Green and Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861–1865, with Author Damian Shiels
Historian Damian Shiels, an expert on Irish American history and the U.S. Civil War, will bring to life the experience of Irish American soldiers fighting for the Union. Don’t miss his in-depth presentation and conversation with Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb. Learn More
Upcoming Free Webinar, November 21
American Ancestors Virtual Open House
Do you want to make real headway in your family history research? The genealogists, databases, and millions of unique collections at American Ancestors can help! Join us for a special online discussion that highlights the many benefits and services available to members. Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Ancestors or Relatives Who Claimed to be Psychics or Mediums, or to Have the Second Sight
Share your story! Each week in our Readers Respond column, we publish a selection of reader-submitted stories related to our most recent survey. Submissions must be 150 words or fewer and include your full name, city, and state. Published responses will be edited for clarity and length.
50%, I have or had at least one genealogical mentor.
38%, I have never had a genealogical mentor.
46%, I have been a genealogical mentor for at least one other person.
19%, I have never been a genealogical mentor.
4%, I am not sure.
Readers Respond
Joy Metcalf, Northport, Maine: When I began genealogical research in earnest about twenty-five years ago, my cousin Betty Weston mentored me. We met once or twice a week to work together. She emphasized the importance of checking every source, not making assumptions, and verifying information gathered from others’ family trees. I'm very grateful for everything she taught me, and I have mentored other family members in turn.
Michael Moose, Cincinnati, Ohio: The births, marriages, and deaths of my seventeenth-century ancestors in Söllingen, Germany, appear in the local Lutheran church records, which are in Old German script. As I researched the entries, I discovered the website of Kurt Kastner, a German genealogist who knew something of my Mußgnug family. After translating a couple of records for me, Kurt suggested that I would have a much richer experience if I were able to translate the script myself. Chagrined, I found a tutorial at FamilySearch and taught myself to read and write Old German.
Nancy Abish, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Twenty-some years ago, I became interested in researching my family history. My old friend Ray, who had recently started researching his own family, showed me the ropes. He shared online resources and taught me terms I had never heard before, like “family group sheet.” When Ray became bored with his own family research, he would offer to look up death certificates or newspaper articles for me. Sadly, my friend and mentor passed away this month. I will miss him and his counsel.
Letha Chunn, Prescott, Arizona: My maternal grandmother was Frances Irene (Skipton) Haraldson (1895-1969) of Kasota, Minnesota. In the 1950s, starting when I was nine, I began “helping” my grandmother with her genealogy so she could join the DAR chapter in St. Peter, Minnesota. Her mother had been a charter member of the group in 1900. I became hooked on genealogy. The wonderful memories of my grandmother guiding me are indelibly etched in my brain.
Tom Knobloch, Boothbay Harbor, Maine: In the 1980s, I took an adult education class taught by a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. She was an educator for the church who wanted to teach the fundamentals of genealogy research to the general public. Her class was comprehensive and emphasized documentation and accuracy. I am now a volunteer at the Skidompha Library Genealogy and Local History Center in Damariscotta, Maine, helping visitors with their family history questions and teaching research methods.
What We’re Reading
A Bill of Divorcement The Uncommonwealth, the Library of Virginia’s blog, tells the story of an 1878 divorce case instigated by a German husband twenty-nine years after he immigrated to the United States, leaving his wife and two sons behind.
200 Years, Millions of Stories: Prudence Punderson “In 1963, the Connecticut Museum purchased several textiles embroidered by a young women named Prudence Punderson, who documented her life during the American Revolution through needlework skills.”
The Art of Genealogy “In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, family registers served as a means to document, celebrate, and memorialize family life events such as births, marriages, and deaths.”
“I Took a DNA Test—It Blew My Life Apart” “People whose family tracing did not go to plan are warning others about the risks, with one man saying he would not do it ‘if he had his time again.’”
Spotlight: Community History Archive of the Dare County Library, North Carolina
by Valerie Beaudrault
Dare County, seated in Manteo, is the easternmost county in North Carolina. The Dare County Library has made a collection of newspaper databases available in its Community History Archive. The collection comprises nearly 150,000 pages from three different newspapers titles: The Coastland Times (1951-2009), Dare County Times (1935-1937), and TheDare County Times (1938-1945). The databases can be searched by keyword or browsed. In addition to the newspaper databases, researchers will find the Gregory Williams family tree. Search Now
Database News
New and Updated Sketches: Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784
The new and updated sketches in the Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784 database are: Shubael Bullock (Guilford); David Church (Brattleboro); Nathaniel Church (Brattleboro); and Daniel Shepardson (Guilford).
This study project, researched by Scott Andrew Bartley, treats heads of households who lived within the present-day borders of Vermont by 1784. Each entry includes known vital records and a list of children with spouses. This database is available to American Ancestors members only. Search Now
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
