Salt Lake, Research Report, Day 1 and 2.

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Two days at the library, 9 hours the first day, 7 to 8 the second, lunch break a nice hour each day. First day, short orientation film and greeting from some of the volunteers. Then we were let loose on the place.  Becky is currently getting a lot of “nope, they are not here” results, but, she never has to look again in those resources.

I started with vital records, trying to grab images of documents to replace the “index” data I currently have. The digital copiers are really neat, some learning curve time, but, I love not having to print to paper and just saving the files, digitially. Lots of choices, dpi choices, format choices, want PDF, got it, want TIFF, got it. You can even print to a flash drive (which is what I have been doing) or to paper (nope, not doing) and, I discovered today, that I can actually email those docs to myself right from the scanner. I like that! WAHHOOO.

The entire process, finding the film in ALL those stacks, finding the document you want to copy, getting the document all nice and pretty on the digital scanner, printing (or digital printing to the flash drive), returning the film to the proper drawer in ALL those stacks, well, it takes longer than I thought it might. Having to refile the films takes up a hunk of time I was not counting on. But, I did find a trick to that process, which has cut down the time involved, a very good thing.

I had reason to go to the 3rd floor to visit books, not family history books, those are on the main floor, these are like US county books and who knows what else??? I walked out of the elevator and went, WOW and more WOW!! But, found it to be well organized and found my book in just a short time. I want to spend more time up there! WOOOOOEEE!!

I started with a 9 page, 30 item, rough, to do list for SLC, and I also had a 3 page, 21 item, rough, to do list for LDS, which I was using at my local Family History Center, which was easily converted to SLC, eh?? LOL

I have ticked off, or Xxed off maybe 3 to 4 pages of the combined lists so far. Going slower than I had thought it might, but, have had some fun in the research. I have, of course, gone on a tangent or two, researching by the seat of my pants. I was looking for a marriage record, and ended up pulling the record, another record for it, and even the church record. Along the way, I pulled an index and found a birth record that I had no date for.

So far, I have found:

Marriage date of Anna Buss to Mr. Otto, oh, and he is now officially Albert Otto!

Marriage date of Anna Buss Otta to Clarence Lashbrook.

Bonus: decided to look at the marriage, birth and death indexes for Cerro Gordo County Iowa, in poor attempt to find Anna’s parents, and instead found the birth data for her daughter with hubby Clarence Lashbrook. Lucile, you were born, according to the records, on 28 February 1902. So nice to know when you were born.

Lucile's birth record, edited, cropped, and whatever, to get into format I
can share with you.  Lucile born Feb 28, mother Anna Buss, father, Clarence Lashbrook.

Several deeds were copied, land transferred to Edward Dews, Princess Anne County, Virginia, early dates, 1858, etc.  Been wanting those deeds for years.

Edward P. Fox, got your death certificate, and after quite the search, discovered where you were buried, and WHAHOOOO, the 'find of the day', your wife, Jennie Loing, is buried there too. Cemetery card has her as Jennie Loing, wife of Edward P. Fox, filed under “L”. Wahhooo, again, there is Jennie’s death date. Time to make an entry on Find A Grave and find out if you two have headstones! And, is that your daughter-in-law I also found in the records?? And, where is your son?? Oh, and, I now have your marriage record too! So there! LOL  (Jennie's death certificate was not found because she died 1955, and the records available to me here in SLC stop in 1954.)

I have copies of at least 4 death certificates and at least 2 marriages. No new discoveries, but, I have the image of the documents, PROOF. Hear me giggle?? Ya, I know you do.

Probate file I wanted to copy, 1931, records stop in 1927. Rats.  If I really want it, I will have to order it from the county clerk.

Another probate file I was able to access may have upset my data base some. At least one gal looks to be the daughter of another Oakley, and her daddy is not Abraham. This has been a difficult line to search, and I am still not sure I am even researching the RIGHT line. But, this gal, I am pretty sure, she is not the daughter of Abraham. SIGHHH. The data base is gonna need some work, eh??

At this rate, it will be another week before I get through the short to do lists I had ready. Those tangents sure can suck up the time, but, ohhh, sometimes the results are so so so worth it!


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