I Find the More I Give, the More I Get!

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t give with the expectation of getting.  You see, I’m a volunteer, and I don’t volunteer for just anything, I’m a Genealogy Volunteer!

I first discovered Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness many years ago.  I lived in the Mountains of California and all of my ancestors were from mid-state Pennsylvania.  I had a real problem, didn’t I?  Although, we took yearly trips to the area, I could not possibly do all the research necessary in a couple of days a year.  Think mid to late 1990′s were there were not the number of genealogy sites on the internet!

We had come back from a vacation on the East Coast, and I had found information about my g-g-g-g-grandmother who had died in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  I wrote every conceivable site asking somebody, just anybody, if they would look for an obituary for me.  I had the exact place and date of death.  Absolutely, no response from any list whatsoever!  The next year, that was the first thing I looked for . . . .and found.  No problem!

Then I found RAOGK and immediately put my name in to volunteer.  I used the service ocassionally to get a record or two, but my first experience taught me the importance of another willing to be the eyes and/or legs of somebody many miles away.  

I then discovered Find A Grave and whenever I get a few extra minutes upload headstones. I love going to cemeteries and looking for others as well. I find myself in cemeteries I would not ordinarily go to. I’ve been in a Friends Cemetery, a Mennonite Cemetery, and a Catholic Cemetery, just to name a few denominations. I’ve been in overgrown, deserted cemeteries, and well-manicured and beautifully maintained cemeteries. Some headstones I’ve found and some I haven’t. But I know, deep inside, that I’ve tried. I’ve disappointed a few people and made the day for others.

Last summer a genealogy friend in Chicago told me about indexing for Family Search and I’ve been doing that ever since.  Since I am not a stare-at-the-TV type of person, I must be doing something while I’m watching TV.  I used to play FreeCell, Cross-Craze, or type obituaries into my database.  Now I index for Family Search.  While I haven’t indexed as many records as a lot of people, I have indexed over 5K names and I’m delighted I’m giving back to the community.

Since we recently moved into The City and it took awhile to get settled, things slowed down a bit.  I no longer volunteered at my Church (Lititz Moravian) and no longer volunteered at the Historical Society in a neighboring community because of the distance.  My New Year’s Resolution was to volunteer somewhere and I picked Lancaster County Historical Society.  I can walk there since it is less than a mile away and they can always use volunteers.  I now volunteer in the Library every Friday and one Saturday a month.

That is what I give.  What do I get in return?

• RAOGK:  I’ve been able to get obituaries and in one case every conceivable record on my ancestor on the County level because the volunteer worked for the County!  I’ve had people I’ve helped ask me if there was anything they could do for me in return and by golly she found baptismal and death records for me!
• Find-A-Grave:  Death dates!  After volunteers have posted the pictures, I found death dates!
• Family Search Indexing:  I thought my g-g-g-g-grandfather’s sister had died after she was baptized.  Last record I could find for her.  Nope, she had married (I don’t know where) and moved to Ohio.  I found her name on her son’s death certificate!
• LCHS:  Not only to I have the satisfaction of helping others, I’ve had the opportunity to find out just exactly what records and/or books there are in this awesome facility!  Has that helped my genealogy?  You bet it has!  Besides I work alongside of some of the neatest and most knowledgeable people!

Ever planned on volunteering and not got around to it?  Do it!  You’ll be a better person for it and glad you did.  It doesn’t take that much time and the rewards far outweigh the time and work (if you call it that!) involved.

 

Seriously? My Ten Essential Genealogy Books? Only Ten?

I was tempted to say that I could do without a library.  After all, I volunteer at the local Historical Society and have access to every book I could possibly want!  and with all those databases and books online, why do I even need all those books I have?

. . .and then sanity overtook me!  I’m a tactile person and I must touch, turn pages and be able to grab a book in the middle of the night!  I need to put stickies on pages and even highlight an entry or two.  I love my books!

You’re going to see a pattern in my selection of books.  I’ve listed not only my essential books for doing Lancaster County research, but my most frequently used books.  My Lancaster County books are the most well worn books in my collection.

Lancaster County Books necessary in my research

• The most important book in my collection was one of the oldest books in my collection.  A friend in Florida said I absolutely could not do Pennsylvania research without this book.  I’ve had this book for about 15 years and it is well used.  “Pennsylvania Line” was published by SW Pennsylvania Genealogical Society and invaluable in my research.  It contains maps of when counties were incorporated and from what county, rivers, streams, names of old, non-existant towns, post offices, and literally everything Pennsylvania!

Pennsylvania Line - Where would I be without this book???

• My German to English , English to German Dictionary is right up there at the top.  Although I can pick out the basic German in Church records (births, deaths, marriages, etc.)  those other words pop up now and then.  This book has aided me in helping to decipher meanings and tense.  I found it at a garage sale about 7 years ago and it was 50 cents well spent!  Hardback, large and in good condition!  Wow, what a bargain!

• “Churches and Cemeteries of Lancaster County“, by A. Hunter Rineer.  I carry this book in my car!  When I need it, I have to go out to the car to find it!  Not only does it list the Churches and Cemeteries of today, it lists ones that used to be.  It tells the history of each congregation and where their records are kept.  Every cemetery, past and present, is also noted with their history and a map to show exactly where it is.  Another book that has been invaluable in my research since I am, after all,  a Cemetery Person!

• The next book is a rather large book (dimension wise) and has been invaluable in placing my ancestors in various townships and locations. The “1864 Atlas of Lancaster County “has township maps with names marked on it, where they lived, who lived next to them, etc.  It has towns, streams, people and roads.  I was able to take a deed of one of my ancestors and with the help of this book actually find the curve in the road that his house remains on today.

• One of the heaviest and fattest books in my library is “The History of Lancaster County “by Ellis and Evans.  This is a huge book, and as it size attests, has a lot of information.  When I use it, I have to clear off a big chunk of my desk, because it is not a lap book by any means!  There are biographies, histories of each township, tax lists, histories of various organizations, and the list goes on and on.  Any body who had roots in our area is probably in this book.

The Biggest Book in My Collection. . .and this doesn't include the index!

• My next selection is actually four volumes.  Does it count for four books or one?  “Trinity Lutheran Church Records, ” has helped immensely in my research.  The years 1767 through 1810 were translated and transcribed by Debra D. Smith and Frederick S. Weiser,  It was an enormous undertaking, but one many people have appreciated!  My ancestors who settled in Lancaster County were either of the Lutheran or Reformed faith (Duh! they were Germans!) and I have so many stickies, highlighted entries and dog-earred pages in this set, that it would probably not be of interest to anybody else!

• The last very necessary book in my Lancaster County research is actually a series of  five books.  “Lancaster County Church Records of the 18th Century,” the 5 volume set was compiled by F. Edward Wright. Since 18th century ancestors abound in my family, this is another place that my stickies and highlight marker has found it way to!  Having the stickies has helped me flip right to the page in question, since I’ve marked surnames on each one.

I’ve counted the last two entries as five, since the books total nine!  I could list an actual ten books or I could list an actual ten titles.  Since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, I compromised. I’ve been blessed to have these Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors settle in a region where records are so abundant!

I love my books; the feel of them, the look of them and most of the content in them!

My research is dependent on these books.

 

Do you think I’ve been stagnant in my Genealogy?

No posts this month equals no new discoveries?  Not The Case! The Opposite is True.  Too many discoveries to take time to post a blog!

Let’s start with my Kleiss family!  I’m so excited, I’m finally getting close to figuring out all the assorted John Ps, Georges and Philips!  Not there yet, but getting close!  Thanks to an Auditor’s report for one of Johan Philip’s daughters!  . . . . . .and I found Philippina’s entire family!  It was right there in front of my eyes.  Know why it had not been found before?  How about an entirely different spelling of her married surname???  Unbelievable!  I’ve spent a great deal of time organizing my information on this family, and you would not believe what a difference it has made in helping to tie people together!My volunteering has taken up a good portion of my time this month ~ and all related to Genealogy, of course!  I’ve also been busy indexing records for the Family Search website.  So far, I’ve indexed census records for Alabama, and Death records for Chicago and Seattle.  I think I’ve done census records for other states, too, but I can’t remember which ones!  It’s great knowing that I’m helping to get those records up there and running for others!  I’ve also had a slug of requests for obituaries from Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK.com) this month!  . . . . and not to be forgotten are my Fridays (and once a month Saturdays) at the Lancaster County Historical Society. I don’t get my research done, but I do whatever I can do to help in the Library!  It’s a win-win situation.  I get to help others and I get to learn what collections they have in the back.  It’s a wonderful day for Linda.

Last week I got to meet another “cousin” and his wife.  Bruce Carvell and his wife, Peggy, stopped by for a couple of hours on their way to her father’s in NJ from St. Louis, MO.  He went through my books of information on the Carvell clan and put stickies on the pages he wanted copies of and they were back on the road!  I’ve made most of the copies and hopefully, they’ll be there when they get home!  It’s nice putting a face with a name ~ and they were such a delightful couple!  What’s there not to like about Peggy?? . . . and they brought a lovely bouquet of flowers and shared some delicious plums with us!

I’ve also found the Carvell/Winkleman family.  I thought they died as soon as they got married!  Not so, they moved to Ohio!  Another family added to the database!

I’m still working on the John Axer mess!  The two MD soldiers?  I think we’re dealing with just one man with 3 different wifes!  The PA one and the NY one match, but there are two wifes alive at the same time with no divorce papers found for the PA one!  . . . . and the MD one?  He was the one getting the pension that belonged to the one in NY according to the pension file!  What gives here?

Now to get back at it!