Month: March 2025

Oppose HB 1148.03 – Preserve Access to Indiana’s History

This wasn’t my plan for a blog post but I think it’s vitally important for everyone interested in family history, whether you live in Indiana or not.

I’m copying the email I sent out to many folks who do live in Indiana yesterday. Even it you don’t – this will effect you as records are disappearing. Don’t believe me but believing your news source?! Think again. This is a bipartisan attack on all of us and we need to have our voices heard.:

This morning, I became aware of Indiana House Bill 1148.03, which just passed and is headed for the state Senate. I am emailing you because I know you have a deep love of history and genealogy. 

While the bill has been widely framed as addressing gender changes on birth certificates, hidden within its provisions is a major change that threatens the work of genealogists, historians, and all who seek access to historical birth records. Buried on page 10 of the bill is a proposal to extend the restriction on birth certificate access from 75 years to 99 years. This unnecessary change would significantly hinder the ability of genealogists, historians, and researchers to access critical historical records, delaying access for an additional 24 years—nearly an entire generation. 

This same legislative effort was attempted in January 2024 (HB 1365) but failed in committee. Now, it has returned—this time hidden within a broader bill.

Why This Change Must Be Stopped:

✅ A Reversal of Established Access – For decades, the 75-year threshold has balanced privacy concerns with the public’s right to access historical records. Arbitrarily extending the wait to 99 years serves no clear purpose other than restricting access to our collective history.

✅ Hindering Family Research – Birth records are vital for genealogical research, citizenship applications, and historical studies. This change would block access to information for countless individuals seeking to understand their heritage.

✅ A Threat to Historical and Academic Research – Many historical projects rely on birth records to reconstruct community histories, track migration patterns, and verify personal identities. Extending the restriction to 99 years would severely impede research and publication efforts.

✅ No Justification for the Change – There has been no demonstrated need for this increase. Indiana’s current 75-year access aligns with national norms, ensuring transparency while respecting privacy. This bill does not provide a clear reason why an additional 24-year delay is necessary.

Take Action Now

If HB 1148.03 is passed, Indiana will become one of the most restrictive states in the nation regarding historical birth records. We cannot allow this to happen.

I urge you to contact your legislators immediately and demand that they reject this extension to 99 years. Let them know that historians, genealogists, and the public deserve access to their past.

Find your representative and senator here:

Or better yet, copy the list of email addresses and paste them into the “To” field of your email composition window. 

If you prefer, you can call the Indiana Senate at (800) 382-9467 or snail mail them at:

Indiana Senate

200 W. Washington St.

Indianapolis, IN  46204-2786

Please make sure that your message is clear, concise, and respectful because that’s who we are.

Together, we can ensure that our history remains accessible to future generations.

Sincerely,

Lori Samuelson, NBCT Emeritus & Genealogist

This is not just Indiana – Records are disappearing. Here are some other situations that need to be addressed immediately:

  1. “An executive order was issued yesterday to reduce the funding for the Institute for Library and Museum Service (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/). This appears likely to reduce grant funding to libraries that, in some states, is being spent on genealogical programming and resources. The current 5-year plan for Massachusetts, for example, includes “Goal 4: Build Thriving Communities – Massachusetts residents will have opportunities to discover and explore their personal and community histories[…].” To learn how money is being sent in your state, go to https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grants-state/state-profiles/massachusetts , swapping in the appropriate state name.”
  2. “The other issue that needs attention is the National Archives where the current conversation is about shutting facilities and selling/leasing real estate instead of providing access to records. Please take a moment to read: “
     
    https://fundnara.com/

History SHOULD NOT be erased. We should have access to it and learn from it. Please take a moment to email ALL OF THE Indiana State Senators. Here is a letter you can copy and send:

Subject: Please Vote NO on HB 1148.03

Dear Senator,

I am writing to oppose the provision in HB 1148.03 that would delay public access to birth certificates from 75 years to 99 years. This change serves no clear purpose but blocks access to history for an entire generation.

Birth records are not just for genealogists—they help people reconnect with their family roots, preserve Indiana’s history, and even prove eligibility for heritage societies. The current 75-year rule has worked for decades—why change it now?

Please vote NO on this provision and keep Indiana’s history accessible.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

I also want you to know that Nextdoor refused to allow me to post the above letter. Said it wouldn’t allow “election” information. This has nothing to do with elections – it has to do with the government not working for the people but I guess Nextdoor’s view is that’s the folks we elected so you get what you voted for.

One more thing – I had someone respond with this: “It is probably related to thousaads of deceased people age 104+ that have been fraudulently collecting Social Security. When you access the birth cert, do you have access to SSN? If not, I’m totally with you.”

THIS IS FAKE NEWS! Here was my response:

I appreciate your concern about Social Security fraud, and I want to clarify that this bill has nothing to do with protecting Social Security numbers—those are already not included on publicly available birth certificates. In fact, no identifying personal financial data (like SSNs) are released when historical birth records become public. The current 75-year rule has worked effectively for decades, and there is no evidence that extending it to 99 years would prevent fraud. Instead, this change would only harm genealogists, historians, and everyday Hoosiers who rely on these records to trace family history, apply for heritage societies, and preserve Indiana’s past. This same proposal was already rejected by lawmakers in 2024 (HB 1365), which tells us that there was no compelling reason for this change then—and there isn’t one now. If you’re with me on this, I encourage you to contact your legislators and let them know that this unnecessary restriction should not become law. We need to protect public access to history, not block it.

My husband and I took a few minutes yesterday to email each Indiana state senator. Please do so as soon as possible.

The Case of Gerald Longpellow: Separating Fact from Fiction in Pedigrees

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Recently I found a pedigree that contained a surname that I’ve researched in the past – Hollingshead. There was a minimal amount of dates and only some locations but it matched most of what I have found to be true.

My brick wall has always been Hugh Hollinghead but this pedigree goes back further – to 700 AD. WOW – now that’s impressive. Or not.

According to this unsourced pedigree, Hugh’s daddy was a man named Gerald Longpellow. Gerald was supposedly a son of Edgar Aethling of England.

Surname changes I can accept if there is proof that we have the same person who changed their name but in this case, I find absolutely no mention anywhere of a Gerald Longpellow.

He certainly wasn’t the son of Edgar Aethling, whose father was Edward the Exile. Edgar had no children. Perhaps there was an illegitimate one here or there but I don’t know that and scholars haven’t found any.

What’s twisted about this, though, isn’t really the mystery of who Gerald was or wasn’t. I had to laugh because, as I’ve been blogging about for the past few weeks, I’ve heavily been researching the Baines family. Although this pedigree does not mention any Baines family it indirectly does.

Edward the Exile had a daughter known at Saint Margaret of Scotland; she was then the sister of Edgar Aethiling.

St. Margaret was purportedly born in Hungary but went back with her parents and siblings to Great Britain. She married Malcolm III of Scotland. Malcolm’s sibling was Donald III of Scotland, the head of the Baine family in which I was researching. Love when things connect up, well, even if in this case, they really don’t.

Be careful of the pedigrees that you discover. They are helpful but unfortunately, unlike family group sheets, do not lend to having sources available.

Turning Genealogy Research Into Rich Narratives

Every January, I set a new genealogy goal. This year, I challenged myself to transform decades of family research into engaging narratives—a goal as exciting as it was intimidating. I found myself wondering: Where should I begin? Should I start at my own story or dive into the farthest reaches of my ancestry, where brick walls often appear? How best to organize it all—by region, period, or perhaps by keeping different family lines separate? Once organized, what’s the ideal format: an eBook, a physical volume, or something entirely different?

I took the plunge in January and ended up self-publishing two family books. I’m now working on a third, with a fourth possibility on the horizon. Yet amid the progress, one thing lingers—I wished I’d discovered Doug Tattershall’s Storytelling for Genealogists – Turning Family Lineage into Family History sooner.

Doug’s book is a delightful, practical guide filled with creative ideas and actionable tips. With a background in journalism, he cuts straight to the heart of the matter: while meticulous research and accurate record-keeping are essential, they alone won’t preserve your family’s legacy. The true magic lies in writing compelling stories that breathe life into your ancestors. I especially appreciated his thoughtful examples for making people’s lives memorable and his sensitive approach to ethically sharing delicate family details.

For anyone feeling daunted by the prospect of writing family histories, Doug’s work is a must-read. By the end of this engaging and accessible book, you’ll not only gain confidence in your ability to craft captivating narratives, but you’ll also learn strategies that can help turn a mountain of research into a legacy that lives on for generations.

I do have one regret: I could have benefited immensely from the short planning guide included in the back of the book. It’s a reminder that just as we plan our research strategies—especially when confronting those stubborn brick walls—we should also plan our storytelling approach.

Whether your family’s memories are best captured on paper or through auditory storytelling, Doug offers creative ideas for every style. I’ve already recommended his book to several colleagues who had been hesitating to start their own writing journeys. If you’re ready to preserve your family history in a way that truly resonates, I encourage you to check out Doug Tattershall’s guide—available through Genealogical.com.