Creating a list or notebook of important items you want distributed to family members or a historical society is a commendable idea. The question is, have you done so?
After the recent death of my college roommate, a list of 90 items did indeed surface. It was nicely typed, the origins of the items he felt important were listed, but only a handful had been designated to family members. And you need to do more than have a list; pictures are important, as well as locations. Who is going to know where Grandma Eva’s wedding clock is located?
You could even put numbers on the items, keyed to the list. If you really want your wishes carried out — or, at least, the family link or sentimental value of the items appreciated — then you need to make the list useful and not a treasure hunt. Also, what if you want grandchildren to have such and such, and they are too young to have a household anytime soon? What happens then?
So the message is: If you really want your items treasured, preserved, passed down or donated to specific places, make a list that will be useful to your estate handlers or caregivers.
Researching family photos
It seems that most of our ancestors chose not to write on the back of family photographs to identify the subjects.
One of the best ways to figure out the approximate date for historic photographs, at least for those in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is to learn more about the history of the photographer, the studio, and when it was located at the address printed on the photograph.
To do this, you need to use city directories, many of which are on Ancestry.com. Usually there is a set at the local library or historical society in the city in question. You also could see whether anyone is researching a state’s photographers and where they might have posted a list.
On Oct. 5, the Georgia Genealogical Society is having an all-day workshop featuring Maureen Taylor, nationally known photograph historian and author of books on photograph identification. So save the date and check www.gagensociety.org for further details.
Veterans’ pension payments
Familysearch.org recently has added an index to nearly 900,000 U.S. Veterans Administration pension payment cards, 1907-1933, which would be a good place to start to find a 20th century pension. Under “United States” the various federal government records are listed along with the state records.
This can be of assistance in checking many topics besides military ones, including immigration.
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