Caring for the Aged

I was introduced to one of the neatest record sets at RootsTech 2017.

I have known Michael Benson for quite awhile.  He lived not far from me, and was one of the microfilmers over areas east of the Mississippi River.

Even with 30,000 people to wade through, we always manage to find each other.

Just as we were saying our goodbyes, he asked me what classes I had taught at RootsTech.  I told him that one of the classes was "Substitutes for Vital Records".  He then asked me if I had ever seen the Old Age Assistance Tax images.

My interest was piqued, and I asked him what they were.  Apparently, they were set in place just before Social Security began.

And, he had just finished filming a set in Iowa.

Look at the information on these cards!  Each one has space for:
1.  The full name of the applicant.
2.  The date and place of birth.
3.  The parents' name, including the mother's maiden name.

Oh, this is good.

Here is the bread crumb trail on how to find them.

Go to the FamilySearch Wiki and look under the state you're researching.  Pay close attention to the taxation links.

Notice that #2 references Old Age Assistance Records, 1934-1936.  There is a clickable link at the end of that line.

This is the landing page.

Here, you'll see a camera at the end of each line.  There are four collections, all alphabetized.

And, there you go!  Many, if not most of these individuals were born in the late 1800's -- before most states began keeping vital records.

So, check the FamilySearch Wiki to see if there are collections available for the states you are researching.

The Wizened Ones...

I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a 95-year old friend today.

Bless her good heart.  She can't see very well at anymore.  She can't hear very well anymore.  Her short-term memory isn't very good anymore.

But boy, her long-term memory couldn't be beat!

I am very comfortable around older people.  Perhaps it's because I was born into an older family.  My sisters were ages 16, 19 and 21 when I came along, and my parents were well into their forties.  So...my grandparents, all of whom were born in the 1880's, were quite old. 

I could have sat and listened to them for hours.  Actually, I did sit and listen to them for hours, and they listened to me.  Though we were close to three generations apart from one another, their lives fascinated me. 

And, they still do.

This dear friend today had seen quite a lot in her 95 years.  She was born the year before the flu pandemic of 1918, so the fact that she's even here is a miracle in itself.  She was an expert quilter, and her quilts won awards at the Ohio State Fair. 

Now, she's blind.  But trust me, she can still see. 

My grandmother, Bertha, and my mother, Ida.  I spent hours listening to both of them tell the tales of growing up in the early part of the 1900's.  I learned how to honor my own mother by watching her honor hers.

My grandfather, Corb.  His own father died when he was quite young.  He and his brothers were raised by their grandfather.

My dad's parents, Richard and Fannie. 

I really am grateful for the time I am able to spend around older people.  They help me to appreciate my own life.  They inspire me to do better and to be better.

And, sometimes they even drop a little gem about the family's history!!