Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck was a distinguished genealogical scholar, librarian, writer, educator, and lecturer. When he died in 2018 he left his genealogy papers to the Dallas Genealogical Society. Society members digitized the collection and made them available on this webpage.
Lloyd made numerous presentations on a wide variety of topics throughout his career (see a summary of lectures give by Lloyd between 1989 and 2012 prepared by Kathleen Murray in 2018). Links to materials he created for many of those presentations are provided below.
- A Guide to Research in the South, a Bibliographic Sampler
- African American Genealogical Resources in the Genealogy Collection of the Dallas Public Library
- Alabama #1
- Alabama #2
- Alabama: The Old Southwest
- Arkansas
- A Sweep Across the South to Texas
- Bibliography
- Bibliography of Jewish Genealogy
- Bibliography of Scotland
- Biographical Indexes, A Select Bibliography
- Bounty and Donation Land Grants in British North America
- Bridging the Atlantic: Finding the Ancestral Home
- Church Records
- The Civil War 1861 - 1865
- Colonial Germans #1
- Colonial Germans #2
- Colonial Land Records in the Carolinas
- Federal Bounty Lands
- Genealogical Research in Texas #1
- Genealogical Research in Texas #2
- Genealogical Research in the Buckeye State
- Georgia
- Hoosier Genealogy
- In and Out of His Majesty's Service: Colonial Wars
- The Indian Wars
- Ireland
- Kentucky
- Land Memorials
- Leagues, Labors, and Empresarios: Texas Land Grants and the Records that Document Them
- Lesser Used Genealogical Resources
- The Mexican War 1846 - 1848
- Military and Pension Records
- Military Institute (material on the topics listed below):
- Revolutionary War 1775 - 1783
- New England in the Revolutionary War
- The Revolutionary War in the Middle Atlantic States New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware
- The Revolutionary War in the South
- The American Revolution Beyond the Thirteen Colonies
- The Loyalists
- German Auxiliary Troops in the American Revolution
- The Indian Wars
- Colonial Wars
- The War of 1812
- The Mexican War 1846 - 1848
- The Civil War 1861 - 1865
- Finding Your Confederate Ancestors
- Spanish American War & The Philippine Insurrection 1898 - 1902
- Twentieth Century Military Records
- Military Records
- Additional Military Bibliography
- Military Records of the Middle States on the Atlantic Seaboard
- Military Records & Court Records
- Mississippi
- New England Revolutionary War
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Probate Records, A Selected Bibliography
- Records Pertaining to Civilians in the Civil War, 1861-1865, and Its Aftermath
- Resources for Genealogical Research at the Dallas Public Library
- Revolutionary War 1775 - 1783
- Scotland
- South Carolina
- State Statutes
- Taxation
- Tennessee
- Tennessee Treasures
- Virginia Baptists
- Virginia, The Old Dominion
- The War of 1812
- Wisconsin
Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck died May 27, 2018 in Dallas, Texas at the age of 73. A memorial service was held at 3:00 p.m., Monday, June 11, 2018 at the Interfaith Peace Chapel, Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas, TX 75235.
Lloyd was a distinguished genealogical scholar, librarian, writer, educator, and lecturer. He was born May 26, 1945 in Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois to Harry Earl Bockstruck and Olive Elsie Blankenship. He earned an M.A. in European History from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and an M.S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Lloyd joined the genealogical staff at the Dallas Public Library in 1973. During his 30-year tenure as Supervisor of the Genealogy Section (1979-2009) he oversaw the expansion of the collection. He deserves a lion’s share of the credit for establishing the library's reputation as holding one of the leading genealogical collections in the United States. In 2009, Lloyd retired from the Dallas Public Library.
His educational and literary contributions to the genealogical community include: 11 books; 39 years on the faculty of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, Birmingham, AL; 17 years as a weekly columnist for the Dallas Morning News; 17 years as an Instructor at the School of Continuing Education, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX; and 11 years on the faculty of The Genealogical Institute of Mid-America, University of Illinois at Springfield.
During his career Lloyd lectured throughout the country at genealogical society workshops, seminars, and conferences. His many honors include being named a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society (1992) and receiving the initial Filby Prize for Genealogical Librarianship (1999) from the National Genealogical Society.
| 1945 | Born May 26, 1945, Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois to Harry Earl Bockstruck and Olive Elsie Blankenship |
| 1967 | B.A., cum laude, Biology and History, Greenville College, Greenville, IL |
| 1969 | M.A., Modern European History, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale |
| 1969 - 1971 | Teacher & librarian, Mombasa Baptist High School, Kenya |
| 1973 | M. S., Library Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| 1973 | Certificate, Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)-Samford University, Birmingham, AL |
| 1973 - 1979 | Librarian, Genealogy Section, Dallas Public Library, Dallas, TX |
| 1974 - 2013 | Faculty Member, IGHR, Samford University, Birmingham, AL |
| 1974 - 1991 | Instructor, School of Continuing Education, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX |
| 1979 - 2009 | Supervisor, Genealogy Section, Dallas Public Library, Dallas, TX |
| 1991 - 2008 | Columnist, "Family Tree", Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX |
| 1994 - 2005 | Instructor, The Genealogical Institute of Mid-America, University of Illinois at Springfield |
| 2018 | Died May 27, 2018, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas |
Lloyd was a member of scores of hereditary and lineage societies. He served as a general officer of several of these. Included here are 46 of his applications to various societies as well as related correspondence, brochures, and membership lists.
- Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
- Aztec Club of 1847
- Baronial Order of Magna Charta
- Colonial Order of the Acorn
- Colonial Society of Pennsylvania
- Continental Society Sons of Indian Wars
- Descendants of Founders of New Jersey
- Descendants of Mexican War Veterans
- Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain
- Flagon and Trencher Society, Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers
- Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesmen 1607-1783
- Guild of St. Margaret of Scotland
- Hereditary Order of Descendants of the Loyalists and Patriots of the American Revolution
- Hereditary Order of the First Families of Massachusetts
- Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
- Jamestown Society
- Military Order of the Crusades
- National Society Americans of Royal Descent
- National Society Descendants of Early Quakers
- National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims
- National Society Sons of the American Colonists
- National Society of Old Plymouth Colony Descendants
- National Society of the Sons of Colonial New England, 1620-1776
- Naval Order of the United States
- Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry
- Order of First Families of North Carolina
- Order of First Families of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1636-1647
- Order of First Families of Virginia
- Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America
- Order of the Founders and Patriots of America
- Order of the Three Crusades, 1096-1192
- Piscataqua Pioneers
- Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Texas
- Society of Loyalist Descendants
- Society of the Cincinnati
- Society of the War of 1812
- Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar, 1565-1861
- Sons of the American Revolution - National Society
- Sons of the American Revolution - Texas Society and Illinois Society
- Sons of the Republic of Texas
- Welcome Society of Pennsylvania
- Unknown Society
Lloyd is well known and greatly appreciated by family researchers in the north Texas area. He has been with the Dallas Public Library since 1973 and has been supervisor of the Genealogy Section since 1979. His knowledge of Library Science, genealogical source materials, and the family researcher's needs has aided him in building the collection into one that is highly respected, as well as one of the larger collections in the United States.
—Sammie Townsend Lee, President, Dallas Genealogical Society, 1988-1989
DGS Newsletter; 1992 July-August, v16, n6, p1
From 1979, coincident with his appointment as Supervisor of the Genealogy Section of the Dallas Public Library, until his retirement in 2009, Lloyd served on the DGS Board as liaison to the Dallas Public Library (DPL). He happily accepted the generous support of the DGS over the years as he led efforts to create one of the finest genealogical collections in the USA.
A frequent and popular lecturer at DGS events, Lloyd often opened meetings and lectures with a joke.
Lloyd authored 10 genealogical reference monographs published between 1976 and 2017. They were all published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953.
- Henrico County, Virginia Orphans Court Records, 1755-1762 (1976)
- Virginia’s Colonial Soldiers (1988)
- Research in Texas (1992)
- Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants Awarded by State Governments (1996)
- Naval Pensioners of the United States, 1800-1851 (2002)
- Denizations and Naturalizations in the British Colonies in America, 1607-1775 (2005)
- Bounty and Donation Land Grants in British Colonial America (2007)
- Revolutionary War Pensions: Awarded by State Governments 1775-1874 (2011)
- The Name Is the Game: Onomatology and the Genealogist (2013)
- American Settlements and Migrations: A Primer for Genealogists and Family Historians (2017)
In addition to his scholarly genealogical publications, a compilation of Lloyd’s genealogical newspaper column, “Family Tree: Weekly Newspaper Columns from the Dallas Morning News (1991-1996)” was published by the Dallas Genealogical Society, Dallas, Texas in 1998.
- “Some Biographical Extracts of Genealogical Value from Farm and Ranch”, published by the Dallas Genealogical Society in The Quarterly, Volume 19, Number 4, December 1973, pages 170 – 171.
- “1870 Dallas County Mortality Schedule” published by the Dallas Genealogical Society in The Quarterly, Volume 20, Number 3, September 1974, pages 101 – 105. “1870 Mortality Schedule of Grayson County, Texas”, published by the Dallas Genealogical Society in The Quarterly, Volume 20, Number 4, December 1974, page 182.
- “1870 Mortality Schedule of Grayson County, Texas” (Completed), published by the Dallas Genealogical Society in The Quarterly, Volume 21, Number 1, January 1975, pages 40 – 42.
- “Some Amelia County, Virginia, Colonists, 1737-1745”, published by the National Genealogical Society in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 65, Number 3, September 1977, page 234.
- “Naturalizations and Denizations in Colonial Virginia”, published by the National Genealogical Society in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 73, Number 2, June 1985, pages 109-116.
- “Genealogical Research in Texas: A Bibliographical Guide”, published by the National Genealogical Society in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 75, Number 3, September 1987, pages 194-215.
The extensive records and references documenting his personal family history dating back to colonial America and Europe, his numerous lineage society applications, materials related to his scholarly publications and lectures, notes and references for genealogical research conducted on behalf of others, and additional materials kept by Lloyd during his career now comprise the Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Papers, 1973-2017 collection held by the Dallas Public Library (MA19-2 Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Papers Genealogy & History Division, Dallas Public Library):
https://catalog.dallaslibrary.org/polaris/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.6&pos=17&cn=2832965.
Are we to believe that a prophet is without honor in his own country? We emphatically deny it! Lloyd Dewitt Bockstruck would perhaps question the title of prophet, however any person who has benefitted from his knowledge of genealogical sources or observed his uncanny ability to recall some obscure reference or date probably would not.
DGS Newsletter, 1994 January-February, v 18(1), pp 1&16.
- 1966 - Beta Beta Beta (National honor society in biology)
- 1967 - Phi Alpha Theta (National honor society in history)
- 1969 - Phi Kappa Phi (National honor society in the arts and sciences)
- 1972 - Beta Phi Mu (National honor society in library science)
- 1982 - Award of Merit, National Genealogical Society
- 1989 - History Award, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
- 1992 - Professional Award for Historical Preservation, Dallas County, Texas Historical Commission
- 1992 - Fellow, National Genealogical Society
- 1994 - Distinguished Service Award, Dallas Genealogical Society (Award named in his honor)
- 1994 - Outstanding Alumnus, Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research
- 1994 - Meritorious Service Award, Order of the Founders and Patriots of America
- 1999 - Filby Prize for Genealogical Librarianship, National Genealogical Society (Initial award recipient)
- 2001 - Founders' Medal, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
- 2002 - Willard Heiss Memorial Lecturer, Indiana Historical Society
- 2003 - Lifetime Achievement Award, North East Texas Library System
- 2004 - Honorary Member, the Hereditary Society Community
- 2006 - Gold Shield Award, National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America
- 2006 - Gold Good Citizenship Award, National Society Sons of the American Revolution
- 2007 - Award for Preservation of Colonial History, National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars
- 2008 - Fellow, Texas State Genealogical Society
- 2008 - Lillian M. Bradshaw Award, Friends of the Dallas Public Library
- 2010 - Noblesse Oblige Award, Texas Society Dames of the Court of Honor
Lloyd was a member of scores of hereditary and lineage societies. He has served as a general officer of several of these.
- Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
- Aztec Club of 1847
- Baronial Order of the Magna Charta
- Colonial Order of the Acorn
- Colonial Society of Pennsylvania
- Descendants of Founders of New Jersey
- Descendants of Mexican War Veterans
- Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons & Daughters of the Kings of Britain
- Flagon & Trencher: Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers
- General Society of Colonial Wars (former Deputy Governor General for the Texas Society)
- General Society of the War of 1812 (former President of the Texas Society)
- General Society Sons of the Revolution (former President of the Texas Society)
- Hereditary Order Descendants Loyalists & Patriots American Revolution
- Hereditary Order of First Families of Massachusetts
- Jamestowne Society
- National Guild of St. Margaret (Genealogist General)
- National Society Americans of Royal Descent
- National Society of Descendants of Early Quakers (National Inquirer)
- National Society of Old Plymouth Colony Descendants (former President of the Texas Society)
- National Society of Sons of American Colonists
- National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (former Librarian General)
- National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims (former Historian of the Texas Society)
- National Society Sons of Colonial New England
- Naval Order of the United States
- Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry (former Genealogist General)
- Order Of Descendants of Colonial Physicians and Chirurgiens
- Order of First Families of North Carolina
- Order of Indian Wars in the United States of America
- Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America
- Order of the First Families of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
- Order of the Founders and Patriots of America (former Registrar General)
- Piscataqua Pioneers
- Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Delaware
- Sons and Daughters of the Colonial & Antebellum Bench & Bar 1565-1861
- Sons of the Republic of Texas (Honorary Member)
- Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
- The Military Order Of The Crusades
- Welcome Society of Pennsylvania
List excerpted on 08 April 2018 from http://www.hereditary.us/bockstruck.htm
Copyright © 2003, The Hereditary Society Community
An inventory of the pin, medal, and regalia collection of Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck
Lloyd's collection of membership pins, service awards, and regalia is now held by the Genealogical Section of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. This is an inventory of those pins and medals.
- 39 years on the faculty of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, Birmingham, AL (1974 – 2013)
- 17 years as a weekly columnist for the Dallas Morning News (1991 – 2008)
- 17 years as an instructor at the School of Continuing Education, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX (1974 – 1991)
- 11 years on the faculty of The Genealogical Institute of Mid-America, University of Illinois at Springfield (1994 – 2005)
- Librarian, Genealogy Section, Dallas Public Library, Dallas, TX (1973 – 1979)
- Supervisor, Genealogy Section, Dallas Public Library, Dallas, TX (1979 – 2009)
"Genealogist Lloyd Bockstruck discusses genealogical trends and methodologies at Allen Public Library Monday, July 26 2010, 300 N. Allen Dr. Sponsored by the Friends of the Allen Public Library's Bach to Books Cultural Art Series and the Allen Senior Genealogy Club." (Runs 1:04:51)
"Richard Henry of the Allen Senior Genealogy Club declares, "Our club is very excited to have Mr. Bockstruck speak at our July meeting. He is admired for his knowledge of genealogy research and we are looking forward to his program."" - Excerpted from AllenCityTV, published November 30, 2010; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSufYn81msA.
