In my previous post I talked about the website that I found a wealth of Eliza J Hilts information, it lead me to the author/webmaster who directed me to an e-book he did on his Handy Ancestors. Through this site I was able to get little more information on the descendants of Eliza J Hilts. Again no documentation but names are a gold mine too.
I took one of the names, Edda Handy, granddaughter of Eliza through her only son, Milton and his wife Marie. Doing reverse genealogy can be tricky. I find that I sometimes have to print out lots of census pages and then figure out which one is my person. This is why I like Ancestry.com, I like when they give me suggestions, keep in mind these are only suggestions and some don't always pan out, but when they do. YAHOO!
So how do I do my reverse genealogy, I try to find Edda with her known parents and then see if I find any suggestions. If I find suggestions, I start looking at them. Especially for females it can be challenging because names change. I found Edda as a Warren and how do I know this might be the correct Edda, because living with her in 1940 was her Mother Marie Handy. That is all I need to confirm that this is most likely my Edda and now I have two children, Charles F and Masie Jeanett or Marie J. I have a lot more research to do on Eliza's descendants, but this at least keeps the fire going.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Eliza J Hilts
Today while searching for documentation for the Marriage of my Lawrence Hilts and his wife Nancy I came across a webpage http://www.samsgenealogy.com/index.html (Handy Ancestors, Descendants, & Related Families) with his oldest known daughter Eliza Hilts who married Chauncey Charles Handy . This website had information that I didn't have. Even though I don't have any sources, I added the information to my tree making sure I sourced this webpage. This way I know this is someone elses work and when I find time, I should try to get supporting documentation for this information.
This is why I wish people would include their sources, because then I can review what they looked at, without having to start from scratch and find sources to prove this. However, I have heard that some genealogist don't include sources so that people who want to know more must contact them directly. This way they can find out if you are related and how and have you as a resource if they need it. This can be a smart way too, but then perhaps they should have a statement such as "Sources available upon request."
I personally, don't want to slow down anyone's research efforts for them to have to wait until I reply to their email. There are many times, when I am traveling that I don't check my email, I don't want to check my email or I don't have access to my email. For example, when I went to Peru, until I made it back to the hotel, I didn't have internet access and I only had it because I brought my iPAD along. I wasn't going to bring my laptop because it was too heavy to lug around.
When I was on a cruise this past spring, I didn't check my email because I was too cheap to pay the price for internet access. Plus it was vacation, I had my laptop only to download my pictures from my camera, so that I would have more space available to take more pictures.
Back on track... If you want to collaborate with cousins, you need to get your trees out there. I do want to thank the author of the Handy Ancestors... website for taking the time to publish it on the web. It was put out there in 2008 and four years later a distant relative (me) found it.
I publish/share my tree with Ancestry.com. I do keep my tree private so that people have to contact me to get to view the tree. However, they can match to my tree, it is not totally private. I always ask how they are related to the person they are inquirying about and if I can match them, they have access. If I can't match them, I give them a brief report about the person they are inquirying about.
One final note: don't be a taker without being a giver too. If you take from someone's tree, their information (don't forget to give them credit by sourcing it) perhaps you should give your information so they can update their tree. This way both trees grow into something bigger and more beautiful.
Good Luck in your Genealogy research!
This is why I wish people would include their sources, because then I can review what they looked at, without having to start from scratch and find sources to prove this. However, I have heard that some genealogist don't include sources so that people who want to know more must contact them directly. This way they can find out if you are related and how and have you as a resource if they need it. This can be a smart way too, but then perhaps they should have a statement such as "Sources available upon request."
I personally, don't want to slow down anyone's research efforts for them to have to wait until I reply to their email. There are many times, when I am traveling that I don't check my email, I don't want to check my email or I don't have access to my email. For example, when I went to Peru, until I made it back to the hotel, I didn't have internet access and I only had it because I brought my iPAD along. I wasn't going to bring my laptop because it was too heavy to lug around.
When I was on a cruise this past spring, I didn't check my email because I was too cheap to pay the price for internet access. Plus it was vacation, I had my laptop only to download my pictures from my camera, so that I would have more space available to take more pictures.
Back on track... If you want to collaborate with cousins, you need to get your trees out there. I do want to thank the author of the Handy Ancestors... website for taking the time to publish it on the web. It was put out there in 2008 and four years later a distant relative (me) found it.
I publish/share my tree with Ancestry.com. I do keep my tree private so that people have to contact me to get to view the tree. However, they can match to my tree, it is not totally private. I always ask how they are related to the person they are inquirying about and if I can match them, they have access. If I can't match them, I give them a brief report about the person they are inquirying about.
One final note: don't be a taker without being a giver too. If you take from someone's tree, their information (don't forget to give them credit by sourcing it) perhaps you should give your information so they can update their tree. This way both trees grow into something bigger and more beautiful.
Good Luck in your Genealogy research!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Andrew Spring (1779-1852)
I have been trying to figure out who the spouse of Margret Hilts (1782-1818) daughter of Christopel Hilts b: 1738).
I have conflicting information on her. I was given that her husband is Philip Sternberg and they had two children: Catherine (b: 1808) and Christina Maria (b: 1817).
I was also given that her husband was Andrew Spring (b: 1779 Rowan, NC, USA d: 1852 York, Onatrio, Canada).
First of all, besides user submitted trees on Ancestry.com, I can't prove either relationship.
I can't really find Philip Sternberg at all through Ancestry.com or findagrave.com.
However, this is what I found on Andrew: He is the sone of Albright and Barbara Spring according to the Canadian Immigrant Records, Part Two (Berczy Papers) found on Ancestry.com.
I found an 15 Nov 1836 Ontario, Canada marriage between an Andrew Sping and Anne Nibls. If this is my Andrew Spring it would make him 57 years old at the time of marriage.
Finally, I found an 1851 Census of Canada West (Ontario) listing Andrew Spring, male, age 73 (est birth 1779) born in US, living in York County, District # 42; sub-district: East Gwillimbury; Sub District #: 406.
He is living with Samuel Spring age 23 (son) and son's wife Mary Ann Spring age 23 and another son John Spring age 22.
Based on this, it makes Andrew 50 years old when his son Samuel was born and 51 when John was born, therefore, if Anne Nibls is his wife, it would be a later marriage. However, I was given that Andrew wife Margaret Hilts was born 1780 and died 1855. If Margaret didn't die until 1855, why is she not living with her husband and sons? Perhaps she actually died in 1835 if he did remarry in 1836.
Based on all this information, I am just as confused as when I started. When I go back to the person who gave me this information, she claims it is correct because of all the user submitted trees that have this information. However, when I contacted those users, those that replied (which was alot of them), stated that they copied it from another user submitted tree. I wasn't able to get the information from the orginial user. Also, my person stated that she was listed on the 1855 census, but I can't find her.
Moral of this story: People should not copy into their trees, information that they haven't proven. Or at least include their sources and list whose tree you copied it from. I add it into my tree showing the source and then I can sort out those sources as those that I need to prove when I find more time. Another idea, mark it as speculation based on a user submitted tree and try to contact the submitter of the tree if they don't list any sources. If they did list sources, track them down and analyis that information.
I have conflicting information on her. I was given that her husband is Philip Sternberg and they had two children: Catherine (b: 1808) and Christina Maria (b: 1817).
I was also given that her husband was Andrew Spring (b: 1779 Rowan, NC, USA d: 1852 York, Onatrio, Canada).
First of all, besides user submitted trees on Ancestry.com, I can't prove either relationship.
I can't really find Philip Sternberg at all through Ancestry.com or findagrave.com.
However, this is what I found on Andrew: He is the sone of Albright and Barbara Spring according to the Canadian Immigrant Records, Part Two (Berczy Papers) found on Ancestry.com.
I found an 15 Nov 1836 Ontario, Canada marriage between an Andrew Sping and Anne Nibls. If this is my Andrew Spring it would make him 57 years old at the time of marriage.
Finally, I found an 1851 Census of Canada West (Ontario) listing Andrew Spring, male, age 73 (est birth 1779) born in US, living in York County, District # 42; sub-district: East Gwillimbury; Sub District #: 406.
He is living with Samuel Spring age 23 (son) and son's wife Mary Ann Spring age 23 and another son John Spring age 22.
Based on this, it makes Andrew 50 years old when his son Samuel was born and 51 when John was born, therefore, if Anne Nibls is his wife, it would be a later marriage. However, I was given that Andrew wife Margaret Hilts was born 1780 and died 1855. If Margaret didn't die until 1855, why is she not living with her husband and sons? Perhaps she actually died in 1835 if he did remarry in 1836.
Based on all this information, I am just as confused as when I started. When I go back to the person who gave me this information, she claims it is correct because of all the user submitted trees that have this information. However, when I contacted those users, those that replied (which was alot of them), stated that they copied it from another user submitted tree. I wasn't able to get the information from the orginial user. Also, my person stated that she was listed on the 1855 census, but I can't find her.
Moral of this story: People should not copy into their trees, information that they haven't proven. Or at least include their sources and list whose tree you copied it from. I add it into my tree showing the source and then I can sort out those sources as those that I need to prove when I find more time. Another idea, mark it as speculation based on a user submitted tree and try to contact the submitter of the tree if they don't list any sources. If they did list sources, track them down and analyis that information.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
New Finds
I just got back from my vacation in Wisconsin where I was able to do some
genealogy research. I was working on obtaining birth, marriage and death
certificates for my DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) application. My
Hiltz ancestor is my patriot.
I had come across a birth index several months ago that listed an un-named male child born to my great-great grandparents. Since I had not been able to find my great-grandfather's birth certificate I decided this was worth looking into, just in case I had the birth way off.
The certificate was in the county courthouse located in my Wisconsin hometown of Fond du Lac. I looked up the birth and the parents were my great-great grandparents. This un-named child was new information to me. It listed the the name of the other issue living as Chas O; Mabel O. Chas O is my great-grandfather, so now I at least have a connection from him to his parents with his known sister. My great-grandfather was known by many names, Obie Charles, Orville Charles and now Charles O which could stand for Obie or Orville. His sister Mabel has always been known to me as Mabel so this information helps to confirm known information that I had.
I continued my search to see if I could find a death certificate for the child, but none was found. Since registrations of birth, marriage and deaths was not required until 1907, and his death probably happens before then, thus I am not surprised that a death certificate was not found. Or perhaps it is in the next county, since the town is split between two counties.
I know that my great-great grandfather Seymour Hiltz left the family or his wife Wilena Booth left him because of cruelty to the children. Perhaps the child died and caused strain on the marriage or perhaps he was rough on the little tyke and caused his death. These answers may never be found.
Another interesting find was my grandmother’s birth certificate. I was always told that her name was Katherine Orlien Hiltz and my mother’s name is Orlien and I named my oldest child, Katherine Orlien after both of them. My grandmother’s birth certificate listed her name as Katherine Arlena Hiltz. Her marriage certificate listed her name as Katherine O Hiltz. I wonder how her middle name got changed.
This makes me ponder on how birth certificates get created. What paperwork was filed out by the mother at the time of her child’s birth? Did the mother fill out paperwork or did a hospital official if she gave birth in a hospital? Was this a home birth and the doctor reported the birth? If the mother didn’t fill out paperwork, and verbally told someone the name, did they guess on how the name was spelled? Lots of questions come up on paperwork.
I had come across a birth index several months ago that listed an un-named male child born to my great-great grandparents. Since I had not been able to find my great-grandfather's birth certificate I decided this was worth looking into, just in case I had the birth way off.
The certificate was in the county courthouse located in my Wisconsin hometown of Fond du Lac. I looked up the birth and the parents were my great-great grandparents. This un-named child was new information to me. It listed the the name of the other issue living as Chas O; Mabel O. Chas O is my great-grandfather, so now I at least have a connection from him to his parents with his known sister. My great-grandfather was known by many names, Obie Charles, Orville Charles and now Charles O which could stand for Obie or Orville. His sister Mabel has always been known to me as Mabel so this information helps to confirm known information that I had.
I continued my search to see if I could find a death certificate for the child, but none was found. Since registrations of birth, marriage and deaths was not required until 1907, and his death probably happens before then, thus I am not surprised that a death certificate was not found. Or perhaps it is in the next county, since the town is split between two counties.
I know that my great-great grandfather Seymour Hiltz left the family or his wife Wilena Booth left him because of cruelty to the children. Perhaps the child died and caused strain on the marriage or perhaps he was rough on the little tyke and caused his death. These answers may never be found.
Another interesting find was my grandmother’s birth certificate. I was always told that her name was Katherine Orlien Hiltz and my mother’s name is Orlien and I named my oldest child, Katherine Orlien after both of them. My grandmother’s birth certificate listed her name as Katherine Arlena Hiltz. Her marriage certificate listed her name as Katherine O Hiltz. I wonder how her middle name got changed.
This makes me ponder on how birth certificates get created. What paperwork was filed out by the mother at the time of her child’s birth? Did the mother fill out paperwork or did a hospital official if she gave birth in a hospital? Was this a home birth and the doctor reported the birth? If the mother didn’t fill out paperwork, and verbally told someone the name, did they guess on how the name was spelled? Lots of questions come up on paperwork.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Been Busy
I haven’t posted a blog on this website in a while. The main
problem, I have been too busy doing too many other things. I have found some
time to do genealogy, just haven’t found time to work on my Hiltz line.
I spent a week in Disneyland with my hubby, 14 year old daughter and her friend, and my 4 year old granddaughter. It was a lot of fun, but sure cost a lot too.
I will be teaching a beginning genealogy class on Monday and Tuesday morning from 8:30am to 12:20pm. I am very excited about teaching it. I taught this class once last semester and I have refined my class, just a little.
I spent a week in Disneyland with my hubby, 14 year old daughter and her friend, and my 4 year old granddaughter. It was a lot of fun, but sure cost a lot too.
I will be teaching a beginning genealogy class on Monday and Tuesday morning from 8:30am to 12:20pm. I am very excited about teaching it. I taught this class once last semester and I have refined my class, just a little.
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