War Stories
Genealogists itching to flesh out their WWII relatives' lives can look to the Library of Congress' new selection of 20 Veterans History Project digitized collections, online at http://www.loc.gov/warstories.
Both veterans and civilians have been submitting their stories—comprising audio interviews, letters, photographs and memoirs—since the
project's 2003 Memorial Day launch. The latest addition includes materials from doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.
The Veterans History Project totals 1,024 digitized collections with more than 48,000 items. They're part of the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center archives of more than 25,000 individuals' stories.
If you want to get involved in the Veterans History Project, get a kit online at http://www.loc.gov/vets. You also can request one by e-mailing vohp@loc.gov
or calling (888) 371-5848.
DNA Database Grows
Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), a nonprofit genetic-genealogy research organization, has expanded its Y-DNA database to include 12,000 genetic profiles. They're linked to genealogies of 480,000-plus ancestors and represent at least 7,900
surnames around the world.
Visit http://www.smgf.org to search the free database. Enter numerical values from your DNA test results into the database's drop-down menus to search for likely ancestors. Since men carry the Y chromosome,
women need to enter DNA test results of a male relative. (If you haven't had your DNA tested, select "Use Demonstration Values" to see what your results could look like.)
You can search for results that match all, 85 percent or 70 percent of your DNA markers. "Also, we have enhanced the database's genetic matching capabilities to increase the number of results from each query," says SMGF director of operations Ugo A. Perego.
Each match links to that person's pedigree chart (shown at right), which in turn links to family files on the FamilySearch Web site at http://www.familysearch.org. (SMGF is quick to point out it's
not affiliated with
FamilySearch.) For each match, you also can see a graph that shows you (albeit in somewhat cryptic fashion) the likelihood that you share an ancestor with that person at any one ancestral generation.
Great Scotsman!
Got Scottish ancestors? On April 6—Tartan Day—the Scotsman newspaper will offer free access to its new Scotsman Digital Archive. The searchable archive contains every issue of the paper from 1817 to 1950.
The 24-hour offer is open to residents of the United States and Canada who register at http://archive.scotsman.com on April 6, starting at midnight Eastern Daylight Time. Normally, 24 hours of access
to the archive costs
7.95 pounds (about $15).
Information, Please
Family history researchers created a surge in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for federal records during 2004, according to an Associated Press (AP) review. The FOIA requires the US government to release records to the public, except to
protect national security.
FOIA requests surpassed 4 million in 2004, with the growth largely due to 1.5 million genealogy-related requests—double the 2003 number—to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Department of Veterans Administration (VA) received 1.8
million requests, mostly for personnel and medical records.
People seeking genealogical information from the federal government fare relatively well in getting their questions answered. The government granted 88 percent of FOIA requests in 2003 versus 66 percent in 1998—an increase, says the AP, due entirely
to SSA and VA requests.
At the Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Interior, State, Transportation and Treasury departments, the amount of requested information that's eventually released has been declining since 1998.
Genealogists don't fare as well when requesting information from state governments, which make their own public-records laws. Since Sept. 11, 2001, at least 20 states have proposed new laws to control public records, according to a First Amendment Center
analysis (http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=6506). They focus on everything from birth and death records to emergency response plans. According to
a
Better Government Association survey of state public-records legislation (http://www.ire.org/foi/bga), the laws' haphazard nature hampers citizens' ability to use them.
For a guide to using the FOIA, see http://www.justice.gov/04foia/04_3.html.
The Best of AncestorNews:
American Life Histories
Having trouble tracking down those elusive ancestors? In this biweekly, Web-exclusive column, contributing editor Nancy Hendrickson points to new and helpful ways to do your computer-related genealogy research. This week, she writes about the Federal
Writers Project life histories. Read more at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ancestornews/current.html.
Hendrickson is a family historian, freelance writer and the author of the book Finding Your Roots Online, on sale now at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/store/display.asp?id=70583.
Browse the archive of her AncestorNews columns at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ancestornews/previous.html.
The Other Side of the Story
This week's tip comes from "Happy" Dae Powell of Grand Prairie, Texas:
Genealogists print so many family group
sheets and other research forms before a trip to the library. But once the information is upated in a computer, the printouts become obsolete. Insead of throwing away the old charts, why not toss them
in a box of "recycled" paper? When you need more forms, just reuse the same paper and print on the blank side. This may help save trees, and it saves you money.
Editor's note: Some printer manufacturers recommend against reusing paper, so check the instructions that came with your printer.
Do you have a great idea for discovering, preserving or
celebrating family history? E-mail us your tip at
ftmnews-editor@fwpubs.com with "TIP OF THE WEEK"
in the subject line. If we publish it, you'll win a free
copy of Digitizing Your Family History
by Rhonda R. McClure, also available for purchase online at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/store/display.asp?id=70660.
Preservation News Flash!
What's the best way to preserve and display an old newspaper clipping in your scrapbook? Read all about it in this expert Q&A.
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/apr05/news.asp
Genealogy's Best-Kept Secret—Revealed!
Between 1936 and 1943, Works Projects Admistration workers created valuable—but little-known—resources for genealogists. Here's how to find them.
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/apr05/wpa.asp
Sweet Home New England
Open the door to new ancestral discoveries on the New England Historic Genealogical Society's recently revamped Web site.
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/apr05/nehgs.asp
Sticky Situations
Q.
Before she was married, my grandmother had three children (including my father) by different men. She had three more children when she married the abusive man who raised my father and gave him a surname, but not much else. I've met
my biological grandfather, who admitted to being my father's father, but never embraced the relationship and died with no acknowledgement of my dad as his son. Should I research that grandfather or the abusive step-grandfather? What's the common practice—follow
the biology or follow the surname?
A.
It's not uncommon to find sensitive family situations and strained relationships as you research your family history. According to Emily Anne Croom, author of the best-selling Unpuzzling
Your Past, 4th edition (Family Tree Books, $18.99), the biological line is considered your "real" genealogy—but there's no right or wrong practice for your situation. You should do what you (perhaps in consultation with family members) feel
comfortable
with.
What are your research goals? If you want to record family health history, determine your ethnic makeup or join a lineage society, you'd research your biological grandfather. Keep in mind you might connect with great relatives who make up for his rejection.
Some researchers go with the step familyr because that's the closer relationship, or because information is more readily available. You also could choose to research both grandfathers—or neither, and concentrate on your grandmother's line instead.
Either way, Croom advises clearly recording in your research notes and on your pedigree charts whether a relative belongs to your biological or step line.
Whatever line you research, be prepared for upsetting discoveries you might dig up, and be sensitive to other family members. Don't press relatives who're reluctant to answer questions, and avoid publicizing controversial information that involves a living
person. For more on what to do when you come across a less-than-respectable ancestor, see the May 2005 Trace Your Family History, a special issue of Family Tree Magazine. It's available now on newsstands and at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/mags/display.asp?id=1678.
—Diane Haddad
Diane Haddad is editor of the Family Tree Magazine E-mail Update.
Read more Q&A with the experts at
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/nowwhatonline/previous.html.
All Dressed Up
Expert photo historian Maureen A. Taylor helps readers analyze old family pictures in her Web-exclusive column Identifying Family Photographs. This week, she extracts clues from the clothing and background shown in two photos.
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/current.htm.
If you have a family photo mystery for Taylor to solve, check out our Submission Guidelines at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/photohelp.htm.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Allison Stacy
April 2
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
- Topic: Writing Your Family History
For more information, see http://www.freedomcenter.org.
Omaha, Nebraska
Paula Stuart-Warren
April 9
Greater Omaha Genealogical Society Seminar
Topics:
- Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking
- Untrodden Gound: Sources You May Not Have Encountered
- Researching Your Ancestral Places of Origin in U.S. Records
- Researching Your Ancestry Via the National Archives of the US
Contact gogensociety@yahoo.com.
Akron, Ohio
April 14-16
2005 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference
Rick Crume
Topics:
- Ohio Genealogy on the Web
- Pennsylvania Genealogy on the Web
- Genealogy Meets the Jetsons
Paul Milner
Topics:
- Effective Internet Use of England's National Archives
- Irish Emigration to North America: Before, During, and After the Famine
For more information, see http://www.ogs.org.
GenSmarts Automated Genealogy Research - "the best genealogy add-on software " says Eastman's Newsletter. Only $24.95 at http://www.GenSmarts.com/ftmagDeals.asp
RootsMagic
Genealogy Software - "An excellent choice for any genealogist" says Family Tree Magazine. Get a free trial copy at http://www.RootsMagic.com
UNIQUE SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE TOURS
Visit
ancestral villages, parish churches, archives, connect with family. Fluent guides and genealogy experts included. www.scandgen.com
Genealogy Hotel Rates in Salt Lake-You will love
the genealogy rates at the Holiday Inn-Downtown along with the free shuttles to & from the Family History Library. www.holiday-inn.com/slc-downtown
Get Family Tree Magazine back issues at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/mags.
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