Are you looking for the list of genealogy events in the suburbs? This feature of the blog is on hiatus. Check back for other interesting articles. Thanks for stopping by and good luck in your genealogy searches.
Jacquie
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Visiting National Archives in DC? - Bring a Quarter!
My husband and I had business in Washington DC. Of
course, one of my first stops was at the Archive building for Civil War
pensions records. While their website gives good information about procedures
and rules, I learned a couple of things that might be helpful to future
visitors. I can’t stress enough to read the website first before you go, but
here are some tips.
1)
While the library opens at 8:45 a.m. the lobby
doors open at 8:30 a.m. and you can get a lot done in those 15 minutes. To your
right as you enter, you will go through the same security you follow at an
airport.
2)
Next you’ll go to the center desk, show an ID,
and the guard will fill out a form, and ask you to sign. You’ll be given a gold
“Temporary Researcher Pass” to clip on. There is plenty of lobby seating, and a
large area to stand if the library has not opened. If opened, you go straight
in, walking to the right of the desk.
3)
You walk
to the room directly behind the center lobby desk where there is an information
desk with attendants. You may have to wait in line. If this is your first time,
they will direct you to a computer on your left to see a five-minute PowerPoint
on using the library. There are four computers for this, in the corner, not those
near the information desk.
4)
After you’ve seen the instructions, go through a
glass door on your left to a desk. You’ll be asked to fill out a short form,
and show ID. They will take your photo and issue you a Research Card, which is
like a plastic library card. It’s good for one year. (If you have an expired
Research Card, bring it with you. It will be updated and save you time.) Now go
back to the information desk and scan this card.
5)
In this first-floor room, coats, backpacks,
purses, hats, and pens were allowed. I travelled light, but still had some
restricted items with me, including a small purse. My husband had a hat.
6)
There is a bank of eight computers where you may
use ancestry or fold3 to find information. Fill out the half page
record request forms available in duplicate on the computer table. It’s best to
fill out in pen, then bring to the information desk where the forms will be
reviewed and signed. Then place them in a small wooden box. Records will be
pulled according to the schedule listed on the website, starting at 9:30 AM.
7)
You may place any prohibited items in the
lockers located through the glass doors to the left of the information desk,
past the desk where you received the Research Card, at the end of the hallway. You
will need a quarter for this! There are no change machines. This is much
like other libraries, where the quarter is returned when you open the locker
with your key. These are roomy lockers and there are plenty. The bathrooms are
in this hallway.
8)
Next take the elevators outside the room
upstairs to room 203, where all the personal items on the list are prohibited. I
had a couple of pieces of paper which were stamped. I could not carry a
sweater, but I wore one. Pockets were not examined. You will be carefully
inspected, and you’ll scan your Research Card. For us, within about 30 minutes after
the pull time, the records were available. As you walk into the room, the
records are at a small tall desk on the very far left wall. You’ll walk past a
line of tables in a beautiful room filled with books from floor to ceiling. The
desk clerk will ask you to sign the pink page to take one envelope. There is a
clock on the left side of the desk for the time. You will use one of the room’s
tables.
9)
My husband and I each had an envelope. We sat
next to each other with a four-inch tall glass partition between us. He was not
allowed to touch mine, and I was not allowed to touch his. We both viewed the
records, but he turned “his” pages for me, and I turned “mine” for him. These
are original records, and you must keep them in exactly the same order. They
watch you very carefully.
10) There
are plenty of pencils and paper next to the “pull” desk for taking notes. You may
take photos with your cellphone, without flash. The light is good. Or you may
choose to go through a 20-minute process to copy pages on their copiers. We
used our phones.
11) The
veteran’s pension file is in the same envelope as the widow’s pension. Write
down the numbers for both when you order. This is great, you get two for one! I
ordered files, I’d previously received by mail from the NARA but found more
papers, with very interesting family information, not included in the mailed
information.
12) If
you leave the building, but plan to return the same day, let the guard at the
exit table know. There’s a short cut for returning researchers.
13) If
you have time, you may want to get your research card, and order your paperwork
the night before, to save time in the morning. We did this for the second day
(yes, I geeked out and spent two days there). We went directly to the second
floor to look at records. Once you’ve ordered the record to be pulled, it is in
room 203 for three days, unless you specifically sign for its return.
14) The
workers including the guards are very nice and extremely helpful, but they are
strict about any rules.
I hope this helps any visitor navigate the NARA. I was told that NARA II was very
similar. Hope you find interesting information on your
trip to the NARA!
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Saturday Night Fun - 5 Genealogy Questions
Randy Seaver’s (Genea-musings) Saturday night Fun are the
last 5 questions from another blogger, Ellen Thompson-Jennings. She had 20
questions total. I’ve edited the questions:
16. DNA or
genealogy? While I enjoy both sides
of research, I’m partial to digging into the story instead of connecting with names.
So I’ll go with genealogy.
17. Will it ever
be done? I have taken breaks, but I
will probably never be done. There is always new records available. Or something new to do – I’m currently
finishing up a book.
18. Have you ever
found your relative on the internet and were surprised at what you found? Oh my yes!
There are two Rice Dunbars in my tree. One Rice Dunbar (b. 1802) was the
captain of a wagon train to Oregon. The
other Rice Dunbar, his nephew, born in 1848, was a Civil War veteran whose wife
is listed as a widow in the 1880 Illinois census. I assumed for 20 years, that he died and was
buried in an unmarked grave 1870-1880.
One day I was looking for information on the first, older
Rice Dunbar in Oregon. Typed in the name and Federal Prison death records
popped up for a Rice Dunbar. Huh? Turns
out the Civil War veteran went to Texas, was convicted of impersonating a (law enforcement)
officer and was a sentenced to the only Federal prison left in the south after
the Civil War.
Hmmm…Rice served for the Union, and in the early 1870’s is in
a southern prison. He didn’t live long. He was out on a work duty one day and
died. The inference is that he was killed in a fight.
I wrote the county and got the trial records which contained
many details of the crime. Not surprising, the co-defendants, all confederate
veterans, were innocent.
I wrote this story in a three part series:
19. Do ancestors nudge you? Yes! Sometimes, I can’t believe what I’ve
found was just a co-incidence. I believe
they WANT to be found.
20. What
advice would you give a genealogy newbie?
Enjoy the journey!
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Questions 1-5
Randy Seaver’s Saturday night Genealogy Post this week
refers to another blogger, Ellen Thompson-Jennings. She’s created 20 questions about genealogy. This
week Randy gave us the first five which I’ve edited for this post:
Which ancestor has had the most children? Hiram R. Dunbar and his wife Jemima (nee
Wolf) had 10 children between 1828-1850. Nine lived until adulthood, some until
nearly 100, same as Jemima who was 96 years
old. I have found and contacted at least one descendant from each branch. Only
one branch has been less than cooperative, but there was a lawsuit between that
branch and the others that went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court..so I
kinda understand.
When did you start genealogy? In 1979, I really
started getting serious about it. Two events happened that year, my grandmother’s
death, and my own wedding, giving me the opportunity to ask questions from family
I normally don’t see. (Yes! Even at my
wedding reception I was taking notes.)
Do you collaborate? I DO collaborate. I love
solving family mysteries. When I start a new project, I email others who might
be interested is solving the same issue. Sometimes we split the cost of
ordering a document, or maybe one of us gets a great idea. It’s fun.
Have you hired a professional? Several (maybe 6) times,
with mostly good results. I hire when I’m pretty sure I’ll never travel to the
area. Only one was a disappointed. When I paid $300 up front, and did not hear anything
for a year. Then suddenly I got a huge packet of papers, some mildly good information
but not local land and will records I’d asked for. Another time that was
excellent, I’d asked for a will, and when the researcher dug in, she also found
a will from the spouse with names and dates of all the children. Found out
where each child lived, when some had died and where, and realized the females
had not died as I had assumed, but married and had children. She also (for free) drove by the old
homestead, and took a photo. In the photo was the postal number on the
mailbox. I wrote the family living
there, and they sent me many photos of pre-1900 items left in the house that
were my 2nd gr-grandfather’s. This dear researcher asked for less
than $100.
If you have family heirlooms, what is your plan for their
future? Between my husband and I, we have several dozen heirlooms. My plan is to take photos them (I’ve started
that part) and make a little booklet with a photo, a description, and whether it’s
a valuable item ($) or sentimental. That
way, there’s a better chance that someone, our children, grandchildren, or nieces
and nephews will take them. Especially
if they knew the story behind them. I’ve also purged a bunch of items. I just
returned all but a couple of pieces of my mother-in-law’s jewelry to her
daughter, who appreciates it more than anybody else. My goal is to just keep the number of things I
really enjoy. My new year’s resolution, to distribute un-wanted items to
someone or an organization that can re-use them. (I took nearly 30 Luxembourg
history books to a genealogy archive. They were very happy. (Not a library to
sell at their book sale.)
Looking forward to next week’s questions!
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Summer Genealogy Events in NW Suburbs
This
month I’m giving you the events for June, July and August. The nice number of
summer events came as a big surprise. Many genealogy groups do not meet with
vacations etc. But this summer, there is a flood of wonderful speakers and
events. Maybe I’ll see you at one of these events. Enjoy your summer.
June
4 9:30 AM
Great Websites You
Don’t Know About
by Bob Allen
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
June
11 7:00 PM
Tennessee Family
History Research
by Maureen Brady
Lake
County Illinois Genealogical Society
June
12 10 AM- 3 PM
Swedish Genealogy
Research Help
by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
June
13 7:00 PM
Genealogy Basics by Jenny Warner
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical
Society
June
13 6:30 PM
Using Ancestry
Palatine Public Library
June
15 10:30 AM
Explore U.S. Church
Records: Find Family
by
Jacquie Schattner
Schaumburg
Township Public Library
June
17 7:00 PM
Telling the Story with
Maps
by Ginger Frere
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
June
20 7:00 PM
How to Choose the Right
Genealogical Software
by Jennifer Warner
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
http://www.elginroots.com/June 25 10 AM
June
25 10:00 AM
Getting Started with
FindMyPast
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
June
25 7:00 PM
Gleaning Evidence from
Ephemera
by Laura Lorenzana
Indian Trails Library
July
20 10:30 AM
The Art of Negative
Space Research: Women
by
Jeanne Larzalere Bloom
Schaumburg
Township Public Library
July
2 9:30 AM
Getting the Most Out of
Your Ancestry DNA
by Jane Haldeman
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
July
9 7:00 PM
DNA – No Tree! No Response. Now What? by Suzan Bates
Lake
County Illinois Genealogical Society
July
12 2:00 PM
Finding Morris – Family
History via YouTube Video by Kevin Killion
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
July
13 8:00 AM – All Day $
Genealogy Conference with Lisa Louise
Cooke, Jay Fonkert,
Michael Lacopo, Diahan Sothard
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society
July
15 3:00 PM
Beginning Genealogy by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
July
18 7:00 PM
Central Europe Is Easy-
Merci Napoleon! by Jacquie Schattner
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
July
23 6:30 PM
Using Family Search
Palatine Public Library
July
30 7:00 PM
Obituary Searching Made
Easy
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
July
31 7:00 PM
Diary of Wesley Peever:
A WWI Mystery by
Debra Dudek
Indian Trails Library
August
5 2:00 PM
Researching Swedish
Ancestors in ArkivDigital by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
August
6 9:30 AM
Research Your Swedish
Heritage Using ArkivDigital by Kathy Meade
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
August
7 7:00 PM
Truth or Fiction:
Unraveling a Family Yarn by Teresa McMillan
Indian Trails Library
August
8 7:00 PM
An Introduction to
WikiTree
by Marty Acks
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical
Society
August
15 7:00 PM
Chasing Unicorns: A
Case Study with an Elgin Connection by
Anne Faulkner
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
August
17 10:30 AM
Untying the Knot:
Divorce Records by
Kimberly Nagy
Schaumburg
Township Public Library
August
19 7:00 PM
Introduction to FamilySearch
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
August
29 6:30 PM
Archived Newspapers
Palatine Public Library
http://www.palatinelibrary.org/events
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
May Genealogy Presentations in the NW Suburbs
April Showers bring May
Flowers! I hope you enjoy these May
events:
May 1 6:00 PM
Uncovering Your Ancestry by Kenyatta Berry
Book signing after program
Newberry Library
May 1 2:30 PM
Beginning Genealogy by Jacquie Schattner
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
May 4 10:00 AM
Processing Family Papers by Tony Burroughs
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
May 7 9:30 AM
Creating
Books from Genealogical Research by Kurt Pearson
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
May 7 7:00 PM
Central
European Genealogy is Easy – Merci Napoleon! by Jacquie
Schattner
Family History Center – Wilmette
May 8, 7 PM
Military
Genealogy by Tina Beaird
Indian Trails Library
May 9 7 PM
Library
of Congress by Tina Beaird
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical
Society
May 11 1:00 PM
Archive
– Passing Down Your Family History by Emily Simkin
North Suburban
Genealogy Society
May 13 2:00 PM
Develop
a Genealogy Research Plan
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
May 14 7:30 PM
Using
Fold3 for Genealogy Research by Debra Dudek
Schaumburg Township
District Library
May
15 6:30 PM
Dusting Off Those Old
Court Records
by Jane Haldeman
Wheaton
Public Library
May
15 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Appointments
Swedish Genealogy
Research Help
by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
May
16 7:00PM
Canadian Family History
Research
by Maureen Brady
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
May
18 10:30 AM
Genealogy Trivia Game by Robert Allen
Schaumburg
Township Public Library
May
22 6:30 PM
Organize Your Genealogy
Palatine Public Library
June
4 9:30 AM
Great Websites You
Don’t Know About
by Bob Allen
Gail
Borden Library, Elgin
Sunday, April 7, 2019
April Genealogy Presentations in the Northwest Suburbs
It's finally spring! I hope you enjoy these April presentations:
April 9 7:30 PM
New Resources for British Isles Research by Paul Milner
Schaumburg Township
District Library
April 10 6:30 PM
Finding Your Roots Online
Palatine Public Library
April 10, 7:00PM
Behind the Scenes, How Genealogy Roadshow Solved My Family
Mystery
by Gail Lukasik
Fountaindale Public
Library
April 11 10 AM
Finding Your Ancestors Online
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
April 11 7:00 PM
Miracles, Mysteries & Mayhem: Online Family Trees by Jeanne L Bloom
MCIGS
April 13 1:00 PM
Finding the Answers: World War II Online by Jennifer Holik
North Suburban
Genealogy Society
April 17 6:30 PM
Mapping the Past by Dr Daniel Hubbard
Wheaton Public Library
April
17 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM Appointments
Swedish Genealogy
Research Help
by Kathy Meade
Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
http://www.ahml.info/ and go to the events
calendar
April 20 10:30 AM
Making the Back Story
Come Alive
(webinar) by Nicka Smith
Schaumburg
Township Public Library
April 23
What DNA Kit Do I Buy? by Suz Bates
LaGrange Public Library
lagrangelibrary.org
May 4 10:00 AM
Processing Family Papers by Tony Burroughs
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
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