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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Memorial Day - Research, Memories and the Younger Generation

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was established on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan. The first celebration of Decoration Day was May 30, 1868.

American Cemeteries Overseas

The American Battle Monuments Commissions was formed in 1923 to twenty-four cemeteries overseas. Check out their website if you have an ancestor that may have been buried on foreign soil.

Memorial Day Memories

While growing up Memorial Day was a welcome reminder that school was almost over. Our summer vacation to Michigan would start to take shape and the some of the weekend would be spent on Fox River at the Picnic Grove which was always a treat. On holiday weekends Aunt Mabel and Uncle Sandy would launch their boat at the Picnic Grove and everyone would go skiing (everyone but me, the non-swimmer).

For my grandmother, Florence Schwemm Pahlke, the days leading up to Memorial Day were busy. Grandma was busy in the basement of her home cleaning and arranging the floral arrangements. Every Memorial Day grandma would decorate the family plots and on Labor Day weekend she would pick up the arrangement. Along the way she would tap one of her grandchildren to help and we did.


Earl Pahlke

Memorial Day and the Younger Generation

The question for me and I am sure other parents and grandparents is how to make sure our children understand that Memorial Day is more than a day off from school, a trip to Busch Gardens or a fishing trip.

It is important to talk to the younger generation about their ancestors who served in the military. We also need to help them understand the sacrifices that have been made by too many families through out American History.

One of my favorite ways to get the younger folks interested in history is through books, movies and television. The premiere of Gettysburg on The History Channel Monday evening would be a great time to watch television as a family.

My granddaughter just introduced me to a new series of books for the 9-12 year olds called "I Survived". Currently the series covers the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina and Shark Attack. I have preordered "I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941" The books are published by Scholastic Paper Books.

Creating a summer reading list with and for a younger person in your life would be a great joint activity this Memorial Day weekend.

Take Care,
Pattie

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Alvin Pahlke

Alvin Pahlke
Son of Gustav and Caroline Gerber Pahlke
Born: Jan 1, 1888
Died: Mar 12, 1965

Married: Caroline Koch on Sept 22, 1916

Barrington Review March 1965

Funeral services for Alvin F. Pahlke, 77, of 507 Grove Avenue, Barrington, were held at 1:30 pm, Monday at the Stirlen Pieper Funeral Home, 149 W. Main Street.

The Rev. John A. Gerber, pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ, officiated and burial was in Evergreen Cemetery.

Mr. Pahlke died Friday at the Plum Grove Nursing Home at Palatine where he was admitted three weeks before. Previously he was confined t Sherman Hospital since suffering a stroke on January 5, at his home.

A lifelong resident of this community, Mr. Pahlke was born January 1, 1888 in Palatine township, on a farm which is now part of Hillcrest Acres. He was the son of Gustav and Caroline Gerber Pahlke. He married Caroline Koch in 1916 and the couple established their home in Barrington. He was preceded in death by his wife in 1939.

After being in the painting business for a number of years, Mr. Pahlke started to operate the Barrington Yellow Cab service in 1943. Following retiring eight years ago, he worked in the maintenance department of the Barrington Transportation Company which is owned by his son, Alfred Pahlke who with his family share the Grove Avenue home.

Mr. Pahlke was a member of St. Paul's Church.


Alvin Pahlke with his son Alfred Pahlke


Items of Interest from the local papers about Alvin Pahlke

Barrington Review - October 2, 1919 pg 1

A. F. Pahlke will give a dance at Catlow's hall on Friday evening, October 10th. Music will be furnished by Mr. Pahlke's orchestra, and dance tickets will be 68 cents, plus 8 cents war tax. Ladies are admitted free, with the exception of an 8 cent war tax. The charge for spectators is 31 cents, war tax 8 cents.


Barrington Review - October 15, 1919 pg 8

Alvin F. Pahlke was in Chicago this week and purchased some new instruments
for his orchestra and some of the latest music, and the orchestra is now ready to accept engagements. Phone 46-M, Barrington, IL - Adv.

Cook County Herald - Friday October 13, 1922 pg 1
Graver Haulers' Dance

The Palatine Gravel Haulers will hold their Grand Old Time dance, Seip's Auditorium, Palatine, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 14. Music by Pahlke & Freeman Orchestra. Tickets: Gents: 30¢, Ladies 23¢. Everybody welcome.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

South Carolina, Joe Beine's Death Indexes and Wordle

Getting Started Researching in South Carolina?

If you have ancestors in 'the Carolinas' it is important to know that North and South Carolina split into separate territories in 1712. Your ancestor may have moved without packing the wagon! South Carolina went on to become a state on Monday May 23, 1788

Check out the South Carolina Department of Archives and History to see all the records that are available online.

And since this is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War it is important to note that South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States.

Joe Beine's Death Indexes

Joe Beine's Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records are a genealogy treasure. Broken out by state the site is very user friendly and explains exactly what the index is searching.

Joe's website is not limited to Death Records, he also has "Online Genealogy Records and Resources". On this page he has links to military records, census records and other vital information.

If you are on twitter you can follow Joe Beine @fairangels and stay up to date on when new indexes are added.

Wordle

This last week I kept seeing references to Wordle. I decided I needed to check it out. Wordle is an application that creates a 'word cloud' based on words entered into the Wordle application. There is also an option to enter a blog URL. I had seen something similar on blogs advertising Amazon, but had never understood how it worked.

Since I had just been on a mini research trip to Illinois I decided use my Schwemm surname, families they had married into and the names of the towns where they had lived to create my first 'Word Cloud'.


I then wanted to see what it would do with an entire blog. I entered my friend Pam's blog My McKee Family Tree and here are the results:


Now What?

Once generated these 'Cloud' images can be incorporated as part of your genealogy research results. A Word Cloud would make a great cover for family tree, folders or document files. It could be used as a picture on your blog, Facebook or Twitter. If you create business cards to hand out to other genealogists it would make a create theme.

The possibilities are endless.

Take Care,

Pattie

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Alice Pierce Schwemm

Alice Pierce Schwemm

Born: December 22, 1865
Died: June 2, 1896

Married to Fred Schwemm on May 27, 1884

Only Sleeping
Barrington Review - June 6, 1896

Alice E., wife of Mr. Fred Schwemm, living about three miles west of Barrington, passed away at 11:30 o'clock Friday evening, May 29, at the age of 30 years, 5 months and 7 days.

Mrs. Schwemm was born December 22, 1865, in the State of Iowa, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce. When quite young she removed to Barrington where she made her home with her grandmother, Mrs. S. E. Hastings. Thirteen years ago she was united in marriage to Mr. Fred Schwemm. Two sons, one 12 years of age and the other 7 years old, survive to mourn the loss of a kind mother, and to comfort the father in this his darkest hour of trouble.

The funeral occurred Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock, Rev. Theodore Suhr of the Salem Church, and of which she was an active member, and Rev T. E. Ream of the Methodist church, officiating. The Woman's Missionary Society of the Salem church, of which she was a leading member, attended the funeral in a body. The remains were interred in Evergreen cemetery and were followed to their last resting place by an immense procession of people, an evidence of the high esteem in which Mrs. Schwemm was held.

Among those who attended Mrs. Schwemm's funeral Tuesday were: Messrs and Mesdames J. Martin, A. H. Kline, and A. Smith, Messrs. C. Albright, W. Gibson and F. A. Cady and daughters, and Mrs. J. Ebel.

The Review extends its sympathy to the bereaved family.



___________________

If you are having a hard time finding obituaries for your ancestors you might want to read my article "The Saga of Alice Pierce Schwemm and the Missing Newspaper Index Entry".

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Adding a Watermark To Documents Keeps Everybody Honest

I am out of town so I am republishing an article posted to the Technology Tamer's blog that was written by my friend Pam Treme. Enjoy!


A watermark is a word, phrase, or image that appears as a pale background behind text. Watermarks are frequently used when the author of a document has no idea who will use the document, how they will use the document, or where the document might be posted. As an example, I’ve had an original biography copied from my family website and posted to Ancestry.com without even so much as a thank you…a clear copyright violation since my work was entirely original and I gave nobody permission to use it.

Let’s suppose that you’ve written a bio for a family member. You want to make the information available; however, you also want to be credited for all of your hard work and your imaginative conclusions backed up by some solid evidence that you’ve unearthed.

One of the best ways to deploy a document of this nature is to save your Word document to a PDF, which you can post to a website or attach to an email. However, when you do that, it is possible for others to simply take your work and post the PDF elsewhere. Adding a watermark keeps everybody honest because it’s a subtle reminder to everyone who reads the document that it is copyrighted work. When work is copyrighted, the copyright owner (that’s you!) controls where the text gets used.

Had I followed this procedure with my own story, Ancestry.com would never have allowed my story to be published on its website because of the copyright statement appearing in the PDF.

Adding a Watermark:
1. Open Word and type your document.
2. Add a watermark.

For Word 2003: Click the following: Format--Background--Printed Watermark. The dialog appears.
For Word 2007 or 2010: Select the Page Layout tab. Locate and select the Watermark button. A dialog appears. Click Custom Watermark. The dialog appears.


3. Select Text watermark.
4. Add text in the Text field, and check that you have the same selections shown in the sample above, and then click OK. You might want to take a minute to look at the other available options.
5. Inspect your document to see the results. If you’re happy with the results, you can save your document, and then save it as a PDF for deployment.

I wouldn’t necessarily advise placing a watermark on every document you create. However, knowing about watermarking adds to the arsenal

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Uncle Gus was 'In the Navy' - But Which Navy?

A couple of years ago I started to do sideway research on my paternal side. My great grandmother had a brother (possibly a half brother) named Gustav Blum.

Finding Uncle Gustav

The first hurdle I had to overcome was thinking that Gustav had a sister named Gussie Blum. One day while discussing my research with my mother she started laughing and said that Gussie would be a boy's nickname for Gustav!

Since Gustav's mother's obituary mentioned he was in the Navy at the time of her death I decided to short cut my research and request his file from the National Archives. Imagine my surprise when I received the file and found that he had left the service a few years BEFORE his mother's death.

As researchers we are used to finding errors in obituaries or family stories but this one felt different. Going back through various newspapers stories over the years, Gus was always referred to as being 'in the Navy'.

New York Naval Militia

Using everyone's favorite search tool I started to use Google to figure out my mystery. From various newspaper stories and the Federal Census I knew that Gustav lived in Manhattan in 1910. I also had the name of the ship he was supposed to be serving on at the time of his mother's desk. In a short time I found out that New York had its own Navy!

The New York Naval Militia is Federally recognized and dates back to 1890. It seems that Gus was a secretary in the New York Naval Militia after his service in the Philippine-American War.

Lesson Learned

What did I learn?

*Sometimes a piece of information that appears completely wrong can have a nugget of truth.

*There IS more than one 'Navy' in the United States

*Gustav Blum had a complicated life with a very tragic end. If you click on his name it will take you to his memorial on FindAGrave.Com.

Take Care,
Pattie

Sunday, May 15, 2011

eBooks, eReaders and Me - The Finale

As many of you may already know I have a love/hate relationship with my eReader. I admit that instead of buying the Nook (which was black and white at the time) I bought a Pandigital, which was color.

My problem was not that the pages did not turn fast enough, it was that there was so much more I could do besides read. I set up my email accounts, my favorite web places, loaded The Genealogy Guys podcasts and my favorite pictures of my granddaughter.

My eReader - A Genealogy Library

Coming back down to earth I realized I could load PDF's. Being a great fan of Google Books and having downloaded many county histories, turn of the century almanacs and cookbooks this would give me a repository to bring them together and make them more accessible.

While preparing for a trip I decided to load the family group sheets and books I created using RootsMagiconto my eReader. This would allow me to answer questions from family members about my research. Another 'light bulb' moment, my eReader could carry my research and I would not have to bring my laptop! This is the greatest thing about the eReader - any document you turn into a PDF you can load on the eReader! The best thing is you can create PDF's with FREE or very inexpensive software such as PDF995.

In summary, my Pandigital eReader is ALMOST a tablet. It runs a bit slower, but I was able to use it on a trip to do 95% of what I would do on my laptop. I was in Las Vegas having a great time using my eReader to surf the web, check my email and occasionally read Decision Points. So what was the problem?

Cubs vs Sox - Nook vs Kindle
Some things in life are black or white. I know this first hand from growing up in the Chicago area. My sister was born and will die a Cubs fan. I honestly do not get it. She does not understand that I am a Sox fan because they have better food at the ballpark! So it is with the Nook and the Kindle.

Since I had the Pandigital and not the Nook I decided to go to my local Barnes and Noble and try out a Nook Color. The sales person walked me through the features, I held it, I read a bit on it and I still did not have the urge to read an entire book. On the other hand, my husband Chuck is threatening to start burning all the bookcases (and boxes of books) in the house.

It was time to try the Kindle, so I logged onto Amazon and bought the Kindle. I ordered the lowest Kindle - $114.00 and waited. Once received I ordered Rob Lowe's new book and started reading and reading and reading. I liked reading on it so much I did not check out the email capabilites or web browsing. I just read my book!

It is important for me to state, this is my experience. Which reader you choose is just as personal as choosing between the Cubs or the Sox. I would just urge everyone to try before you buy. If you have a friend that has an eReader try it out. Last week I met two friends for dinner and as an experiment I brought both readers with me and it was a split decision.

eReaders and Genealogy Books

I have checked out Barnes and Noble and Amazon to see the selection of genealogy related books. While they are limited both sites had Megan Smolenyak's book Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History and The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy for $9.99. What I found surpising was that George G. Morgan's book How to Do Everything Genealogy was $14.84 on Amazon and $24.99 on Barnes and Noble.

My Last Post...

This will be my last post on eReaders. I do not want to bore everyone but I did want to share my journey in finding the right technology for me. I have discovered that I like reading on the Kindle. If I would have liked the feel or the display on the Pandigital I probably would have finished reading Decision Points. I just did not like reading for long periods of time using it.

Will I keep the Pandigital? At this point I am not sure. I know the Kindle will handle my PDF's, music and such so eventually I may set it all up on the Kindle. On the other hand, my granddaughter Tori has her eyes on the Pandigital, so it may become a priority very soon!

Take Care,
Pattie

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Gertrude Naeher

Gertrude Naeher - Sister of Ella Naeher Schwemm

Local Young Woman Drowned Last Week

Miss Gertrude Naeher Loses Life in Lake at Deer Grove

Treacherous Bottom Was Cause
First Accident at Artificial Lake in Forest Preserve – No More Bathing There, Authorities Say


Barrington Review – July 17, 1919 - Page 1

Manifestations of deep sorrow were noted and the great heart of this community was pained and wrung, when last Thursday afternoon a message was received announcing the passing from this life of Miss Gertrude Naeher, a young lady who was most highly esteemed by our people. The report could hardly be credited, as only a few hours before Miss Gertrude had left her home and was amongst friends and acquaintances, happy and radiating cheerfulness in her usual pleasing manner. It seemed impossible that the bright, happy girl had been made a victim of an accident and her happiness terminated, but a second message carried proof of the report to her sorrowing parents.

Last Thursday morning Gertrude Naeher, a night operator at the Telephone Exchanges, proposed to her sister Margaret and girl friend, Miss Elizabeth Kalaberer, that later in the day they take a lunch and enjoy the afternoon in Deer Grove Park, in the Forest Preserve, 4 miles east of this village. The young ladies made the trip to the park and were having a full measure of pleasure and proposed to add to the fun by wading out in the artificial lake in the park. The two sisters, Gertrude and Margaret Naeher, had gone prepared to go in bathing and had joined hands for protection, as neither of them knew much about swimming.

Suddenly Gertrude began to go down and dragged Margaret with her but the hold loosened and Gertrude disappeared; having dropped into a hole said to be 8 or 10 feet deep.

Cries of distress brought assistance of parties nearby, who rescued Margaret after she had been under water a moment and carried her to the bank, where she remained unconscious for a short time. Gus Berdeske, caretaker at the park, aided by another man, recovered the body of Gertrude an hour later. Assistance was summoned from Palatine, and the body brought to this village and taken to Block’s morgue to await an inquest held Friday afternoon, following which the remains were removed to the family home on East Main street, just outside the village limits where the grief-stricken parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.F. Naeher awaited prostrated by the calamity which had removed a loved daughter.

The funeral was held Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the home, conducted by Rev. J. Hoerner of the Salem Evangelical church, and was attended by a large concourse of friend and acquaintances. Burial was in Evergreen cemetery.

To the sorrowing parents, sisters and relatives our people offer that sympathy and condolence which alone such an unnatural and untoward bereavement can wring from human hearts.

Gertrude Naeher was born in this village October 10 1896, and was the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Naeher; old residents. She attended our school and identified with the Salem church and Sunday school. Her entire life had been spent here, where she won a large circle of friends and acquaintances owing to her pleasing personality and bright, cheerful disposition. Among elderly people who were simply acquaintances she was held in high esteem for deference always shown them. In her position as operator at the local telephone exchange she was most patient and obliging and highly esteemed by the company and employees.

Her sudden passing from this life not only throws the pall of sorrow upon parents, relatives and friends, but it is a heavy stroke to Lester McDonald of Chicago, her fiancé whose wife she was to become in the near future. Mr. McDonald won her heart before he entered the service of his country as a member of the Signal Corps of the 29th Division, in which he served ten months overseas and only lately was discharged from the service. He was at Fox Lake visiting his Aunt, Mrs. Earl Rushmore, intending to come to Barrington Saturday and complete plans for their wedding and the purchase of a home. He was summoned here Thursday night and is in deep sorrow over the loss of his bride-to-be.

This is the first accident that has occurred at Deer Grove Park and authorities will take steps to keep bathers from the lake as it has a quagmire bottom and several deep holes. A ditch also exists at the end of the lake, from which the earth to dam the creek feeding into the lake was taken. This has a drop of from 8 to 10 feet and it was in there that Gertrude Naeher walked to her death.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Genealogist 'F' Word - FILE

The hunt for obituaries, vital records and family photos is the stuff that genealogists live for. The problem is that once found those records have to filed.

File - The "F" Word for Genealogists

I am not going to recommend one filing system over another. Whether you file your research by surname, sequential number, state or country the most important thing is to keep your filing up to date.

Like many people I research in spurts. I may have a few spare hours on a Saturday night and decide to run a list of names through a newspaper database. In a short time I may have 10-15 articles covering multiple surnames - now what? Here is the problem, I do not have a SOP (standard operating procedure)to follow. The trick is to set up a filing system that works for you.

Filing Conundrums

If you keep an electronic and paper copy of a record, be sure to cross reference them.

Do you have family pictures that cross multiple surnames? In my case the Maish and Horton famlies married into each other multiple times. Instead of inventing a unique naming convention I file them under each surname. I may be wasting disk space, but I can always find the picture.

Surnames that cross families? I have Warren families in Houghton Michigan and Plano Illinois. The Warrens of Plano are originally from Maryland while Anton Warren of Michigan emigrated from Sweden. I highly doubt there is any connection between the families. In this example filing by surname would be very confusing. In my case I file these by the primary surname they are related to - Schultz/Warren/Plano and Johnson/Warren/Michigan.

Just Do It

No matter what filing system you use, the trick is to actually USE it. Do not wait a year (like me) and start trying to remember why this piece of information seemed important at the time. While it is a great memory test it is not a great use of your limited research time.

Take Care,
Pattie

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Alta Nancy Horton

Alta Nancy Horton
Born: 28 Feb 1897 - Necedah, WI
Died: 15 May 1971 - Bemidji, MN

Married: Frank Sader - March 5, 1913
Daughter of: John Charles Walter and Nancy Hansen Horton
Sister of: Charlott Horton Maish

The Pioneer, Bemidji, Minnesota - May 21 1971

Mrs. Alta Sadek, 74 306 Miles Avenue, died at the Bemidji hospital this morning.

Funeral services will be held at St. Phillip's Catholic Church Monday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Francis Lemen officiating. Burial will be in Holy Cross cemetery. Visitation at the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home after 2 p.m. Sunday.

Alta Nancy Horton was born at Necedah, Wisconsin February 28, 1897 and moved with her parents Mr. and Mrs. John Horton to Blackduck in 1903. She was married to Frank Sader March 5 1913 at Akeley and they lived in Turtle River for many years where Mrs. Sadek was a mail dispatcher. Mr. Sadek died in 1954 and Mrs. Sadek had lived in the Bemidji area since, the past nine months at the Beltrami Nursing Home.

She is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Sidney Tivey (Fern) of Mt. Vernon, Montana, Mrs. Frank Berg (Gladys) of Wichita, Kansas and Mrs. Stanley Ellingson (Margaret) of Bemidji; a son Eugene of Phoenix, Arizona; 13 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, four brothers, Earl and Michael Horton in Oregon, James of Hines and Elmer in Montana; three sisters, Mrs. Charlotte Maish and Minnie Kaija of Blackduck and Mrs. Julia Herrick in Mississippi.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cinco De Mayo and Getting Started on Your Mexican Research

Cinco De Mayo has become a great day to enjoy mexican food and a variety of adult beverages. But, what exactly are we commemorating?

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is the celebration of Mexican forces over the French in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. The Mexican Army, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Sequin, defeated the French even though they were outnumber 2-1.

Within a year the French would come back, defeat the Mexican Army and install Emperor Maximilian. Once the American Civil War was over we would assist our southern neighbors by 1867 Maximilian was executed.

Getting Started in Mexico Genealogy Research

If you are getting started in researching your Mexican Roots here are some helpful links to get you started.

Historical Mexico Records at Family Search

Genealogy of Mexico at About.com

The Aztec Club - Military Society of Mexican Wars

Boundary Disputes - Prelude to a War (PBS)

Have a great Cinco De Mayo!

Take Care,
Pattie

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Louisiana, Maryland and A Quick Trip Home

Louisiana

April 30th marked Louisiana's anniversary of statehood. The year was 1812 but Louisana had their first census in 1810 when it was the Orleans Territory.

Check out my blog, Celebrate Your Louisana Heritage, for links to help in your research.

Maryland

Maryland became a state on April 28, 1788. For a list of what census records are available for Maryland check out Maryland Census Records.

The Maryland State Archives holdings span the spectrum of Muster Rolls from the American Revolution to Index of Colonial Probate Records 1634-1777. It takes more than a few clicks to appreciate all the information available online.

If you live in the area the Maryland Genealogical Society has a "Back to Basics Workshop" on June 25th, 2011. The Society website also has an online database "Baltimore City Church Register Transcriptions" and they are FREE!

Going Home (aka A Quick Research Trip)

I try to to visit my mom and sister at least once a year. An email flyer I received this week from the McHenry County Genealogical Society talked about some historical presentations, walks and new publications that were being sponsored this month. Since I could I decided I would. I booked my flight and will be going home to the northwest suburbs of Chicago in mid May.

My sister will be going with me on an "Old Town Algonquin Walking Tour" and then we will be visiting the Cary-Grove Historical Society to pick up a copy of "Images of America: Cary and Fox River Grove.

I will also be spending time at the Barrington Library so I began a list of people I needed to look up. I had also found some errors on Findagrave.com recently, so that was another list. Recently I found one local cemetery listed twice, so a ride to Dundee to visit and document the error is needed.

While I was in Barrington I needed to visit the local funeral home to find out why my grandfather does not have a military marker. I also wanted to stop at the Barrington Historical Society to see if they ever found that box of 'lost Schwemm photos'.

If the opportunity presented itself, would you be ready to take a 'quick research trip'? I am ready for the research trip now I just have to fit in some time to spend with my mom!

Take Care,
Pattie