“Where to Look for Answers to Your Research Questions” presented by Tom Neel.
President Betty Meier introduced Tom Neel, Director of the Ohio Genealogical Society, who spoke on “Where to Look for Answers to Your Research Questions.” Mr. Neel focused on the information that can be found in Court House records which are open to the public. He stated the researcher should ask to be directed to the “old records.” Probate records provide birth and death dates, marriage records, will and estate indexes.
Court of Common Pleas records may include: debt cases, lists of jurors and witnesses in trials, partition records, divorce filings, bastardy suits, as well as criminal cases. The Recorder’s office can provide deeds and abstracts.
Mr. Neel distributed packets of court cases for members to examine. The cases included debts, foreclosures, coroner’s inquests, stray records, chattel lists, and tax records.
Major records in most counties have been filmed by LDS and scanned images can be viewed online free of charge at www.familysearch.org, Neel concluded.
President Meier reported that Ann Artrip and her daughter had attended the OGS Open House on June 6th. A highlight was a Genealogy Scavenger Hunt. Betty also announced the winners of the 4-H Family Treasures project who will receive plaques donated by the Society at the Fair award ceremony on Sept. 6th. Laura Smith is the first-year winner and Madison Searls the second-year winner.
Betty Meier reported that she succeeded in getting a new sign hung at the Red Hill Cemetery in South Bloomfield Township. This had been an ongoing project. She asked for help in setting up the Genealogy display at the Log House at the fair on Sept. 1st. Fritz and Janet Miller and Duane Rasey volunteered.