 
Genealogical Database
One of the main objectives
of the Mershon Association is to gather family history
of the descendants of Henry Mershon with the intent
of someday publishing these histories. Little did the
founders of the Association realize what this intent
really meant.
The books written by
Grace Lucile Olmstead Mershon generally covered only
the first six generations. This encompassed about the
first 150 to 180 years of our history. Since the mid
1900s when Mrs. Mershon published these books, interest
in family history has heightened and today, the Association
has history on over 30,000 descendants, and spouses,
of Henry Mershon. Many “lost branches’ of
the family tree have been discovered and documented.
Contained within these histories are our children who
are 15th generation descendants (counting Henri Marchand
as the first generation). If a tome, or a series of
books were published today to update Mrs. Mershon’s
work, it is conservatively estimated that the index,
along, would be over 800 pages. The cost would be prohibitive.
From the beginning of
the Association, up until about 1998, the family history
was maintained on paper charts. In 1992, a project was
begun to transfer all of the data from the paper charts
to a computer database. This project was completed in
1998, when over 4,000 chats had been transferred to
the database. At that time, the paper charts were discontinued,
and updates to the family history were made only to
the database.
For those who would like
to review the original family tree charts, they are
stored in the Mershon Room, at the Presbyterian Church
of Lawrenceville, NJ. Also, in 1988, the Mormon Church
microfilmed all of the available charts, at that time.
These films can be reviewed by ordering the films from
Salt Lake City through a local Mormon Family History
Center.
To request information
on any Mershon family line, just contact the person
listed as the contact. To the best of our ability, we
will furnish the requested information. There are three
things to consider when requesting information on family
history:
1.
Do you use a commercial genealogical computer program
to maintain your genealogy? If you do, and your
computer program is Gedcom compatible (and most programs
today are) just request a Gedcom file of the information
you want, be E-mailed to you. If you would also like
a disc of the Gedcom file, we will be happy to send
you one by US Postal Service. WARNING: Please make sure
that you understand the procedures for importing a Gedcom
file into your present genealogy files-failure to correctly
do this, can scramble your present files.
2.
You would prefer hardcopy printouts of the requested
information. We will be happy to send to you,
printouts of the information that we have available.
These would be sent to your US Postal Service address.
3.
The validity of our database. Our database has
been derived from the information in Lucile Mershon’s
books, from independent research and from information
sent to us from Mershon cousins. Like all genealogy
information-before you are convinced that it is factual,
validate it. We know that there are some errors in our
data, but we are continually updating it to the best
information we have.
However you wish to receive
the information from our database, there is no charge,
including postage.
To make a
request for information, please contact:
Mrs. Teresa Mershon, Genealogist
2111 Pelham Place
Ober, Ohio 43207-5233
Phone: (614) 491-9913
E-Mail: tmershon4@yahoo.com
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