FAMILY HISTORY CENTER NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 FARMINGTON UTAH FAMILY HISTORY CENTER NEWSLETTER August 2007 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 8 In This Issue LINKING THE FAMILY OF MAN BY DAVID B.HAIGHT WORDS OF THE PROPHETS EDUCATION & TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENTS INSIGHT ON INSIGHT COMPARE AND SYNC SPOTLIGHT ON AMIMAP WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE: GERMAN RESEARCH Farmington Family History Center Phone: Family History Center Directors: Jim and Marie Mason marie@mason.online.net Newsletter Editor Gail Anderson joelandgail@msn.com Send an to subscribe or unsubscribe to: marie@masons-online.net LINKING THE FAMILY OF MAN The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times is the dispensation which includes all others, both in heaven and on earth. It is the dispensation which will fulfill all of the decrees of a loving Heavenly Father for the salvation of [all] men and the redemption of the earth itself. History of the Church, 1:xxiii. An inspired Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, It is necessary that a welding together of dispensations should take place from the days of Adam even to the present time. (D&C 128:18.) David B. Haight, Ensign May 1991 T he gospel, of course, is of great antiquity. In the heavenly kingdom it was formed before the foundation of the earth. From the very first, the plan of man s progression and salvation was known. (See History of the Church, 1:xxiii xciv.) This period of time in which we live, the dispensation of the fullness of times, will see the culmination of all of God s work on the earth. For this reason, we are anxiously engaged in the Lord s work, which includes the performance of certain ordinances for all who have lived and will live upon the earth. Just a few minutes drive to the southeast of where we are, in one of the many beautiful canyons that grace these Wasatch Mountains, stands a huge granite mountain. From the road deep in the canyon floor, most automobile passengers do not see the large, arched portals cut high in the side of the mountain. Few would realize that behind these portals are six large storage rooms cut deep into the solid granite and that in them lie the world s largest collection of genealogy records. These are not ordinary records, but records listing the births, marriages, and deaths of nearly two billion people who have lived on the earth. They are the product of over fifty years of tireless effort the world over by Church representatives, by microfilm camera operators, and those who care for these records housed row upon row in microfilm cabinets deep in the mountain. The magnitude of this project to gather and preserve these records is awesome to behold. Why do you do this? some ask. Why does the Church commit millions of dollars and tens of thousands of hours to this immense but unusual project? Why have such great concern for those who have died? Our answer is simple, yet profound: Because we love them. Because they are entitled to the same blessings that we enjoy. Because this is a major part of the heavenly plan for this, the dispensation of the fullness of times, for the blessing of all people. We gather these records to identify our ancestors. We identify our ancestors so that we may perform for them the saving ordinances of the gospel in holy temples dedicated to that purpose. It is our responsibility, given to us by the Lord, to help redeem all those of our Father s children who have lived and died without receiving the sacred ordinances of the gospel yet all have the opportunity to accept or reject the ordinances performed in their behalf. 1

2 WORDS OF THE PROPHET Joseph Smith History of the Church Those saints who neglect genealogy work in behalf of their deceased relatives do it at the peril of their own salvation... The greatest responsibility in the world that God has laid upon us is to see after our dead... Therefore Seek diligently to turn the hearts of the of the children to their fathers. Internet Training Courses for Family History Consultants Are you a registered family history consultant? Have you received your username and password for the internet training? Less than 50% of the registered family history consultants have used the Internet training site. We strongly encourage every registered family history consultant to go to and use the training courses. The new training courses will help you learn family history software and systems and how to become even more proficient at helping members with their family history. Courses are updated periodically, and new information is posted often. The lessons include: Understanding your Calling Providing Individual Help Problem Solving for Consultants TempleReady Personal Ancestral File 5.2 FamilySearch Indexing BYU Family History Research Courses If you have not registered as a family history consultant, you can still do so by going to You will need your Church membership number and your ward unit number, both of which may be obtained from your ward clerk. TRAINING ICAPGEN FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE NOVEMBER Becoming an Excellent Genealogist Instructors include faculty of BYU, professional experts in genealogical and family history research. Whether you are a professional genealogist, or you would like to become one, this conference is for you. Family researchers looking for advanced classes are also welcome. Workshops will cover advanced research techniques, advice on improving your genealogical business, information on preparing for the Accreditation examination, and some of the latest tools that have become available. For more information; CLASSES CAN BE ARRANGED AT FARMINGTON FHC UPON REQUEST. To arrange for training at the Family History Library contact: Joel and Gail Anderson at or at Joelandgail@msn.com CLASSES AVAILABLE AT THE ODGEN FAMILY HISTORY CENTER Check their website for a class schedule To receive an contact Frank Reid at: freid05@yahoo.com CLASSES AVAILABLE AT FHL IN SALT LAKE CITY frameset_education.asp?page=library_classes_2007feb.asp 2

3 ANNOUNCEMENTS ANIMAP HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON THE COMPUTER AT THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER (SEE PAGE 5) The Tracing Your Jewish Ancestors guide is an excellent reference tool for anyone with a Jewish ancestor who came to the United States from Europe. Users will be able to follow simple steps to identify an ancestor s birthplace or place of origin. It provides instructions on which records to search first, what to look for, and what research tools to use. It includes 30 colorful pages of examples and rich, helpful details. The digital document is available in a high quality, easy-to-use PDF format. The popular Jewish Genealogy Research Outline has also been revised and is free. New Jewish Family History Resources Online We would like to share the following press release with you: SALT LAKE CITY FamilySearch added to its substantial Jewish genealogical collection with the addition of its new Jewish Family History Resources online. The announcement was made in conjunction with the 27th International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference in Salt Lake City this week. The web page includes a new Jewish genealogy database, the Knowles Collection, as well as a new research guide, Tracing Your Jewish Ancestors. The new features can be accessed for free at FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch provides numerous free tools and resources for anyone researching Jewish ancestry. The Knowles Collection contains information for thousands of Jews from the British Isles. Building on the work of the late Isobel Mordy, the collection links individuals into family groups with more names added continuously. The collection is available as a file that can be viewed and edited through most genealogy software programs. Genealogy software is also available as a free download. FamilySearch Jewish Family History Resources highlights include: Links to relevant records and searchable databases Helpful guides and forms to view online or print Online indexing projects, where individuals can register to volunteer or to see what databases are forthcoming Free genealogy management software Directions to receive free personal assistance through local family history centers Those with Jewish ancestry should bookmark the site, as links to new resources and tools will be added as they become available online. To view or print this memo in PDF format, please go to: Local_Support/en/Consultants/memos/ consultantmemos.htm FamilySearch Support Contact Information Self-help and Search for answers or send us e- mail at: Phone: Find our toll-free number at: help.familysearch.org/kb/public/en/products/phone.htm Change or remove your contact information: Send us your new address or request removal of your consultant registration at: suport@familysearch.org. Please include your name, ward name, and stake name in your . New consultant registration: Please invite new consultants to register at: Farmington Family History Center Schedule for Open Tuesday through Thursday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm & 7:00-9:00 pm Open Friday and Saturday 10:00am-1:00pm * Closed Monday Library will be Closed the following dates: September 1, 2007 Labor Day October 6, 2007 Conference November 20 24, 2007 Thanksgiving December /8 January 2 Christmas March 31, 2008 Conference April 7, 2008 Easter May 26, 2008 Memorial Day 3

4 INSIGHT ON INSIGHT: COMPARE AND SYNC Once you start using the Compare and Sync mode, it may become your favorite feature of PAF Insight. Before anything else, when starting a project in PAF Insight, especially when you use a mode for the first time, please back up your records before you begin! Q. I am not sure what the Compare and Sync mode is used for. Should I use it for file clean up? A. Although the Compare and Sync mode is not technically a file cleanup function, it is a lifesaver when you discover other copies of your PAF File that contain different information. It is also invaluable for updating and adding specific information from a GEDCOM file rather than importing the complete GEDCOM. This mode allows you to open two different PAF files at the same time. With the files open side by side, you can compare the information on any person contained in both files, and update the primary database with information from the secondary database. Additionally, you can add names that only appear in the secondary file. In this sense, it cleans multiple files by synchronizing them into one file. Q. How do I get two files to appear at one time so I can compare them? A. Open PAF with the file you want as your PRIMARY file. THE PRIMARY FILE: Is the file you have opened in PAF Appears on the left under the Primary name column Receives information Changes when updates and additions are saved Click Tools and choose PAF Insight to open the program. From the How would you like to start? menu, click Compare and Sync. THE SECONDARY FILE: Is chosen from the Choose a PAF file dialog box. Double click on the file you want synchronized with the Primary file. Appears on the right under the Secondary name column Gives information Remains unaltered Q. I have opened files into the Compare and Sync mode but I am not sure what I am looking at and do not understand how the names are displayed. Some names seem to be missing. Some names are paired with matches while others are just in the Secondary names list. What is going on? 4 A. To save you time, PAF Insight hides people who only appear in the Primary database. Since there is nothing to compare or update, they are not needed. This is why you see gaps in the RINs within the Primary names list. Every name from the Secondary file is displayed with one exception. If the same person in the Primary and Secondary files are 100% identical, and no pink would appear in the details window, they are hidden. This is another time saving feature of PAF Insight. When nothing needs updating, why spend the time looking at it? All possible matches between the two databases are paired side-by-side. You can select a pair and compare the information as you would in the Merge or Search IGI modes. The remaining names that only appear in the Secondary file are listed in RIN order. Since the Secondary file GIVES information to the main file, the unmatched people are displayed so you can add them to your main file as desired. Q. What do I do when two people are paired but I do not think they are the same person? Can I still add the secondary person? A. After comparing the information on a pair of individuals, you may decide they are not a match. Click the Not-A-Match icon at the top of the window. Not-A- Match appears in the status column by their names. Next, click the Add icon to add the person from the Secondary database. When this person is added, it looks as though either the people were merged or the original person was deleted. This is NOT the case. In the answer to the previous question I stated, "To save you time, PAF Insight hides people who only appear in the Primary database." When you mark a pair as Not-A- Match, the primary person is not needed and can be hidden by the program. Therefore, when you click Add, the primary person is hidden and the secondary person can be moved into the Primary column. Note, the added person has no RIN until you Save. You can experiment with this by first making a backup copy of your records. Find a pair that is not a match. Write down the name and RIN for the Primary Person. If you know you want to add the secondary person to your file, you do not have to mark them as Not-A-Match; just click Add. Save the changes and write down the new RIN of the person you added. This is the one in the Primary RIN column. Return to PAF and find both the original person and the newly added person. The primary person did not get lost, deleted, or merged by adding the person they were paired with. Used by permission: Ohana Insights,

5 SPOTLIGHT ON ANIMAP If you do a lot of US research, you may consider AniMap another essential tool for genealogists. Many of us have ancestors who were born in one county, married in another and died in yet another county without ever moving. Finding vital, land, probate, or other county records can become tricky as boundaries change and records remained in the parent county. To complete our research, we often need to search each county where our ancestors lived and sometime search surrounding counties, too. AniMap helps us determine those counties and: Find when counties divided or had changes to their boundaries Determine the county seat See boundary changes for each state from the original settlement to present Find lists of places within each state and plot them on the basic map Calculate the distance between two places on your map Select a place and determine what other places exist within a specified radius Create and export a customized map Add overlays of current boundaries, latitude and longitude, rivers and streams, or railroads to the state map on display I used both the video training CD (sold separately) and the lessons within the program to learn how to use AniMap. The video training helped me see how the program worked and I gained a deeper understanding of its usefulness as a research tool. I appreciated the demonstrations and examples of using the program for solving research problems. The CD also contains a two-page handout of succinct instructions for using AniMap. This short "cheat sheet" reminds me to use features I may otherwise forget. The written lessons, found under Help - Contents, are also helpful, especially if you do not purchase the video training CD. I often use AniMap to check county names when entering life event data into PAF. Recently, while using Edit Places in PAF Insight, I found one town listed with three different counties. I clicked on the place so I could see the people associated with this town. Then I clicked on the only person listed to see the date associated with that town and county name. I switched to AniMap, plotted the town onto the state map, clicked the year that would cover the time period in question and found the county name was correct. I repeated the process by clicking on the other entries and in each case, the county had changed and was correctly entered for the time of the event. In one instance, the county changed within a few years of the previous change. Without moving, this family lived in three different counties within about 5 years! I use AniMap to calculate the distance between small towns that do not show up on current maps and find cemeteries within a radius of towns where my family lived. Each function helps me in my research process. AniMap may not appear very fancy but it certainly provides a great deal of helpful information! Used by permission: Ohana Insights, The New FamilySearch will be a marvelous website but it is up to us to make sure that the information in our files is clean and accurate. Cleaning up your file now will save you time and effort in the future. Lessons on all of the modes of PAF Insight can be found on the Ohana Software lessons page. They are in PDF format and can be saved to your computer, printed or viewed online. The latest and probably final version for Windows 98 and ME is version If you are using Window 98 or ME, please go to the Edit menu in PAF Insight and choose Preferences. Then click on the General tab and uncheck "Automatically check for updates". This way you will not be bothered by update messages in the future. Used by permission: Ohana Insights, 5

6 WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE GERMAN RESEARCH By Karin Olsen 1. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has guides and pamphlets which will help greatly in the search for genealogical records. 2. It is important to pin point the locality of the search. A good large scale map is an important tool for locating towns and even many villages. It can be purchased in any bigger book store. 3. Because of the wars in the region many of the records were destroyed. For instance, during the 30 year war, 1/3 to 2/3 of the population and their properties and records were destroyed, depending in which location you are searching. 4. Germany as a nation did not exist until about Until then there were kingdoms, provinces etc. The "tribes" and people were moved back and forth by the conflicts that were so common in the area now called Germany. 5. Make use of the website "infobel", a worldwide telephone directory which can help you in the search of your ancestors' descendants. It can be very handy if you know the locality of your ancestor. Help is available if you need to write or speak to someone in German. Leave a note at our center and I will get in touch with you. 6. Records have been kept in the region which is now Germany, since the late 1500s. But as I said before, these records may have suffered destruction and those that are available may be somewhat hard to read. The Germany script is different - though not very much. You may want to get a booklet which shows the letters and how they correspond to the English letters we use. It should be available at the main Family History Library in SLC. Many records were written in Latin. Again there is help available and with some effort one can figure out if it is a birth, marriage or death record. The names are also often Latinized. 7. If you are totally stuck you may want to write something in the notes of some of your ancestors to make them more real to your own children. They were real and they had histories. They will be glad you are doing this and will help you in your quest to get through the walls that will get in the way of your search for ancestors. When I find ancestors and it tells what their trade or profession was, I note it. It can help avoid mix-ups. If you have expertise in researching different parts of the country or the world and would like to share tips with the rest of us, please contact Gail Anderson at: joelandgail@msn.com 6