Have you experienced genealogy serendipity?

Do you have those "close encounters" with your ancestors. Every once in a while I feel the nudge and have an experience that convinces me they are pushing me to continue researching their lives and telling their stories!

This week as I was volunteering at the Columbia Family History Center, a man came in looking to talk with me about his German ancestors. We quickly realized that we descend from the same couple...my 6th great-grandparents, Jacob Demaree and Magdalene Terras.

I had a breakthrough on this family in January 2013 when I was attending the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. I conducted research at the Family History Library in their microfilmed German church records and found records for my Braun family back to about 1750. What a great week!

I can see after this week's encounter; however, I need to get to work again. They are not satisfied with my slow progress and want me to continue where I left off!

Sophia Braun (my 4th great-grandmother and a descendant of Jacob and Magdalene Demaree) is shown in the colorized photo above. I shared it with Maureen Taylor today, who indicated it was probably made from two daguerrotypes. So, if anyone out there sees this and has those in their possession, please contact me. I would love to see the originals.


Debra A. Hoffman, "Have You Experienced Genealogy Serendipity," Ancestral Leaves, posted14March 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]

Digitization of "Der Deutsche Correspondent"

Newspapers are important for providing genealogical information and historical context for family research. Marylanders with German heritage will soon have access to an invaluable resource with the digitization of the German-language newspaper, Der Deutsche Correspondent.

The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) holds a significant collection of the paper, which contains approximately 84,000 pages contained in 98 bound volumes. It is almost complete from 1880 through 1918.

In partnership with the Charles Edward Hilgenberg Archives, the MdHS has currently digitized approximately 40,000 pages of the newspaper with the intent to create a digital archive.  While the images are not yet available, Dr. Gary B. Ruppert has published two volumes of translations and transcriptions covering five years of the newspaper; from 1879-1883. The first volume is entitled The German Correspondent, Baltimore, Maryland: Translation and Transcription of Death Notices & Obituaries, 1879-1883 and the second volume is entitled The German Correspondent, Baltimore, Maryland: Translation and Transcription of Marriages, Deaths and Selected Articles of Genealogical Interest, 1879-1883. These two volumes demonstrate the wealth of information to be found in this newspaper.

There is also a plan to digitize the Der Deutsche Correspondent newspaper from the Library of Congress’s microfilm copies. The University of Maryland Library’s spring edition of their Link newsletter indicated it will be a two-year project. The first images will be available on the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America website (www.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov). 

Debra A. Hoffman, "Digitization of 'Der Deutsche Correspondent'," Ancestral Leaves, posted 8 March 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]