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Edgewood New Mexico FamilySearch Center/Class Notes (view source)
Revision as of 15:02, 22 March 2023
, 22 March 2023Add recap for March 22, 2023 class. Add years to all recaps.
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''All of the classes for 2023 are being recorded. To see the videos, please contact Craig Noorlander at the FamilySearch Center.'' | ''All of the classes for 2023 are being recorded. To see the videos, please contact Craig Noorlander at the FamilySearch Center.'' | ||
=== Maneuvering Through the New Person Page in FamilySearch (January | === Maneuvering Through the New Person Page in FamilySearch (January 25, 2023) === | ||
Marjorie Kraus alerted us that the Person Page in ''FamilySearch'' was changing its format effective the end of February 2023. Here are some of the changes. | Marjorie Kraus alerted us that the Person Page in ''FamilySearch'' was changing its format effective the end of February 2023. Here are some of the changes. | ||
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For more details on this class, visit the FamilySearch Center where there should be copies of the handout for this class. | For more details on this class, visit the FamilySearch Center where there should be copies of the handout for this class. | ||
=== How to Index (February | === How to Index (February 22, 2023) === | ||
Craig Noorlander taught this class. He admitted he was not an expert on the topic, but he got a good overview from visiting the ''RootsTech 2023'' website and searching on Indexing. He found a video from a previous ''RootsTech'' presentation titled "Tips and Tricks for Indexing" particularly useful. There were 64 results to investigate for more information. | Craig Noorlander taught this class. He admitted he was not an expert on the topic, but he got a good overview from visiting the ''RootsTech 2023'' website and searching on Indexing. He found a video from a previous ''RootsTech'' presentation titled "Tips and Tricks for Indexing" particularly useful. There were 64 results to investigate for more information. | ||
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If a page looks too hard to read, don't mark it as "No" or "No, it can't be indexed." Just go to your batches and check it to be sent to someone else to process. | If a page looks too hard to read, don't mark it as "No" or "No, it can't be indexed." Just go to your batches and check it to be sent to someone else to process. | ||
=== Write Your Life Story and Theirs (March 22, 2023) === | |||
Handouts [https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrHHf5ZOT8QsLN8jcCCPxFLZw1BMCgI/view?usp=share_link 1] [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sJNcub80eeMFYEWtB7N2XfkABU8t-VUd/view?usp=share_link 2] [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H85euq0cP6TfSbvjxks0ujjDXSSBIuw5/view?usp=share_link 3] [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q-Fzi__WzHhdxpD1ptIAHK7P6kKsnybx/view?usp=share_link 4] | |||
William Barrett, the instructor for this class, wrote his own personal life story in 2019. He found it difficult yet extremely useful and said "It brought great calm to my life. The bad wasn't so bad, and the good was better." He didn't publish his story to the world, but he gave copies to his children and grandchildren. Although it is just a story to him, to his descendants, it is HISTORY. | |||
Much of Barrett's presentation draws from the book ''Family Focused: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Your Autobiography and Family History'' by Janice T. Dixon. | |||
Barrett's entire slide presentation with notes is in Handout 1, but below are a few standout items. | |||
* Don't sit down in front of a blank screen or pad of paper expecting to write your entire history. Start like eating an elephant: one chunk at a time. | |||
* Don't worry about organization. That will come later. Just keep things in chronological order at first to facilitate finding things. | |||
* Write about turning points in your life first which will help you remember more details. A turning point can be either a sad or happy thing, like a death or a marriage. | |||
* Make it interesting. This shouldn't be a recitation of genealogical events or a resume. Include compelling details, but be concise. Don't bore with mundane details. Don't be afraid to let your feelings show. Put humor into it. | |||
* How should you end your story? If writing your story hasn't caused you to expire, you may be tempted to continue writing. Just end it. You can always put out a second edition or a sequel. | |||
The next part of the class focused on writing your family history. The previous tips will be helpful, but there is more to consider. | |||
* Why write your family history? Children need to know more about their ancestors than just their unsmiling, stiff faces. They need to know their ancestors as warm, real people. | |||
* How do you write it? First, gather up all the stories, documents, and photographs that you can. This is critical. Start with one person, one incident, and go from there. | |||
* Decide on the scope. Should you write about one or multiple generations? A multi-generational book can turn into more of a genealogical reference. You want to make sure you are writing more human stories than just a collection of facts. | |||
* Set the scene by giving background, otherwise family stories can become sterile. Investigate historical newspapers, especially small-town weeklies for background information. | |||
Some more suggestions (which also apply to your own story) are as follows: | |||
* Write an outline to organize your story. A timeline is a good thing to base your outline on. | |||
* Sift out important points. | |||
* Document your sources. Use ''RecordSeek'' (recordseek.com) to facilitate this. | |||
* Try to walk in your ancestors' shoes. | |||
* Pull it all together. Be accurate and objective. Give the source and location for quotes. | |||
What if you find a surprising, disturbing, or embarrassing fact? As yourself the following questions and then decide for yourself if you should include it: | |||
* Is it relevant? | |||
* Will it make your story sound like gossip? | |||
How should you prepare your material for presentation? | |||
* Run spell check and grammar check | |||
* Ask someone, like a spouse or friend, to proofread your book. | |||
How should you distribute your book? | |||
* Digital: memory cards, flash drives, CD, DVD, Google Drive, website | |||
* Desktop Publishing: Print copies yourself on acid-free paper and take to a copy shop for binding. If the copy shop makes the copies, make sure they use acid-free paper. | |||
* Self-Publishing: Arrange with others to print, copy photos, and bind the book. | |||
* Vanity Press: They will happily do everything for you and charge you for it. | |||
* Royalty Publishing: If you anticipate a best-seller, a publisher will pay all of your expenses and will pay YOU royalties based on book sales. | |||
As a final thought, Barrett included a quote from Janice Dixon's book: | |||
“A family is a very special organization. It is the basic unit of all human life. It is more than Biological. It embraces the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual training of every person on earth. Some parents ignore these obligations, and the family pieces scatter and become lost. A family history gathers up those pieces and places them where they belong. Guard it well, for a family history is not only your past, but your future.” | |||
== Class notes for 2022 == | == Class notes for 2022 == | ||
''All of the classes for 2022 were recorded. To see any of these videos, please contact Craig Noorlander at the FamilySearch Center.'' | ''All of the classes for 2022 were recorded. To see any of these videos, please contact Craig Noorlander at the FamilySearch Center.'' | ||
=== How to Navigate ''RootsTech'' (February | === How to Navigate ''RootsTech'' (February 23, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodNM FHC RootsTech 2022 handout.pdf|Handout]] | [[Media:EdgewoodNM FHC RootsTech 2022 handout.pdf|Handout]] | ||
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After a quick overview, Kraus demonstrated an interesting feature where you can find out if anyone related to you is registered. What a great way to possibly find more branches on your family tree. She also pointed out that there were over 165,000 people registered for ''RootsTech'' from all over the world. She also said that while you are browsing what is available, you can add interesting classes to a Playlist so you can go back later and watch them. This is especially nice since there are always three years' worth of ''RootsTech'' classes available, and it is easy to lose track if you don't have a playlist. To see presentations from previous years of ''RootsTech'', do an Internet search on "2021 RootsTech" and "2020 RootsTech". | After a quick overview, Kraus demonstrated an interesting feature where you can find out if anyone related to you is registered. What a great way to possibly find more branches on your family tree. She also pointed out that there were over 165,000 people registered for ''RootsTech'' from all over the world. She also said that while you are browsing what is available, you can add interesting classes to a Playlist so you can go back later and watch them. This is especially nice since there are always three years' worth of ''RootsTech'' classes available, and it is easy to lose track if you don't have a playlist. To see presentations from previous years of ''RootsTech'', do an Internet search on "2021 RootsTech" and "2020 RootsTech". | ||
=== If I Had Known: Wrong Assumptions About Your Family History (March | === If I Had Known: Wrong Assumptions About Your Family History (March 23, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:Services Portal EdgewoodNM FHC Mar23 2022 .pdf|Handout]] | [[Media:Services Portal EdgewoodNM FHC Mar23 2022 .pdf|Handout]] | ||
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Noorlander demonstrated many things that can be added to existing ancestors such as adding events to an individual’s timeline and searching through newspaper articles on ''newspapers.com'' (available for free only at the FSC). In the course of searching through these sources, clues to more ancestors will inevitably show up, so one’s family tree is always sprouting new leaves. A class handout showing all of the premium family history websites that can be accessed for free only at the FSC is posted on the FSC website. | Noorlander demonstrated many things that can be added to existing ancestors such as adding events to an individual’s timeline and searching through newspaper articles on ''newspapers.com'' (available for free only at the FSC). In the course of searching through these sources, clues to more ancestors will inevitably show up, so one’s family tree is always sprouting new leaves. A class handout showing all of the premium family history websites that can be accessed for free only at the FSC is posted on the FSC website. | ||
=== Using Censuses to Your Advantage (April | === Using Censuses to Your Advantage (April 27, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC CensusHandout.pdf|Handout]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC CensusHandout.pdf|Handout]] | ||
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Turner also demonstrated how to add census records to an individual on FamilySearch. You select the individual, then click on “Search.” This pulls up all the resources available for that individual. Then you click on the census record you want and click “Attach.” Other methods for doing this as well as more details about the class will be on a handout that will be posted to the FSC website. | Turner also demonstrated how to add census records to an individual on FamilySearch. You select the individual, then click on “Search.” This pulls up all the resources available for that individual. Then you click on the census record you want and click “Attach.” Other methods for doing this as well as more details about the class will be on a handout that will be posted to the FSC website. | ||
=== How to Use ''Google'' to Your Advantage in Your Family History (May | === How to Use ''Google'' to Your Advantage in Your Family History (May 25, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC Handout Google.pdf|Handout 1]], [[Media:EdgewoodFHC GoogleHandout2.pdf|Handout 2]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC Handout Google.pdf|Handout 1]], [[Media:EdgewoodFHC GoogleHandout2.pdf|Handout 2]] | ||
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Robinson also mentioned that she is currently digitizing the Hanlon-Harris cemetery records which will be a significant addition to searches for us East Mountain folks. | Robinson also mentioned that she is currently digitizing the Hanlon-Harris cemetery records which will be a significant addition to searches for us East Mountain folks. | ||
=== Following Your Ancestors Through U.S. Military Records: An Introduction (June | === Following Your Ancestors Through U.S. Military Records: An Introduction (June 8, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:Edgewood FHC HO1 MilitaryRecordsSlides1-27.pdf|Slides 1-27]], | [[Media:Edgewood FHC HO1 MilitaryRecordsSlides1-27.pdf|Slides 1-27]], | ||
[[Media:Edgewood FHC HO1 MilitaryRecordsSlides28-56.pdf|Slides 28-56]], | [[Media:Edgewood FHC HO1 MilitaryRecordsSlides28-56.pdf|Slides 28-56]], | ||
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Newsreels are another source of information, but not always joyful. Barrett told a story about his first cousin who served during World War II. During an amphibious assault at Salerno, his cousin was injured on the beach with what was probably a broken ankle. The event was filmed and featured in one of the many popular newsreels that were shown in movie theaters prior to the main feature. Imagine his mother’s surprise when up on the big screen she suddenly saw her own son lying on a cot on the beach—even before she had been notified that he had been injured! | Newsreels are another source of information, but not always joyful. Barrett told a story about his first cousin who served during World War II. During an amphibious assault at Salerno, his cousin was injured on the beach with what was probably a broken ankle. The event was filmed and featured in one of the many popular newsreels that were shown in movie theaters prior to the main feature. Imagine his mother’s surprise when up on the big screen she suddenly saw her own son lying on a cot on the beach—even before she had been notified that he had been injured! | ||
=== ''Fold3'': Military and Other Records for Genealogical Research (June | === ''Fold3'': Military and Other Records for Genealogical Research (June 22, 2022)=== | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO2.pdf|Slides]], [[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO3.pdf|Slide Notes]], | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO2.pdf|Slides]], [[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO3.pdf|Slide Notes]], | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO1.pdf|Fold3 Training Center]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC Fold3 HO1.pdf|Fold3 Training Center]] | ||
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Barrett explained why ''Fold3'' is such a useful site. “Several websites have good access to military records. ''FamilySearch'' and ''Ancestry'', for example, are very good. However, ''Fold3'', with its major focus on military records is, in my opinion, the best single source for military records. The search engine used to be a little difficult to use, but recent improvements make the search feature easy and powerful. You can also browse by war or conflict. A major feature is that you can set up a memorial to honor your veteran ancestor. And many documents and records are exclusively on ''Fold3''. In my own experience, I have found records on ''Fold3'' that I had not found on any other website.” | Barrett explained why ''Fold3'' is such a useful site. “Several websites have good access to military records. ''FamilySearch'' and ''Ancestry'', for example, are very good. However, ''Fold3'', with its major focus on military records is, in my opinion, the best single source for military records. The search engine used to be a little difficult to use, but recent improvements make the search feature easy and powerful. You can also browse by war or conflict. A major feature is that you can set up a memorial to honor your veteran ancestor. And many documents and records are exclusively on ''Fold3''. In my own experience, I have found records on ''Fold3'' that I had not found on any other website.” | ||
===Make ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki Your Best Friend (July | ===Make ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki Your Best Friend (July 27, 2022)=== | ||
Marjorie Kraus presented a fascinating class on July 27th on making the ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki your best friend. There were twelve attendees including three on ''Zoom''. | Marjorie Kraus presented a fascinating class on July 27th on making the ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki your best friend. There were twelve attendees including three on ''Zoom''. | ||
[[File:Edgewood FHC SecretWeapon.jpg|thumb|423x423px]] | [[File:Edgewood FHC SecretWeapon.jpg|thumb|423x423px]] | ||
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This presentation really opened some eyes about the genealogical records that are available online. One audience member who was new to family history said that she often brings up her Family Tree and just sits in front of the screen not knowing what to do next. She was now fired up after learning about the ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki. To quote Kraus, “It’s amazing! You don’t know what you’re missing!” | This presentation really opened some eyes about the genealogical records that are available online. One audience member who was new to family history said that she often brings up her Family Tree and just sits in front of the screen not knowing what to do next. She was now fired up after learning about the ''FamilySearch'' Research Wiki. To quote Kraus, “It’s amazing! You don’t know what you’re missing!” | ||
===Making Corrections in Your Family Tree (August | ===Making Corrections in Your Family Tree (August 10, 2022)=== | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC FamilyTreeCorrectionsHandout.pdf|Handout]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC FamilyTreeCorrectionsHandout.pdf|Handout]] | ||
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Kraus closed with demonstrating ''FamilySearch''’s Source Box, a great place to store sources, especially if you are waiting to create a person until you have enough information. You get to this by signing into FamilySearch and then clicking on your name in the upper righthand corner. On the drop-down list, click on “Source Box.” The Source Box stores every source you have ever used. You can organize them by folder to make them more manageable or you can delete them once you have attached them to your tree or have determined that they are no longer relative to your research. | Kraus closed with demonstrating ''FamilySearch''’s Source Box, a great place to store sources, especially if you are waiting to create a person until you have enough information. You get to this by signing into FamilySearch and then clicking on your name in the upper righthand corner. On the drop-down list, click on “Source Box.” The Source Box stores every source you have ever used. You can organize them by folder to make them more manageable or you can delete them once you have attached them to your tree or have determined that they are no longer relative to your research. | ||
=== Syncing ''Ancestry'' and ''FamilySearch'' (August 31) === | === Syncing ''Ancestry'' and ''FamilySearch'' (August 31, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC AncestryFamilySearchSyncHandout1.pdf|Handout 1]] [[Media:EdgewoodFHC AncestryFamilySearchSyncHandout2.pdf|Handout 2]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC AncestryFamilySearchSyncHandout1.pdf|Handout 1]] [[Media:EdgewoodFHC AncestryFamilySearchSyncHandout2.pdf|Handout 2]] | ||
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This class was complicated, but since it was recorded, you can watch the video and follow along with the handouts. See Craig Noorlander for the location of the video. | This class was complicated, but since it was recorded, you can watch the video and follow along with the handouts. See Craig Noorlander for the location of the video. | ||
=== How to Use ''Find a Grave'' (September 14) === | === How to Use ''Find a Grave'' (September 14, 2022) === | ||
Fred Turner taught this class. Please see him for a copy of the handout. | Fred Turner taught this class. Please see him for a copy of the handout. | ||
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Lastly, be aware that symbols and icons carved on headstones or placed on a stick next to a headstone may be meaningful to your family history research on an individual. This [https://familytreemagazine.com/cemeteries/hidden-meanings-gravestone-symbols/ website] is an example of many websites you can find that will explain the meaning of these symbols. The handout for Turner's next class has links to more websites that explain symbols. | Lastly, be aware that symbols and icons carved on headstones or placed on a stick next to a headstone may be meaningful to your family history research on an individual. This [https://familytreemagazine.com/cemeteries/hidden-meanings-gravestone-symbols/ website] is an example of many websites you can find that will explain the meaning of these symbols. The handout for Turner's next class has links to more websites that explain symbols. | ||
=== How to Use ''Find a Grave'' Advanced (September 28) === | === How to Use ''Find a Grave'' Advanced (September 28, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC AdvFindAGraveHandout.pdf|Handout]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC AdvFindAGraveHandout.pdf|Handout]] | ||
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The handout for this class has many links to interesting examples in ''Find A Grave'' as well as links explaining many different symbols. | The handout for this class has many links to interesting examples in ''Find A Grave'' as well as links explaining many different symbols. | ||
=== How to Use Land Records in Family History Research (October 26) === | === How to Use Land Records in Family History Research (October 26, 2022) === | ||
[[Media:EdgewoodFHC LandRecordsSlides.pdf|Slides]] [[Media:EdgewoodFHC LandRecordsNotes.pdf|Slides with Notes]] | [[Media:EdgewoodFHC LandRecordsSlides.pdf|Slides]] [[Media:EdgewoodFHC LandRecordsNotes.pdf|Slides with Notes]] | ||