20% off Family Tree Maker

Get 20% off Family Tree Maker 2012 at Ancestry.com ends in 2 days. It isn't to late to get this discount on the latest, improved software. You can still search for all the wonderful resources through Ancestry.com as before.Features will include


TreeSync — lets you easily synchronize your tree in Family Tree Maker with an online Ancestry.com tree.
Access and update your tree anywhere. Continue your research wherever you are whether it’s through your computer, Ancestry.com, even your iPhone or iPad.

Easily share your tree with your family, and even work on it together. Your family and friends can view the online version of your tree without any software or a subscription. They just login with their name and email and they can always see the latest version of your tree, and can even work on adding to it if you’d like them to.

Collaborate with the largest, most active family history community in the world. You can keep your online tree private or make it public so that others researching your family can always find the latest version of your research. You may connect with others who have insight on your ancestors or even rare photos to share with you. And you may even find relatives you didn’t know you had.


Blended family view — shows combined families, including stepfamilies and adoptees at a glance.


Improved Smart Stories — give you new tools for adding and editing details.


Chart personalization — lets you personalize charts by adding text and displaying generation labels such as parents, grandparents and great–grandparents.


Index of individuals report — lists every individual in your tree, plus their birth, marriage and death dates.


Customized fact sentences — let you change wording and choose what data is included in sentences that Family Tree Maker generates for certain reports and Smart Stories.
Descendent charts between two people — make it easy to choose two individuals in your tree and create a descendant chart that shows their relationship.

Daughters of Gip Akin

My Grandma was the Daughter of Ula Mae Akin Durbin and Raymond F. Durbin. The Akin sisters, Joy, Ula Mae, Ida Faith, Ora Lea, and Lovella had a special bond, the love of family. Aunt Lovella was only a few years older than my Grandma and was able to share so many stories with us of those memories with her sisters. My Aunt shared this photo with me, and it was perfect for this MyMemories.com layout.

The Akin sisters were Gip and Nancy Ola Akin five daughters, and lived in Dawson, Texas; later Venus, New Mexico. Gip was an interesting gentleman from all that I have read on him. While Lovella was a young lady, Gip Akin had become a local Baptist Minister. In his early years he had been part of the Night Riders of Dawson Texas, and had written short stories. 

This is part of a story that was shared by Lovella Akin Moore, who first heard this from her father Gip Akin. I will have to transcribe the complete story at a later date.  

Gip came to Howard, Texas 1890 and lived there for 35 years. They worked on a the Slaughter Ranch, where he was a horse wrangler--he was 17 years old. He took care of 150 head of horses and lived with the wagon - it was home. Started out in the spring about the first of April--worked until Christmas. The Ranch covered 5 counties. The year 1897 branded 18,000 calves, stamped Lazy S on both sides--ear marked figure 7 under bit in each ear and worked for Slaughter 3 years. Then went to work for Barts Ranch - 200,000 acres. Headquarters where the city of Lamesa is now (worked there for 2 years). Then took up 4 sections of homestead Land. Post office called Chicago - got the mail two times a week from Big Springs. Built the house on what was called the home section, a little one room house facing the South. Part of this Land is in the city of Lamesa now, then went to Live 16 miles North of Big Springs.

Gip and his brother Mit Akin participated in the Texas Range Wars, and they fought against the Big Ranchers who didn't want them (the nesters) or homesteaders) in the area the outcome being many killings and burnings had occured. Gip & Mit Akin at this time earned the title "The Night Riders".

Here is Gip and Nancy in their later years, standing with my Grandma and her sister Pat Durbin. 

Created using Mymemories.com software, promo code for $10.00 off is STMMMS36408

Lisa Louise Cooke author of Google Earth for Genealogists reviews Flip-pal

It's been a joy learning more about Researching Genealogy through Google Earth; the Kit of the Month that Family Tree University is still offering. Lisa Louise Cooke is the author and explains in detail how to better maximize your research through Google. She recently met with Flip-pal and reviewed the benefits of this portable scanner. You can take Flip-Pal absolutely everywhere. You won't have to worry about not getting copies due to size or shape of the documents. Nor will you need cords, just an SD card, batteries and on your way to preserving your research.

Cyndi's List

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet


I talked about Cyndi's List the other day and how much I enjoy visiting her site. There is so much information on Genealogy on her site. Everything from researching old adoption records to state records. She has it all listed, ready to research or find where to access thse documents.

Backing up your work

I was very lucky recently when my old laptop quit and hard drive was still working. However it could have been a different story completely. I do try to remember to back up my research on an External Hard drive. Honestly, I am like everyone else, forgetful. After hours of browsing, gathering, editing photos, scrapbooking, when I am done the computer is turned off. I had heard of companies such as Carbonite, and thought I should try it. Am working on the free trial right now and very relieved that there is a stable place for my research and photos. I wanted to share with everyone their newest promotion, it is 14 days free trial and then get 2 months free on the annual subscription. I am so satisfied with this program so far that I am adding their link to my page and have signed up to be an affiliate. I just can't support companies I don't believe in. And know the pain of losing all those precious memories.

Family Tree University Kits

Kit of the Month

I have been a student and huge fan of Family Tree University for almost 2 years. This is where I have gotten the 101 Brick Walls, Google For Genealogists, Photo Rescue, and Cemetery research. There are so many kits, Expert Webinars, and books to explore in Family Tree University. I will look there before anywhere else first when I am looking for Genealogy Resources. They still have plenty of the Google for Genealogist packs available.

Versatile Blog Award

A Thank you to Terri from Mom's Point of View for awarding me "The Versatile Blogger Award." This is my first blog award and am honored to be selected. Thank you Terri!!!

I'm very happy that Terri has been a reader of my blog. I have enjoyed reading her blog, so please check her's out.

The rules after accepting the Versatile Blogger Award are:

1. Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

7 things about me:

1. I love my family and friends, they inspire me daily :)

2. I love all Crafts, but can't sew, knit, or crochet.

3. I love the sound of rain.

4. I created a porcelain doll that looks like my oldest son. Won at the NM State Fair 2 ribbons for the doll. Beginner's Doll Guild- 1st place and 2nd Place

5. I love Couponing and saving money.

6. I am a Cafemom.com Frugalista Moderator

7. I love traveling...



15 blogs I am passing this award to that really rock the web are:

1. KathyBs Little Corner

2. Kathy's Crafts

3. Karber's Blog

4. Randomosity

5. Tennessee Honey

6. The Queen of Swag

7. Under A Cherry Tree

8. Scraptastical Kreations

9. Blogging Biz Mom

10. Getting Cricky with K Andrews

11. A day in my Life

12. Dazzling Daily Deals

13. Granite in My Blood

14. Crazy for Paper Crafts

15. Mom's Online Garage Sale

These are only a few of the fabulous blogs that I follow, please check them and my following list out for more creative ladies.

101 Brick Wall Busters Part 2

Grandma Ola, Aunt Lovella, and AJ at Aunt Lovella's home in Corona, NM

This was a common sight when visiting my Aunt Lovella. Many a day we sat around this table sharing photos, stories, documents. I was always amazed by all the documents she had. She had dedicated all her life in being the Family Historian, listening to stories, gathering documents and keeping photographs. 

Nancy Ola and Gip Akin with their two eldest children Joy and Roy Akin

Returning to the Brick Wall Busters, the next three steps will really help you. 

4. Identify your Sources, make a list of sources that you could find the information you need. Not only is family a great source for records, especially if family was born prior to record keeping, but Churches are wonderful places to search. Long before states started collecting data and information, Churches were the record keepers of births and deaths. Local Newspapers, censuses, naturalization papers, are great places to look. The Family History Library Catalog is a wonderful tool.

5. When you cant find the information needed online, and there are lots of records still being digitized. Expand your search, try different spellings of your ancestors names. On one census my Great Grandma was listed as Carla, instead of Ula. The location, parents, siblings all matched except her name. On the same census report her Mom was listed as Old N. Akin instead of Nancy Ola. Names got reversed, comparing with other information on these reports will help confirm the lineage. 

6. Research those who lived and were part of your family. Many multiple families lived together during those times and may have served as witnesses to their lives. Land deeds, tax records, the paper trails in communities can also help verify family members. 

Maggie Coffee Randell sister to Nancy Ola Akin

101 Brick Wall Busters

A few months back I took a wonderful course through Family Tree University, called 101 Brick Wall Busters. It is something that happens when researching our family. Records are lost, destroyed in fires, or never even existed. Record keeping wasn't as wide spread in the early days of our Nation, many areas never kept records until the past century, less in some areas.

In the age of Technology and instant information, it is shocking to many that there isn't a data base somewhere with every article of information on our ancestors. The LDS Church has done a wonderful job of gathering many records, but there are still gaps in the research.

In the course 101 Brick Wall Busters it discusses several ways to find this information or at least find information that can lead you in the right direction.
I will be touching on a few points each post.

1. You have to access the problem, what records do you have, what is it that you are trying to find out. Birthplace? Maybe the Date of Birth was left off or the common brick wall of a mothers lineage. For some reason the woman's line is always incomplete.

Ask family first, see if a relative ended up with a box of photographs, documents, letters between family, or land deeds. Recently while researching the death of my Grandma's little brother, I couldn't find any state records for 1929 of his death. My Great Grandma had given a trunk of paperwork, birth records, love letters between her and Great Grandpa to my Grandma's sister and now her Daughter has all the information. It was a real break through on proving his death and burial area. The photograph we believed was Grandma with her father and brother standing by a grave was not the grave of her brother, but her Grandfather who passed away in 1926.

2. Don't skip any steps, check all records here in the US before venturing overseas. If there are not State or County records, see if the papers of the time have any articles on your ancestors. I recently found a wonderful article written by the Senior Center that my Grandma was active in, honoring her crafts and involvement at the Center. County Fairs, Senior Centers, newspapers are a few places you can look for more information.

3. Create a time line of their life. Do you know when they lived, who else in your family was around during that time. My Aunt Lovella was my Grandma's Mother's youngest sister of seven children. I always referred to her as Aunt, when really she was my Great Great Aunt. Knowing the time line of the family helped when filling out the lineage chart. Other things to know is what sort of things were going on in the world during the time of their life. Was it during War time, there are a lot of War records that can help bridge the gaps.

 Gip and Nancy Akin, with their children.

Mill Fork Cemetery

When my Grandma passed I started listing her along with other ancestors on Find A Grave. I knew from her paperwork, where loved ones resting area's were and had made many a visits to the grave sites. I started off with her little Brother Raymond F. Durbin Jr., who died at a young age 10 months old in Sept 21, 1929 and her Grand Father Fredrick Augustus Durbin, who passed when she was only a couple months old in December 23, 1926. It was less than 100 years since their deaths and I had visited their sites several times. Unknown to me though was that those documents didn't get properly recorded, were lost and I had a lot of digging to verify their resting sites. This made me realize how easy it is for people to be forgotten and lost. That was when I started volunteering for Find a Grave, and other important Genealogical organizations.

This cemetery I pass by several times each year on US 6 between Spanish Fork and Helper Utah. It is in a remote area, on a very narrow road. This last winter I decided to look up the Cemetery see what it was all about. It looks deserted, but that is far from the case. And the history of Mill Fork was amazing. During 1875-1879 the Utah and Pleasant Valley Railroad who were formally known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western began builing through Spanish Fork Canyon. There were three sawmills built at Mill For to help with the construction of the railroad. A booming town was forming because of the progress. Large water tower and a small reservoir were constructed, a general store was built, population grew to 250.

Timber for the railroad wasn't the only driving force for Mill Fork who also had an large amount of Charcoal that helped keep the town thriving. Residents were working either with cutting wood for the railroad or with their Kilns. But as with everything that happens in the West, towns fade as fast as they were built. In 1890 the Store and Charcoal business both closed, most had left Mill Fork by 1900, only a few homesteaders had remained until 1930's. When trains advancing to Diesel Locomotives, the water stop was no longer needed. and Mill Fork Station was closed for good in 1947, and removed during the late 1950's. Nothing remains of the little town that formed a railroad in an area that is harsh to say the least but the Cemetery.

Many years later the Historical Society of Utah discovered Mill Fork and have worked very hard restoring and preserving the memories of those who worked hard to develop a railroad in a hostile weather environment.

One of the most important things I learned while searching for proof of my ancestors resting places was that photographs that were taken years ago help in many cases. It gives a location, a layout, surrounding markers help locate loved ones who may have lost their headstones or never had any markers outside the copper one placed at the time of the burial. This picture helped the Genealogist who transcribed the Cemetery that my Great Great Grandfather Fredrick Augustus Durbin had been buried. This photograph was taken in the early 1930s, I know this because Phillip Durbin, the other little brother of my Grandma wasn't born until May 1930. The photograph shows this to be the older part of the Cemetery. Records were still being kept by the Catholic Church and the Angel in the background was what helped locate the area, and confirmed his resting place. There was no marker and the exact place still hasn't been found. This is why photographs and records are so important.

Storing your Family Treasures

I have been very fortunate that my family has kept all the photos and different documents from our past relatives. My Grandma and her Aunt Lovella, who as 3 years older than my Grandma were the families record keepers. Our photos were kept in boxes in dark, dry closets which wasn't all that bad. I often wondered why these weren't on display. But actually their technique was what kept those memories safe from fading.

Great Aunt Lovella Akin and Ola Mae Durbin c. 1930's

To truly preserve your families precious moments locked in time, you have to keep them from bright light. Sitting in a closet does protect them, but I love sharing these beautiful photos with my kids. Some of the methods I have done is to scan many of them and share them digitally with family far away. This has given myself a copy of them and had the opportunity to share precious treasures with my family. You can scan these photos with just any scanner. I love my Kodak scanner, and have tried a Flip-pal, which is a portable scanner. Really hoping to receive that as a Christmas gift. then you can upload them into any software program you already have to edit if need be, I use Photoscape which is a free program.

Nancy Ola and Dora Coffee c. 1880's

You can add the digital copies to any photo printing company, I personally like Heritage Makers because you work with someone and they can help you scan it to the proper size, and you wont end up with a book full of fuzzy photos.

What I have done with the originals is use Archival Mist, you can get this at any hobby store, such as JoAnn's. Place them in an acid free scrapbook to help keep harmful light from fading them. Here is a video from youtube on how to use Archival Mist.

I'll post more on how to safely remove photos that were glued to scrapbooks pages and how to remove safely the photos from the scrapbooks of the 80's that used non archival acid free sticky glue. 

Using the net for Genealogy

The internet has made the process of networking with distant relatives a great adventure without leaving the comforts of your home. Don't get me wrong exploring the places that your dear relatives lived their lives is fun. But time and money doesn't always afford those luxuries. So here comes the net, with millions of people connecting everyday. Recently I got a wonderful opportunity to visit a distant cousin in Las Vegas, while visiting the Titanic Exhibit.

The visit was wonderful, she is the niece of my grandfather whom I had never met. The visit was wonderful, it wasn't awkward as some would think. I kept things basic, as I would with any new stranger. Got to know her, hear about her family. Listening skills are very important when learning about a side of the family you never knew. I was lucky to have met and forged this new friendship. It was family through Facebook that lead me to this relative, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes you can meet family through sites such as Ancestry.com and ProGenealogists. It's worth the time to learn more from those who are still around, you never know if that information the personal experiences will be available to share later. I learned much more about my Grandfather than I had ever known.

 

Facebook bridging the gaps in Genealogy?

When Facebook came out I really didn’t have any interest in the latest craze. Then as more and more family were joining, I found it actually very beneficial. I could chat with family who are in other areas of the world, and share photos. Facebook has completely replaced the old school emails and forget snail mail that could get damaged or lost. I have found lost relatives who have helped fill in gaps in my research, relatives that have done years of genealogy work and shared their findings with me.

Finding people on Facebook isn’t hard, at the top in the search button type in a name of someone you know is still alive. No matter the age, unless they are under 13 yrs old they are most likely on Facebook. Send them a friend request, not a blind request, but one with a message explaining who you are and why you want to be friends. Sometimes you will already have a friend(relative) in common and Facebook will suggest you may know them.

Originally from my Tracing Our Roots WordPress Blog.

Genealogy research

As a Genealogist I understand how challenging it can be when you run into that Brick wall that we all eventually find. Little to no information on the relative, records destroyed in fires, or there were no records kept. One thing I have found to be a great help is ProGenealogists, this way you can work with someone in that area to find that information. Sometimes a local trip to a Cemetery or call to the state historian will help close those gaps.

My Journey

There are moments I get very off track or try to take on way more than any one person should. Life is so short and there is just to much to explore and enjoy. I never really grasped how true that was until my Grandma passed away in 2009. There was so much she had taught me, and was the most important person in my life. One of the things that we shared a love for was Genealogy, old photos, Cemeteries, recipes, and old stories that were passed through the family from Generation to Generation. It was then that I decided to take my education in Paralegal Studies-researching documents and change to become a Professional Genealogist.

In order to do that I really want to get my Certification, so I decided to open my own scrapbooking shop to sell die cuts, and cards to reach my goal. I got a little off track in the process and forgot to enjoy what I was doing. So a little focus was much needed. I am restructuring my shops to provide items geared towards preserving family photo's, and genealogy. In addition to traditional scrapbooking, I became a Heritage Makers Consultant to help others preserve their family memories digitally. I am still a volunteer for many Genealogical Organizations, Whispers from the Dust, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, Find a grave, Names in Stone, where I take requested photos of gravestones, and obituary retrievals.

It is so fun to help others preserve their family memories present and past.