With over 25 years of genealogy experience, Michelle Chubenko enjoys solving challenging urban, immigrant and Native American client projects. She loves helping others break through their brick walls and learn about their own family history.

24 декабря, 2018 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Research Spotlight: Colonial New Jersey Family History Resources

One of our genealogists shares insight into two Colonial New Jersey family history resources you may not be aware of!

Because the New Jersey colonial census records and the U.S. Federal census schedules of 1790 through 1820 for New Jersey were destroyed, early genealogy research there can be especially challenging. Building off of an earlier blog post – Two Excellent New Jersey Resources – here two more resources that should not be overlooked if you are researching colonial New Jersey family history through early statehood. While the name of the collection refers to the colonial period, the actual years encompassed include almost 40 years of statehood.

1. Colonial New Jersey Family History Resource: Colonial Tax Lists, 1772-1822

What:

This collection’s primary value is to determine where a person may have owned land or other taxable holdings in New Jersey during the period from 1773 to 1822. The lists are arranged by county then township, however it is not complete for all years of 1772-1822 across all locations. The tax ratable lists offer considerable opportunity for researchers to place family members within a community.

Ratable – an amount derived at by applying a percentage calculation. In this respect the term is used to describe an asset that can have tax charged on it.[1]

The state-wide revenue Law was enacted in 1782 to raise £90,000 in the newly formed state of New Jersey. The law is the basis for the subsequent tax ratable lists with minor revisions through 1822. The tax ratable lists in some instances offer more information when compared to the U.S. Federal censuses for the era. A wide variety of items, property and certain occupations to be taxed were described within this law.

Colonial New Jersey family history resources — *1782 Act to raise the sum of Ninety Thousand Pounds, In the State of New Jersey.*

Within the lists you will find the tabulation of men owning land, married men living within another household, single man with or without a horse, widows owning land, and more such as occupational information on merchants, shopkeepers, traders, tanneries, tavern owners, and ferry operators. Approximate ages and relationships can sometimes be inferred, however most tax ratable lists are in semi-alphabetic order, so the ability to surmise whose household they might be part thereof is lost. The text of the law defined the difference between Householders and Single Men.

Householders – All Householders (under which Description shall be included all married Men living with their Parents and not supporting a separate Table) the estimated Value of whose ratable Estate does not amount to Twenty-five Pounds, over and above their Certainties and other Estate made ratable by the Act.

Single Men – Every single Man, whether he lives with his parents or otherwise, who keeps a Horse, Mare or Gelding, any Sum not exceeding One Pound Two Shillings and Six-pence. Every single Man, whether he lives with his parents or otherwise, who does not keep a Horse, Mare or Gelding, any Sum not exceeding Fifteen Shillings; Provided always, That every single Man possessed of a ratable Estate, and Tax whereof amounts to the highest Sum he is above directed to be rated at, shall be assessed for such Estate only, and not as a single Man.

The State provided a template for preprinting the tax ratable forms for the local assessors to utilize, however most assessors used large sheets of paper to construct a similarly formatted table on the paper. This free-form construction forced the assessors to abbreviate or write-in the column headings in a small space, thus creating bleed-through or heavy ink areas at the tops of each page.

The coverage by township within each country varies greatly. Many townships do not have complete runs of tax ratable lists, only a select portion of the lists may be found in the collection today.

How to Access:

The complete manuscript series was microfilmed and available to digitally view in-person at a local Family History Center or at the Family History Library. A review of the catalog entry provides the complete listing by county and then township to determine the years available for research.

Also, a 5-volume set – New Jersey tax lists, 1772-1822 – was compiled and edited by Ronald Vern Jackson and published in the early 1980s. The series contains an every name index with the corresponding township, county, year and page number. Researchers should note that this publication is missing most of the townships for Burlington and Middlesex counties and all of Hunterdon County.

On Ancestry, this name index with year and tax list detail was incorporated into New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890. There are no images of the original tax lists provided.

Additionally, the book Revolutionary census of New Jersey : an index, based on ratables, of the inhabitants of New Jersey during the period of the American Revolution by Kenn Stryker-Rodda published in 1986 abstracted a large portion of the tax ratable entries for lists created 1773 to 1786.

2. Colonial New Jersey Family History Resource: 1793 Militia Census

What: The New Jersey Legislature enacted a law to reorganize the state militia in November 1792. This law required a statewide census of all able-bodied white Male Citizens between the ages of 18 and 45. The law also allowed for certain exemptions for service during the Revolutionary War, current militia duty, or an annual exemption payment of $3.00. Those occupations exempted from the fee were Ministers of the Gospel, personnel employed by the Federal government including Post Officers, Stage Drivers, Ferry Men on Post-Roads and others.

This militia census is considered a substitute record for the missing 1790 U.S. Federal Census. The arrangement is by township within each of the counties and includes lists of those claiming exemption. The county lists varied in format, but in the case of Middlesex County, the age of every man listed is included.

How to Access:

The complete manuscript series was microfilmed and available for in-person research at the New Jersey State Archives. It was also transcribed and compiled into New Jersey in 1793 by James S. Norton. In addition to the extant militia census lists, the compiler used the contemporary tax ratable lists for Bergen, Cape May, Salem, and Somerset as substitutes because the originals were no longer available.[2]

Do you have ancestry in Colonial New Jersey? Consider hiring Legacy Tree Genealogists and allow our team of expert genealogists help you accomplish your research goals! Contact us today for a free consultation and to let us know what our experts can do for you.

[1] “Ratable,” Financial Times, http://lexicon.ft.com/term?term=ratable, accessed December 2018.

[2] James S. Norton, New Jersey in 1793 (Salt Lake City, Utah: n.p., 1973), accessed December 2018.

7 декабря, 2018 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 3 комментария

Legacy Tree Onsite: A Visit to the Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center

Legacy Tree works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked one of our researchers to share her experiences with family history research at the Midwest Genealogy Center located in Independence Missouri.

Genealogists are in for an amazing surprise when visiting the 52,000 square foot Midwest Genealogy Center (MGC), part of the Mid-Continent Public Library system in Independence, Missouri. This unique library located just outside of Kansas City is focused solely on family history and since June 2008 claims to be the largest free-standing public genealogy facility in the United States.

Visiting the Library

From the moment you walk into the facility, researchers are greeted by a very helpful staff and surrounded by more than 750,000 resources to assist with research. When you first enter, you will notice that this is not an austere facility, but a building with a layout that encourages researchers to ‘dig-in’ and start researching. The staff at the main Reference Desk is ready to direct you to the resource location you seek whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned researcher. After signing into the Visitor’s Register, be sure to get the MGC Welcome folio that contains handouts for current events, databases, genealogy forms, and their Guide to Researching Your Family Tree brochure. And don’t be shy, the staff, strategically placed throughout the building, is always super-friendly and available for your questions while perusing two floors of genealogical materials.

All patrons have access to the library’s Wi-Fi and there are plenty of spacious workstations for you to set-up a central work area. The facility even has patron-use scanning equipment at Copy & Scanning centers strategically placed throughout the building. Also, Mid-Continent Public Library cardholders have the ability to check-out oral history recording kits for interviewing relatives or class projects.

Collections of the Midwest Genealogy Center

Their library holdings cover not just U.S. research but countries around the world. While the first floor is dedicated to genealogical periodicals, display space, meeting rooms, and copying areas, on the second floor you will find the extensive map collection and book stacks.

The MGC’s reference collections include circulating book collections, microfilm, maps, periodicals, copies of the Draper Manuscripts, Papers for the Saint Louis fur trade, southern plantations and antebellum industries, and resources for Native American, African-American and Women’s research. Additionally, over 20 online history and genealogy resources from popular subscription databases to specialized offerings for Ireland, Confederate Newspapers, and more are available to patrons.

Digital & Archival Collections

Twenty-first-century technology allows the Midwest Genealogy Center to share resources without requiring patrons to visit the library in-person. Several initiatives have begun and have digitized genealogy and historical resources with the cooperation of FamilySearch and the Missouri State Archives. They include:

• Plat Books of Jackson County, Missouri
• Digitized books including family history books include histories of families, county and local histories, genealogical periodicals, gazetteers, and more.
• Archival Collections relating to Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties in Missouri

Library Events

The extensive MGC Calendar of Events offers unique family history programming which includes basic introductory classes for Beginning Genealogy and AncestryLE® as well as many discussion groups, including one for Brick Wall research and so much more. One look at their calendar and you will be hard-pressed to pick just one event to attend. And it was exciting to discover that many activities are aimed at families or teens, like their “Index It!: Teen Indexing” event.

Prep Before You Visit

Before you visit, take the virtual tour of the Midwest Genealogy Center to get a guided tour through the library. Also, their Get Started webpage introduces the genealogy basics for novice researchers. The patron-friendly facility offers lockers for personal items, seating area in which to eat your brown-bag lunch or grab a snack from the vending machines or take a seat on the cozy couches scattered throughout the building to read a book or collaborate with fellow researchers.
Midwest Genealogy Center is conveniently located east of Kansas City, just north of I-70 in historic Independence, Missouri and maintains patron hours Monday through Sunday. The library building is handicapped accessible with a large parking section in the free patron parking lot.

Community Hall Opening in 2019

Currently, the library is undergoing an expansion project for the construction of the MGC Community Hall which is scheduled to open in Summer 2019. The addition to the main building will this project will add a conference hall with seating up to 400 people offering its own entrance, kitchen and a fully equipped A/V stage area. If you live in the area of Kansas City and are looking for a place to research, the Midwest Genealogy Center should be listed high on your list of Places to Go.

Do you have ancestors from the Midwest? Our excellent onsite researchers can access this library and other resources in the Kansas City area to find what you need. Contact us today to request a free consultation!

18 июня, 2018 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 1 Comment

In Search of Nobility: Tracing Noble Roots

*shared with client permission

Inheriting documents can be a boon for every budding family historian. Untold stories and treasures can be found in these treasure troves. However, when those documents are in a foreign language, researchers may find themselves unaware of the importance of the items they hold. Researching ancestry in Europe can even lead to hidden surprises such as a reference to nobility.

This was the case for our client who believed the eleven Russian language documents they held related to their paternal Lithuanian grandmother’s family. Our first step was to have these documents translated to discover their familial information. We determined that they were issued by the Nobility Office in the Russian Empire and therefore contained complex 19th-century Russian administrative language. In addition, each of the individuals named in the documents had double given names along with Russian otczestvo, or patronymics, such as Władysław Józef Adamovich Eymont. This practice added another paternal generation to what was known about the family.

We determined that all of the documents were authorized and certified copies created in the early 1940s from the parish metrical registers, but these attestation of births and marriages also clearly stated that they were the legitimate births of children born to noble (szlachta) parents. Parish records are usually the first documents researchers will find that indicate social class, stating where the participants were peasants or serfs, residents or townspeople, or those of noble rank. If you find that your ancestor held a noble status, there may be additional nobility documents recording the male ancestors of the family’s noble lineage.

After the three partitions of Poland (1772-1795), all noble families were obligated to prove their noble status to the countries who took control over the former Polish lands. Beginning in 1772, the Eymont family’s home was no longer considered to be in the Commonwealth of Poland but became part of the Russian Empire or Imperial Russia. In the Kovno Governorate during the period of 1833-60, over seventeen thousand people lost their noble status due to Czar Nicholas I’s effort to reduce the size of the noble class. However, the Eymont families in the town of Kowno were fortunate and wealthy enough to prove their nobility in the office of the Vilna Noble Deputy on multiple occasions (1798, 1828, and 1847).

Fortunately for us as genealogists, the requirement to prove noble status produced valuable records. Collections of nobility documents are usually held by the State Historical Archives. In this case, they were held at the Lithuanian State Historical Archives (LVIA), the main repository of records for Lithuanian history from the 13th century up to 1918, in Vilnius. Nobility documents are rarely online or digitized and must be obtained through direct requests or the use of an experienced onsite researcher.

The documents presented by our client proved that the Eymont (Ejmont, Ejmontas etc.) family was part of the Lithuanian middle nobility, and that they held land and court noble titles such as stolnik.

Here is an example from an 1865 record which referenced the filing of their lineage in 1847 at the office of the Noble Deputy:

records for tracing nobility — EYMONT 1865

Image transcription below:

3 August 1865.
According to the Law of his Imperators at the Kowno Congress Deputation the matter was considered about the affiliation of the newly born people to the noble family of Ejmont. According to the appeal of the chairman of the Kowno Nobility dated 12 December 1864 #4326 were presented Consistory Roman Catholic birth records: 23 February 1856 of Jan – Apolinary son of Józef and Karolina nee Pałkowska [or Pełkowska]; 9 September 1862 of Władysław -Józef son of Adam and his wife Ludwika [Gronda?]; 18 December 1862 of Józef-Mikołaj son of Piotr and Lucyna nee [Sienkiewicz]. It is asked to affiliate the mentioned individuals to include them into the genealogy issued by the Wilno Noble Deputation from 9 April 1798 and approved by the Herald on 24 July 1847 #2484. In order to avoid obstacles a document was attached which stated that [page break]
Ejmont family belong to nobility according to the resolution dated on 11 February 1837 that Józef-Wincenty, Piotr-Paweł and Adam-Wiktor, sons of Albin-Kazimierz and grandsons of Józef son of Konstantyn Ejmont are connected to the Ejmont family. [Here in the text there are Herald resolutions mentioned and issued on 24 July 1846 #2481 and also from 1857. Some of the text is not readable because abbreviations were used.]
It was decided to affiliate Jan-Apolinary son of Józef-Wincenty; Józef-Mikołaj son of Piotr and Władysław-Józef son of Adam-Wiktor, grandsons of Albin-Kazimierz, great-grandsons of Józef son of Konstantyn Ejmont to the Ejmont family and to the Wilno Nobility according to the resolutions from 9 April 1798 and 11 February 1837 and according to the statute from 24 July 1847 #2481. They were once and for all affiliated to the nobility. [page break]
It was announced to Józef son of Albin Ejmont residing in the town of Kowno and also it was announced to the town police. It was written in the coat-of-arms papers and needed to be paid a fee of 1 Robel and 20 Kopeck. Other institutions need to be also informed and issue an approved copy to the nobleman Jan Apolinary son of Józef son of Wincenty Ejmont with a signature and the official seal. Kowno 7 May 1866.
Official seal of the Kowno Nobility Deputation. 3 January 1897 # 165.
Official seal and signature illegible. [page break]
{Stamp}

This document was translated into the Lithuanian 921/18078, Kaunas, 23 September 1941.

Our onsite researcher gathered additional records regarding the earlier Eymont generations and discovered another very important document, written in Polish, that was issued on 11 February 1837.[1] It stated that the main progenitor, Jan Eymont, used the Jastrzębiec coat of arms. This coat of arms was used by several noble (szlachta) families prior to and during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and is still used to the present day.

nobility — *Jastrzębiec. Private collection of researcher, used with permission*

Based on the additional research, we discovered that our client’s ancestor, Jan Eymont, was a stolnik smoleński [stolnik of Smoleńsk]. In medieval times, stolnik was a court office in Poland and Russia, responsible for serving the royal table. Later, it became an honorary court title and a district office. According to the 1768 district office hierarchy, the stolnik’s position in the Crown of Poland was superior to that of podczaszy and inferior to that of district judge; in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, they were superior to podstoli and inferior to wojski.[2]

In summary, researchers should not discount the importance of foreign-language documents held by their family. As seen in this project, because the client had kept the foreign-language documents, we were able to explore the documented nobility of the Eymontaite (Eymont) family of Kowno (Kaunas, Lithuania) and document 13 generations between our client and their ancestor Michał Eymont using original nobility records. The exploration of original Ejmont nobility papers, testaments and purchase-sale contracts, and the editions of the Metryka Litewska continues at the Lithuanian State Historical Archives (LVIA).

Legacy Tree Genealogists would be honored to assist you with any step along the way in your journey to discover your ancestral origins, including onsite research if needed. Our experts have the linguistic and research skills to efficiently find your family. Contact us today for a free consultation.

[1] Канцелярия Виленского губернского дворянского депутатского собрания (Chancellery of the Vilnius gubernia nobility deputy assembly, 1837), Fond 391/7/1997, pages 123-129, Lithuanian State Historical Archives, Vilnius.

[2] “Stolnik,” Wikipedia, https://wikipedia.org, accessed May 2018.

10 марта, 2018 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Debunking Common Genealogical Myths

Doing genealogy often means piecing together scraps of information from various compiled family stories and documents to reconstruct our family history. Sound genealogical research demands that we, as researchers, place each fact into proper context and evaluate each piece in light of the whole picture. This valuable gathering of facts and supporting them through documentation can be side-railed if we allow common genealogical myths to dictate our research conclusions.

myth /miTH/

debunking genealogical myths — *Source: https://merriam-webster.com, accessed February 2018*

During our first steps as the family genealogist, we can be led astray by genealogical myths that color our interpretation of the facts and information we gather. At first, it may be hard to recognize the lore in a story that has been passed down. However, as we expand our education and hone our skills as family historians, we can learn to separate fact from fiction.

This post discusses common genealogical myths that make the rounds in genealogical discussions worldwide. As genealogists practicing sound research methodology, we should look beyond any of these statements and evaluate the information conveyed. Task yourself by proving (or disproving) the family story through more than one source.

Often, we hear the following by well-meaning family members, and sometimes by fellow family history seekers. Let’s take a closer look at three “infamous” statements. How many of you can relate to hearing these during the course of your research?

MYTH: The “correct” spelling of our surname is…

MYTH: The records were destroyed in the War (or a fire).

And the most famous of them all…

MYTH: Our name was changed at Ellis Island.

Here is some food for thought regarding these particular myths while you do your due diligence and exhaustive research.

Spelling, Grammar and Literacy – Researchers need to understand the common social and economic factors of a community, and their impact on any particular family within that locality. Education standards and language standardization are fairly modern concepts. Researchers need to remove these modern expectations from their analysis when researching.[1] Seek out historical analysis on literacy for the time period and geographic location you are researching. Also, do not overlook surnames that are spelled slightly different but may have been pronounced similarly in the same area and timeframe of research—they may prove to be the key.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blitzaftermath.jpg

Records Loss – The fact that records have been lost over time due to neglect, fire, or war cannot be disputed. However, anyone who encounters this statement should examine the context in relation to the records being sought. Confirmation of the event’s correlation to the time period for the records is critical. There is no need to worry about a fire in 1890 if you’re seeking an 1898 record, for example. Another aspect especially important for European research can be the impact of wartime activity in ancestral towns. It is certainly possible that some records were lost or moved elsewhere because of a war, but we should avoid assuming all records were destroyed. Exploring archival inventories and assembling a master list of records in the area is an important step all researchers should take to confirm or refute this statement before assuming that it applies in every instance.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellis_Island_arrivals.jpg

Name Changes at Ellis Island – This particular myth ranks as one of the most popular that genealogists encounter. And it is totally untrue.[2] While we may be lured into believing this falsehood by its prevalence in Hollywood movies (such as in “The Godfather, Part 2”), in truth our ancestor’s travel documents, including passenger manifests, were created prior to their departure from Europe. The duty of the immigrant inspection station clerk was to verify the information with the traveler upon arrival with the assistance of numerous translators available during the processing of immigrant arrivals. Most name changes were actually made later by the immigrants themselves or their descendants, in order to fit into their new culture.

Genealogical Detective Work

As you compile your family’s history, look to create the most complete picture of your ancestor’s lives through the gathering of multiple documents, social history, and more. Do not conduct research using only a narrow view of the types of records or the information contained within, or you might overlook valuable familial connections or records. Build your arsenal of documents or sources to support your family’s history. And just because you heard it from someone else or read it in print, that does not necessarily make it true.

Need help with your family history research? Uncertain how to negotiate fact from fiction? Contact Legacy Tree today for a free consultation!

[1] Val D.Greenwood, The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000), page 32.

[2] Schelly Talalay Dardashti, “Ellis Island: Was your name changed?,” MyHeritage Blog, https://blog.myheritage.com/2017/11/ellis-island-was-your-name-changed/, accessed February 2018.

21 октября, 2017 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 2 комментария

Ukrainian Genealogy Research? Three Must-Have Tools to the Rescue!

Language. This can be the most important skill – and also the biggest hurdle – for genealogists seeking their Ukrainian ancestry. For some, the heritage of ancestral languages crosses generations and is still maintained today. However, for those who are second, third, or fourth generations removed from the immigrant ancestor, the language of your ancestors might be a distant memory. Common sentiments shared by fellow researchers are “Baba spoke, but no one else in the family learned…” or “Didu often spoke to other adults, but the children weren’t taught so the adults could talk without the children understanding.” Many people worry that since they don’t speak their ancestral language they won’t be able to research their family lines. Luckily that’s not true!

Today, genealogists don’t have to panic over not speaking an ancestral language. There are tools that can assist you with reading non-English webpages, reading and writing messages, and translating documents. In this article we’re going to talk about three of these must-have tools.

1. Google Chrome

Ukrainian ancestry- Google Chrome settings Ukrainian ancestry - Google Chrome settings The first tool that you should have in your ‘Genealogist’s Toolbox’ is Google Chrome. It is available for Windows, OS/iOS, Linux, and Android operating systems. The browser has built-in translation functionality. To confirm that you have optimized your browser, open the Settings, then scroll to Advanced Settings. This will expand the list of options, and you should scroll down to Languages. Make sure ‘Offer to translate pages that aren’t in a language you read’ is chosen, and you can also specific how Chrome should interact with pages of other specific other languages. Keep in mind that depending on what version of Chrome you are using these steps and instructions might be a bit different for you, but you should always be able to find the “Languages” section under “Advanced Settings” and go from there.

Since the three main ancestral languages that you may deal with while browsing the internet for Ukrainian ancestry are: Ukrainian, Russian and Polish, you need to set up Chrome’s settings with your preferred handling method. In most cases, you would want Chrome to “ask or confirm” that you want the webpage translated from its native language, instead of “auto translate”. For those with rudimentary language skills, this reduces the frustration of the annoying side-effect of surnames being translated into their English equivalents. Nothing is more frustrating than loading a webpage and auto-translate occurs, and seeing “Beetle” when you’re seeking the surname Жук (Zhuk). Having this feature turned “off” enables you to review the webpage first, allowing you to translate the webpage by a simple right-click on the page and choosing Translate This Page. You can always revert to the original language through a simple right-click or by clicking the key icon in the browser bar when you want or need to.

2. Google Translate

The next tool we recommend is Google Translate. It is not dependent on having Google Chrome, but is available to anyone using the internet or via their app for OS/iOS and Android. For many researchers, Google Translate is a tool used too many times to count. While translations are not perfect, you are able to get the “gist” of the message or get your sentiments translated to send to fellow researchers around the world. One important recommendation is to write simply, like you would to an elementary school child. Don’t use idiomatic phrases, slang or compound sentences. Less is more!

Ukrainian ancestry - Google translate

As a side note, if you are a Facebook member and want to read non-English messages, using the “See Translation” option often leaves you with less than stellar results. The best method is to copy and paste to Google Translate so that you get a better translation.

Other key features of Google Translate include:
• Keyboard: A cool pop-up feature for typing in printed words or sentences. This feature is helpful with family documents that are pre-printed forms, such as Metrical certificates.
• Handwriting: A super-cool feature to use that is best used on a mobile device or tablet. You can use a stylus to write the word and Google Translate will show its interpretation and variations for you to choose. It will provide a translation after you make the appropriate selection.
• Definitions and Translations: Once you’ve typed in the word or sentence, Google Translate offers word definitions as used in different parts of speech. Also, under the box containing the translation a list of alternative translations is provided.

3. Language Guides for Ukrainian Ancestry Research

The third tool isn’t technology based at all. This is where researchers return to traditional methodology and utilize language guides written specifically for translating genealogical documents. As we discussed, records could have been recorded in a number of different languages depending on the time period and location. Today’s Ukraine comes from former territory of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Within each of these territories, a diverse ethnic population can be found and their languages did impact record-keeping.

The first language of focus should be Latin. As the majority of church metrical book entries are recorded in Latin by the local clergy, having a genealogical word list for Latin, finding an 19th century Latin dictionary, or the multi-volume set, “In Their Words: A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin and Russian Documents” by Jonathan D. Shea & William F. Hoffman, will provide you with a worthy arsenal of tools to tackle interpreting your family’s documents. The Russian volume will be invaluable for those researching their Jewish family in the former Russian gubernias in today’s central and eastern Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus. However, it should be noted that these publications do not contain a complete word list or an example for every type of document.

As you begin your foray into using the metrical records, a common first question beyond the language is first names. No, you won’t find Bob or Jane within these records, but a new set of names recorded with Latin case endings. So, John becomes Joannes and Antony becomes Antonius. Again, having a good genealogical word list and a resource like “First Names of the Polish Commonwealth: Origins & Meanings” by William F. Hoffman and George W. Helon will help you wade through the sea of “foreign” first names.

Using these tools will make you a more efficient and effective researcher. Less of your time will be spent trying to decipher documents or webpages. As more and more historical and genealogical websites are being created in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia, these tools open doors that would have been otherwise closed to non-speaking users. And as a bonus to those who have rudimentary knowledge of a language, using the translation functions can actually strengthen and build vocabulary and understanding.

If you have Ukrainian ancestry and need help locating or translating documents to learn more about your heritage, our professional genealogists and onsite agents are ready to assist you. Contact us to discuss the details of what you’re looking for, and we’ll help you determine which of our projects options works best for your needs.

12 декабря, 2016 by Michelle - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Legacy Tree Onsite: Genealogy Research at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Whether you’re heading to Washington, D.C. for a vacation or family history research, your trip is not complete without a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Founded on the premise of being a “permanent living memorial to the victims of the Holocaust” by an act of Congress, the Museum opened to the public in April 1993. Located just a short distance from the National Mall, the austere façade welcomes those seeking to gain knowledge on this tragic chapter in world history.

For others, a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum goes beyond the visually and emotionally moving permanent exhibits. Nestled on the second floor and at the end of the museum’s suggested patron route, is the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center.

The Center offers patrons digital access to a variety of resources, including databases and oral histories, via five computer workstations. All are welcome to utilize the computers to “check out” family names. Two main digital collections offered are the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database and the International Tracing Service records. Researchers should note that these collections encompass both Jewish and non-Jewish persons.

How is a Holocaust Survivor Defined?

The Museum honors as survivors any persons, Jewish or non-Jewish, who were displaced, persecuted, or discriminated against due to the racial, religious, ethnic, social, and political policies of the Nazis and their collaborators between 1933 and 1945. In addition to former inmates of concentration camps, ghettos, and prisons, this definition includes, among others, people who were refugees or were in hiding.[1]

The Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database is a unique compilation from various historical documents and materials in the Museum’s extensive archival collection.

Post-World War II Immigration Resources

The digital portal to the International Tracing Service (ITS) records is another unique Museum resource. As the only location in North America, the Museum has access to the ITS’ digital archive. The physical location of the archive is in Bad Arolsen, Germany, and contains more that 150 million digital images pertaining to victims of Nazism.

For many who are interested in their family history, an immigrant ancestor is often no closer than a great-grandparent who chose to travel to a new homeland in the late 19^th or early 20^th centuries. However, about 70 years ago, a new facet was added to traditional immigration patterns with the post-World War II exodus of Central and Eastern European peoples.

At the close of the war, many people from Central and Eastern Europe found themselves far from home or “displaced” and separated from other family members. In an effort to assist and reunite families, the Allied Powers created a Central Tracing Bureau to handle the inquiries received. Records confiscated during the war were also deposited within the ITS collections. Using the records placed on deposit within this new Bureau, the archives of the International Tracing Service offers the ability to search for documentation for those displaced after World War II.

Until 2007, the ITS archive was closed to the public. In November of that year, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum gained access to digital images and the Central Name Index (CNI). This index is the primary finding aid for the collection to the 50+ million entries for approximately 17.5 million people.

The three main components for research are: Displaced Persons Registration Cards, Care & Maintenance Files, and Tracing & Document Files.

Displaced Person Registration Card (DP-2): One of the first forms issued by the Allied Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F) upon entry to a displaced persons camp or assembly center. On the front side, basic personal information included name, birth date and location, parent’s names, desired resettlement destination, languages spoken, religion, and residence in 1938. Often, names of family members and other notations are also found. The reverse side often contains notes on medical assessments as well as inoculation history and military muster dates and locations if relevant.

Care & Maintenance Files (CM/1): Files were created for displaced person to determine assistance eligibility. The files are much more descriptive than the registration cards and often contain details on a person’s work experience, education, family members and biographical information. Unfortunately, not all of the files are extant. However, all family members from the files were extracted and can be found in the Central Names Index (CNI) at least.

Tracing & Documents Files (T/D): This collection of case files relates to the processing and handling of “missing person” inquiries received by the Central Tracing Bureau and its successor, the International Tracing Service. The ITS Archive in Bad Arolsen has about four million files, but the current USHMM digital portal has access to only about one-third of those [T/D Files 1 through 1,255,999] as of November 2016. If an entry is found within the CNI, but the case file is higher than 1,255,999, researchers can order copies from the ITS repository itself in Bad Arolsen.[2]

The registration card of Iwan Kozel, a displaced Orthodox Christian man. The ITS records are useful for Jews and non-Jews alike.

Hidden Treasure on the 5^th Floor – The Library

the library located on the 5th floor in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum On my first visit “upstairs” at the Library, I was amazed at the holdings in microfilm, books and manuscripts. While the Museum’s collections are centered on the Holocaust and are Jewish-centric, the material collected by the staff include much more. The library stacks are open and researchers are free to browse topics of interest in the 4,300 books.

The Library’s manuscript and microfilm contain more than 70 million pages of records, making the Library one of the top repositories for Holocaust research in the world. Their holdings include:

More than 3 million pages each from Germany, Romania, France, and the former Soviet Union
5 million pages from Austria
Over 2 million pages each from Poland and Israel
One million pages each from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Ukraine

Currently, the microform collections are being digitized and the digital images can be accessed via any of the computer workstations. Researchers can consult the finding aids, arranged by country, to locate microfilmed material. A large number of the finding aids are available via the Museum’s online catalog; however, the microfilm and digital images are only available via onsite use.

Conclusion

A visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum gives visitors a unique opportunity to explore the tragic and turbulent history of the Holocaust and World War II. In addition, those seeking to expand their knowledge of the Holocaust and World War II’s impact on their own family (Jewish or not) can benefit from the resources available in the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center and the Museum’s Library Archives.

While post-World War II Displaced Persons research can be challenging, using the available resources of the International Tracing Service in addition to traditional immigration research methods can often provide obscure details which other records cannot.

For more information, visit any of the following:

U.S. Holocaust Museum
https://www.ushmm.org/

Records of the ITS:
https://www.ushmm.org/remember/the-holocaust-survivors-and-victims-resource-center/international-tracing-service

USHMM Library Holdings
https://www.ushmm.org/research/research-in-collections

USHMM Oral History Archive
https://www.ushmm.org/research/research-in-collections/overview/oral-history

If you have displaced Holocaust survivors of any religion in your family tree and would like to learn more about them, Legacy Tree Genealogists has experts on staff with experience using the ITS and other Holocaust Museum resources. We would love to help you track them down. Contact us today for a free consultation.

[1] Benjamin and Vladka Meed Registry of Holocaust Survivors, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, (https://www.ushmm.org/remember/the-holocaust-survivors-and-victims-resource-center/benjamin-and-vladka-meed-registry-of-holocaust-survivors), accessed on 15 November 2016.

[2] Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center, Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Found in the Archives of the International Tracing Service (ITS), William Connelly, editor (Washington, DC: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2016), 257.