Family History

For everyone who keeps saying to themselves, "I want to learn more about my family's history, when have time..." NOW is the time.

Many of us are confined to our homes for an indefinite period. And we're wondering how to fill the many unoccupied hours.

Wonder no longer.

If you are interested in your family history, you need to start recording what is happening RIGHT NOW! We are living through an unprecedented historic moment. And we need to document how it has impacted our daily lives and the lives of everyone we love. You can start writing a journal, as I am doing. Or you could video tape yourself and your family as you go about your new daily routine. However you want to do it. You don't have to be a great writer. You don't have to be a great speller or a grammar guru.  JUST DO IT!

Eventually you will save it in a secure place for your descendants. Also, donate copies to the local and state historical societies. Historians of the future will applaud you for it.

So, how do you start researching your family's history? Luckily for you, the Medina County District Library's Genealogy Team hosted a series of "How-to" blogs in 2019. Follow them, step-by-step, and you will make progress. And when you hit stumbling blocks, email the team at: me-team.genealogy@mcdl.info. We will do our best to answer your questions remotely.

The Genealogy Team
Kathy Petras, Lisa Rienerth, Lauren Kuntzman

1. A good place to start is at the beginning with: Getting Started

2. Next, you need to be able to quickly access all the information you are gathering. Lisa's blog on Organizing Your Research will help you do that.

3. An important element of family history is documenting all of the important moments in life. Vital Records Research explains that. 
  
4. As you move back in time to research your family history, you'll want to start using one of the easiest to access Federal Records on your family. Lisa does a wonderful job of covering all the incredible information available in U.S Census Records.

5. What if your family hasn't been in the United States very long? Don't worry, Lauren has you covered in her post on Researching Immigrant Ancestors.

6. Did you or someone in your family serve in the military? Learn how to research U.S. Military Records. 

7. Once you can no longer find your relatives in vital or census records, you will need to know How to Find Church Records - by Lauren Kuntzman

8. Where can you find out that an ancestor was the jokester at all the GAR veteran reunions? Try  Using Newspapers in your Genealogy Research .

9. Want to know more about Ancestry.com? Check out Lauren's FAQs about Ancestry.com

10. Lisa tells how to optimize your Cemeteries Research

11. Confounded by the Family Search web site? Lauren gives you 5 Tips for Accessing Family Search

In 2016, Lisa and I blogged about the two BIG genealogy research web sites:

• Ancestry Library Edition  AND
• FamilySearch 

And did you know that Ancestry has enabled remote (from home) access to Ancestry Library Edition through the end of April. Just be sure to go through the Library's link  and enter your valid Ohio library card number.  

And when you are ready to tackle some intermediate topics, these Bonus Blogs were also created in 2019:

• Dreaded Common Surname 
• African American Research
• Researching the women in your family
• R.B. Hayes Ohio Obituary Index
• Ethics in Genealogy 

Don't forget to check on these tutorials on library's web site: Medina's Genealogy Tutorials

Happy Hunting!

FIFTH MEDINA COUNTY HISTORY FAIR

It's time again for the Annual Medina County History Fair!

Fifteen of the local history and genealogical organizations will be on hand, displaying their collections and answering your questions about the uniqueness of Medina County.

JOIN US FOR A WONDERFUL DAY OF HISTORY!

Stop by the Library's table and say "Hello!" to Lisa, Lauren and myself!

WE'RE BACK!

The new Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History & Learning Center, opened on December 7, 2019.

After a six month hiatus, the popular Genealogist Is In! service is returning in January 2020.

On WEDNESDAY afternoons, from 1 to 4 p.m., one of Medina's crack genealogists will be on hand to assist you with your genealogy and local history questions.

Lisa Rienerth, Kathy Petras, Lauren Kuntzman, 
The Genealogy Team,  will help you solve your genealogy dilemmas.

It is a "first come, first served" program, so if you have to wait your turn, please be patient!

And while we may not be able to discover ALL your family secrets, we can always point you to other sources to research!

Come see us!

WEDNESDAYS 

1-4 p.m.

GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION CLOSED

Exciting News!

The Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History and Learning Center is opening this coming weekend.

In preparation,  the local history collection is temporarily closed so that it can be moved into the new center...

Closed until the new Center opens up later this week.

I won't post a picture of the new center. We want that to be a surprise!

Donald J. Pease Federal Office Building

 Quote adapted from poem "To A Mouse" by Robert Burns

I had planned on posting about the Donald J. Pease Federal Building, because frankly, I knew next to nothing about it and was curious. So what was my first course of action??

I wandered over to 143 West Liberty, and "GASP!"

What was going on!!

I know the city is planning to build a parking garage where the old Masonic Temple used to be and that they were planning to reclaim the property that houses Porter's Shoe Repair, but surely they weren't tearing down this beautiful brick building???

Relax! No, they are not tearing it down.

But it took me awhile to find that out.

I emailed Bob Hyde to see if he knew anything and left a message with the city building department to see what they could tell me. But waiting patiently to hear back from these two prime sources is NOT my style.

So I posted the pictures on the Facebook page, Roadside History of Medina County

Many people were as concerned as I was. Many others posted their memories of going into that building, first when it was a Post Office and later when it became a Federal Office Building. To see the many uses of the building, go to Bob Hyde's Beyond the Storefronts web site: 143 West Liberty

My quest was fulfilled when I saw this post:

RS I know exactly what is going on. I work for the Federal agency GSA and we are refurbishing the fascia and cupola. The building is historical and is going nowhere soon. Project will be done early Dec weather permitting

And in response to the many questions about how it is being used now:


R B Judge Alice Batchelder's office.

Postcard of  the "Old Post Office" circa 1930's

And the many, many memories from long time Medina residents:

• LH - When I was a kid back in the 50's there was a painting or mural over the customer area. It depicted early settlers harvesting apples in an orchard. Wonder what happened to it or who has it now?  
• LH -Worked there in the 80s. USDA.  
• D N - Remember going there to sign up for the draft.  
• A M- It also had the Social Security office in it. 
• DR - My Dad ED Rice was a rural postal carrier and. he worked in this building many years before PO was moved to N. COURT. As a child during snow days at school, he would bring me here and I'd watch him sort mail then ride along with him on his route. What a memory💓 
• EL - The mural was a WPA government project to employ people during the depression. I was told it was covered up with paint . Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have that art work restored? I’m not from Medina, but I’ve heard it was beautiful. 
• LH - Yeah, walked in and signed up in the U.S.Navy. Left Medina 12 May 1969. 
• MAB - I remember it had a fallout shelter sign on it years ago 
• SM - Built 1937 by Gibbons-Grable of Canton for $55,791. 1939 12’ mural of apple orchard & bee skeps $750 by Richard Zoellmer native of Portsmouth. Life Mag 12/4/1939 says Zoellner is a muralist and watercolor painter studio in Cincinnati. 
• SM - an example of New Deal artwork: “Gathering the Apple Crop,” an oil-on-canvas mural by Richard Zoellner. Completed in 1938 
• EL - Thank you SM. When I heard it was covered up I was shocked since I had seen other WPA art work in other public places and it was an exquisite style of art. I wonder if a professional restorer could uncover it with the technology of today?

And the discussion continues...

So between Bob Hyde's information about the site on his web page and all the information uncovered on the Facebook page Roadside History of Medina County, there is no need for me to do a blog post on the building.  Sigh...

So, what are you reading?!?

A blog about the power of crowd sourcing!

Merriam Webster defines crowd sourcing as:

Definition of crowdsourcing
: the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers

Which describes what I did! I used traditional sources print and otherwise, and turned to an online resource - The FaceBook group Roadside History of Medina County.

Not only did I get the answer to my question, the discussion went much further, much faster when members of the group contributed their personal memories of the building. It would have taken me weeks to track down that many people and interview them.

I thank each and everyone of them for providing a much richer view of a piece of Medina's History!

SOURCES:

• Quote Fancy  
• Beyond the Storefronts
• Facebook Group Roadside History of Medina County
• Merriam Webster Online Dictionary.

2020 Census

Image from Census.gov

In April, my co-worker, Lisa did a wonderful blog on the historic census records: U.S. Census   Records.

As she states, the census has been taken every ten years since 1790 for purposes of apportioning representatives for U.S. Congress. For privacy reasons, census records are not available for 72 years after they are taken. The 1950 Census will become available in 2022.

Access to the 1950 and more recent census records are available for genealogical purposes by filling out form BC-600 from the Census Bureau and paying the $65 fee. (I will wait for them to become public! How about you?) You do have to either be named in the census or be the heir of the person named in the census. You also have to provide their place of residence, which is often the very information that you are looking for.

This is the information required on the person who are hoping to find in a 1950 or more recent census record.
Bottom of the BC-600 

The next census will be taken next year - 2020. And the Census Bureau is currently hiring 500,000 people to help conduct it. Their website provides vital information for anyone with questions. The 2020 U.S. Census

The official 2020 Census logo from Census.gov

In January 2020, the Bureau will start counting people in very remote areas of Alaska and Maine and the U.S. territorial islands. By April, everyone in America will have received an invitation to participate in the census. You will be able to respond in three ways: Online, by phone or by mail. Census Enumerators (fancy name for counters) will be visiting some homes to collect responses. They will have an ID badge with the US Department of Commerce watermark and their photo on it.

All of your responses should be based on how circumstances were on 1 April 2020.

WHAT QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED

• How many people are in your home?
• Is the home owned or rented?
• The gender of each person in the home?
• Age of each person?
• Race of each person?
• Is anyone in your home Hispanic, Latino or Spanish?
• The relationship of each person in your home?

Sample questions

WHO IS COUNTED - EVERYONE!

• Children born on April 1st are to be counted.
• Someone who dies on April 1st but was alive for any part of April 1st is to be counted
• Any child, foster, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, if they normally live in your home, are to be counted.
• If you move into a new house on April 1st, that new home should be listed as your residence.
• If you are moving, but have not yet moved into the new home, your old address should be listed as your residence.
• Citizens of foreign countries, living in the United States should be counted. Foreign visitors on vacation are not counted.
• College students living away from home are counted at their college address.
• Military personnel serving overseas should be counted at their usual home address in the US.
• People in prisons, correctional facilities, jails and detention centers are to be counted at the facility.
• People in hospitals who have a usual home, should be counted at their usual residence.
• Patents in long-term care, nursing facilities and who have no usual home should be counted at that health care facility

SPOTTING SCAMS - The Census Bureau will never ask you:

• Your Social Security Number
• Bank account or credit card numbers
• Your political affiliation
• Your religious affiliation
• I received a invitation for a "census" that was asking very detailed questions about my political affiliation. On closer examination it was from the Republican party. I did not finish filling out the survey. Several of my cousins also received this misleading "census".

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR 2020 CENSUS INVITATION FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU?

FILL IT OUT!

Your descendants will thank you!

5 Tips for Accessing FamilySearch Records

(+2 FamilySearch Features that Can Help You Learn More)

Guest Blogger: Lauren Kuntzman, MCDL Family History & Learning Center Manager

For this month’s instructional blog post, we’re taking a look at FamilySearch.  

FamilySearch is a nonprofit family history organization.  Though the FamilySearch website has been around for 20 years, its roots are much, much older.  FamilySearch evolved from the Genealogical Society of Utah, which began collecting records relevant to genealogy in 1894. While the Genealogical Society of Utah began microfilming records in 1938, it then turned to capturing records digitally in 1998.  The FamilySearch website came online in May 1999, as a way to make the records more widely available.  

If you haven’t used FamilySearch before, I highly recommend that you try it out.  It is free to use, though you will need to create an account and login to view records.  It has excellent records for the United States, Europe, and around the world -- plus it has resources that can help you learn more about research methods, too.  

My colleague Kathy Petras previously blogged about FamilySearch in 2016.  Much of the interface has remained the same since that time - and if you’re unfamiliar with FamilySearch I recommend reading Kathy’s blog post as an introduction.  

However, since that blog post was published, FamilySearch has begun the process of trying to digitize their entire microfilm collection.  Any records that don’t have restrictions (due to copyright or privacy concerns) will be released digitally on their website.  However, only a portion of these records have been indexed and made searchable with their “Search Historical Records”  form.  

Because of this, other the past few years, some search features have been redesigned or added, with the goal of helping users find the new (and constantly increasing!) content.  Read below for 5 tips that you should use, to make the most of all that FamilySearch offers.  Then see the end of this blog post, to find the resources FamilySearch provides (for free!) to help you learn more.  

#1 - Search with Wildcard Characters

If you’ve used FamilySearch, you’ve probably made use of their “Search Historical Records” form.  It’s a standard search form, enabling you to add information about the individual for whom you are researching, plus use filters to refine your results.  Kathy wrote great directions for searching effectively with the “Historical Records” form in her 2016 blog post (see her notes on “Records Search”).  

Here’s another option for using FamilySearch’s “Search Historical Records” form efficiently: if you’re searching for a name with lots of spelling variations, search with “wildcard characters.”  Wildcard characters include an asterisk (*) and a question mark (?), and both can be used in place of letter(s) in a name.  

An asterisk represents several characters in a name.  For example, if you search the given name field with Juli*, your results will include Julia, Julianne, Julianna, Julie, Juliette, etc.

A question mark represents a single character in a name.  For example, searching for the surname Sm?th will return Smeth, Smith, or Smyth.

You can combine the wildcard characters, too.  For example, searching for B*sm?th results in Barretsmith , Berrysmith, Backsmith, Bloodsmyth, and many more.  

Not only does this search option help with finding results for names with spelling variations, but it might also help you find results for names that are difficult to read (and indexed incorrectly) or names changed over time.  Learn more about this search option at  https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/searching-wildcards-familysearch-2/.

#2 - Research By Location

In addition to making use of the “Historical Records” search form, you should also try out the option to “Research by Location.”  It’s simple to use: just click the map, select the location you’re interested in, and the website will redirect you to the research page for a particular geographic location.  While this option has been available for a while, in the past couple of years FamilySearch has added more information to each research page.  Currently, each research page includes links to...

• Indexed records you can search
• Image-only records you can browse
• Other materials in the FamilySearch catalog
• Webinars and other lessons that can help you with your research
• A link to the FamilySearch Wiki article about the geographic locale

This feature is great to get an overview of a location that you haven’t previously researched — or to help you find some records you may have overlooked closer to home!  

#3 - Search the FamilySearch Catalog

In the past, FamilySearch would allow users to “rent” reels of microfilmed records from them.  This practice was discontinued around 2017, when FamilySearch started actively digitizing their entire microfilm collection and making it available on the website.  

There are several options for searching the FamilySearch Catalog.  One of the most useful options for searching is the “Place” search.  This will return results of all records available for the location; the results will be sorted by record type/category.  

You can further filter the results by their availability and limit records for those online or those housed at specific research facilities (like the Family History Library).  

When you expand a category to review the search results, if you click on a search result, the entry will include the author(s) of the record, language, and other details.  It will also include “Film/Digital Notes” section where you can see if the record has been digitized and its format.  Icons indicate the format and the records availability to you.  Here are the icons you’ll see: 

If you see the camera+key icon, while you won’t be able to view these records at home, you may be able to view them at other nearby locations including a FamilySearch Affiliate Library (like MCDL) or a FamilySearch Family History Center.  

#4 - Visit Affiliate Libraries and Family History Centers

As I mentioned above, some FamilySearch records require you to be at a FamilySearch Affiliate Library or a Family History Center in order to view and access them.  

FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have privileges to the limited-access FamilySearch record collection.  By visiting an Affiliate Library, you can access approximately 350+ million more record images that you can’t view at home.  

Affiliate Libraries can be public or university libraries, archives, museums, or genealogical societies.  Currently, all of the branches in the Medina County District Library are Affiliate Libraries.  For reference, here is a complete list of FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries worldwide.  

In addition to FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries, there are also Family History Centers (FHC).  FHCs are considered to be branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  They are operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  By visiting a FHC, you can access even more records - more than you can view at home, and even more than are available at an Affiliate Library.  Some FHCs also offer classes to boost your genealogical knowledge.  Family History Centers can be located through the FamilySearch Research Wiki with this article. 

#5 - Read Digital Books

FamilySearch also includes an entire Digital Library.  You can locate it under the “Books” tab in the “Search” menu.  The FamilySearch Digital Library includes county histories, rare family histories, family newsletters, yearbooks, and much more that have been digitized from the physical collections of the following libraries: 

• Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
• Arizona State Library
• Birmingham Public Library
• BYU Family History Library
• Houston Public Library
• Dallas Public Library
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• Midwest Genealogy Center
• Onondaga County Public Library
• Ontario Ancestors (The Ontario Genealogical Society)
• St. Louis County Library
• University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries

You can browse each of the partner library collections or search the entire collection through the simple (but powerful) search box.  Search results can then be filtered by Creator, Subject, Language, Owning Institution, and Access Level.  

The “Access Level” filter is the one that you’ll want to be aware of most.  If the digital document is marked “Public” or “Full Permission” you can access the document and read it online from anywhere, as well as download pages to save. “Limited Permission” documents can be viewed online, but can’t be downloaded.  “Member Permission” indicates that you’ll need to be at an Affiliate Library (like MCDL), Family History Center, or Partner Library to view the document online.  If it is marked “Protected” then some copyright restrictions presently prohibit viewing the work online.  

Read more about using the FamilySearch Digital Library at https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/family-history-books/.  

Want to learn more?

If you have questions (or want more strategies for finding records) FamilySearch also offers great resources for learning more about genealogy.  Check out the two options below, to continue expanding your genealogical knowledge!  

FamilySearch Research Wiki

The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a powerful tool for learning information about methods, records, geographic locations, and more.  Like Wikipedia, the information in the FamilySearch Research Wiki has been written and shared by individuals (just like you and me!) from around the world.  Unlike Wikipedia, however, there is some level of review happening for articles, which helps improve the reliability of the information.  

Currently, there are 91,021 articles on the English-language Wiki.  Access it at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page.  There’s a simple search feature, which works well with keywords, plus a couple options for browsing geographical (use the map or click “Browse By Country”).  

In addition to offering the Research Wiki in English, it’s also available in other languages.  

• Chinese
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish

It’s worth checking the foreign language Research Wikis for additional (and sometimes more in-depth) information on non-English speaking geographic locales.  

Online Classes & Webinars

The Family History Library frequently offers classes on general research methods, as well as methods for researching ethnic groups around the world.  Often times these classes are made available as live webinars (which in can participate in, as they are being broadcast) or, later, as pre-recorded classes.  

Upcoming and past classes/webinars can be found on the Family History Library Classes and Webinars page.  Be sure to review the “Class Schedules” and “Upcoming Webinars” sections, to see if there is an upcoming class that you might want to join.  It’s also good to review what webinars have been offered in the past - their “Research Seminars & Conferences” can be especially helpful, as they offer multiple sessions all on a theme/topic.  

In addition to the Family History Library Classes and Webinars page, you can also review past classes in the Learning Center.  This page offers a full list of classes that are available.  

If you’d like more information on using FamilySearch (in addition to the tips above!) consider viewing Diane Loosle’s recorded webinar on “FamilySearch Tips.”