Spanish Genealogy Classes

Family History Library

In January 2015 there will be two Spanish genealogy classes offered by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 1:00pm
Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 1:00 pm

Click here for more information.

Simple Christmas Projects for Children

Photo Credit: USMC

There is nothing better during the Christmas season than little projects with your kids...yours, mine, ours, the neighbors, cousins, etc. The holiday season is a fun time to bond together and create lasting memories. FamilySearch has some great ideas for Christmas projects to do with children. Check out the ideas here.

Christmas Ideas and Traditions

Photo Credit: AlexR

Can you believe that it is Christmas time again? I love Christmas! It is so fun to get together with family and friends and celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas is also a great time to create those lasting family memories and traditions that bind us together for a lifetime!

Our family has created some fun traditions over the years:

We do the traditional scripture reading.
When the kids were little, we acted out the nativity scene.
We have Christmas stockings and a tree. The tree is decorated with many ornaments that the kids have made over the years!
We always participate in our neighborhood food drive for the food bank.
For our Christmas dinner, we choose and prepare food from different countries.
We send Christmas cards.
We take lots of pictures.
We call family members that don't live close to us.
We used to bake Christmas cookies until I finally admitted that I don't like to bake. Some years my husband does the cookies now and some years we do without!
This year we created a family cookbook. Hopefully my kids will open it and at least look at the family history pictures.
At the moment, our favorite tradition is creating photo books for each of our grandkids. They are priceless and the grandkids love to see themselves through the past year. Desktop publishing has become so easy and affordable that my husband looks forward to creating the books every year.

As you can see, there are many, many ways to create family traditions. The list above is just a sampling of our family traditions. For more ideas, see these Christmas Ideas from FamilySearch!

Laura Bush and daughter Jenna at RootsTech 2015

Laura Bush

Jenna Bush Hager

Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna, will be the keynote speakers on Friday, February 13, 2015 at RootsTech 2015. Learn more about them here. There is still time to register for RootsTech 2015.  Passes start at $19.

December 7, 1941--A Day That Will Live in Infamy

Photo Credit: By USN [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 

Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. The United States had been able to stay out of WW II up to that point. December 7th changed all of that. FamilySearch has created a Pearl Harbor Memorial Page. Watch the video and learn about that day from someone who was there. Click on your ancestors tab. Who knows, you may have had an ancestor connected to Pearl Harbor and didn't even know it! Even if you don't there are veterans out there who would love to share their Pearl Harbor stories with you.

Do You Have Irish Roots?

Photo Credit: Georgie Sharp

The National Library of Ireland will have a dedicated website of Catholic parish registers available online by summer 2015. They will be free, although there may be a few records that will be behind a pay wall. Read about this coming online collection here.

Family Discovery Day at RootsTech 2015

If you haven't realized it by now, the face of family history is changing! It used to look like this:

However, the people working on family history are starting to look more and more like this: 

Photo Credit: LDS.org  Media Library

We used to work individually on "OUR" families, but now we work together on the family of mankind and realize that we are "ALL" related.

Photo Credit: LDS.org Media Library

Come join the crowd and work with your family on Family Discovery Day at RootsTech 2015.

2015 Featured Speakers & Performers on Family Discovery Day

It's going to be awesome!

David Archuleta and Studio C at RootsTech 2015

David Archuleta

Studio C

David Archuleta and Studio C are the latest acts to be announced for RootsTech 2015. If you have no idea who Studio C is, you have to learn more about this very funny and talented group from BYU. Check them out here! This is going to be one whale of a conference! For more information, click here. To learn more about RootsTech 2015, click here.

Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (UVTAGG) Meeting--November 8, 2014

Peg Ivanyo
Image: UVTAGG

UVTAGG] Press Release for UVTAGG meeting Saturday morning 08 Nov 2014

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 08 Nov 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Peg Ivanyo on ADDING A VISUAL DIMENSION TO YOUR RESEARCH.  In spite of the technical tools available to us today, we often resort solely to the written word to analyze, plan, and summarize our research. This presentation will explore some simple tools that can help us "see" our research more clearly, and perhaps even break through a brick wall or two.  Peg Ivanyo is owner of All Things Related, which blends her former career as a meeting planner/consultant with her love of genealogy and teaching.  She serves as a ward family history consultant, as a member of the Springville Family History Center Education Committee, Assistant Director of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), and conference administrator for the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS).  She earned a bachelor’s degree in merchandising and business through Utah State University, completed graduate courses in Tourism Administration at George Washington University, and has taken courses in Family History at Brigham Young University.  In addition to her membership in UGA, Peg maintains active membership with the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History (ISBGFH), the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society (LRFHS), the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI), and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).  More information about her is at https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=5747 .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Making a Case for Re-proving Old Work, by Peg Ivanyo;  (2)  Video of last month's main presentation, The FamilySearch Catalog: Key to the Collection, by Sharon Monson;  (3)  Ask an Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;  (4)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (5)  Legacy:  Multimedia, by Brad Monson; and  (6)  RootsMagic, by bruce Buzbee.  There will be no MAC class this month.

MyHeritage.com Now Available at Family History Centers and Libraries!

This is big! MyHeritage.com is an affiliate of FamilySearch.org. Yes, they are a  subscription database, BUT now you can use their site for free at family history centers. With 73 million worldwide subscribers, they definitely have something to offer everyone! Maybe you will even find that cousin you didn't know about living in one of the former communist countries of eastern Europe. Maybe they will have information that you didn't know existed! Maybe they will know where you need to look for that particular record! That is one of my fondest dreams! However, until that day comes, I will continue to leave no stone unturned and MyHeritage.com is one of many weapons in my arsenal. Click here for the information on the FamilySearch blog.

MyHeritage.com has some awesome tutorials to get you started. To start, click here. YouTube has lots and lots of videos relating to MyHeritage.com.

Another RootsTech 2015 Keynote Speaker Announced

Image: FamilySearch.org

The founder of Global Family Reunion, A.J. Jacobs will be the keynote speaker at RootsTech 2015 on Friday, February 13, 2015. See the announcement here!

Russian Handwriting Classes

Is Russian handwriting Greek to you? If it is, these classes are for you!  You are invited to this free webinar on Russian Print and Handwriting from The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The class will be taught by Dennis Everett. Dennis has a degree in Russian studies from BYU and worked 30 yrs. for the Department of Defense. He has also taught Russian.  The first class is Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00 pm (Mountain Time). Take advantage of this opportunity. It is a great way to hone your skills! There are four classes in all. For more information, click here. 

BYU Family History Library Classes for October 26, 2014

For upcoming classes, click here!

First Speaker Announced for RootsTech 2015

The first speaker for RootsTech 2015 has been announced! Guess who? Does the picture below give you any ideas?

Image: Michael Schamis

Donny Osmond will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, February 14, 2015. Click here for information on RootsTech 2015! Even if you aren't a Donny fan, RootsTech 2015 has something for everyone to cheer about! There are keynote speakers every day, so stay tuned for more announcements.

Webinar Exploring Norwegian Parish Registers

Image: Hesse 1309

Do you have Norwegian ancestors? Are you interested in searching the parish records of Norway? This webinar is for you! This webinar will be taught on Wednesday, October 22, 2014  at 7:00 pm (Mountain Time) by Anka Magee, BA, AG., from The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information on times, etc. click here.

Extracting Information from German Records

Do you have German records and have no idea what they say?  Fritz Juengling, PhD, AG., will be teaching a class called Extracting Information from German Records on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 7:00 pm (Mountain Time). Take advantage of this free international webinar presented by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click here for more information.

BYU Family History Classes

BYU Family History Library

If you are in the Utah County area, BYU offers family history classes on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. The above schedule is for this coming Sunday, October 12, 2014. Notice the diversity of classes offered! All skill levels are welcome.

Danish Church Records

Image: Wolfgang Sauber

Have you ever used Danish Church Records?  Want to research them but don't know how? You are invited to this free webinar on Danish Church Records from The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The class will be taught by Naomi Newbold, BA, AG,.  It will be this coming Thursday, October 9, 2014 at 7 pm (Mountain Time). Take advantage of this opportunity. It is a great way to hone your skills! For more information, click here. 

Danish Research Information

Many thanks to an old college roommate who posted this information on Facebook. Since I am a family history missionary, I am always on the lookout for new information to help me when patrons ask questions. This website looks like a great one to check out if you and your ancestors are Danish or if you suspect that your family is from that area.

UVTAGG October Meeting

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 11 Oct 2014, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website  http://uvtagg.org  and the press releases are at  http://blog.uvtagg.org .  On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted a week before the meeting.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG is by Sharon Monson on THE FAMILYSEARCH CATALOG:  KEY TO THE COLLECTION.  The FamilySearch Catalog is the new version of the old Family History Library Catalog which has been retired.  It now includes much more than it used to.  Locating available books, microfilms, or microfiche for a certain place or subject depends on the depth of the catalog search criteria.  Basic searches such as Place, Last Name, Title, Author, Subject and Keyword, will be demonstrated and Ms. Monson will show how you can now instantly view original records in a Historical Records search.  Thousands of books are now online and many have updated indexes and all are every-word searchable.  She will show how to filter your searches to save time and effort.  Sharon D. Monson is the founder of "GenSearch and more".  She is an author and frequent conference presenter with extensive research experience spanning 30+ years in courthouses, the Family History Library, and repositories.  Her family history presentations cover a wide range of research methods, useful tips, source document locations and unusual resources.  She specializes in the Southern US region, where burned out counties and loss of records is the norm, and has learned to dig "deeper" and polish the skills necessary to find missing documentation.  As a Residential Appraiser for most of her life, she has learned to pay attention to details.  Examining what doesn't look right, or what appears to be in the wrong place, will often yield that previously missed clue.  She feels it is extremely important to use accurate information to support family data.  As the founder of GenSearch and more, her vision is to teach younger people how to search for their families.  So that no one gets left out, she also teaches those who aren't tech savvy how to use new technology in their search for ancestors.  More information about her is available at  http://icapgen.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/sharon-d-monson/ .  

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at  http://uvtagg.org/  for last minute changes or additions.   (1)   Sharon Monson on Treasures Found in US Military Records;  (2)   Sue Maxwell on LDS Partner Web Sites:  MyHeritage;  (3)   Don Snow and Linda Westover on Family Tree Certified Programs: TreeSeek, RecordSeek, Puzilla, and RootsMapper;  (4)   Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen on Ask An Expert (Personal Help);  (5)   Video of last month's main presentation by Don Snow and Linda Westover on  Presenting and Preserving Your Family History: You Can't Take It With You, So How Do You Leave It?;  (6)   Gaylon Findlay on Ancestral Quest;  (7)   Renee Zamora on RootsMagic; and  (8)  Marilyn Thomsen on Custom Design Your Toolbar - Amazing Legacy Tools at Your Fingertips.

As you can see, there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise, and this includes youth and those just getting interested in genealogy.  All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public whether members of the Group or not.  The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster.  Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes.  Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes.  Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants.  See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and to join the Group on the websites above.  You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf at  pres@uvtagg.org  (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo at  laurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow at  snowd@math.byu.edu .

Free Webinar US Research Series: United States Military Records—October 11, 2014

LET FREEDOM RING!

Image: David Maiolo

Image: SSG Sun L. Vega

David Dilts, AG. will be presenting a class on using United States Military Records to help document the lives of our ancestors. The class is on Saturday, October 11, 2014. This should be a great class as military records contain some great information to help us round out our ancestors lives. We had some horrendous military conflicts in the 20th century and I, for one, am very grateful for those individuals who answered the call to action. I am very aware that my freedom was paid for by many self-sacrificing individuals, including some of my ancestors. For information about this class, click here.

Audio on Family Search!

Did you know that FamilySearch has now added audio to Memories? Wouldn't it be great if you could have heard your grandparent's voice? Maybe you can! If you have audio of family members, please share!

FamilySearch supports two audio file types, mp3 and m4a. The maximum file size is 15MB. Apple iOS only. I suspect that there will be support for Android users in the future. For more information and instructions on how you can make your Family Tree talk, click here!

Genealogy Bank and FamilySearch Partner to Digitize One Billion Obituaries

As an avid reader of obituaries, I am thrilled with this announcement! Obituaries provide so much interesting information, particularly for family history enthusiasts. I have found unknown relatives listed in obituaries as well as info about occupations, hobbies, political affiliations, etc. Start reading obituaries! You never know what little tidbit you will find that will be a golden nugget for your research!  To see the full article in the Deseret News, click here.

Pinterest and Family History? You Bet!

See the red and white "Pin it Button" right above my dad's head? Click on that and you can send your info right to Pinterest.

Serving in two family history centers has advantages. One of the biggest advantages is getting to hear all of the comments that patrons make. Technological changes have made family history easier is many ways. There is also a brand new territory called "social media." Social media is huge and can be used for family history. Pinterest is just one social media site that can be used for family history. If you think that Pinterest is just for pinning recipes and planning your dream wedding, think again. It is a visual representation of a subject. Think of it as your big, huge bulletin board! If you want to know why you could at least try Pinterest, click here to read an article about Pinterest and how you can use it for family history purposes. As you can see from the above picture, FamilySearch thinks Pinterest is worth using to spread your family history to the world. Other social media buttons are also on FamilySearch and it is fun to think about the different ways that you can use social media to get your family interested in family history. After all, you shouldn't be the only one to have all the fun!

Free International Webinars on Doing Irish Research--September 15-19, 2014

Are you interested in Irish research but you have no idea how and where to start? Take advantage of these free international webinars presented by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click here for more information.

What to Do With All of Those Family Videos?

By Saviour1981 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you have old VHS videos of family that you would love to share? How about old pictures of ancestors that other family members would love to see? Have you ever thought about using YouTube to tell your story? Well, think about it now!

I spend a lot of time in the BYU Family History Library. One volunteer, Dini Hansma, has volunteered for over 40 years at the Family History Library. She is amazing AND she has a short YouTube video about a piece of her life. Watch it and see if it doesn't give you some ideas!

Creating your own YouTube channel for family history isn't really hard. Creating family videos that your family would love to watch requires a little more effort. If you would like some guidance and instruction on the basics of creating a family video, click here.

Star in One of Your Very Own "Who Do You Think You Are" Videos!

Do you secretly want to star in an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" Well, Thanks to FindMyPast.com, you can! Get all of the information here! This looks like so much fun!

RootsTech Registration

RootsTech 2014 Exhibit Hall

RootsTech 2015 registration is now open. There are early bird registration options and ALSO, discount options for family history missionaries and family history consultants. If you a registered consultant you should have received the discount code in the latest newsletter. If you are a family history missionary, check with your leader and they should have the discount code. If you still need help, please leave me a comment and I will get back to you.

Free Webinar US Research Series: United States Probate Records--September 11, 2014

Missouri Probate Record

Have you ever used probate records in your research? Want to but don't know how? You are invited to this free webinar on United States Probate Records from The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. It will be on September 11, 2014 from 6-7 pm Mountain Time. Take advantage of this opportunity. It is a great way to hone your skills!

Free International Webinar on Doing Danish Research -- September 11, 20, 25, 2014

Is Danish Research on your radar screen but you have no idea how and where to start? Take advantage of these free international webinars presented by The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Click here for more information.

How to Add Some Historical Context to Your Family History?

Want to add some historical commentary to your family history? Here are a bunch of historical timelines that will help you understand the times and seasons in which your ancestors lived. These are particularly helpful if you slept during your high school history classes!

Free International Webinars on Doing South African Research -- September 6, 2014

Are you interested in South African research? The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah is presenting a webinar on September 6, 2014 that will help get you started. For more information on times, etc. click here.

RootsTech 2015 Anyone?

RootsTech 2015 registration is now open! This is the fifth year and boy, has it grown! I love this conference, despite the massive size! Get registered now! Early bird registration is $139 for a three-day pass. There are all sorts of different passes in different price ranges so check it out. Passes start at $19. I'm sure that you will find a registration price that will fit you particular needs and budget! There is also a Family Discovery Day for LDS Church members on Saturday, February 14th. It is free for 8 yrs. old and up.

Too Busy To Write Your Personal History?

Samuel Leavitt's Journal to Westpoint
Public Domain

Wouldn't you  love to know what your great-grandmother did as a teenager? What was important in her life? What did she do for fun? I have often wished that I could travel back in time and get these questions answered by talking to my great-grandmother! Wouldn't that be so cool?

Dennis Brimhall, President and CEO of FamilySearch has often said, "What would our great, great grandchildren wish we had spent our time preserving?"

Writing our personal history is something that we are ALWAYS GOING TO DO, but many times we don't get around to it. Randal Wright spoke last week at the BYU Family and Genealogy Conference about writing your personal history, three words at a time. It is a great concept! Read the full article here.

"If a man keeps no journal, the path crumbles away behind him as his feet leave it; and days gone by are little more than a blank...A man might almost as well not have lived at all as entirely forget that he has lived, and entirely forget what he did on those departed days..." (Frazier's Magazine, July-December 1859, p. 147)

DON'T FORGET WORLDWIDE INDEXING EVENT THIS WEEKEND (July 20-21, 2014)

Join the Worldwide Indexing Event

On July 2, 2012, a total of 49,025 FamilySearch indexers and arbitrators joined together to set the all-time record for the most indexing participants in a single day. That lofty record is about to be broken—by you!

Join volunteers from around the world on July 20 and 21 for an international history-making event! The goal? For 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

This remarkable goal will require help from every current indexer and arbitrator out there, plus many new volunteers,*but it can be achieved if generous volunteers like you commit to participate. So mark your calendar and spread the word! Invite friends and family to join you. Organize an indexing party; create a fun family challenge or a society or church service project. Everyone is needed. Everyone can make a difference!

No matter where you live or what language you speak, you can participate and add to this historic worldwide achievement. You may choose to work on any project you prefer. However, we suggest that you work on the following projects in your native language:

• US—Obituaries, 1980–2014
• US—Passport Applications, 1795-1925
• US, New Orleans—Passenger Lists, 1820-1902
• UK, Manchester—Parish Registers, 1787-1999

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21. Through the selfless efforts of worldwide volunteers like you, millions of people have found their ancestors. At the end of this exciting 24-hour event, millions more records will be available and ancestors will be found!

One batch is all it takes. Don’t miss your chance on July 20 and 21 to be part of this history-making event! Plan now to get involved and add your name to the record-setting legacy!

*New indexers can visit https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to learn more about how to join the FamilySearch indexing effort.

Gaming for Genealogy? It Could Happen!

We family history enthusiasts are always lamenting about the fact that younger people seem to have very little interest in family history. It's boring, for old people who have nothing better to do, it's all been done, etc. Well, D. Joshua Taylor, president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, thinks that gaming may become part of the bridge that will bring youth and others to family history. It's an interesting concept and one that I think just might work! Read the article here! So, what do you think?

Pioneer Ancestry?

"Can we somehow find the courage and steadfastness of purpose that characterized pioneers of a former generation? Can you and I, in actual fact, be pioneers today?"

~President Thomas S. Monson

Do you have pioneer ancestry, or are you the pioneer of today? Here is a new piece of  FamilySearch that links pioneer history to the records of the Mormon Pioneer companies. The program looks at your tree and culls your pioneer ancestors, lists the company they were in, and also lists records from those particular handcart companies. Give it a look, as you may find that your ancestor was written about in the company records... or if you are really lucky, you ancestor may have written a diary themselves! One can only hope! This site is not totally finished, but it is a really great start! 

Indexing, Anyone?

Join the Worldwide Indexing Event

On July 2, 2012, a total of 49,025 FamilySearch indexers and arbitrators joined together to set the all-time record for the most indexing participants in a single day. That lofty record is about to be broken—by you!

Join volunteers from around the world on July 20 and 21 for an international history-making event! The goal? For 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

This remarkable goal will require help from every current indexer and arbitrator out there, plus many new volunteers,*but it can be achieved if generous volunteers like you commit to participate. So mark your calendar and spread the word! Invite friends and family to join you. Organize an indexing party; create a fun family challenge or a society or church service project. Everyone is needed. Everyone can make a difference!

No matter where you live or what language you speak, you can participate and add to this historic worldwide achievement. You may choose to work on any project you prefer. However, we suggest that you work on the following projects in your native language:

• US—Obituaries, 1980–2014
• US—Passport Applications, 1795-1925
• US, New Orleans—Passenger Lists, 1820-1902
• UK, Manchester—Parish Registers, 1787-1999

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21. Through the selfless efforts of worldwide volunteers like you, millions of people have found their ancestors. At the end of this exciting 24-hour event, millions more records will be available and ancestors will be found!

One batch is all it takes. Don’t miss your chance on July 20 and 21 to be part of this history-making event! Plan now to get involved and add your name to the record-setting legacy!

*New indexers can visit https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to learn more about how to join the FamilySearch indexing effort.

Do I Still Need a Desktop Genealogy Program (whine, whine)?

Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

This question comes up over and over again in my service as a family history consultant and as an LDS Church Family History missionary. My explanations have fallen on deaf ears most of the time. As consultants and missionaries, we try to provide the very best of our knowledge to our patrons. We want to help them be successful. However, many people don't really want to be successful because it takes effort. GENEALOGY TAKES EFFORT! Effort means giving it more than five minutes in a rush to other things or tick it off of your to-do list!

The reasons for using a desktop genealogy program (in addition to the FamilySearch Family Tree) are many. Since I have never been able to give a satisfactory explanation, I am pointing you to my friend Renee Zamora. Her article here explains, in depth, much better than I ever could. Yeah, you may have to work at little, but the effort is worth it!

FamilySearch Records Growing by Leaps and Bounds!

FamilySearch has added 122 million images and records to their website in the last three months. This is so exciting. I love finding family history information at 3:00 am in my jammies! Click here to read the latest!

If you are interested in joining the armies of indexers accomplishing this work, please click here for more information. I tell you, try it...you'll like it!

Do You Have Eastern European Ancestors?

If so, this conference is for you. I attended last year and what I learned has propelled me forward this year in my research. Each area of the world has it's quirks and Eastern Europe is no exception. The #1 thing that I learned is that you have to know your HISTORY or you get nowhere in finding your ancestors. If you want to jump start your Eastern European research but don't know where to start...START HERE! Register for this conference and come pick the brains of the experts!

Natural Disasters Happen!

Photo: Jemma Johnston-Creative Commons License

I found this great article in the Deseret News while I was catching up on all of the mail that piled up during my trip. I have worried about the safety of my family history, but this article reminded me of what could really happen! After all, I live on a fault line and I know that the "big one" is in the future! Might be a good time to renew YOUR FAMILY plans!

Family Tree Rhapsody

A little light-hearted take on family history. I love to admire someone else's creativity, because I don't have a creative bone in my body. Anyway, I do love family history and apparently, this family does too!
 

RootsTech 2014 Videos Online

If you weren't able to attend RootsTech 2014, here are main presentations that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home!

Innovator Summit Keynote Speaker (Business and Developer track)

• Chris Dancy: The Most Quantified Human (48)

Thursday Speakers

• Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, and Annelies van den Belt, CEO of DC Thomson Family History, as keynote speakers. & Josh Taylor: Opening Keynote Speakers (90)
• Tammy Hepps: Top 10 Things I Learned About My Family from My Couch (60)
• Ancestry Insider: Do It Yourself Photo Restoration (60)
• Ron Tanner: FamilySearch Family Tree: What’s New and What’s Next (60)
• James Rader: Introduction to DNA for Genealogists (60)
• Randy Hoffman: Genealogy in the Cloud (60)
• Michael LeClerc: Sharing Your Family History with Multimedia (60)

Friday Speakers

• Dr. Spencer Wells and Judy Russell: Friday Keynote Speakers (70)
• David Adelman: Storytelling Super Powers: How to Come Off as Your Family’s Genealogy Hero (40)
• Lisa Alzo: Tweets, Links, Pins, and Posts: Break Down Genealogical Brick Walls with Social Media (45)
• Deborah Gamble: 5 Ways to Do Genealogy in Your Sleep (40)
• Daniel Horowitz: Finding family and ancestors outside the USA with new technologies (60)
• Christa Cowen: Getting the Most Out of Ancestry (60)
• Tom Taylor: How to Interview Yourself for a Personal History (60)

Saturday Speakers

• Stephanie Nielson, Todd Hansen: Saturday Keynote Speakers (60)
• Lisa Louise Cooke: Become an iPad Power User (60)
• Josh Taylor: Information Overload: Managing Online Searches and Their Results (60)
• Randy Whited: A Beginners Guide to Going Paperless (52)

Grove Creek/Timpanogos Stakes Family History Fair

Here is the schedule for the Grove Creek/Timpanogos Stakes Family History Fair to be held on March 22, 2014 in the Pleasant Grove Grove Creek Stake Center. We welcome all who would like to attend. We have a great schedule, will be providing a light lunch to class attendees and have a YOUTH TRACK scheduled as well. If you are local, please pass the word along!

Please pre-register here

Talking Pictures!

This is another great video from FamilySearch. Can't you just feel the excitement coming from the kids? Let's generate that excitement in our kids! The older I get, the more I realize that I don't want to be forgotten, even if I am a very ordinary person! :)

RootsTech 2014

RootsTech 2014 started out with this video.



It reminded me of this article from the New York Times that I had read a few months ago. Families are important and worth putting in our best efforts.

New Views on FamilySearch!

A new portrait view has been added to the Family Tree by FamilySearch. Below is a peak at it. To navigate to the portrait view, go to the options bar in the top left corner and click the down arrow. The three options available will be View Portrait, Traditional, Fan Chart. 

Did you know that you can see a seven generation fan chart of your family tree in addition to the standard five generation fan chart? Here is what the five generation fan chart looks like. Forgive me for chopping off the live children at the bottom!

If you want the seven generation fan chart, click on the printer icon right underneath the bar that says "view fan chart." This is what you will see. As you can see, I have a lot of research to do! My dad's family continues to be elusive!