Review Review Review

In yesterday's Monday Musings post I mentioned that I had started to review my older files.  I also noted that I had placed the date of the last review on my folders, and that the date was 1998.

Quite a time lapse eh?

EVERY SINGLE FILE is being gone thru.  Here's what I have (and am modifying).

In my desk drawer I have the main lines that are being worked on.  There are about 45 or so of these files.  They are stored in a deep file drawer on my right side about knee height.  Very accessible for when I want to check on current stuff.   In the lateral file cabinets are files for every surname on my pedigree chart, plus some smaller ones that are of interest.  Mainly names that had many of that line intermarry with my lines. 

The ones in the lateral files are the ones that I am now going thru file by file.  Most of which have not been reviewed since 1998.  So far I've found some interesting stuff.  Stuff that didn't fit then but, as I found out, fits now. 

• Death record for Frederick Appla who died in 1893.  He is Mark's GGgrandfather.  Funny I had just noted on my master to do list that I needed that item.  Not any more! 
• Passenger list for Henry Reusch & family.  I have it recorded in my file, but no scanned image.  Score! Image found with out going back and searching again.  And as a bonus it has the FULL source citation on the back.  
• Land deed between Frederick Appla & Gotlieb Appla, his brother, selling land he inherited from his parents!  Score!  This is the one item I have connecting them to the parents, Jacob & Dorthea.  Again, I had noted that the deed had been found but did not have all the details.  At the time it didn't fit....  IT DOES NOW!  

I'm sure that as I delve into other family files I'll find more that didn't fit then but it will NOW.

What's hiding in YOUR files?

Happy Researching!

Karen

Review Review Review...

When I spoke Tuesday in Algonac at the Algonac Clay library I did a talk called Stumble! This is one of my least requested talks, probably because no one wants to admit that they do Stumble. Had you been at the presentation you would have heard how Stumbling is not really a bad thing.

The biggest part of Stumble is REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. The Wild Ones have discussed this many times, and the general concensus is that you really do need to go back thru & review your files on a regular basis. Not every week of course but at least once a year a general review of your files would be a very good thing.

Remember that old saying, "Out of sight Out of mind"? Well it certainly applies here. With genealogists so busy grabbing stuff off the internet often papers get shoved in boxes and baskets and no one ever pays any attention to the stuff they've shoved in the drawers of their filing cabinets, baskets & boxes.

Take a day and review a couple of those folders in your file cabinet. It might surprise you what you find.

Reviewing your files - Its a very good thing!

Happy Researching!
Karen

Remember Review Review Review?

[Note: All images here can be clicked on to enlarge for better viewing.]

A few days ago or so I wrote a post on REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.... something I think every genealogist should do. We get so caught up in chasing things on the web and other places we forget to look right in our own files.

I've been searching for several years for an obituary that I knew I had. Couldn't for the life of me tell you WHERE it was but I knew I had it. Now, when I say things like that people assume I am unorganized. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe everything should have a place and everything should be in that place. But now and then....

Things fall thru the cracks. The obituary I was searching for was for that of my GGG grandfather, William Boomershine who died in 1932 in Montgomery County, Ohio. In this massive reorganization I've been doing I've been finding all sorts of things.

Look what I found yesterday....

Yep, It's the one & only, the obituary I had been searching for. Not the best clarity at this point but you get the idea... Looks almost twin to my brother, minus the mustache! The obituary was in a sheet protector between Williams eulogy and that of his wife, Elmira. Also tucked in there was this photo below...

This photo is of William & Elmira and their children. Not the best photo but its all I have of this family. If you know who has the original of this I'd sure like to find a better copy.

In the meantime I'll keep on reviewing & organizing. Who knows what I'll find next!

Happy Researching!
Karen

Four Things To Remember...

Do you want me to say it again? They say the average person has to read or hear something SEVEN - yes, I said SEVEN times before it is actually retained in the brain. Boy are we dense or what? There are FOUR things in genealogy that I think need to be restated as many times as possible - some people still won't get it. But hey, at least I am trying...

1. Spelling don't count


2. Review Review Review


3. Do your census homework


4. Cite your sources

Those four things will carry you far IF you take them to heart - let me explain.

1. Spelling don't count - in the world of genealogy spelling names exactly as your remember them doesn't matter to much to people of different ethnic backgrounds who may or may not be able to successfully interpret what it is your ancestor is telling him. Krugman becomes Krockman when a German talks to a Scot. No where on the census form does it give the ethnic background of the person taking the census so trying to guess how your surname may have been written can be a real challenge. So if you are really hung up on the correct spelling of your ancestors surname, ask me about the quilt shop I know of. They'd love for you to come in and take up quilting.


2. Review Review Review - no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you work, there is ALWAYS going to be some little detail that maybe just doesn't work in your file right now. But next year or the year after it fits perfectly! In my file organization project I am finding obits & other documentation - each paper is being reviewed, each tiny detail being checked against my data base. Its amazing the tiny details that are overlooked in our excitement at finding the document. You will find yourself going back to reread, review, recheck those documents over & over. I promise!


3. Do Your Census Homework - No, I am not kidding! Each and every direct line ancestor should be located on every census available for his lifetime. The amount of information that can be gleaned from those census records is so understated. Tracing the paths of your ancestors tells you where to look for records regarding his life, his family and more. How do you know where to search for those records without knowing where he lived? Census takers were given rules on how to enumerate, but often they stepped outside the box, adding full birth dates or county names and other tidbits. Without taking the time to locate your ancestors on the census its like leaving Christmas presents unopened under the tree. You wouldn't do that would you?


4. Cite Your Sources - I know you've got tons of excuses of why this doesn't apply to you - but it does? Its simple, doesn't require rocket science brain to do it, there are some excellent books out there on sourcing, find something that works for you & USE IT! I see ads for companies wanting people to write children's books (fairy tales) all the time. If you are not sourcing your material perhaps you should apply for one of those positions - after all genealogy that is not sourced is nothing more than a fairy tale!

I challenge all of you to take a minute and think about those four things and how they affect YOUR genealogy. As I work on this file reorganization project here in my office at the Krugman castle - I too am finding holes in my work, Sources missing, Census missing, little details overlooked when picking apart articles etc., so I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I am acknowleging that even someone who has been researching for 20 years still faces some of the same issues YOU DO!

Happy Researching!

Karen

Top image is view from our living room garden window - Sept 2009