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Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed
Fri: 9:30 am-1:00 pm
Saturday:
9:30 am-4:30 pm
Tues, Wed, Thurs:
9:30am-4:30pm, & 7-9:30 pm
Directors: Linda & Kurt Christensen Washington DC Stake Carol & Gary Petranek, Silver Spring MDStake |
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Volunteers Needed
| | We have an immediate need for volunteers to help staff our FHC on Saturdays, especially during the summer months.
Can you help? Shifts are 9:30-1:00 or 1:00-4:30.
This is a rewarding opportunity to help others and increase your own skills. You do not need to be an "expert" to volunteer! We will provide all training.
If you can join us, please contact Linda Christensen at lindacc6@juno.com or 202-674-2556. |
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WDC FHC News
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Upcoming Classes
We are looking for people who can teach a beginner's class on: Ancestry.com; MyHeritage.com; FindMyPast.com.
Saturday, May 17 -- 2 sessions:
9:30-11:00 Strategies for Discovering Your Enslaved Ancestors
Presenter: Aaron Dorsey
Discover effective research techniques and strategies for identifying the last slave holding family of your ancestor.
1:00-4:00
Telling Your Story Through the Collaborative Process
Presenters: Bernice Bennett & Ellen Butler, co-authors, Our Ancestors, Our Stories
Bernice & are co-authors of a recently published book, Our Ancestors, Our Stories. They will discuss general steps to preparing a family history, and share their insights about collaborating with others to create a successful publication.
Saturday, June 21
9:30 - 10:30 Harnessing the Power of Technology in Research Collaboration
Presenter: Carol Petranek
The day of the "Lone Ranger Researcher" is over! Learn how to use an ever-increasing array of technological advances to extend your research networks and collaborate with others.
All classes are free of charge, but registration is requested.
* Join a Focus Group to Enhance Your Research Skills *
Beginning Genealogy: weekly on Tuesday mornings at 10:00. Contact Lorraine Minor at ldgene@verizon.net for further information.
DNA Group: Bi-weekly on Wednesday evenings at 7:00; next meetings are June 4 & 18.
RootsMagic Users Group: Meetings are monthly, on the 2nd Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
Irish Group: bi-weekly meetings on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesday evenings at 7:00.
African-American Group: weekly on Monday mornings, 9:30.
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Research Specialists at our WDCFHC
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Individual Help is Available
Would you like to work one-on-one with one of the Research Specialists at our Family History Center? These people have extensive knowledge in their area of expertise and are happy to assist you with your research.
You do not need an appointment if you come to the FHC on the day and time when our specialists are working (see blue date/times in Contact Information column).
If you have an area of expertise, would you consider being a Specialist? Working a regular shift at the FHC is not a requirement. Please let us know: info@wdcfhc.org
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Name
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Areas of Expertise
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Contact Information
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Bernice Bennett
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African-American
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| | Tanya Neider | FamilySearch, photobooks, charts, descendancy research, Croatia |
| | Matthew Rzeczkowski | Poland, Western Ukraine, Latin | rzeczop@yahoo.com | | Mary Ann Evan | Poland, Lithuania, Eastern European Countries |
| | Joan W. Drake | Lower Hudson River Valley & Long Island History | joanwdrake@aol.com | | Margo Williams | African-American; Native American | margolw@gmail.com | | Ilene Shelton | Southern Idaho and Utah |
| | Cindy Finelli | Ireland |
Irish Group Leader
| | Cheryl Singhal | Louisiana, Creole |
| | Raclare Kanal | Spain; Mexican states of Guerrero and Sonora |
Tuesdays, 1-4:30
| | Alfred Luce | Northern Ireland | alfred.luce@verizon.net | | Jim Bartlett | DNA Research |
| | Shirley Heintzelman | Pennsylvania |
| | Larry Krupnak | Eastern Europe |
Saturdays 9:30-12:00
| | Carol Petranek | Greece, Czech Republic | info@wdcfhc.org | | Vern Skinner | Germany, France, Maryland Eastern Shore |
Thursdays 9:30-1:00
| | Maxine A'Hearn | England, Wales, Germany, Ireland and general US | mca2mfa@verizon.net | | Martha Wolfe | Virginia, West Virginia, Sweden, Dutch in New York |
| | Mary Jean Sokolowsky | FamilySearch; FamilyTree |
2nd & 4th Wednesdays
7:00-9:30 p.m.
| | Gary Petranek | FamilySearch Family Tree; RootsMagic | gpetranek@gmail.com | | Lorraine Minor | Beginning Genealogy Research |
Tuesdays 9:30-1
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Six Genealogy Brick-Wall Busting Tips
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by Diane Haddad
- Consult genealogy guides. A "brick wall" is often a case of not knowing about all the genealogical records available for the time and place your ancestor lived. More types of historical records exist than most of us realize (download our free Records Checklist for examples). Borrow a genealogy guide from the library; check out Family Tree Magazine's state and city genealogy research guides, as well as our ethnic heritage research guides; and look into joining the local genealogical society.
- Go over what you've found. Reviewing and organizing your records is a way to spot new clues. Also consider whether one of your sources could contain wrong information, or even whether you have a record for a same-named person who isn't actually your relative.
- Write it up. Many genealogists abstract information from their records and/or write up research reports to help themselves process the information and draw conclusions.
- Create a timeline. Using your records to create a detailed timeline for the problem ancestor can help you sort out a confusing jumble of events and zero in on gaps in your research.
- Follow the people in your ancestor's life. The records of your ancestor's siblings, other relatives, friends, neighbors and coworkers might name your family.
- Explore social history. Learning about the lives of other people who were like your ancestor (maybe they immigrated from the same place or lived in the same neighborhood) can help you form theories about your ancestor's life. You'll also learn how local events may have affected your ancestor.
Source: Genealogy Insider, May 8, 2014
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Same Name - Different Man
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by Crista Cowan
Learn tips to help you overcome a common research problem: distinguishing individuals with the same name.
 | | Same Name - Different Man |
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3 Tips for Overcoming Spelling Challenges
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Variations in spelling are one of the major challenges of genealogical research. Because standardized spelling is a twentieth-century concept, there can be all kinds of ways to spell words. This includes names, which can make researching very challenging. Many online search engines can account for some spelling variations, but there are always twists that can confuse things (such as having the wrong first letter in a name, which totally throws off the entire soundex system). Here are some tips to get past spelling variations.
1. Phonetic. Think about how the names are pronounced. Are there different ways to spell the same sound? For example, a letter c, ch, and ck might all be pronounced with the hard "k" sound. The same goes for the letter f and gh (think rough and tough). Consider variations such as these when searching.
2. Sound Shifts. Watch out for sound shifts, which can throw off even phonetic spellings. Names that are pronounced the same are not always spelled the same. And names that are spelled the same are not always pronounced the same. Regional and national dialects and accents can have a major affect on the way words are spelled. A perfect example comes to us from England, Connecticut, and North Carolina. Hertford is the shire town of Hertfordshire, England. The city of Hartford (capital of Connecticut) was named for it. The spelling changed because the English pronounce the "e" in Hertford similar to an "ah," thus it sounds like "Hahrtford" to an American. The town of Hertford, North Carolina, was also named for the English town. It retained the English spelling, but the pronunciation has changed to "Hurtford." The same sounds and spelling shifts can happen in your family's names (both given names and surnames).
3. Enlist Your Friends. One great way to get spelling variations is to hand friends a piece of paper and a pencil and ask them to write down the name you are looking for. Just tell them the name, don't spell it for them. If they themselves are uncertain of how to spell it, ask them to write down every variation they can think of. By asking several friends to do this, you will undoubtedly find a few spelling variations you hadn't thought of. This works best with someone who is unfamiliar with the name you are searching for. Indeed, asking non-genealogists is a great way to get variations because they don't come with the same set of assumptions that family historians do. There may be more than one way to pronounce the name, for example Beaufort, North Carolina (pronounced Bowfort) and Beaufort, South Carolina (pronounced Bewfort).
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Links to Most Used FamilySearch Databases
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by Leland Meitzler
Some of our all time most popular articles are the five U.S. and Canadian vital records database lists for FamilySearch.org. We have updated the Birth & Christening Records, Marriage Documents, and Death & Probate Records lists.
By following these three links, you will find a complete and fresh list of all relevant databases from FamilySearch.org:
- United States Birth & Christening Records
- United States Marriage Documents & Divorce Records
- United States Death & Probate Records
- United States State, Territorial & School Census and Tax Records
Source: GenealogyBlog, May 3, 2014
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10 Important Clues to Follow Up in Land Deeds
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Land records are an important part of building any family tree. Outside of telling you what land your ancestors may have owned, and where it was located, deeds and other land records are also a potential source of information on family members, family relationships, and other locations in which your ancestor lived. Each time you read a deed record for your ancestor, ask yourself the following questions.
- Is your ancestor selling property?
- Where is the property located?
- What is the date?
- What was the purchase price?
- Are there multiple grantors (sellers)?
- Are adjacent landowners mentioned by name?
- Who else is named?
- Is there a release of dower rights?
- Did he sign with an X?
- Have you read every word?
Read the details about each of these items here.
Source: About: Genealogy, December 3, 2013
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by Randy Seaver
More genea-bloggers are making short (or longer) videos and posting them on YouTube [now creating a new category, genea-vloggers]. Many of these genea-vloggers are taking advantage of the FREE and relatively easy-to-use video tools available on Google+ Hangouts On Air. Hangouts On Air permit up to ten "panelists" in the video at one time, and they can be watched live on both Google+ and YouTube, and are then archived on YouTube for viewers to watch at their convenience.
Some of the genea-vlogger YouTube channels using Google+ Hangouts On Air include:
DearMYRTLE
The Ancestor Hunt
Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems
The Google Genealogist
GenealogyBank
RootsMagic TV
Source: Genea-Musings, May 6, 2014 |
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Census Mistakes
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by William Dollarhide
Census records provide researchers a primary source of genealogical evidence. The fact that names of people and relationships are listed in certain census schedules is all that is needed to make them our most important sources for finding our ancestors. But, too often, genealogies are prepared just from census records and no other source.
As useful as census records are to genealogists, the real importance should be the clues they provide to access more records concerning our ancestors. For example, a census record may be the only way a genealogist learns of the county of residence for an ancestor. And, with that information, much more can be learned about a person from county records located in a courthouse, such as births, deaths, marriages, probates, or land records. The census records lead us to the place on the ground where more genealogical evidence can be found. That is the most trustworthy aspect of census records - they are place finders.
Nevertheless, census records are widely used by genealogists to prepare a record of one's ancestry. But, census records, unfortunately, are prone to errors. If so, what information can you trust? And, if all you have as evidence of a family is what you have found in a census record, have you really proven anything?
Here are some things to consider when using census records, and areas where mistakes are prevalent: click here to continue reading.
Source: Genealogy Blog, April 13, 2013
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Genealogy "Tips of the Day"
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by Michael John Neill
Is That Really Grandma's Maiden Name? Is that maiden name listed on a record for a relative actually the last name of her birth father? Is it possibly the last name of a previous husband or her step-father? Something to consider.
Do You Record the Why? As you research through various materials, do you keep track (even briefly) of the reasons why specific records or materials were searched? That makes it easier to see your process should you need to re-evaluate and take your research in a different direction. And those reasons get at your research assumptions, which sometimes can be incorrect.
Notes Off to the Side. If you must make a notation or annotation on a copy of a document or record, make it off to the side and not in the actual text or image of the document. You don't want someone else thinking your comments were actually a part of the original, especially if your comments are handwritten.
States Gave Confederate Pensions. If your ancestor fought for the South during the American Civil War, determine if he obtained a pension from the state in which he was living after the war. Many states that were in the Confederacy granted pensions to soldiers and their widows. These are state, not federal, records and usually are at the appropriate state archives. Many of these records have been microfilmed or digitized.
When Is a Close Name Close Enough? There is no hard and fast answer to when a name is "close enough" to be your ancestor. The variant spelling should sound like your actual ancestor's last name and differences in vowels usually are not as significant as one might think, depending upon how your ancestor pronounced his name.
Use other clues to determine if the "close enough" person is your ancestor. Is he:
- in the right location?
- acting in a way that is consistent with your ancestor?
- of a close enough age to be your ancestor?
- interacting with known associates of your ancestors?
Even answering all these questions with a "yes" is no guarantee, but it is a good start towards making certain that "close enough" name is really "close enough."
Can Ebay Get What Your Library Cannot? If there's a copy of a genealogy magazine or journal that you need, consider searching for it on Ebay. I recently purchased copies on Ebay of magazines that had articles I needed. Sometimes things can be difficult to get on interlibrary loan and in some cases Ebay prices are not much more than a photocopy.
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Research Tips & Resources
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Pre-1901 Irish Census Records Online
FindMyPast.com and FamilySearch.org are working with the National Archives of Ireland to digitize and put online many records, including census records from the 1800's: Click here.
Wiewaswie (Dutch website) is Now in English
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Thank you for subscribing to Generations. We hope this publication will motivate you to successfully begin or continue your family history research. We would like to hear from you! Please submit your questions, research tips, and favorite websites to us at info@wdcfhc.org
Sincerely,
Carol Petranek, Newsletter Editor
Linda & Kurt Christensen
Gary Petranek
Co-Directors, Washington DC Family History Center
10000 Stoneybrook Drive, PO Box 49
Kensington, MD 20895
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