Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2023 i Family Tree

HEIRLOOM DIY: Honoring Veterans Day World War I ended in 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when an armistice between the Allied nations and the Central Powers went into effect. In recognition of that day—Veterans Day—this year, I’m focusing on ensuring that the service of our family members will be remembered for generations to come. With help from my daughter Lacey and her Cricut machine, we etched the glass of the triangle frame encasing her grandfather’s military burial flag. Check out the YouTube tutorial by “Designed to the Nines” <youtu.be/7MN-1eUmtyE?t=2043>. PRESERVING AND SHARING: FamilySearch Activities As much as I enjoy genealogy research, it’s really only half of the family history equation. The other half is sharing discoveries in a way that enriches…

First impressions matter as readers skim a book or document. (Have you ever thumbed through a book, then quickly put it down due to dense text, small fonts, or a cluttered layout?) Making a page of text more visually appealing not only draws readers into the narrative, but helps them better understand and absorb information. Here are some ways to organize text so it’s more digestible: • Add white space • Use headings and subheadings to convey structure • Use standard margins • Break up long paragraphs • Choose an easy-to-read font at 12-point size or larger • Use bold and italics sparingly • Insert historical photos or maps (with appropriate permissions) • Create graphics like family trees…

1 Make a to-go VIP box. Your family likely has VIPs—“very important papers.” These include birth certificates, Social Security cards, and home or auto papers. Genealogists also have other people’s vital records ordered from county or state archives, letters, photos and other kinds of irreplaceable family documents. Create a high-priority “VIP box” that you can quickly and easily grab in case of emergency. It can also double as the first touch point for your heirs after you’re gone. 2 Carefully discern what genealogy documents to include. Prioritize original vital records for parents, grandparents, children or other relatives, as these are difficult and expensive to replace. Throw in one or two original photographs of these family members (which are also irreplaceable) with copies in your research files; these add some context…

We asked about which ancestor whose story you’d want to turn into a novel. Here’s how you responded. MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER Emma Bauer, who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany with absolutely nothing, raised six kids to adulthood in Ridgewood, Queens, N.Y., and left her husband exactly $1 in her $12,500 death estate in 1926. Robin Michelle via Facebook Easy: my fourth-great-grandfather, veteran of the American Revolution. He was a true “Forrest Gump” man, serving and meeting all of the who’s who in Colonial America. Deb Yonker-Hecht via Facebook My paternal grandmother, because no matter how hard life was for her and her six children, she never became bitter. Amanda Davis via Facebook I HAD A UNION ARMY VET who lived to 1918. My mom, born 1915, told stories about him that…

Say you’ve located a precious family document. Of course, you want to preserve, protect and share your find with loved ones. You might also want to edit it before passing along to others. That might seem counter-intuitive: Why would you want to change a snapshot in time—a voice from the past? For some documents, you won’t. A short love letter between your grandparents is probably perfect as it is. But what about your grandparents’ privacy? Are there parts of their letters they might not have wanted to be shared? Or maybe your less genealogically inclined family members would be put off by the letter’s unfamiliar grammar, length, hard-to-read handwriting or obscure references to other relatives. Editing can help loved ones appreciate these missives from the past. Here’s how to turn…

Editorial decisions aren’t always straightforward. Though genealogy standards encourage us to protect living people, we face more of a quandary when we think about protecting our ancestors. Perhaps a letter from one sister to another mentions her husband’s snoring. That’s an innocent-enough complaint in private, but the author presumably never meant to air it publicly. Do you include it because it’s relatable? Or do you prioritize your ancestors’ sense of privacy? Family pressure can also play a factor if certain members insist on a different, more-positive narrative. As amateur editors, we need to be cognizant of the power we have in making strikeouts. You don’t want to edit the truth out of a family narrative—omitting anything that isn’t “Leave-it-to-Beaver”-worthy is a slippery slope. In other cases, manuscripts might use language…

IF COLORADO’S SPACIOUS SKIES, AMBER WAVES OF grain and purple mountain majesties inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen the patriotic song, “America the Beautiful,” the same attracted tuberculosis victims to heal, homesteaders to stake land, and gold seekers to mine. Whether your ancestors were early settlers or later arrivals, Colorado’s abundant resources will provide ample opportunity to chart their journey. MILE-HIGH HISTORY Several tribes lived in what is now Colorado before and concurrently with white settlement, including the: Anasazi, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Comanche, Jicarilla, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, Navajo, Pawnee, Pueblo, Shoshoni, and Ute. Spanish explorers came through in 1541 followed by the French, then Americans including Zebulon Pike (the namesake of “Pikes Peak”) and John C. Fremont. At the time, much of Colorado was part of Louisiana Territory: originally claimed by…

Family photos are priceless treasures for anyone even remotely interested in family history. You’ll never forget the moment you see an ancestor’s face for the first time. Still, old photos come with their own set of challenges. They may fade or sustain damage over time, and faces may be too small or blurry to make out. Especially for younger generations, it’s harder to relate to a photo that’s black and white when the world we know is full of color. Fortunately, genealogists now have access to tools that can change the ways people experience old family photos. Since 2020, MyHeritage <www.myheritage.com> has released several features that leverage AI technology to colorize, enhance, repair and even animate photos. These tools aren’t just fun—they can also be emotional. And they bring out details…

Maureen A. Taylor is the author of Family Photo Detective (Picture Perfect Press) > Have a photo mystery you’d like Maureen to investigate? Email FamilyTree@Yankeepub. about it (including links to online trees), and Photo Detective in the subject line, and your question may be selected for a future issue..…

Q My great-great-grandfather (b. 1850 in Alabama) joined a local militia in 1865. I know that he received a pension, but I can’t find anything on his service. Any ideas? A Your ancestor’s pension (like all Confederate pensions) would have been issued by the state, not the federal government. The most comprehensive source for Confederate pensions is the subscription Fold3 site <www.fold3.com>, which specializes in military records. Its sister site, Ancestry.com, also has a collection of Alabama pensions <www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1593>. Free options include pension applications at FamilySearch <www.familysearch.org/search/collection/3029256>. The Alabama state archives compiled a Civil War database <archives.alabama.gov/research/CivilWarService.aspx> that covers all types of service records. To search for details (and proof) of his service, start with the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System <www.nps.gov/civilwar/searchsoldiers.htm>, where you can find basic information…

INVESTIGATIVE GENETIC GENEALOGY has made headlines in recent years for solving cold cases using DNA, notably that of the Golden State Killer in 2018. But the use of test takers’ data by law enforcement raises flags for many genealogists, prompting a call for ethical standards and accountability from advocacy groups and DNA databases. A quadruple homicide case is one recent flash point. Law enforcement officials identified a suspect in the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students with help from investigative genetic genealogy, but didn’t initially disclose their methodology. As part of the suspect’s trial, Dr. Leah Larkin, a noted genetic genealogist and the author of The DNA Geek blog <<www.thednageek.com>, wrote an affidavit acknowledging unethical ways in which investigative genetic genealogy has been used to identify suspects. Then,…

Family tree displays can make thoughtful gifts for loved ones—or bait for luring curious relatives to genealogy. They are also valuable research tools: summing up your progress, identifying any gaps, and providing an at-aglance reference. More than that, they’re visual reminders of where you come from. Trees are also popular features at family reunions and weddings. I even thought about using a family tree as a seating chart at my and my wife’s wedding, but abandoned the idea when I realized how sprawling the tree would need to be. (I have 21 first cousins just on my mother’s side!) “All charts are a great way to show family members, who didn’t do the research, the geographic areas and the time frames of how the family has moved through the past,” says…

You have several options for how to re-produce a family journal or letter, ranging from copying as-is to extensive editing. Below are some different options, organized from least-to most-involved. These are not mutually exclusive, and you could select an editing method: • Original text as-is, scanned and/or transcribed • Original text as-is with added footnotes and annotations that provide clarifications and context • Edited text: Possible changes include removing irrelevant details, cleaning up language, and formatting text to be more reader-friendly • New text, written by you and quoting the original piece as a firsthand source…

MANY GENEALOGISTS HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THE State of Tennessee. Records from the Volunteer State vary from region to region and county to county, but are rich in genealogical and historical detail. To tap into that valuable information, you’ll need an understanding of Tennessee’s history and the various repositories that have documented its residents. Read on for how to find your Tennessee ancestors. TITANS OF HISTORY Several indigenous tribes lived in what is now Tennessee prior to European or US settlement, notably the Cherokee in the southeast and the Chickasaw in the west. Other tribes included the Shawnee and Yuchi. American Indian influence remains in many Tennessee place names: Etowah, Sewanee, Chattanooga, Hiwassee, Chickamauga, Nickajack, Tellico and Tullahoma, to name a few. The state’s name, too, comes from “Tanasse,” the name…

You might think of genealogy books only as old, dusty tomes sitting high up on a shelf. But the reality is that every year, authors who are passionate about genealogy publish new books useful for family historians of all experience levels. Here’s a roundup of 16 recent releases that will be of interest to genealogists, organized by subject. This list is by no means exhaustive—we’ve just focused on titles published in the past few years that have relevance to your research. Note: The figures here are each book’s list price—essentially, the suggested retail price for its print edition. The book may also be available as an ebook or audiobook, or discounted on the author’s or publisher’s website or through sellers such as Amazon <www.amazon.com>. DNA Test Surprises The Accidental Archivist…

1 Apple <www.apple.com/accessibility> Users of Apple’s devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc.) and browser (Safari) can improve genealogy conversations and web searches despite vision, mobility, hearing or cognitive disabilities. Ask voice assistant Siri for help, and see how your device can caption spoken conversations. Discover options for sensory alerts, display settings and more. 2 Facebook <www.facebook.com/help/273947702950567> Better enjoy your genealogy social life with tips for using screen readers and other assistive technologies with Facebook. Learn to caption videos; adjust text size and contrast; and navigate Messenger and your News Feed. Facebook’s Accessibility page <www.facebook.com/accessibility> has ongoing tips. 3 Firefox <www.accessfirefox.org> Doing genealogy on the Firefox browser? Explore compatibility with assistive technology tools from this third-party resource. Users who have limited vision or hand mobility can learn about keyboard shortcuts; browser extensions;…