Sep 16

FGS 2011 in the Land of Lincoln

Inside Lincoln's Tomb, Springfield, Illinois

Last week I was in Springfield, Illinois, for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) annual conference. It had been four years since I attended a national conference and it sure was fun to attend one again. Over 2000 people from 48 states and five countries attended the conference.

It was the 35th Anniversary of FGS and we celebrated that milestone at Friday evening’s banquet. The conference planners and volunteers did a great job to make this conference a success. Thanks to all of them!

Miriam and I had a very busy schedule during the week. We attended luncheons, banquets, receptions and learning sessions. We shopped in the Exhibit Hall, visited with old friends and made new ones.

We went sight-seeing in Springfield on Wednesday, visiting as many Lincoln attractions as we could fit in that day. We visited Lincoln’s tomb, the Abraham Lincoln Museum, the Lincoln Presidential Library, the Lincoln home, the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln pew in the First Presbyterian Church. It is very easy to get around Springfield and the attractions are worth a trip there. We especially enjoyed the Lincoln Museum. It is about five years old and is a state-of-the-art museum. Their movies, Ghosts of the Library and Lincoln’s Eyes, are simply wonderful.

Abraham Lincoln Museum, Springfield, Illinois

The conference officially began on Thursday. Some sessions I enjoyed and some things I learned:

  • Curt Witcher, manager of the Genealogical Center of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, identified many places to research in Indiana.
  • Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers shared tips on blogging and starting a blog.
  • I got some ideas for Civil War and WWII research.
  • Look for the 1940 census to be available April 2012. The 1940 census will show where individuals were living in April 1940 as well as their location in April 1935. Great information!
  • Censuses are on-line at several websites but the spelling of names in the indexes may vary. Search several on-line indexes for a name you cannot find.
  • I learned some tips for using some of my favorite tools—GenSmarts, Evernote, and Dropbox.

Roots Magic in Exhibit Hall. FGS 2011.

There were many things to look at and learn about in the Exhibit Hall:

  • AncestorSync, the program that promises to synchronize your genealogy information between devices and on-line, plans to be up and running by RootsTech in February 2012.
  • I made contact with someone who will translate German documents. (Maybe I can get some of those old German letters translated.)
  • And of course I purchased a few books. I just had to purchase Shaking the Family Tree by Buzzy Jackson. At one luncheon I sat by Pat Richards, who helped and encouraged the author to write this book. Pat is mentioned in the second sentence of the book.

FamilySearch in Exhibit Hall. FGS 2011.

FamilySearch was a Platinum Sponsor for the conference. They are doing so much for the world of on-line genealogy. They have microfilmed billions of records throughout the world and are now digitizing them and putting them on-line. Their website is free. Their on-line records have been indexed in the past, but in an effort to get more records on-line quickly, they are now putting un-indexed records on-line, too. They call this “Field Express”. This is a great idea. Searching these records would not be any different than looking through a roll of microfilm, the way we used to search records. The FamilySearch people are always looking for people willing to index records from their home computers. They also have an informative Wiki and Civil War records on their website.

FGS has a new project, “Preserve the Pensions”. This is a project to digitize the War of 1812 pension application files. They have digitized over 71,000 pension documents but are less than 1% complete. You can learn more about this project and make a contribution at FGS Preserve the Pensions. A $25 donation will digitize 50 images. The digitized images are on-line at Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com).

FGS Preserve the Pensions project. FGS 2011.

At the conclusion of the conference we met with the Dick Eastman group on Saturday evening for a nice dinner on the 29th floor of our hotel. The view was beautiful from up there and we had a very enjoyable evening.

Everyone has a great time at Maia's Books. FGS 2011.

It was a fun but tiring week. I loved it! Now I have to switch hats. I’ll be attending the Ohio Dental Association Annual Session this weekend in Columbus. (Just between you and me, the genealogical conferences are a lot more fun!)

The next national genealogical conference will be the National Genealogical Society Conference, The Ohio River-Gateway to the Western Frontier. It will be held in Cincinnati, 9-12  May 2012. See you there!

 

 

 

Sep 13

Tombstone Tuesday–Rosina Büchner

 

Rosina Buchner, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio

This is the tombstone of Rosina Büchner, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The grave stone is inscribed: Hierr ruhet Rosina, ehefrau des Adam Büchner. Geboren in K. R. Würtemberg. Gest 11 Feb 1861, Alter 22 Yahr, 4 Mon, 4 Tag. When translated the marker reads: Here rests Rosina, wife of Adam Büchner, Born in the Kingdom of Württemberg, Died 11 February 1861, Age 22 years, 4 months and 4 days.

Margaretha “Rosina” Grund married Adam Büchner 9 September 1858 at Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm. (source: records of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, Book I, 1847-1869: 73)

Adam and Rosina Büchner had 2 children:

Johann Jakob Martin Büchner was born 30 May 1859 and baptized 2 June 1859 at home. The sponsors at his baptism were Johann Büchner and his wife, Jakob Bienz and his wife, and Martin Gaier and his wife. (source: records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Book I: 57)  

Their second child was Johann Friedrich Büchner, born 12 December 1860 and baptized 14 December 1860 in the church. The sponsors at his baptism were Friedrich Schumm and his wife and Johann Hoffmann and his wife. (source: records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Book I : 58)

Rosina Büchner died 11 February 1861 after getting chilled while taking a bath. (source: records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Book I: 85)

On 17 September 1861 Rosina’s widower husband Adam Büchner married widow Anna Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm. (source: records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Book I: 73) Anna Barbara’s husband, Ludwig “Louis” Schumm, had died 22 Aug 1855, leaving Anna Barbara with eight children, seven of whom were living at the time of her marriage to Adam Büchner. Louis and Anna Barbara Schumm were my second and third great-grandparents.

Sep 09

My Great-Great-Grandparents

Frederick, Elizabeth (Schumm) and Clara Schinnerer

I got this idea from another blogger and I thought it would be an interesting list to make. Below is a list of my sixteen great-great-grandparents with their birth, death, and marriage dates and where those events occurred.

  1.  Johann Müller, b. 19 Jan 1816, Gerhardsbrunn, Pfalz, Bayern; d. 14 Oct 1870, Bierbach, Bavaria; m. 2 Oct 1838, Walsheim, Bavaria.
  2. Marie Kessler, b. 8 Dec 1811, Germany; d. 26 May 1886, Mercer County, Ohio; m. 2 Oct 1838, Walsheim, Bavaria.
  3. Jacob Rueck, b. 24 Dec 1828, Appensee, Oberamt Crailsheim, Württemberg; d. 23 Jan 1918, Oregon; m. 19 Jun 1855, Germany.
  4. Maria Regina Gross, b. 22 Jul 1833, Germany; d. 8 Feb 1889, Oregon; m. 19 Jun 1855, Germany.
  5. Daniel M. Brewster, b. 13 Sep 1845, Fayette County, Pennsylvania; d. 2 May 1917, Adams County, Indiana; m. 19 Mar 1867, Mercer County, Ohio.
  6. Sarah Ann Fetters, b. 12 Oct 1849, Indiana; d. 4 Nov 1877, Adams County, Indiana; m. 19 Mar 1867, Mercer County, Ohio.
  7. William W. Reid, b. 2 Feb 1855, Indiana; d. 9 Feb 1905, Jay County, Indiana; m. 30 Jun 1878, Jay County, Indiana.
  8. Emily Bryan, b. 8 May 1856, Jay County, Indiana; d. 24 Jun 1940, Jay County, Indiana; m. 30 Jun 1878, Jay County, Indiana.
  9. Johann Ludwig Schumm, b. 4 Mar 1817, Ruppertshofen, Württemberg; d. 22 Aug 1855, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 1 Nov 1840, Holmes County, Ohio.
  10. Maria Barbara Pflüger, b. 28 Dec 1822, Schrozberg, Oberamt Gerebronn, Württemberg; d. 13 Nov 1908, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 1 Nov 1840, Holmes County, Ohio.
  11. Louis Frederick Peter Breuninger, b. 15 Dec 1819, Bachlngen, Württemberg; d. 5 Nov 1890, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 6 Feb 1851, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  12. Maria A. Seckel, b. 13 Apr 1827, Württemberg; d. 19 Jun 1910, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 6 Feb 1851, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  13. Johann Scarr, b. 20 Apr 1829, Hesse-Darmstadt or Bavaria; d. 16 Nov 1894, Allen County, Indiana; m. 1 Mar 1860, Stark County, Ohio.
  14. Katherine Emrick, b. 11 Sep 1825, Hesse-Darmstadt or Bavaria; d. 17 Dec 1886, Allen County, Indiana; m.  1 Mar 1860, Stark County, Ohio.
  15. Frederick Schinnerer, b. 8 May 1824, Windsheim, Bavaria; d. 5 Feb 1905, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 12 Jun 1862, Van Wert County, Ohio.
  16. Elizabeth Schumm, b. 17 Nov 1841, Van Wert County, Ohio; d. 11 Jul 1917, Van Wert County, Ohio; m. 12 Jun 1862, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Twelve of my sixteen great-great-grandparents are definitely of German heritage. I’m not sure of the heritage of the other four, although it appears they are probably Scotch/Irish with possibly some English thrown in. So, it looks like I am 75% German. No surprise there with names like Müller, Schumm, Pflüger, Breuninger, and Schinnerer in my family tree.

It is also interesting to note that eleven of my great-great-grandparents were born somewhere in what is now Germany, three were born in Indiana, one was born in Pennsylvania, and one in Ohio.

This makes an interesting list of my ancestors. I’ll do this sometime with Joe’s great-great-grandparents, too.

 

 

 

Sep 06

Tombstone Tuesday–Winfield Scott Brewster

BREWSTER, Winfield Scott, Effie Jane, Charles Augustus; Kessler/Liberty Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio

This is the tombstone of Winfield Scott Brewster, his wife Effie Jane (Searight) Brewster, and their son Charles Augustus Brewster.  The tombstone is located in row 7 of Kessler Cemetery (aka Liberty Cemetery) in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The flat marker is inscribed BREWSTER, Winfield Scott, 1847-1926, Effie Jane, 1856-1928, and Charles Agustus, 1884-1951.

Winfield Scott Brewster was born 17 November 1847 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, the fifth child of Jackson and Mary Ann (Martin) Brewster. He was the brother of my great-great-grandfather, Daniel Brewster. Winfield died 3 November 1926 in Adams County, Indiana. He married Effie Jane Searight on 16 December 1877 in Hardin County, Ohio. Effie was born on 21 October 1856 in Ohio and died 24 March 1928. Their son, Charles Augustus Brewster, was born 1 February 1884 in Adams County, Indiana, and died in May 1951. Charles never married.

Winfield and Effie Brewster had the following children: Charles Augustus (1884-1851), John William, (1885-1968), Isaac, (1888-1907), Jacob Edward (1890-1976), Emma Virena (1897-1963), and Andrew Theodore (1901-1940). John William Brewster is also buried in Kessler Cemetery.

Winfield Scott Brewster (1847-1926)

According to the 1900 US census, Jefferson Township, Adams County, Indiana, Effie had given birth to eleven children but only five were living. Winfield was a day laborer according to the same census.

Sep 02

FGS Conference 2011

Next week I’m off to Springfield, Illinois, for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) national conference. The conference runs from September 7-10 and the theme is Pathways to the Heartland. The local host is The Illinois State Genealogical Society. You might want to check out their informative FGS Conference News Blog.

I haven’t attended a national conference in a few years and I am very much looking forward to this conference. The last national conference I attended was the 2007 FGS Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  This coming week promises be fun and busy, networking with other genealogists, attending sessions, shopping and learning in the exhibit hall, and taking in the Lincoln sights in the area. In addition, I will have a week off work.

My friend (and editor) Miriam and I have been attending state and national conferences for over ten years now. Our rule is that we will attend a national conference if it is less than an eight hour drive. It should take us about six hours to get to Springfield. We always drive to a conference and I guess eight hours is our driving limit. Flying to a conference is out of the question because neither one of us can travel light. We have tried to pack minimally but have never succeeded. Add to that the items that we purchase at the conference (mostly books, and lots of them) and our car is always loaded down, going and coming.

The first national genealogical conference that we attended was the 2001 FGS conference in Davenport, Iowa. We were driving to Davenport on 11 September 2001. I know that everyone remembers the tragic events that occurred that morning. We did not have the car radio on and we did not know what was happening until we stopped mid-morning at an Arby’s for a break. After much deliberation we decided to continue on to the conference, not knowing if they were still going to have it or not. The conference was not canceled but some of the speakers could not get to Davenport because all planes were grounded. However, other speakers stepped up and filled in for those that could not get there. The FGS conference committee did a great job to make the conference a success. Genealogists are a great group of people!

I have other memories of Davenport. How could I forget waiting in downtown Davenport on Saturday night for AAA to arrive and fix our flat tire. I remember Robert, our tire professional, who put a refurbished tire on the rim about 9:00 that evening. He cautioned us to not drive much over 45 mph and to drive close to the berm on our way home, making us wonder about the quality of the tire. We stashed the blown-out tire in the back seat of our already packed car (to prove damage for the warranty). We finally made it home safely the next day after driving at a snail’s pace. All in all it was a very good conference and I knew that I wanted to attend others whenever I could.

Since FGS in 2001 Miriam and I have attended NGS conferences in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Nashville, and the 2007 FGS Conference in Fort Wayne.

We have a busy week ahead of us.  Miriam and I want to visit some of the Lincoln attractions while we are in Springfield. I plan to attend An Old Fashioned Prairie Social, the ISFHWE Luncheon, the FGS 35th Anniversary Celebration, and help at the BCG booth. There are many, many sessions to chose from. Wednesday’s sessions focus on societies. Some of the sessions I plan to attend: Researching WWII, Search and Research on FarmilySearch, Court Records, Reasons for Not Serving in the Civil War, and of course some of the tech sessions. The final session I plan to attend is titled “Where Do I Go From Here?” and is scheduled for late Saturday afternoon. That topic seems very appropriate for the end of a conference.

I also plan to attend a couple get-togethers with the GeneaBloggers. As of this week, I am now on the GeneaBloggers’ roll. Maybe you noticed the GeneaBloggers’ logo off to the right on my home page. It will be fun meeting up with other bloggers.

I think I am just about ready to go. I have downloaded and printed my syllabus materials and I have also loaded the material onto my Kindle. I have my family genealogy on my Droid and in DropBox. Our route is mapped out. I have started my packing list. A packing list is probably a bad sign. That means that I will undoubtedly be taking too much stuff. Oh well. After all, that’s why we are driving instead of flying.

I’ll see some of you soon in Springfield.