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.]

NGS’ 2014 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia

If you are a German researcher, there is a great educational opportunity coming up in May 2014. The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is hosting its annual Family History Conference, entitled “Virginia: The First Frontier,” in Richmond, Virginia. The conference runs from Wednesday, May 7^th through Saturday, May 10^th. For detail information about the conference visit http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/ and click on the “Attend” tab.

The conference offers an abundance of lectures that will hone your genealogical skills. For the German researcher; however, there is a dedicated track offering lectures by well-known genealogists that specialize in German research. The German track is offered on Thursday and Friday with the specific lectures listed below:

Thursday, May 8th

T208 – “Searching for a Pennsylvania German Ancestor,” James M. Beidler

T218 – “300 Years in Virginia: The Germanna Colonies and Their Legacy,” Katherine Lowe Brown, PhD

T228 – “Researching a Hessian Soldier in the American Revolution,” Craig Roberts Scott, CG

T248 – “How to Overcome Brick Wall Problems in Pennsylvania German Research,” Michael D. Lacopo, DVM

T258 – “Contrasting German Migrations: 18^th-Century vs. 19^th-Century Waves,” James M. Beidler

Friday, May 9th

F304 – “How German History Makes a Difference in Your Family History Research,” F. Warren Bittner, CG

F314 – “German Gazetteers and Levels of Jurisdiction,” F. Warren Bittner, CG

F324 – “Using Historic German Newspapers Online,” Ernest Thode

F344 – “German Village Not Yet Found?,” Carolyn Louise Whitton, CG

F354 – “German 301: Going Beyond German Church Records,” James Marion Baker, PhD, CG

If you have German ancestors, don’t miss out on the opportunity to obtain detailed research information from knowledgeable genealogists. Besides the lectures, you can meet other genealogists researching the same areas or perhaps the same family! It is a great way to make new friends! Don’t delay as Early-Bird registration ends on March 24, 2014!

My favorite part of a national conference? It is spending 24/7 for several days on nothing but genealogy! How great is that?

Debra A. Hoffman, "NGS' 2014 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia," Ancestral Leaves, posted 25 February 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]

Bavaria Emigration Database on the German Genealogy Group Website

There is a new resource on the German Genealogy Group's (GGG) website. If you think you have ancestors from Bavaria, you should check out this database. It can be accessed from here http://www.germangenealogygroup.com/records-search/bavarian_emigrants.php.

The database was compiled from emigration notices printed in Bavarian newspapers. There notices were required to legally emigrate.The publication requirement was for the purpose of collecting debts from the emigrant prior to their departure from the Kingdom of Bavaria. This project was headed by Tom Risinger.

There are a few records as early as 1823, but the majority date from 1832 to 1873. If you find your ancestor in the database, GGG offers the option to obtain a translated copy of the entire newspaper article for a fee. If you request a copy, an estimate will be sent to you for payment prior to receiving the translation.

When entering surnames in the database, you need to be flexible in the spelling and ensure you search multiple ways.When results are found, you can print them out. The results include the family name, given name, town, area, date, note and pdf page.The notes may include information such as the occupation, birth date, marital status, relationships, etc. Some of the notes are very detailed and provide a wealth of information.

I searched for my Krug and Bayer surnames. I found 22 results when I searched for Krug exactly. For the surname Bayer, I found 66 results. However in my research, I have found many spelling variations for Bayer, so I used the "sounds like" search and then found 465 results.

If your ancestor hails from the Kingdom of Bavaria, this database can provide you with a wealth of information.If you find your ancestor, let GGG know of your success by sending them an email.

Check it out!

Debra A. Hoffman, "Bavaria Emigration Database on the German Genealogy Group Website," Ancestral Leaves, posted 20 February 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]

IGHR Samford - Registration Opens Tuesday, January 17th

As part of my preparation for becoming a professional genealogist, I have attended the Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research held at Samford in June for the past two years. I am excited to register for my third year on Tuesday. See http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/ for information on the courses offered this year.

My choice this year is Course 3: Research in the South, Part I. J. Mark Lowe is the coordinator. Details of the course can be found here http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR_Course03.html. On my maternal side, I have ancestors in the following southern states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee and Kentucky. I think this will greatly benefit my research in those states.

My first Samford course was Course 4: Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis with Elizabeth Shown Mills (http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/IGHR_Course04.html). It was a fantastic experience. I learned so much about methodology and evidence analysis. Ms. Mills encourages squeezing all the information you can from a source and she certainly demonstrates through her case studies just how to do that. It was an eye-opener!

Last year, I was in Course 5: Writing and Publishing for Genealogists with Thomas W. Jones. Since one of my goals is to write my family histories, this was a must for me. I enjoyed all the lectures, especially the one on numbering your genealogy. I also have many German ancestors on my Dad's side, so I enjoyed seeing how the numbering worked when you included ancestors that were "across the pond."

Besides the excellent lectures by renowned genealogists, the camaraderie among the students can't be beat. And who can be upset about spending a week dedicated to genealogy? It has become my favorite week of the year!

Debra A. Hoffman, "IGHR Samford - Registration Opens Tuesday, January 17th," Ancestral Leaves, posted 15 January 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]

New Year - New Blog

January seems like a good time to start new things and establish goals (rather than resolutions) for the year.

I haven’t blogged before, but wanted to start documenting my journey to become a certified genealogist.

This isn’t a new goal for me, but rather one I have been working on for many years. However, in the past three years, I have accelerated my timeline for completing this goal.

I’m hoping that setting goals in writing will help keep me on track.

I decided to start a blog to share my experience and lessons learned with others hoping that someone else can benefit from my journey.

Debra A. Hoffman, "New Year - New Blog," Ancestral Leaves, posted 13 January 2014 (http://ancestralleaves.blogspot.com : viewed [date]). [Please feel free to link to the specific post if you prefer.]