Recently, I've started to research my husband's roots. Not the Coffin stuff so much, because that's been done. Rather, I'm looking at his mother's lines.
Today I sent away for my first record on that side. It's an SS-5 for his grandfather. When I get it, I will add it to my super 100% sourced database. While I am waiting, I'm adding names to my private tree on Ancestry.com. That's how I roll: Ancestry is like a big white board where I hash everything out and my RootsMagic database is the final answer.
This afternoon, I spent a couple hours looking at Mr. Amy's roots. It's fun because this line is Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey and other states where I've done little research.
Tonight I took a look at my husband's tree with him as the home person and realized that I've named all 16 of his great-great grandparents with just a few hours research. It was quite easy.
My family? I can't get the 16th great-great grandparent after YEARS of research. I still don't know her first or maiden name. This is a poor immigrant line with an early death and minimal records, hence the difficulty.
Tomorrow I will be happy for my research accomplishment on the "other" side, but right now I'm throwing a mini pity party for one.
Sigh....genealogy is not fair.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ancestry.com's Yearbook Collection Yields Treasure
This week (or I think it was this week. Heck, I don't even know the date) Ancestry.com rolled out a new collection of U.S. School Yearbooks.
Whenever I com across a new collection or database, I use the test surname Lenertz to see what results I get. I know where the Lenertz's are and should be, so I'm always looking for something new and surprising. I was aware of my great-grandfathers 1910 Notre Dame yearbook photo and was pleased to see it in this collection.
Among all the Lenertz results there was a surprise: a 1934 yearbook from Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater, Oklahoma. There was only one person it could be...my grandfather!
He was a member of Kappa Sigma. This I knew, I just never thought I'd see it for myself.
Then I started thinking...my grandmother was six months older, maybe she was in this yearbook, too. So I go to the search box and type in my grandmother's maiden name and see a page with this:
Isn't she the cutest? All 4'11" of her. She was a Kappa Alpha Theta and very proud of the fact. Any mention of Oklahoma State University and my grandmother would always refer to when it was called Oklahoma A & M.
One time I was talking with my grandpa. He began telling stories and started to hint that my grandma was a real social butterfly in college...always at the party. Well my grandma overheard our conversation and closed the subject on college days. I'll never know what my grandpa was going to say about my grandma's academic pursuits, but I bet it was fun.
Special thanks to Mary Neft Hurst. Ancestry lists her as the donor of this yearbook for the collection. Without her generosity, I'd never have these treasures.
Whenever I com across a new collection or database, I use the test surname Lenertz to see what results I get. I know where the Lenertz's are and should be, so I'm always looking for something new and surprising. I was aware of my great-grandfathers 1910 Notre Dame yearbook photo and was pleased to see it in this collection.
Among all the Lenertz results there was a surprise: a 1934 yearbook from Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater, Oklahoma. There was only one person it could be...my grandfather!
He was a member of Kappa Sigma. This I knew, I just never thought I'd see it for myself.
Then I started thinking...my grandmother was six months older, maybe she was in this yearbook, too. So I go to the search box and type in my grandmother's maiden name and see a page with this:
Isn't she the cutest? All 4'11" of her. She was a Kappa Alpha Theta and very proud of the fact. Any mention of Oklahoma State University and my grandmother would always refer to when it was called Oklahoma A & M.
One time I was talking with my grandpa. He began telling stories and started to hint that my grandma was a real social butterfly in college...always at the party. Well my grandma overheard our conversation and closed the subject on college days. I'll never know what my grandpa was going to say about my grandma's academic pursuits, but I bet it was fun.
Special thanks to Mary Neft Hurst. Ancestry lists her as the donor of this yearbook for the collection. Without her generosity, I'd never have these treasures.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wordless Wednesday: Boys Will Be Boys Edition
[My grandfather is second from left. He was born June 1914, so date the picture accordingly.--Amy]
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Back to School With My Dad
School has started again in these parts. I've been scanning some of my family's pictures and papers lately. Some of the items in the collection include a set of my father's school report cards. Here is one from 6th grade at West Riverside Elementary:
His grades are all Ss and Os. His "Democratic Living" was top notch, earning all Os for outstanding grades. Apparently he had some trouble turning in work at first, but got caught up. The teacher's comments from the final quarter say:
6/14/56 - It has been a pleasant experience having George in my room this year. I know he will be successful in his future work.
And you know what? He was! And still is!
Here is George back then:
Also in this report card collection are 4th and 7th grade. He had perfect attendance all three years.
Nice job, Dad!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
FGS Part 5
Saturday was the last day of the FGS conference.
The first morning session that I attended was "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," taught by J. Mark Lowe. I've seen him speak before and I know he's very knowledgeable on the subject. He gave a brief history of the states to help us understand how the records came to be. Then he showed how to access various catalogs and information online. I was pleased because he used Davidson County for some examples and I have a research interest there (Williamson <1830).
Session number two for me was "The Anatomy of a Will and the Records it Spawns," taught by Christine Rose. She's a big name in my book and was on my bucket list of genealogy speakers I want to see. She was great and naturally knew her subject. We looked at various portions of wills and analyzed them for clues that might indicate the existence of other records. I even learned a couple terms I had never heard.
On this day, I was able to have lunch with several bloggers and a couple of their husbands. This is one of the perks of attending a conference. Sessions are swell, but these meals with friends are all about the memories.
When everyone went back to the convention center, I played hooky and walked around Knoxville. It's a great town. There was a farmer's market, so I bought I cookie. I also took some pictures of historical buildings.
In the early evening, I attended the last session of the conference. I decided to go to Paula Stuart-Warren's "Railroads in the South: Locating Their Records and History." My interest is in Midwest railroad history, but I knew the speaker would be of benefit to me and she was! She provided lots of great leads on where to find information. She also gave a couple of web sites that my son will be interested in so this session was win-win.
For dinner, I went to a party at Missy Corley's sister's house. I hung out with some genealogy friends and met some new people, too. Missy made her grandma's taco meat recipe and a good time was had by all.
When I returned to the hotel for the night, most of the genealogists were gone from the lobby and a new crop of unfamiliar people were checking in. The conference was over.
The first morning session that I attended was "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," taught by J. Mark Lowe. I've seen him speak before and I know he's very knowledgeable on the subject. He gave a brief history of the states to help us understand how the records came to be. Then he showed how to access various catalogs and information online. I was pleased because he used Davidson County for some examples and I have a research interest there (Williamson <1830).
Session number two for me was "The Anatomy of a Will and the Records it Spawns," taught by Christine Rose. She's a big name in my book and was on my bucket list of genealogy speakers I want to see. She was great and naturally knew her subject. We looked at various portions of wills and analyzed them for clues that might indicate the existence of other records. I even learned a couple terms I had never heard.
On this day, I was able to have lunch with several bloggers and a couple of their husbands. This is one of the perks of attending a conference. Sessions are swell, but these meals with friends are all about the memories.
When everyone went back to the convention center, I played hooky and walked around Knoxville. It's a great town. There was a farmer's market, so I bought I cookie. I also took some pictures of historical buildings.
In the early evening, I attended the last session of the conference. I decided to go to Paula Stuart-Warren's "Railroads in the South: Locating Their Records and History." My interest is in Midwest railroad history, but I knew the speaker would be of benefit to me and she was! She provided lots of great leads on where to find information. She also gave a couple of web sites that my son will be interested in so this session was win-win.
For dinner, I went to a party at Missy Corley's sister's house. I hung out with some genealogy friends and met some new people, too. Missy made her grandma's taco meat recipe and a good time was had by all.
When I returned to the hotel for the night, most of the genealogists were gone from the lobby and a new crop of unfamiliar people were checking in. The conference was over.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
FGS Part 4
Friday at the 2010 FGS conference was a busy day. I attended a session titled, "I've Been Tested: Now What?" which had to do with DNA tests. It was taught by Terry Barton of WorldFamilies.net, who taught the mtDNA class I attended yesterday.
The pre-lunch session I attended was "The Genealogist as CSI," taught by George Morgan. It was interesting, and a good reminder on how to analyze records and document properly.
Through a nice coincidence, I ran into Lori Thornton at lunch. She is a dedicated conference volunteer, so I was surprised and pleased that she actually left the conference venue. We had a nice chat about genealogy (what else?).
Next up was a session with an intriguing title: Murder at the Sawmill. Pamela K. Sayre led us in a case study involving a 1937 murder in her family tree. The story in itself was worth the price of admission, but I actually learned some new strategies for researching the murder at the sawmill in my own family.
I skipped the next session block so I could scour the exhibit hall. So many things I want to buy and no room in my suitcase for them.
Friday evening was the big prize-drawing time. I dutifully filled out all of my tickets and stuffed the boxes, but I didn't win anything. Better luck next time.
On to part 5.
The pre-lunch session I attended was "The Genealogist as CSI," taught by George Morgan. It was interesting, and a good reminder on how to analyze records and document properly.
Through a nice coincidence, I ran into Lori Thornton at lunch. She is a dedicated conference volunteer, so I was surprised and pleased that she actually left the conference venue. We had a nice chat about genealogy (what else?).
Next up was a session with an intriguing title: Murder at the Sawmill. Pamela K. Sayre led us in a case study involving a 1937 murder in her family tree. The story in itself was worth the price of admission, but I actually learned some new strategies for researching the murder at the sawmill in my own family.
I skipped the next session block so I could scour the exhibit hall. So many things I want to buy and no room in my suitcase for them.
Friday evening was the big prize-drawing time. I dutifully filled out all of my tickets and stuffed the boxes, but I didn't win anything. Better luck next time.
On to part 5.
Friday, August 20, 2010
FGS Part 3
After lunch on Thursday, I attended the session " Exploring Our Maternal Ancestries with Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)" with Terry Barton of WorldFamilies.net. This was a very informative presentation, and I was able to follow it just fine. Sometimes DNA sessions are complicated, but the speaker was clear and concise. The last section of his session dealt with "success stories." He shared the family tree of his wife, and I realized that it included the brother (Josiah Jones) of my 4th great grandfather, Wiley Jones. Our common ancestor is their father, Ebed Jones (1774-1848). It was a nice surprise, and I will be in contact with her after the conference.
Thursday afternoon, I also attended the Genealogy Guys' live podcast. I went out of curiosity, but I'm glad I did. George and Drew took many questions from the audience, and we all were encouraged to provide assistance on the genealogy problems as well. It was a great learning opportunity. The Genealogy Guys are truly professionals, and the podcast was great. Be sure to check it out when it comes online (#208).
I did some browsing in the exhibit hall and entered some vendor drawings. So far I haven't been told I've won anything.
For dinner, I went out with Missy Corley. We of course talked about our day's experiences and genealogy in general. It was a nice time.
I turned in early Thursday night and wrote some blog posts, which is why I'm not too behind on my FGS reports. Next up....part 4.
Thursday afternoon, I also attended the Genealogy Guys' live podcast. I went out of curiosity, but I'm glad I did. George and Drew took many questions from the audience, and we all were encouraged to provide assistance on the genealogy problems as well. It was a great learning opportunity. The Genealogy Guys are truly professionals, and the podcast was great. Be sure to check it out when it comes online (#208).
I did some browsing in the exhibit hall and entered some vendor drawings. So far I haven't been told I've won anything.
For dinner, I went out with Missy Corley. We of course talked about our day's experiences and genealogy in general. It was a nice time.
I turned in early Thursday night and wrote some blog posts, which is why I'm not too behind on my FGS reports. Next up....part 4.
FGS Part 2
After the FamilySearch breakfast, I headed over to the keynote session. J. Mark Lowe (TN) and Kent Whitworth (KY) were excellent and funny co-speakers. Their theme was a friendly Tennessee vs. Kentucky rivalry speech. The event ended with "Rocky Top" and the dang song is still stuck in my head.
At 9:30 a.m. there was a quick Geneablogger gathering. I got to meet several bloggers I know online, and now I know them in person as well.
The first session I attended on Thursday was "Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor," by Thomas Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA (yeah, he's big time). His talk circled around the 7 reasons one might have a missing ancestor. He cautioned against having too much confidence in home records (like those produced by family members, which aren't always as accurate as we think), and published records (such as genealogies, books, etc.). He also said not to stop searching after you've found a vital record. Keep on searching for more records. What impressed me most about Tom Jones talk is that he finished it at 12:00 on the nose. Guess that's why he has all those letters by his name.
For lunch, I enjoyed a meal with the authors of Bayside Blog, Gen Wish List, and Tonia's Roots. And you know what? We all ordered the same thing. Mr. Gen Wish List was there, too, being a good sport.
After that, we went back to the Knoxville Convention Center for the next sessions. Something incredible happened, but you'll have to wait for the next installment of my conference log to find out what it was. Go to part 3 here.
At 9:30 a.m. there was a quick Geneablogger gathering. I got to meet several bloggers I know online, and now I know them in person as well.
The first session I attended on Thursday was "Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor," by Thomas Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA (yeah, he's big time). His talk circled around the 7 reasons one might have a missing ancestor. He cautioned against having too much confidence in home records (like those produced by family members, which aren't always as accurate as we think), and published records (such as genealogies, books, etc.). He also said not to stop searching after you've found a vital record. Keep on searching for more records. What impressed me most about Tom Jones talk is that he finished it at 12:00 on the nose. Guess that's why he has all those letters by his name.
For lunch, I enjoyed a meal with the authors of Bayside Blog, Gen Wish List, and Tonia's Roots. And you know what? We all ordered the same thing. Mr. Gen Wish List was there, too, being a good sport.
After that, we went back to the Knoxville Convention Center for the next sessions. Something incredible happened, but you'll have to wait for the next installment of my conference log to find out what it was. Go to part 3 here.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
FGS Part 1: Breakfast with FamilySearch
This morning I had the pleasure to attend a breakfast hosted by FamilySearch at the FGS conference. The subject was product updates to the various arms of FamilySearch.
One of the sub-themes dealt with "2010 and beyond." According to this portion of the presentation, you can expect better integration between sections of FamilySearch such as the forums, indexing and blog. This includes easy log-in that fits all the parts.
Also, what we see at beta.FamilySearch.org will eventually be FamilySearch.org, as is the case with most things in beta.
Folks in attendance at the breakfast also got a brief website tour and sneak peek of things to come at FamilySearch. From a user standpoint, I liked what I saw. Searching for records will become easier with more drop-down menus. Also, refining searches will be WAY easier than I've seen in this and other companies' tools in the past and present. The librarian in me is very excited about such a development because I don't like irrelevant results popping up and clouding what I want to see.
We were then asked for our feedback on certain issues and possibilities in the future of FamilySearch. I kept by genealogy friends and blog readers in mind with my answers. I'm a genealogy database user first and foremost.
The FamilySearch breakfast was a nice start to the FGS2010 day. I thank them for their invitation, hospitality and peek into the future. It's a great time to be a genealogist.
Part 2 of my FGS adventures here.
(Disclosure: I attended this session as a guest of FamilySearch. The provided breakfast, a FamilySearch DVD and a cute little USB hub. I did not receive monetary compensation at the session or in relation to this blog post. Also, they had bacon. And it was good.)
One of the sub-themes dealt with "2010 and beyond." According to this portion of the presentation, you can expect better integration between sections of FamilySearch such as the forums, indexing and blog. This includes easy log-in that fits all the parts.
Also, what we see at beta.FamilySearch.org will eventually be FamilySearch.org, as is the case with most things in beta.
Folks in attendance at the breakfast also got a brief website tour and sneak peek of things to come at FamilySearch. From a user standpoint, I liked what I saw. Searching for records will become easier with more drop-down menus. Also, refining searches will be WAY easier than I've seen in this and other companies' tools in the past and present. The librarian in me is very excited about such a development because I don't like irrelevant results popping up and clouding what I want to see.
We were then asked for our feedback on certain issues and possibilities in the future of FamilySearch. I kept by genealogy friends and blog readers in mind with my answers. I'm a genealogy database user first and foremost.
The FamilySearch breakfast was a nice start to the FGS2010 day. I thank them for their invitation, hospitality and peek into the future. It's a great time to be a genealogist.
Part 2 of my FGS adventures here.
(Disclosure: I attended this session as a guest of FamilySearch. The provided breakfast, a FamilySearch DVD and a cute little USB hub. I did not receive monetary compensation at the session or in relation to this blog post. Also, they had bacon. And it was good.)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Association of Professional Genealogists PMC - Recap Part 2
[Read part 1 here]
After lunch, attendees had the choice between concurrent sessions. There were two tracks of three sessions each. Like last year, we were asked to refrain from using Twitter (or "Tweetering" as one person said). Also like last year, I've opted not to describe the sessions on my blog. I prefer to focus my time and attention on genealogy groups and events who are more open to the use of social media in conference settings. I apologize to the speakers who won't get the publicity and to my readers who won't benefit from knowing the experience of attending such sessions.
I then had a quick dinner in the hotel bar with Thomas MacEntee and Melissa Corley.
The APG round table was held from 7-9pm. "Online presence" was the topic, this time presented in panel format. Nobody told me I couldn't "tweeter" in this session, so I am glad I could describe this event to you. The panelists were Drew Smith, D. Joshua Taylor, Kathleen Hinckley (top APG person), Crista Cowan (speaking on Ancestry's Expert Connect) and Thomas MacEntee (the YAY BLOGS cheerleader).
Each member of the panel spoke for about 7 minutes, then fielded questions from the audience. Many people were interested in blogs and that made me happy. There were several a-ha moments as some attendees learned that you can schedule tweets, status updates and blog posts for future release. I really liked the vibe of this session and loved the back-and-forth dialog. Thank you to all the panelists.
After the round table, we broke as a group and went back to our respective hotel rooms for the inevitable crash.
And that, my friends, is the APG PMC in a nutshell.
After lunch, attendees had the choice between concurrent sessions. There were two tracks of three sessions each. Like last year, we were asked to refrain from using Twitter (or "Tweetering" as one person said). Also like last year, I've opted not to describe the sessions on my blog. I prefer to focus my time and attention on genealogy groups and events who are more open to the use of social media in conference settings. I apologize to the speakers who won't get the publicity and to my readers who won't benefit from knowing the experience of attending such sessions.
I then had a quick dinner in the hotel bar with Thomas MacEntee and Melissa Corley.
The APG round table was held from 7-9pm. "Online presence" was the topic, this time presented in panel format. Nobody told me I couldn't "tweeter" in this session, so I am glad I could describe this event to you. The panelists were Drew Smith, D. Joshua Taylor, Kathleen Hinckley (top APG person), Crista Cowan (speaking on Ancestry's Expert Connect) and Thomas MacEntee (the YAY BLOGS cheerleader).
Each member of the panel spoke for about 7 minutes, then fielded questions from the audience. Many people were interested in blogs and that made me happy. There were several a-ha moments as some attendees learned that you can schedule tweets, status updates and blog posts for future release. I really liked the vibe of this session and loved the back-and-forth dialog. Thank you to all the panelists.
After the round table, we broke as a group and went back to our respective hotel rooms for the inevitable crash.
And that, my friends, is the APG PMC in a nutshell.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Association of Professional Genealogists PMC - Recap Part 1
Today I attended the Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference in Knoxville. It was a one-day event geared toward practicing professionals or those who have an interest in taking that path.
The big news before the morning session was that next year's APG PMC will be held within the FGS conference. There will be some programs on Friday (I believe they are free), and a paid workshop on Saturday. This is different than recent years where the PMC fell before the FGS conference.
After general news, APG president Laura Prescott presented "From the Trenches: How We Manage Clients, Time and Projects." She spoke of time, tools and talent and the various stages of balance/imbalance that are presented when we juggle multiple tasks.
We then had a networking lunch. The tables were divided into topics with a speaker at each table. When you entered the ballroom, you picked the table at which you wanted to sit, then talked with others on the specific topic. It was loosely structured, and moved with the personality of the group. I sat at Polly Kimmitt's "part-time genealogy" table, mostly because I wanted to meet Polly. She's great. I also sat next to Missy Corley of Bayside Research Services and we talked shop and caught up. We go way back. Like, over two years.
There's more, but I'll put it in another post. Here's part 2....
The big news before the morning session was that next year's APG PMC will be held within the FGS conference. There will be some programs on Friday (I believe they are free), and a paid workshop on Saturday. This is different than recent years where the PMC fell before the FGS conference.
After general news, APG president Laura Prescott presented "From the Trenches: How We Manage Clients, Time and Projects." She spoke of time, tools and talent and the various stages of balance/imbalance that are presented when we juggle multiple tasks.
We then had a networking lunch. The tables were divided into topics with a speaker at each table. When you entered the ballroom, you picked the table at which you wanted to sit, then talked with others on the specific topic. It was loosely structured, and moved with the personality of the group. I sat at Polly Kimmitt's "part-time genealogy" table, mostly because I wanted to meet Polly. She's great. I also sat next to Missy Corley of Bayside Research Services and we talked shop and caught up. We go way back. Like, over two years.
There's more, but I'll put it in another post. Here's part 2....
Friday, August 13, 2010
Save the Date: RootsTech Conference
Mark your calendars for the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, February 10-12, 2011. (See press release below.)
I just sat in on the media call for this conference, and I have to tell you, I'm pretty excited. The intent is to bring technology types and genealogy types together and watch the magic happen.
If you're a genealogist (professional or otherwise) who uses technology in your research and/or has innovative ideas for how it can be used in genealogy, this conference is for you. When I was listening to the description, it was like they were talking to me. Finally, people who won't laugh when I sing the praises of social media in genealogy!
I am very hopeful that this event will be a success. It would mean so much to the genealogy community. Please mark your calendars and be a part of it.
On to the big news......
New RootsTech Conference to Bring
Technologists Face-to-face with Genealogists
Technologists Face-to-face with Genealogists
SALT LAKE CITY —Technologists and genealogists from around the world will gather at the first annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10-12, 2011. The new conference, hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by leading genealogical organizations, aims to bring technologists and genealogists together to help deepen understanding of current technologies and discover new ideas in applying technology to genealogy. Learn more at rootstech.familysearch.org.
“When the users and creators of technology come together, innovation occurs,” said Jay Verkler, president and CEO of FamilySearch. “The RootsTech Conference will accelerate that innovation through panels, discussion groups, and interactive demonstrations.”
Josh Taylor, Director of Education and Programs for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, says the time is right for such a conference.
“The collection of technologies present at the last National Genealogical Society Conference in Salt Lake City was so impressive that we see a need and opportunity for a strong annual technology genealogy conference to pursue solutions for the unique challenges facing genealogists,” Taylor said.
The RootsTech Conference is designed to foster innovation by bringing technology users and creators together in a meaningful way. Thousands of genealogists who use technology in pursuit of one of the most popular hobbies in the world will discover how new and emerging technologies can improve and simplify their activities. Genealogists will be treated to technology prototype demonstrations, interactive workshops, and opportunities to test innovative new product and service concepts. Technology providers will get the opportunity to demonstrate product concepts face-to-face to their customer—the family history enthusiast—and better understand their needs.
“Technology is driving a revolution in family history,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com. “We’re excited to participate in the RootsTech Conference, and we see it as a great chance to explore with genealogists how technology can help them even more in the future.”
The RootsTech 2011 conference will be hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by Ancestry.com, New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), Brigham Young University, and other leaders in the genealogy community.
“Brigham Young University is pleased to participate in this conference, which brings together the Conference on Computerized Family History and Genealogy and the Family History Technology Workshop under the same umbrella. We think this creates a new and unique national forum for genealogists, software developers, and researchers to move genealogy forward,” said Christophe Giraude-Carrier, Associate Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science at Brigham Young University.
Technology creators will discover new and existing technologies and techniques to help their development practices and also see how they can be applied to the unique discipline of genealogy. Anticipated themes for the conference include: using social networking to collaborate as families and societies, data backup and digital preservation, using multimedia, records and media digitization, how to use cloud computing to deploy reliable, scalable systems, handwriting recognition and automated transcription, mobile computing devices and applications, GPS mapping, and much more.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tombstone Tuesday: Morning Glory Edition
This photo was taken at Humble Cemetery in Humble, Texas. I drove by there one day and thought I'd take some pictures for Find a Grave. When I got home, I saw that the cemetery was well documented there already. Oh well. Points for trying to do a good deed. At least I have some cool photos like the one above.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Update on My Super Duper Family Tree
This weekend, I scheduled a significant block of personal genealogy time to work on my own Super Duper Family Tree. Last year I started building a family tree from scratch, with each and every fact backed up by a reliable source and citation.
At this point, I have 301 people in this database. It's mostly compiled of great-great grandparents and descendants. I'm trying to bring all these lines as far as I can into the present. Then I will work backwards again, making sure I've examined and used facts from all the records in my semi-organized pile of papers.
It's a slow process, but the results are starting to look awesome. When I look at individual records, there are check marks by each fact. That means there's a source that you can consult, should you want to verify my research.
I've been patiently building source templates, one at a time. Each template has information about the repository as well as the pertinent citation information. RootsMagic, my software of choice for this endeavor, has a set of ready-made templates in the style of Evidence Explained. So far, I've been able to use these for most of my citations. The trick is to take the time to fill in all the blanks, including repository information. For the times when I have to create my own templates, it's slightly confusing, but I always figure out a solution.
Now that I have more people in my tree, when I print up mock reports, there are actual facts in them. I'm starting to add head shots (cropped out of other photos) for people as well.
In the spectrum of family tree databases, mine is quite small. However, it grows a little each time I work on it. In the future, it will look great.
Slow and steady wins the race. It also provides great satisfaction in knowing I have all my ducks in a row and all my citations in order.
[Note: I have not been compensated to endorse RootsMagic or Evidence Explained. See my disclosures page for further details.]
At this point, I have 301 people in this database. It's mostly compiled of great-great grandparents and descendants. I'm trying to bring all these lines as far as I can into the present. Then I will work backwards again, making sure I've examined and used facts from all the records in my semi-organized pile of papers.
It's a slow process, but the results are starting to look awesome. When I look at individual records, there are check marks by each fact. That means there's a source that you can consult, should you want to verify my research.
I've been patiently building source templates, one at a time. Each template has information about the repository as well as the pertinent citation information. RootsMagic, my software of choice for this endeavor, has a set of ready-made templates in the style of Evidence Explained. So far, I've been able to use these for most of my citations. The trick is to take the time to fill in all the blanks, including repository information. For the times when I have to create my own templates, it's slightly confusing, but I always figure out a solution.
Now that I have more people in my tree, when I print up mock reports, there are actual facts in them. I'm starting to add head shots (cropped out of other photos) for people as well.
In the spectrum of family tree databases, mine is quite small. However, it grows a little each time I work on it. In the future, it will look great.
Slow and steady wins the race. It also provides great satisfaction in knowing I have all my ducks in a row and all my citations in order.
[Note: I have not been compensated to endorse RootsMagic or Evidence Explained. See my disclosures page for further details.]
Friday, August 6, 2010
Are You Going to FGS?
Are you going to the FGS Conference in Knoxville? The reason I ask is because I'm going, and I want to meet others who are going.
After weeks of super-busy, non-stop family life (summer does that to you), I've finally found the time to sit down and look at the FGS schedule. There are lots of good sessions and I am going to have to make some tough choices. Now I am filling up my dance card with after-session dinners, appointments, freebies, etc. So if you're going, let me know.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tombstone Tuesday: Going Up Edition
This tombstone is from the cemetery I featured last week. It was so interesting, that I had to capture it. I'm sorry it's not a better photo, but the sun was going down and I didn't want to hop the wall.
As I said in last week's Tombstone Tuesday, I don't know the name of this cemetery and so far all my searching has turned up zilch. I do know this cemetery is in Smith's Point (but it's not the Smith's Point cemetery) on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas.
Monday, August 2, 2010
An overdue ProGen update
It's been a while since I talked about my ProGen experience. With school out, client work, Expo work, genealogy conference season, and more, I've just been cranking out each assignment and moving to the next. I barely have time to breathe, much less pause and blog about it.
My current task is a proof argument. Luckily, they gave us three months for this one. I am proud to say that I am finished with mine with the exception of a final read later this week. This wasn't my favorite assignment, but I am so glad to get the practice.
My subject deals with overcoming name variations when determining parentage. Folks in my family tree can't seem to keep the names they're given, and that complicates things. My great-great grandmother outlived three husbands and went by four different first names!
Well, having this proof argument done is a great weight off my shoulders. It's not due until the end of the month, but now I can enjoy the APG and FGS conferences without worrying about anything.
Today was also the ProGen chat for my group. Our fearless leader (Craig Scott, CG) is great because he has so much experience. He also tells it like it is. I've really enjoyed his take on writing for the profession and the publishing industry in general.
Next month (September) the task is to develop a marketing plan. You can bet mine will involve social media components. I can't wait to get started on that one.
It's hard to believe my ProGen class (#3) is almost over! So worth it.
My current task is a proof argument. Luckily, they gave us three months for this one. I am proud to say that I am finished with mine with the exception of a final read later this week. This wasn't my favorite assignment, but I am so glad to get the practice.
My subject deals with overcoming name variations when determining parentage. Folks in my family tree can't seem to keep the names they're given, and that complicates things. My great-great grandmother outlived three husbands and went by four different first names!
Well, having this proof argument done is a great weight off my shoulders. It's not due until the end of the month, but now I can enjoy the APG and FGS conferences without worrying about anything.
Today was also the ProGen chat for my group. Our fearless leader (Craig Scott, CG) is great because he has so much experience. He also tells it like it is. I've really enjoyed his take on writing for the profession and the publishing industry in general.
Next month (September) the task is to develop a marketing plan. You can bet mine will involve social media components. I can't wait to get started on that one.
It's hard to believe my ProGen class (#3) is almost over! So worth it.
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