Genealogy Heroes: Volunteers, Angels and Helpers

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There are so many wonderful and giving genealogists out there who make it their mission to help others. I'm always amazed at how giving and warm most genealogists are. Just researching your own tree could be a full time job for...well, basically forever! It's hard to imagine the time and effort these volunteers give on top of their own research. 

Here are just a few of many great projects I've heard of:

• Search Angels is a non-profit organization assisting with genealogy and DNA test results for those in search of their biological family roots (basic adoptive search is free)
• Family Treasures Found works to reunite lost treasures with their families
• Megan Smolenyak has researched and helped identify 188 soldiers of various US wars. For 25 years, she's assisted the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) with identification of soldiers who gave their lives in war, but had not yet been accounted for
• DNA Doe Project has a mission to identify John and Jane Does using investigative genetic genealogy
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) is a place where volunteers offer to provide research time (without charge) to researchers who need "boots on the ground" genealogy help in a distant location
• 10 Million Names is dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America
• Project Infant a site dedicated to every victim of the Mother & Baby Homes in Ireland

If you're thinking of giving of your time, in addition to the above projects, here are a couple ideas almost any of us can do:

• Assist with indexing, transcribing and proof-reading: Family Search has a whole page of volunteer opportunities
• Volunteer with a genealogical society such as the National Genealogical Society (NGS) or American Ancestors or ask your local genealogical society how you can volunteer with them
• Take photos or transcribe for BillionGraves or FindAGrave

For more ideas and sites: 

• Check out Cyndi's List for sites working to return reunite old photos with their family and other lost and found projects
• Investigate the numerous volunteer projects on Cyndi's List
• Browse Facebook groups - there are tons of them depending on your area of interest

While we all give in our own way, preserving and telling the stories of our ancestors - volunteers, helpers and angels are the unsung genealogy heroes. From transcribing documents to adding photos, I'd venture every one of us has benefited from the generosity of these amazing people. We may know some of their names, others remain in the shadows. If you're keen to give back to the genealogy community, take a few moments to look through some of these projects and ideas.

I've added a Volunteer Opportunities section on my Genealogy Toolbox page where you can find all of these links easily.

Baseball in the Branches: Selva Lewis "Lew" Burdette Jr.

Since opening day for the Baltimore Orioles was yesterday, I thought this would be a fitting post. Although the subject of this sketch isn't from my family, he's married into the adoptee (for a friend) tree I've been working on. So far, he's the closest to someone famous I've come across in any tree I've worked on. Selva Lewis Burdette Jr., more commonly known  as Lew Burdette, was a a right-handed Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, whose career spanned over 20 years, Born on November 22, 1926, in Nitro, West Virginia, Burdette's journey in baseball would lead him to become a well respected pitcher and paved the way for his grandson, Nolan Fontana, to play professionally. 

Lew briefly served in the Air Force Reserves from April-November 1945. In 1946 he attended the University of Richmond (Virginia) for a year and a half. He was already in the Major Leagues by the time he married into the family tree I'm researching on June 30, 1949 when he wed Mary Ann Shelton in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, making him the husband of a 2C1R of my research subject. They were born and raised in the same county, Nitro and Charleston are only about 12 miles apart, and they met in a bowling alley. By 1950 they had left West Virginia and made their home in Florida. Together they had 4 children: 1 son and 3 daughters.

His career really began when he signed with the New York Yankees in 1947. However, it was with the Milwaukee Braves where he made his indelible mark. Traded to the Braves in 1951, Burdette quickly became a central figure in the team's pitching rotation. Perhaps the high point of Burdette's career came during the 1957 World Series, where he showcased his skills on the national stage. Burdette was instrumental in the Milwaukee Braves' victory over the New York Yankees, winning three complete games, including a shutout in Game 7. This amazing performance earned him the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, securing his place in baseball history. He was also a two time All-Star (1957 and 1959).

Burdette was eventually traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. In 1964, he played with the Chicago Cubs and then the Phillies in 1965. He signed with the California Angels in 1966 as a relief pitcher, and finally retired in 1967. It would seem, as he came to the end of his career, the magic may have faded quickly. The average 20th century MLB career is just 5.6 years according to a 2007 study. 1in 5 players will have only a single year career. At the time Lew was playing, the average career length was estimated closer to 10 years, with "...a rarefied few enjoying 20 or more years of play..." according to the NCBI. He was an outlier by all standards with a 20 year career!

Over the course of his career, Burdette accumulated a record of 203 wins, 144 losses. At an imposing 6' 2-1/2" tall, he threw an amazing 1.074 strikeouts! There was some controversy around his pitching style though, and some debate as to whether he sometimes may have thrown "spitballs". His ability was evidenced by pitching 158 complete games and 33 shutouts Burdette was also known for his hitting abilities, a rare skill for a pitcher. With 12 home runs and 75 RBIs during his career, he was a versatile player. He was also "....a notorious prankster who did everything from slipping snakes into umpires’ pockets to intentionally posing as a lefty for his 1959 Topps baseball card" according to Alex Kupfer's article on SABR and was known for his nervous mannerisms his opponents found distracting when he was on the mound. 

After retiring, Burdette continued to influence baseball as a coach and scout, sharing his knowledge and passion for the game with the next generations. His legacy is not only found in the stats but also in the respect he earned from teammates, opponents, and fans. He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and was also in the Braves Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Selva Lewis Burdette Jr. passed away on February 6, 2007, in Winter Garden, Florida. His cause of death was lung cancer. His contributions to the sport remain a part of its history, he showcased the spirit and dedication defining America's pastime. 

While I'd have liked to share a photo, all the ones I've seen are still under copyright, but if you'd like to see some images of Lew Burdette click here. I've also found one lone photo of his wife Mary Ann Burdette here. And if you're a baseball fan inspired to know more about Lew's life and career, take a peek at a more detailed article on SABR, Lew Burdette by Alex Kupfer.

Though I'm not a huge sports fan, I grew up watching the Baltimore Orioles play. I was fortunate to witness the sometimes amusing theatrics of manager Earl Weaver. Finding Lew Burdette in the branches of the family tree of my friend was quite exciting! It was a privilege to research him a bit more for this post. 

Image by stanbalik from Pixabay

Distracted by DNA Part 1

It's been a particularly difficult week for me, in terms of motivation. Maybe I plowed through too much while I was on staycation....but I still want to keep moving ahead on my tree. I've picked back up my project of adding people from a well established family history book on my paternal side. It doesn't require a lot of mental energy, just time. The family history is typically very accurate and it's the fastest way to get to a point where I can figure out where to place more of my DNA matches in my tree. Why does this suddenly matter so much? Read on!

I was contacted by an Ancestry.com user who viewed the adoptee tree I'm working on for a friend. Let's call this person Sally (not her real name.) Sally was adamant there was no adoption in their family. She was sure of it!  Her husband John (not his real name) is a descendant of who we believe is the 2nd great grandfather of my friend. Based on information Sally provided, John is his 3rd cousin. Her initial contact was a little terse and I was concerned she was both put off and upset at the potential revelation.

Turned out, she was looking at a more distant relative in the tree (a 2nd cousin 1x removed), not the direct line I'm hoping to prove. There really was no adoption in the family she was familiar with. Still, I took the time to write back, and since her Ancestry.com profile shows she has many years of family history experience herself, I gently appealed to her to keep an open mind, since not all adoptions were talked about, and asked her to review what we think we've found and what we're hoping to use DNA to prove. Turns out, after reviewing what we know, she and her husband were very willing to help us try to find out more...incredibly eager actually! It was a very pleasant surprise. We've had several additional communications and she shared John's GEDmatch test kit number with me so I could do some comparisons. She also provided some additional contacts within the family we're exploring, and links to more information. As I learn more I'm looking forward to talking with Sally again! I believe there is value in communicating with any person willing to share. Maybe they have something to add to the tree...maybe not. But if I dismiss any potential research lead, I'd be doing a disservice.

With permission from my friend, I uploaded his Ancestry.com DNA results to GEDmatch. I used the one to one autosomal DNA comparison to John. This was the first time I'd actually looked at a comparison on the site, and to be honest, it was more than a little overwhelming. I'd run a few of their tools on my own DNA kit and there were lots of pretty colors, numbers, lines and charts, but it made virtually no sense to me. The results from John were no less daunting and I realized it's time for me to learn more about working with DNA details. What I think I saw was my friend matches John in several chromosome locations, and the total cM is within what would be expected for a 3rd cousin, but there was nothing spectacular. The good news is we now have many new GEDmatch DNA matches to research, using more detailed DNA information than is found on Ancestry.com.

Since it's easier for me to work with known DNA as I learn, I decided to jump over to my own tree and set out to learn more about working with DNA. I wanted to fill out as much of my paternal branch as quickly as I can to add new DNA matches, but I still like to have some documentation to support who I'm adding. Enter the family history book. I've been slowly using it to add to my tree over the last couple of years, but with no real sense of urgency. It seemed like a perfect time to hunker down and finish the project. (On my maternal line, where my biggest brick wall is, I don't have the luxury of a verified family history, only the research done by one family member. I'd prefer to continue to do my own research on the maternal line. Adding DNA matches there takes significantly more time).

I will definitely spend more time checking out GEDmatch (both for myself and my friend) but I decided maybe it's time for me to dig a little deeper and do some reading on working with DNA, so I can be more effective in my research. There are many wonderful free tutorials and I'm starting to dive in. It was an unexpected and wonderful surprise to be contacted by Sally. It just goes to show how open and kind some people in the genealogy community are. Even on social media, genealogy fans are some of the most wonderful people I've met and I value them all, whether they're related to me or not! In my next post, I'll update on what I'm learning using my own DNA matches.

Image by 652234 from Pixabay

For a Friend Adoptee Search

 

The father (now deceased) of a friend of mine was adopted. My friend desperately wanted to know more about his ancestors. He was able to get minimal information about his paternal grandfather and grandmother through a court order to view the adoption records. Even then, they contained little useful information. There was a name for his grandparents, but they both had the same surname. They were listed as living in Ohio (but no information on where). His father was born in West Virginia. Not a lot to work with!

My friend tested at 23andMe, and while he reached out to many DNA matches, few responded. I suggested he take a test at Ancestry.com since they have the largest database of testers (and working with the DNA matches is much friendlier on Ancestry.com ) and I offered to help him with the results. I wanted to see if all the learning I've been doing could help him solve his mystery. I'm the first to admit, I'm a novice when it comes to DNA, but I was up to the task.

After using the Leeds method with Ancestry.com's colored dots, and knowing just one maternal cousin, I was able to develop a list of paternal matches. From there, I created several quick and dirty trees for some of his matches. In just a few days, I was able to work back to his 2nd great grandfather (with a high level of certainty, since there are 10 DNA matches to him). Then, working forward again, I was able to find a match for his grandfather's name as shown in the adoption records! I was thrilled (and so was my friend)! 

It's very important to note, there are no DNA matches from his potential grandfather or great grandfather, so there is room for error. Unfortunately, this grandfather and all his children, except one, have already passed. The one living son is 87 years old, and if he is indeed the correct person, may not know he had another brother, and definitely wouldn't know about his potential nephew.

His grandmother has been more of a challenge. It would appear, from census records, his grandfather was married with several children (2 of whom , twins, were born about 15 months before his father - one of them is the uncle I mentioned above.). The mother listed in the 1930 and 1940 census did not have the same given name as the mother in the adoption records. It's certainly possible the name was recorded incorrectly (or intentionally given wrong). There is a possibility the family just couldn't support another child (they had 7 known children)...but it could just as easily have been a dalliance on his grandfather's part...there's just no way to know for sure. At this point, she remains unconfirmed. 

I've actually just determined the one lone uncle appears to still be living. It's a tricky situation! First off, I could always have made a mistake in my research, or perhaps the records just don't paint a complete picture of all the ancestors. How do you reach out to tell an 87 year old man he may have had a brother he never knew...and how to ask if he'll take a DNA test to confirm? Using a website based on public records, I've been able to come up with a potential phone number and email address for his uncle. 

As a researcher, my job is to find information, not to decide what to do with it. This may be the last chance for my friend to get any firsthand information (if indeed the match turns out to be correct and truly is still living). It could just as easily be a false lead. I plan on talking to my friend to explain just how life changing, or life shattering, this could be if it turns out to be true. He will need to proceed with caution and compassion and hope he can initiate contact. If he's lucky, perhaps the gentleman will be willing to talk, and perhaps even do a DNA test. If luck isn't on his side, he may get no response, or the person may shut down communication. On my end, passing on the information is oddly and decidedly disconcerting. I didn't expect it to weigh so heavily on me. So much of my research is on those no longer with us. When it comes to potentially impacting the life of a living person, it adds a completely different and complex dimension - one I'm not entirely comfortable with yet.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay