UpFront with NGS

NGS Announces New Education Manager: Patricia Walls Stamm, CG, CGL

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) announces the appointment of Patricia Walls Stamm, CG, CGL, of St. Louis, Missouri, as Education Manager. In her new position, Stamm will oversee the development of online education courses and will be responsible for keeping the current education courses updated as related to content and technology.

Stamm has an extensive background as an instructor at the St. Louis Community College, the St. Louis Genealogical Society, and the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research in Birmingham, Alabama. She has served as conference program coordinator and education director for the St. Louis Genealogical Society. Stamm is a life member of the State Historical Society of Missouri and the St. Louis Genealogical Society. She received the St. Louis Genealogical Society President’s Award in May 2009 for work that led to an expanded educational program for the society.

Stamm holds a tested concentration of genealogical instruction from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has lectured both locally and nationally. She is a published author with articles appearing in the NGS NewsMagazine, APG Quarterly, and Genealogical Computing. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and NGS, she currently chairs the NGS’ Rubincam Youth Award Committee.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists. Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

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Browsing the Archives – Continued

by Toby Webb

Anyone new to genealogy in the last decade or so has probably heard the field’s cry for source citations, evidentiary analysis, and meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard. The opening chapters of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills summarize many of the principles by which, we are told, we should be evaluating our work. But I was delighted to find, in my continued browsing through the online archives of the NGS Quarterly, an issue that both launched those standards and provided great practical help in using them.

Volume 87 of the Quarterly, which NGS members can download as a PDF file, includes the September 1999 issue, which was dedicated entirely to the question of genealogical evidence. Ms. Mills’s opening article pulls together the best principles of evidence analysis for genealogists, the principles which have been the bases for judging our work ever since. Perhaps because this was the seminal article on this topic, it is extremely instructive. It doesn’t just lay out the principles as some subsequent guides have done, but puts them into the context of prior, inadequate genealogical standards. This discussion of past shortcomings helped me better understand the principles now being taught. It also explained the emphasis now being given to the quality of our analyses.

The issue is helpful in another important way. It suggests that our genealogical proof might fall into one of four situations: 1) we have direct evidence for our conclusion; 2) we have conflicting direct evidence; 3) we are relying upon an accumulation of indirect evidence; or 4) we are relying upon an accumulation of indirect evidence that actually contradicts some direct evidence. How might our proof argument be written in each of these cases? The issue has four articles, one in each of these categories, showing how skilled genealogists have assembled and analyzed their evidence and how they have written up their conclusions.

This landmark issue was important reading when it was published. It remains so. Members can find it online in the NGSQ Archives. Be sure to log in on the NGS website – or take this opportunity to join if you're not yet a member. Then choose the Publications & Videos tab, and click on NGS Member Periodicals.

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More on Access to US Military Records at NARA

Following on our post of 13 August 2010, entitled "Access to US Military Records at NARA Explained," Melinde Sanborn has added to the original explanation. She informs us that there was/is a blanket freeze on NARA Web site changes that is making the message that these records are now available without proof of death “slow to reach researchers.” Apparently all the forms are different or withdrawn for WWI, but you can’t tell from looking at the Web sites.

We have also been informed that there is still one WWI veteran alive: Mr. Frank Buckles, who is 109.

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More on “Browsing the Archives”

by Kay Haviland Freilich, CG, CGL

Editor's note: The following post comes in response to the article posted 3 August 2010 and provides further information of interest to many readers.

First of all, I’d like to thank Toby Webb for his kind words about “Genealogical Research in Pennsylvania” that was published in NGSQ. It’s always nice to hear that one’s work has been useful to another researcher.

Toby and other UpFront readers might be interested in knowing that NGS published an expanded and updated version of the article in 2007 as Research in Pennsylvania, one of the Research in the States series. This new edition includes additional material, web sites, and information about online sources and records. It is available in a print edition or as a downloadable PDF file from the NGS Bookstore.

Other states are also covered in the series. Some have previously appeared in the Quarterly, some are new works. The authors all specialize in research in the state they write about. Current titles cover Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and they also are available as either print or PDF versions.

Research in the States in an ongoing series. Additional titles are in the works and others are planned. Readers might want to watch for announcements of new releases on the NGS web site and other publications.

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Access to US Military Records at NARA Explained

At a recent “Meet the Archivist” session, Melinde Sanborn, a member of the Records Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC), posed the following question:

“As the administrator of a broad array of records, why are there such discrepancies in the access rules for researchers? For instance, despite the fact that the last World War I veteran died several years ago, the entire class of service and pension records from that conflict still requires paperwork and signatures of spouses or children before they can be accessed. Why is this and what can you do to change it?”

Maureen MacDonald of the National Archives and Records Administration sent a detailed answer that should interest many genealogists. Here is the answer:

The World War I official military personnel files (OMPFs) were opened in November 2007. The opening of these records allows genealogists, historians, and other members of the public full access to these records. Prior to the legal transfer, access was limited to the specific veteran, the primary next-of-kin, and Federal agencies.

Researchers can receive a complete copy of the file for a fee. These records are subject to a limited exemption under the Freedom of Information Act. All social security numbers are redacted before releasing the record to the public.

Records opened include:
-  U.S. Navy Enlisted OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1885 through 1947;
-  U.S. Navy Officer OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1902 through 1947;
-  U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1906 through 1947;
-  U.S. Marine Corps Officer OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1905 through 1947;
-  U.S. Army OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1912 through 1947; and
-  U.S. Coast Guard OMPFs with discharge dates beginning in 1898 through 1947.

Additional military personnel records will be made available to the public each year, for individuals who served in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who have been discharged, deceased, or retired for at least 62 years. For example, records for veterans who were discharged, deceased, or retired in 1948 will be opened 62 years to the day in 2010.

Researchers can access these records by:
-  Visiting the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), Archival Research Center, in St. Louis, MO
-  Requesting copies of the records (for a copy fee) via mail, fax, or online. NPRC encourages interested individuals to submit requests via www.vetrecs.archives.gov or on a Standard Form 180, available at www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf.

The fee schedule for OMPFs is:
-  OMPF of 5 pages or fewer: $20
-  OMPFs of greater than 5 pages: $60 (Most OMPFs fall in this category.)
-  Persons of Exceptional Prominence OMPF: $.75 per page.
-  Copies of individual OMPF documents made in the Archival Research Room: $.75 per page

The OMPF information for St. Louis is available in Reference Information Paper 109 Military Service Records at the National Archives.

Also, please note that researchers can order records by mail, online, or schedule an appointment with the Archival Research Room at (314) 801-0850.

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Western Australian publishes Curtis family history

A great-great-granddaughter of Anthony Curtis, Pamela Farrell completed her father's goal of publishing their family history. Winds of Time is set entirely in Western Australia and traces the seven generations of Anthony Barnabas Curtis’ family from his humble beginnings at the Swan River Colony (now known as Fremantle) in 1830 and follows the family to Busselton and Wonnerup and into the family homes of Inlet Park, Wonnerup House and Abbey Farm.

The book recalls the courage, tenacity, determination, hardships, great sorrows and great joys the Curtis family experienced over the years.

To read this full article from the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail, click here.

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Plimoth Plantation to re-enact 1623 wedding of Governor Bradford

Plimoth Plantation has planned the wedding of the century -- the 17th century, that is. Located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plimoth Plantation is a re-enacted village set in 1623, complete with period actors, buildings, and demonstrations. On Saturday, August 14th Plimoth Plantation will step back in time to the year 1623 when the Colony's Governor William Bradford married Alice Carpenter Southworth, recently arrived from England on the ship Anne. Plimoth's renowned Native and Colonial interpreters will bring this historic event to life as Massasoit, Sachem of the Wampanoag, journeys to Plimoth to be a guest at this wonderful event from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

According to The Enterprise news, anyone who visits the plantation and Mayflower II bewtween Aug. 7 and 13 will receive a free return admission for the wedding. In addition, on Friday, Aug. 13, the plantation will hold a "A Pint With A Pilgrim" beer tasting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the English Village.

For more on Plimoth Plantation and this event click here.

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