Woman Finds Photo from Vietnam, Search for Owner Ensues

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Here’s another example of how modern communication channels work. It involves a Vietnam era photograph found in a parking lot. Here is some of the story:

A woman in Southwest Ohio is asking for individuals to take a few moments and give a close look at a seemingly decades-old photograph.

According to WDTN, Samantha Bryson found the picture of three men who appeared to be in the military outside a grocery store in Vandalia, Ohio earlier this week.

“It was just laying face up in the parking lot,” she told the news outlet.

Bryson added, “It’s got the three gentleman on it who obviously were friends in the war.”

How did I learn about this? It started with a LinkedIn posting, “People Speak Related Languages – Place of Origin” by Susan aka “Sunny” Taylor-Colby. a regular poster about genealogical topics on LinkedIn. She was calling attention to the following posting on another website about a recent story in the New York Times:

From England to Russia to India, People Speak Related Languages. Here’s the Surprising Place…theblaze.com

I checked out this posting, then I scanned further down the page at www.theBlaze.com and came across the following topic, subject of this particular posting: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/12/why-an-ohio-woman-is-asking-you-to-take-a-close-look-at-this-seemingly-decades-old-photograph.

Reading that item, I learned about the photo found in a Vandalia, Ohio, parking lot, and the effort to return it to its owner. If you take a look at the above link, be sure to click through to the online video of the TV news report from Station WDTN (http://wdtn.com/), a television station in Dayton, Ohio, whose broadcast coverage includes Vandalia, eleven miles north of Dayton.

While we’re at it, what exactly is www.theBlaze.com? Apparently it is an Internet website operated by pundit Glenn Beck, a well-known conservative pundit. Normally, I wouldn’t spend time looking at a communication channel with such a conservative bent, but I was glad that I did in this case after reading about the found photo.

BTW, the item from the LinkedIn posting, “People Speak Related Languages…,” having to do with the origins of languages in present-day Europe was quite interesting also. I have more details about that in another post on www.CollectingAncestors.com, all thanks to www.LinkedIn.com and www.theBlaze.com.

 

Sisu and the 1939 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union

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I have just finished viewing Fire and Ice : The Winter War of Finland and Russia, a documentary video on YouTube. I was interested in viewing this because of my Finnish ancestry–my paternal grandparents emigrating from Finland in 1902 and 1903. My grandfather had many siblings and half-siblings who remained in Finland, so I probably have collateral relatives who participated in the conflict, but I have yet to track down any records of such relatives who were in the Winter War.

The nearly one-hour documentary (background info–http://media.wfyi.org/fireandice/index.htm) presents an overview of the conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union during the bitter cold of December 1939.  It incorporates interviews with veterans of both sides, as well as with Finnish civilians and various historical experts, plus re-enactment and actual movie footage, still photos, and maps to illustrate how the small Finnish army courageously defended the country’s borders against hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops equipped with tanks, artillery, and aircraft.

When Josef Stalin launched this war against Finland, he expected a quick victory, but the Finns waged what is now called guerrilla warfare with ski-mounted troops conducting ambushes and hit-and-run tactics against the larger and less-mobile Soviet forces. In some cases, the Finns even used reindeer to move supplies.

Finnish troops in Winter War with reindeer

During the Winter War, the Finns invented the Molotov cocktail, which is defined in a Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail. In particular, they used this home-made incendiarary device against Soviet tanks.The photo below shows a Finnish soldier with a Molotov cocktail.

Talvisota_Molotov_Cocktail

For much of the conflict, the Finns staved off the more numerous invading forces. But in the end, the Finns were forced to sign an armistice, ceding territory known as the Karelian Isthmus to the Soviet Union. As a result, some 400,000 Finns from the territory evacuated to Finland, where they were gradually resettled.

450px-Finnish_areas_ceded_in_1944

The Finn army suffered thousands of casualties, but the Soviets suffered far more with the highest estimates approaching 1 million troops lost as a result of what the Soviets called a “victory.”

To view the YouTube presentation, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMa3w8L92Xs.

For completeness, I should point out that the Soviets again attacked Finland in Jun 1941 in what is called the Continuation War that lasted until Sep 1944. Again, the Finns again staved off the Soviets.

There is a term in the Finnish language, sisu, which is summed up on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisu) as

generally meaning determination, bravery, and resilience. However, the word is widely considered to lack a proper translation into any other language. Sisu is about taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity.

The Winter War (as well as the Continuation War) is the very embodiment of Sisu.

 

 

 

Learning About Another Country, South Africa, and its Dutch Origins

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I enjoy reading detective novels. And I especially enjoy them when they introduce me to another region, country, or culture.

I have just finished reading Cobra, A Novel, written by Deon Meyer.Deon Meyer Cobra book jacket
Deon Meyer photo

This fast-paced detective novel provides an introduction to modern-day South Africa. The author wrote it  originally in Afrikaans, a language that has evolved from that of the Dutch settlers who arrived in the area of present-day Cape Town in the mid 17th century. The novel was translated into very readable English with a sprinkling of Afrikaans slang used throughout. This approach provided me with a feel for modern-day South Africa and also some exposure to a language similar to that spoken by my original immigrant ancestor, Adam Dingman, who arrived in New Netherlands (New York) in about 1650.

I actually visited South Africa, back about in 1988, while I was serving as chief editor of Metalproducing magazine. I was invited to visit South Africa to view an innovative iron-making technology developed by the engineering division of VoestAlpine Stahl, an Austrian steel company. The technology was being used by two South African steel producers. It was an exciting trip, partly because of the long flights involved to Frankfurt, Germany, then on to Johannesburg, South Africa, and more importantly because the destination was Africa. I should point out that I made this trip before I became interested in genealogy and family history.

I still recall arriving in the Johannesburg airport and going through immigration and the baggage area. Here and elsewhere during this visit, I frequently saw policemen carrying semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, and even walking with German Shepard dogs. This was considered necessary because of the tense relations between whites and “coloreds.” South Africa had not yet ended the practice of Apartheid or racial segregation in which nonwhite South Africans were forced to live in separate areas from whites, use separate public facilities, and have limited contact with their white countrymen.

My visit, back in the day, was well organized by my hosts, and I didn’t experience any instances of racial tension.

Now for a few details about the book. The English version of Cobra was released in the US on 7 Oct 2014. It is set in Cape Town, which is near the southern tip of Africa.
south_africa_map1

Cape Town was founded by the Dutch East India Company  in 1652 as a refreshment outpost. The outpost was intended to supply company ships on their way to and from Asia with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, and to enable sailors wearied by the voyage to recuperate. What influenced the location of the town was the availability of fresh water which was difficult to find in other areas.

The book involves Benny Griessel, a dectective with the Hawks, an elite crime-solving division of the South African Police Service. In the beautiful Franschhoek wine valley, at an exclusive guest house, three bodies are found, each with a very professional bullet through the head. A fourth guest is missing. And he proves to be a very, very important man in the fight against terrorism. For more details about the book, go to http://www.deonmeyer.com/books/cobra.html.

The last pages in the book provide a vocabulary of the Afrikaans words sprinkled throughout the text. In most cases, the reader gets the idea of the meaning of these terms without turning to the back pages, but the vocabulary does provides more detail about each term.

As a testament to Meyer’s writing ability, his novels have been translated into 27 languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Finnish, Czech, Romanian, Slovakian and Bulgarian.

If you are interested, a question and answer interview with Meyer is available on his website at http://www.deonmeyer.com/bio.html

Big Naturalization Ceremony at WRHS on Dec 18, 2014

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There’s been quite a bit of discussion about immigration in the news lately, what with President Obama extending the opportunity to stay in America at least for awhile to some 5 million immigrants who are here without proper documentation.

In this context, it’s comforting to know that immigrants with proper documentation are becoming citizens on a regular basis. For example, the next big naturalization ceremony for the Cleveland area is scheduled for Western Reserve Historical Society, www.wrhs.org, at at 10 am on Thursday, December 18.

Last year, also in December, Judge Solomon Oliver Jr, chief judge of the Northern District of Ohio, swore into American citizenship 119 immigrants from many countries around the world. A short video showing highlights of the proceedings last year is here:

And here is a bit of background information on how area naturalization ceremonies are performed today from the Court website:

Naturalization Ceremonies

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has retained exclusive jurisdiction to conduct naturalization ceremonies for applicants seeking citizenship. The ceremonies are presided over by a United States District Judge and are held in the Cleveland and Toledo courthouses. In Cleveland, the ceremonies are generally scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. In Toledo, the ceremonies are held once per month, generally on the last Friday of each month. Applicants seeking citizenship will receive their ceremony date and time from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Source: http://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/home/naturalization/naturalization-schedule/

Have you ever witnessed a ceremony such as this?  IMHO, it is quite moving. It serves to remind me that my grandfather Evert Huskonen became a citizen in 1938, after living in this country since he immigrated from Finland in 1902. He was able to speak English well enough to pass the test that was required even then.
Today, immigrants must study 100 Civics questions and be ready to answer up to ten selected questions at random by an official from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (http://www.uscis.gov/). The test is the final step to qualify for American citizenship. A candidate passes the examination if he or she can correctly answer six of the ten questions asked by the immigration examiner.
Be forewarned that parking will be at a premium for this event due to the large numbers of new citizens and their families that will attend.  They all arrive early to make sure that they are on time.
I’m planning on attending again this year. Maybe I’ll see you there.
BTW, last year’s ceremony took place in the WRHS Museum Rotunda, right next to where the Euclid Beach Carousel display was being assembnled. That exhibit is now completed (http://www.wrhs.org/explore/exhibits/euclid-beach-park-grand-carousel/).

WRHS Genealogical Institute Announces Classes for January, February and March 2015

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The Genealogical Institute of the Western Reserve Historical Society has just issued the following news release:

Genealogical Institute Classes for January, February and March

January 10, 2015: “Opening the Door to Your Family History”

Jump-start your family research in the New Year by signing up for this beginner’s class. Focus will be on gathering documents, vital records, and census information. To encourage your 2015 resolution, you may register for yourself for the class and bring one family member or friend with you at NO EXTRA COST.

Extra time after class can be spent in the Research Library applying your new skills. Presenters will be Pat Epperson and Heber MacWilliams, both Genealogical Committee members and researchers.

Time: Noon to 3pm Registration fee $15.

February 7, 2015: “Where Did They Go?” Finding Your Family’s Migration Routes.

Not all families settled down and never moved. If your research hits a dead end, get it back on the road by considering migratory patterns. Sunny Morton, OGS editor, author, blogger, researcher and Genealogical Committee member will present a fact-filled class to help you understand and to follow your family’s migration path. A variety of resources and techniques may help you to connect the dots to trails, roads, highways traveled by your ancestors to other states and other cities.

Time: Noon to 3pm Registration fee $15.

March 7, 2015: “The Stones Speak” – Learning about Tombstones and Death Records

The end of your researching could be the beginning. Death records research can begin or end at the cemetery tombstone. An inscription can lead a family historian on a search for all things related to that name.  Death certificates, obituaries, death notices, funeral cards and funeral home records can complete the stone’s sparse information, bringing the researcher’s story full circle.

Mark Busch of Busch Funeral Homes will present an overview of funeral records. The Busch family has been active for over 100 years, with six funeral home in the Cleveland and West side area. Genealogical committee members will assist class participants with hands-on work in the Research Library also.

Time: Noon to 3pm Registration fee $15.

The registration fee for Gen Institute Classes is $15 per person per class and includes a packet of course notes and other handout materials for each class. Gen Institute classes are held from noon until 3 pm in the Hassler Room of the Research Library. You can register by going to http://www.wrhs.org/upcoming-events and clicking on the event of interest.

The WRHS Genealogical Institute is an on-going project of the Genealogical Committee, an auxiliary of the Western Reserve Historical Society. The Committee organizes educational events for genealogists and family historians and raises funds to enhance their research experience in the WRHS Research Library.

Genealogy Roadshow Season Two Coming in January on PBS

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Tuesdays this winter will bring Season Two of Genealogy Roadshow <https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyRoadshowPBS> with a diverse new cast of participants who take emotional journeys to explore genealogical mysteries. Episodes for the upcoming season were recorded in St. Louis in August, New Orleans in September, and Philadelphia in October.

Genealogy Roadshow Logo

Each video recording session involved pre-selected locals who have their family mysteries explored by show genealogists Joshua Taylor, Kenyatta D. Berry, and Mary Tedesco.

The first episode airs on Tuesday, January 13, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

 

Harvesting Pennsylvania Death Records on Ancestry.com

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I have a large number of ancestors who passed away in Pennsylvania. For years, it was necessary to visit one of five Pennsylvania repositories around the state to obtain a death certificate for a deceased ancestor. This effectively stopped me from obtaining these valuable records.

A few months ago, the Pennsylvania State Archives announced that it had entered a partnership with Ancestry.com to digitize family history records in the State Archives and to make them available online. The provision was made that Pennsylvania residents would have free access to Ancestry.com Pennsylvania for searching the databases of death records. The arrangement even provides a separate website for access by Pennsylvanians at http://phmc.info/ancestrypa

Here is more information as it appears on the website of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/genealogy/3183/vital_statistics/387291):

BIRTH AND DEATH RECORDS:

On January 1, 1906, the newly established Pennsylvania Department of Health officially began to issue birth and death certificates. Prior to 1906, Pennsylvania births and deaths were recorded only sporadically by the counties and some cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Genealogists must rely on county records or nongovernmental sources such as church registers, gravestone inscriptions and newspapers to obtain data for this earlier period. The State Archives holds the following birth and death records:

Birth Certificates, 1906-1908

Death Certificates, 1906-1963

Original birth certificates for 1906-1908 and death certificates for 1906-1963 are available at the State Archives. An index is available on the website of the Division of Vital Records as well as in the Archives research room. Pennsylvania Death Certificates from 1906-1963 are now available for research online at Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania residents may access these records through Ancestry.com Pennsylvania (go to http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/research_topics/3162/ancestry_com_pennsylvania/1575348 and follow the instructions).

In the recent past, I have dabbled in looking up individual death records using the fruits of this partnership with my Ancestry.com subscription. If I didn’t have a subscription, I could use Ancestry Library Edition at Western Reserve Historical Society or a public library.

Now, I have decided to make a concerted effort to “harvest” all the available death certificates for ancestors with the surnames Dingman and Betts/Bates for the counties of Crawford, Erie, Mercer, and Venango. It is remarkably easy to do.

Here is the Ancestry search window (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5164):

 


 Death Certificate Search Window for Pennsylvania death certificates on Ancestry_edited-1

To perform a search for deceased Dingmans, I simply insert the surname and the county of interest. Here is part of the extensive list of Dingmans who died between 1906 and 1963. Most of these are related to me in one way or another:

Death Certificate Search Results for Pennsylvania on Ancestry

When you click on a particular record, you can look at the scanned death certificate image and print it out or save it. If you have a subscription to Ancestry.com, and you have created a tree for your family, you can save a certificate to the subject person on that family tree.

I have created one-name trees for the Dingman and Betts/Bates surnames for people in the counties mentioned above. I have found it to be easy to save the certificates into the appropriate one-name tree, creating a “new person” if the subject is not already in the tree. If the person is new, you often can learn who the father and mother were from the certificate and add them to the tree as well.

I have been able to populate these two one-name trees with many new people quickly and easily. Then I can review their information to confirm relationships and check for duplication.

 

 

My Heritage & 23andMe Work to Combine Family Trees and DNA

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A few days ago, MyHeritage Founder and CEO, Gilad Japhet, used a news feed on Bloomberg TV to announce and explain a “strategic collaboration” with 23andMe. The announcement was captured and made available on YouTube, which you can view here: http://youtu.be/c1MefhlGTA8.

I might point out that MyHeritage < http://www.myheritage.com/>has a very substantial presence in Europe with thousands of family historians building their trees online. For Americans with late 19th and early 20th immigrant ancestors, this might provide a convenient way to connect with “cousins” who are researching the same families.

In a joint press release issued from MOUNTAIN VIEW, California & TEL AVIV, Israel, representatives from 23andMe and MyHeritage explained the collaboration further:

23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, and MyHeritage, the leading destination for discovering, sharing and preserving family history, announced today a strategic collaboration that will provide an enhanced experience for individuals to discover their legacy based on genetic ancestry and documented family history.

23andMe pioneered autosomal DNA ancestry analysis for consumers, and has created the largest DNA ancestry service in the world. With a simple saliva sample 23andMe can reveal the geographic origins of distant ancestors and help people discover unknown relatives. MyHeritage helps millions of families worldwide find and treasure their unique history with easy-to-use family tree tools, a huge library of more than 5.5 billion historical records and innovative matching technologies for automating discoveries. Integrating the market leading solutions in ancestral DNA and family trees will provide an unparalleled experience for customers of both companies.

“We believe this collaboration with MyHeritage will offer our customers a vastly improved opportunity to build their family tree and discover new connections,” said Andy Page, President of 23andMe. “Given MyHeritage’s technology leadership in the ancestry space and vast global reach, we are excited about the value this relationship will bring to our customers around the world.”

“Combining genealogy with DNA-based ancestry is the next evolution in uncovering family history,” said Gilad Japhet, Founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “DNA testing can connect you to relatives you never knew existed, who descend from shared ancestors centuries ago, but family trees and historical records are critical to map and fully understand these connections. We have great respect for 23andMe’s technology and values, and its pioneering approach to genetics represents strong potential value for our users in the future.”

23andMe will offer its more than three quarters of a million customers around the globe access to MyHeritage’s family tree tools. This will allow 23andMe’s customers to enjoy automated family history discoveries. Smart Matching™ automatically finds connections between user-contributed family trees and Record Matching automatically locates historical records from the billions of records available on MyHeritage, pertaining to any person in the family tree. MyHeritage will utilize 23andMe’s API to provide the best experience for customers, by allowing any two people with matching DNA to explore their family tree connections. MyHeritage will also offer 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service® to its global community of more than 70 million registered users, in addition to the DNA tests it already offers.

The first phase of integration will be complete by early 2015.

About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. <https://www.23andme.com/> is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. The company’s Personal Genome Service® enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their genetics and ancestry. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at www.23andme.com. 23andMe’s health reports are not cleared by the FDA. US customers may purchase 23andMe’s ancestry-only product.

About MyHeritage
MyHeritage <http://www.myheritage.com/>is the leading destination for discovering, sharing and preserving family history. As technology thought leaders and innovators in the space, MyHeritage is transforming family history into an activity that’s accessible and instantly rewarding. Trusted by millions of families, its global user community enjoys access to a massive library of historical records, the most internationally diverse collection of family trees and ground-breaking search and matching technologies.

MyHeritage empowers families with an easy way to share their story, past and present, and treasure it for generations to come. MyHeritage is available in 40 languages.www.myheritage.com.

Research WWII Honor Lists of Dead and Missing for Service Number, other Data

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Do you have ancestors or collateral relatives who died in Army or Army Air Force service for the United States during World War II?

If so, you might want to check out “World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel.” Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/army-casualties/index.html. As you will note in the URL, this is a page on the NARA website.

A similar list is available for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel at http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/navy-casualties/index.html

Every state except Alaska and Hawaii is represented by a separate list, and those present-day states are included under the heading Territories of the United States (they became states in 1959).

Ohio Personnel are listed by county at http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/army-casualties/ohio.html. Casualties for each Ohio county are listed alphabetically by surname. For Cuyahoga County, there are 14 separate pages and part of a 15th page. Click on the screen capture below to see an expanded view.

List -- Honor Roll Ohio home page showing Cuyahoga County

It is easy to find your way through the alphabet by clicking on Cuyahoga links one after another, then scan through the names on that page for the person you are looking for. The screen capture below shows a sample from the beginning of the Cuyahoga County Honor Roll.

List -- Honor Roll WWII Army from Cuyahoga County

There some important qualifiers provided in the introductory material for the Ohio Honor List.

Only those persons who died in a line-of-duty status are listed herein. Individuals who were not in line of duty at the time of their deaths are not so listed. Though personnel not in line of duty are not listed, failure to find in these lists the name of a person known to be dead should not be taken as prima-facie evidence that such person died not in line of duty.

When you find the individual you are looking for, you will find the name (generally with middle initial and name suffixes, if applicable), service number, rank, and a casualty code. This is an important source of a person’s service number if you are doing further research and don’t already have it from other home sources.

Here is the discussion of casualty codes provided with the Ohio WWII Honor List:

TYPE OF CASUALTY: This is indicated by the symbol at the far right of each column. An individual who was killed in action, whether at the front or by enemy action in the rear areas, or if a prisoner of war, whether by air bombardment of his prison camp or by being shot while escaping, is designated “KIA.” Persons who were wounded and later died are marked “DOW”—died of wounds. Those who suffered fatal battle INJURIES as opposed to WOUNDS, in combat or in combat areas and died in a line-of-duty status, are designated “DOI”—died of injuries. Other line-of-duty deaths, such as from sickness, homicide, suicide, or accidents outside combat areas (including training and maneuver deaths) are listed “DNB”—died not in battle. Individuals who were determined to be dead under Public Law 490 are designated “FOD” —finding of death. Missing persons are marked with the single letter “M.”

 

Handy Feature of Online Catalog at Western Reserve Historical Society

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I have done a good bit of research into finding World War II service records leading up to Veterans Day (11 Nov 2014, yesterday). In the process, I looked for guidebooks available at Western Reserve Historical Society (http://www.wrhs.org/)  on such research. I used the WRHS Research Library’s new catalog search page at http://catalog.wrhs.org/collections/search. I have provided a screen capture below.

Website -- WRHS Catalog Search page

I used the search page to check for availability of a number of military research guidebooks and found two that I will be looking at during my next visit: U.S. military records: a guide to federal and state sources, Colonial America to the present, by James C. Neagles, and The great war: a guide to the service records of all the world’s fighting men and volunteers, by Christina K Schaefer.

The catalog search engine did it’s thing very quickly, producing the listings for the two books mentioned above. Furthermore, I was able to click a “Save” button on the search results page to place each result into a list of saved items.

It was then that I used the handy feature mentioned in the headline for this posting: I was able to email the Saved List to myself. In this case, I sent the two items to my cloud-based Evernote account (for info on this useful tool, go to www.evernote.com), using the unique email address assigned to me by Evernote. By sending the email to my Evernote account, I have access via the Internet to the two items from any computer or mobile device that I might have with me at WRHS–or elsewhere.

This is what the Saved List looks like:

Books -- WWII Research Guides at WRHS

 

And this is what the email to Evernote looks like:

Books -- WWII Research Guides at WRHS -- emailed results

 

You can bet that I will be using this approach to finding and saving info about research guides and other books more often in the future.