Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Photographs Through the Generations

Hey genea-folks, 

it's Saturday Night again, 

 time for more Genealogy Fun!

 

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music!) , is to:

This post was inspired by the NEHGS newsletter survey this week:

1)   How many generations do you have photographs or portraits of your ancestors and descendants?  It can be any line...it just can't be broken!

2)  Tell us the line, or better yet, show us the unbroken line.  Provide birth-death years, and the approximate date that the photograph or portrait was made.

3)  Share your generation picture line in a blog post of your own, or in a Google+ or Facebook post, or in a comment to this post.  

Here's mine:

I think I have photographs for 8 generations of ancestors and descendants.  Here they are:

1)  3rd great-grandfather: John Richman (1788-1867) of Hilperton, Wiltshire, England, taken in the 1860s:

2)  2nd great-grandfather: James Richmond (1821-1912), taken in the 1890s:

3)  First great grandfather: Thomas Richmond (1848-1917), taken in the 1890s:

4)  Grandmother: Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver, taken in the 1920s:

5)  Father: Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), taken in the 1950s:

6)  Myself:  Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-????), taken in 2005.

7) and 8)  My descendants, taken in 2013:

That's it!  8 generations, spanning lives over 200 years (150 years of photographs).  I may be able to add another generation in 10-20 years.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/10/saturday-night-genealogy-fun.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Surname Saturday - GOBLE (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  

I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1055 who is Sarah GOBLE (1638-1717) [Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations in this GOBLE family line is:

1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

32. Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
33. Abigail Gates (1797-1869)

64. Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)
65. Martha Whitney (1764-1832)

130.  Samuel Whitney (1719-1782)
131.  Abigail Fletcher (1720-1783)

262.  John Fletcher (1692-1749)
263.  Mary Goble (1694-1734)

526.  Thomas Goble (1656-1724)
527.  Sarah Shepard (1667-1746)

1054.  John Shepard, born 26 October 1637 in Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 15 December 1699 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2108. Ralph Shepard and 2109. Thankslord Perkins.  He married before 1661 in probably Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
1055.  Sarah Goble, born Bef. 27 March 1638 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; died 30 November 1717 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  

Children of John Shepard and Sarah Goble are:
*  John Shepard (1661-1690), married 1690 Elizabeth Craggin (1666-????)
*  Mary Shepard (1663-1727), married 1683 Thomas Straight (1660-????)
*  Martha Shepard (1663-????), married 1684 Joseph Hastings (1657-1695).
*  Rachel Shepard (1665-1724), married 1687 John Stone (1663-1713).
*  Sarah Shepard (1667-1746), married (1) 1686 Thomas Goble (1656-1724); (2) 1724 Nathaniel Whitney (1647-1733)
*  Dorothy Shepard (1669-1746), married 1688 John Barker (1669-1735).
*  Daniel Shepard (1673-1734), married 1701 Mary Smedley (1680-1758).

2110.  Thomas Goble, born before 02 January 1591 in Westergate, Sussex, England; died before 11 December 1657 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 4220. William Goble.  He married 05 November 1619 in Aldingbourne, Sussex, England.
2111.  Alice Brookman, born about 1600 in Aldingbourne, Sussex, England; died 1657 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Thomas Goble and Alice Brookman are:
*  John Goble (1629-1675).
*  Thomas Goble (1631-1690), married (1) Ruth (1633-1668); (2) 1668 Mary Gove (1633-1669).
*  Elizabeth Goble (1633-????), married (1) 1653 John White (1628-1676); (2) 1682 Thomas Carter (1610-1684).
*  Mary Goble (1636-????), married 1656 Daniel dean (1630-1725).
*  Sarah Goble (1628-1717), married 1661 John Shepard (1637-1699).
*  Daniel Goble (1641-1676), married 1664 Hannah Brewer (1645-1697).

Information about the Goble family was obtained from:

*  Evelyn Goble Steen, Goble Genealogy Homepage (http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~goble/homepage/), online database, Thomas (2) Goble (1631-1690) sketch.

*  Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, 1634-1635, Volume 3, F-H (Boston : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002), pages 81-83, Thomas Goble sketch.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/10/surname-saturday-goble-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Hopping Down the 1940 U.S. Census Rabbit Trail

I'm having a wonderful time (this is genealogy fun!) enriching my family tree database with entries from the 1940 United State Census (see More on Finding Record Hints for a Specific Database on Ancestry.com for the process) using Record Hints that matched persons in my Ancestry Member Tree.

I enter the census information (I use a "Census" Fact) into the person's Fact list in RootsMagic 6, then add a source citation for the person.  Usually, this person is a member of a larger family (spouse, children, parents, cousin, etc.), so  I also do the same thing for all of those persons.  I can copy the census date, the place name, and the source citation quickly in RootsMagic. 

If I didn't have a family person in my database, I add the new persons to the database.  After all, these persons are almost always my cousins (or my wife's cousins, or my sons-in-law cousins), perhaps very distant, and previously unknown to me.  

For each one of these persons, I use another browser tab to search Ancestry.com using the known information (at least an approximate birth year and a birth state) and try to find information on their birth date and place, death date and place, marriage date and place, spouse's name, and burial place.  I also check the FamilySearch Family Tree for persons. 

When I am finished with one of the Record Hints, I either Attach the record to the Ancestry Member Tree person if it's one of my ancestral family members, or Ignore the Hint.  Either way, the Record Hint "counter" for the specific collection, and the overall "Record Hints" counter, ticks down one number.  

There is a wealth of information available online, and Ancestry makes it fairly easy to find additional records using the "Suggested Records" once you've found one record (like the 1940 U.S. Census).  Ancestry doesn't list every record for a person in the "Suggested Records," so a search is advised with known information.  

Starting a little over a week ago with 254 persons in my AMT with 1940 U.S. Census Record Hints, I've worked that list down to 29 Record Hints.  I've added quite a few persons to the database, with vital dates and places, and hundreds of source citations using this process.  

I know that Ancestry.com has not found EVERY entry in the 1940 U.S. Census for persons in my Ancestry Member Tree.  They add 5 to 10 Record Hints every day to my overall list, and should add many more Record Hints over the coming months, including the 1940 Census.  I will have to revisit the 1940 Census Record Hint list on a regular schedule, but I'm getting a lot of information added to the database.

Only a few of the 1940 U.S. Census Record Hints I've processed did not apply to the person they matched in my Ancestry Member Tree.  I think I've found only 2 out of 225 did not match for some reason.  

Is this the best way to "mine" a given genealogy database?  I think it is, because I can keep my focus on one database.  I will finish the 1940 U.S. Census and then move on to do the 1930 Census, and the 1920 Census, and so on.  With over 43,000 persons in my database (but not all lived in the 20th century), this will be a long slog.  It's been a long slog to get this far since 1988.  Genealogy research is never finished!  

The URL for this post is:

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Ancestry.com Updates Pennsylvania Death Certificates - Now 1906-1963

I posted Finding Genealogy Gems in Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1944 on 2 July 2014, and Ancestry.com has now extended the collection through 1963.

The Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1963, database is at  http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5164.  The database description says:

"Pennsylvania’s Department of Health began keeping birth and death records on a statewide basis on January 1, 1906. This collection includes death records beginning on that date through 1963. Later records will eventually be added to this collection.

"Death certificates recorded the following details:

• name and residence of the decedent
• city and county of death
• gender and race
• marital status
• age and date of birth
• occupation
• place of birth
• parents' names and birthplaces
• date of death
• dates attended by physician
• cause of death
• attending physician and address
• length of stay in hospital or institution or length of residency for transients or recent arrivals
• place of burial or removal
• date of burial
• undertaker name and address
• name and address of informant

"Records of stillbirths were required to be filed as both a birth and death record, so you may find records of stillborn children in this collection."

Previously, I "mined" this database for "gems" in my genealogy family tree database, especially for surnames Carringer, Vaux, Seaver and Remley. So now I need to search for others of those surnames who died after 1944.

Here is the search page for this database.  I entered the surname "carringer" in the search field, and entered a death date of 1954 plus/minus 10 years (in order to find only those who died between 1944 and 1964):

I clicked on Search and there were 23 entries for Carringer:

I will go through these one by one and enter information from these death certificates into my family tree database.  Then I'll do the other surnames, and now that this collection is complete, I will find persons with other surnames who are in this database using the Record Hint in this specific database outlined in More on Finding Record Hints for a Specific Database on Ancestry.com.  The database number for this record collection is dbid=5164.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/10/ancestrycom-updates-pennsylvania-death.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 43: #50 Daniel Spangler (1781-1851)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" in her blog post Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  Here is my ancestor biography for week #43:

Daniel Spangler (1781-1851) is #50 on my Ahnentafel list, my third great-grandfather.  He married in about 1816 to #51 Elizabeth King (1793-1863).

I am descended through:

*  their daughter, #25 Rebecca Spangler (1831-1901), who married #24, David Jackson Carringer (1828-1902) in 1851.

*  their son, #12 Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946), who married #13 Abbie Ardell "Della" Smith (1862-1944) in 1887.

*  their son, #6 Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976), married Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) in 1918. 

* their daughter, #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002), who married Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) in 1942.

*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

 =====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Name:                        Daniel Spangler[1–5,8]   
*  Sex:                            Male   
*  Father:                       Rudolf Spengler (1738-1811)   
*  Mother:                     Maria Dorothea Dinkel (1748-1835)   
  
*  Alternate Name:       John Daniel Spangler[6]
*  Alternate Name:       Daniel Spengler[7,9]

2)  INDIVIDUAL LIFE EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

*  Birth:                        9 October 1781, York, York, Pennsylvania, United States[6-7]
*  Baptism:                   20 October 1781 (age 0), Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, United States[6-7]
*  Census:                     1 June 1820 (age 38), Winchester, Frederick, Virginia, United States[1]
*  Census:                     1 June 1830 (age 48), Sandy Creek, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[2]
*  Census:                    1 June 1840 (age 58), Sandy Creek, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[3]
*  Census:                    1 June 1850 (age 68), Sandy Creek, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[4]
*  Death:                      19 July 1851 (age 69), Georgetown, Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States[6]
*  Burial:                     after 19 July 1851 (after age 69), Sheakleyville Cemetery, Sandy Creek, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[6]
*  Probate:                   15 September 1851 (age 69), Order to sell real estate; Mercer, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[5]
*  Probate:                  18 August 1856 (age 74), Account of estate approved; Mercer, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States[8]
  
3)  SPOUSES AND CHILDREN (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:               Elizabeth King (1796-1863)   
*  Marriage:              12 March 1815 (age 33), Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, United States[6,9]

*  Child 1:                 Anna Katrina Spangler (1816-1816)   
*  Child 2:                 Anna Maria Spangler (1818-1869)   
*  Child 3:                 Henry K. Spangler (1820-1820)   
*  Child 4:                 Elizabeth Spangler (1822-1884)   
*  Child 5:                 Sarah Elizabeth Spangler (1824-1864)   
*  Child 6:                 Dorothea Matilda Spangler (1827-1891)   
*  Child 7:                 Helen Spangler (1831-1905)   
*  Child 8:                 Rebecca Spangler (1832-1901)   
*  Child 9:                 Louisa Spangler (1839-1883)   
*  Child 10:               Margaret Jane Spangler (1841-1871)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

Daniel Spangler was born and raised in York, York County, Pennsylvania.  His birth, baptism and marriage records call him "Daniel Spengler" but the Spangler book calls him "John Daniel Spangler."  There may be a family Bible or other family paper that provides his full name, but I haven't seen it.

The entry in the Trinity Reformed Church records (York town, York County, Pennsylvania) for the birth and baptism of Daniel Spengler says:[6-7]

Birth date:  9 October 1781
Baptism Date: 20 October 1781
Name:  Daniel 
Parents:  Rudi Spengler & wife
Sponsors: Balthasar Spengler & wife

The Trinity Reformed Church (York, Pennsylvania) record book notes the marriage:[9]

Mr 12 1815  Daniel Spengler - Elizabeth Koenig

After his marriage to Elizabeth King on 12 March 1815 in York, they moved to Winchester, Virginia. In 1829 they located in Sandy Creek township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

Daniel and Elizabeth (Koenig/King) Spangler had ten children, born between 1816 and 1841, listed in the Spangler book, and eight of them survived to adulthood and are listed in Daniel's probate records.

In the 1820 US Census, the Daniel Spangler family resided in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia.[1]  The household included one male age 10-16, one male age 26-45, one female under age 10, and one female age 16 to 26.

In the 1830 US Census, the Danl Spangler family resided in Sandy Creek township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.[2] The household included one male age 40-50, 2 females under age 5, two females age 5-10, 1 female age 10-15, and one female age 30-40.  Daniel Spangler was listed just before Martin Carringer and Henry Carringer.

In the 1840 US Census, the Daniel Spangler family resided in Sandy Creek township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.[3]  The household included no males (probably an error!), 2 females under age 5, 1 female age 5-10, 2 females age 10-15, 2 females age 15-20, 1 female age 20-30 and one female age 40-50.

In the 1850 US census, the Daniel Spangler family resided in Sandy Creek township in Mercer County, Pennsylvania,[4] and was enumerated just after the Henry Carringer family.  The household included:

*  Daniel Spangler, age 68, male, a farmer, real property worth $1500, born PA
*  Elizabeth Spangler, age 54, female, born PA
*  Rebecca Spangler, age 18, female, born PA, attended school
*  Loiza Spangler, age 12, female, born PA, attended school
*  Margaret Spangler, age 11, female, born PA, attended school
*  George Con (?), age 11, male, born PA, attended school
*  Matilda McKight, age 23, female, born VA
*  Elliott McKight, age 28, male, laborer, born PA

No record of Elizabeth Spangler was found in the 1860 US Census in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

John Daniel Spangler died on 19 July 1851 and is buried in Sheakleyville Cemetery in Sandy Creek, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.[6]

Daniel Spangler died intestate, and his probate papers are in File O.S. 1664 in Mercer County, Pennsylvania Orphans Court (not obtained to date).[5]  Benjamin Robinson and John M. Carringer were named Administrators of his estate.  Letters and Bond were filed on 13 August 1851, an Inventory was filed on 6 September 1851, a Real Estate Sale was ordered on 15 September 1851, and an Account was recorded on 25 April 1856.  The land of Daniel Spangler was 200 acres in Perry township, originally Donation lot number 929.  In order to pay debts, 100 acres was sold in December 1851 to John Waugh for $500.  

The entry in the Orphans' Court records that describes the real estate sale says:

September Term 1851

Petition of John M. Carringer &
Benjamin Robinson Adm^rs.
of
Daniel Spangler for leave to
Sell Real Estate 

At an Orphans Court held at Mercer in and for the county of Mercer on the 15^th day of Sept^r A.D. 1851.  The petition of Benjamin Robinson and John M. Carringer, Adm^rs of all & singular the goods and chattels rights & credits of Daniel Spangler dec'd who died intestate, was presented to the said Court, representing that the said intestate died leaving issue eight children to wit:  Mary Ann (now the wife of Joseph M. Caringer) Eliza (now the wife of Benjamin Robinson), Sarah Ellen (now the wife of John M. Carringer), Matilda (now the wife of Wm E. McNight),  Helen Brown (now the wife of John Brown), Rebecca, Louisa, Margaret Jane, the last three of whom are yet in their minority.  That the personal estate is insufficient for the payment & the maintenance of his minor children as by the statement & schedule herewith presented appears, and the said intestate died seized in his demesne as of fee of and in a tract of land, situated in Perry township, Mercer County, Penna.  Bounded on the north by land of Allen Hutchison, East by Beels & Seemons heirs, on the South by land of Sam^l Griffith & on the West by land of Davison's and Beggs being Donation lot No. 929 in the 5th district of donation lands and containing two hundred acres and allowance, and praying the Court to make an order allowing them to make sale of the said messuage and tract of land or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the debts & maintenance and educate the minors of the said intestate.

Sept. 15 1851 prayer granted and a sale decreed of any portion of the premises within described not exceeding two hundred acres to be laid off by the admrs by survey in one or more parcels to suit purchasers, sale to be made on the premises on the 2nd Monday of December 1851 with leave to adjourn to the court house in Mercer on the first day of next term - usual order as to terms and notice - Sept. 15 1851 Bond taken & approved (order issued).

To the Honorable the Judges of the Orphans Court of Mercer County the administrators of Daniel Spangler dec^d respectfully report that in pursuance of the order of Court having complied with all its requirements they sold the land therein mentioned to wit, one hundred acres of the South end of the tract denoted in said order on the 15 Day of Dec. A.D. 1851 at the Court House in the borough of Mercer having given due and timely notice of the time and place of sale and sold the same to John Waugh for the sum of five hundred dollars he being the highest and best bidder and that the highest and best price bidden for the same.

Dec^r 15 1851.  The Court confirm the sale and order and decree that it remain firm and stable forever and direct a deed to be made by the adm^rs to the purchaser on his complying with the terms of sale.

The account of the estate of Daniel Spangler was presented to the Probate Court in the April Term of 1856.[8]  It says:

April Term 1856
Account of the Estate
of 
Daniel Spangler decd

At an Orphans Court held at Mercer in and for the County of Mercer on the 25th day of April 1856.  The Account of Benjamin Robinson and John M. Carringer Administrators of the Estate of Daniel Spangler deceased was presented after having passed the Register in which said Accountants charge themselves with
...................................................................... $ 640.57
And claims credit for ..................................  $ 642.04
(over paid) ....................................................... $  1.47

April 25th 1856 presented and confirmed [nise] unless exceptions are filed on or before the first day of next term.
August 18. 1856 Confirmed.
 
5)  SOURCES

1. 1820 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Frederick County, Virginia, Winchester, Page 43, Daniel Spangler household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com),  citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M33, Roll 138.

2. 1830 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Sandy Creek township, Page 237, Danl Spangler household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M19,  Roll 149.

3. 1840 United States Federal Census, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Sandy Creek township, Page 371, Daniel Spangler household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M704, Roll 474.

4. 1850 United States Federal Census, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Sandy Creek township, Page 312, dwelling #854, family #901, Daniel Spangler household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 796.

5. "Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), citing Mercer County, Pennsylvania Orphans Court Docket, 1850-1858, Volumes D-E, "Sale of Real Estate" entry for Daniel Spangler, 15 September 1851, Volume D, Page 93 (image 55 of 684); citing original records on FHL microfilm US/CAN 878,977.

6. Edward W. Spangler, The Annals of the Families of Caspar, Henry, Baltzer and George Spengler Who Settled in York County Respectively in 1729, 1732, 1732 and 1751, with Biographical and Historical Sketches, and Memorabilia of Contemporaneous Local Events (York, Penn. : n.p., 1896), page 191.

7. Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985, York County, York town, "Trinity United Church of Christ" manuscript (in German), unnumbered page, 1781, image 27, Daniel Spengler baptism entry, 20 October 1781.

8. "Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994," digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), citing Mercer County, Pennsylvania Orphans Court Docket, 1850-1858, Volumes D-E: "Account of Estate of Daniel Spangler" 18 August 1856, Volume E, Page 320 (image 503 of 684).


9. Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985, York County, York town, "Trinity Reformed Church (United Church of Christ)" typescript, page 331 (image 275), Daniel Spengler and Elizabeth Koenig marriage entry, 12 March 1815.

=========================================

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/10/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-week-43-50.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Dear Randy: How Can I Find Free Records About My Family?

I recently received an email from Christine that said (edited a bit below):

"I found your blog post somehow while looking for ancestry.com ... I was thinking you might be able to help me.  You know when people ask "where are you from?" And I reply with 'originally?  Or currently?'  Which in turn causes me to say well I was born in Michigan, grew up in Texas but came to California at 17.

"Then they say 'no, your last name...it's Italian. ..'  'Yes,' I reply...'I married into that name...how Italian can you get? Right?'  Well,  lucky for my ex husband and my sons,  he and his family know a lot about their ancestors.  

"So then the polite response is usually 'so what is your maiden name?'  'PALMITER' I reply... and they ask'hmmm where is that from? Is that German? French?'

"There lies my reason for contacting you....I don't know.   I don't have anyone to ask.  I know the names of my father and grandfather.  What else would be useful to get the best representation of my Heinz 57 recipe? 

"Anything you can do to lead me in the right direction would be great.  Every site I go to requires me to spend upwards of $100 for each inquiry. ..and I'm not sure if I'm even at the right place.  Thanks for your time!!"

Well, Christine, I have some help for you:

1)  Ancestry.com has a free page about the surname Palmiter at http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=palmiter.

2)  There is a webpage for the meaning of Palmiter (and most other surnames) at  http://genealogy.familyeducation.com/surname-origin/palmiter

It links to the Palmenter name page which says:

"English (mainly Essex): occupational name for a maker of facings and trimmings, Middle English, Old French par(e)mentier (from parement ‘fitting’, ‘finishing’, Late Latin paramentum, a derivative of parare ‘to prepare or adorn’)."

3)  You can access Ancestry.com databases for FREE at LDS Family History Centers around the world (4,600 of them) or at some public and private libraries that have a subscription to Ancestry Library Edition.  If you go, take a flash drive to save documents that you find.

4)  A FREE genealogy website is www.FamilySearch.org.  You can search for records and family tree information there at https://familysearch.org/search.

5)  You may find online family trees with the Palmiter name in some free family tree sites, one of the best is WorldConnect at wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com.  Enter a name of a historical person (not living) into the search fields and look for trees that may have useful information.

6)  The FamilySearch Family Tree may have information about your ancestral families contributed by many researchers in one large shared tree - see https://familysearch.org/tree/.  You will have to register to see information - it's free.

7)  Look for graves for your ancestral families at Find A Grave - www.findagrave.com.  This is a free site.

8)  There are several large FREE genealogy message boards for surnames and localities - see http://boards.rootsweb.com and http://genforum.genealogy.com.  These may have information about your families, and may lead you to distant cousins who can help you.

9)  In addition, there is a large genealogy mailing list archive for surnames and localities at http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com.  You can search the entire archive or specific lists for your families. 

10)  There are many other genealogy based websites that are free, and some are commercial.  almost all of the commercial websites are available to search for free at the LDS Family History Centers - you can find a list at https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator

11)  You may find very helpful information about your ancestral families in published books and periodicals available at local, regional or national libraries.  Many books published before 1923 are available online at Google Books (http://books.google.com) and the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org).  

12) As you can see, there are many websites with useful family tree and record information, and you can access commercial websites for free by visiting a local library or center. 

What else would you recommend for Christine to use online or offline to find more information about her ancestry?

I hope that helps you, Christine.

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Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver