All Saints' Anglican Church destroyed by fire

All Saints' Anglican Church in Whitby, Ontario was destroyed by fire a few days ago. This church was founded in 1864 and has been in use since that time.

Investigators think that the fire may have been set deliberately and when I read this all I could think about was the church records. Were the church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials or deaths destroyed? Are they safe?

No one was hurt in the fire (a blessing) but it's a tragedy and hopefully the guilty culprits will be found and punished to the fullest extent of the law

Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question

Do you need help finding an ancestor? Do you have a genealogy question you would like to ask me? Do you want to know where to find certain genealogy records? Let Lorine help! Every day I will choose one question to answer. Send your query about your ancestors to me then check back here to see if it has been answered. Please take a few minutes to read other queries that I've responded to so you get an idea of the kind of query most apt to be chosen.

Here are a few of the December 2009 queries asked and answered on Ask Olive Tree

* Searching for a Portuguese Ancestor
* Obtaining New York Vital Statistic Records
* Finding an ancestor with an unusual surname
* Don't Trust Family Lore as Absolute Fact
* Writing a Good Query
* Finding Genealogy Records in Russia
* Finding a Swedish Ancestor on a Ships Passenger List
* Be sure to gather all data before you jump ahead in genealogy research
* Finding an Ancestor in 1910 Census using City Directories
* Finding an Ancestor's Death Record
* Searching for American Legion Inventory of Military Graves
* Using National Archives UK to find Australian Ancestor

Submit your genealogy challenge to AskOliveTree@gmail.com

St, George Utah Family History Expo

Don't miss the 6th Annual St. George Family History Expo February 26-27, 2010 in St. George Utah.

This Family History Expo is your chance to learn about your family origins

Two Genealogy Subscriptions for One!

NewspaperARCHIVE.com & World Vital Records have a great offer this Christmas Season. Subscriptions to both for the price of one!

Give a gift of genealogy to yourself or a loved one by signing up for this special buy one, get subscriptions to both websites and their wonderful genealogy data.

Form 30 Border Crossings 1919-1924 at Library & Archives Canada

New - Microform Digitization of Border Crossings at LAC (Library & Archives Canada)

Form 30, Border Entry Records, 1919-1924

These records are not indexed at the LAC. According to LAC "The records were microfilmed in quasi-alphabetical order and the digitized images for Forms 30A (Archived) can be searched in that order in Digitized Microforms (Archived).

You can also search the INDEX to these records on Ancestry.com

1839 Petworth Emigrants Ships Passenger List

Thank you to Brenda Dougall Merriman for the following announcement

Colonel George Wyndham was the son of the third Earl of Egremont who was instrumental in the large Petworth Emigration of 1832-1837 to Canada from southeast England.

Wyndham also sponsored emigrations from his estates in Ireland, but only the first was conducted under similar care and conditions as those of his father. Now, historian Wendy Cameron has uncovered a list of that first group sent from Ireland in 1839 on the ship Waterloo. The list includes names, ages, family members, and their locations in January 1840. The names of most towns and townships are in the old
Newcastle District of Upper Canada, but some went on to the United States.

For more information, please visit our Petworth Emigrations website. We also have a group presence on Facebook called Petworth Emigrants.

Arizona Family History Expo

Don't miss the 2nd Annual Arizona Family History Expo January 22-23, 2010 in Mesa Arizona

Family History Expos are opportunities to learn about the techniques and technology available to trace your family origins

Sharing Memories: A Genealogy Journey (Week 1)

A few months ago I talked about Memory Books and Genealogy Journal writing

It's important as genealogists that we not forget about writing our own story. Yes, we all want to find information on our ancestors and once we find it, most of us will put it in booklet form to share with other family members. But what about our own memories? We may think writing about ourselves is boring or egotistical but stop and think how excited you would be if you found a journal or memoirs that your great great grandmother kept!

I began my Life Story last year. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I started with my first memory and tried to keep my journal chronological. It was a matter of writing down my memories of each year of my life - or so I thought! That soon proved to be very difficult. I got confused - had I written about my mother falling on the ice her first time skating? Or my father dressing up as Santa then giving out the wrong presents? I simply could not recall what I had already written and what was a memory that had just surfaced.

So after months of mulling this over I've decided on a new method of writing my own life story. This new method will keep me on track, and will help get rid of confusion - did I or didn't I already talk about an event.

I will write about my memories of the past - memories of my family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings), memories of special events, stories told by my parents or grandparents, my time at school, as a child, a teenager, an adult, newly married - in short it will be my life story but broken into events (topics) rather than chronological.

My hope is that my readers will follow along with me on this genealogy journey. I invite you to start your own journal and write along with me day by day, week by week and month by month. I will share some of my stories as I go along, and it would be wonderful if readers shared theirs too by using the comment feature on this blog, or by posting to your own blog.

I'll be writing my journal using various topics as a guideline, and I'll keep my journal for that week following the topic guidelines. A weekly topic will keep us writing daily in order to complete the topic by the end of the week!

A few suggestions are

* Buy a good book to keep your Life Memories in. I write in leather bound journals from Iona Handcrafted books, simply because I like how they feel and look important! They look like something that won't be tossed in the trash 50 years from now. That's important because I"m writing my memories for my descendants - children, grandchildren, great grandchildren not yet born. So I don't want to write in something that could easily be discarded in the future simply because it doesn't look worth saving

* Combine facts (where you went to school, names of teachers, where you lived) as well as emotions - happy and sad. Remember these are your memories so it's up to you to decide what you want to share. But don't overlook the sad moments too.

* Stay focused on the topic but jot down other memories that pop into your head as you are writing. You will be amazed at what memories surface as you are putting your thoughts down on paper. You can add those jot notes later when we get to a topic that fits.

* Don't type your memories - writing them by hand gives your descendants a sense of YOU - your style, your emotions. Handwriting is a reflection of our personality.

* choose a daily time period to write. If you can get in the habit of writing at the same time each day, you will find your journal writing flows more easily. Write early morning with your cup of tea or coffee. Write just as you are going bed or after supper when the children have gone to bed. Whatever is a good quiet time for you. I try to set aside 30 minutes each day. I don't always write for that 30 minutes, sometimes all I manage is 5 or 10! But that's okay.

I'm going to begin my Sharing Memories Journal this month with a topic suitable for the season, so drop back tomorrow to see what topic I've chosen to start my Genealogy Journal. Hopefully you will join me to begin recording and saving your own precious memories of your life to date.

To find all our Sharing Memories Topics, just click on the SHARING MEMORIES label in the right side bar of this blog or on the SHARING MEMORIES label of this post

WW11 Collection FREE on Footnote.com in December

Exciting news from Footnote.com!

FOOTNOTE.COM HONORS WWII VETERANS WITH THE FIRST-EVER INTERACTIVE USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL

-Footnote.com Opens Their WWII Collection Free To The Public During December-

Lindon, UT – December 7, 2009 – In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, Footnote.com announced today that they will make the largest interactive WWII collection on the web including the Interactive USS Arizona Memorial free to the public during December. Featuring over 10 million records, documents and photos from the National Archives, this collection helps family members and historians better understand the people and events of WWII.

Included in this exclusive collection is the Interactive USS Arizona Memorial. This online version allows people to view the actual wall of names and search for those they know. An interactive box for each name on the wall features additional information about each veteran and includes a place where anyone can contribute photos and stories. View the Captain of the USS Arizona, Franklin Van Valkenburgh, on the interactive wall.


It’s estimated that a little over 2 million WWII veterans are still alive in the United States today. However, thousands of veterans are passing away every month taking with them many of the stories from WWII. Footnote.com is making an effort to help preserve these stories by digitizing documents from the National Archives and providing interactive tools to help people connect with each other.


Christina Knoedler from Pennsylvania used the Missing Air Crew Reports on Footnote.com to discover information about her father-in-law, who is a WWII veteran. “The other night, I showed him what I had found,” explains Christina. “He couldn’t believe that these papers existed. They had not only his name but also his buddies’ names. He started to reminisce and it was quite an evening. This will allow me to go back and document many more events in our family’s history for the generations to come.”


The Missing Air Crew Reports are just one of the record collections found on Footnote.com. Other WWII collections on Footnote.com include:


Pearl Harbor Muster Rolls
U.S. Air Force Photos
Submarine Patrol Reports
Japanese Air Target Analysis
Army JAG Case Files
Navy JAG Case Files
Naval Press Clippings
Allied Military Conferences
Holocaust Records

Sullivan Co. Tennessee Genealogy Database

The Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism announces its newest addition of the Lane Genealogical Research Database to its Special Collections.

Donald W. Lane, Ph.D., has donated his research database containing names and genealogical information on approximately 350,000 individuals and over 139,000 families primarily from the East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia region.

The following family names are found in the database: Allen, Alley, Anderson, Arnold, Babb, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Ball, Barker, Barnes, Barnett(e), Begley, Bellamy, Berry, Bishop, Blair, Bledsoe, Blevins, Bowen, Brickey, Brown, Burke, Campbell, Carter, Castle, Childress, Christian, Clark, Cole, Collins, Compton, Combs, Cox, Crawford, Cross, Culbertson, Darnell, Davidson, Davis, Dean, Dingus, Dockery, Dougherty, Edwards, Elliott, Estep, Fields, Flanary/Flannery, Fleenor, Fletcher, Ford, Frazier, Gibson, Gillenwater, Gilliam, Graham, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hammond(s), Harris, Hensley, Herron, Hicks, Hill, Hillman, Hilton, Hood, Horne, Horton, Jennings, Jessee, Johnson, Jones, Ketron, Kilgore, Lane, Lawson, Light, McClellan, McConnell, McDavid, McMurray, Meade, Miller, Moody, Moore, Mullins, Nickels, Osborn(e), Owens, Pendleton, Penley, Pennington, Peters, Phillips, Pierson, Porter, Powers, Price, Quillen/Quillin, Ramey, Reed, Rhoton, Roberts, Robinette, Robinson, Rogers, Roller, Salyer, Sanders, Shelton, Smith, Stallard, Stanley, Stapleton, Starnes, Stewart, Strong, Taylor, Templeton, Thompson, Tipton, Vaughn, Walker, Webb, Wells, White, Williams, Wilson, Wolfe, Wood.

The database is available Monday to Friday at the Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism. Visit the website for more information or to find out what other genealogy items are held at the Archives.

Richard Pence, 1932-2009

Richard Pence was a long-time member of NGS who contributed his many talents to the organization, especially in the early days of computer genealogy. We are saddened to learn of his recent death. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Conference Center located at 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203 Source: Upfront with NGS.

Read Richard Pence's obituary

Home!

Lorine is back - and I hope to be blogging on a daily basis SOON!

Surgery was successful, I spent 4 days in hospital and am home but very very tired. Sitting at my beloved computer is not something I can do for long periods, but every day I get a little stronger.

Thanks for my readers' patience, and I will be back on a more regular schedule as soon as I can.

I hope your genealogy hunting has been successful while I've been offline and I'll scout around to find out what's new in the online genealogy world ASAP.

NGS Research Trip to Salt Lake City, 24-31 January 2010

The National Genealogical Society is sponsoring a research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the last week of January 2010. This is the eleventh year for this educational event, and it will be co-led by Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS, and Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL.

The trip package price includes seven nights at the Salt Lake City Plaza Hotel, located next door to the Library. The Plaza is ideally located with access to the library, shopping malls and restaurants. Also included in the price are an informal reception on Sunday evening, pizza on Wednesday, and a last night dinner. Other meals are at your own expense, and airfare and personal expenses are not included. Complete details at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/research_trips

1921 Canadian Census Possible Release Date 2013

There have been many questions on mailing lists recently about the Canadian 1921 census release date. It appears we will have to wait until 2013 because according to Library and Archives Canada

Census returns after 1916 are in the custody of Statistics Canada, not Library and Archives Canada. The records are closed under the Statistics Act and the Act to Amend the Statistics Act.

The legislation does not permit the disclosure of personal information from post-1916census returns. Under the legislation, when 92 calendar years have elapsed since the taking of a census, those records will be opened for public use and transferred to Library and Archives Canada.

Reminder to Readers

Just a reminder to readers ---

On Monday Nov. 23rd I posted this announcement:

This post is a little different from my usual blog postings. I wanted to let readers know that tomorrow morning I am going for surgery and expect to be in hospital for about one week.

I've set up a few blog posts to publish automatically while I'm in hospital, but please be aware that for the next week or two, there will be fewer postings than usual.

As soon as I am able, I'll be back up and at it, and will resume daily genealogy articles, tips and announcements.

I'm still not available to write for the blog so please bear with me!

South Davis Regional Family History Fair

The South Davis Regional Family History Fair is one of Utah's largest and best genealogy fairs. The fair is held annually at Bountiful High School. The date of the next fair will be:

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The South Davis Regional Family History Center
3350 South 100 East
Bountiful, Utah 84010
(801) 299-4239

For more information, see: http://www.familyhistoryfair.com

25th annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour

Do You Want to Make Gigantic Leaps in Locating Your Ancestors?

Do you have brick-wall problems in your genealogy research?

If so - plan on joining the 25th annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library this December.

Why December? Early December is an ideal time to come to the Family History Library. The library isn't crowded, as it is at other times of the year. The festivities in Salt Lake City are underway and the Christmas Tour Family is waiting with open arms for you to join them.

By joining us in Salt Lake City on a Salt Lake Christmas Tour, you will be in the right place - at the right time - to locate more ancestors than you may have ever found before.

Details and Registration Form (PDF)

Lorine is doing great

Hi All. This is Lorines hubby. Lorine is doing great and they are sending her home tomorrow. I thing she will be back bloging in no time :)

2010 OGS Family History Writing Contest

Do you have a great story about your family? Any stories of struggles, immigration, or “black sheep”? That story may be a winner.
Why not share it in 2500 words or less.

The Oklahoma Genealogical Society’s (OGS) Family History Writing Contest provides the
opportunity for researchers to share special family stories with fellow genealogists. The stories may be historically or ethnically important, humorous, or just plain interesting. Writing a family history story will preserve that precious memory and history for descendants.

There is no entry fee for the contest, and membership in OGS is not required although dues are a low $20 per calendar year for an individual or $25 for family memberships at the same address. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month at the Oklahoma History Center, with a speaker on some area of interest to genealogists. Members receive the OGS Quarterly and are invited to submit free queries as well as receiving a discount on workshops, seminars and other events.

Eligibility:

All family historians and genealogists, except OGS Board members, are invited to submit their favorite story for the contest. There is no entry fee and membership in OGS is not required.

There will be two divisions: Adult and Student. If enough entries are received, the student category will be divided into elementary and high school divisions.

Rules:
Stories must be typed in a standard font (not italic or script), double-spaced on one side of standard letter-size 8.5" x 11" paper, which prints about 250 words per page. Entries must be a maximum of 2500 words, plus attachments.

Story title and page number must be shown in upper right corner of each page.

The entry form includes the story title, your name, your mailing address, email address and phone, approximate word count, and whether entering the Adult or Student category. The entry form will be used to identify and notify the winners when manuscripts are returned from judging.

Indicate that you have researched the events by citing your sources as footnotes or endnotes, and attach copies (not originals) of the documentation, which is not included in word count.

Family group sheets and pedigree charts should be included if pertinent (also not included in word count)

Stories must be original and unpublished at time of entry.

Include a Stamped Self Addressed Envelope (SASE) if you wish your manuscript and the judge’s comments (if any) to be returned to you.

Submit entry form with four (4) copies of your story at the December, January or February OGS meeting registration desk, or by US mail postmarked by January 30, 2010 (sooner is better) to:
OGS Family History Writing Contest
P. O. Box 12986
Oklahoma City, OK 73157

For full details and a downloadable entry form, visit the Oklahoma Genealogical Society’s web site at http://www.okgensoc.org/.

NARA Workshop in Waltham Massachusetts

The National Archives in Waltham Massachusetts is offering a free public workshop, "Census, Passenger Lists, & Naturalization Records" on Dec. 1 at 2:00 p.m. This workshop will teach researchers how to utilize the free public records at the site to research their family histories.

It is geared to both novice and experienced family historians.

The National Archives in Waltham is one of 14 regional facilities where the public has access to Federal archival records.

To register for the workshop, send an email to waltham.archives@nara.gov