DIGGING UP THE PAST

Digging up thePast

Where to Start Tracing Your Roots

By Diane Krieger Spivak | Photos courtesy of Rebekah Noggle

Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Noggle, 1887

Ancestors of Rebekah Noggle, information and reader’s advisory librarian at the Geneva Public Library

If you’re wondering who your ancestors were, where they came from and what exciting mysteries lie in your familial heritage, there’s never been a better time to start digging, metaphorically speaking. With tests like Ancestry, 23 and Me, and more, delving into your family history is becoming commonplace. If you’re new to the study of genealogy, you might be surprised to find there are local sources of information right under your nose.

“The first step is finding someone to help get started because it is overwhelming,” says Rebekah Noggle, information and reader’s advisory librarian at the Geneva Public Library. “Most public libraries have a genealogy service, if not a geneaologist. That person can direct specific research. Here in Kane County, we are lucky to have a network of libraries that work together to share resources.” And you don’t have to be a Kane County resident to get help. Noggle has provided assistance to people from as far away as New York and Massachusetts who were looking for ancestors that lived in Kane County at one time. “We are also lucky to have the Kane County Genealogical Society, which can assist people with research questions,” says Noggle. While Susan Lye, president of the Kane County Genealogical Society, admits getting started is work, “it’s also a lot of fun,” she says. Lye says collecting information you already have is basic. “Birth certificates, newspaper clippings, bible records, letters with addresses, all sorts of home information we have about ourselves, our parents and potentially grandparents is helpful,” says Lye. “It sounds like it’s just an exercise in organizing data, but it’s much more than that. It places people in history while providing an educational journey.” Genealogy also requires an understanding of law regarding marriage, land, probate, and transactions relating to naturalization, says Lye. “There’s also anthropology – what is the ethnic group from which we come. We become ‘sleuthers,’ we’re looking for

n GENEALOGY TIPS

How to Get Started

n Start with yourself and work backwards n Find sources for your family’s information (relatives, libraries, public records, etc.) n Organize your research findings n Don’t overwhelm yourself – take breaks n Take advantage of the Internet n Utilize local and regional genealogical societies and organizations - network n The National Genealogical

Society is an excellent guide for research n Consult a Genealogist for more in-depth research clues and putting together a jigsaw puzzle. What is the reason they had for relocation? People came for a reason.” Lye offers a word of advice: “You want to have a goal. ‘To learn my family history’ is way too broad and it becomes quite cumbersome.” Rather, she says, narrow it down to, “I want to know where my great-grandmother Elsie was born.” Lye points to the “hundreds” of YouTube videos and webinars on the internet, which are especially helpful for those who can’t or don’t want to travel. In addition to libraries, other resources are archives, census records, county offices, courthouses, churches and historical societies. “It’s amazing the varieties of repositories that are holding information,” says Lye. Through their research, KCGS members were able to finally identify an unknown Revolutionary War soldier buried in Batavia, named John Gowdy. “We celebrated that in 2005,” says Lye. Noggle’s family benefited directly from her genealogical research. “My great-uncle was missing in action in World War II,” says Noggle. “I found out there is a memorial he is included in, and I was able to get pictures. That was really exciting for my dad.”

Mr. and Mrs. John Rushton, with Alice & Nettie

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