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Saturday, February 3, 2018
Thursday, January 11, 2018
FamilySearch 2017 Genealogy Highlights
FamilySearch 2017 Genealogy Highlights
Salt Lake City, Utah (11 January 2018), FamilySearch online visitors made millions of personal family discoveries in 2017. The nonprofit family history giant published hundreds of millions of free historical records online in 2017 and experienced significant growth in its mobile app customer base. It's all part of FamilySearch's purpose to help individuals discover more about themselves by learning more about their ancestry roots. These are just some of the impressive highlights from FamilySearch's 2017 year in review. (Easily find and share this announcement online in the FamilySearch Newsroom.)
Family Tree Upgrades
FamilySearch’s Family Tree encourages family collaboration. In 2017, more than 27 million new ancestors were added, 3.7 million through mobile devices. Over 1.2 billion people are now in the FamilySearch Family Tree. An updated user-to-user messaging feature simplifies collaboration with others doing research on common ancestors. System upgrades now enable users to merge duplicate records of large or highly common family lines.
Adding family photos, stories, documents, and audio files is easier to do, and the process is now mobile device friendly. There is very little functionality now on the website that cannot be done on the Family Tree mobile app. It's an extremely robust, free application—and with no advertising, a popular attribute of nonprofit FamilySearch's product offerings. Customers are now able to add photos to their family tree directly from Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google. Users contributed 2.4 million memories in 2017.
Patrons can now also identify their relationships to people in the growing, collaborative Family Tree in a single click using a new relationship feature. (See “View My Relationship” under names of relations on your home page.)
The dynamic records hints feature is faster and more accurate. Hints originate from weekly additions to historic record collections online that can then be accepted as rich supporting sources to ancestors in users’ trees. Since the Hints feature appeared on the Family Tree in 2014, 2.5 billion hints are now available on Family Tree, including 450 million added in 2017. Approximately 160 million sources were added to user trees from accepted hints in 2017—7 million performed through the mobile app. A total of more than 633 million hints have been accepted since the feature’s launch.
Access to New Historical Records
Successful family history discoveries are fueled by a person’s ability to easily and quickly search for ancestors by name in historical records online. FamilySearch added 283 million free searchable names for a total of 5.9 billion names. It also added over 340 million images of historic records and books online. You can search the new records at FamilySearch.org. The unindexed images can be searched in the Catalog and Historic Records Collections.
FamilySearch discontinued its 80-year era of historic records access to usher in a new, digital model (See FamilySearch Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm). The goal of FamilySearch is to digitize all the records within its capacity and make them available when possible. A portion of the hundreds of millions of images FamilySearch captures yearly will not be accessible for decades due to privacy laws or other limitations. For example, FamilySearch is currently digitizing census records in Africa that are scheduled to be destroyed by the record custodian in the very near future, even though privacy laws will not permit FamilySearch to publish them for another 75 years. In addition, FamilySearch has only published 13 million of its 40 million Chinese record images that have been collected since 1978. This is not a matter of privacy laws but because of the limited number of people who have the necessary expertise to catalog the records.
Receiving and Giving Help
FamilySearch support volunteers donated 3.4 million hours of service in 2017, resolving over 1 million patron inquiries. More than 320,000 online volunteer indexers contributed another staggering 8.3 million hours to make 283 million new historical records freely accessible.
Dozens of free video courses were added to the FamilySearch Learning Center. Almost 100,000 helpful how-to articles are also now available through the FamilySearch Wiki.
Discovery Experiences
A new discovery center in St. George, Utah, and the Discover Experiences at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City were opened. Over 5.6 million visitors frequented these facilities and the 5,058 FamilySearch family history centers worldwide (98 new).
Online, FamilySearch had 134 million visitors in 2017, an increase of 10 percent. The top 10 countries for new patron accounts were the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, the Philippines, and Italy.
FamilySearch hosted RootsTech 2017, the largest world-wide family history technology conference, which attracted 26,000 attendees, with 23,000 Family Discovery Day attendees and over 100,000 online views of broadcasted content. Special guests included LaVar Burton, Liz Wiseman, the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro, and Oscar Hammerstein the III.
Family Memories
Fun or fond memories are what keep family connections vibrant. If you don’t believe us, just look at the great success of Disney Pixar’s Coco. Photos and stories are what endear us the most to our ancestors—and 22.7 million stories were added to FamilySearch Memories in 2017.
FamilySearch’s free mobile apps—Family Tree and Memories—now enable users to freely attach and save photos and stories (audio and text) to individuals in their FamilySearch Family Tree, add other information, and receive notifications when others add content to shared ancestors.
Two fun new features introduced are Map Your Ancestors, which creates a map of locations where events took place in the life of ancestors in your FamilySearch family tree, and Relatives Around Me, which allows you to see if and how you are related to others around you who are using the feature.
Users can now record stories of relatives with a new mobile audio recording feature and save the audio files directly to the memories gallery on FamilySearch. The memories feature now includes contributor information, so participants can message each other. It can also create a map of locations where events took place in the life of an ancestor as recorded on FamilySearch Family Tree.
About FamilySearch
FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,921 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
If you would rather not receive future communications from FamilySearch, let us know by clicking here.
FamilySearch, 50 East North Temple St, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 United States
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Saturday, November 25, 2017
What to do at Christmas time of the year in Arizona!
There is nothing more beautiful than one of our Temples at Christmas. I have had the opportunity to help decorate the lighting displays at both Los Angeles and Mesa, Arizona. I am not sure how many others do this as well, but the Arizona has now added some Station displays showing the different events leading up to the birth of Christ. You can view these in person - Truly spectacular events!
http://www.mesachristmaslights.com/
Los Angeles Temple Lights
http://www.phoenixzoo.org/event-items/zoolights/
The Phoenix Zoo even gets into the Spirit of the Year with their fantastic lighting of the Phoenix Zoo.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"...For that four minutes, it wasn't about shopping or commercialism, it was about community coming together!"
FLASH MOB AT FASHION SQUARE MALL Usually Dec 22 or 23 at noon - Some smart people caught thousands of us in 2009, 2010 and 2014 on youtube - here are some great pictures of us all
hoping they are going to continue this every year - it simply brought the magic of community into the air in the mall. For that four minutes, it wasn't about shopping and commercialism, it was about a community coming together!
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Discontinued Family History Manuals
Your question about the current curriculum and manuals for family history was forwarded to me. I serve as the Area Manager and support Brother and Sister Tippets who are the local Area Temple and Family History Consultants.
There was no official notice that went out from the Church regarding the old materials. What they did do was remove the materials from LDS.org so they could no longer be accessed. In addition, they were removed from LDS Distribution so they could no longer be ordered.
Since the older materials did not contain Find-Take-Teach and the current helper process it was decided to discontinue the manuals. The Church is also moving to the online and APP based distribution of information. There are still items that may be ordered or printed, but most of it is in demand and can be easily updated.
They were replaced with the following: https://www.lds.org/callings/
At RootsTech 2017 there was a class taught regarding a Workshop that could be held during the Sunday School time under the approval and direction of the Bishop. T. Early next year there will be an announcement of some new materials. Most likely this will occur at RootsTech 2018.
Thanks for your question, and sorry for the confusion. We appreciate your service in helping others find family names to be able to take to the temple.
Warm Regards,
Merrill White
Area Manager, North America West and Northwest
Family History Department
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Friday, September 15, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
FOR OUR NEWSLETTER CLICK HERE
Welcome to our NASWfamilyhistory Blog
This newsletter will give you ideas and tips for improving your searches and extending your tree.
If you would like to be on our mailing list and get this in your in box in >PDF format, please click on the link above. You can write click this and save it, but I believe you will have more enjoyment if you read it in the .pdf format
Rootstech 2018
Registration is coming in September! Do you want to be able to have the answers for your Ward and friends at your fingertips. You can watch most of Rootstech online the past few years, there have been literally thousands of people streaming the important and relevant information which may help you with future discoveries. We prefer to attend and it's a lot of fun. We meet a lot of great people and gain new insights just by being there. It's great to be able to try the different ideas and see the new technology unfold in person.
As a Consultant or Presidency, High Council or Bishopric member over Family History, it is our understanding that you can get a substantial discount. First Register, then write to them at this email address. Info@Rootstech.org
Give them your Registration number and login - let them know what your Ward, Stake or Area title is and they will adjust your bill and credit you back. In the past, you could enter a code, but integrity demands that those with the callings qualify and some chose to give the code to non Consultants, so this method keeps us all on the honest side.
If you cannot attend, we will take good notes and log them here on the blog.
HOW TO USE THE NEW DESCENDENCY FEATURE IN FAMILY SEARCH
HERE IS OUR NEWSLETTER IN .JPG FORMAT
However the links will work if you sign up and receive it in email in the .jpg format
Friday, September 1, 2017
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
The power of Discernment in Genealogy
Thank you for whispering!
We have a sign up at the Stake Library and encourages people - just like at a real Library - to whisper - but here it is for a different reason. Many times, when you are searching for Ancestors and providing you say a prayer first, when it comes down to one or two candidates for your relative, you can write down all the facts and then pray for the sure knowledge. Those relatives want to be found. They went through such hardships and did not have the luxuries that we enjoy today. They do not wish to be forgotten. Every time you learn more about your Heritage, I'm sure they smile because if they could tell you their story, they most certainly would do so!
Elder Richard D Scott wrote for his talk on Family History,
"This work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil, where help is given in both directions. Anywhere you are in the world, with prayer, faith, determination, diligence, and some sacrifice, you can make a powerful contribution. Begin now. I promise you that the Lord will help you find a way. And it will make you feel wonderful." 1.
From Kim Crenshaw Sorenson:
"A few years ago, I found myself frequently in fervent prayer, pleading for blessings for myself and my family,
blessings I knew we needed. I knew the blessings I sought were
righteous desires, yet they did not come. Each time I prayed, the only
impressions that came were urging me to do family history and temple
work for my ancestors. The great irony was that one of the things I was
seeking so fervently was more time. I felt overwhelmed with my life. I
was the mother of four young children, I worked at least six hours a day
on a home business, I had a demanding Church calling, and my husband
traveled a lot on business and served in a student ward bishopric. Now
the Lord was asking me to dedicate time and energy I didn’t think I had
to family history work! It had never even crossed my mind that I should
be doing my family history. I had felt that it was “not my season,” that
it was something I would do later in life. But in kind persistence, the
answer to every prayer was the same—to seek my ancestors and do their
temple work. While family history work might not be expected of everyone
in my circumstances, I felt sure the Lord wanted me to become involved
in it." 2.
This is a great Video
on the
Power of Prayer and Genealogy
How do Dead Ends happen in Genealogy?
The other night a friend came to our Library. He had been trying to find information on his Grandmother's family for the longest time. We said a prayer and within just short of an hour, we had so much information on her, her siblings, her mother and father. It was so exciting and there were a few reasons why he had come to a dead end.
Her headstone said Lola Saunders
That was her name when she died. Her married name....to a second husband.
Her first married name was Lola Walker.
Not even that should go in the blank for last name.
If you do not know the last maiden name you should leave it blank - just Lola
By adding spouses, that denotes what her married name was, but she MUST be listed by her MAIDEN NAME
You know what you know.
but...How do you know it is true?
...make a list of just what you have documentation for.
This is NOT what Great Aunt Agnes told you.
You have a headstone with a birthdate and death date.
You know where she was buried.
Where did she die?
You know her first name.
Your know her first married name - so you know her Husband's name.
1) Look for a marriage license between Seth R Walker and Lola
2) Look for Census data for Seth Walker with a wife named Lola
3) An older woman was living with Seth and the children at some point - the census said she was the mother in law.
4) We looked for a marriage certificate and found that Seth R Walker married Lola Mudd
5) N O W we can put a last name to Lola.
From there, the floodgates opened. Look for subtle things in your tree that need to be trimmed and spruced up and your path to your ancestors will be so much more clear.
Here's the acid test. Do you have the strength to delete everything
that you do not have strong documentation for? Only then will you be
able to grow your tree with strong dependable roots.
Here's how people go wrong - President Dieter Uctdorf said it best, if a pilot leaves an airport and is off by 2 degrees, they will be off course by 500 miles. Watch this video
this is the actual link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpmRFTSlA1o
HOW DO YOU GET OFF COURSE
IN
FAMILY HISTORY?
If you GUESS or use VERBAL clues this is what happens.
You will pull in data from the wrong people.
You may have data from the right people
It gets all mixed up
then the Database starts sending you clues for more than one family
- Only use Census data, carefully jotting down the ages of the children and names.
- Use a Census Matrix like this to make sure you are measuring data for data of same families and not settling for a probable.
- Then document and save birth certificate, death certificates looking for information on the parents.
- Social Security data, Marriage Licenses, Divorce decrees/
DO I REALLY NEED THIS?
Someone asked me how I organize my data.Everyone has a different way of organizing - I just thought I would show you how I keep things straight.
If you would like to use my Matrix that my husband and I created, we would love to share it with you Directions on how to use the Template
Download the Template from my One Drive link at the bottom
Save it as your family Name
Add a Tab for Each leg of your family
In each Page copy the template and paste it into the page by selecting
the area (blank square) between Row 1 and Column A
This will highlight the cntire template - then click Control + C to copy it
Go to the next blank page with a family leg named as the tab
Go to the same corner between Row 1 and Column A and click on
that blank square.
Now Paste it in there by holding down Control and then hold down V to Paste
Do this for Each leg of your Family Tree
Now Start Adding your names and Birth YEARS to the columns, the formulas will
tell you how old they were at each census.
Next to Each Census Date in ROW 9 you can mouse over to tell you what you can expect to find for that Census.
WHAT IF THE CELL SAYS THE CENSUS DATE?
The formulas are year of birth driven. This means if you don't put a year of birth in to the C column, it will say the name of the census and that is all
So this is how I document why they won't be on the 1940 census
It shows the last one they were listed on and then
what happened and how
I color code my family so that it shows migration and there is a link from
the family as a child to the family as an adult
my children are listed below thisthe family as a child to the family as an adult
then their families are listed below that with each child linked with a color in both families.
These dates are really far into the future - the people below have not been marked
deceased so it shows how old they would be in 2020, 2030 and 2040 which is only important for the next generation. These can be erased after you make a copy of the template
You never know where someone is going to start in this template. You can hide columns, you can erase formulas if needed. If you feel you erased one in error, for example,
perhaps you erased one below that 211. go to the 211 and copy and paste straight down to the next cell.
If you see NEGATIVE numbers, the sheet will tell you that this person will not be born for 158 years from the 1820 census. Once you establish
These are called absolute references so the formula is only good in that column for another cell in the same column. You wouldn't copy a cell from column b to column D - Only from Column D to D
H ere is a Link to my Template on One Drive
Down load it and input your family names and the years they were born.
See if you have the right census data already. If you do, make an X next to
your family member's name.
https://1drv.ms/x/s!AjS2RGb0p-4PgUUEdG2gKlVmv8mp
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1. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/the-joy-of-redeeming-the-dead?lang=eng
2. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/08/blessings-for-my-ancestors-blessings-for-me?lang=eng
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