Monday This 'n That

Articles in this post: MIA, It's A Matter Of Faith, Nebraska's Best (Decendents News), Upcoming Nebraska Genealogy Events and Meetings

MIA
Yes, I've been missing in action of late. We've been having lots of babies here on the farm. Plus the garden has kept me from being infront of the computer plus the scanner portion of my printer went on the fritz so I had no way of sharing photos with you like I wanted.

I am now the proud owner of a wand type portable scanner and will be scanning pictures this week. Soooooo..............we are on a role again! I've got some great projects going!

Nebraska's Best (Decendents News)

The Monday's This 'n That post every week will include important information on the site, a DECENDENTS NEWS section where the family can make announcements, etc on current news. Does anyone remember what Decendent means?

Decendent: Proceeding from an Ancestor.................WHAT? Basically when working on your family history you choose a starting point. Generally that point is you. Everyone behind you are ancestors and everyone going forward (your children, grandchildren, etc) are decendents. However, in the instance of your decentents, you are an ancestor. There have we gone in a perfect circle now?

Basically we'd like to hear from the family about what is going on with you and your children. Keep it general and basic please since we're on the net but do keep us a bit updated. From the perspective of this BLOG the decendents of Michael and Jean Slocum are:

Billie Jean (Slocum) Hansen (5 children), Sean Michael Slocum (4 children plus caring for/adopted Kimberly's), Christopher Gene Slocum (2 children), Kimberly Jean (Slocum) Coffman (4 children) and Katrina Marie (Slocum) Shlick (2 children).

We would like to hear from the cousins of Michael Slocum and Jean (Gesch) Slocum. This means we want to know more about your families and discuss the possiblility of getting together with you for some kind of Cousins Event. It also means that we want to hear from the children of the Children of Chester A. Cunningham and Onieta Mae (Hall) Cunningham, George W. Slocum and Etta Mae (Sinclair) Slocum, August F. Gesch and Mary Elizabeth "Marie" (Rebensdorf) Gesch and Stephen J. Shavlik and Jennie Phoebe (Gunter) Shavlik.

If you are 'cousins' as described above can you let us know more about you and your children? You can EMAIL us or post on this message. We can't wait to hear from you!

It's A Matter Of Faith

I am also gathering information for an article about the faith of our fathers. What do you know about the religious life of your ancestors. If you are part of our families please EMAIL me with what you know.

Sometimes an apparent lack of faith in one of our ancestor's can give us a clue of many things. Are they hiding their faith? Were they persecuted for their faith? What do you know about your ancestors faith? Did they have a favorite Hymn or Song? How did they live out their faith?

Watch for my progress in this area. REMEMBER our goal is to make these people 'real' and not forgotten and not just names on a Family History Genealogy sheet.

Upcoming Nebraska Genealogy Activities and Meetings

Nebraska Educational Television's (NET) documentary of the OCGS "Tombstone Tour" can be found at: Tombstone tour: Finding the value in Nebraska cemeteries

Sunday, June 3, 2012:  2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Walt Branch Library,  6701 South 14th St., Lincoln.  Rayma Shrader will be at Walt Branch Library from 2-4 PM to assist LLCGS members and anyone else interested in genealogical research.  Bring your questions about 1940 census, puzzles related to where to search next, etc. Invite folks who are curious about genealogy and they can learn how to begin using library resources. 

5 June 2012: Family History Library (Latter Day Saints) 8:30 pm 3000 Old Cheney Road, Lincoln. IMMIGRATION

7 June 2012: Tri-State Corners Genealogical Society (includes Richardson County) Meetings are 7:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Pioneer Plaza Meeting Room, 1820 Barada Street, Falls City, NE.


16 June 2012: Family History Library (Latter Day Saints) 8:30 pm 3000 Old Cheney Road, Lincoln. EMIGRATION

16 Jun 2012: The Otoe County Genealogical Society will be hosting a presentation on "Witching Unmarked Graves" from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Unadilla Cemetery in Unadilla, Nebraska, and afterwards at the Park Hill Cemetery in Syracuse. Cost is $5.00, which includes a witching rod and presentation material. Checks need to be made out to "OCGS" and mailed in along with your name and contact information by June 1st to P.O. Box 465, Syracuse, NE 68446. If you would like more information regarding this event, please contact OCGS president, Mary Hanke at hankemary@cox.net.


16 Jun 2012: The Greater Omaha Genealogical Society will be hosting a FREE gernealogy class, titled, Part I: "Finding Family on the Internet—Is It Accurate?" Once thought to be primarily the tool of business and science, the internet is being taken over by genealogists. What’s out there? Part II: "There’s More in the Courthouse than Vital Records." Learn what helpful records can be found in the courthouse to document your family history. This class will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 12:00pm at the Mormon Trail Center, 3215 State Street in Omaha. Classes are free, but pre-registration is requested. Please call (402) 706-1453 or email at genclass@aol.com.


23 June 2012: Extra! Extra! Read All About It – using newspapers for genealogy research.
Presented by Susan Petersen of LongLostRelatives.net  11:00 am W. Dale Clark Library, 215 S. 15th St, Omaha, NE 

Monday This 'n That

Nebraska First Families and Pioneer Families

It looks like between Mike and I we have eight surnames that qualify as a Nebraska First Family or a Pioneer Family. I have eight months left in 2012 and I hope to be able to get all my proof together so that all eight families are ready for certificate applications before the end of the year.

I am currently working on the HALL family (Mike's Maternal Grandmother's line) who came to Nebraska with a 4 wagon, wagon train in September 1864, while the Civil War was still going on which made travel from Illinois a bit dangerous. William and Nancy (Thompson) HALL came with three small children and 2 wagons of their own. Joining them was Nancy's brother and another young man to the 'HALL' farm in extreme northern Richardson County, Nebraska near Stella. It appears that William Hall purchased this land prior to coming with his family. His father Aquilla (Equillar) came three years later. The HALL's were Baptists, the Elder HALL being a Preacher in a church in Illinois.

Corrections Have Been Made on the Slocum Photo from Photo Thursday last week.

Southeast Nebraska Genealogy Events This Week

via http://longlostrelatives-smp.blogspot.com/p/genealogy-events-in-nebraska.html

May 8, 2012, 7:15 pm

Dick Administration Building, Union College, 3800 S 48th St, Lincoln

Lincoln Lancaster County Genealogical Society monthly program: Genealogical Research Related to Cemeteries. Presented by Gail Blankenau. Pointers for genealogical research related to cemeteries encourage providing data and photos to help other genealogists.

May 9 and 16, 2012, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Southeast Community College Education Center, Room 405, 301 S. 68^th St Place, Lincoln, NE

Intermediate Genealogy: Research Your Family Tree.

Instructors: Marcia Stewart, Cynthia Monroe

$25 tuition

Page 21 course catalog

Organizing the Search - Setting Up Your File System

To set up and use file folders to organize your genealogy records you will need the following basic supplies:

1. A filing cabinet or file boxes with lids.  The boxes need to be strong, preferable plastic, with horizontal inner ridges or grooves for letter-size hanging files.
2. Colored, letter-size hanging file folders in blue, green, red and yellow.  Look for ones with large tabs.  You can also save a bit of money here by purchasing standard green hanging file-folders instead, and using colored labels for the color-coding.
3. Manila folders.  These should have slightly smaller tabls than the hanging file folders, and should have reinforced tops to last through heavy use.
4. Pens.  For best results, use a pen with an ultra fine point, felt time, and black, permanent, acid-free ink.
5. Highlighters.  Buy highlighters in light blue, light green, yellow and pink (don't use red because it is too dark).  Colored pencils also work.
6. Labels for file folders.  These labels should have blue, red, green, and yellow strips along the top and permanent adhesive on the back.

Once you've assembled your supplies, it's time to get started with the file folders.  Use different colored file folders for the lineages of each of your four grandparents - in other words, all folders created for the ancestors of one grandparent will be marked with the same color.  The colors you select are up to you, but the following color choices are the most common:

• BLUE - ancestors of your paternal grandfather (father's father)
• GREEN - ancestors of your paternal grandmother (father's mother)
• RED - ancestors of your maternal grandfather (mother's father)
• YELLOW - ancestors of your maternal grandmother (mother's mother)

Using the colors as outlined above, create a separate folder for each surname, writing names on the hanging file tab insert with the black permanent marker (or printing inserts on your printer).  Then hand the files in alphabetical order in your file box or cabinet by color (i.e. put the blues alphabetically in one group, the greens in another group, etc.).

If you're ne to genealogy research, this may be all you need to do.  If you have accumulated a lot of notes and photocopies, however, it is now time to subdivide.  Here is where you need to choose how you want to organize your files.  The two most popular methods are:

1. By Surname. Then further broken down as needed by locality and/or record type
2. By Family Group.

The basic filing instructions are the same for each, the difference is primarily in how they are organized.  If you aren't sure yet which method will work best for you, try using the Surname method for one surname and the Family Groups method for one or two families.  See which one suits you best, or develop your on combination of the two.

FAMILY GROUP METHOD

Create a family group sheet for each married couple listed on your pedigree chart.  Then set up manila folders for each of the families by putting a colored label on the file folder tab.  Match the label color to the color of the appropriate family line.  On each label, write the names of the couple (using the maiden name for the wife) and the numbers from your pedigree chart (using the ahnentafel numbering system).  Example:  James JONES and Nancy AVERY, 4/5.  Then place these manila family folders in the hanging folders for the appropriate surname and color, arranging in alphabetical order by the husband's firstname or in numerical order by the numbers from your pedigree chart.

In the front of each manila folder, attach the family group record of the family to serve as a table of contents.  If there was more thn one marriage, make a separate folder with a family group record for each other marriage.  Each family folder should include all documents and notes from the time of a couple's marriage.

Documents which pertain to events prior to their marriage should be filed in the folders of their parents, such as birth certificates and family census records.

SURNAME & RECORD TYPE METHOD

First sort your files by surname, and then create manila folders for each of the record types for which you have paperwork by putting a colored label on the file folder tab, matching the label color to the surname.  On each label, write the name of the surname, followed by the record type. 

Example:  CRISP:  Census; CRISP: Land Records

Then place these manila family folders in the hanging olders for the appropriate surname and color, arranging in alphabetical order by the type of record.

In the front of each manila folder, create and attach a table of the contents that indexes the contents of the folder.  Then add all documents and notes which correspond with the surname and type of record.

Monday This n That

Organizing the Search

I have two hobbies (sewing and geneaology) that share the same room/office.  Most of you know that it is not the most organized room but I'm working on it.  This is also where my desk is for bill paying and the like and most everything is all mixed together.  Most of the time I know where things are at so if you ask me for something I usually know which pile to go to.  I ALWAYS have a desire to be organized so I started searching the web for ideas on the best way to organize my genealogy so that I could work on it effectivly.  Recently I found that I had paid for a few birth and death certificates that I already had so something HAS to be done.

As  you progress in your family history research you'll find that you have numerous paper documents to file for the individucals that you are researching.  These documents will include; birth records, census records, newspaper articles, wills, correspondence.  You'll find that you need some type of filing system that will keep these documents accessable.

Commonly used genealogical filing systems include:

• Surname - All papers for an individual surname are filed together
• By Couple or Family - All papers related to a husband and wife or family unit are filed together.
• By Family Line - All papers related to a specific family ine are filed together.
• By Event - All papers related to a specific event type are filed together.

After breaking the system down as above you can then further organize your papers into categories:

• By Location - Break it down by country, state, county or town.
• By Record Type - Birt Records, Census Records, wills, etc

Filing Systems

Once you get started organizing your genealogical clutter, you'll probably find that a combinatio of storage methods work best for you.  I find the binder methods works when I am working on a current family or line.  This keeps my research easily accessible and portable.  I also use a combination of compter and paper files. 

• Filing Cabinet & Folders - This is probably the most popular organizational tool.  They are inexpensive, somewhat portable and easily hold papers of different shapes and sizes.
• Binders - Binders are portable and don't require a filing cabinet.  If you don't wish to punch holes i your documents you can put them in polypropelene sleeves. 
• Computer Disks, CD's and DVD's - This method can save a lot of time and space.  It greatly speeds up sorting and cross-referencig. Keep the future generations in mind. As fast as technology is changing in 50 years will your descendents be able to access the files on your disc or will yor technology be so outdated that it will be unusable.  If you use this methos consider making and preservig copies or printouts of important documents.

Next Monday we'll discuss how to set up a filing system.

Saturday, May 5 through Sunday, May 6

Nebraska State Genealogical Society
Annual Meeting and Conference 

Have you registered yet?

The 2012 NESGS Annual Membership Meeting and Conference will be held in Grand Island, Nebraska on May 5th and 6th at the Midtown Holiday Inn. The featured speaker is Laura Prescott, professional researcher,writer and speaker. Additional sessions wil be presented by Gary Zaborketsky, Kim Verrell, Cateherine Renschler, and others.

This is the 35th anniversary of NSGS. Cost for the conference is $85.00 for both days and includes lunch and the syllabus. A one day conference registraion is $50.00.

LLCGS will have a table at the conference.

For more info visit http://NESGS.org

One of Nebraska's Finest

New Nebraska State Trooper Christopher Slocum, his wife Kandi, and children Danny and Jenny
They will be moving to Chris' new post in Fillmore County, Nebraska in the next couple of weeks. Please pray for them!!

Thursday This n That

Articles in this post:  The Big Switch, Nebraska's Best (Decendents News), Organizing Your Files.  The Monday's This 'n That post every week will include important information on the site, a DECENDENTS NEWS section where the family can make announcements, etc on current news, an article on Organizing or other infomation related to Genealogy including any trips we've made or classes we've attended.

The Big Switch
Next week we'll be switching things around a bit.  Our scheduled posts will appear as follows:

Monday:  Monday This 'n That
Tuesday:  Tuesday Family Trivia
Wednesday:  Beginning Genealogy Workshop
Thursday:  Photo Thursday
Friday:  Genealogy Challenge

Nebraska's Best

Chris Slocum son of Mike and Jean Slocum will be sworn in as one of Nebraska's Best a Nebraska State Patrolman today at the state capital in Lincoln.

Homesteading in Nebraska

In case you haven't alreay figured it out, your new hobby in Genealogy has naturally made you a historian.  You probably knew you had a natural bent or interest in history anyway.  This year our country is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the NATIONAL HOMESTEAD ACT.  In Nebraska the Homestead Monument in Beatrice, a National Park, is planning a series of activities.  Because so many of our personal ancestors took advantage of this opportunity I have made it a personal goal to get as many First Settlers and Pioneer Certificates as I can get this year.  I'm hoping that I can get all ----- of them. 

To commemorate this I'm also going to be doing a series of posts on Homesteading in Nebraska and offering some family activities that you and your families can participate in also.

HEADS UP!  This article and the ones following are leading up to our Tuesday Trivia Question coming next week.

This next week you have the opportunity to learn more at the Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska as they beging the 150th year anniversary of the Homestead Act.

Wednesday, April 25

Original Document Display (Educational Opportunities)

10:00 am - Homestead National Monument Beatrice

Plan to go to Beatrice Ne to visit Homestead National Monument where the original Homestead Act document will be on display beginnig at 10:00 AM on Wednesday,April 25th. Later that same day there will be a Naturalization ceremony at 2:00 PM. For more information visit the website at www.nps.gov/HOME or call 402.223.3514.

THE HOMESTEAD ACT


Imagine yourself as a young person in a place where the land has all been taken. You might want to become a farmer, but there is no farmland available. Then imagine seeing advertisements for land, some for very little money, some for free! You face many unknowns. What is this new land really like? Will there be enough rainfall to grow your crops? Will you have neighbors? Who will they be? What about the people who are already on the land?

The Homestead Act, combined with other factors, unleashed a movement of people that lasted into the 20th Century. In this photo, emigrants arrive at the Gates Post Office in Custer County in 1886. Photo by Solomon Butcher. Wagon trains became the stuff of legends.

The reality of life and death on the wagon train was something different, as Dr. Robert Munkres explained in this video.

How did all this land become available? In the 1830s the federal government had said this area was Indian country — a place where Native Americans could live as independent nations. But with passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, the government went back on that promise and opened the land to settlement. Newcomers came slowly and began to gradually create farms, towns, and industries.
To encourage this settlement throughout the West, the U.S. Congress passed the Homestead Act and President Lincoln pushed for the building of a railroad across the country. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave 160 acres of public land to any head of household who lived on the land five years. The railroads were given huge tracts of land to encourage construction. They offered this land for sale to immigrants at low cost.
Thousands of settlers, many with families, did move to the Nebraska Territory from the eastern regions of the United States. Smaller numbers came from foreign nations. These settlers traveled westward across the country onto the Great Plains and played a key role in the settlement of Nebraska. Federal land policies set in motion great changes in the physical and cultural landscape.

The above article was taken from a great site called Nebraska Studies and has tons of other great information and activities for young and old alike to learn about homesteading in Nebraska.

Spend some time at the above site learning all you can about the lives of YOUR ancestors who homesteaded this great state of Nebraska.  Then plan some fun family time activities to celebrate!