Data Entry versus Sleuthing

The last few days, I have spent most of my genealogy time doing data entry.  It is a necessary part of research, but I do get tired of it after awhile.

I've got hundreds of documents that I've gathered that need review, entry into the database, and then filing.  I will be at it for years, even if I don't find another piece of information.

Try clicking on the image to open it in another window so it can be enlarged.  Works in my browser.

The above is a screen shot of my database for Joseph Markwood Rheuble.  Ever since my post about him, I've been trying to move that line back.  The new information that came my way as a result of the post caused me to focus more on that line.

Even after spending most of this week entering Ruble/Rheuble related items into my database, I still have about 100 documents saved to my computer that need to be processed.  And that is just one family line.

For me, the real fun of genealogy is the sleuthing (as Nancy Drew used to say).  The puzzling over the missing pieces and coming up with places to look for them.

I don't know how well the screen shot will come across via the blog, but note the "Missing" tags highlighted in yellow.  Those help me spot items I still need to find.  The ones for Joseph are censuses and I think I have at least one of those in my "To Process" folder.

The problem with doing more sleuthing is that I end up with more documents that need processing.  And I don't stay focused.  So I find myself repeating searches.  I tend to bounce around a lot, as I mentioned in my post on Focus.

So, I try to make myself do Data Entry every time I sit down to do genealogy.   I try to make myself focus when I go searching for new data.  I am not always successful, but I try.

Well, I'd better get busy.  I still have those 100 or so Ruble/Rheuble items to enter.  Who knows, the clue I've been seeking to move the line back may be waiting in one of those documents.  That is the fun of it.

All That Paper!

As a genealogist, one of the things I have to deal with all the time is how to manage all the paper:  photos, vital records, letters, queries, census pages, photocopies....  The paper just piles up. I've been researching for 40 years or more, so I have collected a lot of paper.  I thought I'd write a little about how I deal with it all.

One of my paper weights.....

I started doing genealogy back in the dark ages (1970s) before the dawn of the internet.  Heck, it was even before personal computers were available to everyone.  I did most of my research by writing query letters.  I kept track of things in 3-ring binders full of family group sheets, pedigree charts, and lots of notebook paper.  I still have some of those pages, but most of the binders have been taken apart and the information entered into my computer's  family database.

Over the years, my system for managing all the paperwork has evolved.  I used to keep paper logs of what queries I'd written, what responses I'd gotten, what I'd discovered, etc.  All of that tracking has now moved to my computer database.  I add notes to a person's record reminding me of clues to pursue, information or documentation I'm missing, and queries I've written.  The program I use is very flexible and allows me to add whatever I want to customize it for my needs.  It continues to evolve.

But I still have lots of paper.

I've gone from this.....

... to this....

I suspect every researcher has their own way of managing their files.  I know a lot of genealogists sort their files by family, but that has never worked well for me.  There are just too many family lines I'm interested in.  Some people use color coding.  When I first started, I had notebook sections for each ancestor.  That quickly got unweildy.

I then moved to numbering the document and filing it.  I still use a variation on that method.

Here is my process:

If it is an original document, such as a photo or a letter or pages from a bible or anything not a copy, I scan it and put the original in a plastic sleeve and put that in an archival storage box.  I have archival boxes for each main family group.  I keep these in my office near my desk, although I seldom dig out the originals, so they could actually be stored elsewhere.  Anyway, bulky items such as framed photos and certificates or family bibles, go in large flat plastic storage boxes that I keep on shelves in the garage. 

Once I have the scan of the document, I print it out for my files.  Each item gets a number as I enter that source into my computer database.  That number is the current year and the chronological item number.  So right now, I am ready for document 2017-88; in other words, the 88th document that I have entered into my database in 2017.

I create a source item in my database.  That source item includes that item's number in its description.  So maybe the item is a birth certificate for John Q. Smith.  The description for that source might be:  "Birth Cert: Smith, John Q 2017-88" and I write that source number on the copy I've printed.

Also as part of the source item in my database, I note where the original item can be found (for example: Beach Family Archival Box) .

So.  The original is safely stored away.  The copy has a file number.  The source has been set up in my database with the file number and the location of the original.

The scanned file of the document on my computer is given the same file number as part of its file name; so for example:  2017-88 Birth Cert Smith John Q.  That scan is moved to a special folder on my computer.  My genealogy program allows me to link the source I've created to the scanned document file, so I do that.

Then I enter whatever data I need to off the document, always noting the source.  I usually link the data I enter to the scan file, too, just because the way my computer program is set up, it allows me to quickly see the item that way.

So now when I look at John Q. Smith, I can check to see what the source is for his birth information by looking at the sources I've cited and can see at a glance the scanned image of his birth certificate.  I can find that scan easily, if I need it for any reason.  I file the paper copy in simple numerical files in filing cabinets in my office, and can also find it easily by referring to the number I've given the source.

For documents that are not originals (downloaded items from the internet or photocopies of newspaper clippings, etc.), I follow much the same procedure, but without putting the item in archival storage.  The file on my computer and the paper copy get the same number as the source citation created in my genealogy software.  The image file is linked to the source citation.  As I do data entry, I cite the source.  When done, the paper copy is filed.

There are, however, some documents that I don't bother to scan into the computer.  Examples might be photocopied pages from books or some other researcher's family data or print-outs from indexes of vital records.  For those items, I just give them a number, write it on the paper, create the source citation with the matching number, enter the data citing the source, and then file the paper in my file cabinet.

I regularly back up my genealogy program to a separate hard drive.  When I do that, I also back up the computer folder where the image files are found.

As long as I am consistent with this system, I can easily see what my sources are for any piece of information and can easily find that source either in my paper files or on my computer.  While I'm sure everyone has their own system, this is one that works well for me.  Perhaps there are elements of it that others might find useful.

Francis Johnston Jenners (1849-1932) and his wife, Florence Blair Cochrane (1868-1930)

Francis Johnston Jenners (also known as "Frank") was born 6 September 1849 in Hyde Park, New York.  He was the youngest child of William Morduit Jenners and his wife, Magdalena Johnston.  His parents were residents of Lafayette, Indiana at the time, but his mother had been born in Hyde Park, so I suspect she was visiting family at the time of his birth.

Frank is found with his parents on the 1850 and 1860 censuses for Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana.

In August 1863 when Frank was about 13, his father, William M. Jenners, died.  Frank's cousin, Abiel Jenners Bradfield, was named as his guardian.  In a probate filing by Bradfield, it was estimated that Frank's share of his father's estate was more than $9,500.  The estate's other heirs were Frank's mother and his sister, Anna.

The 1870 census shows Frank, age 20, living with his widowed mother and his sister, age 27, in Lafayette.  No occupation is listed for him.

By 5 July 1871, Frank had reached legal age, and he asked the court to discharge Abiel J. Bradfield from his guardianship duties.  A transcription of the document follows: 

"I Frank J. Jenners, ward of Abiel J. Bradfield, hereby that being now of full age, myself & my said guardian have had together a full settlement and accounting and he has paid to me the balance found due to me in full (except taxes ^up to this date^ on 20 acres of land taken in settlement) and I request that he be discharged from said guardianship and from all further or future liability on the a/c of the same.

July 5th 1871.                Frank J. Jenners [signed]"

By 1873, Frank was listed in Lafayette city directories as a salesman living at 128 N. 6th St., Lafayette, with his mother and sister, Anna.  One directory says Frank was a salesman for Campbell, Cason & Co.  Another 1873 directory says Frank was a traveling salesman for Perrin Brothers. 

In March 1884, Francis Jenners attested in court that the signature on Sarah Y. Jenners' (his cousin) will was indeed Sarah's.  His affidavit states that Sarah died in Daphne, Baldwin Co., Alabama while on an extended visit there and Francis gives her death date as Jan. 1884 (no day).  The document was as follows:

"State of Indiana
Tippecanoe County  ss
    On this 8th day of March 1884 in open court, in the Tippecanoe Circuit court, in the State of Indiana, personally came Francis J. Jenners a witness who being now duly sworn in open Court to testify the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth relating to and concerning the execution of the last will and testament of Sarah Y. Jenners deceased late of said county, testifies as follows, that the said Sarah Y. Jenners died at or near the city of Daphne, in Baldwin County in the State of Alabama while on a visit and temporary residence at that place on or about the [left blank] day of January 1884, that he is acquainted with the signature of said Sarah Y. Jenners and knows the signature to the will which is attached hereto to be her genuine signature, and that she died leaving property in said county.  he [sic] also states that the subscribing witnesses to said signature are without the State of Indiana and further affident [?] saith not.
    Francis J. Jenners [signed]

Subscribed and sworn to in open court this 8th day of March 1884.
[on back of page]
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at office in LaFayette Ind on this 8th day March, AD 1884
    WC Mitchell, Clerk [signed]
    DE. Studebaker Dep [signed]
[page 2]

THE STATE OF INDIANA,
Tippecanoe County,    SS.

    I, ["James T. Chute" crossed out; written in:] Wm. C. Mitchell Clerk of the Tippecanoe Circuit Court of Indiana, do hereby certify that the annexed and foregoing last will and testament of Sarah Y. Jenners late of Tippecanoe County, deceased, has been duly admitted to probate; that its execution was this day fully proven in open court by the testimony of Francis J. Jenners ___________________________________________________________
["the subscribing witnesses_____ hereto" crossed out] whose proofs together with said last will and testament, have been duly recorded on page _______________ of Will Record No. 4 now on file in my office.

    In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed
    the seal of said Court, at office in LaFayette, on
    this ["10" crossed out] 8th day of March
                    A.D. 1884

    Wm D Mitchell [signed] Clerk.
    W.W. Drumings, Dept"
According to the 1891 Lafayette city directory, Frank was still living with his mother and still working as a traveling salesman.   He was 42 years old.

On 31 January 1892, Frank's mother, Magdalena Jenners died.  While Mrs. Jenners had been ill, she had been nursed by Florence Blair Cochrane.

Florence was born in Toronto, Canada, on 2 September 1868.  Her parents were Samuel H. Cochrane and his wife, Emily Ann Stone.  I have not yet determined how, when, or why Florence came to Lafayette, Indiana.

On 9 August, Florence and Frank were married in London, England.  The year of their marriage may be 1896, but the article below sounds like it was 1893.  The following newspaper article has no identifying date or place, but is apparently a Lafayette newspaper:


"Jenners-Cochrane.  On August 9, in London, England, were married Frank J. Jenners, of this city, and Miss Florence Cochrane, of Toronto, Canada.  This announcement will cause considerable surprise to Mr. J's friends here, although shortly before his departure for Europe, THE SUNDAY TIMES intimated that Cupid had about subdued this popular, but staid old bachelor.  Miss Cochrane has spent some time in Lafayette, having been at the bedside of Mr. Jenners' mother during her last sickness.  Those who then met her became her friends, for she is a young lady of admirable characteristics.  Of Frank J. Jenners, THE SUNDAY TIMES can say nothing in praise, without repeating of oft told truths.  He has many friends, because he deserves them.  Mr. and Mrs. Jenners, with Miss Anna M. Jenners, are now continuing their tour abroad, which they inaugurated last June. Upon their return to Lafayette, Mr. and Mrs. Jenners will reside at No. 128 north Sixth street." 

On the 1900 census, Frank and Florence are living in Lafayette, Indiana.  They told the census taker they had been married 4 years, which makes their marriage 1896.

On 24 March 1903, twin daughters were born to the couple in Lafayette.  The girls were named Dorothy and Emily. 

The family was still living in Lafayette at the time of the 1910 census.  Frank was working as a traveling salesman for the meat packing industry.

Sometime between the 1910 and 1920 censuses, the family moved to South Haven, Van Buren Co., Michigan.  They are found there boarding with a Lena Schofield on the 1920 census.  Frank was 70; Florence was 52; and the twin daughters were 16. 


On 21 August 1923, daughter Emily married Wendell Edward Dickerson in South Haven, Michigan.

On 11 September 1924, daughter Dorothy married William L. Newbury in South Haven, Michigan.

Frank and Florence are found on the 1930 census in South Haven, Michigan.

On 24 September 1930, Florence Jenners died in South Haven, Michigan of "malignant endocarditis."  She was 62 years old.  Florence was buried in Lakeview Cemetery, South Haven. 

Francis J. Jenners died in Ann Arbor, Michigan on 29 May 1932.  He was 82 years old.  His occupation was listed as retired hardware salesman.  Cause of death was carcinoma of the larynx and senility.  He was buried in Lakeview Cemetery next to Florence.

Daughter Dorothy had two children and died in 1988.  Daughter Emily had two children and died in 1994.

I have not found any photos of Frank or Florence.

Focus

... or lack thereof... and my attempts to focus my research efforts...

As more and more information has become available on-line, I have found it more and more difficult to stay focused while doing on-line research.  There is a lot of information out there and it can get overwhelming.  It is so easy to get distracted and to start following links and clues that are not related to my current research focus.

In an attempt to corral my tendency to be scattered, I put together a spreadsheet of places to check and things to do as I research a person.  I'm hoping that using it will help me stick to the task at hand.

While this list is certainly not comprehensive and I am sure it will grow and evolve as I use it, I thought it might be helpful to others.  What follows is the current version.  It includes sites that are by subscription, as well as free sites.  If others have additions or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.

And I do want to say that while there is a lot to be found via these sites, many records are still only available by going to appropriate court houses, libraries, and archives.  The internet is a great resource, but it is not the only resource.  I use it as a starting point.

Update:  I've been asked about which of the sites below are by subscription, so I have added a $ next to those.

So here goes:

First:  Review my database on the person and note missing key/primary items (census, birth, marriage, death, etc)

Second:  Compare my database to the profile I've compiled for that person on Ancestry.com 

Download documents, as appropriate.  Be sure to change the document name to reflect surname, source, date, etc.  Be sure to look for appropriate censuses and primary documents. Keep in mind the primary evidence I lack for the person.  Use this criteria for each site I visit.

Search Ancestry.com for additional items.  $

Search FamilySearch.org using same above criteria.

Search Find A Grave.com.  Add or correct information found there.  Download photos.  Print memorial pages, etc.  If I KNOW where the person is buried, but there is no memorial yet, create one.

Search American Ancestors.org. $  (Note: Some of their records are free, though you need to create an account.  Others are available only by subscription.  If you have lots of New England ancestors, this site might be a big help.)

Search Newspapers.com for news articles and obituaries. $

Search Genealogy Bank.com  for news articles and obituaries. $

Search Fold3.com if military records are possible. $

Search Death Indexes.com for obituaries.

Next:  Do data entry into my database of all the items I have found on the subject person via the above sources.  Note clues to pursue based on what I've discovered.   Review.

Once I've done the above, I should have a general outline on the person and family as well as places they lived.  These next sites are useful for finding other more locality-specific sources.  I use them as appropriate based on what my preliminary research has turned up.

Linkpendium.com

Library of Congress newspapers at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

Rootsweb

US GenWeb.org

Cyndi's List 

Allen Co. Public Library on-line resources and card catalog.  I keep a running list of things to look for when I periodically visit this excellent library.

I also look for web sites related to the localities where the ancestor lived.  While these often turn up when going through the above resources, I sometimes have to do web searches for them.  I look for:

Libraries in the city, county and state and check for genealogical holdings.  Reference librarians can be very helpful if you have SPECIFIC requests.

Historical Societies and Genealogical Societies in the city, county, and state.  The holdings vary widely.  Sometimes you can contact via email; sometimes only by snail mail.  I like to use them where I can and to support them by utilizing their resources.  The (usually) reasonable fees they charge go to support their on-going work.

Google the person's name in various forms.  Often comes to nothing, but once in awhile you hit on something.

If the above sites have not turned up a county history for the areas of interest, try googling for that.  Many old county history books have been digitized.

I have not yet found a good way to keep track of all the local sites I turn to.  Several of the sites listed above provide ways to discover these local resources. I bookmark them in my browser, but there are so many good ones out there, I get lost! I certainly can't list them all.   Here are a few:

Old Fulton (NY)  -  I have not used this one much yet, but my sister really likes it.  Mostly New York, but expanding into other areas.

Library of Virginia - Many digital records.  Excellent source for Virginia research.

Thomas Balch Library - Loudoun Co., Virginia.  Excellent resource. 

Tippecanoe County Area Genealogical -  Indiana.  I have visited this society and used their resources.  Great people dedicated to preserving area history and helping other researchers.

Cincinnati Birth and Death Records - Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., Ohio

West Virginia Vital Records -  Birth, Marriage and Death record images


As I come across other resources, I will add to this list.  If anyone has items to add, please let me know.

Comments and Contact

Just a quick note about leaving comments and contacting me.

I love getting comments on my posts.  However, Blogger does not provide me with the email or contact information on the person who makes the comment.

When you make a comment, if I am not already corresponding with you, please provide me with your email address so I can reach you directly.

If you want to contact me directly about a post, please send me an email at

sdbeach22 at gmail dot com

Thanks!

A Chip in A Brickwall - Joseph M. Rheuble - Update

I wrote about my husband's great-grandfather, Joseph Markwood Rheuble, HERE. 

At the time I wrote the post, Joseph was a brickwall ancestor.  But thanks to a comment left on that page (thank you, Kim!), I have some new clues to work with.  Kim's comment also helped me take Joseph's line back a couple more generations, though I still have a LOT of research to do to fill in the families.

Kim's comment providing me with a clue is one of the reasons I write this blog.  I hope I am helping other researchers and I am always excited to hear from others with clues and insight into the lines I'm researching.  Unfortunately, Kim didn't leave me her email address and so I have not yet been successful in making direct contact with her, but I will keep trying.

So from Kim's comment I learned that her great-grandfather, Solomon Isaac Ruble, was a brother of Joseph Markwood Rheuble.  Their parents were George Ruble and Susannah (or Susan) Coffman.  Susannah was George's second wife.  She also provided a link to the marriage record of Joseph to his wife, Louisa V. Sherman.  They were married 31 July 1893 in Shenandoah Co., Virginia. 

I next contacted my friend, Marty Hiatt, who is an excellent professional researcher specializing in Virginia.  (If you ever need to hire a researcher, I highly recommend her.  Contact me and I'll put you in touch.)  Marty had a contact in Shenandoah County who was willing to visit the courthouse and find the original marriage record for me.  She sent it to me today.  Thank you so much, Nonna!

Shenandoah Co. Marriage Book

Line 99 is Joseph M. Ruble and Louisa V. Sherman

This confirms what Kim told me.  Joseph M. Rheuble/Ruble was the son of George Ruble and Susan Coffman.  He was born in Grant Co., West Virginia.  And he was 21 in July 1893 (so born about 1872).

Next I did some basic research on George Ruble and Susannah Coffman.  While I have not filled in their lives or children, yet, I did find some promising clues.

Shenandoah Co. Marriage Book showing Ruble to  Coffman marriage

Line 17 (first entry) on this Register of Marriages from Shenandoah Co., Virginia shows George Ruble, a widower, marrying Susannah Coffman.  It gives their ages and places of birth (Shenandoah Co., Va for George; Hardy Co., Va for Susannah).  And it gives their parents names, taking those lines back yet another generation:  George and Cath. (probably Catherine) Ruble and John and Sarah J. Coffman.

George and Susannah were married May 11, 1868.

This gives me lots of clues to pursue.  I will add updates as this line unfolds. 

Here is an updated descendant chart for the Ruble/Rheuble line as I now have it sketched out (FAR from complete):

George Ruble

+Catherine (--?--)

└── George Ruble, b. circa 1819 at Shenandoah Co., VA

    +unknown 1st wife (--?--)

    +Susannah Coffman, b. 7 Apr 1839 at Hardy Co., WV, m. 11 May 1868 at Grant Co., WV, d. 7 Apr 1901 at Grant Co., WV

    ├── John Wesley Ruble

    │   +Ollie Mae Scott

    ├── Solomon Isaac Ruble, b. Jun 1868 at Lehmansville, WV, d. 24 May 1941

    │   +Nora Lusilvia Lyons

    │   ├── Eva V Ruble, b. 5 Jul 1901, d. 24 Nov 1909

    │   ├── Nannie P. Ruble, b. 4 Aug 1904, d. 29 Nov 1909

    │   ├── Jessie Violet Ruble, b. 24 Dec 1915 at Oakmont, Mineral Co., WV, d. 19 Jan 2000 at Oakland, Garrett Co., MD

    │   ├── Lawrence Isaac Ruble, b. 24 Aug 1917 at Elk Garden, Mineral Co., WV, d. 2 Jul 1972 at Keyser, Mineral Co., WV

    │   └── Estel Alston Ruble Sr, b. 1919, d. 2009

    │   +Nancy Katherine Inman, b. 7 Apr 1866, m. 31 Mar 1922 at Keyser, Mineral Co., WV, d. 11 Sep 1951

    └── Joseph Markwood Rheuble, b. 6 Feb 1872 at Grant Co., WV, d. 20 Oct 1944 at Jefferson Twp., Montgomery Co., OH

        +Louisa Virginia Sherman, b. 27 Jan 1867 at Hardy Co., WV, m. 31 Jul 1893 at Shenandoah Co., VA, d. 15 Jan 1935 at Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH

        ├── Overton Lee Rheuble, b. 6 Jun 1891 at Moorefield, WV, d. 25 Feb 1973

        ├── Cleal Francis Rheuble, b. 15 May 1893 at Medley, WV, d. 27 Oct 1950

        ├── Ollie M. Rheuble, b. 15 Nov 1895 at WV, d. 5 Nov 1973

        ├── Lula Helen Rheuble, b. 15 Nov 1895 at WV, d. 9 Oct 1972

        ├── Lester Rheuble, b. circa 1898 at Medley, WV, d. circa 1939 at Chilocothe, OH

        ├── Anna Rheuble, b. 6 Aug 1900, d. 11 Nov 1982 at OH

        ├── George Samuel Rheuble, b. 19 Sep 1903, d. 29 Oct 1973

        ├── Lemuel Rheuble, b. 19 Oct 1905, d. circa 1907

        ├── Joseph Wellington Rheuble, b. 19 Oct 1905 at Moorfield, Hardy Co., WV, d. 17 May 1960 at Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH

        └── Alberta Rheuble, b. 11 Sep 1907 at WV