HUNT IT, RECORD IT, REFER BACK TO IT!
Brenda Kellow
November 4, 2012
Over the years, we research different states, topics, illnesses, medical terms, legal terminology, courthouse departments, etc. How do we remember all this so that we do not have to research it more than once? Certainly, we could commit it to memory, but over time, many of us forget. Maybe I have found the answer.
As my children got older, I began to research seriously in the Dallas Library Monday through Thursday, getting there for the opening and leaving for home at 3:30. Each state was different. Each courthouse was different. Each death certificate seemed to have an uncommon or unique reason for their deaths. Knowing I did not want to waste time to research these things a second time, I began a handwritten journal with these different terms, definitions and identifications.
After beginning to use my first computer in 1982, I decided to “kill two birds with one stone” so to speak. I learned to use the computer while transferring my handwritten journal notes to my Study Guide for Personal Genealogy Research. The first column is alphabetical and the definition is in the second column. At first, there was only one spiral bound book but now there are several.
On the first page is the explanation for Ahnentafel. I first found that word on the old Dollarhide genealogy database. Another page has the explanation for Banns and Intentions with a special note that there must be two signatures for those filed in North Carolina. Still another has all the censuses and questions asked on each one. I just added the 1940 census information to my computer, but I will not reprint that first volume just to include it. Memorials and Petitions, including notes about any specific details in individual states, are under the M’s. I cross-indexed under the P’s.
I was able to use my study guide last week when Helen Jenkins in Kansas emailed to ask the definition of CVA on a death certificate. It means the deceased had a cerebrovascular accident.
Maybe you would like to keep one of these guides. I keep the printed guides on my desk within easy reach and a current guide on my laptop. The valuable information, explanations, definitions and tips found years ago and recorded for future research is still available for examinations.
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY ONLINE: This news just appeared on their website. “Arlington National Cemetery released an application that enables family members and the public to find gravesites and explore Arlington’s rich history. ANC Explorer allows users to use a smart phone or common web browser to locate gravesites, events or other points of interest throughout the cemetery; generate front-and-back photos of a headstone or monument; and receive directions to these locations.
Of interest throughout the cemetery; generate front-and-back photos of a headstone or monument; and receive directions to these locations. This free app is now available on Arlington’s website, the iTunes store, and Google Play and is loaded on new kiosks in Arlington National Cemetery’s Visitors Center. “This is just the beginning. In the future, ANC Explorer will offer features such as emergency and event notifications, restroom and water fountain locations, shuttle stops, and self-guided tours,” said Maj. Nicholas R. Miller, Arlington National Cemetery chief information officer. The information in the app is a compilation of Arlington’s accountability effort. The effort led to the first-ever review, analysis and coordination of almost 150 years of varying records. As part of the accountability effort, the Army photographed 259,978 gravesites, niches and markers using a custom-built smart phone application and instituted a rigorous process to review each headstone photo with existing cemetery records and other historical documents.
The end result was the creation of a single, verifiable and authoritative database of all those laid to rest at Arlington that is linked to the Arlington’s digital mapping system. “ANC Explorer is another milestone in our transformation. There isn’t a national cemetery that is as technologically advanced as Arlington–both in day-to-day operations and how it connects to its families and visitors,” said Kathryn A. Condon, executive director of the Army National Military Cemeteries. For additional information and the link to the ANC Explorer app is available at www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ancexplorer.” Thanks to Linda Vert for alerting me to this new information.
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].