Ford Genealogy Club Volume 9 Number 1 1 st Quarter March 2004

Transcription

1 Ford Genealogy Club Volume 9 Number 1 1 st Quarter March 2004 Note from our Prezzzz Guess this is my last Presidents note as we have elections between now and the time the next newsletter is due. Its been a real pleasure being president of this organization. I've learned alot about genealogy and about just how many GOOD friends Mark and I have in this club. In the past few years while I have been president, you've been there with us, for us, thru good times and bad, thru the birth of our grandson last December, the deaths of grandparents and parents, and the celebration of our 25th Anniversary. Thanks to all for your support! I think our club has grown - both in numbers and in genealogy growth, what we know, the things we know and how to find the things we want to know. Our club is more than just a club its almost like a family. And I for one am proud to been the matriarch of the family for the past few terms. As we prepare to elect new officers, lets work together to continue to grow, to help each and to work together at finding the missing ancestors, celebrate the broken down brick walls, and be the best we can be! I look forward to being part of this organization as we strive to move forward all the while looking back... one generation at a time. Karen ELECTIONS Note: The annual election will be held at the April meeting. Please consider volunteering for a two year stint in one capacity or another. Notify any of the officers or bring it up at the next meeting if you are willing to serve. Some people holding offices are willing to continue, others will continue if no one is willing to take their place but they would prefer to step down. Others may step down in any case. Some positions are elected into office but others are not. Don t be shy. Speak up and do your part.

2 The Ford Genealogy Club Serving Ford Motor Company Employees and Family since 1995 President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Membership Newsletter Librarian Web Page Past Presidents: Karen Krugman Diane Oslund Mike Brautigan Bob Beiting Chuck Oslund Diane Oslund Sharon Brevoort Mark Krugman & Chuck Oslund Steve Brown, Mark Krugman & Chuck Oslund Meetings: 2 nd Thursday each month 5pm Beginners Help 5:30pm Regular Meeting Location Fairlane Training & Development Center Room Hubbard Drive Dearborn, Michigan Newsletter ISSN Member Club of FERA (Ford Employees Recreation Association) Ford Genealogy Club P.O. Box 1652 Dearborn, Michigan U.S.A. Queries Free For Members $1.00 per 50 words to non members. Dues $12 per year, includes our newsletter Back Issues $1 each. May Checks Payable to Ford Genealogy Club Ford Genealogy Club Meeting Minutes 8 January, 2004 The meeting was called to order by the president, Karen KRUGMAN, at 5:30 PM. The meeting began with an introduction of new members and guests. The president then suggested that in the interest of ensuring time for a round table discussion and ending early enough so that dinner would not be too late, we begin the meeting with our speaker. Diane Oslund introduced the evening s speaker, Chancey Miller. Mr. Miller is the manager of Elmwood Cemetery, the second oldest cemetery in the city of Detroit. Mr. Miller stated that although their neighbor, Mt. Elliot is older, he has records covering the period from 1846 to today. His belief is that a cemetery is a place to disseminate information and welcomes the interest and input from descendants and genealogists. The evening s topic was a history of the origin of many of the street names in the central part of Detroit bounded by the Chrysler Freeway, the Ford Freeway, Jefferson and Grand Boulevard. This area contains approximately eight square miles, out of the total of forty-two square miles, of the city. This central area demonstrates the spoke and wheel design initiated by Judge Augustus B. Woodward after the 1805 fire which destroyed the central area of Detroit. The spokes refer to the main streets which radiate out from Grand Circus Park: Gratiot to Mt. Clemens, Woodward to Pontiac, Fort Street to Monroe, Michigan Ave. to Dearborn and Chicago, and Grand River to Lansing. The wheel was Grand Boulevard, which was approximately three miles from the center and represented the city limits of Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 2

3 early Detroit. The streets within this downtown area were named after a variety of people and things. There are tree names; Beech, Butternut, Elm, etc. There are prominent Michigan pioneers; Cass, John R., Vernor, etc. National figures; Washington, Lincoln, Lafayette, etc. Place names; Baltimore, Brooklyn, York, etc. And the numbered streets; First Second, Tenth, etc. Of the 170 streets named after families, 90 families have members buried within Elmwood Cemetery. Mr. Miller interspersed his commentary with many stories concerning the street and families of Detroit. It was a very interesting and enjoyable talk. Introductions and the briefest of business meetings followed the talk A note of interest regarding the roundtable, Mike Saulsberry displayed replacement military medals he received from the Federal Government for his father. He has forwarded this note for others who wish to do likewise. Mike, Here's the url for getting replacement medals, just in case you want to include It in the meeting notes: Go to the web page, click on REQUEST MILITARY RECORDS, and the follow the Steps... Item 7 in Step 2 will take you down the replacement medal path. Next month s meeting will feature a talk by Mark Krugman and Chuck Oslund on Using the Internet to Plan a Genealogical Trip. The meeting was adjourned and a dozen members and guests went to Red Robin for dinner and a formal showing of the Krugman s newest branch Submitted by Mike Brautigan Secretary Ford Genealogy Club Meeting Minutes 12 February, 2004 The meeting was called to order by the president, Karen KRUGMAN, at 5:30 PM. The meeting began with an introduction of new members and guests. There was a brief business meeting:no reports, but the treasurer had called with current balances of $342 in savings, and $ in checking. Elections will be held in April and we need candidates or volunteers for office. If you would like to help the club by volunteering to serve, please contact any officer with your name and preferred office. There is also a need for someone to help with the web page. The Library of Michigan is presenting the 2004 Abrams Genealogy Series beginning Saturday, February 28th and running until December 4th. There are 6 classes at a cost of $15 each, or $75 for the entire series. For further information, the library at or visit Our March 11th meeting will feature Mr. Richard M. Doherty, Vice president of the Irish Genealogical Society of Michigan and renowned speaker talking on Irish Research. The April 8th meeting will feature our own Diane Oslund leading a Brick Wall roundtable discussion. Following the business meeting, Chuck Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 3

4 Oslund and Mark Krugman presented a two part discussion of Planning for a Genealogical Trip on the Internet. Chuck started with Planning For a Research Trip Online in which he reviewed several trips, both in the past and planned for in the future. He explained the value of diligent web searching beginning with the local County GenWeb site and exploring the links and information available. His handout included his past efforts and sources and how he is planning future trips including recommendations for map sites and sources to find cemetery sites in remote locations. Very well done. Mark followed with his process of trip planning. He will identify local concentrations of cemeteries rich in names from their family research in a given area, and then proceed to plot a route for mini-trips to take advantage of limited time without re-crossing their trail. He uses many of the same resources as Chuck does, but goes beyond in preparing detailed maps and routes. There was much to learn from both of the talks, mainly, that as always, the best research trip begins at home! The meeting was adjourned and a dozen members and guests went to Red Robin for dinner and further discussion. Submitted by Mike Brautigan Secretary When Writing Genealogical Correspondence Include an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) Make your letter short and to the point. Do not ask for more then one or two things per letter. Type your letter, if at all possible. Print if not. Make sure it is easily readable. Be sure to use proper names and full dates and places when known. Date your letter. Put your contact information on the letter itself. Sometimes letters get separated from their envelopes. If you know the name of the person you are writing to address the letter to that person. Sign your letter (first and last name) Be polite. Use please thank you. Use uniform dates. The preferred format is day, month, year. Always spell out the month, do not use a number in place of the month s name. If you do some dates are confusing. Example. What date is 3/11/1956? Is this March 11, 1956 or November 3, 1956? Try to not use abbreviations. Not everybody will understand them. If you have various spellings for the name or an aka (a different name for the person) note that information. Use a spell checker, or proof read. It s always a good idea to keep a copy of the letter you send with the date it was mailed. Note on your copy, at a later date, if you never got a reply. Note the date you did get a reply or attach the response to your copy of your request. Write a thank you note to the person after they respond to you. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 4

5 Detroit Streets: Changes In Names Quoted from the History of Detroit and Michigan by Silas Farmer & Company 1889: Copied as written. Remember this writing is from T. J Campau to Charlevoix, June 3, Thierry to Baker, March 19, Theodore (Sixteenth Ward) to Biddle March 19, Toledo Avenue (between Scotten and Clark Avenues) to Brandon Avenue, March 19, Thomas to Rich, March 19, Thompson-to Twelfth, July 9, Thirteenth-and-a-half to Wabash Avenue, July 3, Trowbridge to Seventeenth, July 9, Trombley to Harriet, March 21, Third to Third Avenue, September 26, Twenty-third to Twenty-fourth, April 25, Twenty-sixth (between Dix Road and M. C. R. R.) to Twenty-seventh, March 19, Thirteenth (between Woodbridge and M. C. R. R.) to Lafferty, March 19, Utica Plank Road to Mt. Elliott Avenue, March 19, Washington to Johnson, June 3, Webster to Alfred, June 3, Whipple to Illinois, June 3, Williams to Witherell, June 3, Witherell to Alexandrine Avenue, June 3, Wesley to Tenth, March 19, Westerloo to Canfield Avenue, March 19, Whiting to Eighteenth, March 19, Whiting to Eighteenth, July 9, Wine to Eighteenth-and-a-half, July 9, Wing to Nineteenth, July 9, Wing Place to Labrosse, April 26, Warren to Napoleon, October 1, Whitney to Alfred, February 14, Waterloo to Antietam, July 9, Witherell to Woodward Avenue, July 9, West Park Place to Park Place, November 2, Walnut to Bagg, April 29, end... Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 5

6 TIP #480 - THOU SHALT NOT! By Sandi Gorin From KYRESEARCHL@rootsweb.com Feb. 26, 2004 reprinted with the author s permission I had a perfectly good tip for today, the conclusion of the US Navy Deaths during WW I. But I yelled "stop the presses!" I have had it! Now, normally I am an eventempered and patient woman and more than willing to help others in their research. But I am painfully aware of a growing trend among primarily newer family genealogists - well, perhaps more than one trend - but one of gimme, gimme, gimme. So I'm going to give you Sandi's list of "thou shalt not's!". This does NOT apply to anyone on this list, believe me!!! But maybe you know someone to whom it does apply. 1. Thou shalt not call for assistance and ramble on and on for 15 minutes about every ancestor you are researching and expect the person you're calling to know everything about them in total recall. Thou shalt instead be organized and ask for information about one individual or one event and any clue you may have as to where you've looked already. Contrary to public opinion, researchers (whether volunteer or paid) do not sit with baited breath waiting to hear the entire history of your family and be able to reach into our brain and hand you your family on a silver platter. We know it's important to YOU and we are sympathetic, but to us (most of the time), it's just another name. 2. Thou shat not write, or call and say "give me all you've got" on my family. There is nothing that will turn most of us off faster. Most of us do have lives outside of genealogy and we cannot go through every record we have and hand it to you! We really DO want to help you, we're a nice breed of people, but this is just a no-no. Until we am able to clone ourselves, we don't have time to go through every deed, will, marriage and court case at no charge in one or phone call. It takes a lot of time sometimes. Ask for one person, one event as in #1 above. 3. Thou shalt not send a letter to an individual or a historical society asking for information and not include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Maybe this sounds trivial, but believe me it adds up. If you are so desperate for information on your family, surely one single stamp will not bankrupt you! But dozens of these letters do put a crunch on the recipient! 4. Thou shalt not ask for information via e- mail, snail mail or phone call and not say thank you when you receive the information you desire! Or a thank you even if they can't help you! Many of us receive hundreds of s every day asking for help and when we take the time and find the information and send it to you... the total void created when the person who takes the information and runs with it without so much as a thank you, will gain you one thing. we'll likely never look up anything else for you. Perhaps this sounds harsh, but common courtesy goes a long way. 5. Thou shalt not argue with the individual trying to help you! If we're looking at the source document and believe it to be true based on other confirming records, don't argue with us and say, "well my family said his name was Joseph Henry and you have Joseph James and you must be wrong!" We cannot guarantee even source documents - mistakes were made! But to the best of my knowledge from what we have, that is what is shown and we don't need to be berated because you don't agree with it! 6. Thou shalt not contact a historical society Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 6

7 and ask for voluminous information. They are mostly all volunteers and they will help you all they can. But when you request information, slip in a donation to the society. It will be greatly appreciated. Most volunteers don't have the information in front of them, they have to make a trip to the library or a historical/genealogical repository and try to find it for you. Thank them in advance and don't forget the SASE! 7. Thou shalt not expect someone else to do all your work for you. Thou shalt do your part. I don't know, and can't prove it statistically, but it "feels" like the modern day genealogists expect to make one phone call, one or one trip to the library and fill in their entire family tree! It normally doesn't work this way unless you're descended from someone famous! A lady recently called me, rather in a combative mood, to see if I could give her all the information on her family - she had looked at a couple of states and couldn't find them. Well, the family was in the county where I live and I tried to help her but she said she was too busy to go on the internet (didn't like all the ), or look in books, she wanted it now. She didn't offer to pay anything for the information, time and effort and figured I could just work it out for her. Sorry! The sad part is that I had the information and could have helped her in a couple of hours of work. But if it cost her more than a phone call, forget it. She was also so busy arguing that the name was spelled exactly the same as their family spelled it so I was wrong. 8. Thou shalt not moan and groan about how long it is taking you; why, you've been sweating over this brick wall for at least two months! Many of us have some brick walls that are over 30 years old. I know it hurts, I know it's frustrating - been there, done that! Learn patience, those ancestors aren't going anywhere and if you put in foot work, they will hopefully and eventually show up! 9. Thou shalt not just contact someone whose name you see on the internet living in the state of Kentucky (or any other state!) and expect them to know everything about the state! This comes to me more than anything else. Thou shalt get out a map and study up on Kentucky a little. We have 120 counties, there have been many county boundary line changes and none of us are experts on the entire state! I know that in my case, my name is on the internet a lot and I do, in these Kentucky Research tips, cover records from almost every county. But it is not detailed information normally on births, deaths, cemeteries, wills, etc. I don't have access to that information. I've been asked to jump in the car and drive to a far eastern county or up north... I can't do that. I am in south central KY and have access to materials from this area. I can't run to Hazard and take cemetery photos. Learn a little on the history of the state and where counties are before seeking out someone to help you. If you call and say that John and Mary Doe were married in 1768 in Barren Co KY and I tell you that KY didn't form as a state until 1792 and Barren Co didn't form until I can't find your record! 10. Thou shalt not make phone calls after 9 pm, before 8 am and on Sundays during normal church time or family time. Thou shalt check the time zone into which you're calling and if the person on the other end is rushing out the door, sounds sleepy, or has company... please honor them. In conclusion, Thou shalt not take any of the items as a personal attack or as a criticism. Thou shalt instead remember that we who volunteer or are with the local historical society, are normal ordinary people. We have a house to run, chores to do, 8-hour Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 7

8 sleep cycles to fit in, meals to cook. We DO care and we DO want to help. We understand your frustrations, your excitement and your eagerness to have the perfect family tree. Just try to remember that gimmee, gimmee, gimmee's do make us wonder sometimes. An 11 th Commandment should be added but I hated to go over the original 10! If I listed that I would say, thou shalt NOT take any postings you find on the web and post them to other lists, add them to your records as if you were the author, or otherwise not give credit to the author, whomever it is. Permission is normally always granted (at least by me) but if I see my materials credited to someone else as copyrighted material, the individual will be contacted immediately! You are a special group on this list and have never done the things that others have. I'm proud of you! (c) Copyright 26 February 2004, Sandra. K. Gorin. All Rights Reserved. Up Coming Meetings 2 nd Thursday of the month at 5:30 pm. Come early to be sure to get in the secured doors. We stop checking for you when the meeting starts. April 8, 2004: Elections and brick Wall Night. Bring your round table discussion and or brick wall problems to discuss. May 13, 2004: Court House Records. Karen Krugman and Nancy Kelly will talk about some of the records that can be found in court houses. Such as land deeds, wills, intestate files, maybe more. June 10, 2004: Military Records. Sharon Brevoort and Gerry Jacobs will talk about Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II and discharge records. How to find and what to expect in them. July 8, 2004: Dinner Meeting at our local Red Robin. Plan to join us there. August 12, 2004: Dinner Meeting at our local Red Robin. Again plan to join us there. NOTE change in meeting schedule. For November 11, Nancy Kelly and her portion of Court House Records has been moved to May. Instead Sharon Brevoort will talk about Timelines & Chronologies : Placing Your Ancestors in Historical Context. It should be real interesting. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 8

9 Ford Motor Employees Are Silent Partners In 20 Million Fund From the Dearborn Independent on Marcy 27, 1931, page 1 (note spelling as in newspaper) Company Guarantees 6 Per Cent Interest On savings, One-Fifth of Employees save. More than one-fifth of the employes of the Ford Motor Company are silent partners in that vast enterprise to the extent that they are investors in a fund on which the company has for many years guaranteed a minimum return. While from the beginning the promised minimum return has been six per cent, there has been only one year in 1928 when the payment did not exceed that minimum, and on November 30 th last the employes of the company had invested in the fund the huge sum of $19,944, The investment fund plan was conceived by Henry Ford as an opportunity for wage earners to place their savings in the concern with whose policies, workings and future they are by reason of their close association, most familiar. It inspires on the part of individual workers a real interest and pride in the business because that is where the invested fund goes back into the business. The impulse to invest is right. said Mr. Ford discussing the plan and it is a thousand criticisms upon our civilization that a man cannot more often invest where he works, so that not only may he have an additional income buy that his work may take on added interest. If there were more opportunities for solid industrial investment in business with which men are acquainted, there would be far less appeal in the false bonanza schemes that are exploited. Under the Ford investment plan any Ford employe over 21 years of age may invest a portion of his wages or salary. So long as the money remains in the fund and the employe remains with the company, the interest is paid twice annually in January and in July. Interest begins when the individual savings total $50 and is paid thereafter on multiples of that sum. All the money invested must come from wages or salaries but it is not deducted from the pay envelope. There is no compulsion or interference with the employes independence in the Ford plant. The employe first receives what is due him in wages or salary and if he desires he may step a few feet further on and deposit as much as one-fourth of what he has received. Payments must be made within two days after the employe receives his wages, Sundays and holidays excepted, of course. When interest falls due the employe finds it in his pay envelope. Finally, although the contract with the employe provides that the interest ceases and the investment immediately becomes payable to the investor whenever the latter leaves the company s services, that does not mean that interest lapses during shut-down periods. The interest in such cases continues as it would through any week end or holiday period. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 9

10 Historical Detroit At the Library of Michigan (Lansing, Michigan) is a small book titled Historical Detroit (Mich. F 574.D4 H5888). It is a story of early Detroit As told by twenty bronze tablets. The book is dated Copyright 1926 by J. L. Hudson Company Detroit, Michigan. Continued from previous issues... I was watching a show on T.V. the other day in which the people were transported back in time. It made me wonder how we d deal with our genealogy if time travel was a reality. Can you imaging having your ancestor born in 1905 and dying in 1878? Or being born in 1878 and dying in 2003 at the age of 33 years? Wouldn t that put a wrinkle in our research? Thankfully that isn t possible. What a nightmare that would cause. You newsletter editor. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 10

11 Copied from The Jewish Chronicle newspaper, Detroit, Michigan Friday March 2, 1917 page 9. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 11

12 Looking Backward To Our Past Web sites dealing with family bibles. Some are commercial but others are not. I am in no way recommending these sites but merely bringing them to your attention. Ancestor Hunt: Cyndi s List for Family Bibles: Family Bibles: # Family Bibles: # Or simply put family bibles in your search engine and see what comes up. Ford Genealogy Club P.O. Box 1652 Dearborn, Michigan U.S.A. Ford Genealogy Club Rear View Mirror February 2004 Volume 9 Number 1 1st Quarter 2004 Page 12