Connecting people. Image courtesy of Dreamstime Doing Genealogy When we first start "doing genealogy" we're finding records, noting what we find, and trying to make sense of it all. As time goes on, we may turn into hobbyists, and begin using forms, consulting books, online repositories, and perhaps, building a tree on our computers, online, or both.  Eventually, it grows so much we don't know what we have, or where! This is where all those "genealogy do-over" or "filing Fridays" projects start. Both of those might be useful in your situation, but here is the ruling principle that can bring quality into your work and peace into your heart: genealogy projects using the Genealogical Proof Standard , the GPS . This principle is what professional genealogists use, but it is not for pros only. Fortunately, it's not a secret; it is the key to effective and efficient work for researchers all around the world.  Genealogical Proof Standard GPS Shapes a

FamilySearch Family Tree logo: Wikimedia Commons Why Not? Many of us hesitate to use the FamilySearch Family Tree (FSFT) because we don't have complete control over the profiles of those who've died, nor to whom they are linked. These are valid points. However, if each user carefully links all the important sources to each profile and writes informative "reason statements" when adding them, the profiles are rarely changed. Instead, they are found by other relatives who can attach records and images you may not have access to, such as family photos, Bible records, etc.  The FSFT is different from sites where you can build your own tree, such as Ancestry.com or in software on your own computer or on paper.  World Tree + Records It is a "world tree," where the goal is to have one, and only one profile for each person ever born, linked together as families. Wikitree and Geni are the two other world family trees; together they are smaller than the FSFT, which is

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

https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/about Last week, we shared some reasons for gratitude. As I write, tomorrow, a blessing is offered to all SKCGS Members: the chance to come to our local FamilySearch Center with Winona Laird as our host and guide. We'll have the place all to ourselves. She is able to schedule this treat about ten times every year. Look for the announcement for 19 January 2024, and RSVP! Why is this so special? First, we have access in the FSC to almost all the "locked" files found in the FamilySearch Catalog .  The catalog is where you will find records from countries around the world, US states, counties and many other categories of records as well. Most are open to all, 24 hours a day, from anywhere, but some can only be used in FamilySearch Centers. There are a few to be used only in Salt Lake at the main FamilySearch Library .  The catalog is your way into the approximately 80% of the  records in FamilySearch which are not every-name searchable

  Which family would you rather see on your tree?  This? Ethelyn Stephens Jones & her parents Or this. Ethelyn, parents, husband, sisters and their husbands I wanted the whole family. But a fter extensive searching in Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, FamilySearch.org and elsewhere, I had almost given up on having anything more than names and estimated dates for Ethelyn's parents, no records beyond her death certificate connecting them, or any other birth family. In other words, settling for the first image. Then FamilySearch found the death certificate, which gave her exact date and place of birth along with the full names of her parents. Of course immediately I added the parent names and other information on both trees, Ancestry and FamilySearch Family Tree (FSFT). Birth and family information on death certificates is secondary information, and not always reliable. Still, names are clues, and the birthplace in the death certificate was close to what she stated in her marriage lic

"Exhaustive research" sounds... exhausting! However, a recent case proved to me that such work is not useless busy work, but rather reveals the truth of people's lives. Reasonably exhaustive research is the first element of the Genealogical Proof Standard. My experience trying to answer the question "who was Flora Bell Cox's husband?" led me to find who I thought was the right man, but turned out to be two Ward Farrars! That there were two men only became clear after some exhaustive research on every member of the Ward/Wardie Farrar FAN club -- the FAN club being research of F amily, A ssociates and N eighbors.  The results of this research can be seen on the SKCGS Black-Heritage-Franklin Ancestry.com tree [1] .  Flora Bell Cox is the niece of Benjamin Gaston, one of the Black miners I've been researching. Flora married Wardie shortly before the US entered World War I, and Wardie served in the "Pioneer Infantry" created with White officers a