Fascinating Genetics Research - Epigenetics
An article in Discover Magazine titled
DNA Is Not Destiny explores the fascinating new field of epigenetics research.
In a nutshell, researchers are discovering that although DNA provides a roadmap for each human being, something needs to tell the genes what to do. An extra dose of vitamin, exposure to a toxin, or loving parenting not only affects the next generation, but the following generations as well.
"Put simply, and as bizarre as it may sound," the article says, "what you eat or smoke today could affect the health and behavior of your great-grandchildren."
Randy Jirtle, a professor of radiation oncology at Duke University and epigenetics researcher, says, "Epigenetics is proving we have some responsibility for the integrity of our genome. Before, genes predetermined outcomes. Now everything we do—everything we eat or smoke—can affect our gene expression and that of future generations. Epigenetics introduces the concept of free will into our idea of genetics."
Check out the Discover Magazine article for one of the most intriguing genetics articles you've encountered in years.
RIP Harold E. Stockdill of Kittanning, PA
My uncle forwarded information to my mom about an obituary for Harold E. Stockdill of Kittanning, PA, who passed away on 12/10/06. He wondered if, as the family genealogist, I'd be interested, and also, if we're related to the man. The answer to both questions was yes, of course.
I knew we were related to the gentleman immediately. For one thing, unlike Stockdale, Stockdill is a fairly uncommon last name, so I figure that anyone with that last name residing in the general vicinity of Dayton, PA, or Kittanning, PA, is most likely part of our line.
Plus, his father's name was Preston Stockdill, and "Preston" is a family name that itself is uncommon enough to place him squarely in my clan.
Further research shows that Harold E. Stockdill and my grandfather, R. Blaine Stockdale, were third cousins. Their grandfathers, John Lincoln Stockdill and Joshua Foster Stockdale, were first cousins. Blaine and Harold were contemporaries - Blaine born in 1922 and Harold in 1924. Unfortunately, Grandpa died at age 67. Fortunately for Harold and his family, he lived to be almost 82. Interestingly, a census I located which listed John Lincoln Stockdill and his family showed that his widowed mother, Martha (Foster) Stockdill, age 93, lived with them. It seems like even nearly a century ago, a fair number of people lived to a ripe old age.
Fortunately, I'm visiting my parents for Christmas, so I could draw a tree for my mom and explain the relationship to Harold Stockdill visually. I told her that the research was challenging at first because Preston Stockdill was sometimes known as "Preston G." and sometimes known as "George P." My mom reminded me that the family was fond of calling people by their middle names. Grandpa was "Blaine" to everyone who knew him, and most people probably had no idea his first name was actually Robert.
Scrapbooking for Posterity
A new book,
Family History Scrapbooking by Becky Higgins, is packed with great ideas on how to create a priceless heirloom gift - a scrapbook crammed with family photos and stories.
The author suggests creating a complete family history library with a binder for each family member, a scrapbok filled with a summary of the people in your life, an album of family stories and snapshots, an album of family recipes passed down through the generations, or a children's storybook with pictures of ancestors and interesting tidbits about them.
Start with your own memories, and build from there. Then, use technology to your best advantage to contact your relatives and start digging. The age in which we live has numerous advantages for genealogical and family history research. We have free or cheap long distance phone calls as well as e-mail and the ability to instantly find phone numbers and addresses on the Internet.
If you have elderly relatives and you're at all interested in family history research (and you must be if you're reading this blog), it's crucial that you interview these folks as soon as possible, while their minds are still sharp and they are still among the living. There are some bits of information that you won't find in any book or with any online service. First and foremost, have your relatives identify people in old photographs. This might jog their memories for stories about those pictured. Once the faucet starts running, more and more memories might spill forth, more than enough to fill a binder or notebook.
What Kind of Genealogy Information Do You Want?
Tell me what kind of genealogy information would be most valuable to you.
More U.S. Census facts? Census data researching help? Are you interested in more U.S. Census history?
Could you use more information on how to use the Internet more effectively in your family history research?
Please post your comments here. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Researching From Afar - Genealogy Outside Your Country
Although my main site,
StockdaleAncestry.com, focuses on the Stockdill and Stockdill genealogy, blog entries here cover the entire spectrum of genealogy and family history research.
I define "genealogy" or "ancestry" research as finding out the names and origins of your direct ancestors and their relations, and if possible, their birth years, where they lived, and where they are buried. Family history, to me, means what your ancestors did for a living, how they died, and other family stories that cause you to dig a little deeper. This is the most interesting, fascinating and addicting part of genealogy research for me - finding out tidbits of information about the people who came before me, learning how they lived and what life was like for them.
Just finding the vital stats often hits a brick wall, however, about the time your ancestors arrive in the U.S., particularly if their home countries don't speak the same language as you do. In the case of my Stockdill genealogy,
County Wexford, Ireland, residents speak English, and Irish genealogy sites abound on the Internet. However, I've yet to find much useful information dating to before any of my ancestors' arrival in the U.S., whether on Irish Web sites or Irish genealogy sites.
As for my Polish ancestors, forget it. My paternal grandfather was born in what became Poland after World War I; his parents and my paternal grandma's parents were also born there. They were ethnic Poles in what was then part of Russia. In the case of Grandpa's parents, his father was recruited to come to America to work in the Carnegie factories in Pittsburgh. They thought that the streets here were paved in gold, that they could make a lot of money and then go back home. Instead, life was very hard here, but they couldn't ever return due to lack of money and the world war that broke out shortly after their arrival.
I don't speak Polish and can't find anyone who even knows the names of my great grandparents' parents. In future blog posts, I plan to explore strategies for researching in countries other than your own. Any advice in this arena is appreciated through blog comments.
What Are You Passing Down to Your Descendants?
This Thanksgiving, I had many things for which I am thankful. I have a beautiful home, a loving husband, an adorable two-year-old child, a very close family, and three affectionate kitties. I make a good living and don't have to worry where I'll get the next meal.
My parents are two of the most wonderful people anyone could have the good fortune to know. I often remember some of the good examples they set for me and hope that I'll set the same example for my little one as she grows and matures.
When I was a young teenager, I waited in the van while my dad went into a bank. When he came back out to the van and counted his money, he realized that the bank teller had given him $100 too much. He explained to me that he had to go back to the teller and correct the error. It would be wrong to keep the $100, he said, and the bank may have taken it out of the teller's pay. I'm sure that at that time, Dad could have used an extra $100, although nowadays, he doesn't sweat losing that much in a slot machine. This was nearly 25 years ago, and I often think of this act of honesty and try to act as such myself.
I was also a young teenager one day when my mom stopped the station wagon to get gas on a bitterly cold day, back when a station attendant pumped the gas, before anyone had heard of "self-serve." The temperature was probably in the single digits, lower still with the wind chill. Light flakes of snow bounced in the brisk wind that cut right through a person. The guy who pumped our gas had no gloves. My mom dug around in the car and found a pair of my dad's gloves to give to the station attendant. It was the Christmas season, and this station was near the larger and newer of two malls in town, so I'm sure it did a brisk business despite the blustery weather. I wonder how many other people got gas at this station and didn't worry about the man getting frostbite on his hands like my mom did.
I know exactly where she got the motherly worry. I was also fortunate enough to know my grandma until she died when I was 16. Besides passing down the tendency to worry and empathize with others, she also had a saying that my mom is fond of quoting - "It's an ill wind that blows no good." What she meant was that things turn out for the best, even when something bad happens.
Random House actually has a write-up on this saying, which I've never heard outside of my family. They have a somewhat different take on its meaning, but what it means to me is that my grandma was a wise woman indeed.
What have your parents and grandparents passed down to you? And what are you passing down to your children? Every time you tailgate someone on the highway or angrily shout at other drivers, do you think about what kind example you set for your children? Do you steal office supplies from work or call in sick when you're really planning to go shopping and just feel entitled to a day off? Have you returned an item to the store even though you know it was your fault it broke? More than anything else, this is what you're passing down through the generations.
U.S. Census Chooses Areas for 2010 "Dry Run"
The
U.S. Census has announced its choices of San Joaquin County, CA, and a nine-county area surrounding Fayetteville, NC, to test the 2010 census and work out any glitches.
The U.S. Census bureau has technology for the 2010 census that nobody a generation ago could have even speculated in their wildest dreams, such as handheld computers with global positioning system technology.
The Bureau is also phasing out the long form census. The implementation of the
American Community Survey, a nationwide sample of about 3 million households, replaced the need for the long form census last year. In 2010, all households will get the short form, estimated to take about 10 minutes to complete.
If current law holds, 2012 will ring in the year of the next release of census data, from 1940. Also, under current law, the results of the 2010 census will be released in the year 2082. The Bureau itself has very little information of interest to genealogists. See my previous blog entries for more information on how and where to find U.S. Census data.
More Ways to Research Military Records for Genealogy
Here are more ways to research military records during your quest for family history information.
Civil War Pension Records Present Wealth of Genealogy Information
Although the actual Social Security program as we know it didn't arrive in the U.S. until 1935, there was one important precursor that offered something like a social security program, to one special segment of the American population.
Following the Civil War, the government created a generous pension program for the hundreds of thousands of war widows, orphans and disabled veterans. A much higher proportion of the population was disabled or survivors of deceased breadwinners than at any other time in American history. The Civil War Pension Program bore some similarities to the later development of the Social Security Program. The first national pension program for soldiers was actually passed in 1776, prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and pensions of varying types were paid to veterans of America's various wars. However, the Civil War Pension Program represented the U.S.'s first full-fledged pension system.
At first, veterans had to have been disabled as a direct consequence of the war to receive benefits, but later, any disabled Civil War veteran qualified, and then, elderly veterans. By 1910, over 90% of the remaining Civil War veterans were receiving benefits under this program, although they constituted barely 0.6% of the total U.S. population of that era. Civil War pensions were also an asset that attracted young wives to elderly veterans whose pensions they could inherit as the widow of a war veteran. Indeed, there were still surviving widows of Civil War veterans receiving Civil War pensions as late as 1999!
While military pensions became an important source of economic security for many and were a significant expenditure of the federal government, many veterans didn't receive any benefits, including Confederate soldiers and their families.
Genealogy Web sites offer various tools for researching your ancestors who may have served in the Civil War, such as:
Did You Know Your Great Grandparents?
My two-year-old daughter has a great-great aunt who is nearly 90 years old, and has three living grandparents. However, she'll never know great grandparents. I knew one of mine, who passed away when I was about 6 years old.
According to a recent
NY Times article, more and more children are getting a chance to know their great grandparents. With that means more people have the experience of being great grandparents. I sure hope my parents live long enough to see my daughter's children.
We can learn a lot from our elders. Unfortunately, many of us don't pay attention when we have the chance. I know I didn't realize just how much good advice my parents could provide until I was well into adulthood.
The more living relatives we have, the more chances we have as genealogy researchers to get first-hand information to preserve for posterity. Memories can fade and some of the information you glean may be fuzzy, but you'll be surprised how much many senior folks recall, and how happy they are to reminisce and talk about what they remember.
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Can I Really Find Free Genealogy Information on the Internet?
Can you find free genealogy information on the Internet? The answer is a resounding yes - and no. I say yes because there is definitely some good information out there for free. But handle with care. Much of the information is unreliable, especially family trees uploaded to free genealogy sites such as
FamilySearch.org, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or LDS, the Mormons).
Don't get me wrong - the LDS site contains some good information, including 1880 U.S. Census records and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which is useful for finding birth and death dates for people who died after Social Security came into existence in 1935.
Some of the family tree and pedigree resource files are okay, but I've found some are also wildly inaccurate. You have to do your own research to back up what you find, which kind of defeats the purpose of using someone else's ancestral files. People are anxious to help other people and eagerly upload ancestral files containing errors - sometimes, big ones. For example, when I first researched my Stockdale line a few years ago, I thought I'd hit pay dirt with a pedigree resource file on FamilySearch.org. Someone had done all the work for me already, for free! Woo hoo!
With a little further digging, mostly in pay sites like
Ancestry.com, I found
U.S. Census records and other data proving that someone branched into my family tree by mistake. That well-meaning someone provided incorrect data to who knows how many amateur genealogists. Anyone who starts with this information and tries to work with it is bound to end up mighty confused and frustrated before too long.
Click here for a
14 Day Free Trial to World Family Tree or here for a
Genealogy Library Free Trial Subscription .
More on free genealogical information on the Internet in a future post.
Where Can I Find Naturalization Records for my Genealogy Research?
By law, an immigrant can be naturalized in any "regular" court. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has records for the entire country beginning in 1906. Before this time, records are only located in the location of the court where the naturalization took place.
Many of these court records are in the custody of the government which administrates the court. This means that you'd find a municipal court's records with the city, a county court's records with the county, etc.
Although court records are routinely indexed, these indexes do not always include the name of each person naturalized. In fact, during some periods of our country's history, only the head of a household needed to be naturalized for the whole family to gain citizenship. Result: You might only find the man's name, but not his wife's or children's, or names of any other members of his household, such as elderly parents or in-laws.
Also, not everyone arrived in the U.S. was naturalized. In addition, even though people had to renounce allegiance to their home countries during naturalization, records only rarely provide the exact places of their birth or previous home.
EXCITING NEWS! Ancestry.com Adds 4 million Immigration Records
Ancestry.com has announced the addition of 41 million new names to its searchable U.S. ships passenger database. This is tremendously exciting news to genealogists. Whether you research your family history as a hobby or are a professional genealogist, you'll want to check out the new additions to their already comprehensive site. Plus, now through November 30, 2006,
Ancestry.com is offering free access to their complete database of immigration records. Be sure to
sign up today and start searching, before you forget and miss the chance!
The new ships records include celebrity sightings, such as the 1914 first-class passages of Harry Houdini and former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1919, young Walt Disney returned on the Canada from duties in WWI France. Albert Einstein arrived in 1921 aboard the S.S. Iceland.
Ancestry.com's new additions include passenger lists from 1820 through 1960, covering immigrants from all over the world arriving at more than 100 American ports. The site now offers more than 100 million ancestors to explore. When you sign up at Ancestry.com, you will find reliable, diverse, easily searchable genealogy information, whether you're just starting out or have been researching for years.
Where Can I Find Information on Immigration or Emigration?
Major U.S. ports such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans have kept immigration records on a regular basis since 1820. Other ports, like Mobile and Galveston, began keeping records later in the 19th century, while western ports (San Francisco and Seattle) started in the last years of the 19th century.
These immigration records have been microfilmed, and are in the hands of the
U.S. National Archives and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or LDS (the Mormons). These passenger arrival records include the name of every passenger on the ship, including those who were born or who died during the voyage. Generally, the lists include the full name, age, sex, place of origin, and destination.
Emigration (departure) lists do exist for some European ports, but not all, and not even every major one. For example, the British Isles have no known comprehensive departure lists. Among the ports for which emigration lists are available are Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Hamburg (but NOT Bremen).
Microfilm copies of these immigration records are available at the same places as the immigration lists - the
U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C., at Archives regional centers, and at some libraries throughout the country. As with
U.S. Census forms, the microfilmed immigration records are photocopies of the originals. They aren't in a digital format that you could download to a computer. To search through immigration records on your computer, use an online service such as
Ancestry.com or
Genealogy.com. Now through November 30, 2006,
Ancestry.com is offering free access to their complete database of immigration records. Be sure to
sign up today and start searching, before you forget and miss the chance!
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