Getting a GRIP on Education

Here in the middle of winter, the long, hot days of summer seem far away. I don't want to say they'll be here before you know it, because I see no need to rush time. But there’s a great opportunity to sharpen your genealogical skills coming up this summer. And now’s the time to reserve your spot for it.

The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, widely known as GRIP, will open registration for its first 2016 session on Wednesday, February 10 at 12:00 noon EST. There are six courses to pick from for that first session, which runs June 26-July 1:

• Family Archiving: Heirlooms in the Digital Age
• Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy for the 21^st Century
• German Research Resources
• Master the Art of Genealogical Documentation
• Pennsylvania: Research in the Keystone State
• Women and Children First! Research Methods for the Hidden Members of the Family

Instructors include Tom Jones, Judy Russell, Warren Bittner, Michael Lacopo, Denise Levenick, and Cathi Desmarais, to name just a few. You can read about the June course offerings here; click on the course titles for more details.

I'm happy to announce that I'll be co-teaching a couple of classes in Denise Levenick’s course, Family Archiving: Heirlooms in the Digital Age. You might know Denise as The Family Curator, and the author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes and How to Archive Family Photos. This is the first time she’s offered a course in family history preservation, and I'm vey excited to be a part of it. Students will get hands-on experience and be encouraged to work on their own ideas during the course, so they can hit the ground running when they get home. If you’ve been wanting to get an organized start on preserving your photos, heirlooms, and family history, this is a great chance to learn the best techniques to make it easier.

The second session of GRIP, slated for July 17-22, will feature seven course offerings:

• Advanced Genetic Genealogy
• Diving Deeper into New England: Advanced Strategies for Success
• From Confusion to Conclusion: How to Write Proof Arguments
• Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper
• Practical Genetic Genealogy
• Resources and Strategies for Researching Your Italian Ancestors
• Advanced Research Methods

That makes 13 different courses to choose from. Each one features five days of instruction by leading genealogical educators and the chance to interact with others who share your passion. Plus, it’s just plain fun!

GRIP is held at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh. Students can opt to stay on campus in a dormitory just steps from the main classroom building, with meals included. The dorm rooms aren’t luxurious, but they have private bathrooms, a mini-fridge and microwave. Think of it as going to summer school for a week with a bunch of genealogy buddies. If you’d like some idea of what it’s like, take a look at some photos and recaps I posted in previous years:

Inaugural Day at GRIP

News and Views from GRIP

And the GRIP Goes On...

Like I said, registration for the June session begins February 10 at noon EST. Sign-ups for the July session follow on March 2. You’ll find registration information here. Some courses tend to fill up quickly, so if you have a particular favorite in mind, you’ll want to get in as soon as possible. There's even a Countdown Page that takes you straight to registration. Enrollment usually remains open until a few weeks before classes start, with wait lists for full courses.

Here’s to warmer weather, and to hopefully seeing some of you at GRIP this summer!

--Shelley

Ready, Set: How to Watch RootsTech from Home

The genealogy world lens is focused on Salt Lake City right now in preparation for RootsTech 2016. Thousands are converging there for four days of classes, exhibits, keynote presentations, and entertainment starting Wednesday, February 3. It’s expected to be the largest family history conference in North America, if not the world.

And I won’t be there.

But I’m not going to sit and feel sorry for myself. I intend to follow along and join in the fun from afar. And if you’re stuck at home like me, so can you.

FamilySearch, which produces RootsTech in conjunction with numerous sponsors, is once again providing global live streaming of selected sessions. With the help of social media, you can hear the latest news, read recaps, see photos, watch videos, and even communicate with other participants.

Just as those attending in person need to pack and plan, it helps to spend a little time preparing to follow RootsTech virtually. Here’s some tips to help you get ready to join the audience that will be watching from around the globe:

1. Get familiar with the RootsTech website, www.rootstech.org. Here you can see the full schedule of classes, learn about the keynote speakers, and find lists and links to exhibitors and ambassadors—many of the people who will be reporting live from RootsTech. This is also where you’ll tune in to watch live streaming sessions, which are offered Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

2. Click on Live Stream Schedule to find the sessions that will be broadcast globally in real time. Note the times of the ones you want to watch—and remember to convert them from Mountain Time (MST) to your local time zone. If there are some you can’t fit into your schedule, don’t despair—the videos will be available afterward, on the same website.

Here’s some live streaming classes I have on my must-see list:

• Amy Crow: Best Websites and Apps for Local History (Thurs. 1:30 pm)
• Lisa Louise Cooke: Proven Methodology for Using Google in Genealogy (Fri. 1:30 pm)
• Peggy Lauritzen: Homespun and Calico: Researching Our Foremothers (Sat. 3:00 pm)
• James Ison: Using the Genealogical Proof Standard for Success (Sat. 4:30 pm)

3. Download the syllabus materials for the live stream sessions, as well as other sessions that interest you. That’s right, the handouts for all classes have been posted on the website. I’ve found this is actually a multi-step process:

• Click on 2016 Classes to see class titles and descriptions. Use the left sidebar to filter your choices, or click on the Speakers tab to find sessions offered by particular speakers. Note the code number for the class.
• Example: Tom Jones is teaching “Solutions for Missing and Scarce Records,” code number RT8290
• Go back to the homepage, click on Class Syllabus, and find that class by opening up the selections for the appropriate category (this one is in "RootsTech 3000 and above"). You’ll see a PDF of the handout.
• If you like, save the syllabus in a RootsTech folder on your desktop, or in Dropbox, Evernote, or another cloud service. (I like Evernote because it indexes every word in the document, so I can easily find things again.)
• Of course, this isn’t the same as actually seeing or hearing the presentation being given, but it's still pretty cool, and can give you some helpful hints and resources to refer to

The Class Schedule page offers several ways to find classes that interest you

4. Get your social media engine revved up to follow the action on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Twitter is especially fun because the commentary is so immediate. Some exhibit hall vendors offer special deals that they extend to viewers at home, and you’ll hear about those, too. Look for and use the official hashtag, #RootsTech. 

Twitter will be buzzing with #RootsTech posts

5. Follow some of the bloggers listed as Ambassadors to see recaps, photos, and the latest news. They’re all good, so you can’t go wrong. But if you can only pick one, I’d suggest you follow Randy Seaver’s Genea-Musings. In past years, Randy has done compilations of posts from numerous bloggers, saving you some legwork. He’ll give you a good taste for what’s going on.

6. Remember to tune in to watch the live streaming. The feed will start automatically on the RootsTech homepage at the scheduled time. You don’t have to register, sign in, or do anything except watch.

And that’s how you, too, can share in the fun and discovery of RootsTech without leaving home. The kicker? It’s absolutely free. Thank you, FamilySearch!

-Shelley

Avoiding Ancestor Identity Mix-Ups

Let’s face it—it can be hard to tell your ancestors apart from others with similar names, ages, and residences. It’s especially hard when all you have to go on is a single record, a short listing in an index or database, or a name in someone else’s online family tree.

In fact, it’s kind of like picking your suitcase out from a long line of similarly sized and colored bags on the baggage claim belt. How can you be sure you’ve got the right one?

That’s a problem every genealogist faces at some point. So it’s good to have a few strategies up your sleeve. After all, who wants to waste time tracking a false lead, or have to go back and prune stray branches off their tree later?

Which is precisely the reason I wrote my latest article, “Mistaken Identities,” for Family Tree Magazine. In it, I offer seven strategies for making sure the records you claim actually belong to your ancestors.

All seven strategies are easy to implement, and can help you keep your genealogy hunt on track. I talk about:

• the best way to use online family trees
• how to see what’s behind an index or database listing
• how tools like charts and timelines can help
• what a map can show you
• why you should get to know your ancestor's network
• the danger of making assumptions
• how to play devil’s advocate to settle tricky questions

The article is filled with details and examples. You’ll find it in the January/February 2016 issue of Family Tree Magazine. For a little preview, check out my interview with Lisa Louise Cooke in this newly-released podcast. It was a real thrill for me to talk with Lisa, who I’ve admired for a long time.

The current issue of Family Tree Magazine has a lot of other great articles too, all aimed at being “Your 2016 Genealogy Discovery Guide.” Authors include Sunny Jane Morton, Harold Henderson, David Fryxell, Karin Berry, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Denise Levenick, and Maureen Taylor. If you’re not a subscriber, you might be able to find a copy at your local bookstore (my Barnes & Noble’s carries it), or see the Family Tree Magazine website to order one. You can also get it as a digital download if you prefer.

I hope you find the article helpful and inspiring. I’d love to hear your feedback, as well as any other tips you might have for avoiding mix-ups. Here’s wishing you a successful year of finding your ancestors!

--Shelley

Photo of flight baggage by skeddy in NYC, used under terms of Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license

For Auld Lang Syne: Patron Song of Genealogists

As we close out the old year and welcome in the new one, I’d like to share with you my favorite version of “Auld Lang Syne,” performed by James Taylor. I confess to listening to this haunting yet hopeful tune when I’m feeling reflective year-round, not just during the holidays.

According to Wikipedia, the original poem that provides the lyrics was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. The music is a traditional folk song. In fact, the origins of the song may stretch back to an earlier ballad printed by James Watson in 1711. However you figure it, that’s a lot of New Year’s Eves ago.

But what does it mean? The original Scottish title can be loosely translated to “long, long ago,” “old times,” or “days gone by.” The lyrics ask whether old times, and old friends, should be forgotten. They seem to remind us, in the words of a traditional camp song, to “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, and the other gold.” It’s sung on New Year’s Eve in English-speaking countries around the world, and played on other occasions as well.

As family historians, we do our best to keep the memories of old times, and the legends of people who lived long gone, alive. We are preservationists at heart. The message of “Auld Lang Syne” is one that speaks to what we do each time we research and tell the stories of our ancestors. When you think about it, it could be the patron song of genealogists.

I hope you enjoy this rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” May you have a new year filled with peace, prosperity, good health, and good times!

--Shelley

Note: This post originally appeared on A Sense of Family on December 31, 2012. How time flies! If you remember it from then, thank you for being such a loyal reader, and I hope you enjoy it just as much this time around.  

Researching Civil War Veterans in G.A.R. Records

Do you have a Union Civil War veteran in your family tree? If so, have you checked to see if he joined a local Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) post?

G.A.R. units sprang up in communities throughout the U.S. (especially the northern states) in the latter part of the 19th century. While essentially a fraternal organization offering camaraderie for Civil War vets, G.A.R. meetings also provided men with information about things like changes in pension laws or requirements. Each local Post was part of a statewide Department, which in turn reported to the national Commander.

And lucky for us, they kept good records of their members. Many have been lost, but some have survived and are now in various archival collections.

What can G.A.R. records tell you about your ancestor?

The most helpful information often comes from a record-keeping journal called the Post Descriptive Book. This is essentially the local post’s inventory of its members. The post descriptive books that I’ve seen (all from Ohio) contain the following:

• Veteran’s name
• Member number (indicates order in which he joined the post)
• City or township of residence
• Occupation
• Date of birth
• Place of birth (city or county if same state, otherwise name of state or foreign country)
• Date of military enlistment
• Military rank
• Company or companies he served in
• Date of discharge 

That’s a lot of good information!

Other sources to look for include the post’s application for charter, its members’ applications for membership, and the post’s quarterly muster rolls. If you discover your ancestor was an officer of the post or served as a delegate to one of the Department (state) or National Encampments, you might find even more records of interest.

How do you know what post your ancestor might have joined?

Men typically joined the post closest to where they were living at the time. So the first thing to do is find your veteran in the 1870,1880, and 1900 federal censuses, and perhaps the surviving remnants of the 1890 veteran’s schedule. City and county directories can also be helpful.

Once you know his residence, visit the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War’s Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Records Project. They’ve assembled state-by-state listings of all known G.A.R. posts. You might also check old county histories, which often named the local G.A.R. units with pride. In addition, the obituaries and cemetery markers of former soldiers sometimes indicate their G.A.R. affiliations.

Most G.A.R. posts are identified by both a number and a name. The name was often selected to honor a local military or public figure. I'd also like to mention that Larry Stevens has compiled a very helpful list of Ohio G.A.R. Posts, organized by county.

Where can you find G.A.R. records?

The FamilySearch Wiki article, “Union Veterans’ and Lineage Society Records,” is a good place to start. It indicates that the Family History Library has films for Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, and Utah G.A.R. units, and discusses Illinois records. Collections for Kansas and New York are available at Ancestry.com. 

If your ancestor didn’t live in one of those states, your best bet is to check your state archives or state library to see if it has any G.A.R. records in its collection. You might also check university libraries or other regional or local repositories. Since I’m most familiar with Ohio, I’ll use that as an example. A search for “Grand Army of the Republic” in the Ohio History Connection’s (OHC) Online Collections Catalog of manuscripts and state archives returns a number of results. Among them is MSS 715: Grand Army of the Republic, Dept. of Ohio Records, 1876-1936.

Now, normally I’d suggest you look at the collection’s finding aid to see exactly what it includes, but this particular collection is in the process of being reorganized for better preservation, and the new finding aid isn’t out yet. The records are still available for use, though, and the archivists are happy to help you find what you need. I’ll warn you that the holdings are hit-or-miss, with good records for some posts and next to nothing for others. I suspect that’s probably the case in other states as well.

Those of you with Ohio connections might like to know that OHC has the post descriptive books for Posts 34, 107, 109, 665, 674, 704, 717, 728, 746, and 752. They also have a scattering of muster rolls, applications for charter, election reports, minute books, encampment registers, and financial account books.

For example, here’s the application for the charter of Post 156, known as Groce’s Post, in Chillicothe, Pickaway County, Ohio. It was chartered on 4 November 1881:

Notice all the different inks and handwritings. It looks like each of these charter members filled out his own information, giving you his signature and a sample of his handwriting. Pretty cool, huh? Of course the post went on to gain many more members—this just documents those who were in on its founding. And it doesn’t provide any personal information. That’s why the descriptive books are such gems, when you can find them. This particular one is missing.

Will G.A.R. records tell you who your ancestor’s parents were?

Well, no, at least not directly. But they can provide additional pieces of evidence to help you identify potential parents and answer other questions about him. And they give you a ready-made circle of friends and associates who knew him, which can lead to more records. In genealogy, widening the circle around your target can be just the ticket to narrowing in on the answer you seek.

If you’ve used G.A.R. records, I’d be interested to know what you found. And if you haven’t, I hope this might encourage you to give them a try. It’s one more way to uncover the fascinating story of your Civil War veteran’s life.

--Shelley

G.A.R. postcard image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, attributed to Derry Public Library.

Related Posts: 

A Virtual Gallery of Civil War Photographs

Newel King, 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Honoring Civil War Veterans at The Ridges

Back in the Saddle

My dad, Edward (Eddie) Ballenger

Those of you who follow this blog may have noticed it's been a bit quiet around here lately. The truth is, I experienced a personal high and low in the same week in June, and it’s taken me awhile to find my balance again.

The high point was that I attended Judy Russell’s course, Advanced Methodology & Evidence Analysis, at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University. And it was fantastic! Judy, the other instructors, and my fellow classmates made for an amazing learning experience. I was honored to be one of the recipients of the Birdie Monk Holsclaw Memorial Scholarship, along with my dear friend and colleague Laura Prescott. 

Completing this course was a goal I’ve had for a long time, and it was all I hoped it’d be.

The low point was that my father passed away while I was there. He had been ill for some time, but not critically so, and his death was unexpected. Wrestling with my emotions and the decision of whether or not to leave Samford and go home took more than a little wind out of my sails (an analogy my dad, an avid sailor, would appreciate). In the end, the funeral was slated for the following week, and I was able to help with arrangements from afar by sending digitized photos for his memorial slideshow. I finished the course and still got home two days before calling hours.

Simultaneously, in another state, my 91-year-old father-in-law became ill, and we literally flew from my father’s funeral to be with him. Happily, he recovered and is doing pretty well now, all things considered.

Needless to say, though, the whole experience left me drained. Blogging ended up being the last thing on my mind. As time went by, it seemed harder and harder to pick it up again.

But thanks to encouragement from my friends and family, I’m back. As genealogists, we talk about our ancestors’ friends and associates as a critical component of their lives. Well, it works that way in the present too, doesn’t it? Those close to us have a way of standing by us and nudging us to continue on.

Today happens to be the fifth anniversary of the day I oh-so-tentatively entered my first post on A Sense of Family. So it’s the perfect time to say thank you to all my readers, whether you’ve followed me from the beginning, just recently stumbled upon my site, or fall somewhere in-between. A special thanks to everyone who has stuck by me through this quiet time. I hope to get back to blogging more regularly and sharing more of my discoveries with you in the coming year.

And I hope you’ll share with me as well, because it’s much more fun that way! I love seeing your comments and questions.

On we go... 

--Shelley