Sunday's Obituary - Hester Warren Usilton

Kendall County News - March 3, 1930


Hester E. Warren, daughter of Hamilton and Elizabeth Warren, was born January 15, 1843 at Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Edward Comly at Plano, Illinois, Sunday, March 3, 1930 at the age of 87 years, 1 month 15 days.


She became the wife of Albert L. Usilton, November 25, 1865. To this union were born nine children, five of whom, Elmer E., May E, Albert, Vernon, and Eddie have preceded her in death. Two sons and two daughters mourn her passing. Warren Usilton of Madison, Wis., Harry Usilton and Mrs. Edward Comly of Plano, Ill., and Mrs. Evelyn Brown of Bellingham, Wash.

She is also survived by ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren. One brother, a sister and her husband have preceded her in death.


Mrs. Usilton became affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at Plano, September 14, 1919. She was also a member of the King's Daughters Circle and took an active interest in our local organizations until failing health overtook her.

Mrs. Usilton has been a resident of Plano the past fifty six years. She was respected and loved by all who knew her. She took a great deal of pleasure in her family and loved nnnnn for nnnn nnn sacrificed and worked diligently.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 8 o'clock at the home of her son, Harry Usilton and at 8:30 at the Latter Day Saints Church. Elder J. M. Blakley officiating. Mrs. J. M. Blakely and son Marion sang "In the Garden", "Sister, Thou Art Gone" and "Going Down the Valley", accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Walter Sanderson. Burial was in the family lot at the Plano Cemetery.

Relatives from out-of-town who attended the funeral were Mrs. Alta Kipp, of Canton, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. Ray Ward, Walter Warren and daughter of Kankakee, Mr. and Mrs. Bert LaVoy and Mrs. Wm Warren of Aurora and Warren Usilton of Madison, Wis.

Genealogy, Google and UTube: Get On-Board!

While I was at RootsTech I attended a session by Devin Ashby entitled "YouTube Your Family History". It was a great session about putting together a family story using artifacts that you've collected and then publishing it on UTube. His video was on his ancestor Rachel Pass Davenport's trip from England to Utah.

I know that my granddaughter uses UTube frequently to answer questions about computer skills, cooking and more.  She probably uses UTube as much as I use Google. And even though I know there is a wealth of information on UTube it is not the first Search Engine I use.

Google + Genealogy = The Google Genealogist

During the presentation Devin also said that instead of flying around the country or the world to do his presentations on 'The Google Genealogist' he now uploads them to UTube.

A quick search on UTube for "Google Genealogist" reveals 6 presentations on how Genealogists can put the power of Google behind their searches. I just watched the first two and here are some highlights:

• Google now supports 'Voice' searches when using their Chrome brower.
• Images can be uploaded
• Google will find where else on the Internet they have been published
• Google will use facial recognititon to identify other images of that person
• Setting up Google Alerts
• Using various paramters while searching

To view all 6 videos go to UTube and search on Google Genealogist or use this link.

I personally think the voice search using Chrome is pretty cool!

Take Care,
Pattie



Family Search Adds Facebook Research Communities

Today while I was cruisng Facebook during lunch I came across a great new resource! 

Family Search has a page entitled "Join A Facebook Research Community". On this page are links to Ethnic Research Communities and North America communities among others all built in Facebook!

From a quick glance at the page this is a Pilot Program and each state, country or group that it links to in Facebook has varying degrees of content. There stated purpose is for people to be able to ask questions, collaborate and share knowedge.

Got a minute?  Check it out!

Take Care,
Pattie

ISGS Webinar Schedule - Check it Out!

The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) has a year's worth of FREE webinars posted on their website. The best part is you do NOT have to be a member of ISGS to sign up. 

I attended last nights "Cool Tools for Publishing" and it was great. The speaker Lisa Alzo gave great advice on getting organized and deciding what to publish. She then walked us through a variety of sites and tools that are available and commenting on the ones that she has used. 

The next webinar is March 13 and it features Amy John Crow, CG who will be presenting "Desperately Seeking Susan: Finding Female Ancestors".

Other webinars this year will be by D. Joshua Taylor, Paula Stuart-Warren and George G. Morgan.

Click on this link to view the entire year's schedule.

Take Care,

Pattie

State Census Substitutes for 1890 Federal Census

One subject that came up more than once while I was at RootsTech was using State Census Records as a substitute for the 1890 Census.

One of the great things about going to RootsTech is hanging out with folks who are as obsessed with genealogy as you are.  I met a gentleman at one of the lunches who was having a problem tracking an ancestor in Wisconsin. I suggested he check out the Wisconsin State Census but could not remember exactly which years it covered. Thanks to the free WiFi at the conference and my iPhone I was able to find the years for him before lunch was over.

Later that day I was at a booth and a woman was bemoaning the loss of the 1890 Federal Census. I asked if she had checked to see if the state she was researching had a State Census she could use instead. I was surprised that she had not checked.

Based on these two conversations I thought I would share my 'Cheat Sheet' of States that have a State Census that may help cover the gap between 1880 and 1900.

State Census

Colorado - 1885
Florida - 1885, 1895
Indiana - 1883, 1889
Iowa - 1885, 1895
Kansas - 1885, 1895
Michigan - 1884, 1894
Minnesota - 1895
Nebraska - 1885
New Jersey - 1895
New Mexico - Territorial Census 1885
New York - 1892
Oregon - 1885, 1895
Rhode Island - 1885
South Dakota - 1895 (limited)
Tennessee - 1891
Washington - 1891, 1892, 1898
Wisconsin - 1885, 1895

Please let me know if you have found other State Substitute Records for the 1890 Federal Census.

Take Care,
Pattie

Sunday's Obituary - Anna Lampi Raudwer

Mrs. Anna Raudwer Dies; Services Will Be Tuesday


Merrill Daily Herald - Feb 5 1963, page 1 col 5

Mrs. Anna Mary Raudwer Route 2, Gleason, town of Birch, died at Pine Crest at 1 p.m. Saturday. She had been ailing several years, seriously for three months.

Mrs. Raudwer was born June 6 1878, in Finland to Humala and Mary Lampi. She was a resident of the United States since 1896. She was married to John Raudwer in January 1906. He died in 1936. She was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Irma, and of the Ladies Aid of the church.

Surviving are: one daughter, Mrs. Leslie (Olga) Stockman, town of Birch; two sons, John of Milwaukee and William of Merrill; three half-brothers, Ralph Johnson, Milwaukee, Hjalmer Johnson and Wilhardt Johnson, both of Toivola, Mich; one sister, Mrs. Reno (Alma) Mustonen, Detroit, and one half-sister, Mrs. Walter (Mayme) Salmi, Toivola, Mich; five grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband: one infant son: two brothers and one sister.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Paul's Lutheran church, Irma, with the Rev. Robert Haltner officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends in the Taylor Funeral home until 10 a.m. Tuesday when Mrs. Raudwer will be taken to the church to lie in state from 11 a.m. until the hour of services.
 

1940 US Census Record - Video Preparation

I ran across this blog posting from one of the societies I belong to that I thought was very interesting.

Enjoy!

Pasco County Genealogical Society: 1940 US Census Record - Video Preparation

RootsTech and Me

A year ago I was in Las Vegas celebrating my husband's birthday wishing I was attending the first RootsTech convention. This year Chuck celebrated his birthday with his parents and I went to RootsTech.

From the opening session  to the last session I was learning about new software, research sites and techniques to try when I got home. It was great to meet folks I had only 'talked' to via Blogs and Twitter. Genealogists often have a hard time talking to 'regular' folks so it was great being with others who 'search for dead people'.

It was also cool sitting in sessions participating in the live Twitter feed. I have complained about learning to type on my iPhone but after three days of tweeting at RootsTech I've gotten pretty good. And, if you did not have a Twitter account there were monitors set up all around the conference so everyone could follow what we were tweeting.

I had hoped to meet Amy Coffin, a professional genealogist and blogger. I follow her blog - The We Tree Genealogy Blog and also follw her on Twitter. She was as nice as I expected and quite modest. I had not realized that she had published an electronic book on blogging last month! If you are considering starting a blog be sure to check out The Big Genealogy Blog Book.

It was also great to be so near the Family History Center. While I didn't break any brick walls down, it was great to have the actual county books to look at instead of asking someone else to do the lookup. Salt Lake City is easy to navigate and everyone at the Salt Palace and at the Family History Library are helpful and friendly. If you have not visited there try to at some time, you will not regret it.

In the next weeks I will be writing about things I learned or about questions folks asked me.

If you want to get a feel for what RootsTech is all about you can view the presentations online and download either all or individual copies of the Syllabi. It will be worth your time.

Take Care,

Pattie

RootsTech Update - Pam and Pattie in a two-room suite

Blog posting by Pam on the Technology Tamers Blog


Pattie's husband has really really out done himself this time. He booked us into a two room suite. We have the bedroom area and then we have the den...two TVs, loads of drawer space, a table with four chairs (in the den) and a microwave and frig. The bathroom is well planned and the pillows are to die for. We are a bit far a field. So we had to learn to take the Greenline tram. It's easy and kinda fun.



On the tram ride in today, we started talking to someone who directed us to the back door of the Salt Palace...a short cut that saved us lots of walking and put us right where we need to be for registration. We've already got our badges and tote bags.



I'm doing this post from the basement of the Family History Library...still looking for English relatives. It's been several years since we've been to the library and things have changed. Computers are everywhere as are table top plugs. The library allows you to bring bags in. You can roll your computer along rather than lug it. The tables have brass rings at the end. I couldn't figure out what they were for until I saw a lady anchor her bags to one with what looked like a bicycle wire complete with a lock. What a hoot!



Since the conference starts tomorrow, the library is manned by lots of extra people. I've already had one librarian explain how to do a more targeted search with the batch numbers.



More to come later