How Do You Say Goodbye to your Genealogy Research? This is What I Did.

I don't remember who I got this photo from, I've had it for over 25 years. The minute I received it, I knew I had to locate the tombstone of my 5th great-grandfather, Hendrick Schrambling. (My blog with photos.). This photo set me on the trail to research this family, it led me from New York to Michigan.

Two weeks ago, I contacted one of my favorite distant cousins related through this line. His line ended in Oklahoma, mine in Michigan. After much thought, I knew it was time to put some of my 32-year-old research to rest, so I wrote him, "I have decided to part with these papers and more of the early family...but I can't just toss them. What I would like to do is send it to you, ha and you can do as you please. As you probably know, we have spent many hours and days on this line. The project of my going over each piece of paper will take weeks, and I look forward to it." Unfortunately, he turned me down because he has his own stuff and nobody in his family is interested in genealogy! Oh no. Since he is the only one I've communicated with in years on this line, I decided to share some of what I have and then just toss them. Nobody has contacted me about this line in over ten years, even though I have written articles about the family in my blog. Years ago, a Schrambling cousin did a list of all the spellings for this name and I'm sharing it to peak some interest.

Schraembling, Schramblin, Scramlin, Schramling, Schrembling, Schremeling, Schremle, Schrambling, Scrainlin, Scramblin, Scrambling, Scramlin, Scranlin, Scranling, Scremlin, Scrimile, Shramlin, Shramling

The best way to show what I have is to take photos.

Below are sources from various people and a few of mine. The purpose of doing this is to reach out to any Scrambling cousins who might have an interest. A brief description is below each photo.

• 

• My good friend Eileen Wood of Las Vegas put her information in a  newsletter for all subscribers to receive, I think I received 6-7 issues. The newsletter was quite a professional piece of work. She had charts, color photos and the names of all remembers (middle picture), I am listed as #2. She even sent me a DVD of her tree. The third pile consists of information from two sisters (one from NH and the other from FL) who took a journey to follow Hendrick's path from New York (West Camp, Oneonta, Canajoharie Creek in the Mohawk Valley, Stone Arabia) to Climax, Michigan. One sister had terminal cancer and it was her wish to make this trip Her husband did the driving. Soon after the trip, I went to Concord, NH to visit her sister, Laura, and got a copy of everything. They had a great time.

• 

Photos of a binder with information about the Schremblings of Canajohaare and other data by Joyce Rideinger took the photos, wrote about her line, and added  additional information; the middle photos are from my visit to two Oneonta cemeteries with my husband and met a friend, Sandy Goodspeed, who located all the stones before I arrived, and one of the early books I used to find "Schraemling, Henrich (9) and his wife Maria Elisabeth with 5 children." The book is often referred to as the Simmendinger Register.

• The first chart is in three pieces, and the second is showing a bit of detail. I received them from Peter or Lary Scramlin of Washington state over 20 years ago. The top sheet, peace together is 83"long, and 42" wide. They were very hard to handle. I hope to locate him to return them. UPDATE: I JUST LOCATED THE SON OF THE PERSON WHO MIGHT HAVE DONE THIS. We had a nice chat and knew a lot about the family especially since he lives in the county where the family lived for almost 200 years. I'm sending this report to him.

The Six-page legal-size will of Hendrick Schrambling is dated Feb. 24, 1808.  The top report on the right is a Family Map of 17 pages showing where the Scramblings lived in the United States and Canada. I prepared this in 2006. The bottom report of 16 pages is very detailed. I got this from Eileen, the writer of the newsletter. It was done by her mother.

The first row in order, consists of several pieces of correspondence to me, back when I used AOL in 2001; the middle pile has four pages with 17 different sources for Hendrick Schrambling that I did and shared; the third pile is 83 pages of the Descendants of Hendrick Schrambling. The bottom lineage report was from Wendell Scramlin of Climax, Michigan.

Another chart was sent to me on two legal-size sheets of paper drawn by Harvey Baker of Florida (no date). The bottom row has a part of the pile of DAR applications I got when I visited the DAR in 2001. The middle is a very detailed summary report, dated 1990 and the last is also an old report (no idea who I got these two things from).



I was given this photocopy of a group of Scrambling / Scramlin / etc. descendants who got together 20+ years ago in the New York State Library to meet and share information. Cousins Larry and Helen are on the right. The other photo is too dark to see anything. The chart above the photo indicated the lineage they have from Hendrick Scrambling.


I'm giving credit to all those who helped me over the years. They either shared their information, went to Libraries for obits, or took cemetery photos in states I've never been to, like Michigan.


Eileen Wood, Frances Fagan, Joyce Riedinger, Larry Scramlin, Joyce Riedinger, Helen Burkett, Sandy Goodspeed, Joyce Luscomb, David Rumery, Gary Hanna, Brenda Glover Leyndyke, Sharonii Roberts, Linda Herrell, and Ted Metscher. Four are now deceased. I've only met two, they are Brenda Leyndyke from MI and Sandy Goodspeed from NY. Nine in this group have a Scrambling in their tree.

What Does a Family History Center Look Like?

The entrance to the Family History Center
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
110 Concord Street, Nashua, New Hampshire

Recently, I read that one of my long-time genealogy facebook friends had never been to a Family History Center (FHC), and that got me thinking about the one I used to spend many, many days in. That thought prompted me to drive to Nashua, New Hampshire and re-visit it. This is the only local FHC I've been in, so I don't know what the others are like in the United States. Per Wikipedia, "As of 2018, there are more than 5,100 FHCs in 140 countries.^"To enter this center, drive around the church (shown above), park in the large lot, and walk through the double doors, as shown below.

Since there are many Family History Centers in the United States, why not contact one, if you are interested in learning how to do genealogy through a free class or just to get help. For Massachusetts there are 10 sites, the link is:
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Category:Massachusetts_Family_History_Centers

To enter the Nashua center, drive around the church (shown above), park in the large lot, and walk through the double doors, as shown below.

About 21 years ago, the center was in an ordinary strip mall, where the church rented space for their FHC. I especially liked the location, because it was only five miles away. After a period, the church made space for the FHC and allotted two rooms for researchers.

I've met some nice volunteers there, and became friendly with one, a certified genealogist, whom helped me for many years. The center was often crowded, so there were often wait times. The front room had desks, tables, copy machine, printers and computers (very few people had their own computer, but if they did, they weren't laptops). The back room was quite dark because it was where the microfilm readers were housed. I don't recall how many there were were, my guess is nine. Over the years, they would break, and they weren't repaired. Since those days, I made several trips to the largest FHC, the one in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I never returned to Nashua.

Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the center five minutes after it opened. The front room looked pretty much the same, but the computer screens were large. There were two researchers already there, and two other people. I told them who I was and that I wanted to take some photos for this post. I noticed that the back room was blocked, and I was told, the church needed the space and the FHC didn't because so much is on the internet. I looked in the file cabinet and saw many rows of microfilm for Italy and United States. These were rented by a patron for a particular period to use at this center.

When you enter the FHC, you should sign in, as shown below.

Book cases and file cabinet at the back of the room blocking the door to the former room. Nice restrooms are out the door beside the tan file cabinet (below).

Rented microfilm.

Permanent collection of fiche.

Looking towards the front door, and below on the right is the door that leads out to this hall, and the restrooms.

Please see their website for detailed information, including hours, phone number, a link for the directions and a schedule of upcoming workshops, all free. https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Nashua_New_Hampshire_Family_History_Center#Center_Contacts_and_Hours

Their next workshop is:

Genealogy Basics: Basic Internet Research

Details:

• Open to the Public
• Date: September 22, 2018, at 11am
• Repeats on September 25, 2018, at 7pm
• Where: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 110 Concord Street, Nashua, New Hampshire, in the Family History Center
• Cost: Free

This workshop will review basic internet searches for genealogical purposes including online trees, region searches, general genealogical informational searches, using social media for genealogical collaboration, finding information in genealogical online encyclopedias (wikis), available genealogical research websites and how to conduct successful online searches for information.

Feel free to bring your own device and stay after the class to try out your new skills!

--------------------------------------------------------

From my past, I'm  sharing my last page (of 7) of a 1995 International Genealogical Index (IGI) for my Bishop surname. I had seven pages of Bishops from New Haven.

I have decided not to use the Comment feature for my blog. If you would like to leave a comment for me or ask a question, please write me at my email: BarbaraPoole@Gmail.com. Thank you.

My reason is because since November 2017 to May 2018, I received no comments, but upon investigating I found that I had indeed received 167 legitimate ones and 1,000 were in the spam folder. Google Blogger had made some changes that I was unaware of. Please be aware that I do not know who reads my blog, I may know who subscribes, but that is all.

The NARA in Boston (Waltham) Sure Has Changed, What Else is New?

In October 2016 I paid a visit to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Waltham, MA (aka known as Boston). Below are photos of the big changes and new new event.

New room to the left, old room to the right.

The new in this article is described above.

For complete information for this Free Virtual Genealogy Fair

by the National Archives and Records Administration

see schedule here for October 26th and 27th, 2016.

https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair

Research area, with computers, I believe I saw only two microfilm readers on the side and two researchers working together.

No more Saturdays! It used to be the busiest day, and people had a limit of two hours if it was very busy.

This was the research room. It was filled with 5 or more rows of microfilm readers (NARA employee and I guessed 40) plus a few microfilm printers. And, a large number of cabinets with hundreds or more rolls of microfilm. The center of this room had a few tables, a copy machine and cabinets on each side, all containing censuses for 1790, 1800, 1810 and so forth. They had all the New England censuses for all the years, and for some of the states, but I'm not sure if all were there.

This facility had a friendly staff, and I got to know Bill Read and Cindy pretty well, along with Walter. I first started going here in 1995, at least twice a month because it was closer than NEHGS. In addition I found my Revolutionary War patriot's pension file there.

Around 2008 (give or take), I went and was surprised to see a table in the center of the room with about 5 computers, all loaded with Ancestry. I was told I could use that for the year I was interested in. I didn't, just left and never returned because I was an Ancestry subscriber, and realized there was no need to be there, other than to get a nice hard copy. Fast forward to yesterday, when I paid them a visit because I wanted to use their vending machine! I was totally surprised to see the room empty and other changes, including a security door locked in the hallway leading to the lunchroom where the vending machines were. Researchers now have no access to the lunchroom.

I chatted a bit with the one staff person at the main desk, about all the changes. He suggested I take the flyers and said I could scan them and post to my blog, which I will do in a day or two. NOTE: Copies of some of the Reference Quick Guides may be seen HERE.

He asked me to come back and do some research (they subscribe to all the genealogy databases), and I said I would. And, I will, when I'm in the area with some genealogy with me. I rather liked being in my part-time second home again.

 Main hall with information pamphlets. The research room is to the left of the red sign. Old room was straight ahead.

Main entrance to the:

NARA

380 Trapilio Road

Waltham, MA 02452

1-866-406-2379

boston.archives@nara.gov

Tombstone Tuesday -- Before and After for Schramling or Scramlin

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I got this photo from, I've had it for over 11 years, and the minute I saw it, I knew I had to locate the tombstone of my ancestor. That was no easy task until I met my friend Sandy in 2001.

Without a cemetery name, I wasn't sure where to begin, so I turned to a message board for Oneonta, New York, and fortunately received a reply from Sandy, who knew where it was. I spent far more time worrying about how I was going to find the cemetery than it took to connect with her. Our corresponding took place during March, and with snow on the ground in upstate New York, she had to wait until it melted before she could go and see it again.  And, I had to wait.  Before long, she made a quick trip and reported back to me with the details.

Once summer came, my husband and I took a weekend research trip to Cooperstown, Canajoharie, Fonda, and Oneonta, New York. We met Sandy in Oneonta, who took us to two cemeteries, where my ancestors were buried.  The first is the of Henry Scrambling.  My photos show a very hidden cemetery, within a grove of trees, I would never have found it, without help.

Henry Schramling was my 5th great-grandfather.

Born:  Bef. 1745, Canajoharie, Montgomery Co., New York

Died:  Bet. February 24, 1808 - June 22, 1810, Oneonta, Otsego Co., New York

This is the same family I wrote about in November, in my Scrambled Eggs post.  Even in the original cemetery photo, somebody wrote the surname as Schramling AND Scramlin.

The 5 photos below were taken by my cousin, Susie Hull on March 6, 2016.

The cemetery as shown by Google Earth.