Seasons Greetings for 2017

It’s that time of year again and I want to wish all my followers a great year in genealogy research.

I was able to complete 51 projects in 29 communities during 2016 for many of you despite continuing health problems which are hopefully now resolved.  Thank you to all who invited me to participate in researching your family tree.  There was a great trip with Kelly and her friend to Ceprano and Sant’Angelo D’Alife, and finally, a meeting with a long-time client Alice in Fontechiari.  An adventure in Rionero in Vultura with John and his family where we actually found relatives and I also got to accompany Ron to Pontecorvo where we found much more than we expected to.

On a sad note I learned that after waiting almost a year for records to come available for a very patient client he stopped responding to my emails.  An internet search found an obituary.  He had died several months ago at the age of 62 years.  This got me thinking about my own personal research and yours.  We all have a will, I am sure, but have we thought about who will conserve the genealogical research we have been putting together over our lifetime?  Have we thought about who will succeed us as the family historian?  Maybe the one you choose won’t be the one who continues the research but they can keep it safe for the next generation.  Consider publishing what you have done so far and giving copies to the various branches of the family. www.lulu.com is an inexpensive self-publishing site.   Be sure to include some blank pages so they can keep it updated with births etc.  If you need help with organizing this please let me know as I do have some contacts in this field.  It would be a great loss to have all your work go to waste for lack of planning.

I have also been thinking about my business and what would happen if I could not continue.  In keeping with this theme I have made arrangements to have you all notified and any active clients taken care of by another researcher.  Unfortunately she does not reside in this area but is willing to take on anything I may leave unfinished.

On a lighter note I can tell you that Frosinone parish records are now being transferred to the Diocese offices in Ferentino.  Since there are several parishes this makes searching much easier.  Patrica, Pofi and Supino are already transferred.

The Mormon Church is actively uploading more records to their website from the Tribunal offices in Italy. These records are usually after 1900.   However their agreements with the Tribunal often make it necessary to be a member of their church or be present in one of their Family History Centres.

The Italian Government http://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it/en have issued the following statement

The Editor of the Antenati Portal is not able to carry out research on individual names on behalf of users, because not within its duties and would require an effort overcaming the available human resources . Leafing through the section of the Portal , however, ” Regions and sources ” , users can find useful information for their research compared to existing sources at all the Italian State Archives , which can turn by going directly into study rooms, or forwarding requests for correspondence. Therefore please understand, we encourage you not to send specific research requests of individual names because they do not have followed .

However, other than Rome, they do not appear to be working on uploading records from Caserta or Frosinone.

That’s all for now, keep up the good work and have a great year.