Where Do I Start?

Researching Your Roots: Family History Workshop 23 June 2011

Where Do I Start? How to Grow a Family Tree

Genealogy Starts with You! Start with Yourself. Record what you know. Enlist the help of family members. Be skeptical. Look for clues in family papers. Identify and search available records. Record and document your research.

Forms to Help You Stay Organized Family Group Sheet: Use to record information about individual families. (Ex: A married couple and their children) Ancestor Chart : Use to record birth, marriage, and death information for your direct line ancestors. Does not include space to record information about siblings, aunts, uncles (collateral lines), etc.

Gather & Copy Family Records, Photographs & Heirlooms

Decorative Wall Hanging Commemorating a Marriage

Decorative Baptismal Certificate

Postcard of Church in Oliva, West Prussia

Postcard sent from Oliva, West Prussia to Chicago, Illinois

Telegram announcing the birth of a child

Gather and Copy Family Records & Heirlooms Newspaper clippings Birth and death certificates Birth announcements Funeral cards Old photographs Books Furniture Old letters and envelopes Passports Diaries Family bibles Yearbooks Wills Jewelry

Analyzing Family Papers Critical Thinking with Direct and Indirect Evidence

Examining Documents Direct Evidence - information is explicitly stated without need for analysis. Indirect Evidence - information requires additional documentation or analysis to draw a conclusion.

Newspaper Clipping Indirect Evidence: Mrs. Kellman’s maiden name was probably Levander. Mr. and Mrs. Kellman were married around mid April of 1910. Mr and Mrs. Kellman and Miss Levander died after April 19, 1935 Direct Evidence: Mrs. Kellman’s sister is Miss Levander of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Kellman celebrated a 25 th wedding anniversary.

Obituary from Fraternal Organization Newsletter Indirect Evidence: He must have immigrated sometime between May 8, 1884 and Oct. 24, 1906. Direct Evidence: He was born on May 8, 1884 in Jonkopings, Sweden. He became a member of Yngve Lodge in 1906.

Citizenship Papers Indirect Evidence: Immigrated sometime before Feb 24 1894 Direct Evidence: Charley Levander declared his intent to become a citizen on 24 Feb 1896.

Direct Evidence: William Bandel died on 20 Apr 1908 He lived for 72yrs, 11mo, and 10 days Indirect Evidence: William Bandel was born on 10 May 1835

Birth Date Calculator http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/

Beyond Family Papers Census Records & Vital Records

Federal Census Records Mandated by the constitution. First Federal Census in 1790. Conducted every 10 years. Personal information open to public after 72 years. 1890 census destroyed in fire.

What Information Might I Find in Census Records? Names of parents Names of siblings Places of residence Places of Birth Native Language Approx. year of marriage Month and Year of birth (1900 census) Year of Immigration Naturalization Literacy Marital Status Occupations Rent or Own Property Native Language War Veteran

Who was Recorded in the Census? 1790-1840 Only heads of household are named. Family members, lodgers and slaves are enumerated but not named. 1850-1930 All enumerated household members (except slaves) are named. Slaves were enumerated on separate schedules, but they are generally not named.

1840 Census Record Age ranges and sex are given for household members, but not names. Only heads of household are listed by name.

Where Can I Find the Census Records? Subscription Databases – Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, Footnote.com, etc. Familysearch.org - Free web site sponsored by LDS Church. Microfilm – Available at large genealogical libraries, National Archives and LDS Family History Centers.

Using Census Records A Case Study

1930 census is a great place to begin your census research. Choose a relative who was alive in 1930 and try searching for them.

1930 Search Result for Lorraine Black Click on the link to view the Original Image.

1930 Census Record Lorraine D. Black is living with her father, Ralph Black, his wife (presumably her mother) and her grandmother, Sienna E. Black.

Create a Pedigree Chart Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois ? d. prob. bef. 1930 m. prob. bef. 1901 Sienna E. b. abt. 1861 in Holland

Search 1920 census for Ralph Black who was born in Rhode Island.

1920 Search Result for Ralph Black

1920 Census Record Ralph A. Black is living with his widowed mother, Mrs. S.E. Black, and his brother, Raymond J. Black. Mrs. S.E. Black was born in Holland. Raymond J. was transcribed Ray Morris J. by the indexer.

What Have We Learned? Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois ? d. prob. bef. 1920 m. prob. bef. 1897 Sienna E. b. abt. 1861 in Holland

1910 Census Record Direct Evidence: Married for 28 Years in 1910. Indirect Evidence: Married about 1882 Ralph A. Black is living with his father, Edward J. Black and his mother Sybretekia(?) E. Family sources confirm this was her “ethnic” name. Two additional siblings are revealed.

Keep adding new information to your family timeline

What Have We Learned? Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois Edward Black b. abt. 1860 in Rhode Island d. aft. 1910 m. abt. 1882 Sienna E. /Sybret??ia b. abt. 1861 in Holland ? b. bef. 1844 in Ireland ? b . bef. 1844 in Ireland

1900 Census Search Transcription errors can make searching difficult!

1900 Census Record Same household – next page Edward Black household

Compare information from previous censuses. Does the information match?

What Have We Learned? Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois Edward Black b. March 1860 d. aft. 1910 m. abt. 1882 Sienna E./Sybret??ia Dekker b. April 1861 ? Black b. prob. bef. 1844 in Ireland ? b . prob. bef. 1844 in Ireland Ary Dekker b. Jan 1852 in Holland ? b. prob. bef. 1846 d. bef. June 1, 1900

1880 Census Record More geographic detail is given for Catharine’s birthplace. Terschelling is an island in Friesland, a province in the Netherlands. Sienna E. is enumerated under her middle name. Or is it really her first name? One of the children was born in Massachusetts. Might this indicate they immigrated through Boston?

What Have We Learned? Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois Edward Black b. March 1860 in Rhode Island d. aft. 1910 m. abt. 1882 Sienna E./Sybret??ia Dekker b. April 1861 in Holland ? Black b. prob. bef. 1844 in Ireland ? b . prob. bef. 1844 in Ireland Ary Dekker b. Jan 1852 in Holland Catherine b. abt. 1833 in Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands d. bef. June 1, 1900

1880 Census Note the different birthplaces for John Black’s children. Incorporate this evidence into your timeline. Edward J. Black is living with his Irish father, John Black, and his presumed mother Jane. Five siblings are also identified.

What Have We Learned? Lorraine Black b. abt. 1925 in Illinois Ralph A. Black b. abt. 1901 in Rhode Island m. abt. 1923 Dorothy C. b. abt. 1903 in Illinois Edward Black b. March 1860 in Rhode Island d. aft. 1910 m. abt. 1882 Sienna E./Sybret??ia Dekker b. April 1861 in Holland ? John Black b. abt. 1813 in Ireland m. prob. bef. 1847 ? Jane b . abt. 1821 in Ireland Ary Dekker b. Jan 1852 in Holland Catherine b. abt. 1833 in Terschelling d. bef. June 1, 1900

Middle Names & Nicknames 1930 Census 1920 Census

Indexing/Transcription Errors Correct in census. Wrong in index.

Additional Search Challenges Census Taker Errors “ Misspelled” names Americanization of Given Names Changing Surnames Changing County Boundaries

For Hard to Find Relatives Try alternate spellings. Try phonetic spellings. Try searching for last names without first names, or vice versa. Try searching by location without any names, but limit by age, location, and birthplace. Try browsing images by enumeration district. Try searching for your ancestor’s neighbors.

Vital Records Birth, Death & Marriage Records

Location, Location, Location Vital Records are generally kept at the county level, with the exception of New England records which are kept at the town level. Need to know what county an event occurred in at the time when it occurred. Need to know when counties were formed and when boundaries changed.

Requesting Vital Records Usually kept at the county clerk’s office. Use www.vitalrec.com or Handybook for Genealogists to locate available dates and addresses. Call ahead or visit web site to determine cost and preferred method of payment.

What Information Might I Find on a Death Certificate? Name Date of death Cause of Death Place of death Age at death Date of birth Birthplace Occupation Place of residence Marital status Name of surviving spouse Wife’s maiden name Date and place of burial Name of the funeral director Father’s name Father’s birthplace Mother’s maiden name Mother’s birthplace Military Service

1972 Death Certificate Indiana

1888 Chicago Death Certificate

How to Find the Death Date Social Security Death Index (Since 1962) Death Indexes ( www.deathindexes.com ) Gravestones and Cemetery Records Obituaries from newspapers

What Might I Learn from Marriage Records? Names of the bride and groom. Date of the marriage. Place of the marriage . Who performed ceremony. Witnesses. Groom’s name, age, birth date, birthplace, occupation, and address. Bride’s maiden name, age, birth date, birthplace, occupation, and address. Date and place the license was issued. Father’s name and birthplace. Mother’s maiden name and birthplace.

1910 New Jersey Marriage Certificate

Where to Find Marriage Dates Published or Online Marriage Indexes Obituaries Church Records Pension Records 1900, 1910, 1930 Census (Approx. year) Newspaper articles

What Information Might I Find on A Birth Certificate? Name of child Sex of child Date of birth Place of birth Father’s name, age or date of birth, birthplace, occupation, and residence Mother’s maiden name, age or date of birth, birthplace, occupation, and residence Number of children born to the mother, and the number living at the time of the birth being recorded.

1917 Chicago Birth Certificate

1886 New York Birth Certificate

Where to Find Birth Dates Best Sources Birth Certificates Birth Indexes Family Bible Social Security Card Applications (SS-5) Church Records Baptismal Records Other Sources Death Certificates Social Security Death Index Obituaries Gravestones 1900 Census (Month and Year)

Other Sources of Information Newspapers Church Records Military Records Immigration & Naturalization Records Cemetery Records City Directories Local History Publications Published pedigrees in books and on the Internet School Records Ancestor’s hometown library!

Where to Find Help & Support Books 929 Non-fiction section at public library Magazines Family Tree Magazine Genealogical Societies & Lineage Societies (MCIGS, NGS, DAR) Offer workshops, conferences, publications. Online Rootsweb listservs and message boards, Ancestry Daily News, Genealogy Blog ( www.genealogyblog.com ). Professional Genealogists For your toughest brick walls or “on location” research, consider hiring a professional.

Where Do I Start?

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Editor's Notes