Conundrum

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

February 2012

For some time now I have been musing over the title of this blog.  I love Eastern Kentucky with a passion.  I write from Eastern Kentucky.  I have researched extensively in Eastern Kentucky. All roads in my life have led me back to Eastern Kentucky.  

That said, I was born in Scioto County, Ohio and the ribbon of the Ohio River between Portsmouth and Ashland has always felt like a homing beacon in my head.  By the time I was six months old my parents had firmly planted my roots in Boyd County, Kentucky.  My research endeavors and family have led me through Germany, Romania, Hungry, Austria, Poland and many other places far from the Appalachia I love.  As a family we have set up housekeeping several times in Ohio and New Jersey but again all roads led home to Eastern Kentucky.

Now that I can honestly say I have retired my client base and Family Lineage Investigations I can devote more time to share my research experiences and stories with family and readers.  I certainly will continue to write about Eastern Kentucky families but I already have veered several times from the path my blog title suggests.  Thus, I toyed with the idea of a second blog but quickly gave it a veto.  This is my journal and journal writing usually does have twists and turns.  It is who I am with ebb and flow and  the evolution of change that happens in everyone's life.

My father instilled my love of writing and expressing myself with words at a young age.  He always said had he not become a doctor he would have majored in journalism and was editor of  a magazine called The Speculum while at Ohio State University.  He went on to write four books after he retired from veterinary medicine while mastering the computer in the twilight of his years.  I have maintained a personal journal for many years, sometimes daily, sometimes not so frequently.  I don't profess to have mastered punctuation and wish now I had taken some journalism and writing courses in college.  But I, as other bloggers, feel the need to express myself.  Hopefully my children and their children will read a bit and learn something of their ancestors and the product I call me.

Which leads me back to the conundrum.  Eastern Kentucky Genealogy implies all that is nestled in my lovely hills.  Eastern Kentucky Genealogy is a wall post compiled by someone else on FaceBook; it is a title of a conference held in Johnson County as well.  Do I change the title that so many of you have followed these past couple of years or do I let my journalism flow without a change because my readers know that I do my best writing while I glance out the window at the cliffs and hills of my beloved home - Eastern Kentucky?

The Modern Genealogist

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

January 2012

Genealogy home offices are evolving with  modern technology.  It's 2012 and microfiche and film readers are being relegated to attics and junk piles.  With the National Archives  skipping microfilm and releasing the 1940 Federal Census as digital scans and replacing older model copiers with new high tech copier/scanners the end of these clunky machines is near at hand.  My own microfiche machine has become a convenient place for post-a-notes.

The most astonishing modern technology notion has given me more than pause.  A recent news release announced that schools are slowly removing cursive from grade school curriculum's .  Why? Because of the use of keyboards.  Students identify with print on those tiny little keys.  During a family discussion this past month my 12 year old granddaughter proudly reported she is proficient in cursive.  Thank goodness!  When I asked how my family thought future generations would decipher documents, if not taught cursive, it was suggested that students would choose it as either an elective or a specialty course.  After all we genealogists already have lectures and even Kip Sperry's wonderful book Reading Early American Handwriting when deciphering hand written documents.  And if the truth be told my handwriting is not what it used to be.  I refuse to blame it on age but will contribute it to the fact that 99% of my communication is with a keyboard. 

Reflecting back, I remember feeling very modern when using my first microfilm reader.  It was certainly exciting and very modern when the Commodore 64 was installed in the office.  Then I danced a jig  as the large clunky monitor was replaced with a sleek flat screen.  I loved getting that little extra bit of space on my desk.

My office library is still intact with rows of beautiful bound books. I confess I have turned to the ereader for novels and general reading and freed up much needed space on the shelves for more genealogy hardbound copies that I would not part with. I am thrilled with all the wonderful genealogies that have now been digitized so that I don't have to find that one special copy at a library hundred's of miles away.  We can have it both ways.

The microfiche machine is leaving the premises.  Ah, much needed space on the desk for new gadgets!   But, but, but, I am having trouble letting go of my microfilm reader because filmed court recorded in my office have not been scanned to date.    

All this makes me wonder if my grandchildren know what carbon paper and memeograph machines are/were?  Does it matter when modern translates to improved and knowledge at our fingertips?  As fast as technology is evolving, what tools will the modern genealogist include five or ten years from now?  You are never to old to be modern.  You just have to be quick enough to keep up with what is new.  Blink these days and you will miss it.  

I will close my January 2012 modern rambling thoughts because of the need to send another document to the "cloud."  Maybe I will red flag this to reread in 2024 and get a giggle from what I thought was so modern today.

The Ebb & Flow of Genealogy

Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

July 2011

Over the years I have encountered enthusiastic people who are interested in a family tree but quickly fade away because they are not enthralled with the technical research that is required to properly document their line.  On the other hand there are others who incorporate genealogical research into their life.

Avid hobbyists and seasoned professionals alike have a love of family and history.  They love the quest for more knowledge and information and make it a lifelong adventure.

There has been an ebb and flow to my journey in the world of genealogy and historical research.  Right now I am in one of those low tide moments where immediate family needs come first and genealogy endeavors come in little golden moments.  This ebb and flow of my life, which has incorporated research in it for many years, gives me pause with my morning tea to think about the journey.

Each genealogist has a personal reason for what they do.  No two people, like snowflakes, are alike. My journey began with a tattered bible and grandmother who encouraged my journey.  It glowed intensely when I held my first born son and began to fill out his baby book.  It started at the kitchen table with a small file folder and has grown into an office that when built has extra supports underneath to hold the file cabinets.  

Family Lineage Investigations developed and over the years moved to three separate states.  The moves were part of the flow of family life.  Along the way clients and fellow genealogists became lifelong friends.  

The first word in my business name says it all – Family.  Over the years my children thought that vacation always included cemetery visits. They learned to be proud of country and heritage by tagging along.  One son restored a cemetery as his Eagle Scout Project.

The years have included stints of speaking engagements, book projects, cemetery restorations, log house documentation, an antique shop and five years as genealogist for our county library.  Each and every adventure in my journey has been an education.

There have been bumps along the way.  Sometimes I have had to temporarily close the books for respite.  One such ebb was major back surgery because I lifted a tombstone to see what it said on the other side.  I smile warmly at a high tide moment. I remember slipping away from an OGS Conference and driving the many miles home to check on teenage sons and missing the surprise presentation of the McCafferty Award.    I visualize them looking under tables for me having seen me only moments earlier.

I think the most amazing, wonderful thing about our research is that it only gets better.  You can pause on your journey and come back and find that technology has opened new doors.  Genealogists are preserving the memories while creating new ones.   We researchers are caught in the ebb and flow of history of this thing we call life.    Wikipedia says “there is no unequivocal definition of life.”   I see it as the ebb and flow of each generation.  

Image courtesy of:   http://www.clker.com/clipart-44788.html

Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

31 March 2011

Technology changes in the world of genealogy are increasing.  With new technology older local genealogy societies have had trouble keeping up. At their hay day these local groups were a golden link to people living outside an area to obtain information about their ancestors.

Personally, I could not wait until I received my copy of the Tree Shaker produced by the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society and edited by beloved local historian Evelyn Jackson.  I read the newsletter from cover to cover and with a little luck found a notation or two about one of the families I was working with. 

Today I received my final notice that the Tree Shaker and the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society will not continue.   The notice stated that the editor has moved out of state.  Jimmy Eppling did a wonderful job with the newsletter. He had big shoes to fill when he replaced Evelyn Jackson.  But honestly, I don't believe that his moving is the reason for the collapse of the society.  It is the times.  On line subscriptions, ebooks and even genealogy blogs have moved into new territory while the local societies struggle to keep up.

The Tree Shaker will always be a valuable tool for me and others. Much of the submitted materials were scraped together by dedicated people.  The most cherished items, in my opinion, are the extractions of local bibles in the early editions.  Bible records that would not have been published or known by later researchers are now preserved in the archives of the newsletter.

Volume 1 #1 was printed in the Winter of 1977. Mrs. Allen Hopes was president of the society and Charles A. Barker, vice president. Volunteers from the society represented the various counties, of Elliott, Greenup, Carter, Pike and Lawrence through the years.  It was their job to supply records from each of those and other counties.

Mrs. Rufus Phillips wrote "The Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society is well into its second year of existence and we are finally getting our publication started...Many records should be abstracted and published. Cemeteries should be located and recorded.  Copies of old letters and records help to fill in the history of the area.  Old bibles are particularly important..."

The society and the newsletter fulfilled the goals beyond imagination.  They went on to produce several publications that are now golden gems in Eastern Kentucky research.  That first newsletter was a simple surname index to the 1830 Lawrence County, Kentucky census records.  In 1977 that was such a wonderful tool for researchers who had to do a page by page search of microfilm IF a microfilm machine was available.  Today - well today the 1830 fully indexed is a click away on the internet.  Yes every new technology is based on foundation stones.  These societies were the foundation stones to the way we research today.

What many may not know is that the society was also the best supporter of Eastern Kentucky's largest genealogical library holdings.  Money from dues/subscriptions and sale of books was utilized to purchase items for the genealogy holdings at the Boyd County Public Library.  And even as the society is eulogized it continues to boost the library.  The funds from the society will be used to purchase even more books for the Winder Collection of the Boyd County Public Library so that researchers from across the country can continue to be benefactors of the society.

The Tree Shaker will continue to be remembered and utilized.  Indexed in PERSI and shelved in many libraries in our country - well worn and loved in personal libraries such as my own.  

One final thought and thank you to a most beloved man, James Powers, who over the years has been dedicated to the society and newsletter.  He has mentored me, protected and loved the holdings of our library and made Eastern Kentucky Genealogy a wonderful research area.  Hats off! 

Genealogy - The Dirty Little Secrets

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

March 2011

I am going to tell you a dirty little secret.  Professional genealogists start out doing genealogy at square one with a four generation chart just like you.  Some are a little more savvy about proper citations, some have better filing systems than others and some have educational backgrounds that help guide them into new research territory.

It also depends on when any given genealogist starts on their journey.  You see if you are just starting the journey you have much better tools than say this old bird that started in the early 1970's.

Another dirty little secret is that professional genealogists tend to be like the cobbler who let his son go without shoes.  They put their personal research on a back burner to assist others in their quest.  They end up grabbing a bite here and there while concentrating on another genealogical problem.

Thus a forced sabbatical has turned into a reality check for this seasoned [better word than old] researcher.  I have dusted off an old notebook of one of the earliest family lines I worked on to scan the documentation and check my citations. [The word scan in the 1970's simply meant to search the horizon and had nothing to do with our documentation.]

These 1970 photostats are not in nice acid free sleeves.  Yes, holes in each page.  The next page is a bit yellowed, slick, crackled and fading.  A wonderful development in copy machines that did not last.  [A quick scan and enhancement have saved the day on this one.]  Let me remind you that at the time these were the recommended ways to keep your documentation. 

So let's investigate this same notebook a bit further. Did you know that highlighters were a great new "tool" but that if you used a copy machine they left a huge black line. Highlighters were invented by the Japanese in 1962.   It was some time before the problem with copiers and the fluorescent ink showing as a black line were corrected.

The book  with the highlighted pages was not easy to track down in the 1970's. I had to travel to another state to view a limited edition copy.    Today I found the same book on-line in less than two minutes and reprinted clean pages. [On-line in the 1970's might have meant you still had a party line on dial up telephone.]

This wonderful research notebook includes cherished photographs of tombstones and holds memories of wonderful cemetery trips.  The photographs are Polaroid instant pictures.  The color in those pictures are faded.  Luckily even then I took both Polaroid and 35mm photographs, keeping the negatives.  Today our digital cameras replace all need of films.

Mind you, this is still good research and contains some very valuable materials.  Before copy machines, researchers would create a list of questions to mail out to family members across the country.  All hand written, over and over again, with the hopes that the family would mail them back with answers.  A copy of questionnaires from the 1930's is nestled in this research notebook, donated by an earlier [still a better word than older] researcher.  Everyone that filled out those hand written forms are gone now.

I still give myself an A+ for citing each source, providing title pages and keeping the materials in such a manner as to make my scan project easy.

Today we are encouraged to digitize our materials and to keep abreast of new media to transfer our records.  Besides scanning these old materials, I have also been transferring cassette tape interviews to digital .wav files.  My office also contains old 8 mm films that were first transferred to VHS then to DVD.  If you are just beginning your journey you will begin by digitizing your research as you get it.  You have "how to" guides to tell you about archiving your materials at your finger tips.

But there is another reality.  Good research is just that - good research.  The next generation can pick up this notebook and know  that the citations are correct for this particular line.  Hopefully the next generation and the generation after that will continue to care for the now scanned materials and share the now digitized photographs of tombstones that may no longer be standing as they were in the 1970's.

I must say that this particular notebook does not include staples nor paper clips.  Another no-no.  But then the researcher that shared those valued hand written forms had them held together with rusty straight pins.

We now organize our materials in databases designed specifically for genealogy instead of handwriting family group sheets over and over again.  I remember my first computer like it was yesterday and the first time I saw a demonstration of a scanner I was in awe.  Today I sit surrounded by computers, scanners, mp3 players and e-book readers.  My cell phone is on the charger and I have memory sticks organized on a hook.  I wonder what my ancestors would think of all this?  I wish I could visit the future to see where this is all leading.  I am a techie.

But honestly, the real dirty little secret is that no matter how you trace your genealogy or how you save your files,  it is the journey that is important.  It is the joy of learning about your family and then sharing the stories, pictures, and artifacts with  the next generation. 

Clip art compliments of

©2000 Denise Van Patten

Dear Ms.? Mr.? Mrs? Jblow@heavenknowswhere.com

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber
February 2011

"Dear Ms.? Mr.? Mrs? Jblow@heavenknowswhere.com,

It was lovely to receive another extensive e-mail from you with data on your family. I was especially delighted that you shared pictures of your great grandparents which were nicely identified.

I would love to catalog all your information in my collection. I am sure future generations will enjoy reading your stories about your family. Sadly I do not have proper source information to create a citation before filing your material without some reference points about you, the author.

It is certainly understandable that you are concerned about privacy issues. However in this day and age not only do physical telephone books carry your name and telephone but any number of on-line databases and maps track where we reside.

Let me assure you that when your descendants read your genealogical material they are not going to recognize your coded email address. The average person now has three and sometimes more e-mail addresses at any given time.

While I realize I am from an older generation, business classes still teach the elements of a good letter. E-mail is, after all, a letter. While the e-mail format generates a date, subject and each parties e-mail it is still up to us to use the elements of a good letter.

Understand I am not nosey nor a stalker, I am a genealogist who likes to be able to not only learn about your ancestors but to be able to archive and share the documented evidence for future generations.

It would be so nice to be able to address you by your proper name in our next correspondence. I worry that if you change service I will be unable to contact you to share newly discovered genealogical gems in the future.

You took a lot of time and effort to write to me and I wish to sincerely thank you for that. Please take credit, where credit is due for what you have written. I promise to give you credit as well.

Yours in Genealogy,

Teresa Martin Klaiber
Rush, Boyd County, KY 41168

Opening Doors - Eastern Kentucky Genealogy and Continued Education

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber
February 2011

I usually try for a clever title for my blog but just could not come up with an eye catcher that would convey my emotions.

As genealogists we are memory collectors. Sadly my mother has been struck with Alzheimers which steels those memories. I am her caregiver as well as the keeper of memories for both of us now. While I am on this journey with her my travel as well as research has been greatly curtailed.

Through the years patrons and clients alike have expressed gratitude for services I have provided which always left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. Realizing that many could not get to the area because of disabilities gave me drive to visit the hundreds of cemeteries to digitize every stone & to turn over every stick and stone for information they needed. But until I became "home bound" I truly did not realize how that gratitude translated from the client/patron eyes or how much new technological avenues would effect me emotionally. They are such a blessing.

I have discovered many avenues to pursue to keep me in the know and to keep up with the ever advancing world of technology in my beloved field of Genealogy. Avenues that would never have been available to any of us ten years ago.

Besides the obvious use of archive and library databases, Footnote, Ancestry, GenealogyBank, and Heritage Quest, doors are opening every day to gain new knowledge.

Genealogy bloggers are constantly reviewing new materials and sharing their knowledge with all of us. I use RSS feed to daily keep me abreast of my favorite blogs. RSS stands for "Rich Site Summery" which translates simply to notification of daily changes in any given web url. My RSS feeds come directly into my e-mail reader. For more information visit the RSS Primer.

I miss the comradery of other genealogists at state meetings and National conferences. But because of social networking I have been able to stay in touch with many I have met through the years via Face Book which has gained a huge genealogy network.

This week I have gotten the next best thing since I can't travel right now! Rootstech has streamed several sessions daily, at no cost for those of us at home. They also are providing a live Twitter feed which has left me smiling.

In the past several weeks I have attended several free - yes I said free - Webinars with different subjects. Everything from DNA to tweeking my own computer genealogy program. [Thank you for the wonderful talks Roots Magic!]

While conferences can be pricey with motel reservations, travel expenses and conference prices you cannot beat face to face contact. I honestly have gleaned more sitting at a round table during lunch than in some of the actual classes. You certainly can't beat the friendship. I love you all! BUT under certain circumstances I now realize other avenues can and should be available to the world at large.

Many genealogical conferences offer copies of the class after it is over. But now I am spoiled with live streams and see a future for them at conferences where you pay for a choice of conference sessions.

Maureen Taylor wrote an article about Online Education in The Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly's December 2010 issue. It was an exceedingly helpful reminder to me that being on a forced sabbatical does not mean that I can not continue to grow in my field.

Among her list were free videos that start for beginners and expand to professionals. FamilySearch and Ancestry's Learning Center are two places to begin and with video's there are no time restraints. They are just a click away.

I have always encouraged new researchers, given free consultations and shared documentation balancing it with the business and my personal genealogy. "Random Acts of Kindness" and "paying it forward" by complete strangers shows that humanity is not the ugly world we see on television news shows - thank goodness. These single acts have such power for those that would otherwise not be able to access materials.

A big example of "acts of kindness" is volunteering for indexing at FamilySearch. I sat with tears in my eyes when I found the Hungarian funeral card for my great great grandfather in Budapest listing my Amerian grandfather in bold print as his grandson. Thank you FamilySearch. Sadly I found it to late for my mother to comprehend its significance.

Genealogy has become not only my passion and occupation but now a distraction from the stress that fills the sadness in my life. During this "sabbatical" I am digitizing my personal collection, checking my citations and in some cases looking at family documentation I have not reviewed in many years. Like the cobblers son things were on a back burner while I helped others. Yes, we all need to clean up our own documentation and cite our sources!

Digitized materials can now be shared with each son and grandchild. This includes a medical history for my family. My legacy and my memories handed down so that those that follow will know my love of family past and present.

We never stop learning.

Greenup County Genealogy Conference

Greenup County Genealogy Conference.
"Providing The Keys To Your Past"
March 26 & 27, 2010.
Greenbo Lake State Resort Park.

The 2010 Greenup County Genealogy Conference sounds loaded with information and fun. Greenbo Lake State Resort Park has a beautiful lodge with serene views.

Speakers include, Dr. Dennis, West, Thomas Adkins, Dr. Marshall Myers, James Powers, Pam Pauly and Candy Adkinson.

Two days, great speakers and best of all the registration fee is only $10.00 per person. And rumor has it there are welcome gifts for the first 50 to register!

Information on the agenda, biographies of speakers and the Greenup County Genealogy Society are available at their website. You are just a click away.

[Note: for Firefox users links at the site will not work suggest changing to IE]

Boyd County, Kentucky Genealogy

Boyd County, Kentucky is the gateway to Eastern Kentucky Genealogical and Historical Research.


The county is home to the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society and the quarterly publication Tree Shaker. The Tree Shaker's editor, Jimmie Epling provides readers with a variety of records and family histories for Eastern Kentucky Researchers. Members also share a wealth of information inside its pages. While the internet provides us with a vast amount of material, a subscription to the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society is a big bang for it's little bucks. Membership is just $10.00 per year. You can join by sending dues to: Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society, Inc., APO Box 1544, Ashland, KY 41105-1544.

Boyd County also houses Eastern Kentucky's largest genealogical holdings at the Boyd County Public Library, 1740 Central Avenue, Ashland, KY. Staff members work daily to digitize and make records available to the public. Besides an archives containing original source material, the collection includes vast microfilm holdings for newspapers and vital records. Bound publications are easy to locate and use and include many other states. During what the staff is terming "spring cleaning" they are expanding their shelves for larger and more Virginia and West Virginia materials. Several databases are available at the web site and Judy Fleming's Boyd County, Kentucky Marriage database continues to grow daily.

The Boyd County Master Cemetery Database has been my pet project for many years. It now has searchable capability & we have turned over the digitized photograph collection to the library as well. They are available for viewing in-house. If your questions are not answered after reviewing The Boyd County Cemetery Location Guide [it was a labor of love!] please feel free to contact me concerning any given county cemetery or individual. Remember if you did not locate a person it may be that they have an unmarked grave. One tip that searchers need to know is that Rose Hill Cemetery is not included in the database at this time.

Boyd County, Kentucky was formed in 1860 [KY county #107] from parts of Greenup, Carter and Lawrence County, KY. With pioneer waterway travel, researchers should also look at records across the Ohio, in Lawrence and Scioto County as well as the Big Sandy River and {West} Virginia connections.
Our County was named for Linn Boyd, Lt Governor of Kentucky who died in 1859 shortly after being elected. Boyd Countie's first appointed sheriff was William Williams. John D. Ross the first judge. The John D. Ross Cemetery has undergone some renovations over the past few years.
The Boyd County seat is in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Catlettsburg was laid out in 1849 and incorporated as a town in Greenup County in 1858. Boyd County built the first courthouse in 1861. A new Justice Building opened this past year modernizing the visual look of the main part of town.

I invite you to visit my web site about Boyd County Genealogy as well as information concerning Family Lineage Investigations . You will find a complete reading of Klaiber Cemetery as well as a free copy of a 1902-1906 Blacksmith Ledger with many Boyd county family names mentioned. Just follow the links. Want more information about the author of this blog just click! Please feel free to make suggestions for postings for future blog posts at this site. Let's chat and have a cuppa together!