Great Aunt Ella and the Sweet Spot of Digitized NYC Records

My mom's favorite maternal aunt was Ella Farkas Lenney (1897-1991), whose original given name was Ilka. She and three siblings arrived at Ellis Island in November of 1901, joining their immigrant parents, who had arranged an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. 

Ella was a quick study, literally, going to school to become a teacher. A devoted professional, she worked steadily as an elementary school teacher in the Bronx, New York for her entire forty-year career. Interestingly, when Ella married Joseph Levy (1893-1945), their 1924 marriage cert (above) correctly states that the groom was a civil engineer but shows no occupation for the bride. Joe changed his name to Lenney several years later, making his wife Mrs. Lenney.

I downloaded this original marriage cert, along with other key vital records for Ella and her family, for FREE from the New York City Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records site. How lucky for me, the family historian, that so many of these maternal ancestors settled in the Big Apple.

New York City Marriages, Digitized & Downloadable

As shown directly above, the Archives site has digitized and posted downloadable marriage records for the five boroughs of New York City for the years shown in dark blue. A number of Ella's siblings and in-laws were married in the Big Apple in the years covered by the digitized/downloadable period. Free!

New York City Births, Digitized & Downloadable

Great aunt Ella and the next generation (her two children, plus multiple nieces and nephews) are also in the sweet spot of digitized NYC records for births, as shown above. I was easily able to download those birth certs, again for free.

New York City Deaths, Digitized & Downloadable

Finally, a few of Ella's extended family members are in the sweet spot of digitized NYC records for deaths, which are available for free for deaths as late as 1948. 

When I find a NYC digital record, I download it for my files AND share by uploading it to my family tree and other sites. (Ella's marriage cert is currently on Find a Grave and WikiTree, among other sites.)

Today, I'm remembering Aunt Ella with affection on the 128th anniversary of her birth on August 10, 1897.

Veterans' Files Now Delivered as Skinny Extracts

In December, 2024, Reclaim the Records launched a user-friendly, convenient website for searching the US Veterans Administration BIRLS database and requesting a veteran's file, under the Freedom of Information Act. All for free, thanks to this wonderful nonprofit group that has been fighting to make public records available to the public.

Over a four-month period, I submitted 13 requests for veterans' records and quickly received one "no info found" letter, followed by 11 "yes info found" acknowledgements. Still awaiting word on one request, neither acknowledged nor denied. No further communication from the VA. Until earlier this week.

New "skinny" extract format

Finally I received what I now know is the new, skinny file extract format that the Veterans Administration will be issuing instead of sending full pdf files of each veteran. As shown in the image at top, the extract recaps name, birth/death dates, Social Security number (which I blacked out), and the enlistment/release date of the veterans, along with which military branch. This is for an in-law in my hubby's family tree.

Another page or two included marriage date (but no spouse info), parents' names, and other so-called genealogical information. Nothing about the rank of the vet or the unit or any service details such as where stationed. A really skinny extract, to say the least, compared to what may actually be in the veteran's file. I'm not happy.

What now?

Reclaim the Records explains the background behind this unexpected and frustrating change from furnishing full pdf files to extracting selected info. Read all about it here.

Reading their advice, it seems I will have solid grounds for appealing when my father's skinny extract shows up in the future, because I am clearly next of kin (and I can prove it). I would like to see his full file, not a few measly details pulled from it.

Meanwhile, Reclaim the Records is formulating a robust response and will determine its next steps within weeks. Stay tuned!

PS: I just received two more FOIA responses...these were even more skeletal, bare bones at best. "Information is not a matter of record" is the reason stated for lack of birth certificate details, parents' names, spouse's name, etc. Not happy. 

PPS: Most recent responses have even less detail, if that's possible. Date of entry into service but no release date. Not even the branch of service. Ridiculous.

Future Family History Starts Today with LOCKSS

So many times, I've wished my ancestors took a photo at a special event or wrote the names/relationships of people on the back of photos or saved invitations to weddings or baby showers. These ancestors lived many yesterdays ago. Alas, I can't go back in time to ask questions or view special events.

As family historians, we're always looking back in time...but we also need to look ahead and be good ancestors for the sake of future family history.

Take photos, print some too

In five or ten years, will we remember the names of all those people at the special anniversary dinner? Or who attended Uncle Joe's 90th birthday party? Where the family vacationed in the summer of 2024? Which family hosted that big New Year's Eve party in 2019?

That's why I ask relatives to please pull out their phones and snap a few photos at family events, then send to me. I compile and share key photos with everyone, sometimes within hours or days of the event and sometimes later.

Every month or so, I print a couple of photos (from today and yesterday) and pop a print into the mail to a relative as a surprise. The idea is to have a tangible memory of that get-together or holiday or first day of school. In the future, these will be remembered and appreciated. They will bring back strong emotions of earlier days!

Also our family's yearly wall calendar features photos of the previous year and some older photos to memorialize those who we loved and lost. And end-of-year photo book helps to capture the high and low points of what my hubby and I did in the previous 12 months. In the photo books, I give dates and name names, though the photos are not always fully captioned with surnames.

Remember LOCKSS

Lots of copies keep stuff safe. That's how LOCKSS works. If three relatives have a photo of Uncle Joe's party, there is a better chance that at least one photo will survive till 2050 or beyond--plus, if names are written on the back, future family historians will be especially grateful. My yearly photo books will help future generations see what was going on from 2008 forward.

Future family history depends on our ability to look ahead and plan ahead!

Free Images for Bite-sized Family History Projects

Sometimes when I prepare a bite-sized family history project, I need illustrations beyond ancestor photos and documents. My goal is to catch the eye of readers and enhance the content with appropriate visuals that engage the audience. 

This year, I've been expanding a booklet I wrote about my hubby's military ancestors, and I wanted additional images to avoid page after page of solid text. (Obviously I married my husband for his interesting ancestors, including men on both sides of the US Civil War, just for starters.)

My regular go-to site for free images is Pixabay.com, where I've found dramatic photos and illustrations to add to my projects. Directly above is a free photo I downloaded from Pixabay, showing a canon and a view of Gettysburg, the famous US Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania where a distant Wood ancestor helped wounded Confederate soldiers. Pixabay features more than illustrations and photos: it also offers downloadable video clips, music, and sound effects.

Recently, I've been introduced to Pexels.com, which also provides free photos that can be downloaded. At top of the page, a colorful photo I downloaded after reviewing dozens of images from my search for "US Civil War." Pexels has video content available for download, as well.

Both Pexels and Pixabay allow (even encourage) you to go ahead and use any of the free images in any way you like. You can modify and adapt them if you choose. Attribution is not required. 

Note: Nancy Gilbride Casey likes RawPixel.com, which has color and b/w maps, illustrations, and more. I plan to explore that site in greater detail!

In fact, I've modified downloaded images by changing the colors (to brighten or soften), tilting the images (for a dynamic look), or flipping the images (to better fit into my content). 

Bite-sized family history projects are a practical way to focus on specific aspects of the family tree. I want my relatives to be intrigued enough to start reading, which is where fascinating images come in. Try Pixabay and Pexels if you need an image for your own family history project. Of course photos/images on Wikimedia Commons are free and downloadable, as well, as long as you follow the guidelines for reusing content.

For more about preserving and perpetuating family history, please see my genealogy book, Planning a Future for Your Family's Past.

The Celebration Where I Met Cousin Richard

My maternal grandmother (Minnie Farkas Schwartz) was a "charter member" of the Farkas Family Tree, a family tree association in New York City founded in 1933 by the adult children of Hungarian immigrants Moritz Farkas and Leni Kunstler Farkas.

The Farkas Family Tree met 10 times a year, and members began planning the 25th anniversary several years prior to the actual anniversary date. They decided on a weekend in June, 1958 for their getaway to a resort hotel in the Borscht Belt of New York State and then contributed money at every meeting so that the resort deposit was paid well in advance. 

Thanks to prior planning, members who lived out of town arranged to attend this special celebration. This included Minnie's youngest brother Fred Farkas and his wife Charlotte, who lived in Michigan. Their son Richard Farkas, born on August 1, 1935, had joined the US Naval Reserves in 1956 to become an aviator and was stationed in Texas. Still, he was able to come to the celebration with his parents and sister. 

The family tree paid for a photographer to snap a formal group portrait featuring everyone all dolled up, with one black-and-white 8x10 inch print distributed to each family. You can see Richard in the red oval in this group photo, wearing his crisp white uniform. For the entire family, it was a much-anticipated opportunity to be together and celebrate with full hearts over a three-day weekend.

This is the one and only time I would have met Richard. I wish I could say I have any memory of him, but I was a tiny tyke. Possibly I might have noticed he was the one person in uniform, but that's about all, unfortunately. 

Sadly, three months later, Richard's plane crashed during a training exercise in Texas. I'm sorry to say that he died in the accident, barely 23 years old. Today would have been his 90th birthday if he had lived. So I'm remembering cousin Richard on his special day and wishing I could have known him.