RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Free Weekly E-zine Vol. 5, No. 28, 10 July 2002, Circulation: 1,053,862 (c) 1998-2002 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ Editor: Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Certified Genealogist RWR-Editor@rootsweb.com Advertising: Scott Brenay sbrenay@myfamilyinc.com THIS IT IS A POST-ONLY MAILING. Please do not send any subscription requests to the editor. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Send plain text e-mail message to: Rootsweb-Review-unsubscribe@rootsweb.com Need to do an e-mail address change? See: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/addresses/#newsletters ====================================================================== IN THIS ISSUE 1. News and Notes. (1a. WWI Draft Registration Cards Online; 2b. Things That Go Bump in the Night; 1c. Meandering Through Message Boards; 1d. Online Genealogists: Clean Up Your Act; 1e. Thanks a Million 2. Connecting through RootsWeb: Two Cousins' Love Letters to RootsWeb 3. Spotlighted Webpages at RootsWeb: Australia Homestead Leases 4. New User-contributed Databases 5. New Webpages at RootsWeb 6. New RootsWeb Mailing Lists 7. New FreePages and HomePages (personal webpages at RootsWeb) 8. RootsWeb Review's Bottomless Mailbag: "Spies Hiding Behind Brick Walls"; "Love, Dean;" "Ben May Turn Up;" "RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees" 9. Humor: "Blindsided" 10. RWR Policies and Submissions Guidelines; RWR Archives ================================================================ 1. NEWS AND NOTES ----------------- 1a. WWI DRAFT REGISTRATION CARDS ONLINE. MyFamily.com, Inc. today announced the launch of an immense project that will make available the fully indexed, digitized images of more than 24 million World War I (WWI) American draft registration cards. Ancestry.com, part of the MyFamily.com network of Web sites, becomes the only place to search and view digitized images of actual WWI draft registration cards online. The first of these images are now posted to the site, enabling Ancestry.com subscribers to browse through more than 100,000 cards. Subsequent weekly postings will bring millions of images to the site throughout the year. Upon completion, the collection will be fully searchable by name, state, county and birth date with search results linking directly to images. The WWI draft registration cards are part of the U.S. and Canada Records Collection at Ancestry.com, and are available as an annual subscription for $79.95 or $29.95 quarterly. In 1917 the U.S. teetered on the brink of global warfare. President Woodrow Wilson proposed the American draft to help generate the large number of men needed and the first draft registration date was set for June 5, 1917. Two subsequent registration days were held in June of 1918 and September of 1918. The display of patriotism and dedication to country is astounding, as registration of eligible men was close to 100 percent. More than 24 million eligible citizens and aliens born between 1873 and 1900 completed a draft registration card. This civilian registration is sometimes confused with induction into the military. However, only a small percentage of these men were actually called up for military service. Draft registration cards were completed during this period by approximately 25 percent of the total U.S. population, providing a unique record set for many of our ancestors. These cards provide a wealth of personal information including: full name, age, home address, date of birth, citizenship status, birthplace, occupation, whether married, and how many children under age 12, any reason to claim exemption from the draft, height, build, eye color, hair color, whether bald, physical impairments or disabilities, and an actual signature of the draftee. To view a sample image and learn more about this exclusive collection: http://www.ancestry.com/landing/ww1/intro.html. 1b. THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. You may still encounter a few glitches at RootsWeb in the coming weeks as ripples from the move to new servers continue. Your patience is greatly appreciated. 1c. MEANDERING THROUGH THE MESSAGE BOARDS. Find a Message Board: Search (using the FIND A BOARD search box) or browse (navigate through the board indexes). Search for a Message Board: Start on the main Message Board page at RootsWeb or Ancestry: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ or at http://boards.ancestry.com/ Type the name of the board you wish to locate into the FIND A BOARD box. Select the SOUNDEX option if you are searching for a surname board and are unsure of the spelling or are interested in variant spellings of the surname. FIND A BOARD searches are all case insensitive -- it doesn't matter whether you type: Wolfe, WOLFE, or wolfe. Browse/navigate to a Message Board: Start on the main page at the URLs (addresses) listed above. Message boards are divided into categories (designated by yellow file folder icons), which are further broken down into subcategories in what is a nested hierarchy of folders. Message Boards (designated by sheets of papers icons) are divided into three main categories: Surnames, Localities, and Genealogical Research Topics. Surnames are further broken down alphabetically. Localities start at the highest level starting with continents or subcontinents, then countries, and subsequently to states, counties, and their equivalents. Genealogical Research Topics are listed by topics, such as ethnic/race, military, religions/religious, etc. Navigate or browse to a Message Board by following category and sub- category folders, clicking on them until you reach the desired one. You can always identify where you are in the Message Board hierarchy by looking at the yellow bar above the file folders that show the path to the page you are presently viewing. For example: Boards -- Localities -- North America -- United States -- States -- Ohio. Clicking on any category or subcategory on the yellow bar returns you to that specific category/subcategory. Clicking on MESSAGE BOARDS above the search box in the upper-left portion of the page returns you to the main page of either the Ancestry.com or RootsWeb.com Message Boards -- depending upon your entry point. Clicking on LOGIN/LOG OUT in the upper-right corner allows you to login to use Message Board features that require registration/logging in, such as setting up such options as MY NOTIFICATIONS, MY FAVORITES, REPORT ABUSE, or BECOME AN ADMIN (adopt a Message Board). From any page you can access links to: REQUEST NEW BOARD, VIEW MESSAGE BOARD RULES, MESSAGE BOARD FAQs, and/or MESSAGE BOARD HELP. Finding your way around a Message Board: Once you are on a specific Message Board, the LIST BOARDS link will always return you to the main index page so that you can navigate to other Message Boards. There is also a FIND A BOARD search box at the bottom of each page. You may use the search box on a Message Board to search the specific board you are viewing or to search all Message Boards (search all boards is the default selection). View a Message Board in either THREAD or DATE and in COLLAPSED or EXPANDED display modes. Messages are displayed 25 to a page and the navigation options are NEXT or PREVIOUS. To view a specific message if you already know the message number, use the board's URL, followed by &m= (insert the message number after the last equal sign). Example if the message number of interest is 506 [two-line URL]: http://boards.ancestry.com/ mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=topics.religious.quaker.quaker-roots&m=506 The VIEW MESSAGE TYPE option allows you to display all messages (all queries and all data types) or to view one specific data type (obituaries, deeds, etc.) only. Once you select a setting it will remain in place for the length of your browser session -- unless you change it. While viewing a specific message, click LIST MESSAGES to return to the starting page of the Message Board itself. Clicking on an author's name allows you to view all other messages posted by the same person (called an author on the Message Boards). To learn more about Message Boards see also: "Discovering Display Options on the Message Boards" (RootsWeb Review 5:27, 3 July 2002); "Getting the Most Out of Message Boards" (RootsWeb Review 5:26, 26 June 2002); and "Message Board Attachments" (RootsWeb Review 5:23, 5 June 2002); and "Message Board Icons" (RootsWeb Review 5:22, 29 May 2002) -- all available in the RootsWeb Review archives: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ 1d. ONLINE GENEALOGISTS: CLEAN UP YOUR ACT. Anti-virus software is invaluable, provided you keep it updated and use it regularly. Obtain anti-virus software in stores and shops or download. For a free online virus scan: http://housecall.antivirus.com/pc_housecall/ Anti-Virus Software applications and information can be found here: http://www.grisoft.com/ http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/ http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/ http://www.europe.f-secure.com/v-descs/ Also see "Internet Stuff You Need to Know" on Cyndi's List: http://www.cyndislist.com/internet.htm#Viruses 1e. THANKS A MILLION. RootsWeb Review now officially has 1,053,862 worldwide subscribers. Thank you for your support, letters, and stories. 2. CONNECTING THROUGH ROOTSWEB. Thanks for sharing your stories. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Two Cousins' Love Letters to RootsWeb by Doris R. Waggoner doriswaggoner@juno.com Doris Waggoner I grew up on stories of "Grandpa BASTION," my father's great- grandfather, who was a Methodist missionary in Liberia in 1849-50. Many of his things were handed down to my father, who got me interested. I began looking on the Internet and in Methodist church records. Eventually, I found out not just about his life, but traced one line back to 1622 in Holland. All this was exciting, but I was also curious about Grandpa BASTION'S children besides Eunice, who married into the WAGGONERS. Several weeks ago, pursuing another line, I got a message from someone who also had an ancestor named Nicholas BASTION. With children’s birth dates, we confirmed it. She is descended from Grandpa BASTION'S only son. My correspondent, Marina TIDWELL, turned out to be my third cousin. We've been giddily sharing stories and pictures. Her grandmother had not known of Eunice, only her two older sisters. And my side of the family knew only of "Nic" BASTION that he'd moved to New Mexico from Illinois. I had a picture of all the children, which her grandmother had never seen. Marina had a picture of her grandmother and two of her sisters as girls. Her grandmother at eight looked just like my younger sister. Much of what I knew confirmed Marina's grandmother's oral history, and much of that oral history filled in the human spaces between the dates and places I had. We would not know all that -- or what we still hope to learn -- without the Message Boards and websites and e-mail lists and the people of RootsWeb. Thank you, RootsWeb! * * * Roots Run Deep By Marina Tidwell My life has been shaped by the family stories my grandmother told me. I gained courage knowing that when her grandfather was almost disemboweled in an accident, he still had the "intestinal fortitude" to chase the pessimistic doctor down the stairs (holding in his guts with one hand and waving his fist with the other)! I gained ambition knowing that my great-grandmother, the "pottery paintress" in 1880s England, became a cattlewoman in 1890s New Mexico. My sense of humor was developed by stories of her sisters squabbling over the silk underwear sent from kindly relatives. My beloved grandmother is now 96 years old, and has lost much of her memory. I began searching for things that I could put into a scrapbook of memories for her -- a physical manifestation of her life and my love for her. RootsWeb has helped me to cross barriers of land and time, enabled me to find records and photos of the BASTION/BLACKHAM families, surprised me with new and unexpected stories, and connected me to cousins from the U.S. and England. Without RootsWeb I would never have found my cousin, Doris WAGGONER, a treasure trove of information and, more importantly, a true kindred spirit, proving that our family "roots" run deep indeed. 3. SPOTLIGHT ON SOME DISTINCTIVE PERSONAL WEBPAGES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------------------- AUSTRALIA. From 1885 smaller parcels of land of about 10,240 acres in the Far West of New South Wales could be taken up as Homestead Leases... Rusheen Craig has written an introduction explaining the Homestead Lease System and has begun listing the lessees. This information is also being put out via AUS-NSW-WEST-L@rootsweb.com mailing list. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~surreal/NSWW/HL/ 4. NEW FREE USER-CONTRIBUTED DATABASES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------- RootsWeb thanks the individuals and groups who contribute their material to share with the worldwide genealogical community. Currently there's more than 9.3 million records that can be searched. See the full list of contributors at: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/contributors.html The following new user-contributed databases have come online recently (these are name searchable, but are not browseable): CALIFORNIA. San Mateo County. San Bruno City Directory 1,132 records; Judy Steele for the San Bruno Public Library http://userdb.rootsweb.com/citydir/ CALIFORNIA. Toulumne County. Columbia's Historic Masonic Cemetery 80 records; Bob Stoker http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ FLORIDA. Marion County. Ocala High School Class of 1959 219 records; Thelma Kifer http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ KANSAS. Reno County. Turon Kansas High School Graduates Class of 1936 18 records; William Pickering http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ KENTUCKY. 1870 Kentucky Census -- FRENCH Surname 510 records; Teddy Ronan http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ KENTUCKY. Adair County. 1880 Census 13,080 records; Glenda McKenzie http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ MASSACHUSETTS. Middlesex County. Radcliffe College: 1907 Class Book and 1957 Fiftieth Reunion Report; 107 records; Judith D. Anthony http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ MISSOURI. Greene County. Obituaries/Death Notices from the Springfield, News Leader 6-30-2002; 27 records; Greene County Volunteers http://userdb.rootsweb.com/obituaries/ MISSOURI. Jackson County. 1930 Northeaster, Northeast High School, Kansas City; 471 records; Charlene Degener http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEBRASKA. Washington County. 1880 Census. 8,665 records; Glenda McKenzie http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ NEW JERSEY. Passaic County. 1870 Census, Ward 2 3,206 records; Susan Clark http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ OHIO. Crawford County. 1880 Census, Crestline 2,844 records; Glenda McKenzie http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ OHIO. Cuyahoga County. 1880 Census, Independence 1,993 records; Glenda McKenzie http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma County. St. Teresa's Catholic Cemetery, Harrah; 860 records; Jim Woodruff http://userdb.rootsweb.com/cemeteries/ SOUTH DAKOTA. Pennington County. School of Mines Alumni, 1888-1891 6 records; Brian Hass http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ USA Census: 1880 Census -- LEFTWICH Surname 2,123 records; Glenda McKenzie http://userdb.rootsweb.com/census/index/ USA Military Records: 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion; Army 109 records; Kathleen Snowberger http://userdb.rootsweb.com/military/ USA Book Indexes: Every-name index to "Echos from the Past: Centennial of Richmond, Minnesota, 1890-1990" 242 records; Pamela (Willenbring) Drake http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/ 5. NEW WEBPAGES AT ROOTSWEB ---------------------------- NETHERLANDS nldutrec -- Utrecht U.S.A. flfssdac -- Florida State Society Daughters of the American Colonists gahall2 -- Hall County, Georgia iadmchs -- Des Moines County Historical Society (Iowa) ilaaghsc -- Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago (Illinois) kssurnam -- Kansas Surnames List laahgp -- Louisiana American History Genealogy Project launion -- Union Parish, Louisiana maahgp -- Massachusetts American History Genealogy Project macbrock -- Brockton City, Massachusetts maigsa -- Italian Genealogical Society of America (Massachusetts) ncscotla -- Scotland County, North Carolina nvpngs -- Pahrump Genealogical Society (Nevada) okcanad2 -- Canadian County, Oklahoma okjohnst -- Johnston County, Oklahoma sdtripp -- Tripp County, South Dakota txkenedy -- Kenedy County, Texas txtcas -- Texas City Ancestry Searchers (Texas) vafauqui -- Fauquier County, Virginia vanorthu -- Northumberland County, Virginia wiflobio -- Florence County, Wisconsin Biographies wilanbio -- Langlade County, Wisconsin Biographies To request a free Web account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ 6. NEW ROOTSWEB MAILING LISTS ----------------------------- For more information and an index to the more than 25,000 RootsWeb- hosted genealogy mailing lists and the subscribing options, please go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ALOTIS, AURENTZ BADGE, BELITZ, BRACEBRIDGE, BRANDES, BRUNTY, BRYEN, BUTTERBAUGH CALLOW, CAPPER, CAVER, CAYLOR, CHIASSON, CLAYBROOK, CONRAN DESLER, DESTROISMAISONS, DEWSBURY, DURDEL EADIE, EASTERS, EASTWICK, ESSENWINE, EXCELL GANTENBERG, GATTENBY, GENSLER, GILTROW, GOUTHRO, GREEAR, GUETTINGER HICKERNELL, HILD, HINDERKS, HOLGUIN, HOOMES JERGINS, JESSIE, JUDAS KUTSCHER LAFORTUNE, LEIMKUHLER, LIGHTOWLER, LOKEY, LOWEY, LUEBBERT, LUPARDUS, LYTAL MADEWELL, MARGETTS, McCLINCHY, McCLINCY, McCLINDSEY, McCLINSEY, McGLENSEY, McGLINCH, McGLINCHY, McGLINN, MISITA, MOULDER, MUISE, MUSIAL, McMILLAN-TAYLOR NEARING, NETHERY, NOTHOLD OEHRING PAIST, PIEPERGERDES, POCKRUS, PROTHRO RAHMANN, RAVENSCROFT, RISDEN, ROWLEE, RULWICK SAULE, SCHMUDE, SEWALL, SHARMA, SILLENCE, SLUYTER, STACPOOLE, SURRENCY THIENEMANN, THORNDYKE, TRICK UKRAINE, UNWIN VINALL VICKER-CRADDOCK WIENANDT ZERBINATI NEW ETHNIC AND SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS BROWN-BEN-1807 -- Benjamin Brown (b. 1807 in Greenville (Greene) Tennessee; d. in Fulton County, Illinois in 1881; Elizabeth Spears in 1825 in White County, Tennessee) CARSON-FREEDMEN -- CARSON family members who may have been freedmen CHEROKEE-SURNAMES -- Cherokee (Native American) surnames CHICKASAW-SURNAMES -- Chickasaw (Native American) surnames CHOCTAW-SURNAMES -- Choctaw (Native American) surnames CREEK-SURNAMES -- Creek (Native American) surnames DENTON-UK -- DENTON surname in the United Kingdom DERRY-ENGLAND -- DERRY ancestors in England HALL-FREEDMEN -- HALL family members who may have been freedmen HCGS-SURNAMES -- Hardin County, Ohio Genealogy Society surname list IN-FREEDMEN -- Freedmen in the state of Indiana MASON-ENGLAND -- MASON surname in England MITCHELMORE-UK -- MITCHELMORE surname in the United Kingdom MORRIS-FREEDMEN -- MORRIS family members who may have been freedmen OHIO-RAILROADS -- Ohio Railroads (history, and people who worked for them) REYNOLDS-SOUTH-AFRICA -- REYNOLDS surname in South Africa ROOTSMATE-USERS -- FormalSoft genealogy program, RootsMate ROUSE-UK -- ROUSE surname in the British Isles (UK) SEMINOLE-SURNAMES -- Seminole (Native American) surnames USNAVY -- Men and women who served in the United States Navy WAKEFIELD-UK -- WAKEFIELD family lines in the United Kingdom WOODS-FREEDMEN -- WOODS family members who may have been freedmen WRIGHT-UK -- WRIGHT surname in the United Kingdom NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS AL-RUHEASTL -- The Ruhama Baptist Church, East Lake area, Jefferson County, Alabama AUS-NSW-CENTRAL -- Central New South Wales, Australia, covering the towns of Nyngan, Dubbo, Parkes, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Hay, Griffith, and Deniliquin AUS-WA-ABORIGINAL -- Aboriginal family lines in Western Australia CAN-ONT-HASTINGS -- Hastings County, Ontario, Canada ENG-CHS-KNUTSFORD -- Town of Knutsford (including immediate surrounding districts), Cheshire, England IRL-KIL-CASTLECOMER -- Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, Ireland NEW-NETHERLAND -- Historical and genealogical discussion of New Netherland (present day New York state) and New Jersey Colonies To subscribe or unsubscribe to/from any RootsWeb-hosted mailing list, send a plain text (not HTML) e-mail message with only the word SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) in the message body to: [name of list]-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail mode) or to: [name of list]-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode) To request a new mailing list: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ 7. NEW PERSONAL FREEPAGES AND HOMEPAGES AT ROOTSWEB --------------------------------------------------- [Note: When your new personal webpages located at RootsWeb are up and ready for visitors, please send the URL (Web address) along with a brief description to: rwr-editor@rootsweb.com Comments and questions about any of these independently authored webpages should be directed to their respective compilers/webmasters.] AMOS. Descendants of Adam and John AMOS, who arrived from England as free settlers to Tasmania, Australia, in 1821. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nzaustfamilies GERMANY. MECKLENBURG CHURCHES. Contains church pictures from the Buetzow area of Mecklenburg Vorpommern, including the parishes of Neukirchen, Bernitt, Moisall, Kambs, Satow, Schwaan, and Gross Tessin from recent trip to Germany. http://freepages.sports.rootsweb.com/~fkruse/ INDIANA. Zion Cemetery, Monitor, Tippecanoe County. Listing of nearly 500 burials in Zion cemetery (aka Gideon, Tucker, or Monitor) started by the United Brethren church in Perry Township. Surnames include: BOWEN, MATTOX, MYERS, PATTON, POWELL, ROBESON, SENSE, SENSENBAUGH, SPIDEL, TUCKER, VIRGIN, WALKER, and WIDENER. [two-line URL:] http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~spidlefamily/ zioncemetery_html/ JANE'S GENEALOGY JIGSAW. This site currently consists of three sections: two projects -- one on Brighton, Essex County, Vermont, containing transcripts of some town records, the other on Schleswig-Holstein; and a surname section, listing the direct surnames being searched by the author. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~irishgirl/ KRAUSE GENEALOGY. Includes KRAUSE, BOECKMANN, MCDONALD, BRICKNELL, EXLER and many more surnames. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~krausegenealogy/ NETHERLANDS. GENEALOGISCHE FRAGMENTEN ALKMAAR. Genalogische fragmenten van personen, geboren of overleden in Alkmaar, of daar van betekenis zijn geweest en daar gewoond en geleefd hebben. De fragmenten zijn zoveel mogelijk uitgewerkt en eventueel bij verder voor -- en nageslacht voorzien van publicatie. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gomes/Alkmaar/ PEW-MINOR. Ancestors of Thomas Lincoln PEW and Ada Barbara Cecelia MINOR. Surnames include: SECORD, MILLARD, MABIE, DUTTON, FULLER, ROWLEY, NEFF, ZAVITZ, and FURRY. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~myfamilyhistorypage/ * * * PAID ADVERTISEMENTS * * * NO-FIND NO-FEE OFFER FROM BRITISH ANCESTORS "Wow! You have exceeded my expectations again. I appreciate the quick and outstanding service" (WC, New Mexico). BRITISH ANCESTORS researchers throughout England and Scotland can search birth, marriage, census, church and other records for your ancestors (1837-1950). No payments are required in advance and if we are unsuccessful, you pay nothing. To see if we can help you visit www.britishancestors.com * * * The July products at www.genealogical.com feature CDs on Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Hereditary Societies; and books about the Scotch-Irish, Free African Americans in the antebellum South, life on the 17th-century Virginia frontier, the Lewis families of North and South Carolina, the history of Norwegian immigration, the Pilgrim fathers of New England, several aspects of the genealogy of the American Revolution, and more. Check them out today! http://www.genealogical.com/new_products.cfm A NEW GENEALOGICAL ATLAS OF IRELAND, by Brian Mitchell is the key to unlocking a treasure trove of Irish genealogical resources. Get your copy of the new edition today! http://www.genealogical.com/item_detail.cfm?ID=3853 Did your ancestors pass through Kentucky on their way westward? If so, they may be among the 250,000 individuals named in EARLY KENTUCKY SETTLERS. http://www.genealogical.com/item_detail.cfm?ID=7519 * * * Examine a complete free issue of HISTORY MAGAZINE online and see articles like "The 1580's a Volatile Decade," "Volcanoes, Eruptions that Changed the World," "Bicycles, History of Two-Wheeled Vehicles," "The History of Early Navigation," "Domesday Book, England's Greatest Medieval Record," "History of the Circus in America," and many others at http://www.history-magazine.com/ * * * Save up to 80% On Inkjet Cartridges and Printers! Myinks lets you save both on printer refills and printer cartridges. Product quality is 100% guaranteed. You'll enjoy our great prices, fast shipping, and excellent service! It's easy to find what you need. Follow this link to Myinks and Save. http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?myinks+JtjuyF+index.html * * * Enter now and win these prizes in the Family Chronicle Genealogy Treasure Chest Contest ... Ancestry Membership, Professional Genealogist Book, Clooz software, Willow Bend Books, Five-year set Family Chronicle, Jonathan Sheppard books gift certificate, Fun Stuff for Genealogists from Petersen, Genesaver DNA kit, Membership NGS, Master Genealogist software, Heritage Books CDs, two year set History Magazine, Global Genealogy gift certificate, Geneweaver family health history software, Heritage Quest Research Club membership and lots more. Visit http://www.familychronicle.com/ to see complete prize list and how to enter the contest. * * * END OF PAID ADVERTISEMENTS * * * 8. FROM ROOTSWEB REVIEW'S BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG -------------------------------------------- [Editor's Note: "Making Brick Walls," by Delores Rochelle Walls in last week's edition (RWR 5:27 3 July 2002) created a flood of mail. Read on:] Spies hiding behind brick walls By Elmien Wood nee Spies Light relief comes at unexpected times such as at 05:35 on a cold Cape Town morning when reading Rootsweb Review. I enjoyed Delores Rochelle Walls story about her "brick wall" hits. Researching a surname such as SPIES, also give one hits one did not ask for! Whereas SPIES is a totally acceptable German/Dutch/Afrikaans surname, writing it in English can land one in trouble. What's more, asking for "passenger list" one gets thousands of people sailing to the USA and the Cape of Storms does not figure. Maybe the webmasters should pay attention to the problem. * * * Love, Dean By Patricia Thomas parft@sesaline.com In regard to "Making Brick Walls," I can understand her request to combine the words "brick and wall" into one. I am searching two surnames, LOVE and DEAN. Sometimes I get all the "beloved" on cemetery postings, "love" as in "I'd love to...", and "dean" in regard to first names or deans of schools. Of course, if this [genealogy research] was too easy, it wouldn't be as much fun! * * * Ben May Turn Up By DeeDee Kitchen ddkitchen@hotmail.com I have to chuckle at the frustration of the "Making Brick Walls" writer, but I can completely sympathize. My great-grandfather's name was Benjamin Franklin MAY. First of all, it seems that every fourth or fifth male I find was named Ben, Benjamin, Benjamin Franklin, or B.F. But have you every tried to find a last name like MAY? Talk about frustration. Almost everyone you find was either born, married, or died in May. Or maybe their name was Lilly May, Lula May, or Bessie May. And. of course almost every post you read contains the phrase "may have lived" or "may have moved" or some such wording to explain what might have happened. To tell you the truth, I think I would rather be looking for Mr. Brick WALL. Happy hunting to all. * * * RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees By Babette Davis babette_francaise@hotmail.com Dear Editor: I have no complaints or suggestions, but write to express my gratitude for the wonderful pages you created to help beginning genealogists like me: http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson1.htm I was interested in interviewing my grandparents for their 50th anniversary this August, and you've really instilled in me confidence in my endeavor. Keep up the great work! 9. HUMOR: Blindsided -------------------- Thanks to: Patricia Hobson pshobson@hotmail.com In plowing through various primary records, I admit to having more than a few chuckles at the expense of the dead --- mostly due to misspelling. One Kentucky death record asserts that the cause of death was "information" (a disease I thought had only begun to spread in the 20th century). And, I'm still trying to figure out what really happened to the woman whose death was, in a church register, listed as due to "myopia," which is the medical term for nearsightedness. Did she fail to see a buggy speeding down the road? Her minister was obviously trying to be accurate -- other entries read "Kicked in the head by horse leading to death" or the delicate "committed suicide while temporarily mentally unbalanced." But myopia? * * * LOVE OLD NEWSPAPERS? To see what's available and to subscribe to the growing Historical Newspaper Collection at Ancestry.com, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=3514&sourceid=2134 Click here to view a sample newspaper: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=3547&sourceid=2134 10. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, REPRINT POLICY, RWR ARCHIVES --------------------------------------------------------------------- We welcome short (500 words or less) articles, stories, or letters for publication in the RootsWeb Review. They should be sent as a plain text e-mail message (no attachments) to: rwr-editor@rootsweb.com We reserve the right to edit all submissions. RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. Post genealogical queries on all relevant surname, locality and topic boards and lists: message boards: http://boards.rootsweb.com/ mailing lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/ Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: Vol. 5, No. 28, 10 July 2002. Search/download all back issues of RootsWeb Review: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ========================================================================