Learning to Love it! A Call to Action

It has been said that if you love what you do it will not seem like work to you.  Sometimes that love comes naturally, you just seem to have a passion for a particular thing and do it for the sheer enjoyment of it.  Other times that love must be cultivated.  I think a lot of people fall into the second category on most things.

One thing we can do is to change our paradigm of the meaning of work in our lives.  Work need not be drudgery or unfulfilling.  When we recognize that work is essential to our livelihood and well-being as productive members of society it makes a difference in how we view it.  It adds a richness and sense of accomplishment and meaning to our days when we find a purpose in what we do.

Sometimes we have a problem with maturing beyond the feelings we had as children when asked to do our daily chores because we'd just rather be doing something else.  When we have that feeling of being forced to do something, the natural resistance of that creates quite a drag on our ability to do hard things.  We can also have that resistant attitude when someone else suggests we should be doing something.  We may also be well-intended but procrastination paralyzes our movements forward.

Often times a task seems overwhelming and undoable just from a fearful point of view.  There is not enough time, I cannot master the skills needed, it is just too much to ask of me when I have X, Y, and Z all pulling me in different directions. We are afraid to try for fear of failure.  We forget that an arrow rarely hits a bull's eye on the first try.  Often what is needed is a call to action within ourselves.  Being self-motivated creates the best environment for cultivating a love for the work. 

Here are some ideas for re-framing our thoughts on family history and genealogy.

1.  Consider why we are asked to do this work.  There are many reasons but perhaps the most important one is to Strengthen Families.  Of course this includes essential ordinances for all as we connect our family generation to generation by aiding our Father is His great work.  This work strengthens our families both those living, our ancestors and our posterity. It truly does create a chain of enduring love.

Who could argue that this is needed in every family?  Don't we all agree that every social ill basically comes from the decline in the most important social unit in our society, the family?  Strengthening families is more important now than ever before.  This would not create a perfect world because even in the best of families every individual has their agency to act for themselves.  However,  it would bring us a lot closer if families made a concerted effort to be strengthened by working together to that end.   Purposefully concentrating on our family history is one viable way to do this.  When we understand the why we are more motivated to learn the way and do it.

2.  You can learn to do this.  In the process your love for your family will grow exponentially as you make the effort.  That new found love and change in you will produce positive changes within your home environment and with your extended family.  The service you render to your ancestors by remembering them and honoring their contributions to the person you have become is wonderful.  Doing their ordinance work with endear them to you in ways that must be experienced to be understood.

By collaborating with your family and others working on your lines you will reduce your work load and avoid duplication of effort as you share in this experience.  Sometimes genealogy seems like a solitary experience but it doesn't have to be.  Be creative in finding others that you can work with and learn from and share the joys of discovery and accomplishment.  Find a mentor or be one.  Learn, share and pay it forward.

 3.   Begin by believing that change is possible.  You can do this!  Change is hard, it takes effort until it becomes part of your daily routine.  Don't try to do it all at once.  Learning new skills takes time, effort and practice.  It is never too late to get started.  The Lord does not ask us to do things without providing a way for us to accomplish it.  This process of learning about and capturing information and learning more about our family is exciting, doable and very worthwhile. Praying for help and inspiration and the spirit of Elijah is essential and effective.

4.  Catch the vision.  Realize that Family History is very broad in scope.  Seek a vision of the big picture, but start small.  Start with something you love.  Do you love organizing and getting your life in order? Do you love genealogy and doing temple work?  If so, there is so much help now via knowledgeable and experienced people, technology and the Internet.

Are you seeking to increase your temple attendance or to go to the temple for your own endowment?  Do you have a goal to take just one deceased family member to complete the ordinance work by a certain date?   There are countless people that can help you get started or break down a brick wall you have encountered.

People of all races, creeds, ages, socio-economic status and religions are finding genealogy and family history very exciting.  If you want to see evidence of this just watch NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are".  It will touch your heart.  You can watch previous episodes by Googling: Who Do You Think You Are~NBC~watch episodes.  You can also find it on ancestry.com.

In addition to the above, do you have leanings toward the artistic side of Family History?  There is journaling, photography, scrapbooking, collecting heirlooms and attaching meaningful stories about the original owners, creating all manner of things like books and story quilts that feature and preserve the uniqueness of your own family.

If you enjoy writing try journaling or blogging.  It is important to leave a written legacy. If you don't feel confident in your writing just jot down little stories and events on 4x6 cards as you think of them and you will eventually have your history done.  Think small, by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  All these activities will encourage you to think about your entire family and how your life has connectivity with theirs.

Perhaps you are a social butterfly and would enjoy doing interviews with your living relatives or recording interactions with your grandchildren as they grow.  Or how about  planning and carrying out a family reunion?  To see our family reunion blog from 2011 click here.  This link takes you to a place where you can see the whole blog for ideas and planning one.  If you just want to see a sampling of the blog and read about a lesson on the importance of family, click here.

 Do you have the travel bug? How about planning a trip to one of your places of origin?  Or taking a virtual Google Maps walk through your childhood addresses and favorite places, it is free and convenient and easy.

 What is it that appeals to you right now? 

 Let your interest become your passion by paying

 attention to it and learning all you can about it. 

 The sky is the limit because you are living your family history.  How about planning meaningful things now and then creating the family history you want to have?  You know you can write your own story by the plans you create and carry out.  We do this all the time we just call it something else, life planning or time management or goal setting.  Your life is your family history.   We are all engaged in family history everyday.

5.   Make a Plan and work your Plan.   We all know that if we fail to plan we can plan to fail.  Everything requires forethought and a vision of what we'd like to accomplish.  Eat the elephant one bite at a time, but have a plan.  Follow through with your plan and realize it takes time to get it right.  Be kind to yourself but be persistent.  

6.    Be patient.   Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your family tree and family history going to be.  One step at a time, one person at a time, one page at a time, that is how it is done.   Seek the desire, commit, take action, and exercise faith.  All of that will precede your miracles.  Don't put it off decide now what you will do!

 

Enjoy the Journey!

1940 Census and City Directories

 

The 1940 US Census has been online for two weeks now. 

 For many genealogy enthusiasts this is a really exciting time.

http://youtu.be/j5l_xxZbGSw

Fun link about the 1940 census experience of one young lady.  (Short)

 For those who have done genealogical research on microfilm this is a time to rejoice in the digitization and indexing of the previous census records.  I had almost forgotten what it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  For those who have never done genealogical research without computers, indexing and clear images to peruse, you may have a new found respect for those who came before you and found anything.  It is a startling contrast to actually see the difference and makes me so grateful for the technology we now have available.  What an exciting time to do our family history!

What is the difference between Digitization and Indexed Census Records?  In a nutshell it is this:
Digitized Records have been extracted from their original source and the image or text has been captured for use on the computer.  These records can be organized in large groups such as localities but still need to be searched page by page for what you are looking for specifically, just like a microfilm or fiche.

Non-Indexed Records cannot be looked up by typing who you are looking for in a search box.  They are listed by locality, not a person's name.  So if your ancestor lived in a large city...can you envision looking through one page of enumerated streets at a time to find your family member in San Francisco or Chicago or New York??   This is how we now find the 1940 census.  It is online but in its rough form.  An Indexed Record can be found in seconds by entering the name in a search box saving you all kinds of time, energy and hassles in most cases hassles. 

So it has been the required 72 years since the 1940 Census was taken, now there is a gigantic push to have volunteers index the information by name and other facts for much easier access through the search engines.  This process of making these 146, 000, 000 households of Americans easy to find is going to take time.  The projected time is 6 months to a year before it is finished with thousands of volunteers. But, you can access information you would like to have now, you just have to know the process. 

What you need now to use the census as a digitized, but not indexed collection of records is the state,  city, county and a street address of your ancestor or family member.  Once you have that street address you can go the site:

 http://stevemorse.org/census/unified.html

There you will put in the state, county, and then the street address to calculate the enumeration district (ED) number.  When you then access the 1940 census there will be a place to enter the ED# and the census will literally take you to the neighborhoods of that district to begin your search.

However, once you are in the neighborhood, you must then search through probably forty pages of households to find your ancestor's household. One thing that helps is the enumerator has usually written the street name vertically in the left hand margin  so you can just check your particular street.  Be cautioned that they did not just go in a linear path until they finished a neighborhood.  They often circled blocks doing just one side of a street at a time in little chunks.  They were most creative in some cases.

If you have a desire after this exercise to kiss all previously indexed census records when you can go right to your family...feel free.  You may also be inclined to want to volunteer your services to help get this 1940 census done sooner.  Go to  http://familysearch.org  to sign up and learn how to do it.

So how can you get the address of your relatives back in the 1940's.  For one thing you can check with your living relatives that may know or have old address books, etc. You can check a phone book if you can find an old one.  One of the best sources are City Directories.

City Directories have been around since the 1700s.  They are often overlooked as a great source of genealogical information.   They are similar to a phone book but have been produced for commercial purposes for centuries.  They will normally list a person's name and sometimes their spouse, their address, their occupation and other adults living in the same house.  They are most often found in genealogy libraries and city and county libraries.  There is a major microfilm collection housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.  They are not lent out and there are often people that will search them for you on site for a fee.  If you are fortunate enough to live in the area you are searching you can often find them yourself.  You can find articles on the familysearch.org Wiki under the learn tab on the home page, and search Google for other sources.  Here are 2 sites that I thought were pretty good on giving you a great overview.

 http://www.uscitydirectories.com

http://www.barbsnow.net/City%20Directories.html#availability

Google, The Vastness Of It All

Google Images

Is there anyone that is not completely impressed with Google? Google has changed the way we learn probably more than anything ever created by man. Creating a search engine to give Internet users access to all the information in the world is simply mind-boggling and is beyond comprehension to me. I don't need to know the inner working of this amazing company but I do need to know how to use their search engine for best results.

Google Images

Sometimes I just need to step away from the computer and learn and study with an old-fashioned book. This is especially when I am trying to learn "How to" apply knowledge in a practical, hands on kind of way. I purchased the book, "Google Your Family Tree" by Dan Lynch and I highly recommend it. Check out the hints on his website while you are there. The book has 340 pages on searching with Google for best results. I like that it is specifically written for Family History work but that the methods of searching apply to searching any topic.

If you are just fine with learning how to do this via the Internet you can just Google: "Google Search Operators". This search will give you a page of advanced search operators that are links to their definition and how to use them. For this post I am just going to share some very basic ones to show you how you can decrease your number of hits on any given search to make searching practical and effective. An added bonus, you will be learning a new language...Boolean. (You must Google it when you get the chance.)

You need to know these few things to create quality Search Queries.

Keywords = Clues

When you COMBINE Keywords and Search Operators
you get
Quality Search Queries which result in...
Good, Filtered, Specific Results.

To demonstrate this we'll look at an example right out of Dan Lynch's book so you can see how this works. I am hoping he won't mind since I am giving his book at plug and a link! This is how you reduce your hits and make the research doable in a nutshell.

Quoting in green...
Google Web Search Query by Dan Lynch

lynch-42,800,000 results

lynch family-363,000

lynch family connecticut-141,000

eugene lynch family connecticut-45,500

"eugene lynch" family connecticut-51

"eugene * lynch" family connecticut-815

"eugene * lynch" family Connecticut~genealogy-117

"eugene * lynch" family Connecticut~genealogy waterbury or bridgeport..8

If you Google: "Google Boolean Operators"

You get this page of information...
"There are three types of Boolean operators recognized by Google. They are the OR, AND and NOT operators.

The OR operator

The OR operator is used to include either one search term or the other in a query. The syntax is 'OR' or '' (pipe symbol). Try this as example: 'fame fortune' and 'fame OR fortune'.

The AND operator

The AND operator is used to include more than one search term in a single query. The syntax is 'AND' or ' ' (space). By default, Google includes all search terms submitted. Therefore, submitting 'hotel AND cheap AND good' is almost the same as submitting 'hotel cheap good'. Try it. Notice there's a slight difference in the search results. The search terms are grouped more closely without the AND operator and vice-versa.

The NOT operator

The extremely useful NOT operator is used to exclude search terms in the results. The syntax is '-' (minus sign) followed immediately by the search term to exclude. Here's an example: 'windows' and 'windows -microsoft'.

Google queries are not case-sensitive, with the exception of the OR and AND operators. Google recognizes 'OR' as the OR operator, and 'or', 'oR' and 'Or' as a search term, i.e. the word 'or'. Google will display very different results for 'tiger OR rabbit' and 'tiger or rabbit'. Try it.

Notice something missing in the 'tiger or rabbit' search results? Most likely, the 'or' search term is missing. Google ignores very common words. What if, under certain circumstances, you would like to include 'or' as a search term?

Use the + operator or double quotes - read more here: Inclusion and Phrase"

All the red printing-Quoted directly From Google Boolean Operators link.

The whole point of this lesson is to show you how to get the fewest, most accurate returns on your Google searching. Please note that other search engines have their own symbols for achieving filtered results. Read "how to" filter a search engine before searching for searching to be most effective. Rather than just going immediately to the search box, take a moment and learn what to do besides just type in a name or place.

In the long run it will put you light years ahead of the game. You will save lots of subsequent time reading links that do not have what you are really looking for in them. There is so much more to learn about Google in "Google Your Family Tree" and on the Google site that can shed additional light on all of the offerings. It is such a wonderful tool, use it often in your research. You'll be glad you did. While you are at it, don't forget YouTube as an excellent resource for searching anything and everything. If you are a visual and auditory learner...it is perfect.

Choosing a Software Program

Because I cannot have only text on a blog post.
It is against my rules.

There are several different ways to keep your family history information and organize and process it. There are also thousands of sites to gather information and sites to share it with others. I have found this to be confusing to most of us as we begin or begin again after years away. Genealogy Speak can be confusing at first. So here is an explanation of some of the differences. If I have already done a post on these I will add the url for viewing as needed.
1. Paper Files: These are organized and kept at home in a box or a file cabinet. These files include thing you have collected like original documents. i.e., a birth certificate or a letter from your great Aunt Susie, a photo, etc.

Note: You should still scan these and file electronically on your computer but you want to keep the original in paper form in these files. To see the previous post of this click here. http://tinyurl.com/7te9lqz

2. Electronic Files: These are files that you create and organized on your own computer which include scanned items you want to save electronically on a person, including photos, documents, newspaper articles, memorabilia, census records, ships' manifests, etc. I do this by creating surname folders and sub-files for what I have saved, i.e., vital records, photos, pedigree charts, family group sheets, obituaries, copy of census records, etc.

Note: These items can come from your paper files or can be copied from any number of online sites, from e-mails received, etc.

To see the previous post on electronic filing click here: http://tinyurl.com/89zrfqr


3. A Genealogy Software Program: This is a free or purchased program you download from the Internet to store and organize your personal information on your own computer. This is your personal, at home file cabinet if you will. There is the church based free download of PAF (Personal Ancestral File 5.2) discussed below. It can be found at familysearch.org. Look for it by clicking the green button that says "Go To Previous Site" in the upper mid-section of the home page on the right. This is where you can download 5.2 for free. Family Search is undergoing major changes right now so if that green button disappears just Google PAF 5.2 and download from there. When in doubt, Google!

Some examples of commercial software for your PC would be Legacy, you can view it at legacyfamilytree.com. There is also Ancestral Quest found at ancquest.com. You can Google: Choosing Software for Family History-Genealogy. You will find a lot more to compare and contrast before making a selection. A lot of them have a simplified, free version you can try first if you wish before purchasing.

For an iMac the program of choice has been Reunion found at www.leisterpro.com. However, new ones are being developed all the time and things are changing quickly so do your research first. Don't be like us and land up with PAF, Legacy, Ancestral Quest and Reunion before you know which one suits you best!
Once you choose the one you want to use, you enter your data on each person once into a template which then allows your software program to massage your information to produce important reports regarding your family, such as pedigree charts, family groups sheets, etc. It is a great way to store, save and use your information productively.

4. Another term you will hear tossed around is Genealogy Search Engines. These are the websites that are data bases full of information, documents, and often photos and other images to help you gather information only. You cannot add to these data bases but you can use what is on them. Some are free like familysearch.org and some are commercial like archives.com.

5. The last type of site to be give clarification to is what I call the Web-based Interactive Genealogy Sites. These are used for searching as well as for posting your information online or correcting what is already there. A perfect example of this is new.familysearch.org. This is a site where you may not only research but you may also add information of your own to the data base or change your information if you have submitted it and find something new or an error.
There is also ancestry.com that is primarily thought of as a search engine site but you can also add your own family tree to the Family Trees section of the site. This allows you to store your genealogy online. Research this before just jumping in. You also need to decide if you want your tree to be public or private. If you view other's trees that may be connected to you in some way, understand these trees can be full of errors. Never accept that that is your lineage because you see it in writing, until you check it thoroughly. Many people are barking up the wrong tree for doing exactly that.*

Another site like this is findagrave.org. It is a free site and one where you may be able to find photos of your ancestors' grave sites and you can also become a member and contribute photos of graves for other people to search. This is a volunteer organization and very thrilling to participate in as you contribute and help other genealogists make exciting discoveries as well.

Note: * Online should never be your only place to store your genealogy. You still need your own personal filing cabinet at home...your paper files, electronic files and your software program that only you and anyone you share it with will have access to use.

When I returned to actively doing our Family History and Genealogy there were some things that because issues regarding a software program. Somewhere between the paper era and now we had download PAF (Personal Ancestral File) free. This church based software is still something that many people use, in spite of the fact that it is no longer being updated.

It is a free program that allows to you to begin with yourself and systematically enter and preserve your data. You can record ordinance work and filter that out of what you might want to share. It has some very nice features like linking families to create pedigree charts, and family group sheets, a place to keep notes and sources citations, you can print out all kinds of reports, download photos and other documents, videos and even audio clips.

(Note: These images, video and audio files do not become a part of your gedcom file if you choose to transfer your information into a different program.)

PAF has all the basics of what you would need to keep your own personal records in order and easy to access. A lot of users that have thousands of family names already entered into PAF and choose to stay with PAF because they like the program and it works well for them. They have probably used it for years and see no need to make a change. This is a matter of personal choice. Some also have more than one program so they can do some of the fancy charts and trees that other programs offer as an example. The important things is the software program you use should meet your needs.

The PAF site will be maintained indefinitely, it will just not be developed further. Some people that are brand new should probably also use it for beginning their family history research and collecting information. Once the bug bites you and you are hooked on this fascinating endeavor, you may wish to add another program for more bells and whistles and one that interfaces with some other sites like Ancestry.com or new.familysearch.

The software you chose to install on your own computer is your personal file. To me this is the most important place to keep your records accurate and thoroughly sourced for yourself and your posterity.

When you look at a web-based site like Ancestry or new.familysearch for either records or trees you will probably find errors based on what you have proven through your own personal research. If you are satisfied that your records and documentation are correct, don't be overly concerned about errors you find in other records.

Use all other records beyond what you have proven to be accurate with sourced citations as...a guide or road map to your possibilities. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water and give up because you find conflicting information.

As genealogists we hate to see errors in print of something we know for a fact. We have to get over that. Just do your best to be sure your records are correct for now. It will all work out in the end if you do this and if you don't let this need for perfectionism lead you to discounting the clues others have provided. People contribute this conflicting information in good faith...we are all human and subject to making mistakes. Worry about what you record more than what others have misrecorded.
The one problem with PAF is that it is not compatible with the iMac operating system. It is just fine for a Windows based PC. We have an, iMac and PC desktop and a PC laptop. This presented a problem for me the minute I came back to this work. I had to learn how to set up electronic files on both systems, go back and forth on both systems and make sure that I updated both programs...it was mind boggling. I am a Mac girl, I freely admit that. I do not care for the encumbering, many extra steps for everything, required by a PC. I love the straight forward, user friendly, logical aspects of a Mac.

However, I struggled through it and learned it and I am happy about that even though I now have Drop Box storage "in the cloud" which has eliminated that problem for us. Now I can drop my files into either program with no problem. :-) from the site or from my iPhone. My genealogy records are now completely portable. Woohoo.

That is the nature of Family History and how quickly it is moving. We just have to hang on for dear life and go on the wild ride. As of today this is my understanding of the sites and how to use them. My disclaimer is that I too am just learning. I like to think that that may be an advantage for you as a beginner too. I can still remember that overwhelming feeling of can I ever learn all this? I haven't lost sight of that. I have a long way to go but one step at a time I am seeing a little more clearly finally. Tomorrow who knows what will come our way? It is exciting to watch it happen right here in our day and time. We must keep our pioneer spirit about us and just keep moving on with the company. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."
Alma 37:33

Peace be still...we can do this!
Point Lobos, San Francisco 3/8/12

Electronic Filing for Family History

Today I am going to be talking with you about how I have learned to keep my records electronically. As I have mentioned we are the pioneers of the new digital age of family research and genealogy. Going from strictly paper files to a variety of ways to store and access your information is the way of the future. The way I see it is that we cannot just depend on paper anymore and we cannot live totally without it either. The previous post gives ideas on storage of paper files. Some people suggest 3 to 5 types of storage during this big thrust forward in genealogy, computer technology and the Internet. Some choices are your hard drive, a back up external hard drive, flash drive, paper, cloud, another family member, online trees and of course, your selected software program. There are several options and possibilities.

In my paper files I store the bare essentials, family group sheets, pedigree charts, original documents of the immediate family and some things like old letters that are not available on the Internet. The rest goes into my scanning pile and then into the electronic files. I also do scan and electronically file the things that I keep in my paper files, I just don't want to get rid of the originals or the skeleton of my family history should there be any unforeseen catastrophes in the world of our devices, our clouds, the Internet, etc.

Cloud computing is a growing part of the digital age. As it has become more important for our information to be accessed on multiple devices like our tablets, laptops, smart phones, etc. we are turning to cloud computing for easier access for instantly downloading our files between devices. Cloud storage is essentially taking what is on your hard drive and placing another copy on a server someplace else off site. This is ideal for storing genealogy and family history if it is electronically stored on your computer. This is one very compelling reason to file your things electronically. If not all your genealogy, at the very least your direct lines.

Cloud storage has been available in various forms for decades. The problem was that the cost of the storage space was so astronomical it was never feasible for us as individuals. Now it has become very affordable and several companies offer a certain amount of space for free. I have heard nothing but outstanding reports on Drop Box and that is the one I am now using. It has already solved some of my mobility issues as I take my records with me to work in the Family History Center and other places. There are also other free clouds sites like Mozy and Caronite. When I downloaded Drop Box I was amazed at how easy it is. It is kind of magical really after my struggles earlier in the year transferring things between my Mac and the laptop PC.

Scanning documents for electronic filing is fairly straight forward. What I do is I put the document into the scanner and then I scan it to open in preview. Once the document is scanned and up on the screen I save it in two formats. I do this by going up to "File" on the toolbar, then selecting "Save As." At this point you choose a name for your file in a way that you can remember it. (Example below.) You might want to standardize how you create these file names in your own system. I then save it to the desk top as a PDF and as a JPG.

Once you have saved it as a PDF just go back to the "File" tab on the toolbar and select "Save As" again, leaving the same name on the file and change the format to JPG. After you do this a few time you will get into a rhythm and it is easy. Make sure your file destination is the Desk Top.

It is now available on the desktop when I am ready to file it electronically.

I would name this scanned record {Burial Record-J Walth-Golden Gate National Cemetery-San Bruno CA} I was taught to save the documents by what they actually are as opposed to giving it the name of the person first.

Then I go to Finder on my Computer which is a Mac or if you have a PC go to Windows E where your documents are stored. This is what Finder looks like on the Mac: It is the first icon on the toolbar (the two faces) at the bottom called the Dock. Double click on it to see and/or create your folders and files.

Dock

Set up a folder that is called Genealogy.

To make a new folder in any of the columns just click on that column and then go up to "File" on the toolbar's drop down menu and click on "New Folder." The new folder will appear in the column you have selected then name it. Now you can reduce the size of your current screen and to see the desk top on a Mac. (On a PC you will need to save the image to the desk top in the way you normally save to your desktop.)

Now just click and drag the file you have saved on your desk top as a PDF into the folder in your finder or Windows E. Drop it right on the folder icon and voila ~ electronic filing! Do the same for the other copy of the file, the JPG.

Next set up some Surname Folders to file the items you are scanning. These line up in alphabetical order no matter what sequence you use or when you create them. The rule I use is if I have enough to warrant a folder for a person, they get one. I don't set up empty folders I wait until I need them as I am going through all the paper I have had in their old files or recently acquired over the Internet.

As an example, if I have just one document on a cousin that has died I will just file that in our grandfather's folder (our common ancestor) until I have enough to warrant his own file. Most times I don't envision that happening as my primary focus in on my direct lines for now. The beauty of this system is you just add as you go and of course you can change it anytime you want. The main thing is it has to be something that works for you and will also make some sense to the person picking up the ball from you one day.

Let's say here I am looking for a photo on Jim's grandfather, Andrew Ferrera. So I go to and click on Genealogy first, then Andrew Ferrera and then since I have set up a folder or file for photos, I click on that file.


When I click there the photo is displayed. Less than two seconds and I have what I am looking for. Not bad! And it is completely portable, mobile and out of sight when I do not need it. No big bulky files and home storage issues and no lugging copious amounts of stuff to and from the Library. What's not to love?

To make this easier to envision if you are not that well versed in saving documents to your computer as you begin (I sure wasn't)...just think about it like an outline. You start with a main topic and then just keep adding branches of it as you keep refining it. You create a path from Genealogy to a Photo (or any other document) of your ancestor in that way. It gives you such immediate access to anything you need quite simply once you have your files set up and your documents filed appropriately.

One step at a time we can do this.
Some of the steps are uphill
but it is good for the ♥

Just as a note of interest, if you are wondering why to save your scan in both formats. Here is my simplified version of the answer. A PDF (Portable Document Format) cannot be altered by another person, is easily sent and read by any other computer regardless of the operating system used. Here is my teacher's more complete answer for you/brainiacs and techies out there. A JPG (Image format) can be altered or manipulated with a photo altering program like Picasa, iPhoto, or Photoshop, etc. You would use this to improve the photo or scanned document for legibility.

"Technology is always changing. Whether you save an image file on your computer as a PDF or a JPG (or any of the many, many other image formats), there is always the possibility that what you see on your computer monitor today may possibly not be visible there tomorrow. You've every now and again got to get updates for the software on your computer, to make sure they can read what you've saved (AND BACKED UP). And every now and again (maybe every seven years) it's a good idea to save a new copy of each image in the newest version of the software for that particular format.

And yes, "PDF" (which means "portable document format") means what you see on your computer is exactly what you'll see on any other computer and exactly what anyone else will see on any other computer. It's not only good for saving documents (images, texts) that you do not want to have changed by anyone on purpose or accidentally, but that will be forever unchangeable (except, of course, by those who have software that can change it, in which case they'll have the ability to make superficial changes but not fundamental ones).

And JPG images -- and other formats used for images (.tif and .bmp being the two main other ones) -- can be manipulated in some programs (Photoshop, Picasa, and the like). By "manipulated" I mean cropped, colors changed, colors removed, "Photoshopped" (to add images into it, such as an image of Arnold Schwartzenegger's bicep onto an image of my upper arm), and the like).

Either one can be easily transmitted to others (by email or disc), but the larger the size of the PDF or JPG digital file, the slower the transmission. If the file is 10 MB or larger, it starts to run up against the limits of some people's email programs and might bounce back to you without getting delivered. Both PDFs and JPGs (and others) can be downsized, too, though in each case the more drastic the downsizing of the digital file the more likely there will be an observable decrease in the quality of the image." SKE, Used by permission.

So that is all there is to this electronically filing as far as I'm concerned. I am sure there are quicker and more efficient ways to do it but this is what works for me and I am satisfied that I can locate my sources, information and things I want to save on each person in just a few seconds. No hassles once put into its own little place. Also I feel our kids are much more likely to want this type of file transference rather than boxes and boxes of unorganized stuff. It makes it more probable that they will keep the relay going.

One last thing...I am not saving tons of photos of people in these genealogy electronic folders. Just maybe one or two pictures and the rest will be passed along in boxes and boxes and boxes to the posterity unless Jim and I get them all scanned in our life time which is unlikely! After all we've got places to go and people to see and there are a lot more of them (the posterity) then there are of us! Sorry kids!

One step at at time we can do this!

Organizing your Paper Files

This blog has now begun to serve two purposes. One, I am journaling my path from carbon paper to the digital age. I have found my time and season to give Family History and Genealogy a new place in my life and my heart and I want to record the process.

I am also now trying to use it to help others learn how to go about doing this based on my own experiences and what is working for me. So there is a mixture of narrative and "how to" sections in the blog.

So if you are interested in the narrative about the organizing, etc. you can read these past two posts and I think they will also contain some important tips and aspects of organizing your genealogical material.

http://alegacythatmatters.blogspot.com/2011/09/phd-in-genealogy.html

http://alegacythatmatters.blogspot.com/2011/10/5-things-i-have-learned-about.html

If you want to just jump right to the nitty gritty start here with your reading.

Organizing what you already have:

Once I got back to Family History in earnest again, the first thing I needed to do was actually open my green treasure chest from 30-something years ago.

This was a box I used to carry back and forth to the Oakland Genealogical Library back in the day of carbon paper, actual paper card catalogs, and lots of microfilm that needed to be ordered for records we can now often find online. My treasure chest was dusty, musty and contained lot of various things in manilla folders, organized by surnames. What I found when I opened the box were these tired files crammed with all manner of stuff with dried, cracking, often detached labels in various places.

I also had a Book Of Remembrance that looked like this. All these records were painstakingly, sought and found in the library, hand-printed and then typed by our ward typist, for all the record submissions to Salt Lake City. They had to be checked and rechecked for accuracy, as every time you would recopy the chance for making mistakes, transposing numbers of dates, etc. increased. They made their way to Salt Lake to meet the deadline imposed by the people in charge.

They would eventually become The Ancestral File. Hopefully, if you have a similar story, your ward genealogy teacher stressed the importance of documenting your work by citing your sources, or all your hard work would be nothing more than a nice road map for those that followed you, only to research the same information again. Even though the sources were not included in the Ancestral file, if you still have your pedigree and group sheets you submitted the sources should be on there in your Book of Remembrance.

Genealogy without sources and citations
is nothing more than a possibility.

Please repeat many times and internalize this idea. It is gospel in the world of genealogy, I promise you. If you want your name to be held in high esteem by generations past, present and future. Do it and the document it!

Check out the discoloration of the pages in my
Book of Remembrance already.
It's probably a combination of acid from the plastic
and the paper itself, oil from my hands, moisture and dust.

I am happy that I started our family history work years ago. I am even happy that I had the experience of doing this work the old-fashioned way. I am really happy I was the pioneer in our family. Starting from scratch had some definite advantages, that virgin, fertile ground for our family history and research was wonderful. I was blessed to have a teacher that drilled accuracy and documenting into my head from day one. Now I do not have to go back and reprove everything I found because I gathered it myself.

I have begun the work of verifying a lot of things by saving and adding new documents that are now available online and that is a joy. What once took years can now often be found, with a little know how, in a few minutes. Seriously, I find great joy in being a pioneer in this and to more fully appreciate where the Lord has brought this work in just a few decades. The technology, the generation that has been born with the technology gene already installed, this is nothing short of a Major Miracle. It is staggering really.

What a privilege to be a part of it. Just as the pioneers made the long and arduous trek from Nauvoo to Salt Lake facing many obstacles along the way, we are now making our pioneer trek into the digital age. Just as the first pioneers walked and walked and walked and struggled and learned and grew along the way...we too are doing the same. This is pure joy to witness! From an eternal perspective one day I think we will understand even more fully why being reserved for this day and being called "a chosen generation" is applicable.

How I Organized my Paper Files

We do not have file cabinet space so for now I just have two portable boxes for my files. They have hanging file folders that I purchased in variety packs with different colors. I also purchases colored manilla files to go inside and some labels. I also bought some acid free sleeves to preserve the old documents a little better. You might also want some circle dots in a variety of colors. That is really all you will need.

I think these red boxes will be sufficient for all the paper files I plan to keep during my life time.

Jim's family files are yellow, mine are blue.

These are some of the kinds of documents and of the things you will need to find and keep but a lot of them can be gathered and filed electronically cutting way down on your paper filing and using so much space.

There are also artifacts and heirlooms that must be considered. One thing is to be sure and take pictures of them and include in your electronic files. If you have a family bible that has genealogical information you might want to scan the pages and also file the electronically at some point. Bibles are considered a primary source for genealogical information. This is very important to remember. Many of your posterity might like to see a digitized version of the Bible.

For me these are the main reasons for having paper files:

To keep the original documents you have received and paid for or have been given by relatives. BUT you also need to scan them and save electronically.

The paper files are perfect and necessary for your original documents and copies of your family group sheets and pedigree charts, etc. Family Group Sheets and pedigrees are a very important aspect of keeping your records. What would happened if for some reason we lost our electronic files? Keep a paper copy for your sanity.

Remember we are pioneers of the digital age. We need to keeps more than one copy. In some cases with our flash drives and computer hard drives and public trees or what have you, we have lots of copies. Better than way than to lose the one.

What I have done is separated Jim's ancestors from mine by color in one box. My red boxes are not that different from my green moldy treasure box but the files are being cleaned up and restored and preserved more carefully and scanned for electronic filing. It is a process and is no where near done. The important thing is that I have a simple and logical system that works for me. It is small enough to be portable and easy to grab in case of a fire, or whatever. Someone else could figure it out pretty quickly when I am gone.

Doing family history is a bit like running a relay race. You have to be able to pass the baton to the next person in a simple efficient manner. If they cannot grasp what you are giving them it become hard to carry on. Make it simple. I have used the labels and written surnames on them and the head of the household on my direct lines. If you have quite a few lines it is wise to add the birth date of the father of the family and even a place of birth if you desire. This gets helpful when you have a lot of fathers passing on the same name to their sons, a very common practice.

You can color code the family if you wish...here is an example.


Some people do a number system 00001, 00002 or a system of tracking the descendancy with a code for paternal and maternal like pmpmpmpmmp indicating father, father, father, mother, father, etc. You start with yourself and work back, ie; mppp would be my paternal great grandfather. This is a nice and easy way to trace the line through the males and females back through the generations. For now I use it but I can always revise this at a later date if I find I need numbers or whatever. The important things is to get a system set up you think will work now and start using it. You can always tweak it as you go.

Dick Eastman on Rootstech Wrap-Up 2012

RootsTech Wrap-up ~ Used by permission via his Newsletter

Speech-enabled by ReadSpeaker No sound?

Saturday was the third and final day of RootsTech 2012. The third day was a continuation of the first and second days. Great presentations were made and the Exhibitors Hall was as busy as ever.

The first session of the morning featured a focus on the RootsTech Contest Winners. The third place winner turned out to be two winners in a tie: the "20 Minute Genealogist" created by a team at the BYU Computer Science Department and "Facetree" by Ellie Rasmus. Second place was awarded to Brooke Schreier Ganz for "LeafSeek."

The grand prize winner was Jimmy Zimmerman with "NoteFuser."

All of these applications qualify as winners. You can view more about the winning applications by clicking on the highlighted terms above.

The keynote speech of the day was delivered by Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com, accompanied by four of his colleagues from the company. The phrase that stuck in my mind was near the beginning when Tim referred to "this ridiculously successful conference." Indeed, that was true. Ridiculous or not, RootsTech 2012 was very successful.

I never obtained the final attendance numbers but it probably was about 4,400 to 4,500 attendees. Not bad for a genealogy conference!

Much discussion about the operations of Ancestry.com followed, especially the abnormal load placed on the Ancestry.com servers the previous evening during the first episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?"

I have written several times about the growth of mobile applications for use in genealogy. The Ancestry.com executives seemed to verify the predictions:

• The Ancestry.com app for smartphones has been downloaded 2 million times
• Smartphone users have contributed 2 million hints to Ancestry.com
• 1 million photos have been uploaded from mobile devices
• a high percentage of the mobile users do not use traditional access from desktop or laptop computers to access Ancestry.com
• 12% of all visits to Ancestry.com are by mobile devices
• Designing apps to display information on tiny screens forces the web designers to squeeze focused information into a tiny screen. As a result, the designers must focus on what is most important to display on the first screen with supplementary info on secondary screens. As a result, Ancestry.com probably will build many new products on mobile access first, then later expand the products to larger screen devices. The result will be a focus on placing the most important info on a less-cluttered first screen.
• Genealogy has typically been a solitary pursuit within the family. The wave of the future, especially with the use of mobile devices, will encourage collaboration within the family.
• Ancestry. com presently employs about 300 software engineers with plans to add another 80 this year. Recruiting is a major focus of the company.

The Ancestry.com executives also gave a peek into the future:

1. City directories with more than 10 million images are now available on Ancestry.com. In the past, these directories have been difficult to find and difficult to search. Semantic extraction has always been a problem in semi-structured content, such as city directories. There has been no easy way to differentiate between names of people, place names, street names, advertisements on the page, and other content. However, the Ancestry.com engineers have found intelligent methods to extract different types of information from the City Directories. The changes are already partially implemented with the remainder of the changes to be added in the coming months.
2. Ancestry.com has already indexed half a billion records and those records are already online on Ancestry.com. The list will soon be expanded with obituaries and other content.
3. Census records - The engineers at Ancestry.com found that new users had great difficulty understanding the data presented in census records. A high percentage of new users never scrolled to see the right side of the census page where all the details are. The new viewer highlights an individual in one color and all other family members are highlighted in a different color. All other entries on the page remain in monochrome. The software to properly detect the appropriate lines turned out to be rather complex, especially in pages that are faded, torn, or otherwise difficult to read. The new viewer software is presently in use on the 1911 U.K. census and 1930 U.S. census and will be rolled out to all census products. Present implementation is to be considered "version 1.0" with additional improvements to be added in coming months.

Tim Sullivan added some other comments that I thought were worthwhile. This is not an exact quote, as I can't type that fast, but it is close to Tim's words:

Please be patient with us. We are constantly working on improving things. At any given moment, things might be a bit buggy or in change. But give us your feedback and then be patient while we make improvements and add bug fixes and the result will be that we will all benefit.

The goal is to create a frictionless user experience. No online site today is "frictionless" and it will not be easy to do in the near future, but that is always the long-term goal. We want to allow people to ignore the process and to focus on the information instead of the mechanics involved.

All in all, Tim's words made a lot of common sense. The entire keynote session was an interesting insight into the company's plans and motivations.

The remainder of the day continued in much the same manner as the previous two days. One possible exception is that the Exhibits Hall appeared to be a bit busier and noisier than before as most attendees realized it was "today or never." The vendors I talked with all seemed to be happy with sales.

All in all, the final day of RootsTech 2012 seemed to be as successful as the previous two days. I saw a lot of smiling attendees.

One final announcement was made: Next year's RootsTech conference will be held about a month later in the year: RootsTech 2012 will be held March 21 though 23. If you would like to attend a great conference, mark your calendar now.