When I see a new genealogy database, I usually check to see if the content might apply to my family.
One database announced at #RootsTech in Salt Lake City last month was a new online resource that documents Mormon missionaries who served between 1830 and 1930, titled: “Early Mormon Missionaries.”
Well – I didn’t know anyone in my family that served – so I didn’t think this database would apply to my family. I first searched for anyone named “Kemp” – there were over 30 entries – but none of them were a match for members of my family tree.
I searched for a few more surnames and decided there were probably no matches for members of my family. I gave the database one last search – this time by location. I did a search for “Stamford, Connecticut” – the town where I grew up – just to see what I’d find.
Boy, was I surprised. There was my cousin, James Alonzo Jerman (1812-1847), who was born in Stamford. What do you know – he must have converted to the Mormon faith – and it says he served a mission in Nova Scotia. His father was a minister in Stamford.
Notice that you can click on the link to “View This Person on FamilySearch” and see him in his family tree. Very handy.
Small world.
Check out the Early Mormon Missionaries database – you might find a long-lost cousin like I did.