Coming in 2019

As Lisa and I work with members at the Library, we see a LOT of people who do not have the basic research skills to be successful in their family history quest. Maybe it is because they have been told,

"You don't have to know what you're looking for. You just have to look."

WRONG!

If you don't know what you are looking for, you can easily follow the wrong family line.

So this year, we are going to focus on how to do genealogical research. At the beginning of each month we will present a separate lesson on basic family research. The lessons will be:

1. Getting Started
2. Organizing Your Research
3. Vital Records
4. Census Records
5. Immigration & Naturalization
6. Military Records
7. Church Records
8. Newspaper Research
9. Cemetery Research
10. Ancestry.com & Ancestry Library Edition
11. Family Search
12.  Preserving Sharing & Publishing Your Work

See you next year...

Stealth Genealogy

Does your family avoid talking about your shared
family history with you?

Do you dream of mining relatives' memories on family history during the holidays, but everyone runs and hides when they see you approaching with pen, paper and forms in hand?










Then it is time to employ some stealth genealogy tactics!

Your relatives may not even realize what you are doing,
if you use "stealth" genealogy tactics!

Here are ten steps to get you going that are especially useful at the holidays...

 Screensaver of family photos on my computer. 
Because of my file naming format,  people are 
displayed in alphabetical order. Hi Darrell!!

1. Put out the old family albums or use a digital display of family photos. I use the folder of family photos as the screen saver on my computer. Several holidays, I have caught my brothers staring at my computer screen only to find that they were really interested in the photos from the screen saver!



2. Talk about holiday traditions. Do you have favorite holiday traditions? Where did they come from? Relate the tradition to ancestors from that area.

3. Talk about food traditions - "Remember how Mom loved the oyster stuffing and we all hated it? Did you know that oyster stuffing is a British tradition? Can you guess how many of our ancestors were British?"

4. Display old holiday cards - "See that card with the bird on it? Uncle John sent that home when he was in the Army in Germany. Yah, it was after he had been wounded in Korea and was visited in the Tokyo hospital by two Generals' wives." 

While it is tattered now, this card is
 still the treasured symbol of the
love that a younger brother
had for his big sister.

Three weeks after arriving in Korea, Pvt. John Mason was
hit by mine shrapnel, some of which he carried with him
the rest of his life.

This woodcut print accompanied the obituary of Joseph Heighton and
was published in an unnamed newspaper.

5. Keep it simple. Don't talk about the process of doing family research. Talk about the results. "Yah, the Heightons were abolitionists and the siblings formed a singing group that would perform at Anti-slavery meetings. Son Joseph Heighton barely escaped being tarred and feathered and had to move away for several years." This can lead to other ancestors' activities during the Civil War.

6. Bring an old family recipe. Mom made wonderful divinity fudge. That could elicit memories of other cooking traditions.

7. When someone starts talking, don't interrupt with questions. Let them fill the silence with more stories. Nod often.

8. Try to record the memories being shared. Most smart phones can do video and audio recordings. REMEMBER - it is illegal to record anyone without their permission. (Hopefully, your family isn't as camera shy as mine!)

This arcade photo of my aunt & uncle
with their spouses could trigger
memories of other family members'
real time behind bars!

9. Everyone loves a scandal! And all families have their share.





10. Use these ticklers to bring up family members memories of the same story. Maybe they remember parts of the story you don't have.

And as always, have fun telling the stories!

A DNA Story

Kimberly H. from the Tech Dept at
Medina County District Library

Recently, a co-worker shared a fascinating DNA tale that highlights some of the strengths and
weaknesses of DNA testing and genealogical research.

Here is Kim's story...

(My questions are in bold and Kim's responses are in italics.)

1. How long have you been interested in your family history? 

I have been interested in my family history as long as I can remember. My dad had studied history in college, and my parents were very interested in genealogy. My grandparents also had always told  us stories about their lives growing up.

2. How long have you been researching your family history?
Since the advent of online research, around the 90’s. I tried to pick up where my parents left off.

3. What made you decide to do a DNA test? What were you hoping to learn? Or was it just for fun?
I was told many stories about my ethnic background. I was very curious about where my gene pool came from.

4. Are you interested in the health aspects of DNA testing?
I am interested to some degree, as I lost my mom to ovarian cancer, but fear of finding out makes me hesitant. 
Did you know that most primary care physicians are routinely screening for familial diseases and that some insurance companies will pay for genetic testing?
Yes, as our daughter has Turner Syndrome and has been through extensive genetic testing. We were offered to have testing done, because of her results, but I have a tendency to worry. I’d rather just not know what my genes say could or might happen medically. In this case I kind of feel “ignorance” is bliss.

5. Were you surprised by your ethnicity estimates?                                                                     

Kim's Ethnicity Estimate

I was very surprised by my ethnicity estimates in that what I expected to see was not there, and by what was there. I expected to see European Jew in the mix, as it was indicated to me that my grandmother’s extended family was Jewish. My results do not indicate that is the case. I was also VERY surprised to find I am Scandinavian; 11% Norwegian, 2% Swedish, and 1% Finnish.  As a matter of fact, both my parents have French surnames, but I am more Scandinavian than French. 

Because of people crossing back and forth across the area that is France, there is not a good genetic identifier for French ancestry. Also, for privacy reasons, the French people are very hesitant to participate in DNA testing, meaning we don’t have a large enough pool of “French” DNA to compare against. 

My grandfather’s family has been in New Orleans since the very early 19th century, I dare say even late 18th century. They are part of the New Orleans Acadian migration (Cajun), so that is where my mother's French surname originates. My DNA test confirms though what I have been finding document-wise, I have yet to find anyone from France anywhere in my tree. I also cannot find my father’s maternal great-grandfather anywhere, document-wise.

6. And the big surprise was…

I have a sister! My grandfather indicated a bit vaguely just before he passed that my mom had a child before my older brother. In doing the Ancestry DNA test, a person came up as 1st cousin or closer. I thought initially she may be related to me as a cousin via my dad, as he never met his father, but when I saw we had being Acadians in common, I knew Rudy had to be related to my mom. After contacting Rudy via Ancestry, we decided to do another DNA test that is specifically to determine a sibling relationship, and it said there is an 81% chance of certainty that we are half siblings.

Kim's "new" sister, Rudy.

7. How has that impacted you?

I’ll be honest in that I do not think it particularly impacted me. I am glad to know there is another family member.  I think it probably impacted Rudy more, finding her genetic family.

   

 a. Do you think/feel about yourself differently?
I am the “baby” of the family, and I am still the youngest, so my position in that regard is unaffected (ha-ha). I have to say, no I really do not feel differently about myself.

Kim's mother around the time she had Rudy.

  b. Do you think/feel about your mother differently?

 My mother and I were very close. Knowing about Rudy only explains how and why my mom did some things, reacted to certain things. Knowing how much she loved my brother and I. I know that must’ve been very hard for her to give Rudy up. I know she probably loved her and likely thought about her all the time. Having to keep it to herself for so many years (because that is what they did back then) must’ve been such a sad burden. I am just so happy that Rudy was placed in a good home and had a loving family to grow up with, because I am sure that was all my mother would’ve hoped for her. 

You seem very nonchalant about this new sibling. How long ago did you find this out? Have you had time to process the information?

My grandfather told me about the possibility of a sister in 1998(?), so I have had from start to finish about 20 yrs to mull it in my head. I never asked my mom about it because after he told us (my husband and I) about it, I had my youngest daughter, then he had a stroke and died, my great-aunt of whom I was close to, passed away, and my mother was diagnosed with cancer, then also passed away. From start to finish, it was 9 mos.

Are you still absorbing it?
I've pretty much accepted the situation, as a whole.  

Or is that your laid back personality?

I am pretty chill about most things like this. I mean if I found out I was related to the Queen or to Hitler (My DNA dream vs my DNA nightmare), that would have definitely brought out a reaction. I have no illusions about who my parents were and where they come from. We are all human and things happen, decisions are made, good or bad. My life is blessed, and Rudy is to me is one more blessing.

c. Did that make you angry?

 Not at all. As I said my mother and I were very close. I just feel so bad she had to carry this burden alone her whole life. She was just a child herself (16 yrs old) when she had Rudy, and all decisions regarding Rudy's birth and adoption I am sure were made by my grandmother, with very little say on my mother’s part.

8. How has that impacted the rest of your family?
It really hasn’t impacted the rest of us. My daughters and my niece are eager to get to know that part of their family. My brother has not said much of anything, perhaps that is the only was he knows to deal with it. I do think it is funny that Rudy, Rob (my brother), and I all only had girls.

Kim's brother, Robert.

9. Did she know she had half siblings?
I believe not until Ancestry put us together. She has a brother by her adopted parents.

10. You are in contact with your half-sister? 
We have sent messages via Facebook messenger and email mostly. I think I hear from her or vise versa once or twice a month.

11. Do you plan a face to face meeting?
I am sure one day we will, but we are both have jobs and Rudy lives in another state. We just haven’t gotten too deep into that yet.

12. Are you sorry you found out? 
I am not at all sorry I found out about Rudy! More you learn about your family is more you learn about yourself.

13. Are you sorry you did the test?

Again, not at all. I am very science minded, and I find the fact that they can tell you so much information about yourself on a micro-cellular level fascinating. To find family, and meet new people that share characteristics with you is a bonus!

14. Would you recommend others to have their DNA tested?
I definitely would.

So what do we learn from Kim's DNA story?

1. Ethnicity estimates are not exact and can be very inaccurate for certain nationalities.
2. You never know what surprises it might have in story for you.
3. To get the most of the results, you must still do traditional genealogy research that provides documentation.
4. Know what your personal comfort zones are. 
5. That being tested is totally worth it!

New Book on Newspaper Research

The Medina Library has a new book in its collection on doing newspaper research. Titled The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide: How to Find Your Ancestors in Archived Newspapers, it is authored by James M. Beidler. You might be familiar with James' other book Trace Your German Roots Online: A Complete Guide to German Genealogy Websites that I reviewed back in July 2016.

All of the attention to detail and thoroughness he brought to German roots, he now brings to doing newspaper research.

His first chapters deal with the history of newspapers and WHY genealogists should be using them for all of the wonderful information they contain. Besides recording major life events like births, marriages and deaths, newspapers record a myriad of other details from our ancestor's lives, like land transactions, participation in various social groups, criminal activity and who visited who for Thanksgiving dinner!

Next the book covers how to track down newspapers in archives and libraries. Then he shares the free and subscription databases that offer access to digitized newspapers, such as Chronicling America, Newspapers.com and Genealogy Bank.

Next he covers ethnic and foreign newspapers and lastly he covers how to preserve and cite your newspaper articles.

So follow this link to put a hold on a copy today - because Medina's copy is checked out to me right now!

In case you haven't figured it out, I LOVE newspaper research!

Touching History

One of the wonderful aspects of my job is that I get to touch history. Like last fall when a donation was brought to my attention. Someone was getting rid of a bunch of theological materials. Among the items donated was a tiny handmade New Testament that was written in an Ethiopian language that is mostly used just for ecclesiastical purposes.

Wooden end pieces and hand stitched binding of this
very unique donation.

Vellum pages and ornate illustrations and text.

We are still waiting to see if the item has any monetary value or if it is just incredibly interesting.
























And it happened again just a couple of months ago...       
     

Medina County Texas is due east of San Antonio, Texas

In the spring, a gentleman from Texas contacted us about a Civil War diary that he thought belonged at the Medina Library. Knowing that there is a Medina, Texas, we first verified that he had the right Medina library.






Thomas Kreneck, is an archivist, and knew what he was doing. The family who was donating the item, Dick and Mary Heldt,  just wanted to make sure it had a good home. Thomas wanted to know that it had the right  home.

He said the diary never gives the author's name, but mentions that the author's father was the sheriff of Medina and also mentions several locations, such as, Brunswick, Seville, etc. Yep, he had the right Medina Library.

The gentleman promised to send the diary to us. Months went by and no diary ever appeared. As often happens, life took over and sending us the library went to the bottom of the list. I contacted Tom in September and on October 4th a package was sitting on my desk when I came into work.

It was the diary! 




The cover is a very delicate leather with a little slot and flap to keep it closed. The days and dates are pre-printed and leaves 10 lines for each entry.   

This type of diary was meant to be carried in the inside pocket of a man's coat.  And they were very popular with Civil War soldiers. 

The first pages have an annual calendar for 1862 and then it jumps right into the daily entries.

Indeed, the author never identifies himself but starts recording his daily routine.

His punctuation, capitalization and spelling are erratic and when doing transcriptions, these must be recorded accurately. This is particularly challenging when all of our software wants to auto-correct everything.

The first 3 days read:

January 1 Wednesday Happy new year to myself and the rest of mankind=. Dull new year’s in this Town of Medina= nothing going on. at home all day. Father went to Brunswick in morning: Firm got home from Chicago Friday. Gilmore & Firm came down going to Seville

January 2 Thursday At home. Done nothing particular, Cold day= Firm & Gilmore were at our house to day. went up to court house in evening Severance & Bill Hayslip were there

January 3 Friday About home. done some work at the office and at house. snowed most all afternoon. Went up to Clerks office in evening Bill. Hayslip was there found what we wanted to do impractible. the roads are in good condition

Reading further into the diary still did not reveal who the author was. This was purported to be a Civil War Diary but for months, all the author does it recount his daily schedule which involves helping his father with clerical work and delivering summons and subpoenas. Not until mid-April does he talk much about the war.

April 10 Thursday About  home all day worked most of the time 
News Recd today of the Death of H. Canfield he was killed in the battle of Pittsburg Landing at the Head of the Regt. The combined forces of Grand & Buell have Defeated Beauregard with 100,000 men with terrible slaughter on both sides

(The Battle of Pittsburg Landing is more commonly known as the Battle of Shiloh.)

April 11 Friday Father went to special Meeting in A.M. to take measures in regard to Receiving Remains of Col. Canfield. as the meeting adjourned Mr. Mat & Mrs Canfield arrived from Grafton with the information of the arrival of the remains at the station. The citizens went in carriages men the corpse & escorted it into town.

April 12 Saturday Went up in morning and seen Canfields Corpse. looked natural. started bout 9 & went to Lodi Homer Spencer Chatham & home bout Dark Served Summons & got Jurymen. goog many of the 72d Regt are Killed & wounded & taken prisoners.


(More information on Colonel Herman Canfield can be seen at his memorial on FindaGrave.)

Consulting the 1881 History of Medina County and Ohio, disclosed that in 1862, Morgan Andrews Sr. was the Sheriff of Medina County.

Listing of Medina County Sheriff's from the 1881
History of Medina County and Ohio, page 240

The History had other revelations in store:

List of Civil War Soldiers from Medina county on page 348 of
History of Medina County and Ohio.

This would be Morgan Andrews, Junior. A quick jump to the end of the diary...

The last entry is on July 8 of 1862:

July 6 Sunday  Inspection in the morning very warm day no drilling took out a lot of boys in the P.M. They went off and milked their canteens full of Milk. Jo Welch Beul & myself laid under the Shade in the woods

July 7 Monday  Not very well today did not drill in the forenoon went out on dress Parade and felt so sick came pretty near dropping my Gun got better and drilled with the Cos. the Captain was either drunk or very cross on our drill

July 8 Tuesday Unwell all day did not drill any. laid on Lieut Manning's bed most all the time. took some medicine of my own. did not report to the surgeon at all as he is not fit to be surgeon of a Regt. slept in our mess tent in the night.




The Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, lists Civil War Soldiers and Casualties and has this to say about Morgan Andrews:

According to the Roster, Morgan died on July 30 1862, page 632.

Page 784 of the Roster tells us that Morgan died of disease and was buried in Antietam, Maryland.

The diarist was "quite unwell" in his last entries on July 7th & 8th and Morgan died on July 30th. I believe we have identified the author of the diary - Morgan Andrews Jr. But Morgan Andrews Sr. had other sons.

This excerpt from the 1860 Census for Medina County shows Morgan Andrews with his (2nd) wife Cordelia, daughter
Maria (sic), son Morgan, son Finley and two inmates from the jail, Christian Breemer, a farmer who is
listed as insane and John Reed a "convict".

This excerpt from the 1850 Census for Hinckley Township, Medina County shows Morgan Andrews' original
profession was "tailor" Also shown are two additional sons, Addison, age 19 and Fairman, age 15. Neither of
these young men are listed among the soldiers who served in the Civil War from Medina.

The diary mentions "Firm" several times and most likely this refers to "Fairman", Morgan Jr's brother. So Fairman is not the author. NO other concrete information has been found on Addison.

Additional research using the census records on Ancestry Library Edition, Findagrave and Medina Library's Obituary Index confirmed that the author of the diary was Morgan Andrews Jr. 

Although the Roster says that Morgan was buried at Antietam, he also has tombstones at Old Town Cemetery and Spring Grove Cemetery in Medina.

Morgan Andrews tombstone in Old Town Cemetery
Photo courtesy of itsallrelative2me 

Morgan's tombstone at Spring Grove.

Following up with more research on the family, I found out that Fairman, Sarah and sister Meroa (listed as "Maria" in the census records) all died in 1910, within several months of each other.

Meroa never married and worked for A.I. Root when he had a jewelry store. Then she started a small jewelry shop of her own. When the a small circulating library was formed in 1877, Meroa donated space in her shop to house the books and served as the "librarian" of the collection.

Both her and Fairman's obituaries mention that they came from a family of five children, but neither obituary mentions what happened to Addison...

Fairman died in Girard Pennsylvania, outside of Erie. The people who donated the diary had cleaned out their father's attic in Lake City, Pennsylvania, less than a mile from Girard.

After Morgan's death, Fairman undoubtedly kept the diary and it was passed on through his family, eventually ending up in the attic of Wilson F. Andrews, father of Mary Andrews Heldt. Mary now lives in Texas with her husband Dick.

Wilson appears in the 1880 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois census as the 14 year old son of ... "Firnon" Andrews.

1880 Census for Chicago, Cook County, Illinois from Ancestry Library Edition.

We thank Thomas Kreneck and Dick & Mary (ANDREWS) Heldt for their diligence in finding a new home for Mary's great uncle's journal. So now Morgan Andrews' diary, that details his daily life in Medina and recounting his short time in the Civil War, has returned home.