Your assistance is welcomed as a volunteer to index some of the world's primary genealogical records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants to help families locate the records for their families and has begun indexing a lot of vital records and census records.
If you are interested in volunteering your assistance with these indexing projects, check out the information and requirements at http://www.familysearchindexing.org/en/index.jsp.
FamilySearch Indexing is inviting ANYONE who wants to volunteer to do so. Volunteers are not required to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Projects are available for all experience levels. Some projects are labeled "easy" for volunteers who want to try indexing but are not yet ready to decipher census records' handwriting. Each project has links to information on how to transcribe and/or read the documents.
The software for the indexing process is installed over the internet for free. There are no other costs involved. Volunteers may work online or offline after the document is downloaded. Online training sessions and examples are included too. After finishing the online training session, a volunteer may print out a certificate to keep.
Projects are downloaded in small groups (ie., a page for a census, several pages for vital records). Volunteers have a week from the time of the project being downloaded to complete the work. If the page looks too difficult, volunteers may return them and request another one to index.
An easy indexing project currently being completed involves marriage records for counties of West Virginia. The indexer copies down the names of the groom and the bride and the year of the marriage. The name of the county is also added. In a few minutes, the indexer can complete the batch of approximately 20 couples and send the batch back to FamilySearch Indexing.
This past week I have enjoyed indexing several different types of records. The marriage index for West Virginia didn't take very long but the 1900 U.S. Federal Census pages took quite a bit more effort. Of course, it depended on whether or not the enumerator's handwriting for the census was easy to read. Sometimes it was a real struggle to determine what the enumerator was recording. Usually census pages have 50 lines on them but the page may or may not be completely full.
Some of the 1900 U.S. Federal Census projects available now are from the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Ohio. There are also some vital records to index -- marriage records from West Virginia and death records from the province of Ontario in Canada.
I figure volunteering to help with the indexing projects is one way to give back to FamilySearch. After all of the opportunities that the Church has given me to research and learn about my ancestry, a few minutes here and there is a way to return the favor to a small degree.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
PAF Tips:
Personal Ancestral File (PAF)
Software Available for FREE
Personal Ancestral File (PAF)
Software Available for FREE
FamilySearch™ Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software is a tool to help you record, manage, and share your family history information. With this program, you can create and store family information about thousands of people in one or more database files.
Although PAF software may be downloaded for FREE at www.FamilySearch.org, do not assume that the price means the software is lacking the aspects of the expensive genealogical programs. PAF is an excellent product and includes enormous possibilities for both the novice and the more experienced researchers.
A few of the highlights of PAF software are:
1. Each Person’s Information Typed Only Once (uses the same data for both child and parent positions);
2. Individual and Marriage screens (Templates) may be customized;
3. Customized Events (add census, mission, residences, engagements, graduations and many more events – including events created by the submitter);
4. Multimedia Possibilities (add images of photos & documents; even make slide shows);
5. Link Individuals to Families, and Link Families Together with other Families;
6. Print Pedigrees, Family Groups, Reports, and Lists;
7. Focus capabilities to locate individuals or and/marriages with common data OR needing temple ordinances.
8. Prepare family members’ information to be processed in TempleReady.
9. Share information with other researchers in a GEDCOM file.
There are also two great resources for PAF users under the Help tab on the toolbar.
· User’s Guide (uses Adobe Reader format) which may be printed.
· Seven lessons in a self-tutorial format when your Internet browser is open. Connects with the following FamilySearch website: http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/lessons/paf5.html
PAF was developed and produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 1980s. Several versions of PAF are available. Details may be found at the Church's family history website at www.FamilySearch.org.
Demonstrations of PAF software may be seen at a local Family History Center.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
A Great Longing
of the Human Heart
of the Human Heart
History has fascinated me since I was a young girl in elementary school. I suppose this was a natural part of life for an American military family.
We were living in southern Germany during the height of the cold war. My father was an officer in an armored cavalry regiment. Dad enjoyed learning about history and famous people but primarily from the Second World War era. Apparently I caught that same interest of history and people because they have been part of my life's work ever since childhood.
Later we returned to the United States, toured Washington, D.C., and settled in western Michigan. Our family finally had time to become acquainted again with our grandparents and other relatives. I was just entering the early years of adolescence.
Years later I read this quote from Ardis Whitman which sums up my feelings at the time.
As a teenager I enjoyed listening to the stories of my grandparents and other relatives but had no idea that the average person could actually trace their own family's genealogy. My paternal grandmother had two pieces of paper with family information about her grandparents and an uncle. I dutifully copied the papers so I could have a copy too.
An enlightenment of sorts came in my life when I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was a young adult and had just graduated from a midwestern university. The year after my baptism, our Sunday School offered a course on genealogy and I was asked to participate.
At the time I lacked the faith that I would have much success in tracing my ancestry. Three of my four grandparents were dead. I had some elderly relatives but didn't really know them. My pedigree chart looked rather sparse -- only names and some dates for the grandparents and only one name of a great-grandfather. My family tree appeared more like a whithered shrub than anything else.
Within a few years, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in an historical aspect of the fine arts. I was accepted as a student at Brigham Young University and moved to Provo, Utah. Researching in libraries was something I truly enjoyed.
Being a graduate student in Utah enabled me to spend what little free time I had researching my own ancestry at the BYU library. Occasional visits to the Family History Library (then known as the Genealogy Library) in Salt Lake City also led to some successful experiences.
From this small beginning, I was able to begin the quest of a lifetime. The journey has been well worth the required time and efforts.
Besides climbing my own family's tree, I have helped dozens of other people climb their family trees too. In the Church, I have served as a staff member of three different LDS Family History Centers. Later I served a few times as a family history consultant in two wards and also at the stake level*. I have assisted members while teaching classes and workshops. It has been a tremendous learning process over the years.
Although I have worked a long time with family history and temple work at the local level, I have also served in other Church callings as well -- sometimes concurrently. At times it was a real balancing act to keep researching when other responsibilities (my own immdediate family, work, etc.) demanded equal emphasis. Real life sometimes got in the way of genealogy.
Almost 30 years later, pursuing elusive ancestors has blessed my life with love and appreciation for my heritage. Yet I have gained far more than just ancestors' data to perch on the branches of my family tree. My life has been enriched with the discovery of relatives (both living and dead) as well as making new friendships with dozens of researchers who have similar interests.
Other areas of life have been influenced by family history efforts too. Perhaps in the weeks and months ahead, some of these areas will be explored in 'The Homeward Journey'.
What Ardis Whitman wrote years ago is indeed true. Researching family history not only answers the longings of a human heart but gives understanding and purpose to our lives.
___________________________________
*The congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to as wards; several wards comprise a stake.
We were living in southern Germany during the height of the cold war. My father was an officer in an armored cavalry regiment. Dad enjoyed learning about history and famous people but primarily from the Second World War era. Apparently I caught that same interest of history and people because they have been part of my life's work ever since childhood.
Later we returned to the United States, toured Washington, D.C., and settled in western Michigan. Our family finally had time to become acquainted again with our grandparents and other relatives. I was just entering the early years of adolescence.
Years later I read this quote from Ardis Whitman which sums up my feelings at the time.
"To know where I come from is one of the greatest longings of the human heart. More than genealogical data, we seek in the lives of those who went before us the meaning of our lives."
As a teenager I enjoyed listening to the stories of my grandparents and other relatives but had no idea that the average person could actually trace their own family's genealogy. My paternal grandmother had two pieces of paper with family information about her grandparents and an uncle. I dutifully copied the papers so I could have a copy too.
An enlightenment of sorts came in my life when I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was a young adult and had just graduated from a midwestern university. The year after my baptism, our Sunday School offered a course on genealogy and I was asked to participate.
At the time I lacked the faith that I would have much success in tracing my ancestry. Three of my four grandparents were dead. I had some elderly relatives but didn't really know them. My pedigree chart looked rather sparse -- only names and some dates for the grandparents and only one name of a great-grandfather. My family tree appeared more like a whithered shrub than anything else.
Within a few years, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in an historical aspect of the fine arts. I was accepted as a student at Brigham Young University and moved to Provo, Utah. Researching in libraries was something I truly enjoyed.
Being a graduate student in Utah enabled me to spend what little free time I had researching my own ancestry at the BYU library. Occasional visits to the Family History Library (then known as the Genealogy Library) in Salt Lake City also led to some successful experiences.
From this small beginning, I was able to begin the quest of a lifetime. The journey has been well worth the required time and efforts.
Besides climbing my own family's tree, I have helped dozens of other people climb their family trees too. In the Church, I have served as a staff member of three different LDS Family History Centers. Later I served a few times as a family history consultant in two wards and also at the stake level*. I have assisted members while teaching classes and workshops. It has been a tremendous learning process over the years.
Although I have worked a long time with family history and temple work at the local level, I have also served in other Church callings as well -- sometimes concurrently. At times it was a real balancing act to keep researching when other responsibilities (my own immdediate family, work, etc.) demanded equal emphasis. Real life sometimes got in the way of genealogy.
Almost 30 years later, pursuing elusive ancestors has blessed my life with love and appreciation for my heritage. Yet I have gained far more than just ancestors' data to perch on the branches of my family tree. My life has been enriched with the discovery of relatives (both living and dead) as well as making new friendships with dozens of researchers who have similar interests.
Other areas of life have been influenced by family history efforts too. Perhaps in the weeks and months ahead, some of these areas will be explored in 'The Homeward Journey'.
What Ardis Whitman wrote years ago is indeed true. Researching family history not only answers the longings of a human heart but gives understanding and purpose to our lives.
___________________________________
*The congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to as wards; several wards comprise a stake.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Reason for the Journey
The title "Life is a Homeward Journey" comes from a quote by President Boyd K. Packer who wrote:
There will certainly be many postings on family history and temple work (from a LDS perspective) because I have spent so many years pursuing elusive ancestors. Family history research (whether my husband's heritage or my own) has led me to wonderful experiences throughout the years. My heart has been turned to many people on both sides of the veil.
Some postings will concern missionary work. This seems appropriate as our son is serving as an LDS missionary in Eastern Europe. It has been a life-changing event for our entire family. We have all learned a great deal together regarding missionary work.
Other aspects of life add sparkle to our days and depth to our character. They enrich our lives and so I expect some of them will be included here.
It is not apparent where creating this blog "Life is a Homeward Journey" will take me but I think it will be another way for me to share a part of my heart with others.
'Life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God...' (see Ensign, May 1987)The journey home has many facets but our families and testimonies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are what truly matters.
There will certainly be many postings on family history and temple work (from a LDS perspective) because I have spent so many years pursuing elusive ancestors. Family history research (whether my husband's heritage or my own) has led me to wonderful experiences throughout the years. My heart has been turned to many people on both sides of the veil.
Some postings will concern missionary work. This seems appropriate as our son is serving as an LDS missionary in Eastern Europe. It has been a life-changing event for our entire family. We have all learned a great deal together regarding missionary work.
Other aspects of life add sparkle to our days and depth to our character. They enrich our lives and so I expect some of them will be included here.
It is not apparent where creating this blog "Life is a Homeward Journey" will take me but I think it will be another way for me to share a part of my heart with others.
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