There’s Plenty Here To Dig With

A host of new publications aimed at genealogists might help you unearth some of your more “difficult” ancestors.

The Missouri Confederate Pensions and Confederate Home Applications Index is a new book prepared by Peggy Barnes Fox, assistant director of the Confederate Research Center at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. There were nearly 4,200 pension applications filed with the state of Missouri based on Confederate Army service. These were for service in Missouri units and other Confederate units and organizations. Missouri first authorized such pensions in 1913.

Veterans’ applications generally include full name, date and place of discharge, brief description of service and/or wounds, place and length of residence in Missouri. A wife is sometimes named.

After locating your ancestor’s name in this index, send for the file from the Missouri State Archives.

Order this $32 (postpaid) book from The Confederate Research Center, P.O. Box 619, Hillsboro TX, 76645.

“The Center: A Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Capital Area” by Christina Schaefer is worth studying before visiting Washington, D.C. That city holds the world’s largest body of accessible research materials.

The 160-page book costs $19.95, plus $3.50 postage, from Genealogical Publishing Co. 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897, (or (800) 296-6687).

“Lasting Memories: A Guide to Writing Your Family History,” by Dana Alexander and Amy Shea, would be a thoughtful gift for family and friends. The 140-page, spiral-bound book is really a workbook of family history questions with lined spaces inserted for writing the answers. Sample questions include: “How many times have you changed jobs over the years?” “What type of music did you listen to?” “Who do you think was the best president in your lifetime?”

Order this $19.95 workbook, plus $2.25 postage, from Generations Publications, 1937 Bembrigh Lane, Charlotte NC, 28262.

“Oryx American Family Tree” is a series of 12 hard-bound books designed to combine student understanding of solid research techniques with the culture and social changes of certain people and places. Using these books, students learn to collect and evaluate family history data.

One in the series, “The Students Guide to African American Genealogy,” includes such chapters as: “A Heritage to Celebrate,” “Immigration in Chains,” “Freedom and the African Cultural Diaspora,” “Getting Started on Your Research,” “The Census, Searching for Slaves,” “Family Issues” and “Preserving Your Family History.” Other titles cover British, Japanese, Polish, German, Scandinavian, Chinese, Italian, Jewish, Irish, Mexican and Native American genealogy.

Each book costs $24.95, plus $3 postage, with a 20 percent discount for the set, from Oryx, (800) 279-6799.

Parsons Technology announces Family Origins 5.0 for Windows, a major upgrade of its popular genealogy software. This program is one of the easiest to use. The new edition features a Web page option, Multimedia Scrapbook (attach video and sound clips) and a scrapbook on any individual can be created and printed.

This CD ROM sells for $29. A $59 deluxe version features a Family Reunion Planner, Family Atlas, which creates and prints maps, Family Images, family oriented clip art, and a Daily Journal program. Contact Parsons Technology at (888) 883-0791.

, 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 selfaddressed, stamped envelope.

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