When the Indexing Fails, Change Up Your Search Parameters.

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I searched for Arthur more than once in the data set that should have contained his death certificate.  

However, the indexing was just failing.  Even just the last name and a year failed.  

And in a moment of brilliance or madness, I decided to try his given name and the death year.  I was surprised when the search engine allowed such a search, many will not allow a search unless there is a surname.  

Guess what, it was indexed/transcribed wrong.  I was glad I tried the unusual search.

Hennedy was the indexing.  Kennedy is the name.  They managed to get it right on his wife's name, just not his.  

I submitted a correction. 

I knew it was there, how to free it from the indexing horrors was the challenge.

After several attempts, I beat the system at it's own game.  

Tenacity and creativity for the win.

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Civil War Pension Index, It's Not All Civil War

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

So, you have a Civil War Pension Index card, but, the dates of service are not those of someone serving during the Civil War??

I accessed this set from Fold3 (as part of my Ancestry dot com subscription).  

It's called:  Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900.  Found here.    Part of the description page tells us:

"This publication contains index cards for pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1900, including wars other than the Civil War."

I have seen a similar card for Arthur, yep, I have 2.  This one shows a stamp indicating "War with Spain".  The other card does not show that stamp.  

It never hurts to look at a data set even if you think the time frame is off kilter.  In this case I thought something was amiss.  Nope, it was just fine and yep, it was the ancestor I was researching. I came away with a new understanding of the data set.  Good stuff.

* Refer to my Disclaimers page here at Reflections.  Fold3 is part of my subscription at Ancestry dot com.

**No guarantees are made by this blogger that any links will remain active.  

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That Last Cell Phone Photo, March 2020

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

There is a meme going round Facebook these days, what was your last photo on your cell phone as we shut down one year ago?  I had actually downloaded this to the computer, but, it was taken WITH the cell phone!  LOL

This was taken in Wickenburg, just a day or so before we ran for the Sedona/Cottonwood/Camp Verde area.  The Camp Verde area choice felt like the safest seeing that we were so far from home (about 2000 miles) and the weather could still threaten and the availability of open anything was so questionable.  You may remember they were closing rest areas.  No one knew if there would be fuel available, stores were already out of TP, medical gloves and disinfectant wipes.  Propane was already hard to obtain. No one had much knowledge of "masks". 

One night, late, Man and I seriously considered trying to make a run for it, but, the unknowns were so high and really, scary, we decided to stay put. Better a known and a campground with facilities than out on the road with no fuel, questionable temperatures and weather conditions.  Frankly folks, I ain't that brave.

We felt sorta safe in this restaurant because the booths had high backs and each was like it's own little room.  Ya, I know, seems bizarre now.  That said, we were already unnerved by what we were hearing.  And, that said, ya, it still caught us shocked and surprised a few days later.

SOOO, this was in a restaurant, seems it may have been the last meal IN a restaurant in 2020.

I thought it was a cute idea to show off photos or paper artifacts.  No matter how hard I tried I could not dim those lights reflecting and shining back at me.  LOL  But, we get the idea.

It was March 8th.

Within the week I was sure our world had just turned topsy-tervy and nothing would be the same again. Funny, I accepted it without hysteria.  Just the facts mam?  SIGH

* Remember check my Disclaimers page.  I use Facebook as an individual, it is a free service.  Sir Winston also has a page there, which I tend to.  I also admin a few groups there.  

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World War I Pledge Card

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

One of the little joys of research is finding new data sets and having your person of interest appear in same.

Case in point, from FamilySearch dot org, this data set:

Iowa, Black Hawk County, Waterloo, World War I Pledge Cards 

Which is described, in part:

"This collection includes index and images of donation pledge cards from Waterloo families who donated to war bond drives supporting the nation during World War I."

Here is one I found, it may be the only one I find, and frankly, it took referencing the fine help pages at FamilySearch dot org to figure out what I was looking at.  30 years of research and I do not remember seeing a document like this. One can always learn.  I had heard of pledges, had not seen anything like this.  

How fun!

Harry Frisbey, who, by the way, is also found in record sets as William H. Makes researching a challenge.  (His elder brother is even more of a challenge, and they also have a sibling Harold. FUN stuff I tell you.)

* Check out the Disclaimer Page here at Reflections.  I use FamilySearch dot org in my research, it is a free site.

** The help page for this data set is found here. 

*** The search page for the data set is found here.

**** No guarantees are made by this blogger that any links will remain active.  

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Luther Dews, Cleaning Files Fun, OR, Lookie What I Found

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I have to laugh when a friend complements me on being organized.  If they only could see my messy computer files. I am trying, one more time to clean up disasters, err, my computer files.

The other day as I was working in the data base I found this in Luther's text file.  Frankly, honestly, and embarrassingly, I could not remember what in the world this meant.  Shame on me.

Luther Dews

 in the U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939

Name: Luther Dews

Departure Date: 17 May 1918

Departure Place: Newport News, VA

Address: 549 Chapel St

Residence Place: Norfolk VA

Father: Robert L Dews

Ship: Madawaska

Rank: Private

Service Number: 2471949

Notes: Company B, 319th Infantry, 80th Division

Today I found the image for this tidbit.  It was buried on my hard drive, deep in the dark recesses of what I laughingly call, organized file structure. I have digitally edited the image somewhat, removing a number of names,  I have maintained the original full octane version of the file, but, not on my data base.  I downsize images there so as to save storage room in the data base.  It used to be more important to do that, not so much these days with the cheaper storage we have available.  

Anywayyyyyyyy - - here it is - - - Luther is number 92.  I like that it names his father and home address.

The collection is from Ancestry dot com, I located the description here.   Part of the description of the data set is:

"The U.S. Army Transport Service (ATS) was established in 1899 as part of the Army Quartermaster Department. It was originally created to manage the transport of troops and cargo on Army ships that travelled between U.S. and overseas ports during the Spanish-American War. During World War I, the Quartermaster Corps managed the Army's deepwater fleet."

* Please remember to check my Disclaimers page and the fact that I pay for my use of the web site Ancestry dot com.