Bite-Sized Memories of Mary Slatter Wood

This week is the 96th anniversary of the sudden death of my husband's grandmother, Mary Slatter Wood. Born in 1869 in the Whitechapel section of London, she had a really difficult childhood. She and four older siblings were in and out of workhouses while their mother was committed to an asylum and their father was absent for long periods.

Still, Mary went to school and then, as a teenager, she earned a living as a servant. In her mid-20s, she crossed the Atlantic to join her father and her older sister in Ohio. Mary married home builder James Edgar Wood (1871-1939) in 1898 and they settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where they raised four sons.

The oldest son, my late dad-in-law, remembered Mary as a gentle, affectionate influence on the family. Unfortunately, while he was away at college, Mary died of heart problems on April 24, 1925. Her unexpected death tore the heart out of the family. 

Bite-sized memories

I'm keeping Mary Slatter Wood's memory alive in a number of bite-sized projects. I wrote a few paragraphs about her life and posted them, with a photo, on FamilySearch.org, FindaGrave.com, and other sites. 

Also, I put a photo of Mary and her husband James on a page of the Wood family history coloring book created for younger relatives. The coloring book is an informal record of who's who--faces and names--in the family tree.

Making a coloring book

To create this page, I started by scanning a black-and-white family photo of the couple standing in front of a house that James built in Cleveland, Ohio, more than a century ago.

Next, I used my photo software to turn the photo into a pencil sketch image. Then I positioned it on a page and added their full names. To help the youngest generation connect with these long-ago ancestors, I included their relationship to the recipients.

Print and digital versions

I want the adults to encourage the kids to color as they wish, rather than put the coloring book away unused. That's why I provided both a printed version and a digital version. Now, the coloring book can be reprinted over and over as the children enjoy coloring these faces and places from the past, seeing ancestors as human beings with an important place in family history.

April 1, 1950: Census Day News

As background for researching ancestors who were enumerated in the U.S. Census taken on Saturday, April 1, 1950, I'm looking at newspapers in the areas where they lived. I want to be ready when this mid-century Census is released to the public on April 1, 2022.

After looking at only a couple of newspapers, I learned two things that encouraged me to keep looking at other newspapers in the coming weeks.

1. Some special aspects of the Census were highlighted in areas where they were of significance. This was the case for merchant ships docked in New York City (see below). I learned a few tidbits about the questionnaires for crew members and how the count was conducted.
2. Small, local newspapers listed the names of enumerators! Maybe your ancestor was an enumerator or was mentioned as being interviewed by an enumerator?

New York City: Counting crew on merchant ships

The official start of Census Day was reported in a long front-page article in the New York Times. Top local officials were quoted, but no local enumerators were named. For broader context, I browsed ads (ladies wearing hats and gloves), real estate ads, political news, radio and TV news, and the weather report.

A related Census article printed that day told of crew members on 2,000 merchant ships worldwide completing a special Census form. Each crew member at a U.S. port was to answer 23 questions about demographics, citizenship, and income. (However, crew members whose vessels were at sea or in foreign ports answered only 9 Census questions.) 

Crew members in U.S. ports were being counted as part of the population of that location--meaning those on vessels at New York City piers would be counted as part of the Big Apple's population. 

Bucyrus, Ohio: "Shnozzle counting" and names of enumerators

"Shnozzle counting in the rain began in Bucyrus and Crawford county as some 38 Census enumerators took to the roads and streets today to check the county's approximately 35,000 population for all sorts of things."

That's the rather informal first paragraph of the front-page story in the Telegraph-Forum newspaper of Bucyrus, Ohio. Some of hubby's ancestors lived in the area.

After describing some highlights of the Census timing (see snippet at right), the article went on to list the names of all 38 enumerators! None were ancestors I'm researching, but maybe I'll be lucky in another small local newspaper.

And of course, I continued browsing that day's paper for more historical context--such as the report of local farms being larger in 1950 than in 1900, also on page one.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be browsing local newspapers for more insights into the 1950 Census and anything else I can learn about the people or areas where ancestors lived in 1950. Local newspaper reports can be informative (and entertaining) background!

The Rinehart Brick Wall on Hubby's Tree

 

One big brick wall is going further back on my husband's family tree beyond great-great-grandfather Joseph Rinehart (1806-1888), who was born in Pennsylvania.

 By 1850, he is farming in Crawford County, Ohio, shown in the U.S. Census (above) with his wife Margaret Shank Rinehart (1807-1873) and their children. We know who they are--they were named by my husband's grandfather as ancestors, and the paper trail of genealogical evidence confirms this.

Looking at the household on this Census page, the final name listed is "Elizabeth Rinehart," age 76, born in PA. 

Is Elizabeth my husband's 3d great-grandma?

My working hypothesis (not a great leap) is that Elizabeth is Joseph's mother, living with him after being widowed. There is an Elizabeth Rinehart buried in Oceola #2 Cemetery, Crawford County, Ohio (where others from the same family are buried). She died on June 15, 1850, at the age of 74 years (and some months/days). 

Knowing that ages recorded in the Census aren't always accurate, and knowing how many other descendants are buried in this same cemetery, I'm strongly leaning toward accepting Elizabeth as Joseph's mother--making her my hubby's great-great-great grandmother. As of now, I have no clue about the name or dates for hubby's great-great-great grandfather, who left Elizabeth widowed.

Did Elizabeth die before being listed in the Census?

Note that the 1850 U.S. Census was taken "as of" June 1. However, the actual date on the excerpt above is November 5. Yet the Elizabeth in the local cemetery died in mid-June. Did the Census enumerator include her in Joseph's household anyway, because she was alive as of June 1? As wonderful reader Linda correctly notes, the enumerator was supposed to include her even if she died after June 1. Or is it possible that these two Elizabeth Rineharts are different people?

The Elizabeth in the Oceola Cemetery died on June 15, which means she will not be included in the Census Mortality Schedule covering the year June 1, 1849-May 31, 1850. 

Despite contacting the local historical society and the local town clerk, I was unable to locate any death certificate from Crawford County, Ohio to get more information about Elizabeth. No local news reports, no compiled obits. I doubt she had a will. It's more likely that her late husband left any property or valuables to their children.

In another attempt to pierce this brick wall, I'm going down the list of possible data sources in the Family Search wiki page for Crawford County, hoping to spot something I haven't yet searched or browsed.

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"Brick wall" is this week's prompt for the #52Ancestors challenge!

My 1950 U.S. Census Release To-Do List: From Address to ED

To be ready for the release of the 1950 U.S. Census next April, I'm listing ancestors of special interest and indicating their 1940 and 1950 addresses (guessing if necessary). 

The goal is to be able to browse images and locate these ancestors in the unindexed Census records that will be made public in April of 2022. To do this, I have to turn the 1950 address into an Enumeration District (ED). Then I'll only need to click through the images of that one ED to look for each ancestor or family.

Using the Unified Census ED Finder

Luckily, Stephen Morse and Joel Weintraub have an extremely powerful tool to transform an address into an ED. They call it a Unified Census ED Finder. You can find it on SteveMorse.org. 

Be sure you set the ED Finder to 1950, as shown in the screen shot at top. I've entered "1933 Marmion Ave" in the Bronx, New York, as my ancestor's address. However, that street appears in a number of Enumeration Districts. To narrow down my search, I need to look at a map and name other streets that are in back of or that cross with Marmion. Not crossing any streets, just on the same city block.

Looking at the Bronx map above, Elsmere Place is at the corner of this apartment building. When I select "Elsmere Pl" from the handy drop-down menu of "cross or back street on same city block" I see the number of EDs reduced to only four.

Keep adding cross or back streets

Next, looking at the map, I select "Tremont Ave" from the drop-down menu because that's the street at the other end of this city block. This reduces the number of EDs to only two. That's still too many EDs to easily browse. 

Again I add another back street from the drop-down menu, after consulting the map once more. This time, I choose the street at the very back of this same city block, which is "Prospect Ave." 

At this point, I only have a single ED listed, as shown above. To double-check, I can select the "Streets in the 1950 ED" button and click "More details." 

This takes me to a summary showing the ED and the description of the streets it includes. Note that this is a single city block. Not across any boulevards, avenues, streets, or places--just one big city block. For a city address, it's a fairly easy process to determine the proper ED, because the boundaries are easily ascertained by looking at a map.**

Put the ED on your list

My final step is to write the ED on my list. Here's an excerpt of my current listing. The two ancestors who lived on Marmion Avenue should both be in ED 3-798, as listed here. I've also found other EDs for ancestors on this list. Note that I also decided to alphabetize my ancestors by surname, so I can sort that way if I choose. And I can sort by "1950 ED" in order to group all ancestors who live in one ED together for more efficient browsing when the images are released next year.

Try the Unified Census ED Finder and once you see how it works, you'll be ready to work your way down the list of ancestors little by little. 

Remember to read the "Getting Ready for the 1950 Census" introduction on Steve Morse's site. He steps through the ED Finder process using Donald Duck's address. Really! Worth a look.

Also see my summary page of 1950 US Census tips and techniques here.

** Reader Amanda has an important reminder: "Be sure to check to see if the area you are looking in has had any house renumberings or street name changes. For example, Chicago renumbered many of its houses in 1909, and there's a list of street name changes available through 1948 (although the dates of each change are not noted). Portland, Oregon, renumbered most of its streets 1931-33, and changed directionals (NW, NE, etc.) on many as well. These changes will be important to know about when using modern-day maps to find cross and back streets when using the Unified Census ED Finder."

This is also my January 2022 post for The Genealogy Blog Party!

My 1950 U.S. Census Release To-Do List: Find Addresses

When the 1950 U.S. Census is released to the public on April 1, 2022, I want to be ready to find ancestors of special interest. I'm creating a list of priority ancestors and filling in their 1940 address/Enumeration District (ED) and then their 1950 address (see my previous post here). With an exact address, I can find the 1950 ED. This will enable me to browse images before the Census is indexed.

Sources for 1950 addresses

There are many possible sources for finding an ancestor's 1950 address, as shown in the above graphic. You may not find an address for that exact year, but one close to that year is a good starting point.

Today I'm on the trail of a 1950 address for my husband's maternal grandfather, Brice Larimer McClure (1878-1970).

Spoiler alert: I don't yet have the address. But I can share the steps I took to try locating Brice in the years surrounding 1950. And I may be successful in the end!

Where was this ancestor in the 1940s?

I know where Brice Larimer McClure was living during and after World War II. The last "known sighting" of an actual address is in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, where he and his wife Floyda Steiner McClure were living at the time of her death on November 2, 1948.

Family story: Not long after his wife died, Brice moved to Willoughby, Ohio and then later, around 1953, he moved to Cleveland to be closer to family.

My search plan for an exact address

I began with a "from scratch" search on all the major genealogy websites, entering Brice's information and specifying residence in Willoughby, Ohio, in the years 1949-1953. That didn't work.

Records show Brice's Social Security card was issued "prior to 1951." Actually, it was just after World War II, when he intended to retire and collect (which he did). Unlikely I will find a Willoughby address on that application (and it takes time and money to get this document). 

Moving on, the Willoughby-area newspapers were either too old, too new, or not very local for my purposes. 

Looking for a house purchase/sale would take time, digging into deeds, land records, etc. I set this aside for now.

Other non-official potential sources I tried, as suggested by Joel Weintraub on his super- detailed, info-rich page about the 1950 Census were: photographs (nope); address book (not that far back); diaries (none that far back).

Check the directories!

High on my list and on Joel's list were--directories! After a few false starts, I checked the local library in Willoughby. The website has a convenient "chat with a librarian" feature (see my screen capture at top).

I typed in a succinct chat question. Within a few minutes, the librarian typed back that directories from the 1950s era are most likely at the Willoughby Historical Society. She provided contact info, and I wrote an email, requesting a lookup when convenient. My husband remembers Brice having a home phone in Willoughby, so he should be listed in either the phone directory or the city directory.

Update: Librarian found no listing in the directory. 

-- For more about the 1950 Census, see my page here.

My 1950 U.S. Census Release To-Do List: Who and Where

With the public release of the 1950 U.S. Census records less than a year away, I'm prepping to be ready for April 1, 2022. 

That mid-century Census will not be transcribed or indexed when first released. I won't be able to simply type a name into the search box and magically find my screen filled with the correct 1950 Census page. Not until the Census is indexed and transcribed, which will be months after the release date. 

In the early weeks, I'll be browsing lots and lots of handwritten pages to try to spot the people I want to find. 

From my experience following a similar process when the 1940 Census was released, I know some browsing may involve only a few pages per person. Of course, some ancestors will be found on the final page of a large district, or spread across two districts. I have to be ready for any of these possibilities.

Which ancestors do I want to find?

My first step is to list the ancestors I want to find in the 1950 Census, surname first. Setting my priorities, I'm listing my closest ancestors on each side, followed by more distant ancestors. I didn't note relationships, but I may refine my table to indicate that later on. 

As shown in the sample at top, I created a table in a Word document so that I can sort by surname, sort by 1940 location, sort by 1950 location, etc. I've left space for the 1950 Enumeration District (known as an ED, more about this in a later post). 

Sorting is important because I might find, after listing dozens of ancestors, that two or three or more live in the same ED. For more efficient browsing, I'd want to group those together. 

In this sample, I entered the names (no maiden names) of three members of my father's Mahler family. I also noted any name variations I found in the 1940 Census, as a reminder about creative spelling by enumerators. 

Where were ancestors in 1950?

The next very important step is to note where my ancestors were living in 1950. In the case of my great aunt Dora Mahler, I can be pretty confident about her address in April of 1950 because she was at that address when she died in June of 1950. She had a chronic illness and had lived with her mother for years, which is why I listed my great-grandma Tillie Jacobs Mahler at the same address in 1950. 

My grandmother Henrietta Mahler was living at 3044 Valentine Avenue in the Bronx, NY when her husband Isaac Burk died in 1943. Tentatively, I've listed that as her address in 1950, along with another possible address: the apartment building where her son and daughter lived in 1950. Maybe she was living in the same building by 1950?

I'll have more to say about ways to find 1950 addresses in my next post!

Easter Postcards from Family History

In the early 1900s, my husband's Wood ancestors exchanged postal greeting cards to stay in touch across the miles. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends wrote cards for birthdays, Easter, Christmas, New Year's, and other special events. 

The cards flew through the mail to and from Cleveland, Ohio plus Toledo, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. Writing on the back helped me track movement of family members from one address to another, as well as giving clues to relationships, both in the family and in the FAN club (friends, associates, neighbors).

For Easter, let me share four of the still-colorful cards that have survived in great shape within the Wood family for more than a century!

One Year from Today: 1950 US Census Release!

Just a year from today, on April 1, 2022, the 1950 U.S. Census will be released! 

Are you ready?

Understand what enumerators were told to ask and how they were told to write down answers by looking at the "Urban & Rural Enumerator's Reference Manual" for the 1950 Census. You can access a free copy online through this link.

For more background about the U.S. Census, you can download a free copy of  "Measuring America" from this link.

Initially, no index or transcriptions will be available. Many groups are gearing up to tackle that monumental effort. So on the first day, you will be able to look for ancestors only by browsing images of the population schedule of the enumeration district (ED) where they lived.

For more details on how to prepare for the 1950 Census release, read the "Getting Ready" Steve Morse 1-Step page. And don't miss a single one of Joel Weintraub's informative, step-by-step videos here.

Also please look at my 1950 Census blog posts, which focus on issues such as how enumerators were told to record answers to the question "where were you born?" and other unique quirks of this mid-century Census.

One year from today, I'll be glued to my computer screen, diving into the first Census where my parents were enumerated as a married couple! Who will you be looking for?

Honoring Ancestors on Ellis Island

My great-grandparents, Moritz Farkas and Leni Kunstler Farkas, came to America from Hungary at the turn of the 20th century. Both entered through Ellis Island. 

All four of my grandparents were immigrants. Three came through Ellis Island and one sailed from England to Canada and then crossed into the United States. All made the difficult decision to leave everything they knew and forge a new life in a land they'd never seen.

A Memorable Visit to See Ancestral Name

Nearly 25 years ago, Sis and I joined several cousins on a visit to Ellis Island. We knew that one of our cousins had donated to have "The Moritz Farkas Family" inscribed on an early part of the Wall of Honor erected at Ellis Island, as a monument to immigrants.

It was emotional to see the family name on the wall and think about these ancestors' hopes, dreams, and realities. It felt wonderful knowing these ancestors were memorialized in a place so important to the arc of their lives (and ours). And that we could visit this memorial, which will stand for many years!

Ellis Island Wall of Honor

Late in 2019, Sis and I decided to honor our four immigrant grandparents by donating to have their names inscribed on the Wall of Honor. We memorialized the married couple of Theodore and Hermina Farkas Schwartz (as shown above) and the married couple of Isaac and Henrietta Mahler Burk. 

Their names were added to the wall last year! Although we haven't yet had an opportunity to visit Ellis Island, a website search of the Wall of Honor shows who they are, where they came from, and who made the donation.

We are delighted to have this tangible, enduring memorial to the courage and determination of our immigrant ancestors, the journey-takers who made our lives possible. 

Family Stories of Loss in Printed Genealogy Book

My husband's family tree, like all family trees, includes many stories of happiness and heartache, luck and loss. We are fortunate that a descendant of his LARIMER patriarch recorded lots of these stories in a printed (now digitized) genealogy book, Larimer Family, 1740-1959. 

The author, John C. Work, and his father, Aaron C. Work, were (like my husband) descended from Robert Larimer, born in the North of Ireland and shipwrecked en route to America about 1740. Father and son contacted dozens of descendants over the years, and then wrote down what they were told, in as much detail as was available at the time.

Let me share just a few snippets of family loss recorded in this Larimer genealogy book, with the intent of keeping alive the memory of these long-ago ancestors:

Loss at an early age

Lucy E. Short died in 1858 before the age of 2. Her brother, Frank B. Short, died at age 32. William Larimer died in 1849 of cholera, age 30. His brother Isaac died of consumption in 1858. Jennie Landon Short died of heart disease, age 36, leaving a son. Eleanor Larimer Haglind died at age 37, leaving three young children. Many other infant deaths were recorded, most by name but some, sadly, were noted only as "child died in infancy."

Loss due to accident

Harvey J. Larimer died when he was hit by a board kiln. James Larimer died when he hit his head on frozen ground after being thrown from his horse. Amos Larimer and his family built a boat to sail from California to Oregon in the 1870s, but they never arrived and were never heard from again. Frank A. Evans lost his life in a streetcar accident, circa 1927. William Poyser died after being struck by a falling tree. John Larimer died after being infected by a deer bone splinter in 1843. 

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This is my "loss" post for Amy Johnson Crow's #52Ancestors challenge.

New England Regional Genealogy Conference, April 1 - May 31

Coming soon: the all-virtual New England Regional Genealogy Conference, which combines both live and on demand (prerecorded) presentations for family historians of all levels. 

If you're researching ancestors from New England (or beyond), this is a great conference to learn a variety of effective strategies and techniques. Dozens of sessions will be available for viewing at any time, from home in your bunny slippers, from April 1 until May 31. No cost for travel, hotel, restaurants, just one conference fee of $150 to view these info-packed, on-demand sessions at your own pace. 

Opening day on April 1 is the first of three "gathering days" featuring top-notch presentations and live chats/Q&A with superstar speakers like Dear Myrtle. Don't miss that evening's "banquet speaker," well-known genealogy mystery author Nathan Dylan Goodwin. 

For special interests, the NERGC conference provides three add-on tracks: DNA, writing your family history, and a professional track about working toward genealogy certification. Each track is $30 for a full day of 4 presentations and live Q&A with speakers. (I'm debuting my "bite-sized projects" talk during the writing track on April 24.)

NERGC has even figured out a way to offer informal "table topics" discussions hosted by members of the NEAPG in a live, virtual format. The popular society fair "tables" and library/archive "tables" will also be there, virtually. Registered attendees can make an appointment for the Ancestor Road Show (help with genealogy questions and brick walls), another special feature of this conference.

Plus you can browse the exhibit hall or have a "virtual drop in" visit with companies that sell all kinds of genealogy-related products. 

I'll miss seeing my genealogy buddies in person, but this virtual conference is the next best thing. Hope to see you in April and May!

Paying to Check Out Clues Takes Me Back A Generation

Over the years, I've gotten some intriguing clues from researchers who are investigating people in my ancestors' FAN club (friends, associates, and neighbors). Of course, sometimes it pays to actually pay for documents if I want to go beyond the clue stage.

FAN club: sailing to America together

This week, I heard from a lovely researcher whose female ancestor sailed across the Atlantic with a distant Farkas female ancestor of mine in 1914. They not only were listed one after another on the manifest, their U.S. destination was the same: they were going to Herman Weiss in New York City. Herman's wife, Ida Farkas Weiss, was my 1c3r, I knew from previous documented research. 

In further investigating the FAN club connection (Farkas-Weiss-Schwartz and more), this researcher found interesting clues in transcriptions on the Sub-Carpathia Genealogy website, devoted to Jewish genealogy in the region shown on the map above. Her finds put the site at the top of my research priorities for learning more about my Schwartz family from Ungvar, Hungary (now Uzhhorod, Ukraine).

Revisit old sources and be willing to pay

In the past, I have searched the Sub-Carpathia site, but not for several years. I should have revisited before this. Many more records have been transcribed and posted. Yesterday and today I spent hours searching the site, jam-packed with birth/marriage/death documents, gravestone photos/transcriptions, and other useful resources for researching Jewish ancestors! It includes extremely helpful and detailed suggestions for exactly how to search and what spelling variations may be found in the records from this region. 

Full original scans are available for a modest fee, and the info was so compelling that I opened my wallet to see the originals. Actually, I've already spent a small fortune buying excellent scans of various documents that mention my Schwartz family and intermarried ancestors. It's an investment that has truly paid off.

To my amazement and joy, the site has taken me a full generation back on the Schwartz side in Ungvar, and maybe even another generation back before that. 

Keep traditions in mind

The Ashkenazi Jewish tradition is to name babies after relatives who are deceased, not after the living. Also, the tradition is to inscribe the gravestone of someone who has died with "son [or daughter] of ___[insert father's first name]___". Knowing the father's name, from the gravestone, takes the line one more generation back.

I was thrilled when I found the gravestone photo of my paternal great-grandmother Hani Simonowitz Schwartz, who died on April 25, 1933 (documented date and name, awaiting death record itself). The inscription says she was the daughter of Nisen. So one of my great-great-grandfathers was Nisen Simonowitz! -- CORRECTION: Stone doesn't match original death record I received after writing this. SO according to written death record, great-great-grandpa's name was Shmuel Simonowitz. 

Another gasp when I saw the gravestone of my paternal great-grandfather Herman (Yehuda) Schwartz, who died on January 21, 1921 (documented date and details, confirmed by written original record). The inscription says he was the son of Moshe. This means I've found another one of my great-great-grandfathers, Moshe Schwartz. 

But wait, there's more: I visited JewishGen.org for more research. In the same area of the Ungvar cemetery, according to the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry, is a Moshe Schvarcz, who died in August of 1880. According to the transcription (no photo), Moshe's father's name is Yehuda Schvarcz. 

Combine personal knowledge with new info

In my Schwartz family, the naming pattern looks like this, based on the new info and what I know from relatives:

• Yehuda in the early 1800s had a son named Moshe
• Moshe in the mid-1800s had a son named Yehuda
• Yehuda in the late 1800s had a son named Tivador (my grandfather--he had brothers, but I don't know all their names yet--not found a Yehuda at this point)
• Tivador in the early 1900s had a son named Yehuda
• Yehuda in mid-1900s had a son whose middle name is Moshe. 

All of which supports (but doesn't quite prove) my theory that Yehuda Schvarcz is likely my 3d great-grandfather. Further research is in my future, and I'll open my wallet if needed.

--

"Fortune" is the theme for this week's #52Ancestors challenge. Despite spending a small fortune on these ancestors who lived and died many generations ago, I consider it a worthwhile investment!

Remembering Hubby's Emerald Isle Ancestors

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My wonderful husband has a number of ancestors born on the Emerald Isle. And of course I've been keeping their memory alive by reminding descendants every year on March 17th. Let me introduce you to:

• William Smith and his wife, Jean, both immigrants from Limerick, were hubby's 5th great-grandparents. Their son Brice Smith (1756-1828) was an “Ohio fever” pioneer, leaving his birthplace in Pennsylvania to settle the forested frontier of Ohio.
• Robert Larimer and his wife, Mary O’Gallagher, both from the North of Ireland, were hubby's 5th great-grandparents. Robert was shipwrecked sailing to America, worked off the cost of his rescue, ran away, married Mary, and farmed in Pennsylvania until they died about 1803. Their descendants were pioneers in Ohio and Indiana.
• John Shehen and his wife, Mary, from somewhere in Ireland, were hubby's 2d great-grandparents. They were born early in the 1800s in Ireland but had moved to London by the 1830s. Their daughter Mary Shehen married John Slatter in London in 1859. Her youngest daughter (Mary Slatter, 1869-1925) left London for Ohio, married James Edgar Wood and was a loving mother until her unexpected death from heart problems.
• Halbert McClure and his wife, Agnes, were born in County Donegal, Ireland, although the McClure family is originally from Isle of Skye. They were hubby's 5th great-grandparents. In the 1740s, this family sailed as a group to Philadelphia, walked to Virginia, and bought farmland. Their descendants became early pioneers in Indiana and other states.

Erin Go Bragh!

Genealogy Clues on Find a Grave

Find a Grave can be a very rich source of genealogy clues! I'm continuing my project of posting brief bios of ancestors online, to keep their memories alive. (This is a way to repurpose content from bite-sized family history projects, my talk for the New England Regional Genealogy Conference in April!)

Having written a few paragraphs about Arthur Albert Slatter (1887-1917), my husband's 1c1r who, sadly, was killed in action during WWI, I set out to repurpose it on multiple websites, including Find My Past, Fold3, Family Search, and Find a Grave.

Linked family members = clues

I've visited cousin Arthur's Find a Grave memorial page in the past. The page was originally created by a group focused on war graves, with photos of the Arras Memorial by another dedicated volunteer. 

To post a bio on a memorial I don't manage, I use the "suggest edits" function, and type (or paste) in a few sentences or even a few paragraphs. If I manage the memorial, it's easy to post the bio with a click.

In the process, I also look at any linked family members related to the person on the memorial page. Here, checking the links to Arthur Albert Slatter, I recognized the name and photo of his father (Henry Arthur Slatter, 1866-1942). I posted Henry's photo myself a while back. 

See image of Arthur's memorial page at top, where I've circled Arthur's parents' names? Alice is shown with a maiden name. A clue for me to check out! Of course, everything is a clue until confirmed.

"Alice Good, widow" 

I had previously noted, from Henry Arthur Slatter's military records, that he married widow Alice Good in 1887 (document excerpt at right). But until now, I haven't actively looked for Alice's maiden name. 

Alice's Find a Grave memorial offered me the clue I needed to investigate further. Using Ancestry, I quickly located Alice's 1882 marriage (to Harry Thomas Good) and added not only her first husband and her maiden name but also the name of her father to my Slatter family tree.

Then I inserted Alice's maiden name into my bio of her oldest son and submitted the request to the manager of Arthur Albert Slatter's memorial page, asking that the bio be posted. It's already up on Family Search, Find My Past, and Fold3, to help future generations know something of his name, his service, and his sacrifice.

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"Genealogy clues and cousin bait on Find a Grave" is the title of one of my most popular presentations. Links between relatives with Find a Grave memorials can be  wonderful clues to family history -- and excellent cousin bait as well! 

The Good, the Sad, the Ugly: Genealogy Programs During the Pandemic

One year ago, officials declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. During this week in 2020, I planned to be in the audience at two local genealogy club meetings and was scheduled to be the presenter at a third local club. The first two meetings took place before authorities announced shutdowns, but few people attended, due to growing health concerns. My presentation was postponed for a month until virtual arrangements were made. Who knew this was the start of at least 12 months of virtual genealogy learning?

By now, I've become accustomed to participating in and presenting to genealogy meetings from the comfort of my home office. Here are my thoughts on the good, the sad, and the ugly of genealogy programs during the pandemic.

The Good: Endless Opportunities for Genealogy Education

Being an early member of the Virtual Genealogical Association, the idea of watching (and presenting) webinars nothing new. But during most of 2020, it was possible to watch one or more interesting online talks nearly every day, with no time or money spent on travel. A bonanza!

Last month's global, high-profile RootsTechConnect conference was a standout. Even now, weeks after the official end, I'm still working my way through a long playlist of recorded talks by experts worldwide. Just as important, I'm downloading and saving those informative handouts, for future reference. 

All kinds of national and regional conferences switched from in-person to virtual, opening the door to additional learning experiences while sitting at home in bunny slippers. At first, I wasn't sure about paying full freight for virtual conference fees. Then I realized how much I was saving on travel, hotel, and restaurant expenses. Even better, I could attend EVERY talk, rather than having to pick and choose among concurrent sessions. This is a major benefit of virtual genealogy programs.

On a local level, libraries and genealogy clubs have added more family history talks to their schedules and welcome participants from everywhere. Most of these programs have been free and others cost only a few dollars--a bargain, and very convenient, too.

The Sad: Limited Networking Opportunities

What I miss the most: special interest group breakfasts, fun lunches and dinners with pals from genealogy and blogging, and chats with those seated nearby during genealogy talks. So many fascinating conversations, sometimes family-tree discoveries, but most of all, I miss getting to know people in person. It's sad not to do be able to do this as we did in the past.

Some genealogy groups have addressed this by providing social time before and after a virtual presentation, or with breakout rooms, or with chat discussions. All are fun, and allow for interaction beyond being in the audience. Still, I am really looking forward to seeing genealogy folks in person again.

And of course I'm looking forward to doing research in person, visiting libraries or historical societies or archives or courthouses in search of genealogical info. Clicking for resources works well but not everything is online.

The Ugly: Learn Those Video and Mic Controls, Please!

The ugliest moments of genealogy programs during the pandemic have been, in my view, when technology won't work and audience members fumble with technology.

Late in February, an Internet outage hit while I was recording my presentation for the 2021 all-virtual New England Regional Genealogy Conference. I was 30 minutes into a 45-minute talk. Even though I could do nothing about the outage, I felt bad wasting the time of the lovely folks recording the talk and lovely folks in the audience. 

While nobody can control ugly technology problems like outages, audience members can get to know tech better and avoid disrupting the program. You've heard dogs barking and phones ringing in the background when you're in a virtual meeting? Or seen people doing personal grooming (or pet grooming) on the screen during a speaker's talk? Maybe you've noticed an audience member fumbling around, muttering out loud, while trying to figure out the controls even as the speaker tries to continue with the presentation? 

Please be a good audience member and learn those controls in advance. Don't just rely on the program host to mute everyone or make the request to mute. During a virtual presentation, kindly turn off your own video and mic to avoid distractions. It saves bandwidth and it's a much-appreciated courtesy to other attendees and to the speaker. On behalf of virtual attendees everywhere, I thank you!

Bite-sized Project: A Special Place in Family History

I enjoy bite-sized family history projects because I can research and produce them in a short time--and younger relatives (my audience) clearly like the short takes more than the lengthier projects. 

The key is limiting the focus, rather than trying to create a massive project about the entire family tree. Typically, I focus on one ancestor, one couple, one surname/family, or one special photo/occasion/heirloom. But there are other ways to limit the focus for a bite-sized project.

Focus on one special place

When I recorded my new talk about bite-sized projects for the NERGC 2021 Conference* last week, Carolyn (one of the wonderful audience members) asked about focusing on an ancestral hometown. I told her I love that idea and I'm stealing it! Um, I mean adapting it ;) Another genealogy buddy calls this a #Genealogy travelogue!

A bite-sized project about a special place in family history could be about:

• where an ancestor was born, lived, married, or died
• where an ancestor operated a business or traveled on business
• where an ancestor worshipped
• where an ancestor vacationed or visited
• where something of importance (good or bad) took place that affected an ancestor's life

A paragraph or two to place my ancestor in context

An example is a bite-sized page I want to write about Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Before the Soviet era, this bustling market center was known as Ungvar, Hungary. It was the home town of my maternal grandfather, Theodore Schwartz (1887-1965).

I've done a bit of research into Ungvar's past, when he was a boy and after he left but family remained behind. Also I have a key Census (including street and house number) from when borders were redrawn and the city was part of Czechoslovakia--a Census that includes five Schwartz family members! I have almost enough content for a couple of paragraphs (or a brief video) that will put my grandpa's home town into context, as an element of family history.

For visual interest, I can include a map like the one at top, from a Creative Commons source. No copyright issues as long as I include attribution (https://mapcarta.com/Uzhhorod). I know how images can catch the eye of the audience. 

*I'll be demonstrating the process in detail during my upcoming talk, "Bring Family History Alive in Bite-Sized Projects," at the all-virtual New England Regional Genealogical Conference in April.

Enhancing, Colorizing, Animating Tillie and Leni for International Women's Day

Today is #InternationalWomensDay, a good day to honor the memories of two immigrant ancestors in my family tree by focusing on bringing their faces to life using My Heritage's amazing photo/animation tools.

Possibly I'm one of the last genealogy fans on the planet to finally try My Heritage's "Deep Nostalgia" animation tool. I also enhanced and colorized their photos with My Heritage's wonderful photo tools. 

Great-Grandma Tillie Rose Jacobs Mahler (1852?-1952)

Tillie was my father's Lithuanian-born grandmother, who came to New York City in 1886. She was widowed in her late 50s, with 7 of her 10 children still living after the death of her husband Meyer Elias Mahler (1861-1910). Tillie made her home with one or more of her grown children after being widowed, and died at the age of either 99 or 100 (no one was ever quite sure).

Above is her picture. I used My Heritage's automated tools to enhance (sharpening facial features) and colorize (more lifelike, although I don't know how accurate the result actually is). 

Great-Grandma Leni Kunstler Farkas (1865-1938)

Leni was my mother's Hungarian-born grandmother who came to New York City in 1900, a year after her husband. Soon afterward, they sent for their children to join them and all were settled in New York by 1903. Leni, who ruled the household finances with a firm hand, outlived her husband Moritz Farkas (1857-1936) by only two years. 

The enhancement and colorization brings Leni's face to life for me and other descendants who never had the opportunity to meet our great-grandma.

Clues in Genealogy Book Lead to Another Civil War Veteran

My husband's family tree has multiple generations of men named Isaac Larimer. Untangling who's who has taken many hours of research. But thanks to the printed genealogy book Larimer Family, 1740-1959, by John Clarence Work (now available digitally, free, through Family Search), I picked up enough clues to identify one as yet another Civil War veteran in hubby's family!

Few sources, missing information

Above is an excerpt from page 30 of the Larimer genealogy, where the top name is ISAAC LARIMER (my husband's 1c4r). No sources on this page, and missing information such as birth/death dates; the first name of the wife of Isaac Larimer; the first name of the wife of John Larimer; and the first name of the wife of Jacob Wright Larimer. 

Other pages list as sources specific relatives (living at the time of publication) who provided information, and church letters showing who was born where/when and the movement of Larimer families as they moved westward. But of course the author didn't have the benefit of digitized, transcribed, indexed data available with a click or two.

Starting point for research

When I saw that this particular Isaac Larimer was "wounded in the Civil War," according to the book, I jumped him to the top of my research list. My priority was discovering more about his military service. But first, I had to be sure I was focusing on the correct Isaac Larimer.

Using Ancestry, I entered Isaac's spouse's maiden name and quickly discovered an Isaac Larimer who married Marilda McCreary (not McCrory, as in the genealogy) in 1852. The place/date fits, and matches other details from the printed genealogy--including the fact that another McCreary was married into the Larimer family, which I easily verified. That tiny note in the book clinched it. Correct Isaac Larimer!

"Gunshot wound of face"

Next, I searched the database U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865. I found an Isaac Larimer born about 1828 in Fairfield County, Ohio. (That fits with what I know of this branch of the Larimer line, from the printed genealogy and other sources.) A farmer, he enlisted at the age of 33 and was mustered into Company K of the 35th Illinois Infantry on August 28, 1861. Just over a year later, he was promoted to sergeant. 

Isaac was mustered out of the infantry on September 27, 1864, after a "gunshot wound of face." I wasn't surprised to see that he filed for an invalid pension on October 8, 1864 (see index card at right).

Later life

As the Larimer printed genealogy indicates, my research confirms Isaac Larimer did return home, and later moved to Southern Illinois, where I found him in the 1870 and 1880 census records. 

Although the author of the printed genealogy found no further records, the trail continues for today's researchers. I soon found Isaac as a homesteader in Missouri. Later, he was enumerated in Webster county, Missouri, as part of the 1890 Veteran's Schedule, where he was noted to be "now blind in rite eye" (enumerator's spelling, not mine.)

Isaac's wife, Marilda, died in 1905 and he died in 1910. They are buried side by side in Redtop township, Dallas County, Missouri. Once I write a bite-sized bio of cousin Isaac Larimer (1828-1910), I'll include it in my booklet of Wood family Civil War ancestors. I'll also post it as a memorial on Fold3, FamilySearch, and other sites to share more widely.

"Multiples" is the week 9 prompt in Amy Johnson Crow's 2021 challenge of #52Ancestors.  

Redoing the Research for Ancestors in Printed Genealogies

My husband's Larimer ancestors intermarried with members of the Work family in years past. Fortunately for me, descendants researched and produced detailed genealogies of both the Larimer and the Work family trees. 

At left is the printed "Work Family History," which is digitized and freely available on Family Search here. 

What's the source?

The authors visited hometowns and cemeteries, contacting a multitude of relatives and institutions in person and by mail. Some sources are shown in the book, including transcribed letters from churches. Other sources are noted as "in possession of" a family member.

The authors were meticulous in noting where proof was scarce or nonexistent, using phrases such as: "family tradition" and "it is said that" (repeating stories passed down through the generations), "nothing definite could be learned" (no proof to confirm), "there is a probability that" (a good hypothesis but not proven), and "the date is not known exactly" (no specific date, just a month and year).

Still, in the 80 years since the book was printed, additional records have become available that the authors may not have seen. Now, little by little, I'm redoing the research on selected ancestors who have Work and Larimer connections to my husband's family tree.

Redoing the research, understanding the context

Redoing the research also gives me an opportunity to appreciate the historical context of these ancestors' lives.

Here's what happened when I started researching the background of Samuel Work (17??-1817). The Work family history says Samuel and his wife Jean McEwen Work moved from Newark, Delaware to Mifflin County, Pennsylvania in 1792. 

I looked for and found Samuel and family in the 1800 U.S. Census, living in Union township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. 

Because this enumerator listed heads of household by surname alphabetically, my eyes slid below the "W" names to the bottom of the page. Then I noticed the totals for Union township. 

Census history lesson

In addition to 424 "free white males" and 362 females, the census shows "persons of colour...4" and "slaves...1" (see enlargement at bottom).

I reread the entire handwritten form to see whether Samuel Work was a slave owner. No, he was not.

Further research showed that Pennsylvania voted in 1780 to gradually abolish slavery, even though people continued to be enslaved in the state for decades afterward. 

Given that Samuel Work and his family were devout members of the Presbyterian Church, I searched for more info on that angle. The American Presbyterian community was historically against slavery but the issue caused a split in the church during the 19th century, long after Samuel Work had passed away and long after the family moved west to Indiana.

Spelling reveals the past

Another insight came from examining the spelling of the enumerator in the totals of Union township, Mifflin County, PA. He wrote "persons of colour," which indicates either he was born in England or was brought up to use British spellings. At this point in American history, dictionaries with British spelling were in common use. 

Remember, the 1800 Census was only the second one done by the still-young nation. By 1820, the column headings for the Census used American spelling for "color." 

Simply reading the Census page carefully provided much food for thought about the historical context of this distant ancestor's life in Union township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, circa 1800. Can't wait to see what else turns up as I continue retracing the steps of the original researchers, seeking more details and new sources.

Mom Kept Score, So I Keep Score Too

How does a tradition begin and then get passed down through a family (and beyond)?

My Mom (Daisy Schwartz Burk, 1919-1978) loved playing Scrabble. She not only taught her daughters to keep score, she kept the score cards from our family games in the Scrabble box.

Remembering Mom's tradition of putting score cards into the box, I've been doing the same. For, well, a long time. Here are some score cards from 1984, 1995, and 1998. Just a sampling of the many stuffed into game boxes over the decades. (Not always full names, usually initials because families know who's who, right?)

Who Wants Old Score Sheets?

Yesterday, after playing a card game with my wonderful Sis, I crammed the handwritten score card into the game box, along with all the other score sheets. Sis wondered whether I should keep saving these odd bits of paper with scribbled info. 

I snapped photos and texted to the younger generation to ask their opinions. It was unanimous.

Answers: (1) "Oh please keep them in the box if for no other reason that evidence of our weird childhood handwriting hahahah." (2) "There are decades of game scores to prove we got together!" (3) "Keep!!"

Sparking Memories

I was in a gals' game group for more than a decade and naturally collected the score sheets in my game boxes. While pawing through the boxes today, I came across this handwritten score from September 19, 2011. It sparked a happy memory of one of the laugh-filled nights we gals had together: A delightful adult pajama party, complete with teddy bears and favorite dolls.

"Teddy bears came along for hot cocoa" reads my note at top left of the score sheet. "No jokers, thanx" (referring to the rules we adapted for the night). And a photo of all our beloved stuffed pals sharing a chair. 

Although this game group doesn't meet any longer (due to pandemic restrictions and members moving away), seeing the score sheet brings a smile to my face--remembering the joy of special time with special friends. 

The score sheets aren't really heirlooms, but they are tangible momentoes of happy times with family and friends. I'm leaving them in the box for future generations to enjoy.

Gone fishin at RootsTechConnect

 

As you can see, I'm putting up the "gone fishin" sign because from Thursday to Saturday, I'm going to be busy with RootsTechConnect, the entirely virtual genealogy conference. Ready to learn new ways of fishing for ancestors!

There's still time to be part of this extraordinary global genealogy event. More than half a million people worldwide have already registered. In addition to the informative presentations, RootsTech features dozens of keynoters and a virtual expo hall. 

Gone fishin...see you at RootsTech! 

Save Family History for More Than One Generation

During my "Planning a Future for Your Family's Past" webinar for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston on Sunday, I spoke about how to plan ahead to save your family-history collection for future generations. An attendee asked a very important question:

Does the strategy change if thinking into future generations, more than one generation ahead?

Oral history lost after three generations

As background, let me point to an old news item quoting archivist Aaron Holt of Fort Worth. He said “it only takes three generations to lose a piece of oral family history. … It must be purposely and accurately repeated over and over again through the generations to be preserved for a genealogist today." 

Today, I'm thinking not only about oral history--the stories we hear and tell about our ancestors--but also about photos, documents, and other physical items that connect us to generations in the past. What can we do to keep our family history alive in the family for more than one generation into the future?

Top priority: Share information widely

In my experience, the best thing we can do to keep family history safe for the future is to share the information widely among family members now. We must be sure that the next generation will be aware of our genealogy and key pieces of information about our family's past. 

The more relatives who know stories, names, faces, and facts today, the more likely that family history will survive into the generations beyond our own. 

Case in point: My maternal grandmother's Farkas Family Tree. She and her siblings formed the tree association in March, 1933. They kept typed and handwritten notes from monthly meetings stretching from 1933 into 1964. I remember attending meetings when I was a little girl. From my perspective, it was a time to see cousins and eat. I had no idea what the adults did during the meeting.

In fact, I had no idea written notes were taken at each meeting until one of my mother's first cousins mentioned it casually about seven years ago. He had two volumes of meeting minutes that had been bound for safekeeping. Did I want to see? Absolutely! What a gold mine of genealogy these minutes turned out to be. If not for this chance comment, the existence of the books of minutes might have not be known or remembered by the next generation.

My cousin allowed me to keep the books long enough to scan the 600+ pages, filled with details of family life and social gatherings for 31 years. I had the scans printed and bound for some cousins and, later, shared the scans electronically with a larger circle of cousins. Some of the cousins were too young to go to a meeting and were quite interested to read the month-by-month doings of our family. The "Farkas Family Tree" will live on in these meeting minutes, now in the hands or computers of more than a dozen cousins across the country. They can discuss with their families and share with descendants.

Provide context for future generations 

Without sufficient context, how will relatives two or three generations from now understand who's who and where ancestors actually fit into the family tree? 

I was lucky enough to be able to discuss the Farkas Family Tree minutes with four older cousins who attended meetings back in the day, and get their perspective on what I read in the minutes. I also conducted genealogical research to fill in gaps where needed. In essence, I was a connecting link from the past to the present, and learned enough context to share with future generations.

As a result, the package I sent to cousins was more than just the minutes. I included a 60-year-old family photo with identifications, an alphabetical list of names from the minutes, and an explanation of who each person was: Hermina Farkas Schwartz was the oldest daughter of Moritz Farkas and Leni Kunstler Farkas, the wife of Theodore Schwartz, and the maternal grandmother of Marian Burk Wood. 

So my advice for keeping family history alive two or more generations in the future is: share info/documents/photos/stories now as widely as possible, and provide context so later generations can understand the names, relationships, and lives of ancestors from the distant past. 

For more ideas, please see Amy Johnson Crow's post about LOCKSS--Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. And, of course, keep in mind the privacy of people still living.

Happy Birthday to Us--Caught in the Act!

 

Happy birthday to my sweet twin Sis!

Caught in the act--trying to turn the dials on our family's old black-and-white TV. 

No idea who's who, just two little girls fascinated by what was then a must-have piece of furniture, the TV console with built-in record player and radio. 

Where the Bodies Are Buried, Part 4 (Finale)

Until now, I didn't realize how quick and easy it is to download (in text format) the details of any virtual cemetery created on Find a Grave.

Thanks to @confuzled, a #Genealogy buddy on Twitter, I can share this methodology with you. And it only takes a few moments!

Don't let ancestors' burial places be forgotten

In the previous three parts of my series "where the bodies are buried," I tried different methods of aggregating the final resting places of my ancestors. The goal is to distribute this information widely within my family so ancestors' burial places are not forgotten.

After trying a variety of methods, I concluded that the speediest and most convenient way is to put my ancestors on Find a Grave (if not already memorialized there), create a virtual cemetery (by surname or family), and email the link to my relatives.

However, I also wanted to be able to sort by location and cemetery and surname. In Part 3, I created a Word document to do that--copying info from my Find a Grave memorials.

But @confuzled was kind enough to explain how, exactly, to download my virtual cemetery into a text file that I can use for a Word document, etc.

Prerequisite: You must have registered on Find a Grave (free), and created a virtual cemetery (see Part 1 of my series for detailed instructions). 

Detailed directions for downloading

After logging into Find a Grave, click on the drop-down menu at top right of the screen, under your account name/photo. 

Next, select "account." You'll see a menu at left, as shown here.

Click on "data and privacy." 

You'll see a screen asking you which virtual cemetery you would like to download. 

Simply select a virtual cemetery, click to download, and you'll get a .txt document similar to the one shown at top. It's tab-delimited and can be imported into different programs. I'll be importing into Word, for instance. 

There are many more headings and data entries than shown in my excerpted sample at top. This is much more convenient than entering each memorial by hand in my Word document! 

I am grateful to @confuzled for tipping me to this handy method of downloading data from Find a Grave for my own home-made Word document or spreadsheet.

One last tip: Link to your virtual cemeteries

Dara McGivern, who blogs at Black Raven Genealogy, gave me an idea including virtual cemeteries right on a family history blog. She created a special section and developed beautiful memorials on her blog--read all about it here. 

TY to @DaraMcGivern for this idea! Shortly I'm going to add links to my ancestor landing pages (those tabs spread across the top of my blog) so cousins can easily click and find our ancestors' burial places.

This concludes my "where the bodies are buried" series. What an adventure, and I sincerely appreciate the ideas and suggestions I've been received.

Where the Bodies Are Buried, Part 3

I don't want future generations to forget where our ancestors are buried. In Part 1 of this series, I found out how extremely fast and easy it is to create a virtual cemetery on Find a Grave. I've now created 3 virtual cemeteries and still keep clicking to add ancestors to each one. This is also an incentive for me to be sure more of my ancestors are represented on Find a Grave.

In Part 2, I highlighted a printed workbook for documenting death and burial details for ancestors. Also, I experimented with an illustrated pedigree-style listing of final resting places--not a big success, but a learning experience. 

Now I've created one of my favorite tools for recording genealogical details: A Word document with details typed into a table, sortable by column.

Sort by surname, sort by cemetery

Shown above is an excerpt from my document "Wood Family Burial Places." I entered information in three columns, thinking ahead to how I might want to view the details for various reasons.

Each ancestor is entered: SURNAME, GIVEN & MIDDLE NAMES. That allows me to digitally sort the table according to surname--handy for when I'm only interested in the Wood line, not the Slatter line (in-laws) and so on.

I also listed cemeteries with complete address info. Some day, I or another descendant might want to visit. This makes it quick and easy to sort by name of cemetery. VARIATION: I could have listed a separate column for city/state. In this case, I didn't--but I will for my next iteration. Then I can sort by city/state, and within city/state, by cemetery, if I'm planning a visit.

My preference: Find a Grave

After reviewing all my options, and testing a number of different methods, I am happiest with my virtual cemeteries on Find a Grave. In fact, while creating my Word document, I consulted Find a Grave for details. Ideally, Find a Grave would someday allow me to download my virtual cemetery in a spreadsheet or pdf format. Wouldn't that be even easier?

So I'm going to add to my virtual cemeteries on Find a Grave AND then transfer each family's cemetery (one name at a time) to a Word document that can be sorted and printed for distribution to relatives. I'll also put a copy into my files for future descendants to see.

NOTE: RootsMagic7 is the genealogy software I use, but I'm not as proficient as I'd like. It would have allowed me to print a custom report if I had entered burial places for the people in my family tree. I didn't do that from the start, which means any report I create now would be incomplete. That's why I'm investigating these other methods of recording and distributing burial information so my family will not forget where the bodies are buried.