Lisa Cooke | Genealogy Gems

6 Tips: How to Organize Your Family History

by Lisa Cooke | Jun 17, 2013 | 01 What's New, Inspiration, Memory Lane, Organization, Photographs

We genealogists often accumulate a lot of family “stuff:” original documents, old photographs and heirlooms. Though it’s wonderful to own them, it can be a serious challenge to keep them organized and documented.

Sunny’s 6 Tips for Organizing Your Genealogical Items

1. Take stock of what you’ve got. Gather together all the original documents or photos, or take pictures of all your heirlooms, then review the entire collection at the same time.

2. Get rid of duplicates and stuff that doesn’t matter so much. You probably don’t really need all 10 of grandma’s quilts or those hundreds of scenic photographs from old family vacations. Rethink the 12-piece setting of china you’ll never use and grandpa’s tidy but prolific collection of nuts and bolts.

3. Carefully document and organize originals. Each kit includes supplies and instructions to help you safely identify each item. This is probably the most important step. We love our pictures, old letters and heirlooms because of the family connection. If that connection is lost, so is the value of the object.

4. Scan flat items and take digital pictures of dimensional ones. Keep these as “backups” in case the original is ever harmed. (The document and photo kits even come with Archival Gold CDs, which aren’t easy for genealogists to come by but perfect for long-term digital storage.) Use copies for reference and display, so you don’t expose your originals to everyday wear.

5. Store originals safely. The Heirloom Inventory kit includes suggestions for storing and displaying original objects. The document and photo kits include top-quality archival supplies and step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to store your stuff in them.

6. Share what you’ve got. Frame copies of your old photos and put them on the wall or a shelf. Keep copies of old documents handy to show relatives. Display your heirlooms. Use them all as conversation pieces whenever you get a chance. Tell stories about the people. Share memories that help other relatives understand why these items matter to you. That will help ensure that these items will live on in the family lore.

FGS Conference Early-Bird Registration Ends July 1

by Lisa Cooke | Jun 10, 2013 | 01 What's New, Conferences

From the FGS Press Release:

“Journey through Generations” – A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

June 10, 2013 – Austin, TX. Discounted early-bird registration for the 2013 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference will continue only until July 1. Early registrants receive a $50 discount for the full four days, or a $20 discount for any single day. Details at http://www.fgsconference.org.

The conference will be held 21-24 August 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. This year’s conference theme is “Journey through Generations,” and the local hosts are the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI). Platinum sponsors are FamilySearch, FindMyPast.com and Ancestry.com.

The conference offers opportunities for all who are interested in researching their family history, with over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists at all levels. The exhibit hall features over 70 vendors offering a wide range of genealogical products and is open and free to the public.

Luncheons, workshops and special events provide additional opportunities for networking and learning. Make sure the get your tickets to these conference “extras” early to guarantee your spot.

See you in Fort Wayne in August!

Learn More and Stay Connected

Visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org.
Like the conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FGSconference.
Follow the conference on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FGSconference and hashtag #FGS2013.
Visit Fort Wayne at http://www.visitfortwayne.com/FGS.

Start Digging! New Worldwide Records Added to FamilySearch

by Lisa Cooke | Jun 5, 2013 | 01 What's New, FamilySearch, Records & databases

Millions of new images and indexed records are added to FamilySearch.org every week. But here’s one that particularly caught my eye: 5.6 million records from Massachusetts Land Records dating from 1620 to the 1980s.

Massachusetts Land Records, Hampshire County, sample deed from browsable record set at FamilySearch.org.

It’s a browsable collection of “land and property records from the Massachusetts Land Office and county courthouses. Records include land grants, patents, deeds, and mortgages. This collection includes all counties in Massachusetts.” Though these images aren’t indexed in FamilySearch per se, I noticed that when I clicked on a sample county (Hampshire), there were alphabetical deed indexes dating back as far as the records themselves. So it looks like in at least some cases, you’ll be able to browse those indexes and then find the deeds you want.

Looking for other new records just added to FamilySearch.org? Check out the table below.

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Austria, Seigniorial Records, 1537–1888	0	237,988	Added images to an existing collection.
Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration, 1875-2012	0	116,423	Added images to an existing collection.
China, Cemetery Records, 1820-1983	0	72,747	New browsable image collection.
China, Collection of Genealogies, 1239-2011	0	204,422	Added images to an existing collection.
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968	0	337,367	New browsable image collection.
Luxembourg, Civil Registration, 1793-1923	0	84,251	Added images to an existing collection.
Peru, Amazonas, Civil Registration, 1939-1995	0	5,417	Added images to an existing collection.
Portugal, Beja, Catholic Church Records, 1550-1911	0	94,902	Added images to an existing collection.
Portugal, Braga, Priest Application Files (Genere et Moribus), 1596-1911	0	69,030	New browsable image collection.
Portugal, Évora, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1554-1938	0	5,708	New browsable image collection.
Portugal, Viana do Castelo, Catholic Church Records, 1537-1909	0	83,446	Added images to an existing collection.
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1811	0	2,387	New browsable image collection.
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1818	0	2,369	New browsable image collection.
Switzerland, Fribourg, Census, 1834	0	2,436	New browsable image collection.
U.S., Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953	0	191,701	New browsable image collection.
U.S., Idaho, Gooding County Records, 1879-1962	0	52,108	New browsable image collection.
U.S., Maine, Piscataquis County, Deed Books, 1838-1902	0	56,970	New browsable image collection.
U.S., Massachusetts, Land Records, 1620-1986	0	5,766,135	New browsable image collection.

NGS 2014 Genealogy Conference in Richmond

by Lisa Cooke | Jun 4, 2013 | 01 What's New, Conferences

Mark your calendars: The National Genealogical Society (U.S) has announced that next year’s Family History Conference will be at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and Marriott Hotel in Richmond, Virginia from May 7 -10.

The theme for the 2014 conference is “Virginia: The First Frontier,” so you can expect to see plenty of “Old Dominion” records and history. But conference planners promise more than 150 lectures that will include “migration into, within, and out of the region down the Great Wagon Road, over the Appalachian Mountains, and across the south to Texas and beyond.” Plan to learn about the “history, records, repositories, and ethnic and religious groups in Virginia and the neighboring states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The program will also feature broader genealogical categories including military and other federal records, the law as it relates to genealogy, methodology, analysis, and problem solving. There will also be an emphasis on the use of technology (GenTech) in genealogical research including genetics, mobile devices, and apps.”

If you plan to go, get your hotel reservation in early–reservations are already being accepted, though actual conference registration doesn’t open until December 1. Check out hotel information and sign up for the NGS Conference Blog so you can keep up-to-date on news and announcements.

Google Search Strategies for Genealogy: Free Online Class

by Lisa Cooke | Jun 3, 2013 | 01 What's New, Conferences, Google, Technology

I’ll be streaming live this weekend at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree!

This Saturday from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm PDT, my class “Master Using Google for Common Surname Searches” will be among those featured in the JamboSTREAM, a live webcast of selected Jamboree presentations.

Google searches can power up our genealogy research, but only if use them productively. In this class, you’ll learn strategies for searching for common surnames and surnames that double as common words. You’ll discover how to weed out irrelevant search results, then automate your searches to run for you. This is a perfect class for beginners and a great brush-up for more experienced online researchers.

Register for this free class by clicking on the link above. You’ll just be asked for your name and email address, state and country and how you heard about the session. Please tell them that Genealogy Gems sent you! After you register, you will receive a confirmation notice with the security credentials (username and password). You must be registered to view a session.

Along with my session, you can also register to hear several more fantastic presenters and topics. Click on the links below to register for each one individually.

Friday, June 7

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, FR001: http://www.mindanews.com/buy-inderal/ Basic Military Research, Craig Roberts Scott MA, CG

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, FR016: The Ethical Genealogist, Judy G. Russell JD, CG (here’s the handout)

4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, FR022: DNA Panel Discussion – Hear it from the Experts. CeCe Moore; Alice Fairhurst; Ken Chahine PhD; Joanna Mountain PhD; Bennett Greenspan. (Co-Sponsored by International Society of Genetic Genealogy.)