FamilySearch Media/Bloggers Dinner

On Tuesday night FamilySearch sponsored a Media/Blogger dinner.  It’s not every day that you get to eat dinner with Paul Nauta of FamilySearch, the AncestryInsider, Leland Meitzler, Pam Schaffer, Sandra Benward and Denise & Scott Richmond (who I met on the Legacy Cruise in October).  I also met Ruth Blair, who shares my blogiversary and DearMyrtle said my business car was pretty (I can die happy now).

The main discussion was on the Community 1940 Census Project.  There are over 460 blog ambassadors for this program (including myself) and they are looking for more!  If you are interested and at the conference, there is a special offer where you can sign up and write a blog post and receive a very nice gift.

Over 101,000 people have volunteered as indexers and arbitrators, which is how 30% of the census has already been indexed.  This is likely the largest community indexing project and we can only hope to see more of these in the future.  Remember, if you index two batches while at the conference, you get a free t-shirt!

FamilySearch also told us that they have  collections from over 60 countries and over 1 billion indexed records.  I am most excited that they now have a contract with the Italian government to digitize and index for preservation purposes all civil records through 1940.  Having searched many of these records, I can say that having then online where you can zoom in and out and play with the coloring, will be tremendously helpful.

Thank you for such a wonderful experience FamilySearch!

Wishing for the 1890 Census in NY?

The destroyed 1890 census is a bane of many genealogist's research.  Those of us with New York state ancestors in 40 counties (not Chenango, Columbia, Franklin, Fulton, Jefferson, Livingston, New York (the Bronx and Manhattan), Oneida, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Richmond, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester, and Wyoming according to FamilySearch) are lucky - we have a state census that was taken in 1892.

Not only is this census available on microfilm, but it is now searchable with images for most counties at FamilySearch.  It may not have households differentiated or relationships listed, but it does have

• Name


• Gender


• Age


• Color


• Country of birth


• If citizen or alien


• Occupation

One example in my research was trying to figure out if Maria Tross' husband was living in Buffalo when she immigrated with her children in 1884 from Germany.  There was no 1890 census for me to check, but when I learned about the 1892 state option, I looked there.  There was "Mary" with her two youngest children, but no Wenzel Tross to be found.  This made me want to check further into German records for his death prior to 1884.

If you have not checked the 1892 NY census for your ancestors, go to FamilySearch and check today!

Volunteerism in the Genealogical World

Up until I went back to school in August, my favorite way to volunteer in the genealogy world was through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness.  I began by going to cemeteries to take photographs of tombstones (or grave sites if there wasn't a headstone) for people.  This became a "date" day, once or twice a month, for my fiancé and I, where we would drive around Onondaga county and see who could find the most tombstones, walking up and down the rows in the cemeteries (see why he's a keeper?!?).  Eventually it progressed to my doing searches at the library, mostly for city directories and obituaries, and at the courthouse, where I never had much luck unfortunately.

I also volunteer for FamilySearch Indexing, mainly for the 1892 New York census.  I did not do nearly as many names as I had hoped, but I like knowing I was part of the group that got this project finished.  Just today I received an email from the president of the Western New York genealogy society, to which I belong, asking if I would be willing to to help transcribe or proof read the 1865 New York census, which they are putting online.  I jumped at the chance to be part of this project, as state census' are a tremendously helpful, but often overlooked, resource.  I am also excited to become an active member of the society, despite living too far away to make meetings.

I have received three main things from volunteering in the genealogy world.  First, I learnt about new resources and practiced finding them.  Prior to volunteering with RAOGK, I had no idea how useful city directories were.  This has helped in my research tremendously.  Second, I have gotten a lot of practice in deciphering handwriting.  Although I am still much better at seeing a name I am looking for in a document compared to transcribing unfamiliar handwriting, I will learn this skill and I will learn it much faster than if I just practiced with my ancestors handwriting.  Third, I have discovered a possible career.  I realized how much I love genealogy, not just researching my family, but other families as well.  This has lead me to get my masters degree in library science with the goal of working in a genealogy and local history library.  Eventually, I would like to become a certified genealogist and help people with their search that way, but it will be a few years before I get to that level.

I highly recommend volunteering in whatever capacity you are able.  It helps improve your research skills, introduces you to new people and record groups and builds up good genealogy karma, which will hopefully lead to more genealogy happy dances!

My Maria (Strassheim Tross)

My great-great-great grandmother Maria Tross's death certificate arrived earlier this week, as I discuss here, with a birth date of 18 May 1841 in Germany and her father's name as John Strassheim. The source of information was Adoph Wetzlelen, her son-in-law. The passenger list she is listed to America on with her 6 children has her as being from Hessen, Germany.

I decided to check familysearch.com for the off-chance she was listed here and she was (I think)!

Maria Elisa Strassheim, b. 18 May 1841, Eberstadt, Giessen, Oberhessen, Hessen to Jacob Strassheim and Catharina Argin.

As two of her daughters are Elise and Katharine, this would definitely add evidence to it fitting. Then, I looked further down the list and found:

Maria Elisa Strassheim married to Wenzel Trost, 18 Nov 1866 at Eberstadt, Giessen, Oberhessen, Hessen.

My Maria was married to a Wenzel (also seen as Wesley) and their first child that I know about was born approximately 1869, which would also fit with the date.

Looks like a good fit so far. I need to find Maria's death notice/obit in the near future to hopefully confirm some of this. I also need to read the packets on searching in Germany I found on familysearch.org.

Family Search Correction?

My great-great grandfather is listed in the FamilySearch International Genealogical Index and a Pedigree Resource File with the incorrect death date.  I cannot seem to find a way to correct this.

He is Jacob Gress, died 11 Aug 1932, Buffalo, NY (married to Elizabeth Fink).  The death date listed, 25 Apr 1957, is actually for a Jacob Gross, of no relation.

Any suggestions?

FamilySearch Update - 1892 NY Census beginning to be indexed!!!

The following ennouncement made by FamilySearch is very, very, very exciting to me!  I can't wait to jump on and help index the 1892 NY census and can't wait even more for Buffalo to be put online.  I have searching it on my to-do list, but I always seem to come up with something else to research when I get to the library in Buffalo (about once every couple months).  This will make my life so much easier, as well as so many others.  Off work tomorrow, so indexing here I come...

There are many new, upcoming, and completed indexing projects to report in this update. There are 12 new projects (see Current Projects chart below). These include three Belgian and two Argentina projects. The New York 1892 State Census project will be of great interest to many people. FamilySearch could not do all of these great initiatives without the great time and effort contributed by so many terrific volunteers. Thank you for your continued support.

Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

d style="color:rgb(38,38,39);vertical-align:top;font-size:12px;margin:0;padding:0;">English

Argentina, Buenos Aires 1855 Census	Spanish	(New)
Argentina Censo 1869–Catamarca y La Rioja	Spanish	(New)
Argentina Censo 1869–Corrientes y Entre Rios	Spanish	44%
Arkansas County Marriages V	English	20%
Australia NSW Newspaper Cuttings	English	88%
Belgium–Antwerp Foreigners Index	Dutch, Flemish	27%
Brandenburg Kirchenbücher	German	49%*
España, Lugo–Registros Parroquiales [Part 1]	Spanish	16%
España, Ávila–Registros Parroquiales	Spanish	78%
France, Coutances, Paroisses de la Manche	French	9%
Germany, St Petersburg Church Records 1833-1885	German	1%
Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers	English	(New)
Italy, Trento Baptism Records, 1784-1924	Italian	60%
Mexico Censo de 1930–Sinaloa	Spanish	(New)
Mexico Censo de 1930–Sonora	Spanish	88%
Mexico Censo de 1930–Tabasco	Spanish	70%
Mexico Censo de 1930–Tamaulipas	Spanish	(New)
Minnesota 1895 State Census	English	74%
Missouri–1920 US Federal Census	English	(New)
Nevada–1920 US Federal Census	English	89%
New Mexico–1920 US Federal Census	75%
New York 1892 State Census	English	(New)
Nicaragua, Managua Civil Records	Spanish	13%
Norway 1875 Census part 1	Norwegian	10%
Perú, Lima–Registros Civiles	Spanish	10%
Rhode Island 1925 State Census	English	(New)
UK, Cheshire–Land Tax	English	58%
UK, Cheshire–School Records	English	44%
Ukraine Kyiv 1840-1842	Russian	10%
Venezuela Mérida Registros Parroquiales	Spanish	1%

(*This percentage refers to a specific portion of a larger project.)

Current FamilySearch Partner Projects

Arkansas Marriages IV	English	(New)
Australia–Victoria Probate Records	English	31%
Belgique–Registres des Décès - Charleroi 1851-1900	Dutch, Flemish	(New)
Belgique–Registres Des Décès (Français)	French	21%*
België–Overlijdens Registers–In het Nederlands	Dutch, Flemish	74%*
België–Overlijdens Registers–Kalmthout 1851-1900	Dutch, Flemish	(New)
België–Overlijdens Registers–Mechelen 1851-1900	Dutch, Flemish	(New)
Bremer, Schifflisten	German	42%
Flanders Death Registration	French, Dutch, Flemish	76%*
Indiana Marriages, 1882 to Apr 1905	English	82%
Indiana Marriage Returns, 1882 to April 1905	English	31%
Nova Scotia, Antigonish Church Records	English	72%
Ohio Tax Records–2 of 4	English	71%
Vermont Militia Records	English	37%

(*These percentages refer to a specific portion of a larger project.)

Upcoming Indexing Projects

Look for the following projects coming in the near future (Note: These projects are currently being created. Dates when indexing is scheduled to begin will vary.)

• Arkansas Marriages VI
• Arkansas Marriages VII
• Australia, Bounty Immigrants, 1824-1842
• Australia, Greenwich, Genealogical Records
• Austria, Vienna Population Cards
• Brazil, Pernambuco Civil Register 1900-1920
• Brazil, Rio de Janeiro Marriages 1900-10
• Canada, British Columbia Birth 1854-1903
• Canada, British Columbia Marriages
• Chicago Archdiocese Cemetery Records 1 (1864-1989)
• Czech, Litomerice Church Records - Part 1 1552-1905
• Freedmen Marriages
• Germany, Baden Church Books 1810-1869
• Germany, Mecklenburg 1890 Census
• Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates 1
• Indiana, Allen County Marriages 1811-1959
• Jamaica, Trelawny Births
• Peru, Lima Civil Register Index 1910-1930

 
Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process in preparation for future publication.)

• Argentina 1869 Census–Cordoba y San Luis
• Arkansas Marriages III
• Michigan–1920 US Federal Census
• Nayarit–Censo de Mexico de 1930
• New Brunswick 1871 Census
• New Hampshire–1920 US Federal Census
• New Jersey–1920 US Federal Census
• Nova Scotia–1871 Census
• Ontario–1861 Census
• Rhode Island 1915 State Census
• UK – Cheshire Parish Registers part 1

 
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

FamilySearch Indexing

I have been following DearMYRTLE's "Finally Get Organized" January 2009 checklist.  All of my papers in plastic sheet protectors and binders, so I went to the next step today and did my first extracting with FamilySeach Indexing.

It was much easier than I had anticipated, though I'm glad that there are two people indexing each page, just in case (some of the writing was a bit difficult to decipher).  I should be able to do this Thursday nights while watching Dear Betty.  It will be good practice for both transcribing records properly and deciphering different handwriting styles.  Besides, a little good genealogy karma never hurt anyone;-)