OK,...maybe it's more discipline than time, but I've been busy...really!! I just wrapped up 3 separate classes and in about 3 weeks 2 more get started. In the meantime, I've been reading many posts from many other bloggers (who apparently have the time AND the discipline to post daily!) and I have dozens of more tips and tricks and a bit of news.
First, for those of you who are looking for family tree software, keep an eye out for a FREE version of Family Tree Maker. I've been using Family Tree Maker since before Adam was evicted. And I upgraded whenever an upgrade was available. The good news is that the new software is FREE.... Most companies who market genealogy software have a pay version and a stripped down free-but-you-can-upgrade-later-for-a-fee version. That's never been the case with Family Tree Maker, which happens to be owned by Ancestry.com.
The bad, or at least the not so very good news, is that you have to speak German or Swedish. Huh??? That's because in its first iteration, it's only available in German and Swedish for now. That's actually good news, because the Germans and the Swedes will hopefully help Ancestry get most of the bugs worked out before it's opened up the the galactically bigger English speaking audience, who, I'm sure, will overwhelm the demand. It's certainly better to have a few hundred issues with a few thousand customers (who will be converted to paying customers) than a few thousand issues with a hundred thousand customers and risk losing their future business.
Next, if you've never been able to find the record of Aunt Molly's third marriage, don't give up. Keep in mind that all the purveyors of on-line genealogical documents are adding digitized images at a furious pace. On any given day, I'll get an e-mail that says "So-and-So.com has added 3.5 million records" or whatever. In other words, Aunt Molly might show up with a little perseverance AND good research notes. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep track of where you've already looked. When you get negative evidence (when it's not there) you can keep that in mind when you go and take another shot at the records. Just because it wasn't there the last time doesn't necessarily mean it won't be there the next time.
Have we talked about spelling and how it doesn't count? I think so. But it bears repeating. The message here is "Be creative!" I've demonstrated this a gazillion times. Just because Grandma said that's the way her father spelled the name, don't believe her! Two reasons, at least. Great Grandpa may not have been a world class spelling bee champion. Witness my own grandfather's eloquently written diary that I've been posting "Lest We Forget". I think my grandfather forgot! And second, especially with census records, the enumerators wrote what they heard. 'Nuff said!
Web sites. I've put together a list of about 30 or 40 web sites that are pretty handy. Rather than listing them here, send me an e-mail at dave@oldbones.info and I'll attach the Word document to an reply. There's the standard ancestry.com and so forth but a few interesting ones focusing on Canadian, Italian, Polish, Swedish and Irish ancestry as well as military sites, immigration and a blog or two.
For those of you that wouldn't mind traveling to Ludlow, Mass and contributing to a fund raiser, I'll be at the First Church in Ludlow for the 4th or 5th series on "Introduction to Genealogy and Family Research". Usually, I give my series of presentations and have a few pass-outs but since this involves some cash, I offer to do 3 or 4 hours of personal research for the participants. AND you get a certificate! It's $49 per attendee or $79 for a couple. Details at Old Bones Genealogy.
One more: The Gardens at Wilbraham in Wilbraham, Mass is sponsoring me to give a 2 hour lecture on genealogy on Grandparent's Day, Sunday, September 8th at 1 in the afternoon. I'll have to get you the details if you're interested. It's free but I think there's a sign up list.
OK, I've rambled along enough. I'll try to get a few more days of "Lest We Forget" up tonight or tomorrow.
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