BOOT CAMP 13 - DNA or Not

Have you thought about having your DNA tested? Have you wondered how it would help you in your research? Well, that was my question. A couple of months ago my husband and I decided to have our DNA tested. I had no idea what to expect or how it might help me. In this Boot Camp, I thought I would tell you some of the things I learned about DNA testing and maybe it will help you make that decision about taking the DNA test.

I will try to keep this short (even though that may not be possible) and try to explain the program as simply as I can. I have watched and read a lot about DNA testing so I am starting to understand it a little bit. First, let me explain our DNA like one of the videos I watched. I think it makes it very simple and understandable.

We are going to use fruit. Let's say your dad has inherited Apples, Bananas, Grapefruit, and Watermelon. Your mother inherited Oranges, Grapes, Mangoes, and Peaches. You inherited from your father Bananas and Apples and Peaches and Grapes from your mother, . Your brother inherited from your father Watermelon and Grapefruit and from your mother, Peaches and Oranges. Your sister inherited Apples and Watermelon from your dad and Oranges and Mangoes from your mother.  Do you get the picture? DNA does not split and go to each child but a whole DNA will go to one child and might not go to another. So with this in mind, this would be one reason for several family members to have their DNA tested. It would give you a more complete picture of your ethnicity.

Taking the test is a little gross but easy. You place your order (there are several companies that do testing and charge different amounts - I used Ancestry because I felt they were one of the largest and cheaper). You will get a package in the mail, follow the directions (spit into a tube, shake it with some solution in the tube, drop it into the return package, and mail it - postage already paid). Then you wait - 6-8 weeks normally. In the meantime, go online and register. You will have been given a number that will let you register. This is where it gets a little confusing. You do not have to be a full member of Ancestry but for the full benefits, it helps. Members of the church have available to them a free membership so make sure you log in and take advantage of that. Once that is done, it also helps to have your family tree on Ancestry. You can make a gedcom (ask your FHC staff for assistance) and download that (you don't have to but why not take full advantage of this program).

So you get your results. The first thing you will see when you log in is a pie (Which I couldn't get the picture to appear but beside it is the breakdown of the pie).

ETHNICITY ESTIMATE
 33% Ireland
 27% Scandinavia
 16% Great Britain
 6 More regions

You will also see a link to those that are related to you - immediate family to distant cousins.

So with the pie, you will get a rough estimate of your ethnicity. Your siblings may get something slightly different and that is why it is nice to get all of your family to take the test. You can then compare the similarities and differences to get a more complete picture of your ethnicity. If your parents are alive, it would be helpful for you to have them take the test so you can better determine which DNA is from your mother and which is from your father. (By the way, Ancestry does a test for male and female. Some tests are for one or the other.)

Now using the relationship connections, you can begin working through lines to further your family tree. For instance, I have a surname of Troutt. My ancestors (that I know of) were in Virginia but I knew there was a line in Tennessee. I never could connect them but through this DNA, I have found that connection. I can now communicate with that cousin and hopefully will be able to attach them to my ancestor and move further back in my lines.  It does take time and patience to do this kind of research but it is well worth it. My mother's line had tons of people who have submitted their DNA so I think researching her lines will be much easier than for my dad. We have since taken by mom's DNA and are currently waiting for the results.

A special note, Ancestry is constantly improving their research and these improvements will benefit us. As they find more relatives or connections on my pedigree chart, they pass that info along to me. So don't forget to keep checking back to your results as you may find new relatives that have recently had their test or through new technology, you might get a more refined ethnicity chart.

So is taking a DNA test worth it, in my opinion, YES! I got a more precise knowledge of my roots and now have more people to communicate with in my research.

BOOT CAMP LESSON 12

Make a Personal Family History Book

This is something every single person can do. Keeping a personal family history book is easy and will help your family know the YOU that you really are. What is it that you want your family to remember about you? Include important facts about you as well as things of interest.This is an ongoing project. This is a great Family Home Evening activity and Sunday project.

You can set up your book anyway you like but I will show you how I set mine up and maybe this will help you with some ideas.  (I started this book many years ago but it is never too late to get started - just do it!)


1.  Start with a binder - I like the 2.5 or 3 inch 3 ring binders.   
(I started with one binder but then had to expand to two.)

2. Make a Table of Contents (think about your life and how you would like to divide it into subjects)
 My topics are: In the beginning (I include basic info and some pictures), Little girl days, School years, Places where I've lived, My friends, The family (my marriage and children), Ancestors (went only as far as my grandparents), Descendants (went down to my grandchildren), Court Records (copies of certificates like birth and wedding, etc.), Things I like to do (hobbies, talents, etc.), Poems from the heart (I like to write poems so did a whole section on this), and Bits n' Pieces (anything that doesn't fit anywhere else goes here).  You can label your categories however you like.

3.  First topic should include some important facts about you -
A 4-generation sheet and a fact sheet (basic facts about your life in one-two pages - include dates, places and names. Tell your name, your parent's and siblings, your spouse, and children....just the facts. You can elaborate later. ALWAYS give full names, dates, and places if known.
                        A good source to use when doing your basic info is from an Ensign article One hour life history.

4.  Use some cute dividers (or just plain is okay if that is your style :) I used a simple graphic program like Printmaster - very easy to use and cost was $5.00. Some programs are free so check the Internet.I also used colored cardstock for dividers and plastic inserts for everything included (bought in bulk at a big box store)


5.  I like to write a cover page for each topic. This is where you can go into detail about things in your life or interests.  For school years I told facts but also included fun stories. Be sure to include pictures - identify those in the picture and tell about where it was taken.
.                

6.  Don't forget to add the fun things about your life - hobbies and interests. Describe the items you insert. I like puzzles so I take pictures of them when completed then tell what that puzzle meant to me. If you like to quilt, tell about the quilts and why you made them. If you like photography, show some pictures of your progress - early pictures to your latest ones. If you play an instrument, tell the specifics about your talent and show pictures.
         

Bottom line, this is your book so put things in it that represent who you are. You can add some family pictures but most family pictures should be put into a Family - family history book. Be sure to tell about things (you can do the journal in a jar and sick the stories behind the topic that it applies to). You might want to write about lessons learned from doing different activities that have been included. Have fun with this book project and don't forget to keep adding to it as your life goes on.

BOOT CAMP LESSON 11

BIG MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DOING FAMILY HISTORY

It is the tendency of many to make some mistakes when they are doing research for their family lines. Please read about these mistakes and try to avoid them with your research.

1.  Don't Assume that what you see on your family tree is true - There are so many places online where you will be able to view your family tree. Don't assume that the info is correct. Best thing to do is to look for documentation and check out those sources.  Don't believe everything you see - even if it is in a book or on the Internet.

2.  Don't Jump to conclusions based on insufficient information - So many just assume that so and so is their ancestor because they lived in the right area at the right time. Use that info as a clue but look for more info to back up your conclusions.

3.  Don't Forget to document your sources - As mentioned in previous lessons, be sure to document where you get your information (and tell what you found exactly as stated on the document used - don't change the spelling or dates to what you think is correct).

4.  Don't accept family legends as factual - Use them as a clue but follow up with proper research. Grandpa said his ancestor came over on the Mayflower when in fact, it was just a story passed down. Check out those stories!

5.  Don't start by following a famous person in hopes that you are related - Do your research starting from you and going back. This is the only way you can be sure that you have the right family lines.

6.  Abbreviations are not always what you might think - NA might mean non applicable, naturalized, Native American or even Navy.

7.  Watch the dates! - It would be extremely unlikely that a woman 82 would deliver a child or that a child of 8 would be a parent.  If you see these kinds of things in your family tree, it should send up a red flag - INVESTIGATE!

8.  Don't get hung up with the spelling of a name - There are probably many different ways to spell a name so be sure to be open minded when researching. One of my family names is is spelled Zaring, Zahrung, Sayring, and many more - each sibling spells it differently.

9.  Don't forget to contact living members to get information - Gather that info before they are no longer able to give it to you.

10.  Places may change - People may cross borders - A town may change it's name or start in one county and then be listed in a different county. Be sure to check all the surrounding areas. Some towns disappear completely. My ancestor was born in a town that no longer exists but by submitting a query on a local genealogy board, someone from that area was able to send me info about the town and even a map to where it used to be. Also, there may be reason for your family to cross into a different town, county, or even state to get married, have children, die, or be buried. Check all of the surrounding areas.

11.  Not all of your information will be available to you online - You may have to actually visit an area to gather info first hand. There are still places (even in the US) that do not have their records recorded in any other place than their files. Don't give up - think out of the box. I have called mortuaries, cemeteries, names in a phone book, etc. and found some extremely valuable info that was not available anywhere on line.

12. Don't be too narrow with your research - Often families will settle in as neighbors. When checking out an area, expand your search to see if there are others with the same name that could possibly be related. If those names keep cropping up, there may be a connection (friends too as some friends move together to new locations). I call this "Walking through the neighborhood".

There are other things to be careful about but these are key points to remember.

BOOT CAMP - LESSON 10

WHY DO "I" NEED TO DO FAMILY HISTORY

Okay, so your whole life you have never had an interest in family history. You wanted nothing to do with any of it. That was a great hobby for your mom or uncle but not for you. You say, "Why do church leaders keep telling me that I need to do this? I am so busy and I don't have the time nor do I wish to take the time to learn how to do it." You kind of know the answers to these questions but you just aren't in a place in this time to act upon what you know is something that you are suppose to do. So why do they keep pressuring you?

Simple answer:  If YOU do nothing, then maybe nothing will be done. Your mom, your uncle, can't tell your story like you can tell it. Your family may not be united if you don't set the example. Your descendants may need your experiences to help them through a crisis or emotional support when they are sad, or validation that they have a purpose in life. You may be the one person that through your story or example, might be that ray of hope. Maybe you need that ray of hope from your ancestor. Or just maybe, you might be in the right place at the right time to receive vital information for an ancestor waiting for their eternal work to be done. If you are not receptive, you may miss this opportunity. Who loses? - that ancestor, YOU, and your descendants.

I have a son who recently told me that he has no interest in genealogy. Yes, I am the "family genealogist" and my children have let it be that way all of their lives. What he doesn't realize is that he actually is doing family history. First of all, he does go to the temple. He teaches his family both by example and by encouraging them to do the same. Before he goes to the temple, he asks me if there are any ancestor names that he can do. He once went to a cemetery with his dad to find an ancestor's grave and realized that it was kind of fun. He is a pilot and has layovers in some places where his ancestors are buried so has volunteered to do a little photo taking of family names in different cemeteries. He accepts challenges through his ward and stake to do Indexing (although he doesn't do it on a regular basis, he does participate in challenges). He holds regular family home evenings where his family is taught gospel and family values. He enforces family traditions. He and his family take lots of pictures. His wife makes sure that they are organized and shared with family. He keeps his family closely in touch with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. No, he may not be doing genealogical research, but he is doing FAMILY HISTORY.

We as genealogist can help those who are not into research by encouraging them to do "Family History" - in other words, expand on the things that makes a family important to each other and to those later generations. Those of you that are not into research, encourage your children to be strong family members, to participate in some family history making projects. Try to encourage them to do something - even it doesn't seem like much, every little bit they do might open an opportunity for something bigger. Keep a journal, write your family history, organize photos into a book and tell a story about them, search a cemetery for ancestors, have family home evenings, be strong in traditions, attend the temple, and most of all, set the example.

Family History is about FAMILY. It's not just researching for ancestors even though that is very important. It's not about taking huge blocks of time. It's about helping family feel connected. To share the love that our ancestors had for their family and the love we have of our family with the love we hope our descendants will have for their family. DO SOMETHING!

Boot Camp - LESSON 9 - Documentation

Documentation - How important is it?

So you have been doing genealogy research since you were 11 and have thousands of names in your data base. Your distant cousin (that you haven't met but found on Facebook and now wants to trade information with you) wants you to tell him where you got your information. You ask why. He said he's trying to prove that a particular line is actually his line. You look at your records and see that you have no documentation. All of those years of research and no proof that any of it is real. You can't tell him anything. OOPS!

How important is documentation?  VERY! I have a family (on Family Trees) where I have hit a brick wall with this line. I have exhausted all known resources so far. I was on FamilySearch the other day and saw that someone had linked my ancestor up with a wife (I had the first name but no last name). She now has a last name, she has parents, and now there are several kids added to this family. I was so surprised, excited, then suspicious.

I saw no documentation for this wife with a new last name. I did some research and did find this lady with the new kids that were added to my family BUT no matter where I looked, there was no mention of MY ancestor. The child I had with a father and a mother with no last name now was with a family that didn't make sense. I wrote to the lady who added this name to Family Tree but have not yet heard back from her. I found on Ancestry this family (the mother with the new last name) - again, my ancestor was not listed but this wife with a husband (the same as my ancestor's name) and three children. were listed.  Where is the proof that this wife was actually the mother of my ancestor? Now I have a situation. They have linked everyone up, done temple work for all new additions and sealed everyone. I will be very excited if this truly is my family but there is no proof. I have seen way too often where someone sees a family in a location that is about the right time frame so they think this is their family. That might not be the case.

Documentation is so important. If you find a family that you think might be your family, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Make sure you make notes of where you got your information (be as complete as possible about your source) and record exactly what is shown on the document (or save the actual document - you can link these up on Family Tree). If you have a feeling but no real documentation, say that. Identify yourself and say that you believe that this family is connected but have no real proof. A statement like this will remind you (as well as tell others) that you need to do more research. (I put these names in my personal files - like my Roots Magic program. I mark them with an * to let me know that I still need to find proof of this person or relationship.)

For more information on sources (documentation) in Family Tree click HERE,
Why sources are valuable - click HERE.
Document as you go (Family Search) - click HERE.

So what do you do if you have done all of this research and have not documented any of it? Get Started! Go back to the first person and start documenting. You will find some fun things will happen while you do this. You will get to know your ancestors better, you will find mistakes you (or someone) may have made along the way, and you might just break through some of those brick walls as you find your ancestors. You may even come across some really interesting stories along the way.  What a fun family project! My goal is to have good documentation on every single name in my tree.

FYI - Unfortunately, I did not have my documentation linked to this family. I have it in my personal files but neglected to do the follow through and connect it in Family Trees. I am as much to blame as the person that added these other family members to my ancestors. We all have areas that need improving :) 

Boot Camp - Lesson 8 Let's Get Organized (Photos)

Lesson 8 - Let's Get Organized!

It's a new year and time to clean up and organize. We often use this time of year to go through our house and chuck out old and unused items - to clean up and get organized. Today we will discuss organizing photos - mainly digital photos. If you are like me, you have collected thousands of photos and now don't know what to do with them. This method can work for physical pictures also.

If we are very lucky, we have a few pictures of our ancestors. How grateful we are for them. In the days of our ancestors, most did not have a camera and relied on one or two professional pictures of themselves and their family. In today's world, the digital world, we snap pictures of absolutely everything and everyone wherever we go. In a matter of seconds, we can collect hundreds of pictures - some treasures, some silly and worthless, and hundreds of places, animals, and people we don't really care about. The interesting thing about pictures is that we have a very hard time getting rid of even the worst pictures. I also have had the bad habit of "saving" my pictures to all kinds of devices so that I won't lose them (knowing how computers can crash or cameras break) only to now have 20 duplicates of all those meaningless photos. So what do we do? How do we decide what to keep and what to discard? Well, let's get organized! We will be sorting our photos. Just like our house, we will keep the good and chuck out the waste.

Step 1 - Make a file on your computer (or external storage if you need something with a lot of space). Give this file a name like MASTER FILE (under the Pictures section).

Step 2 - Divide the Master file by setting up two files under the master file
     KEEP  - Most pictures that you like and want to keep will go into this file. You will want to make sub folders in this file to help organize your pictures even more.
     TRASH - All pictures that have no meaning to you, duplicates, poor quality, etc. BE STRONG! This may be hard to do but get rid of all of those extra pictures that have little or no meaning to you or to the next generation.

Make sub folders if you wish to sort more thoroughly. For instance, under my Keep file, I have my pictures in years. As I am sorting out pictures in years, I might add more folders for particular events like Family Reunion, trip to Alaska, etc. I will place those sub folders under the year it applies to. (2014 - sub folder Alaska Trip)

Make one of the folders a TREASURE folder. - Limit to "treasure" pictures - ones that you would like to print out and pass down. Think about the photos you treasure of your ancestors to help guide you for this group. For photos in this group, copy from the keep file the ones that you really want as a treasure then paste the copy into the treasure folder.



Step 3 - Go through all of your pictures and make the decision to put each picture into one of these two folders. Be sure to trash all photos that would not look good if printed (blurry, people you don't know, places that mean nothing to you, etc.) Also trash all duplicates. Be strong with yourself. You know what pictures mean nothing to you or that would look bad printed. Remember, you are housecleaning your photos. To do a quick sort, just put all of your pictures in one of the two folders then when you are done, go back and divide the Keep folder into sub folders. This is a double step but it will go faster if you have tons to sort through.

Step 4 - Do a quick look through your trash folder to make sure that these are pictures that you can part with and then DELETE THESE PICTURES. Get rid of them. Don't let them clutter your computer for another minute! (You will be surprised how you won't miss these at all.)

Step 5 - Now go through your Treasure pictures. This is the group you are going to carefully name and organize. Try to identify and date if possible. It would be good to print these pictures and put in a book that can be shared.

Step 6 - Save this Keep folder in more than one place. Copy and paste this Master folder onto an external drive or to the cloud. Be sure to share these pictures with your extended family.

Step 7 - All new pictures will need to be treated immediately. If downloading from a camera or phone, make sure to drop them into a "temporary" folder. Now delete all "trash" related pictures, put your new pictures into the Keep file under the year (and group)or however you have chosen to set up your folders. If you have pictures to add to your Treasure folder, be sure to label them carefully and put them into your Master File Treasure folder. Every so often, update your files that you have kept in other locations by deleting the old file and replacing it with the new. (The reason for deleting the old is that it no longer contains all of the pictures you have collected as you have since added new pictures. Since the old files are not complete, delete them and replace them with this new complete folder)

Share your pictures with your family by printing out picture books or displaying them in a digital picture frame. Pictures help us remember memories of events in our lives. Make sure that your family will remember these events in their lives through the pictures you have organized!

BOOT CAMP - Lesson 7 - Traditions

TRADITIONS

Christmas always seems to be a time for traditions. Most of us have some traditions that we grew up with and have continued as adults with our family. Now would be a great time to write down the traditions of your family as a child and those of your family today. Tell about your traditions on your family tree! If you don't have any traditions, maybe this would be a good year to start some!

What are traditions?
Traditions are behaviors and actions that you engage in again and again - regular rituals that you perform at the same time and/or in the same way. Traditions, when done right, lend a certain magic, spirit, and texture to our everyday lives.

7 Reasons why traditions are important - by Frank Sonnenberg

• Tradition contributes a sense of comfort and belonging. It brings families together and enables people to reconnect with friends.
• Tradition reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless.
• Tradition provides a forum to showcase role models and celebrate the things that really matter in life.
• Tradition offers a chance to say “thank you” for the contribution that someone has made.
• Tradition enables us to showcase the principles of our Founding Fathers, celebrate diversity, and unite as a country.
• Tradition serves as an avenue for creating lasting memories for our families and friends.
• Tradition offers an excellent context for meaningful pause and reflection.

This Christmas season take some time to gather the family and discuss the importance of your family traditions. (This would be a great Family Home Evening!) Most of all, have a wonderful Christmas.

BOOT CAMP Lesson 6 Thankful for the Memories

THANKFUL FOR THE MEMORIES
 

While pondering a lesson for November, I was reminded of a Thanksgiving many years ago and  thought it would be a good lesson for this month. The topic for this month's lesson will about recording family memories for future generations.

With the holidays upon us, many of us will be visiting with family - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and friends too! Now is the perfect time to record some of their history. In order to do this, go well equipped. You will need the correct tools to record these wonderful memories. Let's discuss some of what you will need to prepare yourself.

1 - A Plan - Plan ahead, even if you aren't sure that the opportunity might arise, if you have some items with you and have some simple preparation, you can do an interview on the fly. Attend your gathering with a "thought" and a "plan" to glean information from your family.

2 - Equipment - It is imperative that you have some kind of recording devices to save these memories that you want to acquire. The most basic is to use a cell phone for pictures and or videos. Better yet is a digital camera for live videos and still photos. You may also want to bring along a little digital tape recorder. Make sure everything is in at least digital format (or whatever is the most current mode of recording) so you will be able to easily transfer it to Family Tree or some other keepsake like a video or photo album. If you have a portable scanner, not a bad idea to take it with you but don't forget, your cell phone or camera may also be used to record documents and printed pictures (like those on a wall or in an album).

3 - Outline - Decide ahead of time what you are wanting from those at your gathering. Be prepared so you don't waste time and frustrate those you want to interview. Be organized in how you go about getting what you want.

PHOTOS - Be sure to know your camera before you go to your family gathering. Make sure the batteries are fully charged. Have a card large enough to record all the videos and pictures you would like (you may need an extra battery and extra cards). Take as many pictures as you can because you will wish you had more and the "right time" may never come along again.

INTERVIEW - Definitely have a plan for interviewing. There are a few different ways to glean stories from family. Some people are very nervous about sharing or talking about themselves and their lives. Many think their lives are unimportant and feel there is nothing to talk about. You can take different approaches. You can ask questions - probably starting with their childhood and moving through their life. Another is to record a friendly family gathering with some leading questions to inspire the discussion. Be sure to include the important things in a person's life like names, dates, places, etc. Don't forget to get the stories! Watch this short video to help with some ideas. There are lots of ideas online with questions to ask and how to make others feel comfortable while being interviewed. Be sure to record the questions as well as the response from the person being interviewed as their response may not be clear without the question.

29 Fun Ways to Excite Your Family with Family History

Fun Ways to Get

Your Family into Family History

1. Tell your children the stories of your childhood. Help them see their ancestors as real

people by inviting grandparents and other family members to share their personal life

2. Plan an evening meal around a traditional food from someplace an ancestor lived, i.e.

Irish corned beef and cabbage, German sauerbraten, Italian gnocchi, Mexican

enchiladas, Native American wild rice and cranberries, Louisiana jambalaya or

Maryland-style crabcakes.

3. Using a map of the United States and US Census records (or a pedigree chart), trace

the migration of ancestors from state to state. Have little ones color in the states

where their ancestors lived.

4. Experience what life was like for your ancestors before homes had electricity. Don’t use

anything electrical for 24 hours (but be sure to keep your refrigerator and freezer

5. Create a “Who Am I?” family history trivia game with questions that can only be

answered by searching your pedigree chart.

6. Show your child photos of her ancestors and talk to her about characteristics she might

have inherited from an ancestor, such as red hair, freckles, or bushy eyebrows.

7. Help an older child or teenager locate an ancestor in a US Census between 1880 and

1940. Ask him questions about that person’s occupation, birthplace, education,

immigration date, etc.

8. Take your family on a “Family History Field Trip” to places where your ancestors lived

or worked. Or download googleearth and fly off to visit those places.

9. Visit cemeteries in person or online at findagrave.com and billiongraves.com and see how

many ancestors’ graves you can find.

10. Research historical events that took place during your ancestors’ lives. Talk about how

those events might have impacted them.

11. Include your children in a dramatic presentation of an event from your own or an

ancestor’s life. Make simple costumes to make it more fun.

12. Print an online template and create a jigsaw puzzle from an ancestor’s photo or a

favorite family photo.

13. Make a time capsule. Place various items that are important to you and your family (i.e.

a family photo, a movie ticket, school papers, family artwork, etc) in a sturdy box. Set

a date to open it but don’t forget where you hid it.

14. Print a fan chart from www.familysearch.org and turn it into a puzzle. Help your

children match each person with their parents.

15. Research the meaning of each family member’s given name. Find out if your name had

particular importance to your parents. If you were named after an ancestor, find out

more about that person.

16. Create a “Family Faces Bingo” game with photos of ancestors and family members or

simply write the name of an ancestor in each square.

17. Find out what your ancestors might have done for fun where they lived 100 years ago,

such as square dancing or pulling taffy.

18. Make a “Matching Game” for younger children by making two copies of 15 or 20 family

pictures. Add names to the “Matching Game” cards to create a game of “Go Fish.”

19. Do a little research and find out how to make your own butter or soap. Use this for a

family home evening activity.

20. Create a picture pedigree chart by placing a small photo by each ancestor’s name.

21. Celebrate with food by making Grandma’s apple pie or Papa’s famous meatloaf. Talk

about their lives as you enjoy their recipes.

22. Print a blank pedigree for your child and help her fill it out, starting with herself.

Make a simple frame and hang it in her room.

23. Visit a grandparent or another older family member and have an older child or teen

conduct a family history interview.

24. Help your child create a timeline for the life of one of his ancestors.

25. Visit http://www.comehome.net/ and involve your children in creating a Family Website

where you can share photos, recipes, gift lists, etc. with close and extended family

26. Help your children research the meaning and ethnic origin of their surname or those of

27. Help your scout-age son fulfill the requirements necessary to earn his Genealogy Merit

Badge. Or help your Cub Scout complete the family tree activity.

28. Enter the names of your ancestors into Google Books at (https://books.google.com). You

might be surprised by what you find.

29. Bring your family to the Family History Center and travel through time as you look for

your ancestors in some of the premium websites available there for free.

BOOT CAMP - Lesson 5 - Using the Help Section of Family Search

It seems like many of us don't want to get started on a project as big as researching our family lines because we just don't know what to do, how to start, where to go for information, what to do with the information once we get it, and so forth.  Well, today we are going to explore the HELP section of Family Search.

1.  Go to FamilySearch.org (you don't have to log in but it is good to do so - see Boot Camp Lesson 1 for instructions how to sign up and/or sign in.

2.  Now, look in the uppermost Right Hand Corner to where it says "GET HELP".  This is the answer to most of your questions concerning research, using Family Search, adding names to your Family Tree (as well as photos, stories, etc.) and so much more.

3.  There are 2 sections.  Let's discuss each of these sections individually.

A.  CONTACT US - This is for that one-on-one help that is needed at times.  There are 4 ways to actually get help in the contact section.
     - You can CALL them.  The phone number for the help area is shown for your country.
     - You can do LIVE CHAT.  This is really fun but know that you will actually be typing your questions to someone live - meaning you will get an immediate answer because there will be someone on the other end of your chat actually answering your questions.  You should have a decent Internet connection or your session may time-out. You will have to answer a couple of questions before you start (name, email, and phone number as well as select a number that refers to the department of your question - Family Search, memories, research etc. - they will show you the list)
     - The next way is to MESSAGE them.  This is an email conversation.  You will need to supply your name, email, phone, and question. You send a question and they will first send a letter letting you know that they got your email then they will send you a response by email (although, I have had some of them call me as well as email).
     - Then there is FIND LOCAL HELP - This will direct you to the nearest Family History Center for assistance
     -  Also under the Contact Us section is REMOTE CONNECT and MY CASES.  Remote connect is where you will download a program that will allow a member of the Help team actually connect to  your computer and work within your computer - they from a different location thus remote.  This is helpful if you need some help - like in Family Tree - and you just don't understand their instructions on how to fix a problem.  The team member can access your computer (only with your approval) and actually fix the problem as if they were sitting right there with you working on your computer.  For your cases, sometimes you have an issue that the team needs to fix.  They will give you a case number. You can refer to this case number to see how things are progressing with the help or corrections.

B. SELF HELP - This is just like it sounds, you can use these links to help yourself find the answers you are looking for. (If you can't find your answer, try the contact methods listed above).
     -  QUICK START TO FAMILY SEARCH - This is a short 3.34 minute fun video explaining what Family Search has to offer.  It also shows how FamilySearch got started.
     -  GETTING STARTED - This actually takes you to a page that will give you links to specific areas to begin your work on FamilySearch,  1) Discover your story, 2) Explore your family tree, and 3) Find your ancestors. Each will take you to another page to help you in those areas.  Be sure to explore these and follow the links to learn more about these topics. While you are at those pages, click back to the HELP section and if you see the words QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, click on it.  This will bring up some of the most popular questions with answers to help you understand how to use these parts of Family Search.
     -  HELP CENTER - This has tons of the most popular questions asked about research and Family Search.  Pick a topic you wish to know more about then pick a question - or write in your question in the space provided.
     -  THE LEARNING CENTER - This is my favorite.  They have just about every topic you can think of covered in a lesson.  This is a How To section. Most lessons are in video format but many have PDF's to look at and some even have handouts.  These are taught by very experienced people in the topic discussed. It tells you how long the video is - 5 minutes to over an hour.  Be sure to have a decent Internet connection to watch.
     -  RESEARCH WIKI - WIKI is a resource center. It mostly covers locations and some topics.  Whereas FamilySearch covers mostly people, WIKI will help with locations.  Note: There are some display changes coming to WIKI so if you look at it today, it may look differently tomorrow but the same info will be there.
     -  WHAT'S NEW - This will let you know of any recent changes in Family Search. It tell what has recently been added to Family Search and some changes to how to use things in your Family Tree.  This is helpful if you see changes and don't understand them.

So that's it!  When you are working on Family Search or in Family Tree, don't forget to look up at the HELP section for updated information, how to do something, or to ask a question....don't forget that Live Chat can help you RIGHT NOW!  Have fun learning!

BOOT CAMP - Lesson 4 - Cemetery Searches

 Cemetery Searches

First an explanation about these programs.  People just like all of us go out into the cemeteries, take pictures, write down all information found at each grave (birth, death, etc) then post it to one of these programs.  Each program has specific details on how to submit information but anyone can participate. Once info is posted online, it is available free of charge to all of us searching our family. Great things can be found in some of these cemetery records - pictures, family history, obituaries, names of parents and siblings.  NOTE: not all info posted is correct as many gravestones are difficult to read and sometimes the person taking the info does not write it down correctly.  Also, some info on Find a Grave especially, may be submitted without ever finding the actual headstone (someone who has info about a person and their burial info can actually post it as though they actually found it in the cemetery). Sometimes this info can be incorrect also (I know because I have found some instances on both of these situations).

Let's start with Find a Grave - found at www.findagrave.com

The HOME page has 4 sections from which to choose.  (Find Famous Graves, Find Graves, Questions and Answers, and Forums, Store, etc.)

- Choose Search Grave Records (under Find Graves).  Type in a name of a deceased person and see what happens.  If you have specifics like birth or death and location, enter it but if you find nothing, start removing some info. If you still find nothing, try removing different info and leaving different info. Also try the full name. Again, if you get nothing, try just a letter for the first name and the full last name.  You need a last name but if you know of alternate spellings, you might try them. If you have an unusual last name, search for it and see who all come up!

-  You can also try Search for a Cemetery (Cemetery Look-up). If you don't know the name of the cemetery, just type in the state and county and all of the cemeteries that have been entered (some cemeteries have not had their info submitted) will show. Once you find a cemetery and select it, you can search through the whole cemetery (in ABC order) or do a search from within the cemetery by typing in a name.

Note: If you have a question or might want further info on a person, check to see who submitted the information.  Often you can email them or ask them a question.  Some are great to answer. I even had a man go back to the cemetery for me and looked up some additional information.

Billion Graves found at www.billiongraves.com - this is very similar to Find a Grave. People take pictures with their phones (after they have registered and downloaded the app) then they upload the pictures.  Other people transcribe the data from the pictures for the website. Then the information is available for searches.

Headstone Search - type in a name (use info as stated above for Find a Grave). If you want to put in more information, click on the words "Check out the Advanced Search Page". This will open a page with the options Person Look-up or Cemetery Look-up.

There is a lot more available at both of these sites so after you've done a few searches, take a look around the sites and see the other information they offer.

WORLD WIDE INDEXING EVENT

What does it mean to “Fuel the Find?” Indexed records are like the fuel that gives FamilySearch.org  the power to connect people to their missing family members.  Every name you index adds another drop of precious fuel that can help someone else to find their ancestors.

You can help Fuel the Find! 

A service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Historical records, documents, important moments in our ancestors’ lives are recorded and are often kept in archives around the world. 

FamilySearch volunteers create digital photographs of millions of these records. These digital images are sent to FamilySearch for publication online. Volunteers index (transcribe) information from the images to make it searchable by computer. Indexed information is like “fuel” that helps people search billions of names in seconds. Indexing also powers “hinting” — where the computer automatically displays records that match information about your ancestors. It has never been easier to find information about your ancestors.

You can help Fuel the Find!

The Worldwide Indexing Event is coming August 7-14, 2015, and this year it’s one week long! Join volunteers from around the world to help “Fuel the Find”. You have one week to participate by indexing at least one batch in the language of your choice. If you are fluent in a non-English language, challenge yourself by helping to index in that language. We are especially looking for help indexing French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish records.

This year we’re going for a record 100,000 volunteers (the current one-week record is 91,721), but big numbers mean more when we’re helping meet the greatest need. English speakers have billions of records to search on FamilySearch.org—20 times more than all other languages combined! Let’s help everyone across the world to find their ancestors too! All it takes is one batch indexed sometime during the week to be counted.

So please join this wonderful World Wide Indexing Event.  

Remember, all information on FamilySearch.org 

is FREE.

BOOT CAMP Lesson 3

Summertime is always so busy but there are some things that you can do with your family to bring a little "Family History" into your home.  This bootcamp will focus on "the group" and things you can do for Family Home Evening, at a Family Reunion, or just to keep the kids busy. Use your imagination and pick some activities this month (and all summer) to help everyone do a little something in the Family History department.

1.  Journal writing - Using a loose leaf binder, as often as you wish (every day - once a week), you choose a topic and write about it.  Be sure to date your page and give it a title. I like to use the "Journal in a Jar" method.  It makes choosing a topic more fun.  

2.  Cemetery Scavenger Hunt - Take the family (or group) to a local cemetery and have them look for fun things - like someone who fought in the Civil War, or the Oldest person in the cemetery.  HERE are some more fun things to do at a cemetery.

3.  Online Detective - Another scavenger hunt type of thing but doing it online. Have everyone look for topics to do with your family tree - like find out how much a carpenter made in the 1700's, 1800's and today, type in the family last name to see what all comes up, find out what kinds of houses your ancestors may have lived in during the 1800's, etc.

4.  Food - have an Ancestral Meal where you cook only things from a time period and country of one of your ancestors.  Try to cook using only the utensils that they may have used.

5.  Family Game - Make a game using pictures of your ancestors (or your family now!).  Examples might be:  Bingo, Life, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, etc.  

6.  Recipe Book - When gathering everyone together this summer, have them bring their favorite recipes and family stories about food.  Put them together for a treasured memory.

Now, use your imagination and think of something YOUR family can do this summer to either make family history for future generations or bring the past to the present by learning about your ancestors.

***  Please let us know some of the fun things that you or your ward members have done.

BOOT CAMP - Lesson 2 - Updating Individual Information

Summer is coming and that means there will be lots of time for families to gather whether it be for picnics, visiting, special family nights, or family reunions.  What a great time to ask the "family history" questions.  Last month you practiced moving around in your family tree on Family Search.  This month let's try to fill in some of those empty spaces and do some fun things along the way. (Refresher of last month click HERE)

ASSIGNMENT:
1.  Check out your Family Tree - start by signing in (remember this is found on FamilySearch).

2.  Pick an ancestor (let's start with someone deceased but close to you like a parent or grandparent)

3.  Click on their name then click on Person. You should be in the Details View.  Look over the details to see that everything is correct and that no major information is missing.   HERE IS A BIG HELP - look to the right side column. You might see a section that says RECORD HINTS.  Click on some of them and see what they have available.  Isn't this a great feature?  If something is missing, then this is where you should start.  If there are no record hints, check with family members still living to see if they have some information that can help fill in some of those blanks. If they don't, try a search (on Family Search) to see if there is something that will help you find this missing info).

4.  Update the info for your ancestor (if you forgot how or need help click HERE).  Be sure when you review the info that you click REVIEW AND ATTACH if this is correct information for your ancestor.  This will document the information so others will know that this is correct.

FYI - Some names may be spelled incorrectly or information incorrect even to the point you might not think it is your relative.  Click on the name anyway just to check it out.  You might be surprised at what you find.

5.  While you are in the Person view, click on Ordinances to make sure all of their temple work has been done.

6.  If you have time and feel confident to do more, check out the Memories section.  Here you can add photos, stories, and even audio files.  We will get into this memory section in more detail later but check it out and try it if you like.

7.  Move on to the next ancestor and repeat this process.  Your goal is to make sure all temple work is done for your family and to do your best at making sure their information is correct.

Relative Finder

RELATIVE FINDER
by Julie 

Ever wonder if you've got some long-lost cousins out there? Relative Finder allows you to see how you are related to other people’s friends, coworkers, prophets, historical figures, and more! Relative Finder, is a certified program from The Family History Technology Lab which is part of the Computer Science Department at Brigham Young University. It is found at www.relativefinder.org.

In order to use Relative Finder, you must have an account with FamilySearch. Login in to Relative Finder using your FamilySearch account login and password and discover who your are related to.

In the Sandpoint Stake we have a group you can join. Using your mouse, hover over the word "groups" then click Join. In the search field type Sandpoint Idaho Stake   (spaces between words - you may need to use caps but no punctuation). The password is   MyFamily   -  no spaces but use caps on M and F.  In Settings you may also edit your display name. If you are a woman you can include your married name so others in the stake can identify you. FamilySearch lists women by their maiden names yet in Relative Finder you can hyphenate it to also include your married name. (If your birth name is Mary Jones but your married name is Smith you can use your name as Mary Jones-Smith.)  For help, contact your ward consultant or Family History Director. 

Check with your stake to see if you have a group.  If not, maybe you can be the one to start it.  You can make a group for your family, your friends, clubs, etc.  It is a wonderfully fun site so check it out!

BOOT CAMP - LESSON 1 - Getting started on Family Tree

Every month we will have help for you to get started or progress in your search for family information.

Use these training ideas to help you learn the ins and outs of Family History. 

For additional help, email us at
SandpointStakeFamilyHistory@gmail.com

It helps to have an interest in your family to go from the - Yeah, I love my family - to - I love my family enough to help us be united for eternity.  Help your love for your family grow by getting involved in your family history.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has taken the work out of Family History. Find our family and their information has become so much easier. Today we are going to take the very first step to learning how to do Family History. Some of you may be long past this stage and for you, I encourage you to keep going.  For those of you who have not started doing any kind of research, let's start at the beginning.  This information will also be very helpful for those you are teaching.

START AT THE BEGINNING

We will be working with Family Search and a few sites that will not only be interesting and informative, but also fun. Just click on the highlighted words to get more information as you go along.

This month we will be getting the "feel" for Family Search.  You will get logged on and do some simple exploring before we actually get started on researching. Take some time to look at your family tree and follow through on some of the lessons available.

ASSIGNMENT:  

1. Log onto or sign up for an account.  

To Log on - Go to Family Search home page and in the upper right hand corner (using your LDS account or your Family Search user name and password) click on Sign-In.

To open a new account - Go to the  home page of Family Search in the upper right hand corner and click on Free Account or click HERE (watch video) to learn how to sign up.  You do not have to be a member of the church to sign up for an account.  Note:  You will get a message in your email that you will need to confirm to finish the account sign up.  

2.  Now let's learn a bit about using the Family Tree - click HERE for basic instruction on how to use Family Tree.   Practice some of the things taught and be sure to "connect" YOU with your ancestral lines if that has not been done.  If you still do not understand this step, please ask your ward/branch consultant for help, visit your Family History Center, or email me at SandpointStakeFamilyHistory@gmail.com.

NOTE: Family Tree mostly works with deceased people.  If your parents are still living, you will need to manually add them - refer to the instructions given in step #2.

This course will help you get a good start on understanding Family Tree.  We will discuss many of these topics covered in more detail in future newsletters.  HERE is another place to go if you have questions.

by Diane (Sandpoint Stake Family History Consultant)

Family Home Evening

This last week for Family Home Evening, our son and his family came for dinner and a lesson.  Our lesson was on Family History.  We started by watching a cute little video to help start everyone off with an interest in doing family history.  After the video, we divided into groups.  I had 4 computers and assigned 2 or more to each computer.  My mother lives with us so my son was assigned to her. The oldest child was assigned to my husband, the next child to me, and their mom took the two little ones to help with her assignment.

Each child (counting my son - the dad of these kids - as a child) was to interview their person about a parent or a grandparent.  As the interview went along, the child typed what was being said in a word program.  When all was finished, each group then made sure the writing was corrected then published it on our Family Tree in FamilySearch.  It was more of a training assignment to teach how easy it is to add information to your ancestral lines.  Everyone was excited to actually accomplish this goal.

My daughter-in-law also ended up contacting FamilySearch by live chat to help her resolve a problem in her family tree.  She had her son (who is living) in there twice.  With the help of the "live chat" person (you can find this in the upper right hand corner of the FamilySearch screen under Help), she was able to delete one of the accounts so she now only has one child by that name.,

This was a fun and very successful family home evening and a great way to help others learn how simple it is to add information to their Family Tree.

For more information on how you can add stories to your family tree, go to FamilySearch.org and sign in (you will need to open an account to get to your own family tree - if you are a member of the LDS Church, use your record number.  This is a FREE program for everyone - not only members of the church).  Once you have signed in, you will see YOU as the first person.  You will then need to link your family members to you.  This program mostly works with deceased people.  You will need to manually add the living relatives to your tree.  When you get to a deceased person, try doing a search to see if they are already in the system somewhere.  When you find the right person, click to add them to your tree line.  If they were not in the system, you will need to also manually add them.

Once a person is added to your line, you can add photos, stories, and much more.  Go to FamilySearch and click on the Learning Center (click on Help in the upper right hand corner and then click on the learning center) or click HERE.

For more information and/or help, go to your local Family History Center for some one-on-one assistance.

Newsletter to your email

We have now set up an email request for everyone that would like to hear more of what's going on in Family History and to offer encouragement to help you with your family history.  Look to the RIGHT side of this blog and fill in your email address.  You will be asked to follow through with the request by putting in the code and then going to your email folder, open up the email sent by FeedBurner and click on the link in blue.  That's it!

You will receive the actual post on this blog right in your email.  We will send announcements of activities in the area, hints that will help you with your research, some learning ideas to help you with problem areas you might be having when trying to use the computer or some of the genealogy programs.

Please feel free to email us at FHCsandpoint@gmail.com with questions or ideas of what you would like to learn.  We are here to help you.

This is for anyone and everyone - even if you don't live anywhere near Sandpoint, Idaho.  Go ahead, sign up now!

SEARCH YOUR FAMILY HISTORY - FREE

Everyone is always welcome at the Family History Centers.  It is FREE and one on one help is available to guide you in your search for your ancestors.  For information about times and locations, look in your phone book and find the nearest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Give them a call and they will be happy to direct you to the nearest Family History Center in your area. 

To begin finding your family online with FREE website services, go to www.familysearch.org.  You may begin searching millions of records for your family anywhere in the world.  If you register, you will be able to build a FREE online Family Tree.  Any of your family members will be able to contribute to this tree as it will be open to all of your family (once they register and connect to a deceased relative).  You will also be available to view lessons FREE from how to begin your research to how to do specialized research in a different country.  This is without a doubt the very BEST site to begin or continue your search for your family and it's FREE.  

100 Websites for Genealogy

Genealogy In Time presented this wonderful list of websites for 2014.  CHECK THEM OUT!!!

2014 Top Websites for 2014