Count Me in for the Advent Calendar

Geneabloggers.com has reincarnated the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories.

I was hesitant to play along because (a) all the "good stuff" is on the inaccessible other computer and (b) my life just isn't that exciting. In genealogy years, I'm a baby. My yesteryears are the late 70's and early 80's.

But then I got to thinking...I really don't put down enough of my memories on this blog. I still live with the faint hope that a century down the road, someone will care about this history and be interested in what I write. And for that person, I've decided to play along with the Advent Calendar.

The plan is to do an entry for every day, even those for which I have no memories (and there are some). That's just the way it is. That's me.

Look for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories series (version: ME) to start December 1, 2009.

Thanksgiving Genealogy Adventures

This Thanksgiving weekend, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Denise Levenick, aka The Family Curator. She happens to live near my in-laws, so we found some common free time and set up a visit.

We spent some time at the Los Angeles Public Library central branch downtown. It's quite a building. The lowest floor is devoted completely to genealogy and history.

I stuck to my plan to tackle southern California city directories. I've been using them, along with voter records, to track the rolling stones in my family. In the 1941 L.A. directory, I found that my grandfather had a partner in his feed business. I knew about the business, I didn't know his aunt was his partner. In later directories, he's listed as sole owner.

I also found my mom (listed as "1 child") along with my grandmother in the 1948 East Los Angeles directory. My grandfather must have been in the Navy then, as grandma was in her father's household. My mom probably didn't know she ever lived in East L.A., until now when she reads this post.

Denise did some research on her end as well. Then we packed up and went to a restaurant bar for a quick appetizer and conversation. The great thing about social networking in the genealogy community is that you already know each other online, so small talk isn't necessary. You can just jump right in. We talked about genealogy education, our ancestors and all the things our families find boring.

Our visit was much shorter than it should have been. We both had to get back to our families. However, I now have a friend I can meet up with every time I'm in town.

Thank you, Denise, for the fun day and the reminder of how thankful I am for my genealogy friends.

Surname Saturday: Williamson

This week's name in my family tree is Williamson. This is a common name. I'm most interested in the Williamson lines that were in Russellville, Pope County, Arkansas from the 1830's until now.

I have done extensive research on the Pope County Williamsons. They were there a long time and had children who stayed there a long time. They were active in church, government and local activities---which is good because they created a lot of records.

My great-great grandfather was William Woodberry Williamson. His father ws John Laurens Williamson. His father was John R. Williamson.

The eldest Williamson was active in state politics during Arkansas' formative years.

Before Pope County, the Williamsons were in Tennessee. I know this much, but have not done research for the line that far back.

I have lots of documentation about the Williamson genealogy in this place. If you have a connection to Pope County (even if it's not Williamson family history), please let me know and we can share notes.

Follow Friday Holiday

My Follow Friday series is taking a break today and will return next week. I figure everyone will be out and about anyway, and blog traffic will be low. I love my Follow Friday peeps and I want them to get the FULL attention they deserve. See you and my next "blog star" next week!

Mmmmm Turkey

Today I am celebrating Thanksgiving. White meat over dark. Mashed potatoes over yams. Football, nap, then back to the refrigerator for a leftover turkey sandwich.

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers. To the others, have a great Thursday.

Wordless Wednesday: A Different Feast Edition

Audubon Insectarium

New Orleans, Louisiana

Of Clouds and Silver Linings

All month I've been working on my ProGen assignment, which is a business plan. I worked really hard on this task, highlighting my qualities, analyzing the genealogy market, etc. I really went overboard just for the challenge, and I succeeded.

The day I finished the business plan is the day my computer died. It won't turn on. I don't think this is a catastropic problem where everything is lost. I just can't get to it. My laptop is poised to go to the computer hosiptal once the special box from the manufacturer gets here.

So what to do now? Blogging is limited because all the groovy pictures are on that computer. I just finished scanning the entire military pension file and now there are no images. Can't do my Find-a-Grave adding because those pictures were on there, too. Can't do RootsMagic because....well, you get the idea.

What I do have is my son's desktop computer, so all is not lost. It's just kind of boring because all the good stuff is on the other computer.

I had a brief pity party but then I started thinking. This little wrinkle has forced me to change my focus for a few weeks. Things that have been put off, are now at the top of the list. I can't add pictures to Find-a-Grave, but I can gather names and take new pix. I can't access my RootsMagic, but I can add to my Geni tree and work with my private Ancestry tree. I can start the ball rolling on the DAR process. I can catch up on reading. I can go to Clayton Library and the other fab local repositories. I can still do research and that's what's important.

I just won't have any pictures of these adventures to share with you. Just another wrinkle and a new path. Let's see where it leads.

The Genealogist's Holiday Gift List

The holidays are upon us!

Several of the popular genealogy magazines have published their own gift lists. Mine has some similarities, yet many differences. Though this article is geared toward the non-genealogist the chances of any reading this blog are slim. Should you want any of these items for yourself as holiday gifts, I encourage you to print out this post and tape it to the refrigerator as a gigantic hint.


Laptop or netbook
Hey, aim high. You never know.

Digital camera
A little pocket camera comes in handy when you're unable to scan or copy documents.

Digital tape recorder
These are great for transcribing documents, capturing important interviews and preserving history.

MP3 player
Genealogy podcasts are easy to download and just waiting for you to find them.

Books
Make a list of books you'd love to add to your library. Be specific or you'll end up with the History of Adams County, when you wanted the History of Aaron County.

Magazine subscriptions
Have your eye on a certain publication? Let it be known.

Database subscriptions
Ask for an annual (or partial) subscription to your favorite database.

Society memberships
An easy gift to give: membership to a local, state or national genealogy association.

Office Supplies
Little things make great stocking stuffers.

Charitable donations
Don't want any presents? Ask family members to give to historical non-profits, library genealogy collections, cemetery preservation societies or anything else that's important to you.

Share your photos and keepsakes
Given the choice between a new sweater or old family photos, I guarantee you that every genealogist would take the pictures.

Show an interest
This sounds silly, but if non-genealogy family members would show an interest in their ancestors' history this season, it would really brighten the day of your family's history keeper.


Genealogists are a special breed and we have special "toys" as well. Hopefully this list makes shopping a little easier so the holidays can be enjoyed to the fullest with loved ones.

Surname Saturday: Thibodeaux

This week for Surname Saturday I am going to tell you about my research interest in the name Thibodeaux.

The Thibodeaux name is everywhere, misspelled all along the way. I am interested in the surname in 1820-1880 Acadia and St. Landry Parishes of Louisiana. That's it. No other parishes, no other time frames.

In this particular time and region there are several men named Pierre Thibodeaux. One of them is my third great grandfather. Most of the public member family trees on Ancestry say that the Pierre Thibodeaux born in 1835 is my man. I believe the 1829 Pierre Thibodeaux is the correct link, however, I've yet to prove that. Just a hunch.

So if you have an interest in these Thibodeauxs from this time frame, please drop me a line. I desperately want to get the right Pierre in my line, because from there, it's quite easy to go back further.

Follow Friday Starring The Educated Genealogist

It's the end of the week and you know what that means? Follow Friday!

This week's recommendation is one of the first genealogy blogs I read. This person has a great writing voice (and her sultry real voice isn't bad, either). She's smart, honest and very funny. Who is she? Sheri Fenley aka The Educated Genealogist, of course!

Any time Sheri goes to a big genealogy event, she blogs about it. She's known for her "Sheri Goes to Samford" series where she gives a play-by-play of her experiences. Here are the links to 2008 and 2009.

She also writes the popular "The Year Was..." series for Shades of the Departed and is instrumental in the production of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

I hope you enjoy Sheri's blog as much as I have. She puts the fun in genealogy and is a great asset to the blogging community.

Comment adjustments

Apparently spam commenting this blog is all the rage in Asia today. For now, I'm turning comment approval "on" so your comment won't show up here until I approve it.

I can do this at my computer or phone, so there shouldn't be much of a delay. Hopefully it's only temporary.

Also, word verification is still "off" because I hate that thing.

As you were.

Anatomy of a Military Pension File, Part 2

Previously, I reported on the acquisition of my great-great-great grandfather's military pension file. The documents contained within paint a picture of a man and his family about which I knew very little. I've decided to share this 103-page treasure chest of information with you a few pages at a time. Part one is here, below is part two:

Page 6: Pension packet cover. This document appears to be a cover for all or part of the Baerecke pension file, considering the middle crease you can see in the photo:

Based on the dates on the first items in this file, it appears that the most recent documentation is on top. So the widow's death is first, then we'll move back in time to the point of the veteran's first pension application.

What did I learn from viewing this document?

1. The certificate number is listed, but I already knew that, as I used it to request the file.

2. The DEAD stamp. I think this was the cover of Amalie Baerecke's widow's pension file. I'm not sure if the stamp pertains to the vet's death or that of the widow.

3. Max Baerecke was a Private and Sgt. in Company "I" of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. I researched this further on the Internet. It makes for interesting reading.

4. Amalie Baerecke, Max's widow was approved to receive $8 per month commencing 23 Dec 1904.

5. Date of issue and date of mailing are in October 1906. Does that mean that Amalie was granted a widow's pension in late 1904, but didn't receive payment until late 1906?

6. The top right of the image says DROPPED on 11 Jan 1912. This coincides with Amalie's death.

7. February 1912 stamps and date notations pertaining to "Mrs. C.J. Smith." From page 5 of the file, we know she is Amalie's daughter and she wrote a letter asking for reimbursement of her mother's funeral costs.

8. Date stamp 17 April 1912 says REIMBURSEMENT ALLOWED. That must mean Mrs. C. J. Smith was reimbursed for the costs. Good to know.

Coming up, some boilerplate legalese and the first personal details about Max Baerecke. Stay tuned...

On to part 3.

Wordless Wednesday: Backyard Sunset Edition

Anatomy of a Military Pension File, Part 1

Previously, I reported on the acquisition of my great-great-great grandfather's military pension file. The documents contained within paint a picture of a man and his family about which I knew very little. I've decided to share this 103-page treasure chest of information with you a few pages at a time.

Page 1: An advertisement for legal-sized archival supplies from NARA (where I sent for the file).

Page 2: A research ticket for my file. When I ordered my file, I had to fill out a form providing as much as I knew about my ancestor. It wasn't a whole lot. I provided name and dates (Max Baerecke 1827-1904), Civil War service in 26th Wisconsin Infantry, place of birth: Germany, wife: Amelia Baerecke, pension application and certificate numbers as I found them on Footnote.com. This seemed to be enough for the researcher, as each of these facts is checked off on the research ticket.

Page 3: A disclaimer that files are old and these are the best copies available. NARA sends this page out with all files. My copy was fine.

Page 4: This is a National Archives card listing the pension certificate number (615946), pensioner (Amalie Baerecke, widow), veteran (Max Baerecke) can number 51536 and bundle number 6. The condition of the image is too dark to read here so I didn't include a photo of it.

Page 5: A 1912 letter to the Pension Bureau from Mrs. C. J. Smith. It is handwritten on stationery from Hotel Hammond of Flat River, Missouri. Below in italics is the text of the letter:

Department of Interior

Bureau of Pensions

Washington

My Dear Sir:

My mother, Mrs. Amalie Baerecke (Cert. No. 615946) lived with me for the last five years until her death which occurred Jan. 4th 1912. She left no estate whatsoever. I bore all the expenses of sickness and burial.

Please send me the proper form for this.

Mrs. C. J. Smith

670 33 St

Mil Wis.

Here's what I learned (or didn't) from this letter:

1. I have no idea if there is any significance to Hotel Hammond. Was Mrs. Smith staying there when she wrote the letter? Or did she pilfer some stationery and write the letter at home? Hey, it runs in the family.

2. My great-great-great grandmother, Amalie Baerecke, died on Jan. 4, 1912. The only other indication I had of this date was from a city directory. I'm glad to have confirmation of this date on this letter. Also, I thought her name was Amelia, but it looks like in the family, she was Amalie. Also, we know where she lived for the last five years of her life and I can add a residence fact to her timeline based on this information.

3. Mrs. C. J. Smith is Amalie's daughter. The question is, which one? The answer comes out deeper in the pension file.

The letter requests government forms for reimbursement of medical and burial costs for the widow of a military pensioner. Do they arrive? The answer is yes, but with complications and red tape. Bad for Mrs. C. J. Smith, but good for me and this big pension file. Stay tuned....

On to Anatomy of a Pension File, Part 2

My Genealogy Weekend

I spent this weekend watching football and working on my new family tree. I only get to do this every 3 weeks or so because it's an all-day process where I pull out notebooks and make a mess on the table.

This time I finished entering all the California death certificates and started the Oklahoma ones. Each state gets it's own source label (Death Certificates - California, Death Certificates - Oklahoma, etc.), because the records come from different repositories. It's just easier for me to input one state at a time.

Death certificates are (usually) rich with information. You can find birth dates and places, death dates and places, spouse names, occupations, parent names and often birthplaces, residences, cause of death, and name of the informant--which is often a family member or friend.

For each fact I entered in my fancy new database, I'd include the respective death certificate as a source. When all is said and done, it can take a while to mine all the information off of a detailed death certificate. That's why this is an all day process.

This weekend also provided an opportunity to work with RootsMagic 4 some more. I am getting better at navigating the program. When I screw something up, like attaching great-grandparents to the wrong kids, I can fix it now without much searching for help.

RootsMagic has two features I'm starting to use a lot: notes and to-do lists. I am a list maker in real life, so this is right up my alley. You can write notes about a person or event. What you write shows up in reports. For example, my great-grandfather was a physician and signed several of the death certificates of ancestors. I included that observation in the "notes" section of certain ancestors' death facts and it will show up when reports are printed. I think you can check a box so notes don't show up if you want, but I haven't made it that far yet.

The to-do list is wonderful. You can record each item on your to-do list and print them out if need be. You list a task, rate it's urgency from 1-10, and make notes on what you've searched, what still needs to be done, etc. It's sort of like a research log for any given task. I love the to-do lists.

As of today, I have a whopping 89 people in my new database. I've got a looooooong way to go. But you know what? All those folks' lives are recorded and include citations, glorious citations. The result is very cool when I create mock reports.

Hopefully, I can carve out another day to play with this database between now and the holidays. I need to finish the death certificates (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Missouri).

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - A Nice Thing

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings provides a "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun" topic each week and invites others to play along. Tonight's topic is a question: What is the Nicest Thing another genealogist did for you, or to you in the last week or so?

Thank goodness Randy put a cap on how far I could go back, because genealogists are the nicest people, and I have a long list of good deeds. Here are examples of kindness I've encountered within the time frame:

1. I received an email last week from someone who knew of my interest in the surname Menou. He said he gathered 11 pages of his own research (he wasn't even blood related) and sent them to me. I was touched my his generosity in his introductory letter and baffled as to how he got my address. Then in looking through my own mail I noticed my first newsletter from Pointe de L'Eglise: Acadia Genealogical & Historical Society. In the "welcome new members" section were my name, mailing address and surnames of interest. What a warm welcome to this new society. Now I also have 11 pages of Menou information thanks to an act of kindness from a new friend.

2. Earlier this week I was browsing Ancestry.com and noticed that someone else had a common ancestor with me. A few clicks and I found a photo of the great-great-great grandmother I had never seen. How exciting! The user was kind enough to give me permission to share the picture with others as well as publish it on this blog. Thanks to the generosity of a distant cousin, you will see this picture in an upcoming post.

I thank Randy for providing this blog prompt. I can't wait to go to other genealogy blogs and read about the good deeds of others.

Surname Saturday: Lenertz

Saturday posts are rare at the ol' blog because I like to take the day off. However, my blog friends are starting to post the surnames in their trees on Saturdays (hence the theme Surname Saturday) and I thought I'd play along.

My first surname for a Saturday is the one that started it all: Lenertz. It's rather uncommon and one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place. I wanted to learn more about it and meet others who had an interest in the name's history and genealogy.

Here's what I know so far about my Lenertz line. My ancestor came from Luxembourg to Iowa, perhaps in the 1850's. He later moved to Minnesota.

There are other pockets of Lenertz folk out there. I've been browsing late 19th century census records. So far, I've found a clump (is that a proper genealogical term?) in Iowa, one in Minnesota and one in North Dakota (later Montana). In the 20th century, Lenertz families spread out to other states. I don't know if they're connected, but I've been doing an informal one-name study to see if that's the case.

If you are a Lenertz, or have an interest in your family tree, please contact me so we can compare notes.

[Edit] I forgot to mention that there's a group of Lenertz folk in Australia. It seems that from Luxembourg, some went to America and some to Australia. So far, I've found no connection, but I'd like to keep tabs on the Lenertz name Down Under as well.

Follow Friday Starring Genea-Musings

There's a custom on Twitter that every Friday, you give some publicity love and a little shout out to your favorite folks, followers and friends. Recently, the tradition has gravitated over to the blogosphere. I've decided to play along and will spotlight a favorite blog or web site (almost) every Friday.

I've decided to start the series with one of the first genealogy blogs I ever read. Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings is one of the more prominent genealogy blogs out there (Randy will argue that, but it's true). I know he has a large list of followers because whenever he mentions my blog, I get a spike in traffic. When Randy talks, people listen.

And what does Randy talk about? Everything! He likes technology and is always the first to try new online toys, software, etc. He offers honest commentary and numerous screenshots of the genealogy products or services he's testing. I'm not a fan of reading instruction manuals, so Randy's reviews help me make decisions and cater to my short attention span. I trust his opinion.

Randy also talks about his own genealogy adventures. He's active in his local community societies and describes their events. He's also a California native and I enjoy reading his historical take on my home state. Lastly, Randy often speaks lovingly of his family and I admire that. When I met his wife in Burbank this past June, I felt like I was meeting a celebrity because he's talked about her so much. (I think all genealogy bloggers are celebrities. I need to start collecting autographs).

If you only have time to read a few blogs, you can't go wrong by including Genea-Musings in the mix. You'll learn a lot, and Randy may even show you his funny t-shirts.

What's the Plan, Stan? A ProGen Update

Is it possible that I'm already working on my ninth ProGen assignment? Time flies. This month's task is to write a business plan, which sounds scary until you actually start to do the items required of you.

The wise folks behind ProGen provided several links, readings and whatnot to simplify the process. There are even outlines to follow and some great financial templates provided by the SBA.

Part of a business plan is a mission statement. That was one of our first assignments, so I can check that off the list. Last month's assignment was about resumes, so I will add that information to my plan as well. Much of what I need to include has already been done, or at least discussed in earlier assignments, readings and chat sessions.

We were given a choice of outline styles. I'm going with the more detailed SBA one to challenge myself. We're also supposed to turn in just a rough draft, but if I have time, I may try to make mine fancy just to see if I can do it well.

This seems like a daunting task, but it's not that bad. I work on it 60 minutes a day, every day. The nice thing about ProGen is that there are no wrong answers or ways of doing things. It is what you make of it. I want to do big things, so I challenge myself to go the extra mile. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But I learn from every experience and that's what matters.

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Edition

The Joy of a Military Pension File

In September, I ordered a military pension record for my great-great-great grandfather. The chance to do so was exciting because he's my only Union vet and the only direct ancestor I've found so far who even has a file.

Here's how I did it. I went on Footnote.com and found his card that lists his pension application and certificate numbers. Baerecke is an odd surname and it stands out:

I took the information from the card and used it to place and order with the National Archives. I paid by credit card and waited. I've heard horror stories about the wait, so I didn't sit by the mailbox or anything. To my surprise, UPS delivered a nice-sized envelope on Friday. My pension file! It only took 39 days! That has to be a record. The file contains over 100 pages and is a genealogy jackpot. Perhaps I'll open it up and share it here in a series of posts...introduce you to Max Baerecke and family.

[Edit: It's now a blog series called "Anatomy of a Military Pension File." Proceed to part one here.]

You have questions. I have answers.

I keep track of statistics related to visits to this blog. Visitors' identities are anonymous, but I know the keywords and/or links that lead people to this blog.

Sometimes this is a frustrating exercise, as it is clear from the keywords that someone is searching for information on my ancestors, yet they don't take the next step and contact me. We could compare notes! But for whatever reason, they just click out and disappear back into the Internet.

Occasionally, I see keywords that formulate a question I can answer. Again, the visitors disappear without establishing contact.

Today I'm going to share some of the search terms that lead others to my blog. Hopefully they'll come back to get their answers:

Search phrase: How to jump start your week?

Answer: Diet Dr Pepper first thing in the morning.

Search phrase: Bahamian genealogy

Answer: Try these links:

AfriGeneas.com Bahamas genealogy page

Ancestry.com Bahamian genealogy message board

Bahamas Genealogy Forum

Bahamas DNA Project

Find-a-Grave Bahamas cemetery page

Search phrase: amy coffin wetree email

Answer: My contact information is located on the right side of this blog in the "Who, me?" section.

Search phrase: conference badge ribbons fun

Answer: I did purchase fun conference badge ribbons for a genealogy conference (and plan to do so again). I used PCnametag.com and they were great.

Search phrase: black cats writing progen at school

Answer: No idea, dude.

Search phrase: ft worth DAR chapters

Answer: Even better, here are all the Texas DAR chapters

Search phrase: genealogy Acadia Parish Louisiana

Answer: Pointe de l'Eglise: Acadia Genealogical and Historical Society. I belong to this group and they are wonderful. They've helped me--despite my distance--many times.

Well, there you go. Hopefully these answers are helpful. It was fun to put on my library hat for a bit. Perhaps this will be a regular blog feature.

Texas Genealogy Events: Week of November 9-15, 2009

Straight from the Texas Genealogy Events calendar, here's what's happening in Texas for the week of November 9-15, 2009:

Monday, November 9

Humble Area Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting, 7pm Location: Humble Senior Activity Center 1401 North Houston Ave in Humble

Tuesday, November 10

McClennan County Cemetery Interest Group

Meeting 5:30pm

Waco-McClennan County Library

Schumacher Room

1717 Austin, Waco, Texas. Library phone number 254-750-5945

Forth Worth Genealogical Society

Computer Users Group, 6:30pm Fort Worth Central Library (Downtown) 500 West 3rd Street Fort Worth, Texas Intel Computer Lab Arlington Genealogical Society

Meeting, 6:30pm Arlington Central Library Community Room 101 East Abram, Arlington, Texas

Thursday, November 12

Denton County Genealogical Society

Monthly Meeting, 6:30pm Denton Public Library Emily Fowler Central Library 502 Oakland St Denton, TX 76201

Williamson County Genealogical Society

Meeting, 7:30pm Speaker: James Hollis Topic: Digital Photography for Genealogists. Round Rock Public Library 216 East Main Street, Round Rock, Texas

Saturday, November 14

East Texas Genealogical Society

Meeting, 2:00 pm Tyler Public Library 201 S. College Avenue Tyler, TX 75702 903-593-1329 East Texas Genealogical Society

Computer Interest Group, 3:30pm Tyler Public Library 201 S. College Avenue Tyler, TX 75702 903-593-1329

For further details on these events, see the Texas Genealogy Events calendar. Please confirm all dates and locations with the host societies and organizations.

Do you have an event that you would like to see on the calendar? Contact me using the email address at the right side of this blog. Events should occur in Texas or be of interest to Texans (neighboring states, regional and national events are welcome). Speakers are encouraged to publicize their presentations.

Book Review of The Family Tree Problem Solver

The Family Tree Problem Solver provides “proven methods for scaling the inevitable brick wall.” Author Marsha Hoffman Rising CG, FASG is a professional genealogist who specializes in problem-solving in the nineteenth century. In this book, she draws on her experience to highlight certain common genealogical problems and provides the steps to solve them.

There are 11 chapters in the book, each focusing on a different type of brick wall faced by genealogists. Topics include problem analysis, finding records before civil registration, census troubles, collateral kin, court records (or lack thereof), land records, common/same names, pre-1850 ancestor location, research mistakes and evidence analysis.

The audience best suited for this book is everyone except absolute beginners. The terminology and level of discussion may get lost on those new to the field that may not understand what a “burned courthouse” is or know the difference between the 1840 and 1850 federal censuses. Each book chapter includes advice on how to approach certain research problems. The author also provides personal case studies as examples and shares how she busted through the brick walls they presented.

The Family Tree Problem Solver has a longer shelf life than many genealogy books because it focuses on research technique rather than ever-changing technology talk. The skills applied and advice offered will never be obsolete in terms of research strategy.

Bottom line: The Family Tree Problem Solver is a good read for intermediate and advanced genealogists who are looking for a light-bulb moment in problem solving. It is not an essential book to own, like Evidence Explained for example, but would fit in the “nice to have” category. If you can’t afford it, simply track it down through your library’s inter-library loan program because it’s definitely worth your time.

The Family Tree Problem Solver by Marsha Hoffman Rising. ISBN 1-55870-685-2, paperback, 240 pages.

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Camp Edition

Late 1920's. My grandfather is on the left.

Where Did You Get the Microfilm?

Yesterday, in my Don't Forget the Spinster Aunt post, I wrote about the will of an unmarried aunt. Marti of The Next Fifty Years blog asked a great question: "how did you get the microfilm that held the will?" Instead of replying in the comments section, I decided the question and answer were worthy of their own post.

I accessed the microfilm at my local Family History Center. You can find the one nearest to you at this page. Questions about Family History Centers are answered here. More information on what to expect during a visit can be found here. It is a common misconception that one must be a LDS church member to utilize the facilities. This is not true. I am not a member and have had all positive experiences.

I located the microfilm of Pope County, Arkansas wills by checking the Family History Library catalog. I clicked the "Place Search" button. Then I put "Pope" in the place box and "Arkansas" in the part of box and hit enter. I was given one link says "Arkansas, Pope," so I clicked that. Numerous results are shown. I chose "Arkansas, Pope - Probate Records."

One of the titles I was shown was Probate court records, 1830-1978. I then clicked the "View Film Notes" button in the top right of the screen. The first film listed is #1034017.

I wrote down the film number and took it to my Family History Center. I filled out a little form and paid a $5.50 rental fee. 2-3 weeks later, the film arrived from Salt Lake City. The film stays at my FHC and I use their readers. My last day with the film is Nov. 20, but I'll probably renew for another session.

So that's how I got the microfilm that held the will of my spinster aunt. Hopefully I answered Marti's question and maybe yours. If not, just let me know and I'll give it another shot.

Don't Forget the Spinster Aunt

I'm looking for the will of my great-great-great grandfather, John Laurens Williamson. I've rented several films from the Family History Library in my search. So far, I haven't found it, but there are plenty of records I still need to inspect.

What I did find was a will for Bettie Williamson (1856-1908). She was the fourth child of John Williamson and Susan Quesenberry. Bettie never married, which may lead some to think her will wouldn't be historically valuable to my needs. Not so.

Here's a little lesson: don't forget the spinster aunt. With no husband or children to whom she can bequeath her estate, the names she does mention may give hint to the overall family dynamic.

Below are some of the tidbits I pulled from the will of my spinster aunt:

1. The married name of Bettie's only surviving sister is (Kate) Wharton.

2. Bettie has an interest in the "Carden estate in Yell County near Dardanelle." Hmmm....Carden is the married name of Bettie's deceased sister Julia. Could there be a connection? Now I have a location and new county to search regarding this Carden estate. I also need to look for a will for Julia Williamson Carden in Yell County to try and figure out why Bettie is connected to this estate.

3. Three different family members borrowed money from Bettie and she's acknowledged their names debts in this document. One is her brother (my great-great grandfather) and the other two are Whartons (possibly nephews). More names to investigate on my part.

4. The names of both of Bettie's brothers are given.

5. Bettie leaves much to her niece Thula. I happen to know Thula lost her mother 10 days after birth, and Bettie played a big role in the girl's life. The language and amount left to Thula (age 14 at Bettie's death) indicates the strength of the bond between aunt and niece.

6. Bettie left her estate to the women in her life: her sister and motherless niece. Bettie's brothers are mentioned affectionately--indicating a positive relationship--but they only inherit if Thula and any future offspring should pass on.

7. At the time of Bettie's death, Thula was living in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. Correspondence between the county clerks of Stephens, OK and Pope, AR confirms that. I already knew this, but had I not, Bettie's will would have opened new doors for family research in a whole other state. My next step will be to do some research on the Oklahoma end and see what I can learn about Thula's inheritance.

I hope I'll find the will of my third great grandfather, but if I don't, the wills of peripheral relatives may assist in adding pieces to the family puzzle. Never forget the spinster aunt. She may surprise you.

[Note: This document can be found in the Family History Library film number 1034017: ARKANSAS: Pope County. Index to Wills. Pope County (Arkansas) Courthouse, Volume B, pages 377-380. I have digital images and a transcription of this document, which I will share upon request. Email me at the address provided in the right column of this blog.]

Texas Genealogy Events: Week of November 2-8, 2009

Straight from the Texas Genealogy Events calendar, here's what's happening in Texas for the week of November 2-8, 2009:

Monday, November 2:

Montgomery County Genealogical & Historical Society, Inc.

Monthly Meeting, 6:30pm

Montgomery County Memorial Library,

104 I-45 N, 1st floor meeting room

Conroe, Texas.

Amarillo Genealogical Society Meeting

Amarillo Public Library, 7pm

Ellis County Genealogical Society Meeting, 7pm

Ellis County Woman's Building,

407 West Jefferson Street in Waxahachie Speaker: Tami Glatz

Using the Internet for Sound Genealogical Research

Tuesday, November 3:

San Angelo Genealogical and Historical Society

Meeting, 7pm

First Baptist Church, First Place,

14 East Harris Avenue, San Angelo, Texas. Thursday, November 5:

Mid Cities Genealogical Society

Meeting, 7pm

Euless Public Library

201 N. Ector

Euless, Texas

Fri. Nov. 6 & Sat. Nov. 7:

2009 Genealogy With a Mission

Hosted by the Texas State Genealogical Society and the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society.

Two-day conference featuring Craig Scott, CG. Conference Web Page: Location: Omni Hotel (at I-10 North) 9821 Colonnade Blvd San Antonio

Saturday, November 7:

Houston Genealogical Forum Meeting

Social: 9:30 am. Meeting: 10am

Bayland Park Community Center 6400 Bissonnet, Houston

For further details on these events, see the Texas Genealogy Events calendar. Please confirm all dates and locations with the host societies and organizations.

Do you have an event that you would like to see on the calendar? Contact me using the email address at the right side of this blog. Events should occur in Texas or be of interest to Texans (neighboring states, regional and national events are welcome). Speakers are encouraged to publicize their presentations.