Find A Grave
An ongoing cemetery survey.
SAMPUBCO
This kind heart has taken on the very BIG task of indexing wills and other probate/surrogate records.
Census Finder
You'll find lots more than census data here!
Seeking Michigan
1884 & 1894 Michigan Census, 1897-1920 Michigan Death Records
Old Fulton New York Post Cards
Don't let the name fool you! Newspapers from all over New York and the U.S.
Family Search
Free genaology research.
Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records
A great listing of where to find records broken down by state and county.
Ancestry
Genealogy records that you have to pay for.
Italian Genealogical Group
You'll find a lot more than Italian records here! A great resource for New York City research.
Western Michigan Genealogical Society
Got family from West Michigan? Look here.
US GenWeb Archives
Links to GenWeb in every state.
Cyndi's List
Your online card catalog to genealogy.
The Legal Genealogist
Perhaps my favorite genealogy blog
You Gotta Know the Territory by Joyce Tice
Words of wisdom regarding geography.
Wayne County, New York - Office of the County Historian
Friendly & helpful people in this office and they have some great online tools.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Findagrave - My new favorite hobby
Oh how I love to walk through a cemetery! I have found a new purpose to do so. I have become a photo volunteer for findagrave.com. Folks request a photo of a headstone and I go take a picture. It feels good to help others and I get some exercise and fresh air while I'm at it. It's a win-win!
The 'New' Family Search
I love it with exception of two things.
1. They took away the ability to stay signed in for 2 weeks, in fact it actually signs me out if I am inactive in that window for too long.
2. They've allowed me to make a beautiful fan chart but given me no way to share it! I can't save it as an image, nor is there a 'Share' link. Hello, LDS church, please allow me to introduce you to Mark Zuckerberg.
Ok, make that 3 things. I strongly believe that they should not suggest to merge any individuals to an unsourced tree.
*Update 27 Feb 2014 I really despise The 'New' Family Search. I spent a lot of time building my family tree, with sources linked to every scrap of information on every person. Twice, I have found where individuals have screwed up my Kebler line.
1. They took away the ability to stay signed in for 2 weeks, in fact it actually signs me out if I am inactive in that window for too long.
2. They've allowed me to make a beautiful fan chart but given me no way to share it! I can't save it as an image, nor is there a 'Share' link. Hello, LDS church, please allow me to introduce you to Mark Zuckerberg.
Ok, make that 3 things. I strongly believe that they should not suggest to merge any individuals to an unsourced tree.
*Update 27 Feb 2014 I really despise The 'New' Family Search. I spent a lot of time building my family tree, with sources linked to every scrap of information on every person. Twice, I have found where individuals have screwed up my Kebler line.
Born out of wedlock in 1863
Since the beginning of time folks have been having sex and they all haven't waited until they were married to do it either.
My 3G-Grandmother, Margaret Vanderhoof, gave birth to my 2G-Grandmother, Alta, in about 1863, but it appears that she was unmarried at the time. I cannot locate a birth, marriage, nor death record for Alta and she appears to be buried in an unmarked grave in Newaygo County, MI. If it weren't for 3 census records and the fact that she gave birth to 8 (possibly 9) children, one may not even know that she ever existed. Her own mother's death record doesn't account for the fact that she gave birth to 4 children, though in all fairness the 1900 census does and obviously Margaret was not the informant of her own death record.
In 1870 Alta was living with her grandparents, her mother was living with her husband, Christopher H. Dennis, who may or who may not have been Alta's biological father. Margaret married Christopher in October of 1863. By 1880 Alta was married to Jeremy Rogers and was a mother to one child, James. In 1900 Jeremy was a widower and a father to 7-8 children, including my Great-Grandmother Hazel who was born 30 August 1895. Family legend suggests that Alta passed away either giving birth to Hazel, or shortly thereafter.
I have seen records that identify Alta with the maiden name of Dennis and with Vanderhoof.
My whole life I have been told that my Grandpa was part Native American, but every branch of his family is recorded as being Caucasian. I can only assume that if there is Native American in my family tree, that it must come from Alta's biological father.
I have mixed feelings about Margaret. Why wasn't Alta living with her in 1870? Did she love her first born or did she feel shame when she looked at her? Isn't it amazing, the conclusions that can be drawn from one single document? In 1900, Alta's son John was living in the same household as Margaret, Margaret's mother Jane and brother Andrew. John is listed as 'boarder' rather than 'nephew' to the head of household Andrew. Why?
My 3G-Grandmother, Margaret Vanderhoof, gave birth to my 2G-Grandmother, Alta, in about 1863, but it appears that she was unmarried at the time. I cannot locate a birth, marriage, nor death record for Alta and she appears to be buried in an unmarked grave in Newaygo County, MI. If it weren't for 3 census records and the fact that she gave birth to 8 (possibly 9) children, one may not even know that she ever existed. Her own mother's death record doesn't account for the fact that she gave birth to 4 children, though in all fairness the 1900 census does and obviously Margaret was not the informant of her own death record.
In 1870 Alta was living with her grandparents, her mother was living with her husband, Christopher H. Dennis, who may or who may not have been Alta's biological father. Margaret married Christopher in October of 1863. By 1880 Alta was married to Jeremy Rogers and was a mother to one child, James. In 1900 Jeremy was a widower and a father to 7-8 children, including my Great-Grandmother Hazel who was born 30 August 1895. Family legend suggests that Alta passed away either giving birth to Hazel, or shortly thereafter.
I have seen records that identify Alta with the maiden name of Dennis and with Vanderhoof.
My whole life I have been told that my Grandpa was part Native American, but every branch of his family is recorded as being Caucasian. I can only assume that if there is Native American in my family tree, that it must come from Alta's biological father.
I have mixed feelings about Margaret. Why wasn't Alta living with her in 1870? Did she love her first born or did she feel shame when she looked at her? Isn't it amazing, the conclusions that can be drawn from one single document? In 1900, Alta's son John was living in the same household as Margaret, Margaret's mother Jane and brother Andrew. John is listed as 'boarder' rather than 'nephew' to the head of household Andrew. Why?
Isaac Wall.... My 'Brick Wall'
I loathe the term 'Brick Wall' for one reason... When searching for the Wall surname, one ends up reading about everyone's 'Brick Wall'.
My 3G-Grandfather, Isaac Wall, was born about 1821 in New York or Pennsylvania,1 and died 21 October 1869 in Eaton County, Michigan.2
About 1841 he married Adah Mead, probably in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. By all accounts Isaac's second son, my 2G-Grandfather, Erastus Jeremiah, was born in Bradford County, PA about 18433 and Adah's father, Caleb Mead was living in Bradford County, PA in the 1840 census.4 Recently I found the obituary of Isaac's oldest son, Israel Wall born about 1841, which states that he was born in Pittsburgh, PA!
I have never found any evidence that this family lived anywhere near Pittsburgh. Isaac and Adah first appear as a family living in Lucas County, Ohio in the 1850 Federal Census.1 By 1860 they are in Eaton County, Michigan.1
My only clues about the identity of Isaac's parents are on two separate death records. On the 1870 Federal Census Mortality Schedule there is a box checked that indicates Isaac's father was foreign born.
On the Michigan death record it appears to say 'Hall' written as Isaac's father, residing in Pennsylvania. Is it possible that Isaac changed his last name from Hall to Wall?
It appears that Isaac and Adah migrated along with Adah's family. The Meads moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio and then Michigan, with some of them, including Adah's brother Harvey Mead, making a brief stop in DeKalb County, Illinois.5 I have not found any evidence that any other Walls moved with the Meads, nor that Isaac Wall has any connection to the other Wall family in Eaton County, whom are known to be founders of the "Wall's Settlement".
Isaac is buried in section A-3 of Meadowbrook Cemetery in Mulliken, Michigan. Adah's death record states that she is also buried in Mulliken, Michigan, but I have not found a marker for her.
SOURCES
1. "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXQL-D48 : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Isaac Wall, 1850.
"United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWD5-RP3 : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Isaac Wall, 1860.
2. GENDIS
3. Seeking Michigan - Erastus J. Wall death record
4. 1840 United States Federal Census - Caleb Mead in Burlington, Bradford, PA
5. "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MX41-94Y : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Hovey Mead, 1860.
My 3G-Grandfather, Isaac Wall, was born about 1821 in New York or Pennsylvania,1 and died 21 October 1869 in Eaton County, Michigan.2
About 1841 he married Adah Mead, probably in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. By all accounts Isaac's second son, my 2G-Grandfather, Erastus Jeremiah, was born in Bradford County, PA about 18433 and Adah's father, Caleb Mead was living in Bradford County, PA in the 1840 census.4 Recently I found the obituary of Isaac's oldest son, Israel Wall born about 1841, which states that he was born in Pittsburgh, PA!
I have never found any evidence that this family lived anywhere near Pittsburgh. Isaac and Adah first appear as a family living in Lucas County, Ohio in the 1850 Federal Census.1 By 1860 they are in Eaton County, Michigan.1
My only clues about the identity of Isaac's parents are on two separate death records. On the 1870 Federal Census Mortality Schedule there is a box checked that indicates Isaac's father was foreign born.
On the Michigan death record it appears to say 'Hall' written as Isaac's father, residing in Pennsylvania. Is it possible that Isaac changed his last name from Hall to Wall?
It appears that Isaac and Adah migrated along with Adah's family. The Meads moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio and then Michigan, with some of them, including Adah's brother Harvey Mead, making a brief stop in DeKalb County, Illinois.5 I have not found any evidence that any other Walls moved with the Meads, nor that Isaac Wall has any connection to the other Wall family in Eaton County, whom are known to be founders of the "Wall's Settlement".
Isaac is buried in section A-3 of Meadowbrook Cemetery in Mulliken, Michigan. Adah's death record states that she is also buried in Mulliken, Michigan, but I have not found a marker for her.
SOURCES
1. "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXQL-D48 : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Isaac Wall, 1850.
"United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MWD5-RP3 : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Isaac Wall, 1860.
2. GENDIS
3. Seeking Michigan - Erastus J. Wall death record
4. 1840 United States Federal Census - Caleb Mead in Burlington, Bradford, PA
5. "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MX41-94Y : accessed 29 Apr 2013), Hovey Mead, 1860.
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