Today we worked on the Person page on Family Tree in FamilySearch.org. To get to the person page, click the name of the person you want to work on from the pedigree chart. A small window opens. At the bottom of the window, click on the word "Person." This will take you to the person's detail page, which is where most research work is done.
We did a quick look over each section of the page. Then we started doing a little work.
The first 3 things I always do:
1 - Watch. I click the watch button if I want to know if anyone else does work on this page. I get a weekly email with all changes. I can then go in and look to see if I agree with the changes. I can also see where other researchers have found new information that I want to copy to my files.
2 - Duplicates (near bottom of right hand column on the Person page). If there are possible duplicates, check them out carefully to make sure they really are a duplicate of the same person. Sometimes information is similar, but not exact. Once sure that it is indeed a duplicate, they can be merged.
"Review Match"
Your person on left - duplicate on right
Move anything you want to add to your person from the right to the left
If it will replace information already there, use the "Replace" option
When finished, click "Continue Merge" at bottom of page
Fill in the reason why you think this is a duplicate - remember the message is for the next person
who looks at this page, so make sure to be as detailed as needed
"Finish Merge"
3 - Standardize dates and places. All dates and places need to be pulled from the list in order to get maximum benefit from the search engines.
In the Vital Information section, click on the date/place under birth and death.
"Edit"
Choose a date and place from the standardized list. Sometimes, you will need to retype all or part
of the information to get the list to properly come up.
In the reason box, I usually just put "Standardized date and place" if I did not make any other
changes. If other changes are made, you will need to explain why you made those changes.
"Save"
Next week, we will continue working on the Person page. Any questions, be sure to contact me.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Monday, March 21, 2016
March 20, 2016 - FamilySearch Family Tree Pedigree Charts
This week, we explored the pedigree views for Family Tree. The menu just above the pedigree chart has symbols for the various pedigree views. When the symbol is clicked, the name of that view appears, as well as the pedigree chart in that format.
Landscape View - This is the default view and is the most useful when doing basic research. It shows you as the center person, with ancestors to the right and descendants to the left. This view was recently updated and now shows more information than before. Each square on the chart is a family unit, with husband on the top and wife on the bottom. All standard genealogy pedigree charts are in this format. The male line above and the female line below.
Marriage information, portraits, ordinance information, hints and other notices all show. In addition, a small arrow that points down by either a husband or wife name indicates that there are additional spouses. To see what the notice icons are, just click on them and a box will open with information. If you do not want all this additional information to show, click on the "Show" button on the top right and a list of items that can be excluded will appear. The last item on the list is "Invert colors" which allows you to have a dark background with white letters or a light background with black letters. Choose the one that is easiest for you to see.
An arrow at the end of any pedigree line indicates that there are more generations. Click on the arrow to open the next screen. When you reach the end of a line, the next generation family box will say Add Husband and Add Wife. If you know the next generation, you can add from here. Remember these are the parents of the last generation known, but they are the husband and wife of the family unit. Don't let the terminology confuse you.
Portrait View - This shows the chart in a vertical rather than landscape style. It does not show all the information that is shown on the landscape. Any pictures are larger and only birth and death years are shown. It is a nice visual chart, but is not useful for researching.
Fan Chart - This shows the chart in a fan view, which is helpful for seeing four additional generations at one view. Any missing pieces show up clearly. It is also a nice chart for printing out.
Descendancy Chart - This chart shows the descendants of a person. This can be very helpful in finding names not completed for the temple.
Tree - Regardless of the view you choose, you will appear as the root person, or the beginning person. To change the beginning person, click on the name of the person you want. A small box will open. At the bottom of the box, there are two choices: Tree and Person. By clicking on Tree, you will move that person to the root position. This is especially useful when working on the descendancy view.
Personal Details Box - There are other pieces of information in the box that opens when clicking on a person's name. (It looks like a note card to me, so that is what I call it.)
Under the name is an ID number. This is a number assigned by FamilySearch when a new person is entered. It is often easier to find someone by the ID number.
Next to the ID is a star and the word Watch. If you click the star, it will turn dark and the word changes to Unwatch. When you work on someone, you may want to click this button. Each week, you will get an email indicating when someone has gone in and made any changes or additions to that person. This is a great way to make sure errors aren't added to your person. It is also a way to see what information and sources other people have found and you can then add them to your primary tree.
Date and place for birth and death are complete. This is an easy way to get the complete date while working from the pedigree chart.
Next are symbols that tell you how many sources, discussions, and memories are attached.
Temple ordinance information is given. It is color coded. A list of the color codes is in the Temple section.
The last line is Tree and Person. Tree makes this individual the root person for the pedigree charts. Person takes you to a separate page with personal details. Most of the actual work is done from the Person page. We will start on that next week.
Questions:
1 - Clarify ancestors and descendants. The simple answer is that ancestors come before you (parents, grandparents, etc.) Descendants come after (children, grandchildren, etc.) To be precise, ancestors are only the direct line. All of their children, etc., the aunts, uncles, and cousins, are technically collateral lines. Many people include everyone from earlier generations as ancestors.
2 - When opening another page in FamilySearch, a new page sometimes opens without closing the one you are in. Other times, the new page overwrites the existing page. If you want to make sure that a new page opens without closing the first page, click on the RIGHT click of your mouse as you hover over the link. Choose Open Link in New Window. It will then open as a new page without closing the previous page. This will allow you to toggle back and forth between the two if you want.
I think that covers most of what we talked about. Next week we will start to explore the Person Page.
Thanks.
Landscape View - This is the default view and is the most useful when doing basic research. It shows you as the center person, with ancestors to the right and descendants to the left. This view was recently updated and now shows more information than before. Each square on the chart is a family unit, with husband on the top and wife on the bottom. All standard genealogy pedigree charts are in this format. The male line above and the female line below.
Marriage information, portraits, ordinance information, hints and other notices all show. In addition, a small arrow that points down by either a husband or wife name indicates that there are additional spouses. To see what the notice icons are, just click on them and a box will open with information. If you do not want all this additional information to show, click on the "Show" button on the top right and a list of items that can be excluded will appear. The last item on the list is "Invert colors" which allows you to have a dark background with white letters or a light background with black letters. Choose the one that is easiest for you to see.
An arrow at the end of any pedigree line indicates that there are more generations. Click on the arrow to open the next screen. When you reach the end of a line, the next generation family box will say Add Husband and Add Wife. If you know the next generation, you can add from here. Remember these are the parents of the last generation known, but they are the husband and wife of the family unit. Don't let the terminology confuse you.
Portrait View - This shows the chart in a vertical rather than landscape style. It does not show all the information that is shown on the landscape. Any pictures are larger and only birth and death years are shown. It is a nice visual chart, but is not useful for researching.
Fan Chart - This shows the chart in a fan view, which is helpful for seeing four additional generations at one view. Any missing pieces show up clearly. It is also a nice chart for printing out.
Descendancy Chart - This chart shows the descendants of a person. This can be very helpful in finding names not completed for the temple.
Tree - Regardless of the view you choose, you will appear as the root person, or the beginning person. To change the beginning person, click on the name of the person you want. A small box will open. At the bottom of the box, there are two choices: Tree and Person. By clicking on Tree, you will move that person to the root position. This is especially useful when working on the descendancy view.
Personal Details Box - There are other pieces of information in the box that opens when clicking on a person's name. (It looks like a note card to me, so that is what I call it.)
Under the name is an ID number. This is a number assigned by FamilySearch when a new person is entered. It is often easier to find someone by the ID number.
Next to the ID is a star and the word Watch. If you click the star, it will turn dark and the word changes to Unwatch. When you work on someone, you may want to click this button. Each week, you will get an email indicating when someone has gone in and made any changes or additions to that person. This is a great way to make sure errors aren't added to your person. It is also a way to see what information and sources other people have found and you can then add them to your primary tree.
Date and place for birth and death are complete. This is an easy way to get the complete date while working from the pedigree chart.
Next are symbols that tell you how many sources, discussions, and memories are attached.
Temple ordinance information is given. It is color coded. A list of the color codes is in the Temple section.
The last line is Tree and Person. Tree makes this individual the root person for the pedigree charts. Person takes you to a separate page with personal details. Most of the actual work is done from the Person page. We will start on that next week.
Questions:
1 - Clarify ancestors and descendants. The simple answer is that ancestors come before you (parents, grandparents, etc.) Descendants come after (children, grandchildren, etc.) To be precise, ancestors are only the direct line. All of their children, etc., the aunts, uncles, and cousins, are technically collateral lines. Many people include everyone from earlier generations as ancestors.
2 - When opening another page in FamilySearch, a new page sometimes opens without closing the one you are in. Other times, the new page overwrites the existing page. If you want to make sure that a new page opens without closing the first page, click on the RIGHT click of your mouse as you hover over the link. Choose Open Link in New Window. It will then open as a new page without closing the previous page. This will allow you to toggle back and forth between the two if you want.
I think that covers most of what we talked about. Next week we will start to explore the Person Page.
Thanks.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
March 13, 2016 - A Look Around FamilySearch.org
Our lesson today focused on getting acquainted with the FamilySearch.org website. We explored the different sections of the site, other than Family Tree. We will start working on that next week. We just looked at each menu item briefly. These are some of the things we talked about:
Memories
Upload pictures, documents, and other items about each ancestor. Include current pictures of family and yourself. You can also upload audio, so record interviews with family members and save them to Memories. Click on the green + sign and follow instructions.
Search
1 - Records - We will spend more time on this in a later class. This is where all records can be accessed, either by searching by name or by searching collections.
2 - Genealogies - These are personal genealogies that have been submitted by people. They are not part of Family Tree. You can upload your own, as well, if you wish. I personally only use this section to find clues when I am tired of banging my head on a brick wall. Anytime you take information from someone else, whether from their tree or by sharing some other way, you must personally verify the information to make sure it is correct. There are a lot of errors out there!
3 - Catalog - This gives you access to everything that is available in the Salt Lake City Family History Center. Some things are not available for checkout, so a trip to SLC would be necessary. Some are available on microfilm. The individual page will tell you if it is on microfilm. It will also tell you if it has been digitized and is available someplace on the internet. If it is microfilmed, you can order a copy to be sent to your nearest Family History Center for viewing. There is also a link to WorldCat, which can help you find if the book/item is available at a library nearer to you. This is a page that you will use quite often.
4 - Books - This shows links to several other libraries that hold many genealogy related books. Because of the partnership with these libraries, some of their holdings may be available for online viewing.
5 - Wiki - This is one of the best tools available. It is a research encyclopedia and contains articles and links to FamilySeearch collections and to other sites. You can search by place or by topic. When starting research into something new or in a new area, this is the first place to go to become educated on that new topic or place.
Indexing
This class is not about indexing, so we did not spend much time on this. The point was made that anyone can index and not just church members.
Temple
We will have a class later on using the temple functions.
Find, Take, Teach
The challenge that has been issued to all members of the church. Find a name, take that name to the temple, and then teach others how to do the same. We are encouraged to submit as many names to the temple as we do work for.
Family Booklet
This is a booklet that helps to fill in the basic information about the first four generations, beginning with you. It is available in an online form or hard copies can be ordered for $.50. The booklet was designed for those areas where people do not generally have a computer at home. They could fill in the information manually and then give it to the Family History Consultant, who would enter all the information for that person and prepare the temple file names, which would be returned to the individual to do the temple work. This a a useful book for families to use, as well. It would especially appeal to children and would be a great resource for family home evenings, etc. It is also helpful for those who are new to genealogy.
Messages
A new feature on FamilySearch is the ability to send messages to others who are working on the same ancestors, even when they have not made an email address public. Send the message and FS will notify the other person that a message is waiting. You can click on the Messages button to retrieve any messages sent to you.
Get Help
There are two parts to the Help section. One, on the right, allows you to contact FS for assistance with problems or questions. The other, on the left, links you to videos and training helps. The Help Center answers frequently asked questions about how to do things on FS and other related types of things. The Learning Center has dozens of videos about doing research in different states and countries and also many on general genealogy topics. It is worth spending some time exploring and taking advantage of this huge library.
Question
A question was asked about how to get the free websites, like Ancestry.com. Thsi is how:
Get Help
Help Center
Under Select a Help Topic, choose Partners
Our Partners
Choose the site you are interested in joining
Create Your Free Ancestry Account
Choose whether you already have an account for that site or if this is a new account
Follow instructions from there
All the sites listed are free for LDS members. You must have signed in with your LDS log in. LDS members get this benefit, because the tithing money paid by the members to the church is what funds FamilySearch.
I think that covers the main things we talked about. We will start in on the Family Tree pedigree charts next time.
Thanks.
Memories
Upload pictures, documents, and other items about each ancestor. Include current pictures of family and yourself. You can also upload audio, so record interviews with family members and save them to Memories. Click on the green + sign and follow instructions.
Search
1 - Records - We will spend more time on this in a later class. This is where all records can be accessed, either by searching by name or by searching collections.
2 - Genealogies - These are personal genealogies that have been submitted by people. They are not part of Family Tree. You can upload your own, as well, if you wish. I personally only use this section to find clues when I am tired of banging my head on a brick wall. Anytime you take information from someone else, whether from their tree or by sharing some other way, you must personally verify the information to make sure it is correct. There are a lot of errors out there!
3 - Catalog - This gives you access to everything that is available in the Salt Lake City Family History Center. Some things are not available for checkout, so a trip to SLC would be necessary. Some are available on microfilm. The individual page will tell you if it is on microfilm. It will also tell you if it has been digitized and is available someplace on the internet. If it is microfilmed, you can order a copy to be sent to your nearest Family History Center for viewing. There is also a link to WorldCat, which can help you find if the book/item is available at a library nearer to you. This is a page that you will use quite often.
4 - Books - This shows links to several other libraries that hold many genealogy related books. Because of the partnership with these libraries, some of their holdings may be available for online viewing.
5 - Wiki - This is one of the best tools available. It is a research encyclopedia and contains articles and links to FamilySeearch collections and to other sites. You can search by place or by topic. When starting research into something new or in a new area, this is the first place to go to become educated on that new topic or place.
Indexing
This class is not about indexing, so we did not spend much time on this. The point was made that anyone can index and not just church members.
Temple
We will have a class later on using the temple functions.
Find, Take, Teach
The challenge that has been issued to all members of the church. Find a name, take that name to the temple, and then teach others how to do the same. We are encouraged to submit as many names to the temple as we do work for.
Family Booklet
This is a booklet that helps to fill in the basic information about the first four generations, beginning with you. It is available in an online form or hard copies can be ordered for $.50. The booklet was designed for those areas where people do not generally have a computer at home. They could fill in the information manually and then give it to the Family History Consultant, who would enter all the information for that person and prepare the temple file names, which would be returned to the individual to do the temple work. This a a useful book for families to use, as well. It would especially appeal to children and would be a great resource for family home evenings, etc. It is also helpful for those who are new to genealogy.
Messages
A new feature on FamilySearch is the ability to send messages to others who are working on the same ancestors, even when they have not made an email address public. Send the message and FS will notify the other person that a message is waiting. You can click on the Messages button to retrieve any messages sent to you.
Get Help
There are two parts to the Help section. One, on the right, allows you to contact FS for assistance with problems or questions. The other, on the left, links you to videos and training helps. The Help Center answers frequently asked questions about how to do things on FS and other related types of things. The Learning Center has dozens of videos about doing research in different states and countries and also many on general genealogy topics. It is worth spending some time exploring and taking advantage of this huge library.
Question
A question was asked about how to get the free websites, like Ancestry.com. Thsi is how:
Get Help
Help Center
Under Select a Help Topic, choose Partners
Our Partners
Choose the site you are interested in joining
Create Your Free Ancestry Account
Choose whether you already have an account for that site or if this is a new account
Follow instructions from there
All the sites listed are free for LDS members. You must have signed in with your LDS log in. LDS members get this benefit, because the tithing money paid by the members to the church is what funds FamilySearch.
I think that covers the main things we talked about. We will start in on the Family Tree pedigree charts next time.
Thanks.
Monday, March 7, 2016
March 6, 2016 - Getting Started
We had our first class today and it went well. After spending a few minutes getting acquainted and finding where everyone was on their personal family history, we talked about a few things to get started.
Goals
1 - Learn to submit names to the temple
2 - Become acquainted with FamilySearch.org
3 - Be a good steward of family history - "correct & complete"
4 - Learn the stories of our ancestors
5 - Catch the Vision! (Get addicted!)
The Doctrine
We briefly talked about the doctrine that teaches why family history is so important.
The Plan of Salvation - Our time on earth has a purpose and we are expected to do certain things in order to return to our Heavenly Father. Among those things are to make covenants, like baptism and others. Because most who lived on earth did not have the opportunity to make those covenants, we can do it on their behalf in the temple. But, first, we need to find them through family history work.
Savior on Mount Zion - Just as the Savior did things for us that we would never have been able to do, we can do for our ancestors what they were unable to do. When we find them and have temple work completed for them, we become their saviors. The phrase "Mount Zion" in the scriptures almost always refers to the temple.
Hastening the Work - While this is almost always used in reference to missionary work, we need to remember that those who have died are being taught the gospel in the spirit world. When we find these people and do their temple work, we are completing the missionary work for them.
Personal Family Tree
In order to protect the work that has been done on your personal tree, you will want to keep it in a private file. There are many software programs available, some with a fee and some free. You can use a private tree on a website. You may even use Word or some other source. I personally use RootsMagic. Others include Legacy, Family Tree Maker and Family History, and a number of others. The advantage of a software program, as opposed to a website, is that you will maintain control of the tree, regardless of what happens in the future to the company. So many websites disappear or change and you may lose access to your tree. Regardless of what you choose, you will want to make it your primary tree, meaning that it is the tree that is most complete and accurate and that you can refer to with confidence when comparing other information you find elsewhere.
FamilySearch.org
We will spend the next few weeks working primarily in FamilySearch. It is the website that is operated by the church. There are millions of documents and sources on the site, as well as helpful information, how-to videos, access to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and so much more, including the Family Tree. We will be talking about all these options in the coming classes.
To be prepared, everyone needs to get an account set up. There is no cost, but you must create your own login so that the tree will start with you. If you a member of the LDS church, then your login for LDS.org is the same one you will use for FamilySearch. If you do not have an LDS login, then you will need to create one. The instructions are easy to follow. You will need to have your membership number. If you are not a member, you can still set up the free account. The only difference between the two is that LDS members have a section for the temple and the others do not.
Homework
While we do not really have homework for this class, you will find that if you go home each week and practice what we talk about in class, you will learn things more quickly. For this week, it will help if you are able to make sure that you have your account set up on FamilySearch. If you need help, feel free to contact me. (rosicantrell@bellsouth.net)
See you next week - ready to dig in to FamilySearch!!
Goals
1 - Learn to submit names to the temple
2 - Become acquainted with FamilySearch.org
3 - Be a good steward of family history - "correct & complete"
4 - Learn the stories of our ancestors
5 - Catch the Vision! (Get addicted!)
The Doctrine
We briefly talked about the doctrine that teaches why family history is so important.
The Plan of Salvation - Our time on earth has a purpose and we are expected to do certain things in order to return to our Heavenly Father. Among those things are to make covenants, like baptism and others. Because most who lived on earth did not have the opportunity to make those covenants, we can do it on their behalf in the temple. But, first, we need to find them through family history work.
Savior on Mount Zion - Just as the Savior did things for us that we would never have been able to do, we can do for our ancestors what they were unable to do. When we find them and have temple work completed for them, we become their saviors. The phrase "Mount Zion" in the scriptures almost always refers to the temple.
Hastening the Work - While this is almost always used in reference to missionary work, we need to remember that those who have died are being taught the gospel in the spirit world. When we find these people and do their temple work, we are completing the missionary work for them.
Personal Family Tree
In order to protect the work that has been done on your personal tree, you will want to keep it in a private file. There are many software programs available, some with a fee and some free. You can use a private tree on a website. You may even use Word or some other source. I personally use RootsMagic. Others include Legacy, Family Tree Maker and Family History, and a number of others. The advantage of a software program, as opposed to a website, is that you will maintain control of the tree, regardless of what happens in the future to the company. So many websites disappear or change and you may lose access to your tree. Regardless of what you choose, you will want to make it your primary tree, meaning that it is the tree that is most complete and accurate and that you can refer to with confidence when comparing other information you find elsewhere.
FamilySearch.org
We will spend the next few weeks working primarily in FamilySearch. It is the website that is operated by the church. There are millions of documents and sources on the site, as well as helpful information, how-to videos, access to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and so much more, including the Family Tree. We will be talking about all these options in the coming classes.
To be prepared, everyone needs to get an account set up. There is no cost, but you must create your own login so that the tree will start with you. If you a member of the LDS church, then your login for LDS.org is the same one you will use for FamilySearch. If you do not have an LDS login, then you will need to create one. The instructions are easy to follow. You will need to have your membership number. If you are not a member, you can still set up the free account. The only difference between the two is that LDS members have a section for the temple and the others do not.
Homework
While we do not really have homework for this class, you will find that if you go home each week and practice what we talk about in class, you will learn things more quickly. For this week, it will help if you are able to make sure that you have your account set up on FamilySearch. If you need help, feel free to contact me. (rosicantrell@bellsouth.net)
See you next week - ready to dig in to FamilySearch!!
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