Pope County Musuem.... Minnesota Research Resource

As a genealogist from Minnesota, I take great pride in the many resources our state has in place to aide researchers! Many, like the death index, are very well known, but many many others are not.

So I've decided to spotlight a few of the lesser known greats here, in hopes that I can connect someone with a tool they can use! Since Saturdays are good days to do genealogy (at least for us workingfolks), I decided to post these links then.

 

While you won't find much in the way of actual data (transcribed records, etc.), the Pope County Museum appears to be a very well organized and put together place! The website if full of information and will certain show you much of what they have to offer... And the blog is a fun, interactive way to be part of their local history and on goings!  I don't even have roots from that area, and I spent a lot time reading and clicking through their links! 

 

Pope County Museum

http://www.popecountyhistory.com/index.html

 

Pope County Museum -- Museum Musings

http://popecountymuseum.wordpress.com/

 

If you have any connection to Pope County, I suggest taking a look at both of these sites... You'll be happy you did!

 

Happy Hunting

Lost Bible... Amund Olesen Flo of Rapidan, Minnesota

I purchased this Norwegian[?] bible at an auction recently.

There was so much writing in the front & back covers that I had to rescue this book, since it went for only $15.00.

**According to a response from Cliff posted below, this appears to be a bible belonging to the family of Amund Olesen Flo, who was from the Stryn Parish in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.  By 1900 they were residing near Rapidan, in Blue Earth County, MN. See the below comment section for the rest of what Cliff had to say.

Of course, I don't understand Norwegian... so I can't really make out any of the information that's written... I'd love to reunite this book with a family member!

Or if anyone out there can read the pages... it'd be great to have a translation of what is written

 [update- It would appear that this is actually in Norwegian, not Danish, as I originally thought... or was told at the auction. I have made a few updates to this post to reflect the information I received from Cliff, below]

***Update- 2014, this bible was reunited with a Flo descendant living near the original Flo home in Norway***

Early Indexes- Sherburne Co, Minnesota

As a genealogist from Minnesota, I take great pride in the many resources our state has in place to aide researchers! Many, like the death index, are very well known, but many many others are not.

So I've decided to spotlight a few of the lesser known greats here, in hopes that I can connect someone with a tool they can use! Since Saturdays are good days to do genealogy (at least for us working folks), I decided to post these links then.

Sherburne County

Birth
http://www.sherburnehistorycenter.org/birtha.html

Marriage
http://www.sherburnehistorycenter.org/marr.html

Death
http://www.sherburnehistorycenter.org/death.html


These early indexes area  great online resource! And while here, I'd follow some other links and check out the holdings that the History Center has to offer... it looks like a well organized & put together place!

Weerts... My own neglected Surname

It seems funny that after 20 years of genealogy research, my own surname is one I’ve researched the least. Weerts… it is not a common name… German is its origin, though my line comes from Ostfriesland, near the Dutch border.  And besides Weerts, I have Kanngiesser, Funk, Benson, & Kruse surnames that I'd like to pursue....

 

 

One of the other drawbacks is that my family only came to the United States in 1892. Making my Father only the second US born Weerts generation; his Grandfather being only 6 years old at the time of immigration.

 

So, in the beginning it was quite easy to document the family of my Great-Great Grandparents & their 10 children. But it didn’t take long before I was just maintaining births, marriages, divorces and death for the family… not very exciting… and certainly not pedigree expanding research!

 

Years ago,  I was in contact with a cousin who still lived in Germany—he provided some information and even visited here a few times.  As is often the case—we’ve lost touch.

 

The idea of German research can be daunting – I don’t speak the language – and online research is stymied because it appears the Lutheran records of my family are not as nicely indexed and shared as other records.

 

Another frustration – my Great-Great Grandmother was “adopted” – the circumstances of which are a complete mystery. Elizabeth Funk was born 17 September 1862 in Petkum, Ostfriesland, Germany -- I believe Funk to be her adopted name – and have seen her also referred to as Elizabeth Benson – which I take to be her birth name.  Her 1884 marriage to Herman “Harm” Ludolf Weerts is also undocumented.

 

My immigrant Grandfather was Herman “Harm” Ludolf Weerts born 29 November 1864 in Petkum, Ostfreisland, Germany, the son of Ludolf Weerts (1834-1897) & Helena Kruse. The children of Ludolf & Helena include: Foelke, Antje, Harm, Wiegert, Ludolf, and Wilke.

 

Ludolf Weerts was the son of Jann Jurgens Weerts & Antje Kanngiesser. Information on these older lines is floating around Ancestry, though the sources remain unclear to me.

 

And because I know so little about these people, my research is drab... heck, even this posting is dull! But I don't have anything interesting little tidbits to spruce this up.... so I apologize that it feels rather clinical...but I digress.

 

I wish I was a whiz at German research, but I'm not comfortable with it... and I'm still not even sure how to go about trying to find the records I could really use to further my research... like the 1884 marriage of my Great-Great Grandparents, for one.....

 

I’d love to connect with anyone else researching the Weerts name… or the female lines that married into the family. German cousins still residing in Germany would be an added treat!  And the mysterious "adopted" Grandma is another female ancestor whose pedigree I would enjoy furthering.

 

Mystery Photo Sunday... Winnebago, Minnesota

Mystery Photo Sunday

I have such a large photo archive... of both relative & non-relative photos... that I've decided to do a weekly spotlight of one the 'mystery photos' in my possession.

This nice wedding portrait was taken in Winnebago, Faribault County, Minnesota.... I have no idea who they could be... they are no connection to me, I actually purchased the photo for a few dollars, hoping I might one day ID this couple!
 

Hubbard County, Minnesota-- Cemetery Records

As a genealogist from Minnesota, I take great pride in the many resources our state has in place to aide researchers! Many, like the death index, are very well known, but many many others are not.

So I've decided to spotlight a few of the lesser known greats here, in hopes that I can connect someone with a tool they can use! Since Saturdays are good days to do genealogy (at least for us working folks), I decided to post these links then.

Hubbard County

Cemeteries

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mnhubbar/Cemeteries.htm


There is a nice listing of the cemeteries in Hubbard County, and a bunch of transcribed cemeteries there as well!

A great research aid to anyone with roots in this county!

Mystery Photo Sunday... Southern Minnesota

Mystery Photo Sunday

I have such a large photo archive... of both relative & non-relative photos... that I've decided to do a weekly spotlight of one the 'mystery photos' in my possession.

This very nice photo, is almost certainly a family portrait...

The middle aged parents with their 6 fine looking children.....

I bought it at a garage sale, because I liked the frame it was in... but have held onto the photo for a few years now, hoping somehow I might return it to someone who would treasure it.

The photo was purchased in Southern Minnesota... but that certainly doesn't mean it was taken here... or that the subjects lived here.... The photo was trimmed away from the cardboard folder, so there isn't even a photographers name/city stamped on it.

Hopefully someday, someone will recognize this family...

I wish it was mine!

Organization... a dirty word in my genealogy world...

[I originally began this entry over a month ago... but my progress was so slow, I put off the completion and posting until now...]

Last night [almost 2 months ago...] I heard a terrible crash and sound of breaking glass from my study/office. Upon investigating, I found that one of my many precarious book stacks had fallen over (thank you gravity)... and unfortunately, landed on a bunch of picture frames I had dragged out of a cabinet the other day... and of course left out all over the floor (well, actually the floor was buried, so I left them on top of piles of stuff)... so anyway, the books broke some of the picture frame glass (nothing important, so no tears).... But still messy. Ugh.
 

So today, I have managed to pick up glass, gather up frames, and restack said books. And now I'm on a quest to find one of the 3 pair of scissors I own, that have all disappeared... swallowed up by office clutter.
 
I had taken a photo of the "accident" to post with this, but decided the humiliation of claiming that disaster area as my own was too much... so your imagination will have to do (and I assure you, it will be far kinder than reality!).
But I digress... and am off to find one of my scissors! 
 
[fast forward 7 weeks]

Organization… something all genealogists strive for… yet many fail to accomplish! The fellow genealogists in my life have all heard me talk of “trying to get organized” for ages! [My cousin Jamey could say Years!]    And I know I’m not alone~

The sad/frustrating part is, once upon a time ago—I was incredibly organized! Which was no small feat, because I am a “paper genealogist” – printing forms & charts and creating binders with actual, tangible documents, photos, etc.  Of course, way back then, my binders & file folders were all organized and up-to-date as well!

Fast forward a few years – I took a couple of years off from active research – and basically just collected new data – without really organizing and keeping on top of the new stuff I acquired. Fast forward a few more years and the data collecting continued – and add in a computer crash [and total loss of data], a move to a new home [Hello, office chaos!] , and other projects & responsibilities that put research on a low priority…. [sigh]
 

Now today—the realization that enough is enough – I can no longer tolerate the home office/study that is in such disarray, that it is left totally non-functioning. And the desire to re-examine old brick walls & other lines is hampered by the lack of organization.

So, I’ve been sorting, organizing, filing, purging, and otherwise making some headway in my quest to be the organized superstar I once was!  But it sure is a daunting task to overhaul 20+ years of research! Ugh. Of course, a bonus part of sorting through mounds of papers, sheet by sheet, is that you find all of this great stuff you had forgotten about!  So now, not only am I now filing these items correctly, I have a notebook where I’ve been jotting down notes regarding items I want to research further….  I’m trying not to get waylaid from organizing by new research quests… That’s the carrot keep dangling in front of myself… my reward for finally ‘getting the job done’!

New Bookcase, already loaded with books
that previously lived on the floor

 

It’s no secret, lack of organization is unhealthy for people—the chaos is stressful and wastes many hours of a one’s life ‘trying to find stuff’. Lucky for me, I have the skills and a system that previously worked for me [when I used it] – and finally have what’s been missing for years now – Motivation!

I’ve read articles on organizing genealogy – pursued other blogs posts – and joined a great Facebook group “The Organized Genealogist” which is full of folks who are motivated to be organized and share ideas and dilemmas with one another. If organization skills & ideas are an interest to you… you might think of joining the group! I know you will be amazed at all of the ideas, as I am!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/organizedgenealogist/
This link will get you right to the page!

And now, as of today, I have organized enough that I am even ready to change furniture (already swapped out to old bookcases for two nice sleek new ones)... and picked up paint swatches to decide on new color for the walls! Woo Hoo!  Progress

Minnesota Research Resource... Anoka County

As a genealogist from Minnesota, I take great pride in the many resources our state has in place to aide researchers! Many, like the death index, are very well known, but many many others are not.

So I've decided to spotlight a few of the lesser known greats here, in hopes that I can connect someone with a tool they can use! Since Saturdays are good days to do genealogy (at least for us working folks), I decided to post these links then.

Anoka County

There are really very few resources online for Anoka County... Both the Historical Society & Genealogical Society have websites...

Anoka County Historical Society
http://anokacountyhistory.org/

Anoka County Genealogical Society
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~relativememory/

If you have relatives from Anoka County, or have research interests there, I'd suggest you have a looksee at what they have to offer.... Anyone local might find some of the classes the Genealogical Society offers of interest.

If anyone knows of other Anoka County resources, feel free to add them in the comment section!

My Ancestors were Slave owners... Among other things

Yes… my ancestors owned people – as early settlers of Kentucky, they were slave owners… And while I realize that this is a fact of history, I still find it somewhat disturbing when reading the will of a fore bearer and listed among the pots, pans, and furnishings is a “Negro Woman named Peg”.

Unfortunately, this branch of my family is one I’m not well researched or informed on – so I don’t know what their beliefs were regarding slavery – or the Civil War. Also, my direct ancestors ended up leaving Kentucky for Missouri – and I don’t know much about them during the 1840-1860 time frame, or even if they maintained their "slave holdings" up to that point.

Personally, I’d love it if they were vehement abolitionists but since they were slave owners who went on to will their slaves to other family members – it goes without saying they were in favor of slavery.

So I’ve become curious as to the lives of these people my family owned – I hope they were treated well – and at what point, if any, were they freed?

And I’ve also wondered what happened to them after they became free – what their lives were like (though I can imagine) and also what their descendants are up to today… and what, if anything, they know about their history.

While reading the will of one slave owning Grandfather, I noticed among the "inventory", some younger slave women & their "mulatto" children. There is, without a doubt, a strong likelihood that these "mulattoes" were fathered by members of my ancestors household. While not uncommon, it adds another dimension to the story.

If I had fewer genealogy quests and the knowledge on how to begin, I’d be tempted to try and research these people, and find some answers. I see their names listed on inventory lists – and I feel a connection -- and sense of wondering --  though even if I did find descendants of these slaves today… I don’t know how I would even approach them… “Hi, I’m Nick… My family used to own yours… And I think we actually may be blood kin...”

Has anyone else experienced this research issue? Have you ever delved into slave research? What about groups documenting slave history? I’m sure they must be out there….

Metamora & Pekin, Illinois... Mystery Photo Sunday...

Mystery Photo Sunday

I have such a large photo archive... of both relative & nonrelative photos... that I've decided to do a weekly spotlight of one the 'mystery photos' in my possession.

 

 

 

 

 

This photo was taken in the areas around Pekin & Metamora, Illinois... the man seated on the right front (not the groom) is William Weber... I assume that either the bride or groom is related somehow to the Weber or Krumholz families that lived in rural Woodford, Tazewell, and Peoria Counties.

 

Everyone in the photo, other than William is unknown to me... but I'd love to be able to ID the rest of these folks, who are likely relatives!

Minnesota Research Resource--- Updated Marriage Index

As a genealogist from Minnesota, I take great pride in the many resources our state has in place to aide researchers! Many, like the death index, are very well known, but many many others are not.

So I've decided to spotlight a few of the lesser known greats here, in hopes that I can connect someone with a tool they can use! Since Saturdays are good days to do genealogy (at least for us working folks), I decided to post these links then.

Minnesota Official Marriage System

The State of Minnesota now recognizes the legality of same sex marriage, and the state wide marriage index has now been updated and will include those marriages as well.

The index format and website layout has changed slightly... If you previously bookmarked the website, you may need to update your bookmarks.... and if you have Minnesota relatives and have yet to check out the site, please do!Minnesota Official Marriage System