Michelle Samartino | Special to the Michigan Catholic
Rochester — It might be one of those things you happen to think about when it’s too late.
Children and grandchildren will eventually want to know more about the personal details in their grandparents’ or other family members’ lives, such as how holidays were celebrated, what the family routines were or what kind of games they played.
Ann Faulkner, chairwoman of the Macomb County Genealogy Group and board member of the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, suggests talking now to family members who can share their memories, and record them.
There’s more to it than just the facts, too. “It’s where they lived, went to school, attended church, food, ate, discipline, employment, good times and bad times, etc.,” Faulkner says.
“They also need to identify as completely as possible any photographs in their collection by the name of the person, date and location, and event,” added Faulkner, who has been a personal genealogical researcher since 1965.
Why genealogy? “Genealogy gives us a sense of identity, and strengthens family bonds. Without our ancestors, we would not be here,” Faulkner said. “Besides identifying our ancestors, in order to understand them, it is equally important to place them into historical context.”
She explained that “to understand how they lived and what motivated them to make the decisions they did, you must study the history of the times and the community, where they lived.”
Factors such as ethnicity, family interactions, religion, economics, inherited traits and medical history, politics, geography, and national and world history are all important aspects when looking into one’s history.
Sacramental records key
It’s important to note, too, that for most areas, she says, civil vital records only go back to the beginning of the 20th century, whereas church records often span many centuries.
“Without church records, many people would not be able to prove their ancestry beyond a few generations, and would not be able to connect their immigrant ancestors to their homeland. This is especially true for the common folks, whose lives would have otherwise passed unrecorded. In addition, many recent civil vital records, once open, are restricted.”
The archives of the Archdiocese of Detroit have an important role to play in local family history. “Sacramental records are used extensively by genealogists, both in the Archdiocese of Detroit and around the United States,” said Heidi Christein, archivist for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
In a policy approved by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron in 2010, sacramental records created before 1930 in the Archdiocese of Detroit are open to genealogical research, Christein explained. “All sacramental records, regardless of their date of creation, are kept in register books, and all records are recorded by hand.”
To begin, it is vital to first know the name of the parish where the sacrament took place, she said, as no database kept by the archdiocese can be searched by a person’s name alone.
Parishes that are open or have merged are required to maintain sacramental records. “Individuals are not allowed to do their own research or to handle the register books themselves,” Christein said. “Parishes may refuse to do genealogy research; it is not something they are required to do. At the discretion of the pastor, parish staff can do genealogy research for people who request it.”
However, for parishes that have closed, records are transferred to the archdiocesan Archives, which has records of more than 80 parishes, hospitals and other institutions where sacraments were conferred, said Christein, as well as almost 1,200 sacramental registers in its collection.
For records from before 1930, the sacramental registers from many parishes founded before 1900 in the Archdiocese of Detroit are also available to the public on microfilm at the Burton Historical Collection at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library.
What to know, what to ask
To find a record through the archdiocesan Archives, Christein said it’s good to know three main pieces of information: the name of the parish where the sacrament was conferred, the name of the person at the time the sacrament was received, and an approximate date, usually within two years of the event.
But all is not lost if someone does not know or remember the name of the parish.
“It is still possible to sometimes find a record, but they would need to supply us with additional information, usually found in civil records,” Christein said. “For example, if someone has a civil birth record and wants to know where the individual was baptized, Archives staff can usually find the parish, or a possible few parishes, based on the address on the civil birth record.
“Similarly, if someone has a civil marriage license, we can usually find the name of the church where the marriage took place, based on the date of the wedding and the name of the priest who signed the marriage certificate,” she added.
The most useful sacramental records to genealogists are baptism and marriage records because they contain the most information, although civil death records will have more information than church records will, Christein said.
Faulkner stressed the importance of knowing your family history: “Talk with members of your family including your extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws.”
If it seems tough getting some initial information, start out with a few non-personal questions, she suggests, such as, “‘Do you remember where grandma was buried, or where she went to church?’ Ask if they have any old photographs.
“As you gain their confidence, more and more information with be forthcoming,” Faulkner added. “When these people pass away, all their knowledge and stories will be lost forever.”
Michelle Samartino is a freelance writer from Rochester.
How to start searching
To help begin your genealogy research, join a genealogy society — it’s a good place to start to learn about the research techniques and resources. They include:
• Detroit Society for Genealogical Research: www.dsgr.org
• Macomb County Genealogy Group: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mimcgg
• Oakland County Genealogical Society: www.ocgsmi.org
• French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan: fchsm.org
• Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan: www.pgsm.org
• Irish Genealogical Society of Michigan: migsm.org
Other genealogical societies can be found on the website of the Michigan Genealogical Council, www.mimgc.org. In addition, the reference staff at the Burton Historical Collection can provide assistance with specific questions; or visit a library, such as the Mount Clemens Public Library, which has volunteers from the Macomb County Genealogy Group to help on an individual basis.
The Archives at the Archdiocese of Detroit charges a fee for its research, in addition to a one-page form to fill out. While there might be a few online genealogical sites that have some sacramental record information, it is extremely limited and not always accurate, says Heidi Christein of the Archives.
For information from the archdiocesan Archives, call (313) 237-5846, email [email protected] or visit www.aod.org/parishes/sacramental-records/further-research/.
