The Search for Number 16, part 2

Read The Search for Number 16, part 1.

The simple effort of joining the Burgenland Bunch led to an almost immediate welcome email from one of the members. I replied back and quickly explained why I was there and what I hoped to find.

A cordial email exchange ensued where I laid out my sob story of how I was looking for Cecilia's mom. I knew Cecilia had immigrated to the U.S. and landed in Pennsylvania. However, all my attempts at research in that state had led nowhere so I was attempting to search in Austria instead.

Fast forward a few more emails and another door opened. In one reply, I was given the names of Cecelia's parents and grandparents. Bam! Just like that. My new Burgenland Bunch friend even provided the FHL microfilm numbers where she found the information.

Well, you know me...even though I had the names, I needed to see them in order for this quest to be complete. So I placed my order for films and waited. Wednesday night, I received the phone call that said my films were in town.

Naturally, I cleared the calendar on Thursday afternoon and moseyed on over to the family history center. Given the area and history of the era, these records were in Hungarian. Still, I had Cecilia's birth date so how hard would it be to find her record and the name of my Number 16? Turns out it was quite easy:

May I introduce you to Cecilia Kurta of Borosgodor, my Number 16 and great-great grandmother.

Also in this set of records was confirmation of a marriage between Cecilia Kurta and Janos Joszt AND the names of their parents. Just like that, this line went from my most troublesome to my most advanced in Europe.

Whew! But now that I have this information, what do I do with it? Well it turns out that my grandmother never knew the names of any of her grandparents. It also turns out that her birthday is Friday. Why not tell her about my discovery then?

That's exactly what I intend to do.

The Search for Number 16, part 3

The Search for Number 16, part 1

In all of my family history research, there has always been a brick wall that frustrated me. I did not know the name of my maternal grandmother's grandmother. That means that on a standard five-generation family tree chart with me at the center and places for the names of my 16 great-great grandparents, there was always a blank at the bottom of the chart where a name should be.

Now there are a lot of wonderful charts and artworks available where genealogists can create five-generation family trees. I've been frustrated for years that I couldn't take advantage of those items (especially the handcrafted ones) because I did not know the name of Number 16. I didn't want to spend all that money only to have a blank space at the bottom.

Back in December, with the encouragement of a friend, I committed to finding that 16th great-great grandparent.  I had a daughter's maiden name as well as a possible Austrian village hometown. What I didn't have was any experience searching this area of the world or any idea how to proceed with this task.

The first effort I made was to list everything I knew about my Number 16's daughter, Cecelia Yost, in a blog post. I didn't get any immediate response, but at least the details were out there.

Cecilia: my great-grandmother and daughter of Number 16

I did receive an email in regard to a post I made on a message board. The person said he/she had lots of information on the village of Inzenhof and the Jost family name. Great, right? Well I couldn't get any questions answered. I don't know if it was a language barrier or what but this lead didn't pan out.

Admittedly, it was the resolution I made (as well as some good-natured teasing from friends) that got the ball rolling. I found this neat website called the Burgenland Bunch, which detailed genealogy information in the area where Cecelia was supposedly born. I joined up for free, gave out all the information I had and hit send.

That simple effort opened a door...

Read The Search for Number 16, part 2.
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See You at the 2011 Jamboree

I'm all registered for the 2011 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. You know it's a good conference when I will sign up for it without even looking at the program. This isn't my first rodeo, or Jamboree for that matter. I know it will be great. Plus, with all due respect to the hard working planners and speakers, half of the fun is in the after hours activities. Bloggers be crazy.

There's plenty of time to check out the program and everything Jamboree. I even downloaded the conference app to my phone. It's a pretty cool set up with lots of information. I highly recommend it.

So the tickets are purchased but the dance card isn't set just yet. There's so much to see, I'll have to think about it.

If you're on the fence about attending Jamboree, or just lax in getting signed up, just know that the early bird rate expires April 30.

Hope to see you there!
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Money Changes Everything - Or Does It?

The fifth and final installment of the Genea-opportunities series looks back at the weeks' discussions and asks where genealogy goes from here.

"...we'll recap the discussion and see how the genealogy community and industry needs to move forward in its relationship to money."

I'm really glad this topic came up and was discussed by so many people on their blogs.

I can't speak for others, but the feedback I received from my posts was overwhelmingly positive. Hopefully readers found my own experiences helpful in charting their own paths.

This conversation moved well among the bloggers, but I'm not sure it carried further. Did vendors read up? What about the more prominent professional genealogists? I did not see any chatter on the email list to which I subscribe, or in my Facebook news feed (with the exception of other bloggers). My hope is that members of both of these camps read the discussions, even if they didn't comment.

The genealogy industry is growing. Really growing. It is at an intersection with Technology Road and Baby Boomer Boulevard. We all need to position ourselves on this highway, no matter our reasons for being here. Hobbyists will have choices and voices in what is offered. Professionals will have increased competition and increased opportunities. Vendors will hopefully focus on where genealogy is going rather than where it is at this minute.

In order to move forward, this discussion needs to continue. Hopefully the momentum is maintained long after this blog series is over. I would love to see more intermediate blogging sessions that discuss monetization and more at conferences. I'm considering proposing such an unconference session at RootsTech 2012. In fact, more panel and roundtable discussions at professional genealogy conferences would really tap into the collective wisdom. Thomas MacEntee is considering forming a "pro" sub-site in Geneabloggers. I hope he does because I want to talk about this topic and don't feel there is currently a good place to do so.

So what about you? What did you think about this Genea-opportunities blog series? Did you learn anything?

Thanks to my readers for letting me be a part of it. I promise now this blog will get back to the adventures in genealogy and the fun stuff, too. Onward.
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How Do You Make Money in Genealogy?

The fourth installment of the Genea-opportunities series tackles the $64,000 question, which sadly doesn't pay that much.

You know me, people. I'm pretty transparent. These are my plans and here is my playbook:

Research - I have been and continue to take clients. I don't aggressively market myself because the traffic is steady and manageable. Eventually I will grow this portion of my genealogy pie.

Writing - In the past I have written both paid articles and non-paid pieces (though I always have a reason for writing the non-paid stuff). Recently, I have stepped up my game in the writing department with The Little Book Project That Could. I'm almost done with my first draft. It's very exciting and I think you guys are going to like it. I hope you like it, because people outside of genealogy surely won't.

My intent is to self-publish this book in softcover and as an e-book. After that I will offer up some more good content for sale as well. I also have the grains of a second book already swirling in my head.

The long term plan is to have a whole shelf full of e-books and items for purchase all about helping others maximize their family history research experience.

Speaking - I get asked to speak all the time and I turn people down all the time. I am unable to travel much because of child care issues. The authorities don't like it when I leave my kid with a box of cereal and a tv remote. My son is getting older now though, and my husband's extensive work travel schedule is in a comfortable rut. It's a good time to let go of some more "mom" duties and start flapping my gums.

Once the book is published and I have a little "free" time, I will put some presentations together and develop this arm of the Amy Coffin Empire. I intend to have several topics ready to go in the coming months.

Down the Road - I would also like to explore consulting opportunities. The developing genealogy demographic and my business research background may be of value. I won't rule this financial opportunity out, but I'm going to focus on the other things this moment. I do collect and study data for this market however, because good information professional *always* stay current.

The Sum of the Parts - As you can see, my plan is made of several pieces. It's a bit of a safety net on my part. If I hit a dry patch with few clients, I can put my energy in the other two arms and adjust as needed. This is my Plan B. And Plan C.

Well, there you have my present and future plans. I don't make a million dollars, but I am very happy with what I do. And that to me is worth a million dollars.
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Free Genealogy Isn't Free

The third topic in the week-long Genea-opportunities series talks about money:

What do you mean it isn't free? How do we as a community deal with the perception that everything is free for the taking when it comes to genealogy. From commercial databases, to freely stealing content from a blog or website, to being incensed when a genealogist charges for a webinar or syllabus. This is a no-holds barred look at why certain perceptions exist in the genealogy community and how they must change in order for the industry to move forward in the 21st century.

Thomas MaEntee wrote a great post on this subject today: Genealogy - What Do You Mean It Isn't Free?

I'm going to turn the topic at a different angle and dissect the word FREE.

Why should I pay for (insert name of genealogy product here) when I can get it for free?


FamilySearch isn't free. Someone is paying for that information be acquired, stored, preserved, digitized, and more. You may use it with no financial burden to you, but someone else is paying for your privilege.

Find-a-Grave isn't free. Someone is paying for the domain, servers and all that maintaining a massive website entails. That FREE picture you just got? A volunteer paid for that with time, gas money, and camera equipment.

Facebook isn't free. You pay for your use of this site by sharing your profile including your location, marital status, education, and all those countless "Likes" of pages with advertisers.

Blogger isn't free. You pay by having .blogspot.com in your URL and Powered by Blogger at the bottom of the page.

When you view a "free" webinar, someone somewhere (likely the speaker) has paid for your access through the creation of a presentation and all the countless non-billable hours it took to perfect.

Even your own volunteer time is given at a cost of whatever else you could be doing. This is a constant challenge with professionals who have to measure everything in billable hours.

Sorry to be a downer and put a price tag on everything, but genealogy isn't free. Someone always has to pay.

The good news is that genealogy is a marketplace and your wallet is a driving force. Because you have to pay for quality research, speakers, books and memberships, you can expect and demand good products. The genealogy market will respond to that and adjust to bring us only quality stuff.

When you get something for "free," be thankful and pay it forward. It is a gift, not a birthright. When asked to pay for a genealogy service, treat it like any other toy you may purchase.

Genealogy products, books, webinars and information are just like other items on the store shelf. You can choose to put them in your shopping cart (or not), but don't expect the cashier to give them to you for free.
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My Foray into Family Tree DNA

Family Tree DNA had a sale last week, so I bit the bullet and recruited my family for some cheek scrapin' fun times. Drafted on my team were my dad, my aunt, and my maternal grandparents. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, I went and ordered myself a mtDNA test and Family Finder just to see what happens.

My test kit came this week:

Inside were three cheek scrapers. When you're done, the stick is used to plunge little swab into the little jar. It's an easy process.

Then you send everything back.

Yes, they're right down the road from me. That's one of the reasons I chose this company. Shop local, they say.

What do I expect from this process? I have no idea. I'm still trying to grasp the possibilities and scenarios that arise from having this DNA information. I do know that I couldn't wait until I learned everything before getting my family samples done. Test now, figure it out later.

Special thanks to my parents for funding this adventure and for my family members for being the guinea pigs. I honestly can't tell you what we're going to learn about ourselves from this exercise, but the possibilities make it necessary to take the step.

I sent my own test back today. I'll let you know how it goes....
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Careers in Genealogy: Charting Your Own Course

Part two of the Genea-opportunities discussion series focuses on careers in genealogy. Yes, people actually get paid to do this. Here's the sounding point from Geneabloggers:

We'll discuss the "traditional" genealogy careers and look at some genealogists and family historians who are thinking "outside the genealogy charts" to carve out their own career path.

Here's my story: in library school I took the special libraries track, studying all the things necessary to run a library in a company or other organization. When I moved to Houston, I did some paid and volunteer work for a non-profit as well as some independent research stuff. I found AIIP and others like me who ran their own research businesses. While doing general research for people, I realized that I enjoyed genealogy more. Even though it pays less, I decided to make what I thought was a lateral transition from one subject to another. Boy was I wrong. There is no neatly marked trail and you must alter your expectations and adapt to the conditions should you decide to tread this path. This leads to my first point:

There is no such thing as a traditional genealogy career. There are just too many facets, and one facet alone won't pay the bills. "Because you like the hunt" is not enough. You have to be proficient in several areas. Naturally, you have to have knowledge in a certain aspect of genealogy be it location, language or something else which you acquire through classes and hands-on experience. On top of the "looking-stuff-up" part, you need the latest information on running a business, new research tools, updates in the world of archives, marketing opportunities, etc. You may also need to speak or write in order to supplement the research income, thus needing resources in those areas as well. This leads me to my second point:

It's difficult to find information on the field of professional genealogy in the field of professional genealogy. Hopefully I can eat these words in the future, but as it stands there is little information out there on how to run a "genealogy business." Bigger societies of note provide links to other resources, but there is no consistently published content on business issues. The book Professional Genealogy (affiliate link) is in need of an update that brings technology into the fold, though I still highly recommend it and the unaffiliated ProGen Study Group offshoot. Genealogy business events and meetings are sparse and inaccessible for most. Webinars are becoming more prominent in other facets of genealogy except the professional part. This leads me to my third point:

Sometimes you need to leave the Small Town of Genealogy to take the steps to Big City Success.
Some of the better resources for running a genealogy-based business are found in other areas that have nothing to do with genealogy. Seek information outside this subject and it will really help you inside this subject.

Use the resources of the Small Business Administration to draw up a business plan. Don't fudge on this task, either. Once you have a plan your path becomes smoother.

Study how other independent researchers in various subjects highlight their businesses. Join in on discussion to see how they handle customer issues, support issues, etc. 

See how local small and one-person businesses market their services. Even if your customer base isn't where you live, this sample will give you some ideas that are outside the traditional genealogy box. 

Read some textbooks about research and information. No, really. Genealogy research is just a piece of the information pie. When you understand how content is created, organized and stored, you can tackle research problems quicker and with more accuracy. You will also see that some of the best genealogy information is actually outside the genealogy radar. Some people will scoff at this, which leads to my fourth point:

The professional genealogy field can be a mean friend sometimes. I've been openly laughed at for my approach to genealogy research, and don't even get me started on the email discussion lists. The point is that you have to be confident and believe in your abilities. There are many professionals in various aspects of genealogy who are working "off the charts" with creative approaches to their craft. Go forth and find them. They are wonderful people. This leads me to my fifth point:

Changes to professional genealogy are coming and we have front-row seats. New and innovative ideas are popping up all over the place and they're gaining support in significant numbers. There's going to be a tipping point eventually. But even if that happens and the flood gates open spewing copious amounts of practical information you still have to keep one thing in mind, which leads to my sixth point:

The path to becoming a professional genealogist starts with you.

If you have an interest in exploring genealogy as a profession, do not sit back and wait for ABC or XYZ conference to offer up some classes. Tell your society you're interested in certain subjects, but don't delay your own learning while they get the courses together (assuming they even decide to do so). Owners of other small business don't wait around for education to fall out of the sky. They either go find the information they need or learn by doing. Clueless about marketing? Find the facts to fill that information gap. Want to improve your report writing skills? Scour the BCG website and practice what they preach. If you have no clue where to start, ask a colleague for advice. Whatever it is you want, it is up to you to go out there and get it. Believe in yourself. This leads to my seventh point:

It's ok to forge your own genealogy path. This is how you find your professional identity. 

A big THANK YOU to all who have read this far. This is my opinion and experience. In order to make my way, I've had to do things differently than the current fuzzy definition of professional genealogy. No two stories are the same. This one is mine.

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Genealogy News Bits for April 19, 2011

Here are some of the genealogy news stories that have passed my desk recently. Perhaps they are of interest to you:

The Federation of Genealogical Societies is hosting a webinar: Social Networking for Genealogy Societies on April 30. Details and registration information can be found here.

Boston University is offering a Genealogical Writing Course. Marian's Roots and Rambles features an interview with the BU program director.

Show some love to your favorite genealogy bloggers. GeniMates is looking to profile bloggers, especially those from Europe and Asia. Help spread the word and some genealogy love along the way.

That's it for now. Go forth and be awesome,

Genealogy Blogging: For Fun of Profit?

There's a Genea-opportunities discussion being hosted this week over at Geneabloggers.com.

Today's topic is "Genealogy Blogging: For Fun or Profit?" Should genealogy blogs have advertising or affiliate links? What constitutes a commercial blog versus an individual genealogy blog. Is there a balance that can and should be maintained?


Before this discussion was launched, I had no idea folks had an issue with affiliate links on genealogy blogs. They are the norm elsewhere. I've yet to see any evidence of negative reaction anywhere in regard to this blog, but others have said they experienced it.

Are we in it for fun or for profit? Why must it be one or the other? If my purposes for blogging were captured in a pie chart, "fun" would have the biggest piece, but marketing, research, networking, socializing, finding new cousins would be pieces as well. This blog does not earn me an income, but I use it as a channel to market my services and network.

Those margins to the sides of this blog post? That's real estate my friends. You can build on it what you will. Me? I've chosen to monetize a portion of that space with some affiliate links. I'm pretty transparent about this and have said as much in my disclosures page. I do not make much, but it's still positive income and it doesn't alter my purpose for blogging.

Commercial versus individual genealogy blog: I've been approached by others who want me to put their article(s) on my blog, but these usually smell like spam or are just way off topic. I don't get paid for my blog posts. I don't expect this to change in the future, but I've also learned to never say never. I read the work of several respected bloggers who have clearly-stated sponsored posts. The concept is not foreign in mainstream blogging.

Can and should a balance be maintained? For me, the answer is yes but each blogger's definition of balance is going to be different.

My interpretation of "for profit" might differ from yours. As the genealogy field stands right now, I don't believe you can make big bucks with your genealogy blog. It's a small niche and the numbers just aren't there. If you can make it work, more power to you. My affiliate links are there 24/7. I don't have to maintain or promote them with the exception of a routine check every now and then. This is my balance.

My take-away is this: I have distinct reasons for blogging, but while I'm doing those, why can't I make a little money as well?
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Lenertz Genealogy in Beaufort, Luxembourg

I've officially crossed the pond with my Lenertz surname. My third-great grandfather, Alexander Lenertz, was born in Beaufort, Luxembourg.

I actually had this information in my files for a while, but I forgot that I had it. This is why you always go back and review your records, folks. 

Credit is given to Larry of the Hesch History blog, half of a pair of authors who are the only other people I know actively researching genealogy in Luxembourg. Several months ago, Larry sent me Alexander's birth record. 

I was so touched and thankful because the Luxembourg records set at FamilySearch that includes this image are "browse only" meaning that users have to go through each page without an index. There are almost 500,000 records and several hundred municipalities/towns:

Larry saved me a ton of time searching each and every town on this list, and for that I am grateful. Now that I know Beaufort is my go-to town, I can scan those images for other Lenertz folks. Perhaps Alex had siblings.

Also on my to-do list is a translation of this record:

Good luck with that.

So special thanks to Larry. And to new-found cousin Kathryn, whose email caused me to go back in my Lenertz files. These are your people, too.

[Note: See that title I chose for this blog post? It's intentionally boring. I could have written something catchy to get more hits, but my intent is to reach out to others who are searching for this particular subject. I am playing for the search engines this time, hoping that somewhere down the road a cousin will type the right word combo and land on my blog. Do you put that much thought into your posts? Maybe you should. --Amy]

Fun with Search Terms

It's time for another round of "Fun with Search Terms!" People type certain words or phrases into search engines. If the combination is right, my blog turns up in the search results. Sometimes the searches are funny. Sometimes I can provide more information to users, if only they'd comment on my blog. Either way, I enjoy the process. Please note that these searches are anonymous so I don't know who is stumbling on my blog. I just comment in the hope that they find it again.

Now on with the show. Actual search phrases are in bold.


have a genealogy blog question
Get a genealogy blog answer.

births august 8 1900 rayne louisiana
You need to locate Volume 31 (1900) of Father Hebert's Southwest Louisiana Records. Check your library or ask your librarian if anyone has the set near you. You can also ask for help and a look up from the Acadia Parish Genealogical Society for the price of a small donation (link goes to the page where their lookup information is located). Or for a bigger donation I can secure the record for you.

carl witcher "the changing face of genealogy"
Not sure who Carl is, but Curt Witcher gave this talk at the 2011 RootsTech conference. Watch the video.

genealogy blog first post
Are you asking what to include in your first genealogy blog post? I'm going to assume so. Here's my advice: keep it simple. Say hi. Introduce yourself to readers. Do whatever you want. Just don't make it fancy and don't attempt to write a masterpiece or you'll never get up the nerve to hit "publish." Simple. Here's my first post.

I married a comedian
Yeah, me too.

photos of James Logan Colbert
My sixth great-grandfather, James Logan Colbert (1721-1784) was notoriously camera shy. 18th century paparazzi tried to get a picture of him but initially failed. It wasn't until Temperance Seaberry--the first female paparazzo--used her telephoto lens to catch Colbert without his powdered wig. He snatched the camera (digital of course, which was all the rage 250 years ago) and threw it down the hole in the outhouse. Pre-revolutionary paparazzi were too scared to follow Colbert in their wagons after that incident, and thus there are no known photographs of James Logan Colbert in existence to this day.

Texas genealogy blogs
I'm pretty sure I've addressed this issue before, but since it keeps getting asked I might as well accept the blog hits. Here's a great list of Texas Genealogy Blogs.

What does the DAR do?
I know what they don't do: place their "about" information on their home page. That's why I get so many people landing on my blog, asking what the heck DAR does. Glad to be of service. Here is the DAR Who We Are page.

small genealogy
I prefer "vertically challenged genealogy." Thank you.

That's it for now. Have a great day! And don't forget to comment on genealogy blogs now and then. You just might get the answer you're seeking.
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My Ancestral Ties to the Civil War

Battle of Calcasieu Pass Civil War Memorial

Cameron Parish Courthouse, Louisiana

This week marks the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War. Many genealogy bloggers are writing profiles of their ancestors who fought. I've enjoyed reading these.

Though I don't have the time to write profiles of my own, I thought that the 1.5 family members who read my blog might be interested in knowing who in their family tree participated in the Civil War.

Union

Maximillian Baerecke 1827-1904 ( Max > Harry > Gertrude > Buster )
Max Baerecke was a German immigrant living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served in the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, Company I. A book called The Sigel Regiment by James S. Pula (affiliate link) was written about this group and their experiences including Gettysburg. Max is in there. He also served in the Mexican War. [Note to family: I own this book if you ever want to borrow it. --Amy]

Joseph Smith 1826-1903 ( Joseph > Mary > John A > Buster )
Joseph Smith (also Schmidt) was a German immigrant living in Kilkenny, Minnesota. He served in the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company I. His pension file doesn't say much about his experiences and I haven't investigated further yet. Joseph also served in the Mexican War.

Confederate

John Laurens Williamson 1811-1862 (John > William > Sam > Doris )
I haven't researched this person's service too much. Confederate records are more challenging to search, plus there are a few John Williamsons out there. I did read in an unsourced book, that John was injured in his leg in the War. He died at home in Pope County, Arkansas, but his injuries may have contributed to his passing.

Richard M. Jones 1828-1864 ( Richard > Frank > Frankie > Doris )
The photo at the top of this post is a memorial that has Richard's name on it as "Sgt. R.M. Jones." This is the only ancestor I know of so far that died in battle. You can read about the Battle of Calcasieu Pass at this website.

All of these men are my great-great-great grandfathers. There may be more ancestors out there who served in the Civil War. I just haven't found them yet.

So, dear family, when you see stories about the Civil War on television, know that you have roots on both sides of the battle. Also, there will be a quiz on this at Christmas.
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Genealogy Expo in Russellville, Arkansas

The Arkansas Genealogical Events blog lists an upcoming genealogy event in Russellville, Arkansas.

Genealogy Expo takes place April 30, 2011. I'd be there if I could. If you are going or know someone who is, please keep me in mind.

I have extensive family history in Russellville. The main line is Williamson and they arrived right before statehood. The Shiloh-Cumberland church was started by my ancestors. My direct ancestors married into the Brigham and Clingman lines. Indirect lines married into the Russell name.

I've collected lots of information on this area and its inhabitants. Please let me know if I can help anyone, and point others with Russellville connections my way. Thank you!
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Faroe Islands Census Podcasts

A few months back, I had a visit on this blog from the Faroe Islands. Admittedly, I was clueless about the location. I looked it up and discovered that it is a lovely place.

A little more poking around the Internets led me to the Faroe Islands Podcast blog. My love of travel--especially the armchair kind--led me to subscribe to the podcast. It is very interesting.

What does this have to do with genealogy? Well, the first census in 35 years is coming to the Faroe Islands. Podcasts 91 and 92 include an interview with the census coordinator.

Podcast 91: Census Working Overtime

Podcast 92: The Sixth Census

I enjoy this podcast, and found these two episodes especially interesting from a cultural and historical perspective. Perhaps you'd enjoy them as well. You can also get these on iTunes.

Do you have any Faroe Islands ancestry in your tree?
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Genealogy Goal Update

Brenham, Texas 2010

Things have been really busy here lately, genealogically speaking. Unfortunately what I'm doing doesn't make for good blog content. 

I am slowly making my way through my genealogy goals which I drafted in December. 

The organization goal is off and on, but I'm back on the horse. I'm scanning documents again and making my way through the first of three notebooks.

My quest for my 16th great-great grandparent hit a stall. Someone from Austria contacted me, but never replied to my response. The person wanted information from me, but I kept explaining that I needed to know how my Cecelia fits in the Jost tree. Language barrier or someone not interested in collaboration? I don't know. My next step is to gather email addresses from a special website devoted just to this region of Austria. I'm going to email them all and see what happens. I just need to set up a research form first so I can keep track of the correspondence.

That writing goal I had? Yeah, it's out of control. It's almost 17,000 words and starting to look like a full fledged book. This is the real reason I haven't posted much on this blog lately. All I've been doing is writing and editing. This is not exciting reading, so I don't write about it. 

All this moves slowly because there are still client requests, cat requests, child requests and laundry to do. So far I've been able to balance it all but it would be great if we could extend the day by 25% or so.

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Genealogy News Bits for April 2, 2011

A lot of genealogy information passes through my email box and Google Reader. Here are some of the stories that may be of interest to you:

The Association of Professional Genealogists announced their events to be held at the National Genealogical Society conference in Charleston. See the details in the press release here.

Gena Philibert Oretga of Gena's Genealogy blog is seeking your family recipes and traditions for her forthcoming book. You can find more information and a contact address for her rep here.

Did you know that the National Genealogical Society has their own YouTube channel? Now you do.

DearMYRTLE is hosting a webinar about labeling digital photos on April 13. You can find registration information here (scroll down past the calendar).

That's it for now. Go forth and be awesome.

Announcing the Winner of a 12-Month Geni Pro Account

Earlier this week, I ran a contest for a 12-month Geni Pro account.

I am pleased to announce that Regina of Kinfolk News is the winner!

Thank you to all of the entrants, as well as Geni.com for the fabulous prize.
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