Back To School: Day 72

An update on my participation in the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research online program which began on 13 January 2010.  You can read about Day 1 and Day 20 here.

I have been so immersed in my studies online at Boston University that I've neglected to give a recent update.  To say that the past two modules have been fantastic is an understatement.  Here are some details:

• The Evidence Evaluation and Documentation module - lasting three weeks - was led by Dr. Thomas W. Jones and was probably the most difficult of all the modules so far.

• An accurate description of the module would use phrases such as "exacting," "exasperating" and "enlightening."  How's that for alliteration?

• Let's just say, if you thought you knew how to research and analyze evidence and apply the Genealogical Proof Standard, you don't know it until you work with Dr. Jones.  At times I was barely able to keep up with my classmates but Jones is an expert in this area of genealogy and he patiently guided me and others through concepts such as direct evidence vs. indirect evidence, primary and secondary sources and more.

• Being able to take your research, analyze it and shape a coherent conclusion really is the "meat and potatoes" of what we do as genealogists.  There would be no field of genealogy without following the Genealogical Proof Standard.

• The Forensic Genealogical Research module was fascinating and I found the assignments so intriguing that some nights I just wouldn't go to sleep!  Talk about CSI-type cases!

• The module was led by Melinde Lutz Sanborn and all I can say is: this is the type of educator I want to be when I grow up.  Seriously.  From the minute the module started to the very end, she was attentive in tracking our progress, she held several online chats on Sunday afternoons to discuss case studies, and seemed to be ever-present.

• Many of the assignments dealt with old photographs and with very little information, attempting to identify people in the photo.  Other exercises involved trying to find living descendants in probate cases.

Now I've just started the Genealogical Research Ethnic and Geographic Specialties module which last three weeks.  So far I am pulling an A as my grade - with about four more weeks left in the program.  I'll check back at the end of the current module.

Reminder!  The next session of Boston University online classes in this program starts on 10 May 2010 and the registration deadline is 23 April 2010.  I highly recommend this class whether you want to become a professional genealogist or you just want to improve your own research skills. Call 1-877-290-9005 or visit the website at http://www.bugenealogy.com.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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The Genealogical Truth . . . and Nothing But The Truth!

Just an FYI: I've posted an interesting item at my new website, High-Definition Genealogy, which relates a recent legal case in Ohio involving a lawsuit and one family's history.

I won't go into detail of the legal proceeding - you can read more here - but I think the situation highlights what can be a problem especially for beginning or novice genealogists.  As a researcher I always follow the Genealogical Proof Standard in documenting family history whether it is my own or that of a client. As long as you can stick to the facts and be able to substantiate your conclusions with source citations, you should have no fear of any legal proceedings.  If someone - a colleague or a family member - disagrees, then let them prove their own theories and conclusions using the same process and standards.  This become scholarly dialog - not a reason to go to court.

However, if as part of writing a family history, you take family folklore or mythology and make it appear as fact, you are treading down a murky path.  At the very least, if you feel the need to include such stories then make sure you label the source, as in "as told during the 2009 family reunion in Funks Grove, IL by Aunt Susie Silvertongue" or something along those lines.  I would also make certain that I got the story correct and check with Aunt Susie - it also doesn't hurt to ask permission to include the story.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 3 - My Thoughts

Well the third episode of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? with Lisa Kudrow just ended here in Chicago and I wanted to put my impressions down in a blog post.  I'm encouraging my other genealogy blogging colleagues to do the same or if you don't have your own blog, add your comments below.

• PLUS:  Lisa Kudrow was excited about trying to find the story about her great-grandmother and how she died in Ilya, Belarus based on the facts told so touchingly by her father.

• MINUS:  Not really a minus, but having to see Kudrow's father cry and be in such turmoil.  No one told me this was a three-hanky episode.

• PLUS:  Being able to visit your ancestral homeland and talk to actual neighbors about your family.

• MINUS:  Again not a minus, but I just can't imagine the pain of having to hear from these neighbors how your family was slaughtered.

• PLUS:  The ability to be in Poland after the Iron Curtain fell and have open records in order to find a distant relative.

• PLUS:  The fact that Yuri (Borislaw) was still alive.  This goes to show that genealogists never make assumptions (like assuming someone is dead because someone else said so) but do the research first.

• MINUS: Too many recaps!  Was it just me or did it seem there were way more recaps and "coming up" in this episode?  What was a 42 minutes episode after commercials really was a 32 minute episode if you remove the intro (which is way too long) and the recaps.  Were there no other compelling aspects of this story that could have filled out those 10 minutes?

This was one of the most moving episodes of WDYTYA despite its brevity in terms of content.  It also again brought to light a disturbing period in our civilization and I hope - as others must - that we never forget.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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A New Genealogy Show - Coming Soon!

High-Definition Genealogy

stay tuned! 

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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8 Ways Genealogy Could Help You Survive a Zombie Outbreak

This post title is catchy, isn't it? Well it really is just an experiment - I don't believe there are 8 Ways Genealogy Could Help You Survive a Zombie Outbreak.

Over at makeuseof.com - one of my favorite tech blogs - they highlighted a site called LinkbaitGenerator which will supposedly help you as a blogger compose "attractive" post titles.  All in the hopes of getting others to link back to you.

I think "sensational" is a better way to describe the output, rather than "attractive."  Here is a sample of what LinkbaitGenerator spit out with the word genealogy:

• 8 reasons to fear genealogy
• 7 bizarre ways genealogy can kill you suddenly
• 10 ways genealogy can help you get a date
• 6 shockingly evil things about genealogy
• 8 horrible lessons about genealogy that Hollywood teaches kids

And then there are the post titles that I believe are accurate and most genealogists could find items to populate these lists:

• 15 must see websites about genealogy
• 10 common misconceptions about genealogy
• 10 under-appreciated things about genealogy
• 5 insane but true things about genealogy

And finally there are the posts that I wish were true:

• 9 crazy ways that genealogy is infiltrating pop culture
• 7 ways genealogy could cure cancer
• 10 of the biggest genealogy screw ups of all time
• 8 genealogy-themed Halloween costumes
• 10 ways people have gotten rich exploiting genealogy
• 8 ways genealogy could help you survive a zombie outbreak
• 10 of the best genealogy movies of all time

Photo:  Zombies as portrayed in the movie Night of the Living Dead, public domain (published without copyright between 1923 and 1977).

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 2 - My Thoughts

Well the second episode of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? with Emmitt Smith appeared last night and I wanted to put my impressions down in a blog post.  I'm encouraging my other genealogy blogging colleagues to do the same or if you don't have your own blog, add your comments below.

• PLUS: I loved the fact that the episode focused on Smith's slave ancestors and viewers learned about the difficulties and obstacles that genealogy research represents for African-Americans.

• MINUS: While Smith did go to the Monroe County courthouse to do some research, the Ancestry.com product placement was a bit much (when looking up the 1900 census for the Watson family).  I wished this had been done in a library setting (and many libraries allow free access to the library version of Ancestry.com).

• PLUS:  Watching Smith talk to his parents about their own parents and grandparents was great - and it is how most of us started looking at our own ancestry.

• MINUS:  I wish there were a quick 1-minute wrap up of tips at the end of the episode such as: "First, sit down and talk with relatives to see what they remember about parents and grandparents."

• PLUS:  Smith was able to find out that his ancestor Mariah Watson was of mixed race and probably had been fathered by her owner.

• MINUS:  The search seemed to stop with Samuel Puryear, who later gave Mariah to his son.  I know the concept of being descended from a white slave owner must have  been difficult for Smith, but genealogists understand that a search does not end because we find the ancestor's behavior abhorrent.  I think this sends the wrong message to beginners in the family history field.

• PLUS:  I really appreciated how the producers tied in the horrors of modern-day trafficking of children into Smith's story when he traveled to Benin.

• MINUS:  Flying Smith's wife to Benin to sit with him on a beach so he could tell his findings was disappointing.  I would much rather have seen him come home to a welcome from his family and then sit down and tell them about his trip and the ancestors and the ancestors' stories.

Overall I felt it was another good episode of WDYTYA - compelling, it had a good story line, it was authentic in terms of the research process, and brought forth the issues and obstacles involving African-American genealogy.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Immigration Family History Expo - Blogger of Honor

I am excited to announce that I've been named a Blogger of Honor for the upcoming Immigration Family History Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah next week!

The expo takes place on Thursday 18 March 2010 at the Historic Masonic Temple and since it is a Family History Expo production you know it will not only be fun but also educational.

I won't be able to attend and I know readers are now thinking, "so how is he a Blogger of Honor?"  Well I wanted to show my support for Holly Hansen and her excellent staff over at Family History Expos.  In case you haven't heard, the entire Family History Expo website experienced a meltdown last month and none of the data was recovered!  Ancestry Insider has a post describing what happened in Major Failure of Utah Computer Center.

I will be following the Immigration Expo with some posts and tweets next week - if you are in the Salt Lake City area please try to attend this event!

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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My Newest Article - Blogging Your Family History at Archives.com

You may have noticed a new badge in the sidebar here at Destination: Austin Family - it is for my newest article entitled "Blogging Your Family History" posted at Archives.com.  My article is part of the Experts series at Archives.com - check it out and you will see some familiar faces among the genealogy blogging crowd!

In early February 2010, I was approached by the staff at Archives.com to write a piece about why blogs are so important to the genealogy and family history experience and how anyone can create their own blog.  I have to say it was a wonderful experience working with Archives.com: the instructions as to requirements were clear and  my editor kept me up to date as to my deadline and when my article was published.

If you have an area of expertise within the genealogy field, consider applying with Archives.com to be one of their next Experts author.

[Disclaimer: this was an assignment for Archives.com in which I was paid to produce a 1500 word article on the subject of blogging and family history.  In addition to payment, I also received a complimentary membership to Archives.com.]

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Indiana Genealogical Society - Doin' Things Right!

[Note: this post is part of the 1st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies]

The theme of the 1st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies is to highlight a favorite genealogy society and point out a program, a publication, an event or an on-line function which supports the mission of the society and really stands out.  My shout out is for the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS) and their member's only section of their website.

I only recently joined IGS and to be honest, I didn't do so because I have Indiana ancestors.  I joined because I kept seeing blog posts about all the new additions and databases available at IGS on their website.  At last count, the members-only section had over 245 different databases ranging from cemetery records, military records and African-American records.  I said to myself: "Here is a society that gets it.  Here is a society that is doing it right.  They deserve my support."

When I joined IGS online I was very impressed at the process.  I was able to purchase the IGS membership via PayPal and then within 24-hours I received my login credentials for the Members Only section.  What I also appreciated was the lack of paper generated in the process - it was made clear to me that I wouldn't be bombarded with flyers and forms via snail mail.

My hope is that in the future more and more genealogical societies increase their online presence by offering not only valuable members only content, but also a streamlined method of becoming a member using online payments and opting out of snail-mail delivered paper.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 1 - My Thoughts

Well the first episode of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? just finished about an hour ago here in Chicago and I wanted to put my impressions down in a blog post.  I'm encouraging my other genealogy blogging colleagues to do the same or if you don't have your own blog, add your comments below.

• PLUS: After having watched Faces of America over the past month, it was refreshing to have an hour-long program focus on just one person.  This is not meant to disparage Faces of America - they are both different shows and I think target different audiences.  I just think that WDYTYA is trying to be true to the original BBC format.

• MINUS: The constant recaps, "coming up" and other devices used in American television shows gets annoying after a while.  This is why I love Generations Project right now - it is 59 minutes of uninterrupted television focusing on one person - and a non-celebrity at that!

• PLUS: I think the producers tried to make the process of finding ones ancestors as realistic as possible.  I loved the shot of Sarah Jessica Parker having to wait at the Massachusetts Historical Society for a document to be pulled.  This is the reality for many of us who do this type of research day in and day out.

• MINUS: Why doesn't MHS have anything on their homepage about WDYTYA? Nothing.  Nor can I find a Facebook or Twitter link.  Talk about a missed opportunity.  While I am having trouble right now connecting to Ancestry and NEHGS due to high traffic, it is a breeze getting to MHS.  I wonder why.

• PLUS: Parker seemed actually interested and engaged in the process and the history.  I don't think this was acting skills on display.  I also loved how she interacted with her mother.  Each time she walked in the door and yelled "Mommy?" - well let's just say that got to me for some reason.  I found it very endearing that a woman in her mid-40s still calls her mother "Mommy."  Beyond cute.  What I wouldn't give to be able to do that right now . . .

• MINUS: I wish time was spent explaining the process a bit more in terms of research.  When they discussed John S. Hodges and his appearance in the 1850 US Census, it made it seem like: "Poof! His name is here it must be him!  Now let's get you off to California!"

• PLUS: Showing an original source like a 300 year old warrant put out for Parker's ancestor - how great was that?

• MINUS: Where are your gloves young lady? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to handle a 300 year old document without a pair of archivist gloves?

• PLUS: Increased exposure to genealogy will not just benefit the genealogy community and various service providers, but I hope it will enrich the lives of the newcomers who decide to look for their own ancestors.

• MINUS: Be prepared for long connect times on your favorite genealogy research sites - at least for the time being - as well as an increase in genealogy-related spam.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Faces of America Viewership - Influenced By Opinions About Dr. Gates?

[Note: this post is intended to generate dialog and discussion.  I don't often stray into opinion on this or any of my blogs, but there are times when I seek answers to questions from readers and colleagues and the only way to "jump start" such a process is to write a post that will include opinion.

Our community of genealogy bloggers has demonstrated the need for dialog around a variety of issues.  Dialog is good as long as it is civil and adds to our experiences as family historians and genealogists.  I strongly encourage readers to leave comments on this post.]

My question to my readers is this: on a personal level, has your opinion of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and his Cambridge arrest in July 2009 influenced the way in which you watched the Faces of America series?  Did you, anyone in your household or a friend refuse to watch Faces of America because they had a negative opinion of Dr. Gates stating that the arrest was motivated by racial profiling and his African-American heritage?

* * *

I have some opinions as to the arrest and how it played out last summer, but before I get to that, let me say this: I was able to separate my views of the arrest and how it was handled from the job that Dr. Gates did as host of Faces of America.  Unfortunately I've encountered many people who were unable to do so - in fact when I mention Dr. Gates' name to them in public recently, the face scrunches up or the eyes roll and they launch into a diatribe about Dr. Gates' his arrest and the ensuing involvement of the White House into a discussion of race relations.

While most of these people appear to be somewhat informed and were able to discuss the arrest issues competently and in detail, I found that overall they were uninformed as to Dr. Gates' body of work, especially his involvement with African American Lives and African American Lives 2.  I've always had - and continue to have - respect for the work that Dr. Gates has done.

But many times, people allow themselves to be impacted by a quickly formed opinion in terms of their latest interaction with a public figure.  Personally, I closely followed the news of the arrest and here is how I saw it: lots of people said lots of stupid stuff.  That's as plainly as I can put it.

Imagine that you had just traveled back from China (probably filming the Yo-Yo Ma portions of Faces of America) and you can't get into your own home.  You are tired.  You are cranky.  I've been there.  I've been in situations where I wasn't at my best.  Then imagine that you are confronted by police on your own property.  And imagine that your local police force has had a history of racial profiling.  And imagine that in your research you know factually that police forces engage in racial profiling.

I think you get my picture.  Dr. Gates was initially charged with "disturbing the peace" which can be very liberally used by police officers to cover a multitude of situations.  Do I think Dr. Gates was right in his reaction?  Yes, I do.  Because I've been in similar situations with police where I was very vocal concerning a situation.  And the situation involved lack of sleep and frustration.  Do I think the police reacted appropriately? Yes, I do.  I can understand how an officer with no information as to the property, property owner etc. might want to arrest someone who appears combative.  It all comes down to perception.

Unfortunately when the media gets hold of a story it can often spiral out of control.  However, there is good that came out of this incident: it did get the nation talking about race relations.  Very often this is a topic we don't want to discuss for a variety of reasons.

* * *

Whatever someone's opinion as to Dr. Gates, I hope they are able to put such opinion aside - be it positive or negative - and simply view Faces of America as a body of work that stands by itself to be judged on its own.

Photo: Photo of Henry Louis Gates. Jr. dated 18 April 2007.  Digital image.  Joe Irons via flickr.  Used under Creative Commons 3.0 license.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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A Review of Faces Of America - Episode 4

Last night, the final episode of Faces of America entitled Know Thyself appeared on the PBS network.  The series by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the family history of 12 renowned Americans and attempts to answer the questions What made America? What makes us?

After viewing the episode here are my thoughts on the specific episode:

• While this was not my favorite episode out of the series (it was actually the second episode that moved me), it was important in showing what DNA testing can and cannot do in terms of genealogical research.

• We had another great online chat at GeneaBloggers after the show with lots of great information exchanged.

• Many people on the chat wanted to know the specific prices for each of the DNA tests (the complete genome test, the racial percentage test and the common ancestor test).  Let's just say the range is up to $68,000 for the complete genome test by Knome.

• I had much respect for Louise Erdrich's decision not to have her DNA tested.  Being of Native American ancestry, she made it a point to go back to her family members especially her elders and ask their permission.  They said that "it wasn't hers to give."

And here are my thoughts on the series overall:

• I don't feel that Faces of America has had the impact that African American Lives or African American Lives 2 has had.  Unless there were some compelling special features, I'm not certain folks will purchase the DVD set of Faces of America.

• Unfortunately Faces of America had to compete against the Winter Olympics broadcast on NBC.  This meant that the first episode - which aired before the Winter Olympics - tried to profile all 12 subjects and the result was a very scattered and confusing episode.  Episodes 2 and 3 aired during the Winter Games and were actually the best out of the four.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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Fearless Females: The Wedding of Frances Pressner

[This post is part of the Fearless Females series of blogging prompts created by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist as part of Women's History Month


March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.]


My great-grandparents Richard Henneberg and Frances Pressner were married on Sunday, 16 April 1911 in the Bronx, New York at the Immaculate Conception church.

The photo above was probably sent out to family and friends either as a "thank you" for attending the wedding or as part of the wedding announcement.

Here is the marriage certificate which I obtained recently with the help of my cousin Wendy:

According to the marriage certificate, the wedding took place about 5:00 pm and the witnesses were Adam and Julia (Pressner) Beyerman with Julia being Frances' sister.

Photos: 1) Richard Henneberg and Frances Pressner, about 1911, Bronx, New York.  Digital image.  Thomas MacEntee private files, Chicago, IL; Hennberg/Pressner Marriage Certificate, filed 9 May 1911, Bronx, New York.  Digital image. Thomas MacEntee private files, Chicago, IL.

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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FGS 2011 - Call for Volunteers!

I'm very excited because not only am I now working with the Illinois State Genealogical Society, but ISGS will be the host society for the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conference in 2011 in Springfield, IL!

This is a great opportunity for you to volunteer with the wonderful ISGS FGS 2011 Conference organizers.  The official communication is below - please consider contributing your time over the next 18 months!

“PATHWAYS TO THE HEARTLAND”
Call for Volunteers!

2011 promises to be an exciting year for ISGS!  The Federation of Genealogical Societies has given us the honor of hosting their national fall event in Springfield, IL!  FGS conferences offer everything you can imagine, from fantastic speakers, to a huge number of vendors, and networking opportunities galore.  If you’ve never attended an FGS event, check out this year’s Knoxville, TN conference information at:  http://www.fgs.org/2010conference/index.php

ISGS absolutely needs the involvement of volunteers throughout Illinois with interesting ideas & follow-through.  There are many opportunities to work on the planning and execution of this event.  FGS offers a compensation package to on-site volunteers.  Please let us know how we can best use your talents!

Contact us at ISGS.2011@gmail.com

David Kent Coy, 2011 Conference Co-Chair

ISGS Parlimentarian

Susie Pope, 2011 Conference Co-Chair

ISGS 2012 Director, Prairie Pioneer Chair

© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee

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