• Tips & Opinions

    Winnie the Pooh on Genealogy #2

    As I have mentioned before, it never ceases to surprise me how much Winnie the Pooh knows about life, genealogy included. I searched and found the following quotes and they just seemed to be very insightful. I hope you find them so as well. “Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down-stairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.” — Winnie the Pooh “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best…

  • ManyRoads,  Site

    Milestone Event

    ManyRoads achieved a significant milestone during the month of July 2010. Over 5000 of you visited our site! Thank you! We hope to see you here often. Please know that if there is information or improvements you wish to share, we are eager to hear from you. Do not hesitate to use our contact page to get in touch with us.

  • Education

    Genealogy Courses and Certificates (Tuition)

    This list of Genealogy Courses & Certificates is by no means complete. If you know of certifications or courseware that you think should be on ManyRoads please use our contact page or email me directly. If you have comments to share on any of these they are also most appreciated. Boston University: Certificate in Genealogical Research Developed in collaboration with nationally recognized experts, the Certificate in Genealogical Research is ideal for those who wish to develop the knowledge and skills essential to conducting quality genealogical assignments. The Center for Professional Education offers both classroom-based and online multi-week Genealogical Research Certificate Programs. The classroom program, offered on Saturdays at our Boston…

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  • Civil War,  Henss,  Iowa

    John & Isabella (Solomon) Musgrove Family- a brief history

    John & Isabella (Solomon) Musgrove are in the Henss branch of our family lineage. We are in search of additional information and photos regarding John & Isabella that may be available. We are especially keen to find military information (for John’s service and death), gravestone images, marriage documentation and death certificates. Please use our contact page if you have any information to share. John Musgrove is one of our family’s honored war dead. He died in the service of his nation from wounds he suffered at Vicksburg, MS. 1850 The 1850 US Census finds the Musgrove family living in Livingston, Clark County, Illinois. At that time, John was a farmer…

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  • Henss

    Isaac Wade and Keziah (Musgrove) Allen- a brief history

    Isaac W. and Keziah Allen are in our Henss family lineage. We are in search of additional information and photos regarding Keziah and Isaac Wade  that may be available.  We are especially keen to find gravestone images, marriage documentation and death certificates. Please use our contact page if you have any information to share. 1870 According to the 1870 US Census, Issac Allen (reportedly born in Ohio was age 25) and Keziah (reportedly born in Illinois was age 21) were living with their daughter Cora Belle Allen in Mt. Pleasant, Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa. Issac was earning a living as a blacksmith and Keziah was noted as Keeping house.…

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  • Tips & Opinions,  Tools

    Here today…gone tomorrow

    Grab the data while you can.  I guess that is what every online genealogist needs to have as their motto these days. Today I uploaded a very useful (helpful) WordPress plugin called: Broken Link Checker– It checks your blog for broken links and missing images and notifies you on the dashboard if any are found. Well much to my dismay and surprise when I installed and ran the plugin, it found nearly 175 out of 1055 links ManyRoads to be broken or redirected.  That seemed like a lot to me.  I had been running several ‘free’ services to check my site for broken links and every week; they were reporting…

  • Henss,  Pennsylvania,  Quakers

    Robert & Jane (Vaughan) Owen- 1684

    Robert Owen, of Dolserau, came over in the ship Vine, of Liverpool, sailing from Dolyserre, near Dolgules, Merioneth, with his wife, Jane, son Lewis, and a servant boy and four maid servants, and arrived at Philadelphia in Sep. 1684. He had been a Justice of the Peace at Dolserau, near Dolgelly, (and near Bala), Where he was incarcerated five years in the jail because he was a Quaker. He had been the Governor of Beaumaris, and became a Quaker about 1660. When he came over here, he settled on Duck Creek, in New Castle Co., where his son, Edward Owen, who had come over earlier, in Hugh Roberts’s party, in…

  • Help Wanted,  Henss

    John Hall- Revolutionary Mysteries

    I am currently working on a portion of the Henss family and am ‘visiting’ Virginia/ Maryland at the time of the Revolutionary War. The person I am closely examining is a Mister John Hall; his wife is Mary Magdelene Smith. I just love it when the names are so incredibly unique! So here goes, I have three mysteries! Please use our Contact page to let me know if you have any firm data or information to help solve these! Mystery 1 I found a document (located in the National Archives) addressed to ‘some guy’ named George Washington. The document is transcribed as the following in Letters to Washington and Accompanying…

  • Active Research,  Henss

    Keziah Hall (Musgrove)

    Keziah Hall (Musgrove) 1782 In her father’s Will of 1794, Keziah, his youngest child, was given ‘one Negroe Girl named Patt at my wifes death Likewise one Feather Bed & Cow & Calf.’ Since her mother lived to 1833, it is problematical that she ever received her slave. She may have received the bedding and livestock as wedding presents. Keziah, named for her aunt Keziah (Banks) Hall wife of Hezekiah, d. 1811, was married to Benjamin Barton Musgrove 15 December, 1796 at the age of 14. In spite of her youthful marriage, Keziah, according to a family descendant, ‘was quite a woman!’ She was to have a family of twelve…

  • Civil War,  Henss

    25th Iowa Volunteer Infantry- Civil War

    What follows is a brief history of the Civil War Unit in which John Musgrove 3. Sgt. fought and died. A brief visual tour of the Iowa 25th at Vicksburg is also available online on a National Parks website. source 25th Regiment Infantry Organized at Mount Pleasant and mustered in September 27, 1862. Ordered to Helena, Ark., November. Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Missouri, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Tennessee, December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 11th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps, Dept. Tennessee, December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Sherman’s Yazoo Expedition, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Army…

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  • Henss

    Isaac & Jackson Allen Family History in 1888

    Source[ref] ManyRoads Iowa Library see p.334 Original Text: Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Iowa, and of the Presidents of the United States. Chicago: Acme Pub., 1888. Print.[/ref] ISAAC W. ALLEN Of Henry Co., Iowa, he resides on Sect. 9, Jefferson Twp., and is engaged in farming. Jackson Allen, father of our subject, came with his family from Clarke Co., OH, in October 1846, and located in Henry County, and filed a claim upon land one mile south of where Wayland now stands.…

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  • Education,  Tools

    Free Genealogy Forms, Software, etc.

    Genealogy “Free Stuff”! revised: 18 April 2015 10 July 2016 13 Jan 2018 Free Genealogy Forms, Clip Art, Books, and more Family tree templates are only available through a few select websites. Usually you have to have a membership to receive free printable blank family trees or purchase each family tree chart individually. Here you’ll find high quality charts that you can print on your home printer or take them to a professional print shop and print them on heavy or over-sized paper. Ancestry.com: Start with Paper and Pencil -Maybe you’re not ready to bring your research to the computer just yet. As great as Ancestry.com is, sometimes there’s no…

  • ManyRoads,  Services,  Tools

    Technology for Genealogy

    Are you looking to establish a web presence for your genealogy work? Do you want to communicate more effectively to a diverse audience that is geographically dispersed? Communicating your genealogical facts to friends and family can be both rewarding and important. At eirenicon and ManyRoads, we pride ourselves in the quality and professionalism of our websites.  Hopefully, you can appreciate the results of our more than 40 years of software and web development experience on our site here. If you would like to have a ‘affordable’ genealogy website built using techniques and ‘Created with Free Software ‘ technology like those you see on ManyRoads, we are very happy to help. …

  • ManyRoads,  Services

    Personalized Genalogical Research Services

    ManyRoads (part of eirenicon llc) is excited to announce our personalized, professional genealogical research services. Our areas of focus historically have been on those areas were we have researched for our own family genealogy and family history including: East & West Prussia (pre-1947; we have special expertise in the area formerly known as Kreis Elbing and Freie Stadt Danzig) the Lost German Eastern Provinces (regions) Shoah – Holocaust Research Quebec (especially in the areas of Quebec City and Montreal down to Vermont/ New York) New York State (especially in the Champlain Valley to Canada) Iowa (especially in Henry, Des Moines and Washington Counties) If you are desirous of a more…

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  • Education

    Genealogy Webinars & Online TV- Free!

    In keeping with my theme on Free Genealogical ‘education’; here are some webinars and Web TV no-cost options. If there are others you would recommend I list, please use our Contact page to let me know, or leave a Comment. Webinars NEHGS Online Seminar Series. Lectures are presented by our staff of genealogists. We offer new seminars on a regular basis so please check back frequently for updates. Ancestry.com Webinars: There is no cost to register for webinars. Audience members may arrive 15 minutes before scheduled webinars. Archived Webinars below contain actual video and may be viewed at any time at no cost.  

  • Education

    Free Genealogy Podcasts & Internet Radio

    Below are some of the Internet’s most popular genealogical ‘broadcasts’. Please use our contact page if there are other podcasts or Internet Radio programs you would like to see listed here. Podcasts Dick Eastman offers “radio broadcast” (podcast) interviews of many of the world’s leading genealogy experts (on the world’s most popular genealogy BLOG). “The Genealogy Guys” are two avid genealogists (George G. Morgan and Drew Smith) who host a weekly chat. The podcast includes news of the genealogy community, book and software reviews, guest interviews, and a lot of fun chat. This link will take to the Apple iTunes site where a listing of their podcasts is maintained. Anna-Karins…

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  • Henss,  Iowa

    Wenger Bros. – Wayland, Iowa

    original source: by Dick Barton Wenger Bros., general merchants. The most enterprising firm of young men in the village of Wayland are the brothers, Joseph and Christian C. Wenger, both born in Washington County, Iowa, and are the two eldest sons of Christian and Elizabeth (Goldsmith) Wenger. Christian was born in Switzerland and is a son of Christian and Mary (Roth) Wenger, who emigrated from Germany to Hamburg, Canada, and thence to Washington County, Iowa, making the journey with a team passing through Chicago when that now great city was a village but a trifle larger than Wayland. Settling in 1832, in Marion Township, Washington Co., Iowa, the grandsire of…

  • Vintage School Room
    Education,  Tips & Opinions

    Hundreds of Free Genealogy Courses

    For those wishing to learn ‘more’ on how to conduct Genealogical research, acquaint themselves with the basics, or just see ‘how things are done’; there are numerous sources of on-line training. Hopefully you will find these Free courses to be of value as you develop your skills, knowledge, and genealogical information. About.com Introduction to Genealogy Course- a free online, interactive, genealogy class designed to teach you all the basics of genealogy! Family history lessons, optional homework assignments, and a forum for asking questions and getting feedback are all part of the fun and learning. Run by a professional genealogist. Familysearch.org The Family History Library Catalog Overview Learn more about the…

  • Europe,  Henss,  Mennonites

    Swiss Mennonite History

    From The European History of the Swiss Mennonites from Volhynia Schrag, Martin H 1956 source web document The early Anabaptists were educated and urban–but the persecution drove them from the cities and towns to the remote and relatively inaccessible highlands and mountain fringes of the fertile areas of the Canton Bern. Here they hid and persisted in spite of persecution, through the centuries to the present time. Persecution, of varying intensity, was the lot of the Swiss Anabaptists (Mennonites) until the middle of the eighteenth century. During the intense periods of persecution many, perhaps most of the Anabaptists, fled to whatever havens of refuge they could find, especially in the…

  • Henss,  ManyRoads,  Mennonites

    Anabaptist Mennonite Tradition & Background

    Much of the Robert Henss family background is rooted in Swiss and Iowa Anabaptist Mennonite traditions.  Many of our forebears were active participants and members of the following congregations. [Please note that this post will be updated as more information is uncovered]. Basel-Holee (Basel Switzerland) Basel-Holee, a Mennonite congregation with a meetinghouse at Holeestrasse 141 in Basel, Switzerland, formerly called Basel-Binningen, the Amish congregation mentioned in the article Basel. The origins of the congregation go back to the middle of the 18th century, a church book containing records of births, marriages, deaths, and baptisms (probably maintained at the request of the state) having been kept from 1777 on (with an…

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  • Henss,  Iowa,  Mennonites

    Rev Johann Eicher II & Margaretta (Conrad) Eicher

    The Rev. Johann (John) Eicher II, husband of Margaretta (Margaret) Conrod, was a native of Pulversheim in the Alsace and Margaret was born in Switzerland. John had charge of a Mennonite congregation in the Alsace and for many years was engaged not only in the ministry, but in farming. Not all of their children came to America; and of those who did, they came singly. First came Jacob, then John Jr., Christian, Daniel, and then Martin Benjamin.  The boys were followed by a sister Annie and her husband, John W. Wittmer; Annie and John had married in Alsace before settling in Wayne County, Ohio.  Jacob returned from the United States…

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  • Kreis Elbing,  Senger

    Senger Land und Großen Buden Kampe

    The Senger Family appears to have had a long term link to the lands around Zeyer (see below). I guess it is no wonder that my mother is still so ‘mentally’ attached to this land and region (Es war einmal…). Thank you to Rainer Mueller-Glodde for this note & excerpt: Two years ago (2008) a Dr. Glodde from Berlin, […] tried to find out the meaning of “Glodde”, [and] sent me a shot he made of a document from about 1805 [located] in the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz. The subject is the estimation of the size of the Grosse Jacob Glode Buden Kampe [in the area of Zeyer, Westpreußen]. Zum…

  • Active Research,  Henss

    William Henss & Katharine (born Kämmer) Henss- a brief history

    The following, incomplete, history follows the life and times of William & Katharine Henss, the founders of our US based Henss Family. If you know of any additional history to support and expand our history, please use our contact page to share your information and/or images. William Henss’s family and birth location have been identified. We are in the process of gathering source images and details for entry into our family tree(s). Thus far we have added nearly 100 newly identified individuals and relevant source document links.  It may take several months to complete these tasks. If you are interested in learning more about this effort, you may contact me…

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  • Rabideau

    The Raphael Robidoux Family of Altona, NY

    This area may be augmented in the future as I attempt to uncover additional Census and/or photographic information for inclusion here. The Raphael (Russel) Robidoux & Family- 1880 The family lived in Altona, NY; their exact location is unknown as the street information was left blank on 1880 Census. At that time, Raphael (40) was a Laborer; he had been employed all during the 12 months preceding the June 1880 enumeration. Euphemie, Raphael’s wife (40) was Keeping House. Living with them were eight children including: Delia (19) Daughter Lois (16) Daughter Russel (13) Son Mary (11) Daughter Newell (9) Son (g-grandfather) Joseph (7) Elmira (5) Daughter Jeremiah (8mo. born Oct…

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  • Deyo,  Quebec History,  Rabideau

    Lacolle, Quebec- A brief history

    Lacolle is the area from which the Joseph Dion family emigrated to the United States.  Historically both Rabideau and Dion/ Deyo family members lived and traversed this region. Click here to read about the Lacolle Military Battles. source [the original site has been removed- minor edits and corrections from the original text made by ManyRoads] First written mention of Lacolle can be traced back to July 4, 1609 when Samuel de Champlain and his entourage stopped briefly at the mouth of a small stream for a meal before continuing southward up the Richelieu River into the lake which now bears his name. In his journal Champlain referred to the location…

  • The green, white and red tricolour used by the Parti patriote between 1832 and 1838.
    Quebec & Canada,  Quebec History

    Lacolle Battles

    Both the Rabideau & Deyo families have roots in the area surrounding Lacolle Quebec. In the early to mid-1800s Lacolle was an area that saw numerous battles and skirmishes, both in the war of 1812 and the Patriotes Rebellion of 1837-1838 including: Battle Of Lacolle Mills (1812) Second Battle of Lacolle (1814) Battle at Odelltown and the Battle of Lacolle (November 7 & 9, 1838) Click here to read a more general area history for Lacolle Battle Of Lacolle Mills (1812) source Wikipedia The Battle of Lacolle Mills was fought on November 20, 1812, during the War of 1812. In this relatively short and fast battle, a very small garrison…

  • Deyo,  Rabideau

    1920 to 1930 Easthampton (The Deyos and Rabideaus)

    Based upon Census data, we know the following information regarding the Rabideau & Deyo branches of our family (note all photos are from Google). According to the 1920 US Census In 1920 the George Deyo Family lived at 214 Main Street in Altona, NY; father George (age 52) was a farm worker. Exina his wife (37) was keeping house. They had 6 children living with them at that time including: Edward (17) Leona (13)- my grandmother Lawrence (10) Clarence (6) Gilbert (2)- interestingly listed as a daughter on the 1920 Census Gerald (an infant) The Alexander Rabideau family, at that same time, lived at 21 Mt. Tom Avenue. Father, Alexander…

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  • New York- New England,  Rabideau

    The Rabideaus early Easthampton, Mass history

    In the 1910s, the Rabideau family moved to Easthampton, Massachusetts from Clinton County, New York. They came in search of work and a future. As lumberjacks and forest workers, their future and earnings were becoming increasingly limited in upper New York and the promise of work in the mills of Massachusetts was alluring.  Neither Frederick Louis Rabideau nor his brothers had an education.  By 1920 the boys Alexander (18), Frederick (15) and Victor (16) were working in a plastic mill as laborers supporting the family.  Alexander Rabideau (the boy’s father) and Florinda nee Simard were unemployed. The following history was written in the 1890s and may be found on the…

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  • New York- New England

    Pro Basketball in Easthampton

    Professional Basketball in 1920s Easthampton, Massachusetts. I found this interesting tidbit of Easthampton history on the web.  These events occurred about the time of my father’s birth and seemed informative of the the time and place that was Easthampton, Massachusetts. by: Edward Dwyer (source article- article has been removed from the web) During the 1920s, pro basketball players played for semi-pro teams. Such a team was located in Easthampton and used the present upper Town Hall as their home. The NBA and the current popularity of basketball did not yet exist. The most talented teams were barnstorming squads that used New York for their base of operations such as the…

  • Prussia

    Prussian and Polish Royalty

    The following documents covering Prussian and Polish Royalty lexicons and histories are now available on ManyRoads. Der polnische Adel und die demselben hinzugetretenen andersländischen Adelsfamilien Band. 1 Der polnische Adel und die demselben hinzugetretenen andersländischen Adelsfamilien Band. 2 Die polnischen Stammwappen: ihre Geschichte und ihre Sagen Geschichte des polnischen Adels: nebst einem Anhange der Vasallenliste des 1772 Preussen huldigenden polnischen Adels in Westpreussen Neues preussisches Adels-Lexicon band 1. A-D Neues preussisches Adels-Lexicon band 2. E-H Neues preussisches Adels-Lexicon band 3. I-O Neues preussisches Adels-Lexicon band 4 P-Z Westpreussen unter polnischem Scepter mfg. …mark

  • Janet Woppumnaweskum, Metis woman
    Quebec History

    Quebec’s French speaking Native People (Metis)

    Original Source Article Names used to designate Natives, other than the name of their tribe or nation, include : Savage (a pejorative, rarely used today but common only a half-century ago), Indian, North American Indian, Native, and Amerindian (this one seems to be used only in French).  In French, the corresponding terms are: Sauvage, Indien, Indien nord-americain, Autochtone and Amerindien. Metis means mixed blood, that is initially one parent was White, and one was Native, while later one or both were Metis.  While a Metis can be any place where there are Natives and Whites, Metis Nation is defined as including the Metis living in the early Manitoba lands. Contrary…

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  • Rabideau,  Tips & Opinions

    Find your friends

    Find your friends.  If you run a family history/ genealogy website, building associations and affiliations can be a useful and valuable adjunct to your genealogical efforts. Some of the most interesting and potentially useful affiliations (links) are with are sites and organizations belonging to other family members or family associations.  These family members/ associations need not be particularly close, from a genealogical relationship perspective, but rather simply represent individuals or groups searching for, or providing, information on branches, limbs of your family tree.  It is additionally helpful if their family name obviously links or relates to those most frequently mentioned on your site.  Obvious name linkages make it easier for…

  • Our Families,  Rabideau

    The Raphael Robidoux Mystery

    The following reproduced web publication goes a long way in solving the mystery of Raphael Robidoux’s birth and his family linkages. I sincerely appreciate the wonderful work of Clyde Rabideau and his making this publication available on the web. I hope he is honored by our presentation of his material and analysis. If you get an opportunity, please visit Clyde Rabideau’s website to see what new publications are under development. Available Images: IN PURSUIT OF MY ANCESTORS By Clyde M. Rabideau I started trying to determine who my ancestors were in 1990 when I was living and working in Ottawa, Canada. It was not long before I was at a…

  • Tips & Opinions

    Winnie the Pooh on Genealogy #1

    It surprises me how much Winnie the Pooh knows about genealogy. I came across the following quotes and they just seemed to be very insightful. I hope you find them so as well. Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it. Winnie the Pooh Pooh’s Little Instruction Book It’s always useful to know where a friend-and-relation is, whether you want him or whether you don’t. Winnie the Pooh Rabbit, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference. Winnie the Pooh Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh Some people care too much,…

  • Expulsion - Vertriebenen,  Kreis Elbing

    An Elbing Remembrance- Fred Rump

    We’ve had some interesting discussions […] lately but I feel that for most of us Elbing and it’s history is far, far away. The people who actually lived there before 1945 are fast becoming a dying breed. In addition, while there is much Information available in German sources, little information can be found in English. Let me store some of my thoughts and a brief historical background on these pages. I was born in Elbing in Dec 1937. My earliest memories are rather vague. See My Story Point is we left under duress with the full expectation to be back in at most 2 weeks. That was the propaganda line.…

  • Pioneers,  Rabideau

    Burgos, Spain- home of Andre Robidou

    Burgos is the area in Spain from which Andre Robidou, the founder of the Rabideau family in North America, came. from Wikipedia Early humans occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800,000 years ago. When the Romans took possession of what is now the province of Burgos the site had been a Celtiberian  city. In Roman times it belonged to Hispania Citerior (“Hither Spain”) and then to Hispania Tarraconensis. In the fifth century the Visigoths drove back the Suebi, then the Arabs occupied almost all of Castile in the eighth century, though only for a brief period, and left little if any trace of their occupation. Alfonso III the Great,…

  • Kreis Elbing,  ManyRoads,  Thoughts

    You can’t go back (an appreciation)

    A recent posting I placed on ManyRoads has provided me with some new insights into life, progress and accommodating the past. As an old adage notes, you can not control the problems life presents you with, but you can choose how you react to them. And, this is true. The following historical facts are true: World War 2 involved the senseless displacement and destruction of tens of millions of people Germany lost the second World War the German people of Kreis Elbing were expelled from their homeland the Russians and their allies destroyed much of what was West Prussia the Poles were given many former eastern German lands including those…

  • Tips & Opinions

    20-20 Hindsight

    Ah, the advantages of hindsight.  Looking back in time and regretting the decisions that were made, the options that were chosen, and the events that occurred is very easy trap to fall in.  Fruitless, but easy.  In fact, spending a lot of time trying to rewrite the past, excuse events or bemoaning their occurrence is, from a family history and genealogical perspective, often counter-productive. The past is gone and not likely to be wished away. The past impacts our current actions, options and choices.  If past actions are not well understood they risk being repeated, and often are. Rather, it is my opinion that the following is much more productive:…

  • Tips & Opinions

    Civility and history

    Unfortunately when people are expelled from areas, civility is not always, or perhaps even generally, the rule. Such was the case in Poland.  The Polish Communist government was eager to lay claim to its newly obtained German lands and expel all Germans not simply from the lands but also from memory and history. Over time however even this changes, as is noted in my earlier posting about the Zeyer Cemetery. However as the following story from Fred Rump relates, it was not always that way. “I actually found some cemeteries hidden in a forest and all overgrown out in the rural parts of East Prussia and there are some WW1…

  • Tips & Opinions

    It is not a contest

    It seems many people believe that genealogy, or family history, is some sort of competition or contest. Their ancestors were better, were more important, traveled further, worked harder, suffered more, were more regal… Genealogy and family history is conceptually straightforward, it simply involves accurately identifying our ancestors, family and history. Every family has had its successes, failures, highlights, lowlights. People have lived for long times or short times, in good places and bad. They have been ruled by good people and evil. There has been war and peace. Children have been healthy and sick. Such is the nature of life. As genealogists, we seek simply to understand their stories, their…

  • Expulsion - Vertriebenen,  Kreis Elbing

    Zeyer Friedhof- 2010

    Vergangenheit in aller Munde (the original source article has been removed) Die Kirche und der Friedhof in Zeyer (Gemeinde Elbing) haben den Kampf gegen die Naturgewalten verloren – den gegenmenschlichen Widerwillen und Vergessenheit aber gewonnen. Das war ein wichtiges Ereignis für das ganze Dorf. An der Stelle, wo sich einmal die evangelische Kirche und der dazu Friedhof befanden, wurde am 22. August nach sieben Jahren der Bemühungen ein Denkmal zu Ehren der dort Ruhenden errichtet. Das Denkmal entstand dank den Bemühungen des ehemaligen Einwohners von Zeyer Ewald Frost, der weitere, in Deutschland zerstreut lebende ehemalige Einwohner von Zeyer versammelte, das nötige Geld organisierte und mit Unterstützung der Gesellschaft der deutschen…

  • Kreis Elbing,  Prussia,  Senger

    Our Elbing Addressbooks

    Elbinger Adreßbücher Mark Rabideau hat auf seiner privaten Webseite zahlreiche Elbinger Addressbuecher (1847-1930) veröffentlicht. Auch ein Telefonbuch von 1937 ist dabei. Zahlreiche weitere Adreßbücher aus Westpreußen (Graudenz, Thorn, Konitz) sind auf der Webseite zu finden. Einwohnerbücher von Danzig, Graudenz und Zoppot stehen zum Download bereit. (GJ) see: http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Computergenealogie I truly appreciate this acknowledgement.  These books are here for all to use as well as to honor my Oma, Opa und Mutti.

  • Kreis Elbing,  ManyRoads

    Elbinger Adreßbücher

    We are seeking to complete our collection of all known Elbing Prussia (Kreis Elbing Westpreussen) Address and Telephone Books. Please note we are only interested in obtaining copies of texts which were printed before 1945 prior to the ethnic cleansing and expulsion of the German population after the end of World War 2. A complete inventory of the texts in our possession are freely available and accessible on this site. If you know of additional texts, texts we do not currently list, please let us know and we will make very effort to identify and/or create an electronic copy to make available on ManyRoads. Once we have a completed collection,…

  • Tips & Opinions

    Genetic Genealogy

    All of us have DNA. Even if we do not know the names of our ancestors, we have DNA. Our family has decided to gather and analyze its DNA materials (matrilineal and patrilineal lines) and see what these DNA lines have to say. We have elected to do this through the genographic project, a partnership between the University of Arizona Research Labs Family Tree DNA association, National Geographic Society and IBM rather than to switch to the program offered by Ancestry.com.  Our reasoning is fairly simple; my father-in-law’s DNA is with NatGeo.  Also, the Genographic program is older and more established; and, this seems like the lowest risk approach. Information…

  • Our Families,  Rabideau

    60th

    Not all genealogy is in the past.  Some of it happens before your very eyes. This is one of those events and weeks for us.  This week is my parents (Fred Rabideau & Luise Senger) 60th Wedding Anniversary.  Today we are taking them out for a small dinner celebration. In those 60 years a lot has changed… the family has grown… life has progressed. But as you can see, the love remains.

  • Tips & Opinions

    Zotero and genealogy

    Do you use Zotero in doing your genealogy research work? This is a question I have toyed around with for quite a while now.  I don’t have a good answer for myself although the toolset seems well suited to gathering web-based information, collating, and processing it.  It is also tightly coupled with the browser I use most frequently, Firefox. Still I have been unable to find and good roadmap on how to make this toolset work to my advantage.  I am constantly in search of tools that link tightly with websites (i.e., Ancestry.com, etc.), online documents, image libraries, etc.  Zotero claims to do all that and more.  Sounds good to…

  • Tips & Opinions

    Attribution

    Acknowledge your sources! Today I received a note from a very important genealogy friend. She asked me if I hadn’t perhaps confused two family members who had similar names thereby giving erroneous credit to the ‘wrong’ person rather than the ‘right’ one. A very important question. It is absolutely essential to provide good and clear attribution to those from whom we source our data. It is important to be as correct as possible in any quotations, images, bibliographies and links. Accuracy requires proofing by your readership (proof-readers, if you are lucky enough to have them) and modification by the family genealogist to reflect appropriate corrections, etc. It is also, unfortunately,…

  • Tips & Opinions

    No name, no date… #2

    What do you do when there are no names or dates to work with? Well quite simply, there has to be something or else you are in deep trouble!  Having said that there are many times when the names are and dates are unclear, indefinite or conflicting. I have found a few options that work with regularity, at least for me they do!  In no particular sequence, they include: Census records. Look to see if you can find a cluster of family members that resemble those you seek.  In one of my best examples, I found a Peter & Julie Deyo family.  I was seeking a Joseph and Julia Deo…

  • Marienburg Alte Haüser an der Nogat
    Tips & Opinions

    Publish your information

    Publishing genealogy information seems important to me.  I suppose that ought to be obvious enough just by the size of ManyRoads. But why go to the trouble?  What is the value? I can only answer those questions from my perspective.  Perhaps some of our readers might be willing to chime in via comments on this page.  But for me the value lies in these areas (in no particular order): Much of the information I have found was difficult to locate, I’d like others to find things more readily. It seems every time I find information, a few years late it has vanished.  Often the very sites where the original information…

  • Tips & Opinions

    No name, no date… #1

    Ever have a person without a clear name or birth/ death dates? I seem to regularly encounter family members for whom the names have become vague and the dates muddled. Because this situation is fairly common, there need to be simple methods for getting around these situations. I have found the following approaches to be useful. Phonetics. Remember the days when teachers attempted to beat phonetics into your head; well, here’s a place they can become useful. However it is worth noting that the phonetics ‘of genealogy’ almost always involve two or more persons: the person saying or giving a name -and- the person(s) hearing the name spoken This is…