Society Saturday - Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut (JGSCT)

I belong to one genealogy society - the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut (JGSCT.) I'm not much of a joiner. I like to do research and I love to learn new things, but I'm pretty reluctant to do so if it involves getting off my couch. (Just ask my husband!)

So, why did I join the JGSCT? Pretty much because I'm 100% Ashkenazi Jewish, and I figured if any group could help me with my research, it would be these folks. I don't even remember when I joined JGSCT. I do know it was before 2010 because my mom used to attend meetings with me. I think one of the first meetings we attended was a presentation called "Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy." (A similar series is being held in November and December, by the way.)  After my mom passed away in 2011, I continued to attend meetings. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. I learned about resources like JewishGen and the annual conference held by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS.)

At some point, the President, Doris Nabel, suggested I join the board as a member-at-large. She said I didn't have to do anything except attend the monthly meetings. I felt a little weird because I wasn't "observant" (of the religion and customs) but Doris assured me that the society was about genealogy, not the religion so much. So - I agreed. I am still on the board. I'm a tad more involved now, as the co-editor of QUEST, our society newsletter.  I have also attended three IAJGS conferences - Boston (2013), Salt Lake City (2014) and Seattle (2016.) It's been a great experience. I've met some terrific people, made some great connections, and improved my "networking" skills.

Have you been thinking of getting involved in a genealogy society? The mission of the JGSCT lists three things societies will assist you with:

• Promoting genealogical research
• Providing instruction in the use of research methodology and adherence to standards of accuracy 
• Fostering careful documentation and scholarly genealogical writing and publication

Need more reasons? Kathleen W. Hinckley, CGRS, on www.genealogy.com lists TEN great reasons to join a society.

As I write this, I'm thinking maybe I should practice what I preach. I've been toying with joining the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. It's time.

Fun Fact Friday

Here are some fun family facts!

• Today would have been the 142nd birthday of my great-grandfather, Sigmund Lichtenthal.
• The most common surname in my RootsMagic genealogy software is SAMUEL, with 59 people. The earliest occurrence of the SAMUEL surname is in 1789.
• There are 1001 people in my database.
• The oldest person in my database died at age 105. Joseph Spiegel, my two times great-grandfather, was born in Poland in 1803. He died in Iasi, Romania in 1908.
• The average age of death for people in my database is 66.98 (That's a bit concerning!!)
• The average marriages per person are 1.05. The maximum marriages any person had is 4. (Care to guess who that was??)
• I am related (sort of) to Albert Einstein.

Throwback Thursday - October 19, 1903

Today would have been my maternal grandmother's 114th birthday. Rose Spiegel Lichtenthal was born on October 19, 1903 in Java (Indonesia) to Herman Spiegel and Sophie Weiss. Here are a few pictures her descendants (other than me!) have never seen.

Rose (right) and her mother, Sophie - The Haag - 1921

Rose (left), sister Claire Theresa, and brother Emile Gerritt
(Emile changed his last name to Speeger in years later.)

Rose - undated - possibly 1930
This could be an engagement picture. I have never found a wedding picture.

Rose and daughter Doris May - Vienna - 1936

Rose and husband, Paul Lichtenthal - 1937

Opinions Wanted!!

What do you think? I'm "crowd-sourcing" for an answer! I know what I think, but I may be just seeing what I want to see. Compare these two NY censuses. Do you think these are the same family? Both censuses are for the city of Albany in New York. Unfortunately (and strangely) I haven't located a similar family in the 1860 US Census. Note: although the last name is written "KINNEY" it is really "KENNY" - this was verified by looking for KINNEYS in Albany city directories

Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1855 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Now - here is Part Two of my question: I am trying to recreate Catherine's early life. I have NO BIRTH CERTIFICATE, immigration information (if she even was born in Ireland as she occasionally said) nor a marriage certificate. She lied on pretty much every form she completed as as adult, so her death certificate is really of little use. The question is: Do you think the Catherine in the 1855 census above is my Catherine?

Here's what I do know:

• Catherine was probably born between 1834-1840
• Catherine's mother was named Mary Allen.
• Catherine's father had the last name Kenney.
• Catherine married in 1860 so she would not be in the family home in 1865.
• Catherine had a sister named Frances (Information verified from a letter she wrote). 
• Mary (Catherine's mother) had a "William" listed on her probate papers as "next-of-kin" 
• Mary named her daughters in her will: Teresa, Maria and Catherine.Frances was her executrix.

Post your opinions in the comments. I'm interested to see if I can finally solve this riddle with the help of my genealogy friends!!

Tombstone Tuesday- Rosehill Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois

If you have spent more than two minutes with me lately, you are most likely aware of my current project - the fascinating story of my husband's great-grandmother, Catherine Seeley FitzAllen.

Every time I think I found all that can be found, I am proven wrong. I recently became aware of a new blog: Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries. Fascinating place! Even Catherine's final resting place has a story attached to it!

By Thshriver (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The recent post, Elevator in a Cemetery described the uniqueness of this cemetery located in Chicago, Illinois. Apparently, back in the early days of this cemetry (mid- to late 1800s), the most common ways to get to Rosehill was by horse-drawn hearse of a local funeral train.

The problem was that the railroad tracks and the cemetery station platform were above grade. As a result, moving the casket from the funeral train to the ground-level cemetery was quite a problem. Rather than having pallbearers manuever the casket down a steep set of stairs , an elevator was built. The manually operated elevator was in a separate building next to the railroad tracks. Once the casket was lowered to ground-level, it could then be loaded on to a horse and wagon for the procession to the gravesite.

The funeral train and elevator are no longer used, but the elevator still remains. I have no idea if the elevaor was still in use when Catherine died in 1916, but I suspect it certainly could have been. I wouldn't be surprised in the least. Everything about her has been a surprise!!

I don't have a picture of Catherine's grave nor that of her daughter Ida, who is also buried there. I plan to post a photo request on FindAGrave - maybe I'll get lucky!!

To learn about some of the fascinating headstones and memorials at Rosehill, click here and here.

Why I Go To Genealogy Presentations

Today's presentation at the JGSCT (Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut) was given by Ron Arons. I have heard Ron speak no less than five times and every time I come away with a new idea. The presentation, "Sex, Lies, and Genealogical Tape", was an updated version of a talk Ron gave a few years back. Even though I already knew the story he was telling, this talk focused more on the strategies and resources he used to determine if his relative was, in fact, the same person he had located on a variety of documents, using a variety of names.

Not unlike the story of my husband's great-grandmother, Catherine Seeley FitzAllen, that I am struggling to untangle. I've been stumped (ok - stalled) by the lack of some vital records for Catherine; namely birth, immigration, and marriage. I'm okay without the marriage record, as the lack of that information doesn't really affect the story. But I can't accurately recreate Catherine's early years without the birth and immigration information.

So, in hopes of getting a new idea, I attended today's presentation. Here are a few things I hadn't thought of. Maybe some of these ideas will help you find some obscure information you've been searching for.

1. Search the records of the siblings. (I have done this, but not as thoroughly as I should.)
2. Track down the living relatives. They may have the information you're looking for.
3. Use maps. I might be able to use the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to determine the square footage of the Kansas City home Catherine lived in. That would give me an idea of the size of the home and thereby wealth of the family. Maps can also provide a picture of how close in proximity people lived to other family members.
4. School records can provide verification of birthdates and maybe even list parents and siblings.
5. Property records can help verify residence.
6. IRS Tax Assessment records can help verify occupation and residence.

The biggest tip Ron gave was to make that phone call and be persistent! Emails go answered and snail mail may not make its way to the correct person. I really need to work on that - it is perhaps my weakest research technique.

Oh - and it didn't hurt to hear that Ron has been researching his particular ancestor for 20 years. I've only been tracking Catherine for two years! So, I'm feelin' pretty good!!

Oh! That's Why We Have a Census?

I was wondering what I would post about today. (Have you noticed I've kept my promise so far - a post every day this month?) An article in the local paper provided me with inspiration.

The article was about impending issues with the upcoming 2020 US Census, which could become a national debacle. Apparently, the department is underfunded, understaffed and behind on deadlines. The Census Department wants to conduct at least half of the census online, which could result in extreme under-reporting due to concerns about cyber-security and immigration issues. (Thanks for telling us where you are, Mr. and Mrs. Immigrant - now get out!!)

Now - I don't think much about WHY we have a national census. As a genealogist,  it provides me with much needed  (albeit sometimes incorrect) information regarding my ancestors. The clues can point me in the right direction or verify facts found elsewhere. But, surprise of surprises, our founding fathers were NOT thinking of genealogy when they mandated a decennial (every 10 years) census in the US Constitution, beginning in 1790. You can read about the history the of the US Census here.

So, what is the true purpose of the Census? The census was originally mandated to assist in determining congressional districts. The census tracks the population changes, and shifts in congressional districts can be redrawn accordingly. The census numbers also help the government to determine funding allocations for highway construction, energy assistance, healthcare and food assistance, and more.

Two quick facts:

1. The US census is released to the public 72 years after it is taken, due to privacy issues. So, the most recent census we have available for our use is the 1940 census, which was released in 2012.

2. Most of the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire in 1921. You can read about what little is available here and here. Twenty years is a huge gap for our families' histories. You can get some ideas on using substitutes for the 1890 census here.

So, thank you, Founding Fathers! You had no idea 227 years ago how helpful your decision to enumerate the population would be to us! And to you, my readers, when the Census worker comes knocking on your door (or your technology device) in 2020 - please participate!!!