Friday, January 29, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #4




I'm glad for week four's challenge to learn about our library systems Inter-Library Loan program. I have known this system is available to me, but I have never taken advantage of the service.

As others participating in this challenge found, I can request a book through the ILL system online. WorldCat is accessed through a remote database login using my library card number. Once logged in you are at the splash page for "Show-Me The World" which allows access to materials in libraries worldwide as well as access to the over six million items held in Missouri public libraries. Once you have entered the catalog area, you search for books the same as you would on any other online catalog.

This is where the real challenge came into play. My library system is the Mid-Continent library system, which contains the Mid-West Genealogy Center. I actually had to do many searches to find a book, in the areas I was interested in, that was NOT already in our library system.

The book I selected to request for inter-library loan is "History & families Oldham County, Kentucky: the first century, 1824-1924." This book is available from one Missouri library and 23 other libraries world wide. My request was processed on Monday, it is now Friday. I just checked my account and I am first on the list to receive this book. Hopefully, early next week I will receive an email telling me that my item is ready for pick-up.

After seeing how easy the process is, I will definitely be spending more time looking through the Show-Me The World catalog.

Friday, January 22, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #3

Assess yourself is the topic for week 3. I would bet everyone that read this challenge said to themselves "uh-oh". Here we are (I hope I'm not speaking for just myself) searching for weeks, months even years for so many of our elusive ancestors. If we do find a complete document (with a name for the mother or father besides Unknown) we jump for joy, blog and tweet about it. When we find a document with only sketchy information, we are hopeful for clues but grumble under our breath. Knowing how these highs and lows impact our research and approach to it, we would never dream of putting future genealogist through the same, right? Wrong!

Do we take for granted we will be around with plenty of time to document the important things in our life? Probably. Do we think that no one will be interested in where we lived, worked or what we looked like 50 years from now? Definitely!

While I have not taken the time for any type of journal to chronicle my life, I have made an effort to preserve my photographs. Once I bought my first digital camera, preserving photos became much easier. I have photos backed up on CDs, jump drives and online photo storage services. I always try to note the place and date of the photos but not the names of those in the photos. I will have to make improvements in that area.

I have my childhood scrapbook that I gave up on sometime in high school. I should complete as much as possible and put in an archival album. Then there are those boxes of pre-digital photos that need to be scanned or at least labeled and stored properly.

Now that I have created a list for myself, no promises or even estimates on when I will complete this. I'm going to be around for a long time and nobody is going to be interested in me 50 years from now anyway!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Have Irishman...Need family - Is this him? No!



My December 27, 2009 post was about Martin Conlin. I was given a photograph but it was not clear if that photo was of Martin or his son Michael. The owner of the photograph went back to the original and checked on the back. This photograph is of Michael Conlin the son.

The search for information on Martin continues, stay tuned!

Friday, January 15, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge 2

Amy Coffin of We Tree has issued challenge number 2!

Go to your local public library branch again. Examine the local history, archives and/or special collections section. Ask a librarian if you don’t know if your library has special collections or where they are located. Be sure to check the reference section, too, as many of the newer and more valuable books are held in that area. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s local history and special collections

As I mentioned in Challenge 1, my local library is part of the Mid-Continent Library system. The genealogy and local history sections of the library have a lot to offer patrons. For this challenge I chose to focus on the reference section in order to make my post more manageable. On the online catalog, if I search for the subject "genealogy", in my local branch only, I get 268 titles! If I narrow my search by the reference section 29 titles are returned.

Included in those 29 titles are:

History of Platte County Missouri, published in 2006 by the Platte County Historical Society.

The Truman Neighborhood: from elegant mansions to the neck, Independence, Missouri, published by McCoy Neighborhood Council in 2004

Indians of Missouri Past and Present, published by Somerset Publishers in 1999

A Slice of the Times: Kansas City 1875-1880 by Douglas B. Finch

History of Jackson County Missouri by W.Z. Hickman

A History of Pioneer Families of Missouri by William Bryan Smith

An Illustrated Historical Atlas Map of Jackson County, Missouri compiled by the Jackson County Missouri Historical Society

Once again, after reviewing just the reference materials, I am very impressed by what my local branch library has to offer.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Happy 101 Award


The Happy 101 Award has made it to Desperately Seeking Surnames thanks to My Nola Heritage. Thank you Felicia for thinking of me!

In keeping with the theme of this award I will list 10 things that make me happy as well as choose 10 blogs that bring a smile to my face.

The biggest pieces of my happiness come from family and friends. Even though they generally do not "get" my genealogy hobby, most will humor me and listen for a while before their eyes glaze over. My hobbies also greatly add to my happiness, I love genealogy and reading and probably spend too much time on both. The remainder of my happiness circle is filled with such randomness it's funny: Starbucks Venti White Mocha, technology (blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Ancestry.com, Smart Phones and iPods), vacation, Mr. Sushi (Lee's Summit roll), Oh! Henry candy bars (so hard to find these days) and last but certainly not least this very welcoming, supportive, informative, hilarious and sometimes outlandish genealogy community!

Now for the hard part, narrowing my choice of blogs that make me happy down to just 10. Of course, these are in no particular order.

1. Kathy's Kampground Kapers
2. Kinfolk News
3. Two Sides of the Ocean
4. Thoughts from Polly's Granddaughter
5. Family Tree Writer
6. The Graphics Fairy
7. Acadian Ancestral Home
8. Life From The Roots
9. Tonia's Roots
10. Kindred Footprints

Monday, January 11, 2010

Shades The Magazine January Issue


Shades The Magazine January 2010 issue has been published.

If you have not taken the time to look through this online magazine, you really should. The articles are creatively written and very informative. The layout of the magazine is simply beautiful.

The authors & contributors continue to do a superb job.




Saturday, January 9, 2010

Surname Saturday - BAUDERMANN



Seeking parents and siblings of Wendelin Baudermann.

Wendelin Bauderman b Jun 1805 Baden, Germany d Feb 1900 Newark, NJ married to:

Appolonia Hemmer b 1807 Wurttemburg, Germany d Dec 1891 Newark, NJ children were:

Michael b 1837 Germany married Maria Theresa Kopf in Saint Mary's Catholic Church, Newark, NJ

Leonard b 1840 Germany married Theresa Hellinger in Saint Mary's Catholic Church in 1864 and Maria Caroline Lucking in 1881 in Newark, NJ

Mathilda b 1842 Germany

Maria b 1845 Germany

Julianna b 1849 Germany

Appolonia b 1851 Germany

Wendelin and his family arrived in the US through Castle Garden, NY in June 1852

Thursday, January 7, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge 1

Challenge #1 in the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy is as follows: Go to your local public library branch. Make a note of the genealogy books in the collection that may help you gain research knowledge.

I chose a library branch that is local to me from my place of employment. The Colbern Road Branch is the library I visit most often when checking out books and is part of the Mid-Continent Library System. The Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri is the jewel of this system, in my humble opinion. While I do have access to such a superb facility (20 minute drive from work) I have only visited a handful of times since the opening in June of 2008. I do need to spend more time there, but real life always seems to get in the way. As many genealogists do not have such a facility within a close proximity, I chose to describe what is more generally thought of as a local public library.

I first went directly to the genealogy section and found 52 books directly relating to that subject. Many of these books are well known and easily recognizable: The Source, They Came In Ships and The Family Tree Guide Book. There is a good selection of books specific to an area of a country or heritage like My Confederate Kinfolk and Scott's, Clans & Tartans. The biography section is extensive and includes biographies on both famous and not-so-famous individuals.

I found cemetery transcription books from a local genealogical society as well as several town histories compiled by societies as well as by individuals. Additionally, historical newspaper headlines from throughout the county had been compiled and published by the county historical society. All of these great sources of information were in the regular stacks, I hadn't made it to the reference section yet.

While the reference section may not have held as many tools considered to be genealogy specific the value is there. Books detailing geography, atlas' and world, country and state history books are an essential resource for any genealogist and help to put our ancestors in proper context. After spending the time really looking at the offerings I realized how much I have missed in the way of source information. I must now take the time to explore further and open the covers of some of these books.

The library has a research area set up specifically for genealogists near the reference section. There were three computer workstations (providing access to genealogy and history related databases) and one microfilm reader (I must look at the microfilm options available). A bulletin board held newsletters from the Midwest Genealogy Center as well as from a local historical society. For the patrons use blank census and other research forms were provided.

This small branch library definitely provides a researcher with a quality selection of genealogical materials. I found the three computer workstations to be generous and the ability to view microfilm and huge plus!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year 2010!



Wishing you and yours a safe, prosperous and Happy New Year!

May 2010 be filled with rewarding genealogy finds and the continued growth of this great genealogy community.


I look forward to making more new friends and meeting some of you at conferences in the coming months.


Clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy