Religious newspapers are a great source for genealogical research but are often very hard to locate -- let alone use -- unless the information in them is compiled and published.
Brent H. Holcomb has published more of this type of source book than any other writer, with his latest being two volumes of Presbyterian records. "Marriage and Death Notices From the Southern Presbyterian, Volume III: 1880-1891″ and its companion, "Volume IV: 1892-1908," contain a wealth of information on Presbyterians in the deep South.
The Southern Presbyterian newspaper was published in Columbia and Clinton in South Carolina and then in Atlanta until it ceased in 1908. The newspaper covered news of those in that faith from the Carolinas, Georgia and beyond, as well as many items related to other faiths. Marriages are especially useful for South Carolina.
Holcomb has painstakingly abstracted the information after locating the issues at various libraries. Each entry contains good information. In many cases that may be all that you ever learn about an ancestor, or it might lead you to other sources.
The books were published with a grant from the R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation and are fully indexed. They are available for $45 plus $4.50 mailing each from Brent H. Holcomb, P.O. Box 21766, Columbia, SC 29221. Check www.scmar.com for earlier titles.
World War II groups
The Sons and Daughters of World War II Veterans, a program of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, has been organized and is open to those who descend from a U.S. veteran of World War II.
The society's purpose is to perpetuate the veterans' stories and service as well as to create a public database of military records from individual veterans.
For application information, go to www.sonsanddaughtersofww2veterans.org. The mailing address is in care of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, 328 E. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624, or call 830-997-8600, Ext. 215.
Another group is looking for WWII B-24 and B-17 crew members. If you have a connection to a crew member, contact the Collings Foundation at www.collingsfoundation.org.
Mocavo search engine
The Mocavo search engine, launched in March, is specifically designed to make it easier to reach genealogy websites, so it's worth trying.
More links will be added, so keep checking www.mocavo.com.
Billed as the world's largest, free genealogy search engine, you can find reviews of it at the website.
Godfrey Library
The Godfrey Memorial Library is still going strong in Middletown, Conn., and has added many more newspapers and other databases to its online library.
Members get access to the library's vast amount of materials, as well as an extensive paper newsletter. Basic membership starts at $45. www.godfrey.org, 860-346-4375.
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