SEARCH LUTHERAN CHURCH ANCESTORS ONLINE
Brenda Kellow
May 5, 2013
No longer do you have to know the name of the Lutheran church your ancestors from Germany, Norway and Sweden attended because Archives.com has pulled together all these records from Lutheran churches that are now accessible simply by searching for your ancestor’s name. The archives repository, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the official collection center for all historical records. Their website, www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/History/ELCA-Archives/Collection-Development-Statement.aspx,
says they collect and maintain records that are “no longer needed in the day-to-day conduct of church administration, according to records retention schedules created in conjunction with churchwide units, the Director for Library Records Management, and archives staff.”
The database, available on Archives.com, has 4.6 million rolls digitized and indexed of thousands of microfilm rolls containing early Lutheran records from the mid-1800s to 1940 never before offered online. Available on this database are records of births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths and burials and include their parents’ names, dates, places and biographical details.
Archives.com requires a subscription, but allows you to search free for seven days. You will have to supply your name and credit card number, but do not let that discourage you. You will not be charged as long as
you do not continue after the seven-day limit. With major databases such as Archives.com, Ancestry.com, etc., they only want to know who is using their sites. I often subscribe to these sites for their limited free-use period. Just be sure to double check on the last day of the free-use period to be sure they have ended your free subscription.
Access Archives.com at www.archives.com/collections?orderby=count&desc=1&keyword=evangelical.
MASTERS FAMILY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, ARKANSAS AND TEXAS: Researchers hunting for information on John Masters, alleged soldier in the Revolutionary War, and suspected father of Michael Masters and his wife Elizabeth Homesly (a.k.a. Homesley) of Washington County, Arkansas, now have a publication that may contain their missing puzzle pieces and answer many questions. Brenda Kellow wrote and published Masters of the 19th Century and Related Lines of Bailey, Ball, Drain, Floyd, Gray, Guthery, Hardin, Hawk, Homesly, James, Kaiser, Largent, McKenzie, Phillips, Richards, Robbins, Sherrell, Stibbens, Tunnell in 2009. It is filled with pictures, footnotes, three appendixes and a bibliography. If you are interested, please contact Brenda at [email protected].
ANCESTRY UPDATED THEIR U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE RECORDS, 1560-1900: Genealogists are always happy to find new records, but caution must be advised about using some records. Not all are what they seem. Ancestry’s U. S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 falls into this category. Some of these records may actually be from family group charts or other non-documented sources. Therefore, you must stay vigilant when using the Ancestry’s Marriage database since it is not totally a legitimate marriage database, but collected records from many sources. Family researchers need to remember that civil and religious authorities create valid vital records. Only databases constructed from these records are official. Jodie Zoeller, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
CONGRATULATIONS HARDIN COUNTY: The Hardin County [Texas] Historical Commission realizes their long-time goal of having a historical museum. It is finally going to happen thanks to the dedication of the
Commission and the Hardin County Genealogical Society working closely together to acquire the Hardin County State Bank building, built in 1916. Their endeavor will honor the Big Thicket pioneers and their descendants. The museum should open officially this June. Both groups are honored to accept and display any memorabilia or photographs from the early period of Hardin County.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
says they collect and maintain records that are “no longer needed in the day-to-day conduct of church administration, according to records retention schedules created in conjunction with churchwide units, the Director for Library Records Management, and archives staff.”
The database, available on Archives.com, has 4.6 million rolls digitized and indexed of thousands of microfilm rolls containing early Lutheran records from the mid-1800s to 1940 never before offered online. Available on this database are records of births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths and burials and include their parents’ names, dates, places and biographical details.
Archives.com requires a subscription, but allows you to search free for seven days. You will have to supply your name and credit card number, but do not let that discourage you. You will not be charged as long as
you do not continue after the seven-day limit. With major databases such as Archives.com, Ancestry.com, etc., they only want to know who is using their sites. I often subscribe to these sites for their limited free-use period. Just be sure to double check on the last day of the free-use period to be sure they have ended your free subscription.
Access Archives.com at www.archives.com/collections?orderby=count&desc=1&keyword=evangelical.
MASTERS FAMILY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, ARKANSAS AND TEXAS: Researchers hunting for information on John Masters, alleged soldier in the Revolutionary War, and suspected father of Michael Masters and his wife Elizabeth Homesly (a.k.a. Homesley) of Washington County, Arkansas, now have a publication that may contain their missing puzzle pieces and answer many questions. Brenda Kellow wrote and published Masters of the 19th Century and Related Lines of Bailey, Ball, Drain, Floyd, Gray, Guthery, Hardin, Hawk, Homesly, James, Kaiser, Largent, McKenzie, Phillips, Richards, Robbins, Sherrell, Stibbens, Tunnell in 2009. It is filled with pictures, footnotes, three appendixes and a bibliography. If you are interested, please contact Brenda at [email protected].
ANCESTRY UPDATED THEIR U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE RECORDS, 1560-1900: Genealogists are always happy to find new records, but caution must be advised about using some records. Not all are what they seem. Ancestry’s U. S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 falls into this category. Some of these records may actually be from family group charts or other non-documented sources. Therefore, you must stay vigilant when using the Ancestry’s Marriage database since it is not totally a legitimate marriage database, but collected records from many sources. Family researchers need to remember that civil and religious authorities create valid vital records. Only databases constructed from these records are official. Jodie Zoeller, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
CONGRATULATIONS HARDIN COUNTY: The Hardin County [Texas] Historical Commission realizes their long-time goal of having a historical museum. It is finally going to happen thanks to the dedication of the
Commission and the Hardin County Genealogical Society working closely together to acquire the Hardin County State Bank building, built in 1916. Their endeavor will honor the Big Thicket pioneers and their descendants. The museum should open officially this June. Both groups are honored to accept and display any memorabilia or photographs from the early period of Hardin County.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].