It's Been a Busy Summer

Board Members Meet at President Jeff Herbert's Home
Photo Credit:  John Tholking

During a typical summer, HCGS Board Members tend to slow down and use the additional time to pursue their own research and other priorities.  NOT THIS SUMMER! You may recall that the Board had a meeting in January to brainstorm ideas for the future direction of the Chapter and identify plans for moving forward.  As a result of that planning session, committees have been working to update the bylaws, plan programs, study possible improvements in technology and make the Chapter as responsive as possible to the needs of our current and potential members.

The review of the bylaws has been completed and Board members are working to finalize updates to the Policies and Procedures Manual.  President Jeff Herbert graciously allowed us to work on these updates at his home. Past President Margie Mohr has worked diligently to complete this task before turning responsibility over to Kenny Burck. Hopefully, the membership will experience the results of our efforts during the upcoming year.

On August 18th Kenny Burck, Jenny Davis and Kathy Reed represented our Chapter at the 27th Annual OGS Chapter Management Seminar.  Kenny Burck was the Seminar Chair for this meeting sponsored by the Ross County Chapter.  There were nine sessions ranging from "Preserving Chapter Records and Publications" to "Attracting New Members for Your Chapter."  A representative from LDS gave an optional presentation on using the resources of familysearch.org. If you've never considered attending one of these seminars, I highly recommend it.

Chapter Management Seminar
Photo Credit: Kenny Burck

We need you.  Our goals are lofty and we are looking for more members who would like to be a part of it.   I guarantee you that the rewards outweigh the commitment.  If you want to join us in our efforts to make this the best Ohio Chapter, leave your contact information in the comments section below.  We'd love to have you.

Submitted by:

Kathy Reed

Lots of Events in October

October Is German-American Heritage
and Family History 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.

Programs sponsored by the:

German-American Citizens’ League of Greater Cincinnati    
Hamilton County (OH) Genealogical Society

Kenton County, KY Public Library
Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, OH

Over-the-Rhine Brewery District
Beer Barons Hall of Fame

Lawrenceburg, IN Public Library District                

October 1, 8, 15 ,and 29, 2012 - (Mondays) - Pleasant Ridge Public Library (6233 Montgomery Road) “Reading Old German Script in Genealogical Records" - Presented by Kenny Burck and/or Deb Cyprych of the Hamilton County Genealogical Society for four Monday nights in October - 6:30 p.m .

October 6, 2012 - (Saturday) - Downtown Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County (8^th & Vine Streets) - Annual Experts Day with various groups including the German Genealogy Interest Group available to answer your questions- 11:00 to 2:00 p.m. Programs available at 11:00am : Researching Your Civil War Ancestor Online-Liz Stratton and at 2:00 pm :Civil War General William Haines Lytle- Mike Rhein

October 6, 2012 - (Saturday) -Monfort Heights PLCH Branch, 3825 West Fork Road, "It's a Small World, Even In a Big City", Marian Dietrich and Linda Dietrich - 3:00 pm

October 13, 2012 - (Saturday) - Main Public Library of Lawrenceburg, IN, 150 Mary St., Lawrenceburg, IN 47025, 812-537-2775 for directions - “Locating Immigrant Ancestors in Germany” Presented by Kenny R. Burck (Past-President of the Hamilton County, OH Genealogical Society) - 2:00 p.m.

October 14 & 21 & 28, 2012 - (Sundays) – Three German Interest  programs at  the German Heritage Museum (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.

•  October 14, 2012 - (Sunday) - “Cincinnati in the Civil War”- Presented by Robert Wimberg (Cincinnati Historian) - 2:00 p.m.
•  October 21, 2012 - (Sunday) - “Over-the-Rhine - When Beer was King” - Presented by Michael Morgan (Chairman of the Beer Barons Hall of Fame) - 2:00 p.m.
•  October 28, 2012 - (Sunday) - “The Over-the-Rhine Brewery District” - Presented by Steven Hampton (Executive Director of the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District) - 2:00 p.m.

October 23, 2012 - (Tuesday) - Kenton County, KY Public Library (Erlanger Branch in Erlanger, KY, Meeting Room A, 401 Kenton Lands Road, phone number 859-962-4000) - “German Contributions to America” - Presented by Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann (President of the German-American Citizens’ League of Greater Cincinnati and Curator of the German Heritage Museum)  - 7:00 p.m.

October 27, 2012 - North Dearborn County, IN Public Library Branch, 25969 Dole Road, West Harrison, IN 47060, 812-637-0777 for directions - “Tracing Your German Genealogy” - Presented by Kenny Burck (Past-President of the Hamilton County, OH Genealogical Society) - 2:00 p.m.

October 27, 2012 – Genealogy Lock-in (call 513.369.6905 for lock-in reservation required) at Downtown Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County (8^th & Vine Streets) – 7:00-8:30 pm.  HCGS Tech Programs – Mini Programs: Family History Blogging, HCGS Google Calendar, Name Search Strategies, Genealogical Bookmarks and Google+ offered during the lock-in.

Submitted by:
Gail Burkholz

Hamilton County Heritage Luncheon

The Hamilton County Genealogical Society will be hosting its Heritage Luncheon on Saturday, November 3rd, at the Clovernook Country Club.

As this is the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, our guest speaker, Craig Heimbuch, will enlighten us about this "Forgotten War" and its significance in the formation of Ohio. This event also allows Chapter members the opportunity to recognize members who have successfully proved that they have direct ancestors who lived in Cincinnati at least one hundred years ago.

Members who are eligible for one or more of these recognitions should consider applying. If your ancestor is eligible for one of the Lineage Groups, they would also be eligible for the corresponding group at the Ohio Genealogical Society. The deadline for submission to Hamilton County is August 31st, but applications to the state are not due until December 31st. Since the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference is scheduled for Cincinnati in April 2013, this would be a great year to submit your family for one or more of these recognitions.

A copy of the registration form can be downloaded from the Chapter Website by clicking on this link. Applications and instructions for the three lineage groups are available on the website.

Questions?  Post a question in the comment section below.  Members of the Lineage Group Committee are happy to offer advice, handholding and encouragement to members seeking assistance. Post your contact information below and a member will contact you.

Submitted by:
Kathy Reed

Extra! Extra! August Gazette is Now Online!

The August edition of The Gazette is now available online on the Hamilton County Genealogy Website Members Area. The Gazette is the Society's newsletter and is now issued 3 times/year. This issue includes an update on the Hamilton County Recorder's Office Records Access Project, an Irish website review, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County news, a message from our new President and information about up-coming events. Don't miss out on any of this late-breaking news!

If you are not already a member, memberships start at only $10/year. More membership information is available on our website.


Submitted by Liz Stratton

Columbia Township Ear Marks, 1791-1820

This is the 4th in a series of posts written by John Tholking. Proving that you have ancestors who lived in Cincinnati before December 31, 1820 can be quite a challenge, but the rewards are worth it. Your ancestors could be recognized as part of the "First Families" lineage group. Proving their residence in Hamilton County may require consulting some unusual records, such as those described by John in this post. 

Genealogists use many different records to establish the location or residency of their ancestors.  Birth, marriage and death records, the census, land and court records, and voter’s lists are some of the more common official records.  One of the more unusual official records used by local genealogists is the Columbia Township list of Ear Marks. 

The clerk of the township assigned marks of identification to be cut in ears of cattle.  Fences were not plentiful and it was common for livestock to be pastured together or to wander off.  Branding did not appear until 1820.

A slit, a penny, a crop, a half penny, a swallow fork, a nick, a saw tooth, a slope, and a "poppler" leaf were markings used to form numerous patterns cut into the ears of cattle for identification.   

The original documents at the Cincinnati Historical Society cover the period 1791 to 1861.  This list from 1791 to 1820 was extracted from an article in Hamilton County Court and Other Records  v.2  p.14 - available at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. The name of the pioneer, the date recorded and the description of the ear mark is listed.

Membership in First Families is open to descendants of pioneers who were residents of Hamilton County before December 31, 1820.  Applications or requests for forms may be sent to FFHC, Hamilton County Chapter OGS, PO Box 15865, Cincinnati, OH 45215-0865

2012 Board Meeting and End-of-Year Picnic

HCGS Board Celebrates

Summer time and the livin' is easy . . .  Board members not already on vacation gathered for the final Board meeting of the year.  Kenny Burck graciously hosted all of us at his home and was delighted to review the comments many of you left in the previous post.  (If you haven't had the chance, click on this link and leave a comment).

A wonderful dinner was followed by a business meeting.  The people pictured above are already hard at work on plans for next year.  We would love to have you take a more active part.  Think about what it is you like to do, and we'll find a place for you.

Jeff Herbert introduced us to our new Cemetery Chair, Jane Fitzpatrick. She is the one pictured in the green shirt and we welcome her. We are excited about her plans for helping us complete the cemetery records we have for Hamilton County.

Next September we will be meeting again.  For at least the first three Board meetings, we are returning to our "home" at the Norwood Library.  Maybe we'll see you there.

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