Genealogy Research

[PrincessNancy96]

Thank you. I love the DIS.

I need to reorganize the files and find out if any of the certificates exist. My grandmothers family is mostly from NJ, NY and PA. My uncle, (moms brother) is the only one who lives back in NY still so I will grill him when he comes out in February. Although that could be a battle since my moms cousins wife wants the box of info I have. We have been battling over it for 2 or so years. I won't give it up. But that's another story.

OK as I go I may just take you up on the questions offer. I need to learn to use the Family TreeMaker internet search functions. I have been pulling and keeping the census records I have found to my computer. Definitely seems as though I will need to familiarize myself with England searches.

I hope to make friends at my local genealogical society also. Maybe they can help me also. Will be interesting.

All I can say is don't give up that box unless you make(take) all the copies you need.. and if she is a cousin's wife she really has no need for the box.. that is your direct family.. (but that's me..I'm the mean one in my family, just ask them!) I'll be happy to share my info but no one is getting all my documents especially since they didn't want them from the beginning!!

NY can be hard to find info in at times... I'll find the link to a good site I came across recently to search for some names....


Hey Lisa, cool that you found some more info!!! I'm so happy for you!!

 

[Lisa]

I agree with Nancy. DO NOT give those boxes to anyone else. Make copies for her, but don't give them to her. Obviously you got them for a reason, you are Grandma's direct decendent, not your Mom's cousin's wife.

Nancy, I was so excited, I said to myself, I can't wait to tell Buffy, Nancy, and the rest of the genealogy gals on the DIS!

 

[PrincessNancy96]

That is so cool!!! I'm so happy you are getting info together!!!


I haven't gotten any where today.. DH was home for an eye appt...and can you believe... we have great coverage and a great limit on frames and the dork went over and I had to pay 25.00 out of pocket.... DD stayed way within limit..but no, he went over... I had to torment him because the new plan we saved 650.00.. no copays now!

 

[piratesmate]

<snip> My grandmothers family is mostly from NJ, NY and PA. <snip>

What part of PA? I'm in Montgomery County, which is northwest of Philadelphia. I won't be going to the local historical societies until Spring, but if there's anything you want looked up in this area let me know & I'll see what I can find.

Or if you have people from Schuylkill County, they have one of the best collections of free info online that I've encountered!

Oh - and I agree with everyone else...do NOT give up those boxes from your grandmother! If your Mom's cousin's wife wants the stuff in them so badly, tell her she can "come scan the originals on the dining room table, but they don't leave the house"!

I scan all original documents & then file away the originals. Then whenever I encounter someone researching the same lines I offer to send them the digital copies I have. I've had many people offer to do the same. I've actually found a few people who have offered to split the cost of ordering the originals we both lack...and these are complete strangers! We each order equal numbers of documents & then email digital copies. If complete strangers are willing to do this, I can't understand why a relative would expect you to hand over everything, you know?

Good luck with the search!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

and I'm from South Jersey and PA too!

 

[tinkryansmom]

Y'all are so my kind of people!!!

I told my uncle the same thing about my moms cousins wife. See this box of info was in NY and then I had my mom bring it back on one of her visits there. They obviously weren't too fired up to jump in when they had it.

Oh anyhow, don't get me started.

I know most of the NJ is in and around Paterson. In fact my grandmother was born there. Can you tell me which county that is? I will be real familiar with requesting certificates from there! I know I was reading something from Passaic county too. Perhaps census records. Oh and Pompton Township. ?

In PA - Honesdale comes to mind. I believe that is Wayne County.

In OH - Hardin County and Guernsey Co. - that would be my Dad's side. Steubenville.

I must start organizing!!

 

[disneyamy]

If you come to Salt Lake, PM me and I will take you to lunch!

Familysearch.org is the Family History Library's website, it is clunky but they are trying to get all of the libray's information online. When I last spoke to someone there I believe they were hoping to get it all done sometime this year. But, I will admit... it's NOTHING like being there and having all of the help of the library staff.

For keeping track of everything I have been using a software package called Legacy. I love how I can store pictures as I find them and even audio clips. My mother in law did an amazing 'interview' with my husband's grandfather that I have now imported and added to his file. He is a WW2 vet and was a full bird Colonel. It is so cool to sit and listen to his stories of life and the war.

I need to go out and 'interview' my parents. I am going to video it, and add it to my geneology.

 

[Faerie]

Okay, I'm just getting started with this. Should I plan a library trip for when I'm up north? or is this something I can do from here? I know Papa said he found a couple Bibles from Grandma's side of the family but I don't know how much info is in them

 

[PrincessNancy96]

You may want to hit the library or genealogical society when you are up there!! Especially for newspaper clippings.

You may be able to do some online searching for things now.. I usually plug in google something like.... county,MA genealogy.. it'll pop up several different avenues to search..

When you are up that way, also take a photo of the front of the cemetery.. It always helps jog the memory when you notice a family tree for a family member that states they are buried at XYZ cemetery and you have a photo..it will job who else is buried there. We drive by this cemetery down from DH's great Aunts house... I memorized the cemtery name... and knew someone was buried there.. last time I took a photo.. was cleaning a filed saw the name again.. the AHA! moment hit!

 

[Faerie]

There are cemeteries everywere it seems! I know where both of my grandmothers are buried. Both of my Grandfathers are still alive. Great grandparents are another matter. Part of this trip is to totally get as much info out of Papa as I can. My mom's father (Grandpy) is basically and old grump who won't tell me a darn thing. Of course.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

My grandfather that passed a few weeks ago wouldn't talk..but he shared a wealth of documents. My Pappy and Granny talked a lot...
Make notes of what he says and if he will let you record the talks..

 

[Faerie]

He doesn't talk - he grunts. It's not a very pleasent visit. Of course I'm a freak in his eyes since I'm 28 and unmarried.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Freak! No way! Just proves older generations see things much different than we do... I only hope that DD and my boys will wait to marry until they have some money in the bank and have lived life a little. I was 26 before I got married... DH was 21 when he married the first time and said he wished he would have waited.. than again if you knew his EX you'd agree too! LOL

 

[Faerie]

He married my grandmother when she was 16. My mom has 4 sisters and was the oldest to get married - the day before her 18th birthday, so in his old fashioned thinking, I'm totally an old maid!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I was married at 19, so was my mom and my great grandma.
I hope my kids wait though.

 

[tinkryansmom]

Finding you all is both a curse and a blessing! Makes me want to do research!! But I am the type that will stay up all night chasing things on the internet...so nothing else gets done.

Not good when you have a DD6 months old.

So I chased a few things down last night and now I must force myself to do nothing else but organize files and see just what I have between my info and the info Grandma had. Then when the problems areas are truly apparent I can focus on those. Right!? Sounds good in theory.

I am amazed at the detailed info my Grandmother does have - and she did it without the internet!!

Quick question: I found reference to a book online which may hold ALOT of information about family. It's like a "Passaic County History" sort of thing. Does anyone know how to go about getting that book or pages copied from it?? Do I need to join that particular Historical Society to get lending privledges?? Or is there another way to do it??

thought you all might have some insight.

Thanks

 

[piratesmate]

There are several books about Passaic county on Ancestry. Do you want to send me a couple names to see if the info comes up? I could grab a couple pages & send them to you digitally if you want. I just can't do too much, as I need to call over the weekend to cancel my subscription.

 

[tinkryansmom]

There are several books about Passaic county on Ancestry. Do you want to send me a couple names to see if the info comes up? I could grab a couple pages & send them to you digitally if you want. I just can't do too much, as I need to call over the weekend to cancel my subscription.

Well that is where I found the reference, on ancestry, but my mom is working with the DAR to prove status and they want copies of the pages AND copies of the Title page from the reference material. So that is why I was wanting to get my hands on the books. Does that make sense?

I guess I need to get more familiar with ancestry. Maybe there is a way to get the index pages also. Ah..such a newbie!!

 

[piratesmate]

There are a number of books that I've searched recently & was able to view the title pages as well. You just have to search for the database instead of for your person & take the links it wants to give you.

Go to the search page for the book in which you are interested. If you go to the Home page & select "See All Databases" down near the list of census years.

Then scroll to the bottom of the next page & search for your book title. If you don't remember the full title, simply put in "Passaic" - that's what I did.

Once you get to the search page for your title, there are links to things like "title page", "front matter", etc just below the search box.

I hope this helps!

 

[tinkryansmom]

THANK YOU!!

I will give this a try!