Month: December 2018

Susan’s Genealogy Research Goals for 2019

/ Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 2 Comments

In my last post,  End of Year Review- 2018 Genealogy Goals,  I reviewed my 2018 goals. Now, I present my 2019 goals and some insights.

Why set goals for your genealogy research?  The terms ‘focus’ and ‘guide’ come to mind.  Focus implies a specific area for your attention. A synonym for guide is ‘direct’ which also means ‘showing the way’.  Goals help you stay focused and direct your path. Annual  genealogy goals should also be flexible.  Circumstances, such as time and money, change.  New opportunities and challenges present themselves.  Be prepared to change or delete.  Be open to adding new goals.

Goals can be broad or narrow.  I believe that broad annual goals serve us better.  Although, some specifics are needed.  Example:   “Order birth/death/ marriage certificates” is probably too broad. “Order at least 4 birth, death or marriage certificates for Tucker-Maurer ancestors”  gives direction and is measurable.

COMMENT:  My teacher persona now kicks in. Most people use the term “goals” in the same way as the term “objectives” .  I view goals as broad statements with a long term focus such as goals for the year, quarter, month or project.  An objective (or step) reflects a short term focus—what do I want to accomplish today, this week, or during this work session.  Objectives are more specific than goals.   “Order death certificate for Anna Klee Maurer from New York in January 2019” is an objective.  Enough of the soapbox. Don’t fret about which term that you use.

I found this blog post helpful:   Setting Genealogy Goals by Jennifer Patterson Dondero. [1]  She suggests five steps:

  1. Previous year review
  2. Broad interest or goal identification
  3. Refining your interests/ goals
  4. Correlating your previous year review with your refinements
  5. Finalizing your resolutions/ goals

I have already reviewed  2018 (see last blog post).  Based on that review, I wrote an initial set of goals (step 4).  So, back to steps 2 and 3.  My broad interest areas are mom’s family (Tucker-Maurer) and husband’s family (specifically Ellerbee). We are tentatively planning a genealogy field trip to Alabama and Georgia in summer 2019. Purpose is to visit areas where Ellerbee family lived during pre-Civil War era.  I reviewed Ellerbee family research in 2014 before we made a trip to east Texas. Ellerbee family review was done December 2017 through January 2018 as I prepared a scrapbook for father- in-law’s 80th birthday.  I think that initial goal refinement is needed to set aside mom’s family for now and focus more on Ellerbee family.  

Here are my refined 2019 goals:

Tucker-Maurer family (mom’s family):

  1. Continue paper & digital file clean-up.  Timeline:  January 2019. 
  2. Defer remainder of work as needed.

Ellerbee-Simmons/ Johnson-Reed (husband’s family)

  1. Purchase notebooks for Ellerbee-Simmons & Johnson-Reed certificates, photographs and other memorabilia.
  2. Send in husband’s DNA test.
  3. Begin paper & digital file clean-up for father-in-law’s and/or mother-in-law’s family.
  4. Plan field trip to Alabama and Georgia to trace Ellerbee family migration. If time and geography permit, follow migration of Johnson-Reed family.

Posten-Richards family (dad’s family)

  1. Copy paper BMD certificates from Posten relative to digital files. Place originals in Posten BMD notebook.
  2. Submit at least one article to a local genealogical society for publication in their newsletter.  Priority: Use information from 2010 Posten family history (continued from 2018). 
  3. Assist nephew to combine family trees of his parents (continued from 2018).
  4. Revise at least 4 chapters of Posten family history book. Explore publication options for  2020.  (One chapter done in 2018).

Genealogy Blog:

  1. Post on regular basis, optimally every 2 weeks.
  2. Post at least 2 stories about each family- Posten-Richards (Dad), Tucker-Maurer (Mom), Ellerbee-Simmons (Father-in-law), Johnson-Reed (Mother-in-law).
  3. Limit each post to about 1500 words.
  4. Purchase or download software to post GEDCOM family tree. Add at least 2 family trees to blog.
  5. Address Genealogical Proof Standard in reports/ posts.

General items:

  1. Create master lists of To-Do/ BSO items and questions for each family. Begin with  Tucker-Maurer and Ellerbee families.
  2. Send for at least 6 BMD certificates. If budget permits, request one certificate per month.
  3. Add to Research Toolbox: Book about “Dating Vintage Photographs”; possibly Dragon software.
  4. Continue volunteer genealogy work with Daughters of the American Revolution.
  5. Enroll in at least one genealogy-related webinar or online class, topic to be determined.  
  6. Review Genealogy Proof Standard. Buy book on this topic.  https://www.genealogyexplained.com/basics/genealogica

Budget:

Printer & ink             $  60.00
Paper/ Notebooks          $  10.00
Books                     $  50.00
BMD Certificates          $ 120.00
Personal education        $ 150.00
Subscriptions             $ 600.00 
TOTAL                     $1040.00                 

Want more information about research goals? Look at these websites:  

Thomas MacAntee, Genealogy Do-Over, Month 2:  https://abundantgenealogy.com/genealogy-month-2-february-2018/  

Legacy Tree Genealogists:  https://www.legacytree.com/blog/setting-smart-genealogy-research-goals

Family Tree Magazine:  https://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/news-blogs/family-tree-university/genealogy-goal-setting/

REFLECTION:

I have learned so much in the past two years from the Genealogy Do-Over. My file clean-up efforts will eventually pay off although progress sometimes seems very slow. My research habits continue to improve. My family feels a little neglected at times. I need to balance my genealogy and family time better.  

My husband suggested that I can earn money with genealogy. To do that, I need to pursue certification. I am not adding that to my goals for 2019 but will keep it in mind.

What I learned:  Define broad interest/ research areas.  Some of my blog posts meet the ‘reasonably exhaustive research’ standard and some do not. I use the blog as a sounding board for questions and brick walls.  The work doesn’t have to be complete for posting here.

What helped: Finding blog post about Setting Research Goals from The Occasional Genealogist. I reformatted my initial scattered list into broad interest areas/ categories. I believe this organization will help me to focus in 2019.

What didn’t help:  My background as a teacher wanting to separate goals and objectives. Not everyone needs to make that distinction! It’s a matter of semantics.

To-Do:  See my 2019 goals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[1] Jennifer Patterson Dondero, “Setting Genealogy Goals”, The Occasional Genealogist, December 2017 (https://www.theoccasionalgenealogist.com/2017/12/genealogy-goals-new-year.html   : accessed 20 December 2018).

End of Year Review–2018 Genealogy Goals

/ Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 6 Comments

December, a time to remember our blessings through the giving of gifts and family celebrations. One of my gifts has been time for Genealogy Do-Over.  How did I spend that gift?  In this post, I reflect on the year and present my 2018 goals and activities.

Overall, I am pleased with my genealogical research this year.  Contact with 4 cousins includes sharing information and asking for opinions about questionable data or conclusions drawn by others.  I was pleasantly surprised when one cousin sent me a box of old family pictures. Another cousin shared pictures digitally. My mother’s album of similar pictures has been lost so this was a wonderful gift!

I routinely use Genealogy Do-Over principles as new research directions appear.  I talked to my oldest son about preserving the legacy.  Daily computer time was limited for several weeks due to a painful shoulder.  Shoulder problem is now resolved as long as I work in short bursts.  Maybe Santa Claus will bring Dragon software? 

I hoped to complete digital clean-up of Mom’s family tree by the end of the year.  Did progress on Genealogy Do-Over interfere with conducting new research and following new leads?  In some ways, yes.  However, I did follow new leads.  Developing more efficient research habits meant slowing down a little. Specifically, I renamed digital documents immediately after downloading to my computer and  before saving the document to genealogy software.  I cited the source right then, too. This practice will ultimately save time later. Thorough documentation helped me to find insights that I would probably have missed before.  And, I wrote down those insights including  how I came to a specific conclusion!   

Writing blog posts took more time than I expected each week.  Some posts are really long and potentiallydifficult to follow.  At the end of theyear, I set a goal of 1500 words or less for each post. This goal will continuefor 2019. As I wrote, I gained new perspectives about each person or family. Gaps and questions seemed more clear.   

Susan’s Genealogy 2018 Goals:

  1. Continue paper and digital file clean-up.  Focus on mom’s family as Dad’s family files are almost done. Results:  Goal met.  Work continues on mom’s tree. 
    • Created research logs for 80 of the 297 persons in mom’s tree, including 28 identified direct line ancestors. The non-direct line persons (N = 52) are siblings of direct line ancestors and the siblings’  spouses.
    • Completed paper records (Individual worksheet, Research checklist, Biographical outline) for direct line ancestors and their siblings.
    • Digitally, renamed media files and rewrote source citations using Roots Magic source templates/ Evidence Explained[1] format.  Approximately 75% complete for Mom’s tree.
    • Refined labelling system for digital files.
    • Used same process of paper and digital file cleanup for a few files in other family trees (Dad, Father-in-law,Mother-in-law).
  2. Submit at least one article to a local genealogical society for publication in their newsletter. Use information from 2010 Posten family history.
    • Result:  Not met. Presented information to local DAR chapter about Father-in-law’sdistant cousin who lived in Oklahoma before statehood.  Keep same goal for 2019.
  3. Revise at least 4 chapters of Posten family history book. Explore publication optionswith expected publication in 2019.
    • Results:  Partially met. Revised one chapter of Posten family history book. Continue same goal for 2019.
  4. Send copies of grandparents’ BMD certificates to cousin.
    • Results: Met. Sent copies of grandparents’ certificates plus other BMD certificates to cousin. Sent print-ready copies of blog posts to another cousin.
  5. Send for at least 6 BMD certificates. If budget permits, request one certificate per month.
    • Results:  Partially met. Requested 5 certificates. One certificate sent to me by another Tucker-Maurer family researcher. Received 2 of 4 certificates requested. Waiting for 2 certificates from New York.  Certificates from State of New York can take 8-9 months. Certificates from New York City usually received within 6-8 weeks.
  6. Blog-related goals:
    • Post on more regular basis, optimally every 2 weeks.  Goal met.
    • Expand to husband’s family, at least 4 stories about his family during the year. Goal met.  Posted 5 stories about husband’s family.
      • Simmons,Ellerbee, Johnson-Reed scrapbooks—posted 29 January 2018
      • Valentine in the family tree: Valentine Creager—posted 14 February 2018
      • Elegy to Elizabeth Hayes Ellerbee – posted 5 March 2018
      • Pre-1850 census records using William Bailey as example – posted 25 September 2018
      • Holcomb family and New Madrid Earthquakes, 1811-1812, posted December 3, 2018.
    • Explore options for posting family trees to blog. Goal partially met.  Option called RootsPersona ( https://rootspersona.com/) is one option. For 2019, post at least two family trees to blog.
  7. Learn more about DNA testing.  Join DNA Do-over Facebook group. Goal met. Joined Facebook group on 4 January 2018. Read posts about once a week.
  8. Post DNA results to GEDmatch.  Goal met. Posted DNA results to GEDmatch on January 7, 2018. Posted family tree to GEDmatch in March 2018.  Helped one DNA match discover biologic grandmother (person and person’s mother had been adopted; person was able to give me possible surnames and a location).
  9. Assist nephew to combine family trees of his parents (his mother is my sister). Goal not met. Talked about family trees during visits to nephew.
  10. Prepare Ellerbee family scrapbook for Papa (Father-in-law). Goal met. Completed 11 January 2018. Presented to him in honor of 80th birthday.

Other activities:

  • Created digital scrapbook of vintage Tucker-Maurer photographs. Includes photos sent to me by two cousins.
  • Consulted books and online resources about preservation of vintage photographs.
  • Purchased archival quality plastic sleeves for preservation of vintage Tucker-Maurer photographs.
  • Purchased notebooks for BMD certificates, photographs and other memorabilia of Posten-Richards and Tucker-Maurer families.
  • Used principles learned in Genealogy Do-Over to research families of two persons who are related to me by marriage.
  • Joined GenealogyBank for access to newspapers.
  • Continued routine scheduled backups to Cloud and external hard drive.
  • Purchased 7 books for Research Toolbox: 
    • Berry, Kenyatta D. The Family Tree Toolkit. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2018.
    • Bettinger, Blaine T. Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy. Kindle edition.Cincinnati, Ohio: Family Tree Books, No date.
    • Crawford,Mark.  Confederate Courage on Other Fields: Overlooked Episodes of Leadership,Cruelty, Character, and Kindness. El Dorado Hills, California:  Savas Beatie, 2017.
    • Hendrickson, Nancy. 52 Weeks of Genealogy: Projects for Every Week of the Year. Kindle edition. San Diego, California: Green Pony Press, 2017.
    • Lardas,Mark. Nashville 1864: From the Tennessee to the Cumberland.  New York: Osprey Publishing, 2017.
    • Richards, Amber. Preserve Your Family Pictures: How to Save Photo Heirlooms for Future Generations. Kindle edition. Publication information not listed.
    • Rigdon,John C. Historical Sketch and Roster of the Georgia 25th Infantry Regiment. Kindle edition.Cartersville, Georgia: Easter Digital Resources, 2015.

How much did my hobby cost?  Here’s the breakdown:

  • Archival materials      $ 76.83 (includes scrapbook items)
  • BMD records                $92.00
  • Books                            $74.80
  • Copying                       $    4.20 (forms for paper files)
  • Ink/ printer                  $339.95(New printer July 2018)
  • Online databases        $788.75 (Discontinued 1 due to minimal results)
  • Paper/Scrapbook        $  10.00 (3 reams paperfrom estate sale)

Total                           $1386. 53

Average/ month        $  115.54

Ink/ printer and online database costs should decrease in 2019.  

Next blog post:  2019 goals and budget   

SOURCES

[1] ElizabethShown Mills. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 3rd ed. (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015).

New Madrid earthquakes and Holcombe ancestors

/ Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / Leave a comment

What do you know about the New Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) earthquakes of 1811-1812? If you are like me, you  don’t know much, if anything.  Geologists and seismologists (persons who study seismic activity, a.k.a. earthquakes) can maybe tell you about it.  I learned about the earthquakes while researching my mother-in-law’s Holcomb ancestors. Several Holcomb families are reported to have  lived in or near New Madrid, Missouri, when the earthquakes struck.  As a genealogist, can I prove the connection?  First, I relate the family history  and  historical documents then information about the earthquakes. Finally, I make my own conclusion.

New Madrid earthquake pic

The ancestral Holcomb/ Holcombe line traces back to Pendleton County, South Carolina.  The 1790 census shows Joel Holcomb with one male over 16 years and 4 females. [1]   Joel Holcombe I received a land grant in Warren county, Kentucky  in 1792. The state of Virginia generally reserved land grants in this area for Revolutionary War soldiers. [2]  Joel Holcombe I is my mother-in-law’s fifth great-grandfather.

An extensive Holcombe family history was published in 1947.[3] The narrative records one or more men named Joel Holcombe in each generation.  Sources include historical documents and oral family history. The editor also refers to written communications from numerous family members.

Pages 492-493:  “[Joel Holcombe I] moved about 1797 with brother, Harman Holcombe, to Warren Co., Ky [Kentucky]. . . . moved from Warren Co., Ky. about 1804 with his brother, Harman Holcombe to New Madrid, New Madrid Co., Mo., they being reported as the first settlers there to take up land W. of the Mississippi River in the then new Louisiana Purchase. . . . moved to St. Clair Co., Ill. where his brother, Zachariah Holcombe, arrived in 1807. Joel had returned to New Madrid, Mo., by 1809 when he d.[ied] there.”

Page 493:  “Joel Holcombe II. . .  moved from Pendleton to Warren Co., Ky. about 1797 . . .and on or before 1812 had left Warren and was settled in New Madrid Co., Mo. where they were Dec. 16, 1811 when the first of a long series of earthquake shocks there, and throughout a large adjoining region. . . . “

If this account is true, then Joel Holcombe I died in or near New Madrid in 1809. Other Holcombe relatives survived the earthquake.   “The Holcombes  fled this disaster with others, generally mounted, carrying but little of their property to higher ground to the north and west, in Mo., where Joel Holcombe remained only a year or two before removing to St. Clair Co., Ill. , where he entered land in 1814. . . . “ [4]

Census records for 1820 show Joel Holcomb in St. Clair County, Illinois.[5]  The family consists of 2 free white males of 16 and under 26 and 1 free white female of 26 and under 45.  Birth years for the males are estimated as between 1794 and 1804 suggesting that this is the younger Joel Holcomb.  So far, information looks consistent.

However, there is at least one issue. Joel Holcombe II’s birth year is reported as about 1797. If true, then he would have been 13 or 14 years old at the time of the New Madrid earthquakes. At present, I am not attempting to validate the above information as reported in the Holcombe history. That is another project!

missouri map

New Madrid is in the boot heel region of Missouri.  During the early 1800s, the Mississippi River system  was the primary trade route connecting eastern cities with New Orleans.  New Madrid was the largest settlement between St. Louis and Natchez, Mississippi.  This thriving, busy community had no way to predict the coming earthquake. Survivors reported rainy, unusually warm weather in the days just before the first quake.

The first earthquake shook the people of New Madrid, Missouri out of their beds at 2 a.m. on December 16, 1811. Numerous quakes continued to occur through March 1812. [6]  At least two of the subsequent quakes were felt as far away as Washington, D.C.  Eyewitness accounts describe the general destruction including coffins being tossed out of the ground at the local cemetery.[7]  At one point, the Mississippi River actually ran backwards and carried a flatboat about 4 miles upstream.

Located near Dunklin County, Missouri is Holcomb Island.  Dunklin county was formed in 1845 from Stoddard County which had been formed from  New Madrid County in 1845. [8]  Was this island named after our Holcomb ancestors? From a message board:  “Could Joel have been unlucky enough to have his 100 acres sink to the bottom of the Mississippi?”[9] The same person reported that Joel Holcomb bought land in New Madrid County from an Edward Robertson in October 1811. I have not seen the original land transfer record and have not located it online.

Question:  Were Holcomb ancestors present in or near New Madrid, Missouri at the time of 1811-1812 earthquakes?   Answer:  Likely.  The land transfer record would prove that Joel Holcomb I purchased land in New Madrid about two months before the first earthquake. Land purchase suggests residence  at the appropriate time.  What other Holcomb families lived in the area?  Joel Holcombe II may not have been old enough to have his own family.  The assertion still needs to be proved.  I see a genealogy field trip to Missouri in my future!

For additional information:

Fuller, Myron L. The New Madrid Earthquake. USGS Bulletin 494. Washington Gov’t Printing Office, 1912. [Cape Girardeau, MO: Center for Earthquake Studies, 1989].  121 pages with extensive references including some firsthand accounts.  Available online:  https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0494/report.pdf

reflection-swirl-green-color-hi

Reflection:

I have been intrigued by this story since I first read about it in 2015 as I delved deeper into my mother-in-law’s family.  The New Madrid earthquake was a significant event in our nation’s early history.  We lived in Arkansas for 9 years and heard about the New Madrid fault which runs through northwestern Arkansas.  A similar earthquake now would potentially cause thousands of deaths.  I have only scratched the surface on this topic.  Still makes for an interesting family story.

In this post, I continue to write about possible family connections to specific events. These connections make both the people and the events more real.  I realize that I need to validate information reported in the Holcombe book.  The challenge will be to separate the lives of multiple men named Joel Holcombe in various generations.  Genealogy Do-over focus for 2019?

What I learned:  Personal stories about those who experienced  the New Madrid earthquake. The impact was more far-reaching than I expected.  The Indian leader Tecumseh is part of this history. The Holcombe family story has been handed down for generations.

What helped:  Previous access to some documents.  Book about the earthquake in my local library.   1820 & 1830 census records for Joel Holcombe (probably  Joel  II) in St. Clair, Illinois. Met word count goal of less than 1500 words for this post.

What didn’t help:  Not having access to documents mentioned by others.  No online database found with 1810 census or tax records for Missouri. I am becoming too dependent on technology!

To-do:  Field trip to New Madrid and/or Missouri State Archives. Continue search for documents about Holcomb family during this time period.  Search 1810 census records in Warren County, Kentucky for Joel Holcomb.

SOURCES

[1] 1790 U.S. Census, Pendleton district, South Carolina, population schedule, , page 5, column 2, line 12, Joel Halcomb; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, printed, downloaded 21 September 2018); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication M637,Roll 11.

[2] Hannah Elizabeth Weir McPherson, The Holcombes.Nation Builders (Washington, D.C.: The author , 1947), 492.

[3] McPherson, The Holcombes, Joel Holcombe I (p. 477, 492-493); Joel Holcombe II (p. 493); Joseph Holcombe (p. 493, 499-500).

[4] McPherson, The Holcombes, 493.

[5] 1820 U.S. Census, St. Clair county, Illinois, population schedule, page 131, line 33, Joel Halcomb; digital images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org   : accessed & printed 2 December 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication M19, roll 25.

[6] Jay Feldman, When the Mississippi ran backwards: Empire, intrigue, murder, and the New Madrid earthquakes.  New York, NY: Free Press, 2005.

[7] Arch C. Johnston & Eugene S. Schweig, “The Enigma of the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812,” Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 24 (1996), 339-384; image copy, Semantic Scholar, (https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1302  :  accessed & downloaded, 2 December 2018).

[8] Family Search Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/   : accessed 3 December 2018),  “Missouri County Creation Dates and Parent Counties.”

[9] Donna Lonan, “Wingfield Notes: The Holcombs,” My Arkansas Families, discussion board, November 1981 and January 1982, posting date unknown  (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arkfam/holcomb.html  : accessed 2 December 2018).