Family History Activities for Children, Ages 3-11

When someone says the words "genealogy" or "family history," is this what you think of?

Interesting for grownups, but not too inspiring for children!

There are family history activities that can be done with children. In the next few days, I will point you to some ideas. These ideas will give you ideas of your own that you can try with your children and then pass on to others. That is the beauty of sharing! These ideas are from FamilySearch. They should get you started. Remember that anything will work with this age group as long as it is short and fun! Click here to check them out!

This teddy bear chart would look cute on a little one's wall. That's a start in family history!

This is available as a free download from http://www.kidsturncentral.com/clipart/genbears/teddygentree1let.gif

Kid's love to remember things about themselves! How about a scrapbook of their school pictures? Wouldn't these pictures make a cute collection?

Rayanne, Kindergarten

Rayanne, 1st Grade

Rayanne, 2nd Grade

Rayanne, 3rd Grade

What better fun to have with your kids during the summer?

June Class Calendar for Riverton FamilySearch Library

Dennis Brimhall to Speak at Riverton FamilySearch Library

Dennis Brimhall

Join us 
Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

The Doctrines of Family History Work

A Discussion with Dennis Brimhall, Managing Director, Family History Department

Elder Dennis C. Brimhall was named a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2009.

Elder Brimhall received a bachelor of science degree in Zoology from Brigham Young University in 1972.  He later received an MBA from Northwestern University.  He began his career in 1974 working as an Associate Administrator at the University of Utah Medical Center and later as Chief Operating Officer at the Medical Center at the University of California San Francisco and then as Chief Executive Officer at the University of Colorado Hospital.  Currently he is managing director of the Family History   Department for the Church.

Elder Brimhall has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary to Auckland, New Zealand, elders quorum president, stake mission president, high councilor, stake president, and mission president.

For more details, see our website: www.familysearch.org/fhc/riverton

Are You Missing WDYTYA?

Brigham Young University
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Are you having "Who Do You Think You Are" withdrawls? Did you know that there are other shows out there about genealogy and family history? For instance, BYU has a show called The Generations Project that you can watch online at any time from anywhere! If you haven't seen it, check it out here!

While you are checking out The Generations Project, cruise through and look at all that BYU TV has to offer. It's amazing! (Nope, no compensation or ties to either The Generations Project or BYU TV)

UVTAGG Meeting

UVTAGG Meeting on Saturday 09 Jun 2012

When: Saturday 9 June 2012, 9 am-noon

Where: LDS "Red Chapel"

4050 North Timpview Drive (650 E), Provo

For more info: uvtagg.org

Don and Diane Snow

Main Presentation:

YOUR PERSONAL GENEALOGY 
LIBRARY:  FAMILY HISTORY BOOKS 
ONLINE 

Don & Diane Snow

The Snows will show information about family history books online,

 how to find them, what formats they are in, and how to use them.  

They will show various organizations that are scanning and posting 

FH books such as the Family History Library, Google, Internet Archive, 

and others.  There are already thousands of FH books online and most

 are free to download. 

Following the main presentation will be the class period and, as always,

 there will be something about family history and technology for everyone

 at any level of expertise.  The teachers and classes presently scheduled

 for this meeting are:  

(1)  FamilySearch Family Tree, Merlin Kitchen

(2)   Question & Answer, Don and Diane Snow  

(3)  Video of a past presentation or class - Your Choice 

(4)  Personal Help, Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen 

(5)  MAC Projects Discussed and Reviewed, Ron Snowden  

(6)  RootsMagic, Sue Maxwell

(7)  Legacy, Dean Bennett

(8)  Ancestral Quest (teacher to be announced).

  

All are welcome!                   

First Cousins, Twice Removed!

Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent, Wilkes-Barre, PA, August 16, 1936, p. 32

This week I discovered pictures of William and Anthony Shukwietis, who are my first cousins, twice removed. William owned a funeral home in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. This article was announcing that Anthony was joining his brother in the business. It is fun to have these pictures and also hear a little about Anthony's personality as a "young man with an excellent reputation for character and integrity." I also didn't know that I had any relatives that were "substantial and influential citizens!" Have you ever taken the time to read old newspapers? They are fascinating and so different from the generic newspapers of today. I found this resource of newspapers while I was cruising through genealogy blogs that I regularly check. I thought I knew about the online newspapers for Pennsylvania! If you have Pennsylvania relatives, definitely check out this online archive! You never know what you are going to find. Definitely time for a happy dance!

I'm Still in the Memorial Day Mood!

I am still in the Memorial Day Mood. This video about Julia Ward Howe and her writing the Battle Hymn of the Republic is inspiring. This is why we do family history... the family connections! Enjoy!

Thanks to a Couple of Veteran's In My Life!

Raymond John Brunski
Photo: Personal collection of Rayanne Brunski Melick

I'm a little late with the Memorial Day tribute, but I want to thank them anyway! Thanks Dad, for your service in the United States Air Force. May you rest in peace with the other veterans surrounding you! 

Raymond John Brunski
Photo: Personal collection of Rayanne Brunski Melick

Thanks Charles, for your service in the United States Navy. Because of your efforts, and the efforts of countless others, we live in the land of the free. 

Charles Melick
Photo: Personal collection of Rayanne Brunski Melick

Genealogy and DNA

Chemist reading DNA sequencing
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Public Domain

DNA seems to be the next frontier in genealogy and family history research. Ancestry.com is right in the thick of it! A couple of days ago, the Daily Herald newspaper published an article about how Ancestry.com is furthering genealogical research with DNA testing. Read the article here to find out how you can use DNA to enhance your family tree!

Misconceptions about Family History

LDS meetinghouse in Warsaw, Poland
Photo Credit: Public Domain

One of the misconceptions about family history and genealogy is that everything is "online." A corollary to that misconception is that "since it is all online, there is no need for a local LDS Family History Center, particularly if you live smack dab in the middle of genealogy heaven...Utah. Well, did you know that you can go to your local family history center (they are all over the world) and have access to some of the best subscription websites! They are available for you and you don't have to pay a penny to use them! In our family history center, the two most popular sites are Ancestry.com and Fold3.com. We all know that Ancestry.com has some of the most exciting record collections in the world, and Fold3.com has an outstanding collection of military records. Family History Center patrons also have access to:

•19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archives
•Access Newspaper Archive
•Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War: Research Database, Letters and Diaries, Images, Photographs, Posters and Ephemera
•Ancestry.com
•ArkivDigital Online
•Find My Past-British genealogy
•Fold3.com (Previously known as Footnote.com)
•The Genealogist
•Godfrey Memorial Library
•Heritage Quest Online
•Historic Map Works Library Edition
•Paper Trail
•World Vital Records

If some of these sites are new to you and you don't have a clue what they contain, click on this link for a full description of each site. If you don't know where your local LDS Family History Center is, click here for help in finding it!
By the way, family history information is NOT all "online!" The online resources are just the tip of the iceberg. :)

Do You Have LDS (Mormon) Pioneers in Your Pedigree?



 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

 Do you have LDS pioneers in your pedigree? Would you like to learn more about the LDS pioneers and their stories. Here is a great place to start! Brigham Young University's Family History Library has lots of info on these LDS pioneers. Who knows? You may be like me. Look what I found!

Amelia Evans Camp Davis
My 2nd great-grandmother
Member of the Willie Handcart Company

Pretty cool, huh! Now you give it a try. You never know what you will find!

Need Genealogy Education???



Photo Credit: Public domain
I chose this pedigree because my daughter-in-law is a huge Harry Potter fan! Maybe now she will become interested in family history! :)

Below is the schedule for webinars through August 2012 at LegacyFamilyTree. I love these webinars (no, I'm not paid to say this and I don't have any affiliation with the company except as a fan!) because I can sit at home in my jammies and soak it all in! The nice thing about these webinars is that they are usually posted for free for ten days so that you can catch them even if you miss the original date!
Register for free at:
www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp

May 2012

 Researching Your Pennsylvania Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. 5/2

 Researching Your New York Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. 5/30

June 2012

 Researching Your German Ancestors by Kory Meyerink. 6/6.

 Putting Flesh on the Bones by Ron Arons. 6/13

 Marriages and Anniversaries: mining newspapers by Tom Kemp. 6/20

 Staying Safe Using Social Media by Thomas MacEntee. 6/22

 Digital Images: scanning, digitizing, editing, and preserving your photos by Geoff Rasmussen. 6/27

July 2012

 The Quest for your English Ancestors by Claire Brisson-Banks. 7/11

 Plan Your Way to Research Success by Marian Pierre-Louis. 7/18

 The Genealogy Cloud: Which Online Storage Program is Right For You? by Thomas MacEntee. 7/27

August 2012

 Neglected History by Megan Smolenyak. 8/1

 Wikis for Genealogists by Thomas MacEntee. 8/8

 The 5 C’s for Success in Genealogy Today with Barbara Renick. 8/22

 Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence by Judy Russell. 8/29

Some Interesting Tidbits from FamilySearch

 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

The Ancestry Insider was at the National Genealogical Society Conference in Cincinnatti, Ohio this week and he has provided us with some tidbits from FamilySearch. Click on this link and check out the May 8th post.

Press Release for UVTAGG Meeting on 12 May 2012


UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)

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, 12 May 2012, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

In place of a main presentation for this meeting we will watch the Provo Tabernacle Temple Groundbreaking ceremony which will start at 9 am and will be broadcast to the building from downtown Provo.  Speakers will include Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the LDS Church's Quorum of the 12 Apostles and Past President of Brigham Young University.  The Church's press release about the Groundbreaking is at http://www.lds.org/church/events/church-announces-groundbreaking-for-provo-city-center-temple?lang=eng .

Following the groundbreaking ceremony, UVTAGG will have its opening exercises and then divide for classes.  As always, there will be something about family history and technology for everyone at any level of expertise.  The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are:  (1)  Are There Germans In Your Past?  Internet Resources to Assist You, by Laurie Castillo;  (2)  Evernote and Freeware Transcription Helps for Documents and Audio, by Don and Diane Snow;  (3)  Personalized Help, by Don Engstrom;  (4)  Video of last month's main presentation: Finding Your Family in the 1940 US Census, by Stephen Ehat;  (5)  Everything MAC for Genealogy, by Ron Snowden;  (6)  Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;  (7)  Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and  (8)  RootsMagic, by Diana Olsen.
                         
All meetings of the Group 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 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Gerry Eliason, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library. Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Information about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above.  For further information 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.

Facebook for Genealogy?

Photo Credit:wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

Facebook has moved into first place in the social media arena. Did you know that you can create Facebook pages for your ancestors? Yep, put them out there and they will come (sooner or later)! Making connections just gets easier and easier! For a really great article that explains some ins and outs of using Facebook for family history, click here.

"You Marry the Whole Family!"

Photo Credit:  thegoldguys.blogspot.com/   

We have all heard the adage of "When you get married, you marry the whole family!" Most of us (me included) heard this and said "Yeah, whatever!" Thirty years into marriage and this has definitely been confirmed to me! You DO marry the whole family! By default, this connection also extends to family history work and the way you can approach your research!

This week I have had the opportunity to work on family history with some really great people. I just love the "Sherlock Holmes" aspect of family history! As I was talking to one particular patron, we started talking about the lack of records for some of her ancestors. It is true that males had more records created for them. An additional struggle is the whole maiden/married name thing that happens with women. Women tend to get lost a lot easier than the men do. One way to work around the lack of female documentation or lack of documentation for any one person is to work in the family cluster. By that I mean to work on the whole family, not just your direct line. The opportunities for finding the information that you are seeking really opens up when you are looking at documents for 5-10 people or more instead of documentation for one. My general approach is to start with my direct descendant and then broaden from there. It also really helps narrow your search if there is an unusual name in the family (ex. Rubella, no joke!)

So, when you are stuck on your direct line ancestor, don't forget to branch out and include the siblings and parents in your searches. Casting a wide net will really be helpful in furthering your family history along!

Is It Copyrighted?

Wikipedia.com

In the world of genealogy, we gather, add, delete, and produce compilations of records about our families. For me, it is the thrill of the hunt. I love to read about my ancestors and the lives that they led. I appreciate someone writing about my ancestor. As we put together our stories, do we ever pay attention to where they came from? We make note of the sources but do we actually credit the sources or acknowledge that we are getting this information from another source. Furthermore, do we seek permission to use copyrighted sources, or do we kind of skip over that thought? Since so much information is at our fingertips, I think that we have come to the conclusion that everything "out there" can be used at will.

James Tanner (one of my favorite contributors at TechTips) wrote a couple of articles recently relating to copyrights and fair use. They are definitely worth reading as they will lend some clarity to this problem. The first article is Understanding Copyright vs. the Creative Commons. The second article is Using Creative Commons Licenses for Sharing Your Genealogy.

Up Next: Rob Lowe on WDYTYA on NBC

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rob_Lowe_%282003%29.jpg

Rob Lowe is up on the April 27, 2012 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Check it out on NBC.

It's All About the 1940 Census!

Clip art credit: http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/usa-flags.shtml

I am having so much fun indexing the 1940 US Census! I have spent the past three weeks browsing images and using the SteveMorse site to find my relatives. Quite a few people of asked me why I am so excited about the 1940 Census. What's the big deal? Well, for a family history geek like me, it's a way to link my live relatives to a paper proof (genealogists always hunt for the proof!) of their lives.  It's a way to see my dad's name actually listed on a census form as a six year old! It's a way to explore the generation that has been called "The Greatest Generation!" It is awesome! If you want to know how much of the 1940 Census has been indexed in the three weeks since it's release, click here!
If you haven't tried indexing but would like to try it, FamilySearch.org  is a great place to start! Also, click here, here, and here for great tutorials!

Press Release for UVTAGG Group Meeting

Stephen Ehat
Photo Credit: UVTAGG

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)
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, 14 Apr 2012, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo.  Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvtagg.org .

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Stephen Ehat on FIND ALL YOUR RELATIVES IN THE 1940 U.S. FEDERAL CENSUS.  The 1940 US Federal Census was released this week (2 Apr 2012) and digital images are now posted on several sites including the National Archives at http://1940census.archives.gov/ .  Several organizations are coordinating efforts to index the entire census.  These include FamilySearch Indexing and everyone is encouraged to sign up at  https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/   to help.  It will take several months to complete the entire index.  The presentation at the UVTAGG meeting this month will help people get into the census before it is indexed.  Small towns, of course, will be pretty easy; large cities will take more effort, but can still be done, as Steve Ehat will show.  Stephen Kent Ehat was born in San Francisco in 1951. Baptized a Latter-day Saint as a convert at age 10, he first attempted to do genealogical research at age 11. He knew too little, but at age 17, when he began studies at BYU, he successfully began a lifetime of family history research and discovery. He has served as a Records Examiner (Remember those?), as a Stake Extraction Director (back in the day when that opportunity first existed), and recently as the Director of a six-stake Family History Center serving Orem and Lindon. He has made a number of presentations at recent BYU Family History Conferences and at the BYU Family History Center Sunday classes and is constantly helping people with their research. He has been to Italy twice for family history research on his own Italian line that arrived in San Francisco 45 years before the earthquake and fire in 1906. He is a California attorney who lives with his wife, Jeanine, in Lindon, Utah, and they have five sons and thirteen -- now almost 14 -- grandchildren.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are:  (1)   Are Your Ancestors Frozen in Time?, by Claire Brisson-Banks;  (2)  "Where Did That File Go?" - Understanding and Organizing Computer Files, by Susan Maxwell;  (3)  Analyzing Census Records, by Stephen Ehat;  (4)  Personal Help with Family History, by Don Engstrom and Finn Hansen;  (5)  Video of last month's main presentation: Increasing Productivity on FamilySearch with Sharing Time, by Andrea Schnakenburg;  (6)  Everything Mac for Genealogy, by Ron Snowden;  (7)  RootsMagic, by Rene Zamora;  (8)  Ancestral Quest, by Paul Johnson;  and  (9)  Legacy, by Joel Graham. 
                         
All meetings of the Group 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 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Renee Zamora, Secretary; Kay Baker, Gerry Eliason, Don Engstrom, and Rayanne Melick working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen working with the DVD Library. Several of these will be there to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out DVDs of past presentations and classes to members of the group.  Ancestral QuestInformation about the Group, presentations, classes, and class notes can be found at the websites mentioned above. For further information 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.

Family History Resources at Brigham Young University

Harold B. Lee Library
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah has an awesome collection of genealogical resources! As the world links itself by internet, patrons all over the world have access to these resources no matter where you are. Click on the link to see what the BYU Family History Library has to offer, even if you are on the other side of the world! The newest link on the page is a Departmental Tour and Subject Guide for Family History. You have got to see this! Just click on the link above!

New and Fixed Links on this Blog

There are new links to information on this blog and the broken links have all been fixed. If you run across any other problems or broken links on this site, please leave a comment and I will fix the problems.

Don't Forget WDYTYA Tonight on NBC!

Photo Credit: NBC

Up tonight... Edie Falco! Check your local listings for time!

Infographic from Archives.com

Why all the hype about the 1940 Census? Take a look at the infographic below from Archives.com. It shows why we should be excited about the 1940 Census and also the way to find your family BEFORE the index is ready to use! Have fun! Your family is out there just waiting to be found!

Let's Get Indexing!

As of 9:00 am MDT, today, images for the 1940 US Census for Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Oregon, and Virginia were posted on FamilySearch to index. Let's get indexing!

Help Index the 1940 Census!

They're here! The images from the 1940 Census have been released! I was going to post some helps for the 1940 Census, but GraniteGenealogy beat me to it! So, head over there to get a whole bunch of help on what to do and where to go to make the most of the 1940 Census! Before you do that, though, watch this video on what you can do to help the indexing project along! Thanks to Dear Myrtle for the YouTube Video!

We're Getting Closer!

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

Roots Tech 2012 Videos

What an exhausting last couple of weeks it has been! Sorry I have been missing! Anyway, time for a recap of the RootsTech videos that are now posted online. Below is a list and the link to them. They are all wonderful presentations! The presentation by Josh Coates (Mozy.com) was so forward thinking that it made me realize my thought process isn't even on the same planet as some of these presenters!

Inventing the Future, as a Community-Jay Verkler
Do I Trust the Cloud?-D. Joshua Taylor
Effective Database Search Tactics-Kory Meyerink
Twitter - It's Not Just "What I Had For Breakfast" Anymore-Thomas MacEntee
Eleven Layers of Online Searches-Barbara Renick
Exabyte Social Clouds and Other Monstrosities-Josh Coates
Publish Your Genealogy Online-Laura Prescott
Optimizing Your Site for Search Engines-Robert Gardner
Genealogists "Go Mobile"-Sandra Crowley
Google's Toolbar and Genealogy-David Barney
Making the Most of Technology to Further the Family History Industry-Tim Sullivan
Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101-Lisa Louise Cooke
Privacy in a Collaborative Environment-Noah Tutak

For any and all of these presentations, go to rootstech.org

The 1940 Census is Coming!

This coming Saturday at the Riverton FamilySearch Library you can learn more about the upcoming 1940 Census. Read more info here!

Another post providing information about the 1940 Census can be found on the Genea-Musings blog written by Randy Seaver. Great notes!

Don't Forget to Watch "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Braun HF 1 television receiver, Germany, 1958

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tv

This week's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" (Friday, March 9th, check local listings for time) will have us all learning about NFL superstar, Jerome Bettis. If you have missed the beginning of Season 3, all of the past episodes are available to watch at NBC. Isn't it cool to have a TV show about genealogy? Totally unheard of five years ago!

Time for the UVTAGG Meeting Again!

UVTAGG Group Meeting

March 10, 2012

9-Noon

4050 N. 650 E., Provo, Utah

This is a great place to learn. They know their stuff! If they don't, they know someone who does! Either way, you can get help and enjoy very informational presentations. To learn more, click here! 

Even if you live elsewhere, there are loads of class outlines that you can use to teach yourself. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Want to Learn How to Organize and Share Digital Images?

Cinque Terre, Italy
Photo by Rayanne B. Melick

Are you being overrun with photos on your computer? Do your relatives want copies but you don't know how to keep track of who gets what? With digital cameras so easy and accessible these days, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of photos.  My relatives are still waiting for the pictures I took on my anniversary trip last year! Reason? Sheer volume! Hence my post about this!

Geoff Rasmussen of Legacy Family Tree shares his information on a newly recorded webinar from yesterday. It will be available for at least 10 days for free and then after that it may be purchased. I am a great fan of webinars as I learn so much about so many different topics. I am an even greater fan of webinars from Legacy Family Tree because they are so clear, concise, and organized! When you click on the webinars link above it will take you to the webinars page. Here you can view all of the webinars now scheduled through November 2012. Scroll down to the archived presentations and the "Organize and Share Digital Images" presentation will be the first one showing in the archives.  Have a look if you have never attended a webinar before. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

1940 US Census! Time to Get Excited!

I stumbled upon this YouTube video this morning. I must say that the thought of the 1940 US Census warms my heart! I too would love to hold up a picture of a relative and say, "He's in it!"



If you would like to discover "who's in it?" please consider volunteering to help index the 1940 US Census! Head on over to familysearch.org/1940census to sign up! Many indexers means faster access to those records of the "Greatest Generation!" Speaking of the "Greatest Generation," click here to see an enlightening little tidbit from the 1940's.

A New Blog to Follow!

Barry's Blog

I found a new genealogy blog to follow! I have been a big follower of Barry Ewell for quite a while, but I am super happy to know that he now has a blog. One thing that I really like about his classes is that he puts a lot of effort into his visuals. They are clear, colorful and very easy to understand! He is also very willing to share his visuals from his classes. After a class is over, he will give you his email and tell you what to write in the subject line so that you will get the right information. It is awesome! See an example of this here! If you are at a conference and see his name, stake out your place in the room. You won't be disappointed!
Barry is also the brains behind MyGenShare.com, a new genealogy website that will be launching very soon. Click on the link to read more about Barry Ewell.

Another 30 Million Records Added!

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic License
Attribution: I, lanare

FamilySearch has added another 30 million names to their database. They are accessible worldwide at www.familysearch.org. Included in the new records are 16 million indexed names and 14 million browsable images. To learn more about the records added, click here!

Friday Night Fun!

Wikipedia.com

Once again, it's time to see what GeneaBloggers Talk Radio has going on. Tonight's episode is Give Me Your Tired Your Poor 19th Century US Immigration 02/17 by GeneaBloggers | Blog Talk Radio. Click on the link for full information about tonight's program. Ol 'Myrt of Dear Myrtle fame will be tonight's special host!


"GeneaBloggers Radio is about the most fun you can have with your genealogy on a Friday night!"
                                                                                                                     Thomas MacEntee

Winner of the 2011 Crunchies Award!!!

Photo Credit: wikipedia.com

Have you ever heard of Evernote? It is a new darling on the genealogy scene. Evernote allows you to gather information and remember it effectively. If you are like me, gathering isn't the problem it's remembering where I put it! Check it out here!

By the way, for those of you who are curious or have never heard of the Crunchies Awards, go see their homepage. My brain just swims at the thought of how technology is changing the world!

If you love the tech aspect of genealogy as much as I do, you have to become a fan of Tech Tips from FamilySearch. Assorted contributors write about all manner of technologies that are particularly useful for the genealogist/family historian in all of us!

QR Codes

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

You know what they are, you just might not know the name of them... quick response! They are the little black and white squares that you can scan with your smart phone. Well, they are cropping up in the genealogy world too. There was a class at RootsTech this year by Thomas MacEntee ("Genealogical Uses for QR Codes") that you will want to read. I've heard some division on this subject but at least read the article and then you can see if it makes sense to you. As hard as it may be sometimes to change, technology is moving genealogy forward and will continue to do so. This article in the Deseret News will give you a little more understanding!

Attention Indexers! Indexing Goes Mobile!

This is from the RootsTech conference.

FamilySearch Launches Mobile Indexing App

FamilySearch launched its much-anticipated mobile application for indexing. The app will expand the capability of volunteers to help make the world’s historic records searchable online. The mobile app works on Apple iPads, iPhones, and Droid smartphones. To download the free app, search for the FamilySearch Indexing app in the Apple app store or Droid Market store online.

RootsTech 2012 Live Streaming Sessions

rootstech.org

Below is the schedule of live streaming sessions from the RootsTech Conference. All times are Mountain Standard Time. Just go to rootstech.org and look for the streaming sessions section. You won't be able to miss it! As of today, it is listed right under the Mobile Apps posting in the center of the page.


Thursday, February 2
8:30-10:00 am, Inventing the Future, as a Community (Keynote Address) by Jay L. Verkler
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Do I Trust the Cloud? by D. Joshua Taylor
1:45-2:45 pm, Effective Database Search Tactics by Kory Meyerink   
3:00-4:00 pm, Twitter – It’s Not Just “What I Had for Breakfast” Anymore by Thomas MacEntee
4:15-5:15 pm, Eleven Layers of Online Searches by Barbara Renick   

Friday, February 3
8:30-9:30 am, Exabyte Social Clouds and Other Monstrosities (Keynote Address) by Josh Coates
9:45-10:45 am, Publish Your Genealogy Online by Laura G. Prescott   
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Optimize Your Site for Search Engines by Robert Gardner  
1:45-2:45 pm, Genealogists “Go Mobile” by Sandra Crowly
3:00-4:00 pm, Google’s Toolbar and Genealogy by Dave Barney    

Saturday, February 4
8:30-9:30 am, Making the Most of Technology to Further the Family History Industry (Keynote Address) by Tim Sullivan and Ancestry.com Panel
9:45-10:45 am Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101 by Lisa Louise Cooke  
11:00 am-12:00 pm, Future of FamilySearch Family Tree by Ron Tanner1:45-2:45 pm, Privacy in a Collaborative Environment by Noah Tatuk