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“DISCUSSIONS” AND “WATCH” FEATURES ON NFS

Two relatively new features on new FamilySearch are the Discussions and Watch features. “Discussions” replaces the dispute, which was somewhat of a controversial feature as it was not viewed as being friendly. Whenin the “Pedigree with details” view in new FamilySearch, if you activate the last button on the left side, the Discussion boxes will open – one for the topic and the other for the information that you want to register. Your post is then visible to another patron who can correspond with you through the Discussions box.

Always be kind, even when you are upset that the information entered is not correct. Also, nFS has asked us not to discuss the sacred temple ordinances in this box as it is available to the public, and they would have no reason to receive this information.

There is also a “Watch’ feature that will be found in the upper left hand corner of the information window at the bottom half of the “pedigree with details” page. In the Help Center, there are a few details about using the “Watch” button.

Preference Settings for the Watch FeatureIn your user profile, you can choose whether to receive e-mail notifications about the individualsthat you are watching.

Do you want to receive e-mail notifications?

Indicate whether you want the system to send you a weekly e-mail to tell you what changes have occurred to the individuals that you are watching. The e-mail identifies the following changes:

  • Changes to the individual’s summary
  • New activity in an individual’s discussions
  • Whether the individual’s record was combined with other records
  • Whether the individual was separated from a record

Un-checking this preference option does not cause you to stop watching individuals. It simply stops the notifications. This is useful, for example, if you want to stop receiving notifications temporarily while you are on vacation. When you come home, you change this preference setting to start receiving notifications. You do not have to reselect the individuals to watch.

Both these features – Discussions and Watch – will give you greater latitude in monitoring your ancestors’ records.“Discussions” foster collaboration, and “Watch” will allow you to view the changes that others make. Both features will help us to achieve more accurate records.

"...there are many members of the Church who have only limited access to the temples. They do the best they can. They pursue family history research and have the temple ordinance work done by others. Conversely, there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets."

Source: Howard W. Hunter, "A Temple-Motivated People", Ensign, Feb. 1995, p. 4

What’s New on LDS Websites?

By Jack and Sylvia Sonneborn

User Account: A user of the LDS genealogical websites needs to establish a Family Search Account or LDS Account in order to obtain the best results while searching the sites.

Many of the websites hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints require a sign-in procedure. It is suggested you obtain a single username and password for ALL sites.

This site will be helpful if you encounter problems with the sign-in procedures:

Church Members only need to use this site: in/go/membershipInfo.jsf

  1. Some of the widely used LDS genealogy websites:

Original version: familysearch.org, the main LDS site, where you can search the catalog of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions, including over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 310,000 books, serials, and other formats; and 4,500 periodicals. The microfilm and microfiche can be ordered and viewed at over 4,000 library branches (called Family History Centers) worldwide.

There are other databases available for you to search on this site as well:

Ancestral File, a database of user-contributed data before March 2000, after which contributions are found in the Pedigree Resource File

Indexes for the 1880 U.S.,1881 British Isles, and 1881 Canadian censuses.

The International Genealogical Index (IGI), a database of user-contributed data and extractions of original records

Pedigree Resource File, an index to user-contributed family trees uploaded to the FamilySearch site since May 1999

U.S. Social Security Death Index, a database of information on the deaths of over 70 million individuals

Vital Records Index, records of Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden

Revised: familysearch.org; this site has recently undergone a change. The opening page is now the former beta and pilot FamilySearch sites. You can switch to the old version outlined above or to the new search template. As volunteers index the records housed in the Granite Vault, they are posted on this site. The site contains millions of free census records as well as other BMD records. It is a wonderful addition to computer research with some original scans.

  1. Additional significant sites:

new.familysearch.org is an extraordinary website that is open only to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this time, but it is to be open to the public within the next year. It contains millions of records.

wiki.familysearch.org; the Research Wiki is a free collection of family history articles provided by family history enthusiasts from around the world. The wiki makes it easy for people to share research information and useful tips. Check a locality to find research sources. Anyone many contribute through a FamilySearch or LDS Account.

forums.familysearch.org; the Forums site is a genealogy message board. If a patron has a genealogy problem or question, he can post it on this website, which is frequented by many skilled genealogists from around the world as well as support missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ. Within a short period of time, a patron generally will find an expert answer to the query that he posed.

indexing.familysearch.org - FamilySearch volunteers have indexed over 160 million records from the Granite Vault in SLC, Utah, so far in Dec. 2010, and more are on the way! Completed collections that will soon be available on beta.familysearch.org (now updated to familysearch.org) include records from Canada, Germany, England, Russia, and the United States

  1. Additional Favorites:

Family History Library Favorites This is a favorite site used by the missionaries who work in the Family History Center, Salt Lake City, Utah . It shows sources for a location you are searching.

The Family Hart site A website for Adams, Lancaster, and York County. Most of the ancestors are of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. Some were "Gay Dutch," i.e. Luthers and Reformed. Some were "Plain Dutch," i.e. Amish, Mennonite and Brethren. , hosted by our friends Don & Jeanine Hartman. They have 665,291 Individuals; 234,192 families compiled on this website.

Affiliated websites to use with the newFamilySearch for future use

  1. Free websites at local Family History Centers: These are subscription sites, but they are available for free to all patrons at local FH Centers housed in Mormon churches:

Ancestry.com

19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archives FamilyHistoryLink FindMyPast.co.uk Footnote.com The Genealogist Genline.com Godfrey Memorial Library Heritage Quest Online Historic Maps Works Library Edition World Vital Records

Jack and I were recent presenters at the Mennonite Family History Conference in Lancaster, PA. Above is the handout that we gave when we talked about new sites. The presentation was very well received, and people were eager to go home and try them. You may copy and paste this and make any adjustments to it that you like if you would like to distribute it to your ward members.

A Research Tip!

Remember that we do not know who reported the information provided on a census record. Treat “ages” as approximate. After looking at hundreds of census entries, only one person had his age reported in exactly 10 year increments – typically the ages vary by 1-5 years and I’ve seen ages off as much as 15 or more years.Diane L. Richard, Internet Genealogy author

REMEMBER, THEY WILL ASSIST

"There are evidences that the dead are interested. If we will go forward with the research work, the way will be opened on the right and on the left. You will be astonished to find avenues open. The dead know where their records are, so you are to search until you have gone as far as you can.

When you have done all you can do and have reached the limit, what will happen? As always in the past, man's extremity is God's opportunity. The Lord never helps us while we can help ourselves. This is our day. We don't expect Him to do miraculous things that we can do ourselves. When we have done our utmost, then will come God's opportunity. Don't think for a moment that the temples will close. They will go on all through the millennium. Great hosts of the dead in the Spirit World are waiting for this work. Should it nor stir us to do everything to relieve them of their distress? It surely should. When we have done our utmost, then will come the day when the authorities that preside on the other side will come and make known all who have received the gospel in the Spirit World, and everyone entitled to have their temple work done. That is the simplest thing in the world.

When the Lord is ready, it will be very simple and very easy. We can speed that day by doing now the work that we can do."

Source: Melvin J. Ballard, Council of the Twelve, Discourse on "The Inspiration of Temple Work." The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Vol. 23, October, 1932, pp. 148-149

Fun Simple Free Ancestry

The FunSimpleFreeAncestry site not only has links to free sites for genealogical research, but also explains how to use them. It is dedicated to making research fun!

Family History Internet Sites

Kip Sperry has compiled a list of links to family history sites that would bevery helpful in researching your ancestors. Check out this extremely Helpful list of blogs, forums, libraries, archives, maps, records, technology, tips, etc.

Enlarge Text on Web Sites

Can't read a web page because the words are too small? Here's a quick tip to increase the font size:

  • Click the Control (Ctrl) key at the same time you click the plus (+) sign. Each click will increase font size.
  • To decrease font size, click Control (Ctrl) and the minus (-) sign. Each click will decrease font size.
  • You can also enlarge the entire Web page or document by pressing the Control key as you turn the scroll wheel on your mouse.Note that changing font size won't work for words that are part of images (such as company logos).Source:Family Tree Magazine, Genealogy Insider e-Newsletter, 14 Apr 2011, submitted by Barbara DeHart
  • Hint: If you are using the Temple Ordinance List on nFS, click on F11 to increase the page size and click again to return to normal size.

FamilySearch Indexing

Bishops – Do you have some homebound members of your Ward? Are there members who can’t, for whatever reasons,fulfill a calling? Here is your answer. INDEXING! Check out this excellent youtube video on Indexing. It is very well done and a great help to beginners. FamilySearch Indexing Quick Start (See other indexing videos at same location.)

Question:

My ancestor was killed in action in the Civil War. Today bodies are sent home, but where were the bodies buried back then?

Answer:

Most wereburied on or near the battlefield sites, and many of those sites arenow national cemeteries. Try searching the Department of Veterans Affairs' GraveLocator site. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System website is trying to list the Civil War burials in those cemeteries as well.

Help for Consultants

BYU's Center for Family History and Genealogy has createda companion to the Member's Guide to assist SS teachers in their calling.All of the materials are scriptures, quotes from the prophets, and materialsput out by the Church. One of the Center's purposes is to support the Churchin this work.

If you go to the Center's site scrolldown, the Companion description and link is the fourth item down in thecenter column. A great deal of work went into this site, and we hope it'shelpful to you. While you're there, feel free to take a look at some of ourother projects! Our Script Tutorials were just recommended in an email goingout to all FamilySearch indexers as a place to learn more about reading oldhandwriting.
Source: FHCNet Mailing List, Jill Crandell,Director, Center for Family History and Genealogy,Brigham Young University

Granite Genealogy Training

The Granite Genealogy Training site has links to materials on the internet that will help you learn to do your family history. You'll find direct links to familysearch subpages, familysearch affiliates, software training, research training, etc. Bookmark this page and you will have a handy place to access those links you need.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM AN OBIT

Gena Philibert Ortega wrote, “Recently a member of my family passed away, and I had the honor of writing the obituary.

This act made me start thinking of what we as genealogists should consider as we think of our own mortality and what future genealogists will face as they seek evidence of their ancestors’ lives. Placing an obituary in the newspaper can be an expensive prospect.

Depending on the newspaper, you will be charged to insert a photo, and then you will be charged for the text. As future genealogists search for traces of us, their ancestors, they will need to use different sources than what we are used to. In a world where people don't read a paper newspaper as much and obituaries are expensive, an obituary may not be the standard death source a future genealogist will look for.

The time right after a loved one dies can be difficult. There are matters to take care of for the funeral as well as the person's affairs...As genealogists, we care about remembering those who came before us. We should equally care about leaving behind our information so that we will be remembered. In a genealogy society I once belonged to, one of the member's favorite topics was to urge people to write their own obituary.

I'm not sure how many people listened to her, but she was right. If you want people to remember you correctly, you may want to write your own obituary and leave the money behind to pay for it.

There are actually websites that providesome guidance in writing Obituaries. They include ObituaryGuide.com, ObituariesHelp.org., and eHow.

When my wife and I wrote our personalhistories, we included our Obituary as well as who we would like to speak at our funerals and the music we wanted played etc. We wanted to make it as easy as could for our children.”

Find A Grave

From World Vital Records: Who is behind “Find A Grave”? Well, first ofall, you are. Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour. The site simply wouldn't exist without the 200,000+ contributors. When it comes to administrating, building and maintainingthe site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.

Every day, contributors from around the world enter new records, thousands usethe site as an educational reference tool, long-lost loved ones are located.When searching for departed relatives, often a researcher has no idea where to look for information past the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Further,for anyone who died before the 1960's, the SSDI does not help.

A good way to make sure of Find AGrave is to search WorldVitalRecords.com for aparticular relative and then to see whether or not that relative is on the list. With almost 16.5 million people in this database, there is a good chance offinding the relative you seek, and millions of lives are fondly remembered.

Naturalization Papers Finding Aid

by Philip Trauring

Finding US Naturalization records can be very helpful when doing genealogy research, but they also can frequently be very difficult. Naturalizations before 1906 could be done in just about any court in the country, and were not standardized. After 1906 the federal government took over the Naturalization process and all forms became standardized nationwide. The location of all Naturalization files post-1906 is generally in set locations based on where the person naturalized.