Recently the Archives has received an increased number of requests for family history information. In most cases we can find the relevant material to respond. In other cases, we utilize Ancestry.com databases to focus or confirm that we are indeed looking at the records of the right person.
Generally, a record that includes multiple generations is most valuable since it increases the likelihood that a cousin of the same name is not being mistakenly identified. Some of our marriage records include the names of the brides’ and grooms’ parents. A register of religious school students, dating back to the 1870’s, includes the students’ parents and address. The marriage records of 1865-1888 included the residence and the place of birth of the bride and groom. This information is particularly helpful in tracking families’ origins.
Our extensive records of Confirmation students help identify generations of families as well as siblings. Our collection of Confirmation Yearbooks was recently featured in our Foyer display case. We have created a computer index of KI’s many Yahrzeit plaques. It should be noted that a memorial of this nature does NOT mean that the individual was a member of KI; rather that a member wished to remember and honor them.
The Temple Bulletins over the years have included many articles which can be of interest in enhancing one’s view of congregational involvement. Since these do not lend themselves to indexing, dates on interest are needed to study the contents. Congregational Yearbooks were published from 1889-1929 and include membership lists with addresses, deaths, brief descriptions of the year’s events and historical summaries.
The Archives also possesses a small collection of family trees. These are in addition to those created for KI’s 170th anniversary in 2017 to document the then-current families who had been affiliated with KI for over 100 years.
If you believe that any of these materials could help embellish your family history; or if you wish to check out Ancestry.com material; please feel free to leave a message for me with the office staff.
Jack Myers, KI Archivist
