Sorry, My Moron Filter Slipped

Occasionally, the “moron” filter in my brain slips and I have a major dumb attack. (Oh yes, it happens. Ask my spouse, or my children, or my boss, or, well you get the idea.) I’d tell you how my “fame” has made me all narcissistic and self-centered but wait, that approach was recently used.

Ditto if I’d tell you that nobody is beating me up more than I am beating myself. (Gees, politicians are making all of us sound disingenuous,) I have no real excuse or explanation for my little error, except to say some things tend to slip right past me. Okay, maybe a lot of things slip right past me. Last week at the start of my 7 Days, 7 Requests efforts, I wrote about sending for the Alien Registration Form of my great grandparents. Well, and this has been out there on the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service) website since at least June, starting tomorrow, August 13, the USCIS will offer a fee-for-service program in which family historians can request copies of a variety of immigration and naturalization records online including, wait for it, Alien Registration Forms. 

Now the USCIS is not necessarily the easiest site to navigate, so I can possibly be forgiven for not catching this soon to be service notice, but Juliana Smith of Ancestry’s “24-7 Family History Circle” reported this on August 1, BEFORE, my brilliant brainstorm. 

Juliana Smith’s blog is one that I have in my Google Reader, and I read it faithfully, except apparently I missed that one. My only excuse is that August 1 happens to be the day that I spent a mind numbing 7 hours playing Klutz paper dolls with my favorite 8 year old granddaughter (as opposed to my favorite 13 year old granddaughter who prefers shopping to paper doll playing). 

It took me several days to recover. I still wouldn’t have caught it except that Juliana did another post on August 10 entitled, “Ten Places to Find Immigrant Origins,” which mentioned among other things, the new online program by USCIS. The post is filled with lots of good information that I think many of you can use. I know I sure could have used it.

I’m guessing that my own little request will end in one of three ways. 

1. Nothing will happen. I mean literally nothing, and I will be all like “dum de dum,” waiting for information that never arrives. This is the worst-case scenario.

2. I will get my nifty little envelopes back with the federal speak version of “Idiot! Do this over and do it the correct way!”

3. I will get my information but it will take me a whole lot longer than any of you using the new online system, at which point, feel free to tell me how fast you received your information. Go ahead; twist the knife in my heart. 

I will keep you posted as to which of the three scenarios turns out to be the winner. Now, I’ll just go somewhere and hide my head in shame. Hey, maybe I can blame my error on a wide stance. What, that excuse has been used, too.

© 12 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

My Final Request

My last request is very modest. For sometime, I’ve known about a Pomeranian newsletter that is written here in the states. “Die Pommerschen Leute” comes out four times a year and deals with a variety of Pommern topics. You may purchase old issues of the newsletter for $5.00 each. I’ve printed out the form and finally made a decision on which two of the old issues I’d like to read. 

The Fall 2003 volume offers several articles on the region that interests me, the Stolp area of Pomerania. The Fall issue 2006 has another Kreis Stolp article, along with an article about Plattdeutsch (Low German). (I almost went with another volume that talked about Pomeranian potatoes – that one sounded yummy!) 

Though this is my last request, you will notice that my scoreboard still needs one more request. I will be going to the post office on my lunch hour today and mail the paperwork to start the process of changing my great great grandfather’s civil war grave marker. When that is done, you will see the scoreboard updated. (If it won’t allow me to update on this post, and you never know what this platform will or will not let you do, then you will see it as a separate post on this blog.)

© 11 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder
 

The Importance of U (A Part of the 7 Days, 7 Requests Series)

On my desk, I have a sticky note that has two words written on it. The words are “fried” and “friend.” Notice that the two words have much in common. In fact, except for one additional letter, an “n,” the two words are identical. But oh, what a difference that “n” makes. You would never mistakenly interchange the words in a sentence as in, “You are my best fried" or "I love friend chicken.” The addition or omission of the “n” is important. 

So when I went looking for the grave of my great great grandfather Edward L. Jacobus, and found instead the grave of Edward L. Jacobs, I believed it should be corrected. Jacobs was not Jacobus. The missing “u” mattered.

Edward Jacobus enlisted for service August 2, 1862 in Henry County, Ohio. The harness maker reported to Camp Toledo on September 1. A member of Company B of the 100th Infantry Regiment Ohio, he was detached for duty to the Quartermasters department on September 21. By the November muster roll, he had rejoined his company stationed in Kentucky, where their job was to protect the city of Cincinnati. At the time of his enlistment, he and his wife, Mary Thorn Jacobus, had been married for not quite 5 years. They had three children, Frank, John and Clara, ages 4, 1 and 5 months respectively. 

His death, which would be reported in Edward’s pension files by his Captain, H.D. Taylor, would come almost 8 months to the day after his enlistment.

 “E. Jacobus was a private in my said company and that on or about the 20th day of February, 1863, at or near Lexington, Kentucky, while in the line of his duty, he was taken sick with Lung Fever and after a few days, was removed to the hospital at Lexington where he died of said disease on the 2nd day of April 1863. “ 

Taylor further went on to state: 

“I was present with my company during the time he was sick in hospital and visited him frequently, and I saw him the day before he died and my first Lt. G.D. Forsyth saw him after he was dead and reported the fact to me.” 

The body would not be shipped back to Henry County, but instead, be interred at what was to become Lexington National Cemetery. Edward was 27 years old. The error of the missing “u” was foreshadowed earlier, in the muster roll taken for September and October 1862. A hurried hand wrote, “Edward L. Jacobs.”

Certainly, Captain Taylor knew the correct last name as indicated in his statement in Edward’s pension file, but the clerk who filled out the casualty sheet, probably did not. The casualty sheet read Jacobs, and officially, when the markers were ordered for the graves at Lexington National Cemetery, my gg grandfather became for all intents, Edward L. Jacobs.

On the US Department of Veteran Affairs website, under the heading, “Replacement Headstones and Markers” I found the following information: 

Headstones and markers previously furnished by the Government may be replaced at Government expense if badly deteriorated, illegible, stolen or vandalized. We may also replace the headstone or marker if the inscription is incorrect, if it was damaged during shipping, or if the material or workmanship does not meet contract specifications. 

And For guidance on obtaining a replacement headstone or marker, you may call the Memorial Programs Service Applicant Assistance Unit between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, at the toll-free number below:1-800-697-6947 

So that is what I did. I called them. From there I was told I had to contact the superintendent at the national cemetery where Edward was buried. The office girl at Lexington National Cemetery told me to send an email. A reply email referred me to Camp Nelson, which is the department that oversees Lexington National Cemetery. Lexington will change their online listing once Camp Nelson has approved and made the change, if I email Lexington and let them know.

A call to Camp Nelson gave me the next hurdle to cross. I needed to bring in the documentation proving that Edward Jacobs was really Edward Jacobus. When I explained I was in Ohio, I was told to send the information along with a phone number. 

So as soon as I am done making this post, I will write the letter, include what I hope to be appropriate documentation, along with a printed copy of this blog post. I will keep you informed of any developments. 

When I have put the letter in the mailbox at the Clyde Post Office, I will post an updated scoreboard to my blog. Of all the requests made this week, this is the one that I hope succeeds. 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging!

© 10 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Ordering GGGG Grandpa's Compiled Civil War File (A Part of 7 Days, 7 Requests Series)

Look! Me ordering!

Thank you for Your order!

Updated Scoreboard!

So I Went for a Little Car Ride (Part of the 7 Days, 7 Requests Series)

Yesterday, I made my first trip the Family History Center in Perrysburg. I’ve been spoiled by having the Hayes Presidential Center’s Library and its wonderful genealogical resources nearby But let’s face it, if you need records from another county, there’s no place like a Family History Center, no matter how far the drive. 

The people at FHC were very nice and friendly, and I ordered three films – two related to Jackson County, Ohio and one dealing with Gallia County, Ohio. I’m hoping to find out what happened to the land that my fifth great grandfather, David Thacker, owned. I know that he did not make out a will, so what happened to the land? 

The price to order film is $5.50 per roll and it will stay at the center for 30 days. The Perrysburg Center has a wide variety of films that are permanently housed at their facility. I was happy to note that films from the Budow Parish where my great grandparents were baptized are part of this collection.

If you are planning a trip to the Perrysburg office, you should know that the hours listed on the FamilySearch website are not accurate. Below are the hours they are currently open.

 

However, effective September 1, the Monday hours will be changing to 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. I can chalk up another request for the scoreboard!

© 9 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

 

7 Days, 7 Requests - Hold That Thought!

Well, yesterday's request has required four phone calls (okay, I created an extra one by my own stupidity), one email, the scanning of several pages of material and you guessed it, I'm still not done.

It looks like I will now need to scan and print some additional material to put into the mail. No wonder I had procrastinated on this one! I would really like to tell you more about it, but if I want to get today's request accomplished, I have to leave RIGHT NOW for points north and west.

So remind me, who's brilliant idea was this 7 days, 7 requests? Gees, I really have to lay off the caffeine the first thing in the morning! Stay tuned!

© 7 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

The Envelope (Part of the 7 Days, 7 Requests series)

The envelope addressed to the New Jersey State Archives had sat propped against the small lamp on my office desk since the second week of January. At first, it sat there all bright-eyed and perky, reminding me that I needed to type a letter, write a check and mail it – nothing too difficult. Then, as time went on, it began to snarl and stare accusingly at me as I continued to ignore its presence. Finally, as often happens to things that are continually ignored, it faded into the background, much as the canister of pencils and file holder that also sat on the desk. 

Yesterday, I wrote the letter requesting information on the marriage of Thomas D. Jacobus and Catherine? who married in Essex County, New Jersey, sometime between 1827and 1832. Jacobus appears to be the early 19th century equivalent of Smith or Jones in New Jersey. I’m not sure if I have given enough information for the Archives to find the marriage record, but I am only going to be out $5 if they can’t fulfill my request.

So while my grandson was busy saying, “Eenie, meenie, minee, moe” to determine which of two identical spinners would be mine as we played “Dora Bingo,” the very nice mail carrier stopped at my rural mailbox, grabbed the envelope and sped it happily on its way. 

Score another one on my request counter.

© 6 August 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder