labs.familysearch.org FINDS! Michigan Records

I've been playing around on the records database on labs.familysearch.org under their Records Search and have found sources, images and information I did not have. Very EXCITING and so EASY to use!

I'm just going to throw a few of the images and links up here and analyze them soon.

Birth Record for Caroline Grunow, daughter of Albert and Minnie Grunow: Michigan Births 1867-1902

Index Transcription and Citation:

Name: Caroline Grunow; Birth date: 08 Nov 1872; Birth place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Gender: Female; Race or color (on document): Father name: Albert Grunow; Father birth place: Prussia; Mother name: Minnie Grunow; Mother birth place: Holland; Film number: 2297932; Digital GS number: 4206336; Image number: 392; Reference number: item 2 p 160 rn 506; Collection: Michigan Births 1867-1902

My Transcription of Original:
Entry Number: 506
Date of Birth: Nov 8 1872
Surname and Christian Name: Caroline Grunow
Color: White
Sex: Female
Birth Place: 6th Ward Detroit
Parents- Full Name of Each: Albert Grunow and Minnie Grunow
Residence: Detroit
Birthplace: Father-Prusia Mother-Holland
Occupation of Father: Gardener
Date of Record: Sept 23, 1873

Possible Death Record for Albert Grunow: Michigan Deaths 1867-1897

Facts suggest it is the right person but not beyond a doubt. He's in the right place, with the right name, known information points to a death in this year range and the occupation matches the birth record of his daughter.

Index Transcription and Citation:

Name: Albert Grnow; Death date: 16 Oct 1892; Death place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Gender: Male; Age at death: 59 years 7 months; Estimated birth year: 1833; Birth place: Germany; Marital status: Married; Occupation: Gardener; Film number: 2363831; Digital GS number: 4209101; Image number: 1009; Reference number: p 380 rn 2063; Collection: Michigan Deaths 1867-1897


My Transcription of Original:

Record Number: 63
Date of Death: Oct 16 1892
Male
White
Married
Age: 59 yrs 7 months
Disease or Cause of Death: Poisoned
Birth Place: Germany
Occupation: Gardener
Parents: Unknown
Date of Record: May 24, 1893

Possible Death record for John Kraft: Michigan Death 1867-1897

Index Transcription and Citation:
Name: John Kraft; Death date: 27 Oct 1897; Death place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Gender: Male; Age at death: 62 years; Estimated birth year: 1835; Birth place: Germany; Marital status: Married; Father name: Unknown; Mother name: Unknown; Occupation: Laborer; Film number: 2364222; Digital GS number: 4002084; Image number: 990; Reference number: item 1 p 347 rn 1891; Collection: Michigan Deaths 1867-1897

My Transcription:
Record Number: 1891
Death Date: 27 Oct 1897
Full Name: John Kraft
Male
Female
Married
Age 62
Place of Death: Detroit
Disease or Cause of Death: Inflamation of Lungs
Birth Place: Germany
Occupation: Laberor
Parents: Unknown
Date of Record: May 20 1898

Unfortunately none of this information allows me to verify that it is the right individual.




Marriage Record of John Kraft Jr to Carrie Grunow: Michigan Marriage 1868-1925
Index Transcription and Citation:

Groom name: John, Jr. Kraft; Groom age: 21 years; Groom birth year: 1872; Groom birth place: Michigan; Bride name: Carrie Grunone; Bride age: 20 years; Bride birth year: 1873; Bride birth place: Michigan; Marriage date: 23 May 1893; Marriage place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Father of groom name: Jno. Kraft; Mother of groom name: Susanna Rumski; Father of bride name: Albert Grunone; Mother of bride name: Philomina Solders; Film number: 2342497; Digital GS number: 4207818; Image number: 135; Reference number: item 4 p 419 rn 13805; Collection: Michigan Marriages 1868-1925

My Transcription:
Record Number: 13805
Date of Licence: May 22 1893
Full Name and Age of Bridegroom: John Kraft Jr. 21
Full Name and Age of Bride: Carrie Grunow
Residence of Each: Detroit, Michigan
Birthplace of Each: Michigan
Occupation of Each: Nickel Plater/ na
Name of Father of Each: Jno Kraft/ Albert Grunow
Maiden Name of Mothers of Each: Susanna Rumski/ Philomenia Solders
Date of Marriage: May 23 1893
Place of Marriage: Detroit
Name and Official Station of Person by Whom Married: Geo Stauss, Ass't Pastor
Witnesses and their Residence: Frank Kraft and Joshephine Grunow of Detroit, Michigan


Marriage record for August Hill and Caroline Kraft(Krefft): Michigan Marriages 1868-1925 Index Transcription and Citation:

Groom name: August Hill; Groom age: 35 years; Groom birth year: 1884; Groom birth place: Michigan; Bride name: Caroline Krefft; Bride age: 25 years; Bride birth year: 1894; Bride birth place: Michigan; Marriage date: 07 May 1919; Marriage place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Father of groom name: John; Mother of groom name: ...argret Wagner; Father of bride name: John; Mother of bride name: ...roline; Film number: 2342734; Digital GS number: 4210041; Image number: 86; Reference number: v 8 p 265 rn 173792; Collection: Michigan Marriages 1868-1925

My Transcription:

Record Number: 173792
Date of Licence: April 29 1919
Full Name and Age of Bridegroom: August Hill 35
Full Name and Age of Bride: Caroline Krefft 25
Residence of Each: Detroit
Birthplace of Each: Michigan
Occupation of Each: Garage man/ none
Name of Father of Each: John/ John
Maiden Name of Mothers of Each: ..argaret Wagner/ ...roline (image cuts of part of names, we do know that they are Margaret and Caroline)
Time Previously Marriage: One/ no
Date of Marriage: May 7 1919
Place of Marriage: Detroit
Name and Official Station of Person by Whom Married: Leo Stauss, Priest
Witnesses and their Residence: Chas P. Hill and Mary E. Oswald of Not given

Birth Record for August Hill: Michigan Births 1867-1902

Google Books

I just discovered this exciting thing a couple of weeks ago through a family history blog. I've used Google books before, in fact I even linked to it in one of my early posts, but never realized the great potential it had for family historians.

Google Books is a great way to view and preview books that are on the market today. But even better are the books that are out of copyright or are public domain. Those books are available in their entirety and some are even available for download. You are acutally able to view the book in it's original format but are able to do electronic searches within the pages of the book. There are a lot of local and family histories out there that were published eons ago and I am excited to say that there are a lot of them available on Google Books! The possibilites are amazing!

Google Books has it set up so you can flag a book and add it to your own "library". Just in a matter of hours I was able to build up my own library with a wealth of family history information. You are welcome to browse through what I found in my library at Google Books. Even if the book isn't available for full viewing it is great to know that it exists somewhere. Some of the books that I am most excited about that are my ancestors specifically are:

The Corwin Genealogy

Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America

I've found it also to be a great place to find local histories written during the era my ancestors were actually living there. A lot of them have biographical sketches (though I haven't been lucky enough to find an ancestor that has one, yet).

History of Pike County, Ohio 1880
History of Detroit, 1912
A Guide to the City of Chicago, 1909

Using another tool by Google called a Notebook, you can highlight snippets of a text and save them seperate from the book into your notebook. You are also able to add notes and labels. This enables you to then go back and find the actual page from the book that pertains to your ancestor through your notebook.

You can also highlight a portion of a book and imbed it into your own post like this one about my great great great grandfather Chester Mathews Bigelow from the Bigelow Genealogy:


Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America From the Marriage in 1642 of John Biglo and Mary Warren to the Year 1890 By Gilman Bigelow Howe

Through doing this I was also able to find a reference (though sadly not a sourced reference) to my ancestor Joshua Bigelow who served in the King Phillips War as I mentioned last week:


In all Google Books has made it rather simple to do a search on your ancestors through a plethera of different books available for full view or not. They have made it easy to search, read and share what you find.

Check it out!
Do a search on your own family.
Come up with any questions? Just leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do to help.