More Favorite Tools for Genealogy

-


Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from pixabay.com/


We've had more favorite tools submitted this past week; we hope you find these useful!


One Note, Evernote

Darlene Steffens: My favorite tool is One Note (Evernote also works) where I keep handy, just a mouse click away, a variety of research things including:  web links sorted by (1) location (state & country) and (2) generic subject matter; a list of contact persons sorted by family line with email address links, phone, numbers, etc.; a list of source citation formats that I frequently use for copy/pasting into my tree's database; a log of correspondence exchanged sorted by family line, date, who, why, results; a To Do list by state/country where I can "park" those cemetery photos I need to take or the library facility I need to visit and what is needed there (you never know when a visit there is possible); and ever so much more. I like the convenience of all things collected into one place that will open on any device I use.


DNA

vecteezy.com/free-vector/protein">Protein Vectors by Vecteezy

Mary Ann Marston: DNA and all the genetic genealogy education events that are now available through Zoom.  Oh, I guess I must include the Conference Keeper site also.

Annette Weiss: One of mine is reading all these postings to society@skcgs.groups.io. I learn a lot from others on this. DNA is my other tool ... can't beat the accuracy! I've been able to connect with a long-lost branch of my family tree, adding over 100 descendants in the past 2 years. 


Mentoring

Mentoring Icon Vectors by Vecteezy

Jane Wickert: Mine isn’t really a tool but rather mentoring others. SKCGS has in person mentoring at the Auburn library and EGS does weekly sessions over Zoom. Helping people work through a question or problem is a good way to think about ways to solve genealogical problems.





Maps

MaryLynn Strickland: The tools I rely on most are geographical--I find locating my people on the map helps me answer a lot of questions beyond just where.  I also learn who else is nearby, when certain events occurred in the family and even why the family has located where they are.

I depend on the information at the Bureau of Land Management General Land Office  glorecords.blm.gov for homestead location to get the section, township and range data which I then use at Randy Majors Map Tools.  (If you haven't explored those tools, you are missing a great resource)

From Randy's tools I can get the latitude and longitude for the homestead and find it on a Google map where I can get the modern address and pictures.  Neat!

I also use the Wiki at FamilySearch.org to look for general information on locations.  This gives me a general history as well as resources for further research, an invaluable tool!



Writing

Courtesy OpenClipArt

Valorie Zimmerman: One of my favorite genealogy tools is writing. 

I love writing to other researchers on this blog and in our groups, writing to cousins and other collaborators, and most of all, writing about my ancestors. I've recently discovered that although timelines are also a favorite tool too, they do not work so well for me in the form of a spreadsheet or table.

Instead, I need to note the date, place, and record, and then write to make sense of what I'm seeing. It helps me see the life of my research focus through their own eyes. Why were they living in this place, at this time? Why did they have boarders, and who were those people? What work was the family doing? Who was living around them? What else was happening in the world at this time?

It is said that the past is foreign country, but we are all humans. Writing helps me put those two perspectives, history and our shared humanity -- together and make sense of the records I'm finding; or not.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Looking for a Needle in a Haystack? GAME CHANGER at FamilySearch

-
Image
Generated with Bing ImageCreator (AI), March 13, 2024 Where is YOUR Needle, Your Missing Record? Genealogical Proof Standard When we use the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard) as our guide, we all know that "exhaustive research" can be both tedious and exhausting. Is life long enough to search page by page through all the counties where all the members of a family might have lived, paid taxes, bought, leased or sold property, made a will or died intestate? It is possible that the new Full Text Search at FamilySearch will  eventually  allow us to do just that. It has been estimated that 75% or more of the records at FamilySearch were browsable but not searchable; the only indexes those found in the records themselves. Those records are certainly attainable by using those indexes and browsing to the record of interest, but the process is tedious, often frustrating, and slow. And once found, the record must be read and transcribed to be useful. This new Full Text Search tackles a
Read more

What's the Question?

-
Image
We genealogists are often told by experienced researchers how important it is to begin with a research question. I resisted doing this for a long time, but now that I use a series of questions to guide my research, the search is more focused and actually finds more of the history of the family I'm investigating. I use a Google Doc as the  research proceeds, where I keep the question(s), the plan, timelines, checklist of resources to search, etc. all in one place. I've seen others use spreadsheets in the same way, perhaps splitting up things in tabs (Excel or Google Sheets). I prefer a document because I add source citations as I find them and I can begin writing up the case right there in the doc as the hypotheses are proven. Specific Questions in Previous Successes As beginners we often have no clue how much and what details we already know about a person, event or relationship, so it's hard to specify what we want to know. But when looking back at successful research, it
Read more

Help Save This Abused and Neglected Cemetery

-
Image
Screen capture from Google Maps History In an exchange of emails this past week in both the main SKCGS group, and in the Washington-State-Genealogy group, many facts were revealed about the history of the I.O.O.F. Comet Lodge Cemetery, also known as the Old Burying Ground, the Georgetown Cemetery, the Graham Street Burying Ground and maybe more.  FindAGrave sums it up this way: "Since it was established in 1881, the Comet Lodge cemetery site has been whittled away to less than half its original 5 acres. Records are sketchy but it's safe to say that some 500 pioneers were buried here, atop unknown numbers of native Duwamish people. New burials ended in the 1930s. Since then, homes and streets were built on top of many of the plots as the neighborhood around the cemetery grew.  "Upkeep and ownership of the cemetery bounced between the city, civic groups, relatives of Comet Lodge residents, and nearby neighbors. For years, much of the property was allowed to deteriorate int
Read more