Check Your Research Areas For New Unrestricted Resources

 

Free Dec. 15 Webinar On Prohibition Records By Judy Russell

 Click to clarify                                        [Thanks to Dick Eastman for this notice.]

Ancestor In Indiana Today In 1816?

If you had a direct ancestor in Indiana Territory on or before this date in 1816, you qualify for the Territorial Guard Society. Go to the IGS website, select "About Us," and then "Territorial Guard." Honor your Hoosier ancestor(s)!!

 

Early Indiana Map Source Now Online

Check out this great source of very early Indiana maps. IRL below.

 

Check Out This New Mexican War Resource

 

Underground Railroad Archaeology Workshop

Go to the Indiana Landmarks website to sign up for this free event. Promises to be interesting.

 

Genealogy & Local History Fair, ISL, October 24

 Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 am to 3:30 pm, Virtual

The Indiana State Library is hosting the Genealogy and Local History Fair virtually in 2020!  Registration is free and required.  This year's theme is "The Women in Your Family Tree," examining techniques for researching women as well as looking at women's suffrage and other 19th-century social movements.

This even will be held via Zoom.  When you register, you will receive an email confirming your registration.  Links to the Zoom sessions will be sent closer to the event.

This event is eligible for LEUs for Indiana librarians.

Highly acclaimed speakers Gena Philibert-Ortega and Katherine Willson will present. 

Presentations 

Gena Philibert-Ortega will speak on “25 Tips for Researching Your Female Ancestors,” providing information to help identify, trace, and discover more about your female ancestors.  Gena will also present “Fabric, Cigars, and Murder,” presenting her research on a community of Hoosier women who worked on a 1930s-era quilt top she discovered in California. 

Katherine Willson will present “Social Reform Movements of the 19^th Century, examining the beginnings of the women’s suffrage movement and other social reforms such as free public education, prison reform, and temperance.  She will discuss where records pertaining to these movements can be found.  Katherine will also hold a Question and Answer session to answer questions provided by Fair attendees.

Funding For Digital Hertitage Projects

[The Society of Indiana Archivists posted this item on their members email list. Some genealogy groups may want to check this out.]

 DPOE-N Support Funding: Call for Applications

 The Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network (DPOE-N) is excited to announce two new opportunities for funding available to cultural heritage professionals and institutions located in the United States and U.S. territories for digital preservation training and hardware support. 

 About DPOE-N Funding

DPOE-N offers professional development support for cultural heritage professionals to attend online workshops and face-to-face training (when traveling is appropriate) focused on digital preservation and access. Funding can be used within a network of available professional development providers and can cover more than one workshop.

 DPOE-N staff are also available to work with you to develop a professional development program that fits your needs. For more information on professional development support, and to apply, please visit: https://www.dpoe.network/professional-development-support/ 

 DPOE-N has also set aside a modest amount of funding for emergency hardware support to small cultural heritage institutions that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are in need of new hardware to ensure the persistence of digital collections with enduring value. For more information about emergency hardware support, please visit: https://www.dpoe.network/emergency-hardware-support/

 Interested in applying?

DPOE-N staff is available to help you with the application process and to answer any questions you may have. Please contact us at dpoe-n@pratt.edu.

About DPOE-N

DPOE-N is a network of training resources available to cultural heritage professionals nationwide to enhance their digital preservation knowledge and skills. We are motivated by the pressing need for libraries, archives, and museums to collect, preserve, and provide access to born-digital materials. DPOE-N is hosted by the Pratt Institute School of Information in collaboration with the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation (MIAP) Program at New York University (NYU)’s Tisch School of the Arts, and generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

 To learn more about DPOE-N, please visit our website at https://www.dpoe.network/ and follow us on Twitter @dpoe_network. 

PRATT INSTITUTE

School of Information

144 West 14th Street | 6th Floor | New York, NY 10011-7301

dpoe-n@pratt.edu | dpoe.network | @dpoe_network

Virtual DNA Session, Noblesville Library, Oct. 3rd

One good thing coming out of this virus thing is the development of genealogy workshops that can reach folks in the safety of their homes. [Thanks, Denise for this notice.] 

 

African-American Virtual Conference, Oct. 14-17

Go to the AAHGS page on Facebook for more details.

 

Genealogy Book Sale In Indy, Sept. 19.

 

Ever Want To Attend RootsTech?

You might want to put this genealogy event into your semi-long-range planning schedule. Lots of folks never managed to visit Salt Lake City for the past live events, so soon will be your chance to log into the latest virtual conference.

 

Free Webinar On Researching Women

[Thanks to Reann Poray]

 

Ball State Surveys Indianapolis Cemetery

DHPA staff spent last weekend with staff from Ball State University Anthropology and Applied Anthropology Laboratories and from the Indiana Medical History Museum. The Museum is working with Ball State to help better define the boundaries of one of the cemeteries used by the former Central State Hospital. Using ground penetrating radar, the Ball State staff will hopefully be able to identify number of grave shafts, locations of these shafts, and how big of an area the cemetery is.

They will not be able to identify who is buried there by this method. That is being done through archival research by the Museum's staff. This project is part of a greater program of the Museum to offer some social justice to the former patients, return some of their humanity, and provide a better understanding of the history of those institutionalized at the facility.

The building which houses the Indiana Medical History Museum was the pathology lab for the hospital. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has received grant funds from DHPA for restoration.

 

Two New FamilySearch Resources For Hoosier Researchers

The latest FamilySearch update shows the below two record collections that could be of great use to Indiana family historians. 

 

Update on the Indiana Marriage Indexing Project

Hi Rhonda,

            We hope all is going well with you! I just learned we published 544,802 names of people who were married in Indiana based on the indexing which has been done by members of your Society and others. As you can see from below, we now have almost four million names of people who are in the marriage records – note the total was updated on Aug 9^th .

            Thank you for all you are doing! We are not finished yet, there is more indexing yet to be done.

            We are starting to take pictures in various counties in Indiana using a contractor because we do not want to slow down the effort. While we normally work with volunteers, they are not allowed to serve at this point in time because of COVID.

            We are starting in Miami, Shelby, Howard, Wayne, Switzerland, Sullivan, Clay, Newton, Jasper, Starke, Knox,  and Boone counties. We hope the local county society members will be able to assist in doing the document preparation work in these counties.

            Please let me know if you have any questions.

 Thank you,

 

 John de Jong, AG®

North America Multi Area Manager, Records Access Division, FamilySearch

Office phone: 801-240-0261

Email: jdejong@familysearch.org

Were Your Female Ancestors Suffrage Activists?

Maybe your ladies were on the front lines--take a look here.

 

Interesting Virtual Irish Workshop, Sept. 18-20

 

R.I.P. Clay County Genealogist Joyce Oehler

The Indiana Genealogical Society regrets to announce the passing of our Clay County Genealogist Joyce Oehler. She will be missed in our genealogy community.

 

     Joyce Johnston Oehler, 94, of Brazil and formerly of Terre Haute, passed away Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at Westminster.
Joyce was born April 6, 1926 in Terre Haute to Alfred Thomas and Geneva Carter Thomas. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Brazil and enjoyed family genealogy as well as being a Clay County Genealogist. 

     She was a graduate of Indiana State Teachers College now known at Indiana State University where she was Homecoming Queen in 1946. She was a member P.E.O, Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames and a lifetime member of the Vigo County Historical Society.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Joe Thomas; and husbands, Judge H. Ralph Johnston in 1969 and Robert F. Oehler in 1996. She is survived by daughters, Christina Hann (Lewis) of Torrance, CA, and Cynthia Finley (Steve) of Plano, TX. She is survived by one son, Hal Johnston and his wife Geri of Terre Haute. She is survived by one sister, Jane Gore (Brian Greene) of Valdosta, GA. She is survived by six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
 

     Private services are planned. Greiner Funeral Home, 2005 North 13th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47804 were entrusted with arrangements. Pastor Gary Scroggins will be officiating. The family has suggested that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Vigo County Historical Society. Online condolences may be made at:
www.greinerfuneralhome.com

State Archives Now Open...With Conditions

 

Western Wayne County Society Moves

[Copied from the FGS Forum news magazine.]

Look Into Your Irish Folks, Bloomington, March 11

2020 Genealogy Workshop Series, DAR, Beech Grove, IN

Query: WW2 Uniform Item, St. Joseph County

Hello.

             I am a French historian from Normandy. Sharon Whetstone from Old Jail Museum gave me your address.

            I found recently a WW2 military trouser with a name and a serial number written on : "Gilmer" It was Howard R Gilmer, coming from St Joseph County, Indiana. I’ve seen you have some Gilmer on your city... Maybe some of his descendants ?

            Could you help me to contact them or to have more information about this man ?

Thank you.

Mathieu Delamotte.

delamottemathieu50480@gmail.com

CIDIG (Central Indiana DNA Interest Group) Upcoming Events

Central Indiana DNA Interest Group has the following DNA events scheduled for February and March. Information can be found at www.CIDIG.org.  Event registration URL's also listed below.  .

Saturday, February 22, 2020; Hamilton East Public Library - Fishers, IN; 10 - 11:30 am

Topic:  Working Your DNA Matches at 23andMe 

Andrea Ackermann will discuss how to get the most out of your DNA Relatives Match list on 23andMe, including how to organize matches, trace shared DNA segments, and customize your profile in order to get responses from your genetic cousins. Event is free.  https://cidig.org/news/

Saturday, March 7, 2020; Johnson County Public Library - White River Branch, Greenwood, IN; 10 am - 12 noon

Topic:  DNA Discussion Goup

Denise Anderson-Decina will moderate a discussion on "When Your DNA Results Don't Match Your Genealogy Research".  Share your experiences with discovering and resolving surprise or unknown DNA matches.  Event is free; register for the event at:

https://www.pageafterpage.org/find-programs-and-events

Saturday, March 14, 2020; Indiana State Library; Indianapolis, IN; by appointment only

DNA One-on-One Consultations.  Free 20-minute consultations.  Reservations required.  Email requests for appointments by Friday, March 6 to CIDNAgroup@gmail.com

Please include a brief description of your question and a summary of your DNA testing.

Saturday, March 21, 2020; Anderson Public Library, Anderson, IN; 1 - 4:30 pm

Topic:  DNA Workshop

Central Indiana DNA Interest Group speakers Ann Raymont, Angela Guntz, and Steven Frank will present a DNA Workshop covering the basics of DNA testing and genetic genealogy.  Participants will learn about the types of tests and different companies, how to understand and interpret results, and how to use the results to help solve mysteries in their own genealogy research.  Event is free.

Register at:  http://andersonlibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=14673&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2020/03/01

Saturday, March 28, 2020; Hamilton East Public Library - Noblesville, IN; 9am - 12 noon

Topic:  One-on-One DNA Consultations

CIDIG DNA experts will be providing free 20-minute one-on-one consultations on DNA questions.  To sign up for a consultation, please send an email to:  cidnagroup@gmail.com.  Please include a brief description of your question and a summary of your DNA testing.

Please let me know if you have any questions about these events. 

Thanks, Denise Anderson-Decina

d.anderson.decina@gmail.com

317-372-6382 cell

Palatines Spring Meeting, Indianapolis, March 14

Free German Handwriting Workshop, Indianapolis, Feb 22.

Query: 8th Street Christian Church, Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana

Is it possible to find out what happened to a church in Muncie, Indiana?  It was the 8th Street Christian Church. It was there in 1899 but not now. Maybe it was renamed and moved somewhere? I have tried the Delaware Historical Society but have not received an answer. 

Thank you

Muta Keel

muta@midco.net

505 20th St SW

Minot ND, 58701

Query: James Albert Logsdon, Hammond, Lake County

I am looking for any information on James Albert Logsdon, born January 8, 1920. H was found dead in Hammond, Indiana in 1992.

Thank you.

Bill Logsdon

blogsdon@windstream.net

Query: Nathan and Mary Wyatt, Jackson Township, DeKalb County

I am still fairly new to genealogical research . . starting a little over a year ago and I am looking for any IGS members that may have researched Nathan & Mary Wyatt.  I have done a surname search on the IGS website and Wyatt did not show up. The Wyatt's were early settlers of Jackson Township, DeKalb County.  Also, looking for researchers of James Pratt & Ann Wyatt Plummer.  (James was the first school teacher in Jackson Township and is the brother of Luther Thomas Martin Plummer, whose wife and child were kidnapped by Comanche at Fort Parker, Texas - the movie “The Searchers” starring John Wayne is based on this incident).

My connection: Nathan and Mary Wyatt are my 4x great grandparents and James P and Ann are my 3x great grandparents.  I would like to learn more about these individuals. I have traveled to DeKalb County, and found James P Plummer’s grave. Up until then, it wasn’t listed on Findagrave nor on Ancestry – it is now. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.  

Thank you for your time.

Joyce Hemphill

Rosen.hemphill@gmail.com

Query: Birth Record Information, Marion County, Indiana

Looking for information where I can get a Marion County birth record/certificate for 1893.  I see where the WPA indexed in certain counties, but not Marion County.

Can someone guide me to the correct place or website?

Thank you,

Elena Derbique

Tom-Elena@msn.com

QUERY: Howard Andrew Pinson Smith, Vigo/Vermillion County, Indiana

My father, Howard Andrew Pinson Smith was born May 11, 1906 to Roy Harrington SMITH and Ethel Mae (or Mae Ethel) Pinson. I have been trying to find a record of his birth. Many years ago he told me he was born in Libertyville (Vigo Co) but others in the family thought that he and all of his siblings were born in Clinton (Vermillion Co). He was the first child born to this couple and when they married she had been living in Clinton and he in Libertyville. It occurred to me that perhaps his mother went "home" to her parents who may have been living in Edgar Co Illinois at the time of his birth. Several years ago, I called both Vigo County and Vermillion County offices and both told me there was no record of his birth. Would it serve any purpose to visit the county clerk’s offices in those locations? I would appreciate any help that can be provided.

Patricia L. Smith Deutsch

5905 Seward Park Ave South

Seattle, WA 98118

pldeutsch44@gmail.com

Query: Hazel A Webb, Indiana

Looking for adoption details for my great-grandmother "Hazel A. Webb" adopted in Indiana by John H. Webb and Amelia A. Webb (Kommers), they were 48 and 42 years old respectively. They lived in Chicago. Hazel appears on the 1910 census as aged 1 year old adopted, mother born in France and father born in Ireland.

I have run into many dead ends and hope someone might be able to help me.

Thank you

Channa Leigh

mcgoingsfam@icloud.com

Query: William Wilson Plummer, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana

William Wilson Plummer, born 26 March 1869 in Greenford, Indiana (?). (I have his death certificate) lived most of his life in Evansville, Indiana. I'm looking for information on his birth to find his parents who are yet unknown to us.  He was married to Mary A Hefner and their children are: Ralph William and Margaret Theresa Plummer.

Thank you for any help or suggestions on where to search.

Cindy Plummer

liquid616@gmail.com

27902 County Highway O

Richland Center, WI 53581

Query: Ella Jane White, Spencer/Franklin Twp., Owen County, Indiana

I am trying to find information about my great-grandmother, Ella Jane White born 18 June 1858 in Indiana, died 24 May 1892 in Northfield, Dakota County, Minnesota.  I show her parents as Martin Richard White and Mary Ella Major however a genealogist suggests that her parents may well have been William T. and Mary White.  Ella is shown in the 1880 Census with her brother Patrick and living with their grandparents, George and Nancy Major in Castle Rock, Dakota County, Minnesota.  Patrick's obituary on a public Ancestry.com tree claimed he was born 29 October 1861 at Spencer, Owen County, Indiana, and came to Castle Rock when he was 15 years old (1875 or 1876).  The conclusion was that Ellen and Patrick White lived in Franklin, Owen County, Indiana in 1870 in the household of Patrick and Nancy White, with Martin and Mary White. 

Can you please help me find birth or death information for Ella and her brother Patrick as well as their parents? 

Thanks! 

Dee Eva 

dee@deeeva.com 

650-368-4800

1021 Arlington Road

Redwood City CA 94062-1850

Query: Land Records for James M Crabb Sr, Parke and Clay County, Indiana

I am a direct descendant of James M. Crabb, Sr of Bridgeton, Indiana.  I have been researching my Crabb family for over 20 years.  Recently I decided to review the relationships of the people buried in the Crabb Cemetery in Bridgeton, IN (Cemetery Record Number CR-61-105—Crabb).  I was always of the belief that the Crabb Cemetery was located on property owned by my 2nd Great-grandfather James M. Crabb, Sr. (1791, VA-1858, Bridgeton, IN) and that the Cemetery was located on his land in Section 28.  A posting in Find A Grave states that it is located in section 29.  To confirm, I researched all of the land owned by my ancestor and could not find any land owned in section 29.  James owned two sections of land in section 28 (registered 09/1835 and (10/1840) for a total of 120 acres), 33 (40 acres-1837), 34 (80 acres) and 36 (40 acres) totaling 280 acres for all four parcels.  He gave 80 acres to my Great–grandfather Edward Ralph Crabb, Sr. (1815-1890) his son.  The first person buried in the cemetery was an infant son, born to James and Margret Crabb, who died during birth on June 6, 1834.  I have a photo of the child’s headstone which documents his death which appears to have happened over a year before James owned the land in Section 28. 

My question: Do you have any documentation for the ownership of the land in section 29 in 1834? I have two different section maps which support the above information but neither is dated. I found another purchase for a James Crabb in section 2 for 83 ¼ acres but I am not certain of this purchase as it is in Clay county.

Your help would be greatly appreciated,

Barb DeMarco (nee Crabb)

barb@tdemarco.com

3154 Olympic Blvd. W.

University Place, WA

Query: Isaiah Tharp, Spencer County, Indiana

I am researching Isaiah Tharp who died in 1874. He supposedly settled in Rockport, Indiana, from Virginia. I was told he was half Indian from a historian in 1997. I was wondering if there are any records historically in Rockport, Indiana that may indicate he was Indian. Thank you.

Dennis O. Case

Docase753@gmail.com

1040 S 1100 E Unit 65

St. George, UT 84790

Query: Nancy Katherine Coleman, Posey County, Indiana

I am looking for information on my great-grandmother, Nancy Katherine Coleman. She was born in April 1861 in Posey County, Indiana.  She married John Preston Robinson about 1800.  I have not been able to identify her parents and previous generations.

Thank you for your help!

georgia

gchagala@cox.net

Query: John Randolph Smalley Sr., Allen County, Indiana

I am searching for a birth record for my great-grandfather John Randolph Smalley, Sr. According to his death certificate (August 15, 1944, Bedford, Cuyahoga, Ohio), he was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on September 1, 1864. The informant was one of his married daughters. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Barbara Gorham Johnson

gorhamgen@gmail.com

3860 Summersun ST

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

QUERY: Orville Edward Miller, Wayne and Marion County, Indiana

I am having a hard time locating information on my great grandfather, Orville Edward Miller, born March 8, 1897, in Richmond, Indiana. He was placed in the home (orphanage) in Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Also, I am looking for information on his parents and I believe he had sister Viola. Mr. John Shine (Inspector) signed for him to go in the service on August 31, 1914.  I would appreciate any information or where I need to search or contact.

Thank you for your time!

Cherie Cunningham

cherie-gain57@comcast.net

515 Anthony place

Canton GA 30114

Query: Daniel Shea (or Shay) , Marion County, Indiana

I am looking for birth and burial information on Daniel Shea (or Shay), born in Ireland (birth date unknown), and died in Indianapolis on July 10, 1864 (killed in a fight). Also information on Daniel's wife Catherine--especially her death and/or burial.  She probably died before 1870 in Indianapolis.

I would also like to find him and his family (wife Catherine, daughter Margaret, and possibly an additional daughter Catherine) in the 1860 census, presumably in Indianapolis.  Apparently the enumerator wrote the surname so as to be illegible.  I have tried every sort of wild card search I can think of, to no avail.

Thank you,

Mary Campbell

scotia8@msn.com

7715 Euclid Ave NE

Albuquerque, NM 87110

Query: Charles Rolf, Floyd County, Indiana

I'm looking for information on my dad’s great grandfather, Charles Rolf (middle name may be Herman). He was born in Germany, about 1837, and he lived in New Albany, Indiana, and his wife was Bridget Mullen.

They had a son, Herman Charles Rolf, born in 1859, in New Albany and died in 1948, in Muncie, Indiana. Herman had a son, Joseph Rolf, who was my grandfather.  My dad's name was Leo Rolf and all lived in Muncie.

I am stuck and cannot find anything about Charles & Bridget and would love to determine anything about them, including how they came to the US.

Thank you so much!

Julie Rolf Shroyer

julieashroyer@gmail.com