Issue 48--Your Own Migration Trail

I'm putting the final touches on issue 48, loosely titled "establishing your own migration trail." It should be ready for proofing tomorrow, so it'll be a little while before it goes out. If you're not on our subscription list, subscribe now and get in on the fun.

Subscribing by US Mail?

Casefile Clues is sent electronically, but if you'd rather subscribe with a check or money order, that is fine.

An annual subscription is $17 for 52 issues of Casefile Clues.

Payment can be sent to:

Michael John Neill
Casefile Clues
PO Box 108
Rio, IL 61472-0108

Checks, etc. should be made payable to Michael John Neill.
Your email address should be printed clearly and legibly.

That's it!

Thanks.

Benjamin Butler in 1880?

Issue 47 located the likely 1870 census enumeration for Ellen Butler, wife of the elusive Ira Sargent.

This census entry in 1880 appears to be the family in Drywood Township, Vernon County, Missouri.

There are a few inconsistencies when comparing this 1880 census entry to the apparent census entry for the family, but we'll look at those in an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues in the next month or so. I'm trying to give readers a break from Ira and Ellen (Butler) Sargent, but I've been making breakthroughs on their family recently and it's hard not to share them.

Subscribe now and get in on the fun and the discovery.

Renewal notices sent

Renewal notices went out for subscriptions that end in July.

Thanks for your support of Casefile Clues.

If you aren't certain when your subscription ends--email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Redwood City, CA [San Mateo County] 6 November 2010

This was copied and pasted from the society's page--visit for more details.

Fall Seminar

Saturday, November 6, 2010, 9am-3:15pm

Location: Menlo Park LDS Church

Speaker: Michael John Neill

Lecture Topics

• Where Did the Farm Go?
• Pig Blood In the Snow: Court Records Can Solve Problems
• Where Could It Be Written
• Researching the Entire Family

Oklahoma, Kansas City--July 2010

24 July 2010

I will be giving a seminar in Norman, Oklahoma, on 24 July for the Cleveland County, Oklahoma Genealogical Society. The flyer for the Cleveland County, Oklahoma Genealogical Society seminar on 24 July can be downloaded here as a PDF file.

30-31 July 2010

I will be making presentations at the Family History Expo in Kansas City, Missouri:

• Establishing Your Own Migration Trail
• Pig Blood in the Snow
• Finding UFO Ancestors
• 100 Acres, A Mortgage, and 3 Sisters

Please come up and introduce yourself if you are a newsletter reader.

If you'd like me to present at your workshop or seminar, please contact me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Back Issues, Missing Issues, New Subscribers, etc.

All requests for back issues and subscriptions received as of yesterday have been processed. If you have ordered something and have not received it yet, please email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com so I can take care of it.

Past topics are here http://blog.casefileclues.com/2010/05/back-issues-1-42.html

And if you've haven't ordered back issues, consider doing so-there's information on the page above.

And if you aren't a subscriber, consider that too!

Issue 47 sent

Issue 47 has been sent to subscribers. If you haven't yet started your own subscription to Casefile Clues, do so today and I'll start your subscription off with issue 47, which discusses my reasons why I think an 1870 census enumeration is for the "right" person even though things aren't all that clear.

If you'd like all the back issues and a subscription, you can use the link on this page for $35 which was originally for issues 1-46 and a year, but I'll proess these today as 1-47 and a year after that. I just don't want to re-make the PayPal link.

If you need alternate payment options, email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com

Thanks!

Know Someone Who Might Be Interested in Casefile Clues?

Do you know someone who might be interested in Casefile Clues? Feel free to let them know about the newsletter or send them to either of the websites http://www.casefileclues.com or http://blog.casefileclues.com.

Spreading the word really helps and keeps the budget low and our subscription costs down.

Thanks!

Sample Copies of Casefile Clues

Don't forget that sending an email to samples@casefileclues.com will get you instructions on downloading two copies of what some have called the "best genealogical bargain on the internet."

And until I get settled in my hotel in Loveland, CO for the Family History Expo, we're offering a year of Casefile Clues for only $15--via this page. When that page is down you can still subscribe at the normal rate of $17--still pretty cheap!

Back issue subscription Combination Discount!

It has been called the "best genealogical bargain around"--now get Casefile Clues at a discount rate while Michael is at the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado.

Get all back issues (1-46) and a year of Casefile Clues (52 issues) at a special rate of $35. This represents a $5.50 savings!

Topics can be viewed here, but come back to this blog post to get the discount rate link.

Regular subscription rate is $17.00.

Back Issue Purchase Options for those who don't want the whole set, or who recently subscribed:

• Issues 1-10 for $5.50
• Issues 11-20 for $5.50
• Issues 21-30 for $5.50
• Issues 31-40 for $5.50
• Issues 41-43 for $1.50
• Back issues 1-46 for 23.50

Blog Reviews of Casefile Clues:

• DearMyrtle
• Dick Eastman
• Midwestern Microhistory
• AnceStories
• Reclaiming Kin
• GeneaMusings
• GeneaBloggers
• GenBlog
• Notes that Matter
• BellaOnline

Issue 46 sent

PDF subscribers should have 46 in their inbox.

Ira Sargent's Likely Father-in-law

Ira Sargent and his family won't be mentioned in Casefile Clues for a while, but that doesn't mean I'm not working on him.

This is the entry from page 8 of Soap Creek Township, Davis County, Iowa, for the Ellen Butler that very likely is Ira's wife. The question is where to go next on Benjamin who appears to be her likely father.

Ideas can be posted as responses here or as replies to this post on facebook. I might not have time to reply individually to suggestions, but an upcoming issue will discuss where I'm headed on this family. This is a family where the research is actually in progress, so I really don't know the answer.

Subscribe now and get in on the fun when we have an update.

We are catching up...

I'll be maintaining a minimal online presence until I am caught up with the writing for Casefile Clues.

Subscriptions will still be processed and will start with the last issue distributed at the time of subscription. We'd love to have you join us for what many say is a great genealogical bargain.

I'll be at the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado. Look me up.

Jamboree Discount on Casefile Clues

This discount has expired.

Subscriptions can be processed at the normal rate here.

Still Playing Catchup

Travel schedules have Casefile Clues running a little bit behind. We will catch up during the month of June and I appreciate everyone's patience.

We have some interesting topics coming up and I got some really good feedback on the newsletter at the Genealogy Jamboree in Southern California.

New Subscribers and Back Issue Orders Processed

As of 11:00 a.m. central time, all new subscribers and back issue orders have been processed.

If you have not received yours, please email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

And if you haven't subscribed, considering joining us now.

The Ship That Goes With the Trunk

I wrote about this trunk briefly almost ten years ago when I got it.

Hopefully if there's a little spare time this summer, I'll give another go at finding Altje in a passenger list.

She would have immigrated in the late 1860s-early 1870s. The name on the trunk is Ahltie F. Goldenstein--actually Altje.

Her destination of Keokuk Junction, Ills. is stamped on the trunk as well.

A wonderful piece.

Altje's brother Focke Goldenstein was my great-great-grandfather. She married Hinrich Schuster in Adams County, Illinois.

Hopefully we'll have an update in a future issue of Casefile Clues.

Readers are welcome to try their hand at locating her in the passenger lists at Ancestry.com and elsewhere. It's been several years since I really looked for her and maybe something has been re-indexed or corrected in the interim.

Is Your Email Box Full, Spam allowing Casefile Clues, etc.?

Several subscribers have bounced emails with the past issue. Please make certain that mjnrootdig@gmail.com and michael.john.neill@gmail.com are on your allowed list to get your newsletters.

And if you aren't a subscriber, why not subscribe now?

Plan was a Success!

It doesn't always work this way, but the plan outlined in the last issue of Casefile Clues was a success.

The image in this post is the marriage record of the elusive Ira Sargent. We'll explain it in the next issue and indicate where the research will go from here. Subscribe now and see how it was found and what's next!

We'll include a complete citation to the record in Casefile Clues as well.

Issue 45 out to PDF subscribers

Issue 45 of Casefile Clues has been sent to PDF subscribers. A few of you have full email boxes.....

Topic for Issue 45--Organizing My Search for Ira

Regular Casefile Clues readers know that I'm looking for the parents of my Ira Sargent, born ca. 1843 in Canada.

Issue 45 discusses my new approach to Ira based upon records discussed in previous issues. The issue includes charts organizing my search, why specific records from the Family History Library was searched, and why certain approaches were put lower on the level of priority.

Issue 46 will discuss the results of my search and where the research will proceed from there. After issue 46, we'll leave Ira alone for awhile unless readers would like me to attempt to obtain copy of his records from the mental institution in Illinois where he was a resident from ca. 1906 until his death in 1916.

If you'd like to see those records, comment to this post or email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Subscribe now and get in on the fun and the discovery.

Welcome to Our New Subscribers from Cyndislist Fan Page

Cyndi of Cyndislist fame offered a discount on Casefile Clues on her fan page on Facebook. I'd like to welcome those new subscribers to the Casefile Clues family.

To let them know, and as a reminder to our other subscribers:

• Casefile Clues is normally distributed on Sunday or Monday--for the next few weeks we are on an irregular distribution schedule until we get caught up, but each issue is numbered, so you'll know if you've missed one or not.
• Please share the word about Casefile Clues with other genealogists--click of mouse advertising is highly effective and easy on our budget.
  

There's still a little time to get the Cyndislist Fan Page discount--become a fan of Cyndi's List on Facebook and the link should be right there. Just search for "cyndi's list" and not "cyndislist".

Thanks!

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

I'll be speaking at the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree on Friday and Saturday--be certain to introduce yourself if you are in attendance. Be certain to let your friends know that we'll be offering a discount to Jamboree attendees so pick up a flyer on the freebie table, see me after a lecture, or visit me when I'm in the author signing area.

ACPL discount for Casefile Clues Readers

Today (until mid-night Tuesday 8 June 2010), Casefile Clues readers can sign up for my ACPL (Allen County Public Library) Research Trip at a $20.00 discount. To get the discounted rate ($105), payment must be made in full by using this link for secure payment processing.

There is more information on our Ft. Wayne Library Research Trip (11-15 August 2010) on this blog page.

Questions can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com

Thanks--we'd love to have you join us in Ft. Wayne!

Looking for a Proofreader

Casefile Clues is looking for a new proofreader. We are still in the growth stages and can only offer experience, the opportunity to increase your genealogical and citation skills, and the chance to work for a genealogical publication that is new, growing, and striving to meet a need not currently being met in the genealogical industry.

Necessary qualifications:

• Good written English skills
• Experience with citations in the spirit of Evidence Explained
• Broad genealogical research experience and knowledge
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word

Questions can be addressed to Michael John Neill at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

New Free Sample Copy of Casefile Clues

If it's been a while since you took a look at Casefile Clues, we've posted a new sample issue at

http://www.casefileclues.com/sample2.pdf

we don't always write about Germans--our focus is on the method.

Cherylsgenealogy mentions Casefile Clues

Cheryl at www.cherylsgenealogy.com gave a nice shoutout to Casefile Clues today. Those who want to see what she had to say can view the specific post here.

Thanks, Cheryl.

Issue 44 out to all subscribers

Issue 44 is out to all subscribers. If you didn't get your issue, please accept my apologies and let me know. One or two might have accidentally slipped through the cracks with my travels over the past week and a half.

Sometimes I respond to subscriber issues via email on my cellphone, but can't really fix the problem until I get to an actual computer and occasionally by the time that happens the email has gotten buried under emails about other things. I've got that problem solved, but if your issue got overlooked, drop me a line and I'll fix it.

Note: I do have few emails from over the weekend to process yet.

Back Issue Orders

There are one or two back issue orders that have not been processed yet. I'm working on completing those tomorrow, so if you have ordered and do not hear by tomorrow evening--just send me a reminder and I'll fire them off to you.

Information on back issues can be found:

http://blog.casefileclues.com/2010/05/back-issues-1-42.html

Thanks!
Michael

Issue 44 has been sent

Issue 44 has been sent to PDF subscribers. This issue analyzes information found in a special collection at the Kansas State Historical Society Library. Everyone needs at least one Philip Taylor, err...Philip Troutfetter in their family tree.

We'll have more on Philip in future issues.

Salt Lake Family History Library May 2011 Research Trip

The dates have been set for our May 2011 research trip the Family History Library in Salt Lake. More information is posted here:
http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2010/06/reserve-spot-in-my-2011-family-history.html

Michael

Issue 45

Issue 45 brings a return of good old Ira Sargent, born ca. 1843 in Canada and "first appeared" in Illinois in 1880.





This issue outlines three ways I chose to tackle his parentage. For reasons the issue makes clear, these options were prioritized.
This post includes a clip of the marriage application of Ira's daughter Ida. We'll have information from his other daughter's marriage along with complete citations to these records in issue 45.
Get in on the fun!

Issue 44 in process

As blog readers know, issue 44 is delayed. It has been sent to Sue for proofing and (I don't want hurry her) when she's had a chance to review it, it will be going out. I'll post a notice here when it does.

It contains a discussion of what the field office of the Postmaster General's investigation division discovered about Philip Troutfetter when he was investigated in 1900.

Ft. Wayne Library Research Trip 11-15 August 2010

We are headed to the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne!

A more detailed brochure will be posted later--this gives you the basic information about our trip.

We have a group rate at the Ft. Wayne Hilton, $99 a night, you can have up to four guests per room. You will need to request the Rootdig.com rate. The Ft. Wayne Hilton is conveniently located to the library and is where we will have morning meetings from 8:00 a.m. until 8:45 a.m.--the library opens at 9:00 a.m. You can call the hotel to make reservations and we'll have a direct link to our group rate as soon as I can get it up. You do NOT have to stay at the Hilton and can stay at other hotels/motels in the area--that is up to you. The Hilton is convenient if you want to walk back during the time we are in the library.

What we'll do:

• Michael will make morning presentations Thursday-Saturday.
• Michael is in library from open to close--except for lunch/dinner
• Every attendee gets at least one 30 minute consultation with Michael and more as time allows
• Michael is available for "drop-in" consultations when he's in library and not with another person
• Trip participants can email Michael questions, etc. before the trip and we'll encourage everyone to get ready as much as possible before the trip actually starts
• A private trip website where members can post questions about the trip, their research, etc. We'll also post files there to help attendees with their research and with preparation for the trip.
• Assistance with pre-trip planning (through the website listed above and through email).
• Trip participants are encouraged to send problems to Michael BEFORE the trip actually starts.

Our trip would start at 7:00 p.m. with an orientation on Wednesday night. Early arrivals could easily go to the library before that or meet with me if I'm able to arrive early. We would have all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the library with a Sunday morning hotel checkout. Participants who were fairly close could check out of the hotel on Saturday if they desired. There would be a Dutch-treal meal Friday night after the library closes.

$125 and payment can be made by PayPal. Refunds (less $30 administrative fee) can be had for those make full payment and who cancel before 31 July 2010. You can also hold your spot (with refund up til 31 July) for $50. Those who would like to pay by check can do so by sending me an email to make arrangements. A registration packet will be emailed to those who register. Any questions about the trip can be emailed to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Trip participants are responsible for:

• making their own travel arrangements to Ft. Wayne
• paying for their own meals, etc.
• making their own hotel arrangements and paying for hotel accomodations
• paying for their own copies

More later as a few details are ironed out, but this is the essence of it. Registration will be limited to 20.