GRIP Pittsburgh Day One Recap

We aren't in California anymore!

After a full day of travel that began in the wee hours of the morning, I finally arrived at La Roche College in Pittsburgh for the inaugural session of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). And, if the student and faculty buzz is any indication, GRIP will become a popular annual event along with long-established programs IGHR (Samford) and SLIG (Salt Lake City).

The program opened Sunday evening with dinner and a short orientation. Course booklets distributed along with dorm assignments and keys gave a glimpse into the week's program. Some notebooks were noticeably heavy -- in particular, those books for Tom Jones' Advanced Methodology Course.

Four courses were offered this year --

Intermediate Genealogy with Paula Stuart-Warren

Advance Research Methods with Thomas W. Jones

Beneath the Home Page with D. Joshua Taylor

German Genealogical Research Research with John T. Humphrey

I knew I wanted to attend GRIP when I first heard about the program. It was scheduled during a "slow season" for genealogical events, and the program offerings were all great.

My only dilemma was deciding what course to attend. Ultimately, I chose Intermediate Genealogy because my personal research has been in a bit of a slump for the past few years, and I was pretty sure Paula Stuart-Warren's enthusiasm would give it a real boost of energy. I was also interested in the sessions that would be taught by Josh Taylor throughout the week.

Dawn Comes Early

Although I had been "in training" for the past few days, waking up earlier each morning, my alarm went off way too soon this morning. There's no room service in Bold Hall Dorm, so I made my way to the cafeteria for a hot breakfast and a few cups of coffee before class. 

The morning session began promptly at 8:30 with Paula on "Analyzing Documents: Self-Judging Your Expertise," followed in the afternoon with Josh Taylor on "20th Century Compiled Genealogies" and Paula on "Vital Records and Substitutes." Five hours of solid genealogy instruction followed by dinner, Maia's Books sale, and the evening talk presented by Pamela Stone Eagleson on writing a family narrative. 

Now that it's evening I've caught a second wind and that California inner clock is ticking loud and strong. In fact, it feels like late afternoon. I've got time for a few more hours of online research. . .

Off to GRIP for Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

One Week of Genealogy Education

In just a few days I will be headed east for five days of intensive genealogy education at the GRIP Institute in Pittsburgh. Although I've attended national and local conferences, this is my first Institute and I'm a bit unsure what I need to bring along. . .

Sheri Fenley will tell me to bring shoes, of course. Midge Frazel would probably recommend an organized contingent of e-devices. And I am thinking that footnoteMaven would insist on chocolate.

Right now I'm working on transportation. I have to get from the airport out to the college, and since it sounds like the schedule is full enough that I won't have time to miss a car, I'm working out ground transportation.

My real quandary is just how much personal research materials I need to bring along. I'm in the midst of a giant scanning project, so things are in a bit of an uproar around here with archival boxes, folders, and photo sleeves. And, in moving from a PC to Mac my entire system went through an upheaval that still hasn't settled.

I am registered for the Intermediate Genealogy course which is coordinated by Paula Stuart-Warren with Josh Taylor as instructor. My research has been in a bit of a sad slump since my mom passed away two summers ago, and I hope a week of GRIP genealogy will light a fire to get me moving forward once again. It's time to find Mom's Winsor ancestors and finish that DAR application!

Update on Friday, July 20, 2012 by Family Curator

Karen, I'm just now hearing some names of other attendees, and there will be so many people I'm excited to meet. See you there!

Book Review: In the Blood GeneaFiction

Exclusive Interview with Steve Robinson, Author of the Genealogical Crime Mystery Series

It's warming up in Southern California, and if you're like me you're probably ready for a good beach/mountain/hammock/chaise lounge summer reading book. This week's book review highlights the Genealogical Crime Mystery Series by author Steve Robinson who was kind enough to answer a few genealogy specific questions via email.

In the Blood introduced readers to the affable Jefferson Tayte, an overweight American genealogist with a penchant for peanuts and a fear of flying. The latter places Tayte at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to onsite research "over the pond." He nearly loses his deep-pockets client over his reluctance to pursue the necessary research, but with grim determination he braves the air to beat out his genealogy competition and move the storyline from the U.S. to England.

Tayte, or J.T. as he likes to be called, is a career genealogist drawn to the profession by the hollow spaces in his own past. At the death of his adoptive parents he discovers a photo of his birth mother and an apologetic note for not sharing the news sooner. Despite his expertise, Tayte has yet to uncover his own story and spends his time unraveling the past for his clients.

When a wealthy Boson financier hires Tayte to uncover his wife's ancestry, neither expect to find a part of the family that literally disappears between Massachusetts and Cornwall. JT is puzzled by the lack of information, but it's the client who pushes for a resolution even if it will cost him a hefty amount, "…get over there and talk to those people. Confirm things. Half a job's no good to me."

Tayte's journey to England expands as author Robinson develops a second plot revealing the eighteenth-century secret of what really happened to the Fairborne family. The two stories intersect as Tayte's investigation threatens the present with truths that will undermine generations and unsettle a legacy.

In the Blood debuted as an author-published eBook last summer and I first heard about it via Twitter and Facebook. Within a few months, the novel had been named as a group read by the Goodreads UK Amazon Kindle Forum and selected by Amazon UK as one of the "Best Books of 2011" in the Kindle customer favorites category. The paperback edition was published in December 2011.

British Steve Robinson worked in software and telecommunications until "redundancy" pushed him into a writing career. Like Jefferson Tayte, he has a nearby blank space on his family tree -- his maternal grandfather, an American GI who lived in England during WWII. I was curious about Robinson's own interest in genealogy and why he chose a professional genealogist as his main character detective, and contacted him via email. He's been kind enough to answer a few questions and confesses a weakness most family historians share -- a fondness for the "thrill of the hunt."

A Chat With Steve Robinson

Family Curator: How did you come up with the character of Jefferson Tayte, professional genealogist? Is he modeled after someone you know?

Steve: The short answer is no, but I’ll try to explain where he did come from.  When I set out to write In the Blood all I had was a National Trust pamphlet that had a verse inside it, written by a farmer in 1803 about the ferrymen who operated the Helford ferry in Cornwall at the time.  The verse, reproduced in my first book, was quite damning and I asked myself, ‘What if the farmer was murdered the night he wrote it?’  I began to imagine the rest of the story from that.  Why was he murdered?  Who murdered him?  From there I knew I needed a way to get to that past story from the present and so the idea of genealogist was born.

The character of Jefferson Tayte is based on no one in particular, although I had the image of a couple of actors in mind when I set about defining him.  I knew I didn’t want him to be a stereotype action hero with chiseled features and a six-pack.  He gets into plenty of action as other people try to stop him uncovering the past but I thought it would be good to cast him as a fish-out-of-water type - an everyman.  I define his actions in any given situation by asking myself what I would do, or what I think or hope I would do, if I was in that situation.  I gave him a light side to counter the deeper, psychological issues he’s had since learning that his mother abandoned him as a baby.  Not knowing who he is eats away at him and the upside of that is that it also drives him to be good at what he does.  I hope we’ll someday make that journey of discovery with him when it comes time for him to find his own answers.

Family Curator: You say that you are not a genealogist, but it's obvious you know the basics of genealogical research. You even make a point through J.T. to acknowledge the difficulties  in family history research. How did you learn enough to feel confident using this profession in your books? 

Steve:  All the research JT has worked through in my books, I have done myself or at least done to a point where I knew what was possible and what was not.  That was the only way I felt I could be accurate and fully appreciate what it’s like to be a genealogist, working through the problems real genealogists face in their research.  I’m sure that’s helped to make my character seem like a real genealogist even if I am not, which was always my goal.  I’ve learnt a great deal and if my writing career doesn’t work out then I may well go pro as a genealogist, lol, but writing about a genealogist gives me the best of both worlds.  I love the research and that’s something that writing and genealogy very much have in common.

Family Curator: Your website mentions your search for your maternal grandfather through military records to Arkansas and San Francisco. Have you traced other family lines? Do  you have ancestors who might inspire other story lines or characters in your writing?

I think this was partly why I turned to genealogy to tell the story of In the Blood.  My maternal grandfather has always been a mystery to me and I suppose that sense of wonder about who he is or was has been at the back of my mind for some time.  I went as far as I could go without too much difficulty and I was able to give my mother his military service number with which I knew she could unlock so much more.  As my mother and grandmother are still alive and I’m not direct next of kin I felt that it was up to them to take the next step if they wanted to.  It’s difficult isn’t it?  But I felt that it wasn’t something I should try to cajole them into and so for now at least the search has gone no further.  As for tracing other family lines, I find that my writing takes up all my time, although I have certainly been inspired by my recent ancestors who helped a great deal with the wartime narrative that is so much a part of my second book, To the Grave.

Thanks very much for asking me along.  If any Family Curator website subscribers would like to chat further about anything just give me a shout.

-----

Questions & Comments Welcome

Steve will be checking in on the comments of this review, so please feel free to ask questions or leave a note for him. Thanks, Steve, for sharing thoughts. I know I am already looking forward to J.T.'s next adventure.

Robinson's novels are the kind of books that put the 'Summer' in reading to me. I thoroughly enjoyed In the Blood and the main character Jefferson Tayte. To the Grave, the second book in the series was released in June 2012, but I can't say much about it, yet. I've been saving it to take my mind of the flight on an upcoming trip! You can read about it on Robinson's website and on Steve Robinson's Amazon Page.

In the Blood (Genealogical Crime Mysteries, No. 1) , only 99cents in Kindle Ediiton, also available in Paperback Edition

To the Grave: A Genealogical Crime Mystery #2 (Jefferson Tayte), $2.99 Kindle Edition, Paperback coming soon.

Visit Steve Robinson's Website for updated book news www.steve-robinson.me

And the Book Giveaway Winner is. . .

Congratulations, Pam, you've won a free copy of Nancy Hendrickson's genealogy guide, Discover Your Family History Online. Please send me your shipping information and I will get the book in the mail to you.

Thank you, everyone, for leaving your comments on the review and on FaceBook for the Summer Reading Series book giveaway.

Genealogical Mystery In the Blood Tomorrow's Summer Reading Review

This week, the Summer Reading Review takes a turn toward fiction to feature an exclusive interview with Steve Robinson, author of the popular Genealogical Crime Mystery Series.

In the Blood , Robinson's first eBook mystery was published in June 2011 and quickly became a popular "Must Read" in the Kindle UK forum. I first heard about the book on Twitter -- thanks, Midge Frazel -- and FaceBook. As a longtime mystery fan, I found it a great summer read and was glad to hear that further adventures of genealogist Jefferson Tayte were in the works.

Book Two in the series, To the Grave , debuted last month as a Kindle eBook and will be published as a paperback edition soon.

I hope you return to The Family Curator on Wednesday, July 18 for more on Steven Robinson and the Genealogical Crime Mystery Series.

R.I.P. Family Recipe Cards

Are Family Recipe Cards
Becoming Orphan Heirlooms?

Stop by any estate sale and you will likely find a stash of stained and smudged handwritten recipe cards once carefully written and exchanged between cooks.

In my own family, I've found loose cards crammed in kitchen drawers and tucked between pages of cookbooks, but we weren't big on maintaining a tidy little box of three-by-fives. My harvest gold recipe box (a wedding shower gift) met an early demise when left at the back of our old range -- it melted into a disfigured blob. I rescued the cards and threw them in a drawer.

I could never find enough room to write an entire recipe on those tiny cards, so I graduated to full size sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and left the cards in the drawer. I've tried, but I can't throw those cards away.

I've never made Rhubarb Freezer Jam and probably never will. But every time I see that card with a big grease stain it reminds me of the three years we lived in Moscow, Idaho and all the nice women I met who shared recipes and advice with a young newlywed from Southern California.

Recipe card nostalgia might be the salvation for the family heirloom. An article in Slate highlights the emotional value of old cookbooks and "family traditions rendered in 3-by-5-inch index cards." The author shared my pain. When her great-grandmother died, all she wanted from her possessions was her old recipe file.

Was is it about those little cards that carry even more sentiment than a well-loved cookbook? Maybe it's the handwriting, beautiful flowing cursive growing shaky over time. Maybe it's the food stains and notes that create a kind of living history of the recipe. Maybe it's just knowing that someone you love held that card, wrote those words, and kept it just for you.

Technology has made it so convenient to keep our recipes on ever-handy tools like Evernote or printed and organized in tidy binders that we might be tempted to throw those cards in the trash.

Or not.

A surprising number of cooks are turning back the clock determined that their children will inherit their own set of stained, dog-eared, marked family recipe cards. I was surprised to see a ripple here, here, and here from modern cooks determined to keep three-by-fives alive.

It's inspired me to dig out those cards one more time; what about you?

You might also enjoy --

3 Recipes for Preserving Family Recipe Cards

What Are You Doing to Nurture the Next Generation of Genealogists? A Follow Friday Challenge

 This is a timely Follow Friday question because it picks up on a post earlier this week by Elyse Doerflinger at Elyse's Genealogy Blog, Getting the Next Generation Involved in Genealogy Societies. Elyse is a "Next Generation Genealogist" par excellence and was one of two recipients this year of the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant sponsored by family and friends in memory of my mom, Suzanne Freeman.

The Grant Awards were announced this year at the 2012 SCGS Jamboree, but the recipients were not informed ahead of time that they would be receiving the award and a $500 check at the Friday night Gala event. As the grant chairman and presenter, I spent some time earlier in the week making a few notes for my presentation remarks. I started out to introduce the grant recipients, but I soon found myself expressing my motivation for starting the grant program and awarding the funds. In the end, my presentation speech evolved into a challenge to the genealogy community.

It was obvious, however, that the Gala event was neither the time or place for a speech. The crowd was gathered to mingle, chat, and have fun, not listen to a challenge from the podium. Instead, I abbreviated my remarks to focus on the grant recipients, Elyse Doerflinger and A.C. Ivory, and set my speech aside for another time.

In view of Elyse' recent post, this might be a good time to resurrect those lines.

The Speech that was not Spoken

Jamboree 2012 Gala

As genealogists we are quite serious the idea of Honoring Our Ancestors. And, much of our work is shadowed by the desire that our descendants remember our family history. We want to be a LINK IN THE CHAIN BETWEEN PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE.

In the same way, our genealogy community stands on the shoulders of those genealogists who laid the groundwork for the Genealogical Proof Standard, for scholarly journals, and for moving genealogy from hobby to profession. WE HONOR OUR ANCESTORS IN THE GENEALOGICAL COMMUNITY.

Unfortunately, we are less diligent about ensuring a future for our community and profession. Look around you, how many people in this room do you see that could be considered “The Next Generation” of genealogists? We have to ask ourselves, what are we doing to recruit and encourage young people to join us in the fascinating profession we love?

You might say, they are busy – and they are. But Josh Taylor’s biography is evidence enough that young people can find family history so interesting that they want to make it their life’s work.

The real truth is that it’s not very easy for young people, especially students on a limited budget, to attend functions like Jamboree and catch the “genealogical bug.” Conferences, as we know, are expensive. Travel is costly. Stop and think what you paid for college, then think about what your children and grandchildren pay today.

That is why, I was so very pleased to learn that SCGS would offer tuition assistance to students who wanted to attend Jamboree. This is a brand new program, the first of it’s kind offered by any conference. Yes, some grants are available to fund tuition for specific conferences, but this is a new idea – that the conference itself would offer tuition remission or a special student rate. SCGS is to be commended.

Last year I was honored to work with the Jamboree committee on a student scholarship that offered free registration and a cash award. Suzanne Winsor Freeman was not a professional genealogist, she was a volunteer organizer who worked with young people all her life and took up genealogy as a hobby after retirement.

Suzanne was my mother. Suzanne was what you might call a “scattershot” genealogist.  Her great wish was to join DAR through our patriot ancestor, but the application process was overwhelming to her. One day she called me with a tone of disbelief in her voice. Can you believe it, she said. I talked to those DAR ladies, and they said I needed SOURCES. Sources? What do they mean, Sources? I know it. That’s my source.

But when she came to Jamboree, she felt comfortable, accepted, and challenged to learn something new.  She loved seeing young people getting started, and wasn’t afraid to try new things.

The Suzanne Freeman Student Grant aims to honor her memory by making funds available for young genealogist to advance their genealogical education and encourage their growth in this field.

The recipient of the 2011 Grant, Anthony Ray, is a Palmdale college student who had never attended Jamboree until last year. He isn’t here this year because he is researching family in Arizona. He is the Next Generation Genealogist.

Tonight I am pleased to introduce to you two young people who are familiar faces in the genealogical community. I first met Elyse Doerflinger and A.C. Ivory at Jamboree a few years ago but I knew them in the virtual world of blogging first.

Elyse has just completed a year of student teaching in Los Angeles. She writes Elyse’s Genealogy Blog and has become a popular speaker on organizing and technology.

A.C. Ivory is a student who also works for Ancestry.com’s research arm ProGenealogists and speaks about genealogy databases and technology.

PLEASE COME FORWARD

I’d like to introduce you THE NEXT GENERATION OF GENEALOGISTS -- Elyse and A.C., recipients of the 2012 Suzanne Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant.

The Backstory

My Mom was more a collector of family stories than names on her pedigree. The juicier the story, the better she liked it. When she needed to find a job as a newly-divorced mother of two teenagers, she turned to the non-profit profession where she had earned her stars as a volunteer for scouting and youth projects.

Meanwhile, I was attending a fancy private college courtesy of a scholarship set up through another youth organization, the California Scholastic Press Association. Founded by Millie and Ralph Alexander, the CSPA sponsored summer workshops and helped high school students learn about and begin careers in journalism. Fees for CSPA events were low and professional involvement and encouragement were high.

After my mother's death in 2010, the CSPA came to mind as a model for a way to help students who were interested in pursuing genealogy as a career or serious avocation. And, the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Grant Program was born.

This grant program has two goals:

1. To help light a fire in the genealogical community to look for ways to assist, encourage, and motivate the next generation of genealogists.

2. To provide a practical "here it is" funding boost to young people that will enable them to attend a conference, purchase software, or pursue research goals they might not be able to accomplish otherwise.

The Challenge

Elyse asked this question in her recent video on her blog, and offered several suggestions --

• Does your society offer any kind of student or youth discount for membership or events?
• If not, does you society accept volunteer hours as partial or full payment for membership?
• Is your society accepting and friendly to young people?

I might add --

• Do you encourage young people to become involved by offering them positions of resposibility on your board or event committees?
• Do you provide ways for students and young people to offset costs?
• Have you considered offering a society grant to give young members "genealogy" funds to spend as needed?

So, what are you -- and your society -- doing to encourage the Next Generation of Genealogists?

Let's keep the conversation going: Feel free to grab the image and post to your blog or a response on your blog. 

Image Source: Marko_K's Photostream, Flickr

Book Review: Discover Your Family History Online

 See below to WIN a FREE COPY!

I know (and you know) that "it's not ALL on the Internet," but anyone just getting started in genealogy today is going to browse the web first and hit the library in the distant future. Fortunately, Nancy Hendrickson's new book Discover Your Family History Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Genealogy Search (Family Tree Books, 2012) will give beginning genealogists a good foundation for research beyond their computer as well.

Most beginning genealogy books I have encountered are heavy on organization and lists of resource groups, and light on quick results. Discover Your Family History Online is a game-changer that aims to help newcomers find their family roots without becoming overwhelmed by formal systems and rules.

But that isn't to say the book skips over the importance of sound research, analysis, and source citation. Those topics are all introduced in the early chapters and reinforced by instruction in online searching and detailed case studies. Nancy guides readers from computer basics, through using search engines to online databases. Chapters on specific record groups like birth, marriage and death records, land records, census records, and military records show beginners the wealth of material available. Researchers interested in Native American, Jewish, and Slave records will find useful appendixes highlighting these special interest topics. Basic record-keeping forms included in the back of the book are also available online for download.

And to make the book even more interactive, readers can view a series of nine free videos enhancing the material presented in print. The link to these programs is presented in Nancy's short Introduction at the beginning of the book.

Nancy's experience as an instructor and coach comes through in her encouraging and easy-to-follow style. The book is filled with solid information presented in a straightforward, clear manner that leads you step-by-step.

This is a terrific book for anyone new to online genealogy, as well as researchers looking for more effective and productive online search strategies. I think my mom would have enjoyed using the book to find new sites to explore on her computer, and I especially like Nancy's case studies and found several tips that paid off in my own research.

Discover Your Family History Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Genealogy Search (Family Tree Books, 2012)

1. Building Your Family Tree
2. Computer Basics for the Online Genealogist
3. Using Search Engines
4. Online Databases
5. Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
6. Life During Your Ancestors' Era
7. Google for Genealogists
8. Land Records
9. The Census
10. Military Records
11. Finding Local Resources Online
12. Tracing Immigrant and American Indian Ancestors
13. Share What You've Found
14. Putting it All to Work

• Appendix A: American Indian Resources by Geographic Region
• Appendix B: Tracing Jewish Ancestors by Schelly Talalay Dardashti
• Appendix C: Tracing Slave Ancestors by Kenyatta D. Berry

 About the Author:

Nancy Hendrickson is an internet genealogy consultant and an instructor at Family Tree University, as well as the author of print and e-books, and hundreds of magazine articles. She also offers coaching services for aspiring family history authors through her website Ancestornews.

WIN A FREE COPY of Discover Your Family History Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Genealogy Search courtesy of Family Tree Books.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment after the review or Like the review on the Facebook post (one entry per name, please). I will include names from both places and one name will be randomly selected to win the book. Your name will stay in the hopper from week to week, so you will have more chances to win in the weeks to follow. The winner will be announced the following week on Facebook and on The Family Curator so you can send me your name and address to receive the book.

If you've read the featured book, please add your thoughts or other recommendations.

Available from

Family Tree Books (paperback edition)

Amazon (paperback edition)

Amazon (Kindle edition)

And Now We Are Five! It's My Blogiversary

This has been a year of Firsts for The Family Curator!

• First Roots Tech Conference
• First time speaking at SCGS Jamboree
• First time presenting a webinar for Family Tree University
• and my First family history book, How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records  will be out from Family Tree Books in August 2012.

Whew! Reality check --

• First fractured elbow -- with book deadline looming I did a lot of one-handed typing
• First major SoCal wind storm and power outage
• First California grand baby born

It's also been a year for some of my all-time favorite blog posts --

• Dear Photograph: 35th Wedding Anniversary Edition for Tech Tuesday
• An Accumulation of Archives?
• The Big Book That Could: Announcing Amy Coffin's New Blog Book
• Lessons from the Archive #1: Examine Everything
• COG Food for Thought: The Day Herman Came to Visit

And, of course, it's been a wonderful year for meeting new genealogy friends online and face-to-face, and for keeping up with old friends wherever they are. Some people think that blogging is a solitary activity, but clearly those folks don't know the genealogy blogosphere.

Thanks for spending time with me at The Family Curator. Here's to another year of sharing research, stories, and ideas.

Look Who Won the Book Giveaway. . .

Once again Mr. Curator has drawn one name from the bowl as the winner for this week's summer book review giveaway at The Family Curator. Congratulations go to reader Peggy Lauritzen who will receive a free copy of My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by Sunny Morton, courtesy Family Tree Books ShopFamilyTree.com.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway contest by posting a comment to the review on thefamilycurator.com or at the Facebook review.

In honor of the Fourth of July and The Family Curator's Blogiversary there will be no review this week. The Summer Reading Series will resume next week with a review of Nancy Hendrickson's guide, Discover Your Family History Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Genealogy Search .

Have a Safe and Sane Fourth of July!

3 Recipes for Preserving Family Recipe Cards

You don't need any special equipment to preserve your heritage recipe cards, although I usually want to pull out the canning jars when I start reading old recipes. Preserving a collection of family recipe cards is similar to preserving any paper document: use archival quality materials and store in a clean, temperate environment.

Choose a storage container that suits your purpose and budget. If you want to use the cards in your everyday cooking, select a storage method that will protect the cards but allow them to be viewed. If your main goal is to preserve the cards, plan to scan and place in archival boxes with your other family documents.

Standard recipe cards are typically 3 x 5-inch or 4 x 6-inch file cards made of medium weight card stock. The paper itself is moderately acidic; not as unstable as newsprint, but not as long-lasting as 100% rag paper. Test the pH content of your cards with an inexpensive pH testing pen (available at scrapbook and art supply stores). If a swipe of the pen shows yellow ink, the card is highly acidic and you will want to give it extra care.

Use archival quality plastic protectors that have passed the Photographic Activity Test (P.A.T.) to store cards individually, or in a three-ring binder page. Look for archival sleeves and pocket page protectors at a photo supply shop or office supply store. Avery brand sheet protectors Avery Horizontal Photo Pages, Acid Free, 4 x 6 Inches, Pack of 10 (13406)  made of polypropylene are an economical option.

Here are three easy recipes for preserving those family treasures:

Filebox Delight

1 standard metal or archival filebox (size for your cards)
1 set file card dividers 
archival plastic card protectors

When selecting a storage box for your recipe cards avoid wood (which is highly acidic) or cardboard. Instead, choose a metal or archival box. Keep cards standing upright in the box to avoid bending and curling; use a cardboard support at the back of the box if needed.

Place each recipe in a protective plastic sleeve and file in your file box of choice. If you want to use file card dividers, use standard dividers or archival quality cut from acid-fee card stock.

If you plan to store the recipe cards in your family archive instead of your kitchen, skip the plastic sleeves and card dividers but do place the cards firmly upright in an archival file box.

Cookbook Casserole

1 3-ring binder
1 set page dividers
archival plastic photo-insert pages

You may not want to invest in an archival binder and page dividers, but acid-free plastic pages will give a good first-defense for your family recipe cards. Arrange the cards on each page and keep them clean and available in a 3-ring notebook.

Photobook Smorgasbord

1 archival photobook

A family recipe album is probably the fastest solution for storing your heirloom recipe cards. Some books feature a space to make notes about pictures; adapt this to record special comments about the recipe or cook.

Use a book sized for 4 x 6-inch size photos and you will be able to accommodate more than one size recipe card. Look for a book that will allow you to see both sides of the cards.

Bon Appetit!

Evidence Explained Weighs in on Citing 'Notification of Birth Registration'

Last week I posted two articles exploring the problem of how to cite an official unofficial genealogy record titled Notification of Birth Registration. I know I'm not the only one who has been puzzled by citing this document, but I am also puzzled by the lack of comments to Noodling About that State Notification of Birth Records and Fraud in the Family Archives. All I can figure is that:

1. the answer is obvious and readers are too nice to say so
2. no one else really cares or needs to cite these documents
3. other folks are baffled too and waiting for a "right" answer

Hoping that the clue was behind Door #3, I decided to take the next step (repeatedly suggested by Twitter GeneaPeeps) and go to the source for Source Info, the wonderful new Evidence Explained forum at Elizabeth Shown Mills' Historic Pathways website.

Although the posts and replies show that this is an active forum, after nearly 24-hours my question drew only one response, a considerate answer from the Editor of EE. You can read the post and reply on the forum, or the discussion on the Evidence Explained Facebook page.

1. I learned two valuable lessons from this exchange.
2. How I will cite the Notification of Birth Registration documents in my collection.

That, at the Evidence Explained forum "there are no stupid questions," only thoughtful encouragement and suggestions.

I still don't know if my question was obvious or a baffling challenge, but if you ever have need to cite such a Notification, I suggest you refer to the post on the EE forum for a very helpful response.

Book Review: My Life & Times

 

As my dad approaches his eighth decade he has become more interested family history and genealogy. But, like many people he doesn't know how to start writing, or recording, the stories he wants to share. My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by Sunny Morton is the perfect gift for Dad's big 8-0.

The hardbound journal is a handy 7x9-inch size in a 3-ring binder style. The format makes it easy to remove pages for easier writing or to add more pages printed out from the included CD-Rom. The first chapter even outlines what kind of paper you will need to match the book's paper stock.

Each of the ten chapters begins with a thoughtful introduction and suggestions for recording your memories. Sunny's experience as a writer and genealogist shows in the book's organized approach to recording a family history. Chapters move logically from recording basic details like birth, family, occupation, residences, military service, to stories about early life, childhood, and adulthood.

Writing prompts for information about specifics like "About My Mother" are spaced throughout the book, making it seem like less of a homework task than a fun and interesting journal. Sunny's comments on writing memoir and on memory will be especially helpful to non-genealogists who want to record special stories but need a little help and encouragement.

Anyone who has attempted to write personal history knows that some subjects are especially difficult.  I think readers will appreciate Sunny's positive approach toward recording family history --

You may choose not to include certain events or time periods in your life. You have a right to privacy; recording your life story is not a tell-all confessional! The flexible format of this book means you can share only what you want and omit certain pages or sections.

Sunny not only gives the reader-writer permission to share selective stories, she offers carefully framed questions that give any writer considerable freedom to explore their memories.

Parenting With My Partner: How did you feel when you learned you would be a parent? How did your partner feel?

How did your daily lives change when you had children?

My Life & Times is as much a journal for exploration as it is a journal to record personal history. Some pages have room for memorabilia as well as stories. The option to print more forms gives creative types room to add special sections, including pages that are included on the CD and not printed in the book.

I think my dad will enjoy using this journal to record his past, although I do wish the font were slightly larger and darker to make it easier to read.

Sunny Morton writes the Family Archivist column in Family Tree Magazine, as well as feature articles on various genealogical topics.

My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories , by Sunny Morton (Family Tree Books, 2012)

Contents

1. Gathering Your Family Stories
2. Statistics About Me
3. Stories About Early Family Life
4. Stories from Childhood
5. Stories from High School
6. Stories from My Professional Life
7. Storeis About a Family of My Own
8. Reflections on My Personal Life & Values
9. Preserving Your Memories
10. Special Forms

CD-only Pages

• Adoption
• Memories of My Child's Adoption
• Me and My Child
• Homeschooling
• Summer Camp
• Me and My Teenager
• Travel Log
• The End of Our Relaitonship
• Solo Parenting
• Unemployment

WIN A FREE COPY of My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories ;courtesy of Family Tree Books.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment after the review or Like the review on the Facebook post (one entry per name, please). I will include names from both places and one name will be randomly selected to win the book. Your name will stay in the hopper from week to week, so you will have more chances to win in the weeks to follow. The winner will be announced the following week on Facebook and on The Family Curator so you can send me your name and address to receive the book.

If you've read the featured book, please add your thoughts or other recommendations.

Congrats Book Giveaway Winner!

Mr. Curator closed his eyes and pulled one name out of the jar this morning -- Toni Carrier of www.lowcountryafricana.com will recieve a free copy of From the Family Kitchen, by Gena Philibert Ortega courtesy of Family Tree Books.

The book giveaway was so much fun I'm doing it again next week! Keeping with the theme of home and family memories, tomorrow's summer book review will feature Sunny Morton's keepsake journal My Life and Times. I hope you come back for a look at this great book and a chance to win a free copy. 

Remember, leave a comment to each week's review for another chance to win the book. All names (except the weekly winner) will stay in the jar from week to week. If you leave a comment each week, you will  have more chances to win.

Thanks to everyone for your interest the summer book review series. Congratulations Toni! Please email me with your address so I can send the book on its way!

Fraud in the Family Archives!

Citing a 'State Notification of Birth Registration'

This document does a darn good imitation of pretending to be what it isn't. It isn't a Birth Certificate. It isn't a Birth Registration. It isn't a cute little hospital certificate.

Obvious, my dear Watson, it's a Clue.

It's supposed to be a Valuable Document (it says so right there on the reverse), but the most valuable thing about it is the typed information, not the Official-looking border or imprint. It won't get you a driver's license in California and it really won't get you a marriage license in Wisconsin.

Might "look like a duck and quack like a duck" but it's still a turkey.

It's a signpost to the Real-Deal State-Certified Official Birth Record. Follow the number in the upper right corner to the vitals vault to find the Original.

All this to say that these State (and Bureau of the Census) issued "Notification of Birth Registration" notices are most likely unique items that will be found only in family collections. They can't be an image copy of an original, because the original is not the "Notification" but the actual "Birth Registration." These notices are more like a form letter, existing in one copy only. If this Notice were lost, the replacement would most likely be another form letter with instructions for ordering a copy of the Official Birth Registration.

From the Bureau of the Census website

The notification was completed and sent to parents of newborns when the state office of vital records received information on the birth and made up a birth registration record. If parents found errors in the information shown on the form, they were asked to correct them and return the form so the state’s record could be corrected accordingly. The notification was used until the late 1940s and then discontinued once states were keeping satisfactory birth records. The U.S. Census Bureau does not maintain these records.

What to do? If the purpose of this Notification was to give parents a chance to correct any errors in the official birth registration information, it's entirely possible that the Official record could be materially different from the Notification. Thorough genealogical research would require that the Official Birth Registration be consulted and birth information extracted from that document rather than from the Notification.

The Notification itself must be regarded as the Valuable Clue that it is; no less, no more.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with this "thing" for a while. (Noodling About that State Notification of Birth Records.)

In the absence of an authoritative model for citing this notice, I am going to agree with Linda McCauley that it's closest to a Family Artifact and cite it thus (using EE 3.25 as a model) [note: I am having trouble trying to create a hanging indent here, but they are understood in these examples] --

Levenick Family Papers, 1976-. Privately held by Denise May Levenick, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Pasadena, California.

1. Jane Austen Notification of Birth Registration, Los Angeles, California, citing birth registration no. 2345678 on 15 June 1942; Levenick Family Papers, 1976- , Privately held by Denise May Levenick, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Pasadena, California. This state-issued printed Notification was inherited by Austen's niece in 2011.

12. Jane Austen notification of birth registration, 1942, Levenick Family Papers.

PLEEEEASE help me out here if you have any thoughts on this. 

Here's the boiler-plate text from the front of the document:

Notification of Birth Registration Registrar's Number xxxxx

THIS CHILD:
Child's First Name, Middle Name, Last Name
Place of Birth, Date of Birth, Sex

MAIDEN NAME OF MOTHER:
First Name, Middle Name, Last Name

NAME OF FATHER:
First Name, Middle Name, Last Name

The certificate of birth of the above child has been registered with your local
Registrar of Vital Statistics. If the information is incorrect or incomplete,
notify your local registrar immediately.

MAILING ADDRESS:
[my parents name and address]

[printed signature]
Health Officer and Local Registrar of Vital Statistics
Los Angeles City Health Department

[printed signature]
State Director of Public Health
and State Registrar of Vital Statistics

State of California, Department of Public Health

Noodling About that State Notification of Birth Records

A state notification of birth registration is good enough to qualify for federal Social Security benefits, but an Official Birth Certificate is required to apply for a marriage license in Manitowac, Wisconsin. I didn't know that!

After Warren Bittner's session on Complex Evidence at SCGS12 last weekend, I started reviewing some of my source documents and discovered that an official state-issued "Notification of Birth Registration" is not a Birth Certificate, although it is an acceptable substitute in some situations, and in some states.

Evidently, this fairly-common document has had a bit of head-scratching attention from other researchers. Linda McCauley at Documenting the Details and messages on the RootsWeb APG board show that this perplexing document has been pondered before. Linda encountered a version of this document issued by the Bureau of the Census.

I have similar documents issued by the Census Bureau and by the State of California for my father, my mother, and myself. I have always used this notification in lieu of an official birth certificate. The reverse side of my own "Notification" states

This Notification is Valuable

It shows that the Certificate of Birth for your child has been legally filed. It may be used for identification school admission, working permits and for other purposes. A certified copy of the birth certificate may be obtained from your Local Registrar of Vital Statistics, County Recorder, or the State Registrar of Vital Statistics upon payment of a fee of $1.00.

In the State of California, a notification of birth document will get you

• a Social Security Card
• enrolled in school
• married

However, it won't help you obtain

• a driver's license from the California DMV
• a U. S. Passport from the U.S. Census Bureau
• a scholarship through the San Gabriel Valley Junior All Amerian Football College Scholarship program

Present-day concern about identification theft and Homeland Security has made these state-issued notifications less useful today for official identification than they were 50 or 60 years ago. Nowadays, these documents seem to be used mainly to acknowledge a birth registration and give parents an opportunity to correct any errors that may have occurred in the recording the information.

Fraudulent "novelty birth records" have become so prevalent that the Social Security website includes several scanned images to illustrate some of the more creative versions.

None of these would cut the mustard if you wanted to be married in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The instruction leaflet for how to obtain a marriage license distinctly states

Required Documents Presented to Staff: "Hospital Birth Certificates (with the imprints of your feet) and State Notification of Birth Registration are not acceptable; they are not legal documents."

Which leaves us with a "valuable" document that has no legal status. No wonder it's confusing, especially because, as Dee Dee King noted on the Root's Web APG mailing list, "Despite the Census Bureau disclaimer that this is not a duck, it sure appears to quack like one. ;-)"

Next: This particular type of source doesn't seem to be modeled in Elizabeth Shown Mills' Evidence Explained, so I am trying to determine the most correct citation format. Ideas? Linda McCauley suggests Family Artifact. What do you think?

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200302515