Can you believe it has been three weeks?!

What an event! Rootstech 2022 was an amazing couple of days. There were some technical issues for the first part, but they seemed to work out after a bit.

I very excited to hear about the coordinated efforts between Family Search and Ancestry using artificial intelligence to index the 1950 US Census that will be released to the public on April 1st. Volunteers will be able to request locations and/or surnames to verify once the index has been created. It is only a week away.

It is going to be like I got another feather in my cap, having worked on the 1930 US Census at the National Archives prior to its public release and having worked as an enumerator for the 2020 US Census.

Writing your history- Journaling for list makers, a listing of books read

Here is an idea to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

I come from a family of list makers. We have the general “to-do” lists, grocery lists, and chore lists. We do break out the spreadsheet apps for larger projects; I have been know to make spreadsheets for Christmas lists, potential car purchases, and trips to Disney World. All of these are meant to be disposable and not meant to be a record of my life.

I do make lists that I intend to keep. I regularly keep a list of books that I have read at the back of my journal. I frequently forget books that I have read, so it is a nice reminder to me of what I have finished reading, I once got 3 chapters into Stargirl before I realized that I had read it previously. It is also a record of how my life has changed as the type and number of books change.

Books read in 2021 so far.

I have been thinking a lot about how my journals can give my posterity a view of what life was like for me and the books that I consume gives not only a glimpse of my life, but a window to my mind at that particular time.

Writing your history- Then & NOW- Your Family

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

Who do you live with?

Are you currently married? If not, have you ever been married?

I live with my husband of 26 years and three living children. They are pictured above heading out for our Grand Biking Adventure., which was 170 miles this year. Our three youngest learned to ride bikes at age three, our oldest saw her brother on his bike and asked that her training wheels taken off and rode without them the same day.

Our last bikepacking trip all together.

Are your parents or grandparents alive? How are your relationships with them?

Do you have any children?

Do you live near your family?

Our family decorating my oldest daughter’s grave for Dia De Los Muertos this year. When she passed away we decided to have her buried in the closest plot to her high school, which is on the other side of the row of trees and 5 miles from our house. We live 1,500 miles from our extended family and wanted to have her buried close to us, rather than in our family cemetery in Oregon.

Writing your history- Helping children write their stories

Here are a few ideas on helping to get your children in the habit of writing about themselves.

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Bikepacking journal for children

• Use a book that is engaging for the child. Have colorful and fun options for them to use.

• Consider whether they should have lined or unlined pages. I have one child who is consistently drawing and doodling, so to help him focus on putting words on paper he has lined pages in his journal.

• Let them have a selection of archival safe scrapbooking stickers.

• Have themed journals- My children have a daily journal that they write in, they have a mourning journal where they write thoughts about their older sister who passed away, and as pictured above, they have a bikepacking journal. We are an avid cycling family and go on bikepacking trips at least once a year; we carrying the bikepacking journals in a plastic bag to protect them from the elements.

• Encourage personal privacy and respect. No one is allowed to open or read anyone else’s journal without permission. This helps them write in a more honest and authentic way. They do tend to share some of their writings, but are not obligated to do so. Our only condition is that if, as parents, we feel that they are in danger or are endangering someone else then we may read a personal journal for information.

• Modeling writing- write in your own journal while your children are around, share writings from your journal.

• Share the journals and writings of others. If you have access to journals from ancestors consider sharing information from them with your children. I find it funny that in an ancestor’s journal he wrote only one line about his wedding the day he got married, but wrote over a page about farming conditions.

Writing your history- The search for elusive TP, disinfectants, & rice

The same style red journal I have been using since high school.

JOURNALING PROMPTS FOR COVID-19

Below are a few questions to get you thinking about your experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This is your history, write about your individual experiences.

• Are you shopping as usual? Are you having groceries or other items delivered?

• Did you panic and buy any products like toilet paper, disinfectants, rice, pasta, or other products?

• Did you already have a supply of food and other products?

• Have you had trouble purchasing any items?

Writing your history- Stay at home orders

Journaling prompts for COVID-19

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about your experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

• Has your state, county or city restricted the activity of those in your area?

• How much of the time are you staying home?

• Are you working from home?

• Are you restricting your activities outside of your home?

• Do you go out to get groceries and other necessities?

• How do you feel about any restrictions that are recommended or required in your area?

Writing your history- Your experiences during COVID-19 pandemic

Family History is not just about researching your ancestors and finding information on them, it is also writing your own history for those who come after you. What a great thing you can do for them, not to mention the mental health benefits you can reap, by writing your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join me for a live webinar April 30th at 7PM CT to discuss writing ideas, journaling prompts and more. Contact me at research@finderskeepers.family for meeting login information.

How are your hands?

Are yours in as bad of condition as mine with all of the handwashing?

What events were celebrated at home?

April Fool’s Day is a big event at house. We had to get a bit more creative since we couldn’t run to the store for supplies.

Finding photographic materials in your family history research

Online family trees

Be skeptical of the accuracy of materials posted on-line as they have not been vetted for accuracy.

Family Search

A free “one family tree” website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In a one tree format all individuals are connected within the family tree, it is open source such that anyone can make edits.  All images have a delay in their posting as they are reviewed by a human prior to going live and have to meet decency standards, which exclude explicit materials, and also hate speech, like images related to Nazi’s or the SS.

Uploaded image on FamilySearch.org for Lewis Brunson and Catherine Keaton Carling

While the image could look better, all images list who uploaded them and you can contact the contributor via e-mail or through the messaging on the website.

Ancestry

Another on-line family history website with individual trees.  There is a fee to join, but it can be accessed at many public libraries and at Family History Centers

US Passport Applications after 1914

All US Passports Applications after 1914 have a photograph included with them.  Passports would be issued to a whole family group rather than just an individual, if more than one person was traveling.  As a result the photographs could be of more than one person. They are not the standardized passport photos of today and could be a portrait or a family snapshot.  A database can be accessed here: United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925 on Ancestry or at My Heritage.

Carl Ludwig Ferdinand Stelter’s photo from passport application dated 9 May 1922

Histories

Local, military, and published family histories can be a source of photographic materials. It was common in the mid-19th century and early 20th-century for communities, often at the county level, to have local histories written about the history of the local area and feature short biographies of prominent people in the area and those willing to pay a fee to have themselves featured in the publication. Local histories can be found at genealogical libraries, local Family History Centers, Google Books, and Internet Archive.

Image of the Stock Farm of John H Miller found in History of Miami Country, Indiana: a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests by Arthur L Bodurtha accessed on archive.org

There were two histories written of the 99th Indiana Infantry in the Union Army, the first in 1865 and the second in 1900. Jacob E Marsh was a sergeant in Company D, his photograph and a brief sketch of his life are included in the second publication.

SGT Jacob E Marsh of the 99th Indiana Infantry. Image from New History of the 99th Indiana Infantry: containing official reports, anecdotes, incidents, biographies and complete rolls by Daniel R Lucas; accessed from archive.org

State Archives & Historical Societies

Mabel Dague with two new teachers at Classen High School, photo by Ronald Pyer, 26 August 1952, published in the Daily Oklahoman 28 August 1952 from the Oklahoma Historical Society

Local Historical Societies

There are many local historical societies in the US. Many counties have historical societies whose missions are to preserve the history of the local area and the families that have lived within its borders. Many religious groups, fraternal organizations, and immigrant ethnic groups maintain histories of the people within their groups.

**Update** Online course- Finding photographic materials in your family history research

I will be hosting an online course LIVE on Wednesday, March 25th at 7PM CT, on finding photographic materials in your family history research. I will be discussing finding not just photographs of ancestors, but other materials such as images of churches and military units.

Please e-mail me at research@finderskeepers.family and I will send you an invite to the call.

**UPDATE** I am trying out a new platform and thought that I would need to send an invite to each person attending. That is not the case. You can call in or join via Google Hangouts Meet. I will have slides, so being able to see my screen would be useful.

Join Hangouts Meet

meet.google.com/ect-obin-rmv

Join by phone

‪+1 419-684-2016‬ PIN: ‪719 658 110‬#

Mabel Dague with two new teachers at Classen High School, photo by Ronald Pyer, 26 August 1952, published in the Daily Oklahoman 28 August 1952 from the Oklahoma Historical Society

Women's History Month- The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women's Genealogy

Christina Kassabian Schaefer has created a wonderful resource for finding information on women in family history research in her book, The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women’s Genealogy. While the book was originally published in 1999 the book remains relevant to current research in family history.

Find a copy using Worldcat.org

She begins by going through various resources in the United States that are relevant to researching women. Then she describes laws that affected women over the past 1500 years and how those laws affected the everyday lives of women and the records that contain information on women. She then describes each states’ history, the location of records, laws affecting women, and a reference list.

While so many records have been digitized, the information that is contained in this book gives detailed information on how to access the information. Conveniently, she gives NARA record groups and FHC film #s of various records which greatly reduces the amount of time needed to access those records. Family Search’s film library can be accessed by film number on their website.

If you want a copy for yourself, it is available as an ebook, new, and used from online retailers.