When we all start our genealogical research, we hope to find all the
answers in one place or another. This generally turns out to be a pipe
dream for each of us. Even if we find a collection that someone else
finished in the past, we all too often find mistakes that they did not
discover.
Many of us hold out for the church records that will give the vital
records of when one is “borned- married- deceased” as these would
be very helpful. When we finally find the right church, then we
discover some of the problems with these records. In this country,
church records were not as important as in Europe when these records
were primarily the main source of records for the area. Few if any
civil records were kept intact. In this country, however, the civil
government was much
stronger and the records tend to be in their collection instead of the
church. Yet, the church records are still important.
In the past, our ancestors were not as closely associated with a church
as we are today. If a Methodist preacher came on the scene as the
pioneers moved West, then everyone in the community would go to hear
him. This did not mean they accepted the Methodist doctrine or even
beliefs, but they wanted to hear the word of God and this was their only
chance. In another month, a Baptist preacher came into their community
and everyone flocked to hear him. Not everyone accepted the Baptist
doctrine
or beliefs either. At this time in our history, the ministers were the
ones that kept down the records. Primarily the records of marriages and
deaths. They may not have it all together as many times a person died
weeks or even months before the funeral was held since they had to wait
on the preacher to come back around. Couples might even have a child
before the wedding as there was no one in the area to perform the
marriage ceremony.
As churches began to get established, the records improved. For
example, in the mid-1800s the Baptist records are better than the
Methodist, but later into the early 1900s the roles were reversed. In
southwest Virginia and east Tennessee for the Methodist church, there
are only about two dozen churches that are over 200 years old. In most
of these, who ever kept the church records might have stored them under
their bed for many years of their life. When they died, those records
were passed
around the family for a time, but now no one knows what happened to
them. Many of the early Baptist minutes and records have suffered the
same fate.
When you read these early records when found, they offer a gleams into
the world of the times. It is not uncommon for them to state something
like “...Mary Jane, the daughter of Miss Ella Smith and John
Jones.” The ones I like are when a church dismissed a member for loud
talking in church or drunkenness. These two were the same in their
eyes. Many times, the individual will repent and they take them back at
the next meeting only to be ousted at the following one for the same
“sin”.
Are the church records worth the search - YES!! Sometimes you just
might find the answer to all your questions, or at least the answer to
one of them. They are very difficult to find because our ancestors did
not leave too many comments on where they attended or which records
might have been made available. But yes, go for them. You never know
what interesting piece of information you will find.
Mount Holly Cemetery is a park-like oasis in the center of and owned by the City of Little Rock. Flowering plants, shade trees, berry bushes and honeysuckle give it a pleasant, restful atmosphere enhanced by a Bell House built around the end of the nineteenth century.
The four square-block area was donated to be used as a city cemetery in 1843 by Roswell Beebe and Senator Chester Ashley. It has become the final resting place of such a number of notable Arkansans that it has earned the nickname "The Westminister Abbey of Arkansas." Interred here are ten state governors, thirteen state Supreme Court justices, five Confederate Generals, twenty-one Little Rock mayors, several newspaper editors, military heroes, physicians and attorneys.
The earliest birthday recorded on its stones is that of Peter LeFevre, born in Canada in 1750. The first interment was of William Cummins in April 1843.
Not sure where to begin your genealogy search? Follow this sure-fire checklist.
1. Gather what you already know about your family.
Search your basement, attic and closets (and those of your family
members) and collect family records, old photos, letters, diaries,
photocopies from family Bibles, even newspaper clippings. E-mail
far-flung relatives to ask whether they have records that may be of help
for your genealogy quest.
2. Talk to your relatives.
Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles about their memories.
Don't ask just about facts and dates—get the stories of their growing up
and of the ancestors they remember. Try to phrase questions with "why,"
"how" and "what."
3. Put it on paper.
Write down what you know so you can decide what you don't know yet. Start with the five-generation "pedigree" chart.
4. Focus your search.
What are the blanks in your family tree? Don't try to fill them in all
at once—focus on someone from the most recent generation where your
chart is missing information. Try to answer that "mystery" first, then
work backward in time.
5. Search the Internet.
The Internet is a terrific place to find leads and share information—but
don't expect to "find your whole family tree" online. You can search records on the FamilySearch.org website for free. Ancestry.com
subscribers can search that site from home, or use it for free here at your local
library as we offer Ancestry Library Edition on our public computers.
6. Explore specific Web sites.
Once you've searched for the last names in your family, try websites
specifically about your ethnic heritage or parts of the country where
your relatives lived. You may even find websites about your family
created by distant relatives researching the same family tree.
7. Discover your local FamilySearch Center.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 4,000 FamilySearch Centers
where anyone can tap the world's largest collection of genealogical
information.
Using your local center, you can borrow microfilm of records such as the
birth, marriage or death certificates of your ancestors. More than 2
million rolls of microfilmed records from all over the world are
available. Compare the information in these sources with what you
already know, fill in the blanks in your family tree, and look for clues
to more answers to the puzzles of your past.
9. Organize your new information.
Enter your findings in family tree software programs or on paper charts
(make sure you note your sources). File photocopies and notes by family,
geography or source so you can refer to them again. Decide what you
want to focus on next.
10. Plan your next step.
Once you've exhausted your family sources, the internet and the
FamilySearch Center, you may want to travel to places your ancestors
lived, to visit courthouses, churches, cemeteries and other places where
old records are kept. This is also a rewarding way to walk in the
footsteps of your ancestors and bring your heritage to life. You'll find
that the quest to discover where you came from is fun, as exciting as a
detective story, and never-ending.
Facebook is a great tool for genealogy: You can keep in touch with family, share photos and even tap into free apps designed with family historians in mind. Family history buffs have been flocking to Facebook recently -- and not just to reconnect with high school buddies or play FarmVille. The popular social media website is actually a great tool for genealogy: You can keep in touch with family, share photos and even tap into free apps designed with family historians in mind. The seven apps highlighted here can help you find resources and family connections. In addition to genealogy-focused options, look for other handy research helps, such as the WorldCat app for locating items in libraries. As with all Facebook applications, be sure you fully understand what types of personal data an application collects from your account when you install it. See Facebook's Controlling How You Share page for guidance. Family Tree This social networking app from FamilyBuilder lists 270 million potential relatives.
You can:
build your family tree add photos connect with and search for family members
Tip: Be prepared for a plethora of ads -- some of which will appear related to FamilyBuilder, but aren't. Family Village Facebook's first family history game, Family Village is like FarmVille for genealogy.
You can:
build your family tree create an ancestor village and "immigrate" others to it invite family members learn about your ancestral heritage
Tip: The app is still in development mode, so you may find some glitches. Family Village encourages feedback. I Remember Fold3 brings its popular pages feature to Facebook, letting you create a memorial page for a friend or relative.
You can:
add photos create a timeline map locations post memories share stories
Tip: Before starting a new memorial page, search to see if one already exists. Live Roots Tap into a specialized search index listing more than 230,000 resources (about 25 percent are fee-based).
You can:
discover new resources navigate locations search keywords and surnames suggest other genealogy resources
Tip: Search for your surname on more than 15 websites, including Ancestry.com and Google Books, simultaneously. Mundia Mundia is Ancestry.com's app to locate family and search for ancestors in public trees and message boards on Ancestry.com .
You can:
build your family tree track family events create a photo gallery, tag pictures search message boards send messages to family members view family facts
Tip: Use the Find People function to search 1 billion people in more than 10 million family trees. OneFamilyTree This app from family website service OneFamilyTree has the ability to import a GEDCOM file.
You can:
build your family tree collaborate with family members share photos track family events
Tip: Check Privacy Settings under the Admin tab to control visibility of your Anniversary Calendar and Family Wall.
We're Related FamilyLink's helps you find other relatives on Facebook and share information.
You can:
build your family tree connect with relatives create a family "photage" to post on Facebook
As more and more genealogists and family
historians leverage technology for research, many are using “The Cloud”
whether they realize it or not. And then there are those who purposely
store their data in a personal cloud.
Doing so allows them to access their research from anywhere in the
world and on practically any type of computer or mobile device.
There’s actually some history behind the use of the word cloud to
describe the way a computer user accesses data stored somewhere other
than his own computer. Years ago, when computer systems were mapped out
using a flow chart, a cloud was the symbol for a remote server that
hosted data and services. For the most part, this server was provided by
another business or vendor and located off-site.
If your tired of keeping your genealogy research data on multiple CDs, DVDs,
flash drives, hard drives and in different locations? Cloud computing –
the practice of storing data on a remote server – is a practical
solution for genealogists.
The
Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library provides patrons with access to
several Jefferson County historical documents such as year books, city
directories, photographs, and more.
This
site presents digitized primary source materials from the Pine
Bluff/Jefferson County Public Library System Genealogy and Rare Book
Room. Copyright and Fair Use Statement and Citation Information.
Certain
portions of the materials on this website are protected under copyright
laws. These materials have been made available for use in research,
teaching, and private study, but may not be used for any commercial
purpose. Permission to make a single copy of any material on this
website through print, photocopying, or downloading to a computer
terminal is granted without the need to seek prior consent, on the
express condition that you properly cite the source in all copies. (Please see the citation information below.)
For other uses of materials from this website
(for example, commercial products, publication, broadcast, mirroring,
reuse on a website, or anything else that does not fall under concepts
relating to "fair use") you are required to seek permission from Pine
Bluff/Jefferson County Public Library System in advance. Contact
information is given below. When requesting permission, please be
prepared to refer specifically to the information you intend to use and
provide details regarding your planned use.
Those
inquiring about these uses should contact:
Jana V. Mitchell, Manager,
Digital Projects Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Public Library 200 E. 8th Avenue Pine Bluff, AR 71601 Telephone: (870) 534-2159. E-Mail: jmitchell@pineblufflibrary.org Materials should be cited as: http://pineblufflibrary.org/digital-collections/, Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Public Library System, Pine Bluff, AR 71601.
In her fourth memoir, Sundays with TJ, author Janis F. Kearney attempts to answer the one question most asked of 107-year-old Thomas James "TJ" Kearney: What was the magical recipe to his longevity, his continued health and his passion for life? The author and daughter answers the question the only way she knows how: by telling TJ Kearney's life story. The writer deftly takes readers on an unforgettable journey as she chronicles the life and times of the centenarian whose life began just 40 years after slavery, in the atypically southern town of Lake Village, Arkansas. TJ's early childhood, she writes, was shaped by his early losses, and his fascination with steamboats, trains and the Mississippi River. Janis F. Kearney offers her readers glimpses of the many facets of an adoring son, a wanderer and roustabout, a cotton sharecropper, and a loving husband and father of 19 children. After all is said and done, Kearney asserts; the wise and witty centenarian lived an amazing life, and left with few regrets. The regrets, he said at 107; were the people he didn't meet, the places he never visited . . . if only he had more time. President William J. Clinton stated, "I was always fascinated to hear how TJ and Ethel managed to feed, clothe and shelter their kids, and even more; how they were able to find the right mix of love and discipline to allow them all to become their own persons, different in fascinating ways yet bound together as a family."
The advent of computers and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy, or tracing one's ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers are wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family history on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased or an online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper backup.
Things You'll Need
1. Genealogical forms
2. Three-ring binder(s)
3. Tabbed dividers
4. Sheet Protectors
Paper Records Download and print paper forms off the Internet, or copy them from genealogy how-to books. (We have how-to-books here at the library.) Fill out a Family Tree Chart to document the names of the ancestors from whom you directly descend, and for whom you will create a Family Group Sheet. This form will help you see what you have accomplished, and who you still need to search for. Fill out a Family Group Sheet for each family member and his or her immediate family. Doing this from the beginning will help you connect family members and create complete and accurate records. Keep a Source Summary. This is documentation of all the sources you have searched and what information you have found from each source. A separate source summary should be kept for each family tree line, so you can find information and references quickly. You may also choose to keep a Research Calendar, which is a similar record of every source you have searched and any information you have found pertaining to your ancestors. Track correspondence relating to your genealogical research on a Correspondence Record. Use it to keep track of with whom you have corresponded, what you are writing about, and if you have received a reply or not. Utilize a Family Tree Research Extract sheet when you are searching records or documents that can not be copied or scanned. This also works well for deeds, which are time consuming to reread. Compile all your forms in a three-ring binder when you first begin your search. Organize them by name or location. Later you may add more binders, or graduate to file boxes or filing cabinets as your family history research accumulates. Consider indexing each binder to make record retrieval easier. Tip
Use archival-quality sheet protectors when adding original family documents or photographs to your family research binders.
The advent of computers
and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy, or tracing one's
ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers are
wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family history
on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased or an
online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper backup.
The advent of computers
and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy, or tracing one's
ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers are
wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family history
on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased or an
online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper backup.
Store your genealogy forms in a three-ring binder.
The
advent of computers and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy,
or tracing one's ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers
are wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family
history on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased
or an online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper
backup.
Download and print paper forms off the Internet, or copy them from genealogy how-to books.
2
Fill out a Family Tree Chart to document the names of the ancestors
from whom you directly descend, and for whom you will create a Family
Group Sheet. This form will help you see what you have accomplished, and
who you still need to search for.
Fill out a Family Group Sheet for each family member and his or her
immediate family. Doing this from the beginning will help you connect
family members and create complete and accurate records.
4
Keep a Source Summary. This is documentation of all the sources you
have searched and what information you have found from each source. A
separate source summary should be kept for each family tree line, so you
can find information and references quickly. You may also choose to
keep a Research Calendar, which is a similar record of every source you
have searched and any information you have found pertaining to your
ancestors.
5
Track correspondence relating to your genealogical research on a
Correspondence Record. Use it to keep track of with whom you have
corresponded, what you are writing about, and if you have received a
reply or not.
6
Utilize a Family Tree Research Extract sheet when you are searching
records or documents that can not be copied or scanned. This also works
well for deeds, which are time consuming to reread.
7
Compile all your forms in a three-ring binder when you first begin
your search. Organize them by name or location. Later you may add more
binders, or graduate to file boxes or filing cabinets as your family
history research accumulates. Consider indexing each binder to make
record retrieval easier.
8
Copy any records you want to take with you on research trips. Leave all originals at home.
Carry a portable flash drive with you to save computer files on if you
have access, then print the documents and add them to your binder. Also
consider carrying a digital camera to photograph books and documents
that can not be photocopied, but always ask permission first.
Store your genealogy forms in a three-ring binder.
The
advent of computers and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy,
or tracing one's ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers
are wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family
history on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased
or an online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper
backup.
Download and print paper forms off the Internet, or copy them from genealogy how-to books.
2
Fill out a Family Tree Chart to document the names of the ancestors
from whom you directly descend, and for whom you will create a Family
Group Sheet. This form will help you see what you have accomplished, and
who you still need to search for.
Fill out a Family Group Sheet for each family member and his or her
immediate family. Doing this from the beginning will help you connect
family members and create complete and accurate records.
4
Keep a Source Summary. This is documentation of all the sources you
have searched and what information you have found from each source. A
separate source summary should be kept for each family tree line, so you
can find information and references quickly. You may also choose to
keep a Research Calendar, which is a similar record of every source you
have searched and any information you have found pertaining to your
ancestors.
5
Track correspondence relating to your genealogical research on a
Correspondence Record. Use it to keep track of with whom you have
corresponded, what you are writing about, and if you have received a
reply or not.
6
Utilize a Family Tree Research Extract sheet when you are searching
records or documents that can not be copied or scanned. This also works
well for deeds, which are time consuming to reread.
7
Compile all your forms in a three-ring binder when you first begin
your search. Organize them by name or location. Later you may add more
binders, or graduate to file boxes or filing cabinets as your family
history research accumulates. Consider indexing each binder to make
record retrieval easier.
8
Copy any records you want to take with you on research trips. Leave all originals at home.
Carry a portable flash drive with you to save computer files on if you
have access, then print the documents and add them to your binder. Also
consider carrying a digital camera to photograph books and documents
that can not be photocopied, but always ask permission first.
Store your genealogy forms in a three-ring binder.
The
advent of computers and the Internet has made the hobby of genealogy,
or tracing one's ancestry, easier, faster and more organized. Computers
are wonderful--until they fail--so even if you store all your family
history on the computer, whether it is in a program you have purchased
or an online database you have subscribed to, always keep a paper
backup.
Download and print paper forms off the Internet, or copy them from genealogy how-to books.
2
Fill out a Family Tree Chart to document the names of the ancestors
from whom you directly descend, and for whom you will create a Family
Group Sheet. This form will help you see what you have accomplished, and
who you still need to search for.
Fill out a Family Group Sheet for each family member and his or her
immediate family. Doing this from the beginning will help you connect
family members and create complete and accurate records.
4
Keep a Source Summary. This is documentation of all the sources you
have searched and what information you have found from each source. A
separate source summary should be kept for each family tree line, so you
can find information and references quickly. You may also choose to
keep a Research Calendar, which is a similar record of every source you
have searched and any information you have found pertaining to your
ancestors.
5
Track correspondence relating to your genealogical research on a
Correspondence Record. Use it to keep track of with whom you have
corresponded, what you are writing about, and if you have received a
reply or not.
6
Utilize a Family Tree Research Extract sheet when you are searching
records or documents that can not be copied or scanned. This also works
well for deeds, which are time consuming to reread.
7
Compile all your forms in a three-ring binder when you first begin
your search. Organize them by name or location. Later you may add more
binders, or graduate to file boxes or filing cabinets as your family
history research accumulates. Consider indexing each binder to make
record retrieval easier.
8
Copy any records you want to take with you on research trips. Leave all originals at home.
Carry a portable flash drive with you to save computer files on if you
have access, then print the documents and add them to your binder. Also
consider carrying a digital camera to photograph books and documents
that can not be photocopied, but always ask permission first.
There’s actually some history behind the use of the word cloud to
describe the way a computer user accesses data stored somewhere other
than his own computer. Years ago, when computer systems were mapped out
using a flow chart, a cloud was the symbol for a remote server that
hosted data and services. For the most part, this server was provided by
another business or vendor and located off-site.
Things You'll Need
. Carry a portable flash drive with you to save computer files on if you have access, then print the documents and add them to your binder. Also consider carrying a digital camera to photograph books and documents that can not be photocopied, but always ask permission first.