tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36182562582212707172024-03-14T00:22:31.471-07:00Basics of Genealogy ReferenceA companion website to the book <em>Basics of Genealogy Reference</em> by Jack Simpson, published by Libraries Unlimited in 2008.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-74757464276818617722016-12-06T10:50:00.000-08:002016-12-06T10:50:28.148-08:00I've moved my blogger across town to this site:<br />
<a href="http://jacksimpsonresearch.blogspot.com/">http://jacksimpsonresearch.blogspot.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-64042319006150212032012-02-08T07:48:00.000-08:002012-02-08T07:48:26.814-08:00Digital State Archives siteI just stumbled across this useful site, which attempts to round up statewide digitization projects:<br />
<a href="http://www.digitalstatearchives.com/" target="_blank">http://www.digitalstatearchives.com/ </a><br />
<br />
Maybe now I'll spend less time searching Google for these projects. <br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-81751949994876876332010-03-26T10:56:00.000-07:002010-03-27T13:30:32.635-07:00Mapping Land Records Using EarthpointWhen I worked as a genealogy reference librarian, researchers often came to the desk with an old land record and wanted to know the exact location of the land their ancestor purchased. This was usually a bit of a pain, as it involved finding a map of the particular state showing the townships, ranges and sections.<br /><br />But I just discovered a handy online tool from <a href="http://www.earthpoint.us/">Earthpo</a><a href="http://www.earthpoint.us/">int </a>that makes the process much easier. It takes a land description and maps it on Google Earth.<br /><br />So, for example, I found a <a href="http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/">General Land Office </a>record from 1825 showing that James Gillespie purchased a particular piece of land in Stark County, Ohio. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z3gS7lF8I/AAAAAAAAAsg/lrG8zJB2_kU/s1600/gillespielandrec.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z3gS7lF8I/AAAAAAAAAsg/lrG8zJB2_kU/s400/gillespielandrec.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453005383048435650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Specifically, he purchased land in Section 26 of Township 17-N and Range 6-W, based on the Ohio River meridian.<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z4Dn6NkJI/AAAAAAAAAso/tmeHt_6UX1U/s1600/gillesplegaldesc.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 166px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z4Dn6NkJI/AAAAAAAAAso/tmeHt_6UX1U/s400/gillesplegaldesc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453005989975265426" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I entered this information into the <a href="http://www.earthpoint.us/Townships.aspx">Township and Range search tool</a> on Earthpoint:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z5szxgYhI/AAAAAAAAAs4/U1bqBaPlDVI/s1600/townrangesearch.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z5szxgYhI/AAAAAAAAAs4/U1bqBaPlDVI/s400/townrangesearch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453007797046239762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then I clicked the "Fly on to Google Earth" button. (This only works if you've installed Google Earth on your computer.) The program then creates a KLM file that opens automatically on Google Earth. It marks the location of Section 26, Township 17N and Range 6W with a purple boundry:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z6ea80MnI/AAAAAAAAAtA/eq6dPL-XfpA/s1600/googearthsectionview.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z6ea80MnI/AAAAAAAAAtA/eq6dPL-XfpA/s400/googearthsectionview.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453008649376248434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Going back to the original land record, I see that James Gillespie's land was the western half of the southwest corner of Section 26; so it was approximately the area I've circled here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z7A9BpTFI/AAAAAAAAAtI/lY89_KLf9KM/s1600/googearthsectionviewtwo.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 308px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/S6z7A9BpTFI/AAAAAAAAAtI/lY89_KLf9KM/s400/googearthsectionviewtwo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453009242638863442" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-9493596505868208702009-12-02T10:50:00.000-08:002009-12-02T11:26:39.290-08:00Privacy for GhostsIn many places, medical records are closed in perpetuity for reasons of privacy. This means that even records that are, say, 150 or years old are closed to researchers. This makes no sense to me, and I've always thought there should be a provision in state laws that all government records will be open after a certain date. After all, what kind of harm can come from allowing historians and genealogists to look at records that are twice as old as human life expectancy?<br /><br />On her blog, Paula Stuart-Warren <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/">highlights an example </a>of heavy-handed use of privacy laws; in this case, HIPAA* being applied to the records of a Civil War soldier. (Via <a href="http://midwesternmicrohistory.blogspot.com/">Midwestern Microhistory</a>)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Not to be confused with HIPA, the Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association. They bear no responsibility.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-3685727341531086482009-10-10T11:40:00.000-07:002009-10-10T11:48:18.166-07:00ALA Online Genealogy CourseI'll be offering my online course, Genealogy 101 though the American Library Association starting in November 9. The course runs through December 23. For more information, visit the <a href="http://rusa.ala.org/blog/2009/10/09/fall09-rusa-refint-geneal/">ALA-RUSA blog</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-35481470889372014272009-10-07T17:20:00.001-07:002009-10-07T17:48:07.833-07:00Upcoming Talks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/getimage-idx?viewid=BL004937;cc=moaapcic;entryid=x-bl004937;quality=m600;view=image"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 398px; height: 256px;" src="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/getimage-idx?viewid=BL004937;cc=moaapcic;entryid=x-bl004937;quality=m600;view=image" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div>Greetings from Ann Arbor!</div><div> I'm back to blogging after an extended summer break to announce a few upcoming talks. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'll be speaking about new internet sources for genealogy at the Western Wayne County Genealogical Society in Livonia on October 19. There's more information <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~miwwcgs/2009_meet_schedule.htm">here</a>.<br /><br />On Wednesday, Nov. 4, I'll be giving two talks at the Michigan Library Association's annual conference in Lansing. One is on "Hyper-Local History" and the other gives tips for "Surviving a Genealogy Reference Interview." The conference program is <a href="http://www.mla.lib.mi.us/files/09%20MLA%20Conf%20Program%20Descriptions.pdf">available here</a>. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-58904814784643199712009-06-07T09:31:00.000-07:002009-06-07T09:52:34.633-07:00Farewell to the Newberry Library<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://chicagopc.info/Chicago%20postcards/govt/Libraries/newberry%20library%20washington%20square.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 201px;" src="http://chicagopc.info/Chicago%20postcards/govt/Libraries/newberry%20library%20washington%20square.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Saturday was my last day of work at the Newberry Library. I left because my wife got a good job at the University of Michigan, and living in Ann Arbor seems like a good change for our family. But I'll miss the staff and patrons of the Newberry- it's a really great place. I was there for a decade: from 1999-2009. It was a period where genealogy research methods changed dramatically, so it was an interesting time to work in the Local and Family History department.<br /><br />Luckily for Chicago-area family historians, the current genealogy staff at the Newberry is really excellent. Matt Rutherford is the new curator, and I think he'll do an great job.<br /><br />I'll be taking care of my daughter and doing some freelance research work in Ann Arbor in the near term. I hope to have a new research website up soon. But I'll also continue to blog here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-62417174353226197682009-04-21T07:12:00.000-07:002009-04-21T08:26:04.513-07:00New Jersey Library Association Talk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.njproperty.com/lb/longbranch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 171px;" src="http://www.njproperty.com/lb/longbranch.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'll be speaking at the <a href="http://njla.pbwiki.com/Conference+2009#TuesdayApril28Schedule">New Jersey Library Association Conference</a> on <a href="http://njla.pbwiki.com/Conference2009Tues">Tuesday, April 28</a>, at 1:30.<br /><br />For the sake of the Garden State librarians who are attending, I will refrain from making any references to Bruce Springsteen, the Sopranos or Bon Jovi in my presentation.<br /><br />The title of my talk is "Surviving a Genealogy Reference Interview."Here are some of the resources I'll be discussing in my talk:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books:</span><br /><br />Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. <i><br /><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/64084569">The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy</a></i><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/64084569">. </a><br />Provo, UT: Ancestry, 2006.<br /><br />Simpson, Jack.<br /><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/214282146">Basics of Genealogy Reference: A Librarian's Guide.</a><br />Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listserv:</span><br /><br />Librarians Serving Genealogists (Genealib) listserv:<br /><a href="http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/mailman/listinfo/genealib">http://mailman.acomp.usf.edu/mailman/listinfo/genealib</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Websites:</span><br /><br />Newberry Library genealogy page:<a href="http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/collections.html"><br />http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/collections.html<br /></a><br />Ancestry Library Edition and other Proquest genealogy databases:<br /><a href="http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ale.shtml">http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ale.shtml</a><br /><br />FamilySearch Labs: Record Search<br /><a href="http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ale.shtml">http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/ale.shtml</a><br /><br />Cyndi's List: Genealogy charts for download<br /><a href="http://www.cyndislist.com/supplies.htm#Online">http://www.cyndislist.com/supplies.htm#Online</a><br /><br />Social Security Death Index on Rootsweb:<br /><a href="http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/">http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/<br /></a><br />ALA-RUSA History: Genealogy Committee<br /><a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/committees/genealogy/index.cfm">http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/committees/genealogy/index.cfm</a><br /><br />ALA-RUSA: Genealogy 101 class:<br /><a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/development/onlinece.cfm">http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/development/onlinece.cfm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-58997845236167089592009-02-22T08:33:00.000-08:002009-02-22T09:02:32.293-08:00Ready for My Close-upTomorrow (Feb. 23) the BBC is airing an episode of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/whodoyouthinkyouare/new-stories/zoe-wanamaker/index.shtml">Who Do You Think You Are</a> are that was partly filmed here in Chicago and features yours truly, I believe. I haven't seen it yet, but they shot one scene with me at the Newberry Library. The episode traces the ancestry of the actress Zoe Wanamaker. Her father, the actor Sam Wanamaker, grew up in Chicago- just a few blocks from where I live, in Humboldt Park. Unfortunately, the show isn't broadcast in the U.S., so I'll have to wait to see it. I think it should be pretty interesting, and hopefully I didn't have food in my teeth or a cowlick or anything. Despite my demands, I wasn't provided a hair stylist and make-up artist. I did go get my hair cut the night before they filmed it, and the barber's name was Maestro. So here is an extra credit that should have appeared at the end of the show:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Simpson's hair by Maestro. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-51081795467972141492009-01-20T08:43:00.000-08:002009-01-20T08:23:29.389-08:00A Non-Update on Vital Records AccessWhen I was working on the first section of my book about two years ago, I noticed that there were two conflicting dynamics affecting access to birth, marriage, and death records.<br /><br />First, the Internet and digitization were making vital records more easily accessible in some places- <a href="http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/">Missouri, for example</a>. My previous posts about <a href="http://labs.familysearch.org/">FamilySearch Labs</a> shows how this process has been continuing.<br /><br />Second, fear of identity theft was leading other local and state governments to restrict access to vital records. Around that time, it also seemed that the Federal government might further restrict access. For example, <a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2488/">this article</a> warned of sweeping new Federal regulations, a part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.<br /><br />As far as I can tell, those Federal plans never got any further, as I haven't seen any further discussion or reporting about it since then. If any readers have an update, let me know via a comment.<br /><br />The issue of state regulations on access continues, of course. Family Tree magazine has a <a href="http://forum.familytreemagazine.com/forum/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=25">forum</a> for reporting new information on the issue. Anyone have other updates on this issue?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-4637671392057825852008-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:002009-01-07T05:05:48.744-08:00Disambiguation Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/art/moore-painting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 299px;" src="http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/art/moore-painting.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Just to clear up any confusion, the following books were written by other Jack Simpsons:<br /><br />Simpson, Jack. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52542640"><i>Socrates and Suits: Dialogue between a Philosopher and a Fighter Pilot</i>. </a><br /><br />Simpson, Jack. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/77526800"><i>$Elf-Publish for Profit: By Avoiding Booby Traps</i>.</a><br /><br />Simpson, Jack. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38900070"><i>Eucalyptus Plantation Pests and Diseases: Crop Loss Study</i>.</a><br /><br />Simpson, Jack. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/222388237"><i>Osutoraria no shokubutsu to doĢbutsu</i>.</a><br /><br />Also, I am not the <a href="http://www.anzacday.org.au/spirit/hero/chp09.html">Man with the Donkey.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-52215388978558092882008-12-24T19:19:00.000-08:002008-12-28T13:25:06.738-08:00FamilySearch Labs and John Simpson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SVZlBxDfnjI/AAAAAAAAARY/UPBB2S_o-Jw/s1600-h/simpsonjacksonco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 63px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SVZlBxDfnjI/AAAAAAAAARY/UPBB2S_o-Jw/s400/simpsonjacksonco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284522293788122674" border="0" /></a>In my last post, I showed how <a href="http://labs.familysearch.org/">FamilySearch Labs</a> is making a large number of original documents available. But that isn't the only reason FamilySearch Labs is a big deal for researchers. Equally important is the nature of the <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/eng/indexing/frameset_indexing.asp">indexing</a> in FamilySearch Labs. It's much more extensive than most traditional genealogical indexing, and it allows researchers a broader range of search strategies.<br /><br />While most genealogical indexes in the past only abstracted the principal name in a document, FamilySearch's new indexing often includes all of the names. So, for example, a typical index of death certificates in the past only recorded the name of the deceased. But death certificates typically include other names, such as the name of the decedent's parents. The new FamilySearch indexing abstracts all of those names. An update to my Simpson case study shows the impact more extensive indexing can have.<br /><br />My grandfather's father was named John Simpson. He was born in Lawrence County, Ohio in 1876, but grew up in neighboring Jackson County. (His father was also named John Simpson.) My great-grandfather later moved to West Virginia and then Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he died when my grandfather was a teenager. My grandfather didn't talk about him a great deal. After my grandfather died, my parents found a somewhat mysterious letter from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, written just before my great-grandfather's death, expressing regret or shame about his own life. So my great-grandfather was always an ancestor I was curious about.<br /><br />Genealogical research has provided me with a lot of information about the Simpsons of Jackson County and their origins, but I still don't really know what the letter was referring to.<br /><br />A few days ago, I searched FamilySearch Labs for my great-grandfather. On the main Record Search page, I entered the name "John Simpson" and the place "Jackson, Ohio, United States." This came up with three hits. The first was an 1850 census record for a John Simpson in Erie County, Ohio. I have no idea why this came up - it appears to be a glitch. The second hit was my great-great-grandfather's 1917 death certificate from Jackson County- part of the collection of <a href="http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#c=1307272;p=2;t=searchable">Ohio Death Certificates, 1908-1953</a>.<br /><br />The third hit is the most interesting. It's a 1940 death certificate for an African-American woman (recorded as "colored") from Columbus, Ohio. The death certificate lists her birth year as 1891 and her birthplace as Jackson County, Ohio. It records her father as "John Simpson" and his birthplace as "Jackson County, Ohio." After researching a bit further, I believe I may have found other records about the same woman, which indicate she retained her mother's last name, rather than Simpson, as she was growing up.<br /><br />This is interesting to me because I haven't come across any men named John Simpson residing in Jackson County in this time period besides my great-grandfather and his father. So is this woman the unacknowledged daughter of one of my Simpson ancestors?<br /><br />It's possible, but I don't have a strong reason to think so based on this one piece of evidence. Information on death certificates is often incorrect, as it was submitted by next-of-kin who might not have been entirely clear on these details. (In the book, I point out my great-grandfather's death certificate from Uniontown contains a number of inaccuracies.) Also, I don't really know whether or not there was another man named John Simpson in Jackson County in 1891- the lack of a 1890 census makes it difficult to even venture a guess.<br /><br />Nevertheless, it opens a new line of inquiry about my great-grandfather that I never would have considered if the index only included the decedent's name; I never would have searched on this woman' s name.<br /><br />This is kind of indexing is particularly useful for tracking a female ancestor, as you can search based on the names of her parents, even if you don't know her married name.<br /><br />For another example of extensive indexing, check out this <a href="http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/NR/">naturalization index</a> from the Cook County Circuit Court Archives. Given how immigrant names often get mangled, it's really great to be able to search on address, birth town, and occupation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-54503333279290898672008-12-11T09:20:00.000-08:002008-12-20T12:58:12.633-08:00Familysearch Labs and Ella Palma NeilI hope to use this blog to track changes in genealogy research since I completed my book and update my four case studies with new information.<br /><br />This post does a bit of both.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FamilySearch Labs</span><br />My book mentions <a href="http://labs.familysearch.org/">FamilySearch Labs</a> briefly, but it was just launching as I finished the book, so I didn't explore it in any depth. Essentially, FamilySearch Labs is the new suite of digital tools created by the <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_Library.asp">Family History Library</a>. Of particular interest to me is the Lab's <a href="http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html">Record Search</a> tool. This is a new database of indexed primary documents; most of the documents are fully digitized. It's an amazing resource. It makes huge number of primary documents available, it's rich indexing allows complex searching, and it has a really appealing interface for viewing digitized documents. As a demonstration of it's usefulness, I'll run down some of the new information I gleaned about my four case studies using Record Search.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ella Palma <strike>Tischer</strike> <strike>Beaudette</strike> <strike>Lovgren</strike> Neill</span><br />In one case study, I trace the ancestors of a woman named Vera Beaudette, who was the great-grandmother of a friend of mine. Vera's mother was Ella Palma Beaudette, nee Tischer, and was one of the most colorful characters in the case studies.<br /><br />A lifelong Chicagoan, Ella married Adolphus Beaudette in 1891. They had one child (Vera) but the marriage ended unhappily, and the couple divorced in 1902. In the 1910 census, she is oddly recorded on the census. Her daughter, age 17, is recorded as the head of the household, and she is recorded as Palma E. Lovgren, lodger:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SUvLd921flI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-AqB_X515ts/s1600-h/lovgren.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 395px; height: 50px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SUvLd921flI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-AqB_X515ts/s400/lovgren.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281538703703244370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />In various documents from after that date, she is listed again as E. Palma Beaudette.<br />But in 1919, she published a <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/23361885">history of East Chicago, Indiana</a>, and is listed as E. Palma Beadette-Neil.<br /><br />So, it appears that she remarried twice after divorcing Adolphus Beaudette: once to a man named Lovgren, and once to a man named Neil.<br /><br />Discovering the particulars of these marriages was difficult because there was no easily accessible index to Cook County, Illinois marriages after 1900. If (as in my case) you did not have a date of marriage, it was very difficult to research.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, <a href="http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=2;t=searchable;c=1463145">Cook County marriages from 1871-1920</a> were added to Record Search. Searching for Beaudette, I found a 1918 marriage between Albert E. Neil and E. Palma Beaudette.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SUQqj80npKI/AAAAAAAAAQw/0x91rk7p3gg/s1600-h/ellaneil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 376px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gRkA_EDXoPA/SUQqj80npKI/AAAAAAAAAQw/0x91rk7p3gg/s400/ellaneil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279391460295681186" border="0" /></a>So far, I haven't found much about Mr. Neil. Nor have I discovered a marriage to a Lovgren. Nevertheless, I have an important clue that was previously inaccessible. In another post, I'll talk a bit about the extensive indexing on FamilySearch Labs and how it provided new clues in my Simpson case study.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-12103095543454572082008-12-06T16:31:00.000-08:002008-12-06T16:41:23.680-08:00Upcoming Online ClassMy online ALA class, <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/development/genealogy101/index.cfm">Genealogy 101</a>, will run from Feb. 16 to March 21. Here's the course description:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Genealogy 101 is aimed at reference staff with little or no experience in genealogy, and will provide tools for assisting patrons with family history research. The goal of the class is to give students confidence and skill in assisting family history researchers.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This five-week online course for library students and reference staff provides an introduction to American genealogy reference service. The course will outline basic sources and strategies, centered on a single case study. Topics covered include the U.S. Census, vital records, immigration research, military research and a variety of other basic genealogy sources. Students will also receive instruction in reference desk strategies and tools for further professional development. The course will cover archival material, print reference tools and online sources.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3618256258221270717.post-27049037134357863082008-12-06T16:03:00.000-08:002008-12-06T16:06:45.081-08:00HelloGreetings! This blog is a companion to my book, which was published about two months ago. I'll be posting book-related news, event publicity and occasional updates to the information in the book here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2