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GENEALOGY
NEWS BYTES
Volume 2, Issue 10
October 2006
317 W US Highway 24, Independence, MO 64050
816-252-7228
mcpl.lib.mo.us/branch/ge
Obituaries & Death Records
NARA Descriptive Pamphlets
The Nether World of Genealogy
Pamphlet Accompanying . . .
Janice Schultz
Branch Librarian
Angela McComas
Reference Assistant
Death is not usually a popular conversation topic, except
among genealogists. We want to find the date of death and are
excited to find place of burial. It is one of the vital records we are
seeking. Sometimes finding that piece of information can be
elusive. But the Genealogy Branch has some finding aids to
assist you in your search.
If you are looking for a local death, try looking in our
Kansas City Star and Times Newspaper Obituaries (the title later
changed to Kansas City Star Newspaper Obituaries when the
Kansas City Times ceased publication). The index begins with
1979 and goes up to the current date. But it is much more than an
obituary index. It is the actual obituaries in alphabetical order in
six month increments.
For a local death you can also try our card index to the
Independence Examiner and the Jackson Examiner. The index
begins with 1901 and currently goes up to 1947. It is an ongoing
indexing project, so those dates will expand. All persons
mentioned in the obituary are indexed. Each index card will tell
you the date the obituary was published in the paper, along with
the page and column numbers.
On microfiche we have death indexes for the following
The records we use to research our
ancestors tell the story of their lives. Most records are very
straightforward. The story they tell is simple and complete. A
birth record, a marriage license, and a death certificate
outline a person’s life. But sometimes a record can be
misleading. If we don’t pay attention to the record itself, how
it was made and by whom, we may come away with the
wrong story.
The National Archives and Records Administration
is responsible for the microfilming of many of the records we
use. At the beginning of each record set there are several
pages describing the documents on the film. Called a
descriptive pamphlet or “DP”, it can help us determine the
validity of the story the record tells us.
At the Genealogy Branch these pamphlets have
been printed and made available in the microfilm area. They
are in red folders on a table across the aisle from the bound
census indexes. Each is labeled with title and number of the
NARA microfilm series.
Each series is described by the information included
and how and why the record was made. Patrons will find
what is included in each record; names, places, dates,
relationships, events, etc. The pamphlet also explains how
the record is arranged; alphabetical, chronological, by
person, place, or organization. There are abbreviation lists
and a contents page listing what is on each roll in the series.
The most important information is how the record
was made, who made it, when it was made, and why. These
details give us clues to the importance and accuracy of the
facts provided. There are also tips on how to use the records;
where to start, how to continue, what other records exist, and
available indexing.
Continued on page 2
IN S I D E TH I S IS S U E
1 Obituaries & Death Records
1 NARA Descriptive Pamphlets
2 My Likeness Taken
Staff Pick
3 Genealogy Websites
4 Calendar of Events
4 Writing A Family History Staff Review
Examples:
Most Revolutionary War records are for the
Continental Army only. They do not include colonial militia.
This can make proof of service in the Revolution difficult.
Continued on page 2
Genealogy News Bytes 1
Nether World of Genealogy
Continued from page 1
states: Arkansas (1914-1949), California (1940-1992), Georgia
(1919-1996), Indiana (1880s-1920), Cook Co., IL (1871-1916),
Kentucky (1911-1986), Massachusetts (1600s-1850), Oregon
(1971-1991), and Texas (1903-2002). Each index will tell you
the date of death and file number at the state vital records
office. On microfilm we have an index to Oregon deaths
(1903-1970). We also have Kentucky death records (18521910) on microfilm. Those are actual death records, but they
are not indexed. Each county has a separate microfilm or films
and are filmed year by year and interspersed with births and
marriages. Washington (state) deaths from 1907-79 are indexed
on microfilm.
More indexes are showing up online these days.
Missouri has a new death index for deaths older than fifty years
– currently 1910-1955. The Missouri State Archives is
scanning each death certificate into the database, so you can
actually pull up a copy of the death certificate and print it out.
You can find it at:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates.
Images are complete up through 1926 at this time. More
images are being added constantly.
You can use some of the Mid -Continent Public
Library databases to find obituaries. America’s Obituaries and
Death Notices has obituaries from some of the larger national
newspapers, but they don’t go back very far. The Kansas City
Star obituaries are indexed on the database, but they only go
back to 1991, which is when the Star began their online
presence. They go back farther than many of the other national
newspapers. The years are clearly identified when you are
doing a search of a specific newspaper. Newspaper Archive
Elite is another database you can use to find obituaries. The
papers have been scanned in and are searchable, but it can be
difficult to find what you are looking for. The papers tend to
be smaller town papers and many go back into the early 1900s.
New to our database collection is ProQuest
Obituaries. This database has pulled the obituaries out of the
ProQuest historic newspaper collection, some as early as 1851.
The newspapers indexed include: The Atlanta Journal
Constitution, The Boston Globe, Chicago Defender, Chicago
Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The
Washington Post.
Finding death certificates and obituaries can answer
many questions you may have about your ancestors. Searching
for those answers has never been easier.
Pamphlet Accompanying . . .
Continued from page 1
However, the “Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783”, M246, is
the exception. “The Revolutionary War rolls reproduced in this
microfilm include those of regular units of the Continental
Army and of units of militia, volunteers, and others who served
with them. The larger entity is identified in this publication as
the ‘American Army’.”
When copying records from the “Compiled Service
Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who Served in
Organizations from the State of Missouri”, M405, be sure to
check the papers at the beginning of the unit section. “Preceding
the jacket-envelopes for the individual soldiers in each
organizational unit there usually are envelopes containing
record-of-event cards giving stations, movements, or activities
of the unit . . . There sometimes also is a name index to certain
original numbered documents filed with regimental papers that
are among another series of records of The Adjutant General’s
Office in the National Archives. These numbered documents,
which are not filmed in this microcopy, are similar to the
original records (personal papers) filed in the jacket-envelopes
of individual soldiers, except that each appears to contain
information relating to two or more soldiers and therefore could
not be filed with the records of any one soldier.” Copies of these
papers can be requested from the National Archives so you can
learn the rest of the story.
The “Kansas Territorial Censuses, 1855-1859”,
M1813, includes an 1857 census of the Shawnee tribe residing
in Kansas. It divides the tribe into two groups, those who
claimed their 200 acres through the treaty of 10 May 1854, and
those who did not claim land.
Finding passenger lists for our immigrant ancestors can
be difficult. The descriptive pamphlet for “Passenger Lists of
Vessels Arriving at new York, 1820-97”, M237, gives the
researcher information about how the records can make the
research harder. Several of the lists that were microfilmed were
copies of the originals substituted for missing or illegible pages.
All genealogists know how difficult it is to trust a handwritten
copy of a document. The fire on Ellis Island on 15 June 1897
destroyed some of the lists. Before transfer to the National
Archives, these documents were held by three different
government agencies, with different archival standards. The
pamphlet also describes the index available for New York
passenger lists from 1820-46.
Evaluating a document is an important part of
genealogical research. The truth of a record depends on who
wrote it, when it was written, and how the information is
interpreted. The NARA descriptive pamphlets provide a
valuable tool for this evaluation.
Staff Pick by Diana Watkins
My Likeness Taken: Daguerreian Portraits in America by Joan L. Severa
GE 391.00973 SE83m
This book contains such usefull features as a history of the daguerreotype in America and a
glossary of costuming terms.What makes this book stand out as a research volume is the well-written
text that accompanies each photo. The dress of men, women and children, of all social classes, are
described in great detail. This amazing book can help in the dating of photographs and explain the fads
and fashions of yesteryear.
Genealogy News Bytes 2
Genealogy Websites
Diana Watkins
Reference Librarian
Cemeteries of Johnson County, Kansas
http://www.intermrnt.net/us/ks/johnson.htm
Cemetery transcriptions for Johnson County, Kansas
Chinese-Canadian Genealogy
www.vpl.ca/ccg/
The Vancouver Public Library website has an abundance of
resources to assist those who are interested in tracing their
Chinese-Canadian roots, including naturalization records,
church records, land records, wills and estates, and lots more.
Also includes a specific section on Chinese-American
genealogy.
Old Scottish and British Photographs
http://ibase.abdn.ac.uk/aberdeenic
A wonderful collection of 19th century photographs from the
collection of George Washington Wilson at Aberdeen
University in Scotland. Fully searchable and completely
fascinating.
Macon Country Alabama Obituary Project
http://www.dollsgen.com/maconobits.htm
Obituaries for those with roots in Macon county, Alabama.
Danish Roots
http://www.mydanishroots.com
Information on starting to search for your Danish family
history, links to websites with on-line information, and
information on Denmark.
Burial List and Obituaries
http://www.rootsweb.com/~txdicken/alpha.htm
List of names of individuals buried in Dickens County, Texas,
with dates and obituaries.
Burial List and Obituaries
http://www.rootsweb.com/~txcrosby/alpha.htm
Alphabetical listing of burials in Crosby County, Texas with
obituary links.
Woodland Internment Database
http://www.woodlandcemetery.org/Search/list.asp
Woodland Cemetery of Dayton, Ohio has over 100,000
interment records on-line and searchable.
Congressional Cemetery, Washington D.C.
http://congressionalcemetery.org/
Interment records on-line including pictures of headstones,
interment logs, newspaper articles and death certificates.
Sample Cemetery, Garfield County, Oklahoma
http://freepages.genealogy.rotsweb.com/~sample/
Transcriptions and photographs with some additional
information, primarily from the federal census, on individuals
interred in the cemetery.
Minnesota Marriages
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/marriages/minnesota/m
innesota.htm
Marriages in Minnesota.
Researching Historic Property
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb39/
A very helpful guide from the National Park Service
Minnesota Obituaries
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/obits/mn/obitsmn.htm
Obituaries from Minnesota.
Cherokee Indian Tribe of Indiana
http://www.cherokeeindiantribe.org
This website is designed to help native Americans trace their
Cherokee roots. It offers information, stories, pictures, forms
and much more.
Minnesota Birth Certificates Index
http://people.mnhs.org/bci
Searchable index of Minnesota birth records offered by the
Minnesota Historical Society.
Minnesota Births
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnbirths/minnesota.htm
More births from Minnesota.
Minnesota Death Certificates Index
http://people.mnhs.org/dci
Searchable index of Minnesota death records offered by the
Minnesota Historical Society.
Alabama Genealogy and History Guide
http://www.alabamagenealogysearch.com/
A guide to genealogy research and history resources in
Alabama.
Australian Genealogy
http://aussie.favos.nl/
Links and information on Australian genealogy
Past Sheriffs/Former Sheriffs in the U.S.
http://www.ancestorhunt.com/past-sheriffs.htm
Historical lists of sheriffs, marshals, constables and policemen
in the United States.
Genealogy News Bytes 3
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
OCTOBER 2006
COMPILED BY ANGELA MCCOMAS
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
5
7:00 pm
Heads of
Households
Only
Pre -1850
Census
Research
11
12
1:00 pm
7:00 pm
Appt w/
Where in the
Scandinavian WWW are
Expert.
they?
Schedule
Internet
appt 816-252- Research
7228
18
19
Mason-Dixon 7:00 pm
Line surveyed, How to Use
separating
the
Maryland/
Genealogy
Pennsylvania, Library
1767
6
9:00 am
Appt w/ Irish
Expert.
Schedule
appt at 816252-7228.
7
Arts, Crafts,
Antiques &
Collectibles
on the Indep.
Square FREE
816-252-6653
13
9:00 am
Appt w/
German
Expert.
Schedule
appt 816-2527228
20
Independence
Square Art
Walk,
6-10 pm
FREE
816-252-6653
14
9:30 am
24
10:00 am
Beginning
Genealogy w/
Diana
Watkins
25
Microwave
oven
introduced by
Tappan Co.,
1955
26
1st Electric
generator at
Hoover Dam
in full
operation,
1936
27
9:30 am
Using ILL
without
getting a
Headache
28 Enchanted
Forest at Geo.
Owens Park,
1601 Speck,
$2, 7-9 pm
Non-scary
816-325-7370
31
Deadline for
MCPL 3rd
Annual Family
History Writing
Contest for
Students .
Hispanic Polish- Computer
Heritage American Learning
Month
Month Heritage
CLASS DAY
is highlighted
Register at
816-252-7228
or
mcpl.lib.mo.
us/programs
2
3
Family
History
Month
10:00 am
How to Use the
Genealogy
Library
6:00 pm Appt w/
German Exp.
Schedule at 816252-7228.
8
Great Chicago
Fire, killing
300 people,
1871
9
10
7:00 pm
Writer’s
Blocks
15
Edison
Electric Light
Company
begins, 1878
16
National
Dictionary
Day, Noah
Webster born,
1758
17
10:00 am
Create a
Family
Cookbook
22
Revenue Act,
1st income tax
on personal
incomes over
$3000, 1914
23
Two rival
governments
rule over
“Bleeding
Kansas”, 1855
29
“Black
Tuesday”,
stock market
crash, 1929
30
Orson Welles
production of
HG Wells’
War of the
Worlds, nat’l
panic, 1938
In switch to
Gregorian
Calendar, this
day doesn’t
exist in some
countries, 1582
It’s Not Over
Until the Book
Is Written-Draya Woolf
BOO!
Wednesday
Recipe for Writing Your Family History
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and Roger Joslyn
Thursday
4
Toni Morrison
received
Noble Prize
for Literature,
1993
Naturalization
Records at
NARA
21
Medicine
Lodge Treaty,
Nat American
Plains Indians
to reservation
in OK, 1867
Month
Review by Charlotte McIntosh
CSTE 929.1 C21r, tape 1 and 2
I listened to the audio tape series on writing your family history. This two-tape series starts with
the question, “How is the recipe for writing your family history similar to your recipe for making
brownies?” Almost two hours long, this series does not drag because of the give and take between the
presenters. This lecture results from their experience of being hired as a team to write a family history
project together. They review the basics: importance of thorough genealogical research with solid
documentation, knowledge of social history, etc. Add helpful hints in the form of an outline, and you
have a pleasant listening and learning experience.
Genealogy News Bytes 4