One of the many frustrations that can arise with genealogical research is the cost. From reference books, organizational storage and technology upgrades to subscription sites and conferences, it can begin to feel like what is holding back your research is your budget and not your skills. The pandemic has eased some of that, with formerly in-person conferences (which require travel and lodging expenses) now available on-line for reasonable costs (or even free). While planned prior to the pandemic, the new Family History Library (FHL) webpage has some offerings that make staying home even more attractive.  

The webpage is part of FamilySearch.org, which most genealogists are already familiar with.  A service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch not only provides access to many records not available elsewhere, but provides them free of charge. There are, of course, some complications as permissions for certain records are limited to church members or only through Family History Centers (or affiliated libraries). Also, while the FHL has made great strides in digitizing the millions of microfilm records it holds, there are still some (usually containing the record you happen to want) that have yet to be digitized.  Or, the record has been digitized, but not indexed and you need to browse through an entire collection to determine if it contains the information you are looking for.  

But the exciting feature on the new FHL webpage is found just below the library picture and to the right on the homepage – Research Consultations. These are 20-minute (for DNA, 40-minute) appointments held via Zoom where you can get advice on how and where to look for information to expand your family history knowledge. 

These are search strategy sessions, so the person who is helping you is going to be giving suggestions on where to look and what to look for; they will not be breaking down your brick wall for you. That said, if you have a brick wall, it’s usually because you’ve run out of ideas for where to look. A fresh (and experienced) pair of eyes can be just what you need to tear that wall down.  

FHL research strategy sessions include geographical areas (countries) as well as DNA, immigration and the FamilySearch site in general. Not all countries are addressed, but they are planning on adding more as time goes on. Right now, most of Europe and Latin America are covered as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There are also sessions available for the U.S. and Canada, though the site does not indicate if this includes individual states or provinces.  

The greatest drawback to these offerings is their popularity. When I checked the site, there were no available appointments for the U.S. or Canada through the end of March and they had not yet posted a calendar for April.  

But genealogists are almost forced to be patient and persistent. If I were hoping for a consultation, I would make a point of checking the page on a regular basis and grab an appointment as soon as one becomes available.  

Winter finds many of us pretty much house bound and with the restrictions we’re following because of the pandemic, you may find yourself with more time on your hands than you’re used to. As genealogy people we can, of course, finally start getting some real work done on those stubborn ancestors who have eluded us for years. Or we can really buckle down and organize (or re-organize) all those papers and photos and saved digital files that have somehow reached a point of hopeless disarray.  

I love doing family research and I can even get into the organizing mood on occasion, but sometimes you need a break. If you’ve been working on a seemingly impenetrable brick wall for days or just can’t face another round of filing, there is something that you can do that will let you show your genealogy stuff and help the community at the same time. 

The War Memorial Center in Milwaukee has created a searchable database of Milwaukee County’s war dead from WWII through the present. It contains over 3400 names and is searchable by name, branch, war, date, unit, battle, location, high school, employer, burial/memorial location and other keywords. It is freely accessible to the public at: warmemorialcenter.org/honor-roll-database. 

But not every name in the database has all its details and that’s where you, as a genealogist, can save the day. The center is looking for volunteers to research names to come up with the missing details of those who gave their all for our country. 

I have found that it is sometimes more enjoyable to search for the details of others than to concentrate solely on my own relatives. It sharpens your skills and makes you look for different kinds of records. You become more familiar with what is available and where. And in this case, it is for a very worthy cause.  

If you are interested in volunteering your time and expertise, contact the War Memorial Center. Kristen Scheuing is the Education Program Manager, and you can email her at education@warmemorialcenter.org or you can call the Center at 414-273-5533. Let them know you heard about it here. 

Because of the pandemic, most of us have had our daily routines upended to a greater or lesser degree. I hope for many of our members this has meant some extra time at home to work on family history tasks that have been on the back burner for a while.  

My Heritage has tried to respond to the “rescheduling” that so many face by offering a little help with your family history. Back in June they offered a variety of their subscription record sets (many of them unique to MyHeritage)  to the public for free, giving many a cost-free way to tackle some brick walls. This time, they are offering two of their most popular tools for everyone to use. On August 11th, MyHeritage announced that  MyHeritage Photo Enhancer and MyHeritage in Color will be free to everyone until September 10th.  Previously (and probably again after September 10th) anyone could use the photo tools but were limited to 10 photos. For more than 10 photos, you had to sign up for a Premium membership. With this offer, the number of photos you can colorize and/or enhance is limited only by the amount of time you wish to spend.  

Both tools make a copy of your scanned photo and then works its magic. The Photo Enhancer can clear up and refine faces (particularly in group photos) and MyHeritage in Color adds color to black and white or sepia photos. It can also “correct” faded color photos. You then have a new version of your family heirloom while retaining the original. If you have not yet scanned your photos, there is a MyHeritage app you can download to help you with that process. 

While I referred to the process as “magic,” these tools are based on algorithms refined using millions of sample photos. While one cannot say that is exactly what your gg grandfather looked like or if your great aunt’s dress was really that shade of blue, these tools do give convincing approximations. And it is hard to argue with the price.  

To those who are not “into” genealogy, family history often seems a little dry. Grandchildren probably aren’t going to get much of a thrill looking at a death certificate from 1884. But most everyone responds to pictures. If you are fortunate enough to have a store of family photos, this is an excellent opportunity to revitalize your heirlooms and share them with other family members.  

Most of the members of MCGS are from the Milwaukee area, but that doesn’t mean they have deep ties to the area. While I have been a resident of Milwaukee for nearly a quarter century, my family roots – like those of many of our members – range far and wide. My maternal family originally settled in Northwestern Wisconsin when they came to the US, but my only paternal connection to the Midwest is that my California dad married a girl from Wisconsin.   

That being said, I’ve learned a lot about Milwaukee during my time here. And I’m pretty excited to be writing this post because if you are one our many members with Milwaukee ties, Ancestry has some great resources available. Courtesy of the Milwaukee Public Library, Ancestry recently added three collections of records that are a true boon to those with Milwaukee heritage. 

The following collections went live on Ancestry in December: 

Births, 1839-1911 

Marriages, 1838-1911 

Deaths, 1854-1911 

Previously, accessing such records required going to the county courthouse or scrolling through the microfilm at the Central Library. And with the closing of the Register of Deeds office to public researchers due to the pandemic, getting your hands on actual certificates (not just index entries) could have become quite a problem. 

But with the collections available on Ancestry the matter is greatly simplified. All you need is the name(s) you are looking for. Of course, some of the names that come up in Milwaukee family histories are subject to a variety of spellings (and misspellings) but it is far easier to search multiple variations on the computer than it is in a print index.  

In addition to the certificates noted above, Ancestry has had some other collections for the Milwaukee researcher for some time. U.S City Directories, 1822-1995 has Milwaukee Directories from 1861-1960. City directories are a great way to find out about your ancestors between the census years (and fill in that gap left by the loss of the 1890 census). There are also a few directories from Waukesha, Wauwatosa, West Allis, West Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay. 

Some of the many German newspapers that were once a staple in Milwaukee are also on Ancestry. This does present the problem of being able to read the German printing. If you have this issue, look up the Max Kade Institute in Madison (mki.wisc.edu). Their website includes a list of people who will translate German documents for a fee. There are also a few issues of Milwaukee English language newspapers. Finding Milwaukee papers online can be a challenge, so even these few are helpful. 

If you have any questions or comments about this post, please let me know. Contact me at info@milwaukeegenealogy.org . Include the word “blog” in the subject line.