GLF-JAYNE

My name is Jayne McCormick and I live in the First State. I've been interested in Genealogy since I was a teenager. No one had learned to document, document, document, so much of the info I have is not documented and I've been trying to do that. I've no real area of expertise but I'm willing to help anyone if I can.

My interests do include the home front part of the American Civil War, Delaware in the Civil War, Fort Delaware, and Chester County, PA research, My interest in the Civil War came when I transcribed about 60 letters written home during the war, by my husband's Great Grandfather, Levi McCormick. Some of his letters can be seen at www.bitsofblueandgray.com under the "Letters" button.

I co-host GENTREK, a topic specific chat, in the Genealogy LookUp Forum Thurs nights 10 PM ET in the GENTREK Room and also Monday nights 9 PM ET on AOL in Genealogy. I co-host with my friend and partner Dae, a fun Saturday morning chat on AOL called Mugs and Hugs. I also co-host two Civil War chats on AOL at 11 PM ET Thursday & 10 PM ET on Friday in Ancestral Digs.

Visit my website www.bitsofblueandgray.com. "An American Civil War History notebook". Enjoy!

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GLF-MIKE

My interest in genealogy began in 1998. My mother often heard rumors growing up that she was supposed to have a half brother. She was uncertain if this was accurate since her father had always denied having a son from a previous marriage. My mother had found a newspaper clipping picture of him that my grandmother had tucked away in a photo album. She assumed that he died during World War II. This had prompted me to start an investigation on whether she had an older half brother.

I contacted my mother’s siblings to gather any known facts they could provide to me. After I had more information to work with I turned to the internet. This is when I located the surname message boards and the email lists. I began posting messages seeking further assistance on trying find out more information about my grandparents and their family history.

A lady named Janet (which many of you know as aka GLF-POLOCK)answered one of my requests offering to help me in my search. She asked me to give her all the information I had on the family, and she would go digging into some resources at the library in Toledo, Ohio. She found the documented proof that indeed my grandfather was married twice before my grandmother and he had a son from his first marriage. This was the beginning of my desire to further research my family roots. It was also the beginning of a close friendship between GLF-POLOCK and I.

In 2002 I decided to open Genealogy LookUp Forum. I wanted to give something back to other genealogists for all the help I was given starting out as a newbie. I know it can be difficult to obtain some information that genealogists need if they do not live in the area where their ancestors were located. I hope genealogists will find Genealogy LookUp Forum very useful in their genealogy research.

On February 1, 2005 I decided to add the genealogy chat to the web site. There are several opportunities to chat with other gen-friendly members that visit the room. We do try to stay on topic and avoid being just another gossip session. This is a great time to discuss whatever ails you, genealogically speaking. We have several folks willing to do lookups at Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com and other subscription-based websites. We also have “learning” chats hosted by very knowledgeable volunteers concerning New England, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), GenTrek, German Research and Beginners. For those who like trivia, we also have Genealogy Trivia on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.

Areas of expertise:

Quaker and Mennonite Genealogy. Knowledgeable researching Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee.

Current activities:

Chat Host:

Thursday evenings on GLF -- General Genealogy

Owner of Genealogy LookUp Forum

USGenWeb County Coordinator:

Defiance County, Ohio
Henry County, Ohio
Paulding County, Ohio
Williams County, Ohio
Monroe County, Michigan

Although I am a native of Amarillo, Texas, I have deep ancestral roots in Kentucky, Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Ohio, and have been involved in historical and genealogical research for forty-six years.

I served, in the 1970's and 1980's, as a consultant in audiovisual historiography to the Office of Presidential Libraries of the National Archives, as well as the Smithsonian Institution. I have spoken at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., as well as the Johnson Library in Austin, Texas, and the Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York in this subject area in years past.

I am a member of the Association for Professional Genealogists, the Society of American Archivists, the National Genealogical Society, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, a life member of the Kentucky Genealogical Society, and numerous other organizations.

I have been a Certified Genealogist for 10 years and a graduate of the Samford University National Institute for Genealogical & Historical Research Advanced Methodology and Professional Genealogy tracks, as well as having attended the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, DC.

I authored the US Land & Property Research course at the International Internet Genealogical Society University and have been an instructor in land and property research at the AOL On-Line Campus. I am the current instructor in Advanced Genealogy for a local college Continuing Education Department. I host thirteen Internet mail lists, and a USGenWeb county page, and the Assistant State Coordinator for the KYGenWeb.

I organized, with the help of a volunteer committee, was the host of, and a speaker(among others) at the Jackson Purchase Kentucky Homecoming 2000 event in Kentucky, which was a genealogical conference for the 700 subscribers to my Jackson Purchase Internet mail list. I was fortunate to be awarded the 2000 Outstanding Service to Genealogy Award for the Western Region of Kentucky by the Kentucky Genealogical Society, and, in 2001, was commissioned a “Kentucky Colonel” by Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton.

I have spoken in various seminars in New York, Washington, DC, Texas, Washington State and New Mexico.

I am currently abstracting court cases from the Kentucky Court of Appeals for publication in a multi-volume set, and completed, several years ago, in CD-ROM format, a complete collection of page images and every-name index of the earliest surviving Circuit Court Order Book in Graves County, Kentucky.

I have done research in twenty-two courthouses, four state archives, a half dozen historical societies. I have a private microfilm library of 500+ reels of KY records as well as 300+ print media items

Current activities:

Chat Host:

Monday evenings on GLF -- Genealogical Judicial Research