The Geneline - Amelia Island Genealogical Society
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The Geneline
THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF
Amelia Island Genealogical Society
September 2008 - Issue 9
SEPTEMBER AIGS MEETING
Tuesday, September 16th
Favorite Genealogical Websites
The next meeting of the Amelia Island Genealogical Society will
be held on Tuesday evening, September 16th at 7:00 pm at the
Fernandina Beach Police Department Community Room, 1525
Lime Street.
Marie Santry will present a program titled
“My Favorite Websites.”
Marie has been researching her family history for over 15 years and has become very knowledgeable in
finding and using computer on-line sources. Marie says:“You don’t have to stop your searching when
the courthouse or vital records offices close.You can search long into the night, in the comfort of your
home.” With more and more resources coming on-line, you’re missing the boat if you’re not using the
internet in your research plan. Marie will share with us some of her favorite websites. She will tell us
about some relatively new sites with databases that include original images and she will revisit some
older websites that have added new databases that you may not be aware of.
About Marie Santry
Marie is currently Program Chairman for AIGS and, in recent years, has organized the George Morgan
Seminar and several cemetery tours presented by AIGS. For the past 4 years, she has organized and par-
ticipated as an instructor in the AIGS Beginning Genealogy Course offered each year. In addition to
membership in AIGS, she is a member of the Jacksonville, St.Augustine, Central Florida, Florida State, and
Ohio State genealogical societies. She is a member of the Amelia Island Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR) and is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Florida State DAR Genealogical Records
Committee (GRC) Indexing.
Please remember to bring a sweater or jacket, as the meeting room can get pretty chilly.
There is no thermostat in the Police Station Community Room, so AIGS has no control
over the temperature.
October AIGS Society Meeting
Mark your calendar for the October AIGS meeting which will be held on Tuesday, October 21st, at 7pm at
the Fernandina Beach Police Department Community Room. The program and guest speaker has not
been determined at press time, but you can always count on an informative and interesting program.
ideas for finding your most elusive ancestors.
From the AIGS President - BOB LOVELESS
Dear Members,
I have to tell you that there is nothing quite like heading up an
organization to force you into gear. So I continue to follow the
good lessons I learned in January as I took the Introduction to
Genealogy course. I wrote two different letters to an Aunt and
a Cousin this month, requesting that they give me some oral
clues as to our family’s history.
In one of my previous letters, I compared putting my family his-
tory together to putting together a huge jig saw puzzle.
Continuing down that line Gloria Toomey gave us an excellent
story at this past month’s genealogy meeting on her husband’s family. She and Mike have been work-
ing on Mike’s family story for 25 years, and a fascinating story it is. I mention this because Gloria and
Mike have put their puzzle together in a very organized fashion working on an outline and then filling
in the pieces. I am still more at the shotgun stage,“Oh look, here are two pieces that fit together, and
here are two more.” Eventually I’ll have a small pile of pieces hooked together, but I’m not sure if we’ll
see a picture emerge. Never-the-less, I’m still finding it fascinating to find out how much wandering
around the nation my ancestors did. I mentioned my Grandfather Bowden’s family last month that has
spent the last four generations in Michigan. This month I followed my Grandmother’s father’s family,
the Cowen’s, back from Michigan, to Colorado, to Kansas, to Illinois, to Vermont! My grandmother’s
family moved across five states in five generations. And the summary information extracted from A
Standard History of Kansas and Kansans put in the line that John Cowen was from “an old family” in
Vermont. That has really aroused my curiosity. In all the oral history bandied about at family
gatherings I have never heard the state of Vermont mentioned. So I continue to sketch family outlines
and eventually I’ll have to fill in the details. But the word is out within the family and I already have a
request from my brother-in-law to investigate my wife’s family history out of North Carolina. So we’ll
see where the wandering takes me next month.
Nominations for New AIGS Officers are Now Open
Turning from family history to business for a moment, I am sure that each of you recognizes that the
success of the AIGS is due to a very dedicated cadre of volunteers. I don’t really include myself in that
cadre, because I’ve served a year here and a year there, but these people work to make the AIGS a suc-
cess year after year. Of course you know who they are. Just look at our Program Chairperson – Marie
Santry, our Past President – Gloria Toomey, our Webmaster – Mike Toomey, our Librarian – Nancy
Sturgis, our Treasurer – Ken Sturgis, our Geneline Editor – Frances Bartelt, our V.P and Member at Large,
Bert and Barbara Swearingen, or Bob Keane, Elaine Strickland, Jean Mann, Claire Shepherd. The prob-
lem with this list is that I’ll certainly overlook someone who deserves your thanks. But here’s the
problem. Despite the dedication of these people and others, they find the most enjoyment out of
helping novices like me learn the ropes of running the organization, and also learning my family histo-
ry. That’s where you need to come in. Nominations for new AIGS officers for 2009 are now open.
Gloria Toomey is heading our Nomination Committee with help from Janet Loveless and Lori Miranda.
If you have 2 hours a month then you can help the AIGS to move forward in 2009. Please consider
volunteering to help your AIGS. Just contact a member of the Nominations Committee. Trust me,
you’ll enjoy it. I hope each of you will join us at future meetings of the Amelia Island Genealogical
Society. Until next month I wish you luck as you pursue your own family’s history.
pg 2 AIGS Sept 2008Hispanic Records Available in Record Search
Family history consultants who help people Index–Mexico that was published in 1999 on com-
searching for Hispanic ancestors can turn to the pact disc.Although the collection is not necessarily
growing collection of records available on the complete for any particular place or region, it is
Record Search pilot Web site.The site, at still a very valuable resource for people searching
http://pilot.familysearch.org, includes millions of for their Mexican ancestors.
records that can help those trying to find their
Hispanic ancestors. New records are being added Visit the Record Search pilot Web site, and become
all the time, through the efforts of volunteers who familiar with the wonderful resources available to
participate in FamilySearch indexing efforts. help those searching for Hispanic ancestors.
The Search section of the Web site includes To view or print this e-mail in PDF format,
these Hispanic record collections: please go to:
1895 Argentina Census https://help.familysearch.org/kb/Local_Support/en
Mexico Baptisms 1700-1900 /Consultants/memos/consultantmemos.htm
Mexico Burials 1700-1900 This e-mail is sent to registered family history con-
Mexico Marriages 1700-1900 sultants and priesthood leaders by FamilySearch
·1930 Mexico Census Support. Contact us in the following ways:
The Browse section of the Web site Telephone: Find the toll-free number for your
includes these collections: area at https://contact.familysearch.org
1930 Mexico Census E-mail: support@familysearch.org
Lima, Peru, Civil Registration, 1874-1930 On the Web: Search for answers at http://prod-
Spain,Albacete Diocese, Catholic Parish Records uctsupport.familysearch.org
1550-1930 To change your contact information, reregister at:
Spain, Cuidad Rodrigo Diocese, Catholic Parish http://priesthood.familysearch.org or https://con-
Registers, 1550-1930 sultant.familysearch.org
Recently, 72 million new names were added to the To remove your registration, send your request to:
Mexico baptisms collection.This collection has support@familysearch.org. Please include your
been transcribed from Mexican parish registers name, ward name, and stake name.
dating from 1659 to 1905. It also includes records Invite others to register at: http://priesthood.fam-
from the Middle America Vital Records ilysearch.org or https://consultant.familysearch.org
Note from Genealogist Ann Staley
fter the AIGS July Meeting, the questions or what the actual 2. Book for ships from
A several people stayed to
talk to our speaker,Ann
Staley, who gave a
questions were.
We hope that those persons
Germany with photos and
information.
Clas Broder Hansen, Passenger
wonderful presentation on will be able to recognize the Liners from Germany, 1816-1990
Immigration Research. There answers to their questions: ;West Chester,
were several questions that Ann PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1991.
was not able to answer immedi- 1. Boston Passenger Lists
ately, but she promised to get Online, 1848-1891 3. Book: The Heritage of
that information and pass it on to http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/a Lowndes County, Georgia –
the society. Ann forwarded the rcsrch/PassengerManifestSearchC 2000; Waynesville, NC: County
answers to Marie Santry, but did ontents.html Heritage, Inc., 2000
not indicate to Marie who asked
AIGS September 2008 pg 3Tidbits from Dick Eastman’s Genealogy Newsletter
The following information is taken from Eastman's Online Genealogy
Newsletter and is copyrighted by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published
here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter
is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Indiana Genealogical Society Offers Searchable Databases
The Indiana Genealogical Society recently added a new feature to its web
site; its own collection of searchable databases.These databases (located at
http://www.indgensoc.org/membersonly/) are available to IGS members as
a benefit of membership. The databases are searchable by first and last
name, and include the ability to search by Soundex.The databases cover
everything from military records (Civil War, Mexican War and Spanish-
American War) to church records and records for various schools (includ-
ing Indiana University). If you are not an IGS member and want a glimpse
of what you are missing, there are also a few databases that have public
access. You can then purchase a membership online or through the mail.
The Indiana Genealogical Society will be adding more databases over the
months and years to come. Come discover if your ancestors were part of
the emigration through the area regarded as the crossroads of America.
New Database Available Online -
Census of Canada, 1881
The following announcement was
written by Library and Archives
Canada:
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is
pleased to announce the launch of a
new online database, Census of
Canada, 1881.Through this online
database researchers can access digi-
tized images of original census
returns featuring the name, age,
country or province of birth, nation-
ality, religion, and occupation of
Canada's residents at the time of the 1881 Census.This includes notable figures such as Sir John A.
Macdonald, Sir Wilfrid Laurier,Timothy Eaton, and Alexander Graham Bell.
The database is available at: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1881
The 1881 Census marked the first regularly scheduled collection of national statistics in Canada.
Information was collected for Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario,
Manitoba, British Columbia and the North-West Territories (which at the time covered much of modern-
day Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northern Ontario, northern Quebec, Labrador,Yukon, Northwest
Territories, and Nunavut).
pg 4 AIGS September 2008NBC Television to Offer "Who Do
You Think You Are?" American Style
A genealogy television program in the U.K. has
become one of the more popular television pro-
grams in that country. In fact, "Who Do You
Think You Are?" has also spun off a magazine,
computer software, and an annual conference in
London that attracts nearly 15,000 attendees.
Some American genealogists have wondered,
"When we will get a similar program?"
The time is now. Well, this year.
Quoting from NBC's web site:
Who Do You Think You Are? The answers lie in
the past. From producer Lisa Kudrow comes a
new series that is unlike anything on U.S.
television. Based on the popular BBC
documentary series,Who Do You Think You Are?
takes viewers on an inspiring and personal jour-
ney into the past of America's best-known
celebrities, sharing their emotion and surprise
as they uncover stories of heroism, tragedy, love
and betrayal that lie at the heart of their family
story. At the same time, the series celebrates the
making of our great nation and the people who
traveled here in search of freedom and opportunity. NBC's version of "Who Do You Think You Are?" will
be an all-American show, not reruns of the BBC program. It will feature American celebrities and their
ancestry.The same web site promises that the show will spin off an online archive of celebrity ancestry
info as well as the ability for users to get started on a personal search into family history.
Amelia Island Genealogical Society Officers
President Programs
AIGS Librarian
Bob Loveless Marie Santry
Nancy Sturgis
Vice President Publicity/
AIGS Website
Bert Swearingen Historian Michael A.Toomey
Claire Shepherd
Treasurer
Ken Sturges Member-at-Large Nassau County Genealogist
Barbara Swearingen Jean Mann
Secretary
Clarie Shepherd Research Coordinator Beginners Program
Kathy Nemaric Marie Santry
Membership Chairperson
Robert Keane Past President Geneline Editor
Gloria Toomey Frances Bartelt
AIGS September 2008 pg 5Visit our Website: http://www.aigensoc.org/
Find Information about Amelia Island Genealogical Society
Access old and new GENELINEs.
A special reminder to our members: GENELINE is your Society’s publication.
Each member is encouraged to contribute material to it
All GENELINE articles are indexed by PERSI
Send GENELINE comments & submissions to Frances Bartelt
Francesbartelt@gmail.com
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 6005
Fernandina Beach, FL 32035-6005
The Society’s Library Collection is housed in the Fernandina Beach Library
The membership packet includes AIGS information and all current year issues of Society’s quarterly
The Nassau County Genealogist, and the GENELINE,AIGS’s monthly newsletter.
Family history research training is offered through classes, workshops and ongoing programs
Membership dues are $20.00 per person and $25.00 per two-person family.
The membership year is January 1st through December 31st
To join, send application form, along with the appropriate fee to:
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 6005
Fernandina Beach, FL 32035-6005
To print an membership application or for more information check our web site:
http://www.aigensoc.org/aigs/meetings.asp/You can also read
