West Virginia, Washington D.C. and Holiday Memories

Do you  have a special holiday decoration or ornament that was handed down from one generation to the next? What makes it special? Who will you hand it down to? Decorations, family stories, recipes are just a few of the things that help make holidays special.

I have an ornament from my grandmother's Christmas tree. In the early 1960's silver trees were all the rage. It was quite surprising to walk into Grandma's living room to see a silver Christmast tree with blue ornaments! I have a blue ornament from that tree and it has a special place on my tree every year.

Sunday November 27

• The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845,  is the oldest genealogical society in the country.
• Visit their website: http://library.nehgs.org/

Monday November 28

• Researching ancestors that lived in Washington D.C.?
• Census records start in 1800 and go through 1930.
• The 1810 census, like the 1890 census have been lost.
• Washington D.C. is located on 100 acres of land donated by Maryland and Virginia in 1791.
• The British burned the majority of Washington D.C.’s buildings and legal documents on August 24, 1814.

Tuesday November 29

• Visit the West Virginia Archives and History Genealogy Corner to find:
• Genealogy Surname Exchange
• Archives and History News
• Birth, Death and Marriage Records
• AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy
• Archives
• Cemeteries, West Virginia, Artificial Collection
• County Formations, West Virginia
• Counties of West Virginia
• History of the American Negro
• Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
• Mining Your History Foundation
• On-Line Searchable Death Indexes and Records
• Researching Your Civil War Ancestor
• AND MORE

Wednesday November 30

• Jacques Cartier named Canada “Kanata” in the early 1500’s.
• Visit the Canadian Historical and Genealogy Societies website for assistance in your Canadian research.

Thursday December 1

• New Year’s Resolution: I resolve to catch up on my filing and get rid of clutter.

Friday December 2

• Who is that standing in front of the family home?
• Visit Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, website for clues to the unknown folks in your family pictures.

Saturday December 3

• Illinois became a state on this date in 1818   
• Investigate the Illinois State Archives for online databases, documents stored at the regional archives and the state library
•  Visit The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in person or online.

I need to point out that the baby in the picture is NOT my sister Mary. She was sick at home for her first Christmas. The baby in the picture is our cousin Dale.

Take Care,

Pattie

Sick Day Research Tips - West Virginia, Maiden Names and Finnish Cemeteries

The dog days of summer are here and summer colds and illnesses can be brutal as I found out last week. I made good use of my time by reviewing my Grandmother Hilia Johnson Keteri's twelve sibling's family trees. I was able to find obituaries for many and even some engagement and wedding announcements.

I hope some of this week's tips help you flesh out your family research.

Sunday August 14
* Love old newspapers? Search over 13 million pages of NY newspapers at the Old Fulton New York Postcard Site.
* Visit: http://www.fultonhistory.com/

Monday August 15
* Getting Started in Finnish Research? The Finnish Genealogical Society has listing of Finnish cemeteries across the United States.
* Visit: http://www.genealogia.fi/haudat/index4e.htm

Tuesday August 16
* The state of West Virginia has digitized vital records and they are available online.
* Visit: www.wvculture.org/vrr

Wednesday August 17
* Looking for Native American Indian Records? Check out Joe Beine’s website “Genealogy Articles, Tips and Research Guides”.
* Visit: http://www.genealogybranches.com/nativeamericans.html

Thursday August 18
* When trying to find a maiden name be sure to search in the unusual sources. Check out the following possibilities:
* Baby or autograph books
* Cards from a wedding or baby shower
* Guest books from weddings or anniversary parties
* Old address books

Friday August 19
* National Aviation Day
* Researching an ancestor that was involved in aviation? Find great research links, virtual museums and more at the American Aviation Historical Society
* Visit: http://www.aahs-online.org/news.php

Saturday August 20
* World Vital Records has a number of free databases, but it is primarily a subscription site. Review the available sources or try a free trial membership.
* Visit: http://worldvitalrecords.com/


Here is a picture of my grandmother and eight of her siblings. We are so lucky that someone in the family actually identifed all the children.

Family of Elias and Anna Hallsten Johnson, Toivola, MI

Take Care,

Pattie