Surname Saturday ~ The Name Game

Ready to test your name-knowledge? (Names for Round 5 of The Name Game were inspired by the Geneabloggers who attended FGS 2011, friends and coworkers.)

Step right up and try your luck guessing the country of origin and the meanings of these names:

Ackerman

Clark

Eastman

Geiger

Ingsby

Kline

McEntee

Ortega

Quist

Seaver

Uebele

Wolcott

Youngquist

Give yourself one point for each country guessed correctly and another point for each correct meaning.

Scroll down...



to see...



the answers...

Ackerman, Ackermann, Acreman (German/English) One who plowed the lord's land and tended his plow teams.

Clark, Clarke (English) A clergyman, scholar, scribe or recorder. (British pronunciation of clerk.)

Eastman (English) One who came from the east; descendant of Eastmund or Estmunt (east, protection); one who came from the Baltic countries.

Geiger (German) One who played a violin.

Ingsby (Dan., Sw., Nor.) Dweller at Ingi's farm.

Kline (German) Varient of Klein, q.v.

Klein, Kleine (German) The small man; the nice, neat man.

McEntee (Irish) The son of the scholar.

Ortega, Ortego (Spanish) Dweller at the sign of the grouse; one with the charactoristics of a grouse.

Quist (Swedish) Twig.

Seaver, Sever, Seavers (English) One with a grave and austere demeanor.

Uebele, Uebel (German) Descendant of Oppo or Ubo, pet forms of Audoberht (possession, bright).

Wolcott (English) One who came from Woolscott (Wulfsige's cottage), in Warwickshire.

Youngquist (Swedish) Heather, twig.

Hope you enjoyed Round 5 of The Name Game!

Surname Saturday ~ The Name Game

In the New Dictionary of American Family names, author Elsdon C. Smith writes, "After the Crusades, people began, perhaps unconciously, to feel the need of a family name, or at least a name in addition to the simple one that had been possesed from birth. The nobles and upper classes, especially those who went on the Crusades, observed the prestige and practical value of an added name and were quick to take a surname, usually the name of the lands they owned. When the Crusaders returned from the wars, the upper classes who had stayed at home soon followed suit."

Ready to test your name-knowledge? (The names for Round 4 of The Name Game were inspired by the Geneabloggers who attended FGS 2011.)

Step right up and try your luck guessing the country of origin and the meanings of these names:

Bankhead

Doyle

Freda

Higgins

Jerome

Lyons

Niziolek

Pointer

Roach

Tapley

Voorhees

Xanthos

Give yourself one point for each country guessed correctly and another point for each correct meaning.

Scroll down...



to see...



the answers...

Bankhead (Scottish) One who came from Bankhead (end of the ridge), the name of several small places in Scottland.

Doyle (Irish/English) Grandson of Dubhghall (black foreigner); the swarthy stranger or foreigner; one who came from Ouilly (Olius' farm), the name of five places in Normandy.

Freda (Italian) Descendant of Freda, a pet form of Friderico, a variant of Frederick (peace, rule).

Higgins, Higgin, Higginson, Higgens, Higgs (English/Irish) The son of little Higg or Hick, pey forms of Richard (rule, hard); descendant of Uige (knowledge).

Jerome (English) Descendant of Jerome (holy name).

Lyons, Lyon (English/Scottish) Descendant of Leon (lion); dweller at the sign of the lion. Jacob's reference to Judah as a lion (Gen. 49:9) has caused this name to be adopted by many Jews.

Niziolek (Polish) One who was short in stature.

Pointer, Poynter (English) One who made laces for fastening clothes.

Roach (Irish) Dweller at, or near, a rock. See also Roche.

Roche, Roch, Rocher, Rochet (French/English) Dweller near a rock; one who came from Roche (rock) in Cornwall; or from Roche (rock), the name of many places in France.

Tapley (English) One who came from Tapeley (wood where pegs were obtained), in Devonshire.

Voorhees, Voorhies, Voorheis (Dutch) One who lived in front of Hees, the name of four places in Holland.

Xanthos (Greek) The golden, or yellow-haired, man.

Hope you enjoyed this round of The Name Game!

FGS 2011 ~ The Bonus

I won! I won! Of course if you were within a 50-mile radius of Springfield Illinois on September 11th, you already know that. My screams had to reach at least that far. (My apologies to everyone who attended the Farewell Brunch, I hope your hearing is recovered by now.)

Thank you FGS coordinators for this fabulous prize! See you in Birmingham!

FGS 2011 ~ The How

How does one prepare for an annual genealogy event that lasts for several days?

I brought some unnecessary items along to Springfield and learned a few important lessons. One was that my arms get tired carrying all that stuff! So for the next genealogy conference, here's what I'll take:

Backpack: Hands-free carryall*. I was forever setting my briefcase down and picking it up again, particularly in the vendor area. A backpack could have been slung over one shoulder allowing me to keep my things close without the risk of leaving them behind. Sure would have made shopping easier!

Clothing: Lots of layer options. Some rooms are warm, some are cool. Crowding makes a difference, so the room that starts out too cool can quickly become too warm as seats are filled. Lightweight sweaters and wraps over short sleeves worked best for me.

Liquids. You will need water. Conference coordinators had water available in the main hall between programs which was very thoughtful. But I was still quite parched by the end of each 10 hour day. Next time I'll bring an easy-to-refill easy-to-identify-as-mine container in my backpack.

Drugs: Think mini personal pharmacy. There isn't a CVS in the conference center. If you have ever experienced allergies, colds, headaches, or papercuts; plan and pack accordingly.

Files: Less of them. Paper copies of family group sheets times 16 ancestral lines are cumbersome. Without a laptop I felt I had to bring photocopies, but I didn't have the time (or the need) to look at them. Even if I had researched more in Springfield, I could have carried less than I did.

Handouts: Group them per workshop. One of the things I did right was planning my classes ahead of time and stapling the pages for each of those workshops separately. I carried one day's worth at a time. Easy peasy. I did change my mind on one track, and managed just fine without the handouts.

Research questions. Have them prepared before you arrive. This isn't to say you won't think of new questions while you're at the conference; you will. But a post-it note on my stapled handouts reminded me to listen for a specific resource or repository that would impact one of my brick wall ancestors.

Notetaking: Use a composition book. I'm so glad I thought of this for the Springfield trip! The hard cover gave me a writing surface in crowded rooms. My notes are in the order of the programs I attended. The people I want to connect with are listed with the class in which I met them. Brilliant!

*I saw people with carry-ons on wheels in the conference area. I would not recommend these. The area was crowded with more than 2000 people who were looking straight ahead, not down at the floor. The people pulling these bags didn't see all the near-collisions left in their wake.

What do you bring to genealogy conferences? Have you ever brought something you wished you hadn't? What will you do differently next time?

Why Old People Should Do Genealogy

I covered "FGS 2011 ~ The Why" here, but then I got to thinking about Why in a bigger context.

I'm often asked (either outright or with that deeply quizzical look) why I like genealogy.

Those of us who love this sport already know the drive behind our desire to climb the family tree, but here's a few reasons for you youngsters to encourage parents and grandparents to take up the hobby:

1.) Genealogy keeps your mind sharp. Oh sure, I may get lost on the way home or wear my underwear on top of my clothes, but ask me to recite my direct lineage back to 1612 and I'm all over it.

2.) Genealogists are low maintenance. At home I'll need you or your spouse to cater to my every need. All. Day. Long. Or you can drive me to a genealogy library at 9am and pick me up at closing time.

3.) Genealogy is good exercise. Maybe I can't keep up with you young whippersnappers on the disco dance floor, but show me a 1756 church record with my ancestor's name on it and I'll show you some pretty spiffy dance moves.

4.) Genealogists are good conversationalists. C'mon, which would you rather have me talk about, your 7th great-grandfather's military career or my goiter?

5.) Genealogy is a group event. At home I may need a walker to get around. Sign me up for FGS 2012 and like a kindergarden kid on the first day of school, I'll skip up the genealogy tour bus steps and never look back.

Genealogy Success Team Update

I've made more progress on my family tree since Jenny and I started our Success Team than I'd made in the six preceding months combined. It has to do with accountability. I don't want to waste Jenny's time by telling her I couldn't finish the goals I set during our last meeting, so I get them done. Thanks Jenny, and go team!

Working toward accomplishing my 2011 New Year's Resolutions, I have a five-pronged approach to each week. This week my list consists of:

BLOG: Follow Lisa Alzo's 15-minutes a day plan. I missed Lisa's program at FGS 2011, but read about it on Diana's blog post. Like Diana, I'm pretty busy. But as Diana mentioned, I'm sure we can all squeeze in 15 minutes a day to do something more important than reading Facebook status updates.

LEARN: In a never-ending quest to add to my overall genealogical education, this week I'm going to finish reading one of the books I bought at FGS 2011; "Finding Your Chicago Ancestors; A Beginner's Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County" by Grace DuMelle. I'm not a beginner to research in this area, but the book has more than beginner information. I've already found several new resources.

ORGANIZE: What genealogist doesn't need to be better organized? I recently created an "at-a-glance record inventory" in Excel. This week I will add comments to the Mueller page.

You probably know about the yearbook collection on Ancestry. I'm interested in Englewood High School. The oldest yearbook on Ancestry for that school is 1940, far later than I need. A Google search shows records for EHS at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. Time to start a list for a road trip.

PRESERVE: I'm a huge fan of Find A Grave. This week I want to make 15 new contributions. I also need to upload another CD of family photos for my scrapbook project.

RESEARCH: Ah yes, the real reason I play the genealogy game! This week I hope to locate the church my Mueller/Schmitt family attended in Chicago and request records from them. I'd like to answer several questions:

• In which Swiss village was Jacob Mueller born?
• When did he immigrate to the United States?
• Did Elise have four children with Jacob or only two?
• Is there a record of (Elise's son) Otto's divorce? Of his suicide?
• Where did (Jacob/Elise's daughter) Alma live after Jacob died?
• What happened to Alma after (her stepbrother) Otto' death?

My French translation comfort level is decreasing. I've been away from the records for too long. So my last task for this week is to transcribe and translate at least one French vital record for an ancestor in Moselle.

This should be a fun (and productive!) week for genealogy. What's in your wallet on your genealogy to-do list?

FGS 2011 - The Where

FGS 2011 was held in Springfield Illinois. Despite the glazed-eye responses I received when I told my non-genealogist friends where I was going, it was a beautiful city. I hadn't been there in decades and it was nice to visit again.

Husband and I met a tourist in the courtyard who said everyone from Illinois has a special affection for Abraham Lincoln. I'm not sure about everyone, but I know I have always admired his accomplishments.

FGS 2012 will be held in Birmingham Alabama. I've never been to Alabama, so I requested a vacation guide. I want to see the must-sees in the city.

The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau had a booth in the FGS 2011 vendor area. The woman I spoke with there couldn't have been nicer. She shared a few of the things Birmingham has planned for the Federation of Genealogical Society's visit next year. Talk about southern hospitality!

It's not too early to start planning. Mark your calendar, add the FGS blog to your Favorites, and pick up some sunscreen.

FGS 2012 promises to be even better than FGS 2011 (I have it on good authority!), so I hope you'll join us in Sweet Home Alabama.

FGS 2011 - The When

The Federation of Genealogical Societies held this year's annual conference (FGS 2011) September 7th to the 10th with a farewell brunch on the 11th. FGS 2012 will take place August 29th to September 1st.

"The When" I have in mind is a bit more personal though. When should you attend a genealogical conference?

I know genealogists in every stage of their research and they all agree; attend a genealogy conference as soon as you can, as often as you can, and in as many places as you can.

Think you are too new to genealogy to attend a conference? Go anyway. You know more than you think you do. Save yourself years of searching in the wrong direction. Meet others who love this "hobby" too. New to genealogy is the perfect time to attend a conference.

Think you know all things genealogical and you don't need to attend a conference? Go anyway. Hear about all the new resources available. Check out the latest genealogy tech toys. Share your expertise with a newbie. Lots of genealogical experience is the perfect time to attend a conference.

Think you've attended enough genealogical conferences? Go anyway. What if the one you miss is the one your long lost cousin attends? What if the brick wall technique you need is presented at the conference you skip? Feeling like you're in a rut is the perfect time to attend a conference.

Think you don't have any ancestors in the next conference location? Go anyway. You may be correct, the town could be ancestor-less for you. But every location has value. You can tour a city you have never seen, perhaps seeing something done differently, perhaps gaining a creative idea you can apply later. If this location is closer to the distant cousins you hope to find, maybe this is your chance to meet. Visiting a new location is the perfect time to attend a conference.

Notice a trend? It's just my way of saying attending a conference in any stage of your genealogical life is a wonderful way to be inspired, gain information, find new friends, and give your family tree the boost it may need.  

This post is part three of my "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How" series on my experience at FGS 2011. You can read the first part here.

FGS 2011 - The What

FGS shared the conference program early on. It was easy to choose the tracks I wanted to take - all of them! Narrowing my list to the six per day that time allowed was the tough part. Since I would be attending only the Friday and Saturday sessions, that meant 12 tracks total. Here are some of my picks:


Amy Johnson Crow, CG 

After Mustering Out; Researching Civil War Veterans by Amy Johnson Crow offered some great advice;

• the Civil War was a watershed event for records
• Union & Confederate records are similar, but are held in different repositories
• pensions were based on service and honorable discharge only*
• NARA film T288 is a general index of pension files
• Confederate pension records are kept in the former Confederate states
• Union veterans should have recorded a copy of their discharge records locally
• Some Confederates are listed in the 1890 Special Schedule**

* A veteran didn't have to be injured to qualify for a pension
** The 1890 Special Schedule of Union Soldiers and Widows is not yet indexed, but the images are browseable on FamilySearch

With this information, I may be able to learn if my Virginia-born Charles W Littrell (who disappeared after moving to Ohio) is the same man who served in two regiments of the Confederate Army.

Finding the World with WorldCat was taught by Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, FIGS; one of my all-time favorite speakers. He filled the hour to the brim with information and sprinkled his presentation with such good humor, we didn't realize how much we were learning! Some of the takeaways included searching WorldCat in five subject areas:

Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, FIGS

• surnames; type "Smith family" in the search field; typing only "Smith" yields unrelated results
• geographic locations; use town, township, county, or state names
• ethnicity; like "French in Ohio" or "Swiss in Chicago"
• religion; search by denomination or specific church names
• occupation; think "Illinois blacksmiths" or "Chicago bakers"

I had used WorldCat before, but not very well. With the information Curt shared, I can't wait to visit my library to try again!

The same speaker offered Beginning Swiss Research and Using German Church Records and made my FGS conference attendance a priceless event.  Michael D. Lacopo, DVM was fun and funny and very knowledgeable. We started by comparing the administrative districts in German-speaking areas to similar entities in the states. For me, that exercise moved the unknown to the understandable:

Michael D. Lacopo, DVM

• Cantons = states
• Verwaltungsregionen = county
• Verwaltungskreise = township
• Gemeinde = town

I took four pages of notes in the first track and countless more in the second. Both were so well done that I was surprised when each hour came to an end. The most important takeaway for me was the renewed hope I have about finding Jacob Mueller's Swiss birthplace.

Debra Mieszala, CG

Another fun track I attended was Lessons from a Snoop: Collaterals and Associates by Debra Mieszala, CG. Debbie was absolutely delightful. She made us laugh again and again while sharing examples of how to use peripheral people's records to learn more about our ancestors. Her stories were adorable, her results were phenomenal, her lessons were remarkable.

The last track I attended on Saturday was presented by Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers fame; Twitter - It's Not Just "What I Had for Breakfast Anymore". Thomas used wonderful visuals to help beginners in the group gain a better understanding of Twitter and TweetDeck. I had thought this was going to be a more advanced track, but refreshers never hurt. It would be a perfect introductory class to someone interested in (but intimidated by) social media.

The lineup of tracks and workshops for FGS 2011 was perfect. A mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced programs on a variety of topics. My hope was to learn at least one thing in each program I attended. The presenters exceeded my expectations in nearly every instance.

This post is part two of my "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How" series on my experience at FGS 2011. You can read the first part here.

FGS 2011 - The Who

Many thanks to the Board, the members, and the volunteers of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) for a fantastic conference last week! And to the Board, members, and volunteers from the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS), thank you too! Both organizations worked around the clock to create an awesome event. It absolutely exceeded my expectations!

This is the first of seven posts I'll write about my experience in a "who, what, when, where, why, and how" series (with a bonus at the end).

Nearly 2000 people from 48 states and multiple countries gathered to learn from and be inspired by, a knowledgeable group of instructors on a wide variety of genealogically-related topics.

It might be easy to get lost in a crowd that size, but remember these are genealogists. We excel at making connections!

Seeing Paula Stuart-Warren at the Thursday night Geneabloggers gathering was like old home week. I met Paula last year when she presented at the Anoka County Genealogical Society. Her warmth and passion for family history is unforgettable. Meeting Thomas MacEntee was a treat; he's just as focused and charismatic in person as I imagined from reading his blogs. Then there was Sean Lamb, Randy Seaver and other bloggers ~ neat to finally meet in person.

While at the conference I connected with an Illinois friend I hadn't seen in far too long. I met an 80 year young gentleman who was technically (and socially) blessed. We ate breakfast with knowledgeable sisters and lunch with Salt Lake-savvy cousins. There was a friendly local couple who sprinkled laugh-out-loud ancestral anecdotes throughout dinner. There were people everywhere who had lots in common. In this group alone:

5 of these genealogists live in the area 3 of these genealogists are currently researching

3 of these genealogists started their trees after attending a funeral

2 of these genealogists who had never met are researching the same tiny town in the south

The conference was a networker's dream; so many interesting people with fascinating stories. Such a wealth of family history research experience and expertise waiting to be shared. The connections I made at FGS 2011 made it an experience I can't wait to repeat!

Countdown to FGS 2011

Our trip to Springfield starts the day after tomorrow and ends with a family visit on Grandparents' Day.

I've graduated from counting the hours to counting the minutes. (I stopped counting all the stairs I've climbed to add just one more must-have item to the suitcase.)

Syllabus, handouts, and maps are printed. Charts, trees and documents are organized. Created a list of Find A Grave photo requests for cemeteries we'll pass along the way. Made a list of the geneabloggers (with photos when available) that I want to meet in Springfield.

Clothes are spinning in the dryer. Road trip grocery list is written and waiting by the door. Tomorrow I'll visit the library for audiobooks to entertain us during the 500+ mile trip (and back again).

Now my attention returns to my ancestors. For the rest of the day (with a few tiny exceptions) I will peruse their folders, pictures, and documents. I'll make notes of what I hope to learn in each workshop as it pertains to each person in my family tree.

In a few days I'll be rubbing elbows with nearly 1800 people who are as intrigued by their ancestors as I am by mine. I couldn't be more excited about this trip. This could be my best conference yet!

Success Team Update

For the past few months my Saturday morning routine has included a hot cup of coffee and a spicy genealogical chat with Jenny.

Jenny is vacationing, so (sigh) I'm on my own today. We worked hard on our lists last Saturday knowing we would have two weeks to complete them. These were my goals:

BLOG: Create one A Child Lost and one F.A.G. blog post. Catch up blog reading.

I chose my next Child Lost and put a rough draft together. I posted about my experience at Darien Cemetery here. And I've been diligently reading all the fun and interesting and educational blogs I follow. I am caught up! [on target]

LEARN: Review FGS classes and write rough draft questions. Read The Twitter Book by Tim O’ Reilly and Sarah Milstein.

Not only did I review the classes, I downloaded my syllabus and bound it for travel - yay me! I changed a class too, substituting Twitter for the 1940 census. I'll start writing the rough draft questions this weekend. I continue to read The Twitter Book in my "spare" time. It's a great read and has already changed the way I use Twitter. [on target]

ORGANIZE: Clean up the Mueller hanging file. Create checklists for each document type encountered.

Good gravy, what a mess! As you can see in the photo below, I sorted all the papers so I can work on like-items. I created a spreadsheet (are you laughing Jenny?) for the document types. [on target]

PRESERVE: Verify that all direct line ancestors appear on F.A.G. If photos exist, add them. Sponsor Daddy and Harold Mueller. Add the EASY photos from Darien Cemetery.

Hmm. I may have to pick up the pace on this task. I haven't checked for all my ancestors. [behind schedule] I sponsored my dad's memorial, but decided against sponsoring his dad's for the time being. [check] I'm about a quarter of the way through the photos from Darien Wisconsin. [behind schedule - eek]

RESEARCH: Look for Jacob’s confirmation record on the Swiss film at the FHC. Add specific genealogy searches to eBay.

Thursday evening I looked through the entire film hoping to find a birth, baptism, or confirmation record for Jacob. No luck. But, as you may recall, this was a long shot. My surname-related searches are now on eBay. [check]

That makes an un-terrific mix of "on target", "check" and "behind schedule". Maybe a B- for the week so far? I'd better quit chatting and get back to work!

Swiss for Beginners

Next month I'll attend the "Beginning Swiss Research" workshop at the FGS conference in Springfield Illinois. I'm really looking forward to this program because I know nothing of my Swiss second great-grandfather's life before he immigrated to the US.

Actually there are still a few things I don't know about Jacob K Mueller's life after he immigrated, but I digress.

By the 1880 census, Jacob Mueller and Elisabeth Schmitt were married and had a baby of their own. Otto (on line 3) is Elisabeth's son from a previous marriage.

When Jacob died in 1910, his daughter Alma provided the information that appears on his death certificate. What a treasure trove this document turned out to be! Notice the names she gave for Jacob's parents?

I looked for J Mueller and Anna Wigdri (and variations thereof) on FamilySearch and found this marriage record on film # 0995182. They are the third couple listed under the C three-quarters down on the right-hand page.

There is a very slim chance this couple is Jacob's parents, (wouldn't it be incredible if they were?), but I ordered the film anyway.

My hope is that, having seen a Swiss marriage record, I'll understand more during the FGS class.

In the meantime, I wonder what the letters and the headings over each group of names mean...

UPDATE: Many thanks to Wolf on the Swiss Rootweb list:

Promulgirt (announced) / copulirt (married) / year

A. Ehen zwischen Bürgern und Bürgerinnen der Evang. Gemeinde Steckborn
(Marriages of [male and female] citizens of the reformed community of
Steckborn)

B. Ehen hiesiger Bürger mit auswärtigen Töchtern  (Marriages of citizens
from here with daughters from outside - i.e. not citizens of Steckborn)

C. Ehen auswärtiger Bürger mit hiesigen Töchtern  (Marriages of citizens
from outside with daughters from here)

D. Ehen auswärtiger Bürger mit auswärtigen Bürgerinnen  (Marriages of [male
and female] citizens from outside)

FGS 2011 Registration

It's official. I'm registered for September's FGS 2011 Conference in Springfield Illinois! (Doing my genealogy happy dance!)

Mr. IAR is registered too which makes the upcoming trip twice as exciting. We'll be joining forces for a few workshops and exploring others on our own. Should be a talkative return trip as we compare notes and share our new-found knowledge! There were so many interesting tracks from which to choose! Here are my Friday/Saturday picks:

• After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans
• Family Search Community: Together We Can Find Our Ancestors
• Immigration and Emmigration Records on Ancestry.com
• Beginning Swiss Research
• Gateway to the West: Researching in Ohio
• Lessons from a Snoop: Collaterals and Associates
• Don't Get Burned: Getting Around the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
• Developing Effective Research Strategies
• Discovering the Goldmine of Knowledge in Court Records
• Burned Counties Research
• The Circle of Life: Genealogy Research with Vital Records
• The 1940 Census

Just glancing at the list above, I see myself ending the conference with ideas that will help when researching my Clarkes and Littrells (Civil War, Court Records, Burned Counties); the Muellers (Immigration, Swiss Research, Chicago Fire); my Schmitts (Ohio, Burned Counties, 1940 Census); the Shartzers (Civil War, Collaterals and Associates, Court Records), and my Tolfs (Court Records, Vital Records, 1940 Census).

And I'm drooling (not literally of course...okay, maybe just a little) over the Family Search Community and Developing Effective Research Strategies tracks. The countdown of days to the conference begins!!

FGS 2011 Conference