ROOTS & BRANCHES

I’ll tell you the honest truth: I never really wondered too much about how people wanted information on Beidler families find me.Even I don’t advertise per se, I do have a website and the activities in which I’ve engaged (such as lecturing and authoring commercially published books) leave enough internet breadcrumbs for people to find me.But I decided to Google “Beidler genealogy” recently and found that you have to go through several dozen entries before you find one that does not relate me.And, as it happens, I know a passing amount about many of the Beidler lines other my own.But I was almost stumped when Jerry Danielson emailed me from Long Prairie, Minnesota, last fall to ask: “I am wondering if you have much info on the Beidler clan from Juniata County before 1880.”My research had mostly found Beidler families in the traditional Pennsylvania German arc that stretches from Adams and York counties in the south to Lehigh and Northampton counties in the east.But then I recalled a spiral-bound book that had sat on my shelves for a lot of years. I don’t even recall where I picked it up, but I had a copy of “Jacob Beidler’s Book No. A: A Diary Kept by Jacob Beidler from November 1857 thru July 1863,” which says Jacob was born 1834 as the son of a Silas Beidler. The diary mentions that Jacob had a brother named William H.The foreword to the diary also indicated that there was also a Beidler family Bible at the Juniata County Historical Society.Since I had not used the diary since I bought it, I offered to mail it to Danielson, who recently updated me with his further research. “I just wanted to thank you again for the Jacob Beidler Diary.  Through information in it I believe I have located three siblings of Silas Beidler.  Now I need to figure out how to document this.  I think I may take a course on the Genealogical Proof Standard,” Danielson wrote. “Thanks again for the diary, this is getting addictive!”I can hear legions of genealogists saying in unison: “No kidding!”***A reminder that registration—for both in-person and virtual seats—for “Family History Sampler” on Saturday, May 20, is still open. Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and Historical Society of Pennsylvania are co-sponsoring the hybrid event, with the in-person presentations held at HSP, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia.The program features three nationally known speakers, Rich Venezia, Rick Sayre, and LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson.  To register, go to the URL,https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-history-sampler-different-strategies-for-diverse-ancestors-tickets-558311894907