October 2019 German-American Heritage Month Events

This is the 30^th Anniversary Year for Our Heritage Month

Since October 1989, German-American Heritage Month has been sponsored in the Ohio Valley by the German-American Citizens’ League, which was founded in 1895. The month is centered around October 6^th, which was the day in 1683 when the first permanent German settlement was established in Germantown, Pennsylvania.  October is also Family History Month.

September 27, 2019 - (Friday) - German Heritage Month Kick-off Party at the Sam Adams Taproom in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) - 1727 Logan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

October 2, 2019 - (Wednesday) - Northern Kentucky University (Sponsored by the Department of World Languages and Literatures) - “German Immigration, Settlement and Influences in the Greater Cincinnati Area” - Presented by Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann - 3:30 p.m.

October 5, 2019 - (Saturday) - Downtown Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County at 8^th & Vine Streets - Annual Genealogy Fair with various groups including the Germany Genealogy Interest Group where you can ask the experts German Genealogy questions and help you trace your German roots - 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. (German genealogy questions answered noon to 2:00 p.m.)

October 6, 2019 - (Sunday) - German-American Day

October 10, 2019 - (Thursday) - Covington (KY) Library (Local History Department), 502 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41071 - “Finding and Translating German Church Records and Newspaper Articles” - Presented by Kenton County Library staff Cierra Earl and Abby Carney - 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Registration required at www.kentonlibrary.org/events or 859-962-4070)

October 12, 2019 - (Saturday) - Mother of God Cemetery, 3125 Madison Avenue, Ft. Wright, KY 41015 - “A Biographical Walking Tour of  the Mother of God Cemetery” - Presented by the Local History & Genealogy staff of the Kenton County Library - (Learn about the German Catholic people and families who shaped the history of Northern Kentucky. Comfortable walking shoes are encouraged) - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

October 13 & 20 & 27, 2019 - (Sundays) - Visit the German Heritage Museum at West Fork Park in Green Township at 4764 West Fork Road, located off North Bend Road in Monfort Heights - (phone museum on this day only after 1:00 p.m. at 598-5732 for directions if needed) from 1 to 5 p.m. (The Museum is closed October 6, 2019, please attend the Donauschwaben Oktoberfest in Colerain Township October 4, 5, & 6)

October 13, 2019 - (Sunday) - German Heritage Museum at West Fork Park in Green Township at 4764 West Fork Road, located off North Bend Road in Monfort Heights - (phone museum on this day only after 1:00 p.m. at 598-5732 for directions if needed) - Museum open 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and attendance is free - “Gerhard Lammers: German Immigrant Church Painter in Cincinnati” - Presented by Dann Woellert - 2:00 p.m.

October 19, 2019 - (Saturday) - James A. Ramage Civil War Museum, 1402 Highland Avenue, Ft. Wright, KY 41011 - “Cincinnati Germans in the Civil War: The 9^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry” - Presented by Andrew Houghtaling - 1:00 p.m.

  

October 20, 2019 - (Sunday) - German Heritage Museum at West Fork Park in Green Township at 4764 West Fork Road, located off North Bend Road in Monfort Heights - (phone museum on this day only after 1:00 p.m. at 598-5732 for directions if needed) - Museum open 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and attendance is free - “German Heritage Book Talk & Signing with Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann” - 2:00 p.m.

October 23, 2019 - (Wednesday) - Erlanger Brach of the Kenton County (KY) Library, 401 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger, KY 41018, in the Twain/Clemens Combined Meeting Room - “Lunch and Learn: German Immigration to Greater Cincinnati” - Presented by Dave Schroeder, Executive Director of the Kenton County Public Library - 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Registration required at www.kentonlibrary.org,events or 859-962-4070)

October 24, 2019 - (Thursday) - Covington (KY) Library (Local History Department), 502 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41071 - “Finding and Translating German Church Records and Newspaper Articles” - Presented by Kenton County Library staff Cierra Earl and Abby Carney - 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Registration required at www.kentonlibrary.org/events or 859-962-4070)

October 27, 2019 - (Sunday) - German Heritage Museum at West Fork Park in Green Township at 4764 West Fork Road, located off North Bend Road in Monfort Heights - (phone museum on this day only after 1:00 p.m. at 598-5732 for directions if needed) - Museum open 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and attendance is free - “Cincinnati’s Berlin Wall Memorial in a German-American Context” - Dr. Richard E. Schade - 2:00 p.m.

Submitted by Kenny Burck

Call Kenny Burck for any other details at 513-260-0238

German Genealogy Day - May 9th

The Hamilton County Genealogical Society, in conjunction with the Kolping Society, is excited to present a “German Genealogy Day” on Saturday, May 9^th, from 10:00 – 2:00. The day will feature three speakers, recognized for their expertise in German culture and genealogy.

Schedule

10:00 - Jeff Herbert – Researching Your German Ancestors Using German Newspapers

11:10 - Bob Rau – Eva Barbara, Where Are You? Finding Your German Ancestor’s Birthplace

12:20 - Kenny Burck – Tracing Your German Genealogy

Question and answer period to follow.

Refreshments

Beer, soft drinks, German pretzels and strudel will be available for purchase throughout the day.

Directions

This event will be held at the Kolping Center, located at 10235 Mill Road, Cincinnati, OH  45231. You can get a map and directions at this link: http://www.kolpingcenter.com/kcdirections.php
There is free parking and the building is handicap-accessible.

Cost

There is no cost for this program with the exception of optional food and drink purchases.

Speaker Bios

Kenny Burck - President of HCGS, has been a German researcher for 46 years. He is a frequent speaker and has contributed to the publication of more than 20 books. He also teaches a course annually on reading German script in genealogical documents. 

Jeff-Herbert - Jeff has been a local researcher for 20+ years and specializes in German research.   He the past-president of the HCGS and currently serves as Treasurer.   His lecture will focus on strategies for researching and translating local German records to find the birthplace of your German ancestors.

Robert Rau - Bob Rau has been interested in genealogy for over thirty five years, and has been researching his and his wife’s ancestral lines, all of which go back into Germany and Alsace-Lorraine.  He has been a non-member librarian, specializing in German research, at the LDS Family History Center in Cincinnati for over twenty five years. 

We hope to see you there.

Submitted by Kathy Reed

Update on Hamilton County Recorder's Office Records Online at Family Search

Kenny Burck, Jeff Herbert, Jim Dempsey, and Jim Cissel

The FamilySearch project to scan Hamilton County Recorder's Office records, begun in September 2013, was completed on April 8, 2014. For a detailed record list, see "Hamilton County Recorder’s Office Records to Be Added to FamilySearch" by Jim Dempsey, in the December 2013 issue of The Tracer. A significant amount of the images are already available at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2141016. Land-related records now online are:

Deeds, volumes 477-854 (1877-1901)

Mortgages, volumes 20-571 (1823-1889)

Mortgage Releases, volumes 1, 2 and 3 (1892-1949)

Leases, volumes 1-122 (1847-1902)

Lease Indexes, volumes 1, 2 and 3 (1858-1901)

Deed and Mortgage Series 6 Indexes (1917-1928)*

Deed and Mortgage Series 7 Indexes (1928-1938)*

Sundries Indexes 1 through 8 (1794-1969)

*All of these indexes, which are geographic or "by-area," including all of Series 1 to 5, are available at the Recorder's website, http://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/helpful_information/series_indices.html

Many non-deed records will also be online in the future. They can be seen on microfilm at the Recorder's Office and at the Cincinnati Historical Library and Archives. For descriptions of these records see articles by Jim Dempsey in The Tracer: "Hamilton County Recorder’s Office Early Indexes and Records," September 2012 issue, and "Hamilton County Recorder’s Office - Far More Than Deeds," November 2011 issue. These records are indexed in the Sundries Indexes, volumes 1-8 (1794-1969), now online at FamilySearch. The earliest index, Sundries volume 1 (1794-1889), is also on our website at http://www.hcgsohio.org/cpage.php?pt=76

Note: Over the next few months, we hope to develop some instructions on how to efficiently make use of some of these incredible resources. Stay tuned.

Submitted by: Jim Dempsey
Photo Credit: John Tholking

October Is Family History Month!

It happens every year. The days get shorter, the temperatures get cooler and our genealogical calendars fill up. This year is no exception. If you want to keep up with all of the events, go to the top of this blog and click on the "Calendar" tab. If you display the calendar in the agenda format, it will look like this.

From this you can see that there are many German programs. Kenny Burck will be presenting a program on "Local German Genealogical Resources" Thursday, October 3rd at the Kenton County Library. Kenny Burck and Deb Cyprych will teach a four-week course on "Reading Old German Script" at the Pleasant Ridge Library. Classes start the 14th. Jeff Herbert will discuss "Researching Your German Ancestor using Newspapers at the Otterbein Retirement Community on October 16th. Clicking on the event in the calendar tab (at the top of the blog) will provide you with additional details and a map to the event.

Saturday, October 5th is the Family History Fair at the Main Library. Tours of the Genealogy and History Department will be held between 10:00 AM and Noon. Deb Cyprych will be giving a presentation on the "Records of Children in Hamilton County Institutions" at 11:00 AM. She will discuss strategies for searching elusive historic children's records. From Noon - 2:00 PM, more than twenty experts with wide-ranging expertise will be available to discuss your individual genealogical challenges. At 2:00 PM, Marian Crawford Stover will discuss "Orphans with Parents -- A True Story." She describes her experience growing up in a northern Kentucky Orphanage with nine of her siblings, despite the fact that her parents were alive.

Other October events will be discussed in future posts. However, it may be a good time to get some of these not-to-be missed activities on your calendar now.  Hope to see you at the library.

Submitted by Kathy Reed

Kenny Burck Receives Griffin Yeatman Award

Wayne Coates presents the Griffin Yeatman Award to Kenny Burck

Every year Kenny Burck likes to host the end-of-the-year Board Meeting/picnic at his home. Anyone who has done anything to further the progress of HCGS during the year is welcome to attend. Kenny graciously welcomed Wayne Coates and Dave Pittinger from the Hamilton County Recorder's Office thinking that perhaps they had been invited by a Board member. Instead they were here to present Kenny with another award. Are there any awards that Kenny has not yet received?

Now Kenny can add the Griffin Yeatman Achievement Award to his collection. This award was created by the Hamilton County Recorder's Office in 1994 to recognize citizens and groups of Hamilton County who have volunteered their time and service to preserving and promoting the history of Hamilton County. The award is presented for excellence in historical preservation, research or achievement which has contributed to the preservation of buildings, sites, structures and objects pertaining to Hamilton County.

One need only look at the list of HCGS Publications to see that Kenny has been responsible for many publications that are of benefit to anyone researching genealogy in Hamilton County. In fact, if you want to thank Kenny personally, go to the link and purchase your own copy of his latest publication.

The Hamilton County Recorder's Office certainly knew what they were doing when they picked Kenny for this prestigious award. Congratulations, Kenny.

Submitted by Kathy Reed

Hamilton County Genealogical Society Receives Numerous Recognitions at OGS 2013

Jeff Herbert, Sunda Anderson Peters, Deb Cyprych, Kenny Burck, and Jim Dempsey

The culmination of the 2013 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference held in Cincinnati gave our local chapter plenty to cheer about. Our chapter was the recipient of the Outstanding OGS Chapter Award which nicely coincided with our 40th Anniversary.

Jim Dempsey and Sunda Anerderon Peters

In addition, several members were the recipients of additional recognitions. Jim Dempsey was awarded the "Outstanding OGS Chapter Officer" for all of his work as both the HCGS Webmaster and his tireless efforts to preserve Hamilton County records.

Kenny Burck,Sunda Anderson Peters,
Maureen Applegate

Kenny Burck received the prestigious OGS Fellow Award. This is awarded to a person who does their job over and above what is required. Among Kenny's accomplishments"

• Served as a Vice President to OGS for 7 years
• Served as a Conference Chair 4 times
• Chapter Management Chairman for 14 years
• Publisher of many genealogical books
• Held officer, including Chapter President, for many years in his local chapter

Deb Cyprych and Sunda Anderson Peters

Our wonderful Tracer editor, Deb Cyprych, received the Frances Dana Gage Award in the Newsletter category.

Jeff Herbert, Sunda Anderson Peters,
 Maureen Applegate

Chapter President, Jeff Herbert, received the U.S. Grant Award  for the following publications:
“Hamilton County Ohio, Burial Records, Vol. 19 Old St. Joseph German Cemetery, 1845-1879” & “Hamilton County Ohio, Burial Records, Vol. 20 St. John German Cemetery, 1849-1879”








The Tecumseh Award was awarded to Kenny Burck for “A Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio 6th Edition”, complied by Connie Stunkel Terheiden & Kenny Burck.

On Friday about 40 chapter members celebrated our anniversary with cake, company and stories. It was exciting to see so many active, committed members who have continued the legacy that began with a small group holding its first meeting at a home in Wyoming 40 years ago.

Photo Credits: John Tholking
Submitted by:  Kathy Reed

Thanks, Kenny

Some of the roles of HCGS President

I am a relative "newbie."  I first became interested in the Hamilton County Genealogical Society when I found out about their lineage societies and thought I might have ancestors who qualified.  That's when I first met Kenny.  Over the next few years, I was able to establish that my family qualified for the First Families designation and, of course, for the new Century Families group.

Because of Kenny, I got to meet other Board members and realized what a resource they were.  Got German?  Talk to Kenny and John Tholking.  Irish?  Talk to Mary Ann Falloon. Land records? Tap into Liz Stratton's expertise. I started attending Board meetings. You have no idea how great it is to be with people who have such incredible knowledge of the records of Hamilton County and beyond and who enthusiastically want to share what they know.

But back to Kenny.  He is a "character" to say the least.  If you don't believe it, ask him about his son, The Naked Cowboy. Volunteer to serve on the Board as Recording Secretary and allow your minutes to be "critiqued."  Show up to a member meeting on crutches. Try to submit more ancestors for Century Families than Kenny.  (Final score: Kenny 12, Kathy 11) He can be quite competitive.

Kenny accepts his Century Families Recognition for 12 family members

So as a relative "newbie," I felt that we needed to acknowledge the numerous contributions Kenny has made over the 30+ years he has served our organization and many others.  The problem is that I had no idea what all he had done.  Kenny graciously agreed to send me some of his resumes, so I could have some basis to discuss all that he has done. In the end, what was really valuable to me, was a brief summary of the activities that Jeff Herbert, our new Chapter President, was able to send to me.

-          Many years of service on the Board including multiple terms as President and Vice-President

-          Numerous research publications for the benefit of the chapter

-          Numerous articles and research extractions in the Tracer

-          Leadership positions and service for OGS, FGS, NGS, and Palatinate Societies

-          Host of two national conventions here in Cincinnati (FGS in 1998 & NGS in 2012)

-          Teaching of numerous classes on German research

-          Avid supporter of German Interest Group for the chapter and related programs and activities in the    community

We could write a book fleshing out all of Kenny's contributions, but luckily for me, it wouldn't be conducive to being posted on a blog. So let me just end by saying that we appreciate you. We also know that you are not going anywhere. You are co-chairing the OGS Conference to be held in Cincinnati next spring. You are currently organizing a Chapter Management Seminar for OGS and will continue serving on the Board as Past-President.  

Since we all know that Kenny is "responsible" for moving the Chapter into the 21st Century with new technologies including this blog, facebook and twitter, I'm sure he would love to read your comments below. Consider leaving one. And Kenny, we are all grateful.

Submitted by: 

Kathy Reed

April Program and Election News

Dr. "Mike" Davis

Saturday at the library was a great day for the Hamilton County Genealogical Society.  Our Program Chair, Linda Dietrich, introduced Dr. Frank "Mike" Davis who shared his research techniques.  For anyone who has ever wondered how to begin researching a family member, Dr. Davis provided us with a step-by-step method. Theresa Heglin was the focus of his research.  He was able to trace both her maternal and paternal lines back several generations and described how he dealt with a "brick wall" he encountered while tracing her family.

Theresa Heglin, Linda Dietrich and Chapter Members

One of the best parts of the program was when he asked if anyone recognized any of the names he was discussing in a Census document.  A member of the audience volunteered that one of the family members was her grandmother.  Dr. Davis was able to introduce Theresa to a first cousin once removed.  (He had arranged for this introduction and Theresa's "newly-identified" cousin brought pictures to compare). It was a nice surprise to all in attendance.

Kenny Burck leads Chapter Meeting

Following the talk, Chapter President Kenny Burck, transitioned to a Chapter Meeting.  One of the first items of business was to introduce Director-at-Large Jim Dempsey and Chapter Treasurer Liz Stratton.  Both Jim and Liz had headed up separate indexing projects during this past year.  Both were a tremendous success with volunteers agreeing to index records remotely.  Several indexers were chapter members who live out-of-state.  In recognition of their efforts "Certificates of Appreciation" were distributed.  Names of recipients will be in The Tracer.  


Barbara Gargiulo, Publications Director, was presented with an award in absentia for her many years of work this the Chapter.  Kathy Reed also received a Certificate of Appreciation for her work with the Chapter Blog.

Jeff Herbert

Jeff Herbert discussed the National Geographic (NatGeo) program The Decrypters:  Body Snatchers episode.  He had assisted in some genealogical research in an effort to identify bodies uncovered in the Washington Park renovation. One of our other members, Dr. Peter Frame, University of Cincinnati Professor of Medicine, was also featured on the program.  He discussed the impact on Cincinnati as we lived through repeated cholera epidemics. As part of the program, local historian Dan Hurley showed how a map of the rivers could be superimposed directly over a map identifying cholera outbreaks. The rivers, with their untreated water, served as superhighways for transmission.  If you haven't yet seen this episode, it is scheduled on cable's NatGeo station for Thursday, April 26th at 4:00 PM.

The next Order of Business was the election of Officers and Directors.  Margie Mohr, Chair of the Nominating Committee, introduced a proposed slate:

• President - Jeff Herbert
• Vice-President - Jean Morrison
• Recording Secretary - Kathy Reed
• Corresponding Secretary - Barbara Wegley
• Treasurer - Liz Stratton
• Director-at-Large - Jim Dempsey
• Education - Karen Everett
• Lineage Director - Gail Burkholz
• Membership - Eileen Muccino
• Program - Linda Dietrich
• Publication - Barbara Gargiulo
• Research and Preservation - Ann Hambrecht

President Kenny Burck called for additional nominees from the floor.  In the absence of any volunteers, Linda Dietrich moved that the entire slate be accepted by acclamation. The motion was seconded and the motion passed.

The membership acknowledged the long-term contributions of Kenny Burck as he takes his place on the Board as Past-President.  The meeting was adjourned.

A Great Day at the Library

Kenny Burck

There was a lot happening today at the Main Branch of the Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  The Hamilton County Genealogical Society sponsored a presentation by Kenny Burck, Chapter President, and Barbara Gargiulo of Little Miami Publishing Co.  The two discussed what you would need to know and do should you want to publish a family history.

Barbara Gargiulo

About thirty people took advantage of their expertise. Kenny discussed the steps that he took when attempting to compile his initial book. He also discussed the necessity of coming up with a marketing plan in order to decide how many copies you would like to publish. He has plans to eventually publish eight volumes.

Barbara gave us handouts detailing the "parts of a book" and how to go about the writing process. She discussed the difference between a "printer" and a "publisher." We learned about how ISBN numbers (International Standard Book Number) and Library of Congress Catalog Numbers (LCCN) are assigned to books upon publication. A lot of decisions must be made including the cover material, type of binding, and the minimum scanning requirements for pictures.  Publishers can assist you in making those decisions.

Several of us chose to stay for the afternoon dedication of the new interactive exhibit of one of Cincinnati's major treasures.  On September 24, 1848, Charles Fontayne and William Porter set up their specially-designed camera and took a picture of the Cincinnati cityscape.  At the time, Cincinnati was the nation's sixth largest city. The picture, taken  from a rooftop in Newport, panned across the Ohio River and included two-miles of the Cincinnati riverfront. The image was comprised of eight separate plates.

There are two interactive displays -- one housed in the Main Floor Atrium and the other in the Cincinnati Room just steps away from the 3rd Floor Genealogy and History Department.  Patrons are able to click on touch screens to access high-definition images of specific locations within the daguerreotype.  Not only are you able to zoom in on digital images up to 32 times the size of the original, but the images are linked to related portraits, newspaper articles, documents and maps.  This is not a static display.  Library patrons can submit artifacts for possible inclusion.

Our own Patricia Van Skaik was part of a panel of leaders who participated in the dedication ceremony.  The Atrium was filled with library patrons who understood the value of this priceless piece of Cincinnati history.  The original plates are on permanent display in the Cincinnati Room in a specially-designed case.

For more information on this project, please go to this link:  Cincinnati Panorama of 1848.

HCGS Annual Seminar with Craig Roberts Scott

Earlier today at the Mill Race Center in Winton Woods, the Hamilton County Genealogical Society, in conjunction with the Butler and Clermont County Genealogical Societies, sponsored its Annual Seminar.  Craig Roberts Scott, a nationally-recognized speaker on military topics, discussed how to trace your Civil War ancestor.  He also helped us understand the records that are available for compiling a military service record and how to obtain records that go beyond the information available in a Pension Record.

The Hamilton County Genealogical Society also presented several awards.  Judge James Cissell was recognized for his leadership in making Probate Court and other records available online.

Jim Dempsey presents certificate to Judge James Cissell

Several others were presented with Certificates of Appreciation by Chapter President Kenny Burck.  Among those in attendance were:  Doug Magee and Colleen Phillips of the Genealogy and Local History Department of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co. Library, David Pittinger and John Tholking.

Kenny Burck and Doug Magee

Kenny Burck and Colleen Phillips

Kenny Burck and David Pittinger

Kenny Burck and John Tholking