Amanuensis Monday: Odds are Laughable - Sid Wyman - 1962

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

Last week I transcribed a newspaper article mentioning the gambling loss of Harry Feinstein, my great grandfather's brother, in a gambling raid in 1911.  My parents suggested I look for some newspaper articles on Sid Wyman, a first cousin of my paternal grandmother's.  So I did.  I knew Sid had been a 'professional gambler' in Las Vegas, but I didn't know that he had been part owner of at least four hotels, and had made it into the Poker Hall of Fame.  If I had conducted even the most basic search, I would have known this.  It's on his Wikipedia page.

My parents suggested finding some news stories from his younger days in St. Louis.  Those are difficult to find.  He was born a generation later than Harry Feinstein, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch archives from his youth aren't online.

However, I did find a column from a California newspaper I wanted to share.  And I did share it.  However, in November of 2011 I learned that it was a reprint of a column from another newspaper, so I 'gambled' and requested permission from that newspaper. And was told I would need to pay $150 to keep the column on my site, which I decided was a bit hefty of a price, so I 'folded.'  The article below has been deleted.

Amanuensis Monday: May 2

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

May Day! May Day!

Holidays on May 1st, 2011

May Day  which has its traditional origins in the Celtic holiday of Beltane and the Germanic holiday of Walpurgis Night.

International Worker's Day [aka Labo(u)r Day] which has its origins in Chicago's Haymarket Affair.  This year is the 125th anniversary. [Chicago Historical Society's Haymarket Affair Digital Collection]

Loyalty Day - a holiday created in America in the 1950s to 'counter-balance' International Worker's Day.

MayDay - "an initiative to protect cultural heritage from disasters."  (Note: the distress call "Mayday!" actually derives from the French word m'aider - meaning "come help me.")

This year, Yom HaShoah, (Holocaust Remembrance Day).  The Hebrew date is the 27th day of Nisan, and commemorates the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.  Since the anniversary falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on Monday, May 2nd in Israel, and elsewhere.

Amanuensis Monday: Gambling Raid - 1911

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a newspaper article from September of 1911. It tells of a poker game disrupted by the police, and a great great uncle, Harry Feinstein, was among the charged.

Amanuensis Monday: April 25

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Deciphering a name

A few weeks ago I mentioned that there was a likelihood I might soon be blogging about new surnames, as I delve into more research on my fiancée's ancestry.

Well, it begins with a request for assistance in deciphering a given name on a death certificate.  I know the name is Norwegian.  My first guess is Erikson Olson, though I am unsure how common a surname as a given name is in Norwegian tradition.

(Yes, the mother's name was Ann Jackson.  I don't need help there.)

Update : I'm fairly certain I just found the death certificate for the brother of the individual's above, and the father's name is recorded as Eric Olson, so I suspect my first instinct was correct.  Though it is unclear which son communicated the correct name to his family.  The other son's family says the father was born in Sweden.  One of them is likely correct.  It was nice of both brothers to move to Missouri which has a useful online database of death certificates.

Amanuensis Monday: Waiting for a Letter from the Navy - 1944

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a letter my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, received from his brother, Ed, in 1944. The letter is more about their brother, Jerry, and his entrance into WWII.

Amanuensis Monday: April 18

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

The Naturalization Process

In 1908 and 1909 Sam and Rose Newmark, and their children, immigrated from London, England to the US and settled in St. Louis. (They had spent fifteen years in England after leaving Poland.)

The Newmark men filed Declarations of their Intention to Naturalize in 1910.  Early in my research, I found copies of their declarations in the microfilm section of the St. Louis County Library. The Declaration of Intent is sometimes referred to as "First Papers."  A petition, or "Second Papers" followed.

Philip Trauring at Blood and Frogs: Jewish Genealogy and More recently posted a primer on Naturalization records, including an index of National Archives holdings by state and year.  Since the National Archives indicates that they usually have "Second Papers" and occasionally have "First Papers" in addition, I jumped at the chance to request a copy of my great great grandfather, Samuel Newmark's records, in order to get a glance at the petition.

The turn around was very quick.  I placed the order on Monday, April 11, and I received the CD containing the scanned document this weekend.  Under 7 days.  Alas, all it contained was the Declaration of Intent.

I noted my disappointment in a comment on the Blood and Frogs site, and Philip asked me a question I should have already asked myself.  "Do you know for sure that your ancestor actually completed the Naturalization process?"

No, I wasn't sure.  I checked the 1920 and 1930 census, and lo and behold, under the Naturalization column for Samuel Newmark is the code, "AL."  Which stands for "Alien."  This actually explains a lot, as I was confused why Samuel's youngest son, Israel, filed a Declaration of Intent in 1922, when surely he was naturalized when his father went through the process.  If Samuel didn't complete the process, Israel had to go through it on his own when he turned 18.

So now I have ordered the records for my great grandfather, Barney Newmark. The 1920 and 1930 census indicate he completed the process.  I don't actually expect to learn new information.  I am curious what he put down as his date of birth, as that seems to change from record to record.  I'm also interested in whether he was still living at the same address as when he filed the Declaration of Intent.

Amanuensis Monday: A Pretty Good Trade - 1942

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a letter my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, received from his civil employer a few months after he entered military service in 1942. My grandfather was a Postal Inspector, and during the war helped to set up and run several APOs.

Amanuensis Monday: April 11

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Happy Tartan Day

April 6th is National Tartan Day in the US. - "The National Holiday for all Scottish Americans"

Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of the United States. From the framers of the Declaration of Independence to the first man on the moon, Scottish-Americans have contributed mightily to the fields of the arts, science, politics, law, and more. Today, over eleven million Americans claim Scottish and Scotch-Irish roots -- making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. These are the people and accomplishments that are honored on National Tartan Day, April 6th. [from website]

To be clear, April 6th is Tartan Day everywhere.  April 6, 1320 was the date of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 -- The Scottish Declaration of Independence.

[The image above is of Arbroath Abbey]

Amanuensis Monday:Of Perfume, Rationing, and Income Taxes

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a letter my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, received during the war from his sister-in-law, Frances. It was sent about a week prior to the letter I transcribed last week from his brother, Ted.

Amanuensis Monday: April 4

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Happy National Poetry Month

April 1st means many things to many people.

• For some, it is April Fools Day.
• For some, it marks the beginning of the Baseball Season.
• For still others, it's the beginning of National Poetry Month.

Why was April chosen for National Poetry Month? Perhaps because

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

Or perhaps

WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

T.S. Eliot and Chaucer are the usual explanations given.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, in honor of National Poetry Month this year, I have started a poetry ezine.

Generations of Poetry - The eZine for Genealogists

The mission of the zine will be to share: poetry on the genealogy obsession (the research, the rewards, the pitfalls), as well as biographical poems about ancestors and kin. We will include poetry by famous authors (such as Robert Frost, who inspired the title of the zine with his poem, Generations of Men). We are also open for submissions from poets interested in genealogy, and genealogists with a hankering for poetry.

There will be a poem-a-day during the month of April.  I've already received enough submissions that this is guaranteed. And I am very pleased with the quality of poetry I have been receiving, and I hope others will be, too.

The frequency of poetry after that will be completely dependent upon submissions.

Interested poets should read the guidelines for submission.

Amanuensis Monday: March 28

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.

Amanuensis Monday: Filling up the Mediterranean, Axis to Grind, and Greta Garbo

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe a letter my grandfather, Martin Deutsch, received during the war from his brother, Ted. My grandfather was stationed in Africa. Ted worked for a Chicago newspaper, and used what was handy on which to type his letter.

March 22, 2011

On Tuesday, March 22, 2011 I asked the woman of my dreams to marry me.

She said yes.

A date has not been set, but there is a distinct possibility that this blog may in the future discuss several new surnames, as well as Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, and/or German genealogy research in greater depth than it has.

Amanuensis Monday: The Divorce of Alfred H and Myrtle Connevey

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

This week I transcribe the divorce decree issued for my maternal grandmother and, I believe, her second husband. I discovered a newspaper record of this divorce a month ago, and have since retrieved the below document from the El Paso District Court.

Amanuensis Monday: March 21

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

If you have an Amanuensis Monday post on your blog, please feel free to add a link below.  An explanation of this weekly blog theme follows.

• Is there a letter, journal entry, speech, other document, or audio recording, written or delivered by or about an ancestor you wish to transcribe for future generations?

• Are you engaged in a transcription project of an historical document?

This is what Amanuensis Monday was created for. Amanuensis is an obscure word, but it derives from the Latin, ‘Manu’ meaning ‘hand’. I began this project back in February of 2009, and since then, many others have joined in on the meme.  Why do we transcribe?  I provide my three reasons in the linked post.  You may find others.