As I’ve been going through the voter registration logs, I’ve noticed a couple of things. First, my ancestors belong to alot of different political parties. I’ve noted Democratic, Republican, Socialist, Progressive, Libertarian, Independent, and the non party “Declined to State”. Remember all those black and white movies depicted women as too silly and naive to…
Category: General Genealogy
Did my great grandmother commit voter fraud?
I have been working fervishly in the voter registration indexes for California. What a surprise to find my Great Grandmother registered to vote in 1936. It’s a surprise because she wasn’t a US Citizen. She wasn’t even in the country legally. My great grandfather contracted leprosy while they still lived in Hawaii. He avoided deportation…
Tips for Researching Ancestry.com’s Voter Registration Index
Ancestry.com added the California Voter Registration indexes awhile back. They are excellent resource for anyone searching for ancestors between 1900-1950 or so. If you are researching Portuguese Hawaiians who left for California, these records may help you locate where they were residing. The indexes can be tricky to search. Surname searches are too convoluted. First…
Finding my Relatives’ Houses with Google Street View
I’m so excited! Google Street View has finally added the streets I need in Oakland, California. Yeah! I couldn’t wait to try out some searches. A couple of months ago, I tried to find my Grandparent’s house. Google gave me an approximation. I knew instantly it was the wrong house. I was thrilled to see…
Funny day at the microfilm reader
I have Azorean roots. So, along the way I had to learn a little Portuguese in order to read the Azorean records. I’m self taught and use vocabulary lists, research guides, and a trusty dictionary to get me through. One day, I was up at the local FHC working on baptismal records in Maia, Ribeira…