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Thursday, November 6, 2014

5 Genealogy Sites You Don't Want To Miss

Everyone is always asking me where do I get my information from.  Well, I mainly go to the courthouses, cemeteries, etc. to get my records.  However, there are times when I need help getting through a brick wall or two.  I've chosen 25 of my favorite websites to use when I search on the internet.

1.  Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com) -- Technically Find A Grave is not a genealogy site.  It is a memorial site, though most people use it for genealogy.  I have been able to get through many brick walls by just knowing where my family members were buried at.  It gave me insight as to where they were possibly living at the time of their death; loaded with that information I then know where to search for records.

2.  Rootsweb (http://rootsweb.ancestry.com) -- It is always nice finding someone who is researching the same family as I am.  With Rootsweb I just plug in the information that I already know.  Word of warning about the World Connect Project:  Though it is nice that someone else may have the missing information that I need, ALWAYS verify their information.  Most of the trees on Rootsweb are copied from other trees and placed on the site without source information.

3.  The Olive Tree Genealogy (http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/) -- Created by Lorine because she believes in FREE genealogy.  Tons of useful information since February 1996.

4. Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/) Cyndi's List has been the starting point of many internet genealogist for 18 years now.  She has lots of pointers for getting started.  Don't forget to check out her personal pages section.

5.  US GenWeb (http://www.usgenweb.org/) -- The US GenWeb Project is a great way to learn about the history of the area that your ancestors lived in.  It consists of a group of volunteers who gather information and put it online for other researchers to use.

There are other wonderful websites out there that can be used.  If you have a website that you have found to be useful to you in your research, please let me know so that I can review it...who knows it may make my next Top 5 List!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Ohio Death Records Free Online

By:


Ohio Death Records Free notices are used to announce the death of a person who resides in Ohio. A death notice is usually confused with a death certificate but they are two different things. Death certificates are the documents that are used when dealing with legal transactions.

There are several reasons why the people of Ohio request for a copy of a death certificate regularly. One of the primary uses of such document is for genealogy research. The research would use the information obtained from a death certificate to update the family history. With this, the family and the relatives of the deceased would be updated on the addition and death of their line. Some government transactions cannot be processed without presenting the certificate. This is true when the immediate family of the deceased would claim the insurance. Planning to get married is another reason that is usually used by the spouse of the deceased. Marriage application cannot be granted without presenting the death certificate of the late spouse.

Information about the death of an individual is the main highlight of the said document. The document would show the real name of the deceased. Details as to when and where the person died are documented on the record. One would also know the cause of death through the said document.

The state of Ohio only releases records which have been registered from the year 1954. One can still get a copy of the records from 1909-1953 by requesting it at the Historical Society of the state. One has to pay $21.50 when requesting for a copy of a death certificate in the state. The office only releases the document if the one who request for it is an immediate family of the person whose name is on the file. It is important to provide the basic details about the file that is being obtained to help hasten the search process. One is also required to indicate their contact details on the application form along with the reason and the relation to the person on the record. Requests may not be processed without that information.

One can go to the office of the Department of Health in Ohio to get a copy of a death certificate and any other public documents. Such office is where the public records of the state are kept and archived. If going to the state office is not possible, one can go to the county where the death of the person was registered. The county health office should have a copy of the record and can provide you a copy of it. Processing fees are not the same for each county.

Going online can also help you get information about the death of an individual who resides in Ohio. Thanks to the internet, access to free public death notices are readily available. Websites that offer such services have their database linked in order to provide the best possible result. This is evident when the search has been paid.

About the Author:
All about Free Ohio Death Records and the paid version, the specialist information is here for us to share and for you to learn. Check out Public Death Records Now.


Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Illinois Marriage License Records

By:

 Marriage is considered to be one of the most important events in a persons life and proof of this is a contract of a life-long commitment which is a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate is an officially authorized document which is very useful in various ways. This certificate is required in immigration purposes, legalizing a name, adding a spouse to a health insurance, and even checking an individuals background particularly his or her marital history. Should you wish you obtain Illinois Marriage License Records, you can do this by requesting a copy of it from the county where the matrimonial ceremony occurred.

In some states in the US, the fundamental repository for all vital records is the states Vital Records Division. However, in Illinois, marriage records or certificates are not issued by this office as requests for copies of marriage records are directed to the office of the county clerk where the ceremony took place. This Vital Records division only verifies the facts of a marriage that occurred starting from the year 1962 through the current index date available.

In Illinois, marriage records are under the jurisdiction of the clerks county where the license was originally issued and where the wedding happened. Should you wish to acquire a copy of a marriage record, you can contact the county clerk of go directly to the clerks office. Marriages recorded during the year 1962 to present are available in this office. Routing out the marriage record you need is a piece of cake once you have the significant identifying information on hand. Some of the essential details that you can provide are the complete names of the couple, the date when they married, and the relevant county. Each copy is worth $14 and $2 for each additional copy of the same certificate.

In case of genealogy research, marriage records should be 75 years ago or earlier to be considered as genealogy records. Genealogical records are not certified, but are stamped For Genealogical Purposes Only. In getting a marriage certificate, the processing time for each request usually takes two to five business days once the request is confirmed. The application is the same and the fee is $1 per record. The usual processing time takes around two to five business days. Nonetheless, turnaround times vary widely from state to state and from county to county.

Technological advancements of today even make most, if not all, transactions be accomplished in such a way that is more practical compared to how things were done in the previous centuries. The existence of computers most especially the Internet has really helped people greatly. That means that even obtaining records such as marriage certificates can be done over the computer too. There are several online record providers which can actually offer you the same service the traditional method provides but in a more expedient and practical way. Compared to the traditional way, you can actually obtain a marriage record in a matter of minutes instead of the usual two to five days with these online record providers. Choices for online record providers which you can hire range from free service providers to fee based service providers. However, if quality assurance is what youre after, then you are better off with the one that charges a minimal fee for a fast acquisition and comprehensive results.

Free marriage records are definitely significant not only for legal purposes but also because it will provide you all the essential information you need about the person you are investigating. Aside from that, a marriage record can also bring light to important details in genealogy research.

About the Author:
If you are in the market for Illinois Marriage Records, visit us at Marriage Records for specialist information about them.

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Monday, November 3, 2014

Leaving Secrets: How to Create a Personal Instruction Manual for Life

By: Joe Vitale

      Imagine if your great, great grandfather or grandmother had left you a book with their secrets for living. Maybe it contained nuggets of wisdom, yummy recipes, favorite jokes, or just insights for how to lead a good life. Ever since people learned of my next book, Life's Missing Instruction Manual, people are curious how to create their own "manual" for life.

     You can leave such a book for your own family. What are the key lessons you've learned in your life? Are you ready to share them with your children and grandchildren - or with your friend, siblings, parents, and grandparents?

     What you've gleaned from your life experiences can make things easier for your children or your relatives. In fact, the lessons you've earned from trial and error can be the perfect gift for everyone in your life - or for one person who matters to you. Here's how to commit your insights to writing and share them with your fellow life travelers.
  • Carry a pad of paper around with you everywhere for a week.
  • Jot down your thoughts and observations as they occur to you. Don't judge them. Just make note of them.
  • Add personal stories and memories, as they come to mind. Again, don't edit your thoughts. Just commit them to paper.
  • Take a few days to go through your notes, and underline the most important passages, and make additional comments in the margins.
  • From this, distill the lessons you most want to share with others: your perspective, your values, what matters most to you, and your reactions to the world around you.
  • Find a beautiful journal or blank book - one that you feel a strong connection with. You might find it at a bookstore, an antique store, an online auction site, a craft store, or even a flea market. Where you find it doesn't matter. How you feel about it does.
  • Fill the journal with your own instruction manual for life. Make sure to include a title and your name.
  • Find a special person to share it with, and turn the presentation of the journal into a celebration.
If you don't feel comfortable writing your notes and stories, you can dictate them into a portable tape recorder, and later, you can transcribe them into a journal. You don't have to be a bestselling author, academic, or philosopher to create a instruction manual that can helped your loved ones every day of their lives... and be passed on to future generations as well.

Author Bio
Joe Vitale is the author of the forthcoming book, Life's Missing Instruction Manual (Wiley, March 2006). Read more about it at www.missingmanual.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Sunday, November 2, 2014

15 Resources For Tracing Your Family Ancestry

by Debbie Pettitt

If you're like me, when you were young, looking beyond your mother and father to find out where you came from just wasn't important.

Well, I've found that the older you get, the more important your ancestry becomes. I'm not sure why. Maybe I have a broader perspective on things now. Maybe I'm just curious as to whether there was nobility in my family. Perhaps I'm looking for some closet skeletons.

Whatever my reasons, I do find tracing my ancestry fascinating. It is so interesting to learn about other people--how they lived, what they did, who they knew. But I've also learned along the way that most people haven't a clue what resources are available to them beyond the usual - interviewing family, checking birth certificates and newspapers, etc.

So here I've compiled a list of 25 resources you should take advantage of if you're really serious about finding out "where you came from."

1.The obvious, of course, is interviewing family members; not only mom and dad, but aunts, uncles, distant cousins. Start by drawing a quick family tree going back just two generations and start making calls or sending mail or emails. Here are some of the basic things you'll want to know:

  • Complete names (married and maiden names)
  • Addresses throughout their live
  • Birth records
  • Military service (when and where)
  • Marriage records (even attendants, if possible)
  • Property records (state and county)
  • Burial records (where)
  • Old pictures, especially if they have names and dates


  • 2.Family Bibles. While it doesn't seem to be such a common practice these days, in the past, families kept their Bible forever, often keeping record of family members, births, marriages, and deaths on pages within the Bible.

    3.Old family letters. Once again, with technology, we've all but lost the art of letter writing (what will our own children and grand children have to look back on in years to come?). But older generations tended to preserve letters of importance. These letters can oftentimes be of great value in tracing your ancestry. They may contain important dates, facts, and places that will be of help. Check return addresses and postmarks for information.

    4.Legal documents are a great resource. Such documents include deeds (property addresses), wills (names of kin you may not have known about), marriage licenses (note the witnesses), birth certificates, voter registration, adoption records, and even judgements. Your search for these documents should begin with state and county records.

    5.What about associations your ancestors may have belonged to? These would include churches, clubs, veterans groups and lodges, all of which may be able to provide background information for your search.

    6.Census data. After 1840 the Census collected age, place of birth, occupation, personal wealth, education, spouse, children, hired hands, and even immigration information. Copies of the original decennial census forms from 1790 through 1930 are available on microfilm for research at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC ( http://www.archives.gov/), at Archives regional centers, and at select Federal depository libraries throughout the United States.

    7.Naturalizations records. For Pre-1906 Naturalizations: Contact the State Archives for the state where the naturalization occurred to request a search of state, county, and local courts records.

    Contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred to request a search of Federal court records.

    For Naturalizations After 1906: After 1906, the courts forwarded copies of naturalizations to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Naturalizations from Federal Courts are held in the NARA's regional facilities for the Federal courts for their area. Learn more: http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization/

    8.Grave sites. Headstones will give dates and possible family names.

    9.Libraries. Here you'll find newspaper articles (look for obituaries, and birth and marriage announcements) and books on local history (what was taking place during their life). Many libraries can be accessed online. You will also find genealogy information in several libraries, the Allen County Public Library in Indiana having the second largest genealogical collection in the US. Another good source is the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT.

    10.Genealogy message boards. Google "genealogy message boards" and join in--you'll find a wealth of information available!

    11.Military records. You'll find several sources online, including NARA ( http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/).

    12.High school and college yearbooks. These sources can help locate a relative or provide other resources for your search. Check online.

    13.Family pedigrees. These are family groups already linked in a computer system. Accessing an individual's family group sheet in a linked pedigree will also give you access to all of the records that are linked to that individual. Two great sources are Kindred Connections ( http://www.kindredkonnections.com/index.html ) and the Family History Library ( http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_library.asp ).

    14.U.S. Immigration records. Two great sources are Ellis Island Records ( http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/) and Ancestry.com ( http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=40)

    15.Social Security Death Index. This is a database of people whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) beginning about 1962. The best source is RootsWeb.com ( http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/?o_xid=0028727949&o_lid=0028727949&o_xt =41534187).

    Now that you're all grown up and interested in finding your "roots," these 15 resources should get you well on your way. It'll be a fun and rewarding adventure.

    Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article16277.html

    Saturday, November 1, 2014

    Grandma Alberta's Cinnamon Apple Rings

    (original source of recipe is unknown)

    Cinnamon Apple Rings

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup red cinnamon candies
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 2 cups water
    • 4 small cooking apples, peeled, cored & cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rings
         In a 10" skillet combine candies and sugar; add water.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the liquid boils.  Add apple rings to candy mixture.  Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.  Stir occasionally and spoon candy mixture over apples. Cool apple rings in candy mixture.  Drain.  Makes about 3 cups.

    Friday, October 31, 2014

    52 Ancestors: #1 Charles Eugene Parker

    by Laurie Kelley-Wentz

    Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme -- "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" (original post can be found here at No Story Too Small.  She started the challenge in January of 2014 but I have just now run across the challenge so I am starting late.  It is a wonderful research tool for getting to know your ancestors.

    Charles Eugene Parker

    Charles Eugene Parker was born 11 April 1920 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri to parents Robert Floyd Parker and Carrie Louvica Rector.  He died 19 January 2010 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.  Charles was cremated in January 2010 and his ashes were buried in April 2010 at Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.

    Charles Eugene Parker married first to Dorothy Marie Watson on 12 August 1939 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.  Dorothy was born 03 November 1922 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri to parents Oscar Samuel Watson and Nora Lee Fleming.  She died 04 December 1970 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.  She was buried in December 1970 at Crown Hill Cemetery, in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.

    (Charles and Dorothy were my grandparents.  To this day they can count for their legacy 6 children, 17 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren.)

    After Dorothy's death, Charles remarried to Alberta McNiece-White Gunther in 1972 in Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri.  Alberta was born 31 May 1918 in New Orleans, Nebraska to parents Albert James White and Anna Sophia Herr.  She died 8 July 2006 in Lincoln, Benton County, Missouri.  Alberta was buried at Floral Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri next to her first husband and only child (from first husband).

    Grandpa Parker, as I have always called him, owned his own optometry shop in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.  It was located on Noland Road.  I remember getting to go and visit him and he used to check my eyesight for me before he retired.  One of his special mementos was a hand-written letter to him from President Harry S. Truman, thanking him for the eyeglasses Grandpa made him.  The eyeglasses and the letter were donated to the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.

    I have no memories of Grandma Parker as she died just a couple of months before I was born.  That is not to say though that she had no bearing on my life.

    Grandma Alberta was a wonderful lady.  She always treated us grand-kids as if we were her own...we pretty much all were as a majority of us were born after Grandpa and her were married.  Grandma Alberta always had Cinnamon Apple slices available for us to snack on -- she did her own canning.

    Family Tree of Charles Eugene Parker


    Generation Number Name Birth year Death year
    1 Keegan Leigh Scherer Living Living
    2 Kathleen Marie Biswell Living Living
    3 Laurie Sue Kelley Living Living
    4 Debra Sue Parker Living Living
    5 Charles Eugene Parker 1920 2010
    6 Robert Floyd Parker 1897 1972
    7 Ellsworth Eli Parker 1872 1941
    8 Robert Little Parker 1840 1910
    9 Eli Ellsworth Parker 1812 ?
    10 John D. Parker 1770 1844