If you followed Lesson # 8 you learned that there was one person living in Abram Earle’s household that did not have the surname Earle. That was Abram’s brother-in-law, Forest Losee. Using our powers of reasoning, we can assume that Losee was Abram’s wife’s maiden name. It could also mean that Abram had a sister whose husband was living with Abram; that would also be a brother-in-law. However, no sister to Abram is living at the address and Forest is listed as single; not divorced or widowed. So let’s assume for the time being that Ethel’s maiden name was Ethel Losee.
Today, when you use FamilySearch.org to find Abram & Ethel Earle in the 1920 census, make note of the family names listed on the same page. We are looking for Losees.
It is not always true that people live near relatives but family lore tells me that prior to the Great Depression which began in 1929, several Losee families lived together on a family farm in Freeport. Does the 1920 census confirm that for us?
What are the names of the other families living on Stevens Street in 1920 alongside Abram and Ethel Earle?
To answer the other question from Lesson 8, it appears that none of the men in the household serve in WWI. At the far right of the 1930 census there is a column that records the answer to the question regarding military service. Did you see that?
In a later lesson we're going to look at military records and specifically the WWI Draft Registration Card. Today though let's look for Abram and Ethel Earle in 1920.
Reach out to me if you need any help.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Genealogy Lesson #8: Following that same line into the 1930 U.S. Federal Census.
Several people have reached out to me for the answers to yesterday’s scavenger hunt of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. Abram Earle and his family were living at 79. West Roosevelt Ave. His wife Ethel was listed as 44 years-old.
Yesterday you tried your hand at finding my family and yours in the 1940 Census using FamilySearch.org. Today we’re going to do the same for the 1930 Census.
Sign into your FamilySearch.org account.
Click on Search. This is usually located in the top navigation bar.
Choose Records. This is usually accessible by hovering on the work “Search” in the top navigation bar.
Go to the “Find A Collection” section of the search page. This section is usually on the bottom right.
Type into the search box “United States Census” and you will see a drop down menu appear listing all the U.S. Census records sets.
Choose United States Census, 1930.
Do a search for my great-grandpa Abram Earle. Again, we know he was born in 1891 in Twillingate Newfoundland. After he immigrated to the U.S. he lived in Freeport, Roosevelt, Bellmore, and Merrick; all communities on the South Shore of Western Nassau County on Long Island, NY. His wife’s name was Ethel. And in addition to my grandpa, Edwin born in 1925, he has another son named Allen who was born in about 1915.
Find the record. After you find it in the list of hits. Click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper. From there you can also access the image of the actual record.
Click on the image and tell me the name of the person in the household who is not an Earle. What is the person’s relationship to Abram? Did any of the men in this household serve in WWI?
Then try finding your relatives you found in the 1940 census yesterday in the 1930 census.
Yesterday you tried your hand at finding my family and yours in the 1940 Census using FamilySearch.org. Today we’re going to do the same for the 1930 Census.
Sign into your FamilySearch.org account.
Click on Search. This is usually located in the top navigation bar.
Choose Records. This is usually accessible by hovering on the work “Search” in the top navigation bar.
Go to the “Find A Collection” section of the search page. This section is usually on the bottom right.
Type into the search box “United States Census” and you will see a drop down menu appear listing all the U.S. Census records sets.
Choose United States Census, 1930.
Do a search for my great-grandpa Abram Earle. Again, we know he was born in 1891 in Twillingate Newfoundland. After he immigrated to the U.S. he lived in Freeport, Roosevelt, Bellmore, and Merrick; all communities on the South Shore of Western Nassau County on Long Island, NY. His wife’s name was Ethel. And in addition to my grandpa, Edwin born in 1925, he has another son named Allen who was born in about 1915.
Find the record. After you find it in the list of hits. Click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper. From there you can also access the image of the actual record.
Click on the image and tell me the name of the person in the household who is not an Earle. What is the person’s relationship to Abram? Did any of the men in this household serve in WWI?
Then try finding your relatives you found in the 1940 census yesterday in the 1930 census.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Online Genealogy Lesson #7: The 1940 U.S. Federal Census
Genealogy Lesson #7: Today you are going to search the 1940 U.S. Federal Census for one of your relatives and one of mine using FamilySearch.org.
The U.S. Federal Census you are responding to now in 2020 will not be made public until 2092. Long after most of us are passed. The aggregate data (the total population, the number of residents in your town, their ethnicities, ages, etc.) will be available within weeks of the conclusion of the census taking but the actual records do not become public until 72 years later. This is true of every U.S. Census and it’s done as a means of protecting privacy.
The most recent Census made available to the public is the 1940 Census which was released in 2012. The 1950 Census will be released in 2022. I can’t wait to see the 1950 because that will be the first time I can see my father listed in it.
Sign into your FamilySearch.org account.
Click on Search. This is usually located in the top navigation bar.
Choose Records. This is usually accessible by hovering on the work “Search” in the top navigation bar.
Instead of searching by first name and last name of the person try searching in a specific collection.
To do this go to the “Find A Collection” section of the search page. This section is usually on the bottom right.
Type into the search box “United States Census” and you will see a drop down menu appear listing all the U.S. Census records sets.
Choose United States Census, 1940.
My grandpa was somehow left out of the 1940 census but you are going to look for his parents.
Now do a search for my great-grandpa Abram Earle. He was born in 1891 in Twillingate Newfoundland. After he immigrated to the U.S. he lived in Freeport, Roosevelt, Bellmore, and Merrick; all communities on the South Shore of Western Nassau County on Long Island, NY. His wife’s name was Ethel. In addition to my grandpa, he had another son named Allen who was born in about 1915.
Find the record.
After you find it in the list of hits, click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper. From there you can also access the image of the actual record.
Click on the image and tell me the address the family is living at and how old Ethel is.
Then try your hand at finding one of your relatives in the 1940 census.
The U.S. Federal Census you are responding to now in 2020 will not be made public until 2092. Long after most of us are passed. The aggregate data (the total population, the number of residents in your town, their ethnicities, ages, etc.) will be available within weeks of the conclusion of the census taking but the actual records do not become public until 72 years later. This is true of every U.S. Census and it’s done as a means of protecting privacy.
The most recent Census made available to the public is the 1940 Census which was released in 2012. The 1950 Census will be released in 2022. I can’t wait to see the 1950 because that will be the first time I can see my father listed in it.
Sign into your FamilySearch.org account.
Click on Search. This is usually located in the top navigation bar.
Choose Records. This is usually accessible by hovering on the work “Search” in the top navigation bar.
Instead of searching by first name and last name of the person try searching in a specific collection.
To do this go to the “Find A Collection” section of the search page. This section is usually on the bottom right.
Type into the search box “United States Census” and you will see a drop down menu appear listing all the U.S. Census records sets.
Choose United States Census, 1940.
My grandpa was somehow left out of the 1940 census but you are going to look for his parents.
Now do a search for my great-grandpa Abram Earle. He was born in 1891 in Twillingate Newfoundland. After he immigrated to the U.S. he lived in Freeport, Roosevelt, Bellmore, and Merrick; all communities on the South Shore of Western Nassau County on Long Island, NY. His wife’s name was Ethel. In addition to my grandpa, he had another son named Allen who was born in about 1915.
Find the record.
After you find it in the list of hits, click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper. From there you can also access the image of the actual record.
Click on the image and tell me the address the family is living at and how old Ethel is.
Then try your hand at finding one of your relatives in the 1940 census.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Online Genealogy Lesson #6
Genealogy Lesson #6: The next series of lessons are focused on the U.S. Federal Census.
A census is a systematic recording of information about a specific population. It is often a regularly occurring official government count of the population of a country but they also exist for states, provinces, cities, and religious bodies.
Primarily the U.S. Federal Census is created to count the population in order to calculate each state’s representatives in Congress. However, it has become a really important genealogical resource because it presents families grouped together and provides basic demographic information which can help in the tracking down of other genealogical resources such as immigration records, vital records, and military records.
The U.S. Federal Census is taken every ten years on the years ending in “0”. Right now, in 2020, Census surveys are being mailed to homes across the country. Your responses to the 2020 will be collected online for the very first time in history. When the U.S. Federal Census began in 1790, though, the data was collected by a census taker who walked door-to-door asking a series of questions of each household.
For the first 50 years of the U.S. Federal Census the questions asked by census takers consisted of the name of the head of the household and how many individuals resided on the property catagorized by sex and age. That is pretty much it. As time has gone on though the number of questions and the amount of data collected has increased.
Before searching for specific census records, I’d like you to look at the wide variety of information the census will contain about your family throughout history. Check out: Measuring America: The decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000 by Jason Gauthier, written in 2002. Keep in mind this does not include information about the 2010 or 2020 census; still it is a wonderful resource. Check out pages 119-124. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02-ma.pdf
A census is a systematic recording of information about a specific population. It is often a regularly occurring official government count of the population of a country but they also exist for states, provinces, cities, and religious bodies.
Primarily the U.S. Federal Census is created to count the population in order to calculate each state’s representatives in Congress. However, it has become a really important genealogical resource because it presents families grouped together and provides basic demographic information which can help in the tracking down of other genealogical resources such as immigration records, vital records, and military records.
The U.S. Federal Census is taken every ten years on the years ending in “0”. Right now, in 2020, Census surveys are being mailed to homes across the country. Your responses to the 2020 will be collected online for the very first time in history. When the U.S. Federal Census began in 1790, though, the data was collected by a census taker who walked door-to-door asking a series of questions of each household.
For the first 50 years of the U.S. Federal Census the questions asked by census takers consisted of the name of the head of the household and how many individuals resided on the property catagorized by sex and age. That is pretty much it. As time has gone on though the number of questions and the amount of data collected has increased.
Before searching for specific census records, I’d like you to look at the wide variety of information the census will contain about your family throughout history. Check out: Measuring America: The decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000 by Jason Gauthier, written in 2002. Keep in mind this does not include information about the 2010 or 2020 census; still it is a wonderful resource. Check out pages 119-124. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02-ma.pdf
Friday, March 27, 2020
Online Genealogy Lessons #1-5
We are in the midst of a global health crisis. Beginning in late December of 2019 there was an outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Wuhan, China. This world health issue has resulted in a nearly complete and utter halt to our lives as we knew them to be. 100% on non-essential employees in New York State have been ordered by the Governor to work from home if possible.
We are living through history. Unfortunately though, the pandemic still has an increasing death toll, mostly on those with underlying health conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and otherwise compromised immune systems.
In an effort to provide some my Facebook friends with some distraction and activity to fill their new found time at home, I have been offering Genealogy Lessons online.
For those of you who would like to follow along here are the first 5 lessons to get you started:
Genealogy Lesson #1 (posted on Facebook on Sat. March 21, 2020):
I know you're wondering when we will get to really searching online for documents. Trust me. This is research. You want to collect all the family info you can before you start searching documents.
The pedigree chart you filled out in Lesson #1 is not documentation. It is a form genealogists use to organize the information they are collecting. Today I introduce you to a Family Group Sheet (FGS).
A pedigree chart does not allow you to record the names and vital dates of siblings, aunts/uncles, or cousins. An FGS does.
Fill out the FGS using your parents as the husband & wife. You and your siblings will be the children on the form. Save the file to your computer. http://misbach.org/download/FamilyGroupRecord.pdf
Call a cousin!
While talking with them try filling in another FGS, this time with your share grandparents as the couple at the top and your aunts and uncles as the children on the form.
Be sure to ask questions about names and vital dates they might know, locations where family members lived, causes of death, fond memories, and recollections of family events. I always start with questions like, "Tell me about grandpa/grandma."
Have fun. Enjoy talking with a relative.
Genealogy Lesson #5 (posted on Facebook on Fri. March 27, 2020):
Today, I just want you to find out how you can access Ancestry for free or set-up a FamilySearch account.
Ancestry.com provides a free two week subscription. Many public libraries subscribe to the Ancestry Library Edition which one would need to use for free at their public library. However, during this health crisis, Ancestry has permitted many public libraries to make Ancestry Library Edition accessible to their patrons from their homes. Check your public library’s website for more details.
Regardless of your access to Ancestry, you can all subscribe to FamilySearch.org for FREE. Go to FamilySearch.org today to create a free account.
Tomorrow’s lessons will begin to focus on the U.S. Federal Census, it’s history, and how to search for your family in the records. Stay tuned.
We are living through history. Unfortunately though, the pandemic still has an increasing death toll, mostly on those with underlying health conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and otherwise compromised immune systems.
In an effort to provide some my Facebook friends with some distraction and activity to fill their new found time at home, I have been offering Genealogy Lessons online.
For those of you who would like to follow along here are the first 5 lessons to get you started:
Genealogy Lesson #1 (posted on Facebook on Sat. March 21, 2020):
Anyone really bored? I'm thinking of teaching a genealogy research class to anyone who is interested. First step. Fill out this form with everything you *think* you know your direct ancestors; parents, grandparents, great grandparents... You go on line #1, Dad on line #2, Mom on line number #3. Men are the even #s, Women are the odd numbers. Keep women with their maiden names. Surnames in all caps. Let me know if you are working along with my posts.
Genealogy Lesson #2 (posted on Facebook on Sun. March 22, 2020):
If you missed it, yesterday I posted Lesson #1 which required filling out the attached pedigree chart. http://misbach.org/download/pedigree_chart.pdf
In genealogy research, just like on that pedigree chart, you start with yourself and move back through history. Think about it, your birth certificate is really your very first piece of genealogical documentation. It shows the connection between you and your parents.
Today's assignment is to look through and gather all the documents you already have that has genealogical value. One example, I already gave you, is your birth certificate. What other genealogical documentation do you have? Let's build a list of what we have that has info about our family on it. Go - - -
In genealogy research, just like on that pedigree chart, you start with yourself and move back through history. Think about it, your birth certificate is really your very first piece of genealogical documentation. It shows the connection between you and your parents.
Today's assignment is to look through and gather all the documents you already have that has genealogical value. One example, I already gave you, is your birth certificate. What other genealogical documentation do you have? Let's build a list of what we have that has info about our family on it. Go - - -
Genealogy Lesson #3 (posted on Facebook on Mon. March 23, 2020):
The next few lessons focus on Living Resources.
I know you're wondering when we will get to really searching online for documents. Trust me. This is research. You want to collect all the family info you can before you start searching documents.
The pedigree chart you filled out in Lesson #1 is not documentation. It is a form genealogists use to organize the information they are collecting. Today I introduce you to a Family Group Sheet (FGS).
A pedigree chart does not allow you to record the names and vital dates of siblings, aunts/uncles, or cousins. An FGS does.
Fill out the FGS using your parents as the husband & wife. You and your siblings will be the children on the form. Save the file to your computer. http://misbach.org/download/FamilyGroupRecord.pdf
Genealogy Lesson #4 (posted on Facebook on Wed. March 25, 2020):
You living relatives are a good source of information for your genealogy research. Now is an ideal time to reach out to a cousin to see what information they might have before you dig into your research online.
Call a cousin!
While talking with them try filling in another FGS, this time with your share grandparents as the couple at the top and your aunts and uncles as the children on the form.
Be sure to ask questions about names and vital dates they might know, locations where family members lived, causes of death, fond memories, and recollections of family events. I always start with questions like, "Tell me about grandpa/grandma."
Have fun. Enjoy talking with a relative.
Genealogy Lesson #5 (posted on Facebook on Fri. March 27, 2020):
Now that you have gathered up all the info that you and your family members know, including info you have lying around your house, it is time to start searching in your online resources.
Today, I just want you to find out how you can access Ancestry for free or set-up a FamilySearch account.
Ancestry.com provides a free two week subscription. Many public libraries subscribe to the Ancestry Library Edition which one would need to use for free at their public library. However, during this health crisis, Ancestry has permitted many public libraries to make Ancestry Library Edition accessible to their patrons from their homes. Check your public library’s website for more details.
Regardless of your access to Ancestry, you can all subscribe to FamilySearch.org for FREE. Go to FamilySearch.org today to create a free account.
Tomorrow’s lessons will begin to focus on the U.S. Federal Census, it’s history, and how to search for your family in the records. Stay tuned.
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