THE 1950 US CENSUS

Just a quick reminder to those of us interested in family history and genealogy - the 1950 US Census is now open and ready for viewing.

Source: Bing clip art

Check out Family Search or Ancestry. I remember finding both my parents in the 1940 census and how exciting that was. 

Ten years later I am still excited about finding them in the census. How many of your relatives can you find in the 1950 census?? It is like a treasure hunt and such an adventure waiting to be taken. 

Have fun and best wishes in your search.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

HANDY BOOK FOR LANCASTER, PA AREA

Handy Book for Lancaster, PA area

For those of us who have ancestors in Lancaster County and the surrounding area in the 1700's, I would like to suggest finding or making a copy of this booklet for yourself. It is the "Records of Rev. John Casper Stoever - Baptismal and Marriage 1730-1779". It was originally published by Harrisburg Publishing Co. in Harrisburg, PA in 1896. 

 There is nothing promising about the way this booklet looks, but as a circuit riding preacher during those years, Rev. STOEVER kept a record of all the people he baptized and married. He spent much of his circuit in southeastern Pennsylvania, however, some locations are in northern Virginia and possibly a small corner of Maryland. 

I found a copy of it in a genealogy library years ago, and promptly photo copied the less than 100 pages. The copy I have has a more recent typed alphabetical index. I put my copies in a three ring binder with my other genealogy books and reference materials. It is a handy item to have. 

 For anyone with colonial area people in the Lancaster County, PA area - it is like a roster of who's who for common family names. I have no idea if this book can be purchased from a publisher or some website like amazon or eBay, but I would suggest it as a really great item to have on hand.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

MY THOUGHTS FOR ON-LINE FAMILY TREES

 MY THOUGHTS FOR ON-LINE FAMILY TREES

I have been asked several times recently what I think of on-line family trees and how do I personally use them. 

First we all need to remember that on-line family trees are done by people - some do the research, and some just put on whatever they feel fits, with no research or sources.  

Second, I do look at on-line family trees, HOWEVER, I use them as clues for where to look for sources. They are great to find clues and tips, but do not take them as "fact" until you do your own research and have found enough sources to back up what is there.

Obviously, some trees are well done and have sources attached - this is very helpful.  Sometimes it can even confirm your own research. Just as obviously, some trees are just thrown up there with no research and what appears to be little thought. I recently saw one for my own family where one set of the great grandparents had married when they were in the single digit ages - obviously there is a big problem.

Below is a print off from an on-line tree for Ben MUSSELMAN I recently found on Ancestry. It actually correlates pretty well to sources and research I have done for myself. There are reliable sources attached to the tree and even  a few photos. 

However, I questioned why there would be two daughters with basically the same name - my gr-gr-grandma Lizzie MUSSELMAN (1864-1925) and another sister Lizzie (1868-1942). The second Lizzie will need some research since both grew to adulthood and had families, it is unlikely that parents would recycle a name for a living child.  

In my documentation there is a daughter named Flora who would fit in this slot so maybe Lizzie was a nickname or maybe it is a mix up on an otherwise helpful family tree. 

So what can I glean from this family tree?? Obviously there are names and dates.  I personally was struggling with the dates for Ben's parents - this tree gave me better dates to look at.  I also did not notice before that his parents died in the late 1840's, as did another set of my gr-gr-gr-grandparents who were in Lancaster County at that time.  

The death dates of Ben's parents plus another set of 3 x gr-grandparents tells me I need to do some checking on epidemics going on in Lancaster during that time. 

The photo of Ben is him in his Civil War uniform.  I already have the documents for his military service, but if I did not this would be a clear clue to be looking for those records.

I print them off and put the print-offs in the binder or folder of that person.  I write notes on them and use them as a "working" paper.  Several months later, I will go back to the same tree on-line and see if corrections or additions have been made since I last looked. 

It is even possible to contact the owner of the tree and ask questions or make (kind) comments.  I have been able to trade info with other shirt tail relatives this way.  It can be very helpful.

No, I do not maintain an on-line family tree.  I tried years ago to do one on Family Search.  What I put on there was documented.  However, others could add info and soon it was full of stuff that had nothing to do with me.  I gave up arguing with the contributors and the website, and have not looked at it in a couple of years.  One good thing about Ancestry is that the trees cannot be changed by just anyone.

I encourage you to take a good long look at on-line family trees.  Do not take them as "gospel" but do use them as a way to get clues, and to complete or even confirm some of your own research.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

GOOD REMINDER TO SOURCE WHERE DOCUMENTS & PHOTOS COME FROM

GOOD REMINDER TO SOURCE WHERE DOCUMENTS & PHOTOS COME FROM

I was recently contacted by a very distant relative stating that I should have put him as the source of a photo which I have put on this blog in a couple different places.  Let me state here that while I am sorry I did not give him credit, I also did not know he was the original source of the photo.

Source: Bing clip art

For me, this is a good reminder to somehow add a note to items I am given as to where they came from, but I simply don't always do that as well as I should apparently. I don't see me getting around to writing a book about my family, so this is how I am sharing the info and yes, I do want it to be correct. 

Please give me some credit for being willing to share instead of hoarding it and acting like I am the only person who should have all this information (we all have this kind of person in our families).

Source: Bing clip art

I was given boxes and boxes of photos from both my mom and grandma - many of them were duplicates, but many were not.  

Add to that the many photos over the years that other relatives have just given me and (now) my personal collection of photos for all branches of my family number into several thousand photos. 

That does not include obits, files, or other random personal papers. I really do try to source where all this comes from if I know, but many times at this point the item is simply part of my personal collection.

Grandma GARNER loved to take photos of family, but she also was the person that family members trusted with documents that they did not want to keep at their house and/or did not want lost.  

When she died and I inherited more boxes from her there were hundreds of pieces of paper that included death certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, newspaper clippings, school papers and report cards, military papers, letters, diaries, etc.  

Source: Freepik.com

It took me years to sort it all out.  And then to organize all the photos, it was a daunting and sometimes frustrating job. I have no doubt that some of the photos and documents should be sourced to particular people, but I don't know who at this point.  

Then when mom died in 2016 there were hundreds more of the same type of documents and photos.  Both Grandma and Mom also gave me many, many of these items while they were still alive too so the amount of family items I personally have is well into really scary numbers.😊

Source: Freepik.com

Again, as per in 2 previous posts (see below), I will state if the item is not somehow sourced in the post it is probably because it is now part of my personal collection.  If I find something on Ancestry, Family Search, the Lancaster Archives, etc. I try to be very careful to tell where I found it. 

If in all the organization (and probably some confusion too) I missed telling correctly where some item came from, please contact me so I can correct the situation.

https://lancastercountyfamilyties.blogspot.com/2012/01/welcome-folks.html

https://lancastercountyfamilyties.blogspot.com/2017/08/pleasemy-thoughts.html

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

RECOMMENDED FAMILY HISTORY MAGAZINE

Source: iStock

If you have "Plain" ancestors of Amish, Mennonite, or Brethren roots then I recommend that you check out Masthof Press and "Mennonite Family History" magazine.  The website is:     https://www.masthof.com/

I have subscribed to this magazine for years and have found some great articles on my own family plus  contact info for others looking for the same families.  It is a very well published quarterly resource and usually has 50-60 pages with photos and text.

They publish many books including fun kids books, plus genealogies of "Plain" families. Back issues of the magazine are also available.

Here is the list of articles from the April 2019 issue:

Source: MFH magazine April 2019

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

PLEASE......MY THOUGHTS

I certainly do not mind sharing any of this information with others, or I would never have posted this blog publicly.  Maybe it will save someone a few steps and frustration.  

However, after spending the afternoon looking at several trees on Ancestry, I again (as in my Welcome post) ask that people state that they got the information or photos or documents from me.  Here are my reasons:

1. If there is a mistake on the labeling or I am incorrect on my "facts", I want someone to contact me and let me know there is a mistake.  I am not interested in passing along incorrect information. 

I saw a couple pictures that were labeled incorrectly that I have since updated on this blog - but the old incorrect photos were still posted as facts.

2. I want to trade information if at all possible.  I have a lot of gaps in my documents and I would love to get in touch with other people and family members who may be able to help. 

I have a list of family mysteries I am trying to solve and any thoughts or actual documentation might help solve those.

3. It is polite to say where the information came from and not pretend you were the one who paid for copies of the information or actually did the research in the first place.

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I have boxes and boxes of information that I have collected or was given by others.  If I don't source the information or photos, I've probably inherited the photos or was given them long ago and have no idea where they came from at this point - otherwise, I do try to say were the info came from. 

However, I also pay money for documents and spend hours on a weekly basis researching photos, documents and family connections - much of that by contacting obscure relatives or actually going to courthouses, newspaper offices, or libraries.

I cannot say that I am angry, however, I can say I am disappointed.  I post this blog publicly to help others by sharing my research.  

Yes, I do run the risk of it being "stolen" by folks who for whatever reason are simply lifting it from here and claiming it - however, I am still a believer in the honor system.  If I have mixed up facts, or mislabeled  photos, I need to know so it can be corrected.  

Please feel free to use anything on this blog, but please tell where you got it. 

Thank you. 

WELCOME FOLKS

Please Note:  I am not comfortable with putting personal info on here for family members who are still alive, this blog revolves around family members who have passed on. It contains photos, documents, and memories.  The whole point of this blog is to share the info I have collected or been given over the years. If you notice a mistake, please contact me with the correct information.

Source: Bing clip art

WELCOME

The little town where I live in Indiana has recently (since Thanksgiving 2011) had 4 house fires.  The victims all have lost family photos, documents, and heirlooms.  I'm not stupid enough to think it can't happen to me.  So, I decided to post on here info on my (deceased) family members, so the photos aren't lost and all those documents that I collected over the years as I worked on the family genealogy aren't either.

My mother's family has been in Lancaster County, PA since 1717 (other stories and secondhand info says 1710) when they came from Germany, and my father's family moved there from Bucks Co, PA (they were German immigrants in the 1770's) or neighboring Monroe County in the 1870's.  Some came because of Amish or Mennonite religious beliefs and some because there just was a wander lust and some because there was not enough land to support the growing number of boys.

I'm proud of my roots.  I have files and boxes of family info that I collected over the years so this is going to be a long-drawn-out project, so bear with me.

 Family names you will see here (to name a few) are APPLEBACH, FINDLEY, GARNER, GROFF, MUSSELMAN, MOSSER/MUSSER, RESSLER, STOVER, ULRICH, WOLFE and YOST.  I am the oldest child in my family, the oldest grandchild for Pappy and Grandma GARNER, and just one of many on the APPLEBACH side.  I have "cousins by the dozens" and many, many assorted relatives - some still living in Germany.

If I don't source the information or photos, I've probably inherited the photos or was given them long ago and have no idea where they came from at this point - otherwise, I do try to say were the info came from.

However, I also pay money for documents and spend hours on a weekly basis researching photos, documents and family connections - much of that by contacting obscure relatives or actually going to courthouses, newspaper offices, or libraries.

Even as a small child I was fascinated with my family.  We are a big family and there are many stories and many photos.  I was a quiet, bookish, curious child who frustrated the adults because I was always asking questions.  As I got older and folks ran across extra photos or newspaper articles, they would give them to me (probably to humor me) and I would quietly file them away neatly with notes or comments.

By the time I was graduated from high school, I had quite a collection of family info with little effort on my part.  Then I discovered that the reference sections of libraries tended to have census records, cemetery records, and family info.  Then came the discovery of the Mormon libraries.  However, once I had little ones of my own to care for, all these records were neatly filed away for that vague "someday" when I could work on them again.

I guess that vague "someday" has arrived due to several circumstances:  my aunt is doing one family line, many of the older people have passed on, I'm certainly not getting any younger, my kids are adults, and the knowledge that this info needs to be left for others.  By putting some of it on a blog, it may also help others to find info on some relative of their own.

Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, pull up a comfy chair and see where these Lancaster County Family Ties take you. Like any family; there are good and bad, pretty and ugly, funny and sad, and never dull people.  No family is perfect, and some are very dysfunctional, but they are family.

Source: Bing clip art

Several relatives have suggested I put this blog into book form.  That falls under the topic of maybe and someday.  I would rather share the information now and help other people whose research overlaps with mine. Happy reading.

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NOTE: THE PHOTOS USED IN THIS BLOG ARE IN MY POSSESSION UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.