Adding Ancestors to the Database

     I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution for the genealogy - it is a lineage society, after all.  In joining, I utilized their Ancestor Database to find Revolutionary War Patriots to join through.  I also pursued their Descendants Database, which is made up of the other generations of ancestors that have been documented to reach the Patriots.

     Unfortunately, I have very few ancestors in this database; for the most part, no one has joined under my lines in a way that connects to me any closer than the grandchild of the Patriot.  Since the Patriots are mostly between 7th to 9th Great-Grandparents, that's not a close relationship.  It is helpful to find closer relatives of course, because it could help me break down brick walls.  Just think, if I had a brick wall line at 3rd Great-Grandparents and they were in the database... brick wall busted!  For the most part, the DAR database is well documented (and if it's not, there's usually a notation).

     Ultimately, the Ancestor Database and the Descendants Database (which are connected), are one giant family tree, with options to order the documentation used to prove the lineage (see my previous post).

     One of the benefits of joining the DAR and having my application approved is that my ancestors are now in the database!  It takes a while, as each generation has to be indexed, but there're there.  My application resulted in five generations being added to the database, starting with my Great-Grandparents, Bennie Craft and Sally Ruth Evans.  I would be so thrilled if one day these generations helped someone break down a brick wall or join the DAR.

     Go explore the databases on the DAR website - and check back often.  One day a new member's application might help break down your brick wall.

New Bible Record Database

     The Daughters of the American Revolution just published a new database online, filled with over 40,000 Bible Records.  You can read the DAR's announcement here, and start searching the database here.  This collection was created by the scanning and indexing of books created by DAR members over the years, many of which recorded Bible records.  As this collection of books has been indexed, the Bible records where tagged for this special database.

     The search function for this database is very simple.  Type in a search term, ideally a name, then choose your search type: normal, exact phrase and begins with.  Wildcard functions do not appear to work with this database.

     The results are displayed in a list, as you can see in this image:

    There's a lot going on here: the main surname featured in the Bible; the Source, which is something like a dewy decimal code for the database system and which identifies the state that the book was created in; the page number that the Bible is on in the book; the Bible Description identifies the main couple that the Bible belonged to; the Book Title expands on the Source field and gives a bit more information on the source of the Bible.

     If it's not immediately obvious if this is the person or couple that you're looking for, click on the page number.  This will show you a list of other names that appear on the page.  Make sure to see if there's a "Next [#]" button at the bottom of the page for more results.

     Once you've found a Bible record that you'd like to view (and you're not at the DAR library in DC), you'll need to send a Photocopy Service request, which is $15 for non-DAR members.   You'll need all of the information from the search results screen to fill out the G.R.C. request section on the form.  Based on past experience, the turn around time for these requests is very quick.

     Happy hunting!

Mom's Membership, Complete

     Mom's application for DAR membership was received in DC on April 5th.  Today, May 22nd, her application was verified - much to everyone's relief.  As opposed to my application, which went through my dad's line, hers was pretty difficult.  All of her family lines are complicated, many of them being "red-lined" in the DAR database (meaning there's a problem with the prior applications).  I thought that the line we chose, which traced back to Samuel Armstrong of South Carolina, and before that, Ireland, would be the simplest one.... Yeah, not so much.  And it the trouble wasn't even about the Revolutionary War Patriot!

     First of all, with the DAR, you really have to prove every fact that you put on your pedigree chart. If you "know" that someone's name was John James Doe, you need to prove it.  If you records only ever give the middle initial of 'J,' well, that's what you'll have to put on the form.  So the fact that mom's grandmother, Auline, was called Arlene by her 2nd husband, complete with a Death Certificate and Headstone that read Arlene, created issues.  In order to have her name properly recorded on Mom's application and in the DAR database, I transcribed an interview I'd previously recorded with my great-aunt where she discussed her mom's name.  We then had my mom, who conducted the interview, get the the transcription notarized.

     Moving back through her tree, we had a few places where the documents that I had needed to be reviewed and evaluated to see if they were good enough.  I discovered a few places where I didn't have the documents that I thought I had, though I had others that served as proof.  For example, I don't have the death certificate of my Great-Great Grandmother, Nina Sprouse Albea.  I do have her obit and social security application, but was surprised to not have her DC.

     Possibly the most uncertain aspect of Mom's application was the son of the Patriot.  Previously, all DAR applicants had gone through Samuel's son, William, who also served and had a pension.  We were going through Samuel's son, John.  John is listed in Samuel's will as John Armstrong. However, in all other documents he is listed as John H Armstrong.  Since there was a name variation, our registrar felt that we would need to show that John and John H were the same person.  She wrote an analysis, evaluating all John Armstrongs in the area and detailed a theory on the addition of the middle initial after our John became guardian to a younger John Armstrong.

     In another couple weeks, Mom will have her membership number and her lineage will be added to the database.  She's very happy to be a full member and to take part in this fantastic service organization.

I Could Be a Rosebud

There’s something true about

Red, white, and blue about

Rosie the Riveter

     I had the pleasure to see a presentation on Rosie the Riveter by Carol Cain, during today's DAR meeting.  Ms Cain was extremely entertaining and inspirational, while educating us about "Rosies" during World War II.

    When Ms Cain was first asked, as a teacher, to give this presentation, she didn't know anything about Rosie and her role during the War.  Since then, she has met many real life Rosies and helped inspire the creation of the American Rosie the Riveter Association.  This is a society that I had never before heard of, but which is much like the DAR.  One big difference: the original women that the society honors are alive today and can join along with their descendants.

     Ms Cain's presentation reminded me of a few family members.  First, my Great-Aunt Ollie, who was herself a Rosie.  I only know of her work thanks to her certificate of graduation from the San Diego Vocational School, where she completed a course in Aircraft Construction and Assembly, as well as a reference card that states that she worked on commercial and Air Force aircraft for Convair. Ollie didn't have any surviving children, so I am happy to have these documents to remember her service.

     Otherwise, I know that my maternal Great-Grandparents and their children grew Victory Gardens.  For my Great-Aunt Ree, this service would allow her to join the society as as "Volunteer Rosie" and allow me to join as a "Rosebud."

     Lifetime membership is only $10 for Rosies and $20 for Rosebuds, which seems a small price.  The money helps the association to "recognize and preserve the history and legacy of working women, including volunteer women, during World War II."  I appreciate their mission and will be looking into membership.

My Official Invitation - 124th NSDAR Continental Congress Page

     One aspect of my membership in the DAR is the fact that, as a woman under the age of 36, I am a Junior.  This doesn't mean that I'm a second class member, but is a way to give special significance to younger members.  As you might imagine, the average age of DAR members is in the 50s and 60s.  However, the Society greatly appreciates their younger members and the skills and passion they bring with them.

     Part of being a Junior is the opportunity to be a Page at conferences, both State and National.  I haven't taken part in this aspect of the DAR yet, but those who I've spoken to who have paged really seem to have enjoyed the experience.  It seems to encompass many different tasks, from hostess and hospitality, to errand runner and guide, to ceremonial participant.  And you do it all while dressed in white from head to toe.

     Back in the fall I had planned to page at my state conference, but my work schedule would not permit it.  I decided to go for broke and attend the national conference, the 124th Continental Congress, in Washington, DC.  I've never been to DC before and this seems like a great opportunity.  I'm joining other chapter members and other Daughters from Georgia on a state bus trip.  I have to admit that it's not an inexpensive trip, but I think it will be more than worth it.

     Today I received my official invitation to page at Continental Congress.  I need to indicate which days and times that I am available to page, as well as some skills that might be of use as a page during the conference.  I'm going to wait to fill out the form for a few days and get advice from other chapter members during our next meeting.

     After sending in my RSVP, I will receive more information about my assignments.  Until then, I'll be pursuing the calendar of events, exploring maps of DC (our bus is taking us in early so we'll be doing some sight seeing), and shopping for all things white.  I do so love to over-plan.

Are You Using This Resource? The GRC

     I mentioned last week that joining the DAR had opened me up to new genealogical resources.  One of those is the Genealogical Records Committee Index (GRC).  This is very similar to a service offered through FindMyPast.com's index to the PERSI database at the Allen County Public Library, that I wrote about last year.

     The GRC is composed of records collected and created by DAR chapters worldwide, who transcribed and indexed unique records in their local areas, from census and tax records, to church and cemetery records, to obituaries and family bibles.  There are over 17,000 records in the collection!  These records have been, and are still being, reviewed, and the names included have been added to a searchable index.

     The search is simple, but the results can be vague.  Here's how it works:

1. Fill out the search form with the surname your looking for, as well as a first name and a state.  In this example, I searched for my 6th Great-Grandfather, Peter Ouzts.

2. Here, you can see a number of results.  You can see the name I searched for with the book code to the right and the page number in blue.  Below that is the title of the book, which is the only piece of information that tells you the subject of the book or record.  Review the matches and, when you see something of interest, click on the blue number, which is the page the name appears on.  I clicked on a series of Bible records, in which the name Peter Ouzts appears on page 100.

3.  On the next page, we can see the other names that appear on the page along with Peter.  Only a few names down I see Elizabeth Harling.  It's Peter's wife!  This book looks like it contain the family bible of my Harling ancestors.  Could the John and Kiziah listed above Elizabeth be her parents?

     Unfortunately, the information shown above is the only information I have on this record.  In this case, it's more than enough encouragement to send off and request a copy of this record.  I can do that using the DAR Photocopy Request Form (PDF) and for a fee of $10 for members ($15 for non-members).  For that fee, I will receive 10 pages, including the cover page.  

     Searching the GRC database, I found a number of requests that would be worth requesting.  Not all records are as clear as this one, with regards to the subject of the record.  Based on the title of the book, I know that the above record should be a Bible record.  Other titles are often titled as "Misc Records."  I would be taking a chance ordering these records, but they could turn out to be a gold mine. 

Check Marks the Source

     When I first started my genealogy research in 2003, I created a family tree in Excel and kept dates and places.  After a bit, I purchased the genealogy software for Mac, called Reunion.  I had quite a tree at this point, which lacked any sort of sources.  I've played catchup ever since, and still come across "facts" in my family tree that lack a good source.

     I've thought before about starting over - but that's just not practical.  Instead, I need a method to verify my research and root out the areas that lack sources.  Learning how the DAR reviews applications has given me the method to do so.  I learned about this process by working with my Registrar on my mom's application, as well as a supplemental application.  So, here's the method:

     So, what all's going on here?  First, I've highlighted the facts that were in the DAR database.  I did this purely for the application process, but would not necessarily do this when verifying my family tree.

     Otherwise, I put check marks on each piece of information.  Each.  Individual.  Piece.  So for a date, there's one check for the day, one for the month, and one for the year.  And I do not put any checks until I can point out exactly where I got the information from.  This method has helped me uncover a few typos and a few places where I have no idea where I got some pieces of information from.  You can see in the image where I've made a few corrections or adjustments.

    This method, regardless of whether or not I'm working on a DAR application, will be very helpful for catching the errors in my database.

Busy with the DAR

     It has been exactly 6 months since my last blog post, and my mom has challenged me to get back to it.  I have been busy with genealogy, but it's mostly been through the DAR.  I signed my DAR application almost a year ago and became a member last May.  Since then, I became the Lineage

Research Chairman and Historic Preservation Chairman of my chapter, organized projects and trips with both committees, have been working on my mom's application, took the DAR's Genealogy Education Program I and II classes, done indexing for their online BookSync Project, requested records from their library through their Photocopy service, helped do research online for others through the Lineage Research Lookup Board and Facebook pages, worked on supplemental applications using the Ancestor database... and that's just the genealogy side of things I can think of right now.

     The point of all of this though, is that by joining the DAR I have been introduced to a treasure-trove of new genealogical resources.  They have a number of databases, such as the Ancestor and Descendents databases, which are comprised of the applications of members.  Anyone can purchase copies of these applications (aka "record copy") or place a Document Request for the supporting documents that proved the lineage.  The DAR also has a huge library, comprised of both published works, as well as genealogy records compiled by local Chapters.  Anyone can search the Genealogy Records Committee Index for the names of their ancestors, and then place an order through the Photocopy Service for a copy of the record.  There's also the DAR Analytical Card Index, which I honestly haven't even gotten to yet!

     I'm going to try and work on keeping up the blog again and get back into the online genealogical community.  But it's definitely going to have a slight focus on DAR resources to a certain extent.  If anyone has questions about the DAR or their resources, please feel free to ask.

Membership Complete (DAR)

     My DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) membership journey is complete.  I was inducted last week during the May meeting, which was a sort of end of the year luncheon.  Getting to this point took quite a while, though mainly due to my own procrastination.

      I first considered joining back in November of 2009 on a completely different line than I ended up joining on.  But, once I contacted the local DAR chapter, it only took about 6 months to hand in my documents, have the application completed, signed, sent off and accepted.   I still seems like a long time, but in that time period I was able to attend meetings and get to know a bit more about the local chapter.  When I got my membership number (and access to more of the website), as well as the chapter newsletter, I felt like I had access to more information.  But I still feel like there's more to learn.  They have a lot of information online, but at the same time, it's about the organization, while the activities really take place at a chapter level.  And the local chapter's website is very cookie cutter.

     The next meeting isn't until September.  During the last meeting the officer positions changed, so I assume that they take the summer to learn about their jobs and plan for the upcoming year.  I'm taking the time to work on a project under the Genealogical Records committee, which is an online indexing program.  The current project, BookSync, is very simple and involves taking previously indexed records and attaching them electronically to the correct page (skipping pages with non-indexed material) and tagging Family Bibles for special recognition.  If you do a certain amount of pages, you are eligible to purchase a pin to wear in recognition.

     And that brings me to the topic of pins.  There are tons of them, some available to anyone, such as chapter and ancestor bars, some to identify positions held, such as Regent, some to identify achievements, such as the BookWorm pin for indexing, and others to show financial contributions.  But they are a bit pricey and can only be worn during official DAR functions.  I think they would be nice to have, but that I wouldn't be able to wear them often (and I'm still confused on the dress code). I'd estimate that only about 1/3 or fewer members wear them at meetings.  If you are a member - what are your thoughts on pins?

     But pins aren't the reason I decided to join the DAR.  I had two goals in mind: 1. to see if my research held up to their standards; 2. to get involved in something and be more social.  I'm looking forward to next September and hope to get involved in a committee or two.  Hopefully I'll get a lot out of my membership.

     

April's DAR Meeting (Pending Membership)

     I attended my 3rd DAR meeting yesterday and this time I took my mom with me.  It was interesting because, like many things Genealogy, most people will assume that she's dragging me along, and not vice versa.  But I wanted her to see how the meetings went and let her decide if she wants to join.  She doesn't have a job right now since her company went out of business, though she does watch my nephew (aka the Best Baby Ever) three days a week.  I think that she'd have a lot more time to participate than I will.

     This meeting was the first one in which I had a pre-printed name tag, from which I figured out that I've moved from "prospective member" to "pending member."  I think I've been pending for a bit; I'm not sure but I think that means my application has been sent in, vs I'm still considering membership/working on my application.  Pretty much my best guess here; I still have a lot to learn.

     And that's one thing about this experience that I felt at this meeting: that there's still so much I don't know.  From what I've picked up, it's not that it's a secret or anything; if I ask a question I get an answer.  However, I don't know all of the questions to ask.  I think that once I have my membership number I will have access to the member's website that contains tons of information.

     And, according to the Interim Registrar, my application is "up next."  Maybe I'll become a member next month!

    Anyway, this month's speaker was from Atlanta's Historic Oakland Cemetery - one of my most favorite places.  I've gone on a few tours at Oakland, but have only scratched the surface of the many different experiences they offer.  Although I know a good bit about the cemetery, this presentation reminded me of how much more there is.  It really made me want to visit again, especially in the spring with all of the flowers and trees in bloom.

DAR Meeting and an Application Update

     I attended my second DAR meeting this last weekend.  It was much like the previous one, and I'm really getting the feel for how things work.

     Last time I attended I was confused about signing in, but this time there were clearly labeled sign in sheets for members, guests and perspective members.  I'm still filling out a "Hello, my name is" name tag, but I now know a few of the other ladies to say hello to.

     This meeting's speaker was Tom Poland, a writer who specializes in the south, and more specifically the area from Lincoln County, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina.  I have family from Lincoln County, so I'm going to look into his work to see if he might have written anything of interest to me.  He gave out some tips and suggestions for writing, such as how to find topics: get in your car and drive the back roads; the highway is generic and boring.

     Two more members were inducted during the meeting and apparently there are 11 applications that have been sent in for review, including my own.  The registrar thinks I'll have my member number by May, which is longer than she originally thought.  All this bad weather seems to have kept the DAR offices closed more than is normal.  I won't be attending next month's meeting, which happens to fall on my birthday.  Instead, I'll be at a living history weekend at Andersonville NHS.

Learning More at the DAR 101 Workshop

     Only shortly after attending my first DAR meeting last Sunday, I attended a DAR 101 Workshop for new members yesterday.  I learned a lot about the DAR, though maybe not as much about the chapter as I'd like.

     The workshop was at 6:30 and started with a dinner of soup, salad and sandwiches.  I approached the registrar and was able to sign my application and hand over my check for application and membership dues.  I'll note here that joining the DAR is not inexpensive; the check I wrote was for $157.  Going forward, yearly dues are currently set at $72 ($25 Chapter, $10 State, $37 National).

     The main portion of the workshop was conducted by Camille Baxter, a State officer (I don't remember her title).   She gave a really great overview of the history and organization of the DAR.  I learned that they were founded in 1890 by an act of Congress, only a few months after the Sons of the American Revolution decided against female membership; they were responsible for finishing the Washington Monument after the national government failed to finish it; they helped restore the Statue of Liberty in 1976; they founded and still support a number of schools, many of them founded in rural areas in the early 1900s; members have logged over 1 million hours of volunteer service this year (the year starts/ends in May).

     I feel like I learned a lot about the DAR as a whole, but not necessarily about the chapter that I'm joining.   Both Mrs Baxter and the chapter Registrar spoke some about the different committees and their purposes, though not in great detail.  We were provided with a link to a website that detailed the committees.  They stressed that all members (Daughters) have a variety of interests and talents, and that there is something for everyone.  As the Registrar put it, "the DAR is what you make of it." They want all members to be active and involved.  And really, that's my goal in joining the DAR: getting active and involved with something - getting out of the house!   There are a few committees that interest me, and I think I'll ask about them at the next meeting.

     Another thing that they spoke about, which I was wondering about, were the ribbons and pins (insignia) that the members wore.  In order to wear them, you have to be at a DAR event, and you must be wearing the right cloths: business/church dresses and pants suits.  The Registrar was joking about having to stop by Office Depot on the way in and covering her insignia up with her scarf while she was there.  You can start ordering your insignia as soon as you have a member number, and the basic starter ribbon and three pins is about $200. From there, you can purchase insignia for a number of things, including making donations, completing certain amounts and types of service, for holding offices, etc.  The cost of the pins does add up and, as they jokingly said, the DAR stands for Dollars Are Required.  But, it does seem like it takes a lot of service to earn the insignia, so they can be meaningful.  I also got the feeling that you weren't expected to purchase any of the insignia if you didn't want to (although I assume that if you start going to state and national conferences, that would change).

     I'm still learning about the DAR, but I think it's going to be something that'll be good for me... if a bit expensive.

Attending My First DAR Meeting

     Yesterday, I attended my first ever DAR meeting. If you remember from previous posts, I first met with the local DAR chapter's Registrar in December.  Between then and now they had a meeting (while I was on vacation in Colonial Williamsburg), in which I was voted in as a prospective member.

     The meeting was held in a ballroom at a senior living center.  There were 10 tables with eight chairs each and just about every chair was filled.  The crowd was a mix of women and a few men (who mostly seemed to be husbands) aged mostly from 80s to 40s, with some in their 30s and a few others in their high 20s.  At 29, I was certainly one of the youngest attendees, though not the absolute youngest.

     They had a member sign in sheet (which I wasn't sure if I was supposed to sign or not) and name tags, including blank ones for visitors.  As I was standing, looking around, the woman who had come in behind me started talking to me and we sat at a able together; she was a prospective member as well.

     The meeting started with a prayer, pledges to numerous flags, and some other things that I'm not quite sure what they were.  There was then an induction ceremony, where three applicants became members.  They also mentioned names of all of the prospective members, and there seemed to be somewhere around 25 women who were in the process of joining.

     Each meeting features a speaker, and this meeting was Jim Anderson, who spoke about Scottish Heritage and the Highland Games held each year in Stone Mountain Park.  It was quite informative and made me want to look into my Armstrong family and attend this year's Games.

     After the presentation there was a break for snacks, which was quite an impressive spread of finger sandwiches, fruits, veggies and desserts.  The meeting continued, touching on a number of topics specific to the chapter.  They will be hosting the state conference in March, and are looking for volunteers, nominated delegates to the conference, took up a collection for book donation to the National DAR Library, and other things.

     I was able to speak with the Registrar again, and she had me sign my application.  Boy was she in demand!  With 25 women in the process of joining she has to always be in the middle of something.  Both before and after the meeting, there always seemed to be one or two people waiting to speak with her.

     I picked up a good amount from this meeting about how this DAR chapter works, though I'm sure to learn more details at the New Member Workshop this Thursday.  For one thing, I'm curious about different committees.  I know that they have some for lineage and scrapbooking, but I get the feeling that there are a lot more.  The Registrar has already mentioned that I might want to join the lineage committee, based on the paperwork I supplied for my application.  I'm looking forward to Thursday and learning more about the DAR and this specific chapter.

DAR Application Process Has Officially Begun

Gwinnett Historic Courthouse

     I had my meeting with the DAR Registrar and a member of the Lineage Committee today.  There was a little confusion over where we were meeting, but we were able to connect when she sent me an email with her phone number - I was at the top of the wrong staircase.

     As I wrote yesterday, I had prepared a binder with all of my documents proving lineage back to my patriot ancestor, John Cash (A020406), and had already sent in a pedigree chart.  The first thing the ladies wanted to know was whether this line connects with the singer, Johnny Cash, which it does (he's my third cousin, twice removed).

     The Registrar has looked up my ancestor in the DAR's Genealogical Research Database, where other members had joined through John's son, Moses (my 5th Great-Grandfather).  They had not, however, joined through Moses' daughter, Elizabeth (my 4th Great-Grandmother).  I paged through the binder I'd brought, browsing through each generation of death certificate, census records and wills, proving the lineage from myself to Elizabeth, and then Elizabeth to Moses.  

     The DAR ladies seemed very pleased with my records and, based upon the meeting, feel that I have everything that I need.  I left my binder with them, and they will start work on my application.  Apparently, I have to be voted in, but the way they mentioned this it seems like a technicality.  Also, because I'm under 36, I would be a junior member.  From some of what they said, I got the feeling that the DAR in general is short on junior members, who have certain rolls to fill within the society.  She said that they're a very active chapter, though didn't go into great detail on what all they are active with.

     And in a moment of genealogical serendipity, as we were discussing nearby research repositories, the Registrar mentioned a great map she found at one library.  The map included a road that lead to the property of one of her husband's Burkhalter ancestors.  I had to stop her there and bring up my Burkhalter ancestors, who were from the same area.  I haven't done a ton of research on this line, so I had to pull out my phone to look up the family, but it looks like I found a new cousin!

     The Registrar thinks that I could be a full member by the end of January.  I'm looking forward to moving forward with my application (though no so excited to part with the $150 in fees and dues) and plan to attend the next society meeting in January.

Tomorrow's Appointment

     I've been emailing the Registrar of the local Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) Chapter and have set up an appointment to meet with her tomorrow morning at the local courthouse.  I've already emailed her my pedigree chart and decided to print out all of the documents that I have.  I had organized them in Evernote, but decided that I wanted to have a physical copy as well.

     I really hope that I already have the documents that I need.  When I started to get organized for the DAR application process, I realized that I was missing some records.  I've since sent off for a few of those, but the fees do add up.  Here's what I've got:

1. Myself
• birth certificate
2. Father
• birth certificate
• Mother
• marriage license
• birth certificate
3. Grandfather - Thomas S Craft
• amended birth certificate
• death certificate
• 1930 census (with parents)
• Grandmother - Sarah F Britt
• marriage license & certificate
• delayed birth certificate
• death certificate
• 1930 census (with parents)
4. Great Grandfather - B E Craft
• death certificate
• 1910 census (with parents)
• Great Grandmother - Sally Ruth Evans
• obituary (lists parents)
• 1910 census (with parents)
5. 2nd Great Grandfather - George "Bob" Craft
• 1870 & 1880 census (with parents, name variations)
• 2nd Great Grandmother - Effie Powell
• marriage license
• 1880 census (with parents)
6. 3rd Great Grandmother - Rossie Alexander
• 1850 & 1860 census (with parents, name variations)
• death certificate (father's name is wrong)
• 3rd Great Grandmother - William A Craft
• marriage license
• 1860 census (with parents)
7. 4th Great Grandmother - Elizabeth Cash
• 1850 census (with parents, initials only)
• father's will (lists her & husband)
• 4th Great Grandfather - George Alexander
• marriage license
• 1860 mortality census
• will (lists wife & children)
8. 5th Great Grandfather - Moses Cash
• will (lists wife and children)
• deed (lists father)
• father's will (lists children)
• 5th Great Grandmother - Nancy Hudson
• marriage license
9. 6th Great Grandfather - John Cash
• will (lists wife and children)
• pension file (gives service and BMD dates)
• deeds (lists son)
• 6th Great Grandmother - Lucy Campbell
• widow's pension (gives husband's service and BMD dates)

Evernote Prepping For My DAR Application

      I heard back from the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) regarding my membership questions.  They were able to provide me information regarding fees and dues, as well as on an upcoming meeting.  I hope to attend, but since I work weekends I might not be able to make it.  I sent a pedigree chart (using the DAR form) to the chapter's registrar, and she's going to look at my patriot ancestor and help me decide if I need to send off for any records held by the DAR.

     Until I can meet with the Registrar, I'm working on organizing my documentation.  Just like when writing out a biography or sketch of an ancestor, this process is helping me realize what documents I'm missing.  For example, I have my PawPaw's (paternal grandfather) death certificate, but I've never scanned it.  Well I have now!

     Having recently used Evernote to help plan my upcoming vacation, I decided to use the program to organize my DAR application documents.  I've created a Notebook called "DAR - John Cash" and individual Notes for each ancestor.  I'm numbering the generations, starting with myself as #1.  Couples get an "A" or "B," with "A" going to the ancestor directly descended from my patriot ancestor.

     In each Note, I'm attaching a copy of each document, as well as a summary of the information contained in that document.  Here's a screenshot of what this all looks like:

     I'm sure the DAR is going to want paper copies (although I don't know, maybe I can email all the documents?), and this is really for my own benefit and for meeting with the Registrar.  All images saved in the Note can be opened up using Preview (or any other image view application) and are saved elsewhere on my computer.

     I'm happy that my DAR application is moving forward and will post more when I know it.

Sigh...

     I haven't been doing much genealogy lately.  I've let my Ancestry.com subscription lapse and haven't made any trips to archives or libraries.  But I did receive a death certificate in the mail today, which has given me a bit of jump start.

     I ordered the death certificate of my Great-Great-Great Grandmother recently, when reviewing my documents for a potential DAR application.  I realized that I was missing her death certificate, as well as that of her son, so I sent off for it.  Yesterday I received her DC in the mail and... sigh... not helpful.
   

     Rossie Alexander Craft was 98 years old when she died and her death certificate was filled out by her daughter in law.  Apparently Mrs JW Craft didn't have the best information.  Rossie's father was Georgia Alexander, not George Craft; Rossie's mother is listed simply as "Miss Cash," no first name given.   So for the sake of paternity, this death certificate is practically useless.

     At the same time, it's been almost a month since I emailed my local DAR chapter (the only form of contact seemingly available).  Aside from a "I'll forward this to the right person," I haven't heard back from them.  I'm only moderately interested in joining, so I don't have a ton of patience to wait for information.  I've sent them a followup email and we'll see what happens.

A Biography Disguised as a Pension Record

     I have been meaning, for years, to put together an application for the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  I had one line that I was going to pursue, but upon seeing the pension application that his children submitted, I had some doubts as to his service.  Since then, I've decided to pursue an alternative ancestor: John Cash.

     John Cash applied for a pension in 1832, when he was 75 years old.  Thanks to this pension application, I know about his military service: dates, locations, jobs, etc.  But what really surprised me was the amount of information that I learned about the rest of John's life.

     John's application is mainly about his service, but does also detail where he lived and when he moved.  I now know that John and family lived in Amherst and Bedford Counties, Virginia, and moved to Elbert County, Georgia, in 1802.  But where the really good stuff comes in is actually after his death, when his wife and then his children apply to continue the pension for themselves.

     Take this portion of his wife, Lucy's, application for example:

     The document gives the date of John and Lucy's marriage, "as well as remembered," her birth date, and her husband's birth date.  The very next page states that these dates were recorded in a family Bible, but that it was lost in a house fire in December of 1831.  However, Lucy does remember that she and John were married by a traveling minister in the home of Charles Rore and that the marriage was not recorded with the government.

     As the documents go on (73 pages!), this lack of legally recorded marriage becomes a problem.  The family Bible was the only recording of the the couple's marriage and the children's births.  Government recorded vital records just aren't available for this time. Eventually, Lucy does receive a pension, but it's unclear if the children ever received benefits.

     Probably the most interesting document is one regarding the burning of the Cash family home.  The document itself is not dated, but other documents in the file state the the house burned in December of 1831.  The family was petitioning the community of McDonough, Georgia for charitable donations to support the elderly couple and their unmarried daughters.  The petition is followed by a list of those in the community who donated a dollar or so each to help the family.

     I am a bit concerned that this pension application, which mentions John and Lucy's children, does not mention their son and my ancestor, Moses Cash.  However, Moses is listed as one of John's children in his will.  

     When I started organizing documents for this line, I also realized that I was missing some pretty basic documents.  What do you mean I don't have death certificates for my 3x Great Grandmother and 2x Great Grandfather?  I'd simply never needed them to confirm the family line and hadn't ordered them.  I've started to do so now, and hopefully I won't procrastinate too much longer and can work on my DAR application.

Daniel's Service (Hello DAR series)

For my application to the DAR, I'm tracing my lineage to Daniel Boatright/Boatwright. Quite a few other researchers have already proven his service in the Revolutionary War. Thanks to this, my application process will be much easier.

The DAR has Daniel's service description as "WIDOW REC LAND GRANT IN GA 1827." I found a transcript of the recipients of the land draw on the USGenWeb Archive Project. You can see Margaret and Nancy Boatright, Daniel's widow and child. Margaret is listed as "w.R.S.", or Widow of Revolutionary Soldier.

As far as my application process, I received a record copy in the mail on Saturday from the DAR. However, it was not the copy that I had requested. It followed the wrong lineage. I sent the DAR an email and they responded yesterday to say that they would send the correct copy. Hopefully I'll receive that soon. Once I have that, I plan to contact a local DAR chapter to discuss my application.

Supporting Documents (Hello DAR series)

So, I've sent off for a record copy of a previously submitted DAR application for my patriot ancestor, Daniel Boatwright. I'd like to be able to use this application to submit my own application. I can see that this lineage follows through at least the three oldest generations of my own lineage. I'll be able to use this previous research to aid my application because my lineage "has already been proven by the DAR."

In general, I need to be able to prove every fact that I record for my application. So, if I say 'A' is the father of 'B,' I need a document to prove that. Here's the documentation that I have for individuals in the direct line:

• Me: Birth Certificate

• My Dad: Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate
My Mom: Birth Certificate

• Sarah F. Britt: Birth Affidavit, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate, Census
Thomas S. Craft: Birth Affidavit & Amended Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Census

• S. Ledora Barfield: Death Certificate, Marriage Record, Census
Nathan Britt: Death Certificate, Census

• S. Frances Boatright: Death Certificate, Marriage Record, Census
William Barfield: none

• Stephen T. Boatright: Death Certificate, Marriage Record, Census, Record Copy
M. Dora Logue: Census

• Reubin Boatright: Census, Record Copy
Demaris Rich: Census

• Daniel Boatright: Record Copy
Margaret Brasswell: Book information, Land lottery

So, I think that I'm set for the most part (?). You can see many of the documents here. Anything in the last thee generations that I don't have a record for will be proven by the pre-existing application. I'm not sure exactly how that works, but I've been told that I can use it as proof.

The only person that I do not have documentation for is William Barfield, who married into the family. I have documentation for him from his marriage on, but nothing to show who his parents were - because I really don't know who they were. But, I don't think that will effect my application. I'd also like to send for Dora Logue Boatright's death certificate. I don't believe it's necessary, but I should have it for my records anyway.

In the next post, I'll talk abut the information I have on my patriot ancestor and his wife.