If you have been following the story of S. Ada Miller you know that we started with a political card, asked research questions, and then did some research into S. Ada Miller and her children. If you haven’t been following along, you can read our journey so far in Part 1 and Part 2. Now, let’s go back to where we started. Was Ada Miller a County Recorder in Ames, Story, Iowa?

If we use her death certificate as evidence, then yes, she was a county recorder. However, it appears that her time in this position was short-lived since she died in 1923 and it appears she may have been elected around 1920.

We’ve exhausted the census. So where do I look next to verify her occupation? Since I am doing this from home without the benefit of in-person research, I decided to search digitized newspaper and book websites.

I found S. Ada Miller listed as the Recorder for Story County in the 1921-1922 Iowa Official Register[1]. She’s also listed in the 1923-1924 Iowa Official Register that I accessed through Hathi Trust does show S. Ada Miller as the Recorder for Story County.[2]

So I know she served right up to her death but I don’t really know anything about the election that gained her that government position.

Newspapers

I really didn’t find much in relation to online newspaper for S. Ada Miller. I did find mention of her membership and role in Degree of Pocahontas (remember the antique dealer mentioned that in her sticky note attached to the card. I also found some information about her role in this fraternal order in a search of Hathi Trust. But I decided to not explore that more since really want to focus on her occupation as county recorder.

One newspaper article from December 28, 1923 announcing her daughter's marriage gave a hint about S. Ada Miller’s government career:

Paul Critz and Miss Ruth Miller were married at the home of the priest of this parish Christmas eve. She is from Ames and is a daughter of Mrs. Ada Miller who was for years county recorder of Story county, and the daughter was her deputy. When her term of office expired, she became secretary to Col. Shaffer of the military department of Ames College...They had no wedding, on account of the recent death of her mother. They simply came to Washington and had Father Haragan [?] perform the wedding ceremony...[3]

So Ada was “for years” a county recorder and her daughter Ruth assisted her (Ruth would have been a teenager during this time). That doesn’t give us much to go on but suggests that perhaps she was a recorder prior to 1920 and her daughter was a part of that career. Other records might indicate the first election she won and her tenure as a recorder.

Ada's Story

Ada’s story is an important one that could provide insight into the working life of women in the early 20^th century. However, for now, this is where I am ending my search. I don’t doubt that there’s so much more to be found. But my initial goal was to learn more about a card I purchased at an antique store and I’ve learned answers to some of my questions. I look forward to revisiting Ada’s story when I can.

Reader, did you find anything more about Ada? What do you know about county recorders during this time period that might add some context to her story? Please let me know in the comments.

[1] “State of Iowa 1921 – 1922 Official Record,” pg 323 available at Hathi Trust: https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112073460559?urlappend=%3Bseq=323

[2] “State of Iowa 1923 – 1924 Official Record,” pg 260 available at Hathi Trust: https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112073460567?urlappend=%3Bseq=260

[3] Alex Miller's Column. Washington County News and Comment on Current Events. Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) 28 December 1923 page 14. Newspapers .com

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

 

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Janice Lovelace is a genealogical researcher, educator, author, and lecturer, with over thirty years of experience. She completed the Genealogy and Family History certificate at the University of Washington in 2012, the certificate program in genealogy at Boston University in 2013, and ProGen in 2014. Dr. Lovelace is a frequent speaker at international, national, and regional genealogy conferences as well as local societies on health and genetics, ethnic minority genealogy, and research methodology. She is an instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute (MAAGI). A retired college faculty member, Dr. Lovelace authored the National Genealogical Society’s online continuing education course African American Roots: A Historical Perspective. A freelance writer and photographer, she has a number of genealogy articles among her publications. A member of the Seattle Genealogical Society for many years, she has served in several board positions. She is also a member of Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Ohio Genealogical Society, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), and the National Genealogical Society (NGS).

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Mags is a Professional Genealogist specializing in Genetic Genealogy as founder of Grandma’s Genes in Ottawa. Growing up in a family full of family historians, Mags was primed to become a Genealogist. After earning her Bachelors Degree from Columbia College, she began to work her own Genealogy as a "hobby". This 30-year "hobby" eventually led her to a Leader role with WikiTree, where she currently leads: The DNA Innovators Project, The United Empire Loyalist Project and the British Home Children Project. She also leads the Templeton and McElmoyle Name Studies and the McElmoyle DNA Project. Work with WikiTree led to Mags starting Grandma’s Genes in 2016. Mags is an international Genetic Genealogy Lecturer, Blogger and a Social Media Maven. She serves as Admin for Facebook groups including the ISOGG Facebook Group. She is a former member of the Canadian Casualty Identification Team.

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For as long as she can remember, Elena has been interested in whakapapa (family history and genealogy). Her mum and some of her cousins were passionate about this too and nurtured her interest. They passed on as much as they could to Elena during their lifetimes. In 2017, during a long period of convalescence and admittedly on a bit of a whim (but also mindful of how problematic DNA testing is for us as indigenous peoples), some family members and Elena purchased DNA test kits from Ancestry.com. They discovered the fascinating and exciting world of DNA testing, including how the test results can be used to connect with both known and previously unknown whanaunga (relatives). They received help from many and learnt so much more than they ever expected. They are still learning as a whānau (family) but have also started paying it forward. The presentations are a koha (offering) from their whānau to yours.

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We've tallied the numbers and made a list of the Top 10 FamilyTreeWebinars.com classes for May 2021! Are your favorite topics or instructors among the list? Need something new to learn? Use the list to get inspired!

Each month thousands of Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers head for the library to learn new skills and techniques to help improve their genealogy research. Among the now-1,522 genealogy classes in the members-only library, these were the most frequently played during the month of May 2021.  They aren't necessarily the newest classes but rather the topics that were sought out by our members.

Have you seen any of these classes? Are these among your favorites too? Some of these classes (and topics) might be new to you! Get inspired to learn more and make your genealogy journey more fun!

The Top 10 for May 2021

1. DNA Downer: Strategies for Dealing with DNA Fatigue by Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D.

2. Record As You Go, Cite As You Go, & File As You Go by Cyndi Ingle

3. Solving a Brick Wall with DNA – A Case Study by Larry W. Thomas

4. 3 Ways to Advance Your Research with Correlation by Shannon Green, CG

5. 'What are the Odds?' An online tool that can help solve DNA puzzles by Jonny Perl

6. An Introduction to DNA Painter by Jonny Perl

7. Turning Raw Information into Evidence: Tips for Drawing and Explaining Conclusions by J. H. (Jay) Fonkert, CG

8. Organization: The Key to Successful Research by Teri E. Flack

9. Surname Slip-Ups: Baffling Beginnings by Carol Baxter

10. FamilySearch.org - 10 Links You Have to Try by Devin Ashby

The Runner-Ups

11. Get it Together! 5 Tips to Make Google Calendar Work for You (TechZone) by Cheri Hudson Passey

12. The Paternal Ten: Searching for Missing Heirs by Claire Ammon, CG

13. Four ways DNA Painter can help with your family history research by Jonny Perl

14. Latest updates to MyHeritage Genetic Groups by Daniel Horowitz

15. Write As You Go! A Methodology for Efficient Report Writing by Jill Morelli, CG

16. Notion for Genealogists by Lisa Alzo

17. The National Road: America's First Federal Highway by Annette Burke Lyttle

18. Four Factors Influencing Your DNA Ethnicity Results by Diahan Southard

19. What is Genetic Distance? (TechZone) by Diahan Southard

20. Researching the Descendants and Ancestors of the Weeping Time People by Brian Sheffey

The 2nd Runner-Ups

21. How Testing Multiple Relatives Can Turbocharge Your DNA Research by Michelle Leonard

22. Leaving a paper trail - Other German sources besides church books and civil records by Andrea Bentschneider

23. Learning More about American Female Ancestors Prior to 1850 by Gena Philibert-Ortega

24. Townlands, Parishes and Baronies - understanding land administrative divisions in Ireland by Natalie Bodle

25. 94% European and 6% Nigerian - Tracing My Missing Nigerian Ancestor by Yetunde Moronke Abiola

26. Advanced DNA Features on MyHeritage by Ofer Karp

27. Using DNA to Solve Adoption and Unknown Parentage Mysteries by Michelle Leonard

28. Superb Seven: Fabulous Avenues for Finding Family in Manuscript Collections by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS

29. Begotten by Fornication: Illegitimacy records in England and Wales by Helen V. Smith

30. Comparing Australian Content on the Giant Genealogy Websites by Sunny Morton

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