I'm Back

It's been about four months since there have been any updates on this blog... my apologies.  Life sometimes just gets crazy.  I encourage you to check out the six posts below this one.  I've attempted to post any items that are still pertinent and of interest to you.  Just to make it clear, I absolutely appreciate all of you who follow the events of our chapter, as well as those of you who keep me current through emails and entries for me to post.  This is the time of year that we think more of the  people we are grateful for.  I am grateful for you and all the help I have received over the years through resources and your generous sharing.  Here's hoping you have a fabulous holiday season!

2016 National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair

Check out the link for free access to these session videos and handouts.

You can watch the sessions and download the materials.  You will also find  materials from previous years.

Remember to share what you learned.

www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair

Village Coordinators of the Month

Every month we feature two Village Coordinators, to recognize the work they do for AHSGR and give members an opportunity to become more familiar with their Village Coordinators.

August 2017

Dee Hert

Anton,  Alexanderhoh,  Alexanderdorf  (North Caucasus),  Alexanderdorf   (South Caucasus),  Blumenfeld, Emmas, Tiegenhoff,  Tilfis,  Eigenheim,  Nalchik,  Johannesdorf,  Karlsruhe,  Katharinenfeld

Dee Hert has been a village coordinator for several years and continues to find villages of interest for which there is no coordinator.

“These are important areas, so I find myself agreeing to be the village coordinator,” she said. “The Caucasus region has my primary attention at this time; what a fascinating area and I am locating villagers from various regions. As I become aware of Caucasus villages without a village coordinator, I may consider adopting them.”

Dee married into a double-GR family. “My mother-in-law informed me there were very few Herts remaining; I accepted this information at face value,” she said.  “Years later I can disprove that statement as my database contains thousands of Hert/Herdt/etc.”

Dee has advice for people researching their heritage:  

“Gather all appropriate resource materials, join and refer to professional organizations depending on your objective.  Materials from AHSGR, NDGR, societies such as the Germanic Genealogy Society, Montana Historical Society are increasingly valuable,” she said. “I live in Utah and have easy access to the Family History Library (FHL) which is also an incredible resource. Facebook and other social media are constantly improving and should be reviewed frequently. Establish an AHSGR Facebook page or social media of choice and share what you learn.  Genealogy is sharing!”

Another source of information is the annual on-line Village Coordinator reports; one can improve research skills and gain insight into successful practices.

Dee encourages members to consider becoming VCs. “If you are hesitant then offer to assist another VC, mentoring can be very enjoyable.”

“AHSGR has a wonderful link to individual village files.  Read beyond your primary village, read all files as data crosses villages and your ancestors may have lived in numerous locations,” she said. “You would be amazed to learn how many villagers relocated to the Caucasus; slowly I am gathering that data into a separate database.

“I am a Life and Board member of AHSGR, I can honestly say that these folks are amazing.  They possess a positive attitude towards improvement and strive to attain the goals of preserving and promoting the Germans from Russia culture as do many individuals in the field. Working together we can move forward in a positive direction.”

Germans from Russia

Mark your calendars for the 2018 GRHS Convention which will be held in Pierre, SD  at the Ramkota Riverside Hotel, hosted by the Deutsche Glieder Chapter of GRHS.

Membership renewal is due by January 1.  

Check out www.grhs.org

This is a wonderful organization dedicated to the preservation of precious GR information.

Volga German Tours

In 2018, Dr. Mila Koretnikov and Dr. Brent Mai will be leading two tours to visit the former colonies of our Volga German ancestors.  They design these tours to visit the ancestral colonies of those who are on the tour, so each trip is unique!  They will also visit the German Cultural Center and the Volga German Archives in Engels, the State Museum in Saratov, the Gagarin Landing Site, and the Mamayev Kurgan (Motherland Calling Statue) complex and Stalingrad Battle Museum in Volgograd.

Each tour departs from New York City and lasts 9 days.  This year, for the first time, there is an option to add-on another week and visit Moscow and St. Petersburg.

2018 dates & cost per person:

May 18-27 or August 10-19 (colonies only)

$3,800 (double occupancy); $4,250 (single occupancy)

May 18-June 1 or August 10-24 (colonies + Moscow/St. Petersburg):

$5,300 (double occupancy); $6,150 (single occupancy)

For additional information including testimonials from those who participated in the 2016 and 2017 tours, please consult the tour website: VolgaGermanTours.com.

There are still several spaces available (30 maximum), so plan now to join us for the adventure!

Items of Interest

Roots Tech is scheduled for February 28 – March 3. Sign up now for a discount price.

  

CVGS – Center for Volga German Studies in Portland had to close due to lack of support. We need to support those organizations that are important to us. Resources will still be there and the Oregon Chapter will man it and do research on a limited basis.

2018 Convention in Hayes, Kansas, July 30 – Aug 2

Christmas Party

It has been suggested that we donate to Toys for Tots this year instead of having an ornament exchange. Toys should be unwrapped and will be given to the US Marine Corps for distribution. The Springville Community Presbyterian Church is scheduled for Saturday, December 9, from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Address: 245 S. 200 E.The chapter will provide ham and the rest will be pot luck. Pat and Shirley will email maps out a week before the event. 

Donations

It will soon be time for our next chapter meeting, so stock up on children's books, and especially crayons. It is almost back to school time crayons are usually on sale, and we need dozens

We will take almost anything that entertains sick children, even cash.  If you do not have time to shop we can give the money to the Youth Program members, and they can shop for us.

The next meeting is at 10:00 am on August 12th at the Sandy Library.

Germanic Genealogy Society

 The Germanic Genealogy Society is a valuable source of Germanic information.  I encourage you to investigate this source.

Atlantic Bridge to Germany. 1974-1997, 2003-2005. GGS Library Call Numbers: 929.30943 H14a (v. 1- 10), 929.343 H434p 2005 (Pomerania), 929.30943 At631H 2004 (Baden), 929.30943 At631H 2003 (Alsace-Lorraine). Atlantic Bridge to Germany is a series of volumes containing detailed maps of the German states. The first 10 volumes were written by Charles M. Hall while the most recent 3 volumes (Alsace-Lorraine, Baden, and Pomerania) are expanded and updated versions prepared by Linda M. Herrick and Wendy K. Uncapher. All three of the provinces in the new editions were included in Hall’s series but in less detail. The volumes in the original series each covered 1-3 German states, depending on their size. For each volume, Hall wrote an introduction briefly covering the history of the region. He also included some information on special topics in genealogy for the region such as discussion on patronymics or farm names in the regions where they were common. The bulk of each volume consists of the maps. They are based on the Karte des Deutschen Reiches from 1877-1919 at a scale of 1:100,000 so they include even the smallest hamlets and topographical features. The detailed index lists the place names covered in each volume, along with Kreis, map page, parent parish, and information on the availability and dates of church and civil records. Only three updated volumes have been published to date, covering Alsace-Lorraine, Baden, and Pomerania. These new volumes contain much more extensive introductory material than the original volumes. The opening chapters provides detailed information on the history, governmental histories, lifestyles, religions, and population of each region. The authors also discuss resources for genealogical research such as archives, church and civil records, censuses, and more. The remainder of each volume follows the pattern set in the original series. If your ancestors came from one of these three regions, it is well worth checking out the updated volume. This series is an excellent companion to Hansen’s Map Guide series (detailed review by Donna Turbes available at https://ggsmn.org/upload/files/library/BookOfTheMonth/MapGuideGermanParishRegisters.pdf), which identifies parish boundaries and location of church records for Germany but does not include detailed maps. A note about the Map Guide series: They have completed their volumes on German provinces and have started publishing volumes on major German cities and areas outside of Germany (currently Luxembourg and Switzerland). Original series: v. 1. Baden-Wuerttemberg.--v. 2. Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz (The Palatinate).--v. 3. Bavaria (Bayern).--v. 4. Saarland, Alsace-Lorraine, Switzerland. --v. 5. Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen -- v. 6. Mecklenburg -- v. 7. Nordrhein-Westfalen (Northrhine-Westphalia) -- v. 8. Prussia -- v. 9. Saxony/Sachsen -- v. 10. Hannover.

44th Annual Montana History Conference

September 21-23, 2017, Helena, Montana

Source: Montana Historical Society,  http://mhs.mt.gov/

This is an example of a marvelous sharing opportunity.  Some may have interests in this area, or the subject material may benefit everyone.

“Made in Montana”, Business tour, such as sawmills, factories, clay manufacturing, etc.

“Teaching the Progressive Era and World War I”, 

Focus for teachers on issues, ideas, strategies to assist teachers understanding of this era.

“Keeping it All in the Family”, Promoting genealogical resources in archival collections. Teaching research techniques, online databases, and much more.

“Show me the Money! How to Secure Grant Money for History Projects"

Practical instructions and tools to succeed at writing grants.

German Proverbs, Continued...

At a round table, every seat is the head place.

Were there no fools, there would be no wise men.

Tis the mind ennobles, not the blood.

A good word costs nothing.

The sundial counts only the bright hours.

Happy is the one who forgets that which cannot be changed.

Mirth is the sugar of life.

A day without laughter is a day lost.

A penny's worth of cheerfulness can dispel a pound of problems.

Those who can be happy today should not wait until tomorrow.

Memorial Day

Having just celebrated Memorial Day, my thoughts are turned to those in my family who have served in the military in some way.  I thought particularly about the ones of German ancestry and perhaps even recent arrivals who may have been caught up in the anti-German sentiments during WWI and WWII.  I know very little about these particular men's experiences, but it made me grateful to them for their service.  I know there were many others of this same heritage who served as well.  If you have a family picture you'd like to share, please send me a copy and I'll be happy to post their pictures.

Faith of Our Families

Several years ago my son attended Law School at KU.  On our travels to visit his family, I often noticed beautiful churches off the interstate and wondered about them.  Finally, I convinced my husband that I needed to check one of them out.  We stopped in Victoria, Kansas.  I was so pleased to find out about its history and its link to the German Russian heritage.  Traveling on a little outside of Victoria, we visited the beautiful church in Pfeifer, Kansas.  I loved seeing it, as I had a personal connection to Pfieifer. When my grandfather first arrived in the states in 1900, he visited relatives there.  I purchased a little booklet at the church in Pfeifer, and learned more about the great faith of those first settlers.  It has been a source of strength for me, just knowing that my ancestors had such a strong faith.  Both of my paternal grandparents came from German colonies along the Volga in Russia.  My grandmother came from a Lutheran colony, and my grandfather from a Catholic colony. Their marriage was an interesting event according to family tradition. With all of this in mind, I was fascinated by an article written by Sherry Pawelko in the AHSGR Winter 2016 Newsletter.  She mentioned that three things were of paramount importance to our ancestors in both Russia and the New World:
1. The importance of the people's faith in God.
2. The importance of their families.
3. The importance of the education of their children.
Wow! I realized that I am so much a result of the beliefs of my ancestors.  While I share neither of their religious affiliations, I absolutely find that the same three things are of greatest importance in my life. Many thanks are in order to this group of people who kept their culture alive, communities cohesive, and families strong.
 

VILLAGE OF ANTON RUSSIA

Anton was known by many names: Antonow, Antonowka, Sadovoye, Sebastinovka, Sebastjanowka, Sebastyanovka, Sewastjanowka, Sevastinovka, Sevastjanovka, Sevastyanovka and Sadovoye.

To locate Anton on a map you need to know the lat long:  51º2' N 45º51' E

In 1764 Anton was founded as a Reformed colony.  Anton was part of the parish in Messer. 

Village surnames, located to date, are available on the AHSGR web, see village files for Anton. I will update these files on an annual basis.

It was not uncommon for villagers to relocate due to land shortage, famine, war, etc.  Anton surnames have been located as far away as the Caucasus. 

Research continues and inquiries are welcomed.  I am interested in gathering family data. 

Watch for updates on the AHSGR website and displays at annual conventions. 

The Center for Volga German Studies lists resources for Anton: Sources:
- Beratz, Gottieb. The German colonies on the Lower Volga, their origin and early development: a memorial for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first German settlers on the Volga, 29 June 1764. Translated by Adam Giesinger (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1991): 348.

- Diesendorf, V.F. Die Deutschen Russlands : Siedlungen und Siedlungsgebiete : Lexicon. Moscow, 2006.

- Orlov, Gregorii. Report of Conditions of Settlements on the Volga to Catherine II, 14 February 1769.

- Pallas, P.S. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs. Theil 3,2, Reise aus Sibirien zurueck an die Wolga im 1773sten Jahr (St. Petersburg: Kaiserl. Academie der Wissenschaften, 1776): 621.

- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 1 (Göttingen: Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 1999): 19, 51-69.

- Pleve, Igor R. The German Colonies on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001): 311, 319.

- Preliminary Results of the Soviet Census of 1926 on the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Pokrovsk, 1927): 28-83.

- "Settlements in the 1897 Census." Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (Winter, 1990): 19.

AHSGR store makes the following available:

Census 1775 and 1798, Klemm Chart (Anton, Jost and Kukkus), Paul (Anton), Pauly (Anton).

Census from Dr. Brent Mai: 1834, and 1857.

Thanks to Sharon White for volunteering to assist, and for all the time donated time towards translation projects.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or interest in securing additional records from Russian archives for this village or others.  Due to the mobility of the villages I am researching additional areas.

Dee Hert

VC: Anton, Alexanderdorf(s) and numerous Caucasus areas.

Intermountain Chapter, Membership Chair

Member: AHSGR Life and Board Member

Village Coordinators of the Month

I am personally very grateful for the work that AHGRS Village Coordinators do.  Sharon White is the coordinator for one of my villages, Warenburg.  She has been a tremendous resource for me in my research.  If you go to this link, you'll find other coordinators who have been spotlighted for their service.  I found it very interesting, and new people are added monthly.  Check it out.
https://ahsgr.site-ym.com/page/MonthlyVCs

Wreath Party

You are all invited to attend the upcoming chapter Wreath Party at my house.

So you ask, now what is a wreath party?  That is an event where we all gather at a location, bring various materials to create wreaths and have fun.

We plan to sell these wreaths at the Scottish Festival.

I have taken my Michael's coupons and slowly purchased grapevine wreaths and various greenery and flowers for the wreaths.

I could use a lot of help as I do not consider myself artistic.  

The date is not determined as I am checking with you all to see if we can come to a consensus on the date.

Suggestions welcomed!!  We could also meet multiple times if necessary.

Dee Hert

Calendar Items

FEEFHS, July in SLC.  These sessions look marvelous, note the German-Russian subjects and the professional presenters.  

Check out the link for additional information

.http://feefhs.org/conference-2017-schedule

Focus Tracks and Classes

• Austro-Hungarian Empire
• Polish
• Russian
• German
• Russo-German
• Jewish Research
• And more

Chirstkindlmarkt SLC

Dates November 29-30 and December 1-2, 2017

This is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave, SLC, UT

Check out the link at http://www.christkindlmarkt-slc.com/

British Institute

September 18-22, 2017, SLC 

for details visit www.isbgth.org

Russia circa 1910 Map

Open the link and you will see a beautiful map of Russia, circa 1910 which was copied from an Atlas at AHSGR.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gm0exy19hwaecqk/Russia%20map%201910.pdf?dl=0

ALERT!!!

It has come to my attention that an unauthorized email has been sent to many of our members and ex-members requesting funds for “one of our members and her son who needs special equipment before being taken to the UK for treatment.” This is absolutely NOT an email sent from headquarters.  We have had nothing to do with this dishonest plea for money.

Do not respond to this email.  It is bogus and a scam! 

Please share this news with all your friends and family who may have received this phishing email.  It is too bad that people resort to such dishonest means to con innocent people out of their hard earned money.  But this has absolutely nothing to do with the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.  We would never send out an email like this.

AHSGR Convention

Here is the link you may use to access the convention invitation/registration form. It will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from August 28- 31, 2017.

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.ahsgr.org/resource/resmgr/FinalInvitation.pdf 

June BBQ Picnic

We have the Lindon City Park pavilion reserved for a summer family picnic. The date is June 10th, beginning at 4:00 pm. We will plan to eat about  5 o'clock. BBQ chicken and sauerkraut & spare ribs will be provided for the main courses. Please bring a veggie dish, finger foods, or dessert of your choosing. In order to have enough chicken and kraut/ribs, please RSVP to this email with a head count and what food item you plan to bring. Drinking water and utilities are available on site.

The address is near 350 North State Street in Lindon, which is about a block south of the Pizza Factory and Los Hermanos restaurants on the east side of the street. It is about 3 blocks north of the intersection of 2000 North (Orem) and State Street. Play equipment is available for children.This is a time to eat, relax and visit.

We hope you can make it!!!

Book Review

I located this book at the Family History Library and thought it would be helpful for researches.  The call number is INT 947.7 F2g and was composed by Dr. Adam Giesinger of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia; the North Dakota GR ‘s.

I found the information fascinating, it may or may not be an area I need to research; I will not know the personal value until I investigate.  Even if I do not locate family members I will learn more about the geography and culture of the area.  Keep in mind that this type of record may be available for your area of interest. Please share what you learn.

Reports of 1942-1943 from German Villages in the Ukraine.

A list of the types of reports prepared:

·         The German and Russian names of the village, its date of founding and its location.

·         The population and the number of families, classified as to the ethnic group, as of June 1, 1941 and also the German population at some earlier dates.

·         Number of ethnically mixed marriages and the number of children of such marriages.

·         The present German population classified as men, women, and children.

·         Number of families without male heads.

·         Origins, in Germany, of the forefathers of the inhabitants or, if it was a daughter colony, the mother colony from which they came.

·         Type of school(s) in the village, social clubs, libraries, theatres, projection equipment, choirs and bands.

·         Health and welfare institutions of the village, doctors, nurses, midwives: the state of health of the inhabitants.

·         Whereabouts of the church records of births, marriages, and deaths.

·         Economic situation in the village, land being farmed, livestock, and crop yields.

·         Special hardships under the Communist regime, number of famine deaths, people murdered during the civil war, people arrested and deported to slave labor, experiences since the outbreak of the war in June 1941.

·         List of inhabitants, arranged in family groups with surname and given name, occupation, date of birth, place of birth, and religious denomination.

·         List of murdered by revolutionary armed bands during the civil war period.

·         List of those who died in the famines of 1921-1922 and 1933-1934.

·         List of those deported to slave labor camps in the 1930’s.

·         List of those taken away from the village after the outbreak of war in June 1941

·         List of the young men from the village serving in the Red army.

·         Village plan and a map showing the location of the village.

·         A questionnaire of special interest to genealogists, asked of each family.

The microfilm information is listed in this publication.

Submitted by Dee Hert

AHSGR Birth and Death Records

Folks: We are excited to announce two additions to the American Historical Society for Germans from Russia online bookstore: 1794-1825 Laub, Tarlyk, Russia Birth Records Volume 1 and 1826-1833 Laub, Tarlyk, Russia Death Records. Both publications feature color photographs and are available online at ahsgr.org; there, click on Online Store and then Birth and Death Records.

The birth records publication sells for $55 to members, $65 to nonmembers, and the death records publication sells for $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers.

Dan Moser, editorial and publications coordinator, AHSGR

Storytelling Contest

A reminder: The deadline for the annual AHSGR Storytelling Contest is fast approaching. All entries must be submitted by May 15. Among Germans from Russia, storytelling is an important oral and written tradition that ensures the continuation and enhancement of GR history and heritage among future generations of Germans from Russia. It is this tradition the contest helps promote. Both youth and adults are welcome to participate. Stories can be either fiction or nonfiction. Winning stories are presented at the Folklore Symposium at the annual convention and prize money is awarded. Details and entry forms are available on the AHSGR website and Facebook page. Just follow instructions carefully and send all stories, completed forms, photos and other materials by email attachment to ahsgr@ahsgr.org or by regular mail to AHSGR Storytelling Contest, 631 D St., Lincoln, NE 68502-1199. Entry deadline is May 15. Winners and honorable mentions will be announced at the convention in Milwaukee, Wis., in August.

ACHTUNG

Germans from Russia

The local chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR.org) invite you to join us at the Scottish Festival.

Intermountainchapterahsgr.blogspot.com

Locate the “Germans from Russia” booth and we will explain our unique culture.

Dates

July 7 and 8, 2017

Location

Payson, Utah

Contact the local chapter for further information, membership, and research assistance.

Village Coordinators

Special appreciation is expressed to individuals who have agreed to take on the important task of Village Coordinator.

Please remember that in order to succeed we must all share information that may be of value to others.  Information can be shared via email to chapter members, sent to village files and anyone having an interest. While conducting research, and you happen to locate an interesting tidbit of data, please pause for a moment and consider who might find this information of value.

Notice the diverse geographical areas represented, the GR's were mobile people for various reasons.

Lets play it forward and share your research sites, how you gather and store data; please reply to all.  I will compile a master list of ideas.

• Newsletters, 
• EWZ records (Odessa3), 
• Immigration, 
• National Archives
• AHSGR.org
• Germans from Russia Heritage Society
• Germanic Genealogy Society
• State Historical Societies
• Family History Library
• Russian Archives
• Google

Numerous villages remain unattended and are desperately in need of a vc; if you are interested please step forward and offer to cover one or more of these open villages. Village Coordinator data is available at AHSGR.org.  A vc must be a member of AHSGR, sign a contact and agree to abide by all terms and conditions.  Another value to becoming a vc is access to an on-line vc link to share ideas and ask questions of other vc's.

Village Coordinator information is available at other organizations interested in gathering similar data. A good example is the North Dakota Germans from Russia Heritage Society  http://www.grhs.org/  

Perhaps you would be interested in assisting in some capacity.

Intermountain Chapter Village Coordinators (to date)

Ansley, Shirley

Neu-Hussenbach, Gashon, Samara

Eickbush, Fran 

Neu-Arzis, Akkerman, Bessarabia

Neuburg, Grossliebental, Odessa, Kherson

Gertge, Joe (w/Nick and Barbara Bretz)

Rothammel, Saratov, Volga

Hert, Dee

Blumenfeld, Stavropol, North Caucasus

Alexanderdorf, Volga

Alexander-Höh, Samara, Volga

Anton, Saratov, Volga, (with Sharon)

6 additional villages pending

Hertz, Brad

Fischer, Saratov, Volga

Oryall, Gwen

Guldendorf

Odessa

Worms

Rohrbach

Stone, Sheri

Hussenbach, Linevo Ozero, Saratov, Volga

Weber, Darrell

Balzer, Saratov, Volga

White, Sharon

Straub, Samara, Volga

Warenburg, Samara, Volga (w/Ron Brott)

Research Classes

Eastern European Family History Conference

July 17-21, 2017

Plaza Hotel, SLC

conference@feefhs.org

Research Center for the State Archives and Utah State History

Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm

300 S. Rio Grande St.

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

archives.utah.gov/research

British Institute

18-22 September 2017

Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, SLC

Reservations 800-366-3684

www.isbgfh.org

Reminder

Plan on attending the next chapter meeting on Saturday, February 18th.

Scanning Records

Doug and Adee Hacking work at the Family Search Center on Thursdays from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. On Thursdays the center stays open until 9:00 pm, and on Saturdays they close early at 1:00 pm.

The center is located at 915 West Gordon Ave, Layton, UT 84041, and the phone number is 801-784-2100. You can call that number ahead of time to reserve one of the slide scanners. They assign them out in one hour increments, but you can do a lot in an hour.

They can show you around and help you with your scanning. All the equipment is free to use. The only thing they charge for is copies and they are five cents a page.

Also...
Brigham Young University Library, 1st floor, houses the Utah Valley Family History Library. They have several high speed quality scanners available for public use for family history. They are set up to link with your family search account if desired, and there are always plenty of volunteers to help. Call ahead to reserve a time slot.

Put This on Your Calendar

Saturday, February 18, 2017, is our next chapter meeting.  

We are planning to participate in the Scottish Festival in Payson on July 7-8, volunteers appreciated.

Mike Meisinger, AHSGR Vice President, will be coming to Utah to teach classes.  Date to be announced soon.

AHSGR board meetings, April 27-29, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The book drive continues whenever we gather.  We are accepting new or used (clean) books for Primary Children's hospital.  Our youth members are creating a bookmark for the books.

The chapter agreed to a cookbook; send recipes to Dee.  It would be wonderful if this was a family event with you and your kinder taking lots of pictures and sharing with Dee.

Sources for Mennonite Information

The Grandma database (Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) contains information on over a million individuals, most of whose ancestral lines can be traced to Mennonite communities in Prussia and South Russia. GRANDMA is produced by the California Mennonite Historical Society.

https://blog.eogn.com/2014/06/17/grandma-the-genealogical-registry-and-database-of-mennonite-ancestry/

This database is available in two forms: on a CD-ROM disk as well as in a searchable online database. Both versions provide searches of the same data, but the online database is updated several times a year while the CD-ROM is only updated once every few years. The on-line version also allows you to share your family photographs with other researchers.

In additional to this wealth of data is a free standard edition newsletter.  To receive a once-a-day email message containing links to all the new articles published,

http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=948986).

You can also subscribe to the Plus Edition here: http://blog.eogn.com/subcribe-to-the-plus-edition.

Dan Eastman is the webmaster and will be featured at the Feb 8-11, 2017 RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah. (http://www.rootstech.org)

Do you have interesting database information to share with everyone??

Thanks for the support.

Dee Hert

A Message From Dee

LDS gift opens up a vast new path for African-American genealogical treasurers

Index of nearly 2 million names given to the Smithsonian.

Up to now, genealogical research on African-American families often ran into a dead end after the search reached back to 1870, the first census that documented newly freed slaves as U.S. citizens.

The LDS church donated an indexed database of the Freed African-Americans which can now bridge the gap between freedom and slavery and reunite, on paper, families that were once torn apart by slavery.

FamilySearch’s team also uncovered and indexed the names of 1,781,463 people found in marriage and hospital registers, education efforts, census   lists, labor contracts, and apprenticeship lists.  This is the largest collection of records that impact the African-American population today.  The bureau records present the genealogist and social historians with an unequaled wealth of information about matters as varied as issuing food and clothing, investigating racial conformations, settling freedmen on abandoned or confiscated lands and establishing schools. The bureau helped secure deeds to property so people could build schools.

The indexing team attracted volunteers from the 36 chapters of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, black colleges and churches, and any organization that might have an interest.

Source:  Sunday, December 11, 2016, Salt Lake Tribune.

The messages I learned from this article: 

A group of dedicated volunteers can organize various sources of data and compile significant data.  It is heartwarming to know that this information will be of great value to many families.  Continue sharing your personal knowledge and resources; that is what genealogy and family history is all about.  The more we share the more we learn. The numerous records used in this search can always open doors.

Dee Hert, Chapter Membership Chair