I think the internet is an INVALUABLE tool for genealogists, but, as in every other aspect of life, we have to take it for what it is. Unless someone specifically says that a particular event is documented, I put a mental question mark by it and hope/plan to follow up on verification. But when it is the only clue I have, and even if only one connection is made, of maybe 10-20 clues, it is worth it. My biggest 'problem' with the listservs is the suggestion that, because I can't immediately get out to courthouses and cemeteries all over the East Coast, that I'm unwilling to do my own research. I do go to libraries, the FHC, and send requests for info, and payments, to assorted federal, state and town offices. I also send my info and ask questions on listservs hoping someone may recognize my names and provide more information. I don't expect people to do research for me, although many have been very helpful in doing so if they happen to have a resource at hand. I try to provide my info when asked, and respond even if it's just a "Sorry, I can't help." I am more than happy to visit cemeteries, etc., in my area for people who are unrelated to me because other people have extended these kindnesses to me. This is something I CAN do -- what I often CAN'T do is spend 2-3 weekdays (which is when offices are open) to research out-of-town, spending valuable vacation days, staying at a motel and eating out. And I can't retire for another 20-30 years. That's why I 'use' the internet as I do. Another thing to consider in determining the accuracy/veracity of info on the internet is how far along different people are in their research, their knowledge of methodology and their understanding of the importance of documentation. Maybe we can gently expound a genealogical mantra, something like [always include, when known] WHO - WHAT [event] - WHEN - WHERE - WHEREFROM [did this info come?]. Of course, HOWs and WHYs would be great too. I know this is long, but I want to tell you that the internet is directly responsible for a meeting my mother, sister and I are going to have on Saturday with a third cousin (my mother's second cousin, once removed, I think) in Mom's birthfamily! It'll be the first biological relative, besides her own children, that Mom has ever met. The cousin, who I 'talk' to every day via e-mail, is a wonderful woman who is as excited as Mom! I doubt very much if this would have happened without internet connectivity. Katherine Pitts, Fayetteville, NY

In reply to Jerry's message, I have to say that I have found scads of information on many of the surnames I'm searching. Where? The Net Who? Many, many people willing to share whatever data they have. I can't thank them enough. Everyone has been so willing and helpful. The only way I can repay is to help someone else. Pat

Hi everybody on the Digest . . . I have had lots of success (by my reckoning) with the internet, have contacted several new 'cousins' who are delightful people, and have had very many nice contacts. I have, on occasion, responded quite late to some requests for information, not because of any disinterest or uncooperativeness, but because of the time involved and need to organize new information before passing it along. I wish I could afford to do this full-time, but am not in the position to devote that much time to it. I'm sure the same has happened to many others, and I do appreciate greatly all of the information that I have received from others. Thanks to everybody who has taken the time and effort to post the articles, web sites and notes! It is very much appreciated. Betsy Heckethorn -- Peace is joy in slow motion . . .

I have been using my computer since 1988. I am on my 4th one now. Whenever I go to a web site and type in my surname, I find information but it is from sources like newsgroups and the older "bulletin board" systems. When I go to ancestry.com and type in my name, the reference that comes up is information from my own files! How did it get there? The one source that has been of help is the SSDI. The LDS Family History Center have been invaluable. I have helped many people with transcripts from portions of my research and invariably either (1) never hear from them again, or (2) they say they will get back to me after they do a bit more digging. They do neither. One woman asked for emergency help in getting her grandmothers IRISH birth certificate. I rented the LDS films. Found the reference. Paid for the Certificate. Called her to tell her I was sending it. She was joyous but that was thelast I heard from her. Perhaps she keeled over with excitement. Who knows? I never respond to generic questions that can be answered by looking at a map. And, I ignore questions that are poorly written. Ex: Is anybody out there looking for Anderson in early NY? Or: would some please do a lookup for J.Anderson in the 1910 NYC Census. I am willing to help those who have done their homework and who need a crucial bit of info I might be able to offer. I know many are disappointed that they cannot do all of their genealogy sitting at their computer. So am I! But I know how much work is involved, at times, in obtaining a single piece of information. Still, I read each message unless the title merits an immediate delete. Since I subscribe to 4 lists, I see a lot of messages. Time constraints require me to be selective. Good luck to all INNEALTOIR

Hello Jan, I can certainly relate to your being excited about getting new info, but I also am very gad that I am not one f the people who sent it to you and are waiting to hear from you. Marge

I'm afraid that I may sometimes be one of those people that you are talking about. I have received info from people, and then took forever to let them know that I had received it and appreciated it. Inexcusable, I know, but I was so excited at getting the information and so busy sharing it with a dozen other people that I have ended up LOSING the address of the person who sent it!!! Also, right now, somewhere in a foot high stack of papers, I have messages with addresses on them of people to whom I plan to send my info. My problem is finding those messages! It is not that I will not send the info - I have it all ready to be mailed - just as soon as I can find the address! Perhaps I've been too fortunate since I got on the Internet 2 years ago, and I know that I have been totally disorganized. I started my genealogy search by sheer accident, and it has taken over my life. I have info coming in from one source or another on about 10 different lines, have found 11 cousins - from second cousins to about 5th, have copied probably 100 reams of paper and mailed it out to others with info that I've received from others, etc. In addition, I have two file cabinets, about 15 binders, and 30 floppy disks full of stuff that I have saved and filed. My mind is "awhirl" with genealogy. My husband says I'm addicted. I say I'm obsessed - but what the heck? I'm stuck here on the Oregon Coast, in a tiny little town with no research possibilities other than the FHC (which, incidentally, is wonderful), but can still reach into every state in the union if I wish to find the ancestors. The internet has been wonderful. I've accomplished more and been able to share more in the last two years than my parents were able to do in the 20 years they spent researching in big libraries. Jan T

Hi All, I enjoyed what Desiree of Fl said, about helping someone whose boat is sinking. Well, I live and enjoy the local lake. Yes, I have pitched in and helped people who have literally swamped their boats. It was the right thing to do, helping always is the right thing. But! I will stop short of giving them my boat. :-) I have had wonderful exchanges with people on the internet. I have made friends with people all over the country. I've visited them on research trips. Even assisted a elderly 2nd cousin to enjoy a celebration in Kentucky. But, I don't try to usurp anothers property, and will not give all my research to another. I will assist anyone, to help them solve a problem, and if I'm sure they are related, as we become more acquainted, will share additional information. As a result of my trip to Salt Lake, I was able to send my elderly 2nd cousin a personally compiled 50 year span of the tracking I did on our common line. We then share ideas as to what the information means, we share the analyzing of the data. So there are many ways to help another, just today my cousin sent me a photo snail mail, of the newly done tombstone of our common 2nd great-grandfather. This is something we had purchased as a newly found family. Good luck all, Alice

Desiree, Speaking for myself, and probably most others on this list, I am always willing to share my research with those who are searching the same family lines. I too get satisfaction from helping others, because I know how much hard work it is to collect the data. I am also grateful for a helping hand from others. Remember, it hasn't always been this easy. I have donated 2 family history books to the local family history dept of the library where I live. When I finish my 3rd book, I will also donate that too for others to use and benefit from it. As to enjoying the modern conveniences, my idol since I was a boy has been Thomas A. Edison. I think of him often and how much he changed our world. I still remember one of his famous quotations, "I never worked a day in my life. It was all fun". I still try to apply that concept to my work and my research every day. Mike -----Original Message----- From: Dgsrus6@aol.com <Dgsrus6@aol.com> To: GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, August 18, 1999 9:44 PM Subject: re: What do you think? > >--part1_c0e1be3c.24ecb83c_boundary >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >In a message dated 8/18/99 8:22:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >mlamb1@twcny.rr.com writes: > ><< > > Most of us researchers that have been doing this time consuming, costly, > hard work for years know how much is involved in accurate genealogy > research. We were doing this long before the days of computers and the > internet. > The only times that I have used the internet were when I ran into a "brick > wall" ancestor. I was fortunate enough to connect to distant cousins on two > occasions, and fill in the blanks. They too, did their research the hard > way, by going to the libraries, courthouses, and records departments. > I think that most of the researchers that post to a multitude of lists are > shooting in the dark. > Certainly, it is gratifying to find a family connection once in a while, but > remember, someone actually did the leg work, and should be acknowledged for > it. > > Mike > >> > >What does sharing have to do with being acknowledged? I do look ups for >people needing obits in my area and I can't tell you the pleasure it gives me >to help someone else make a connection. Just because you are on dry land, >watching someone's boat sink, means you don't help? Helping is helping, no >matter what the subject. And the leg work before the Internet days? Someone >else did a lot of work providing us with modern conveniences they had to do >without, but I see we all enjoy those benefits, without offering any >acknowledgment. Desiree (FL) > >--part1_c0e1be3c.24ecb83c_boundary >Content-Type: message/rfc822 >Content-Disposition: inline > >Return-Path: <GEN-NYS-L-request@rootsweb.com> >Received: from rly-yh04.mx.aol.com (rly-yh04.mail.aol.com [172.18.147.36]) > by air-yh02.mail.aol.com (v60.28) with ESMTP; Wed, 18 Aug 1999 > 20:22:43 -0400 >

Hi list, Here is a little poem to put a smile in you faces. Mike ************************************************************** Many many years ago when I was twenty three, I got married to a widow who was pretty as could be. This widow had a grown-up daughter Who had hair of red. My father fell in love with her, And soon the two were wed. This made my dad my son-in-law And changed my very life. My daughter was my mother, For she was my father's wife. To complicate the matters worse, Although it brought me joy, I soon became the father Of a bouncing baby boy. My little baby then became A brother-in-law to dad. And so became my uncle, Though it made me very sad. For if he was my uncle, Then that also made him brother To the widow's grown-up daughter Who, of course, was my step-mother. Father's wife then had a son, Who kept them on the run. And he became my grandson, For he was my daughter's son. My wife is now my mother's mother And it makes me blue. Because, although she is my wife, She's my grandmother too. If my wife is my grandmother, Then I am her grandchild. And every time I think of it, It simply drives me wild. For now I have become The strangest case you ever saw. As the husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa! Author unknown

I have or had an on-line friend who did a look-up for me. I am looking for someone who can tell me where the 1st Election District, 22nd Ward is/was ? I found my g g uncle Bernard Flynne, blacksmith, living there with his wife, Mary Jane Scanlon in the census of 1870. They were apparently in a rooming house with several families from Ireland, Germany and New York. They were the 344 th house and 888 family visited. Any ideas appreciated. I subscribed to this list only to ask this one question. I live in the New Orleans, LA area. Later, after all of their children were born, they moved to New Orleans where he was a successful blacksmith. Thank you in advance. "Casey"

Hi list, Most of us researchers that have been doing this time consuming, costly, hard work for years know how much is involved in accurate genealogy research. We were doing this long before the days of computers and the internet. The only times that I have used the internet were when I ran into a "brick wall" ancestor. I was fortunate enough to connect to distant cousins on two occasions, and fill in the blanks. They too, did their research the hard way, by going to the libraries, courthouses, and records departments. I think that most of the researchers that post to a multitude of lists are shooting in the dark. Certainly, it is gratifying to find a family connection once in a while, but remember, someone actually did the leg work, and should be acknowledged for it. Mike > > >==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== >Visit the GEN-NYS-L web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/ > >

I am searching for information about John Steward/Stewart born around 1803 in the state of New York. He married Nancy ? (I am beginning to believe that Nancy was probably a nickname for something else) in NYsometime before 1832. Children Known: Jane Stewart b. 1832 NY....my ggg grandmother..m..James Davidson Oct 1850..Morgan Co, OH Mary Stewart b. 1836 NY..Who did Mary Stewart marry? William H. Stewart b.1839 OH Was this family in Muskingum Co in 1840, along with the Davidson family? This family was in Malta, Morgan Co, OH on the 1850 OH census (along with the Davidsons) and all were listed as being born in NY except William, who is listed as being born in OH. Any help at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sherry Neff Sherneff44@aol.com

Hi Elieen: Thanks for your posting. I just would like to say, that I am not one to have someone do my look-ups for me, I will do my own and pay what ever needs to be paid. And I do say thanks to whom ever sends me some information. I would say about 80+ACU- of my Kelly's are in Ontario, Canada, its just this one Kelly, I can't get a grip on, and with out much information about him, I really don't know where to look in NY. He was b. 1781, Samuel Kelley, so does one have any suggestions where I can start to look..is there birth records or census that go that far back. Another thought maybe he wasn't born in NY, but in Ireland. Maybe I will just forget about him, and work with what I have. Thanks Carole Kelly

--part1_c0e1be3c.24ecb83c_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/18/99 8:22:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mlamb1@twcny.rr.com writes: << Most of us researchers that have been doing this time consuming, costly, hard work for years know how much is involved in accurate genealogy research. We were doing this long before the days of computers and the internet. The only times that I have used the internet were when I ran into a "brick wall" ancestor. I was fortunate enough to connect to distant cousins on two occasions, and fill in the blanks. They too, did their research the hard way, by going to the libraries, courthouses, and records departments. I think that most of the researchers that post to a multitude of lists are shooting in the dark. Certainly, it is gratifying to find a family connection once in a while, but remember, someone actually did the leg work, and should be acknowledged for it. Mike >> What does sharing have to do with being acknowledged? I do look ups for people needing obits in my area and I can't tell you the pleasure it gives me to help someone else make a connection. Just because you are on dry land, watching someone's boat sink, means you don't help? Helping is helping, no matter what the subject. And the leg work before the Internet days? Someone else did a lot of work providing us with modern conveniences they had to do without, but I see we all enjoy those benefits, without offering any acknowledgment. Desiree (FL) --part1_c0e1be3c.24ecb83c_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: <GEN-NYS-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from rly-yh04.mx.aol.com (rly-yh04.mail.aol.com [172.18.147.36]) by air-yh02.mail.aol.com (v60.28) with ESMTP; Wed, 18 Aug 1999 20:22:43 -0400 Received: from bl-14.rootsweb.com (bl-14.rootsweb.com [204.212.38.30]) by rly-yh04.mx.aol.com (v60.25) with ESMTP; Wed, 18 Aug 1999 20:22:24 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-14.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id RAA00845; Wed, 18 Aug 1999 17:22:05 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 17:22:05 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <003601bee9d9$5f0523e0$55ff5c18@gsxnw.twcny.rr.com> From: "Michael Lamb" <mlamb1@twcny.rr.com> Old-To: "Scott & Roxanne Munns" <munns@integrityonline.com>, <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: What do you think? Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 20:25:41 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Resent-Message-ID: <555ZUD.A.4M.t40u3@bl-14.rootsweb.com> To: GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com Resent-From: GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/21378 X-Loop: GEN-NYS-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Resent-Sender: GEN-NYS-L-request@rootsweb.com X-GEN-NYS-L-Web-Page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/ Hi list, Most of us researchers that have been doing this time consuming, costly, hard work for years know how much is involved in accurate genealogy research. We were doing this long before the days of computers and the internet. The only times that I have used the internet were when I ran into a "brick wall" ancestor. I was fortunate enough to connect to distant cousins on two occasions, and fill in the blanks. They too, did their research the hard way, by going to the libraries, courthouses, and records departments. I think that most of the researchers that post to a multitude of lists are shooting in the dark. Certainly, it is gratifying to find a family connection once in a while, but remember, someone actually did the leg work, and should be acknowledged for it. Mike > > >==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== >Visit the GEN-NYS-L web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/ > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== Have you forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? Visit the GEN-NYS-L Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers!) web page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/FAQ/GEN-NYS-L.html --part1_c0e1be3c.24ecb83c_boundary--

Can someone tell me whether the Second Congregational Society of Coventry still exists, and if so what their address is? Inge Kellier Edmonton, AB

I think it all evens out... Maybe we help others and they don't get back with a thanks.. but for sure they are helping others. ANNIE OF MCGREGOR RESEARCH McGregor Pearson, McGregor Lee, McGregor Laurason, McGregor McKinlay, McGregor Menzie, McGregor McFarlin, McGregor McNicol, Rotson, or Stewart.

Jerry: I must say the Nancy Coleman's answers are as close to my own read of the situation of Why? --But for my own corner, I have spent a considerable amount of money to collect data from a newspaper in Canada...I believe in sharing, but, when someone wants a copy of the actual material I am reluctant to ask for costs, but....I would like to publish this material to recoup some of the expense incurred, I must draw the line somewhere. However I do at least twenty individual look ups a day just to share, and with a full household and business to run,plus volunteer work here at the co-op, it sometimes takes a fair amount of time to answer. Luckily I have never had someone decline to help me.. .What goes around etc. Bev

My experience with researching genealogy on the internet has had both good experiences and bad. I have found quite a few people willing to share data on the lines that I am researching, and I enjoy "meeting" them electronically. The biggest advantage I have to working on the web is being prepared when researching in person. Because I have an "almost two-year-old", I don't have very many opportunities to go to courthouses and libraries. Once in a while, I arrange to go to a Family History Center because they're open later in the evening and my husband can babysit. It is really frustrating sometimes, because I KNOW that if I could just make it to "such-and-such" a place to find "so-and-sos" marriage certificate, I would be over a wall. But that's just not the period of life I'm in right now, and I greatly appreciate all of those on e-mail and the internet who have helped me get as far as I have. Roxanne

hello to all at gen/nys. i am looking for information on rita greenwood who was in downstate ny in 1950-51. i am unsure if greenwood is her married or maiden name for sure. it is supposed to be her married name. if anyone else researching greenwood has found a rita greenwood in their searching, please..please..get back to me. thanks alot, mitchell greenwood..............................................................

I would like to knows if anyone out there may have information on the Filley family. My current information is: WILLIAM FILLEY was born in New York. He married ELSIE ENYART May 2, 1830 in Fountain County, Indiana. He had something to do with ESTATE RAILROAD PROPERTY IN NEW YORK. He is my GGgrandfather. Pat Baird