Organizing Yourself Online

There are so many different tips out there on how to organize your research. You can't keep it all online, external hard drives, CD's. And after awhile the photos, and copies of different documents will take over. Life can become a clutter for us genealogists. Some years back I came across this site, Organize Yourself Online. It broke down the steps on how to become more organized in all aspects of my life. Still working on it, but this allows you to focus on different areas, instead of trying to complete all at one time.

This site will help give you guidance to get get started. Give insights to where you can organize to be better productive. Bring you inspiration to better organize your space. Plus they will give you a report on 28 ways to stop procrastinating.

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.

Using Google Books

This was part of the Google for Genealogists package that Family Tree University is offering this month. The instructors there are really helpful in finding ways to solve brick walls or other area's to search. This video is by Allison Stacey an Instructor at Family Tree University. Right now they are having a special on the Google for Genealogists package.

Free Week at Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com is holding another free week to seek out your Ancestors. Connect with others to get this needed information. Search all the Immigration and Travel Records at Ancestry.com

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.

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.