I am linking an article from The Mormon Times on The coming genealogical dark ages. This was sent by cousin Karen. If you think it isn't happening, think again. Records are disappearing from those nice, friendly courthouses where you were allowed free access to vital records. Counties all over the United States are in financial crisis and record preservation is usually at the bottom of the list, if it is on the list at all. I know that records in Tennessee are disappearing and disintegrating and will not be filmed until all counties are organized and ready for filming. Who knows when that will happen.
One of the things I found most interesting about this article was the mention of email as a replacement for writing letters, and how we organize it. I think that is a new project for me. I usually save all my family email, but perhaps actually printing it out might be in order. I know I have birth and death announcements in those emails along with news of other family members. How do you handle that? Let me know.
Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes
Showing posts with label vital records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vital records. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Being a Record Hog with OCFRD*
Yes, I am a record hog. No, I'm not talking about vinyl records either. I gave up on those long ago. I'm talking about vital records. When I see a site like Ancestry or the Family Search Record Search site post vital records, the first thing I do is start looking for records. After all, who knows how long those records will be available. The first site I remember doing this with was Missouri Death records at the Missouri State Archives site. I expected to find a "few" records there, and was stunned that my total was well over 300. In person, at the Ohio Historical society, where I have been twice to pull records, I found many, maybe in the 150-200 range plus what I've been able to find online since Family Search added the records from 1908 to 1953. And then there are the Texas records. A few of my lines settled there and I quite happily pulled those records plus whatever Family Search has on Massachusetts and Michigan. Oddly enough, the Michigan ones are fewer in number, even though my mom's paternal line has been here since the 1860s. I need more records after the Family search dates. Seeking Michigan picked up some of the slack for deaths from 1897 to 1920, however, they never finished adding the records and their database has some serious problems since I have records that do not show up on their index. I believe more than one person died in Iosco county, Michigan in 1909.
Lately, Ancestry has placed Vermont birth, marriage and death records up from 1909 - 2008. I'm just waiting for them to pull those out. At this point, I'd like to see the earlier records - Vermont does have them - so I can complete documentation without an 8 hour trip to Fort Wayne or a trip to the local Family History Center. There's something about film movement on readers that really drives me crazy.
So I continue to hog these records, go back and pull the census for them, find more information, go back and find another generation, another census, etc. Looks like my OCFRD* has flared up again.
*Obsessive Compulsive Family Research Disorder
Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes
Lately, Ancestry has placed Vermont birth, marriage and death records up from 1909 - 2008. I'm just waiting for them to pull those out. At this point, I'd like to see the earlier records - Vermont does have them - so I can complete documentation without an 8 hour trip to Fort Wayne or a trip to the local Family History Center. There's something about film movement on readers that really drives me crazy.
So I continue to hog these records, go back and pull the census for them, find more information, go back and find another generation, another census, etc. Looks like my OCFRD* has flared up again.
*Obsessive Compulsive Family Research Disorder
Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Consider the Source!
Of all the records available to family researchers, vital records are my favorites. Especially free vital records.One of the reasons, I like them is they can give some great information.
One of the things I highlight when I am entering information into my genealogy program is where the person lived when he died and are there vital records online that I can search. Also, obituaries, where available are such a great resource since they often list other family members, ancestors, occupations, church affiliations and birth, death and burial places.
So I was really pleased when a search of Kentucky death records online at Ancestry.com yielded a death certificate in Kentucky for Joseph Chambers. Since the Chambers/Tousey lines was one I was working on, I pulled this record, just checking the year to see if it was feasible. It was. The puzzling thing was the place of death: Cincinnati, Ohio! On a Kentucky death record. Okay, this is not that unusual, as some states require a death certificate for burial, and you will often find a derivative in the Kentucky records. A check of the Ohio Death Certificates (1908-1953) on the Family Search Record Search Site would hopefully yield the "official" death certificate.
Well, I'd like to say that it proved everything I thought. But alas, it opened a can of worms. While the date of death and burial and the cause of death were all the same, the only other items that were identical were the place of death - Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio and the cause of death. There were nine years difference in the age, and Ohio had his father's name as Joseph and Kentucky had his father's name as Charles!
When faced with this type of problem, I look to the informant. The Ohio certificate gave Donnelly Bros. as the informant. Donnelly Bros. was the name of the undertaker in Covington, Kentucky. The Kentucky Death certificate had no informant.
This is where census work comes in. The 1900 census for Cincinnati, Ohio at the Grand Hotel, clearly shows Joseph Chambers, birth date Mar 1834, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky. The 1880 census shows him enumerated with his wife, Elvira and son Vactor, along with his mother-in-law Elvira Gaines and he is 46 years old - birth year 1834 in Kentucky. I found him only becauses his wife was indexed with him. He was indexed as Jas. instead of Jos.The 1870 and 1860 census are still consistent with that 1834 birth date and children. The 1860 census shows him with his wife and his household is enumerated after that of one Charles Chambers age 58 and Joseph is still born circa 1834. Finally a check of the 1850 census has him enumerated with his father and brother and birth year is still circa 1834.
I don't need any more proof to conclude that the death certificates are for the same person, but am glad that I found two conflicting death certificates. It is a prime example that even "official records" can be wrong. I will admit that if I had found the Ohio record first, I would have dismissed it. But having seen the Kentucky one, I now see the errors on the Ohio record. And I found this because I have obsessive-compulsive family research disorder!
* Clicking on the images will display a full scale photo.
One of the things I highlight when I am entering information into my genealogy program is where the person lived when he died and are there vital records online that I can search. Also, obituaries, where available are such a great resource since they often list other family members, ancestors, occupations, church affiliations and birth, death and burial places.
So I was really pleased when a search of Kentucky death records online at Ancestry.com yielded a death certificate in Kentucky for Joseph Chambers. Since the Chambers/Tousey lines was one I was working on, I pulled this record, just checking the year to see if it was feasible. It was. The puzzling thing was the place of death: Cincinnati, Ohio! On a Kentucky death record. Okay, this is not that unusual, as some states require a death certificate for burial, and you will often find a derivative in the Kentucky records. A check of the Ohio Death Certificates (1908-1953) on the Family Search Record Search Site would hopefully yield the "official" death certificate.
Well, I'd like to say that it proved everything I thought. But alas, it opened a can of worms. While the date of death and burial and the cause of death were all the same, the only other items that were identical were the place of death - Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio and the cause of death. There were nine years difference in the age, and Ohio had his father's name as Joseph and Kentucky had his father's name as Charles!
When faced with this type of problem, I look to the informant. The Ohio certificate gave Donnelly Bros. as the informant. Donnelly Bros. was the name of the undertaker in Covington, Kentucky. The Kentucky Death certificate had no informant.
This is where census work comes in. The 1900 census for Cincinnati, Ohio at the Grand Hotel, clearly shows Joseph Chambers, birth date Mar 1834, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky. The 1880 census shows him enumerated with his wife, Elvira and son Vactor, along with his mother-in-law Elvira Gaines and he is 46 years old - birth year 1834 in Kentucky. I found him only becauses his wife was indexed with him. He was indexed as Jas. instead of Jos.The 1870 and 1860 census are still consistent with that 1834 birth date and children. The 1860 census shows him with his wife and his household is enumerated after that of one Charles Chambers age 58 and Joseph is still born circa 1834. Finally a check of the 1850 census has him enumerated with his father and brother and birth year is still circa 1834.
I don't need any more proof to conclude that the death certificates are for the same person, but am glad that I found two conflicting death certificates. It is a prime example that even "official records" can be wrong. I will admit that if I had found the Ohio record first, I would have dismissed it. But having seen the Kentucky one, I now see the errors on the Ohio record. And I found this because I have obsessive-compulsive family research disorder!
* Clicking on the images will display a full scale photo.
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