In a message dated 2/1/04 2:44:47 PM Pacific Standard Time, bdoerr@rollanet.org writes: > But the card files were then a mess; I understand that they were > later re-organized, and filmed by the LDS. > Right, but only the declarations. The professional genealogist I hired a couple years ago had firsthand knowledge of the incident. She had done a search in the basement of the courts building and said the naturalization records had not been refiled so they were in boxes everywhere. She told me that her son was an Eagle Scout and they offerred to sort out the "mess" as a project - but the woman in charge told them she "didn't want a bunch of kids running around there." Subsequently the woman in charge of the records dept had them destroyed and thank goodness, she retired a few years ago and the people replacing her know the value of the records.

If you're talking about Melvina Connelly (I bet I spelled her last name wrong), someone has their wires crossed, big time. I was there in St. Louis the year before she retired and you couldn't ask for a better genealogy-friendly person than she is. She personally worked with me to find my great-grandfather's naturalization records from 1856 and made sure I had a quiet corner near her office to do my research. She even offered me refreshments. I have never been treated so well in all my 40+ years of doing genealogy. I remember her showing me the original handwritten ledgers and I the reverent way she handled them. I saw first-hand her deep regard for the records. I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to start a flame here, but I just wanted to set the record straight (at least from my standpoint). Linda (in Arizona) ----- Original Message ----- From: <GKGATES@aol.com> To: <GERMANS-STLOUIS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2004 5:30 PM Subject: Re: [Germans-STL] RE: Henry B.Kerkmann search > In a message dated 2/1/04 2:44:47 PM Pacific Standard Time, > bdoerr@rollanet.org writes: > > > > But the card files were then a mess; I understand that they were > > later re-organized, and filmed by the LDS. > > > > Right, but only the declarations. > > The professional genealogist I hired a couple years ago had firsthand > knowledge of the incident. She had done a search in the basement of the courts > building and said the naturalization records had not been refiled so they were in > boxes everywhere. She told me that her son was an Eagle Scout and they > offerred to sort out the "mess" as a project - but the woman in charge told them she > "didn't want a bunch of kids running around there." Subsequently the woman in > charge of the records dept had them destroyed and thank goodness, she > retired a few years ago and the people replacing her know the value of the records. > > > > ==== GERMANS-STLOUIS Mailing List ==== > RootsWeb's mailing lists are filtered and attachments are removed. A virus that is distributed as an attachment will not reach you through a RootsWeb mailing list. For further information about Viruses, Trojans, Worms etc., go please to: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/virus.html. > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >

Hi Linda, Where are you in AZ.? I am in Tucson. Ginny in AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Lambert" <ktlkate@extremezone.com> To: <GERMANS-STLOUIS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2004 5:39 PM Subject: Re: [Germans-STL] RE: Henry B.Kerkmann search > If you're talking about Melvina Connelly (I bet I spelled her last name > wrong), someone has their wires crossed, big time. I was there in St. Louis > the year before she retired and you couldn't ask for a better > genealogy-friendly person than she is. She personally worked with me to > find my great-grandfather's naturalization records from 1856 and made sure I > had a quiet corner near her office to do my research. She even offered me > refreshments. I have never been treated so well in all my 40+ years of doing > genealogy. I remember her showing me the original handwritten ledgers and I > the reverent way she handled them. I saw first-hand her deep regard for the > records. > > I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to start a flame here, but I just wanted to set > the record straight (at least from my standpoint). > > Linda (in Arizona) > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <GKGATES@aol.com> > To: <GERMANS-STLOUIS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2004 5:30 PM > Subject: Re: [Germans-STL] RE: Henry B.Kerkmann search > > > > In a message dated 2/1/04 2:44:47 PM Pacific Standard Time, > > bdoerr@rollanet.org writes: > > > > > > > But the card files were then a mess; I understand that they were > > > later re-organized, and filmed by the LDS. > > > > > > > Right, but only the declarations. > > > > The professional genealogist I hired a couple years ago had firsthand > > knowledge of the incident. She had done a search in the basement of the > courts > > building and said the naturalization records had not been refiled so they > were in > > boxes everywhere. She told me that her son was an Eagle Scout and they > > offerred to sort out the "mess" as a project - but the woman in charge > told them she > > "didn't want a bunch of kids running around there." Subsequently the > woman in > > charge of the records dept had them destroyed and thank goodness, she > > retired a few years ago and the people replacing her know the value of the > records. > > > > > > > > ==== GERMANS-STLOUIS Mailing List ==== > > RootsWeb's mailing lists are filtered and attachments are removed. A virus > that is distributed as an attachment will not reach you through a RootsWeb > mailing list. For further information about Viruses, Trojans, Worms etc., go > please to: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/virus.html. > > > > ============================== > > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > ==== GERMANS-STLOUIS Mailing List ==== > RootsWeb's mailing lists are filtered and attachments are removed. A virus that is distributed as an attachment will not reach you through a RootsWeb mailing list. For further information about Viruses, Trojans, Worms etc., go please to: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/virus.html. > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > >