Automate Your Genealogy

The other day I received an email that sadden me. Hazel Ritt Schwemm, the wife of one of my grandmother's cousins had passed away. The email was not from a relative or fellow researcher, it was from Google.

A few years ago I set up an alert on Google for the word 'Schwemm'. I now know when there is an event at the Schwemm Coffee House at Amherst College or when Diane Schwemm publishes a new book. And occasionally there will be a notice about another distant relative. This was the first time I found out about a death in the family.

Clifford and Hazel Ritt Schwemm's Wedding Portrait

Google Alerts

Setting up alerts allows Google to monitor the web without you having to lift a finger.

Start by going to Google Alerts. You will be presented with a variety of parameters, which may be changed once you begin receiving alerts.

Google Alerts lets you choose whether it searches blogs, news, videos or discussions. The email alerts can be sent to you once a day, week or as they happen. And you can choose to see only the best results or all results.

Test your search criteria with the 'Preview' feature to make sure the results are reasonable and useful. The goog thing is that even once the alert is activated you can always 'tweak' the results.

While these alerts will never take the place of 'boots on the ground' research, they can help monitor a family or town that you are researching. If you are planning a research trip you could set up an alert for a local genealogy or historical society you want to visit.

If you are currently using Google Alerts please let me know if you find them helpful. If you set up a Google Alert I would like to hear if it was helpful or not.

Take Care,
Pattie

Wisconsin Memories and Research

Wisconsin and Me

Wisconsin has always felt like a 'second home' to me. Growing up in Illinois we traveled through Wisconsin to visit my grandfather in Upper Michigan. Later as teens Lake Geneva and the Wisconsin Dells were summer getaways and many of my friends chose to go to college in Wisconsin instead of Illinois. And then there was that football team.... The Packers.

Soon after I married Chuck his uncle and aunt moved to Eleva Wisconsin. We spent weekends enjoying their hospitality, horses, gardens and bailing hay. We always bought bags of cheese curds for the drive home!

Great memories...

Researching Your Wisconsin Roots

Wisconsin became a state on May 29, 1848

Census Records

Wisconsin settlers were first enumerated in 1820 as part of the Indiana Territory. The 1830 Census found those same residents enumerated as Iowa County and part of Michigan. For a complete guide to Wisconsin Census Records visit Census Finder - Wisconsin Census Records. Wisconsin researchers can use the 1895 State Census as a substitute for the lost 1890 Federal Census.

Vital Records

The Wisconsin Historical Society has many online resources including pre 1907 birth and death records. Read about Belmont, the original capitol of the Wisconsin territorial government.

Another great site is the Wisconsin Genweb Site. Broken down by county there is a wealth of information arranged by county. It also has links to the Wisconsin Rootsweb Message Boards.


Newspaper Research

I have been very successful doing newspaper research on Chuck's Wisconsin ancestors. If you do not have access to NewspaperArchive.com check to see if their newspaper collection includes the area you are researcing. If so, it may be worth a three month subscription.

Using the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune I have been able to document the life of one of Chuck's ancestor from 1922 to 1928. This information included two divorces and remarriages. My mother in law knew virutally nothing of her grandmother's life during this period.

Unfortunately she moved to Iowa in 1928 and I am still looking for information on her life from 1928 until she moved back to Minnesota before her death in 1933. I just need to find the right Iowa newspaper!

Little House Memories

And the Younger Generation

I was so happy to find out my granddaughter liked the Little House on the Prairie books and television series. Why? Because it gave me a great basis to talk to her about her Great Great Grandmother Charlott Horton Maish.

Grandma Maish grew up in Wisconsin and later in life moved to Minnesota. When a box of Grandma Maish's photos was found Tori and I talked about the houses and outfits. We talked about how Grandma Maish had REALLY lived on 'the prairie'.

Take Care and have a good time researching your Wisconsin ancestors.

Pattie

Newspaper Research and Your Female Ancestors

Researching your grandmothers, aunts and other female relatives can drive a person to drink, or in my case chocolate. First you have to be aware of 'the prevailing social customs' and if she was married multiple times it can be daunting.

Was Grandma's Name Emma or Fred?

Depending on the time period your grandmother may have appeared under her husband’s name. Emma Rethmeier Schwemm may be referenced as Mrs. Fred Schwemm not Mrs. Emma Schwemm. I find this to be common when the woman's husband is alive.

So, when using NewspaperArchive.com or other newspaper databases be sure to try a variety of searches. When looking for my great grandmother I would search for:

Emma Schwemm
Mrs. Schwemm
Fred Schwemm

I would then perform all of the above searches with one 'm' and then again without the 'c' as these are the most common mispellings.

Maiden Name vs Married Name

I would also do searches under her maiden name. While newspapers can be great for finding obituaries, marriages and social events the people reporting probably did not verify each name. If there was a party at the Rethmeier home, it might be reported that their daughter Emma was present not their daughter Mrs. Emma Schwemm. By searching on her maiden name I would find the party and then find the people attending.

The names I would search under would be as follows:

Mrs. Rethmeier
Rethmeier
Emma Rethmeier
Mrs. Rethmeyer
Rethmeyer
Emma Rethmeyer

I am currently researching a lady who was divorced two or three times. I cannot find any newspapers articles about her after she leaves her third husband. When I track down and document the last three years of her life I'll update this post!

In the meantime my favorite part of newspaper research is finding items that I did not know I was looking for!


Take Care,
Pattie

From Amazon.com

Everyday Genealogy Desk Calendar

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors : Special Strategies for Uncovering Hard-To-Find Information About Your Female Lineage