I Thought I Was Saving You, but You Really Saved Me

            

When I was only a teenager, I had a terrifying wake-up call: I realized I truly did not know how to feel empathy for others. The thought worried me, because I felt to that to successfully interact with others, I should at least have this skill under my belt. When I voiced my concern to loved ones, they assured me it was normal. I tried to believe them, but the thought would bother me from time to time for a while to come.

            I tried to abide by an altruistic lifestyle: spending time with family and friends, listening to others when they had problems, donating to my church, etc. I had the basics down, but I really felt I was lacking in really understanding what it was like to walk in the shoes of another. Then, when I was in my early college years, it started: My interest in breaking down and analyzing the lives of those who have passed on.

            I was enveloped in their daily lives: where they worked, who they associated with, who they voted for, what their struggles and triumphs were. All of a sudden, these people came alive from the pages of my newspaper clippings and outlines. Soon, I began to write their stories down and to share them with other family members. My heart started to open up to the experiences, good and bad, that I learned about my ancestors and their families.

I cried when I learned that your second child died when only a wee thing of 2. I felt your pain in learning that mortality is right at your doorstep when you least expect it.

I appreciate you performing your filial duty when you helped your ailing father in caring for your large farm.

I felt your yearning for your sweetheart when he went off to war, the joy and rapture in his return.

I took a moment of silence when I sat by your grave and tried to understand the difficulties of a young amputee with no legs try to find work in during the Great Depression.

You, most of all, I revere. For rising from your family’s stained past and making a life of your own. God bless you in your desires to make your own way and name. 

The Chain Letter that Solved a Family Mystery

As many know, I have placed intense focus on one branch of the family for the past five years I have been doing genealogy: the Deans. I was thinking back today on the item that gave me the hammer to begin breaking through brick walls for this seemingly impenetrable line and shocked myself with the realization: it was an 80 year old chain letter! That’s right, a culturally superstitious piece of junk mail kept by my great-grandfather was the key to unlocking one branch of the family.

                How, may you ask, is a useless piece of paper valuable to genealogy research? I will begin with where I encountered the “treasure” to answer this anomaly in research tools. Back in 2010, I had the idea to hit up Mom about getting copies of the family letters she had transcribed many years before. These letters were few of the extant records our family possessed of the Dean line, as B.G. wasn’t a stellar record keeper. Most letters were written by his mother, Ida, and B.G. himself.

Courtesy of Playbuzz

                I have referred to these quaint letters several times to look for research angles. One day, I was traipsing into the domain of looking for B.G.’s brothers, something caught my eye—a letter from his brother Tom! Tom, the third oldest child born to Harry F. and Ida J. Dean, wrote to Ida in 1928 from Manchester, Ohio. The letter is signed “Tom & A.” Obviously, Uncle Tom, or “Doc” as he was widely known, had a companion whose name was signed as “A.”

                Finally having a lead on one of the now unknown family members mentioned in the letters by initial only, I had a mystery for my very novice brain to solve: Who was this mysterious “A”? I pored over the letters several times, even hitting up the internet for help, but alas, my limited expertise at the time hindered my ability to figure out who she was.

                Then I recalled seeing a list of names in a chain letter forwarded in 1934 to B.G. The transcribed text reads as such:

In God we Trust Who Supplies our Needs. “Prosperity Circle”

Mrs. Leona Wagoner, Oklahoma City Okla.

Mrs. Anna Ketchum, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Mrs. Nell Montgomery, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Mrs. Anna Kaufruan(?), El Paso, Texas

Mrs. Aletha Dean, Hot Springs, Ark.

This chain was started by Box 43 an American Colonel and has a definite purpose. Copy the above omitting the first name and add yours, and send to five friends whom you wish to prosper. It must be mailed within twenty-four hours after receiving.

Mrs. Sanford received $5000

Mrs. Guines $1000

Mrs. Cluasy broke the chain and lost all she had. The chain has a definite purpose to all who copy the words and will find prosperity nine days after mailing. Please don’t brake the chain.

Courtesy of Buzzfeed

Her name popped out on the page when I scanned over it more closely than I had before: Mrs. Aletha Dean. The letter had been addressed to Tom in Hot Springs and had her name listed. Bingo! Finally had a searchable piece of the puzzle. The rest was smooth sailing from there when I had a legible name to put into Google. From that chain letter, I have learned so much more about the Dean line through researching Tom’s and Alethea’s lives in the public records.

                So the moral of the story is this: One man’s junk mail is another woman’s genealogical treasure. So if you inherited the papers of your grandmother or other aged relative and something seems worthless, look it over carefully before you consider throwing it out.

Cousin to Cousin and Heart to Heart

My first job is in a kitchen

Too often in these modern times, young adults are too busy with their own lives to make room for slower-paced tasks. I am most certainly speaking for myself when I make this claim. I work two jobs and fill my spare time with research, blogging, socializing, and similar activities. Even as a genealogist, I often prefer the fast-paced, forward-moving methods to the pain-staking and slow-paced ones that I save for an occasional Saturday or Sunday.

            Recently, an event took place that got me rethinking my preference for the fast-paced methodology. As it is February, most people interested in genealogy know of RootsTech, a major conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah this time each year. My opportunity finally came as I registered for the 2015 event. Rootstech facilitated a meeting I arranged with a cousin I had been corresponding with for about a month already.

Ishmael Phillips

            Our common ancestor is my fourth-great grandfather, Ishmael Foote Phillips. After looking over the files in my computer I had been gathering sporadically over the past three years, I concluded that Ishmael’s early years in England were severely under-researched. I then reached out online to relatives who knew or had more information and one cousin responded with more exuberance than I anticipated.

            This wonderful lady was a God-send to my present plight. While we were corresponding I had already been conducting background research on the time period Ishmael Phillips spent in England after being baptized into the early Mormon Church. (For more on this story, check out my post on finding his baptism.) Over time, we became more than correspondents with a similar interest in a distant grandfather. Our shared appreciation and love for this man was only the starting point.

            On the Sunday following RootsTech, I arranged to meet with my cousin in her hotel room. What I got from that visit was more than I had bargained for. Not only did she share the findings of her 32-years worth of research, she also told me stories about how she found the information, and she told me about her own family. We truly had a heart-to-heart that many relatives should have with their own family members more often than they do.

            Not only did I find a cousin to stay in touch with, her experiences help me to appreciate more the antiquated methods of research. I too have done my share of scanning microfilms and digging through dusty old manuscripts in archives, but this was her main form of research. The information she had to show was the results of hours of true archive and library hunting. Her interest would envelop more than Ishmael, but she also took interest in his own family: his brothers and sisters, his parents and grandparents. As a result, she has compiled significant information for the American descendants of the Phillips on their British ancestors.

            To my cousin and people like her who labor so diligently in putting together the information she has, I say thank you. I will treasure the information you have shared and use it to add to my own. you also help me to better plan research in the future. From your cousin, God bless you. 

She treated me to dinner

Family Discovery Day-My First Genealogy Conference

At last, my dream came true. After three years of hearing about the experiences of others at RootsTech, I finally had the opportunity to attend. I was late in registering, so all labs were full, but I signed up for the Family Discovery Day to ensure myself a place and at least one day to spend at the Salt Palace. And what a day!

            I pride myself on being an extrovert, but even I was feeling overwhelmed from crowds and noise. The congested Convention Center boasted around 20,000 attendees, and among them the fan-base of Utah’s own David Archuleta.

            Overall, the experience was well worth the trip. It was my first time riding the train, for one. Also, the messages given by LDS leaders were nice to listen to. Church leaders encourage youth and young adults to not only prepare as many names for temple work as they perform ordinances for, but also to help others with this challenge. Also, they shared success stories of youth and young adults in performing the work for their deceased ancestors. 

            The real treat of attending RootsTech was visiting the Expo Hall. I saw many old and current associates among the booths, and learned more about online programs available for training people to become certified genealogists. I felt like my time here was well rewarded. 

We ran into one of our fellow Mocavo employees at the booth for Find My Past

BYU Family History Library employees and volunteers, past and present.

Part of the David Archuleta fan base

FAMILYSEARCH ALERT!!! New feature for Early Mormon Ancestors

Okay, maybe I am a little lake on this one, but when I saw it I got really excited! I haven't been on Familysearch for a little while, but this just caught my eye today right after I signed in today. Get a load of this new feature, one I think that will help spark the interest of those who come through pioneer lines particularly:

When you first sign in, take notice of the left side of the page, you may have to scroll down a little to see the Joseph Smith Papers link:

After you do that, it will show which of your ancestors are mentioned in the collection, for me I had two and did not even know it!

I was interested to see the relationship, but the only clean view I could screen-capture shows down to my great grandmother, making Nathan Harris my 6th great grandfather (obviously, I want to verify this lineage claim as being accurate, but it will give me some direction to validate this connection or not.)

Assuming he is in fact my ancestor, I wanted to check the link labeled "Biography." It took me to a new tab on the site for the Joseph Smith Papers. 

This is awesome right? However, for me the real treat is having the opportunity to view the page where scans of the original document listing his name is observable:

This page is being downloaded and analyzed later on. I am an excited fact hunter for a little while to come now. When I get a chance, I will return to the other individual listed under my ancestors too.

If any of your ancestors are members of the infant LDS church, be sure to check this feature out. You may have a pleasant surprise like me!

Enumerators--The Record-Keepers Historians both Love and Despise

For the love of all that is holy can you at least write legibly?! I ask this every time I encounter a census like this one for my 2nd Great Grandfather's family:

Although I eventually found him, it was after trying every spelling variation for his last name and removing the birthplace from my search query. Although digital image transcription is a wonderful tool for locating ancestors in census records, the enumerator's handwriting and collecting abilities leave much to be desired here. Transcriptions will often display this name as "Harry Dear," showing his birthplace as Iowa when it was in fact Illinois.

On the other hand you strike it lucky sometimes. I could've kissed the enumerator of this census when I encountered it for another family member:

Right here, my research just became 70% easier. (At least where reading handwriting was concerned).

Oh, those enumerators. How we both love and despise them!

First, why we love them. Let's face it, these guys didn't have an easy job. Taking information for the census record required a person to trek door to door, inquiring about the inhabitants within and recording the data needed on paper. My hat goes off to those who dedicated many hours and miles to providing modern day researchers with one of the most handy tools in identifying a person's residence, age, household, occupation, relationships, etc. May their souls rest in peace and may they be showered with all things wonderful for how their work has helped genealogists.

But then there is the other side of the coin. The drawbacks to doing things the old-fashioned way. The biggest concern for people reading census records is accuracy. Did the enumerator do his/her job thoroughly? Who provided the information that was recorded? Are the names of the residents and families spelled correctly? Was anyone left out for one reason or another? For me the biggest hang-up to looking over census records is being able to read one. Most enumerators seem to forget penmanship when being more concerned with completing the form.


So remember this one fact: While we owe it to the census-takers for doing the arduous job of obtaining information for the form, be ready to pull out the translators if necessary to find your ancestors hiding somewhere in the sea of misspelled and mis-transcribed names. Indexers and OCR programs can't discern everything. Even though it takes time, look over their work carefully, and don't be afraid to look at the actual census, comparing different years if you have to. After all, enumerators are only human.

Friday's Faces from the Past: The Last of the Medicine Showmen

This post is dedicated to my 2nd Great Uncle, T. F. "Doc" Dean.

Raised in a family of seven boys, this character "was as gay as the clothes he wore."

This man only knew a life of travel and adventure (for at least the first 50 years or so). His father Harry F. Dean moved the family around between Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and eventually Colorado and Utah.

When he reached his later teen years, the adventurous Doc signed on with the Army, getting his first stint overseas. After returning to the States from the Philippines, Doc adopted a true life of travel, becoming a performer for the next 30 years. He did everything that involved a stage or tent; he performed in such acts as Vaudeville, showboats, burlesque, and he even ran his own medicine show.

During his years on the road, he met and married his wife Alethea. In the 1920s, they adopted a boy, Robert, who also performed with the family.

Doc would be on the road until World War II broke out. By this point his family settled down in Blytheville, Arkansas, where he and "Mama" would spend their remaining years. Attempting to register for the old man's draft, he was rejected and chose to sell War Bonds at home instead. With a knack for showmanship and winning over large crowds, Doc sold around $16 million in War Bonds, gaining recognition from Henry Morgenthau, Jr. and old FDR himself.

During his retired years, Doc ran a gas station, participated in local minstrels, sold real estate, and even became constable. He passed away in 1967 at a Scout Meeting, doing something he loved dearly.

Although not one of the most prominent showmen of his time, he did make a name for himself in the Midwest and South. He was one of the stalwart Docs who ran his show  until they fizzled out during the 1930s and 1940s. His name Doc stuck with him throughout his life and is still used today.


My favorite Doc Dean quote: "When God made the earth, He made it 70 per cent water and I think by that He meant for me to hunt and fish 70 per cent of the time."