Halloween Throwback Photos

Below are a series of throwback photos from the 1970s of the White's at Halloween. We used to set up shop and scare the trick-o-treaters on Norwood Avenue.

Brother, father, & myself

Grandpa even got in on the fun!

Father, brother, & myself

Tombstone Tuesday

Below is the front and reverse of an iron tombstone at Our Lady of Angels cemetery in Colonie, New York. This is the first time that I have come across this type of grave marker. Very interesting.

Front: Mader Plot

Reverse

Throwback Thursday : Bailey's Turn

Bailey taking care of Dad, 2005

Wordless Wednesday : 34, 36, & 38 Elizabeth Street

36 Elizabeth Street : Koreman Relative's Home
38 Elizabeth Street : Albert Relative's Home
in 1930s-1950s

Throwback Thursday

Hannah & Dad dancing 

at the

German-American Club of Albany

Father's Day Picnic, 2007

Schuetzenpark

Upcoming Genealogy Program

This notification came to me via Facebook's Capital District Genealogy page.

Capital District Jewish Genealogical Society

presents

"Cemetery Records and Their Importance in Jewish Genealogy"

a talk by Nolan Altman

Board member of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and Coordinator of JewishGen's Worldwide Burial Registry project.

Sunday, October 22, 2017 @ 10 a.m.

Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY

The Golub Center

184 Washington Ave. Extension, Albany

(Just West of Crossgates Mall)

Tombstone Tuesday : August Miggael

August Miggael lot Albany Rural Cemetery, Section 86

August Miggael established Albany's first German language daily evening newspaper, the Albany Freie Blätter, in 1852. His newspaper ceased to exist in 1913. Miggael died the following year at 90 years of age of senility. 

Online Irish Genealogical Websites

Although I blog frequently about German-American topics, I am also Irish! And this post is on five of my favorite FREE Irish websites for tracing my Irish roots. Irish genealogical research can be frustrating at times due to an apparent lack of vital records. Unfortunately Irish genealogical records cannot compete with genealogical records from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, or Germany. Nevertheless, your Irish research can be successful because Irish records for genealogy DO exist. One just needs to know where to find them.

• The National Library of Ireland has Catholic Parish Registers that are fully searchable if you are fortunate enough to know the townland from which your ancestors came. Simply determine what parish was in that townland and then go to that parish. Unfortunately there is no individual name search available on this web page. You will need to scroll through the images. Note: some images are better than others.

• The National Archives of Ireland contains fully searchable census records for the years 1901 and 1911. Also, the Tithe Applotment Books which were compiled between 1823 and 1837 to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. There is a manuscript book for almost every civil (Church of Ireland) parish in the country giving the names of occupiers of each townland, the amount of land held and the sums to be paid in tithes. Because the tithes were levied on agricultural land, urban areas are not included. Unfortunately, the books provide only the names of heads of family, not other family members.

• Ask About Ireland has a fully searchable Griffith's Valuation (GV) online. GV was created 1848 and 1864 to determine liability to the Poor rate for support of poor and destitute within each Poor Law Union. It is a census substitute that details where people lived, what property they possessed, and more.

• IrishGenealogy.ie has Civil Registration Indexes and Register images available for Irish births, deaths, and marriages. Years covered for Non-Catholic marriages are 1845 to 1940; while Catholic marriages begin in 1864. Births range from 1864 to 1915 and the death index from 1864 to 1965. Images for deaths begin at 1891.

• RCB Library has a list of Church of Ireland Parish Registers. The list is very handy and complete. It states what records exist, dates, and where they can be located. There is no search function to examine any records. 

May the luck of the Irish be with you in your genealogical pursuits!

RootsTech 2018 Schedule

For anyone who is interested in the RootsTech 2018 genealogy conference, the schedule is now online. RootsTech 2018 will be held 28 February through 03 March in Salt Lake City. Now you can plan your days in SLC! A link to the schedule is here. To aid in planning your schedule there are filters where you can pick a subject categories and difficulty levels for the courses that are planned. I already have my itinerary planned. While in SLC do not forget to stop at the Family History Center. The FHC has extended hours due to RootsTech 2018.

New Mount Ida Cemetery Project : GoFundMe Page

My friends in Troy, Alysia and Cameron have been working on restoring the New Mount Ida Cemetery, in Troy on Pinewoods Avenue for quiet a few years now. Numerous times they have held gravestone restoration seminars that were led by professional tombstone conservator Joe Ferrannini of Grave Stone Matters. To continue their work and offset costs, they have set up a GoFundMe page. Please check out their fundraising page here. Please contribute to their cause if you are able. It is a worthy cause!

Throwback Thursday : Ambrotype

Recently I discovered what type of photograph a particular photo was. Now this photo was not really a photo as we know them today. For starters one of my grandfather's second cousins had a small square "piece of glass;" but when you put a dark color behind it, voila, an image appears. Almost like an old negative, however the image was very sharp. This type of photograph is known as an Ambrotype. This type of photo first appeared around 1854; its type peaked in popularity between 1856 and 1860, and faded away between 1861 and 1866.

If my recollection is correct, this piece of glass was actually two pieces of "glass" put together with the image sandwiched in between the glass panes. According to PhotoTree.com, this early type of Ambrotype was used from 1855 and 1857.

Michael Behrhof & wife Theresa Franz
Children Magadelena (left) & Stephen (right)
circa 1857

With this new found piece of information I feel confident that I can identify the adults in the photo. My grandfather Joe's grandfather and his cousin Charles' grandfather were siblings. Henry and Charles Koreman, respectively. Now the Koreman brothers married two sisters, Margaret and Magdalena Behrhof. Henry and Margaret did not begin a family until the late 1860s. Charles and Magdalena started their families in the 1870s. So the Ambrotype predates them.

Using my known genealogical data, Magdalena Behrhof was born circa 1854 and her brother Stephen was born circa 1856 to Michael Behrhof and Theresa Franz. The children definitely fit the age range for the Ambrotype time period. And they are the only children born in that vintage in the Koreman / Behrhof lines.

Years ago my grandfather mentioned to me that the family lived in Rondout, New York; just outside of Kingston before coming to Albany. I asked; which family but he did not know. But we knew it was either the Koreman's or the Behrhof's. A few years later, still researching the tree, I ended up at the home of another of my grandfather's cousins, Elizabeth and Florence. They pulled out two photo albums that belonged to their grandfather, Henry Koreman. Between the two albums there must have been at least 60 to 70 photos. Tin types, Carte de Visite, and Cabinet Card photos. The album dated to the 1860s and unfortunately they could not identify very many of the individuals in the photos. On the reverse of two Carte de Visite photos was the name and location of the photographer who took the photos. Now comparing the man in the Ambrotype picture to the man below in the Carte de Viste photo; we believe the man to be the same man.

Photographer: Vallaha, Division Street, Rondout

Below is a photo from Rondout of two unidentified children. Most likely Behrhof children.

Photographer: DJ Auchmoody, Garden & Ferry Streets, Rondout, NY
Most likely Magdalena & Stephen

Now the next photo below was also in Henry Koreman's family album and again we believe him to be the same man from the pictures above. We believe this to be Michael Behrhof, one of my great great great grandfathers, who was an immigrant from Bayern. Part of the reasoning behind this is aside from the Koreman's the common family shared between Charles' ancestors and Elizabeth and Florence's ancestors were the Behrhof's.

Michael Behrhof

Below is a copy of a tin type photo of Magdelena Behrhof as an adult. I see a resemblance. Do you?

Magdalena Behrhof Koreman

Below is Stephen Behrhof.

Annual Forest Park Cemetery Tour

According to the Facebook page for the Forest Park Cemetery, the annual walking tour of the cemetery will be held on Saturday, 21 October 2017 at 1:00 PM. The tour is presented by the Brunswick Town Historian and the Brunswick Historical Society. In the event of rain, please check the Facebook page to see if this event will rescheduled. Parking is not allowed on Pinewoods Avenue. Cemetery gates will be opened at 12:45 PM. The cemetery is located on Pinewoods Avenue in Brunswick across from Banbury Road.

Last year I attended this event and found it very interesting. A link to last year's blog post on this event can be found here. Wear sturdy shoes and dress accordingly. It was very cool during walk last year.

Upcoming Talk on the History of the Albany Fire Department

An upcoming talk on the history of the Albany Fire Department will take place at the Albany Public Library on Washington Avenue. The presentation will be given by City Historian Tony Opalka. Details for the event are below.

Albany Fire Department at 150 Years

Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Time: 5:30pm 7:00pm

Location: Albany Public Library

151 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY, 12210

Join City Historian Tony Opalka for a chat about the paid professional Albany Fire Department's 150 years of service to the Capital City. Hear about some of Albany's fascinating historic fires and the havoc they wreaked on Albany's buildings, citizens, and firemen.

Wordless Wednesday : Hohenburg Coat of Arms

Hohenburg Coat of Arms
Homeland of one of my great great grandmothers
Katharina Schuster

Conference Keeper

A website that I came across recently is ConferenceKeeper.org. The web page has the most complete listing of genealogy conferences throughout the United States and other countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, and the United Kingdom. With this site you will never need to question when and where is next genealogy conference. Simply scroll down and click on the state or country listed and you will see what is coming up in that area. The website has a Blog, Facebook, and Twitter presence. For genealogical societies, submitting an upcoming event is easy and Free. Just click on the submissions tab.

Genealogical Records Restrictions in NYC

Bad news on the horizon. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is proposing a new rule that will restrict access to both birth and death records. If this rule is implemented then New York City birth records will be unavailable for 125 years (1892) and death records held for 75 years (1942). Aside from this being bad for New York researchers, other states and municipalities could follow this plan if New York City is successful.

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society is leading the fight against this. According to the NYG&B, "Genealogists across the country are constantly battling with state and local governments to keep public records easily accessible. We fear that if this proposal succeeds, state and local governments everywhere will attempt to impose similar restrictions in an effort to save themselves time and money. We strongly feel that now is the time for us all to take a stand - if New York City receives a resounding no from the genealogy community, other governments elsewhere will think twice before trying the same thing. 

Anyone - even those outside of New York - can help us in our endeavor. To keep these historical records accessible to the millions who have New York ancestors, we need to mobilize quickly and act decisively.

Visit our Save NYC Vital Records Access page to see how you can help - the deadline for action is October 24, 2017 at 5:00 pm ET. 

What can I do to stop this?

New York City is accepting public comments on the matter until October 24. A big public outcry might just be enough to convince them to drop the idea. Please visit our Save NYC Vital Records Access page to read about everything you can do to help. In short, there are four things: 

1. Send your own public comment: Your individual written comment to the NYC Department of Health matters. Draft your own, or simply download the letter from our website, sign your name, and send it in. 
2. Attend the hearing: There will be a public hearing on this issue on October 24. The NYG&B is gathering as many community members as possible to pack the house and show our support for open access to historical records!
3. Sign our petition: We have prepared our own official public comment that will provide an authoritative and well-reasoned argument in support of our position, and we're inviting anyone with an interest to sign on in support. Click here to read the letter and sign. 
4. Share the news: The key to our success is to mobilize massive numbers of vocal citizens who support our position. Click here for links to Facebook posts, Tweets, and emails that you can share to spread the word. 

Schuyler Family Reunion Weekend

Next weekend a family reunion of sorts is happening. Two of Albany's oldest families, Schuyler and Hamilton, will return to their former home, the Schuyler Mansion. Details are below.

Schuyler Family Reunion Weekend

From: October 13, 2017 - October 15, 2017 (Recurring daily)
Location: Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site
Address: 32 Catherine St, Albany, NY 12202
Phone: 518.434.0834

Schuyler and Hamilton descendants return home to Schuyler Mansion for a weekend that will include historic tours, exhibits, presentations, genealogy and a tour of recent interior / exterior restoration projects at the mansion. Registration includes dinner, box lunch, two receptions and a digital copy of the Schuyler Family Genealogy. This weekend event is open to the interested public (registration is with current membership). For more details, please visit www.schuylerfriends.org.

Capital District Genealogical Society Upcoming Meetings

The Capital District Genealogical Society is hosting two upcoming meetings with interesting speaker topics. The following is from the CDGS web page.

The meeting schedule follows as such:
1:00-2:30 Meeting and Speaker
2:30-3:30 Internet Resources

October 28, 2017
Lisa Dougherty
“10 Essential Websites for Irish Genealogy” 
“There has never been a better time for discovering your Irish ancestors than NOW! The explosion of records and websites on the Internet in recent years has been remarkable for the family historian! Join genealogist-in-residence for the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, Lisa Dougherty, for a practical guide to where you can access these all-important resources for documenting your family story!”

November 18, 2017
Susan R. Miller
New York Records Online, Including New Developments
New York has a reputation for being a genealogical challenge. We’ll look at the resources that are foundational for New York, and then look at the online records and new developments making it easier.

Sue Miller is the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Director of Programs; editor of the NYG&B’s magazine the New York Researcher; a managing editor of the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer; and has researched her New England and New York families for more than 20 years.

CDGS meetings are held at the Sanford Library (address below) on the fourth Saturday of each month; except for May when it is held on the third Saturday. There is no meeting in December.

William K. Sanford, Town of Colonie Library
629 Albany Shaker Road
Loudonville, N.Y. 12211

At the New York State Library:

The Capital District Genealogical Society maintains a genealogy support desk at the Library. This is operated by our volunteers who are on duty Monday - Friday.

Contact information for CDGS:

Captial District Genealogical Society
Empire State Plaza Station
PO Box 2175
Albany, New York 12220-0175

Oakwood Cemetery Program

The following article came to me today from the Rensselaer County Advertiser newspaper.

Living History Tour: Oakwood By Lantern Light
Saturday, October 14 - 6PM- $15pp

The dead come to life in Oakwood Cemetery as our guides lead you to selected gravesites on this special nighttime walking tour. In the glow of lantern light, costumed interpreters will share the stories of their amazing lives and in some cases their harrowing deaths. You will meet a Civil war soldier, a drowning victim, a suffragette, the wife of a national figure and many more. This is not a "haunted" tour, but it is sure to be a mesmerizing adventure.

Registration is a must. Call 1.800.556.6273 with your name, phone, and how many people. Pay on arrival at the chapel flagpole where you will be assigned to a group and guide. Bring a flashlight, war sensible footwear and dress for the weather. Arrive early so you don't miss anything.

This event is presented by the Friends of Oakwood, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the not-for-profit, non-sectarian 19th Century cemetery and its historic Earl Chapel.

RootsTech 2018

RootsTech, what is it? It is the world's largest genealogy conference. It is hosted yearly in Salt Lake City by FamilySearch of the Church of Latter Day Saints. I have been reading about this conference for a number of years now and I can say "I'm going!" Registration for the event, done! Hotel room, got it! Airline tickets, booked! Needless to say I am excited and look forward to this event. Last year 30,000 attendees from 43 different countries were present.

Presently there is an early bird registration special for $169. I do not know how long that price will last. With over 300 sessions to choose from, a full lineup of world renown speakers, expo hall, and much more there will be something for anyone interested in genealogy.

RootsTech 2018 will be held 28 February through 03 March at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Register early and save. With a large turnout expected, do not wait too long, hotel rooms will fill fast.

New York Chapter of Palatines to America Meeting

This Saturday 07 October 2017 the New York Chapter of Palatines to America will be holding a meeting in Schoharie, NY at the Quality Inn. The guest speaker for the event will be Christopher White. He will discuss the effects of World War I on Albany's German-American community.

The meeting will be held at the
Quality Inn
160 Holiday Way
Schoharie, New York 12157.

Schedule of Events:
08:30 Registration and continental breakfast
09:00 New York Chapter Board meeting
10:00 Speaker: German-American Experience in Albany During World War I
11:00 Report on the International Germanic Genealogy Conference in Minneapolis
12:00 Lunch at the Quality Inn
13:00 New York Chapter Membership meeting
14:00 Tour of the Palatine House Museum in Schoharie

Registration for the continental breakfast, hot lunch, and programs:
Member $35
Non-members $40