Denise Doyon submitted this link to 5 free sites: Click here
This includes (1) FamilySearch, (2) Digital Public Library of America, (3) The Library of Congress - Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers, (4) Digital State Archives and (5) Google Books.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
February 21st Meeting
During this meeting we discussed in detail how to download images and documents from FamilySearch.org to the personal computer. How to best use the FamilySearch hints in Family Tree Maker as well as some of the primary entry process in Family Tree Maker. All the attendees used their own computers to find their own information and experiment with how to do the discussed processes. Then there was the discussion of how to organize the digital genealogy, the use of Worldcat / Interlibrary loan to get historical books. and finally the master genealogy checklist. Use the following links to get to the key information:
Organizing your Digital Genealogy handout: click here
Genealogy checklist: click here
Homework: click here
Worldcat.org: click here
During this meeting we discussed in detail how to download images and documents from FamilySearch.org to the personal computer. How to best use the FamilySearch hints in Family Tree Maker as well as some of the primary entry process in Family Tree Maker. All the attendees used their own computers to find their own information and experiment with how to do the discussed processes. Then there was the discussion of how to organize the digital genealogy, the use of Worldcat / Interlibrary loan to get historical books. and finally the master genealogy checklist. Use the following links to get to the key information:
Organizing your Digital Genealogy handout: click here
Genealogy checklist: click here
Homework: click here
Worldcat.org: click here
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
February 14: Happy Valentine's Day
Our main focus for this meeting was on:
(1) Death Certificates and what can be learned from them, each participant had great insight on what to look for and how to identify discrepancies. One recommended website was USGENWEB.ORG: Click here
(2) States Research Project - each group from last meeting reported on what they found when researching vital records in a specific state or county
(3) Quick demo with Family Tree Maker on how to print out charts, descendants lists and making a book
(4) The research log (link) mentioned in the February 7th meeting has been updated.
Great discussion.
Our main focus for this meeting was on:
(1) Death Certificates and what can be learned from them, each participant had great insight on what to look for and how to identify discrepancies. One recommended website was USGENWEB.ORG: Click here
(2) States Research Project - each group from last meeting reported on what they found when researching vital records in a specific state or county
(3) Quick demo with Family Tree Maker on how to print out charts, descendants lists and making a book
(4) The research log (link) mentioned in the February 7th meeting has been updated.
Great discussion.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
February 7th Meeting- Beginners Part II
Another great session with 15 attendees. We started the meeting by discussing the Pedigree chart / Family Group Sheet homework. It was great to hear the new discoveries of information and gaps. It was stressed to Start with Yourself, create a good foundation with source documents and then work slowly backward in time? How many of you have your own parents birth, marriage and death (if appropriate) certificates? What about those Aunts and Uncles?
As you begin to use search databases, interviews, and other means to get information - you should (must) use a research log to keep track of not only the path to finding new information, but also those deadends so you do not repeat that same search in the future.
Here are some example Research logs - use one per person to research
pdf document for printing out log: Click here
MS Excel spreadsheet with tabs for each name to research: Click here
A demonstration of Family Tree Maker was given. It is important to start your tree and grow it. You can use an online "internet" tree like FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com or others (which you may do anyway for searching of other trees). You may also want to have a genealogy software program on your computer for disconnected work and having more control over your tree and the ability to publish information for others. Here is a short video on why you may want to use Family Tree Maker: Click here. Decide if you want to purchase this software and download this to your computer: Click here
Next was the use of FamilySearch.org (free tree building and database for searching). Everyone then created an account in FamilySearch and looked up some family members to experience using FamilySearch.org for searching records and the worldwide family tree.
TIP: Once you have a FamilySearch.org account and have connected your tree, whenever you are in someone else's "person" view, near the top of the page below the person's name, you can select the
and if you are related to the person, it will show the family tree relationship, this is great when finding people from your DNA searches to find relationships. Try it - have some fun finding cousins.
Homework:
Another great session with 15 attendees. We started the meeting by discussing the Pedigree chart / Family Group Sheet homework. It was great to hear the new discoveries of information and gaps. It was stressed to Start with Yourself, create a good foundation with source documents and then work slowly backward in time? How many of you have your own parents birth, marriage and death (if appropriate) certificates? What about those Aunts and Uncles?
As you begin to use search databases, interviews, and other means to get information - you should (must) use a research log to keep track of not only the path to finding new information, but also those deadends so you do not repeat that same search in the future.
Here are some example Research logs - use one per person to research
pdf document for printing out log: Click here
MS Excel spreadsheet with tabs for each name to research: Click here
A demonstration of Family Tree Maker was given. It is important to start your tree and grow it. You can use an online "internet" tree like FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com or others (which you may do anyway for searching of other trees). You may also want to have a genealogy software program on your computer for disconnected work and having more control over your tree and the ability to publish information for others. Here is a short video on why you may want to use Family Tree Maker: Click here. Decide if you want to purchase this software and download this to your computer: Click here
Next was the use of FamilySearch.org (free tree building and database for searching). Everyone then created an account in FamilySearch and looked up some family members to experience using FamilySearch.org for searching records and the worldwide family tree.
TIP: Once you have a FamilySearch.org account and have connected your tree, whenever you are in someone else's "person" view, near the top of the page below the person's name, you can select the
Homework:
- Use the research log for at least two of your ancestor searches
- Use FamilySearch.org to research at least two of your ancestors (grand parents) and find new information
- Decide if you want to purchase the Family Tree Maker software or continue with just paper
Have fun, see you next time.
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