I am forwarding this response to Toby's request as I thought it might be of interest to others looking for obituaries in California. Bette -----Original Message----- From: Bette Richards [mailto:betterichs@earthlink.net] Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 1:06 PM To: Toby Bockenstedt Subject: RE: genealogy stuff Hi Toby: Have you gotten in contact with Suzanne Bunkers? She has a large database of German Bunkers spelled with the "s". Her email address is <suzanne.bunkers@mankato.msus.edu> Have you tried the library for the newspapers in Sonoma and Los Angeles at the time? Any library in the country would have these addresses. If they are still in publication, there is a possibility that they have their obits on file in the computer. Otherwise, they will usually look them up for you as you have the dates of death. Remember that then and today not everyone had an obituary published. Some papers will have notices of deaths for those who do not have obits published. The family had to send an obit to the newspaper and sometimes that costs money. Today it certainly does in most newspapers. I assume you have checked Cyndi's List on the internet <http://www.cyndislist.com> Also, <http://rootsweb.com> to see what they have. Check obituaries, California sources and the county sources in California. Also do an internet search for Sonoma, California and check which newspapers they have now. Check to see if they have an historical society that might have these records. You can do the same for Los Angeles but will get a lot more information that you will need to sift through. Go to this website <http://www.csga.com> and click on contact us. They list several contacts of people in genealogical societies in California that might be able to help you. I hope this gives you some ideas. It is frustrating looking for obituaries as so many people had none published. I hope you find yours. Bette -----Original Message----- From: Toby Bockenstedt [mailto:bockenstedt@mwci.net] Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 12:03 PM To: Bette Richards Subject: Re: genealogy stuff Hi Bette I need help in my Germany Bunkers in Calif. I have death dates on H Keith Bunkers 21 Nov 1978 Sonoma Calif and Henry Bunkers 6 Dec 1957 Los Angeles Calif I would like to find obits of them Toby ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bette Richards" <betterichs@earthlink.net> To: <BUNKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 9:52 PM Subject: genealogy stuff > Hi everyone: I just returned from the Federation of Genealogical Societies > conference in California where I learned so much new stuff. I found a bunch > of new sources where we might be able to find records and I will share that > with you as soon as I recuperate. There was so much to learn that I am > exhausted. Each day there were 6 hours of lectures and at least five > different ones going on at a time. I needed to be several different people > to learn all that I was interested in. The syllabus is about 2" thick with > hundreds of sources and ideas and contacts. I will share them with you > through this list and in the Bunker Banner. > > I talked with Bob Velke from Wholly Genes who writes the Master Genealogist > Program. This is the program the BFA database in on. He gave me some new > searching processes that I hope I am going to be able to remember. He told > me if I forgot he would walk me through it though so I will soon be able to > search our records for people in a named place. For instance if you want to > know if we have any information about John Bunker in Cincinnati, Ohio, I can > now see if we have anything in our records about Bunkers in Cincinnati. > This might help you with clues as to where to search for more information > and it will certainly help me search as I will not have to look through all > the John Bunkers we have (over 500). Bob will be doing a workshop in > Phoenix in Sept and has offered to help me with anything I need that I don't > learn how to do in the workshop. In addition, the latest update of the > program is coming out tomorrow so I will be able to finish merging all the > records that we have corrected or added in the last six months. There were > about 7,000 of them. We get more and more information every day. > > If you have not asked for any new information on the people you are > interested in for several months, please ask again as we may have something > new for you. > > Right now I am looking for stories about great dads. I want to include this > in the database so that future generations know what our great Bunker > fathers were like. I am sure that Gil would love to print them in the > Bunker Banner too. If you have any stories about your dad or husband or son > please share it with us. Thanks. > > Bette > > > > > > > ==== BUNKER Mailing List ==== > Want more information on the Bunker Family Association? Send an e-mail message to gilbunker@snip.net and receive our current newsletter, and a pedigree chart of your Bunker ancestors (if they can be located in our files). > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

When doing an advanced search at http://www.google.com you can do a search for a name without another word in the document. For instance you can search for Trout and ask it to search without the word fish. This narrows down the number of hits considerably. I went from 838,000 for just Bunker to 400,000 with Bunker without hill. Now if I could just figure out how to narrow it down to only people named Bunker I would have something. Unfortunately, we have bunkers that are buildings, bunkers on golf courses and bunkers in war as well as a "Bunker mentality". This might help some of you though. Bette

Hi everyone: I just returned from the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in California where I learned so much new stuff. I found a bunch of new sources where we might be able to find records and I will share that with you as soon as I recuperate. There was so much to learn that I am exhausted. Each day there were 6 hours of lectures and at least five different ones going on at a time. I needed to be several different people to learn all that I was interested in. The syllabus is about 2" thick with hundreds of sources and ideas and contacts. I will share them with you through this list and in the Bunker Banner. I talked with Bob Velke from Wholly Genes who writes the Master Genealogist Program. This is the program the BFA database in on. He gave me some new searching processes that I hope I am going to be able to remember. He told me if I forgot he would walk me through it though so I will soon be able to search our records for people in a named place. For instance if you want to know if we have any information about John Bunker in Cincinnati, Ohio, I can now see if we have anything in our records about Bunkers in Cincinnati. This might help you with clues as to where to search for more information and it will certainly help me search as I will not have to look through all the John Bunkers we have (over 500). Bob will be doing a workshop in Phoenix in Sept and has offered to help me with anything I need that I don't learn how to do in the workshop. In addition, the latest update of the program is coming out tomorrow so I will be able to finish merging all the records that we have corrected or added in the last six months. There were about 7,000 of them. We get more and more information every day. If you have not asked for any new information on the people you are interested in for several months, please ask again as we may have something new for you. Right now I am looking for stories about great dads. I want to include this in the database so that future generations know what our great Bunker fathers were like. I am sure that Gil would love to print them in the Bunker Banner too. If you have any stories about your dad or husband or son please share it with us. Thanks. Bette

Hello Bunker cousins, Jackie Bunker posted a query on GenForum that has me stumped (happens too often, I afraid). She is looking for Elizabeth (Elizbeth) M Bunker b abt 1884-5 Mass. Elizabeth's mother is Nettie M Bunker b 1872 Mass Elizabeth's father ? was born in Scotland according to 1920 census Does this sound familiar to anyone. gil

Hi. Sorry I don't have Bette's email address. I'd like Bette to contact me off-list as I maybe able to help her with some research. I'm sure she'll tell you all about if it is of any value. Susie Bunker (East Sussex, UK) susie@qtpiehouse.fsnet.co.uk

Here is a question posed to me, does anyone have the answer??? Thanks Rosalie in Bar Harbor, Me. God Bless America What names are inscribed on the Bunker Hill Monument? Is there a List of the 120 Americans killed at the battle of Bunker Hill? I have spent so much time online trying to find the answers to the above two questions. Can anyone help? Rosalie in Bar Harbor, Me. God Bless America

Dean, can you please provide us with the number of the California bill which would close access to vital records? That way, those of us on the list from California can write or phone our elected representatives and plead with them not to vote for the bill. Thanks, Alan Dean Scribner wrote: >AMEN! California is presently going through a similar ordeal. > >Dean > >On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:51:49 -0700 "Bette Richards" ><betterichs@earthlink.net> writes: > >>The state of Massachusetts is considering a bill which will close all >>vital >>records to the public. >> >><snip> >>

Any idea how far back they're talking??? Why can't the last 40 years be closed, but leave the rest open? Nancy Alan Leighton wrote: > Dean, can you please provide us with the number of the California bill > which would close access to vital records? That way, those of us on the > list from California can write or phone our elected representatives and > plead with them not to vote for the bill. Thanks, Alan > > Dean Scribner wrote: > > >AMEN! California is presently going through a similar ordeal. > > > >Dean > > > >On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:51:49 -0700 "Bette Richards" > ><betterichs@earthlink.net> writes: > > > >>The state of Massachusetts is considering a bill which will close all > >>vital > >>records to the public. > >> > > >><snip> > >> > > ==== BUNKER Mailing List ==== > Douglas G. Detling (list coordinator) > ddetling@greencity.org > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Hi All: I've read the postings of Bette Richards and others with considerable interest. The problem here is that the elected representatives in the various states entertaining the passage of such restrictive laws know Z*I*P*P*O* about identity theft. And they don't seem to be too concerned about learning anything about identity theft. What we're seeing is a reflexive action to a serious problem. Unfortunately, the reaction will do nothing to solve the problem, it will just make access to vital records more difficult. I have a bit of familiarity with identity theft. My former office mate (we'll call him Bill James - not his real name) was victimized about five years ago. His identity was stolen by somebody accessing credit bureau information from an auto dealership in the city of Chicago. They accessed credit information for upwards of 200 individuals with common names. The next step was to create a phoney Illinois Driver's License with Bill's name, address, and social security card number, but with their own photo. At that point (if Bill James had a good credit rating) it was very simple to walk into a store like Best Buy, pick out a big ticket item (e.g. - wide screen color television) and apply for an Instacredit account. The individual with the bogus drivers livense just signed all the necessary papers, drove away with the television set, and at the end of the month Bill James got the bill. I fail to see how denying a genealogy researcher access to great-grandmother's death record will curb the sort of criminal event I've just described. I'm reminded of Will Rogers' comment on legistalors - "we pay for wisdom, and all we get is wind"! Best regards H.A. Kippenhan, Jr. _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com

This just came through another list, so thought I would post it here so all concerned can see it. Just received this from MA roosweb. many of us have received word that this bill died in committee .... At 04:30 PM 7/18/2002 -0400, you wrote: >Dear Ms. Maloney: > >Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding House bill 5158, a bill >related to birth, marriage and death records. > >I have spoken to the Chairman of the House Rules Committee on your behalf, >and he has informed me that the bill will not be released from the >committee for action. Therefore, H5158 is essentially defeated. > >Again, thank you for sharing your concerns, and please do not hesitate to >contact me if I can be of any further assistance. > >Sincerely, > >Rep. Carol Cleven Diane Palatine IL

AMEN! California is presently going through a similar ordeal. Dean On Sat, 20 Jul 2002 13:51:49 -0700 "Bette Richards" <betterichs@earthlink.net> writes: > The state of Massachusetts is considering a bill which will close all > vital > records to the public. This will be very hard on historians and > genealogists as they will not be able to gain access to verify their > facts. > It may mean that many inaccurate and mixed identity facts will > emerge in > history books, history magazines and genealogies. > > Their reason for this is that they are worried about identity theft. > In the > 20 years I was in the criminal justice field there was never a case > of > identity theft by someone who had gone to vital records and looked > up > someone's birth or death or marriage certificates. All identity > thefts > occurred when billfolds were stolen or lost, credit cards where > stolen or > garbage cans were searched for credit card receipts. After all the > reason > for identity theft is to fraudulently use someone's credit to buy > all you > want to buy and not have to pay for it. > > I believe this is still the case. It is ludicrous to believe that > someone > is going to use the information from vital records to still your > identity. > Watch your purses, billfolds and credit card/receipts if you are > worried > about identity theft. > > If you live in MA and would like to contact your representatives to > ask them > not to vote for this you will be doing historians like me and > genealogists a > big favor. I believe the politicians have been led astray with > horror > stories that have no basis in fact to even consider such a law. > > Imagine if you were doing your family genealogy and all you could do > is > guess at the dates and places your ancestors were born, died and > married. > Boy wouldn't that be a mess? This is what will happen if MA and > other > states pass laws restricting the study of vital records. > > Bette

The state of Massachusetts is considering a bill which will close all vital records to the public. This will be very hard on historians and genealogists as they will not be able to gain access to verify their facts. It may mean that many inaccurate and mixed identity facts will emerge in history books, history magazines and genealogies. Their reason for this is that they are worried about identity theft. In the 20 years I was in the criminal justice field there was never a case of identity theft by someone who had gone to vital records and looked up someone's birth or death or marriage certificates. All identity thefts occurred when billfolds were stolen or lost, credit cards where stolen or garbage cans were searched for credit card receipts. After all the reason for identity theft is to fraudulently use someone's credit to buy all you want to buy and not have to pay for it. I believe this is still the case. It is ludicrous to believe that someone is going to use the information from vital records to still your identity. Watch your purses, billfolds and credit card/receipts if you are worried about identity theft. If you live in MA and would like to contact your representatives to ask them not to vote for this you will be doing historians like me and genealogists a big favor. I believe the politicians have been led astray with horror stories that have no basis in fact to even consider such a law. Imagine if you were doing your family genealogy and all you could do is guess at the dates and places your ancestors were born, died and married. Boy wouldn't that be a mess? This is what will happen if MA and other states pass laws restricting the study of vital records. Bette

Bette, My BUNKER information is at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~latiebond/bunker.html with copies from a diary from Anne BUNKER Bond and a picture of Phoebe BUNKER. Katie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bette Richards" <betterichs@earthlink.net> To: <BUNKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2002 11:13 AM Subject: BFA database > I would like to thank everyone who gave me more information about their > families at the reunion or have sent it to me since. > > What kind of information do I want? Anything that you have. I like > pictures, copies of military records, wills, deeds, newspaper articles, > obituaries or anything else that you can think of. As well as family group > sheets, pedigree charts, etc. > > Who do I want it about? Anyone descended from a Bunker, married to a Bunker > or with the Bunker last name. For instance I was born a Bunker. My > children are named Haumschild, grandchildren have several other names and > great-grandchildren several more. Are my grandchildren any less descendants > of Bunkers than my brothers are? Of course not. > > Our constitution states our purpose in part as: "to collect, compile, > preserve and publish genealogical information relating or of interest to its > members and genealogical organizations" > > I am presently working on a CD that will include all the descendants of > James Bunker of Dover that we know about. This will include the > Haumschilds, Dykemans, Martins, and Penningtons that are descended from me. > > I am particularly interested in obtaining the ancestry of all our members. > > Recently, Nancy Decker sent me her husband, Gary's ancestors back to Mandana > Bunker. Gary is a member of BFA and I like having this information even > though it through the feminine line. Gary's ancestors are Deckers, Jones' > and Perdue's but he is no less a descendant of James Bunker than I am. I > like what Nancy sent me a lot as she also sent me her sources. However, I > will take any information even if you do not have a source. > > I have accumulated several pictures which I can attach to our records. I > will be able to include those in the CD. I want to include all the > interesting little tidbits of information I can about our family members so > that they are more real to us. > > Please send me all that you can. When I finish the CD of James' > descendants, I will make one of Roger's descendants from which our Nantucket > and Charlestown people spring. Again, I will include as many pictures as I > can get. > > Thanks for helping us out. Our database has approximately 25,000 names in > it now. Over half of those are descendants of Bunkers. The rest are their > spouses and spouses' parents. > > We have a fascinating history. You can make it better. > > I can take anything you can send me electronically as I am on Broadband. If > you would like to send me information by snail my address is inside the > front cover of the Banner. It is Bette Bunker Richards, 1655 W. Ajo #399, > Tucson, AZ 85713-6632. > > Thanks for your help. > > Bette > > > > ==== BUNKER Mailing List ==== > Post your information and queries. We love it. No BUNKER rock left untouched. Spelling variations ok - we don't "know" the original. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

I would like to thank everyone who gave me more information about their families at the reunion or have sent it to me since. What kind of information do I want? Anything that you have. I like pictures, copies of military records, wills, deeds, newspaper articles, obituaries or anything else that you can think of. As well as family group sheets, pedigree charts, etc. Who do I want it about? Anyone descended from a Bunker, married to a Bunker or with the Bunker last name. For instance I was born a Bunker. My children are named Haumschild, grandchildren have several other names and great-grandchildren several more. Are my grandchildren any less descendants of Bunkers than my brothers are? Of course not. Our constitution states our purpose in part as: "to collect, compile, preserve and publish genealogical information relating or of interest to its members and genealogical organizations" I am presently working on a CD that will include all the descendants of James Bunker of Dover that we know about. This will include the Haumschilds, Dykemans, Martins, and Penningtons that are descended from me. I am particularly interested in obtaining the ancestry of all our members. Recently, Nancy Decker sent me her husband, Gary's ancestors back to Mandana Bunker. Gary is a member of BFA and I like having this information even though it through the feminine line. Gary's ancestors are Deckers, Jones' and Perdue's but he is no less a descendant of James Bunker than I am. I like what Nancy sent me a lot as she also sent me her sources. However, I will take any information even if you do not have a source. I have accumulated several pictures which I can attach to our records. I will be able to include those in the CD. I want to include all the interesting little tidbits of information I can about our family members so that they are more real to us. Please send me all that you can. When I finish the CD of James' descendants, I will make one of Roger's descendants from which our Nantucket and Charlestown people spring. Again, I will include as many pictures as I can get. Thanks for helping us out. Our database has approximately 25,000 names in it now. Over half of those are descendants of Bunkers. The rest are their spouses and spouses' parents. We have a fascinating history. You can make it better. I can take anything you can send me electronically as I am on Broadband. If you would like to send me information by snail my address is inside the front cover of the Banner. It is Bette Bunker Richards, 1655 W. Ajo #399, Tucson, AZ 85713-6632. Thanks for your help. Bette

I have finished the CD of my book, The Bunker Mills Family History. It has over 500 pages including an index. There are over 100 pictures in it and numerous family stories. It includes the Drew ancestry. The Bunker line traced is through Clement and Thomas Jefferson. Cost is $15 which includes postage. Anyone who might be interested can contact me off list. Thanks. Now I can start on the CD's for Roger of Tingrith's descendants and James' of Dover. Bette

There are lots of reasons to study both genealogy and history but one of the most fascinating to me is the family personality that emerges. We are the sum of our ancestors genes, history and culture but even when families reside in the same vicinities and share cultures, they seem to be different. I have the privilege of remembering clearly my great great grandmother, great grandmother, etc. down to my own great grandchildren. Eight generations in all. I also just returned from the reunion in San Antonio where there were a lot of distantly related Bunkers. I have concluded there is a Bunker personality. Virtually all the Bunkers I have met are smart, inquisitive, outgoing, gregarious and affectionate. Being with the Bunkers is a lot of fun and intellectually stimulating. It also involves a lot of good feelings of love, affection and caring. This is in contrast to my mother's family. Her family is generally unaffectionate, quiet and so completely different from the Bunkers. Although I would not doubt that several of them love me a lot, there is nothing like the good warm feelings, hugs and kisses that go on around the Bunkers. I am always a bit surprised that other Bunkers are so much like my immediate family. I can remember one less generation of Bunkers as my great great grandparent Bunkers died before I was born. However, I remember my great grandpa Bunker well. Isn't it strange that personalities seem to run in families? After all we are influenced by both sides of the family and in my case they are really different. Sorry for waxing philosophical but it has RAINED in Tucson for the first time in 112 days. What can you expect? Bette

For you military buffs here is a website with WW II military patches. <http://www.angelfire.com/md2/patches>

Dear David and Carol, We also have the Abigail Goodwin name as a candidate for his wife. No one has ever responded to this message so we have no proof either way. I did correspond with the Cranberry Isles webmaster, and he said that the Goodwin was an assumption because there were so many Goodwins on the Isles and so many Bunker-Goodwin intermarriages. He did not know for sure either. Mary-Gene David & Carol Eddleman wrote: > > I have her name as Abigail Goodwin, d/o Daniel and Abigail Roberts Goodwin. > Did anyone ever verify this? > > Carol C. Eddleman > PA-Roots Data Board Administrator (Bedford, Bucks, Northampton Cos.) > http://www.pa-roots.com/data.html > Currie/Swendsen/Wallick/Mikkelsen/Conger/Swain/Bunker/Gorsuch at > http://www.uftree.com/UFT/WebPages/CarolCurrieEddleman/CAROLFAM/index.htm#to > c > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mary-Gene Page" <mgpage@unlimited.net> > To: <BUNKER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 2:12 PM > Subject: Benjamin3 D7 marr Abigail ADAMS > > > Our BFA publication does not give a surname for Benjamin's wife Abigail. > > Our member Carol Jeanne Rathbun, however, has sent me a photocopy of a > > typed transcript of ME Vital Records which shows: > > > > Bunker, Benjamin son of Benjamin Bunker/Abigail Adams christened 22 Jul > > 1759 in Cumberland, Harpswell Co, ME. > > > > This younger Benjamin is our D-22 who married Mary Stanley. > > > > The photocopy is of Page 466; the Source column gives Batch 8706501 > > Serial Sheet 41. > > > > I believe at the time Carol sent this I began to look at the Cranberry > > Isles website, but got distracted along the line and did not follow up. > > > > Can anyone add any extra information substantiating Abigail's maiden > > name as ADAMS? We should make this "official" probably. > > > > Mary-Gene Bunker Page > > > > > > ==== BUNKER Mailing List ==== > > Want to join the Bunker Family Association?. Send an e-mail message to > gilbunker@snip.net and receive membership information. > >

Kipp Kippenhan just sent me the neatest site for searching for all kinds of information including licensed professionals in each state. It is interesting for what you can find on it and also what you are not allowed access to. Try it <http://www.searchsystems.net> There are some birth records on it. I found several Bunkers in SD before 1900. Have fun. Thanks Kipp. Bette

The Library of Congress has an interesting site for interesting information about lots of things and some neat pictures of Bunker homes. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html> Go to collection finder and click on photographs to find pictures of Bunker homes with some historical information about the Bunkers who owned them. They have a new history of court records involving slaves. I could not find any Bunker listed there though. Bette