By Florence VV Davis

Many of us amateur genealogists have discovered how much a computer can help in compiling data we discover about our ancestors. But some of us have ventured farther into the wonders of "Computerland" and are using our home computers to actually do our research. This involves acquiring a modem and getting on line. After that the, the possibilities are endless.

There are literally thousands of genealogical resources available on the Internet, but I've found some that are especially useful in tracing VV and related family lines. The website I've found most helpful is the New York genealogy site which is part of the USGenWeb system now expanding to cover most states. The URL is http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/

In addition to some general genealogical information about the state as a whole, this site lists additional sites for each of the New York counties. Greene County, for example, may be found at http://www.hopefarm.com/greenhst.htm.

At that address, you will find -- among other things -- a list of the historians for each town in the county, complete with address and phone number; addresses for all municipal offices; a list of all county newspapers, museums, and other sites of interest; names and addresses of genealogists researching in that county; a map of Greene County; and a list of books relating to Greene County including a lookup service. There is also a bulletin board for queries from individuals.

My VV line (7th) branch) moved from Greene County to Delaware County about 1840, so I've found the resources found at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nydelawa/ to be very helpful.

IN addition to most of the services listed above for Greene County, the Delaware County page also includes census indices, a list of cemeteries, some family and Bible records, selected military and vital records as well as such miscellaneous records as a list of qualified jurors in 1798-1800, and photos of disguises in the Anti-Rent War.

There are also a couple of mailing lists that are both interesting and helpful for on-line VVs. One is maintained by Rick Van Valkenburg for "Van Valkenburg(h)s of all various and variable spellings." The most recent communication from Rick included an interesting letter from Victor Valkenborgh, a VV cousin from Belgium. Rick also mentions that The VV Family in America, now out of print and in the process of revision, has been scanned into an e-text edition by Randy VV. To get on Rick's mailing list, send e-mail with the Subject: "subscribe VV list" to info@upword.com.

Another list is the DUTCH-COLONIES Family List. This is a discussion area for anyone interested in genealogy for families who settled in the Dutch colonies of New Jersey and New York. To get on this list, send an e-mail message to MAISER@rmgate.pop.indiana.edu and put in the body of the message (not in Subject line): SUB DUTCH-COLONIES.

And last, but far from least, is the URL for the NAVVF website: http://www.van-valkenburg.org. Misplace your last copy of the newsletter? Look it up on-line here. And keep posted on all the latest developments in our Family Association at this address!

This list could probably go on and on. Have I missed a website that you've found helpful in your VV search? Send the URL to our newsletter editor for inclusion in future issues.

Florence VV Davis renflod@azstarnet.com