JOPLIN, Mo. —
Have you hit a brick wall in your search for family history? A resource that might be helpful is the website for Daughters of the American Revolution, a nonprofit women's organization. The website is www.dar.org.
Members of the society are descendants of patriots who helped America achieve independence. To become a member, each woman submits an application that traces her ancestry back to Revolutionary times.
The births, marriages and deaths of each generation must be documented before membership is accepted. Data is often based on Bible entries and cemetery records as well as birth, death and marriage certificates. The group has organized the data from past applications in an online database called Genealogical Research System.
The website notes that the list of patriots is not a full list of the men who helped in the war, only those whose female descendants have submitted applications. New patriots are continually being added.
The opening screen has a list of topics on the left. Place the mouse on "Onsite Research" and slide right to GRS, then click. When the next screen opens, click on "Ancestor."
The following screen has a form to enter a patriot's name. You may need to enter different spellings, because only one spelling is used in each patriot's file.
When I entered the name "Capps," I received no information, but when I entered "Capp," I obtained several records. For the best results, only enter the last name. That approach may provide additional information on relatives of the patriot who were also patriots.
The next screen lists patriots with that last name; the place where each served; rank, place and date of birth; place and date of death; and a description of service. Select one patriot and click on his name.
The next screen lists the name of his spouse, the place where he resided, and the names of some of his children.
Notice that the group has assigned a national number to each descendant who has applied to be a member. Click on the national number of the first person on the list.
The next screen provides the applicant's name at the top of the page, along with the names of patriots who were that applicant's ancestors.
When you click on the name of one of the ancestors, the site provides the applicant's lineage back to the patriot.
If you find helpful information and want to know the source of the data, the site provides an order form.
Suggestions or queries? Contact Frankie Meyer, 509 N. Center St., Plainfield, IN 46168 or email frankiemeyer@yahoo.com.
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