It's been a while since I wrote a new blog post. I have been mulling an idea around in my head and have now finally decided to act on it. I am currently working as a self-employed genealogy researcher. I do family history research for several firms in the Salt Lake City area. One of my goals is to become an accredited genealogist. I thought it would be fun to chronicle my progress and my preparations towards submitting my application to become an AG (accredited genealogist). The accreditation basically tells the world that you have highly specialized skills for researching in the geographic area you are accredited in. ICAPGen stands for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists.
I have decided to begin the process by trying to attain accreditation through ICAPGen in the Mid-South region of the United States. So what states does that cover? Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, and West Virginia. To learn more about the accreditation process, please go to the ICAPGen website.
It won't be easy but it will be wonderful to prepare and learn all about the records and resources available for researchers in these states. I am using as my guide the book "Becoming An Accredited Genealogist: Plus 100 Tips to Ensure Your Success" by Karen Clifford. In this book the author outlines the accreditation process and includes practice test questions and activities designed to help you prepare.
I invite you to join me on a genealogical adventure as I prepare to take the AG exams. So where does the blog fit in? I will be recording the activities and preparations that I go through on my to preparing for the exam in my blog.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Links to Census Power Points
Recently I had the opportunity to teach a couple of classes on how to use the US census. My students asked for copies of the slides of my presentations and so here is the link to get to them. My Research Helps Page
You will find two attachments at the bottom of the page. One is for the US Census. The other gives examples of some foreign censuses.
You will find two attachments at the bottom of the page. One is for the US Census. The other gives examples of some foreign censuses.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Missouri Vital Records Online
Sorry it's been a while since I wrote. I was out of the country for about six weeks and I am just getting back in the swing of things.
I have had occasion recently to do some research on a family from Missouri. A friend of mine mentioned to me that the state of Missouri is putting all it's birth and death records online so I naturally had to try it out. There are two databases but the one of most interest for genealogists would probably be the pre-1910 births and deaths.
Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910
The other site that might interest genealogists has more recent death certificates.
Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1958
The site is very user-friendly. You can also see what records exist for what counties. Try this link to see what's available for the county you're researching.
Listing of Available Records Search
Wouldn't it be nice if all states put their records online. Thanks Missouri!
I have had occasion recently to do some research on a family from Missouri. A friend of mine mentioned to me that the state of Missouri is putting all it's birth and death records online so I naturally had to try it out. There are two databases but the one of most interest for genealogists would probably be the pre-1910 births and deaths.
Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910
The other site that might interest genealogists has more recent death certificates.
Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1958
The site is very user-friendly. You can also see what records exist for what counties. Try this link to see what's available for the county you're researching.
Listing of Available Records Search
Wouldn't it be nice if all states put their records online. Thanks Missouri!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Confederate Widows Paper
For those of you who may have been following my posts about Confederate widows of Dallas County, Arkansas I thought I would give you this final post to let you know how things came out. Of the 20 or so widows that I followed almost all had financial difficulties as a result of the loss of their husbands. No surprise there. Only one, Martha Augustine Gee Holmes, managed to continue with some wealth. The reason for this has to be the will her husband left designating her as the recipient of all his property. He was a very wealthy man. This spared her years of anguish as the probate case passed through the court system.
All the husbands of these women had some property before their demise. Unfortunately only Holmes was able to retain any of that in her name. A few women managed to remarry, which means that any property they might have had reverted to their new husbands. One of the most heart-wrenching cases was that of Charlotte Brewer. Here is what I found out about her:
Her husband, Isaac, died sometime after being discharged in October 1861 and before May 1862 when the probate was first began. In May of 1862 an administrator bond of $4,000 was paid by Stephen Johnson for the estate. In July 1862 he was officially granted the rights to administer the estate. In July of 1863 the widow petitioned for her dower “in certain slaves” but her petition was rejected. The case then continued on through the years and in April of 1866 she petitioned the court for the entire estate and was once again was rejected.
The records for this particular session give insight into the plight of this poor widow. The court minutes note that the administrator was asked to provide her with "provisions to live on to a small amount [and] he is hereby authorized to do so." Surely this poor widow was suffering, not only from the loss of her husband and the deprivations of the war, but from the lack of relief that should have been provided by the courts. This case continued on through 1867.
As Mary Chestnut once wrote, “you can never exaggerate the horrors of war on one’s own soil. You understate the agony, strive as you will to speak, the agony of heart--mind—body.” The Civil War was devastating to the wealth and economy of Dallas County and to the lives of the widows of Dallas County Confederate soldiers who gave their all.
All the husbands of these women had some property before their demise. Unfortunately only Holmes was able to retain any of that in her name. A few women managed to remarry, which means that any property they might have had reverted to their new husbands. One of the most heart-wrenching cases was that of Charlotte Brewer. Here is what I found out about her:
Her husband, Isaac, died sometime after being discharged in October 1861 and before May 1862 when the probate was first began. In May of 1862 an administrator bond of $4,000 was paid by Stephen Johnson for the estate. In July 1862 he was officially granted the rights to administer the estate. In July of 1863 the widow petitioned for her dower “in certain slaves” but her petition was rejected. The case then continued on through the years and in April of 1866 she petitioned the court for the entire estate and was once again was rejected.
The records for this particular session give insight into the plight of this poor widow. The court minutes note that the administrator was asked to provide her with "provisions to live on to a small amount [and] he is hereby authorized to do so." Surely this poor widow was suffering, not only from the loss of her husband and the deprivations of the war, but from the lack of relief that should have been provided by the courts. This case continued on through 1867.
As Mary Chestnut once wrote, “you can never exaggerate the horrors of war on one’s own soil. You understate the agony, strive as you will to speak, the agony of heart--mind—body.” The Civil War was devastating to the wealth and economy of Dallas County and to the lives of the widows of Dallas County Confederate soldiers who gave their all.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Family Search Wiki
Many of us who have been doing genealogical research for a while are very familiar with the various Research Outlines published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are no longer being published in print form but there is good news. You can turn to the new Family Search wiki to find a lot of that same information and new updated information as well. To get to the wiki click on this link. Family Search Wiki
While much of the information found on the wiki is good and sound, please remember that all information found on the site is user-contributed. That means it is only as good as those people who contributed it. I think you will find a lot of helpful information here to help you in your research. Many of the employees of the Family History Library in Salt Lake contribute articles that will help you in finding sources and knowing where to look.
Good luck with your research!!
While much of the information found on the wiki is good and sound, please remember that all information found on the site is user-contributed. That means it is only as good as those people who contributed it. I think you will find a lot of helpful information here to help you in your research. Many of the employees of the Family History Library in Salt Lake contribute articles that will help you in finding sources and knowing where to look.
Good luck with your research!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Crowder Genealogy
I just wanted to let y'all know that I have a new website. It is the history of my Crowder ancestors. They came to Virginia, moved to North Carolina, and then ended up in Arkansas. I have posted their story. I have posted a few pictures of their descendants. There is also a page with links that I have used to help me in my research of this family. I may be adding more actual documents from the research later and so I'll keep you posted here. Just click on this link to get to it. Crowder Genealogy
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Arkansas
I would like to share with you today a couple of my favorite sites for the state of Arkansas. My ancestors came from there and so I have done quite a bit of research there. The first one I would like to mention is the Arkansas History Commission site. While they don't have a lot of documents digitized that are accessible online, they do have their catalog online and you can search through their collections for items of interest. They also have a good collection of state newspapers. The one time I used their services, they were very prompt in sending me a copy of a newspaper article I had requested.
The other site I would like to mention has been of great use to me in my Confederate widows project. The Original Arkansas Genealogy Project, Civil War website is loaded with information about civil war soldiers and their units from the state of Arkansas. The authors of this site have gone through military service and pension records, as well as census records in an attempt to identify every soldier who served from the state of Arkansas. They also include some histories of the units. I am really appreciative of those who put this site together. I think it is great!!
The other site I would like to mention has been of great use to me in my Confederate widows project. The Original Arkansas Genealogy Project, Civil War website is loaded with information about civil war soldiers and their units from the state of Arkansas. The authors of this site have gone through military service and pension records, as well as census records in an attempt to identify every soldier who served from the state of Arkansas. They also include some histories of the units. I am really appreciative of those who put this site together. I think it is great!!
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