How to Join

What do you need to join us?

The Anne Eliza Johns Chapter is delighted that you are interested in membership in our great organization. Those eligible for membership are women at least 16 years old who are lineal or collateral blood descendants of men and women who served honorably in the Army, Navy, or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America, or gave Material Aid to the Cause.

There are also application fees that will need to be paid as well as providing copies of proofs linking you to your ancestor.

The application fees (which will not be collected until the typed copies have been reviewed and signed by you, the president, the registrar, and another member) are as follow: Treasurer General UDC $35.00, VA Division UDC Treasurer $10.00, and Anne Eliza Johns Chapter UDC $7.00. The registrar will advise you of dates of the checks as it will match the chapter approval date. These fees include the first UDC year’s (Sep-Aug) membership dues. The $40.00 annual dues will be collected each September following the UDC year that your application is approved. It is reviewed and approved by both the Division & General & can take 6-8weeks. Below is what you need to know to make your application work copy complete:

Citing proofs for Relationship, Dates, and Places

For each name, date, and place that appears on your application, you will want to have proof that connects the generations and proves the who, when, and where of the names, dates, and places listed on the form. List the proofs that you have included i.e. Birth certificate, Photo, Bible record, etc.

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT THE ORIGINALS-ONLY SEND COPIES

Acceptable Proofs

Birth Certificates (VA started recording births in1853 and thereafter, except for 1896 – 1912)

Death Certificates-Great resource, often lists dates/place of birth & parents’ names

Marriage Certificates (In the event of divorce of applicant, either a marriage certificate or a copy of the divorce decree is required to provide a record of how their name changed from the name on their birth record. Do not need a copy of the entire divorce decree, only the front page with the names and back page that shows when/where the marriage was dissolved.)

Bibles with title page and date of publication plus handwritten entries pages

Death records (funeral home records) or Probate Records-Wills

Social Security Death Index (may be obtained from ancestry.com)

Deeds

Census (may be obtained from ancestry.com-Written record, not just the printed copy. May provide a close-up view in addition to the whole page required.)

Diaries

Old Letters

Obituaries (include the date and name of the publication)

Tombstone Photos (Have to be LEGIBLE- include the name and location of the cemetery)

Published Books with title page and date of publication

All proofs must be legible. If the proof cannot be read, it cannot be used.

Ancestry Family Trees are not acceptable proof without copies of documents.

Virginia Vital Records (Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce) can be ordered by mail. Forms can be downloaded at www.vdh.virginia.gov

Military Proof for Ancestor(s)

If your ancestor was from VA, the preferred proof is a copy of the cover page with published information and the page with your ancestor’s record from the VA Regimental History Series which had been published for most of the military organizations. Write the title, author, publisher, publication year, and page number as you would with any other printed/published book. There are 100+ books in that series. If NC, the multi volume set entitled “North Carolina Troops 1861-1865” will have the summarized service record. Check authoritative books available for other states.

National Archives and Records Administration Confederate Service Record is available online to subscribers at Fold3.com.The ENTIRE service record must be copied including the cover card that lists the number of records filed in that soldier’s jacket. If he served in more than one company, include both/all records.

Applications for Confederate Pensions cannot be used as proof of military service. It must be an APPROVED Confederate Pension Application to be used for military service. Include the page signed by the Pension Board or its representative. Widow’s confederate Pension applications cannot be used as proof of Confederate military service because they are less accurate.

Any document used for military proof must be identified as to its source or origin.

Virginia records are available online at the VA State Library web Site

Undocumented Family/County/Local History

Here is the rule of thumb: if the author does not copy/cite the source of information with footnotes stating where the printed information was obtained, or where that information can be located, the material is undocumented, and cannot be used. Most self-published books are not acceptable as proof.

Using Previously Approved Applications as Proof

If you have a family member who has already been approved for membership, her approved application (all 4 pages) may be used for much of the ancestor’s documentation. You would need your own birth & marriage & proofs that connect you to the approved member. Still need a copy of the ancestor’s service record.

If you wish to join, drop us an email at aejohnsudc@gmail.com and the webmaster will get you in touch with the Registrar to help you in the process of joining.

Other details can be found at www.hqudc.org.

Chapter Name: Anne Eliza Johns Virginia Division