Robert F Givens: biography, pictures and information - Footnote.com

Robert F Givens: biography, pictures and information - Footnote.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Footnote folks have created a page for this individual, using the Social Security Death Index.  Don't know who or where this particular individual fits in, but since he's from Foley, someone out there knows him and the likelihood of him fitting in with our family is pretty good, (Baldwin County Lines).

Update: Footnote.com is now called Fold3.com and access is free throughout this month (June) in keeping with the spirit of the War of 1812 Bi-Centennial celebration.

1910 Census Walton County, the widow Givens with children

Summary of 1910 Census for Lud Givens, my grandfather.
Recorded from image at Ancestry.com

Data:

District 115, page 7A
Laurel Hill and DeFuniak Springs
Walton County, Florida

Family No. 100:

Mother: Malissa Givens; age 42, widowed, had ten children, five of whom are living; born in Florida; Malissa's father born in Germany, her mother born in Alabama.  She is farming for a living.
Dau: Mandy (Amanda); age 20; born in Florida, father born in Alabama, mother born in Florida. Son: Edward; age 19; born in Alabama, father born in Alabama, mother born in Florida (Washigton County).
Son: Ludd.; age 16; born in Alabama, father born in Alabama, mother born in Florida.
Dau: Minnie; age 15; born in Alabama; father born in Alabama, mother born in Florida.

Neighbors on either side:
Eliza Merritt, female widow, living with daughter, Willie and her husband, Felix Eclson.
Decatur Cutts and wife Mary.

Genealogy Essays: Estimating Dates

Genealogy Essays: Estimating Dates: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Untangling the Web

I have wondered, many times, how I could connect my Givens ancestors with the folks who contact me and tell me of their Givens' connections.  Ancestry's Family Trees certainly is helpful in finding the links, but I suppose that a graphic representation would also be helpful.  I have only dabbled in that area, producing some preliminary charts. 

I haven't seen or yet conceptualized a chart that includes both the different family branches and the different researchers working on those family lines.

If I had such a chart at my disposal, I'd connect Mary Alice B. to Sarah Elizabeth Givens, the daughter of Joseph Harvel/Harvey Givens.  Sarah married Henry Merit/Merritt Cooper.  One of their sons is Mary's grandfather.  I'd imagine that she is also working on the Cooper line.  By the way, Mary connected with me through MyHeritage, one of many websites that I've put my genealogy on.

Does anyone have pictures of this line?  I'll have to look into finding some on the Internet or at Ancestry!

World War I Civilian Draft Registration

In 1917 and 1918, approximately 24 million men registered for the draft in the United.States.  The men that were required to register were born between Sept 11, 1872 to Sept 12, 1900.  Read more about the registration cards that were generated at during this time period (Genealogy Branches.com).

There are a few places where you might look for these records:

• Travel to Salt Lake City and visit the Family History Library.  The records have been microfilmed and you can view them there at the library, or you can order the microfilm at your nearby Family History Center for about $5.50 (cheaper than traveling to Utah, for those of us living in the south).
• Access the information at the National Archives or at a regional center of NARA.
• Visit a public library that has a subscription to Ancestry.com.  The registration cards have been digitized and are available at Ancestry through a subscription to its database.  You can also subscribe to this resource online if you have access to the Internet.  The images can be printed, saved to your hard drive, or you can extract the information from them using a blank form (download at Ancestry).  

Because the local draft boards in various locations were utilized for this selective service project, you may discover if the information gathered, even though they were basically just filling in the blanks of the form/card.  The type of information you can expect to find may include:

1. A given name, along with the middle name and a surname.
2. Permanent home address.
3. Age by years.
4. Date of birth.
5. White? (Race/ethnicity)
6. Negro?
7. Oriental?
8. Indian, Citizen?
9. Indian, Non-Citizen?
10. Native Born?
11. Naturalized?
12. Citizen by Father's Naturalization before Registrant's Majority?
13. Alien-Declarant?
14. Alien- Non -declarant?
15. If not citizen of the U.S., of what nation are you a citizen or subject?_____________________
16. Present Occupation
17. Employer's Name
18. Place of Employment or Business (Address)

Nearest relative, name and address.
Registrant's signature and affirmation.


All of this information is on the front side of the card.  On the back side of the card, the Registrar's Report is given.  First, is a description of Registrant, including Height, Build, Color of Eyes, and Color of Hair.  The registrar states whether the registrant is physically disqualified.  Has person lost arm, leg, hand, eye, etc.


The registrar verifies and affirms that this information is true and that the registrant did read or had read to him all of the questions and has signed or made his mark.


So some of the Givens names that I found at Ancestry.com in the database for WWI Civilian Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 were:

• Henry Thomas Givens, born 29 Sep 1874, is White, and registered in Okaloosa County, Florida.
• John Homer Givens, born 31 Mar 1884, White, registered in Okaloosa County, Florida.
• Richard Lud Givens, born 14 Feb 1894, White, born in Alabama, registered in Okaloosa County, Florida
• William Edward Givens, born 3 Feb 1891, White, born in Florida, registered in Okaloosa County, Florida.

I also ordered the microfilm for Okaloosa registrations so I could browse through and pick out other names that I was interested in.  This is a gem of a resource and reading the description of the registrant's appearance is almost as good as having a photo!