GET ORGANIZED! 12 PRO TIPS STATE GUIDES: MAINE & NEW MEXICO
familytreemagazine.com JULY/AUGUST 2018 MAGAZINE SSolveolve AAncestorncestor MMysteriesysteries REALLIFE CASES! “I Found My Sperm Donor Father With DNA” PAGE 54 How Genealogists Help Coroners Find Next-of-Kin PAGE 18
US $8.99 CAN $9.99 Old Records Secrets for 08 3388You Won’t Eastern European 6 0 71658 02003 0 Find Online Research Display until August 13, 2018 contents JULY / AUGUST 2018
17
branchingout 17
Look for the green arrow Open Cases Top Secrets throughout this issue 18 41 Professional genealogists share their E for hints to expanded When someone dies alone, county versions, free downloads coroners must track down next of kin 12 top tips for staying organized, and related products at to notify—and they’re increasingly catching every clue, and making the familytreemagazine.com. asking genealogists for help. See how most of your research minutes. three determined researchers cracked by Janine Adams a tough family-finding case. by Pat Williams 48 Off the Grid Some of the best genealogy sources 24 Going East won’t be found online. You can Our expert shares six common make these 38 exciting family history ON THE COVER: obstacles for Eastern European gene- discoveries only in person. Get organized! 41 alogy—and how to overcome them. by Shelley K. Bishop by Lisa A. Alzo “I found my sperm-donor father” 54 54 Finding Connections State Research Guides Professional genealogist John Vanek’s Genealogists 33 helping coroners 18 Our series helps you trace your successful search for his sperm-donor ancestors in US states. In this issue: father—and the men’s thoughtful Records that aren’t online 48 MAINE 33 navigation through their new relation- Eastern European research 24 by Leslie M. Stroope ship—off er inspiration to birth NEW MEXICO 37 family searchers. COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: AL PARRISH; COMPOSITE: JULIE BARNETT by David A. Fryxell by Sunny Jane Morton
familytreemagazine.com 1 JULY / AUGUST 2018
everything’srelative 5 14 6 Lisa’s Picks Family history faves from the founder of Genealogy Gems. by Lisa Louise Cooke
8 Timeline The history of fences and border walls. by David A. Fryxell
10 Stories to Tell A genealogist moves far from his family’s hometown— only to discover deep roots in his new city. by Diane Haddad
12 Your Turn Preserve your memories by answering our family history prompt.
14 Family History Home How to preserve and curate your collection of vacation souvenirs, old and new. by Denise May Levenick treetips 61
62 Now What? Researching Catholic nuns and translating old German handwriting. 6 by David A. Fryxell
64 Document Detective Finding clues in an old application for a dog license. 6 by George G. Morgan 65 Tech Toolkit What’s New: Using genetic genealogy to solve crimes, DNA help for adoptees and more by Diane Haddad 65 DNA Q&A by Diahan Southard 67 How To: Sync your mobile photos to Google by Diane Haddad 68 IN EVERY ISSUE: 70 Roundup: DNA tools by Rick Crume Out on a Limb 3 Website: Access Genealogy Tree Talk 4 by Diane Haddad 71 The Rest is History 72
Family Tree Magazine (ISSN 1529-0298) is published seven times per year: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September, October/November and December by F+W, A Content + eCommerce Company, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone (513) 531-2690. Copyright ©2018 F+W Media, Inc., Vol. 19, No. 4, July/August 2018. Subscription rates: one year, $36. Canadian subscriptions add $8 per year, other foreign subscriptions add $10 per year for surface mail or $35 per year for airmail and remit in US funds. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Family Tree Magazine, Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32141; return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Box 1632, Windsor, Ontario N9A 7C9. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offi ces. Produced and printed in the USA.
2 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 JULY/AUGUST 2018 / VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4 out on a limb Group Publisher Allison Dolan Editor Diane Haddad Art Director Julie Barnett Editor/Content Producer Andrew Koch Instructional Designer Vanessa Wieland Online Content Director Ashlee Peck Family tree research is Social Media Manager Rachel Fountain often compared to detective work. Like Contributing Editors Lisa A. Alzo, Rick Crume, David actual detectives, genealogists investigate A. Fryxell, Nancy Hendrickson, Sunny Jane Morton, clues in old records, analyze pieces of evi- Maureen A. Taylor dence gathered from diferent places, and
F+W, A CONTENT + ECOMMERCE COMPANY develop a picture of what really happened. CEO Greg Osberg I’ve heard many a family historian say that CFO Jennifer Graham solving these puzzles is what he or she SVP, General Manager, F+W Outdoors and loves about doing genealogy. Small Business Groups Ray Chelstowski But the comparison is more than just Managing Director, F+W International James Woollam a figure of speech, as you’ll see in this VP, General Counsel Robert Sporn Family Tree Magazine issue. We’ll show VP, Human Resources Gigi Healy you how genealogy is being used in actual VP, Manufacturing & Logistics Phil Graham detective work. You’ll meet three geneal- Newsstand Sales Scott Hill, [email protected] ogy society members—people a lot like VP, Advertising Sales Kevin D. Smith you—who helped locate the relatives of an Advertising Sales Representative Jill Ruesch unclaimed deceased woman (page 18), al- Advertising Services Assistant Connie Kostrzewa lowing her family to find peace. And in our news section (page 65), you can read how Family Tree Magazine, published in the United States, is not affi liated with the British Family Tree Magazine, genetic genealogy was the key to identify- with Family Tree Maker software or with Family Tree DNA. ing the suspect in the Golden State Killer EDITORIAL OFFICES: 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH 45242, case in California. [email protected]. In both cases, investigators employed ADVERTISING: the same strategies you use as you scruti- Tim Baldwin, (248) 837-9293, [email protected] nize the maybe-tall-tales your grandfather SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: told you, seek out distant cousins and track U.S.: 1 (888) 403-9002; international: (386) 246-3364; [email protected], down the mystery people in your family
Read more genealogy news and fi nd research tips on our Genealogy Insider blog
familytreemagazine.com 3 TREE TALK Readers’ favorite family finds My mother saw “Gone With the Wind” and JUST GOT MY LATEST ISSUE of Family Tree Mag- azine andIhavetosayIlikethenewformat.[I] really enjoyed it. She have gotten your magazine for quite a few years named me after the now, and just about every issue has something I can use in my family tree research. characters Bonnie Blue David Rice, Norwich, NY Butler and Belle Watling. I had a box of photos going back I was Bonnie Belle Pooler (now Elsten). Bonnie Elsten, via email to my great-great-grandmother. Using “Photo Detective” articles andagesinthecensus,Iwasable ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE at Save Ellis Island, thank you for including the South Side immigrant to identify all the pictures. hospital in the article “Behind the Golden Door”
MarleneHenryGreene,SanJose,Calif. in the May/June Family Tree Magazine. I’m enjoy- ingthemagazine,particularlyHeirloomHand- of.I’mtheownerofmany,manysetsoffamily china—including my own, purchased 48 years ago and complete with every piece intact. JanisCalella,President,SaveEllisIsland,Inc. My older brother and two sisters wanted to name me ISTARTEDLOOKINGthrough the table of contents [of the May/June issue] and couldn’t quickly find aftermyquietcousin,Karl. what I was looking for. It took a few minutes to find the cover stories in small print at the bottom Iturnedouttobeagirl,so ofthepage.Ilikesomeofthechanges,buttheold my name has an “a” added. way of listing cover stories is better than the new. David E. Templeton, Duncanville, Texas KarlaMattson,Spring,Texas Editor’s note: See the bottom of page 1 for the page numbers of our cover stories.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Our members-only online
Family Tree Magazine Genealogy advice from host The best of everything: a Family Lisa Louise Cooke and VIP Tree Magazine print subscription, @familytreemag expert guests iTunes / Premium membership and Family PODCAST
4 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 everything’srelative
THE COUNTRY’S LONGESTRUNNING FOURTH OF JULY celebration happens each year in the town of Bristol, RI, whose observation began in 1785 with a “patriotic exercise.” That year, a handful of people gathered at the First Congregational Church to hear rousing speeches. Today, a three-week celebra- tion is capped on Independence Day with a parade that draws more than 50,000 from out of town. The tradition is so embedded in local identity that painted red, white and blue stripes replace the yellow highway lines along the parade route. Learn more at
familytreemagazine.com 5 everything’srelative LISA’S PICKS
Your Genealogy Summer Lisa Louise Cooke shares her favorite family history books, tips, tools and hot spots.
Historic Hotspot E On a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ellis Island im- migration center, historian Barry Moreno guided me through a brick-walled, skylit space that was once an outdoor garden for detainees. Today it houses the Bob Hope Memorial Library (Hope immigrated in 1908), with 390,000 arti- facts and more than 1 million archival records documenting the histories of Liberty and Ellis islands. Learn about the collection at
Lisa Louise Cooke is the founder of the Genealogy Gems website and podcast
6 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Family History in Action Our ancestors knew how to preserve summer’s bounty of fruits and veggies. My grandmother taught me the art of canning and how to cook up her simple syrup, a hot, sweet liquid that en- N Recent Reads veloped almost every type Soak up the warmth of The of fruit. Just combine sugar Whole Town’s Talking by and water in a pot (one part best-selling author Fannie sugar to 10 parts water for Flagg (Random House). light syrup; one to one for The tale follows several heavy syrup) and heat until generations of Swedes in the sugar dissolves. a small Midwestern town, where the “residents” of App Obsession E the cemetery engage in Obon is Japan’s Festival of lively commentary about Souls, a three-day sum- their descendants. This mer celebration with roots beach blanket read will get dating back more than 500 you thinking: What might years. Locals visit ancestral your ancestors be saying places, clean graves and about you? on the fi nal evening, guide departed souls to the spirit Learning Opportunity world with a fl oating toro I’ll show you how to turn nagashi (“lantern cruise”). your tablet into a genealogy Now, the Toro Nagashi powerhouse in my Gene- iPhone app lets you create alogist’s iPad Crash Course your own fl otilla featur- video class. You’ll learn the ing family photos. Watch best techniques and apps your lanterns glide under for taking your tree on re- a bridge, accompanied by search trips, recording new soothing water sounds. fi nds, repairing old photos, and more. Download it instantly from the Family Tree Shop
familytreemagazine.com 7 everything’srelative TIMELINE
Mending Fences
“GOOD FENCES MAKE good neighbors,” the poet Robert Frost famously opined, but history has sometimes shown otherwise. Even before a US/ Mexico border wall became a talking point, some fences were good for keeping “neighbors” out—while others kept people in. Our word “fence” comes from the Middle English for “defense.” His- torically, however, fences have been associated more with property: As philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau put it, “The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘This is mine,’ and found people naive enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society.” Societieswithnonotionofprivateownership,suchasmanyNative American tribes, had no need for fences. These events are fenceposts, if you will, in the development of border walls and fences.
221 BCE Emperor Qin Shi Huang orders the Great Wall of China built to protect against northern invaders. Soldiers and convicts do most of the work; many of the 400,000 who died during construction are buried within the wall. The original wall stretched some 3,000 miles westward from the China Sea. The wall as we know it dates from the early Ming Dynasty and spans about 4,500 miles. Contrary to popular lore, it’s not visible from space.
| | 0 500
600s BCE 600s Numa, the second The King of Wessex king of Rome, decrees (now southern Eng- citizens should sur- land) proclaimed roundtheirlandwith that landowners boundary and stone must fence their landmarks. These property. Their boundaries were dedi- 122 zigzag-style fences catedtothegodTermi- Romans begin building Hadrian’s Wall along the empire’s northern are called “worm” nus and celebrated extent in Britain. The Vallum Hadriani may have been built to keep fences—wooden with sacrifices at an out Scottish raiders, deter smugglers, or show off Roman might. rails crossed at annual festival. Thestoneandturfbarrierran73milesfromcoasttocoast,at11 angles that didn’t to20feethighandasmuchas20feetwide,with15fortifications require driving spacedalongit.Aditch,20feetwideby10feetdeep,ranalongside. fenceposts.
David A. Fryxell is the founding editor of Family Tree Magazine. He now writes and researches his family tree in Tucson. GREAT WALL OF CHINA: ROBERT NYMAN ON UNSPLASH; BARBED WIRE: NICOLEDIT ON UNSPLASH; UNSPLASH; ON NICOLEDIT WIRE: BARBED UNSPLASH; ON ROBERT NYMAN CHINA: OF WALL GREAT / JOEDUNCKLEY/ISTOCK WALL: EYEEM/GETTY/ HADRIAN’S ALMEIDA MIRIAM IMAGES; WALL: BERLIN BARNETT JULIE PICKETGETTY FENCE: PLUS; IMAGES
8 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 1961 With 2,000 East Germans fleeing to the West every day, In the 1940s, the National Park Service built a border fence Communist authorities install along Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona to 28milesofbarbedwirethrough Berlin on the night of August 12. keep Mexican cattle away from the delicate ecosystem. In Threedayslater,theconcrete 2004, the fence was upgraded to block vehicle trafi c. Berlin Wall begins to replace thefencing,toppedwithmore barbed wire, guard towers and machine-gun emplacements. Another wall was built 100 feet away, with a “death strip” 1883 between.Itranacrossneighbor- hoods, streets and even build- Rangewarsanddroughtlead ings; one church was isolated toarashoffence-cutting between the walls. in Texas. Armed bands with namessuchastheOwlsand theBlueDevilsstrikeatnight, liberating grazing lands from ranchers who’d staked claims with barbed wire. Damage 1874 statewide is estimated at $20 JosephGliddenpatentsthebarbedwirefence,whichhecre- million, leading to a law mak- ated using a coffee mill to twist the barbs. After a bitter patent ing fence-cutting a felony fight, he became one of the richest men in America. The “devil’s punishable by up to five rope” also transformed the Western landscape, where an 1871 years in prison. government study had declared the lack of fences an obstacle to settlement.
| | 1000 1500
1844 Charles Barnard of Norwich, England, adapts cloth-weaving 1885 technology to produce metal Australia completes the chain-link fencing. He establishes 3,488-mile, wire mesh Barnard, Bishop & Barnards to Dingo Fence to protect mass-produce the fencing, which sheep in southern became popular for its relatively Queensland. Later, from low cost and the open weave that 1901 to 1907, a 2,023- lets sunlight through. The Anchor mile Rabbit-Proof Fence Fence Post Co., established in 1891, guards Western Australia bought rights to produce chain- against invading bun- link fencing in America. 1876 nies (descendants of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer becomes famous for tricking folks 24 wild rabbits Thomas into his fence-whitewashing chore. Picket fences got their Austin released in 1859, name around 1690 from the French piquer, meaning “to pierce,” saying they “could do a reference to the posts’ pointed ends. Prized for their sturdy little harm and might and utilitarian design, white picket fences grew popular after provide a touch of home, the Revolution and later came to symbolize an old-fashioned in addition to a spot of ideal in an increasingly suburbanized America. hunting”).
familytreemagazine.com 9 everything’srelative STORIES TO TELL
Putting Down Roots
A Maryland transplant discovers deep roots in his new home state.
rent Evan Newton moved to the Washington, DC, B area in 2009 for work. He’d been born and raised in Alabama, like generations of his family before him. So when he launched a genealogy search, he expected to fi nd Deep South roots. His paternal fourth-great-grandparents Rueben Phillips and Rebecca Watkins were among Alabama’s earliest settlers. But Newton soon discovered that Rebecca’s line traced back to a mere hour’s drive from his new home in Maryland. Rebecca’s grandfather Evan Watkins, born about 1709 in Talbot County, Md., built Watkins Ferry on the Potomac River. For decades, he escorted passengers between his ferry house at Falling Wa- ters, Va. (now West Virginia), and Williamsport, Md. “I’d taken my younger daughter to play softball in William- sport,” Newton says. “Little did I know that was where my sixth great-grandfather had operated a ferry across the Po- tomac nearly three centuries before.” The shallow crossing Watkins selected was strategic in American wars. Gen. George Washington used the ferry in 1755 on his way to Fort Duquesne during the French and In- dian War. A lithograph by 19th-century artist David Blythe captures Union Gen. Abner Doubleday’s crossing at the site in June 1863—nearly a century after Watkins died—with the small white ferry house at river’s edge. That July, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army, defeated in the Battle of Gettysburg, slipped back across the Potomac at the same spot. Newton visited the ferry house, now designated a histori- cal landmark, with his family in 2014. At the Berkeley Coun- ty, WV, historical society, he found a copy of the original land Brent Newton grant for the property. It bore the signature of Lord Fairfax, started doing the namesake of Fairfax County, Va. genealogy only The 2012 death of Newton’s father, Wesley Phillips New- after moving away ton, inspired the younger Newton to start his ancestor from his Alabama search. A WWII veteran and military history professor, the home. He didn’t older man never knew he was named after his Alabama set- realize he’d actually tler forbear. He thought someone made a mistake while typ- moved closer to ing “Phillip” on his birth certifi cate. his roots. “My dad would’ve been intrigued to learn that George Washington and Robert E. Lee had crossed the Potomac at Evan Watkins’ ferry location,” Newton says. And no doubt delighted that he and his wife had unknowingly followed a family naming tradition: Their son’s middle name—Evan—is his ferryman ancestor’s given name.
Diane Haddad NEWTON EVAN BRENT OF COURTESY
10 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 $'9(57,6(0(17 Leading Acid Reflux Pill Becomes an Anti- Aging Phenomenon Clinical studies show breakthrough acid reflux treatment also helps maintain vital health and helps protect users from the serious conditions that accompany aging such as fatigue and poor cardiovascular health E\ 'DYLG :D[PDQ GLVFRPIRUW DQG EHWWHU VOHHS 6RPH HYHQ $FFRUGLQJ WR 'U /HDO DQG VHYHUDO RI KHU 6HDWWOH :DVKLQJWRQ UHSRUWHG KHDOWKLHU ORRNLQJ VNLQ KDLU DQG FROOHDJXHV LPSURYLQJ WKH S+ EDODQFH RI \RXU $ FOLQLFDO VWXG\ RQ D OHDGLQJ DFLG UHÀX[ QDLOV VWRPDFK DQG UHVWRULQJ JXW KHDOWK LV WKH NH\ WR SLOO VKRZV WKDW LWV NH\ LQJUHGLHQW UHOLHYHV $ KHDOWK\ JXW LV WKH NH\ WR D UHGXFLQJ UHYLWDOL]LQJ \RXU HQWLUH ERG\ GLJHVWLYH V\PSWRPV ZKLOH VXSSUHVVLQJ WKH VZHOOLQJ DQG LQÀDPPDWLRQ WKDW FDQ ZUHDN :KHQ \RXU GLJHVWLYH V\VWHP LVQ¶W LQÀDPPDWLRQ WKDW FRQWULEXWHV WR SUHPDWXUH KDYRF RQ WKH KXPDQ ERG\ 'RFWRUV VD\ WKLV KHDOWK\ LW FDXVHV XQZDQWHG VWUHVV RQ \RXU DJLQJ LQ PHQ DQG ZRPHQ LV ZK\ $ORH&XUH ZRUNV RQ VR PDQ\ DVSHFWV LPPXQH V\VWHP ZKLFK UHVXOWV LQ LQÀDPPD $QG LI FRQVXPHU VDOHV DUH DQ\ LQGLFD RI \RXU KHDOWK WLRQ LQ WKH UHVW RI WKH ERG\ WLRQ RI D SURGXFW¶V H൵HFWLYHQHVV WKLV µDFLG $ORH&XUH¶V DFWLYH LQJUHGLHQW LV PDGH 7KH UHFRPPHQGHG GDLO\ DOORZDQFH RI UHÀX[ SLOO WXUQHG DQWLDJLQJ SKHQRPHQRQ¶ IURP WKH KHDOLQJ FRPSRXQG IRXQG LQ $ORH DFHPDQQDQ LQ $ORH&XUH KDV EHHQ SURYHQ WR LV QRWKLQJ VKRUW RI D PLUDFOH YHUD ,W LV ERWK VDIH DQG KHDOWK\ 7KHUH DUH VXSSRUW GLJHVWLYH KHDOWK DQG FDOP SDLQIXO 6ROG XQGHU WKH EUDQG QDPH $ORH&XUH LW DOVR QR NQRZQ VLGH H൵HFWV LQÀDPPDWLRQ ZLWKRXW VLGH H൵HFWV RU GUXJV ZDV DOUHDG\ EDFNHG E\ FOLQLFDO GDWD GRFX 6FLHQWLVWV EHOLHYH WKDW LW KHOSV LPSURYH 7KLV ZRXOG H[SODLQ ZK\ VR PDQ\ XV PHQWLQJ LWV DELOLW\ WR SURYLGH DOO GD\ DQG GLJHVWLYH DQG LPPXQH KHDOWK E\ DFWLQJ DV HUV DUH H[SHULHQFLQJ LPSUHVVLYH UHVXOWV VR QLJKW UHOLHI IURP KHDUWEXUQ DFLG UHÀX[ D QDWXUDO DFLGEX൵HU WKDW LPSURYHV WKH S+ TXLFNO\ FRQVWLSDWLRQ LUULWDEOH ERZHO JDV EORDWLQJ EDODQFH RI \RXU VWRPDFK DQG PRUH 5HVHDUFK KDV VKRZQ WKDW WKLV DFLG LPEDO REVITALIZE YOUR ENTIRE BODY %XW VRRQ GRFWRUV VWDUWHG UHSRUWLQJ VRPH DQFH FRQWULEXWHV WR SDLQIXO LQÀDPPDWLRQ :LWK GDLO\ XVH $ORH&XUH KHOSV XVHUV LQFUHGLEOH UHVXOWV« WKURXJKRXW \RXU HQWLUH ERG\ DQG LV ZK\ $O ORRN DQG IHHO GHFDGHV \RXQJHU DQG GHIHQG ³:LWK $ORH&XUH P\ SDWLHQWV VWDUWHG UH RH&XUH VHHPV WR EH VR H൵HFWLYH DJDLQVW VRPH RI WKH SDLQIXO LQÀDPPDWLRQ SRUWLQJ OHVV MRLQW SDLQ PRUH HQHUJ\ EHWWHU EXCITING RESULTS FROM WKDW DFFRPSDQLHV DJLQJ DQG FDQ PDNH OLIH VOHHS VWURQJHU LPPXQH V\VWHPV« HYHQ OHVV KDUG VWUHVV DQG EHWWHU VNLQ KDLU DQG QDLOV´ H[ PATIENTS %\ EX൵HULQJ VWRPDFK DFLG DQG UHVWRULQJ SODLQV 'U /L]D /HDO D OHDGLQJ LQWHJUDWLYH 7R GDWH RYHU PLOOLRQ ERWWOHV RI $ORH JXW KHDOWK $ORH&XUH FDOPV SDLQIXO LQÀDP KHDOWK VSHFLDOLVW DQG FRPSDQ\ VSRNHVSHU &XUH KDYH EHHQ VROG DQG WKH FRPPXQLW\ PDWLRQ DQG ZLOO KHOS LPSURYH GLJHVWLRQ« VRQ VHHNLQJ QRQSKDUPD WKHUDS\ IRU WKHLU *, VRRWKH DFKLQJ MRLQWV« UHGXFH WKH DSSHDU $ORH&XUH FRQWDLQV DQ DFWLYH LQJUHGLHQW KHDOWK FRQWLQXHV WR JURZ DQFH RI ZULQNOHV DQG KHOS UHVWRUH KDLU DQG WKDW KHOSV LPSURYH GLJHVWLRQ E\ DFWLQJ DV $FFRUGLQJ WR 'U /HDO KHU SDWLHQWV DUH QDLOV « PDQDJH FKROHVWHURO DQG R[LGDWLYH D QDWXUDO DFLGEX൵HU WKDW LPSURYHV WKH S+ DEVROXWHO\ WKULOOHG ZLWK WKHLU UHVXOWV DQG DUH VWUHVV« DQG LPSURYH VOHHS DQG EUDLQ IXQF EDODQFH RI \RXU VWRPDFK RIWHQ VKRFNHG E\ KRZ IDVW LW ZRUNV WLRQ« ZLWKRXW VLGH H൵HFWV RU H[SHQVH 6FLHQWLVWV QRZ EHOLHYH WKDW WKLV DFLG LP ³)RU WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ \HDUV WKH\ DUH IUHH 5HDGHUV FDQ QRZ UHFODLP WKHLU HQHUJ\ EDODQFH LV ZKDW FRQWULEXWHV WR SDLQIXO LQ IURP FRQFHUQV DERXW WKHLU GLJHVWLRQ DQG YLWDOLW\ DQG \RXWK UHJDUGOHVV RI DJH RU FXU ÀDPPDWLRQ WKURXJKRXW WKH UHVW RI WKH ERG\ DOPRVW HYHU\ RWKHU DVSHFW RI WKHLU KHDOWK´ UHQW OHYHO RI KHDOWK 7KH GDLO\ DOORZDQFH RI $ORH&XUH KDV VD\V 'U /HDO ³DQG , UHFRPPHQG LW WR HY VKRZQ WR FDOP WKLV LQÀDPPDWLRQ ZKLFK LV HU\RQH ZKR ZDQWV WR LPSURYH *, KHDOWK 2QH$ORH&XUH&DSVXOH'DLO\ ZK\ $ORH&XUH LV VR H൵HFWLYH ZLWKRXW UHVRUWLQJ WR GUXJV VXUJHU\ RU 27& +HOSV(QG'LJHVWLRQ1LJKWPDUHV 5HOLHYLQJ RWKHU VWUHVVIXO V\PSWRPV UH PHGLFDWLRQV´ +HOSV&DOP3DLQIXO,QÀDPPDWLRQ ODWHG WR *, KHDOWK OLNH SDLQ EORDWLQJ ID ³, ZDV DOZD\V LQ µLQGLJHVWLRQ KHOO¶ 'RF 6RRWKHV6WL൵ $FKLQJ-RLQWV WLJXH FUDPSLQJ FRQVWLSDWLRQ GLDUUKHD WRUV SXW PH RQ DOO VRUWV RI DQWDFLG UHPHGLHV 5HGXFHVDSSHDUDQFHRI:ULQNOHV KHDUWEXUQ DQG QDXVHD 1RWKLQJ ZRUNHG 'U /HDO UHFRPPHQGHG , ,QFUHDVHV(ODVWLFLW\ 1RZ EDFNHG ZLWK QHZ FOLQLFDO VWXGLHV WU\ $ORH&XUH $QG VRPHWKLQJ UHPDUNDEOH 0DQDJHV&KROHVWHURO 2[LGDWLYH6WUHVV $ORH&XUH LV EHLQJ UHFRPPHQGHG E\ GRF KDSSHQHG« 1RW RQO\ ZHUH DOO WKH LVVXHV 6XSSRUWV+HDOWK\,PPXQH6\VWHP WRUV HYHU\ZKHUH WR KHOS LPSURYH GLJHVWLRQ , KDG ZLWK P\ VWRPDFK JRQH FRPSOHWHO\ ,PSURYHV6OHHS %UDLQ)XQFWLRQ FDOP SDLQIXO LQÀDPPDWLRQ VRRWKH MRLQW JRQH ± EXW , IHOW OHVV MRLQW SDLQ DQG , ZDV SDLQ DQG HYHQ UHGXFH WKH DSSHDUDQFH RI DEOH WR DFWXDOO\ VOHHS WKURXJK WKH QLJKW´ HOW TO GET ALOECURE ZULQNOHV ± KHOSLQJ SDWLHQWV WR ORRN DQG IHHO :LWK VR PXFK SRVLWLYH IHHGEDFN LW¶V 7KLV LV WKH R൶FLDO QDWLRQZLGH UHOHDVH RI GHFDGHV \RXQJHU HDV\ WR VHH ZK\ WKH FRPPXQLW\ RI EHOLHY WKH QHZ $ORH&XUH SLOO LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV FIX YOUR GUT & FIGHT HUV LV JURZLQJ DQG VDOHV IRU WKH QHZ SLOO DUH $QG VR WKH FRPSDQ\ LV R൵HULQJ RXU UHDGHUV VRDULQJ INFLAMMATION XS WR )5(( ERWWOHV ZLWK WKHLU RUGHU THE SCIENCE BEHIND ALOECURE 7KLV VSHFLDO JLYHDZD\ LV DYDLODEOH IRU 6LQFH KLWWLQJ WKH PDUNHW VDOHV IRU $ORH WKH QH[W KRXUV RQO\ $OO \RX KDYH WR GR &XUH KDYH WDNHQ R൵ DQG WKHUH DUH VRPH YHU\ $ORH&XUH LV D SLOO WKDW¶V WDNHQ MXVW RQFH LV FDOO 72//)5(( DQG JRRG UHDVRQV ZK\ GDLO\ 7KH SLOO LV VPDOO (DV\ WR VZDOORZ SURYLGH WKH RSHUDWRU ZLWK WKH )UHH %RWWOH 7R VWDUW WKH FOLQLFDO VWXGLHV KDYH EHHQ 7KHUH DUH QR KDUPIXO VLGH H൵HFWV DQG LW $SSURYDO &RGH $& 7KH FRPSDQ\ ZLOO LPSUHVVLYH 3DUWLFLSDQWV WDNLQJ WKH DFWLYH GRHV QRW UHTXLUH D SUHVFULSWLRQ GR WKH UHVW LQJUHGLHQW LQ $ORH&XUH VDZ D VWXQQLQJ 7KH DFWLYH LQJUHGLHQW LV D UDUH $ORH 9HUD ,PSRUWDQW 'XH WR $ORH&XUH¶V UHFHQW PH LPSURYHPHQW LQ GLJHVWLYH V\PSWRPV FRPSRQHQW NQRZQ DV DFHPDQQDQ GLD H[SRVXUH SKRQH OLQHV DUH RIWHQ EXV\ ,I ZKLFK LQFOXGHV IDVW DQG ODVWLQJ UHOLHI IURP 0DGH IURP RI RUJDQLF $ORH 9HUD \RX FDOO DQG GR QRW LPPHGLDWHO\ JHW WKURXJK UHÀX[ $ORH&XUH XVHV D SURSULHWDU\ SURFHVV WKDW UH SOHDVH EH SDWLHQW DQG FDOO EDFN 7KRVH ZKR 8VHUV DOVR H[SHULHQFHG KLJKHU HQHUJ\ VXOWV LQ WKH KLJKHVW TXDOLW\ PRVW ELRDYDLO PLVV WKH KRXU GHDGOLQH PD\ ORVH RXW RQ OHYHOV DQG HQGXUDQFH UHOLHI IURP FKURQLF DEOH OHYHOV RI DFHPDQQDQ NQRZQ WR H[LVW WKLV IUHH ERWWOH R൵HU THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. ALL DOCTORS MENTIONED ARE REMUNERATED FOR THEIR SERVICES. ALL CLINICAL STUDIES ON ALOECURE’S ACTIVE INGREDIENT WERE INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED AND WERE NOT SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN GLOBAL HEALTH GROUP. everything'srelative YOUR TURN
WRITE THIS What pastime or skill did you learn from your parents or grandparents? Do you still do this activity? Share your memories.
______
In each issue, Your Turn off ers a memory prompt to help you preserve your family’s unique stories. Tear out and save your responses in a notebook, or use our downloadable type-and- save PDF
I E J U 20112 8 Find Your Roots
Reconnect to your birth family with this guide, featuring:
t strategies for adoptees, donor-conceived people, and anyone with unknown parentage to fi nd biological relatives using DNA testing
t help understanding the major DNA tests and testing companies
t tips for identifying and contacting DNA matches
SAVE 10%!
/#1 !*ɥƭɥƐƓƎɥ/ %#2ɥƭɥǬƐƙƥƙƙ everything’srelative FAMILY HISTORY HOME
Preserve Vintage Vacation Souvenirs
1. Use what you’ve got. 3. Store souvenirs safely. 4. Location matters. Let your inherited travel souve- When you’re not displaying Your antique souvenir may have value if it’s associated with an iconic nirs shine! You can create a wall vintage items, protect them in site—think Route 66 or the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Get an idea arrangement of platters or fi ll archival boxes cushioned with from antiques and collectibles price guides such as those by Antique a coff ee table with Las Vegas acid-free tissue paper (available Trader
Denise May Levenick aka The Family Curator
14 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 5. Shop savvy. 6. Send custom postcards. 7. Curate a collection. 8. Go for nostalgia. Going on a vacay of your own? Our ancestors printed vacation If you’re a frequent traveler, Kids beg to spend their pocket One unique memento will be snapshots as real-photo post- create a collection by purchas- money in every souvenir shop treasured longer and stored cards to send to friends and fam- ing the same type of souvenir you pass. Steer them toward more easily than a suitcase ily. Nowadays, smartphone apps on each trip: a kitschy magnet, the kinds of keepsakes you wish full of trinkets. Seek a souvenir like Postagram
familytreemagazine.com 15 Read Your Wayy to ResearchSuccess
Enter code NewspapersFTM SAVE 10%! 3ɥ!'#!*.43ƥɥ7/(1#2ɥ#!ƥɥƑƏƦɥƐƎƏƘƥ
HIS HELPFUL OW-TO GUIDE ONTAINS: tips for finding rich detail about your ancestors in old newspapers steps for searching online papers at websites such as Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank and the free Chronicling America real-life success stories from historical newspaper researchers like you
/#1 !* ƭ ƐƓƎ / %#2 ƭ ǬƐƕƥƙƙ ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
To order by phone, call (855) 278-0408 branchingout
GENEALOGY RESEARCH AND DETECTIVE WORK are natural companions, in real life and in fi ction. British author Steve Robinson JANEYCAKES PHOTOS/CULTURA/ JANEYCAKES GETTY IMAGES insider/summer-genealogy-reads> for family historians’ favorite summer reads. familytreemagazine.com 17 OPEN CASES When someone dies alone, county coroners must track down next of kin to notify—and they’re increasingly asking genealogists for help. See how three determined researchers cracked a tough family-fi nding case. by PAT WILLIAMS Zulma Ramos died alone of cancer two weeks after the start of 2016. Investigators at the Orange County, Calif., coroners oi ce, charged with notifying her family, knew that she was some- body’s someone. A sibling? Mother? Wife? Friend? Who would want to know she was gone? Every year, US county oi ces investigate thousands of unclaimed deceased persons, looking for next of kin to contact about burial arrangements and estate distribution—and just to let the family know what happened. But fi nding families isn’t always a simple matter. Overburdened coroners and medical exam- iners increasingly are reaching out to another group accustomed to reconstructing the lives of the dead: genealogists. After 71 days of working leads in Ramos’ case, Supervising Deputy Coroner Kelly Keyes contacted the Genealogical Society of North Orange County (GSNOCC) in the shop Forensic genealogists use their research SEPARATE WAYS “Bringing the deceased and the next of kin to- skills to solve inheri- tance and other legal gether is a loving and caring act for the family in- cases. Learn their amos was discovered dead in her Garden volved and for the larger community,” says Baden, secrets in our Forensic Genealogy Crash Grove, Calif., apartment after a neighbor a librarian and genealogy veteran of 30 years. R Course video class who hadn’t seen her in a few days got wor- Jacques, a genealogist for eight years, saw the PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTURO OF DALMAU COURTESY PHOTO a private detective—along with a desire to help. Intelius familytreemagazine.com 19 This photo of steps in kin searching. The array of online infor- church records. Assuming her parents were de- Zulma Ramos mation available about living people can be shock- ceased, their death certifi cates and burial records (above) might have ing. Beyond addresses and phone numbers, these would be a source. been taken for her sites of er details from property and fi nancial re- We searched familiar genealogy websites in- second birthday. cords, professional licenses, interactions with law cluding Ancestry in Puerto Rico, there should be birth and perhaps ARTURO OF DALMAU COURTESEY PHOTOS 20 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 When I get a case, the rest of my life stops. If I have a photo of the decedent, he or she stares at me from my desk. I can do nothing else until I solve it. FAMILY FINDS Ramos is the surname that Arturo took from his father; Llompart is from his mother (which she, in nother common genealogical problem turn, received from her father). Acropped up in this search: the language With that spelling, we found Arturo Ramos in barrier. Some Puerto Rican records are the 1930 and 1940 censuses of Santurce, PR, with a written in conversational longhand Spanish, rath- brother, Ernesto. Arturo was born about 1921; Er- er than in neat columns or on a preprinted form. nesto, in 1923. Death records showed both broth- Fortunately, Google Translate familytreemagazine.com 21 as his next of kin. The son’s second surname was with address and phone number listings match- almostidenticaltothatofArturo’ssecondwife. ing his location and estimated age. Couldthisbeahalf-brothertoZulmaRamos? Public record websites gave up nothing on the MAKING CONTACT son. Nada, as they say in Puerto Rico. Arturo Ramos’ death certificate listed alcoholism as a olunteers aren’t permitted to contact po- contributing cause to his passing. Maybe he’d Vtential relatives of a deceased individual. been estranged from his children. Following that When they identify a living person be- hunch, we searched with the son’s maternal sur- lieved to be family, they hand the case back over to name, Dalmau. And there he was, in Fort Collins, the coroner’s oi ce. Then they wait, holding their Colo.Heshoweduponfourlivingpersonsites, breaths, to fi nd out if the search was successful. 8 Tips to Find Living People Search public record sites. Look Note every address. Addresses Explore cemeteries. Maury 1 for family members on people 3 you find may be out of date, but 6 Jacques, a researcher in Orange search sites such as BeenVerified they’re still good leads. If you’re on an County, Calif., solved a case by locating 22 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Keyes called the man we’d identifi ed as Zulma abandoned his eldest child. Father and daughter Supervising deputy Ramos’s half brother—and it was him. Arturo Ra- kept in touch by phone, and he helped her fi nan- coroner of Orange mos Dalmau, though sad to hear the news, was cially. “The fi rst time I ever saw Zulma cry was County Kelly Keyes relieved. “I visited her 24 years ago for a week, when our father died in 1989,” Dalmau says. “She (left), worked with and it was wonderful,” he says. “I never thought it was visibly the most upset of all of us.” genealogists Pat would be the last time. After that, I would call her Williams, Lynn V. every week or two, but gradually, she just stopped A SENSE OF CLOSURE Baden and Maury returning my calls. I don’t know why.” Jacques to fi nd When they last spoke, she told him she’d been hear comments from a family like ‘we had relatives of Zulma diagnosed with breast cancer. She said she felt “I hired a private investigator to track him Ramos. good after being prescribed antidepressants for down with no luck,’” Keyes says, “or, ‘we the fi rst time in her life. “She was still my same always wondered what happened to her,’ or that driven, independent sister, with her ribald sense ‘mom died wondering where he was, and now of humor,” Dalmau adds. we’ll be able to bury his ashes next to hers.’” He fi lled in more puzzle pieces. Zulma Ramos, Now, Dalmau no longer has to wonder and wor- fi ercely independent, moved alone to the mainland ry about his sister. Search volunteers hope to bring at age 17, fi nished school and worked at a hospital. this peace to families, although not all contacted She lived in Texas for a while, a residence that family claim their dead. Sometimes the chasm is didn’t show up in any of our searches. Her mother too deep. I always hope that once the shock of that also had moved to Texas, where she remarried phone call dims, the news of the death still brings and later died with her husband’s last name. That’s some kind of closure. why we couldn’t fi nd her death certifi cate. Arturo Ramos had another daughter with Pat Williams, a genealogist and writer in Placentia, a third woman, whom he never married. This Calif., helped establish the GSNOCC partnership with the daughter, still living, took the surname of her Orange County Coroner in 2016. “When I get a case, the mother. That left not a shred of evidence con- rest of my life stops,” she says. “If I have a photo of the de- necting Zulma Ramos with her half-sister. Dal- cedent from social media or a yearbook, he or she stares PHOTO: DAWN PARRETT THURSTON PARRETT DAWN PHOTO: mau disputes the nota indicating their father at me from my desk. I can do nothing else until I solve it.” familytreemagazine.com 23 GOING EAST Our expert shares six common obstacles for Eastern European genealogy—and how to overcome them. by LISA A. ALZO They say genealogy is a journey, not a sprint. But for those of us trying to trace ancestors back to Cen- tral and Eastern Europe, the journey seems to cover unpaved, bumpy terrain with endless obstacles. As a person with ancestors from several Eastern European countries, I can tell you: The hurdles are real. But they’re not insur- mountable. You can overcome name changes, migrating places and language barriers. I’ll share six of the most com- mon obstacles to discovering your roots in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and other countries of Eastern Europe—and more importantly, how to get past those problems and cross the family history fi nish line. PLAYINGNAMEGAMES German, Polish, Slovak and Russian names when Eastern European names are com- translated or pronounced in English. Also look up plex and downright challenging. It surnames and given names on Behind the Name 1 could be you don’t have a consistent UNA/SERVLET/S/OI8OXQ> home. Use these strategies to help determine your indexes that genealogists search use the Rus- immigrantancestor’soriginalnameandhowit sell Soundex system to find records with variant might appear in US records: surname spellings. That includes census and pas- Consider phonetics and alphabets. Your senger list indexes. But if a website you’re search- AVIDRUMSEY.COM/L ancestor’s native language—whether Polish, ing gives you the option, try alternative Soundex Czech, Slovak, Latin, Hungarian, German or Rus- schemes such as Daitch-Mokotof, which is de- sian—plays an important role when deciphering signed to better handle Eastern European sur- names. The Polish, Czech and Slovak languages names. Learn more about Daitch-Mokotof at have letters not in the English alphabet, and their RUMSEY HISTORICAL MAP COLLECTION < WWW.D COLLECTION MAP RUMSEY HISTORICAL < (and the lowercase ł)ispronouncedlikeanEng- might be called Louis, Lewis or Lou in records— lish W.ItmaybetranscribedasanL in English, or or all of the above. Try searching the web for the ł maybetranscribedasthesimilar-lookingt. thenameandwordslikePolish(orCzechorSlo- 1905, DAVID Similarly, the Polish ą is pronounced ahn but often vak) nicknames or diminutives. The page at “EASTERN EUROPEAN PORTS AND WATERWAYS ,” GEORGE PHILIP & SON, LTD., LTD., SON, & PHILIP GEORGE ,” WATERWAYS PORTS EUROPEAN AND “EASTERN Russian rule, as was Finland. cestor. How do you know you’ve found the right familytreemagazine.com 25 Perhaps you’ve determined the exact name of your ancestor’s hometown, only to be thwarted when you can’t locate it on a modern-day map. Jakub Novotný? Make a timeline of all you’ve homeland of your ancestors was most likely a learned about him, so it’s easier to see if his loca- multicultural society, evidenced by the number of tion at a given time matches a new record you’ve languages in which records are written. found. You can do this on paper, in your genealogy Just as with surnames, American record-keep- software or online tree, or with a utility such as ers didn’t usually change Eastern European place Twile 26 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Verona Sztraka’s 1922 Czechoslovakian passport shows her place of residence (bydlisko) of Hanigovce. This village, located in the Prešov region of what’s now Slovakia, might be called Hönigsdorf in German or Hönig in Hungarian. RECORD IMAGE: COURTESY OF LISA A. ALZO A. LISA OF COURTESY IMAGE: RECORD lan) for its insight into political changes. Southern Poland (Galicia). Some villages became familytreemagazine.com 27 Keyword Searching Learning a few key words can help you understand Polish baptismal records like this 1790 Catholic Church register, written in Latin. It’s available online from FamilySearch. RELIGION options include Catholic or not Catholic; the church was charged with recording all births, even for those of other religions PARENTS father, mother HOUSE NUMBER NAME SEX LEGITIMATE GODPARENTS name, status male, female DAY AND MONTH ILLEGITIMATE If you can identify the column headings in this record, you’ll understand that Marianna Pacholczak was born Feb. 23, 1790, to Mathias, a peasant from Grabowa, and Regina (born Jaczak). Her godparents were Vincent Nyncek, also a peasant from Grabowa, and Marianna Dudzianka, from the same place (“de cadem villa”). defunct due to development, such as the construc- Germany, Hungary and Poland, have rearranged tion of the Starina Reservoir in Eastern Slovakia’s and renamed their counties over time. This often Snina District. Starting in 1981, it prompted the obscures old regional names that were well un- evacuation of seven villages. derstood by the immigrants of the time, but may Sometimes, a place name’s prefi x or sui x not appear on modern maps. For example, Cechy was removed or added over time (Velky Lucska is the Czech name for Bohemia, which once was becomes Lucska, now in Slovakia). See Eastern European countries, including Austria, teer 28 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 provides community or village names in various regions. It’s also important to note that because languages, and includes political jurisdictions you inherit autosomal DNA randomly from your over time. It shows exact latitude and longitude ancestors, some people on your family tree—usu- coordinates, as well as direction and distance ally, starting about four generations back—aren’t from major cities, the country in which the local- represented in your autosomal DNA. This also ity sits today, and other details. explains why your sibling’s ethnic breakdown can look dif erent from yours: She may have inherited BREAKING DOWN DNA a couple of your Irish third-great-grandmother’s So you took a DNA test and your chromosomes that you didn’t get. And her DNA ethnicity estimate shows 95 percent matches who are descended from that same an- 4 Europe East. What does that mean? cestor won’t be on your match list. While it takes some dedicated study to grasp the Ethnicity prediction is an evolving science, and full power of using genetic genealogy to connect in the future, it may be possible to more closely with cousins and solve research problems, we’ll identify the source of your Eastern European go over some basic points. First, your ethnicity es- DNA. In the mean time, focus on your genetic timates aren’t necessarily exact. Instead, they’re matches for family tree research, and increase merely percentages of your autosomal DNA that your understanding of ethnicity estimates using the testing company’s algorithm associates with the information your testing company provides. its reference population from a particular geo- graphic area. Changing borders and migratory THE RECORDS WALL populations, like those in Eastern Europe, can When you’re researching Eastern make it dii cult for geneticists to determine which European genealogy, record-fi nding DNA characterizes which population group. 5 obstacles increase once you get back Furthermore, each testing company uses dif- to your ancestral village. Among the most valu- ferent reference populations and ethnicity break- able genealogical sources for these ancestors will downs, so ethnicity results will vary by company. be church and civil vital records created by clergy At press time, the major DNA testing companies (mostly Roman Catholic or Orthodox Christian), reported on the following categories that relate to Jewish congregational scribes or civil registrars. Eastern Europe. Use the web address provided to These are records of births, christenings, mar- see the geographic areas each category includes: riages, deaths, and burials, and they provide 23andMe: Southern European, Eastern Eu- names, relationships, and the dates and places of ropean, and Ashkenazi Jewish <23andme.com/ births, marriages and deaths. In most cases, civil ancestry-composition-guide> registration began only in the late 1800s. Jewish AncestryDNA: Eastern European, Euro- congregational records usually date from the ear- pean Jewish, and Finnish and Russian familytreemagazine.com 29 cansearchmanyofthemonlinefromhomeby LEAPING THE registering for a free FamilySearch account. LANGUAGE BARRIER Some collections are restricted based on Family- Records in Eastern Europe are in Search’s agreement with the archives that houses 6 a mélange of dif erent languages: the original records, and you may have to go to Latin, German, Hungarian, Polish, Russian. The a local FamilySearch Center to view these re- language of your ancestor’s records depends on cords. Find a location near you at 30 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Take your research to the next level! VIP t Family Tree Magazine one-year subscription (7 issues): Get the tips you need to trace your roots from America’s #1 family history magazine. t Family Tree Premium one-year subscription: Get members-only access to thousands of how-to articles on FamilyTreeMagazine.com. Join the t Members-only savings: Family Tree VIP Log in before you shop to save even more on every order from the Family Tree Shop with your automatic 10% discount! Plus, program today for enjoy free shipping on every order. the advice, tools and t Family Tree University discount: VIPs save an extra 10% off registration in live online courses resources to enhance and workshops. your genealogy t Family Tree Toolkit: This VIP-exclusive PDF includes the 101 Best research. Websites for genealogy, project forms and ONLY decorative family tree charts. $59.99 $112 VALUE BECOME A VIP TODAY! Visit the Family Tree Shop for more great savings on books, magazines, webinars and research guides for genealogists! YOUR SECRET TO ANCESTRY.COM SUCCESS WITH THIS UPDATED USER GUIDE, LEARN HOW TO: ƭ effectively search the website’s billions of records ƭ quickly find the records you need ƭ create and manage your online family tree ƭ use DNA matches to expand your family tree SAVE 10%! /#1 !*ɥƭɥƐƗƐɥ/ %#2ɥƭɥǬƐƖƥƙƙ STATE GUIDE MAINE by LESLIE M. STROOPE THE PILGRIMS WHO established Maine’s fi rst colonies in the See COLONIAL HISTORY LAND RECORDS Before European explorers arrived in what we now call Though England and France bickered over Maine during the Maine, American Indian tribes including the Passama- early 1700s, settlers put down roots along its rugged coast quoddy, Penobscot, Micmac and Mali- and in its rich forests. You’ll fi nd some seet lived there. Pierre du Gast Sieur de FAST FACTS of their names in the York Deeds col- Monts established the state’s fi rst Euro- lection, an 18-volume set of transcribed pean settlement in 1604, at the mouth Statehood: 1820 pre-1737 deeds—it’s available in print of the St. Croix River. Three years later, First federal census: 1790 or on fi lm at most of Maine’s state and Pilgrims with the Plymouth Co. started university libraries, the Maine Histori- Statewide birth and death the Popham Colony on the Kennebec cal Society (MHS) familytreemagazine.com 33 MAINE Long L. Allagash R. Caribou QUEBEC, CANADA St John R. NEW BRUNSWICK, Aroostook Presque Isle CANADA Squa Pan L. Eagle L. Somerset Grand L. Seboeis Caucomgomoc L. Chamberlain L. Seboomook L. Chesuncook L. Pemadumcook L. Brassua L. Moosehead L. Seboeis L. Kennebec R. Piscataquis Schoodic L. Penobscot West Grand L. Sebec L. Calais Flagstaff L. Big L. Nicatous L. Rangeley L. Pushaw L. Old Town Washington Eastport Kennebec R. Bangor Brewer Franklin Graham L. Oxford Hancock Waterville Waldo Ellsworth Androscoggin R Kennebec Belfast Hallowell Augusta Andro oggin Gardiner Knox NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW Lewiston Lincoln Rockland Long L. Auburn S gadah Sebago Bath ATLANTIC OCEAN Lake Cumberland Westbrook Portland South Portland Saco Biddeford York timeline 1607 1773 1839 1851 1876 1912 The Plymouth Co. York residents stage Maine Gov. Edward The “Maine Law” Portland sees Leon Leonwood establishes the their own version Kent declares war bans the manu- stars, stripes and Bean founds Popham Colony at of the Boston Tea on England over a facture and sale snow when a freak Freeport-based the mouth of the Party. boundary dispute of alcohol. snowstorm hits on L.L. Bean. Kennebec River. with New Bruns- July 4. wick. 34 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 MAINE Even today, you’ll hear French spoken in much of the St. John Valley and many cities of Maine. War debt by distributing Maine land through lotteries, indexes and/or record images at 1934 1947 1949 1974 1984 2015 Prohibition is 10,000 acres of Aca- Skowhegan’s Mar- Maine native Cape Elizabeth An end-of-January repealed, ending dia National Park garet Chase Smith Stephen King pub- native Joan Benoit blizzard dumps 27 Maine’s 83-year burn in wildfi res. is the fi rst woman lishes his fi rst novel, Samuelson is the inches of snow on alcohol ban. elected to both Carrie. fi rst women’s Portland. houses of Congress. Olympic marathon champion. familytreemagazine.com 35 MAINE TOOLKIT under Maine. Search decennial census records through 1940 Websites on Ancestry and FamilySearch. In 1837, Maine took a head-of- Cyndi’s List: Maine 36 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 STATE GUIDE NEW MEXICO by DAVID A. FRYXELL NEW MEXICO’S VENERABLE city of Santa Fe is as old as the Sandia people’s habitation dates back to 25,000 BC. Other historic Jamestown. In 1607, around the time those Eng- Indian cultures arrived in turn, among them the Mogollon lish colonists were unpacking in Virginia, Castillian-born and the Anasazi. Juan Martinez de Montoya established the fi rst settlement In 1680, the Pueblo—a diverse group of several native cul- where Santa Fe is now. Santa Fe wasn’t oi cially founded tures—rose up in a revolt that sent the Spanish fl eeing. They until 1610, which still makes it the oldest capital city in the didn’t return until 1692, under Don Diego de Vargas, who United States. thwarted a second Pueblo revolt in 1696. Next came the It’s important to know where in that long and varied his- Apache, who also proved troublesome to European attempts tory your New Mexico ancestors’ events fall, because most at settling this rugged country. repositories catalog records by time period. Even records If you have American Indian roots, see familytreemagazine.com 37 NEW MEXICO COLORADO San Juan R. Rio Grande Chama Raton Aztec Taos Questa Colfax Des Moines Farmington Bloomfield Taos Grenville Rio Arriba Maxwell Ski Valley Cimarron OKLAHOMA Union Clayton Angel Fire San Juan Taos Springer Corrizo Creek Canadian R. Mora Cuba Espanola Harding Los Wagon Mound Roy Alamos Los Alamos Mora R. Mosquero Sandoval Jemez Springs McKinley Rio Puerco Santa Fe Pecos Las Vegas San Ysidro Gallup Conchas L. San Miguel Canadian R. Bernalillo Logan Rio Rancho Corrales Santa Fe Grants Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Tucumcari Tijeras Pecos R. Albuquerque Moriarty Bernalillo Santa Rosa Quay Cibola Rio San Jose Los Lunas Bosque Farms Guadalupe Grady Estancia Belen House Encino Valencia Willard Vaughn Rio Grande Curry Mountainair Fort Sumner Melrose Torrance Clovis Debaca ARIZONA Corona Floyd Magdalena Portales Catron Socorro Socorro Elida Dora Lincoln R. Causey cos Reserve Pe Roosevelt Carrizozo Capitan Chaves Roswell Ruidoso Elephant Butte Res. Tatum Truth or Dexter Consequences Gila R. Sierra Tularosa Lea TEXAS Lake Arthur Cloudcroft Lovington Grant Artesia Alamogordo Silver City Hope Hurley Hobbs Hatch Eddy Rio Grande Dona Ana Otero Pecos R. Eunice Luna Carlsbad Lordsburg Las Cruces Loving Deming Jal Columbus Sunland Park TEXAS Hidalgo MEXICO timeline 1598 1610 1706 1821 1846 1848 Juan de Oñate Don Pedro de Per- Albuquerque William Becknell United States an- Treaty of Gua- claims what’s now alta makes Santa Fe is founded as a pioneers the Santa nexes New Mexico dalupe Hidalgo the Southwest the capital of Span- presidio (military Fe Trail from Inde- during the Mexican- grants most of United States for ish New Mexico. garrison). pendence, Mo. American War. New Mexico to the Spain. United States. 38 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 NEW MEXICO Santa Fe was ofi cially founded in 1610, making it the oldest capital city in the United States. days; FamilySearch has microfilmed them back to 1726 (run Civil War service records at the free FamilySearch (search a place search of the online catalog for Santa Fe and look for a resultsherelinktorecordimagesatsubscriptionwebsite church records heading). See NMGS’ online guide to locating Fold3 1854 1881 1886 1916 1945 1948 Gadsden Purchase Sheriff Pat Garrett After leading 39 Mexican revolu- US detonates In Trujillo v. Garley, expands New Mex- shoots Billy the Kid Apache across tionary Pancho Villa the world’s fi rst a federal court ico and completes at Fort Sumner. the Southwest, raids the border atomic bomb near rules that American the territory of the Geronimo surren- town of Columbus. Alamogordo. Indians have the lower 48 United ders to Gen. Nelson right to vote in States. A. Miles. state elections. familytreemagazine.com 39 NEW MEXICO TOOLKIT Seek pre-statehood New Mexicans in territorial censuses, Websites which were taken as part of regular federal censuses begin- New Mexico American History and Genealogy ning in 1850. You can fi nd federal census records on Fami- Project An Illustrated History of New Mexico by lic Library 40 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 TOP SECRETS Professional genealogists share their 12 top tips for staying organized, catching every clue, and making the most of your research minutes. by JANINE ADAMS Genealogy researchers love the thrill Getting your research organized isn’t optional if you’re of the hunt. When you’re on the prowl for old records, it’s serious about discovering your family tree. You can bet hard to match that feeling of triumph when you fi nally net that professional genealogists, who might trace the family the will or deed you’re after. Perhaps less thrilling, though, is trees of three or four or 10 clients at a time, have devised the need to organize all the information you fi nd. But unless clever ways to organize information and maximize their you do, that information will be less useful to you or the gen- research time. There’s much to learn from these pros. Four erations that follow. As a professional organizer and an avid of these experts divulged their top organization principles genealogist, I’ve found that organizing my research time can to me—and I’m sharing them so you, too, can fi nd your fam- DEAN MITCHELL/COLLECTION:E+/GETTY IMAGES make my research sessions more successful and enjoyable. ily faster. familytreemagazine.com 41 KNOW YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION. Start each research session knowing what you’re looking for. “Have a very specifi c research question in front of you so you can keep focused on it,” says Drew Smith, author of the book Organize Your Ge- 1nealogy (Family Tree Books) and podcaster at the Genealogy Guys Podcast BE REALISTIC ABOUT JOT DOWN YOUR “BRIGHT WHAT YOU CAN GET DONE. SHINY OBJECTS” FOR LATER. When you’re creating a plan for You undoubtedly know the temptation of coming 2your research session, set your- 3across unexpected information on a family member self up for success by being real- you weren’t researching. These BSOs (Bright Shiny istic about what you can accomplish in the Objects) can distract you from the question you started of with. time you’re able to spend. (This is good ad- It’s human nature to want to explore an unanticipated fi nd. To vice for organizing any aspect of your life, stay focused on your research question, Smith suggests taking a by the way.) This helps you avoid having moment to bookmark or write down the BSO so you can come to stop midstream. “I try to imagine how back to it later. “Make a note for yourself so you won’t have that long it will take me to do a project, and it [distraction] running around in your head,” Smith says. helps me plan what I want to accomplish,” Taylor tries to anticipate distractions, deciding before start- Taylor says. ing a session what he is and isn’t going to research. “I’m never as There’s no need to set aside a whole ei cient when I’m going in a million dif erent directions when day to research, Smith adds. He says that I’m researching,” he says. “So I try to stay focused on the re- for most people, two hours of research is search I set out to do.” He keeps a log called Other People, where probably the maximum before they feel he notes information that doesn’t fall into his current research mentally drained. And short sessions are plan but merits further investigation in the future. much easier to fi t into your busy sched- ule. I research every morning for about 30 minutes. My to-do list is brief for these bite-sized sessions, and they’re usually tip productive. For more-involved research Organization tools with tagging or labeling sys- questions, I add longer sessions about once tems, like Evernote 42 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 A research log lets you jump right into a task instead of spending the i rst 10 minutes i guring out where you left off, and keeps you from duplicating efforts. KEEPARESEARCHLOG. RECORD NEGATIVE FINDINGS. A research log lets you maximize your Of course you record the information you research time by helping you jump right fi nd in your research. But taking note of what 4into a task, instead of spending the first 10 5you didn’t fi nd can be very helpful as well, minutes figuring out where you left of. It Smith says. This can help you avoid checking also stops you from duplicating eforts. “To me, it’s the same sources again. Paying attention to negative likeHanselandGretelwithabreadcrumbtrail,ex- results also can provide valuable clues. cept the birds are not going to pick up those bread- “Not fi nding something can tell you just about as crumbs,” says Thomas MacEntee, the genealogist much as fi nding something,” Smith says. For example, behind Abundant Genealogy familytreemagazine.com 43 SAMPLE GENEALOGY WORKFLOW You fi nd an Viewtherecordimage,ifavailable.Ifnot, Examine the document to ensure START ancestor’s trackdownandconsultthesourcerecords itis,infact,aboutyourancestor. HERE name in an for the database (whether in another online Saveacopywithyourgenealogy online index. database, on microfilm, in a repository, etc.). files (paper, digital or both). Record all the source Transcribe the Evaluate the record’s reliability.Askyourself:Isitaprimary information for the docu- record in your family or secondary source? How close to the time of the event in ment in your family tree tree software, organi- question was it created? Was the informant or the creator of software,researchlogor zation software, or a the record present when the events occurred? Who was the organization software. Word document. informant, and how did that informant know your ancestor? Summarize the record Enter information you’ve Addnextstepsto your research by describing what it tells deemed reliable into your to-do list, such as verifying informa- you about your family. family tree software or tion from the record, locating other Include your assessment online tree, including the records this one points you to, and of the record’s reliability. record as a source. following up on clues. USE RESEARCH CHECKLISTS. KEEP TRACK Creating a workfl ow—a step-by-step process for doing OF NEXT STEPS. research and working with your results—can help you Make a note of where you left of 7keep your research sessions focused and ei cient. “You 8at the end of every session. Then might even want to use a fl owchart that gives you all the when you sit down to research steps,” Smith says. You can use our sample workfl ow (above) or next time, you can simply consult that note create your own that’s customized to your research. and see what’s next. I write down my next Smith suggests creating checklist templates in a word process- steps in my research log at the end of each ing document, spreadsheet software, note-taking app (such as session, and it’s been an invaluable time- Evernote), or another program of your choice. Copy and then in- saving habit. dividualize your checklists as needed for each project or research MacEntee describes these notations as session. These checklists can help you make the most of the re- “a to-do list with a little more fl avor to it.” cords you discover and mine every last clue. Consider using the “So many of us get 15 minutes in an evening following kinds of research checklists, and add others you fi nd to research, and then we put it down and helpful: come back a week later,” he says. “Writing Your research workfl ow down where you left of cuts down on du- US and state censuses that occurred during the lifetime of plication of ef ort.” the person you’re researching Taylor organizes his research task lists Sources you plan to consult on a library visit by repository, which might be a library or Source information to note for each record you fi nd an online database. Then when he goes to Spelling variants of your ancestors’ names the Family History Library 44 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 KEEP YOUR ORGANIZATION TOOLS SIMPLE AND CONSISTENT. The simpler the system, the easier it is to follow. “Start simple,” organize 9Smith advises. “Once you have that mastered, you can add com- your plexity, like color coding, if you want. But I think for most re- genealogy STRATEGIES and SOLUTIONS searchers, the simpler the better.” for EVERY RESEARCHER In working with my organization clients, I’ve found that complicated DREW SMITH techniques requiring things like cross-referencing and special labels might be attractive, but they can be time-intensive to follow—so you won’t do it. It’s far better to establish an easy system that you have a fi ghting chance in the shop of following. I’ve tried and failed to keep complex research logs, fi lling Organize Your Gene- out fi elds for where, when and what I found. I needed something simpler. alogy: Strategies and When I fi nally started allowing myself to create a note in Evernote and Solutions for Every write about each session freeform, I was able to create the habit of logging Researcher DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. The best way to organize your research is the way that works for you, which is why Taylor urges you to personalize any organizational system you try. “Don’t try 10 and take something of the shelf and assume that every aspect will apply to your research,” he says. Instead, take what you learn in a lecture or an article (even this article!) and customize it for your own needs, rather than trying to replicate it. But do consider others who might one day need to sort through your research, adds Denise Levenick, blogger at The Family Curator familytreemagazine.com 45 Find Family Tree Magazine back issues at DON’T RUSH. I always urge my organizing clients to give a new sys- tem time before deciding it’s not for them. Creating 11 an organizing system that works requires creating new habits. And new habits take time to establish. “Genealogy isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon,” MacEntee says. “You want to set yourself up to win that marathon in the long run.” That BE KIND TO YOURSELF. It’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll to be able to or- Get genealogy ganize all your information or your entire family advice from the 12 archive in a week, says Levenick. And you may not have access to all the resources, like archival qual- experts in the ity storage materials or a fl atbed scanner, that you’d like. Be kind free Family Tree to yourself. “You just have to do the best you can with the funds and knowledge you have,” she says. “And that’s okay.” Podcast, hosted by Don’t beat yourself up if an organizing system you read about or Lisa Louise Cooke heard an expert talk about isn’t working for you. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. “We’re all unique,” Taylor says, “and genealogy is part creativity.” Organizing your genealogy information takes time. But it’s time well spent. Investing that time up front in setting up a research log, workfl ow or staying-focused strategies will pay of down the road in more genealogy fi nds. You’ll save hours and ef ort locating information and documents. Honestly, wouldn’t you rather spend more time researching PODCAST and less time looking for things? As MacEntee says, “We should be looking for ancestors, we shouldn’t be looking for stuf .” Listen in iTunes or at 46 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Click Your Way to GERMAN ANCESTORS Enter code GERMANONLINEFTM SAVE 10%! 3ɥ!'#!*.43ƥɥ7/(1#2ɥ#!ƥɥƑƏƦɥƐƎƏƘƥ WITH THIS COMPLETE USER GUIDE, LEARN HOW TO: ƭ master the web’s most valuable German genealogy sites, such as church records databases and Ancestry.com A C to German Ge ebsites ƭ track your ancestor to his German hometown from the comfort of your own computer ƭ decode German place names and surnames using online translation tools /#1 !*ɥƭɥƐƎƘɥ/ %#2ɥƭɥǬƐƏƥƙƙ ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! To order by phone, call (855) 278-0408 JAMES M. BEIDLER GRID OFF THE family history discoveries only in person. found online. You can make these 38 exciting Some of the best genealogy sources won’t be Without adoubt, K. BISHOP SHELLEY by you need to discover your family history is online. online. is history family your discover to need you everything that Butdon’t think screen. the onto of holdings movetheir to strive ies your fi to sources huge sums to bring genealogical re- invest nies Compa- history. forfamily search to place great nie Just as it’sonline. hard to assemble a puzzle from found be might pieces Perhaps 35of those puzzle. byname. forsearching indexed been fewer even have digitized—and been have sources re- of historical afraction Only truth: the Here’s Think of your family history as a 100-piece a100-piece as history family of your Think librar- and Archives ngertips. the Internet is a the shelf and and shelf the AL PARRISH one-third of the pieces, it’s hard to reconstruct chance to visit and look through photos or keep- your family picture from a smattering of records. sakes with them. Respectfully ask if you can scan By limiting your searches to only what you fi nd or take pictures of things in order to make copies. online, you’re missing a lot of valuable material. What types of missing pieces might be awaiting 1 Photographs. Photos literally put faces with you o ine? Where and how can you fi nd them? the names of your ancestors—provided you can Come along as we explore 38 resources you’ll identify them. If loose pictures aren’t labeled, commonly need to obtain in person. We’ll start you’ll need to do some detective work. Show the with sources closest to home, move to the local photos to relatives to see who they recognize. courthouse, expand the search to state and fed- Who owned the photos before you? What clues eral records, and wrap up with some favorites to can you derive from backgrounds, cars, clothing, help you build a complete and colorful picture of hairstyles and ages of children? For help under- your ancestors. standing these clues, see Family Photo Detective by Maureen A. Taylor familytreemagazine.com 49 This 1922 school the pages later, from memory. Use what you fi nd 11 Personal records. Deeds, cemetery lot pur- souvenir booklet to spur research into other records. chases, citizenship papers and other important from a one-room 7 Certifi cates, cards and programs. Many documents may be among family papers. Pass- schoolhouse couples received keepsake certifi cates of mar- ports, social security cards, medical records, fam- names the school, riage from oi ciants or places of worship (these ily copies of birth and death certifi cates, and other students, and their aren’t the same as oi cial, government-issued records all widen your base of knowledge. teacher. Can you marriage certifi cates). Certifi cates also recog- 12 Family histories. Perhaps you’re not the spot the sibling nized baptisms, cradle rolls, confi rmations and fi rst in your family to take an interest in geneal- groups? Look for fi rst communions. Funeral homes published fu- ogy. Did someone from an earlier generation put keepsakes like neral cards and programs commemorating the together a history or family chart? If so, you have this to document deceased. Cards announced graduations, awards, a path of helpful clues to follow. Remember that unique pieces of and retirements. Also look for company newslet- the writer could have made mistakes, so test each your family puzzle. ters and church bulletins. claim by seeking out historical records to verify it. 8 Yearbooks and school souvenirs. It’s fun 13 Living relatives. A relative’s memory is one to see a relative’s picture in a school yearbook. of the greatest assets a genealogist could hope for. What activities was he or she involved in? Do you Reach out and ask to talk with your aunt or cous- recognize other names? School memorabilia can in. Prepare questions in advance, but be sensitive take many forms: report cards, award certifi cates, if the person seems reluctant to discuss certain activity programs, sports letters. Some schools events. Ask open-ended questions to invite lon- published year-end souvenir booklets listing chil- ger responses and take along pictures to prompt dren and teachers. Any school keepsake is one memories. Prioritize interviewing older relatives. more puzzle piece you couldn’t fi nd otherwise. 9 Newspaper clippings. If you fi nd obituar- COURTHOUSE FINDS ies in mom’s or dad’s fi les, note any names and Courthouses and town halls hold a wide variety of residences of survivors, and investigate unfamil- historical records. Many old birth, death and mar- iar names to see if they’re extended family. You riage records that local governments created are also might fi nd clippings about weddings, anni- now available online. Other records may be digi- versaries, accidents and social events. tized but not indexed (so you can browse them, 10 Military memorabilia. Servicemen and but can’t search). Or you might fi nd an online in- women often saved mementos of their experi- dex with no document images. ences. Keep an eye out for draft papers, discharge Most places have some court records or indexes certifi cates, ID cards or tags, pins, awards and online, but how much varies widely depending more. My father-in-law saved some of the daily where you’re researching. Usually, the following briefi ngs from the ship he served on in World War record types are available only in person. Before II. These keepsakes provide essential service in- you go looking for them, have a good idea of the formation and add family history context. type of record you need and when it was created. BISHOP K. SHELLEY OF COURTESY SOUVENIR: SCHOOL 50 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Note that some courthouses have moved old re- Societies and libraries collect cords to of site storage, a historical society or the state archives. Call or email to check availability: family trees, Bible records, “I’m looking for a probate fi le from 1888. Do you news clippings and other unique have those?” Some facilities may be willing to send you copies for a fee. Microfi lmed records are materials in “vertical i les” often available at the state archives as well. arranged by surname or subject. 14 Probate fi les. Records of an estate settle- ment name heirs and describe relationships. They include probate dockets, will books, administra- divorce cases. Once you’ve found a reference, look tion bonds, inventory and sale records, and origi- for a microfi lmed record or request a copy of the nal probate fi les. Even if a will doesn’t name heirs, decree or case fi le from the county clerk’s oi ce. the fi nal account or other estate papers might. Ex- 19 Pre-1906 naturalizations. Most natural- amine every paper, front and back. I once found izations made in federal courts are online, but an ancestor’s date of death scribbled on the back until 1906, an immigrant could fi le naturaliza- of a small receipt in a probate packet—the only tion papers at nearly any civil, superior, district place I ever found it. or circuit court. Check courts in places your an- 15 Guardianship records. Guardianships cestor lived for a declaration of intention (also in the shop are closely related to probate records. Courts ap- called “fi rst papers”), a petition for naturalization Learn how to fi nd pointed guardians for minor children who had in- (“second papers,” fi led after a required residency deeds, probate herited property, even if one parent was still alive. period), and/or a certifi cate of naturalization (de- fi les and other Dockets, bonds, record books and more may re- claring the person a citizen). Online or printed in- court records in our Courthouse Research veal names of parents, grandparents or other rela- dexes may help your search. Crash Course video tives, and may state the children’s dates of birth. 20 County homes and orphanages. A press- class download 16 Deeds. Deeds recording the transfer of ing need to care for the poor and disabled, espe- familytreemagazine.com 51 demonstrate a close kinship to the patient. Find Find patient. the to kinship aclose demonstrate frequently are closed institutions health mental other and hospitals or restricted to those who can you will fi What ago. 50years atleast occurred that deaths certifi death digitized Most living. for genealogy purposes. for genealogy or noncertifi by law.permitted Some states of when agency, issuing the copies from record quest re- to use youcan which deaths, and marriages as apprenticeships or placement with relatives. orplacement with apprenticeships as such arrangements, informal been might’ve tions adop- early that mind in Bear open. be may records Old family. orimmediate adoptee the to able only avail- are order, others while bycourt sealed are Some state. every in degrees varying to protected 24 23 Asylum records. Adoption records. nd online are are nd online ed versions of birth and death records records death and of birth versions ed Records of asylums, state state of asylums, Records indexes Adoption records are are records Adoption to modern births, er transcriptions er transcriptions cates concern cates cations are digitized on Fold3, but for most, you’ll you’ll onFold3, butformost, digitized are cations appli- of pension number Asmall children. minor and widow his soldier, sometimes the and about fi lums’ cemetery records are typically open. typically are records cemetery lums’ asy- records, patient Unlike access. about quire place), in- and starting agood is archives state held (the are records institution’s out wherethe majority ofthefi majority to Civil War pensionapplications are online, butthevast dates cards ofminorchildren. Index and namesbirth place,date, nameofwife, birth marriage date andplace, can provide valuableinformation likethesoldier’s birth of Polk County, inOhio. Mo., withhisservice Pension fi This Civil War pension application linksBenjaminF. Roush (see (see orordercopies forafee them, get to professional a hire person, in records these You research can sonnel Records Per- National its and DC, Washington, in (NARA) Center (NPRC)o in St. Louis, still are resources morefederal But many trations. Mo. regis- draft WWII and WWI and records military pre-1900 many are as online, available widely are most-usedalogists’ sources. US census records of gene- some created government The federal place of incarceration. and date the learn help you can Newspapers aproblem. be shouldn’t access public record, are these As records. prison orcounty forstate asearch begin place to a good Fold3 has complete fi complete Fold3 has bag: amixed are War soldiers forCivil records Service record. orderhis to youneed details the line, you can order it from NARA. order itfrom youcan line, fi the If forothers. cards index Service Record Index atFold3 Index Record Service War of 1812 War the of 1812? Check the in serve tor some fi War. War, Mexican While War and of 1812 tionary of to veterans land Revolu- the bounty granted to request afi request to try atFold3 indexes orAnces- Warrant Land Bounty ormicrofi indexed been haven’t FEDERAL RECORDS FEDERAL les are potentially robust sources of information of information sources robust potentially are les ine, particularly those at the National Archives 25 28 27 26 Bounty land fi Civil War pension fi War pension Civil Military service records. Prison records. Prison les were digitized with pension fi pension with digitized were les le. le. les themselves haven’t beendigitized. for the information you need youneed information forthe les. les for some states but only butonly states forsome les The state archives is also also is archives The state The federal government government The federal les. ). le you want isn’t on- isn’t le youwant Civil War pension Civil US Check lmed. PENSION APPLICATION: COURTESY OF SHELLEY K. BISHOP Taking a research trip to fi nd offl ine records? Plan for success by following the three pre-trip steps at need to find the soldier’s index card on Fold3 or original archive. Don’t miss out on potentially key Ancestry, then order the file from NARA. discoveries such by assuming that if you can’t fi nd 29 Federal land entry case files. The US gov- records online, they don’t exist. ernment sold land to individuals through a system 33 Church records. Church registers can doc- of land oices. Begin your search at the Bureau of ument births, marriages and deaths where vital Land Management General Land Oice Records records are missing, with additional clues such as site familytreemagazine.com 53 Professional genealogist John Vanek’s successful search for his sperm- donor father—and the men’s thoughtful navigation through their new relationship—off er inspiration to birth Finding family searchers. Connections by SUNNY JANE MORTON Three years ago, longtime genealogist John Vanek casu- ally told his parents he planned to take a DNA test for family history. Within days—before he even took the test—his folks revealed startling news: He’d been conceived through sperm donation. Almost immedi- ately, Vanek knew two things. First, his chances of identifying his birth father were slim. Second, he was going to try anyway. And he succeeded—so well, in fact, that he started a genealogy re- search business specializing in tracing unknown parentage. (For more information, see 54 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 familytreemagazine.com 55 56 anonymous. donor would stay a secret andthe tion would remain thedona- expected donation, everyone son through sperm conceived their and Wes Vanek parents Maureen When John’s AIYTE MA TREE FAMILY it possible to unravel the secret. the unravel to it possible make would testing genealogy later, genetic years 30 that No oneknew anyone. tell wouldn’t parents the and anonymous remain donorwould the that expected involved everyone though, time, At the I’m notnow.” and then upset Iwasn’t child. only an whyIwas place about into fell pieces “The baster.’” byturkey conceived ‘You me, were jokes with wife “My another. in parents his and oneroom donorin the with clinic, into motion by a live sperm donation at a fertility set Vanek’s was donation.’” life bysperm ceived told ‘You me. were con- they DNA matches,’ your child. only their with overforasit-down came parents his week, endof the the By it.” discussed they I’m sure and us, with ride next onthe go to they needed knew and other ateach looked momentthey exact to tell the identify can Fair. “I State me Minnesota the to trip the truth. They declined down.” coming keep would price the and better get just would DNA technology the knew Ialways market. the hit tests various the as deep into genealogy, Iwas knew “She anniversary. third fortheir test and that aDNA him gave Pam, wife, 2015, his in when, I’d been watching similar enough to the father that it doesn’t raise TAKING IN THE NEWS THE IN TAKING G “They were told, ‘We’ll fi were ‘We’ll told, “They “‘Don’t to expect fi a during test the about parents Vanek told his again intersected interests Vanek’s sixth-grade AZINE JULY / AUGU in Vanek cousins nd any ST 20 nd you a match that’s that’s nd youamatch 18 mother to test as well. He knew that the enormous enormous of DNApool profi the that knew He well. as test to mother the clinic to confi Vanek called genealogist, athorough Being sota.” of Minne- University atthe student amedical was he and musical He was ancestry. German mostly of and 3inches, 6feet, about was “He parents. number, trail. nopaper tracking live donation would make dii things They knew he’d try to identify the father. biological donor. his about knew parents his what But the long.” forso nothing said you’ve after kid your tell to It’s complicated react. howIwould about of alevel uncertainty There was child. only their I’m it: get Itotally perspective, their “From him. fi It all class. in kid tallest the always Iwas inches. 6 6feet, is dad “My Vanek says. questions’” any to have about myself and I needed to at least atleast to Ineeded and myself about have to puzzle genealogical unbelievable and unexpected most the was This motive. myprimary it wasn’t honest, be butto true, was “And Vanek. that says to answer. easy so onewasn’t This father? biological his found question:with What them helped calm those fears. The did other hehis hope parents, to with accomplish whomcouple he is of close. concerns. Candid First, if talks he didn’t he want to upset German.” were school to here whocame people the Half Upper Midwest. it’s the and university state it’s ahuge “But Vanek admits. nesota yearbooks and commencement programs,” of Min- University the through looking I started back, myDNA Igot test before “Even evidence. expired. had forrecords policy retention 25-year fi cestryDNA cestryDNA An- through test autosomal his Vanek ordered had doing this to think about it ahead of time.” of time.” itahead about think to this doing whoare forpeople it’s important think “I mends. approach father. It’s herecom- notan biological his he’d what hefound doif decided fully never he came, time the until that Hesolve it.” admits DNA SEARCH STRATEGY SEARCH DNA ce had moved, the physician was gone and the the and gone was physician the moved, ce had t.” His parents always found a reason not to tell tell notto areason found always parents His t.” The nurse had shared a few details with Vanek’s with afewdetails shared had The nurse Vanek news, asked the absorbing still hewas As “I said I wanted to learn my medical history,” history,” mymedical learn to Iwanted said “I a hehad search, his with ahead hemoved As of trail this in slenderclues the hepursued So PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN VANEK increase the chance of fi nding helpful matches. “I have a dad, and He also knew he could set aside any matches I am not looking to shared with his mother; the remainder would pre- replace him,” says sumably be related through his biological father. John Vanek (left) (This strategy would be more dii cult for those of his father, Wes. whose parents are from an endogamous popula- tion, where individuals tend to marry within the group and thus share a lot of DNA.) Before his test results were ready, Vanek out- lined his research strategy. He planned to search granddaughter of one of the two target women, the family trees of his genetic matches for Ger- by the only child she had with her fi rst husband. man families in Minnesota. “I just had to hope Helen married Paul Olmscheid.” my biological father was right about his ancestry. Paul and Helen were born around 1900, about And then, if I could fi nd two cousins who had a right to be Vanek’s great-grandparents. He fi g- proven relationship, I would try to fi gure out at ured that if a son of theirs was his grandfather, least roughly how I fi t in. I later learned that this he had a good shot at Olmscheid being his father’s is called triangulation.” surname. So he typed Dr. Olmscheid University of “When I fi rst got my results back, I was really Minnesota into his web browser. “And there it was disappointed,” Vanek says. “I had only fi ve cousin on the WebMD profi le of Dr. Bruce Olmscheid: matches at the third-to-fourth cousin range, and ‘Graduated from the University of Minnesota four of them were on my mom’s side.” He had Medical School in 1987.’ It was surreal.” It was one third cousin DNA match on his biological fa- also sudden: Within 10 minutes of clicking on the ther’s side. “She turned out to be about 102. Her grandniece administered her test. This was the only cousin match I ever contacted.” Later, as he discovered more matches, he’d study their linked family trees for information. 7 Tips for Birth-Parent Searchers Those using genetic genealogy to trace un- 1 Ask any known biological relative(s) to test with the same company known parentage generally identify ancestors you do. Their shared matches can help you connect other matches to the who are common in matches’ trees, then trace the biological parent you’re seeking. families forward in search of descendants who fi t 2 Expand your search for DNA matches by testing with multiple com- what little is known about the mystery parent. By panies and sharing your raw DNA data with every possible database. Our comparing his 102-year-old cousin’s tree to an- book The Adoptee’s Guide to DNA Testing by Tamar Weinberg familytreemagazine.com 57 THE MAN BEHIND THE DONATION Olmscheid grew up in rural Minnesota with the dream of becoming a doctor. “In 1983, I started medical school after I got divorced and came out as a gay man,” he says. A fl yer posted at the school asked for sperm donors for couples struggling with infertility. “I needed the money. But also, I liked the idea that I could anonymously help someone have a family. Back then, gays didn’t have kids. I knew it would give me a lot of satisfaction to make a dif- ference in the lives of a couple.” Vanek thinks he donated about a dozen times, John Vanek and his new DNA cousin match, Vanek was looking at a but received no follow-up report on the success wife, Pam (center, picture of his biological father. of the inseminations. “For years I joked with my with their parents Research in birth records and obituaries con- friends, ‘What would I do if a kid ever found me?’ on their wedding fi rmed Bruce was a grandson of Paul and Helen. And then one day it happened.” day in 2011), joke “It’s important to verify every step of your re- “I was in my oi ce in Beverly Hills,” he recalls. that John was search,” says Vanek. “You don’t just start calling “My husband, Eric, and I were leaving the next conceived “by people by that name and saying, ‘I think you’re my day for a two-week trip to the Holy Land. While turkey baster.” dad.’ It’s not something to take lightly.” fi nishing up all the last-minute details, I opened As it turned out, Vanek isn’t actually a third this thick envelope. The fi rst paragraph said cousin of his 102 year-old match. Rather, they’re something like, ‘Hi, Dr. Olmscheid, My name is fi rst cousins, three times removed, with a half re- John Vanek, and I’m quite certain I’m your bio- lationship because the cousin descends from the logical son. I just want you to know I exist and I target ancestor’s subsequent marriage. But the ge- want to thank you.’” netic distance was accurate enough to point him His initial reaction was joyful. “It worked! At to closer relatives. least one of the times I donated was successful.” Now what? Vanek’s unsettled concern returned He read the letter privately at home before shar- once he had his biological father’s name and con- ing it with Eric. They told their families via text. tact information. “Having information and hav- Olmscheid carried Vanek’s letter to Israel. He ing a relationship are two separate things,” he read it repeatedly, discussed it with Eric and spent says. “I already had a family and”—he’s only half- several hours composing his response. “Essen- in the shop joking—“it’s hard enough now to get to all the tially I said, ‘I’m really thankful you tracked me John Vanek shares his research strate- family functions.” down. I’m happy to hear that your life is good, that gies in depth in our He spent weeks drafting a nine-page letter. “I you’ve brought such joy to your parents.’ I told video class, Finding told him about myself and my background; I think him about my family and medical history. I was so Biological Family: A DNA Case Study I sent a picture. I let him know that I wasn’t af- happy to hear from him.” Olmscheid later said he appreciated. ately started calling me Grandpa.” VANEK JOHN OF COURTESY PHOTOS 58 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Olmscheid and Eric fl ew to Minnesota and met I understand and appreciate him in a whole new Vanek at a restaurant. The reunion went beauti- way now.” fully, inspiring an even bolder idea: On the spot, At nearly 60, Olmscheid’s sense of self has Olmscheid invited Vanek and the baby on a road changed. “I’ve always just been Bruce. Now I’m trip to visit his grandmother—Vanek’s biological potentially—ok, I’m going to use the word—Bruce great-grandmother—who was just shy of 99 years the father, the dad, the grandpa. It’s leading me to old and still lived in Minnesota. a place I didn’t anticipate I’d focus on at this time “It gave us 100 miles in the car together,” Olm- of life. I have a new sense of the trajectory of time, scheid recalls. “It felt surreal, as if I was watching of getting older, of generations.” He values more us from a television camera. We talked about grow- time with his brothers and has forged new con- ing up and school and hobbies, and what it was like nections with a brother who has children. to learn about me. I was thinking, ‘Someday we’ll Olmscheid acknowledges that the revelations wish we had recorded this conversation.’” genetic genealogy enables af ect more than just the Olmscheid and Eric returned to meet Vanek’s people directly involved. “What about our spous- parents. The potentially anxiety-producing get- es?,” he asks. “I’m the one who’s feeling the excite- together went smoothly. “Though they never ment and creating a new relationship. I have the thought they’d be in that position,” Vanek says, blood connection. It’s dif erent for Eric. He’s pro- Not long before “my parents were eager to thank the man who had tective of me and of us. Something like this af ects a this issue went helped them have a child.” lot of people’s lives, not just mine and John’s.” to press, Vanek’s His great-grandma’s 101st birthday party gave It’s Vanek’s daughter—and his newborn sec- DNA research Vanek’s family the opportunity to meet more Ol- ond child—who triggers Olmscheid’s deepest re- led him to a mscheids. “My aunt said, ‘I’m so thrilled that you sponse. “I want to spend more time with her and I half-brother, also and Eric have your own family,’” Olmscheid re- want to see her grow up. As far as I’m concerned, donor-conceived. calls. “There’s nothing better than family.’” that little girl cannot have too many people lov- “We’ve met and Most recently, Vanek’s family fl ew to Califor- ing her. Am I going someday to be ‘grandpa’ or were surprised at nia to stay with Olmscheid and Eric for several will I always be ‘Bruce’ [to my biological grand- how many simi- days. “It was both wonderful and exhausting, children]? Every time I feel the excitement of ‘I’m larities we share,” especially with a 2½ year-old,” Olmscheid says. a grandpa,’ I remind myself I’m really not. But I Vanek says. “It felt like a really long date. I wish we lived in am. But I’m not. I’m not quite sure what my role Minnesota. It would be much easier to have this or title is.” relationship develop if we could just pop over for So for both men, the story is a work in progress. Sunday dinner. But the time together also made “I have a dad and I am not looking to replace him,” this thing more real.” Vanek says. “Because of that, it’s been hard for me to create a new paternal relationship when it CHARTING A FUTURE didn’t exist for the fi rst 30 years of my life. Bruce Not every birth parent search story is as happy as and I get along well, and I’ve enjoyed every minute Vanek’s. He credits slow steps toward a relation- we’ve spent together. But is it a paternal relation- ship and setting realistic expectations. “The most ship? No. At least not yet. However, my daughter is challenging part has been fi guring out what sort little. I think her relationship with Bruce and Eric of relationship it is and how it af ects the other can be something more.” relationships we already have,” Vanek says. “I’ve “I’ve learned to take it one day at a time and tried not to upset my parents, or to create jealousy, move it in a direction it feels like it should be that because that’s not what this is about. My parents day,” says Olmscheid. “I can’t control what it will have been nothing but supportive.” be in 10 years, but I hope … Eric and I can come His new bond with Bruce has only strength- into their lives in a way that doesn’t take away ened those existing relationships. “The whole anything from what they already have.” thing has made me more aware of how important relationships are. Not only have I formed a new, Contributing editor Sunny Jane Morton is the author positive relationship with Bruce, but it’s made me of Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy revisit the great relationship I have with my dad. familytreemagazine.com 59 GENETIC Genealogy 110 TAKE THIS 4-WEEK COURSE TO LEARN: All about mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), autosomal DNA (atDNA) and Y-DNA testing What each can teach you about your genealogy Which DNA test is right for you How to read your genetic genealogy results Your instructor is DNA expert Kerry Scott, who assists adoptees in using DNA to fi nd their birth families. familytreemagazine.com/ SIGN UP ore/university> TODAY Save $10 with coupon code GENETIC101 treetips IN APRIL, MILITARY HISTORY ENTHUSIAST Antonin DeHays was sentenced to prison, followed by probation and community service, for theft of records from the National Archives. Among the items he stole were 300 ID tags from American military whose planes were shot down in Europe during World War II. Some bore bloodstains and burn marks, which DeHays highlighted in online auction listings. About 95 percent of the stolen records and mementos have been recovered, though DeHays perma- nently damaged several in removing National Archives markings. Read about the archives’ eff orts to MMADIA/ISTOCK / GETTY/ PLUS IMAGES MMADIA/ISTOCK prevent theft and locate missing items at familytreemagazine.com 61 treetips NOW WHAT? Two women Roman Catholic religious communities of women typically kept A thorough records, including a nun’s birthplace, parents’ names Q in my family and sometimes even the parents’ birthplaces. Keep in mind that “nuns” are typically cloistered and contemplative, became nuns. whereas “sisters” do good works in the world. The key to tapping the available information is identifying the reli- How should I gious communities to which your relatives belonged. Check obituar- ies and home sources such as letters. An abbreviation after a woman’s research them? name, as in “Sister Mary Benedict, OCD,” indicates her religious com- munity, Order of Discalced Carmelites. Find a guide to many of these abbreviations at The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society presents the NORTHWEST GENEALOGY CONFERENCE August 15–18, 2018 ဣ4 Days ¦¡ of Genealogy ¡ဤ Many nationally known speakers! e B Featured oor Te Keynote ggy : k Speakers itzen 6SDFHLVOLPLWHG,5HJLVWHUWRGD\DWZZZ1Z*&RUJ,QZJF#VWLOO\JHQRUJ ,32%R[$UOLQJWRQ:$ ,ZZZ6WLOO\*HQRUJ 0DGHSRVVLEOHLQSDUWZLWKIXQGLQJIURPWKH&LW\RI$UOLQJWRQ 62 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 A census listing might name the community as part of the nun’s resi- dence data. You might also fi nd clues in histories of churches and reli- gious communities where your ancestor lived. (Women religious, clois- tered or otherwise, have always have been quite independent, so don’t be discouraged if a local parish knows nothing about them.) Be aware that many communities of women religious have disap- peared or gotten smaller in recent years. Even if your ancestor’s com- munity is no longer active in the area, try reaching out to the mother- house. Communities have merged or changed names, and many have similar names. If your fi rst ef ort draws a blank, try asking, “Are there other communities that people sometimes confuse with yours? May I have their names?” Another caution is that communities may be reluctant to share infor- mation for privacy reasons, even about a nun who died years ago. Such reluctance also may stem from the belief that women religious gave up contact with the outside world and their lives there—as symbolized by adopting a new name. Can you recommend an online source for understand- Qing foreign handwriting, particularly old German letters and records? Yours is actually a two-part challenge: fi rst, deciphering old A handwriting, and second, translating what you decode. Help is available for each, although we aren’t aware of a digital solution where you could upload an image of foreign handwriting and click for an Eng- lish translation. You can fi nd genealogy translation experts for hire by searching for “old German script translation services.” For general help with old handwriting, see David A. Fryxell is the founding editor of Family Tree Magazine. He now writes and researches his family tree in Tucson. familytreemagazine.com 63 treetips DOCUMENT DETECTIVE Dog License 1 3 2 4 5 7 6 1 Counties and towns issued 2 Dog licenses are little-used 3 This control number identifi ed 6 Like most places, Cavendish dog licenses to regulate owner- resources that can help you pin- the dog’s owner in the event required each dog to wear a ship and identify lost and stray point an ancestor’s location on of loss or violation of animal collar with the owner’s name dogs. Ireland’s fi rst dog license a given date. Joseph Atherton control laws. and the registration number. law dates to 1865. In the United applied for this license March Localities later issued metal tags States, sources give credit for 31, 1885, in Cavendish, Windsor 4 Most places recorded the with this information and rabies the fi rst dog licenses to both County, Vt. Five years prior, the dog’s size, age, color, breed and inoculation details. You might Fredericksburg, Va., in 1853, and 1880 US census lists him in gender. This form has space for fi nd collars, tags and veterinary New York City, in 1894. Cavendish with his mother, further identifying information. records among home sources. Roxana I. Atherton. 5 Joseph paid $1 for a license 7 Surviving licenses or registers in eff ect for one year. Annual are usually among city or county renewal records provide a yearly court or clerk records. The New timeline for the ancestor (and York Public Library holds the the dog), a good substitute for city’s dog license registers from George G. Morgan is a genealogy missing census, city directory 1894 to 1904 64 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 TECH TOOLKIT treetips WHAT’S NEW Genetic Genealogy Catches a Killer POLICE IN CALIFORNIA used genetic genealogy website GEDmatch REUNITING BIRTH FAMILIES WITH DNA As part of its DNA Quest initiative 15,000 DNA kits to birth family searchers. VEISSID ACQUELINE GETTY/ DNAQUEST: NORTH AMERICA; IMAGES STAFF / SULLIVAN JUSTIN CASE: KILLER: STATE GOLDEN familytreemagazine.com 65 treetips TECH TOOLKIT WHAT’S NEW continued LIVING DNA BUILDS FAMILY NETWORKS Living DNA National Trust FINDMYPAST ACQUIRES Shares Success Stories TWILE EACH YEAR SINCE 1988, the National Genealogy website Findmypast Trust for Historic Preservation has LIVING DNA: COURTESY OF LIVING DNA; LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL: COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION HISTORIC FOR TRUST NATIONAL THE OF COURTESY LITTLE SCHOOL: HIGH DNA; CENTRAL ROCK LIVING OF COURTESY DNA: LIVING paired in 1998. endangered-retrospective-guide>. 66 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Find your DNA Q&A German Ancestors! Half Mom, Half Dad Professional German Genealogist with many years of experience provides a reliable and cost-efective serviceinthesearchofyour German Ancestry. To request additional information please contact Dr. Volker Jarren D 79106 Freiburg, Ferdinand-Weiss-Strasse 59 Why do siblings with the exact same biological parents or Qhave a diff erent genetic makeup? [email protected] www.volkerjarren.de You and your siblings each received exactly half of your DNA A from your mother and half from your father. But which half of each parent’s DNA you got is completely random. Think about your DNA in terms of genealogical records. You might have a binder with birth certifi cates, marriage licenses, wills and other records, neatly arranged by surname or record type. We all carry a simi- lar genetic record of our ancestors in our chromosomes. But when that genetic history is passed to the next generation, it’s not in nicely tabulated binders. Instead, before creating you, your mom popped open the rings on her genetic binder, dumped all the documents into a big garbage bag, and shook it up. Then she closed her eyes and dipped into that mixed-up bag, pulled out half the documents, copied them, and put them in a binder for you. Your dad then completed your binder with half of his own DNA documents, randomly chosen. This same process happens for each of spring. So while you might get the 1900 Tennessee census and your maternal great-grandparents’ marriage record, your sister received the 1912 passenger list for the ship Elizabeth and your paternal grandparents’ listing in the 1940 census. But maybe you both inherited your grandmother’s christening record and the WWI draft registration card for your grandfather. Chances are, you and your sister have about half of the same records, and the other half of your records is dif erent. Your siblings are genetically half the same as you are. Just half! When you and your partner go through the process of mixing up each of your records and randomly giving half to your children, each child will end up with about a quarter of the same records as each grandparent. This is one reason genetic genealogists test multiple family members. Get live customer support in They’re trying to collect as much of the genetic record as possible to es- seconds, your price in minutes and sentially reconstruct ancestors’ “DNA binders” from each relative’s as- your books printed in 48 hours. sortment of passed-down records. Go to 48hourbooks.com ... we print books unnaturally fast. Diahan Southard ILLUSTRATION: JULIE BARNETT JULIE ILLUSTRATION: familytreemagazine.com 67 treetips TECH TOOLKIT HOW TO 1 Back Up 2 Your Pics to Google Photos 1 Download the Google Photos app from the Play store. Open the app and sign into your Google account if 3 prompted. Tap the three lines at the top left, then Set- tings, and you’ll see these options. 4 2 Tap to turn on “Back up & sync,” and you can view your mobile photos in your Google account on your computer. New photos will be automatically added to Google photos. You can set upload fi le size and opt to use cellular data or just wireless for syncing. 3 Get reminders about photo sharing, sales on printed photo books and more. 5 4 Manage Google’s facial recognition eff orts, which iden- tifi es photos with similar faces. 5 Designate one or more people with whom all your im- ages on Google Photos will be shared. 6 6 Opt to delete embedded location data when you share Google photos via a link. 7 Decide whether to let Google automatically tag your photos with locations. 7 Google Photos gives you free, unlimited storage for photos E up to 16 megapixels. Higher- resolution photos count against your 15mb free Google storage limit—that is, unless you have a Pixel phone or pay to upgrade. 68 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 Advertorial - RootsFinder.com Analyze segment matches Did you know one chromosome could have segments from all your ancestors? Color coding in the Segment View lets you see which segments are shared by which branches of the family. Map your matches Seeing matches in the same geographic area as your “I got my DNA results. I’m 53% French... ancestors helps shed light on how you may be related. NOW WHAT?” Once you import a Mini-tree for a match, their locations will show up alongside your own. Use the Triangulation View to see related RECEIVING YOUR DNA clusters RESULTS IS EXCITING, but... Color coded clusters of matching kits show how kits are related to each other. you soon discover ethnicity estimates aren’t that useful for research. But your DNA can tell you more about . your family history than ethnicity. Happily, pursuing your research with DNA isn’t about spreadsheets, complicated formulae and complex software anymore. RootsFinder.com, a new FREE website, makes researching family history with DNA data easy. Import your GEDCOM or FamilySearch tree The À rst thing you’ll notice is RootsFinder’s clean, user-friendly workspace. To import your DNA, À rst prep your data with GEDmatch.com Tier 1. Now, you can compare results from Ancestry, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, and other testing companies. Color code matching kits A. Lines between nodes show relationships. Closer Click on a kit number to open the Kit View. You relatives are connected to several clusters. can import a Mini-tree for your matches, then use a B. Clicking on a node opens the Kit View with kit navigational fan chart to easily access your tree. Choose information, notes, common ancestors and a Chromosome browser. from 8 colors (great for color blind users) to tag matches and color code them in your tree. C. Distinguish between paternal and maternal lines of the same branch. Do more research There are many reasons you might share DNA segments with others. You need to document those relationships. RootsFinder.com’s research tools make your research faster and smarter. The WebClipper turns 30 minutes of data entry into less than À ve by instantly copying records to everyone. With built-in Research Logs, To- Do’s, GenSmarts, hints to FamilySearch, FindMyPast, AmericanAncestors, and others, search hints for Ancestry and MyHeritage, RootsFinder puts real power in your research. You can even sync with FamilySearch but control what information is copied or imported. Analyze segment matches with color coding Public trees (living data is always private), 1 GB storage and most research tools are FREE Forever at RootsFinder. DNA tools are FREE until August 31, 2018. After August, the DNA tools will be included in the $35/year ProPlan. Free 30-day trial. treetips TECH TOOLKIT ROUNDUP Six Tools to Do More with Your DNA 1 DNA.Land 2 DNA Painter 3 GEDMatch 4 Genome Link 5 GENOtation 6 Promethease 70 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 treetips WEBSITE Access Genealogy Amixofdatabases,how-to articles and links to other family history websites, Access Genealogy A B c D e f A Click to follow B Find searchable C Find helpful D Click here, then E RunaGoogle F This is a good Access Genealogy databases hosted articles about onastatename,to search of the site place to start if on social media sites on Access Geneal- American Indian learn about official foratopicsuchas you’re just brows- you frequent—an ogy, including groups and records vital record-keep- criminal or Civil War, ing to see what's easywaytokeep Indian rolls and the that document ing in that state or a place, such available. Scroll up with newly 1840 Revolutionary them. and link to online as Sacramento. down and click a added resources. War pensioners resources. Thiscanhelpyou state for a catego- census. The site’s find posts about rized list of links to general search resources that genealogy informa- doesn’tsearchin- When you search Access aren’t linked on the tion and resources side these datasets; Genealogy using the Google category pages. in that state. E custom search box, the fi rst you must click a several results will be spon- title to search each sored links, not matches on one individually. Access Genealogy. familytreemagazine.com 71 the rest is history “We have to celebrate and honor our past. Our past is the foundation for everything that comes after it. Without our past, our present has no meaning, and our future is worthless.” World champion fi gure skater and Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton at the 2018 RootsTech genealogy conference in Salt Lake City. COURTESY OF FAMILYSEARCH OF COURTESY 72 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2018 fall 2018 REGISTER virtual NOW! http://bit.ly/ conference Fall18VC SEPT 21-23 RAVE REVIEWS “Every subject that was put into this [2018 3days t 15classes Spring] conference is very pertinent, no matter UNLIMITED RESEARCH BENEFITS what kind of genealogy is practiced.” Grace W. 30-minute recorded video classes “The [2018 Spring Virtual Conference] was wonderful! Live webinars were easy to attend to watch & download including listening on my phone while out running a few errands. The courses were full Live keynote presentation of so many helpful tidbits that I can’t wait to incorporate into my research plans. Thanks Live Q&As with genealogy experts again!!” J.B. New tips on DNA testing, researching “There were several topics I knew little or noth- your family history, and searching ing about that were fascinating. Looking for- genealogy websites ward to exploring further. Loved the diversity of the topics.” Theresa D. Circle your wagons against unfocused research and use GenSmarts to fire your research rocket directly at high priority searches. Quick, reasoned and logical research – that’s what GenSmarts does best! Automated Genealogy Research www.GenSmarts.com