European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 20 sunday april 12007 your place in history genealogy research getting easier thanks to the net w cd e c 0 co c d 6 d 0 co o on the first night of Carol Knox hos Fields first genealogy class the instructor asked where her family was from when Hossfield replied new York the instructor smiled a the Black Hole of genealogy she said hos Fields Hopes Sank despite new Yorks reputation earned because the state was settled before vital records were recorded and because new York lacked detailed town records such As those found in new England Hossfield soon found an extraordinary amount of information on the inter net thanks to census records from the Early 1900s but her spin tingling moment occurred when she checked out an Ellis Island web site and found her great grandfathers name on the passenger list of a ship that came from Italy when i popped up the picture of the ship i just sat there staring at it with my Mouth open says Hossfield 51 of or Lando Fla to see the ship that he actually boarded and took that trip on to me was overwhelming for students such As Hossfield the internet has brought a revolution to genealogy Quick results in a Field that has traditionally attracted retirees widespread Access online is attracting younger people to genealogy and providing Many of these new students with a wealth of information that once could be found Only by digging through courthouses and cemeteries genealogy is the Secondcost popu Lar american Hobby after gardening and the Secondcost visited category of web Sites after the internet is not the Beall and Endall to genealogy but it has Given genealogy the greatest umps Arf youve Ever seen says Ann Osisek president of the Florida state genealogical society typically you used to see a lot More retired people who would come be cause they have the time to devote to the research says Osisek who has been teaching genealogy classes since 1991 now Ive found that i have a lot More younger people people in their 20s 30s and 40s and Ive had Mother daughter brother sister pairs class or no class for new students the thrill of Quick them digging inspired after finding her great grandma thers name at the Ellis Island site Hoss Field has signed up for a second genealogy class and is taking italian language classes so she can travel to Italy and find out More about her family tree Ive had an awful lot of Luck says Hossfield who is taking Osisek class at the Winter Park Community school in Winter Park Fla i had no idea the extraordinary resources that Are Avail Able particularly on the internet although newcomers can try striking out on their own genealogists suggest they take classes join a genealogical club or head to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte Day saints local family history centers for help a lot of people will Call to Register and say i dont think i need the beginners class because Treyve been doing some research on their own says Osisek there quite surprised that they dont know As much As they think they do act Stuart Doyle wrote and self published a 600page family history titled roots exposed based on his genealogical research in it he traces 15 branches of his family tree and ancestors who arrived in Virginia in the 1700s its important for us to Tell our own stories he says because Black history has not historically been Well documented in textbooks the mormon Church operates family history centers where Volunteer staffs can help Church members and nonmembers research their family histories Church members believe that knowing ones ancestors is essential because families cannot be separated by death at one Center in College Park Fla nearly 75 percent of those who use the Center Are experienced genealogists or taking classes while the remainder Are new to the Field say Twila Williams a genealogy instructor and Church spokes woman we instruct beginners to go Home Call relatives and gather Docu ments says Williams volunteers hand newcomers a family tree also known As a Pedigree Sheet and ask them to fill in As much As possible at the family history Center anyone can use the centers computers and log on to the Church family search org web site plus other Sites that typically have annual subscription fees in Addi Tion the Church has a huge database of microfilm and microfiche drawn from census Church and historical records from All Over the world one mans family genealogy clubs canals be a Start ing Point when Stuart Doyle moved to Orlando fresh out of graduate school in 1989 hed already started researching his family history in the Virginia state archives he quickly joined the afr american historical and genealogical society which meets monthly at the Orange county Public Library in Florida and there he heard a steady Stream of experts talk about african american history and genealogy by 1994 the Bug really bit says Doyle now considered the family Histo Rian by several generations of family members he began collecting Oral histories and those family members filled in gaps and the Blanks that he haunt been Able to document on paper for instance he Learned that his was born in Georgia though the rest of the family had been born and lived in Virginia it turns out that the family had been taken to Georgia by their slave owners Virginia Farmers who bought land in the Georgia land lottery Indian lands auctioned off by the state government boy talk about a Story says Doyle 46 its like a novel you cant put Down the More he looked the More stories he found finally Doyle wrote and self published a 600page family history titled roots exposed in it he traces 15 branches of his family tree and ancestors who arrived in Virginia in the 1700s he printed copies for family members and has since Given some to archives and historical organizations its important for us to Tell our own stories says Doyle because Black history has not historically been Well documented in textbooks
