Happy 4th of July 2022

 

Have a great 4th of July weekend with your friends and family.

Gates to the Past Genealogy
gatestothepast@gmail.com

I'm Going to Jamboree--Are You? Register Now!

Register at:

https://genealogyjamboree.com/conference-pricing-2021/

 

It's Jamboree time!! Are You Ready for TWO Weekends of Genealogy? Only SCGS Offers TWO Weekends of Genealogy!! Register Now!

 It's Jamboree time!! 

Are You Ready for TWO Weekends 
of SCGS Genealogy? 

Plus a week in between to check out Show Specials, Exhibit Hall, Round Tables, 
Product Q & A and Social Hours.

 Register Now!

Enjoy a discount to these two conferences with great lineups!

 

8th Genetic Genealogy Conference - June 4 & 5

51st Genealogy Jamboree Conference - June 11 & 12

        Plus Bonus Events in between the two weekends.  

Early Bird Registration Ends May 31st.   

 

Here's the bottom line: Value!! Flexibility! Satisfaction!

No matter how big an in-person conference is, you can only listen to one speaker per hour. Miss a presentation and you’ll have to buy the recording, effectively increasing the cost of your registration. Our online conferences give you the flexibility to watch key presentations where the speaker is answering Q&A live AND have access to a recorded library of presentations for 6-months.

For each conference there are two levels of registration.

STANDARD gives you access to the six live presentations plus recordings of your choice.
PLUS registration is everything in Standard but with access to ALL recordings.
LIVE sessions will also be recorded and placed in the recorded library for your later viewing.

                  

Conference Pricing in this Link:

 https://genealogyjamboree.com/conference-pricing-2021/

I'll be there--will you? 

Did Census Records Ask About Citizenship? Well, yes...and no.

Did Census Records Ask About Citizenship? 

Well, yes...and no. It depends!

In today's news, both the Washington Post and CNN published online articles about the Trump's Administration intent to include a question about citizenship on the 2020 Federal Census. CNN did mention in their article that several past censuses did include such a question. And it's become politicalized! 

See CNN article here:  CNN article

Washington Post article: Post article

Are we required to have a census? Yes, every ten years, according to the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3...

Clause 3: Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers... The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. 

Does that mean that we have to include citizenship in the census, as a demographic factor? Only when Congress and the Census Bureau decide that it is necessary to include it. And if you look at the other questions listed on all the censuses dating back to 1790, a wide variety of questions have been asked! From education, gender, age, employment, land ownership, slave ownership, where born, and so on.

For us, as genealogists, having information about citizenship helps to determine the timeline of our ancestors' lives. Finding immigration and naturalization documents are part an integral part of our research. We are, indeed, a nation of immigrants!

So, is that true? Did Census Records ever ask about citizenship? Yes to both questions. The 1820, 1830, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses all ask if individuals are naturalized or not. Some ask if naturalized papers were taken out. For example:

1. 1820: asks for Foreigners not naturalized
2. 1830: asks for Aliens--foreigners not naturalized
3. 1890: asks whether naturalized, and if naturalization papers were taken out.
4. 1900: asks for year of immigration, number of years in the U.S., and if naturalized.
5. 1910: asks for year of immigration, and whether naturalized or alien.
6. 1920: asks for year of immigration, naturalized or alien, and year of naturalized (if naturalized)
7. 1930: asks for year of immigration, and if naturalized or alien.

For more information about the Census Bureau and its records, click on this link:  Census Bureau

And remember: Enjoy your research!!

Jamboree 2018--Are You Going?

It's Jamboree Time!!

Are you going? I am!!

The International German Genealogy Conference--Report.

 

 

 



International German Genealogy Conference

(the IGGP icon is on the left)

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the first ever International German Genealogy Conference, hosted by the Germanic Genealogy Society of St. Paul, MN and the International Germanic Genealogy Partnership (a collective of German genealogy societies). The nearly 700 attendees came from 41 US states, Australia, Brazil, and Germany.

 

Among the 28 speakers were Kim Ashford (one of the conference organizers), Kent Cutcomp (another organizer), Werner Esser, Debra Hoffman, Benjamin Hollister (from Australia), Baerbel Johnson (born in Germany and works in Salt Lake City), Ursula Krause (from Berlin), Michael Lacopo, Roger Minert, Jill Morelli, Stephen Morse, Paula Stuart-Warren, Ernest Thode, Toni Perrone, and Dirk Weissleder.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Dirk Weissleder a few months back at the Southern California Genealogy Society library. He lives in Germany, but travels frequently promoting the International Germanic Genealogy Partnership (IGGP). Organizing this conference has been a dream of his for several years. As I write this, he is on his way to Australia.

 

One of my genealogy dreams came true on Thursday. For years I have been a member of the Minnesota Historical Society, and I have wanted to visit and do research in their library. It only took 4 trips to Minnesota to finally walk in!! (The previous visits was occupied by driving up to Duluth to meet with cousins who live in Duluth and Proctor). I was hoping to find my great-grandmother and her daughters listed in the microfilmed files of the Minnesota Women's Suffragette Association. Alas, they were not found, but I did find some early 1900's birth certificates that I wanted to obtain.

 

The opening event was a beirgarten social at the Germanic-American Institute in St. Paul on Thursday night. Lots of beer and sauerkraut and socializing. Although I'm not a beer drinker, I did enjoy the socializing.

 

Lots of great workshops to attend--and it was hard to decide which ones to sit in on. One that I chose to sit in on a talk about German directories--and no, it's not your typical phone book! In fact, these directories were published for decades before phone were invented! It's a great resource, as it gives family names, addresses, and even occupations. It was in these directories that I found that two of my great-great grandmothers listed as midwives. Yes, midwives are listed!

 

Speakers also presented on using parish records, DNA, region-specific (Pommerania, Palatine, etc.), using FamilySearch.org, using newspapers, surnames, guilds and other organizations, and social history.

 

My verdict: it was a great conference. The organizers did a great job, with no snafus at all. The conference was at the Minneapolis Marriott Northeast hotel, and I had a very nice small suite in that hotel. I was able to hook up--in person!--with some of my favorite genealogy people--including Jill Morelli, Baerbel Johnson, Warren Bittner, Gordon Seyfurst, and Pat Richley-Erickson (aka Dear Myrtle).

 

And the weekend came with an unexpected bonus--I got to meet one of my second cousins, Dan Wombacher and his wife Erin and son John. Dan's grandfather Elmer and my grandfather Clarence (aka Dutch) are brothers. They took me out to a lake-side dinner on Friday. What a treat it was!! BTW--I also have a 1st cousin named Dan Wombacher. His dad Patrick is one of my mother's brothers. What are the odds??

 

And finally--the 2nd conference is scheduled for 2019 in Sacramento, California. Details to follow. I can't wait to register!!

 

And now I'm back in Los Angeles "enjoying" hot, humid, triple-digit weather.

Enjoy!

 



Family History Center Microfilm Distribution Information

Family History Center Microfilm Distribution:
to be discontinued!

 





One of my favorite reasons to go to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City are the 2.5 million microfilms housed at the library. Because of these microfilms, I found census records, marriage records, church records probate and will records. These microfilms include records dating back to the late 1500's. For those who cannot make the trip to Salt Lake City, the library offered a great benefit--the ability to order the microfilms online and have them sent to the local genealogy library. Saves a lot on airfare to Salt Lake City.

Bottom line--I love ordering the films, and I love using those films!

Now, the Family History Library has announced that on September 1st, the library will no longer distribute (mail out) the microfilms. This should come as no surprise, since the microfilms are being digitalized for online use. Many are already online. Below is the link to their announcement.

https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/familysearch-microfilm-discontinuation?lang=eng

Undoubtedly, this will also change how genealogists and family historians will use the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Their first floor has already changed dramatically to become an interactive experience for families, but does little for the more experienced genealogists who are committed to doing serious research. Hopefully, the other four floors of the library will still be one of our genealogy Meccas!

My, how times can change....