Linda, Go to Google.com and type in: Railroad Retirement Board and the information you need is the first and second item. Lanah

> > >Are you certain that the problem is fixed. > The Rootsweb Help page claims it is fixed. However, I noticed I had some msn bounces earlier today. From what I have read, the lists are on different servers and some are bouncing and some are not. If you did not get the welcome message, I assume it bounced, and after three, you will be dropped again. To see if you are getting mail go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com Find the list you are interested in, go to the bottom of the list's page and click on the Browse function for the list's archives. On the month page, click on February 2003. Then when you get that page, sort it chronologically and then go to the bottom and see if you received the recent messages. While on the list's page, you might want to drop an email to the list's admin and ask him/her. They can check their subscription list. I hope you are complaining both by phone and email to MSN. They are the culprits in this mess. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton 2002

There's also a website that tells how to get railroad pension records. I thought I had it somewhere but can't find it. However, I'm sure if you search Cyndi's List for "Railroad" it willturn up. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Merrittrfl@aol.com> To: <NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 7:07 PM Subject: Re: [HudsonRV] NY State Index > Linda, > > The SSDI via the LDS website has "railroad board" listed under state or > territory. I finally found my father listed there. Good hunting. > > Sandy > > > ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== > The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ > Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. > > >

Hi Pat During the problem RootsWeb was having with MSN I still got mail from Litchfield County, Hudson River and Warner lists. Now that it is "fixed" I subscribed again to Manchester, Oneida County, Thornton, and Rensselaer County lists. Have had no acknowledgement from any of them. The Renss. County one bounced back. Guess I don't have the correct address. Are you certain that the problem is fixed. I should have had acknowledgements of my subbing by now? Joyce Greineder ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Connors" <nymets11@pacbell.net> To: <NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 10:45 PM Subject: [HudsonRV] MSN problem update > >From the RootsWeb helpdesk : > > After contacting MSN, RootsWeb.com was able to resolve the issue concerning > delivering mail to MSN. As e-mail was bouncing, we encourage MSN subscribers > to check their mailing list subscriptions at Password Central to make sure > you didn't bounce off any mailing lists. > > http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ > > > -- > Pat Connors, Sacramento CA, listowner > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com > All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton 2002 > > > > > > > ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== > The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ > Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. > > >

Linda, The SSDI via the LDS website has "railroad board" listed under state or territory. I finally found my father listed there. Good hunting. Sandy

Let me start by saying that I have never been a customer of ancestry.com, nor have I ever done any work for them. However, having just completed a detailed analysis of telephone (and e-mail) customer service activity for a year for a firm in a similar industry, I thought I would take the liberty of making a few suggestions of how to get better responses out of a customer service unit. I hope that someone finds at least a few of my suggestions helpful. I'm NOT doing this for ancestry.com, which seems to be the "only game in town" at the moment in the kinds of records that they sell. I'm doing this for people who have to try to get intelligent responses out of a telephone or e-mail customer service unit. Point #1: BEFORE you call or e-mail, please, please, please Read The Fine Manual (or whatever help screens, downloadable PDF files, or whatever else the vendor makes available), concentrating on the Frequently Asked Questions. In the trade, the expression is "RTFM" standing for "Read The Fine Manual", but "Fine" is not the word that tired telephone customer service operators universally use after a set-to with a customer who hasn't taken the trouble to read what's already available. Continuing with abbreviations, Frequently Asked Questions are FAQs. It is absolutely astonishing how frequently the same questions get asked!! Before the question occurred to you, the chances are that is has occurred to other customers as well. If it's occurred enough times, someone has already written a FAQ - if you find it, you can solve your own problem right on the spot. Point #2: Ask yourself, before you call (or e-mail), if you are expecting the product to do something that should not be expected of it. Here, I'm referring to trying to use the product in a sub-marginal hardware and software environment. While that old PC might have cost $3000 back in 1996, today, unless you have been continually upgrading both the hardware and the software, it is basically a boat anchor. If your configuration is of that vintage, it's simply not fair to expect it to perform well running software that's designed for a much newer, faster, and more resilient hardware and software environment. Here is an easy way to tell for sure that you are seriously out of date: when you turn your PC on, does it say "Windows 95"? If so, you're obsolete! Have you upgraded your browser (usually Internet Explorer or Netscape) regularly? Have you downloaded the various operating system patches and service packs (all Microsoft operating systems have had at least one major re-release or service pack.) Do you have at least 20% of your hard drive free? Have you defragmented it lately? If your CD drive won't read the CD, will it read other CDs? Have you tried re-booting? Have you tried turning your PC off, completely, and restarting it? Can you recreate the problem? Point #3: To get good results from an interaction with a customer service rep, try putting yourself in his or her situation. It's not easy work, frequently it is machine-paced, with computerized call direction sending a new call to a customer service rep the instant that the previous call hangs up (or a mountain of e-mails to respond to in a limited shift), and frankly, the pay universally stinks. Yet every customer service rep I've ever met ultimately wants to make the customer happy, and failing that, at least get the customer up and running again. Remember that it's the inability to make use of the product that you're upset with, not the person on the other end of the phone! Also remember that companies nearly always track the time a rep spends on each call - and rewards the reps with the shorter average call times. So be prepared for the call. Genealogy is intensely involving to the person doing it (having written one family book, I know that all too well!). However, make sure that you're not contacting the vendor just to vent your frustration that great grandpa is not where you expected him to be in the 1880 census!! The rep rarely needs to know your genealogical logic in seeking great grandpa where you are looking for him; what the rep DOES need to know is exactly what steps you have taken with the PC and the product in causing the product to fail. If an e-mail response does not answer the question asked, the chances are that you didn't express yourself clearly when you asked the question, and that the rep saw a few key words and selected what seemed on their basis to be the correct canned answer. (See FAQs under point #1). Point #4: Realize that, at the end of the day, software and databases are rarely perfect. Consider what things used to be like, doing genealogy before PCs, before the internet, and be thankful that we have gotten as far as we have. This year's problem is unlikely to be next year's - but new products and new databases will have problems of their own. I know this is long, and I apologize for that. However, I hope that it is of some help to someone out there at some time!! Sincerely, Geoff Brown www.betweenthelakes.com

I just recieved this and thought you may have relatives who signed up in NJ so i am passing it on <A HREF="http://www.njstatelib.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb.exe?TemplateName=search_NJcc47_start.tmpl&view=REG&submit.x=88&submit.y=10">Click here: New Jersey Official Register special start 12/08/01 PLWeb Turbo or http://www.njstatelib.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb.exe?TemplateName=search_NJcc47_sta rt.tmpl&view=REG&submit.x=88&submit.y=10</A> searchable database of NJ revolutionary soldiers(state library)

The one time I tried to get help was when I found that the 1860 (I think) census for Kingston, NY did not have stamped page numbers and I couldn't figure out which hand-written page numbers to use. The response was to use the stamped numbers..... But, well, I did get a response. Joy Ralph D.Smith wrote: > . Has anyone else had difficulty obtaining technical support from > ancestry.com? > > It hasn't been difficult- it is very easy NOT to get a response. Guess the > questions go into 'never-never' land. > > Couldn't back-up the Ancestry genealogy program; received no help so I > deleted it. > > rdsmith > > > > ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== > The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ > Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. > > -- Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good. WM PENN Outline trees for: HALLOCK, HEAD, PALMER, SELDEN at: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/w/e/a/Joyce-R-Weaver/ USA (northeast): Burnside, Green, Hallock, Head, Merritt, Morris, Palmer, Selden, Weaver./ CANADA (ON/QC): Brown, Clark, Grant, Weaver./ ENGLAND(Lanc.): Hunt, Wall. POLAND (Krasnik, Zaklikow, Lublin): Blumberg, Fogiel, Rosenel./ BELARUS (Wisoke-Litovsk, Brest, Grodno): Feinberg, Vilner, Greenberg, Petruskitz, Deibach.

. Has anyone else had difficulty obtaining technical support from ancestry.com? It hasn't been difficult- it is very easy NOT to get a response. Guess the questions go into 'never-never' land. Couldn't back-up the Ancestry genealogy program; received no help so I deleted it. rdsmith

My husband and I have been attempting for months to delete duplicate databases we have under Family Trees at ancestry.com. Every time we have updated our online family tree from our ancestry family file, by exporting it, we have created a new database. 6 of these databases all have the same name, but different identifying numbers. We have been receiving irrelevant answers repetitiously, or answers that don't work, repeatedly from ancestry.com. I have searched their message board and found others have the same problem. 1. Has anyone been successful at deleting duplicate databases on the ancestry site? 2. Has anyone else had difficulty obtaining technical support from ancestry.com?

Linda- Thanks for sharing. John Hills, Portland, Oregon ----- Original Message ----- From: LindaBch@aol.com Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 9:58 PM To: NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [HudsonRV] Check out New Jersey Official Register special start 12/08/01 PLWeb Turbo Sea I just recieved this and thought you may have relatives who signed up in NJ so i am passing it on <A HREF="http://www.njstatelib.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb.exe?TemplateName=search_NJcc47_start.tmpl&view=REG&submit.x=88&submit.y=10">Click here: New Jersey Official Register special start 12/08/01 PLWeb Turbo or http://www.njstatelib.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb.exe?TemplateName=search_NJcc47_sta rt.tmpl&view=REG&submit.x=88&submit.y=10</A> searchable database of NJ revolutionary soldiers(state library) ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc.

Hi folks, First a big thank-you to those who recommended writing to the City of Troy rather than to the NY State Health Dept for a death cert. I got it by return mail!! But, of course, every success brings new questions. In this case, there is no information known about husband's, father's, or mother's name. The age is pretty close to the person I'm seeking and the birthplace is within the realm of possibility. So now the questions. The information that is on the transcript says she died (in 1887) at Marshall Infirmary in Troy and that she was buried at Mt. Ida Cemetery. I looked on-line for burials at Mt. Ida and found that only Old Mt. Ida has listings and she's not there. I saw that there is a New Mt. Ida, but don't know when it was established. Would a person who died in 1887 be likely to be at the New Mt. Ida? And if so, does anyone have an address for it? And what kind of place was Marshall Infirmary? Was it a regular medical clinic/ hospital or a sanitarium of some sort? Any insight greatly appreciated! Joy -- Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good. WM PENN Outline trees for: HALLOCK, HEAD, PALMER, SELDEN at: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/w/e/a/Joyce-R-Weaver/ USA (northeast): Burnside, Green, Hallock, Head, Merritt, Morris, Palmer, Selden, Weaver./ CANADA (ON/QC): Brown, Clark, Grant, Weaver./ ENGLAND(Lanc.): Hunt, Wall. POLAND (Krasnik, Zaklikow, Lublin): Blumberg, Fogiel, Rosenel./ BELARUS (Wisoke-Litovsk, Brest, Grodno): Feinberg, Vilner, Greenberg, Petruskitz, Deibach.

In a message dated 2/27/03 11:01:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, NY-HUDSONRV-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > Have you tried the online Social Security Death Index? Jenny > Hi Jenny and Everyone - yes, I've tried that too. He's not there. He worked for the railroad. I don't know how to access their records. Since clues now point to Albany as the place of his death, I'll start by contacting all the cemeteries there. I do know he was cremated and that a woman he lived with had his ashes. Who knows what she might have done with them! I'll keep you posted! Thanks everyone for your help and ideas. Linda

from New York Genealogical Research, by George Schweitzer, 1988 In addition to the sources mentioned in last post, there are several other record compilations, listings of records, and indexes, included are: --R.J. Wilson, NY STATE CEMETERY RECORDS, The Author, Tonawanda, NY, 1978--, several volumes --J.D. and E.D. Stemmons, THE CEMETERY RECORD COMPENDIUM, Everton Publishers, Logan UT, 1979 --M.J. Brown, HANDY INDEX TO THE HOLDINGS OF THE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF UT (FHL), Volume 1, Everton Publishers, Logan UT, 1980 --Historical Records Survey, GUIDE TO DEPOSITORIES OF MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS IN NY STATE, EXCLUSIVE OF NY CITY, WITH SUPPLEMENT, WPA, Albany NY, 1941-4 --NYPL, NYGB, NYHS, FHL(FHC), RL, and LL, check for microfilms and transcripts of epitaphs under surname, county, city, town, church, and cemetery name, also under heading Epitaphs The above records indicate that the main sources of NY cemetery records ar NYSL, NYPL, NYGB, NYSH, FHL(FHC), RL, and LL. The LL quite often have records of cemeteries in their own counties, and RL often have those in their regions. In these libraries, cemetery records may be located by looking in their catalogs under the surname, county, city, and town, the church, the denomination the ethnic group, and the cemetery name. Also look under the headings Epitaphs-NY and Cemeteries-NY. Further, you should not forget to inquire if there are special cemetery record indexes or files. Several other important sources for cemetery records must not be overlooked. These include church records, genealogical periodicals (especially Tree Talks, the NY Genealogical and Biographical Record, the American Genealogist, the New England Historic Genealogical Record, and the DAR Magazine), manuscripts, and newspaper obituaries. NYPL=New York Public Library NYSL=New York State Library NYGB=New York Genealogical & Biographical NYHS=New York ?? maybe Historical Society FHL(FHC)=Family History Library (Family History Center) RL=Regional Library LL=Local Library -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton 2002

Linda, If our group goes to the Library again this year, I'll let you know. Also, if you can prove direct accent to your grandfather, I hope that is the right word, I think you can get the death record. That is what I have always been told. Have you done a search on google.com?? You might be suprised at what comes up. Just type in his name and see. Have a good evening. I belong to Ancestry.com, so if I can look up something for you let me know. Lanah

Have you tried the online Social Security Death Index? Jenny ----- Original Message ----- From: <Linda0828@aol.com> To: <NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 10:25 PM Subject: [HudsonRV] re: New York State Index > In a message dated 2/26/03 9:01:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, > NY-HUDSONRV-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > > * Death certificates - if on file for at least 50 years. > > > > My best guess is that he died in the mid to late 1950's so I may have to wait > for another few years to locate him in the Index! :( > > This grandfather was a real black sheep ... so no one in the family kept in > touch. I was told he died in Buffalo but now it seems it was more likely in > Albany. Several years ago I wrote to the state Vital Stats Office but they > didn't find him in the years I requested a search. I need to dig out those > papers and see what years I used. I'd put finding his death info on the back > burner until I read the posting about the New York State Index. Maybe it's > time to get focused on him again. :) > > Thanks everyone for your help! :) > > Linda > > > ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== > The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ > Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. > >

In a message dated 2/26/03 9:01:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, NY-HUDSONRV-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > * Death certificates - if on file for at least 50 years. > My best guess is that he died in the mid to late 1950's so I may have to wait for another few years to locate him in the Index! :( This grandfather was a real black sheep ... so no one in the family kept in touch. I was told he died in Buffalo but now it seems it was more likely in Albany. Several years ago I wrote to the state Vital Stats Office but they didn't find him in the years I requested a search. I need to dig out those papers and see what years I used. I'd put finding his death info on the back burner until I read the posting about the New York State Index. Maybe it's time to get focused on him again. :) Thanks everyone for your help! :) Linda

>From the RootsWeb helpdesk : After contacting MSN, RootsWeb.com was able to resolve the issue concerning delivering mail to MSN. As e-mail was bouncing, we encourage MSN subscribers to check their mailing list subscriptions at Password Central to make sure you didn't bounce off any mailing lists. http://passwordcentral.rootsweb.com/ -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA, listowner http://www.connorsgenealogy.com All outgoing mail virus free, scanned by Norton 2002

Hi all, I sent for 4 death certificates on Dec 7, 2002 and received them 5 weeks later. Pam >From: Mmmvk1@aol.com >Reply-To: NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com >To: NY-HUDSONRV-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [HudsonRV] Troy, NY death cert >Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 13:46:02 EST > > Joy it takes 4 mo.s to get your reply from Albany. NY > Margaret > > >==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== >The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website >http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ >Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

One problem here, though-- I'm not sure the fiche goes up as far as the 1950s. Maybe someone can tell Linda the dates it covers? Joy Linda0828@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 2/24/03 1:02:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, > NY-HUDSONRV-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > >>Anyway, it's arranged by year and then alphabetically by surname, then given >>name. With >>the fiche, it's really quick and easy. It gives you the date of death, the >>locality in >>which the death cert. was issued and the death cert. number. >> > > > Hi Joy - That info is very helpful!!! :) Once I locate these indexes it > should be easy to find the missing Grandfather. I know he died in the > 1950's. His last name is Wallhead. There aren't that many Wallheads in NY > so the searching should go along pretty quickly. THANKS for your info!!! > :) Linda > > > In a message dated 2/24/03 1:02:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, > NY-HUDSONRV-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > >>The New York State Vital Records microfiche are available to be searched at: >> >>The NY State Archives in Albany, NY >>The Rundell Library in Rochester, NY >>The Syracuse Library in Syracuse, NY >> >>These are the only places that I know about. >> > > Hi Lanah - that's great news! :) I'm only 2 hours from Syracuse so a > trip there is very possible. Thanks for your help! > > Linda > > > > ==== NY-HUDSONRV Mailing List ==== > The NY-HudsonRV Mailing List Website > http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/HudsonRV/ > Site good for unsubbing, changing subscription, archives, links, etc. > > -- Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good. WM PENN Outline trees for: HALLOCK, HEAD, PALMER, SELDEN at: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/w/e/a/Joyce-R-Weaver/ USA (northeast): Burnside, Green, Hallock, Head, Merritt, Morris, Palmer, Selden, Weaver./ CANADA (ON/QC): Brown, Clark, Grant, Weaver./ ENGLAND(Lanc.): Hunt, Wall. POLAND (Krasnik, Zaklikow, Lublin): Blumberg, Fogiel, Rosenel./ BELARUS (Wisoke-Litovsk, Brest, Grodno): Feinberg, Vilner, Greenberg, Petruskitz, Deibach.