Adam Pollicino

by Rhonda McClure

Do You Have Famous Roots?

Discovering that you have a famous ancestor can add interest to your family tree. Professional researcher Rhonda McClure shares her tips on what to do if you suspect your tree has famous roots

A rose is a rose, except when it’s a Rosenburg. So often I read e-mails from individuals who share a surname with someone famous and they immediately jump to the conclusion that they are somehow related to that famous person. For some, this is what gets them involved in genealogy in the first place.

If you do discover a “famous” surname, don’t jump to any conclusions. Research that line just as you would any other surname you are working on. Take the line back as far as you can. You need to be familiar with your own branch of that surname before you can even begin to figure out a connection to the famous person who shares the surname. Oftentimes the connection will not be made until you get back to the immigrant ancestor.

Read the full article here http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/71_rhonda.html

by Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA

A survey of several members of the Association of Professional Genealogists, as well as many genealogical librarians, during January 2004 asked them to name their favorite genealogical websites. The respondents identified about 115 different sites, with most naming about seven to ten favorites.

The following list identifies, in rank order, the top 13 sites identified in this survey. Brief annotations accompany each site.

1. Ancestry.com - The data site with the most data; the only site named by almost 75% of respondents. This is a fee-based site, but worth the investment if you have plenty of time to do your own research.
2. FamilySearch - This site has plenty of free data and an excellent interface, so of course it is popular.
3. Rootsweb.com - More free data, and a with free server space, this is a great place for hobbyist genealogists to publish their work.

Read the full list here http://www.progenealogists.com/genealogysites.htm

By JOHN BRANCH

Tim Tebow arrives in New Jersey, where the Jets practice and play, as the world’s most famous backup quarterback. It is a homecoming, of sorts, centuries in the making, because Tebow appears to be the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of a man from Hackensack.

MetLife Stadium, home of the Jets and the Giants in East Rutherford, is about 10 miles from where an immigrant, Andries Tebow (spelled variously as Thybaut, Tibout, TeBow and other derivations), settled down after landing from Europe in the late 1600s. One of his children was Pieter, born in Hackensack and baptized there in 1696, records show.

More than 300 years and 10 generations later, Tim Tebow brings the family name full circle, according to the amateur genealogist — and Tebow’s fourth cousin, once removed — Dean Enderlin.

Read the full article here http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/24/sports/football/amateur-genealogist-says-tebow-has-roots-in-north-new-jersey.html?_r=1&ref=genealogy

by Elsdon C. Smith

Learning From Your Last Name

Did you know that 43% of surnames are based on a location? Learn to identify how your surname originated and what it can tell you about your ancestry.

In general, the development of surnames and their universal use throughout the world followed commerce. The countries and parts of countries where many were engaged in trade were the first to use surnames. Agricultural districts, where man was tied to the soil to make his living, had a smaller population where the need for more exact identification was not so pressing, and were consequently, the last places to acquire universal family names….

American surnames comprise the surnames found in every country throughout the world, many with differences in spelling not seen in the old country due to the inability of clerks and government officials to record correctly the names given them by unschooled immigrants not familiar with the English, French, German, or Spanish languages currently used in the port of entry or the part of the country where they settled. When an immigrant arriving in America with little knowledge of English gave his name verbally to the officials to whom it sounded odd or unusual, it was written down by them as they heard it, and being thereby “official,” it was often accepted by the immigrant himself as a correct American rendering of his name. To say that there are not American names would be wrong; one might on the contrary affirm that there are no unAmerican surnames. All family names in the United States can be and should be classified as “American” names.

Read the full article here http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/18_smith.html

By Kory L. Meyerink, AG

The Most Useful Tools for Family History Research

Wondering what tools you can use to make the most of your research time? From filing cabinets to genealogical societies, let an experienced genealogist clue you in to his top ten most useful genealogy resources.

Contemplating such a title, most family historians would first think of key sources, and that was my first inclination. But then, I thought further. You know, each family being so different, there are very few sources that we need for every research project. My professional research extends into every U.S. state and Canadian province, not to mention most European countries. The census, essential in U.S. and British research, is virtually useless for German research. Vital records, another staple, have little use for many colonial problems.

No, I got to thinking, what are the “things” I use in virtually every research project, personal or professional? Once I really started thinking creatively, the number of items was well past ten, with no stopping in sight. Then came the hard part, narrowing the list down to only ten. Well, here they are, with a brief commentary, and not necessarily in priority order.

Read the full article here http://www.genealogy.com/71_kory.html

by Raymond S. Wright III, Ph.D., AG

Getting the Most From Your Interview

Expert advice for interview day. Learn what you can do before, during, and after the interview to make your subject more comfortable and your fact-gathering more effective.

Although journalists appreciate off-the-cuff comments, oral historians are most successful if their subjects know exactly what will happen during an interview and are prepared beforehand. It is easy to establish this tone at the outset by sending the interviewee a copy of the questions that will be the basis of the exchange, as well as copies of at least some of the photographs, old letters, or newspapers that will be part of the interview. Before sending off a copy of the interview questions, the researcher should review them to ensure they provide the answers he or she is seeking.

The first rule of interviewing is punctuality. Never keep the informant waiting. After the interviewer has been invited in and is seated with the subject, it is helpful to discuss the equipment that will be used. As the tape recorder is shown, it should be turned on so that a few minutes of conversation can be recorded. The same is true of a video camera.

The interviewer should point out that he or she will also be taking notes, in case the recorder fails to do its part. After a few minutes of conversation, the tape recorder or video camera should be rewound and played back. The witness has an opportunity to hear or see himself or herself and hopefully feel reassured that there is nothing to fear or be nervous about as these machines do their work during the interview.

Read the full article here http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/tip11.html

REMEMBER THIS NUMBER    8870

This is not an error It is the number to remember when you want to find the birth date of someone when you only have the date of death and age.

How do you figure the birth date?

Suppose the person died May 6, 1889, at the age of 71 years, 7 months, 9 days.

1. Write the year, month, day as  18890506
2. Subtract the age at death             710709
3. This gives the figure                 18179797
4. Now subtract                                     8870
5. The result s                               18170927

Year 1817, 9th month (Sept), 27th day or 27 Sept, 1817

Source Platte Co, MO Historical/Genealogical Society

Read more here http://www.mayrand.org/birthday.html

By RACHEL L. SWARNS

Growing up, Khrys Vaughan always believed that she had inherited her looks and mannerisms from her father, and that her appreciation for tradition and old-fashioned gentility stemmed from her parents’ Southern roots. But those facets of her self-image crumbled when she was told, at age 42, that she had been adopted.

She began searching for her origins, only to find out that her adoption records had been sealed, a common practice in the 1960s. Then Mrs. Vaughan stumbled across an ad from a DNA testing company offering to help people who had been adopted find clues to their ancestry and connections to blood relatives.

About five weeks after shipping off two tiny vials of her cells from a swab of her cheek, Mrs. Vaughan received an e-mail informing her that her bloodlines extended to France, Romania and West Africa. She was also given the names and e-mail addresses of a dozen distant cousins. This month, she drove 208 miles from her hometown here to Evansville, Ind., to meet her third cousin, the first relative to respond to her e-mails. Mrs. Vaughan is black and her cousin is white, and they have yet to find their common ancestor. But Mrs. Vaughan says that does not matter.

“Somebody is related to me in this world,” she said. “Somebody out there has my blood. I can look at her and say, ‘This is my family.’ ”

A growing number of adoptees, now in the thousands, are turning to DNA testing companies in hopes of piecing together the puzzles of their beginnings. Some long to learn whether their family trees first bloomed in Ireland or Italy, Europe or South America. Others want to know whether they are genetically predisposed to developing diabetes,cancer or other diseases. Most adoptees are hungry for information that will lead to their birth parents, but some are also expanding their conception of family as they embrace a far-flung constellation of second, third and fourth cousins.

Some DNA testing companies have been stepping up their efforts to reach out to this community over the past several years, posting advertisements on adoption message boards and testimonials on their Web sites. Adoptees and some groups that serve them are also spreading the word. “There has never been a better time to establish your biological identity,” says the Web site of Adoption.com, which promotes its efforts to unite adoptees and blood relatives.

Genetic testing has surged in popularity over the last decade, as the cost of analyzing cell samples has dropped and as Americans have grown more interested in learning about their heritage. As a result, some companies have amassed enough DNA samples that they can offer to help adoptees identify their kin, bringing hope to people born in an era when adoption records were routinely sealed, leaving few paper trails to follow.

Several companies provide tests that can confirm whether adoptees are related to individuals they already know. Others cast a wider net by plugging DNA results into databases that contain tens of thousands of genetic samples, provided mostly by people searching for their ancestral roots. The tests detect genetic markers that reveal whether people share a common ancestor or relative.

Some experts on adoption and genetics have criticized ancestry and genealogy testing companies, saying they are, at times, connecting people whose genetic links are tenuous — in effect stretching the definition of a relative. Nevertheless, the growing popularity of the tests, combined with social media sites that connect people day to day, has given some adoptees a sense of family that feels tangible, intimate and immediate.

Within minutes of receiving the names of her distant relatives, Mrs. Vaughan, a freelance project manager, was admiring their photographs on Facebook. Another adoptee who found family through DNA testing, Kathy Borgmann, a 49-year-old corn farmer in New Palestine, Ind., exchanged e-mails with cousins who delighted her by saying, “Welcome to the family.”

Alan Bogner of Olympia, Wash., felt such kinship with his newly discovered second and third cousins that he attended their family reunion in Iowa. He learned, among other things, that many of them were also tall — he is 6-foot-5 — and that they shared his liberal politics.

“It sounds so baloney, but they’re just so much like me,” said Mr. Bogner, 54, who works for the governor’s office.

The tests have their limitations. The price of testing can range from $99 to more than $500, putting them out of reach for some people. Company officials also caution that it is much more common to find second and third cousins than birth parents or siblings. Neil Schwartzman of Montreal struck gold when his test connected him with his sister — “I was gob-smacked,” he recalled — but such cases are not typical.

Company officials say the odds are improving, though, as more people pay for tests and add their DNA to the pool of potential matches. Two testing companies — Family Tree DNA and 23andMe — have databases that contain samples from 350,000 and 125,000 people, respectively, and their executives say those numbers are rising. In recent years, about 9,000 of their customers have identified themselves as adoptees, company officials say, but they believe the actual number is larger since not everyone shares their reasons for testing.

Read the full article here

by Maureen Taylor 

Unique Ways to Record Your History

Don’t wait to start putting together your family story. Maureen Taylor shares how you can take advantage of unexpected opportunities to collect your family history and ways to record your family’s one-of-a-kind personality.

By following a few easy steps you can collect family memories at holidays and family reunions. Unfortunately, too many of us think that the right opportunity should be planned. However, if you try to wait for the perfect moment it may never happen. If you tarry too long, busy schedules and sudden illness can interfere. Instead, be prepared for those unexpected opportunities to collect your family history and traditions. A little preplanning can help you gather family history where and when it happens. The best way to start is to create a family history kit that you can carry with you or keep in your car when you visit with relatives. The following equipment can be held in a small storage container and will fit in even a small suitcase.

Family History Gathering Kit

• Pencils, notebook
• Pedigree charts
• Copies of an assortment of family photographs
• Camera with film
• Tape recorder

The contents of your kit can vary based on the materials you have on hand, as long as you have the essential tools to document your family history. For instance, pencils and a notebook are mainstays of genealogical research, but more computer-savvy individuals can use a handheld computer device to record information. The pedigree charts and photographs act as prompts when you are trying to encourage a reluctant relative to share their memories, and keeping a camera and a tape recorder handy helps preserve the details of the visit. Camcorders can be used, but it is usually not practical to carry one with you everywhere, while the new digital recorders that double as a still camera are nice, but expensive.

Now that you have the basic materials ready, follow these few steps to gather your family heritage in small, manageable pieces without becoming overwhelmed by the task

Write Down What You Know

The first step in any family history project is to record on a pedigree chart or family group sheet what you already know, including full names (maiden names), dates and places for births, marriages, and deaths. This outline of your known family history is a vital part of your collecting plan for the future. It provides you with a starting place.

Interview Relatives

Identify the individuals in your family that seem to know the most family history. Then either call them or send them a letter or e-mail to set up an appointment to talk. This may be a personal visit, a telephone interview, an e-mail interview, or maybe a plan to set some time aside at the next family event.

It is important to develop a list of questions based on the family history you already know so that you can focus the conversation. The answers will help you fill in the blanks on the family tree. For instance, ask for everyone’s full name including nicknames and maiden names. Make sure you try to either videotape or tape record these conversations so that you have an accurate record of their comments. An amazing amount of history is passed down orally through the generations. In some families it involves the immigration of the family to America while in others it can be simple things like a family recipe. Read The Importance of Oral Histories by Lyman Platt to learn more about why this is a primary step for genealogy research. For a sample list of questions and a guide to conducting interviews, check out Getting Nosy with Aunt Rosie.

Use Home Sources

Let family members know that you are interested in seeing the artifacts, photographs and documents that they have in their possession and hearing stories about those items. Artifacts have special meaning in most families, from the sampler passed down through several generations to the souvenir plate your grandparents bought on their honeymoon. You can use those materials to jog memories and direct conversations. A simple family photograph can lead a relative to recount memories about persons and events. Try questioning relatives about the existence of furniture, jewelry, photographs, documents and special linens. Most of what you’ll learn will not appear in any published family history and may not be verifiable, but it will be interesting and fun to hear.

Keep Track of Your Research

As you start to accumulate memories, be sure to keep track of all your sources and data. If you don’t already own a genealogical software package, now is the time. Not only do they help you organize your notes by creating family group sheets and charts, the programs also come equipped with extra features. For instance, many genealogical software packages such as Family Tree Maker allow you to add multimedia objects to your family group sheets so that sound and video can be incorporated into your family tree. The latest version of Family Tree Maker includes a publishing center that enables you to create a family web page directly from the program. As you start to gather stories, memories, artifacts and facts it is necessary to have complete contact or source data for them in case you need to refer to them again. It is very easy to forget who owned the quilt made by your great-great-grandmother or even who knew the details of the argument that divided siblings for several decades.

Acquire a New Hobby from a Family Member

Is there a member of your family that has a talent that has been in the family for several generations? A friend’s mother develops her own crochet patterns and creates beautiful items for special events like weddings and baptisms. A number of women who quilt pass this skill along to their daughters. Perhaps the men in your family share a common skill or interest. When you seek out memories, remember to document the talents and expertise of family members. In some families, trade secrets are the basis for a family business. My father learned his trade from his father and uncle who learned from their father who followed in the footsteps of his own father. Each generation inherited techniques and work methods.

Save a Tradition

Every family develops a set of traditions around certain holidays and family events. Are certain foods served? Is there a special series of events that occur at the same time each year? The next time you see a tradition being reenacted, step back and ask a series of questions. Find out why it is a tradition and who started it. Capture the memories on film or video as they are happening so that you can continue the practice. These traditions are clues to the history of your family. In the article The Ties that Bind, Dr. Susan Coady discusses why family traditions are important and how we developed them.

Take a Trip

Once you’ve accumulated material about the places your ancestors lived, it might be time to actually visit those locations to see relatives that still live in the area or find out more about your family’s time there. Most people think about overseas travel, but your family history may be in the United States. When you plan an itinerary, try to recreate the lives of your ancestors by walking in their footsteps. You can take an older or younger relative with you to explore. Be there while your relative rediscovers their old haunts and recounts long buried memories, or help a younger generation make new ones.

Pass on a Legacy

Now that you’ve worked hard to create a legacy for future generations, take time to put it all together so that your efforts won’t be wasted. Seek out family members willing to help you put together a family history, a heritage scrapbook or create a family web page. The final product is irrelevant as long as the memories you’ve gathered remain intact for others to enjoy.

As the family historian documenting each part of a family’s existence, take time to research the background of the stories, traditions and skills present in your family. Look behind the memories to see the historical trends and circumstances that led to their inception. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Read more here