Write up a brief biographical sketch about an ancestor, or simply share an interesting find that you made recently. A copy of a passenger arrival record for your great-grandfather or a census record may even prompt a relative to share something they have stashed away.

My mom has been going through old letters she has saved for decades. Sharing them with cousins has stirred an interest to know more about our shared family history. Perhaps you have some old correspondence that a family member would appreciate.

HP has a good article on writing your family newsletter online. One unique idea it mentioned was to share seeds with other family members. I received an heirloom tomato plant from a neighbor this year. The tomato is called Purple Prince and they were absolutely delicious! I saved a lot of the seeds from them so I could replant, and was thinking that the extras might make a good gift for other family members who enjoy gardening. Is there a plant that someone in your family enjoyed? Share the seeds and the story of how it relates to your family history.

Virtual Greetings
You can save on stamps by creating a greeting for family online. MyFamily.com offers a free way to connect with family. The new version, MyFamily.com 2.0 includes some great features and setting up a site is free. You can post the news you would include in a paper newsletter as well as photos, videos, family history stories, your family tree, recipes, and files that could include scans of family history documents. Then invite family members from your Christmas card list to come and browse.

SnapGenie is another neat tool available on MyFamily.com. Maureen Taylor wrote about it back in February 2007. SnapGenie allows you to create a photo show with narration that you record over the phone. It's very simple to use, and best of all--free.

With gas prices going up, it might not be affordable to be with family in person over the holidays, but it's nice to have a virtual way to make contact.

Gifts and Cards for Troops
The son of one of my cousins is serving in Iraq, and like so many families we're praying for him and all of the servicemen and women in harm's way. My daughter has made no-sew fleece blankets through her school as a project for charity, and this year at Thanksgiving, she and her cousins are going to work together on blankets and care packages to send to the soldiers. Not only is it an appropriate way to say thanks, but the cousins will be working together and creating memories for themselves. I'd like to see them get together each year for some sort of charitable project.

New, Old Traditions
The holidays are a time rich with old tradition, but sometimes the customs of our ancestors get lost along the way. There are scores of books available that can help you learn more about the traditions your ancestors kept around the holidays in their homelands. A trip to the library or bookstore can put you back in touch with the recipes and customs of long ago, and draw your family a little closer to its heritage. Older family members are a great resource too. Ask what they remember about the holidays of their childhood. You may find a new, old tradition to revive, and the relative will probably enjoy the opportunity to reminisce with you.

Make Some Family History
Most importantly, the holidays are a time to share your love with family. We are planning a trip to Chicago for one of the days that my daughter is off school. While our budget isn't quite up to shopping on the "Mag Mile," we do enjoy looking at the window displays, checking out the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, and just enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city. Since my daughter is half German, the Christkindlmarket is a great way to expose her to a part of her heritage while we create new memories. We started this tradition a few years ago, and look forward to it every year. Check out local holiday festivities near you and create some memories that your family will treasure always.

What Are Your Traditions?
I'd love to hear your traditions--new or old. I hope you’ll take a minute to share them with us on the blog.

I wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving full of warm memories and love! You are all high on my "thankful for" list.
Juliana

Juliana Smith has been an editor of Ancestry.com newsletters for more than nine years and is author of The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. She has written for Ancestry Magazine and wrote the "Computers and Technology" chapter in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, rev. 3rd edition. Juliana can be reached by e-mail at Juliana@Ancestry.com, but she regrets that her schedule does not allow her to assist with personal research.

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by Michael John Neill

Murphy's Law of Genealogy states that, "If there is one messed up line on a census record or a manifest, it will be for the family you need. Guaranteed."

The ship "Ernst Moritz Arndt" landed in New Orleans in June of 1853 full of immigrants bound for the United States, including a few family members. Unfortunately, there is a partial tear in the manifest and it went right through the family whose information I was seeking--the Schollmeyers. Fortunately for me, this entry is partially legible. (You can see an image of this record on the blog.)

From what I can read of the manifest, it lists

• Friederich Schollmeyer
• Cath. Schollmeyer
• Nicodemus Schollmeyer, aged 12
• Dorothe Schollmeyer, aged 7
• Elizab. Schollmeyer, aged 2
• Andreas Schollmeyer, aged 53
• Marianne Schollmeyer, aged 52
• Elisabeth Schollmeyer, aged 12

The last three names I recognized as the desired family. The preceding names (apparently another family related to mine) were originally unknown to me.

The tear in the manifest obscures the ages of Friederich and Cath. and leads to differing interpretations of his occupation, last residence and destination. The problem is that underneath Friederich's entry, ditto marks are used to indicate the last residence and destination of all the other Schollmeyers, including the three of interest. Even though the tear only appears to affect parts of two entries, it actually affects the entire Schollmeyer entry. I needed to know what the entry said for Friederich.

One transcription of this manifest indicates that the entries for the Schollmeyers are "dittoed" from the previous entries. Those immigrants have a last residence of Lohr and a destination of New Orleans. Had I only looked at the transcription and not bothered with the actual manifest, I might have concluded that the Schollmeyers were from Lohr and were originally destined for New Orleans. (It must be noted that not every family actually settled in the location listed as their "destination" on an arrival manifest.) This would have created even more discrepancies as the Schollmeyers I was researching were not from Lohr.

The tear in the manifest makes the last residence for the Schollmeyers impossible to read, but it could be something other than Lohr. In looking at the original manifest, the destination for the Schollmeyers does not appear to be New Orleans, yet there is clearly something written on the line besides ditto marks. The location looks to be a short word, possibly "Iowa."

A search of the 1856 Iowa State Census at Ancestry seems to bear this out as the following family was located in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa.

• Frederick Schoolmier aged 50, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany
• Cath. Schoolmier, aged 47, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany
• Nicodemus Schoolmier, aged 15, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany
• Dora Schoolmier, aged 10, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany
• Elizabeth Schoolmier, aged 5, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany

The names and ages and length of time in Iowa are a fit for the names on the manifest. It also leads one to initially conclude that there were two Schollmeyer families on the 1853 manifest, one headed by Frederick and another headed by Andreas.

The last three entries are slightly more problematic, but these individuals also appeared to have settled in the Davenport, Iowa, area. The 1856 Davenport, Iowa, census lists

• Andrew Schellmer aged 56, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany
• Bridget Schellmer, aged 56, in Iowa 3 years, born in Germany

Except for the first name of the apparent wife (Bridget instead of Marianne) the information is consistent with the entry on the manifest. Andrew/Andreas' daughter Elizabeth is known to have married in Davenport, Iowa in 1855 to Paul Freund. She is also enumerated in the 1856 Davenport, Iowa, census with her husband and his family, as is Elizabeth Frent, aged 17, born in Germany and having lived in Iowa 3 years.

What's Up with Bridget and Marianne?
Preliminary research indicates they are the same person and that Marianne might have been a middle name of Andreas' wife or an error on the manifest. Records in Davenport, Iowa, for Elizabeth Schulmeyer Freund indicated she was born in 1840 in Beberstedt, Germany. Records in Iowa also indicated her father was an Andrew or Andreas Schulmeyer.

Records in Beberstedt indicated that an Andreas and Bridget (Schilling) Schollmeyer were the parents of an Elizabeth Schollmeyer born the same day in 1840 as the Iowa Elizabeth Schulmeyer. Andrew and Bridget Schulmeyer appear in the 1856 Iowa census apparently as husband and wife. Except for the first name on the manifest, all other details are consistent and indicate the Andreas Schulmeyer on the manifest is the same Andreas/Andrew Schulmeyer who settled in Davenport, Iowa.

Who Are the Other Schulmeyers?
Preliminary research into the other Schulmeyer family on the manifest indicates that most of them stayed in the Davenport, Iowa, area, at least through 1870. It is assumed there is a relationship between Friederich and Andreas, but at this time that relationship is not precisely known. More research needs to be done.

Summary

• Always refer to the original document or record to verify information.
• Locating a name on a manifest may require more than a simple search and it may require completely researching the family in the area where they settled.
• Immigrants rarely immigrated in complete isolation—remember the importance of chain migration.
• Keep analyzing information as you locate new information, making certain your new information is as consistent as possible with information already discovered.

Michael John Neill is a genealogical writer and speaker who has been researching his or his children's genealogy for more than twenty years. A math instructor in his "other life," Michael taught at the former Genealogical Institute of Mid-America and has served on the FGS Board. He also lectures on a variety of genealogical topics and gives seminars across the country. He maintains a personal website at www.rootdig.com

Upcoming Events With Michael John Neill

• Salt Lake City Family History Library Trip
  14 May-21 May 2008
• Genealogy Computing Week, 03-08 March 2008
  Computer workshops at Carl Sandburg College, Galesburg, Illinois

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The following items were posted to the 24/7 Family History Circle blog over the past week:

• Who Am I? 1929 Movie Star
• Testing Translators
• Another Photo Collection Online at MangoFalls.com

When the early colonists came to America, they were braving a new world, with new wonders and difficulties. Family historians beginning the search for their ancestors from this period run into a similar adventure, as research in the colonial period presents a number of exciting challenges that genealogists may not have experienced before. This book is the key to facing those challenges. Researching Your Colonial New England Ancestors leads genealogists to a time when their forebears were under the rule of the English crown, blazing their way in that uncharted territory. Patricia Law Hatcher, FASG, provides a rich image of the world in which those ancestors lived and details the records they left behind. With this book in hand, family historians will be ready to embark on a journey of their own, into the unexplored lines of their colonial past.

You can get Researching Your Colonial New England Ancestors and most Ancestry publications at 15% off in the Ancestry Store.

Today's image (in the upper, right-hand corner of this newsletter) is from the Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000 at Ancestry.

The First Thanksgiving, 1621
Oil painting by J.L.G. Ferris
[Reproduction of oil painting from series: The Pageant of a Nation.]

by D.G. Fulford

I was teaching a group of fourth graders. I love fourth graders. They live in that sweet, honest space between cute and cool. I asked them about family traditions; something very special that their families loved to do. I got lots of answers about Christmas Eves, and about centerpieces at Thanksgiving. Then one boy raised his hand, and told his story.

His grandpa lives in the country, kind of far away. Every time the boy visits, his grandpa gives him a stone from his driveway to carry home. This tradition had been going on for about three years, then the grandson added a twist. He began bringing a stone from his own driveway, each time, to give to his grandpa. This way, they passed pieces of their homes--and their hearts--back and forth.

Don't feel that you always have to be recording family history. You can be making it, too.

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Family History Christmas Tree
I have had a family history Christmas tree for a number of years and it is always interesting to hear the comments. When I did the first one, we didn't have the extra money to buy ornaments, so I used construction paper (a different color for each surname) and pasted the copies of photos on the paper. The size of the background depended on the size of picture I wanted to use, but most of them are about 2 1/4" by 3". I used a larger piece for a picture of my husband and me and placed it at the top of the tree. His ancestors are on one side of the tree and mine on the other side. When the children come for Christmas they look to see if I have added any pictures.

Betty Rose Gregory

Don't Make Assumptions About Ethnicity
My name is Barbara Glasgow and I married a Glasgow. We always thought we were from Scotland. Then I started doing the genealogy of the Glasgow family. From what we have learned thru Ancestry and the Family History Center, my husband's great-grandfather came from Fourthtown, County Antrim, Ireland. I began reading up on Ireland and how people moved there from Scotland or were lured there because Ireland had so many Catholics. So all of you Glasgows, don't just assume that your ancestors were from Scotland. I imagine that if I go far enough on this that I will eventually get to Scotland--maybe.

Barbara Glasgow

Don't Make Assumptions About Occupation
Do not assume that your ancestor's occupation never changed and that your farmer ancestor in 1860 cannot be listed as a lawyer ten years later. Occupations may change; what typically does not alter drastically is social or economic status.

I am reminded of a problem I have encountered with censuses before 1880 or so. Given the handwriting of those days, it can be very difficult to determine whether a man's occupation is listed as "Lawyer" or "Sawyer." Checking other examples of the enumerator's L's and S's helps, as does considering economic status. It was not unusual for a "farmer" who owned his land to become a lawyer. Farming one's own land was the dream of many people and a respected occupation, and it was not necessary to go to law school to become a lawyer. It was less likely that a "farm laborer" or "tenant" or a farmer who did not own land would become a lawyer. If you are lucky and the next census lists him as a "timber-getter," that settles the question.

Laura Keyes Perry

If you have a suggestion you would like to share with other researchers, send it to: Juliana@Ancestry.com. Thanks to all of this week's contributors!

Quick Tips may be reprinted, with credit to the submitter, in other Ancestry publications, so if you do not want your tip included in a publication other than the Ancestry Weekly Journal please state so clearly in your message.

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The year was 1939 and World War II began in September with the German invasion of Poland. Two days after the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany, and other countries would follow, choosing sides in a war that would eventually ravage much of Europe and Asia and kill more than 52 million people.

Spain had seen nearly three years of Civil War by 1939 and in April, General Francisco Franco, took over as dictator of the country, declaring the Civil War over. He would rule until his death in 1975, when Prince Juan Carlos took over, restoring the monarchy.

In Victoria, Australia, 1939 was a year of disaster as on Black Friday, 13 January, wildfires raced across Victoria, killing seventy-one people. Small sawmill villages within the forests suffered the worst of the firestorm that came after weeks of extreme high temperatures.

The U.S. was still in the grips of the Great Depression but in the fall of 1939, rains end the drought that persisted throughout the Dust Bowl years.

In New York City, a World's Fair was held and although the investors lost money on the event, it brought development in Queens. With the theme of the future, industrial giants like General Motors, GE, Eastman Kodak, and AT&T allowed depression-weary visitors to take a glimpse into what might be.

The movie industry gave audiences a glimpse into another time with the release of Gone with the Wind, which won eight Oscars that year. In another landmark film, a young girl from Kansas finds herself in an imaginary land with the Wizard of Oz.

And finally, 1939 was a year of confusion when it came to Thanksgiving. Since Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday in 1863, Thanksgiving had always been celebrated on the last Thursday in November. But in 1939, there were five Thursdays, and this put Thanksgiving on November 30th. Even back then people started their Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving and with only twenty-four days to shop, businesses feared it would affect sales negatively--a serious concern during the Depression years. So in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed November 23rd to be Thanksgiving. The last-minute decision was a problem for schools that had already scheduled vacation time and football games. Some defied the proclamation which meant that families in one place may have had a day off on the 23rd, while other family members had the 30th off. Calendar-makers, who created their products years in advance, had the wrong date. The confusion continued until Congress passed legislation in 1941 that settled the issue--the second to last Thursday in November became Thanksgiving.

Gobble, gobble!

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If you'd like to see your ancestor's photograph in the Ancestry Weekly Journal, send it to Juliana@Ancestry.com.

Contributed by Frank Lavacot This outfit my grandfather was wearing was not his usual attire. At the time this photo was taken (1890s) he was working for his brother, Joseph Bins, who owned a sheep ranch near The Dalles in Oregon.	Contributed by Jean M. Foster, Lexington, Kentucky These are my grandparents, Harold McNair Van Liew and Grace May Young, at Rowayton Point or Compo Beach in Westport, Connecticut, around 1912 or 1913.

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Has Ancestry helped you make a significant breakthrough with your family history research? If you have an Ancestry success story you'd like to share, please send it to us. We'd love to hear about it! Click here to share your story.

Christmas Traditions: Making Your Family Celebrations Memorable
by Stan and Linda Toler, and Elmer and Ruth Towns

Traditions are hot apple cider, Nativity scenes, cranberry sauce, twinkling lights, Grandma's house, days off from school, jingle bells and Advent Calendars. These little seasonal ingredients are so intrinsic to our personal holiday "recipes" that we sometimes forget why we do them. A neighbor asks, "Why do you place a red bow on every doorknob?" The answer is often "I'm not sure. That's just what my mother did."

The Tolers and Towns have come together to share many of their favorite memories and Holiday traditions. A collection of stories, songs, poems, recipes and Scripture, Christmas Traditions is an inspiring volume guaranteeing to warm the heart like chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Normally this book retails for $10.99, but for one week you can buy it in the Ancestry Store for $9.35.

Historical Thanksgiving Cookery
by Robert W. Pelton

Historical Thanksgiving Cookery is chock full of delightfully delicious ideas favored by many famous families of yesteryear.

Normally this book retails for $15.95, but for one week you can buy it in the Ancestry Store for $13.55.