I have awarded my latest grant to the Sturgis Library of Barnstable, MA to assist with the purchase of materials necessary to make the 15 new collections of family papers and historical materials donated since 2016 ready for use by the public. Click through to the post for more details and to see how you can join me in supporting the library, which has become a premiere resource for the study of Cape Cod history, genealogy, and the maritime trades.
This quarter, I awarded a grant to Reclaim the Records because I’ve been so impressed with the accomplishments of Brooke Schreier Ganz and the organization she’s created. Click through to the post for details and to see how you can join me in supporting the work Reclaim the Records is doing (and who knows, maybe be the happy recipient of some genealogical karma, too).
It's always fun to get a peek at the outcome of one of my grants, so I was really happy to hear from Cecelia Chien, one of the Seton Shields Genealogy Grant recipients of 2016. Cecelia has given me permission to share her photos and the story of her research trip, so I'll let her take it from here, in her own words.
Ever wondered how I choose who to award grants to each quarter – what makes an application stand out to me or be eliminated? As a way of celebrating the milestone of 200 Seton Shields Genealogy Grants awarded, here's a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program and the woman who continues to inspire my life and work. Enjoy!
This quarter, I awarded my 200th Seton Shields Genealogy Grant! This quarter's recipient is the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center – a treasure trove of countless books and microfilms, online databases, events ranging from national conferences to summer camps, and world class genealogists – for whatever use they think would be most helpful.
This quarter, I awarded a grant to the Westside Cemetery Preservation Association to support their work of restoring and cleaning up the gravesites of enslaved African Americans and their descendants, found in cemeteries that have become overgrown and are largely hidden in secluded woods near sugar cane fields in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Click through to the post for more details and to see how you can join me in supporting the work the WCPA is doing.
As a tribute to the 125th anniversary of Ellis Island and Annie Moore's arrival there, I have awarded a grant to The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation to assist with the building of the new Statue of Liberty Museum. The post explains how you can join me in supporting this project.
This quarter, I'm awarding a grant to Mac Titmus and his co-volunteers of Long Island Genealogy. Long Island research can actually be quite challenging, so I'm really happy to support a resource I've found to be so helpful. Since they never charge for information, the group would like to file for not-for-profit status, which has a number of costs associated with it. The post explains how you can join me in supporting them.
Cecilia Chien was told by her father that her family was descended from a king of the 10th century. She began investigating her roots in 2002 and discovered that she is a 38th generation descendant of King Chien (852-932) who founded a prosperous kingdom in the Yangzi delta. Her goal is to write an account, “1,000 Years of a Chinese Family,” an odyssey back to the land of her parents. She will be visiting China this year to further her research. Cecilia requested and received funding to cover half of her round-trip airfare to Shanghai for her fieldwork.
Becky Shuff, one of the Q2 2016 Seton Shields Genealogy Grant recipients, undertook the role of caretaker for Terry Cemetery in Victor, WV. She was approved by a local correctional facility for the provision of six inmates and one guard to help with the upkeep of this cemetery, with her responsibility being the provision of equipment and meals for the inmates and guard. So for the first time ever, this grant is for a lawnmower.
