Contributing to Find-A-Grave information about a cremation.
 
Contributors to Find-A-Grave who want to create a memorial page for an ancestor or loved one who was cremated here's the steps you should follow:
 
For those who were cremated, lost or buried at sea, and donated to medical science, use the Family and Friends form.
 
If there is a known cenotaph (A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere.) or memorial marker for one of these alternative dispositions located in a cemetery, add the memorial to the cemetery and add a note to the memorial indicating that it is a cenotaph and what, if known, happened to the individual's remains.
 
If there is an existing cenotaph within a cemetery for someone who had a alternative disposition, do NOT add another memorial under the alternative disposition (such as Burial: Unknown, Lost at Sea).
 
Roadside accident memorials are not an accepted burial disposition.

Understanding family relationships
can be confusing. 
 
To help you understand levels of "cousinship" visit Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter to read his article to read about the Wolfram/Alpha search engine designed to determine these relationships for you.

FREE Webinar Series
presented by the Illinois State Genelaogical Society
 
Just added link to the Illinois State Genealogical Society Webinar Series under Webinars in our Links area.  Check this out today for more information on their  FREE webinars open to the public when they are presented live.
 
 

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library
FamilySearch Library Affiliate
 
 
With the construction of the new Fort Myers Regional Library, which is expected to open the end of October 2013, the Library has announced that it has informed FamilySearch that the branch needs to become an inactive FamilySearch Library Affilliate on a temporary basis effective 6 June 2013
 
Although the exact closing of the Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library has not been announced, it is believed to be sometime in September of 2013.  Any order for microfilm on a short-term basis will be due to be returned to Salt Lake City at the end of August
 
Any microfilm orders that are on backorder and do not arrived to the Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library before they close, the Library will advise FamilySearch who will cancel the order and issue a refund.
 
Orders may continue to be placed for microfilm during the inactive period but you must choose another Affiliate Library to view the microfilm.
 
 
For those patrons who are not finished reviewing microfilms delivered to the Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library after June 6, and are not due for return at the time of the Library closing, the Library will hold the films until the new Library is open at which time you will have an appropriate amount of time to review the films with no additional charge.
 
Microfilm and microfiche on extended loan at the Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library will be transferred to the new Fort Myers Regional Library and will be available once the new Library facility opens.
 
 

FAMILYSEARCH FAMILYTREE REFERENCE GUIDE
 
For those using the new FamilySearch website, here's a link to their How-To-Use Manual:
 
 

NEW
LINEAGE SOCIETIES OF SELECTED MIDWEST STATES
 
A lineage society is an organization whose members have shown proof of their descent from a qualifying ancestor such as a colonist or soldier. There are hundreds of such organizations in the United States. This collection represents only those active in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Contact information for each organization is limited to a website, since officers, addresses and telephone numbers change frequently.
 
 

War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land
Warrant Application Files
 
Among the most requested documents at The National Archives (NARA) are the War of 1812 pension applicaiton files.  There are approximately 180,000 pension and bounty land warrant application files relating to claims based on service between 1812 and 1815. These files generally contain documentation submitted in support of a claim, such as the original application form, affidavits, and statements from witnesses.  
 
These files are fragile and in need of digitization.  The War of 1812 Pension Digitization Project was established and in support of digitizing 7.2 million pages, Ancestry.com has provided a dollar for dollar matching grant.  For more information on how you can make a tax-deductible gift visit Preserve the Pensions website by clicking here.
 
 
As these documents are digitized they are being made available FREE on NARA's website. As of 17 March 2013, 8% of the digitization has been completed - that's 556,064 documents.
 
The following information will be captured with the images and available to researchers when it exists in the file:
 
 .. Veteran's name
 .. Widow name
 .. Acres Granted
 
 .. Age
 .. Widow’s maiden name
 .. Year of BLM act
 
 .. Place of residence
 .. Widow death date
 .. Warrant number
 
 .. Soldier death date  .. Additional names    
 
To search these pension files on the fold3 website, please click here.  Remember, new images are being uploaded each day.  Check back often to see if you can identify records for your ancestors.

Looking for information online
and don't know where to start? 
 
 
Check out our Links webpage to view a list of over 1,200 websites.
 
Use the Filter by Category box at the top of the page and search the various
categories of website links. If a link is broken, please don't hesitate to contact us at GenHelp@LCGSFL.org.

Facts and Tips for Genealogy Research
 
 
Do you want to see more Facts and Tips?  Visit our webpage and search by category for more information.

Did You Know?
 
 
The Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library at 2050 Central Avenue, Fort Myers,
FL has electronic resources as well as books to assist you in your family research. 
Visit the list on the Electronic Resources webpage under the Library link.

Genealogy
 
 
Genealogy is the study of your family’s history, which is a personal record of your ancestors. Through your research you learn about when and where they were born, who they married, who their children were, where they lived and worked, and how
you fit in your overall family tree.

Learning about your family history usually starts at home by talking with family
members and recording information about your ancestors. You may have useful
sources at home such as birth certificates, obituaries, wedding announcements,
a family Bible, etc.  Read these documents carefully – you may find some information
about that ancestor or relative that you didn’t know before.  These documents may
also prove or disprove some of those family stories you grew up with.

You may find that others in your family or extended family have already done
genealogy research on your family.  Don't hesitate to ask close or distant relatives
if they have already started researching your family.
 

Glad You Asked
 
Members don't forget to use the Glad You Asked Message Boards in our Members Only section.  You can ask and/or answer research questions or give suggestions where to find genealogical information.
 

Facts and Tips
Jr. and Sr. after a person's name may not mean they are related. Depending on the timeframe, it could mean a younger and an older man in the same area with the same name, who may not be related.

Tax records, jury and militia records are indicators of a person's residence.

More than one generation may be listed in a household.
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