Methodist Clerics On Record

Today’s column is a continuation of our Summer Miscellany series.

If your ancestor has a Methodist connection, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the United Methodist Archives Center, c/o Drew University, P.O. Box 127, Madison, N.J. 07940. An initial search will be made at no cost, but expect a small photocopying charge. The archives records apply mostly to ministers, not members.

“Producing a Quality Family History,” by Patricia Law Hatcher, is a new offering from Ancestry, Inc. The book spells out the necessary details to turn paper into people for an interesting and quality family genealogy book. The book is available for $15.95, plus $3.50 postage; call 800-531-1790. (Hatcher was Eastern Washington Genealogy Society’s seminar speaker last April.)

Need Alabama vital records? Indexes to these records are available on 18 rolls of microfilm from the Alabama State Board of Health, Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery AL, 36103. Death indexes span 1908 to 1959, marriages cover 1936 to 1969, and divorces include 1950 to 1959. Each roll is $40. (Also check with the Family History Centers for these and other filmed Alabama vital records.)

The Kishwaukee Genealogists Newsletter covers Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois. Contact them at P.O. Box 5503, Rockford IL, 61125. This group recently produced an index to area Methodist records, 1854 to 1925. It also sponsors an annual ethnic potluck (doesn’t that sound like fun?).

Family History Monthly is a new magazine published in England, containing articles of interest to Americans with British roots. Recent offerings include “Are you entitled to a coat of arms?,” “Spotlight on Durham records” and “Derivation of names from birds.” Each issue carries a how-to article (“Using the Edinburgh New Register House”) and a special monthly feature on one family surname. Subscription is 35 pounds; contact Reusch International at 800-424-2923 to subscribe (they can easily transcribe pounds into dollars), or contact the magazine directly at 45 St. Mary’s Road, Ealing, London W5 5RQ, England.

Have West Virginia folks in your family tree? “Mining Your History Foundation,” founded last year, wants to network with all those having West Virginia roots. Membership, $20 annually, includes free queries in the quarterly newsletter. Contact them c/o the West Virginia Archives and History Cultural Center, 1900 E. Kanwha Blvd., Charleston WV, 25305-0300.

Reunion Apparel, 1007 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant S.C., 29464, offers great deals on reunion shirts. Their flyer shows several styles with pre-printed designs that allows your family name to be inserted into the design. Cost is $8.95 each for 36 or more T-shirts. If it’s too late for this year, get ready for next year’s reunion.

Gear up for resuming your genealogy this fall by subscribing to Ancestry Magazine. Each issue of this full-color, bimonthly publication contains six or more timely and helpful articles that teach methodology and resources. This is one subscription you won’t let lapse. Call Ancestry at 800-531-1790 to order the $18 magazine. To try-before-buying, pick up a single copy at Ancestors Plus in the Shadle Park Shopping Center.

Today’s Trivia: The U.S. Census Bureau admits to having missed 1.6 percent - or 4 million - of the U.S. population in the 1990 census. With no modern technology available, how many people do you suppose were missed in 1840 or 1880?

, DataTimes MEMO: Donna Potter Phillips welcomes letters from readers. Write to her at The Spokesman-Review, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. For a response, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Donna Potter Phillips The Spokesman-Review