"A Blog Worth the Visit"

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I really enjoy visiting...

the blog "A Grave Interest" mostly because it features cemeteries & tombstones with lots of photos. The blog master, Joy Neighbors, writes some very interesting blogs that are "worth the visit!" She uses the "visit" term for the cemeteries that she will highlight in her blogs from time to time. She featured Evansville's Oak Hill Cemetery that I reported in the TSGS Cruiser Blog http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-of-oak-hill-cemetery-on-internet.html .

Today's blog is about visitors leaving small stones at the graves of those they respect & love. Another one of her blogs that is very much worth the visit is "Undertaking Death" http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/02/undertaking-death.html

I highly recommend Joy's blog to follow.

- Compiled by JGWest

TSGS Meeting Reminder - 10 Apr 2012

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TSGS Meeting Notice... Reminder!

Annual Dinner Meeting

When: 10 Apr 2012 Tuesday Night

Time: 6:00 PM to eat with about 7:00 to begin the program

Where: Sirloin Stockade - 4610 Bellemeade Ave. (West of Green River Road)

What: Annual Dinner Meeting

The Tri-State Genealogical Society will have a brief meeting followed by a presentation by Terry Hughes ~"Living History."

Anyone interested in genealogy or history is invited... you do not need to be a member to attend the society's monthly meetings.

Donald R. Counts, TSGS President

"Today is a big day for genealogists!"

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Finally, it is here!

The 1940 Census

To the right is an image of a blank 1940 Census original form, you can see the brown discoloration. Click on image to enlarge it.

Bookmark this URL: http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/

This site lets you copy data onto a "fillable" form & print it out:

http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/1940-census-form-fillable.pdf

Visit Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter for his article on the 1940 Census release:

http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2012/04/1940-us-census-to-be-unveiled-on-monday-morning.html

Here is some stats that may be of interest:

3.8 million images will show the handwritten forms created by census takers who went door to door to record data for all 132.2 million Americans living in 1940. About 21 million Americans who are listed in the 1940 records may still be alive today!

Go here for a great video about the 1940 Census that includes some cool 1940's news video clips: http://1940census.archives.gov/

Questions Asked For the 1940 Census:

Many of the questions on the 1940 census are the standard ones: name, age, gender, and race, education, and place of birth. But the 1940 census also asks many new questions. The instructions ask the enumerator to enter an [a circled x] after the name of the person furnishing the information about the family; whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24-30, 1940; and income for the 12 months ending December 31, 1939. The 1940 also has a supplemental schedule for two names on each page. The supplemental schedule asks the place of birth of the person's father and mother; the person's usual occupation, not just what they were doing the week of March 24-30, 1940; and for all women who are or have been married, has this woman been married more than once and age at first marriage.

Go here for a complete list of questions with further details:

http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/general-info.html#questions

Here is the first part of the National Archives' Press Release:

February 21, 2012

National Archives Announces Website for Free 1940 Census Release Online on April 2, 2012: 1940census.archives.gov

Tomorrow Starts the Countdown of ’40 Days to the ’40 Census’

Washington, DC…Today the National Archives, with its partner Archives.com, launched its new websitewww.1940census.archives.gov in preparation for its first-ever online U.S. census release, which will take place on April 2, 2012, at 9 a.m. (EST). The public is encouraged to bookmark the website now in order to more quickly access the 1940 census data when it goes live. No other website will host the 1940 census data on its April 2 release date.

- Compiled by JGWest

"April the First 2012"

Ben West (photo below) is dressed in western attire as is his cousin John West (with mic & wearing a vest). Ben & I suspected we were cousins for many years, but could not prove it. A few years ago our y-DNA proved we were cousins!

We do not look all that much alike, but we sure look like cowboys! We may be even wearing the same hat brand. Ben was "encouraged" to wear his cowboy outfit during a patient safety fair where he works. I am at the Warrick County, Indiana 4-H Achievement Dinner presenting the TSGS Glenda K. Trapp Memorial Award Certificate to Madison McClane for her work in the 4-H Genealogy Project. TSGS President Don Counts accompanied me in the presentation. I think Ben, Don & I all had fun involved in our activities. Click on photos for larger images.

This is not an April Fools trick! - JGWest

Find-A-Grave Search by State

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My buddy, Chris Myers, always sends me some of the neatest links or photos! We both submit memorials & photos to Find-A-Grave to help those who, for whatever reasons, can not visit relatives & ancestors graves (usually they live too far away). Many times people do not know where someone is buried, but you can search Find-A-Grave to see if you can find them across America. Now, you can search by state (we often know that they were buried near where they lived in a certain state). Not all states are included yet (17 to-date), but here is the link for what states are available:

http://search.ancestry.com/search/CardCatalog.aspx#ccat=hc%3D25%26dbSort%3D1%26title%3Dfind%20a%20grave%26keyword%3D%26

Here is the link to Indiana's search site: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=70510 Indiana, Find A Grave Index, 1800-2011

Here are some related links you can find on the above web site:

Indiana Births, 1880-1920

Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941

Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920

Indiana Spanish American War Records

Listing of over 7800 men who volunteered for military service from Indiana in 1898

Join the Face Book site for Find-A-Grave: http://www.facebook.com/groups/2275168731/

From the First Mate's Photo Album... Illinois Holland Family

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Who is in this photo is unknown, but it is a great photo to share. They are obviously of Holland heritage wearing bonnets & wooden shoes! The original photo is of better quality than these scanned copies. The original was too large to lay flat on the scanner, but hopefully you can see enough to enjoy it from the two photos scanned.

Oddly there is only one male. He is interesting in many ways. I am not sure that is his mustache or possibly a stain or marking like the mark on his chest by his left arm. The mark on his chest shows like an ink stain on the original and the mustache is just a dark , but normal coloring in the photo. Click on the photo to get a larger image. His pipe is really cool! He is wearing wooden shoes, but notice how he is standing with his toes pointing inward a lot! Check out his hat & what seems to be a polka-dotted tie. The first lady seated on the right side with the very large wooden shoes looks just like my Mom's Aunt Maggie Wood. Nearly every single lady has a different style of clothing and necklaces.

Notice in the lower right corner: "Sandstrom Photo 1913 Moline, Ill" Which makes this photo nearly one hundred years old! The origin of the photo or who is in it is unknown.

The above photo is an attempt to improve the quality of the left side of the photo (and include what was cut-off) from scanning. I really love this photo!

- Photo was scanned and submitted by Mindy Meijer

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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This Kentucky Historical Monument is on Airline Road in Larue County. South Fork Baptist Church Cemetery is where many of my Gardner ancestors & other family members were buried.

I read not too long ago how the large creek got its name of "Nolin" People had gathered at the creek to see Rev. Lynn, but he did not show so everyone said there was "no Lynn" at the creek. Is this story true? I am not sure, but I like the story, anyway!

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest