Okay, I have just stated the obvious. The upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the ideal time to reach out to family and collect oral histories. And, these oral histories are the details that enhance our family histories. So, now is the time to begin collecting memories and providing new and interesting stories to the family history. Get out there and record those memories!
There is one challenge to this mission. Keep in mind that a recorded oral history is only as good as the transcription that is made afterwards. Once you have collected that oral history, don't forget to have the tape transcribed. This is the permanent record that will entertain and inform future generations in the family. Have the tapes transcribed and edit it all into the story. Unfortunately, I have learned this lesson the hard way. I have four hours of tape from my father. It was recorded more than 20 years ago. I never had it transcribed. Today you can barely hear the voices on the tape. My father died in April and the tapes are all but lost. I am hoping I can find some magical audio shop to save it for me. But, right now it appears as though the tapes have been lost.
Learn from my mistakes. I know I have. I just finished an hour of tape with my mother. The tape has already been transcribed.
So, remember that now is the ideal time to collect family histories and traditions. The holidays are the perfect time to inspire memories.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
One Peson's Trash...
I was speaking with a lady earlier this week, she reminded me of an important consideration in Archival Studies, Genealogy and Family history. We all want to remember that "one person's trash may be another person's treasure." We can never really say for certain that papers, documents, photographs, and other ephemeral materials are valueless. The information contained on these records, the records we are inclined to discard, may provide tremendous clues for other researchers.
This reminder came about as we were discussing her reserch on families in Georgia. She mentioned that, somehow, she encountered a family that was discarding papers from the estate of their deceased mother. The woman immediately went into "dumpster diving" mode and came out with collections of sports memorbilia and, more importantly, three family bibles that documented family genealogy lines going back generations.
So, as a reminder to anyone that chooses to read this, keep in mind that the documents you think to discard may be of great value to someone else. Offer up that research to some research institution or archives. Just maybe, an archives somewhere will be interested and take on the job of saving the family history.
This reminder came about as we were discussing her reserch on families in Georgia. She mentioned that, somehow, she encountered a family that was discarding papers from the estate of their deceased mother. The woman immediately went into "dumpster diving" mode and came out with collections of sports memorbilia and, more importantly, three family bibles that documented family genealogy lines going back generations.
So, as a reminder to anyone that chooses to read this, keep in mind that the documents you think to discard may be of great value to someone else. Offer up that research to some research institution or archives. Just maybe, an archives somewhere will be interested and take on the job of saving the family history.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I'm Baaaack!
I realized it has been almost a full month since I have written. It has been a very chaotic month as I am trying to recover from several weeks of travel for Genealogy conferences and personal time. I am amazed at the energy that is require to attend a conference. After one month, I am still trying to absorb all of the information I acquired from the Utah Genealogy Conference and the Northern Utah Genealogy and Family History Jamboree.
An item I feel I need to comment upon, is the preponderance of technology sessions at conferences. Don't get me wrong, I am not some Luddite that is opposed to using technology. But, we have to keep a perspective upon the value and capabilities of technology. Computer programs, websites and on-line resources are great assets for research. But we need to keep in mind that anyone can load information onto a website. Simply because the information is on line doesn't mean that it is accurate. I think we need to keep repeating the adage: "Trash In, Trash Out." We need to continue to verify and confirm all of the information and facts we have accumulated from on-line, as well as published sources.
In addition, with technology we need to keep in mind that computers and other electronic gadgets are temporary storage facilities. None of the new technologies that have arrived on the scene over the past few years is capable of lasting more than ten years. Even the best compact discs, with optimum storage, is estimated to last seven to ten years. High quality paper will last over one hundred years, if stored under optimal conditions.
So, as we move into new areas of research, keep in mind that technology, if used correctly, is an incredibly valuable tool. Yet, we have to keep in mind that computers and other electronic resources have serious limitations.
An item I feel I need to comment upon, is the preponderance of technology sessions at conferences. Don't get me wrong, I am not some Luddite that is opposed to using technology. But, we have to keep a perspective upon the value and capabilities of technology. Computer programs, websites and on-line resources are great assets for research. But we need to keep in mind that anyone can load information onto a website. Simply because the information is on line doesn't mean that it is accurate. I think we need to keep repeating the adage: "Trash In, Trash Out." We need to continue to verify and confirm all of the information and facts we have accumulated from on-line, as well as published sources.
In addition, with technology we need to keep in mind that computers and other electronic gadgets are temporary storage facilities. None of the new technologies that have arrived on the scene over the past few years is capable of lasting more than ten years. Even the best compact discs, with optimum storage, is estimated to last seven to ten years. High quality paper will last over one hundred years, if stored under optimal conditions.
So, as we move into new areas of research, keep in mind that technology, if used correctly, is an incredibly valuable tool. Yet, we have to keep in mind that computers and other electronic resources have serious limitations.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Honey, I'm Home!
Okay, I've been away for quite some time. I have spent the past two weeks visiting a variety of small genealogy conferences. At the Utah Genealogical Association meeting and the Northern Utah Genealogy and Family History Jamboree, I was able to revitalize my spirit. Once again I am ready to share ideas and resources with fellow genealogists.
It is very exciting to attend and present a program at a conference. The enthusiasm is infectious. New genealogists, along with the experienced researchers, all come together to share information and skills. It was a pleasure to lecture to the groups at these two conferences. At the same time, the exhibition hall always introduces new publications and tools that open new doors for further research.
I am consciously working to avoid any type of recommendations, yet there were some programs that warrant mentioning. I find it always valuable to attend sessions on migration patterns in the United States. The questions will continue for as long as we have genealogy: why did our ancestors move from point A to point B? And, how did they get there? In addition, technologies are changing so rapidly that any sessions offered on new technologies and tools of research are worth sitting in.
So, it has been a very busy couple of weeks. I am still trying to mentally absorb all of the information presented in the Utah conferences. But there is no doubt that attending several conferences each year, whether as a presentor or simply an attendee, the event always invigorates me and inspires me to strive for greater achievement.
I suppose I should mention my own program. I lectured on identifying and using Southern Archives for Genealogy and Family History Research. I personally thought it was a great topic and well received. But, the reviews will come in in a few weeks. Regardless of my own success, it was an invigorating and challenging couple of weeks.
It is very exciting to attend and present a program at a conference. The enthusiasm is infectious. New genealogists, along with the experienced researchers, all come together to share information and skills. It was a pleasure to lecture to the groups at these two conferences. At the same time, the exhibition hall always introduces new publications and tools that open new doors for further research.
I am consciously working to avoid any type of recommendations, yet there were some programs that warrant mentioning. I find it always valuable to attend sessions on migration patterns in the United States. The questions will continue for as long as we have genealogy: why did our ancestors move from point A to point B? And, how did they get there? In addition, technologies are changing so rapidly that any sessions offered on new technologies and tools of research are worth sitting in.
So, it has been a very busy couple of weeks. I am still trying to mentally absorb all of the information presented in the Utah conferences. But there is no doubt that attending several conferences each year, whether as a presentor or simply an attendee, the event always invigorates me and inspires me to strive for greater achievement.
I suppose I should mention my own program. I lectured on identifying and using Southern Archives for Genealogy and Family History Research. I personally thought it was a great topic and well received. But, the reviews will come in in a few weeks. Regardless of my own success, it was an invigorating and challenging couple of weeks.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Military Service Records at NARA
A recent publication from the National Archives has come to my attention. It is an interesting new resource for family history and genealogy research. Military Service Records at the National Archives, Reference Information Paper 109 is a great resource for anyone doing military research. In a brief 120 pages, this booklet spells out the multitude of resources available at the National Archives. In addition, if the Archives doesn't have the information, alternate resources are provided. Finally, each chapter concludes with a brief bibliography of alternate resources that deal with specific topics within the chapter. Generally, the references are to the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, or to the National Archives journal, Prologue.
For me, one of the interesting chapter sections concerns Confederate pensions for the Civil War. I find it fascinating that Congress did not authorize pensions for Confederate veterans until 1959! Assuming that a Confederate enlistee was as young as 16 at the end of the war, that would mean he would be 110 years old when the Confederate pensions were authorized! Although the records for 1959 are not yet available, it would be interesting to know how many Confederate veterans actually qualified for a pension.
More important, though, is that this book provides resource information for the 14 states of the Confederacy and the state pensions that were provided.
This is just one example of the multitude of resources that are provided in this slim volume. Mr. Trevor K. Plante compiled this work and he has done an excellent job in briefly summarizing the many sources available for military research in the National Archives
For me, one of the interesting chapter sections concerns Confederate pensions for the Civil War. I find it fascinating that Congress did not authorize pensions for Confederate veterans until 1959! Assuming that a Confederate enlistee was as young as 16 at the end of the war, that would mean he would be 110 years old when the Confederate pensions were authorized! Although the records for 1959 are not yet available, it would be interesting to know how many Confederate veterans actually qualified for a pension.
More important, though, is that this book provides resource information for the 14 states of the Confederacy and the state pensions that were provided.
This is just one example of the multitude of resources that are provided in this slim volume. Mr. Trevor K. Plante compiled this work and he has done an excellent job in briefly summarizing the many sources available for military research in the National Archives
Saturday, August 11, 2007
A Rose By Any Other Name ...
Some new discussions have recently arisen regarding names. I recently read an article by Ken Thomas in the Cobb County Genealogical Journal, Family Tree Quarterly, on the topic. In addition, Christine Rose has recently come out with the 5th edition of her work on nicknames and popular names. These works, along with others, raise some interesting questions.
In my own family, the children's names have created some interesting comments. My parents managed to find two unusual and three very mundane names for their children. My deceased sister is named Trula. Contrast that to Michael, and you have to wonder what my parents were thinking! After some investigation, and it took some significant digging, I found that Trula is of Germanic origin for the word truth. Other sources suggest the name is a variation on Gertrude, with Hebrew origins. My dad was always proud of his family heritage. He had an aunt Gertrude. So, in a sense my parents' naming patterns make some sense. I am omitting the names of my other siblings out of a sense of privacy. You will have to trust me when I say they tend towards family naming patterns.
The point of all of this is that as we develop family histories and genealogies, we need to consider name origins. They may provide some significant clues to the mindset of our ancestors and open up new avenues of consideration.
In my own family, the children's names have created some interesting comments. My parents managed to find two unusual and three very mundane names for their children. My deceased sister is named Trula. Contrast that to Michael, and you have to wonder what my parents were thinking! After some investigation, and it took some significant digging, I found that Trula is of Germanic origin for the word truth. Other sources suggest the name is a variation on Gertrude, with Hebrew origins. My dad was always proud of his family heritage. He had an aunt Gertrude. So, in a sense my parents' naming patterns make some sense. I am omitting the names of my other siblings out of a sense of privacy. You will have to trust me when I say they tend towards family naming patterns.
The point of all of this is that as we develop family histories and genealogies, we need to consider name origins. They may provide some significant clues to the mindset of our ancestors and open up new avenues of consideration.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Who's Your Daddy
I have just been introduced to Carolyn Billingsley's book: Communities of Kinship Antebellum Families and the Settlement of the Cotton Frontier. For the general historian she introduces some new and exciting ideas about kinship becoming a new category of analysis alongside the trinity of race, gender, and class. This, in itself, is an exciting promotion of genealogy as a substantial topic for consideration by historians and social scientists.
Even more exciting, for genealogists, she has introduced an interesting consideration. According to her research "a significant percentage of children who were not fathered by the man who thinks himself the father, the most often cited figure is about 10 percent of births." I will forgo the standard footnote here, but this quote can be found on page 11 of her book. She goes on to suggest that in some areas, the numbers can reach as high as 25 percent of children have a father that is not the biological father.
Consider this concept. If ten percent of us do not really know our biological father, what is the implication for genealogy? Do we utilize DNA practices to open wide the doors of knowledge and information? Or, do we accept the idea that parentage is more of who raised us rather than who was involved in conception? Legal definitions further reinforce the idea that parentage is more social construct and less a biological concern.
Imagine the possiblities and confusion that can be generated if her information is correct. Lineage and parentage, in the future, may take on a completely different meaning as DNA tests begin to challenge or reinforce the statistics proposed by Dr. Billingsley and other researchers. If Dr. Billingsley is correct, genealogy is going to become a whole lot more interesting.
Even more exciting, for genealogists, she has introduced an interesting consideration. According to her research "a significant percentage of children who were not fathered by the man who thinks himself the father, the most often cited figure is about 10 percent of births." I will forgo the standard footnote here, but this quote can be found on page 11 of her book. She goes on to suggest that in some areas, the numbers can reach as high as 25 percent of children have a father that is not the biological father.
Consider this concept. If ten percent of us do not really know our biological father, what is the implication for genealogy? Do we utilize DNA practices to open wide the doors of knowledge and information? Or, do we accept the idea that parentage is more of who raised us rather than who was involved in conception? Legal definitions further reinforce the idea that parentage is more social construct and less a biological concern.
Imagine the possiblities and confusion that can be generated if her information is correct. Lineage and parentage, in the future, may take on a completely different meaning as DNA tests begin to challenge or reinforce the statistics proposed by Dr. Billingsley and other researchers. If Dr. Billingsley is correct, genealogy is going to become a whole lot more interesting.
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