"Tracing Our Roots" Newsletter Archive (A monthly genealogy newsletter written by the late Brenda Kellow, dec'd, for the Plano Star Courier newspaper. We've included all the ones we could recover.)
It began a long time ago. My fascination began in childhood as I accompanied my mother and grandmother early every spring, and again in the autumn, just before the cold north wind plucked the leaves from trees. I found the grounds peaceful, beautiful, and intriguing. The flowers and all the plantings were hardy. They had to be because of our devilish climate. The art and inscriptions were pretty even if many times bordering on the arcane. The different cultures and varied religious symbolism was intriguing then, and it continues to be so. As an adult, I still visit the communities at rest where I try and identify an ancestor and take pictures of unusual and beautiful stones.
Genealogist Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, who has just written an informative book on cemetery research, shares my fascination with cemeteries. In Your Guide to Cemetery Research, Carmack covers about everything there is to help all cemetery researchers find dead relatives including records created through death; how to determine when a person died; locate the cemetery in which the person was buried; analyze markers; interpret tombstone art and symbols; make a cast or rubbing of the stone; and conduct surveys to name a few. The back pages include a timeline of diseases from 1516-1981; glossary of causes of death; and a case study that uses obituaries as family histories. Throughout the book published by Betterway Books are pictures, graphics, instructional icons, and forms.
The book is available at all local booksellers; direct from Betterway Books at (800) 221-5831, or at www.familytreemagazine.com. The price is $19.99.
ONLINE: The Association of Gravestone Studies is an old faithful site for learning more about cemeteries and is at www.gravestonestudies.org/.For more on cemeteries go to www.islandnet.com/~hsbc/cemeteries.htm; www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/george/4636.asp. http://daddezio.com/cemetery/; Rootsweb cemetery research www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/; Find a Grave at www.findagrave.com/; Cemetery Column www.interment.net/column/; African American site www.prairiebluff.com/aacemetery/join.html.
THE WAYBACK MACHINE: Who saves and archives the Internet web sites? The Wayback Machine at www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/archives.htm#Scholarly (click on Internet Sources) [now is at https://www.archive.org] is building a free digital library of Internet sites in digital form at the University of California campus at Berkeley. So far it has well over 10 billion pages! This is a site worth looking at.
HISPANIC SAR CHAPTER: The Mexico Society of the Sons of the American Revolution SAR was recently chartered. They are looking in Mexico and the Southwest U.S. for descendants of early Spanish settlers in New Spain. Many of those early settlers rendered assistance to the American colonists' fight for independence from England. Most men over age 16 during the period 1776-1783, were required to be members of the local militia. Most of the progeny of these militiamen would also be are eligible for membership in SAR and DAR.
Here is a little history:
Many early ranchers along the San Antonio and Cibilo Rivers sold long horn cattle, bulls, horses and mules to Galvez' army, and drove them to Louisiana. Some of these animals were shipped up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Ft. Pitt for use by General Washington's Continental Army. Their descendants, as well as the descendants of the vaqueros who drove these animals to Louisiana, are eligible for membership in SAR and DAR.
Carlos, III, king of Spain at the time, asked all men in New Spain to contribute to the cost of the war with England. Spaniards gave one Peso, while Indians, Blacks, and half-breeds were asked to donate one Peso. Those who contributed, even if not a member of the militia, are considered as patriots. The descendants of these men would also be are eligible for membership in SAR and DAR.
Do you know of someone who is eligible? Are you eligible? For more information see the Society web site. It contains a bibliography of hundreds of sources, which might be of use to Hispanics in proving their pedigrees. That web site is at www.sar.org/Canada/MXSSAR-e.htm. For further information, contact Judge Edward F. Butler, Sr., president of the Mexico Society SAR at judge58@aol.com.
PHOTO ALBUM TUTORIAL ONLINE: Russell Granger is the creative director and web designer with a growing compulsion for genealogy that just completed a free web site with two special sections, which may be of interest. One is an interactive reconstruction of an extensive 19th Century family photo album, and the other is a detailed tutorial for non-professionals on digital restoration of antique family photos. Visit this interesting site at www.screengenes.com.
Brenda Kellow, dec'd, Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Instructor, had a Bachelor s Degree in history and taught genealogy courses at the local Community College and computer genealogy at the University.
