Archive for May, 2012

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After 8 days that took him from Warsaw, Poland to his native city of Plock in Poland, to Krakow and finally into Germany, where he gained his freedom in 1945, Izzy is tired.

At 87 years old he has the right to be.

After seeing his parents and brother shipped off and murdered at Treblinka, his friends and other relatives also killed in the concentration camps, he has said his final goodbyes to the places and the difficult times that shaped who he is today.

Izzy has walked the grounds at Auschwitz-Birkenau, his home in 1944, where the Nazis killed 1.1 million of the 1.3 who came through their three separate camps there (at Auschwitz).

He walked in darkness beside the memorials at the Treblinka death camp and said a prayer for his family members murdered there.

He has met with school kids from two nations to talk to them about his experiences as a Jew living through the Holocaust and the price he paid for his religious beliefs.

He has reconnected with the daughter of a German family that sacrificed their own lives to throw bread to Izzy and the other slave laborers in his group as they passed down the family’s street on a daily basis to work in a local quarry.

He has visited with old friends, both Polish and German.

If there is one final lasting memory for all of us on this trip it occurred just last night. It’s the photo that accompanies this blog. It’s a snap shot taken last evening of Izzy and another man also in his mid 80′s. His name is Walter Fischer. Walter was a German World War II army veteran.

Walter’s hometown happens to be the same German village that housed a concentration camp in which Izzy spent his last days behind a wire fence before becoming a free man again after almost six years of torture and mind-numbing experiences.

Walter and Izzy sat next to each other during dinner. Their discussion was both quiet and personal, but also animated at times. It was not accusatory in any way, but there were also not a lot of smiles, back slapping and toasts to the past.

There is forgiveness in Izzy Arbeiter, but to forget is impossible. Walter said he was not a Nazi in WWII, just a soldier doing his job. He also said he never knew about the concentration camps, especially the one in his own village. Izzy has heard that reaction many times.

One young German in his early 30′s, when asked on this trip about Germany’s role in WWII and the Holocaust said loudly “It’s over”-meaning the war and that era should be put behind all of us. Should it be forgotten? Is it time to move on? Is it really over?

I can tell you for Auschwitz survivor Israel Arbeiter it’s not that simple and the answer is no. The lessons of that time have to be talked about and preserved. If not for him, then for the six million who cannot be heard any longer. Those voices silenced in the cruelest way possible just because of who they were and what they believed in. Izzy speaks for them. He must carry on. If you have ever visited Auschwitz or Treblinka then you will understand why.

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Thank you for following this blog the past week and we hope you have enjoyed tracking Israel Arbeiter’s travels. If you would like to help us in our efforts to fully-fund this important documentary film project, you can donate via: www.wwiifoundation.org. Thanks Izzy for allowing us to be a part of this incredible experience.

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• Canadian historians and genealogists are concerned over the impact of budget cuts on
  federal libraries and archives. Library and Archives Canada will have to eliminate
  20 percent of its workforce, and government libraries housing archival collections
  in the transport, immigration and public works department will be closed. Read
  more about the cuts on the CBC News website. 

• The folks from ArchiveGrid, a website
  that lets you search nearly a million collection descriptions of libraries, museums
  and archives, emailed me about a survey
  they’re hoping you’ll take. They want to find out more how researchers, especially
  genealogists, use, find, and share information about archival and special collections
  materials. And it includes a chance to win an Amazon.com gift card. Click
  here to take the survey before May 25.
  

• Genealogy search engine Mocavo is holding a Mother’s
  Day contest with a nice prize: a trip for two to Boston to spend a day researching
  with professional genealogist Michael J. Leclerc. You just have to enter by submitting
  a story about a woman on your family tree. To
  learn more about the Mother’s Day contest and enter, see the Mocavo.com website.
  

• The National Park Service (NPS) has launched a
  new Civil War website where you can explore the war and historic sites
  associated with it. On the home page, you can see a timeline, find NPS sites to visit
  and link to the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. Click Stories for history about
  the war; click People for introductions to the era’s central figures, and click Places
  to virtually visit the NPS’ war-related sites.

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Ancestry.com announced the launch of AncestryDNA,
a new DNA test the company bills as an affordable way to combine DNA science with
Ancestry.com’s family history resources and a global database of DNA samples.

The analysis cross-references your DNA information with test results from people around
the globe (drawn from the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy
Foundation‘s database) to help you learn more about your ethnic background and
find distant cousins. When there’s a genetic match in Ancestry.com’s DNA database,
your tree will automatically be compared to that person’s.

In
this guest blog post, genetic genealogist Blaine Bettinger, who tried out the new
autosomal DNA test, sheds more light on what’s special about it.

The new service comes after a year of planning and beta testing, says Ancestry.com
president and CEO Tim Sullivan. “We think AncestryDNA has created a unique and engaging
experience that will provide existing Ancestry.com subscribers with an entirely new
way to make amazing discoveries about their family history.”

AncestryDNA is currently available by invitation only to Ancestry.com subscribers
for $99. The service should become available to the public later this year.

You can sign up to be notified once that happens at AncestryDNA.com. 

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When I blogged
about the April 25 Minnesota Genealogy Crash Course webinar, (now
available on demand in ShopFamilyTree.com), I teased you by asking “What do genealogy,
baseball, “Prairie Home Companion,” the Minnesota State Fair, WCCO Radio, and the
Lennon sisters all have in common?

(Actually, webinar instructor and Minnesotan Paula Stuart-Warren did the teasing,
but I helped.) 

We didn’t want to leave you hanging, so here’s the answer in Paula’s own words:

It’s just another example of “genealogy is everywhere!”

More years ago than I care to remember, Tim
Russell, a WCCO Radio personality in Minnesota, would talk about his relationship
to the Lennon Sisters. Then he’d play the
Lawrence Welk bubble music. My mom would call me and tell me to figure this out for
Tim because she was getting tired of the bubble music.

One day I called the station and said that yes, if Tim and the Lennon sisters shared
a common great great grandfather, they were third cousins. His producer asked me to
share this on the air. Shy ol’ me gulped and forged ahead.

She also asked if I’d be on his radio show during the Minnesota State Fair. That produced
a really big gulp, as the show was broadcast from a big glass booth for all fair-goers
to see. We decided that I’d do some research on Russell’s family and present it to
him on air. 

Research at the Minnesota and Wisconsin state
historical societies proved the third cousin connection between Tim and the Lennon
Sisters. Their common ancestors Judge James Lennon and his wife Catherine Bellew were
born in Ireland, but lived most of their lives in Appleton, Wis. I also turned up
more on Russell’s great-grandfather George Lennon’s involvement with the St.
Paul Saints baseball team in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (Baseball
teams have their own genealogies.)

Tim shared the research with the Lennons. I was privileged to be thanked on air in
a call with Kathy Lennon, and I received some nice thank-you notes. I let them all
know that my then-8th-grade son helped (he still does research today at 35 years old). 

So, now we have the genealogy, baseball, Lennon Sisters, Minnesota State Fair, and
WCCO radio connection. How do we fit in the public radio show “Prairie
Home Companion“? Tim is one of the show’s actors, creating multiple sounds and
voices.

Thank you to all those who joined in the Minnesota
Genealogy Crash Course webinar and for asking such great questions. Kerry Scott
from Family Tree University did a great job. If you didn’t get a chance to join us, the
recorded Minnesota webinar is available through ShopFamilyTree.com.

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This Friday on NBC’s
“Who Do You Think You Are?” actress Rashida Jones (you might recognize her from
“Parks and Recreation”) uncovers her maternal family history from Manhattan to Eastern
Europe—and finds answers to her grandmother’s missing years.

Here’s a little preview:

Watch “Who Do You Think You Are?” Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 Central on NBC.

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Genealogy conference season has begun, and we’re getting excited for next week’s National
Genealogical Society conference here in Cincinnati.

Headed to the conference? These tips will help you get ready. (And we’re in exhibit
hall booth #432—come say hi!)

• Wear comfortable shoes—you’ll be walking to classes, walking to your hotel, walking
  through the exhibit hall, walking to lunch. I put cushioned insoles in my conference
  shoes.

• Either the air conditioning is cranked up at these things, or you get stuck in a stuffy,
  crowded room. Dress in layers and bring a cardigan.

• Stay hydrated. Bottled water can be pricey and drinking fountains can be hard to find.
  You can save by bringing an empty bottle to refill. I keep a snack on hand, too.

• Bring business card with surnames and places you’re researching and your genealogy
  email address, in case you run into someone researching your lines.

• Bring extra address labels so you can stick them on entry forms for drawings (including
  ours).

• Leave space in your luggage (or bring an empty bag) for the handouts, freebies, books
  and other things you’ll be taking home.

• If you’re attending by yourself and everybody else seems to know somebody, remember
  genealogists are a friendly bunch. Just say hi and introduce yourself. If all else
  fails, ask the person next you whether his or her ancestors are from around here.
  You’ll have an instant conversation partner.

• Look ahead of time for nearby breakfast, lunch and dinner spots so you’re not trying
  to find a place to eat when you’re starving. (Here
  are downtown Cincinnati dining options.)

• Plan ahead for any local research you want to do, so you can make sure you have all
  the charts and records you need. Get addresses and hours of the facilities, and figure
  out directions and parking.
  

• Take some time before classes to decide which ones you want to attend and learn where
  the classrooms are. That way, you won’t miss the first 10 minutes because you couldn’t
  find the room.

• Take a reconnaissance walk through the exhibit hall and mark on your booth map all
  the vendors you want to return to. Check off each one as you visit, but be sure to
  leave time for browsing and asking questions.

• If you have local ancestors but you live far away, ask the locals about their favorite
  resources. If you can, get a local genealogist’s email address in case you need more
  advice when you’re back home. (I’ll post some of my favorite Cincinnati genealogy
  resources next week.)

• Some exhibitors pack up early on Saturday to catch flights and whatnot, so don’t leave
  important business for the very end.

Hope I’ll see you at the conference!

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I’m in love with our newest book, From
the Family Kitchen: Discover Your Food Heritage and Preserve Family Recipes by
Gena Philibert-Ortega.

Before you even open the book, it’s pretty: Hardbound, with a lovely cover and a cute
yellow ribbon bookmark.

And then it’s about food history and family recipes, a topic that fascinates me.

Who better to describe the book than its author? Here’s what Gena has to say about
this labor of love:

Do you ever wish you knew more about your ancestors’ lives? When I think of my ancestors,
I wonder how their lives were similar to mine. I also ponder what I can add to my
genealogy research that will be meaningful to future generations. 

From the Family Kitchen will help you understand and appreciate your ancestors’
everyday lives by exploring the foods they ate. These details make your family history
more vivid and more interesting to younger folks—not to mention very tasty. 

This isn’t just another guidebook. It’s a keepsake designed to help you gather and
preserve your family’s food traditions, past and present. You can use From the
Family Kitchen to:

1. Learn where to find recipes Great-grandma would’ve cooked. I’ll walk you
through the history of American foodways, and introduce you to resources for researching
the food traditions of specific eras and regions. The book even includes historical
recipes, cooking instructions and entertaining advice to give you a flavor of your
ancestors’ experiences. 

2. Better understand the foods of immigrant ancestors. Your family’s food traditions
today might still reflect your ancestors’ cultural heritage—but how have those dishes
changed over generations and across countries? I’ll explain how to find out.

3. Interview your family about their food memories. Get tips for gathering
recipes and recollections. The book includes dozens of suggested questions to ask. 

4. Record your family food traditions. Within the book are beautiful
recipe journal pages for preserving the dishes you discover in your research, and
especially today’s family favorites—creating a legacy for future generations. 

This is Diane again. This hardcover book is a great addition to your genealogy or
cooking bookshelf, and it makes a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. You can order From
the Family Kitchen from ShopFamilyTree.com on sale for a short time, for $22.39. 

Bon appétit!

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Here’s the latest on genealogy websites where you can find the 1940 census and which
states you can search by an ancestor’s name:

Ancestry.com:
Record images for all US states and territories are available free, as are searchable
name indexes for Delaware, Nevada and Washington, DC. A chart on the 1940 census page
lets you see indexing progress.

Archives.com:
At this 1940 Census Community Project partner
site, you can search name indexes to Colorado and Delaware. To access the unindexed
portion of the census, this site sends you to the National Archives’ 1940 census site
(which Archives.com designed and hosts).

FamilySearch:
Digitized records are available here for all US states and territories.

FamilySearch just announced that more than 85,000 1940 Census Community Project volunteers
have already finished indexing 20 percent of the census, and thousands more volunteers
sign up every week.

Not all the indexed records are available to search online yet. FamilySearch’s
indexing progress map colors searchable states orange; so far, you can search
name indexes for the states of Delaware and Colorado. To search, click the state on
the map. (I clicked on Kansas and tried a search because Community Project partner
FindMyPast.com has a Kansas index, but the results were people in Colorado.) 

FindMyPast.com: On
this 1940 Census Community Project partner site, digitize records are available for
most states. Records for Texas, California, Utah, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin
and several others are missing. You can search name indexes for Delaware, Colorado
and Kansas—except for Kansas, they’re the same states as for FamilySearch, because
it’s the same index.

MyHeritage:
Records for all states and territories are available now for free. This site introduced
the first searchable index, for the state of Rhode Island, but hasn’t added any other
states since. MyHeritage
also has updated its mobile app so you can search 1940 census records from your
iPhone, iPad or Android phone.

The 1940 census record images also are available
on FamilyLink.com, which MyHeritage purchased last year. You’ll need to register
for a free account on the site (if you don’t already have an account there) to view
the records.

National Archives:
Records for all states and territories are available here for free.

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Researching enslaved ancestors was the theme of last night’s “Finding
Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.”

All three of the show’s guests—Ruth J. Simmons, president of Brown University; Condoleezza
Rice, former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, and now on the faculty
at Stanford University; and actor Samuel L. Jackson—grew up under segregation. Simmons’
parents were sharecroppers; as a child she picked cotton alongside her brothers and
couldn’t attend school regularly until the family moved to Houston.

Condoleeza Rice was the only one of the three I knew much about, and I admire her
for achieving such success despite living in a system designed to prevent her from
believing that kind of achievement was possible.

All three also have family stories about white ancestors in their family tree, and
identifying them was the focus of the episode.

The show showed some research in genealogical records, but concentrated on using genetic
genealogy testing in confirming relationships. For each guest, a potential white cousin
was tested.

In the case of Simmons, the test confirmed a relationship, and she and her brothers
met the descendants of the man who owned the father of their great-grandmother Flossie.

Each guest—along with high school students participating in the Continuum
Project—also took an admixture test, which evaluates percentages of African-American,
European and Asian/American Indian heritage along either the Y-DNA line (for a man)
or the mitochondrial DNA line (for a woman).

Some tests also can compare an African-American’s DNA to that of members of African
tribes that were the source of the slave trade, estimating what tribe the person’s
ancestors in that Y-DNA or mtDNA line came from.

You can watch
the show online to see all the test results. Also check the Your
Genetic Genealogist blog for a post with more details about the DNA testing in
this episode.

My sense is that it’s not so much which African tribe a person might be from, but
just being able to say that they’re from a particular tribe. I feel a certain pride
and sense of belonging when I can tell people my ancestors came from Germany, Syria,
England and Ireland, and that’s missing for people descended from slaves.

• How exactly can genetic genealogy testing help in your genealogy research? Discover
  the truth behind six common genetic genealogy misconceptions with our guide, a $4
  digital download from ShopFamilyTree.com.

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In Friday’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” actor Rob Lowe learned about his Revolutionary
War-era ancestor.

FindMyPast.com‘s Josh Taylor helped Lowe find
him in the Daughters
of the American Revolution Genealogical Research System, which lets you search
online for a Revolutionary-era ancestor on which a DAR member’s application is based,
or for people named in the lineages in DAR applications.

(You
can download our tutorial on searching the DAR database on sale for just $1.59 from
ShopFamilyTree.com.)

But something was wrong: The application had been “closed” because it was discovered
that Lowe’s ancestor John Christopher East had been mixed up with a similarly named
soldier.

Previews hinted at a twist in this episode. It came when a historian showed Lowe his
ancestor on a list of prisoners who’d been part of Rohl’s Regiment. A sparkle in the
historian’s eye hinted that he knew something, but only when he showed Lowe George
Washington’s personal papers did Lowe realize Rohl was a commander of German
Hessian troops.

East (listed under his German name, Oeste Cristophe) was among the troops Gen. Washington
defeated in the Battle
of Trenton, when his soldiers crossed the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians
at Christmas.

I remember learning in grade school about these 30,000 men the British hired to fight
the Americans, and we kids thought that was pretty bad.

But Lowe’s research revealed Cristophe as a sympathetic figure: Among the youngest
of eight children, he wouldn’t have inherited land or even had the means to marry
in Germany. He took a risk in leaving for America at age 22—then staying (as about
15 percent of the Hessians did) after his release from prison.

This story has a happy ending. Taylor’s researchers found Christophe on a list of
Americans who paid a tax levied to raise money for the war. Lowe is descended from
a Patriot after all and he was invited to apply for the Sons
of the American Revolution lineage society.

• Learn
  more about lineage societies in this FamilyTreeMagazine.com article.

• Family Tree Magazine Podcast host Lisa Louise Cooke discussed
  the bounty of the DAR library in the July 2009 episode—listen
  free on FamilyTreeMagazine.com or in iTunes.