Recently we had a troop of Girl Scouts from Chicago visit the Family Search Center. True to their motto they came prepared. They had downloaded the pedigree or family tree chart from our website and had filled in much of the information. It saved time so that we could help them find great grandparents and even some great-great grandparents. They then went happily on their way to Kings Island!
We hope to add even more aids for your search.

Each day the Mormon Church adds more records to its collection.  As of now it includes 300 million names.   If you would like to dip into those records ahead of the general release, go to betafamilysearch.org.   These records access information from all over the world.  Try it out.  You may get a hit!

The familysearch.org web site is one that you should check frequently

as it is constantly being updated with new information.  Volunteers are

going throughout the world digitizing courthouse and church records.

It is worth a frequent look.

The Genealogy Notebook is one year old!  I believe it deserves mixed reviews as we were not able to help everyone.  However, there were a few success stories .  Continue with those queries–we will  continue do our very best.  To help you get started we have added 2  downloads to our front page.  These will give you some tips to get started and give you a downloadable family tree chart to help you get organized.  Thanks To Chris Hamlin for his work on these.

Immediately after I arrived home from the convention in Arizona, I headed to Alabama for a two month stay.  Settling in took longer than I anticipated,  but I should now be able to answer some of the posts and also share some of the tips I learned in Arizona.  The one that hit closest to me was the one about naturalization papers.  I had found the naturalization paper of my great grandfather and great uncle who were born in Germany.  However nothing surfaced for my great grandmother.  Chauvanistic, I thought.  Not true!  Whenever the male head of the family was naturalized so were all of his dependents.  A lesson learned!

Today, I am heading to Arizona to attend the Family History Expo which is two days filled with workshops. I am taking with me some of the questions that I was unable to answer for some folks.  Also, I am sure I will be learning about sources that I will be able to share.  Look for more information in the weeks to come.  (Don’t be envious–it is raining in Phoenix!}

An important resource that is easily overlooked is the record of the men who had to register in 1917 and 1918 even if they would not go on to serve in the war. If a man was in this country, he was expected to register. This has given genealogists another source to check for men born in the late 1800′s. You can find these records on ancestry.com which can be found at most major public libraries.
Just recently this source enabled me to help a woman find a grandfather about whom she knew nothing but his name. Using the draft records I was able to give her height, weight, hair and eye color and place of birth. We also determined that he was born in Jamaica. Best of all we were able to place him in a time and location and make him real.

Thank you to Deanna Ralph for sharing her cemetery records of the Alum Creek Quaker Cemetery in Marengo, Ohio, Morrow County. The community of Quakers in Marengo were very active in the Underground Railroad. There are several of the fugitive slaves are buried in this cemetery. If this fits into your search, we can get you in touch with Deanna.

When I started posting in the Genealogy Notebook, I thought I would be sharing information at least weekly. My thought was that folks would share their information as well and we could all learn. Well, the best laid plans…. What happened was that the in box got filled with requests for help! And that is what we have tried to do. The queries have been interesting and challenging causing me to stretch my learning curve greatly. Thanks and more thanks to all who asked those questions.
In January I am attending a genealogy conference in Arizona. Already my folder is full of puzzles to which I hope to get solutions. In genealogy one never knows it all. The fun is in the learning

The first session of the fall genealogy classes will be held on September 12, 2009 in Discovery Room 2 on the 3rd floor of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This class, which is titled “Finding Answers on the Internet,” will teach us how to use this powerful tool in ways that go beyond the obvious. Class will begin at 2:00pm and last until 4:00pm. There is no charge for the class or for entry into the building. Bring your questions and yourself to this FREE genealogy session.

The second session of the fall genealogy classes will be held September 26 in Discovery Room 2 on the 3rd floor of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This class, entitled “Advanced Tips for Using the Census,” will begin at 2:00pm and end at 4:00pm. In this session we will learn how to interpret what the census shows us and how to use it to advance our search. No charge for entry into the building or for the class!
Bring a friend and share the experience.

You have made a great start. All of the names and dates are neatly written on the charts. You have talked with your elders. Now what?
There is an important step that can easily be missed. Take a step back…figuratively, of course, and look at what you have. Analyze what you see. Is one family better represented than another? Are there names missing that you can easily get? Do you have cousins who may have the answers to questions?
After you have thought this through, it is time to make your list of questions. Decide what you REALLY want to know and plan how you are going to proceed. Believe it or not this step will save you time in the long run. Just follow the list!

More to follow……

A question we frequently receive at the Family Search Center is “How do I get started doing my genealogy?” Unfortunately most of our visitors are here for such a short time that we can only skim the surface of what can be done and how best to do it. Here are a few suggestions for preparing to take the big step into the world of family history.

First ask yourself, “What do I already know?” The answer is “Probably more than you think.” If you will begin to write down your family members-you, your parents, your grandparents-, where they lived and when, you are already have a head start.

Next prepare to get organized. The more you stay consistent, the easier your later work will be. Forms that will be helpful can be found on www.genealogyseach.org/free/forms.html.

To be continued…….