26 February 2014

Descendancy Research: Using Puzzilla

This is really pretty neat! Another trick to keep me up late nights! This is a re-blog from a fellow genealogy blogger The Genealogy Girl. I don't know all the functionality yet. But as soon as I finish up about 1,001 other items on my tick list.....

23 February 2014

DNA: bringing them home | The Legal Genealogist

What good is genealogy?  What good is DNA testing?  Judy G. Russell has some VERY solid answers! Please click the link "DNA: bringing them home" (you may have to click "Continue reading" for the live link):

DNA: bringing them home | The Legal Genealogist.

You may also want to subscribe to Judy Russell's blogs by RSS feed or by e-mail.  She's worth the minute or so a day to read.


A section of DNA; the sequence of the plate-li...
A section of DNA; the sequence of the plate-like units (nucleotides) in the center carries information. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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21 February 2014

The Southern Connection

Sometimes it's right in your own backyard.  And many times it's not!  I've driven, ridden even flown to places to research or just dig around for tidbits of family history.  I met my great grand aunt for the first time in 2002 in her home in Evergreen, Alabama.  It's a long story for another time but I didn't even know she existed until I found her through the Canebrake Genealogical & Historical Society in Evergreen.  OK, I'll tell you how I met her.

I called Canbrake back in 2001 to ask if they could help me with my family history.  I knew that my father was born in Evergreen and I thought there might be some news articles about the family or any other thing that I might be interested in.  They suggested I write to Mrs. Sarah R Coker and explain what I was looking for.  Apparently, Mrs. Coker had been working on the genealogies of many Evergreen families for many years...without the aid of a computer!  How did they do it???

So I wrote a letter and asked in my most hospitable way if she could find the time to help me.  I explained that my father, his mother and her parents had lived in Evergreen for many years but I had virtually no records.  My parent each help to the philosophy that "What you don't know won't hurt you!"

About a week later, I received a hand written letter, itself a relic of days gone by, from Mrs. Coker.  But it wasn't just "Mrs. Coker" as she introduced herself as my great grand aunt!  She was my paternal grandfather's youngest sister!  You could' have knocked me over with a feather.  We exchanged many letters for a while until I was able to go to Alabama and meet her.  She had pictures of my sister and i that had been taken each year at grade school!  "Where did you find these?" I asked.  "Well, your Daddy sent 'em to me." The reply was delivered to me a thick southern Alabama drawl that I had to tune my ear to so that i wasn't saying "What was that" every 5 minutes...

What I didn't know didn't hurt me until know.  My deceased father had actually "hidden" nearly all of his family from my sister and me until this very point.  The upshot is that not only did Aunt Sarah share hundreds of pages of documents, photos and stories with me, I met with her a few more times, brought my sister down with me once and attended a family reunion in 2003 to meet about 300 more members of my extended family!

[caption id="attachment_2597" align="alignnone" width="300"]William G Robinson Descendants William G Robinson Descendants[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2591" align="alignnone" width="300"]Hezekiah Calvin Tarp Robinson (Early) Hezekiah Calvin Tarp Robinson (Early)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2592" align="alignnone" width="300"]Hezekiah Calvin Tarp Robinson (Later) Hezekiah Calvin Tarp Robinson (Later)[/caption]

The color top photo at the top was only one of the family groups that attended the reunion.  The bottom two are of the same family, but in the same style as the newer group shot. And all of them are my relatives!

Aunt Sarah died in 2009 at age 90.  I credit her with helping me with nearly every person I met while in Alabama.  And I've kept in touch with many of them through this blog, a ROBINSON Facebook page ("ROBINSON" is the prefered spelling in Alabama) and my web site at Old Bones Genealogy of New England.
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Family Tree "Rhapsody"

This was posted on "The Ancestry Insider" blog and it's worth the 3 or 4 minutes of your time!  This family, obviously fans of the rock group Queen and genealogy, have put together a clever and entertaining amateur video.  I would think that this YouTube video should go "viral" in genealogy circles!  Click "Continue reading to get a link to the video.

Take a look at "The Ancestry Tree Insider: Family Tree Rhapsody"!

Feel free to reblog, share on Google+, retweet....whatever works for you!

Enjoy!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="350"]Queen live in Frankfurt, Germany (at the Festh... Queen live in Frankfurt, Germany (at the Festhalle, Sept.26 1984) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]


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30 Day Indexing Challenge

30 Day Indexing Challenge.  Indexed records are likely the only type of records that a majority of researchers are familiar with.  Many don't realize that there are millions upon millions of records that remain UN-indexed.  For that reason, those records are either impossible to find or at best a difficult challenge to browse for your ancestor.

index

Here's the answer: Indexing!  See "30 Day Indexing Challenge." Simply put, you look at a hand written document, transcribe it by typing what you see into the appropriate fields and submit!  Each document is indexed twice.  Discrepancies are sent to "Arbitrators" to resolve those discrepancies.  Once all 3 steps are complete, VOILA!  You can search for the individuals within that record and get the data you need for your research.

I'm reblogging from "thegenealogygirl" who has thrown down the research gauntlet and is asking volunteers to step up and assist with this vital part of everyone's research.

Try the program at www.familysearch.org where you'll see links on the home page to get you started.  Click "Indexing" just below the large picture. It will take you to this page where you can "Test Drive",  "Get Started", "Find a Project" (from easy to very difficult!!) and "Get Help".

It's easy...really!!


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17 February 2014

"New and Improved" Web Site

Did you ever think about that odd marketing phrase, "New and Improved".  My question is this: How can it be improved already if it's new?

I'll leave that question to those who stay up late at night pondering philosophical questions and various koans! Koans: I learned that word from working crossword puzzles and this is the first time I've had a chance to use it.   Merriam-Webster defines a koan as a "paradox to be meditated upon that is used to train Zen Buddhist monks to abandon ultimate dependence on reason and to force them into gaining sudden intuitive enlightenment."  Pretty good, huh!

But I write this blog to brag a little about remodeling, renewing, improving and restyling my web site, Old Bones Genealogy of New England.  It's still with Go Daddy.  Sometimes I'm happy about that and other times...they really set me off!  But it's paid for until the middle of this year, so I'll continue to give them the benefit of the doubt.  The singular reason I give them a lot of slack is that they ANSWER THE PHONE!  And the support personnel were all educated in North America. In other words, they understand me and I understand them!

But there were a few wrinkles, a few roadblocks, a few frustrations.  I never knew that I was working all this time with "version 6".  Version 6 is apparently one of the worst bits of software that Go Daddy had released on an unsuspecting customer base. I found it galactically frustrating.  (Is "galactically" a word???)  Whenever I tried to change the copy on any particluar page, it was a struggle of mind over technology!  When I tried to change a font, the color changed.  When I tried to put the color back to where I wanted it, either the whole text box would disappear or the background color would change.  And that's just for starters.

Here's the good news: The junk they called Version 6 has been replaced with Version 7!  Are you as ecstatic as I am?  I knew that 6 was junk and the jury's out on 7.  The bad news was that I had to pick a completely new template and rebuild the whole thing from scratch.  I'm not sure if I got every element in there that I had before, but I'm sure I'll be tweaking this thing into the wee hours of many mornings!

All I want to do is continue my research and help as many people as I can with theirs.  Thus the blog, the website and a lot of time putting together genealogy programs for whoever would like me to conduct a program for their institution.

So to make me feel a little bit better, please take a look at Old Bones Genealogy of New England. Let me know what you think.  And be nice!!


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Indexing: How it works

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="320"]Adriana Hernandez baptized 1925 Adriana Hernandez baptized 1925 (Photo credit: GoCal83)[/caption]

I've done some indexing over the past few years but lately, I haven't had the time. So, the best I can do is get the message out and perhaps someone reading this blog will take a look at the process and volunteer. There are a number of indexing projects out there, but it's Family Search that may have the largest collection of un-indexed documents. If you go to www.familysearch.org, there's a link right below the large image in the center of the page called "Indexing". Click the link, download a very small software program and you're in business!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320"]Maria Hernandez baptized 1920 Maria Hernandez baptized 1920 (Photo credit: GoCal83)[/caption]

There are a few rules to go by, but essentially, it's pretty easy. You'll have to have or get a user name and password. But please don't worry that someone from the Latter Day Saints will haunt you! That's just not their style or their motivation.


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16 February 2014

Keeping Up With PERSI

And I'm Sure You're Saying "PERSI? What's PERSI?"

"Fishing" in all the DNA "Pools"

Every day, I receive an e-mail containing the post from Judy G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist.  As a matter of fact, that's the name of her blog, "The Legal Genealogist".  I like her posts for a number of reasons.  First, she writes in "English".  By that I mean you can understand what she's trying to say.  In spite of the fact...or perhaps because of the fact...that she's an attorney, she has a great sense of humor and a unique ability to convey a story or explain an issue in easy to understand language.  She is a classy lecturer with a message, many messages as a matter of fact!  My wife and I have listened to her a number of times and we always come away with a good understanding of the subject matter.

Baiting the Hook

Today's blog is entitled "Baiting the Hook" which I advise you to read...it'll take about 4 minutes.  Just click the title and you'll be taken there.  After you read "Baiting the Hook", I'm pretty sure you'll want to follow her.  She covers many genealogical subjects and legal issues that can help anyone with their research.

 

After reading today's post, I feel better that I've tested with 2 companies, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.  And now I'm encouraged to test with Ancestry DNA even though they got off to a horrific start!

 

Let me know what you think!

 

 

 

 


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11 February 2014

Family Stories: Using Newspapers to Reconnect with Your Family's Past

Today's blog post is mainly a way for me to introduce you to Legacy Family Tree webinars.  They're referred to as "Webinar Wednesdays" and this week's subject is using newspapers to enhance your family research.  The broadcasts are free and are archived to access for free for one week.  There are membership options that allow you to access the complete archive of the hundreds of broadcasts done over the past few of years. Attendees who stay til the end are treated to the opportnity to win "door prizes".

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350"]Legacy Family Tree Homepage Legacy Family Tree Homepage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

Legacy Family Tree offers many services including their family tree building software.  The product is really quite good and is updated with reasonable frequency.  There's "standard" edition that you can download for free from a link on the website's homepage. There are also links to purchase other products that you may find useful.

But to get back to the webinars for a minute, the moderator is Geoff Rasmussen who introduces the guest of the week.  The subject matter is always in the field of genealogy and attracts some very well known genealogy personalities, such as Judy G Russell.  Judy is an attorney, a genealogist and a speaker with a national audience.  You should take a look at her blog, The Legal Genealogist.  She writes in "English" rather than "Lawyer Speak" so you'll get her message rather than a headache trying to figure out what she's writing about.  Follow her blog and you'll get a daily notice of that day's blog.  How she finds the time is beyond me!

Register for this week's broadcast, "Family Stories: Using Newspapers to Reconnect with Stories of Your Family's Past" at www.familytreewebinars.com.

Take a look and let me know what you think!


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09 February 2014

Historic Items Stolen in Vermont Recovered

I'm simply passing this along in hopes of helping with the placement of these recovered stolen items back with their owners. I've put the document in my Dropbox account which you can access at this link: http://tinyurl.com/lab6msa  

Thanks for your help!

 


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07 February 2014

DNA on a Personal Level I Didn't Expect!

One of the things I enjoy is teaching genealogy.  I think I have a pretty good handle on how and where to research, what sites to use, where to go for data that's not on the internet and other areas.   Other areas such as DNA and its place in someones research plan.

DNA is one subject in which I know enough to talk intelligently about it, but I'm far from being an expert.  As a matter of fact, when I use DNA as subject matter in one of my sessions, the first thing our of my mouth is the disclaimer that I'm not a doctor by even the farthest stretch of the imagination and that I'm just above a beginner in the area of DNA.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="290"]Animation of the structure of a section of DNA... Animation of the structure of a section of DNA. The bases lie horizontally between the two spiraling strands. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

So a few months ago, I was conducting a series of classes at a fairly large facility near here.  It consisted of 6 sessions every Tuesday for 6 weeks.  Since I had so much time to devote to a variety of genealogical subjects, I put my DNA slide into the program.  I even put DNA graphics on my desktop.  Not just a simple graphic but one that spun slowly to see the graphic in 360°.  I think it is the same graphic that I've included here.

After the session, a middle aged woman approached me at the front of the room and joined a few of the participants who were asking additional questions.  As usual, I try to take everyone in their turn as they come forward.  However, the woman was obviously upset, her eyes were welled up with tears.  I immediately thought I had said something offensive, something that didn't sit right with her.  Understand that any time I'm speaking to the public, I try my absolute best to remain apolitical, non-discriminatory and thoroughly "G" rated!  What am I going to do now?

When most of the folks had stepped away, I asked the woman to have a seat as her husband approached the table where we were sitting. Oh no... Is this going to get ugly?  What in the world could I possibly have said?

Once we were in a semi-private moment, I asked what I could do to help them.  I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.  And what happened is absolutely not what I expected.

"Can you advise me about a personal issue," she said.  I have to admit that this is not the direction I wanted this to go in but certainly better than what I had feared!  But a "personal" issue???

Then the bombshell:  "My brother's body was found in his apartment last week and the Medical Examiner will not release it until I can prove that he is definitely my brother.  He has no dental records and he never had his fingerprints taken.  Is there some kind of DNA test that I could have done to help us?"

After the shock of her dilemma sunk in...not to mention the fact that she was asking ME for advice...I expressed my sympathies to her and her family for their loss. From a human perspective, I wanted to know more but I didn't want to appear to pry into any family issues.  I felt the most prudent thing to do was to give her my opinion.  First, I asked if she had another brother in the family and she did.  To me, the only solution from a DNA perspective was to have a Y-DNA test on each of her brothers.  Scientifically at least, the brothers should come back as a 100% match.  After a few minutes of explaining why that would work, she and her husband thanked me, and they quietly left the room. But not before I asked her to please keep me informed as to the outcome.

When I got home, I immediately got in touch with a few other researchers I know who were far more knowledgeable in this area.  Thankfully, I was assured that the suggestion I made would be effective.   About a week or so later, I received an e-mail from her to say that the body had been sent to Boston and the ME in Boston agreed to release the body to the family without going through the DNA tests. I didn't ask how they managed to get through all the bureaucracy and red tape.  To me, the fact that what was a very personal tragedy had been resolved was enough for me.  She had a service for him a few days prior to the note she sent and was able to bury her brother in a family plot.  She was relieved and very grateful for my advice even though she thankfully didn't have to go through that process.

I'm still conducting classes and I still include the session on DNA.  I just hope that I'm not confronted with another situation involving a tragedy such as this one!


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