Folks with a desire to learn more about the branches of their family trees are invited to hear what an expert on the subject has to say.
Irv Rabideau, president of the Oakland County Genealogical Society, will give a free lecture on Thursday, Sept. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Addison Township Public Library (1440 Rochester Rd.) in Lakeville.
‘People have all kinds of stories in their background,? said the 72-year-old Waterford resident, who’s been doing genealogical research for about 40 years. ‘It’s just a matter of plugging away and uncovering them.?
For those just beginning to research their family histories, Rabideau will offer valuable tips on how to get started.
For experienced genealogical researchers, Rabideau will lead a more in-depth discussion on the topic.
Light refreshments will be served.
Due to space considerations, those planning to attend are asked to register by calling the library at (248) 628-7180.
During the course of his nearly 40-year career, Rabideau taught college courses in both American and world history, and worked as a librarian and archivist, most notably for the Burton Historical Collection at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library.
He believes it’s important to study history, ‘so you can understand the present? and ‘try not to repeat the mistakes of the past.?
A member of the Oakland County Genealogical Society for about eight years, Rabideau started researching his family history while working to earn his doctorate in American history.
He was already using the kinds of resources that genealogists use, namely manuscript census schedules.
These are the original forms on which census takers recorded information about households and residents. These documents are kept confidential for 72 years, then the National Archives and Records Administration makes them public.
‘They’re filled with data,? Rabideau said. ‘The most recent one available to the public is 1940 . . . Most of those have been digitized. They were microfilmed and now, they’re on-line. It might cost you something (to view them), but they’re digitally available.?
Rabideau has been able to trace his French ancestry all the way back to the 15th century and his German ancestry to the 18th century.
One of his ancestors was Abraham Martin, who served as a boat pilot for the famous French explorer Samuel De Champlain (1574-1635), who founded Quebec City in 1608.
Martin settled in Quebec and used to let his sheep graze in a large pasture area outside the city’s walls, according to Rabideau.
This area is known as the Plains of Abraham and is the site of a pivotal battle between French and British forces during the Seven Years War (also known as the French and Indian War) in September 1759. It’s known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham or the Battle of Quebec.
Rabideau recently discovered a British line in his family through a soldier who fought for England against the colonists during the American War of Independence.
He’s also looking into whether or not he has any Native American background via his familial ties to the French who settled in Detroit back when it was part of New France in the 18th century. ‘I think we all like to find out who we are and uncover the mysteries in our background,? Rabideau said.
For those folks who are just beginning to research their family histories, Rabideau advises them to ‘prove yourself,? which means ‘work backwards? starting with your own birth and marriage certificates.
‘Those documents contain information that will help you trace your parents,? he said.
Vital records concerning births, marriages and deaths are very valuable in genealogical research as are the Social Security Death Index , church records and census records. ‘For every person in your (family) line, you want to find them in the U.S. Census,? Rabideau said.
Newspapers are another helpful research tool and it’s not just because they contain obituaries. ‘A lot of people skip newspapers, but there are stories about families involved in events,? Rabideau said.
Modern technology, specifically the internet, has aided genealogists a great deal in their research.
When he began, Rabideau said genealogical research was ‘a very slow process? because it had to be done at libraries.
‘In this day and age, if I can’t sleep at 2 a.m., I can hop on my computer and poke away at on-line sources,? he said.
Although the internet offers faster and more convenient access to information, it’s not without limitations.
‘Only about 5 percent of the documents are on the internet (because no digital copies have been made),? Rabideau said. ‘There’s so much out there and you can’t expect it all (to be on the internet). The cost for digitizing would be prohibitive to get all the government records on-line. I don’t think it’s ever going to be done.?