tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12464255989427434902024-03-14T01:47:34.616-07:00Linda Newman's Family TreeInformation on my family tree and my family history research.Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-25518744765054180892022-04-26T17:09:00.001-07:002022-04-26T17:15:24.694-07:00Working on Tree, New Discoveries!I have been doing better about working on my tree, although I am still slacking
off on writing regular blog posts. So I thought I would take a moment to write a
quick update about some of my recent findings....
<p>
Several months ago I had been contacted by a gentleman named Bruce in Canada saying he was a match to a couple of tests that I manange and that he believed it is on my Simmons line, and he let me know that Simmons was not their original surname which is why I was having trouble getting past my 2x Great Grandfather George Simmons b 1841.
<p>
His theory is that George's parents are George Clements b 1801 and Mary Wagstaff, and that they used the Clements surname until sometime before the birth of their youngest daughter. I beleive there is some credience to his theory.
<p>
The oldest male son of George (1841) is George Thomas Wagstaff Simmons. That is point one in favor of a family connection to a Clements/Wagstaff couple. Also the marriage certificate for George to Emma Halsey says that his father's name was George and he was a Coachman.
<p> I did take a quick look at his information, but since I was busy on different projects at the time I basically said thank you for the information, filed it in the back of my mind and didn't really pursure it. He was kind enough to give me viewer access to his DNA, which will prove relevant to the story here.
<p>
Recently I received an email from a woman saying she was trying to trace her family and she was a match to several of the tests I manage. I took a little time to check out how much she shared with the various tests. Lo and Behold, not only did she match me and my known cousins on the Newman/Simmons side, but she also matched Bruce! These means that we all probably descended from a common "Simmons" ancestor.
<p>
I contacted Bruce to tell him of this new match and we worked together to come up with a spreadsheet chart of all the shared matches between us. We now have a pretty good supportable theory on the descendants of George Clemments and Mary Wagstaff as we seem to have descendants of at least 3, possibly 4 of their 7 children.
<p> We used a combination of old fashioned record research, and careful analysis of DNA matches to reach this conclusion. So what was a brick wall for me, has become another generation of ancestors! We are still working some of the DNA matches and maybe in those matches we will find descendants of some of the other children.
<p> I am pretty excited about the breakthrough, and have hopes for further developments on this line.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-37120046858987060582022-04-26T02:29:00.001-07:002022-04-26T02:29:20.438-07:00Frederick Charles Newman, come out, come out wherever you are!Frederick Charles Newman, come out, come out wherever you are! Seems he disappeared after 1891, or at least I can't find him after that point....
<p>
So I am looking for descendants of:<br>
George Newman (b 1822 Chelmsford, Essex, England d 1868 Chelmsford, Essex, England He was a Printer/Composter) and <br>
Mary Ann Bridge (b 1834 Essex, Southminister, England d 1911Chelmsford, Essex, England).
<p>
To my knowledge Mary Ann Bridge and George Newman had 5 children all born in Chelmsford, the youngest was born after George’s death.<br> They were:<br>
George Henry b 1860 (1859 D Quarter)<br>
Louisa Jane b 1862 (1861 S Quarter)<br>
John William b 1864 (1863 S Quarter)<br>
Frederick Charles (my great grandfather) b 02 November 1865 he married Mary Ann Simmons. Interesting story with these two, see below...<br>
Alice Mary Newman b 1868 (1865 D Quarter)
<p>
After George’s death she married Francis (aka Frank) Willsher b White Colne, Essex, England.
<p>
1911 census says Mary Ann and Frank had 3 children, with 2 still living:<br>
Mary Ann Willsher b1874<br>
Florence Edith Willsher b 1876 (1876 J Quarter, Chelmsford)<br>
Maud Minnie Willsher b 1879 (1878 S Quarter, Chelmsford)
<p>
On the 1891 census I have Frederick Charles (he was a billiard marker) and Mary Ann (Molly Ann) living in London, with their 2 sons (Frederick John and Eric Alexander)
<p>
In 1901 Mary Ann is living with her sister and brother in law, with another sister and brother in law in the next household. Frederick John is living with his maternal grandparents in St Albans, but I can't trace Frederick Charles or Eric in 1901. Although I do find an Eric Newman with correct birthdate registered at St John The Evangelist School father's name is listed as Frederick in July 1896...
<p>
In 1903 Mary Ann gets on a boat and comes to Philadelphia where she is met by her groom, license in hand. Problem is she has told him she is 10 yrs younger than she really is, and that she has never been married! (I have passenger list and marriage affidavit/license) When Frederick John came over a couple years later the passenger list says he was going to his "Aunt" and uncle. (Later in life she did finally admit that she was Fred and Eric's mother after making them call her Aunt Mabel for years). Side note: 2 of her sisters also immigrated to USA with their families.
<p>
Eric somehow was sent to Canada for reasons unknown to him. and eventually came down to Pennsylvania/New Jersey where his mom and brother were living.
<p>
I don't know what happened to Frederick Charles.
<p>
The story I heard growing up was that he gambled away their house and that is what broke up the family. A few years ago my oldest cousin on this line said he had heard that Frederick Charles had been hung for stealing a horse. I would like to find documentation as to what happened to Frederick Charles, part of the problem is Frederick Newman is a fairly common name, so finding the correct records for my great grandfather has been a challenge. Also, how and why Eric ended up in Canada before coming to America. I am thinking maybe tracing Frederick's family down might help me find out more about him.
<p>
I have tested with Ancestry as has my great uncle Eric's grandson Carl. Hoping that will help us find some answers. Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-27342477686964636732022-02-14T04:39:00.000-08:002022-02-14T04:39:27.079-08:00Thirteen Months Thirteen months since my last blog post.
<p>
Thirteen months of still letting other things interfere with something I love doing.
<p>
Thirteen months of letting urgent take priority over important.
<p>
I realized recently that my mindset and my way of thinking lately was leading to some resentments, discouragement and at times even some real feelings of anger. None of that is healthy or helpful. I kept telling myself that when "A" happens, then I can do "B".
<p>
Well, it doesn't look like "A" is going to happen anytime soon. And there really isn't anything I can do to make "A" happen, or at least nothing that I am willing to do.
<p>
Once I realized that, I had to decide if I was going to stay on the same treadmill of thinking (which was making me frustrated and unhappy) or if I was going to change my way of thinking and make some changes.
<p>
My decision is to try and change my way of thinking and look at ways to make the situation workable. Since I can't do anything about "A" I have to find a way to do "B" anyway.
<p>
Doing "B" means I have to take more control of my finances. Doing "B" means taking control of my way of thinking about things and my response to those things. Doing "B" means putting myself and my needs as a priority. And my needs include following my passions (like doing genealogy and writing).
<p>
I really hope that this time I managed to figure out a way to accomplish this. I thought I had set small enough goals last year to be successful. But even though I set goals, I didn't really make plans on how to meet those goals.
<p>
Part of problem for me in making structured plans is that my health is unpredictable, so saying I will do X on Mondays at 1 pm doesn't really work well for me. I have made to-do checklists, but they get set aside and I don't follow through. Maybe I am making them too detailed and complicated. I do tend to do that sometimes.
<p>
Maybe it is time to take a new look at those checklists and pare them down to a few basics, then with time as I build habits I can think about adding to my list.
<p>
Here is to it not being another thirteen months between blog posts. Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-84173249169143921352021-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:002021-01-10T15:19:16.996-08:00New Year, New GoalsIn 2015 I started a “Do-Over” on my Genealogy Research, or at least that was my intention.
<p>
I read Thomas MacEntee’s posts, participated in discussions in the Genealogy Do-Over Facebook Group, did some of the “assignments,” but never made much progress in actually working on my research.
<p>
Some of that is I took on outside responsibilities to a couple of different organizations. Both organizations are good and worthwhile, but they took time and energy away from being able to do what I really wanted to be doing.
<p>
I allowed the needs and priorities of the organizations to set the priorities in my life (never a good thing when we allow outside things to sent our priorities!).
<p>
They took priority over hobbies, over my responsibilities in my home, and even over my health. As a result I lost touch with good friends, my home became disorganized, my finances suffered because I spent money I couldn’t afford to spend, and my health issues worsened. I have resigned from both organizations, have been trying to recover some level of my health back, and have tightened my financial belt so I can get my life back in balance.
<p>
So here I am in January 2021 ready to review the genealogy goals I set for 2015 so I can set some REALISTIC weekly and monthly goals to pursue this year. I shared my master list of goals in a December 2014 post, as well as a number of posts about my prep work for the do-over throughout 2015 and beyond if you are interested in reading through them. They do contain some good ideas and tips so going back and reading them may be helpful to you. In fact I am going to go back and read them myself to encourage and inspire me.
<p>
I think for a weekly goal I am going to say I want to spend 30 minutes three times a week working on something regarding my <i><b>personal</b></i> genealogy research.
<p>
Chances are if I start working on my research I will end up spending more than 30 minutes on it, but if I give myself a small goal I should be able to meet it. Setting a big goal means other things may interfere with achieving my goal and then I will get discouraged and give up. I know me.
<p>
I think for a monthly goal I am going to read at least one article in my Family Tree Magazine and watch one genealogy podcast. Again, small goals that I can actually do even when my health isn’t good.
<p>
I would like to say I will post on my blog weekly, but maybe I better start with committing to one blog post a month and then increase the frequency as I build habits.
<p>
What are your genealogy goals this coming year?Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-13234476231348382022020-11-09T23:10:00.005-08:002020-11-09T23:10:55.416-08:00What is Your Research Why?I belong to some genealogy groups on various platforms. Recently I read a post by a person that said they were just starting out and was asking if someone could take them under their wing to show them the ropes. I posted a couple of responses offering some small bits of advice. Then I got to thinking, maybe there are others out there who could use “someone who could take them under their wing.”
<p>
That is what I hope to do with blog post, to take those who are new to doing genealogy under my virtual wing and offer some guidance in where to start.
<p>
One of the first things is to clarify in your own mind the “why” of you want to are setting out on this journey. The “why” will help you figure out what your are searching for and what resources will help you answer the questions that you have about your ancestors.
<p>
Does your family have stories about a famous ancestor that you want to prove for the bragging rights?
<p>
Does your family have stories about an ancestor who fought in the Civil War? In the Revolutionary War? That were passengers on the Mayflower? Do you want to be able to prove those stories so you can join a lineage society?
<p>
Do you just want to build out all your ancestors lines as far as you can because you are just curious about where you came from?
<p>
There are a variety of reasons people have for starting this journey. Each reason is valid, but each reason will require different methods and different tools. That is why before even starting having a clear idea of your reasons for research is important.
<p>
What is your “Why” for researching your family tree and its unique history?
<p>
For those wondering, when I first started my "why" was a general I want to learn more about my family and where I came from.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-78848614482970306132020-10-01T00:11:00.000-07:002020-10-01T00:11:44.562-07:00Where Are You In Your Genealogy Research Journey?Where are you in your genealogy research journey? <p>
Complete novice? Interested but haven’t actually done any research? <p>
Beginner? Maybe added a couple of names, dates and places; but really not sure what you are doing or what comes next?<p>
Intermediate? You have spent some time doing basic research, but know there are a lot more things you can do to research the people in your tree; however, not real confident of the how and where to look.<p>
Genealogy Buff, like me? You have your tree fairly well developed; confident in the basics and comfortable with other records and methods to flesh out the people beyond names, dates and places. Membership to at least 1 organization/group, and/or a subscription to at least 1 publication. Shelf full of genealogy books. Watch videos and podcasts on the subject. Willing to help others just so you can learn new techniques. Think about becoming a certified genealogist.<p>
Expert/Professional? You have been paid for doing research or teaching a class on some aspect of genealogy/family history and/or are a Certified Genealogist.<p>
Let’s Talk Family History!
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-13187691178631173192018-02-09T23:21:00.002-08:002018-02-10T01:02:02.326-08:00Working with my Ancestry MatchesI want to start off by saying I would really love some feedback on this posting. This is something new I am trying and I am feeling a bit cross eyed by looking at it so much. I need others who have worked with DNA matches to verify that what I am doing makes sense and that this technique can give me helpful information. If I have anything in error I would love the opportunity to correct it so others aren't confused by my mistakes....
<p>
Over the years of working with my DNA matches I had figured out how a number of them were related to me, but there are still a lot that I have no clue how we are related. So, I decided I wanted to systematically work through some of my Ancestry matches. To do that I need to figure out a plan of attack.
<p>
While looking for techniques I might want to try I came across some YouTube videos about doing Genetic Genealogy research. One of them was by an adoptee who talked about forming groups of matches to sort things out. She took sticky notes and wrote names on them and then looked at their shared matches and put them up on her wall based on groups of shared matches. This is the concept I am going to write about in this blog.
<p>
Since I don’t have the wall space to put a bunch of sticky notes up, I decided to use 4x6” index cards for this project. Easy choice, I already had a bunch of that size index cards I had bought for a different project. They are large enough to hold a good amount of info without being so large handling them becomes difficult. I also decided index cards would be easier to rearrange than sticky notes.
<p>
Since I wanted to be able to label each card as to what group I was assigning each person to the first thing I had to do is decide how I was going to group these matches and what name I was going to call each group. Since my first chore was dividing between Maternal and Paternal side, I decided that would be the basis for my group names. This is what I came up with:
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH1EbREhAe2NDRThw82j6KTzR-mKIYzGir6uLrAN9aK1_qaYpTBEA28HbZpnNLusw1E_oTA5edh5yTCdeoKjH01ku_lGeYZt5F6pbAAcHX4GnuX1yfRHVeFqZHWBz-3vWVFnCYZ-3iRH5/s1600/Key+of+Shared+Match+Groups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH1EbREhAe2NDRThw82j6KTzR-mKIYzGir6uLrAN9aK1_qaYpTBEA28HbZpnNLusw1E_oTA5edh5yTCdeoKjH01ku_lGeYZt5F6pbAAcHX4GnuX1yfRHVeFqZHWBz-3vWVFnCYZ-3iRH5/s400/Key+of+Shared+Match+Groups.jpg" width="400" height="268" data-original-width="719" data-original-height="481" /></a></div>
<p>
Because right now I will primarily be working with my first 50 matches I figured this would give me enough groups to be able to sort out who the common ancestors are but not so many that sorting becomes unmanageable. I decided if I come across a 4th cousin match I would just put them into the group that was their descendant's group. For example if I found a 4th cousin who was descended from Antrim/Mason (parents of the Antrim part of Paternal 2B) I would just label them as Paternal 2B.
<p>
The next decision was the layout of the individual cards I would be using. It would need to be something I could quickly look at and be able to see the basics about that match. I decided there were some basics I wanted to be able to see quickly: Name, Group, Relationship, amount of shared DNA over how many segments, and if they have a tree. This is the layout I decided on:
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwOlz3Bkm9ANp3aE0mVw47fG3ZAynmjggiRsgnipGpDBvTqgErHxhEQnuqoU1gWhJ6huxAiTH6-92y2tdpgMHz8kiJO0ZUj9r178O3dwsI1iffGpreerSoL-B5sDPvm89rTb8MvCNhZio/s1600/Shared+Match+Index+Card+Format.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwOlz3Bkm9ANp3aE0mVw47fG3ZAynmjggiRsgnipGpDBvTqgErHxhEQnuqoU1gWhJ6huxAiTH6-92y2tdpgMHz8kiJO0ZUj9r178O3dwsI1iffGpreerSoL-B5sDPvm89rTb8MvCNhZio/s400/Shared+Match+Index+Card+Format.jpg" width="400" height="268" data-original-width="719" data-original-height="481" /></a></div>
<p>
First line on front of card: match’s name, included the managed by name if applicable, on left and on right space to put a group name.
<p>
On the 2nd line I will put my relationship to the match. If I know the relationship I will use pen to write it on the card. But, if I don’t know the relationship I will use pencil to write predicted range. I will then write amount of shared cMs and over how many segments.
<p>
On the 3rd line I will write "Tree" then note if tree is public/private/none.
<p>
I skipped a line then wrote “Contact Information:” and left 4 blank lines before writing “Notes:” these are areas I will fill in as I work the matches.
<p>
After I have put the basics on the front of the card I then will flip it over and make a list of all the shared matches between me and that person.
<p>
The first sort for most of my matches is really easy. I have a maternal aunt who has tested so if someone matches both me and her the match is on my maternal side. In addition I have a paternal 1st Cousin Once Removed and a paternal 2nd Cousin who have tested, which means if they have one of them as a shared match they will fall on my paternal side.
<p>
Like I said earlier, I decided to start with my first page of matches on Ancestry, which has 50 people on it. This will give me time to refine what I am doing without being too big of an issue if I decide to start fresh with something else. I decided to also include anyone I had a "Shared Ancestor Hint" (SAH) with. This gave me about 65 cards I am going to be working with to start.
<p>
After writing out the front side of the cards with the basics but not all the shared matches lists, I took a quick look at the groups that I had found. I discovered I had lots that were maternal, some that were paternal. However, there were 7 out of the 65 that I couldn’t tell which side they fell on. They didn’t match my maternal aunt nor did they match my paternal 1C1R. So I decided to take a closer look at those.
<p>
I started by writing the shared matches list on the backs of those 7 cards. 5 of the 7 had a lot of the same names on them. This is the basis for what I did next.
<p>
I opened excel and wrote down my name as #1 and then every name of my matches and all of the shared matches that showed up for any of those matches, numbering them as I added them so I could number the columns and know who that column was referring to.
<p>
I then went through each name and marked the intersecting square with an X if the two people were a shared match and a 0 if they were not a shared match. I then filled in the squares that had an X in them in yellow to make them easier to see. This is what I came up with:
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrbbHaFGGTSboLeQ-KsPeuq0VwSccPdw_YUyIUNme22JrE1e5RXJg2v9b3Gitat-uIgYNHBzsZe8VBq0eDwZkV1BTNLkhMT9Qe2uxX0cTs3GGFCZuBywB__ruzPfeMVBWR0v87aE9X6ve/s1600/Groups+C%2526D+basic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrbbHaFGGTSboLeQ-KsPeuq0VwSccPdw_YUyIUNme22JrE1e5RXJg2v9b3Gitat-uIgYNHBzsZe8VBq0eDwZkV1BTNLkhMT9Qe2uxX0cTs3GGFCZuBywB__ruzPfeMVBWR0v87aE9X6ve/s400/Groups+C%2526D+basic.jpg" width="400" height="271" data-original-width="553" data-original-height="374" /></a></div>
<p>
First thing that popped out is that the first group of 10 not only matched me, but each one of them matched everyone else in that group. I am thinking with that level of matching with each other there is probably a shared ancestor there.
<p>
Then, at the suggestion of someone else, I shifted rows around a little (and I was very careful that I didn’t accidentally change who was sharing with who). That led to discovering a 2nd grouping where 58 of the 64 possibilities also showed up as shared matches. Not quite as good as first group, but probably still worth working to see if there is a shared ancestor there.
<p>
Here is that chart:
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGW8EZ7o1bo5m7lFv_lq9opDwKKMMwSKnra-XCqoA6F1TakLTI_lXudRl5u1bAm_15WcHZIv7jIeRFoPcg_YH0TfUQEZxe_Nz-3_PCrCLR5i3ZDOkMPKURRbWd_xlwGDyNNg5S_9x20Lh/s1600/Groups+C%2526D+reordered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGW8EZ7o1bo5m7lFv_lq9opDwKKMMwSKnra-XCqoA6F1TakLTI_lXudRl5u1bAm_15WcHZIv7jIeRFoPcg_YH0TfUQEZxe_Nz-3_PCrCLR5i3ZDOkMPKURRbWd_xlwGDyNNg5S_9x20Lh/s400/Groups+C%2526D+reordered.jpg" width="400" height="302" data-original-width="636" data-original-height="480" /></a></div>
<p>
If you are still with me here, I posted this just to share what I am working on, with the hopes that someone can verify whether or not my hypothesis is even a possibility or if despite the pretty chart I still have no new real information to work with. I am really hoping that I do because many of the 25 matches have no tree or a tree with only a couple of names. And those that do have a few names, some of those have no dates or locations attached to the names. I am guessing my next step is to work on building some mirror trees but with such limited information to work with it will make building mirror trees difficult.Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-69018579769811270172018-01-17T20:24:00.001-08:002018-01-22T19:08:37.531-08:00Questions to Ask Before Doing A DNA test I recently joined a new Facebook group started by Thomas MacEntee called “DNA Do-Over” in the About section the description of the group is as follows:
<p>
<blockquote>
You did a DNA test and you have your data, so what's next? Put your DNA data to work with DNA Do-Over, a closer look at your DNA!
<p>
Each month we will tackle ONE topic with easy-to-understand, non techy language that isn't too scientific. We will learn how to download our DNA test data, transfer it to another DNA testing vendor, transfer it to GEDMatch, learn terminology such as SNP and centiMorgans, etc.
</blockquote>
<p>
Since I learned a lot from his Genealogy Do-Over group I was pretty sure I would find this group helpful as well so joined the group.
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Note: if you don't do Facebook or don't want to join the group you can read Thomas' posts on his blog at <a href="https://abundantgenealogy.com/" target="_blank">Abundant Genealogy</a> or sign up to join his <a href="https://abundantgenealogy.com/dna-doover-email-list" target="_blank">email list</a>. However then you miss out on the discussion from the members, and for me I have learned so much from the discussions from other members on this journey I wouldn't trade being a member of the group for anything!
<p>
This week there was one such discussion that I participated in. One member posted saying they were going to give a 7 minute presentation based on two questions. One, What are the questions one should should ask before doing a DNA test; and two, what are the questions one should ask before hiring a Genetic Genealogist. This post sparked an interesting and lively discussion. And that made me think it might make for an interesting blog post. I am going to limit this post to the first question.
<p>
First thing that was agreed upon was that 7 minutes really wasn’t enough time to adequately cover even one of those questions let alone both, that really both deserved their own 45-60 talk. There is just so much information, and misinformation, out there on what DNA testing is, and what you can hope to get from doing one or more DNA tests. I will try and touch upon the topics brought up in a general way in this post. In the future I may revisit the topic and expand on one or more of the points in separate posts.
<p>
First question to ask is: ”What do you want to find out by taking a DNA test?” This will help direct you to picking the right company to use and which test to use.
<p>
Are you only interested in your ethnicity? In my opinion then any of them are an OK option. Why do I say they are just OK options? Because at this point in time the ethnicity aspect of DNA testing is a new science with a limited sample base, thus thy are not 100% accurate and are subject to change. See my post from <a href="http://linda-family-tree.blogspot.com/2017/12/think-of-doing-dna-test-things-to-know.html" target="_blank">17 Dec 2017</a> to learn more. Also be aware that we have inherited different bits of DNA from our Ancestors than a sibling will have inherited. So your results will be different even from a sibling (unless you are an identical twin, then their results should be the same).
<p>
Are you looking for health info? Then you probably want to do the 23andMe Health + Ancestry Test. Although you can do a test from one of the other companies and then upload your raw DNA to promethease.com and they will run a report for potential health issues that are in your DNA. Just remember that only a fraction of the dna has been mapped for how it may or may not affect our health. Other genes may also affect whether or not someone gets or doesn't get a certain disease or conditions. These unmapped genes may increase OR decrease your risk to develop a disease. Other factors like diet and environment have an affect on our health that will impact our potential to develop a disease. So do NOT panic if your report shows you are at increased risk for something, and conversely do NOT disregard symptoms and your family health history if the report shows average or even decreased risk to a specific disease or condition. Once you get a health report you should <b> <i>ALWAYS</i></b> share it with your primary health provider and discuss what if any changes you might want to make in your life to minimize risks, or if there are further tests your doctor might want to run based on the information in the health report.
<p>
Are you looking to find info on your direct male line? Then you will want to use a Y-DNA test (if you are a female you will need to find a male ancestor on that line to do the test since only males inherit the Y chromosome.) Do you want information on your direct maternal line? Then you will want to do a Mt-DNA test, both males and females can do this test. Only one sibling needs to take the MtDNA test. Unlike the autosomal test where there is variations in what DNA each child gets from each parent, the MtDNA is usually passed down from mother to child unchanged. At the moment only major DNA company that offers the Y-DNA and Mt-DNA tests is Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). They also have projects for surnames and locations. Sometimes the projects will offer discounted tests, and occasionally free tests, so check them out before buying a test. The people heading up the various projects will also offer advice as to the best level for you to test at, so again talk to them before buying.
<p>
Are you looking to find living cousins to help break down a brick wall? or to verify the paper trail? or just to help leaf out your tree further? Then the Autosomal test is for you. It gives you the broadest number of matches. Both Ancestry and 23andMe are Autosomal tests. My Heritage, Living DNA and Family Tree DNA also offers the autosomal DNA test. Most people suggest you test at either Ancestry or 23andMe (or both) first then upload your raw dna to My Heritage, Living DNA and Family Tree DNA. You can upload to all 3 for free, although FTDNA has a small one time fee to view the full results. Gedmatch is another site you can upload to for free and if your matches from other companies have also uploaded their DNA to Gedmatch you can compare your DNA even if you haven't tested on the same sites. The basic tools on Gedmatch are free, although they do have some premium tools available for a small monthly fee.
<p>
I have tested at 23andMe (2011), then Ancestry (2012). I uploaded my raw DNA to Gedmatch, FTDNA and most recently to My Heritage. I have not uploaded to Living DNA, yet. I have family members who have tested for me on Ancestry and others who have tested for me on 23andMe. Most of those have also transferred their raw DNA to Gedmatch.
<p>
In my personal research I have found Ancestry to be the most helpful, only because that seems to be where most of my dna matches have tested. For my children, 23andMe has been great because they have had a number of 2nd cousins who have tested there. Your results will vary depending on where your cousins have tested. I have not spent as much time working with my matches on FTDNA or my matches on My Heritage.
<p> One point that was really emphasized in the discussion was being aware that DNA TESTS CAN REVEAL SURPRISING THINGS! Such as an unexpected sibling or cousin. Another possibility is a person who is a close family member that should be a DNA match not being a match. By close family member I mean 2nd cousin or closer. By 3rd cousin there is 10% possibility you ARE related but do not share DNA. By 4th cousin match there is a 50% possibility you are related but don't share DNA. If this happens to you the FIRST thing to do is verify that they have tested at the same company you tested at. They can not and will not show up as a match if you haven't both tested at the SAME company!!! These types of surprises <i>have</i> happened to people, sometimes with devastating results. This is a possibility you should consider BEFORE testing. DNA testing has a way of outing family secrets.
<p>
Again back to the point that we received differing amounts of DNA from Common Ancestors. Just because we get 50% of our DNA from each of our parents doesn't mean we get 25% from each of our grandparents or 12.5% from each of our great grandparents.
<p>
Think of it it this way... Our parents' DNA are 2 separate bowls of DNA marbles. We take half our DNA marbles from our Dad's Bowl and half from our Mother's Bowl. The bowls magically refill and our sibling takes half of their DNA marbles from Dad's Bowl, and half from Mom's bowl.... The probability that we each got the exact same mix of marbles is pretty astronomical due to the number of possible combinations. It is possible that I get no DNA from a 3x great grandparent that one of my siblings or a cousin did get DNA from.
<p>
Another point that was brought up was DNA testing will NOT magically fill in your tree. There is still work involved in evaluating matches and how you fit into each other's trees. DNA is just another Tool in our Genealogy Toolbox, it is NOT a magic wand!. You will see that you share dna with your match, and it will suggest a possible level of how you might match. For example, predicted 2nd cousin with possible range of 2nd-3rd cousin. Ancestry does have Shared Ancestor Hints. These hints pop up when both you and your DNA match have the possible common ancestor in your trees. However the name has to be the same and the dates have to be close enough the algorithm can tell they are the same person. I have a 2x grandmother that in some records she is listed as Drusilla, others as Rozella, or Rose. I have had some hints that show us related to our 2x great grandfather but not the 2x great grandmother because of the difference in how we have her name listed in our trees. It is even worse when someone uses nicknames in quotes in the name, or titles in the name. The algorithm just won't recognize them as being the same person.
<p>
Privacy of tester was another topic brought up, but that is a pretty big topic in and of itself and probably deserves its own post. There are a number of good posts on the topic already out there. <a href="http://www.legalgenealogist.com/category/terms-of-use/" target="_blank">The Legal Genealogist</a> covers the topic periodically, as do other Blog Authors. A web search should bring up some good posts on the topic. I will cover it sometime in the future, after I have done my own search to see what has already been covered.
<p>
I will close with the link for <a href="https://isogg.org/" target="_blank">International Society of Genetic Genealogy</a>. They have a LOT of information on Genetic Genealogy. I also want to include a link to the <a href="http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Genetic-Genealogy-Standards.pdf" target="_blank">Genetic Genealogy Standards</a> which covers the standards some of the leading Genetic Genealogist have developed. Finally, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join me on the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/dnadoover/" target="_blank">DNA Do-Over</a>.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-33652775306099429582017-12-31T19:38:00.002-08:002017-12-31T19:39:40.047-08:00Genealogy Do-Over 2018 RebootI joined Thomas MacEntee's Facebook Genealogy Do-Over Group at the end of Dec 2014, basically when we were preparing for the first go through of Thomas' Do-Over process.
<p>
Well, that first quarter I managed to pack up all my genealogy papers.
<p>
I also managed to come up with <a href="http://linda-family-tree.blogspot.com/2014/12/setting-genealogy-goals-for-2015-and.html" target="_blank">HUGE list of goals</a>, both short term and long term.
<p>
I wrote up my <a href="http://cawildflowr.wixsite.com/linda-family-tree/warm-up-exercises" target="_blank">"Warm Up Exercises"</a>
<p>
And a <a href="http://cawildflowr.wixsite.com/linda-family-tree/research-flowchart" target="_blank">research flow chart</a>
<p>
I learned lots by reading all the posts and joining in conversations, but did very little towards actually DOING my Research over. I did post on this blog a few times about the Do-Over starting in December 2014 if you are interested in the little progress I made last time.
<p>
I plan on spending this next year filling in the holes in my genealogy knowledge and skills. I hope to start the process of becoming a Certified Genealogist in 2019. Figure this is a good time to get serious about actually DOING the Do-Over.
<p>
One, this will make sure my personal tree is in good shape. And two, this will help me put the new skills I am trying to learn into practice.
<p>
It helps that I have managed to let go of an outside responsibility that was taking a lot of my free time. I have also been working on whittling down the piles of things that have been accumulating around here while I was busy with outside things. I actually have my laptop sitting on the desk in my "Office" (also known as the spare room)! The space still has a lot of work to do to make it a really effective work area. But I have made some good progress on it.
<p>
I am putting this on my blog hoping that maybe it will help make me more accountable. Anyone want to join me in rebooting (or starting) a Do-Over with their Genealogy?
<p>
Here is to a productive 2018!Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-86494767775021200642017-12-24T16:55:00.000-08:002017-12-24T16:55:51.880-08:00Tracking and Organizing My Genealogy StudiesOver the years I have read lots of articles, books, blogs, attended talks, watched webinars, learned from others. But if I was asked to name even a fraction of them I would not be able to do so.
<p>
So I decided that I needed some way to document this upcoming year of study in preparation of becoming a Certified Genealogist.
<p>
First requirement was that it fit my way of thinking so using it would be instinctive. If my method was difficult I might use it short term but not long term. I learned this from a book called "Organizing From The Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.
<p>
Second requirement was that it would include all the information I needed so that I (or someone else) would be able to locate the information again. But again keeping it simple enough that I would use it and not feel bogged down having to write a bunch of stuff down.
<p>
So this is what I have come up with...
<p>
I will be using Excel spreadsheets. Someone else might use Word, OneNote, Evernote or even Scrivener. As I will explain later in this post, I am going to also use OneNote for a particular portion of my tracking. But for now I will concentrate on why I decided on Excel and how I am going to utilize it.
<p>
I have been playing around learning how to use Excel for a couple of years now and have become quite comfortable with the program.
<p>
Excel will allow me to create a "book" of spreadsheets to track the different types of learning I will be doing. Each sheet has its own tab that I can name, allowing me to know what is on that sheet and to easily navigate between them.
<p>
My tabs (the "How" I am getting the information) are titled:
<p>
*Webinars <br>
*Online Courses<br>
*Books<br>
*Live Lectures & Seminars (meaning I was physically at them)<br>
*Live Courses and Classes (again I was physically at them)<br>
*Blogs<br>
*Magazines and Periodicals (including newsletters and professional journals)<br>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBW4Iunuc-gOru4D0wPl-_IX-5bKt5ussNLQPAqErRpNkWM4AyJNm26Lww2q9i0EyFGsneLZzFKEHickxUyhfBd8YZ-YhalYwTDb_U1sNg6tpPwnKLTiDvhqnbiNvy1VkLmkRQI0P6_Ok/s1600/workbook+tabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBW4Iunuc-gOru4D0wPl-_IX-5bKt5ussNLQPAqErRpNkWM4AyJNm26Lww2q9i0EyFGsneLZzFKEHickxUyhfBd8YZ-YhalYwTDb_U1sNg6tpPwnKLTiDvhqnbiNvy1VkLmkRQI0P6_Ok/s640/workbook+tabs.jpg" width="640" height="55" data-original-width="1261" data-original-height="108" /></a></div>
<p>
Each tab has some variation of the following columns:
<p>
*Title (of Webinar, Course, Book, Lecture, Blog Post, Article this takes care of the "What")<br>
*Presenter/Author/Teacher (This takes care of the "Who")<br>
*Date of Presentation/Publication (This takes care of part of the "When")<br>
*Location (URL for things online, for live events where the event was held, for books I have Publisher in this spot, for magazines I have Magazine title. This takes care of the "Where")<br>
*Length (Time of presentation, or if written word number of pages.)<br>
*Date I watched/read/attended/completed (That takes care of the other part of "When")<br>
*Subject/Topic<br>
*Notes (some things, like webinars and classes, are labeled "Beginner" "Intermediate" "Advanced" If something I do has such a label I will include it in the Notes column)
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii89ZE5kIMb2JHMmRCGXe5xsx8C4PjN0Eza9qneaecnwFbg54rJ_7lbdv2WL-Wl0Vuof_SFfLFMZ7qXKfFAUNCvJlU-O36ieGYmJmjjwehAADUg2mqZIbAJeH3Xovq9GnD_RrXZggUP0pB/s1600/Column+headings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii89ZE5kIMb2JHMmRCGXe5xsx8C4PjN0Eza9qneaecnwFbg54rJ_7lbdv2WL-Wl0Vuof_SFfLFMZ7qXKfFAUNCvJlU-O36ieGYmJmjjwehAADUg2mqZIbAJeH3Xovq9GnD_RrXZggUP0pB/s640/Column+headings.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="720" /></a></div>
<p>
I mentioned also using OneNote in my record keeping for my project. I will use OneNote to organize any Syllabus I get from a class, lecture, or webinar. I think I will also add the Table of Contents from books. This gives me a quick easy way to go through the things I have heard and read, as well as good documentation of what was included in that lecture/course/book.
<p>
For those who have managed to reach this point of my post, hopefully you have found some inspiration and ideas for tracking your own learning. Whether the topic is Genealogy or some other subject (especially if it is for your profession) tracking your educational pursuits is probably a good idea.
<p>
Let me know what you think in the comments below.<p>Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-84549662688553178472017-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:002017-12-21T08:09:39.255-08:00A Christmas GiftThank you to my daughter for my Christmas present.
<p>
Her gift was a membership to the National Genealogical Society and two of their courses:
<br>
American Genealogical Studies - The Basics
<br>
American Genealogical Studies - Guide to Documentation and Source Citation
<p>
But actually her greatest gift is believing in me and supporting my dream to become a Certified Genealogist
<p>
<center><a title="National Genealogical Society Member" href="http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/?utm_source=member_logo&utm_medium=site& utm_campaign=member_logo" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/galleries/default-image/NGS_Member_Logo.png" alt="National Genealogical Society Member" width="200" height="215" /></a></center>Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-63940185650570174782017-12-18T20:53:00.000-08:002017-12-18T20:55:26.327-08:00On Becoming a Certified GenealogistBecoming a Certified Genealogist is an idea that I have been playing with off and on for several years. I have bought some of the books on the subject. Most of them I have flipped through quickly before placing them on my bookshelves to gather dust. But have I read them and studied them thoroughly? The answer is no.
<p>
I was talking to my younger daughter about how at least 3 of my 4 kids gave up on the dreams they had as teenagers. One wanted to be a singer and everyone agrees she has a good voice. One wanted to go into acting, and she is a good actress. One had dreams of Baseball, and I believe he has the talent (rather reminds me of a Ricky Henderson type of Ball Player). But for one reason or another they all chose different paths.
<p>
Then she asked me what my dream was/is.
<p>
When I was young and healthy it was to teach English and Drama in High School. In my 30's I even managed to enroll at the University of Rhode Island in the Secondary Education Program. Then I developed Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). I quickly realized if I couldn' physically handle taking 2 college classes a semester there was no way I would be able handle spending 5 full days a week teaching in a classroom. That ended that dream.
<p>
Then I discovered a passion for genealogy. Although I have to say it wasn't really a new passion, I had been interested in my family history since I was a child. I just didn't know much about the how to research until I started learning in 1995. But it took another 2 years and moving back to California when I was able to go with my mom to the Family History Center in Oakland, the National Archive in San Bruno and the California State Library in San Francisco that I really became hooked.
<p>
Fast forward through years of learning and researching, of helping others find their family's history, to last night and my daughter's question of "and what has been your dream mom?" My answer was to be a Certified Genealogist.
<p>
She said "you have wanted to do that for years mom, you should do it." I told her one of the things that has stopped me is the cost and that once you start you are supposed to finish it in a year, and with my health not always cooperating with my obligations and desires I wasn't sure I could meet the deadline. So then she asked how much would it cost and offered to pay for it for me.
<p>
I have to admit that brought tears to my eyes.
<p>
So today I went seaching for answers to her question. I looked at the Board of Certification for Genealogist (BCG) website. Preliminary application costs $75, then once it is accepted you have a year to turn everything in with a $300 fee. You can get extensions for an additional year for another $75 fee. That eased some of my fears of what if my health interferes and I couldn't finish it in a year, BUT if the requirements have changed or the fees have gone up you have to use the new requirements and/or pay the new fee amounts. All that is just to become Certified!
<p>
Once you are Certified then comes things like annual memberships to BCG ($75/yr), setting money aside every year so I can do the recertification in 5 years ($60/yr), membership to National Genealogical Society ($70/yr), Association of Professional Genealogists ($100/yr). Then there are the subscription site fees Ancestry All Access ($389/yr), Find My Past Premium ($239.50) and Genealogy Bank ($69.95). That is $1002.95 a year. And it doesn't include office supplies like ink, paper, postage, advertising, travel, etc.
<p>
I realize I would be able to deduct most if not all off my taxes as business expenses, but just looking at that number is scary. I don't currently get that much a month on disability. If I do this I have to be serious about actual getting clients or I will quickly go under.
<p>
But the truth is this really IS something I want to do. So I will get my books off the shelves and start studying so when I do send in the Preliminary Application I will be prepared to give it my best.
<p>
Looking forward to the day I can put out my shingle as Linda Newman, C.G.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-50326462919376513112017-12-17T21:06:00.002-08:002017-12-17T21:17:27.360-08:00Think of Doing a DNA Test? Things to Know Before you Take ItI know Ancestry pushes the ethnicity part of DNA testing. What they don't tell you is that the ethnicity part is fairly new science and the database is still limited enough that it probably won't be 100% accurate.
<p>
In addition just because 1 great grandparent is from England, 1 from Spain, 1 from Africa, 1 from Germany, 1 from Scandinavia, 1 from Cambodia, 1 from China, and 1 is 100% Native American does not mean you will be 1/8 of each of those ethnicities.
<p>
Yes you get 50% of your DNA from your mom and 50% from your dad, but I don't think anyone has ever gotten exactly 25% from each grandparent. It may be a 30/20/15/35 mix or some other combination.
<p>
Plus remember just because your Great Grandparents came from a certain region doesn't mean that is where their ancestors were from. Or even if they have lived in the same region for the last 1,000 years most places have had invaders. Sometimes the invaders stayed in the new region, or sometimes they left little souvenirs behind which affects the ethnicity of future generations.
<p>
The ethnicity results are fun and interesting, but the real benefit to DNA testing is in the DNA cousin matches. They help verify the paper trail and break down brick walls.
<p>
Just be aware you may find out things you weren't aware of. You might find a close relative you weren't aware of, or you might find out someone you thought was a blood relative really isn't related by blood after all.
<p>
I don't want to discourage anyone from taking a DNA test, in fact I actively encourage people to do so. I have tested at both 23andMe and at Ancestry, then transferred my DNA to Gedmatch, FamilyTree DNA and My Hertitage. My feeling is the more places my DNA is the more likely I am to connect with all the DNA cousins I can. And the more DNA cousins I connect with the more brick walls that will fall, either for myself or for others.
<p>
In addition to my own tests I have paid for 2 family members to test at Ancestry and 5 to test at 23andMe. As you can see I think DNA testing is great. I have verified some of my paper trails, including one that was based on circumstantial evidence at best. And the more people that test the more likely I will be able to verify the rest of the lines. But I think it is important that people make the choice to test based on facts, not because of fancy advertisements. Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-52578829501559634272017-12-13T19:25:00.002-08:002017-12-13T20:41:30.565-08:00No Ancestry Subscription? What's a Girl To Do? I was just reading a post in one of the Facebook groups I belong to. In it a woman was saying for financial reasons she had to take a break from having a subscription to Ancestry and was looking for ideas on things she could do so she wouldn't get bored. <p>
Here is my list of suggestions:
<p>
1. Take a fresh look at your documents, sometimes when we first find a document we only look at the obvious bits, but if we go back and look again we can find details we missed the first time through.
<p>
2. Go through and write some research plans. I have a sample of one of mine at: <a href="http://linda-family-tree.blogspot.com/2012/01/emma-antrim.html" target="_blank">2012 January - Emma Antrim</a>
<p>
3. Read some blogs and/or check you tube for genealogy how to videos, there are some excellent ones out there.
<p>
4. Check out Pinterest for ideas and forms, I know a lot of people pin things on their Pinterest boards that can be helpful. My genealogy board is at: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/califwildflowr/genealogy/" target="_blank">Linda's Pinterest Genealogy Board</a>
<p>
5. Work on your life story, think about how much we would love to have great grandma's life story in her own words. Someday one of your descendants will feel the same way about your life.
<p>
6. Talk to the living and ask them about their memories, not just about relatives but about themselves, use a camcorder or digital voice recorder if they will allow it so you get their stories in their own words, in addition it allows you to concentrate on the person rather than in the process of trying to take notes.
<p>
There are lots of other things genealogy related you can do while taking a break from your Ancestry subscription. I would love to hear your ideas, leave them in a comment. Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-66105011492334607722017-08-12T23:48:00.001-07:002017-08-12T23:48:24.141-07:00Experimenting with Mirror Trees Part 2I left my DNA attached to my dad's name on my mirror tree for 6-7 days now. I have 3 shared ancestor hints. The first match is with my 1st cousin once removed. I manage their test so since his tree has all the same information my tree has, and it is all listed exactly the same way, that isn't surprising that he shows up as a shared ancestor hint. The second shared ancestor hint is a second cousin that I had in my tree prior to finding him as a dna match on Ancestry. So again, not a surprise we are a shared ancestor hint match. The third SAH match is a 4th cousin once removed that we had already figured out what our match is.
<p>
So, tonight I am switching my dna to a new mirror tree and a person on DNA Match list that I am not sure where exactly we match. I suspect from the location of his family and the location of my branches that the common ancestor is probably on my dad's maternal line. This DNA cousin also has some names in his tree that are associated with some of the family in my tree on my paternal grandmother's side. But I cant figure out where exactly the common ancestor is. And that is the whole purpose of a mirror tree, discovering who the common ancestor is.
<p>
I switched my DNA just before writing this post, and our local Fair starts on Thursday. Since I am on the Fair Board I imagine I will be too busy to do much genealogy until after the fair is over, but that should give ancestry enough time to find some shared ancestor hints. Although, there is a possibility it won't because of the way this DNA cousin added names to his tree. But that is a post for another time.Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-91164067619135925442017-08-11T23:59:00.000-07:002017-08-12T00:11:02.208-07:00Recognition of My Blog from FeedspotOn August 1st of this year I received an e-mail notification from Feedspot that my blog was chosen by their panelist as one of the top 25 Family Tree Blogs. I do not know much about Feedspot, but having my blog recognized is nice. They asked that I display this badge on my page.
<p>
<a href="http://blog.feedspot.com/family_tree_blogs/" title="Family Tree blogs"><img src="https://blog-cdn.feedspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Family-Tree-transparent_216px.png" ></img></a>
<p>
Their list can be found at: <a href="http://blog.feedspot.com/family_tree_blogs/">blog.feedspot.com/family_tree_blogs/</a>Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-56165863775500972882017-08-06T17:24:00.002-07:002017-08-06T17:25:56.701-07:00Experimenting with Mirror TreesMy first attempt at using a mirror tree wasn't very successful, but I decided to try again.
<p>
With my first attempt I was manually entering the information from my DNA matches tree into a new tree on my account. I titled the new tree DNA Mirror Tree. I made it private and non-searchable like you are supposed to do so other people don't see it and get confused.
<p>
I think the biggest problem I had was since I was trying to manually enter the info there just wasn't enough information on it to get any shared ancestor hints.
<p>
I learned just recently a much easier way to make a mirror tree. I have made my very first video every showing what I learned. you can see it on YouTube at: <a href="http://youtu.be/l0cQLwpII6A" target="_blank">youtu.be/l0cQLwpII6A</a>
It is 28:21 minutes long.
<p>
I had my daughter watch it because she has only helped me a little bit and really has no experience working with trees. She said it was "Very informative!" So hopefully newbies and experienced ancestry users will find it helpful.
<p>
So using this new method I have created a new mirror tree and will attach my dna to the person who is my DNA match. Then I will give it a week for Ancestry to search its database for DNA matches that have Shared Ancestor Hints with the mirror tree.
<p>
I will report back on if I was successful or not. Course part of the problem may be that I am a predicted 4th cousin with this DNA cousin and I watched a video that said mirror trees work best with predicted 2nd and 3rd cousins.Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-44273179550849351902017-04-02T13:27:00.001-07:002017-04-06T11:57:43.595-07:00Searching for Vernon Robinson LeeI have been searching for Vernon R Lee off and on for awhile now. He is the maternal grandfather of some of my cousins on my Newman side. I have managed to develop a pretty good tree on our shared paternal side, the Newman side, but they know almost nothing about the maternal side of their tree.
<p>
My cousin, FN, has tested at 23andMe at my request. And his son, AN, tested on Ancestry at my request. This was to try and narrow down which side of my tree some of my matches fall. Basically I knew if they matched both myself and one of them that meant the match would be on the paternal Newman side of my tree.
<p>
Howevery, they both had a significant number of matches that don’t match me, and since I hadn’t done any research on the Lee side of their tree I had no idea how people who contacted me might connect with them. So I started searching.
<p>
I did manage to find the marriage record for FN’s maternal grandparents. I discovered that Helen Hartmann and Vernon R Lee were married 04 Jun 1930 in Clark County, Washington. But there was very little information on the certificate that would allow me to go further back in the records, especially on Vernon’s side.
<p>
The one hint I did find on the certificate was what town Helen had been living in. I decided to see if maybe I could find her as a child in the census which would allow me to discover who her parents were. Sure enough, I did find her as a child in that town with her parents. And that meant I was able to get a little more on her. Vernon however wasn’t showing up in the census records in Oregon or in Washington, so I was stuck.
<p>
Until this week when a DNA match that I had tried to contact previously finally answered. They said that yes, Vernon R Lee was on their tree! This person had a tree with good sources and documentation, so I think I can trust their research. They had Vernon’s family of origin, including his parents, both sets of grandparents and even a couple sets of his great grandparents! AND they including siblings at each level. I feel like I hit the mother lode because of this person’s hard and detailed work.
<p>
The problem is I can not find any record of what happened to Vernon coming forward. Like I said I have his marriage certificate, I know Vernon and Helen had 2 daughters, and there is a passenger list that has Vernon listed as single and heading to Hawaii a couple of weeks before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
<p>
When and where did Helen and Vernon divorce? Why was he going to Hawaii? What happened to him after he arrived? Did he join the military? If so, why can’t I find a record of that? Did he ever remarry and have more children? When and where did he die? So far ancestry isn’t showing any easy answers.
<p>
I am hoping that someone who is a descendant of one of his 8 siblings might know something that will give me a clue to where to look for him. To that end I am sharing the Family Group Sheet with his parents and siblings. If Vernon or his family are in your tree and you have any information on any of them please contact me. I would love to be able to hand my cousins a copy of their family story on the Lee side.
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Since I first wrote this a few days ago I have found a death date for Vernon of 1 Nov 1958 in Oregon, and the fact that he was buried in the Greenwood Hills Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Also in looking closer at the Passenger list I found that the USS Chaumont was a Navy Transport ship that made regular runs from San Francisco, California to Manila via Honolulu. This leads me to think that Vernon was at that time in the Military, and probably the US Navy. Haven't found anything more about his military service. A thank you to Paul for replying to my message on FindAGrave.
<p>Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-79716939601051372032017-03-22T22:20:00.000-07:002017-03-22T22:20:00.072-07:00UpdateWell, I went on ancestry to see what records I could find for the missing two great great great grandparents. I hit the mother lode! Not only did I find them I found their parents!
<P>
The people within the red outline are the eight people I managed to add to my tree tonight
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Of course it is now 10 pm and I haven't had dinner and my neck is getting stiff from looking at the computer. Time to stop for the day, get some food, some ibuprofen and soak in a warm tub. Have a good night all, and good luck in your hunt. I love days like this that go so well. Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-88075897171640129782017-03-22T17:28:00.000-07:002017-03-22T18:22:49.273-07:00I love doing Genealogy, so why haven't I been doing any research?I love doing genealogy. It is more than just a casual hobby it is a passion. I get such a thrill from research and finding new information. I love being able to share the story of our family with others. So, the question is, why haven't I been working on doing any research?
<p>
There are several reasons, or should I say excuses why I haven't been working on doing genealogy....
<p>
One, I managed to get all my papers gathered up and put in boxes to go through folders and papers one by one to start my Genealogy Do Over. I even came up with some of the other parts of doing the do-over. I have goals made, I have a naming plan for naming files, etc., and a few other of the exercises that Thomas MacEntee wanted us to do. The problem is I didn't have a clean organized spot to work on my genealogy research.
<p>
Everytime I start making progress on getting my "office" area set up life seems to interfere, and by the time I manage to get back to working on it I have managed to pile more stuff in that area that I now have to find homes for. Sometimes it feels like the old "one step forward, two steps back" dance when it comes to organizing my things.
<p>
It probably has something to do with organizing not being as much fun as other things, although I can do a really good job at organization (I have had numerous people compliment me on how organized I am). And I do really like the results of having things organized, but sticking with just one organization project until it is done and not getting side tracked is an issue for me. It is why I love books like "Side Tracked Home Executives" by Pam Young and Peggy Jones; "Sink Reflections" by Marla Cilley; and "Organizing from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern. These books have helped me learn the "how-to" skills to be better organized, and also helped me recognize some of the ways I sabotage my efforts in getting organized. It still requires time and energy to do the follow through.
<p>
And time and energy brings me to the second reason, or excuse, for not spending more time doing genealogy. Because of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome my energy is extremely limited. Within the past year I have been appointed to the Modoc District Fair Board, and for about the last 6 months now I have been spending a couple of hours a week working in the fair office, handling the bills. That doesn't sound like a lot until you also add in the fact that it is a 30 minute drive each way over Cedar Pass which is 6300 ft elevation (about 2000 ft higher than Alturas). Beautiful drive, unless the weather is bad.
<p>
I have also joined The American Legion. I have met some nice people by joining. It has added other responsibilities to my time too. I am District Chaplain, which really means just attending quarterly meetings and saying Opening and Closing prayers, I am now Post Historian and have had fun scanning some old documents for the post so we have digital copies of them. And then putting all the pages into page protectors and into a binder so people can actually see them, instead of having them stuck in a file cabinet. I am also in charge of making the <a href="http://alturaspost163.wixsite.com/alturaslegionpost163" target="_blank">website for our post</a> and maintaining a facebook page for our post.
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And if all that wasn't enough, I had surgery to have joint replacement for my right knee at the end of November! That has really set me back physically, between the actual surgery, and the physical therapy to help rebuild the leg muscles, my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is flaring up big time.
<p>
But I did go online recently and checked to see if I had new matches on either Ancestry DNA or 23andMe. As I reported in my previous blog, I did find a 2nd cousin match on my Newman line and was able to update the more recent generations in their family. So that was good.
<p>
This week I updated Family Tree Maker 14 to FTM 14.1 by the company who purchased the FTM software from Ancestry. So that was good, because in the process I also made backup files of all the different trees I have on my computer (now to burn those onto a disk just in case anything happens to my computer.). I also found I had FTM files in several locations on my computer. Now, all the most recent files for each tree are in one directory instead of scattered here and there.
<p>
I also did an update for Charting Companion which I find is a really neat software program for making specialized charts that you can't get in FTM. Because I do genetic genealogy one of my favorite is the X Chromosome Ancestor Fan Chart. It shows which relatives I would have received dna from on the X Chromosome. You might be asking, but don't we get dna from all our ancestors on each of the chromosomes?
<p>
No, we don't receive dna on the X Chromosome from all our ancestors. Men do not pass down any X chromosome DNA to their sons, instead they contribute the Y Chromosome to their sons. This is handy in eliminating ancestors from consideration when you have a dna match that shares dna on the X chromosome with you. On the chart, all the white spaces are descendants of sons of males. These are the ones I did not get any dna from on my X Chromosome, only those who are in Pink or Blue spaces.
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You might wonder how that works in a real life situation. I have a dna cousin on 23andMe that shares DNA with both me AND my paternal first cousin.
Of my 32 3x great grandparents I can eliminate the 16 on my maternal side, Then, because her and I share dna on the X Chromosome, I can eliminate the 11 other 3x great grandparents i would not have inherited dna on the X chromosome from. This leaves only five lines at that level for us to research to find our common ancestor(s). The problem is of those five possible lines, I don't have names for two of them. Time for more research! Wonder what new records Ancestry has gotten since the last time I looked for them?
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-75258594612247284112017-03-14T12:41:00.001-07:002017-03-14T12:41:40.450-07:00Made a contact!I have not been doing much with Genealogy this year. I am on the Modoc District Fair Board, and have been appointed Treasurer. Even though I only spend a couple hours of week in the office and go to a monthly board meeting it really takes a lot out of me physically because of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If I ever thought that maybe I could get off of disability and get a full time job this is totally showing me it is not possible. I have also joined the American Legion. Meetings are once a month, and I come home and have to retire to my bed. I love being involved and being able to give back, but it really exacts a price on my health.
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But this week I decided to hop onto ancestry.com and check my dna matches. Good news! I found that a 2nd cousin on my Newman side had tested since I last checked my matches. I messaged him and ancestry messaging system actually worked properly, I he contacted me back. We have been emailing back and forth updating each other with what we have found, and updating the information our our current generations.
This gentleman is a grandson of my grandfather's (Frederick Newman) brother (Eric Newman). Fred and Eric were both born in London in the late 1800's. Something happened to their family because on the 1901 census mom was living with her sister and brother-in-law, Fred was living with his maternal grandparents. I have found someone by the same name as the dad living elsewhere but I am not sure it is the right person. I have also found someone with the name Eric Newman living elsewhere, but again not sure it is the right person. I do know that at some point Eric was sent to Canada, that mom emigrated to America and got remarried the day she stepped off the ship in Philadelphia, and that Fred came to America a few years later. Eric eventually also came to America and joined him mother and brother. Both brothers fought in WWI and became naturalized citizens. They both married and had families.
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As a result of the depression my grandfather Fred lost his job. He was able to get a job from his former boss's son, but it meant moving cross country to California. Fred came first, and then my grandmother, aunt, uncle and father (who was only 6 months old at the time) traveled cross country via Greyhound Bus. The story is my dad made the trip in a laundry basket.
<p>
Eric and family stayed on the east coast. This means the families did not see much of each other, although I have vague memories of Uncle Eric and his wife Nan coming to California a couple of times to visit. And when I was and adult and had moved to Massachusetts for a couple of years I did visit Uncle Eric at his home on Cape Cod.
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<center>
Jennifer, Linda, Eric, John (1984)</center>
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I guess the point of all of this is to keep looking, we just might suddenly find a relative that is also interested in genealogy and is also looking to make connections with family!Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-61769808105914764352016-04-10T13:13:00.002-07:002016-04-10T13:16:22.087-07:00Yes, I am still aliveSince it has been so long since I have actually posted on my blog some of you might have been wondering where I have been and what I have been doing.
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First I now have a new website that I have been working on. It isn't done but it is online. The URL is: <a href="http://cawildflowr.wix.com/linda-family-tree">http://cawildflowr.wix.com/linda-family-tree</a>. Come check it out, feel free to leave a message. One on the nice things about using <a href="http://www.wix.com/">Wix</a> for my webpage is that I am able to link this blog to my webpage so that people can read the blog right from the webpage. That means you only need to bookmark my webpage to be able to see the webpage AND my blog!
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This has been a rather tough week or so for family health news. A first cousin once removed on my maternal line has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, she is only eleven years old. Prayers for her and the family are greatly appreciated. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with medical expenses: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/cux4vxp8">Prayers For Gracie</a>.
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On the other side of my family one of my cousins received the report back from his biopsy and it is Pancreatic Cancer. This is what my mom died of so it was devastating to hear this. Not only for my cousin's sake, but because it stirred up all the memories of what we went through with my mom. Prayers are greatly appreciated for him and his family. He has a sister that has been battling cancer for a number of years and last I heard had been given a year. If that proves true this may be an extremely tough year for our family.
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Another cousin on this side of the family sent me an email this past week saying that he had had a heart attack while he was out at the mall three weeks ago. He says it was a good thing it happened while he was out and about because if it had happened while he was home he probably would not have survived it since he lives alone. He is home now and hopefully follows doctors orders so we can have him around for many more years.
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With all this new family health news I am making sure I am updating my list to take to my doctor so he can include it in my file. Have you written your Family Health History for your medical provider? Prevention is usually more effective than trying to repair the damage, and our doctors are better able to know what to look for if they know our family health history. Don't put it off, write that list today.
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Then there are my own personal health struggles. Fortunately nothing as major as cancer or heart attacks, but they still interfere with what I want to be doing. I still have to deal daily with the limitations that my <a href="http://solvecfs.org/what-is-mecfs/">Chronic Fatigue Syndrome</a> (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM) put on me. Then I am scheduled to have the rest of my teeth pulled because I had no dental insurance for six years to take care of problems when they were small, now it means pulling them and getting dentures. After that is taken care of I will go back to the Orthopedic Dr and talk about joint replacements, probably starting with my right knee. Then to top it off the eye doctor told me last week that he could probably justify doing cataract surgery. Like the Garth Brook song says "Lord I’m much too young to feel this damn old" after all I am only 57!
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But hopefully when those issues are taken care of my general health will improve and I can do more of the things I love and want to be doing. No it won't cure the CFS or the FM, but with less stress on my body due to these other issues maybe the symptoms will be less severe.
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In the meantime I have started playing around with <a href="http://genomemate.org/">Genome Mate Pro</a> which allows you to download data from the different DNA Testing Companies and puts it into one database on your computer. This allows you to track your matches, compare matches and try to find the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) by triangulating people who share dna with each other on the same chromosome segments. It also allows you to have multiple profiles within Genome Mate Pro so that if you manage tests for yourself AND other family members you can keep track of everything within one program.
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So, I am learning about how to use Genome Mate Pro, the Chrome Browser extension <a href="http://www.itstime.com/download/AncestryDNAHelper_HowToUse.pdf">AncestryDNA Helper</a> , the Chrome Browser <a href="http://genealogypuzzlesdna.blogspot.com/2014/03/using-chrome-tool-529andyou.html">529andYou</a> (used for gathering data from 23andMe matches) and will also be learning about the program <a href="https://dnagedcom.com/">DNAGedCom</a>
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I had played with the older version of Genome Mate but there were limitations on how much data could be stored. If you used the old version or have never tried this program I urge you to consider doing so. There is a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/GenomeMatePro/">Facebook group</a> for those who might want to talk with others about their experience using it.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-75710909357608507952015-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:002015-10-16T20:10:38.520-07:00Writing My Life StoryI am working on writing my life story. In some ways that is what genealogy is all about; writing the story of the life of my family: where they came from, who they were, what happened to them in their journey. But what about my life, my journey? Wouldn't I be the best one to tell that story rather than some as yet unborn descendant?
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My mom was also very interested in learning the history of her family, yet when she found out she was dying of cancer and I wanted to get HER story she wasn't interested in working on that. She felt it was no longer important. I would love to have her story in her words, not only for myself but for my children who loved her, and her great grandchildren who never had the opportunity to meet her. Only I didn't have the words to explain to her that it <b>was</b> important to me!
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There are others in my family tree that I wish so much I had a written copy of their story. Sadly, I don't.
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A couple of things happened this year that gave me the push to finally start putting pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard) and start writing the story of MY life. The first was Thomas McEntee's Genealogy Do-Over Project. I decided if I really was going to start over at the beginning, which means starting with me, I needed to write my story before it was too late. The other push was joining Camp NaNoWriMo in July. I ended up writing 50,000 words in one month. It showed me I could do it, IF I just sat down for an hour a day and typed.
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Granted some of those 50,000 words are just a rough chronological outline with very few details. But it is 50,000 more words than when I started. Have I kept it up? Sadly, no. But I am trying to get back into routines now that the days are turning cooler, or at least the nights are. We have had some really beautiful days recently, more like Indian Summer than fall.
<p>
I have a lot more words to put down before I am ready to go back and start editing it. But I will get there, as long as God allows me enough days to get it done. But since none of us are promised tomorrow, I am trying not to put off those things that are important to me.
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I thought I would share the introduction of my "story" with you, in hopes that it might encourage you to also write your story.
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<br>
<hr size="5" noshade width="75%" align=center">
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<br>
<center><h1>Who Am I?</h1></center>
<center>By Linda D Newman</center>
<p>
I have been putting off writing my story for our family history, after all who would be interested in me and my story? I am just a regular person. I don’t think I am anything special. I haven’t done anything extraordinary. Although, when sharing this introduction with my friend Rochelle, she scolded me for thinking I wasn’t anything special or extraordinary. She said, “You are special, you are extraordinary. The things you do and have done are extraordinary.” I do know that I am special in the sense that I am a unique individual created in God’s image, but beyond that I don’t stand out from the other more than seven billion people on earth (except to those who know me personally). I guess I will leave it you to you the reader to make your own judgments about whether or not I am extraordinary.
<p>
Then I think about what I would give to be able to read about one of my ancestors. Especially something they had written themselves so that I could get to know them as a person and not just know the names, dates, and places of their life. I would love to have them tell me about what they believed, the things they experienced, what a typical day was like, the important things that happened in their lifetime and their reactions to them.
<p>
So based on my desire to get to know my ancestors better, I figure at some point one of my descendants might say, “Who is this Linda person who is my great grandmother? What was she like? What was life like for her?” I hope that this piece will, at least in part, answer some of the questions my grandchildren and their children may one day have about me and my life. That I can flesh out my life for them, instead of just leaving the dry skeleton of names, dates and places.
<p>
This book will have several parts to it.
<p>
Part One will be a chronological telling of my life story.
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Part Two will be my responses to the question “Who Am I?” which was a writing prompt I found on a website designed to help you write the story of your life. They said to ask yourself the question “who am I?” twenty times and write down your responses. That concept really stuck with me, and I thought it would be a good way to maybe explore parts of me and my life that might not get covered in a chronological style telling of my story.
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Finally, Appendix A has an ancestor report, listing the basic facts of my ancestors. The names, dates and places of the major events of their life. To learn more about their stories you can read more about them in the different books about their branch of our family tree.
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Yes, what I am doing is a major undertaking, but then I am a writer at heart. The way you decide to write your story is up to you, and even that decision tells people about who you are. If you are crafty maybe you will decide to tell your story with pictures in a carefully crafted scrapbook. If you prefer to tell you story using spoken words rather than writing, get a digital vocal recorder and start talking. When you are done you can always ask someone to transcribe it into written form, but the extra special part of leaving a digital recording is that your descendants will be able to actually HEAR your story in your own voice.
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But whatever form you decide to use to share your life story I encourage you to start today so that one day your descendant aren't saying, "I wish I knew more about my grandparents and what their life was like."Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-53633473852255373642015-10-16T15:14:00.000-07:002015-10-16T17:20:54.115-07:00Genealogy Do Over Week TwoThomas McEntee's topics for Week Two are: <br>
1) Setting Research Goals, <br>
2) Conducting Self Interview <br>
3) Conducting Family Interviews <p>
In looking over my blog posts from January I see that I didn't blog anything about these topics. So let's see what I can manage to do this time through. <p>
Thomas talks about setting research goals in Week Two, but what does he mean about setting research goals? In reading <a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Week-2-Cycle-4-Genealogy-Do-Over.pdf" target="_blank">Thomas' blog</a> I find that he is talking about making specific research goals to prove (or disprove) facts about an individual.
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I find that I was ahead of the game on this part, a few years ago I had created a template for making research plans to help in my research. Now, I don't have research plans created for very many people at this point, but I do have one for <a href="http://linda-family-tree.blogspot.com/2012/01/emma-antrim.html" target="_blank">my great grandmother</a> and some of her immediate family, because I have a brick wall in finding her paternal grandparents. I have found my research plan is a great way to see what I know as well as what I don't know, then to plan what and where I am going to look next.
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I think that doing one of those research plans on myself would satisfy the "conduct a self interview" part of this week's assignment. I am sure everyone will understand that I am not going to post that research plan online. The names, dates, and places it would contain would be giving away too much personal information on myself and my living family members. But I encourage you to also make a research plan with yourself as the person being researched.
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I know many of us haven't fully written out our lives, even though when anyone is starting to work on their family tree the advice is always to start with ourselves. So we put our names, birth date and birth place, then we add our spouses, children, parents, siblings. But do we remember to add all the little things to our own profile that fill out the skeleton of names dates and places to make us a fully fleshed out person to those who will look at our work years from now?
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I am taking the time now to start over and do this right. And that means starting with myself and putting in <b>ALL</b> the facts with proper sources and citations. And to do that I need to make a research plan for myself to remind me of all the documentation I need to find about my life.
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I have a couple of maternal aunts and one maternal uncle still living, and the widow of my paternal uncle that I should interview before I lose those resources. I need to find a way to do that sooner rather than later. Two are active online so they will be easiest to chat with, the other two will take more effort on my part. I know I won't regret making the effort, I will regret it if I don't.
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Here is a blank version of my research plan for your use, I have this in my word processing program which means I can type as much as I want under each heading:
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNf4oO4vSxebDt22Px-tjkwt_wru8imSjCPiIsE1mKJFss03A0csjZuqLLRwrSnU4BSflKGPRaBgp7RV_qfJMtXeZAcHW53KymDDr5-GwlRyBc8UBbe-6d3CsUQhkwd5UY2RQ73WE7SDC/s1600/blank+research+plan+worksheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNf4oO4vSxebDt22Px-tjkwt_wru8imSjCPiIsE1mKJFss03A0csjZuqLLRwrSnU4BSflKGPRaBgp7RV_qfJMtXeZAcHW53KymDDr5-GwlRyBc8UBbe-6d3CsUQhkwd5UY2RQ73WE7SDC/s640/blank+research+plan+worksheet.png" /></a></div>Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246425598942743490.post-8964574651345494772015-10-07T22:10:00.001-07:002015-10-07T22:11:26.120-07:00Bright Shiny ObjectsBright Shiny Objects (BSO) catch our eye, I think it is human nature. In the Genealogy Do-Over Facebook group I have also heard some people call them rabbit holes. They have the potential to totally distract us from what we are trying to do, IF we let them. The trick is to acknowledge them without letting them divert us from what we are trying to do.
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Let's start with an example, then we can talk about some of the ways to acknowledge a BSO without allowing it to get us off track of our current research goal.
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Let's say my goal is to research everything I can find on my grandfather Frederick John Newman's WWI military service. My grandfather had a brother, Eric Alexander Newman, who also served in WWI. Both of them were born in England and living in the USA at the time period I am searching. Let's say I am on ancestry.com and I am searching for Frederick Newman in the military records. Chances are Eric's name will also pop up in search results.
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It might be tempting to look at both Frederick's and Eric's results. But that isn't the goal for this search, only Frederick's military service is. Chances are if I click on something for Eric I will then see the "you might also be interested it" type of links, then there I go chasing those bright shiny objects relating to my great uncle and totally lose focus. Two hours later I will find that not only have I not found anything about my grandfather but I might not even be looking at things that relate to my great uncle but some distant relative in England!
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You might be saying "But what's a person to do when those BSO cross my path?" Let's discuss strategies....
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First and foremost, I hope before you start you have a research plan so you know the "Who, What, Where, When, How/Why" of your search. This allows you to focus your search so that you can make real progress, instead of wandering aimlessly through the ancestry website (or the findmypast. familysearch, genealogybank, etc websites).
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Second comes some sort of research log.
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I have to admit in my past research I have been BAD about this step. I can't tell you how much wasted time this has caused as I repeat searches for things I already have, or repeating searches with parameters that did not produce results instead of trying new parameters. Part of my problem with research logs has always been that those printed versions always seem to have such small boxes there was no way to efficiently use them, at least for me.
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Genealogy Do-Over has encouraged me to start experimenting using a spreadsheet for my research log.
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A spreadsheet allows me to make the boxes whatever size I need them to be (plus typing tends to take up less space than my handwriting). It also allows me to move columns around until I find a format that works for me WITHOUT losing the data that is already in the database. Plus I can sort by the different columns. Meaning if I want to find all my research on an individual I can sort by name. If I want to see all the vital records I have I can sort by Record Type. If I want to see all the records I have found on Ancestry I can sort by that. All of this without having to rewrite (or retype) lists or losing any information.
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One of the benefits of using a spreadsheet program, especially when it comes to those BSO's, is I can have different pages in my document. I can have a page for my research log, or I can have separate pages for the different surnames.
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I can also have a page for my to do list. This is where I can list those bright shiny objects. I can put their name as the site lists them and any other identifying information about that potential document. You can even copy and paste the information, including the url, to help you find the information again. Then I can go right back to working on my goal for that day's research without worrying about whether or not I will be able to find the information about that other potential lead at a later time.
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If you have other ideas and suggestions on how to deal with BSO please feel free to share them in the comments section.
Linda Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13671718351317335808noreply@blogger.com0