I keep waiting for that day where I can get caught up on my genealogy research for a month straight. First I need to organize what I have. I pulled out the pedigree report book I had prepared almost five years ago by Uwe Porten, a German genealogist, of my grandmother’s Klein family that immigrated to the United States from Budesheim.
Today I find this an old-fashioned way of handling genealogy research, but it’s certainly beautiful and lends more “gravity” to the project.
You can see that this is called the Klein Family Research Project because Grandma’s maiden name was Klein. Her mother was Margarethe. Last week I shared her photo that Val repaired and colorized.
Margarethe Wendel Klein
The next photo gives you an idea of what the book contains.
and this:
Notice the records that the book contains. I also have these on CD. I think it’s amusing that two of the family surnames are Link and Wink. Because they rhyme!
All these Catholic records had to be obtained in person. That is why I had to hire Uwe to do this work. Unlike the Dutch records which are readily available online, the German records are much more difficult to locate.
The above page begins a summary of Uwe’s findings. Notice that he says he was first able to prove that Margarethe’s husband Frank came from Budesheim. He traced the Klein family “as well as several of the related ancestral families.” Margarethe’s grandfather Friedrich Wendel was located.
Frank Klein’s father actually came from Hergenfeld, which was about 10 miles west of Budesheim. Then he made his way to Budesheim. Notice it says that Hergenfeld was considered “abroad” because at that time, “Budesheim was part of the Grand-Duchy of Hesse-Darnstadt, and Hergenfeld was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Does that make Frank’s father Johann Peter a Prussian? Grandma used to tell me a story about how she remembered her family saying “the Prussians are coming,” as though that was something bad. I find the whole Prussian thing VERY CONFUSING. And the more it is explained to me, the more confused I get. I don’t think it’s stupidity on my part. I think that I would need a PhD in Prussian studies to truly “get it.”
Share Your Research–Or Not?
Presenting some of the opening pages of the book here makes me think of a subject I’ve been pondering lately. On some of the Facebook genealogy groups people sometimes discuss how some family history researchers don’t want to share their work with others. And others do want to share. Nobody asked me, but I’ll give you my two cents on the matter.
I paid a small fortune for this research report from Uwe. In general, I’ve spent more money than I should on genealogy. And much much more time.
Do you think I am leading up to why would I share it then?
Why WOULDN’T I share it? Does sharing it make it cost me less in time or money? Does sharing it take away from my findings? It’s not like I’ve written the Great American novel and letting other people sign it.
The more information we share, the more information we reclaim. I like the notion of thousands of trees that all interconnect and our remembering of history grows in value.
Even more importantly, why wouldn’t I want to share CORRECT INFORMATION? All that shoddy info going around on Ancestry and other places is because of people who are too lazy or cheap/poor to do the work themselves. So why wouldn’t I want to help clean up the information by providing what is correct (or as correct as can be at this point)?
Bottom line: SHARE, SHARE, SHARE.
Now my photos are another story. Please do NOT share my photos without giving credit to me or my blog. Those are family heirlooms. UPDATE: I am adding this so there can be so mistaking my point about the photos. I have family photos because lots of family members have shared them with me. They belong to my family. Since starting this blog, in addition to all the amazing information I’ve gleaned and connections I’ve made, there have been some people who have:
- Shared my photos online, such as in Facebook groups, without giving me or my family credit and severing the connection between photo and information behind it.
- Shared my photos in Ancestry, posting them with the wrong identities!
- Taken my photos and used them for their own commercial purposes, such as for their own books.
The Family Kalamazoo 
I know online genealogy is so much more convenient, but I’m partial to that big ole book—the old-fashioned way. Link and Wink—that’s just too fun! And I like your attitude about sharing.
I’ve heard of Winkelman, but never just Wink or Link that I can remember. LOL Thanks, Cheryl!! I hope your kitties are doing ok.
Thanks for raising some very important points. When I started researching there was a lot more free stuff online. The books I’ve written could not be written now, which is a shame. Against this has to be balanced copyright law, of course but I have to read a lot in order to choose what is relevant and that’s where the problem often lies. Discovering that a record does not exist can be as important as finding an important fact or idea.
Good point about balancing with copyright law. That, of course, is different than genealogical research, the fruits of which ought to belong to the public at large. Thanks for your thoughtful comments here, Barb.
I agree with you, we all should share. I also have spent much time and some money in my research but that should not stop anyone from sharing. I do understand about your photographs but I have had so many of mine used I guess I have grown to overlook this. But it would be nice to be asked and be given credit. Also when people have asked I have been able at times to give them new information and in many cases different and for them more relevant photographs. Also I must say I have gotten much information as a result of other people who shared freely of their information and photographs.
Charles, the thing with the photos I think I needed to explain more. It’s not the sharing I don’t want to do. It’s people using them without crediting the source. They belong to my family, not just to me. I added a little update at the end of the post about why my photos cannot be used without giving credit–not really why, but why it irritates me heh. Of course, I share them with family sans watermarks. After all, they came FROM family. But the research should all be shared. And the photos can be shared with credit. If you get a chance check out what I added.
I do agree with you on this. I have had so many photographs taken without being asked or credited that I guess I have grown use to it. But everyone should ask and give credit to the person from who you have obtained the photographs and or information.
I’m so glad you share and in your interesting way. Perhaps a reason some refrain, is the worry that they got it wrong.
That might be the case with some people. But the people who defend their position in FB groups are very sure that because they put in all the effort they don’t want to share with others. That is their right, but sad because it’s a project so many are in together. And the more we put our heads together the more is solved.
Agree. Seems pointless to do anything just to hold it to oneself.
Excellent post Luanne. I agree with you, we should share our research. By putting it all in a book, you assure that the work you have done becomes part of the history of the family and the history of the nation.
Right. This is a group project, in a way, so why wouldn’t we want a team effort?! BTW, I added to the end of the post more about why I want credit given for photos I post that people share. Well, really, not why, but what people have done that have irritated me ;).
I wholeheartedly agree that sharing research is best. It is like paying it forward and people do pay you back with additional information, pictures and being your friends as well as relations. It is a great way to preserve the family history too. If something happens to your research to destroy it, eg a natural disaster, your cousins will help with the restoration.
I don’t think people should worry about getting it wrong, it is always an evolving project and there is always something new to learn or information to refine.
Anne, I love your comments here. You are right that it is like paying it forward. Why would I not want to share info when others have shared with me, too?! Good point. And you’re right about the fact that we never have quite the “real” info as it is a work-in-progress. I added a bit at the end of my post about what has happened to me when people use my photos without credit. I think if they have to credit the source of the photos they will be more careful in using them.
The Squire and I have been tracing our families for ages, and it frustrating when you find a relative who has their tree marked “private”. I found one ancestor – sixth or seventh grandfather – and while everybody else on that tree was available, that ONE person was marked “private”. Aaargh!
He has his line back to Wales, and he’s run into the “ap’s”. This is the equivalent of “bar” or the Scandinavian “son”. Somehow, I don’t remember him being quite as bald before he started this . . .
You cracked me up! After reading these comments today I wonder if sometimes those private trees could be because they are filled with errors caused by the incessant adding of “leaves.” Or extremely bare and incomplete trees. But when we see them we always think our brick wall is solved in those trees!
I am the “family museum” and custody of family photos, many of what I believe to be one of a kind, have trickled down to me. Why do I have more rights to these pictures than any other family member. I appreciate all that share!
Miss Merry, thanks for your input! My photos came from family and belong to my family. And I am willing to share the photos with anyone. But not without proper credit. I added to the end of my post to give an idea of what has happened with people using my photos in manners I find negative. I hope that if people are more ethical about giving credit to photos they find on a blog they will be more ethical about their use of said photos.
I can’t imagine anyone sharing any family treasures without giving credit to the person who reclaimed it. Shame on them.
The more information we share legitimately, the more history we reclaim. I love that.
The amount of time and money you have devoted to your family’s preservation is awesome, Luanne. I think you’re amazing.
Excellent post, Luanne. That’s quite an impressive book and clearly not a minor expenditure! I, too, spend an amazing amount of time and money on my research and freely share it. Not everyone is blessed with my abilities and resources. And people share abundantly with me in return. Accuracy is important to me, so if my trees are well documented, people can feel fairly confident they’re finding good info. If people add things to their tree without proper analysis, that’s too bad, but not my problem. I absolutely agree with your take on sharing. I do have private trees in Ancestry for a couple reasons, though. One is because I’m writing a biography and want some of that research to myself for now. The other has to do with the surprises that turned up from DNA tests – which involves living people.
I so agree with you about sharing what you’ve learned, especially because we all know how much mis-information is out there. While I do have a private tree at this time, people can contact me and then I freely give. As chmjr 2 mentioned above, I’ve had so many of my photos used, not only have I gotten used to it, but I chuckle to myself every time Ancestry tells me I have new matches and when I open it up they are all photos that are from my research that others have added to their trees.
The project looks wonderful and is a lovely keepsake.
I’d always say share. I give away my work, even when people offer to buy it
What a great post Luanne ~ I really enjoyed it and totally agree with sharing. I also agree with the photo crediting but yup there is my but – the bottom line for me is, for those who have come and gone, may they be remembered, their stories told! So if and when someone takes a photo and doesn’t credit me I am ok with it – my family member has been remembered, he will be remembered through the mention of their picture credited or not but…I totally get it 🙂
I enjoyed reading this thought provoking post about an important topic. I agree that sharing of information is very helpful both to the giver and the receiver – and that those who share often end up getting much more information in return.
That is so true. I have made so many wonderful connections and love the give and take of genealogical research!
I also am always confused about German history and geography. Prussia seemed to grow and change over the years. Different states change names and borders. Sometimes they were under French control. Some were really more Polish than German. It’s baffling!
I am always happy to share my research and the documents I’ve found. After all, why would I blog if I don’t want people to benefit from what I’ve found? But I don’t trust how people use Ancestry, and I was upset when a photograph I had of my grandfather ended up on someone else’s tree. It just bothered me. I didn’t know the person, and it just felt wrong to me for no logical reason, I suppose. So I have a private tree on Ancestry yet I share my work on my public blog. Call me inconsistent!
One downside of sharing: I learned something about a great-grandmother and shared it within our family and it shocked too many people..it dealt with mental health and it was too difficult for some. So I began to question whether some family ‘secrets’ should remain so…
Oh Beth, that is a difficult one. It’s so hard to know. I’ve seen that subject debated in genealogy groups on Facebook. There are people who think you have a right to the knowledge, and then those that think nobody has a right and others who think you not only have the right to the knowledge but to the sharing of it. It’s so hard to know what to do sometimes.
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