg; Other Items," 23 August 1940, accessed 11 September 2019, Marland Rudy. Marland Rudy accepted a position in Valdosta, GA, as a carpenter. https://www.newspapers.com/, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

19 Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

20 Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: T627_3750; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 51-2025.

21 Maretta G. Lindsey Ziegler, 12 August 1982, accessed 23 August 2019. https://www.newspapers.com/, York Daily Record, York, Pennsylvania, online images (https://www.newspapers.com).

25 April 2020

New Blog Content

It has been awhile since I’ve updated the “My Blog List” and “Links” sections here at Family Preserves.  So, I thought I’d take a moment to draw your attention to the blogs I am reading and the links to some really great genealogy presentations and webinars. The links to the blogs and links mentioned can be found just to the right of this post.  Scroll down about midway and you will see “My Blog List” and right after that, “Links.”  The blog title and the link description are hot links.

BLOGS

What I look for in a genealogy specific blog:  I look for blogs that will broadly help me in my research.  That is, I look for blogs that will further my self-education in the best research methodology and strategy.  I look for blogs that share organizational tips such as how to best set up my PC genealogy files – best strategies for concisely naming my documents when saving them; is it best to save documents for specific person(s) under a surname file or . . .?   I am very interested in how others process, review and critically analyze the information they find. What tools do they use and how are they using them to help them come to sound reasoned conclusions?  How can I best set up and better use the tools that I’m using?  What other tools are out there that might be used in my genealogy research?  What new innovative tools have recently come on the genealogy scene; are they something that can work for me, how I work, and how I process the information I’m finding?  I look for blogs that include location specific history; while they may, or may not, be blogs specifically about my ancestral geographic locations.  There have been a number of times that I’ve read a post, or more, in a blog, that on the surface had nothing to do with my research; they were just interesting posts.  Yet, I’m often surprised how something I've read in these posts proved to be helpful in my research.  Whether it be about the laws of the time, the predominate religious culture of the area, the ethnic makeup, cultural history, and customs that people brought to an area, and how, or if, those cultural customs evolved and adapted in their new home of the United States.  Sometimes I’m just drawn to a blog for its pleasing aesthetic and format, because I enjoy the blogger's writing style, or more likely because I can learn from their research methods, strategy, tips and tricks.  And, of course, I am always looking for blogs that might “connect” me to my ancestors and my living “cousins.”  

A Grave Interest

Blogger Joy Neighbor is a “Tombstone tourist:” Someone who loves to wander cemeteries.  Like visiting an art museum; it's an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture.

Joy’s blog, "A Grave Interest" is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy – subjects of current relevance. 

Joy is the author of “The Family Tree Cemetery Research Field Guide.”

A Hundred Years Ago

Blogger Sheryl Lazarus initially started her “A Hundred Years Ago” blog to post her Grandmother’s diary entries a hundred years to the day after her grandmother had written them.  Sheryl also included contextual information and old recipes.  After Sheryl recorded her Grandmother’s last diary entry, her blog evolved to posting old recipes from a hundred years ago; she includes updates to make them user friendly for modern cooks.  

Climbing My Family Tree

Marian B. Wood blogs about her adventures in genealogy, learning new methodology, and connecting with cousins!

Family Tree Maker User

Russ Worthington blogs about the Family Tree Maker software.  He provides helpful information, tips and tricks about all things Family Tree Maker.

Genealogical Musings

The author of the blog is a fellow Pennsylvanian whose research focuses on a few of my ancestral locations as well – Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and New York.  Her ancestral research also goes into Virginia, a location that is the focus of my research of my daughter-in-law’s ancestors.  The blogger and I also have shared ancestral locations in Germany, UK – Britain, Scotland, and Ireland.  And, we share a love of all things history.  In other words, we have a lot in common, though we’ve never met and aren’t related.  

Genohistory on Purpose

Coming soon . . . Starting in May, Donna Cox Baker will blog about genohistory.  From Donna’s invite to subscribe. . .

After years of bouncing between my two loves — history and genealogy — I have come to terms with something. I am most in my element at the place where the two intersect. I'm not satisfied to fill in the blanks on my family tree and keep climbing. I want to know an ancestor's world. I want to understand what it meant to be that person in that time and place. I call this pursuit ‘genohistory.’

Starting May 10, I will be blogging about genohistory to others who want to go deeper in their ancestral research.”

Donna’s new Genohistory blog is exactly the type of blog I’m interested in.  If this is something that interests you too, you can subscribe here https://tinyurl.com/yao7j2wv

Leaf Twig and Stem

Theailureophile has a graphical and an aesthetically pleasing format for their blog, Leaf Twig and Stem.  Though their ancestral locations, nor their ancestors are mine, I simply enjoy the blog.

Leaves & Branches

Colleen Pasquale posts about helpful books, cemeteries, maps, websites, libraries, archives, tips and tricks, her research trips along with stories, photos and her genealogy research.  

My Family History Files

Erin Klein rediscovered her interest in genealogy in 2013 and soon became obsessed.  One thing led to another and she began blogging about her attempt to clean up her “old” family history files and her desire to document her findings properly and maybe share a few stories and helpful hints along the way. 

I discovered Erin’s blog a year later when I ran across her blog series titled “OneNote A to Z, How I Use Microsoft OneNote for my Genealogy Research” and I was hooked!  As, I too, have always had the desire to document my findings properly and to share my ancestors’ stories along the way and OneNote is just one genealogy tool among many that are in this genealogist’s toolbox and I always enjoy learning how others use these tools to their research advantage.

Nutfield Genealogy

As I said, earlier I’m not “looking” for blogs that are only written about, or for, only my ancestral geographic locations.  Nor do I limit myself to looking for blogs that are specifically about my ancestral surnames, or about my ancestors.  However, it is ALWAYS fun when I come across a blog that is.  Nutfield Genealogy is just such a blog.

This is a blog specifically about Derry, Londonderry and Windham, New Hampshire.  But the author also writes about New England broadly. 

Londonderry, Rockingham County, New Hampshire is the specific location that my “supposed” paternal 5th Great Grandfather is to have settled after having immigrated to the colonies in 1722.  I will be blogging in the near future about what I found at the Nutfield Genealogy blog that set me on my current research journey to discover more about this “supposed” 5th Great Grandfather.

PhillyHistory Blog

As the title would indicate this is a blog about Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its history.   I was born and raised just outside Philadelphia so its rich history is near and dear to me.  But, it is also my Ancestors’ stomping grounds . . . both sides, actually all sides of my family, one era or another.

The Golden Egg Genealogist (GEG)

Do you strive for excellence in the pursuit and research of your genealogy?  Are you always looking for a way to better your genealogy game – your knowledge of genealogy methodology, strategy, best practices?  If so, you may be a Golden Egg Genealogist (GEG)

The blog is authored by Donna Cox Baker; two of her earliest GEG posts had me hooked. 

1.  Are you a GEG in the Making?  Where she lists key characteristics of a GEG.  You can read that post here
https://gegbound.com/qualities-of-the-golden-egg-genealogist/

2.  Another GEG post that caught my eye was the post about a new genealogy tool.  One that looked promising; one that would help a researcher to come to sound and reasoned conclusions.  One that would address the “missing” information in the pre-1850’s censuses.  No, there really is no “missing” information, but the information that is there is not something that you click on the image and “see.”  The pre-1850’s census requires some time.  Time to look it over and to really analyze the questions being asked; time to review and understand what the tic marks are telling us; time to compare each succeeding census with the previous one and with the following ones 1790 – 1850 and if we’re smart, we won’t stop there, we’ll keep going . . . 1850 – 1940.  And, when the 1950 census is released in 2022 we will continue to look at, AND compare, ALL the censuses for our ancestors. 

The pre-1850 censuses can be . . . well, laborious!  And, many reason they don’t really tell us much; they’re just a bunch of tic marks and sense can’t be made of them.  Ah, but they can tell us a whole lot if we just spend some time with them.  Donna, made that easier.  She designed an Excel-compatible spreadsheet tool.  As I noted above I am always looking for new and innovative genealogy tools that will help me process, review and critically analyze the information I find, which in turn, helps me come to sound reasoned conclusions.

I have been using this genealogy tool since I first read about it.  LOVE IT!!!  You can read more about it here https://gegbound.com/early-federal-census-drama/

The Shy Genealogist

Lisa’s research centers on Russell County, Kentucky and Kankakee County, Illinois. No common ancestral locations and no shared ancestors.  What drew me to the Shy Genealogist was Lisa’s video tutorials and downloads.  Lisa has developed a number of templates that are helpful tools in reviewing and critically analyzing the documents and information we find during our research.  They help with correlating the evidence and help in making sound reasoned conclusions.  Lisa has a whole series of posts, 25 to date, on Excel; how she uses it and the custom templates she has created.  You can find Lisa’s tutorials and templates under the “Video Tutorials” and “Download” tabs respectively.

LINKS

Complex Evidence – What is It?  How Does it Work?  And Why Does it Matter?:

Presented by Warren Bittner, CG.  Webinar description – “A genealogist’s goal is to establish identity and prove relationships; complex evidence is the ONLY way to do this.  Follow a case study of clues from multiple sources to solve a problem.”

I can’t say enough good things about Warren Bittner.  Perhaps it was because he was one of the first speakers I heard, at THE VERY FIRST national genealogy conference I attended six years ago.  Could be.  But, his presentation at that national conference in Richmond is where I first “cut my teeth” on what is truly meant by an “exhaustive research.”  While we may understand the root word of exhaustive – “exhausted” – I assure you, until you’ve heard Warren’s presentation, or that of Elizabeth Shown Mills’ (I will be touching on this later), it’s likely you don’t . . . not really.  Warren’s presentation in Richmond in 2014 was entertaining, informative, and educational.  And, his webinar presentation here on the same topic is equally so and does not disappoint.  I highly recommend it.

Note:  This video presentation is found at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, a subscription site.  If you have a subscription, this and others are free to view.  If you do not, there is a $10.00 download fee.

Decoding Social Security: Providing Benefits to our Ancestors:

Presented by Michael L Strauss, AG.  Webinar description – “The passage of the Social Security Act of 1935 during the height of the new deal era and the great depression would provide stability to our nation. By decoding the meaning of the series of numbers, ordering the applications of the social security cards, and understanding how delayed births played an important part in this act can help genealogists to find new information about their ancestors.”

Did you know there are other social security forms / documents BESIDES the social security application, the SS-5, that document your ancestor's employment and social security benefit history?  Did you know that through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) you can request them?  Do you know that all of these, may contain anywhere from a nugget to a wealth of information on your Ancestor? Do you know where to find this information and how to request copies of the documents?  If not, I encourage you to watch Michael’s presentation. 

Michael is a fellow native Pennsylvanian and is from my home stomping grounds
.

Note:  This video presentation is found at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, a subscription site.  If you have a subscription, this and others are free to view.  If you do not, there is a $10.00 download fee.

Funeral Homes and Family History: They’re Dying to Meet You!:

Presented by Dan Earl.  Webinar description – “Most genealogists know to look in a cemetery to find their ancestors, but what about the funeral home? Funeral home records can provide loads of genealogically rich information. This presentation will teach participants what types of records are typically found in funeral homes, how to locate these resources online and "in the field", as well as provide real life examples of how to search for ancillary clues in funeral home records.”

Dan is both entertaining and informed, he packs a lot in this hour long presentation

Note:  This video presentation is found at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, a subscription site.  If you have a subscription, this and others are free to view.  If you do not, there is a $10.00 download fee.

Reasonably Exhaustive Research The First Criteria for Genealogical Proof:

Presented by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CCG, CGL. Webinar description – “Tracking a project from start to finish, this session demonstrates the principles of reasonably exhaustive research and how much is required to prove identity and parentage.

Oh, my goodness!  I LOVE THIS PRESENTATION!!!  Elizabeth Shown Mills, author of “Evidence Explained, Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, Third Edition” knocks this out of the park!!!  She takes, for me, everything that I learned from Warren Bittner’s presentation in Richmond, that I mentioned previously, and builds on that. 

Note:  This video presentation is found at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, a subscription site.  If you have a subscription, this and others are free to view.  If you do not, there is a $10.00 download fee.

Ten Genealogical Lessons I Learned the Hard Way:

Presented by Warren Bittner, CG.  Webinar description – “This light—hearted excursion into the mistakes of a novice researcher will entertain audiences of all levels of experience.”

Note:  This video presentation is found at Legacy Family Tree Webinars, a subscription site.  If you have a subscription, this and others are free to view.  If you do not, there is a $10.00 download fee.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars is a subscription site.

From the site:  “Learn genealogy at your own pace with a webinar membership.  All live webinars are free to the public.  With a webinar membership, you get on-demand access to our entire video archives, and access to the instructors’ handouts.  Watch via your computer or mobile device.  New videos are added monthly at no additional costs.”

A wealth of information on one site.  And, should you choose to subscribe, you will have access to ALL of their previous presentations, at no additional cost.  The current subscription rate is $49.95 per year.

Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia:

From the website – “The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia is a civic project to increase understanding of one of America’s greatest cities.  Produced by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) at Rutgers-Camden, the Encyclopedia as a digital resource and in print volumes will offer the most comprehensive authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region.”

I love reading about the history of this city; a city dear to me, as I grew up not too far from there.  And, it, as I mentioned before, predominately features in my ancestors’ lives on all sides and branches of my family tree.

Genealogical Proof Standards Series:
Presented by Crista Cowan, Ancestry.com’s Corporate Genealogist.  Video series description – “Ready to take your genealogy skills to the next level?  “Proof” is a fundamental concept in genealogy.  In order to merit confidence, each conclusion about an ancestor must have sufficient credibility to be accepted as “proved.”  Acceptable conclusions, therefore, meet the Genealogical Proof Standard.”  (Board for Certification of Genealogists)

The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is NOT just for professional genealogists.  ALL genealogists, the novice to the professional, should strive to meet the burden of “proof” as outlined in the GPS!  All of us want our conclusions – our family tree and our family history to be accurate.  The GPS is our “compass” to ensure that it is.

This is a 7-part video series and is completely FREE!  The link takes you to the introduction to the series, then to the right of the video you will see the other six videos in the series listed.  They are:

- Reasonably Exhaustive Search
- Complete and Accurate Citation of Sources
- Analysis and Correlation of Collected Information
- Resolution of Conflicting Evidence
- Soundly Reasoned Coherently Written Conclusion
- Negative Evidence

Making Discoveries with the New and Improved Ancestry DNA Match List:

Presented by Crista Cowan, Ancestry.com’s Corporate Genealogist.  Video description – “A detailed tour through the New and improved AncestyDNA Match List.  The Barefoot Genealogist will then walk you through her process for working with her DNA matches to make new discoveries about her family history.  She will also provide you with some quick tips for keeping track of your new connections.”

This video presentation is FREE!

Perilous Assumptions:  Revisiting Those First Finds:

Presented by Kris Rzepczynski.  Video description – “Despite the best of intentions, many family history researchers – particularly as beginners – make incorrect assumptions about records that don’t quite fit.”

Teaser . . . Are you a parachute genealogist?  To find out, watch the video!

Kris is a Senior Archivist at the Archives of Michigan

This video presentation is FREE!

Smart Search Tips & Tricks:

Presented by Crista Cowan, Ancestry.com’s Corporate Genealogist.  Video description – “Crista Cowan discusses some excellent tips on how to search the site and maximize your results on Ancestry.com”

This video presentation is FREE!

The Silent Language of the Stones, Reading Gravestones through Symbols and Carvings:

Presented by Joy Neighbors.  Video description – “Symbols and icons have been used on tombstones for centuries, but it was not until the mid-1800s that this secret language on the stones became popular.”

Joy is an avowed tombstone tourist, blogger and author of “The Family Tree Cemetery Research Field Guide.”

Joy’s presentation at the 2019 RootsTech conference is both interesting and informative, though I am not a “tombstone tourist,” quite honestly, I’m content to leave the cemetery “tourism” to folks like Joy and the volunteers of Find-a-Grave and Billion Graves.  That said, I loved hearing Joy’s presentation on cemetery culture, art, history, etc.  Though I have not done so yet, I plan on purchasing her book on the topic.

This video presentation is FREE!

Using Social Media in Genealogy:

Presented by Crista Cowan, Ancestry.com’s Corporate Genealogist.  Video description – “Connect with cousins on Facebook.  Tweet your surnames and get results.  Blog about your family history research.  Crista Cowan will share some of her favorite quick tips for using social media to move your genealogy research along.”

This video presentation is FREE!

What are Ancestry ThruLines:

Presented by Crista Cowan, Ancestry.com’s Corporate Genealogist.  Video description – “Join Crista Cowan for a look at the new ThruLines for AncestryDNA.  She will share how ThruLines are created and how best to use them to make new family history discoveries.  She will also share some tips and best practices for getting the most out of your AncestryDNA match list.

This video is FREE!


Tracy

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