So today I did some background research on my most recent client’s ancestor, wrote to ask for church records from the Catholic parish; wrote to the local county Genealogy Society but their contact email bounced backed as no good. Ugh. I believe their website is not update
Did some reading on the village/townships in a county history book done in 1988. So still strategizing on where to find information on this hard to find ancestor. It is out there but patience is required. Site visit soon.
Currently reading my next assignment for ProGen Study Group: Proof Standards and Evidence Analysis.
Very timely as my new client’s request has me weeding through a few different DOBs for same name person in Census Records, and other records right now.
My next steps are to put boots on the ground and do an on-site visit to County and town that the subject of my research lived between 1850s to 1880. Church records, land records, possible probate, vital records at Register of Deeds Office and any reference to the surname in this small WI County.
This project has records (to be determined) that likely are only at the local level, not on-line and in “original source” documentation. Source Information that is “primary information” and will provide “evidence” of time, place and lead to further origins of discovery with analysis of the evidence I gather.
First order is to prove who is my primary subject of this research. Will the evidence lead to the necessary Genealogical Proof Standard? I need to weigh the evidence at a minimum standsrd level to convince myself and my client that a conclusion reflects the past reality. Multiple sources (reliable) and good documentation of my collection is important in the analysis.
Reference: Donn Devine, Certified Genealogist, for his article, “Evidence Analysis”, in Manual, “Professional Genealogy”, 2001 by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
You will see this on my Home Page and other places. Thanks to Maria for working with me
As some of you know, I am undertaking an 18 month study with ProGen. ProGen website: https://www.progenstudy.org/
For the 4th month assignment we did Locality Guides. For this I focused on my main archive near me, Wisconsin Historical Society.
Besides that I also took the opportunity to do a Specialty Guide. My main focus is Germanic Ancestry. So I developed a guide for seeking and doing German Genealogy. There are excellent resources out there which I referenced and still learn from when helping clients. In a small way, for now, this guide should help people who are beginners. As I develop more specifics on certain German areas that interest me in my own research, I will add more to it.
Look for me to share in near future.
I spent time in my ancestral Wisconsin town the last couple days. I have 3 sides that have or had over a 100 yrs each in the town of Lyndon Station, dating back to 1881 with the Wentland/Wendland families, then the Rettammel and finally Podrasky families.
Even my other surname connection-Maas lived in the town for over 30 yrs. So I guess I have ties to this small town. Though I was not really raised there, I have spent every year of my life visiting or spending weeks as a kid there during the summer living with Grandparents, Great Aunt’s and Uncle’s. It is where the seeds and interest in Genealogy all began over 40 years ago.
At the first International Germanic Genealogy Conference a couple weeks ago in Minneapolis, I talked with and joined the Sacramento German Genealogy Society in California. A great group and wonderful resource for information and coordination with German Genealogist. Contact me if you want more information.
In 2019 the 3rd International Germanic Genealogy Conference will be in Sacramento, CA. See you there.
Here is a link to website: Sacramento German Genealogy Society
Rettammel Genealogy Service 