Just a few days after our first genealogy class for 2020 the library canceled all meetings, classes and gatherings. We will reschedule as soon as it is safe to gather again.
Meanwhile take advantage of some of the free classes available on the Family Search website's Family Search Wiki and their Family History Guide
There are also many free classes available at the Legacy Family Tree website.
Stay safe and remember your ancestors who experienced the Flu Pandemic of 1918.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
2020 Genealogy Class 2
This week we will be looking at the 1940 and 1930 U. S. Census and taking a tour of the Genealogy Department.
A good place to start is Cyndi's List
There you'll find a list of the censuses and by clicking on the 1940 census you'll be taken to a page with specific information and links to all the relevant sites.
First on the list of links is an important site to explore, NARA, National Archives and Records Administration. Be sure to read their Resources for Genealogists.
Another part of the NARA site is Introduction to Census Records.
They also have an Official 1940 Census Website where you can learn the best way to tackle your research.
Next in importance to the NARA Site is Family Search. Start with the wiki for United States Census.
The URL for the 1940 census is 1940. You will have to sign in to use Family Search but it is free.
Cyndi's List also has a link to Steve Morse's ED Finder so once you know where your ancestors were living you can find what Enumeration District they were in. Steve Morse site
For the 1930 Census NARA's web page has a helpful page on How to Start your 1930 Census Research , but you don't have to send for microfilm anymore. There are also links to Ance$try and Fold3, also $, and Family Search which is free. Start with Family Search 1930 Census. It includes basic information and links to the images at Ancestry. You can view them for free at the Genealogy Department of the library.
We will be talking about Whole Family Research and Cluster Genealogy, also known as FAN, Friends, Associates and Neighbors. So be sure to look at the pages before and after your family on the census to see if there are any relatives or other clues.
Once you have your tree back to your grandparents it will be time to do some Library Research and you'll be amazed at the amount of material there is in our Genealogy Department.
A good place to start is Cyndi's List
There you'll find a list of the censuses and by clicking on the 1940 census you'll be taken to a page with specific information and links to all the relevant sites.
First on the list of links is an important site to explore, NARA, National Archives and Records Administration. Be sure to read their Resources for Genealogists.
Another part of the NARA site is Introduction to Census Records.
They also have an Official 1940 Census Website where you can learn the best way to tackle your research.
Next in importance to the NARA Site is Family Search. Start with the wiki for United States Census.
The URL for the 1940 census is 1940. You will have to sign in to use Family Search but it is free.
Cyndi's List also has a link to Steve Morse's ED Finder so once you know where your ancestors were living you can find what Enumeration District they were in. Steve Morse site
For the 1930 Census NARA's web page has a helpful page on How to Start your 1930 Census Research , but you don't have to send for microfilm anymore. There are also links to Ance$try and Fold3, also $, and Family Search which is free. Start with Family Search 1930 Census. It includes basic information and links to the images at Ancestry. You can view them for free at the Genealogy Department of the library.
We will be talking about Whole Family Research and Cluster Genealogy, also known as FAN, Friends, Associates and Neighbors. So be sure to look at the pages before and after your family on the census to see if there are any relatives or other clues.
Once you have your tree back to your grandparents it will be time to do some Library Research and you'll be amazed at the amount of material there is in our Genealogy Department.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
2020 Genealogy Class 1
On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, we will start our genealogy class, Researching Your Family History, at the Brevard Library in Cocoa, Florida. We'll be in Meeting Room 4, in the Genealogy department on the 2nd floor from 9:30 to 11:00. I'll be using this blog to post information for the students.
The first class is Getting Started and will introduce the basic forms used in genealogy research: the Family Group Sheet and the Pedigree Chart. A third form useful in genealogy is the List of Sources for Research to keep track of where we have looked and what we have found. We will also talk about looking for family records and how to cite our sources.
In the course syllabus there are many links to useful web sites and it's my plan to put some of them on this blog as clickable links. Here are some links for the first class:
Looking for blank forms? Start at Cyndi's List. It's also a good site to search for anything genealogical. Another good site with links is Linkpendium. Both are free.
One of the most important sites we use is Family Search. There, besides doing genealogy research, you can find blank forms . You need to register for an account on the site before you can access, but it's free. he web site address is Family Search . Another important feature of this site is the FamilySearch Wiki. It's a wonderful learning site and it's free.
The Genealogy Department at the Cocoa library has many good How To books including Emily Croom's Unpuzzling Your Past, which we recommend. We will be taking a tour of the Genealogy Department in Class 2 and learn how to use all their great resources. Besides books on all areas of the country, they have subscriptions to some genealogy magazines. One of the best is Family Tree Magazine which every year publishes lists of the Best Genealogy Websites. They have blank forms and much more on their website at FamilyTree Magazine.
We're also going to talk about Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over and Go-Over programs so here is a link to his 12 Steps to Better Genealogy Research: Genealogy Do-Over .
In conclusion one of the best places for learning how to use the most popular research sites is the free Family History Guide. You can learn to use Family Search site and the pay sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast. They also have research pages for over 65 countries and all 50 U.S. States as well as several ethnic groups. There are links to thousands of top family history articles and videos. You could spend a month on this site!
Hope to see you Tuesday.
The first class is Getting Started and will introduce the basic forms used in genealogy research: the Family Group Sheet and the Pedigree Chart. A third form useful in genealogy is the List of Sources for Research to keep track of where we have looked and what we have found. We will also talk about looking for family records and how to cite our sources.
In the course syllabus there are many links to useful web sites and it's my plan to put some of them on this blog as clickable links. Here are some links for the first class:
Looking for blank forms? Start at Cyndi's List. It's also a good site to search for anything genealogical. Another good site with links is Linkpendium. Both are free.
One of the most important sites we use is Family Search. There, besides doing genealogy research, you can find blank forms . You need to register for an account on the site before you can access, but it's free. he web site address is Family Search . Another important feature of this site is the FamilySearch Wiki. It's a wonderful learning site and it's free.
The Genealogy Department at the Cocoa library has many good How To books including Emily Croom's Unpuzzling Your Past, which we recommend. We will be taking a tour of the Genealogy Department in Class 2 and learn how to use all their great resources. Besides books on all areas of the country, they have subscriptions to some genealogy magazines. One of the best is Family Tree Magazine which every year publishes lists of the Best Genealogy Websites. They have blank forms and much more on their website at FamilyTree Magazine.
We're also going to talk about Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over and Go-Over programs so here is a link to his 12 Steps to Better Genealogy Research: Genealogy Do-Over .
In conclusion one of the best places for learning how to use the most popular research sites is the free Family History Guide. You can learn to use Family Search site and the pay sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast. They also have research pages for over 65 countries and all 50 U.S. States as well as several ethnic groups. There are links to thousands of top family history articles and videos. You could spend a month on this site!
Hope to see you Tuesday.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Research the History of Your House
Are you interested in researching the history of your house? Here's a link to a site with lots of information:
https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/a-guide-to-researching-the-history-of-a-house/
https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/a-guide-to-researching-the-history-of-a-house/
Monday, November 11, 2019
Remembering Uncle Jim
Today is Veteran's Day, originally
called Armistice Day. This Veterans Day 2019 is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day,
celebrating the cessation of fighting in World War I. Although the
armistice agreement had ended fighting on November 11, 1918, The
Treaty of Versailles was not signed until June 28, 1919, officially
ending the war between Germany and the Allied Powers. On November 11, 1919 the first Armistice Day was celebrated in England.
Almost five million American families
sent a relative to serve in the military during World War I, which
was known as the Great War until World War II. My mother's Uncle Jim
was one of those who served.
 |
| James Peter Gonzales (1886-1957) |
James Peter Gonzales was born July 5,
1886, the son of John Henry Gonzales (1856-1907) and Anna Hattaway
(1860-1943). (His mother's surname, as well as her father's, is
spelled many different ways in various records. She was my Great Greandmother and was always called Little Grandma.) Like both of his
parents he was born in Algiers, the part of New Orleans on the West
Bank of the Mississippi River.
His grandfather, John Gonzales
(1820-1884), was born in northern Spain and was a seaman in 1842 when
he came to New Orleans. His grandmother, Anne Farnan (1827-1910) was
born in Ireland.
On his mother's side his grandfather was Peter Hardeway (1810-c1865), a ships carpenter from Copenhagen, Denmark, who came to New Orleans sometime before 1850. His surname is sometimes recorded as Hartway and Hartwig. James's maternal grandmother was Bernardina Harmeyer (1829-1883) who came from Alfhausen, Hanover, Germany in 1848. So he had a diverse heritage.
On his mother's side his grandfather was Peter Hardeway (1810-c1865), a ships carpenter from Copenhagen, Denmark, who came to New Orleans sometime before 1850. His surname is sometimes recorded as Hartway and Hartwig. James's maternal grandmother was Bernardina Harmeyer (1829-1883) who came from Alfhausen, Hanover, Germany in 1848. So he had a diverse heritage.
The first U. S. Census James shows up
in is 1900. His family is living at 716 Newton Street in Algiers, the
15th Ward of New Orleans. His family owns the house. His father is working as a day
laborer, probably on the waterfront. Algiers was the main ship
building and repair center for the area. James is 13 years old and at school. He has an older brother, Joseph,
age 17, and a younger sister Sarah, age 11, my grandmother. Their
grandmother, Anne Gonzales, is living with the family.
In 1910 the U. S. Census tells us that
James Gonzales was a carpenter in the railroad shop in Algiers,
living at 936 Vallette Street with his mother, two brothers and
grandmother. Living in the same house, probably the other half of a
shotgun double, were his sister Sarah and her husband John Begue with
their one year old son Robert.
In 1917 Uncle Jim registered for the
draft not long before his 31st birthday. His draft card
says he had black hair and brown eyes and was slightly deaf. He was
soon inducted into the Army. When we asked Uncle Jim what he did in
the war he said he took care of the mules. Grandma said he was
deafened by the cannons. Mules were used to pull the cannons so both
stories add up.
The 1920 census says that he and his
brother Joseph and mother Annie were still living on Vallette Street
and that he was working as a laborer for the levee board. Neither he
nor his brother ever married. Uncle Joe died before I was born, but
Uncle Jim and Little Grandma Gonzales were both still alive. After
Little Grandma died in 1943 he went to live with Uncle John and Aunt
Esther Begue.
 |
| BEGUE FAMILY GROUP - 1952 Esther Begue, Warren Hertz Sr., Homer Bill Hamner, Florence and Charles Hutzler Sr, Marie and Gonzales Begue, John Begue, Carmela Hamner, David Begue, Charlie Hutzler Jr., Johnny Hertz, In chairs - Grandma Sarah Gonzales Begue and Uncle Jim Gnzales, Warren Hertz Jr. |
My cousins and I remember Uncle Jim as
a skinny old man who was almost completely deaf. When he registered for the WW II draft in 1942, his description said he was 5' 6" tall and weighed 120 pounds and had brown eyes and gray hair. So he was a skinny old man as I remembered.
He lived around the corner from us when I was little and often visited. When he left we would ask him where he was going and he would say, with a twinkle in his eye, that he was going down to the church to get some holy water. We knew that he was going to the corner bar to have a beer. One of the things I remember about him was that he always came around the day after Thanksgiving and he always said, “I came to get the piece that went over the fence last.” That meant the turkey tail, his favorite.
He lived around the corner from us when I was little and often visited. When he left we would ask him where he was going and he would say, with a twinkle in his eye, that he was going down to the church to get some holy water. We knew that he was going to the corner bar to have a beer. One of the things I remember about him was that he always came around the day after Thanksgiving and he always said, “I came to get the piece that went over the fence last.” That meant the turkey tail, his favorite.
Uncle Jim died June 10, 1957 of
bilateral bronco pneumonia due to pulmonary emphysema. He was buried
on January 12 at the McDonogh Cemetery. I remember going to his wake
and funeral.
There are not many people left who
remember Uncle Jim. That is why I wanted to commemorate his life and
service to his country in World War I. I have posted a shorter
version of this narrative on the World War I Centennial page in the
Stories of Service section.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Genealogy Class 4
This week we will look at Military Records and a few additional resources. Here is the revised handout with lots of clickable links:
FamilySearch wiki has a section on Getting Started with US Military Records:
WWI and Earlier
WWI draft registration card images are available at Ance$try and Family Search. The actual cards are
MILITARY RECORDS
Military records are wonderful sources of family information. Many are online. Many are free.
These records include:
Draft and Enlistment records
Service deployments
Pensions
Death and burial information
FIRST:
Find out as much as possible about individuals who served in the military or Merchant Marine
What Branch, Dates, Rank, Pension Application, What wars were fought in his or her lifetime.
Census records that offer clues:
1940 – Supplementary form for those on lines 14, 29, 55 and 68 asks:
Is this person a veteran of the US military or wife, widow or under 18 child of a veteran?
If Yes it gives the code for which war:
W (WW 1)
S (Spanish-American war, Philippine Insurrection or Boxer Rebellion)
SW (Spanish-American and WW I)
R (Regular establishment, Army, Navy or Marines, peace-time service only)
Ot Other war or expedition
1930 – Right two columns for veterans of previous wars. Yes if veteran and abbreviation for the war served in, Civil War, Spanish-American War, Incursion into Mexico and WW I
1910 – Third to last column “Whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy”
1890 - Veterans Schedule – Includes names of surviving Union veterans, details of service.
Alabama through Kansas and part of Kentucky destroyed
Born between: War Years NARA mfilm #
1726 – 1767 Revolutionary War 1775 – 1783 M860
1762 – 1799 War of 1812 1812 – 1815 M602
1796 – 1831 Mexican War 1846 – 1848 M616
1811 – 1848 Civil War 1861 – 1865 Union by state; CSA M253
1848 – 1881 Spanish American War 1898 M871
1849 – 1885 Philippine Insurrection 1899 – 1902 M872
1872 – 1900 World War I 1917 – 1918 NARA AAD
1877 – 1925 World War II 1941 – 1945 NARA AAD
1900 – 1936 Korean War 1950 – 1953 NARA AAD
1914 – 1955 Vietnam War 1964 – 1972 NARA AAD
A GOOD PLACE TO START
NARA National Archives and Records Administration, Wash. DC
BROCHURE on Getting Started:
How do I begin? [from NARA website]
There is no simple explanation for how to begin research in military records. Your research path will depend on aspects such as: what branch of service your ancestor was in, which conflict, what dates, whether Regular Army or a volunteer unit, whether your ancestor was an officer or enlisted personnel, and whether there was a pension application.
The approach to researching records of enlisted men and women, officers, and for the different branches of the military is described in this article:
An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating too Military Service
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/fall/military-records-overview.html
Revolutionary War – War of 1812 records are held at the National Archives, Washington D.C.
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/fall/military-records-overview.html
Revolutionary War – War of 1812 records are held at the National Archives, Washington D.C.
World War I – Present are held in the NPRC National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO.
This includes WWII Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs)
A 1973 fire destroyed Army personnel records created from 1912-1963, but other Army files and Navy and Marine personnel files still exist.
WW II and Later Wars
WW II Army enlistment records and casualty and POW records for WWII, Korea and Vietnam in addition to other records are searchable online at NARA's AAD Access to Archival Databases website: http://aad.archives.gov//aad/
On the AAD Home Page click on the Getting Started Guide in upper right of the screen.
On the AAD Home Page click on the Getting Started Guide in upper right of the screen.
FamilySearch wiki has a section on Getting Started with US Military Records:
Other sites: $ Ancestry.com and fold3.com
Death Records
National Archives WW II Honor List of Dead and Missing
Army and Army Air Force Personnel by state
There is a link on this page to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard
Veterans Affairs Burial Search for 120 National Cemeteries (USA)
American Merchant Marine at War
Includes lists of Merchant Marine casualties and POWS
http://www.usmm.org/
http://www.usmm.org/
Pearl Harbor Casualty List December 7, 1941
National World War II Memorial Registry (USA)
Combines 4 databases of names that can be searched:
Those buried in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) overseas
Memorialized on ABMC tablets as Missing is Action
Listed as Missing in Action on official War and Navy Dpt. Rosters held by NARA
Registry of Remembrance – Public acknowledgments
WW II Discharge Papers were supposed to be recorded in veterans' county courthouse, as in WW I.
Military records become available 62 years after death or discharge.
WW II Draft Registrations
Sep 16 1940 – Selective Service System (SSS) established as independent agency.
First peacetime draft. Service length 12 months
(That same summer the National Guard became part of the regular Army. Those already in the military did not have to register.)
Oct. 16, 1940 – First draft registration, Men 21-36 required to register. 16 million men registered.
Oct. 29, 1940 – First draft lottery.
July 1, 1941 - 2nd draft registrations, Men who turned 21 after Oct. 16, 1940
Aug 18, 1941 – Service length increased to 18 months
Feb. 16, 1942 - 3rd draft registrations. Men born on or after Feb. 17, 1897 and Dec. 31, 1921
Apr. 27 1942 – 4th, Old Mans Draft. Men 45 to 64 (born 28 Apr 1877 16 Feb 1897.
Images at $Ancestry.com and familysearch.org except AL-TN. Only NYC for NY.
Jun 30, 1942 – 5th, Men 18-20. First time men under 21 required to register.
Dec 10-31, 1942 – 6th, Men 18 after June 30, 1941.
1943 – Navy and Marines accepted draftees.
Nov 16 – 31 Dec, 1943 - 7th , Men 18-44 living abroad.
1947 – Selective Service System act expired.
Registered – about 50,000,000 men.
Drafted – 11.5 million men, ages 18-38, 65% of those who served.
Enlisted voluntarily – 6.3 million, including 350,000 women
Draft Cards – Information includes Name, age, address, name and address of contact person, occupation, schooling, physical description.
Once a man's number was pulled, he filled out forms which were used to classify him from 1A to 4F.
Deferments were for 2-occupation, 3-dependents, or 4-by law or medical reason.
Occupations deferred – farmers, factory workers making military equipment or supplies.
Originally married men were deferred which led to marriage boom.
Then fathers were deferred which led to a baby boom.
No one over 38 was drafted.
Classification record – shows name, local draft board number, classification, dates he received the classifications.
For more information and to obtain copies of draft and classification cards:
WWI and Earlier
Draft Registration
May 18, 1917 – “ The Selective Service Act was passed authorizing the President to increase temporarily the military establishment of the United States.” Registration took place in the 48 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
June 5 1917 – 1st registration - Men ages 21-31
June 5, 1918 – 2nd registration - Men now age 21
Aug 24, 1918 - Men becoming 21 after June 5, 1918 – included in 2nd registration
Nov 11, 1918 - SSS rapidly curtailed
Mar 31, 1919 - All local, district and medical advisory boards were closed
Mar 31, 1919 - All local, district and medical advisory boards were closed
May 21, 1919 - All state headquarters closed
Jul 15, 1919 - Provost Marshal General relieved from duty ending SSS
WWI draft registration card images are available at Ance$try and Family Search. The actual cards are
stored in the NARA branch in Morrow, Georgia. There are about 24,000,000 cards, about 23% of the population.
Information includes name, address, telephone, age, date and place of birth, contact person, employer's name and address, place of employment and signature. Back shows race, height, color of eyes, hair and complexion and any other physical characteristics. On cards for African Americans, the lower left corner was clipped off.
Information includes name, address, telephone, age, date and place of birth, contact person, employer's name and address, place of employment and signature. Back shows race, height, color of eyes, hair and complexion and any other physical characteristics. On cards for African Americans, the lower left corner was clipped off.
Some WWI records are at: www.archives.gov/research/military/ww1/st-louis-ww1-series
Civil War
National Park Service listing of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors.
National Park Service listing of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors.
Most Confederate records are held at the State level. Check individual state archives.
ORDERING RECORDS
Older military personnel records (prior to 1917): Many are online $ at http://www.fold3.com
To order from the National Archives in Washington DC use Form Number NATF86, available at:
Military Records from 1917 – Present:
At National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO
Most are not digitized and not online.
To order follow instructions at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
Order online or by mail. Make sure you ask for all documents.
1957 or before - open to public. 1958 and after next of kin only.
Cost – 5 pages or less $25, 6 pages or more $70
Revised June 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Genealogy Class 3 - Fill in the Dates
Tuesday's class 3 is Fill in the Dates and we will look at Vital Records and using the 1920, 1910 and 1900 U. S. Censuses to find the dates you need. This is the heart of the Who What Where and When of our research. We will also spend time looking at Maps, the all-important Where.
Besides the Handybook, the Source, and the Red Book in the Genealogy Department at the library you can find information on where to look for various vital records through Cyndi's List and Family Search.
Look for your state and explore the links to find How to Find Birth, Marriage and Death Records and much, much more. There is a map where you can click to your county for even more information. For example:
If you print out the Florida information there are 16 pages. The part on Vital Records has dozens of links that will help you. The Brevard Genealogical Society is even listed under Societies and Libraries.
Another good resource is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. Their National Center for Health Statistics page has a Where to Write for Vital Records section that is very helpful. There are links to Application Guidelines and U.S. Passport Applications, too.
Once again the Family History Guide is a great place to learn how to take advantage of everything that Family Search offers. https://thefhguide.com/research.html
In fact that's where I found a link to Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness's website and their Vital Records Research Guide: https://raogk.org/vital-records/
Thomas MacEntee sent out a message about the FREE Family History Library Classes and Webinars in October 2019. Check it out at:
https://mailchi.mp/abundantgenealogy/fhl-october-2019-classes?e=92def27bca
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