===================================================================== "TALES FROM THE FRIDGE" (OR "FAMILY HISTORY FROM BEHIND THE COTTAGE CHEESE"), by Juliana Smith ===================================================================== After last week's column, in which I drew some parallels between my clogged vacuum cleaner and problems we may encounter in our family history research, I received some very kind messages from readers. ("Family History Strategies from A Clogged Vacuum Cleaner" http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A713208 ) Thanks to everyone who wrote in--you made my week! At the end of the column, I suggested that I would be cleaning my refrigerator next and several of you even expressed interest in that subject as well, so in today's "Family History Compass," I thought it would be fun to share a few thoughts along that line as well. (See what happens when you encourage me?) RECOGNIZING THE UNRECOGNIZABLE I used to have a Garfield cartoon on my fridge where Garfield was running hysterically to Jon, telling him something to the effect of, "Jon, the mystery meat in the tin foil just snapped at me!" Since I've unintentionally started some interesting science projects in my fridge, I could relate to it. Typically it's that forgotten opaque container that keeps getting shoved to the back of the fridge until shopping day, when we need to make room for new science projects to grow. I muster up the courage to peek in and see what's inside and there is this unrecognizable substance. Funny, I don't remember serving fur to my family, but there it is. The truth of the matter is, some changes have taken place. When searching for missing ancestors, we should keep in mind that changes may have taken place during their lives that may render them unrecognizable to us. I don't mean that they sprouted a cover of mold, but just as our lives often switch course, so might theirs. They may have changed occupations. James Kelly, the baker in one census or directory, may have switched jobs or expanded upon his business and become James Kelly the grocer. Some ancestors may have changed their names, possibly to fit in better in their new homeland, and some may have had their names misspelled or ages listed incorrectly by a not-so-diligent record keeper. We need to keep our minds open and look for clues to changes that may have occurred in our ancestors' lives that may cause them to be unrecognizable to us. PRESERVATION CONSIDERATIONS To avoid the aforementioned science projects, we need to take steps to ensure the preservation of our food, such as putting them in appropriate storage containers and not leaving perishables out where fungus can get a real head start in decaying the food. Similarly, we want to take care to put our ancestors' records, particularly those that are the most fragile, into archivally sound protectors. Archival-quality sleeves can be found in most office supply stores and in online shops. You will also not want to leave the originals of old photos or documents out where the sun and/or dust can hasten their deterioration. By making extra copies you will be able to put the original treasures in a safe place, allowing them to last much longer, while the copies can be referenced for research and put on display. If you want to display your family history and you desire an antique effect, you can stain the copies of documents with tea, which will give them a yellowed appearance, or while I haven't tried this myself, I'm guessing there may be ways you can achieve this look using photo editing software. (If you have a tip on this to share, send it to [email protected] and we can use them in an upcoming Quick Tip Jamboree.) Whatever you do though, don't try the tea staining or any other irreversible process with the original! If something goes wrong, you may end up losing your treasured item. With foods, if we're not going to use them right away, we might want to store them in the freezer lest they become "mystery foods" before we get a chance to eat them. There will also be odds and ends we come up with in our family history that we may not be able to use right away, but that should be stored in case they become significant as our research progresses. To keep them useful, they should be filed in an orderly fashion so that when the time comes, we can access them quickly and easily. You may want to consider either a separate file or section in a binder (or if you have a lot of these odds and ends, a separate binder entirely) under the surname(s) they reference. I file mine by surname, given name, and then chronologically, so that when I locate information on a new family member, I can go quickly to that name and find any other tidbits I have collected over the years quickly and easily. Listings with multiple given names, such as indexes, go behind these, and are also filed chronologically. WHAT'S A CRISPER? The new refrigerator that came with the house we bought early last fall has some neat controls that I never had before and while I knew that veggies should go in the crisper, I was never quite sure what to do with that humidity control thingy. As one astute reader pointed out last week, I probably should have read the manual that came with my vacuum cleaner when it came to taking it apart to look for the clog, so to answer this question, I pulled out the refrigerator manual that the previous owners had left for us. Sure enough, it took me two seconds to locate the crisper section in the index, and when I went to that section I learned to do the following: "Slide control to high for produce with leaves such as lettuce, spinach, or cabbage. Slide control to low for produce with skins such as cauliflower, corn, or tomatoes." Hmmm. Does cauliflower have skin? And shouldn't tomatoes go on the counter? Oh well, the moral of the story here is what my dad always used to tell me, "If all else fails, follow directions"--advice we would do well to heed in our family history research as well. Are we taking the time to learn about the software we use so that we can use it correctly and take advantage of all the features it offers? Are we looking at the background information for databases and other record compilations so that we can best analyze our findings (or non-findings)? Have we learned as much as we can about the record availability, history, and culture of the areas in which we are conducting our research? There are a plethora of reference books we can refer to in our search for knowledge and many of them may be as close as your local library. Classes are available both online and offline. See today's Fast Fact or go to http://www.myfamily.com/isapi.dll?c=home&htx=gentraining to learn about upcoming MyFamily.com classes which include a free month of access to Ancestry.com databases. In addition, there are many other forums, both physical in the form of genealogical and historical societies, and virtual in the form of message boards and mailing lists, where we can take our questions and share our knowledge with friends doing similar research. It is easier than ever to get instructions on where to go next and how to get the most from your family history research. THE NEED TO SEE WHAT YOU NEED Arrangement can be key to successfully avoiding fungus in the fridge. It's the stuff that gets buried in the back of the fridge that is in the most danger of being missed. Being able to see what's in there can allow you to plan your meals so that less food goes to waste. Similarly, if your findings get bogged down in disorderly piles (not that I would know anything about that!), you may miss vital clues. By keeping your findings filed and entering them into your databases as you go along, you can be assured that you will be able to locate information when you need it instead of having to tear apart your workspace looking for that little scrap of information that "you're sure you have here somewhere. . . ." (Okay, maybe this happens to me once in a while.) Just as I like to line my milk cartons up in order of expiration date, you may want to "line your ancestors up" by date. Entering the dates of events and records you have found on an individual--from birth to "expiration" (sorry, couldn't resist)--into a chronology can be very helpful in locating gaps in your research and in putting your ancestor's life into perspective. SET ASIDE SOME TIME TO CLEAN IT OUT Just as we need to set aside time to clean out our fridge and keep it tidy, we need to make time to keep our family history files neat and orderly. I love Pat's suggestions for "Genealogy on Four Hours a Week" and plan to implement them this summer. Now if I could just figure out a way to keep my house clean on four hours a week, I'd have even more time for family history! Note: Pat's "Genealogy on Four Hours a Week" article is at: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A697001 And for more information on preservation, see the following articles: "General Guidelines for Storing Materials," by Barbara Sagraves (Excerpt from "A Preservation Guide: Saving the Past and the Present for the Future") http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A469701 "Preservation of Your Paper Treasures," by George G. Morgan http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A092401 "Protect Your Keepsakes" Series Part 1: Photos, by Karen Frisch http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A035501 Part 2: Paper, by Barbara Sagraves http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A125601 Part 3: Books, by Joan Nay http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A029901 Part 4: Textiles, by George G. Morgan http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A125801 Part 5: Other Treasures, by Miriam Plans http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A026001 ____________________________________________________________________ Copyright 1998-2003, MyFamily.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries.) Reprinted with permission from the "Ancestry Daily News"