Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire An affiliate of the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, www.wsgs.org

Vol. 35 January—February 2018 No. 3 Happy New Year Everyone! Time to make some resolutions regarding genealogy? Here are some of mine. • Look at the author/authors more critically. Do they know what they are writing about? • Citations: do I have any? LOL • Contact some cousins, what do they remember about my ancestors. • Add more content [biographies] to my website. • Attend a conference. • Start a column on organizational ideas in the newsletter. What are yours?

Congratulations to Greg Kocken, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Department of Special Collections and Archives, for winning the Governor’s Ar- chives Award for Archival Advocacy this past June, 2017. Greg is a member of GRSEC and has presented many interesting and informative lectures to this group. Each year, the WI Historical Society recognizes individual and organizations for meritorious work in areas relating to the society’s mission: connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. Congratulations Greg!

Up-Coming Genealogy Workshops and Classes from the WI Historical Index Society These workshops are sponsored by the Board Members...... p. 2 Wisconsin Historical Society. Society members Publication Notice...... p. 2 and members of the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society receive discounts on registration fees at most Calendar...... p. 2 events. Past Presenters...... p. 3 Thursday, March 8, Irish Genealogy - Ulster Histori- FamilySearch News...... p.3 cal Foundation Lecture Tour Deaths of Past Members...... p. 3 Saturday, March 17, How to Get the Most Out of Tomah, Monroe County Research...... p. 3 Your Genealogy, Thomas MacEntee Midwest Newspapers Online...... p. 3 Saturday, April 7, Introduction for Using DNA for Articles by Members...... p. 4 Genealogy Research, Mary Eberle One More Thing...... p. 6 Saturday, May 19, Norwegian Genealogy, NGS Family History Conf. Flyer...... p.7 Jerry Paulson For more information: https://www.wisconsinhistory. org/Records/Article/CS4170 www.grsec.org [email protected]

GRSEC Board Members Calendar of Upcoming Events

Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire (GRSEC) January 6—GRSEC meeting, 9 am coffee, visiting, Chairman/President library help, 10 am meeting followed by Jack Zais’s Linda McClelland...... presentation on the female work force at the Eau Vice Chairman/President Larry Wold ...... 715-726-0499 Claire tire plant. Secretary January 9— “Adventures in History: Book Club” 6:30 Ken Kiesow...... 715-877-2319 pm, Chippewa Valley Museum. Book for discussion is Treasurer/Membership Tom Davey ...... 715 .835 .2655 This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Program Chair Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust. Kathy Herfel ...... 715 .926 .5205 January 16—Webinar “FamilySearch: The Other 70%” Cemetery Indexing presented by Jill Morelli, sponsored by the WI Karin Pettis...... 715 .225 .9901 State Genealogical Society. 7:00 pm, CST. Doing a Historian surname search only reaches 30% of documents on Linda McClelland .org, learn how to research the other 70% Obituary Chair of documents held. Register at: https://attendee.got- Kathy Herfel ...... 715 .926 .5205 owebinar.com/register/989876411730844418 Librarians January 20— “What’s it Worth?” Roger Davis ...... 715 .835 .1630 Antique and Col- Patricia Anderson ...... 715 .563 .2616 lectible Appraisal event, 10:15 to 1:15, Eau Claire Website Room, LE Phillips Library. Appraisals are by ap- Michaela Walters...... 715 .828 .1711 pointment only. Call 715-839-4834 to schedule your LE Phillips Library Liaison 4-minute appointment. Renee Ponzio ...... 715-839-1683 January 23— “Write Something: Lessons on Getting Publicity Going” Deb Jarvar ...... 715 .874 .6678 7-8 pm, Eau Claire Room, LE Phillips Li- Newsletter brary. Bruce Taylor will lead you through some writ- Anita Reid ...... 715 .828 .2255 ing activities to help you improve those skills. January 23—Webinar “FamilySearch: How to Find An- This newsletter is published in September, November, cestors in Digitalarkivet of Norway,” presented by Liv January, March, May, and mid July . Deadline for entries http://bit.ly/29Gq50B is the last day of the month prior to publication . Anderson, 11 am to 2 pm. So entries for November’s issue would be October 31 . February 10— GRSEC meeting, 9 am coffee, visiting, The GRSEC meets the second Saturday of each month, library help, 10 am meeting followed by a presenta- September through May, at 10:00 am . Come early at tion by Ralph Schneider on writing an autobiography 9:30 am with your questions or just to visit . We meet at February 13— “Have Nordic Ancestors? Count Your- the Chippewa Valley Museum, located at Carson Park, self Lucky - Nordic Records are Amazing,” by Mike in beautiful Eau Claire, Wisconsin . Mansfield, sponsored by MyHeritage, 12 to 1:30 pm. The GRSEC does not meet during the summer months To register: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regis- (June through August) . The membership year runs May ter/288987226868500482 1st through April 30th . Membership fee is $10 .00 per year, beginning May 1st . Check your mailing label on the newsletter for your expiration date . It is on the right hand Upcoming: WSGS Gene-A-Rama (WSGS corner . Get your newsletter via email? Then check with Conference/Workshop) Friday, April 13 through Tom Davey, the Treasurer/Membership chair . Saturday, April 14. Best Western Premier Our email address and website address appear at the top of every page in the header area. Member- Waterfront Hotel, 1 North Main St., Oshkosh, WI. ship forms are on the back page of every issue.

—2— www.grsec.org [email protected]

Thank you to our past presenters! Phyllis Goff, age 91 died on 3 April 2017. At our November meeting Lori Bressler led an “Phyllis had an early interest in reading as evidenced informative discussion on Ancestry.com and also by a certificate presented to her in second grade. Her included a three page handout. The place was packed major interests were reading novels, writing letters, and questions were answered. Lori spoke about the family genealogy, and history. In 1981, she inherited value of having a tree on Ancestry, checking the articles of family memorabilia from her mother that research tips and help pages, how to find descriptions sparked an interest in learning more about her family. of collection items, search terms and organizational She found great joy and satisfaction in researching ideas—just to name a few! Thanks Lori for making her family’s genealogy, spending many hours copying the drive up here and bringing your daughters along! by hand documents found primarily in Wisconsin If anyone would like a copy of the handout, speak courthouses. She was the “go to” person to ask about up at the next meeting or contact one of the board family history and arranged many family gatherings.” members. Evergreenfuneralhome.com The December meeting was attended by a few har- Both Don and Phyllis belonged to the GRSEC for dy souls bringing along their Christmas goodies to many years and had much to offer. share. Dale Larson’s presentation was on his ancestor, Genealogy Research of the Families S. O. Lund, an immigrant artist from Norway. My of Tomah, Monroe County,Wisconsin uncle’s family, P. O. Bruden, had a portrait by Lund hanging in their living room for years. I do not know why “Minnesota” is a part of the web site address but the site is about Tomah residents of FamilySearch News Monroe county, Wisconsin. It contains family his- Beginning on December 13, you will now need to tories for over 400 Tomah area families, nine May- register for a free FamilySearch account in order to flower passengers with descendants in the Tomah use the website. The site remains free and it is free to area, burials in Oak Grove Cemetery, and records register. This is apparently a requirement by some of from St. John’s Ridgeville Parish Register. Anyone the companies/institutions where FamilySearch has with a connection to the Tomah area should find this filmed or digitized records. One more hoop to jump site interesting. Go to http://minnesota-slim.net/ through... tomahfamilies/mainpageindex.htm . Thanks to Roger GRSEC members who passed away Davis for finding this site for us to explore. in 2017 650 Free Midwest States Online Don Brill was born 8 September 1922 and died 13 Historic Newspaper Titles Added September 2017 at the Veterans Home in Chippe- Includes the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, wa Falls. Don and his wife Meredith came to many Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, GRSEC meetings over the years. He could usually be North and South Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and found in the museum’s library between 9 and 10 a.m. Wisconsin. Check them out at http://www.thean- on meeting days. cestorhunt.com/blog/650-free-midwest-states-on- “Don was from a long family line of American Co- line-historic-newspaper-titles-added#.Wk0cgj- lonial and U.S. war veterans back to the mid 1600s. dG3mF He served as president of the Tainter chapter of Sons of the American Revolution (Eau Claire and Dunn counties) from 2004—2010. He was a descen- Would you like to receive the dant of seven Jamestown and Mayflower families, Sawdust City Roots many American Revolution soldiers from New York, newsletter via email? Become Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Sgt. John Brill from a member and make sure the war of 1812, and four grandfathers who served in Wisconsin and Minnesota Civil War regiments. Tom Davey has your email He was also a life member of the Descendants of the address! Mayflower Society.” Hulkefamilyfh.com —3— www.grsec.org [email protected]

Moon Lake. Following that, I added the log chutes, Articles by GRSEC Members the cemetery, and the places of interest, noted by Eau Claire Map Quilt thread green squares. Those are breweries, churches, Mary Carlson courthouse, city A few years ago, I saw a map quilt of Holyoke, NJ hall, saw mills, in a Quilting Arts Magazine. Because I love history, sawyer mills, maps, genealogy, and quilting, I thought to myself, “I etc. could make something similar”. In my home, I’ve had Once every- a framed colorized page from an Eau Claire County thing was plat book. I have no recollection where that came essentially fas- from, but possibly the Antique Emporium. tened, I added batting and backing (the quilt sandwich). I stitched in each little square of white where the streets intersected. Then I quilted the white back- ground using my even feed foot. I opted to do this rather than free motion as there is more control. History and maps speak to genealogists. Stitch and research! The future is bright for additional map quilts. All photographs were provided and used with the I began making very narrow bias strips using Betty permission of Mary Carlson. Skapyak’s Uncle Otto’s Obituary Anita Reid local hand dyes. The colors I chose were very close to Otto is not my uncle. He was my mother’s uncle and those in the magazine. On a white background, all godfather and I never heard him referenced as any- of them were thing but “Uncle Otto.” He died long before I came easily visible along, but if my mother continued to speak of him in value. I had with such fondness in her voice for sixty years, he Betty dye a must have been one great Norwegian! white with Otto was the first of the “Johnson” boys to arrive speckles of from Norway. He immigrated in 1891, married a black. I asked nice Norwegian girl in 1892 and started working at my spouse to the Eau Claire paper mill. He eventually helped two enlarge the brothers and a sister all settle in Eau Claire. He died photo by a way too young, at age 68 years, in 1940. certain per- centage, so that I could work with the strips. Then I Fast forward to the present, and one evening as I was traced each street and waterway onto a clear plastic cruising the Internet looking for ancestors. Every so film purchased at the fabric store. With that as a often I repeat searches or go back to favorite websites guide, I began to place each strip, covering up the cut to see what is new. I was checking the McIntyre ends with another strip. I was 98% successful doing Library web page and clicked on the “Digital Col- that, but a few have cut ends that I turned under and lections” tab. One of my favorite collections is the a handful or less are just raw! I hate to admit that! “Periscopes,” the campus yearbook. I have found so Once in place, I stitched each bias strip on both sides. many female and male relatives that became teachers They stretch, so I had to be very careful. The Eau through that resource. But what caught my eye was Claire and Chippewa Rivers were placed, then Half further down the page, “The Reform, 1896-1941.” —4— www.grsec.org [email protected]

The description is as follows: “Access The Reform, This was what I wanted and what the English papers a Norwegian language newspaper from Eau Claire, did not include. Wisconsin. Access includes issues from 1896-1941 For 45 years Johnson was employed at the Paper along with several historic images from the Waldemar Mill and as Foreman—but one who worked with Ager Association. The resource is provided thanks to a the others and often took the hardest jobs himself. partnership with the Waldemar Ager Association and He was clever. There could not be a more heart- ResCarta Foundation.” Clicking on the title takes you felt and reliable man than him. Endowed with a to a new web page “the ager museum.” You can browse pair of unusually broad shoulders, he was always or do a simple search. willing to load on himself such things that should I spent a happy evening searching for my Norwegian be carried or be done. Enemies had he never had. families. I found marriage announcements that I had Quiet and reliable as he was, he leaves a huge loss not found in any other Eau Claire paper. I started [void]. looking for my grandfather, Helmer Johnson, when I A great man, who happened realized that his brother Otto’s obituary should be in to be Norwegian! the paper. The obituary followed the one found in the Eau Claire paper except for the beginning and end. I did not translate the And of course I wanted to know what the translation passages myself. I contacted was! From The Reform, 11 July 1940, p. 4, col. 3. the Ager Museum, who in turn connected me with Dr. Robert Fossum, Presi- dent of the Waldemar Ager Association and Trøderlag of America. Dr. Fossum was very gracious and complet- ed the translation for me by the next day. This is his explanation of the Norwe- The first paragraph reads: “It was truly sorrow’s mes- gian I was not able to decipher. sage when it was asked Saturday whether Otto Johnson had died suddenly of a heart attack. It The one thing that most people forget is that the sounded so unbelievable even though his friends knew Norwegian that Ager (and his contemporaries) that his heart wasn’t strong.” wrote was more Danish. It’s sometimes called Dano-Norwegian. Before the Norwegian lan- It goes on to summarize his life and accomplishments guage reform in the early 1900s after separation and ends with the last paragraph which follows. from Sweden, the language had been essentially Danish. So there are many Danish words and spellings that appear. Fortunately I lived in Denmark for about 6 years (not consecutively) and learned Danish, which, together with the Norwegian I learned while living in Norway, gives me a slight advantage to translating Ager. This is also one reason why Google translate doesn’t work so well. Email, Robert Fossum to Anita Reid, 15 September 2017; Reid Correspondence. Photograph, Otto Arnt Johnson, Reid, Johnson Family. [Right after I had this obituary translated, I received an email from Patrick Mattson regarding The Reform online! Thanks Patrick.] —5— www.grsec.org [email protected]

Each chapter and topic is full of detail. More detail One More Thing… than I thought I would have needed. The calendar/ date change section, about 4 pages long, is the best GenSoftReviews explanation I’ve read about that Julian to Gregorian thing. All topics are presented from the viewpoint of Top Rated Genealogy , “Now think about this, be careful, here are the pros 2017 and cons of this particular record, so think hard about A users Choice Award winner. Winners are those what’s it is telling you, or not telling you.” programs whose users have come to the GenSoftRev- There are two new chapters about technology and iews website and rated they software they use. family history, not a surprise. http://www.gensoftreviews.com/awards.php Mr. Greenwood includes a lot of glossaries; a lot of Windows-based: definitions of words pertaining to the topic in that particular chapter. When glossaries are at the end , Ahnenblatt, Personal Ancestral of the book, I get distracted flipping back and forth. File, Family Book Creator, , Gen- Having these definitions in the same chapter is exact- erations, Brother’s Keeper, RootsMagic, The Master ly where I need them. Genealogist, Relatively Yours, Family Tree Builder, (up to Version 16), and Ages This is just a super-great reference book. Definite- ly a must-have for the beginner group, and always Mac-based: useful for the advanced group. Mr. Greenwood does iFamily for Mac, Heredis for Mac, and Reunion not publish often, but when he does, it’s a landmark Online programs: edition. Famberry, The Next Generation, Genealogie Online, The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy is , and MyHeritage available from the publisher at http://bit.ly/2jEAnse Book Review: The Researcher’s Guide to and from Amazon at http://amzn.to/2EEVksL. American Genealogy, 4th Edition, Val D. Greenwood. Milwaukee Newspapers Online Genealogical Publishing Co., 2017. 778 pages. Archives Book review was written by Bobbi King. This Reprinted from Eastman’s Online Genealogy News- article is reprinted from “Eastman’s Online Genealo- letter, dated 22 December 2017. gy Newsletter,” published 2 January 2018. The Milwaukee Journal print editions going back to “It’s nice to see this well-worn genealogical classic 1884, Milwaukee Sentinel papers going back to 1910, refreshed and reprinted. It’s held its worth and value and the Journal Sentinel dailies from 1995 through nicely, and this most recent volume has been updated 2007 are back online again. The online archives were with pertinent information for researching today’s a part of the Google News Archive project that has resources. The 3rd edition came out in 2000, so this now ended. 2017 edition encompasses significant updates. The archives are available at: The most obvious difference is the abundance of • Milwaukee Journal: https://news.google.com/ URLs throughout the book. Wherever there’s an newspapers?nid=jvrRlaHg2sAC opportunity for a researcher to go online and learn more about a topic, Mr. Greenwood includes the link. • Milwaukee Sentinel: https://news.google.com/ In rewriting his book, he regrets the opportunities for newspapers?nid=wZJMF1LD7PcC inaccuracies due to rapid changes of links and website • Journal Sentinel: https://news.google.com/newspa- addresses, a testament to his desire to write the most pers?nid=OP2qWFMeUpEC up-to-date volume possible. This from the man, who, in 1972, used an IBM Executive typewriter to type Details are available in the Journal Sentinel web site 535 pages, including all the charts, tables, and illus- at: http://bit.ly/2BXny3A. [This link will give you tration, twice, to prepare camera-ready copy. pop-ups and ads first! Just X out of them.]

—6— www.grsec.org [email protected]

—7— GRSEC Newsletter Chippewa Valley Museum PO Box 1204 Eau Claire, WI 54702

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Area of Research and Surnames Annual dues of $10 per household/year are collected in May. Please make your check payable to GRSEC and return with completed form to: GRSEC c/o Chippewa Valley Museum, PO Box 124, Eau Claire, WI 54702-1204