Helping Genealogists

Who Come to Your

Library –
when you don’t know
anything about genealogy

Linda Koch
Reference & Adult Services Librarian
Allegan District Library
 Where do I learn how start family
history research? 1
Library of Michigan (LOM) – go to
www.michigan.gov/hal/
“Conducting your genealogy research”
click on “Conducting research”

Tutorial guiding beginners

Blank forms - pedigree, family…

Links to Internet sites, organizations

Links to cemetery location sites

Postings of LOM workshops, events

Software, Many wonderful things
 Where do I learn how start family
history research? 2

Cyndi’s List www.cyndislist.com

•Click on “Are you new to genealogy?”
•Many, many online tutorials – Google!
•Basic, beginner genealogy books
•MORE resources at LOM Internet links
The Complete
Idiot's Guide
to Genealogy
By Christine
Rose, CG, Kay
Germain Ingalls
Genealogy
Online for
Dummies
By Matthew L.
Helm & April
Leigh Helm
 Basic Book:
Unpuzzling
Your Past–
Past– a
basic guide
genealogy.
to genealogy.
By Emily
Anne Croom
 Book: First
Steps in
Genealogy
by Desmond
Walls Allen
 Book: The
Genealogist’s
Question &
Answer Book
by Marcia
Yannizze
Melnyk
 Book:
Organizing
Your
Family
History
Search..
Search
Sharon
DeBartolo
Carmack
Book: How
to Do
Everything
with Your
Genealogy
by
George G.
Morgan
Book: The
Source – a
guidebook
of
American
Genealogy
 Things That Won’t Be Covered
•Land Records – Co. Deeds office – see LOM
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hass/landindex.html &
check land atlases, plat maps, farm directories
•Ethnic searches – Germany, Ireland, English
genealogy, Native American, Ellis Island, etc. – see
Cyndi’s List or LOM
•Adoptions & birth mothers – LOM, other Internet
sites; www.cyndislist.com/adoption.htm
•As you gain confidence, expand your expertise
Books: Land Atlases
Allegan Co. Townships
Learn your local geography!
How has your area changed over time?
Twp. Evolution
 Evolution of
Townships - 1
Evolution of Allegan County
Townships through time
1831 – authorized survey
1833 – survey completed
a twp of Kalamazoo
1835 – officially a county
1836 – divided into 4 twp:
Allegan, Otsego,
Newark & Plainfield
1838 – Manlius from Newark
1839 – Martin from Plainfield
 Evolution of
Townships – 2
• Further subdivisions
• Plainfield -- Gun Plain
• New townships
• New divisions & merging
• Newark Twp Saugatuck
• Pine Plains river boundary
altered to standard line
• Pine Plains  Valley
Find books to
help you with
ghost towns
that no longer
exist - 3
Find books to
help you with
ghost towns
that no longer
exist - 2
Find books to
help you with
ghost towns
that no longer
exist
Find books to
help you with
ghost towns
that no longer
exist - 3
 Book:
Guide to
Naturalization
Records of
the United
States by
Christina K.
Schaefer
Finding Your
Irish
Ancestors
by David S.
Ouimette
Tracing Irish
Ancestors
by Maire Mac
Conghail and
Paul Gorry
 MAKING
SENSE OF
THE CENSUS

THE NAME GAME

 The Name Game – 1a

What the heck is a surname?

Find out more – go to

www.ask.com, search [ surname ]
www.ask.com
 The Name Game – 1b
What the heck is a surname?
Christian name =
first name, christening name
Surname, sirname = last name
often reflected occupation:
Cooper, Smith, Baker, Koch, Porter
 Books:
origins &
meanings of
SURNAMES
American
Surnames
by
Elsdon C.
Smith
 The Name Game – 2a
•Middle, mis-names, differences –
•on various records: David Shay
• David Loren Shay
• David L. , D. L.,
• Loren D.
• Loren, Lorin D., L. D.
 The Name Game – 2b
•Nicknames
• Red, Sandy, Biff, Slick, Minnie, Peg
•Etta, Frank, Hank, Bell, Jon, Russ
• Ed, Marg, Carl, Karl, Jan, Tony
•Baby – (still “Baby” at age one--- I
wonder when he finally got a name!)
 The Name Game – 3a
“Relatives”
• JR & SR – relatives - confusion
• not always father & son:
• uncle & nephew
• cousins, g-parent & g-son
 The Name Game – 3b
“Relatives”
“aunts, uncles”
• may or may not be relatives
• ~ older cousins
• Godparents
• or honored friends
 The Name Game – 4a
Gender Benders
•Names may not reflect gender:
• Alpha = 1st born, daughter or son
• Alpha Shay (age 1, m) was female
• Adding female endings:
• Adama, Williametta, Davida…
 The Name Game – 4b
Gender Benders
•Wives –
often only husband’s name used:
• Mrs. Charles A. Smith
• Mrs. C. A. (Ruth) Smith
• Mrs. C. A. Smith nee Jones
• “nee Jones” = maiden name Jones
The Hidden
Half of the
Family
by
Christina
Kassabian
Schaefer
The Name Game

SOUNDEX
A phonetic algorithm for
indexing names by their sound
when pronounced in English.
 The Name Game – 5a Soundex

Same-sounding names with minor spelling

differences are coded to match
•American Soundex, 1930’s was used to
analyze census 1890-1920
•See LOM explanation
 The Name Game – 5 b Soundex
Useful in some cases when you cannot
find a name using real spelling; some
census & other records use Soundex

•Hale; Haile, Haley… Remember that census

transcriptions were done
•Liebe, Leibe, Lieby
by volunteers– many
•No uniform spellings errors in transcriptions
until mid-1900s and Soundex
 Soundex – continued – 5c
• Letter – followed by 3 #s
• [4] if 2 or+ letters in name
• [1] 1st letter of name with same # are adjacent
• [2] omit further letters except for separating H &
W, omit all but 1 st letter
of A, E, H, I, O, U, W, Y
• [3] encode remaining • [5] return 1st 4 characters,
consonants add zeros if < 4 in result:
• B, F, P, V = 1 • Robert & Rupert = R163
• C, G, J, K, Q, S, X, Z = 2 • Razerabsky = R261
• D, T = 3 • Koch = K200
• L = 4, M, N = 5, R = 6
Soundex – continued – 5d
 The Name Game – 6a
• Wrong Transcriptions
NY = MA = KY; Alan = Helen, Olive = Oliver
Abbreviations difficult to read:
Saml (Samuel) = transcribed as Saul
Geo (George) = transcribed as Leo
Ink splotches, letters run together
•Dark edges (try HQ if ALE, ALE if HQ)
 The Name Game – 6b
Handwriting:
“l” “J” & “S” appear same
n, m, N, M, n, u, f, s, F, E, r or n?
•Ornate, curly capital & ending letters
•Lower parts p, q, f, y extend below
 The Name Game – 7a-
7a- Confusion
•Family names changed from
original - Ellis Island, twp. officials,
census takers
•Transcriber may have it all wrong –
or census taker got bad info from a
neighbor or family member who
could not spell or remember dates.
The Name Game – 7b
7b-- Confusion
•Same first names used through
generations of the same family:
• grandfather, father, son, nephew,
named Thomas, Tom, Tommy….
•Unusual names (Perkins) help track a
family’s migrations
The Name Game – 7c-
7c- Confusion
•Census uses “do” = “ditto” for
surnames, place names
•Census uses blank spaces or lines
to indicate same surname as above
•Both HQ & ALE may produce
different surname search results
 The Name Game – 7d Confusion
Names similar: Sophora, Saphrina --
difficult to distinguish on forms
3 “Helens” -- aunt, niece, cousin
a timeline to help keep them straight
Helen b.---------m.------d.
Helen b.------------------d.
Helen b.------------------m.----------------------d.
No Place to
Hide – the
Census
Making Sense of the CENSUS
Census
Book
Your Guide to
the Federal
Census for
genealogists,
researchers,
and family
historians.
Kathleen W.
Hinckley
 Making Sense of the
Census
 1. Who, When, Where, & Differences

 2. Information, please

 3. Which ones are for Michigan?

 4. Following families through time & place

 CENSUS - 1

WHO, WHEN,
WHERE, &
DIFFERENCES
 CENSUS – 1a

WHEN
- changes through
the years of census
 When… 1b
 1790 – 1930 ((1890
1890 burned, fragment)
 1930 – last one released; 1940 in 2010
 1790 – 1840 name heads household only
 1850 – 1930 name each white person
 1850, 1860 – Slave Schedules
 1890 – Vet Schedule; MI Vets
Vets–– 1894
 Mortality Census 1870, 1880, others
 Indian Census Records
 Where …2a
HISTORY AFFECTING MICHIGAN

•CROWDED, OVERWORKED LANDS –

NY (West, Central) & New England
FAMILY FARMS DIVIDED DOWN
Portions inherited became smaller
 Where …2b
• Erie Canal is completed
Easy access for NY settlers
1825  Buffalo  Lake Erie  MI

• Cheap MI land
1830’s –1840’s - $ 1.25 acre
700% population jump
 Where …3
• AFTER 1840’s –
cheap, uncrowded land west 
Dakotas … Gold Rush, California
LATER
blizzards in Great Plains, isolation
failure to strike it rich with gold
back home to family in MI or stayed
 Local
Records
Each library
has its own
unique local
records –
Your library
may have
hidden gems
that are
invaluable
history aids.
 WHO: Missing People –4a
Reasons ‘missing’:

 On the move – migrations from NY, with

stops - IN, OH, PA

 In hiding – fleeing debtors, relatives, law

 Out of town – missed by census

SCARLET FEVER
Learn the important
and other diseases events for your area
decimated early
settlers, sometimes http://www.rmhh.co.uk/medical.html
taking most of the
children in some
communities.
Malaria, tuberculosis,
and other diseases
were deadly foes of
people living in the
Michigan “swamps.”
See the above URL
for archaic medical
terms and old names
for diseases.
The 1884 Fire that
destroyed most of
the downtown of Learn the important
the city of Allegan.
events for your area
Only two
buildings and a
few basements
survived the fire.
For this reason,
business district
buildings are
newer than this
date.
Clues may exist in
looking at the styles of Look closely at
doors and windows of
houses, buildings, photos of your
clothing. ancestors, area.
 WHO: Missing People – 4b
Errors–
 Spelling & Transcription Errors–
– Byrd, Burd, Burk, Bird, Birk, Bink

 Handwriting – TRANSCRIPTIONS
– HQ vs. ALE indexes
indexes:: Luella /Suella; J for
S, L for S, n for r, lots of errors

Reasons: index skipped line….

 Other Reasons:
 WHO: Locating Missing
People – 4c
CENSUS FINDING HINTS:

 Search lines/pages near relatives

 Find on a previous census & search

same place in “missing” census

 Poor farms, asylums, prisons, hotels,

hospitals, vet homes, lumber camps
 WHO: Locating Missing People – 4d

 Use +/ - 2 yr for age ranges; ALE

rounds, even if b. month & year
stated

 Be Creative – surname only, spelling

variations, wild cards, use both HQ &
ALE, seek other family members
 WHO: Locating Missing People – 4e

 Use other sources to locate people

 city/township death/ marriage records
(land records, cemeteries, etc.)
 then search for census images to find
other family members.
 WHO: 4 f
Mass Migrations
Whole villages – Neighbors

Communities - Overisel twp., Allegan Co.

 Ethnic groups – Dutch at Holland, MI

 Forced migrations – Native Americans
 Church affiliations – German Lutheran,
Swedish Lutheran, Irish Catholic
 CENSUS: Differences – 1a
 1790 – 1930 – early ones - taken by US
Marshals, handwritten, hash marks

 1790 – 1840 - named heads household; later

ones every person, even boarders

 Listed races black/ white/ mulatto until 1870,

then Indian, Chinese races added
 CENSUS: Differences – 1b
--print off
 Compare Census forms --print
free blanks at ALE, Family History
Centers, etc.
 Try both ALE & HQ images
 Some enumerators took extra info
 Check ends & beginnings of pages;
pages;
check subpages
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1a
 Date, place, last & first names heads
household listed on most

 Most have gender, race, age (~),

place b. of heads of household….

 1820
1820-- foreigners not naturalized
added…
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1 b
 1850 – June 1 –

–name, age, sex, race, birthplace,

profession each person 15+,
married in year, literacy
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1 c

1870 – June 1 –
– every person; Indian & Chinese races
added

– noted if voting right is abridged/denied

... through rebellion, other crimes
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1d
1880 – June 1
- added relationship to head,
birthplace father & mother
1890 – burned, fragment
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1d
 1900 - June 1 –
 month & yr born.; # yrs married
 for mothers # kids & # living
 yr came to US, naturalized or alien
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1d
 1910 – April 15 –
 trade; employment
 survivor Union/Confederate Army/Navy

 1920 – Jan. 1 –
 mother tongue, person, father, mother, # on
farm schedule
 INFORMATION,
PLEASE! - 1d

1930 – April 1 –

radio set

age at 1st marriage

more info for certain countries

employment data, veterans, war
MARRIAGE RECORDS
 MARRIAGE RECORDS
Records at county courthouses & LOM

• Co. courthouses, MI Dept. Health

• At LOM, marriages
•1867-1921; 1950-1969
•marriage “returns” 1867-1925
 MARRIAGE RECORDS
groom:
 Usually for bride & groom:
– names, ages
– residences
– birthplaces bride & groom
– names witnesses
– official (JP/minister) conducting marriage
ceremony
– date & place married
 MARRIAGE RECORDS

May tell
– occupations of bride, groom
– # times wed
– names of parents
– residences of parents
– residences of witnesses
 MARRIAGES
 Early settlers had few bride choices

– Went back home (NY) for a bride

– Married available women in MI

– Brothers of one family often married

sisters of another family.
 MARRIAGES
 Women married
young, died young
 Widowers with kids needed housekeeper,
mother for kids
 Widows with no family needed a breadwinner
to avoid starvation
 Surviving spouses married after the shortest
decent interval
 MARRIAGES
This picture is of
a second wife,
with her child.
Sometimes a
second wife was
also a surviving
spouse, needing
a husband to help
her children to
survive.
 MARRIAGES

Men often had 3
sets of kids with
3 different wives.
This creates !*!*,
especially if wives
have the same
first names.

Look in civil and
church records.
CEMETERIES
 Your
Guide to
Cemetery
Research
by
Sharon
DeBartolo
Carmack
 CEMETERIES
finding g-
g-g-pa’s grave
 Interviewing family members
 How to begin – looking for clues
 Where to look
 Finding MI cemeteries
 Finding cemetery records
 Finding graves in cemeteries
 What to do/not do at the cemetery
 CEMETERIES
finding g-
g-g-pa’s grave
Interview family members:
 Where/when were g-g-pa’s folks?
 Any moves as an adult?
 Any of his family die before him?
 Remarriage? 1st wife buried?
 Veteran? Church affiliation?
 Anyone remember the funeral?
 CEMETERIES
finding g-
g-g-pa’s grave
Find a likely starting place
Check for
 online obits, family histories
 cemetery transcriptions
 military service records
 census (when & where did he “drop”
out)
 check last known places for records.
 CEMETERIES
Where & when did g-
g-g-pa live?
 Check cemeteries in twp. near family farm
 Compare dates cemeteries opened?
g-g-pa bury a 1st wife? 2nd wife? Where?
 Did g-
 Nearby church cemeteries; church affiliations
of deceased, Catholic….
TRAVELING COFFINS

•Family plots “back home”

•Records -- bodies in transit
need paperwork, permits
•Reburials (Poor farms, Potter’s fields)
•Early burials-
burials- people stayed put
•Later
Later-- children moved to family plots
 FINDING MICHIGAN
CEMETERIES
 Michigan Cemetery Sources – LOM
http://michigancemeteries.libraryofmichigan.org

 locates 3700 sites by section #, streets

 Search by cemetery name, county, township…
 Citations of known records (some links to
online transcriptions)
 FINDING MICHIGAN
CEMETERIES
 Michigan Cemetery Sources – LOM
http://michigancemeteries.libraryofmichigan.org
 Use to locate named cemeteries
 provides for alternate names, links
 incomplete records, some updates needed
 adding links as they become available
Allegan Co. has 80+ cemeteries; 100+ names
FINDING MICHIGAN CEMETERIES
 FINDING MICHIGAN
CEMETERIES
 MI Cemetery Book
 Out of print – borrow & copy counties!
 Uses 1 chosen name per cemetery, not
always one most people use
MI Cemetery Book lists books, articles
items in LOM with records/ each cemetery
 FINDING MICHIGAN
CEMETERIES
 MI Cemetery Atlas
 Out of print – borrow & copy counties!
 Atlas - numbered (tiny) dots locate all
known cemeteries in each county
Not all cemeteries are located; some
errors as to names, locations
Michigan Cemetery Atlas
 Allegan P.L. Cemetery Notebooks
•Cemetery records are by
township in 3-ring binders
• list of available records
• Location maps, driving
maps, topographic maps
•any plot maps
•Records, transcrptions
Allegan P.L. Cemetery Notebooks
Map showing
location of township
in Allegan County &
location cemeteries
within townshp

List of known records

for this cemetery ---->
 Allegan
P.L.
Cemetery
Notebooks

Notebook page
with directions
from library to
cemetery
Allegan P.L. Cemetery Notebooks

Directions from Allegan P. L. to McDowell Cemetery

 Allegan P.L. Cemetery Notebooks
•Each cemetery in
twp., with known
alternative names
Township
•Twp locator map spotter

•Twp. Map with

sections, roads,
waterways
Shows sections,
•Cemeteries in roads, waterways
yellow highlighter
Allegan P.L.
Cemetery
Notebooks

Page from
McDowell
Cemetery,
RRM v. 5
Casco Twp.,
Allegan Co.,
MI
Free Map From
Allegan
Chamber of
Commerce
•Great to give to
patrons seeking
cemeteries or the
old family farm
Forget all At the cemetery- fantasy
those
Halloween
stories
and
images.
At the cemetery - fun
At the cemetery - reality
 At the cemetery - resources
Etiquette for ghost hunters http://www.
Also, just
hollowhill.com/guide/cem-etiq.htm
Google!
Association for Gravestone Studies
ww.gravestonestudies.org/

Photographing Cemeteries
About Genealogy (http://genealogy.
about.com/cs/cemeterypictures/

photographing tombstones (35mm)

http://www.genealogy.com/64_
gravestones.html
 At the cemetery - research
• water, insect repellent
• sun block, hats, gloves
• sensible shoes
• maps & local info, contacts
• paper, pencils, clipboard
• digital camera, extra
memory , backup camera
•“stuff” on your people
 At the cemetery - research
•Contact sexton before your trip;
he could be helpful
•his records may show burial
dates
•he may have a plot map to
guide you to a grave
•he may tell you what hours the
cemetery is open
•he may tell you that you have
the wrong cemetery
At the cemetery - research
• Vandalized stones
 At the cemetery - research

• Stones may be
broken, tilted,
partially buried
• stones may be
gone
• no stone erected
• you may not find it
 At the cemetery - research
•Moss-covered stones are
often difficult to read
•Some experts say cleaning
with water & soft rags is Ok
•Other experts warn against
any contact with the stone to
avoid damage

The Association for Gravestone

Studies
www.gravestonestudies.org/
 At the cemetery - reading old stones

Inscriptions
on soft
stones may
be worn
away by
time and
acid rain
 At the cemetery - reading old stones
Some stones
state rank
and service
of a veteran;
sometimes
the only clue
may be a flag
or marker
 At the cemetery - reading old stones
G.A.R. Metal Marker
& Flag Holder:
Grand Army of the
Republic -- a sort of
VFW, but for Union
Civil War vets
 At the cemetery - reading old stones
G.A.R. Marker:
Grand Army of the
Republic -- this one
of stone & a few
inches high
At the cemetery
- reading old stones

Sojourner Truth:
Some info may
be wrong -- she
was 86, not 105.
Carver may be
wrong, or it may
be the person
supplying info
At the cemetery - surprises
At the cemetery
Woodmen of the World
The axe/log and tree
stump tombstones are
typical of W.O.W. -- a
fraternal organization.
 EXCUSES --
Reasons why we can/ cannot
not help genealogists
 Excuses

Where is my local history collection?

They (genealogists) scare me.

I can’t help--
help-- I don’t know how, and
I am embarrassed that I cannot help.

I don’t know where to get help.

 Where is my local history
collection? - 1

Investigate

Do you have any materials to use as

a core collection?

Ask local people what should be in
your collection; make a wish list

LOM’s list of genealogy books for
libraries is Detroit-
Detroit-area-
area- heavy
 Where is my local history
collection? - 2

Ifno formal collection exists--
exists--
– Find what you have
– Organize, evaluate (& then )
– get some training!
– Find someone to mentor you!
 Where is my local history
collection? - 3

Write a mission statement
– Set focus & goals (local, county….)
– Develop a gift policy & sign-
sign-off
sheet for donations of materials
– Get director/ board support
 Where is my local history
collection? - 4

If
you have a collection, but no
one who knows how to use it ....
– Spend time each day/week perusing
sections, reading individual books or
family histories
– Become familiar with the nuances of
your area and make friends with the
people, places, and events that make
the area around your library interesting
Genealogists
Scare Me
 Genealogists
Scare Me - 1

Genealogy snobs
– Picture them naked

Know
Know--itit--Alls
– Learn from them or leave them
alone -- don’t let them faze you

Clueless – Lost in Space – Needy

– Get them some basic skills to help

 Genealogists Bore Me -2

SHARER: Wants to tell entire

SHARER:

family history before asking

questions
– Interrupt
– ask guiding questions
Get materials into their hands,
guide, tell to ask for more help
[as a last resort]
resort]
– Look at watch, flee into workroom
Genealogists
Dumpster divers--
divers
Scare Me - 3 litterbugs & “helpful”
reshelvers
 Genealogists Scare Me - 3

Dumpster divers-- litterbugs &
divers
“helpful” reshelvers
– Choose a reshelving policy; put up
signs to inform patrons
– Set up reshelving bins/areas
– colored dots to group Notebooks
– Shelf labels, designated areas
– Locked areas
 Genealogists scare me -
summary

Genealogy snobs
Picture them naked

Know
Know--it-
it-alls who do
Learn from them or
not want help leave them alone

Clueless, Lost in
Get some basic skills
Space, needy to help

Wants to relate all
Guide, help, look at
of family history…. watch, flee

Dumpster divers-
divers-
Have signs stating
litterbugs & those reshelving policy/
“helpful” reshelvers bin/area; labels
 I don’t know how to help. I’m
embarrassed that I can’t help.

Don’t bluff

Offer what help you can

Be able to locate your materials

Find where to send people

– Historical societies, cemetery sextons,

– Local genealogists, historians,
museums, Library of Michigan…

Set up a plan to learn – ASK!
 Guide to the
Michigan
Genealogical &
Historical
Collections at
the Library of
Michigan and
the State
Archives of
Michigan
 I don’t know where
to get help - 1

Library of Michigan Website

Library of Michigan classes (October)

Librarians with local history stuff

Cyndi’s List & online lessons

 I don’t know where
to get help - 2

Area genealogy society classes

Area historical society programs

Local genealogists as mentors

Knowledgeable library volunteers

Clueless library volunteers

I don’t know where to get help - 3

Fellow staff – locating materials

Friends of the Library support

Library Newsletters

Newspaper articles alerting
public of local history needs, new
services

Emails to genealogy & historical
societies asking for help
I don’t know where to get help - 4
VOLUNTEER & OTHER SOURCES
Volunteer centers (United Way) Signs
& displays in library

Local courts – community service

Visit area resources, ask for help

AARP – Experience Works! – senior

trainees learn skills, work experience
 more employable --> --> great help!
I don’t know where to get help - 5
Volunteer Jobs
–Type, index, copy, proofread, get
courthouse records
–Projects:

1978 Blizzard, family histories

House of Judah cult

area WWII in local papers

schools notebooks

deaths/marriages/obits in
newspapers
I don’t know where to get help - 6

- FUNDING (budget $ item)

–$ & DONATIONS – obits, lookups
– GROUPS - Library Friends,
Historical Societies

–SLUSH FUND - (recycle ink

cartridges), brochures, donations,
shameless begging
 Digitizing
Your Family
History by
Rhonda R.
McClure
TIME FOR A TEST?
Fill out evaluation
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