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

One of the wonderful aspects of RootsTech each spring is the new features from many of the major genealogy and family history companies which they announce there, and of course the sales! Be sure to visit the Expo Hall to connect with the vendors and get those discounts, some of which last all month. One of the new features rolled out by MyHeritage is the cM Explainer™ which promises to "Predict Relationships Between DNA Matches With Greater Accuracy." Read about it in their blog .  The first session I watched this year was  What's New at FamilySearch in 2023 . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From me! The feature I'm waiting for has not rolled out yet, but the new family groups tree views should cut down immensely on the proliferation of private still-living people in the FSFamily Tree. It will enhance collaboration with close family and more distant family as well, I hope. The first implementations are showing up now - see more at the new home page . In addition, they are adding more options

If you have recent immigrant ancestors, especially from France, perhaps you have used Geneanet . The free resources are quite good. So it was with some excitement that I saw: Geneanet now launches Geneanet DNA, a new beta test service which allows you to upload the raw data of a DNA test kit taken with any company, to compare it to other Geneanet members' DNA data. Click here to discover Geneanet DNA The FamilySearch Wiki describes Geneanet:  Geneanet was launched in 1996 by genealogy enthusiasts to help family history researchers sharing their data. They wanted their users to pay only if they want and that’s why they created the Premium service. Most of the website pages and features are available for free but you can take advantage of Ad-Free browsing, more effective search engine and access to additional records by subscribing to the Premium. The site can be viewed in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. They add: Geneanet is especially u

SKCGS December Happenings Greetings!   Winona and I are looking forward to spending an evening with you at our Annual Holiday Potluck at 6:30 Tuesday evening, December 3, at her home.   Your spouses, or significant others are welcome.   Just warn them that they will have to listen to us talk about our ancestors.   Please RSVP to Winona at vice-president@skcgs.org to let her know what you will be bringing to share and to ask her for her address if you need it. It was great to see a good crowd at the Research Group on Friday, November 22.   I have heard that several participants had good luck with their research.   The next opportunity to use these free resources will be January 24, 2020.   There will be a reminder in the January activities blog post. Thank you to all who completed the Program Committee’s Survey in October and November.   The Board of Directors is seriously considering your comments and suggestions.   Please know that some programs were scheduled before the sur

By Michele Norton Mattoon If you find enough rough evidence to suspect you might be able to gain entrance into The Society of Mayflower Descendants, prepare yourself – it is not a quick process, however, it is extremely rewarding and personally links you to the beginnings of our nation’s history. It will also take you longer than the actual journey! I had suspected for some time that I might be descended from William Brewster, Edward Fuller and John Billington as I had found information about their descendants that dovetailed into the information I had discovered from working backward from myself, but had done little or nothing to confirm that as I suspected, correctly, that the approval process is long and involved. In 2014, I attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City, and found representatives from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants; some dressed in period costume! Deciding that I really needed to find out the next steps in pursuing the project, I decided to talk to thes