The Hypothetical Ancestor Trade-Off

In my previous Genealogy is Unfair post, I whined about the challenges in my own family tree, as opposed to those of my husband or clients. Others seem to have it easy.

This started a fun dialogue in my comments section. Wendy decided we should start a club. The Shy Genealogist took it even further and jokingly proposed a "Trade an Ancestor" event. This got me thinking...

Do you have an ancestor who is a challenge to research? Would you like to hand him or her off to another genealogist for a couple weeks and let someone else worry about it? 

Tell us which one and why.

Here's mine:

1940

This is my great-great grandmother: Marie Magdalena "Mollie" Schmidt/Schmitz Baerecke Hayward Sutherland. Yeah. Now you see part of the problem.

She landed on this earth as an adult with no parents. I have no idea where to go with her.

First of all Schmidt/Schmitz is just Smith with a fancy accent. There's another problem. Also the documents I possess list four different places of birth: Belgium, London, France and Alsace-Lorraine. 

When she was first widowed in the 1890's, Mollie moved from Chicago to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Why? She had to have known someone there. You don't just up and move to the middle of nowhere with your young daughter.

I did visit Las Vegas, New Mexico a few years back. It's still the middle of nowhere. I visited a cemetery where I found several Schmitt/Schmidt graves including one for Asmus Christian Schmidt. He is buried next to Mollie's second husband. I do not think this is a coincidence.

Is he the reason Mollie went to New Mexico? Is this her father or uncle?

Obviously the next step would be to research this guy and the other Schmidts in this tiny town. However I can't do that because New Mexico is one of those difficult states when it comes to records access. 

When I visited the San Miguel County courthouse, it was gutted for remodeling. I found the temporary courthouse records department in a strip mall and they told me all the records were back at the gutted courthouse. Huh? It was gutted. The building didn't even have windows.

All New Mexico/San Miguel County films I've tried to order from the Family History Library are labeled "restricted" and I'm denied access to them. I have no idea why 100+ year-old records are so controversial. 

So I'm stuck. I can't figure out the possible link between Mollie and Asmus. I haven't had any luck researching the name Schmidt in immigration records. Therefore, I've tabled the little Mollie project here in pursuit of greener research pastures. Hers is the ancestor file I'd like to trade for a couple weeks. Let someone else figure her out.

What about you? Whose file would you like to ship elsewhere in the hypothetical ancestor trade-off?

(Special thanks to The Shy Genealogist and my other great readers for once again turning the comments into great subjects for discussion. --A)

1000memories.com is coming to Texas!

Makers Of Top Photography App Help To Digitize Texas History

1000memories Hosts Austin and Houston Events To Help Locals Scan Old Photos, Preserve Local History

Austin and Houston , November 28, 2011 — 1000memories, creator of the popular ShoeBox iPhone app that lets you scan and share old paper photos, will be touring through Texas this December, hosting events in Austin and Houston to help locals digitize their collections of old photos and preserve their local and family histories.

The free “How To Go Home” events will include unlimited scanning of personal photos and videos, a "show & tell" of photographs brought to the event, and activities to show participants how to make the most of the holidays at home.

“Holidays are one of the few times when families are together with their old photo collections,” says 1000memories Director of Business Development Mike Katchen. “We think it’s important to show people how to make the most of these holidays at home, to share these stories and preserve them for future generations.”

ShoeBox, 1000memories’ recently-launched iPhone scanner app, gives individuals, families and organizations the ability to scan and instantly share large collections of photos and documents that have previously been difficult to digitize—the photos traditionally neglected in shoeboxes, old family albums or archived analog collections.  

“Large photo collections from our past have never been digitized or shared because it’s been too difficult and time-consuming. With the introduction of the ShoeBox app, we’re putting multiple hand-held scanners in households and organizations, for free,” says 1000memories co-founder Rudy Adler. “We’ve created a tool  that allows people to upload and share old photos in a fraction of the time needed for traditional photo scanning, which will dramatically change the rate at which these collections are being shared.” 

The “How To Go Home” Texas events are completely free to attend and will be held at the following dates and locations:

• 1:30-4:00 p.m., December 3, Little Walnut Creek Library, 835 West Rundberg Lane, Austin, TX
• 1:00-4:00 p.m., December 4, Carriage House, 5300 Caroline Street, Houston, TX

For more event information or to RSVP, visit facebook.com/1000memories.  To learn more about the ShoeBox app by 1000memories, visit 1000memories.com/shoebox.

About 1000memories

1000memories, creator of the popular ShoeBox photo scanning app for iPhone, is the best way to organize, share and discover the old photos and memories of your family and friends.  Founded in 2010 in San Francisco, California, 1000memories helps bring the albums, scrapbooks, and photo-filled shoeboxes of our lives out of closets and into an online, shareable space where they can be remembered and celebrated, together in one place. For more information, visit 1000memories.com.

(Just FYI...the Clayton Library itself is closed on Sundays. This event is at the Clayton Library Carriage House, which is on the grounds of the library complex. It is separate from the main building, but easy to spot from the parking lot. --A)

RootsTech 2012 Early Bird Prices End November 30

November 30 is the deadline for early-bird prices for RootsTech registration. After that day, the price goes from $129 to $189.

This is not a conference you want to miss. If you have any doubts, see my Reasons for Not Attending RootsTech 2012.

I really hope you'll join me and a couple thousand other genealogists there. If you have any questions, email me or throw your inquiry into the comments and get feedback from others.

Think of your RootsTech ticket as a Christmas present to yourself. Hope to see you there!


[Disclosure: I am a RootsTech official blogger. This means that FamilySearch paid for my registration. However, the enthusiasm for this event is entirely my own.  --A]

Of Genealogists and Railfans

Regular readers of this blog know my son is a railfan. He has been so in one way or another since he was 3. He knows which type of engine is coming by the sound of its horn. He can tell me which railroad belongs to which set of tracks and how many trains to expect there in a single day.

Railfanning is a lot like planning a genealogy research trip. There's equipment to be packed, maps consulted, a lot of time in the car. The end result could be success or a big zero.

Yesterday I took the railfan to Fort Bend County. For two hours we saw nothing.

Genealogists know what it feels like to find nothing. Sometimes you can make all the research plans and preparations in the world and find nothing.

Railfans, like genealogists, also know never to give up, because if you keep searching you just might hit the jackpot.

And sometimes, when it looks like your genealogy search is finished, you give it just one more try. One more search of the shelf or microfilm before you go.

Railfans have these crossroads, too. And when they decide to push forward, even when the clock is telling them to go home, they see that sometimes lightning strikes twice and their determination is worth it.

This railfan has found his life's passion and for that I am truly thankful. 

A Visit with Emily Croom at the Chaparral Genealogical Society

This past Saturday, I attended the Chaparral Genealogical Society meeting for November, 2011.

Emily Croom was the guest speaker. She's a bit of a local legend around here. She is also the author of Unpuzzling Your Past, The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook, The Sleuth Book for Genealogists, and more (all are affiliate links).

The subject of Croom's talk was maternal lines. She offered suggestions for searching for females and gave us the encouragement to do so. She made her session even more entertaining by weaving her own maternal ancestor research challenges into the discussion.

During the break, I met a new member named Linda. We got to talking and it turns out she's big in the local DAR scene. She shared with me about the different DAR chapters around here and their different personalities. She was a treasure trove of information. I'm so glad I talked to her.

I also sat next to Barbara, the recently retired librarian who ran the big genealogy library in Conroe. She had lots of nice things to say about the new librarian there. Barbara is also the first speaker for Chaparral in 2012.

After the meeting, I went out to lunch with some of the members. This is a standing invitation, but this was the first time I was actually free, so I went. I am so glad I did. The conversation and food were great.

Chaparral Genealogical Society is having a party in December instead of their traditional meeting. Everyone is welcome, but if you're going to eat lunch, you need to RSVP by November 22. If you just want to socialize, come on down. They're having a small gift exchange (less than $10), too. Contact the society for details and directions.

The first meeting of the year will be January 28, 2012 at Amegy Bank in Tomball. Barbara Franz will be talking about the disposition of your research, heirlooms and genealogical records.

Genealogy is Unfair

I appreciate my ancestors. I really do. But the path to document their lives has been no easy task. I realize this more and more as I research the ancestors of others.

My own family lines are either from the South, other countries, or both. The places they came from don't have county histories or other publications about the area. My ancestors aren't in the books.

This situation has been made abundantly clear as I take on more and more client work. One person's ancestors are all over 1600's Connecticut. I found so many books mentioning this family line. Another client has a Salem witch in the tree. No shortage of information there.

Recently, I worked on my husband's family tree. He doesn't care much, so I do it for fun, curiosity, the chance to dispel myths, and in case my son catches on some day. I spent one evening looking at his Pierson line. You'd think that semi-common name would post some challenges, but it was really quite easy to gather information on his direct line. I kept going further and further back until I hit a prominent ancestor and all the wonderful records that come with him.

Meanwhile, in my own tree I'm wrestling with names like Joszt and Czwetelics in an area of Europe that changed country borders whenever the wind blew. JOSZT and CZWETELICS? Are you kidding me? Those surnames look like my cat walked across the keyboard.

Fine. I accept my fate. There is little to no information on my ancestors. It is my job to produce that information and make it available for future generations. I am the chosen one in the family, blah blah blah...

Genealogy is unfair. I get it now.

Oh, and in case my son is reading my blog...this Abraham Pierson guy is your 9th great-grandfather on your father's side. He even has his own statue.

Self Publishing Your Genealogy Work: My Experience

Have you ever thought about self-publishing your own genealogy work? Maybe a family history, a collection of cemetery records or something else? It is very easy to do.

Several people have asked me questions about the publishing process for The Big Genealogy Blog Book. Here's a quick rundown of my experience:

Lulu.com - The process of uploading a PDF was very easy. Lulu helps you make a cover, write a description, set a price and more. You only have to jump through a few easy hoops. However, my ordeal the Lulu e-book process has been a headache. I attempted to put my book into EPUB format using the instructions provided. EPUB a format for e-readers. Per instructions, I had to strip a lot of photos out of the original and get rid of a lot of the features and design as shown in the PDF. Then I uploaded it and waited for approval. Three business days later, I was rejected. The feedback they offered did not make sense (edit what was in yellow...nothing was in yellow). I re-formatted the whole chapter in question and submitted the document again. It's been 5 days and I've heard nothing from Lulu. This is why The Big Genealogy Blog Book is not available for NOOK or at the iBookstore...yet.

Amazon - Compared to my e-book experience with Lulu, the Amazon Kindle experience was very easy. Amazon invited me to just upload my PDF, so I did. What they didn't tell me (or I missed somewhere) was that text boxes and other things don't transfer well from Word/PDF to Kindle. So if you have a Kindle edition of my book, there will be a text box with an important point right next to the paragraph with the same words. It looks like I wrote the same thing twice, but I didn't. It's just Amazon hating on text boxes. I suppose I could go back and edit, but this thing is done and I'm on to other projects. At $2.99 a pop, it's not a good financial idea to spend anymore time on it.

If you're going to write a book, I recommend both Lulu and Amazon. The Big Genealogy Blog book has sold well and evenly in both outlets. I did not offer a paper version because I felt the book was too short (72 pages) and I would have to raise the cost significantly. I might print some paper copies in the future and try to sell them personally at speaking gigs and such. We'll see.

Also note that Lulu is great for publishing free offerings as well. That's where I put my 25 Great Topics for Genealogy Society Blogs downloadable PDF.

I learned so much from this self-publishing experience. It will help greatly in my next project and future endeavors. If you have any questions, let me know. If you're going to RootsTech, we can talk there, or even have an unconference if you want to expand the discussion.



The Big Genealogy Blog Book - $2.99 at Lulu.com and Amazon.com.

Chaparral Genealogical Society Meeting November 19

Chaparral Genealogical Society (in Tomball, Texas, near Houston) is having its monthly meeting a week early in November because of Thanksgiving.

Join them November 19 at 10:00 am. The meet in the second floor meeting room of Amegy Bank, 28201 Business 249 in Tomball. Just walk in the bank door, and take the elevator on the left.

This month's speaker is local genealogy celebrity and nationally known author Emily Croom. If the name sounds familiar, it's because she wrote Unpuzzling Your Past,  The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook,  The Sleuth Book for Genealogists, and more (all are affiliate links).

Tomball is having a parade at the same time as the genealogy meeting. The parade route goes through old town and Main Street, so this area will be blocked and crowded. You may need to plan an alternate route.

Sometimes members get together for lunch after the meeting. When they do, everyone is invited.

Chaparral Genealogical Society is a friendly group that welcomes all with an interest in genealogy. If you're in the Houston area and are looking for some genealogy fun this weekend, put this event on your calendar.


(Disclosure: I am a newish member of the Chaparral Genealogical Society.)

My Morning Tech Routine

This week, Jill Ball of Geniaus asked, "What's your morning tech routine?"

The questions is right up my alley, as I do pretty much the same thing each day. I'm boring that way.

When I wake up, I turn my phone on while I'm still in bed. I see what emails I received over night. Sometimes I read my Twitter feed, too.

The next hour is newspaper reading, breakfast and getting ready for school.

When I get back from mom taxi duties, I sit down at the computer and post a Twitter greeting. Then I read news and stories on Google Reader account 1 (I have two). I get caught up on Facebook, Google+ and other places.

All my reading usually takes 30 minutes or so and it wakes me up. After that I feel coherent enough to answer emails. I gave up caffeine, so I really need that time to come alive.

I do paid genealogy work or writing projects during school hours, plus any household chores. Sometimes when I am working, I listen to genealogy podcasts.

After school, I get dinner ready and read Google Reader 2, which has all my genealogy blog subscriptions.

It sounds very boring, I know...but you know what? I get a lot done and it helps me stay current.

Not all days go this smoothly, but when they do I feel like I have a handle on things.

So what's your morning tech routine? Or are you a night owl? Tell us how you roll.

Thank You to My Genealogy Friends

Thank you so much for the support given to me in regard to The Big Genealogy Blog Book. I did not expect such an outpouring of kindness, and people actually bought the darn thing.

My intent was to write something that helped people with their genealogy blogs. I've already received feedback that I've accomplished that goal.

Want to know something funny about this cover photo? I took it while driving through rural Oklahoma in July. I was going about 70 mph at the time. It was 108 degrees outside. I drove with one hand and took the photo with the other, through my very bug-splattered windshield. There's actually a squashed bug in the picture. It's not the stain on the asphalt. That's roadkill. I left that in there, too.

So there you go.

I really appreciate the comments and encouragement. If you run across any new bloggers or those stuck under a writer's block, do point them in my direction. Help is here!

The Big Genealogy Blog Book
Lulu.com PDF and EPUB
Amazon Kindle
$2.99

More Drawings for Free RootsTech Registrations

This is just a friendly reminder that the early bird registration rates for RootsTech will end November 30, 2011.

If you haven't registered yet, consider entering a drawing for a free registration. Here are four five bloggers holding RootsTech drawings this week:

Luxegen


Geniaus


Olive Tree Genealogy


Gathering Stories

GeneaMusings

What are you waiting for? There's no excuse, because I've already addressed all the reasons for not attending RootsTech.

Now get on it!

[I am an official RootsTech blogger. See my disclosures page for more information. --A]

The Big Genealogy Blog Book

It's here!

Whew! The Big Genealogy Book is here! And you can read it! Or stare at it! Or put it on your virtual shelf and forget about it! But the point is that it's done and I completed a genealogy goal. It feels nice.

Here's the lowdown:

Chapter 1: Why Start a Genealogy Blog?

Chapter 2: Six Blogging Myths

Chapter 3: Tips for Writing Good Blog Posts

Chapter 4: How to Get More Blog Readers

Chapter 5: How to Get More Blog Comments and Mentions

Chapter 6: Quality Control: A Blogger's Checklist

Chapter 7: Jump Start Your Genealogy Blog: 52 Ideas, 52 Weeks

Chapter 8: 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy

Chapter 9: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Chapter 10: 25 Great Topics for Genealogy Society Blogs

Chapter 11: 20 Blog Topics for Professional Genealogists

The Big Genealogy Blog Book is available as a PDF download or in EPUB format from Lulu.com (NOOK and iBookstore coming soon). It is also available for Kindle from Amazon.com.

Having a genealogy blog has really enhanced my family history research and my social life. I've made so many friends and met so many cousins. Blogging is really quite easy and very rewarding. 

I preach about genealogy blogging whenever I can. Sometimes I'm met with trepidation, genuine technological fear and many excuses. I wrote The Big Genealogy Blog Book to meet that audience. It won't  be a bestseller, but if we can get a few more active genealogy blogs out of the effort, then I have done my part.

The Big Genealogy Blog Book

Lulu.com PDF and EPUB

Amazon Kindle

$2.99 (or your country's equivalent)

Thanks for everyone's encouragement along the way.

The Little Book That Could

In December of 2010, The Family Curator and I met for our annual holiday visit. She lives near my in-laws, so when I'm in town I escape from the family for a couple hours and we have a nice visit.

We went to a restaurant in Pasadena and had cocktails and appetizers. We talked about genealogy and the year ahead. It was at this meeting where we came up with our three genealogy resolutions. She told me I need to write a book and self-publish it.

Now at the time, I'd had two beers and taquitos, so the idea of writing an e-book didn't sound scary. Later on, I realized it was quite a task. What had I promised?

In the coming weeks, I gathered my best genealogy blogging ideas and topics. Those alone made up about 35 pages. Then I added some more blogging ideas for professional genealogists and genealogy societies. The "little e-book that could" grew bigger.

With over 200 genealogy blogging ideas on paper, I decided to write some additional chapters on blog improvement, how to gain readership and increase comments. Eleven chapters later, this sucker was starting to look kind of like a real book.

I added some photos and moved stuff around. I read and reread. I put it away, then got it out and read it again.

By mid-summer it was done. Google announced they were changing the name of Blogger, so I waited for that so I could update all the mentions of Blogger in my book.

Then Google never changed Blogger when they promised, so I pulled "the little e-book that could" off the shelf and ran it through the machines. I learned how to use Lulu and Amazon Kindle Direct. I jumped through hoops and edited, then ran it through the machines again.

And now it's done. But before I tell you all about it, I need to deliver the first copy to The Family Curator, because she's pretty much the reason "the little e-book that could" even exists.

Stay tuned...

Dinner with Friends

This weekend was the Family Tree DNA conference here in Houston. I did not attend because I am not a project administrator. But you know who did attend? My friend Joan Miller.

After the conference, we had dinner in my neck of the woods. Caroline Pointer joined us.

We did what genealogists do. Joan filled us in on the DNA conference and we chatted about genealogy as well. The only thing we didn't do was take pictures, and for that I apologize.

It's funny when genealogy bloggers meet up, we just get down to having a good time. All the formalities are out the window.

Thank you Joan and Caroline for a lovely evening.

If you ever find yourself in Houston, drop me a line. We can break bread, too.

Have fun at the TSGS conference

The Texas State Genealogical Society annual conference is happening right now. In Houston. And I'm not there.

I've never been to this event because it's always out of town, and I can't leave my own town when my son is in school.

This year, it is in Houston. And I'm still not there. I probably could have done a couple hours on Friday. Saturday is completely out of the question because my son has a band thing. It's a very big band event, and it goes from about 8am-5pm.

I'm sorry I will miss my friend and TSGS conference keynote Paula Stuart-Warren. I'm sorry I will miss an opportunity to catch up with all my other Texas genealogy friends.

However, family duty calls. Maybe next year.