Akron Ohio Stake News

Decision

by Sister Jeanne Peugh, Director

Every day we have decisions to make and how we want to implement those decisions. Each of us are in different stages of our lives, and because of a prior decision we have made, there are obligations associated with that decision.

There are times we may have to make a “quick” decision without having the time to consider there might be other options. And there are other times a final decision can be made when all the “facts” have been placed before us.

In our study of Elijah this week in “Come Follow Me” we learn that Elijah had some decisions to make that maybe he didn’t comprehend the magnitude of those decisions on us today. 

Because of Elijah, the sealing powers were restored and are available to us on a day-to-day basis. The decision is ours to have our families bound together for eternity.  

As we approach “Independence Day,” I would like to give members of the Akron Ohio Stake a 30-day challenge to decide that we will devote a few minutes or more each day to spend quality time with our ancestors. If we want to feel the Spirit of Elijah in our lives, we need a testimony of family history work to burn deep within us. 

I’m sure we all know that it is now only 30 days to do temple work when an ancestor passes away, but the 110 years still apply. And so much is available to us than ever before. I would encourage you to take advantage of consultants in your wards/branches to help you. Also, at Family History Centers throughout the stake, there is what is called the “Portal,” and it has additional family history websites that you can access for free that we cannot access at home. There is so much more available to enhance our research. See the list of websites on the portal.  

Premium Websites Available

19th Century British Library Newspapers: This fully searchable database of the British Library’s newspaper holdings provides a complete run of 48 national and regional Victorian British newspapers for the 19th century from 1800 to 1900. These support the study of colonial history, genealogical research, politics, urban studies, and media courses.

Alexander Street Press – American Civil War: Research Data: Contains indexed, searchable information on over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with 15,000 photographs 

• Letters and Diaries: Contains approximately 100,000 indexed pages of diaries, letters, and memoirs, including 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts, such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor. 

• Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera: Provides a vivid history of the American Civil War with over 1,400 images. 

• Women and Social Movements in the United States: Organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between 1600 and 2000 A.D.

American Ancestors: Created by the New England Genealogical Society, the American Ancestors website allows searches in a variety of different databases, including 19th-century newspapers, court and probate records, genealogies, journals and periodicals, and immigration records.

Ancestry – Institution Version: Ancestry gives you access to thousands of collections of records from around the world, including immigration, census, voter, vital, and military records; newspapers and periodicals; family trees; photos and images; directories, maps, court, land, wills, and financial records, stories, memories, and histories; and detailed records about births, marriages, deaths, land ownership, and much more. It is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world.

ArkivDigital: ArkivDigital is the largest private provider of Swedish Church Records and other historical records online! All images are newly photographed color images of the original documents.

British Newspaper Archive: The largest online historical newspaper database contains tens of millions of newspaper pages from 1607 to the present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword and date, making it easy for you to explore historical content quickly.

FamNet: The online family history network for those who have New Zealand roots.

Findmypast: Findmypast makes it easy to research your U.K. ancestry and create your family tree. Search census records and trace births, marriages, and deaths to bring your family history to life. Please note that not all of the content from Findmypast is available in family history centers.

• 1911 British Census (accessed through the Findmypast website)-The 1911 U.K. Census is a record of everyone who lived in England and Wales in 1911. It provides a unique snapshot of the lives of those who lived at that time.

Fold3 – formerly Footnote: Search or browse millions of historical documents and photos. Fold3 has refocused their efforts on gathering the best online collection of military records and stories. The Fold3 name reflects military history and honor since traditionally, the third fold in a flag-folding ceremony honors and remembers veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.

The Genealogist: Contains English parish records, directories, census, civil registration, surname mapping, and selected army and navy lists.

Geneanet: This resource, available in centers in the United Kingdom only, contains English parish records, directories, census, civil registration, surname mapping, and selected army and navy lists.

MyHeritage – Library Edition: Used by millions of people worldwide to help research family history, build a family tree, and add photos, historical records, and more.

Newspaper Archive: NewspaperArchive.com features articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old, including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more, to fill in the life stories you are researching. All of our historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable.”

Newspapers.com (Institutional Version): Historical newspapers from the 1700s–2000s. Millions of additional pages are added every month.

Paper Trail: Provides access to 19th-century westward American migration documents.

Puzzilla – Premium Service: Find new research opportunities on descendant lines in Family Tree.