Is It Time to Marie Kondo Your Family History? 10 Feb 2019 7:30 AM (6 years ago)

I believe it's safe to say that genealogists are hoarders. We save every old photograph (even those of people we can't identify), diaries, autograph books, letters, documents, family heirlooms, receipts - anything and everything we can get our hands on that were once touched by an ancestor.

When I started The Organized Genealogist Facebook group several years ago, it was obvious that we all have a problem with not only too much stuff, but what to do with that stuff. When I left my position as group administrator a few years ago, there were about 22,000 members. I see that it is now more than 31,000 members. That's a lot of people with a desire to find ways of dealing with stuff.

Yet how does one resolve our obsession with our hobby with our desire to downsize, minimize and declutter our lives as we grow older? I'm quite certain that the majority of people reading this post will respond with cries of Outrageous! No Way! How could I ever get rid of any of my precious family history?

On the other hand, there's a few of us who have reached the point of wanting to move on.

When enough is too much

During the years I spent as caregiver for my father, my free time was mostly restricted to doing online family history research. I moved my research findings ahead a lot in that time, just with information available on line. On Monday mornings at work when I was asked how I spent my weekend, my standard response was "Hanging out with the dead relatives." Even after I retired six years ago and after my father's death, I continued my obsession with the family history search as well as giving lectures and teaching about genealogy.

After a while, a switch was flipped. After 10 years of caregiving I found I had the opportunity to live my own life again. I began traveling for leisure once again after many years of traveling only for work. I was able to reignite my passion for music and theater and begin attending performances again.

I discovered I was tired of spending my free time hanging out with the dead relatives. I wanted to experience the joy of living my life my own way, meeting new people and having new experiences.

With that shift, I've slowly come to the realization that I no longer want to be burdened by my ancestor's Stuff. What once seemed like the Holy Grail of family history turned into my home becoming the repository for my ancestor's Junk. Stuff. Crap. It was suffocating me and my home.

Before you gasp in panic, no, I haven't thrown it all away - yet. I'm just approaching it all much differently. That's where the Marie Kondo approach or the Minimalist movement enters the picture. Do these items spark Joy? Unlike 15 or 20 years ago, not so much.

My Family Heritage Center is still intact.

As I experience the process of downsizing my genealogy and family history research, I am aware of my desire to leave behind information and artifacts for future generations. I've decided that I am only taking my research back to the immigrant ancestors. I'm approaching my documents and photographs as an archivist, first by digitizing the paper items and then organizing them into physical folders and paper reports that will make sense to a future researcher. Heirlooms will be photographed using my Shotbox before I find a new home for them. I continue to explore options for the best archive, library or museum willing to accept the documents. It's also my intention to print my charts and stories into a format that I can assemble into a book - nothing fancy, just something that can be photocopied, printed and bound. Those books will go to the appropriate genealogy libraries in the ancestor's home counties. I'm also committed to including scans of documents and photographs in my public tree on Ancestry.

I'm the last living member of my immediate family and no known cousins have expressed any interest of becoming caretakers of the family history hoarder mess. I do want to leave behind a trail of bread crumbs that future researchers will be able to use as a starting point for their own research.

While I continue to have an interest in family history, I've turned into a dabbler rather than an avid researcher. I can still spend hours going down the rabbit hole based on a clue I've found on a newspaper site. But, as has happened with my obsession with other hobbies over the years - a photography darkroom, tennis, golf, needle craft, etc. . . . the passion that sparked Joy is no longer there. I much prefer being out among the living once again rather than hanging out with the dead relatives.

Your mileage may vary.

Create Your Own . . . Clip Art 10 Apr 2016 9:58 AM (9 years ago)

Copyright issues sometimes plague genealogists and the family historian. This is especially true if we plan to publish our stories and research findings. Who owns the copyright for an image? When does an image belong in the public domain? Just because you own a photograph of your ancestor, does that mean you own the copyright to that image? The purpose of this post is not to address those issues. Instead, I refer you to Judy Russell's blog, The Legal Genealogist. She's the expert in topics relating to copyright and genealogy.

Instead, I want to provide some ideas for creating your own images for which you will own the copyright. Since most of us carry a smartphone all of the time, or have some kind of a point-and-shoot digital camera, creating your own images becomes pretty simple. You have to think Image. Think Graphic. Think Composition.

In college, I studied both photojournalism and art photography and have been an amateur photographer ever since. When I lived at home, my Dad even built me my own darkroom in our basement. I don't miss the smell of those chemicals contained in a small space and I'm so glad we have moved into a digital world. But ever since I was a youngster, I've seen my world inside of framed images. I'm always thinking, "how I can best compose a photograph of this subject?" Most of the time, I have a digital camera with me, but I ALWAYS have my iPhone to capture those spur of the moment shots.

I enjoy traveling, sightseeing, visiting museums and historical landmarks. Not only do I try to capture the typical "tourist" photos, I also have an eye toward what will make an interesting photograph to enhance a blog post, article or other published piece I might write about my ancestors. Over the years, I've created a fairly extensive library of photographs that I can enhance through photo editing software or apps. I can use them freely because I own the copyright since I took the photographs.

Everywhere you go, always think "Clip Art Library" and before long, you will have your own source of images for blog posts, articles, and family history books. Once you begin accumulating your images, you will need to organize them within folders on your computer and perhaps tag them with subject matter such as pioneers, flags, prairie, homestead, etc.

The following are a few of the images that I've captured in recent years. I hope they will inspire you to begin your own clip art library of images for which you own the rights and can use freely.

This one isn't all that exciting, but we are always writing
about libraries, archives and research.
So add a few shots that you've taken while visiting a library.

This is the cabin on the grounds of Homestead National Monument.
I've used variations of this which I've created in photo apps to make it look like a sketch,
a pencil drawing or a sepia print. I've used this one a lot!

Here's an example of a pretty boring photograph of one of the displays at the Leonardo DaVinci
exhibit that I shot at Union Station in Kansas City last month.
See the next photo for an example of how to make your photos go from ordinary to extraordinary.

This photo is composed with much more interest, focusing on the work table.
Same space, different perspective.

What might have been in the covered wagons our ancestors drove
as they moved westward in the 1860s? Here's an example I discovered at
the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri.

I haven't used this image yet, but can't we always use a reference to a compass?
Photo taken at the Lewis and Clark Center near Nebraska City, Nebraska.

I've used this image when writing about my Irish immigrant ancestors.
Photo taken at the Kansas City Irish Center when it was located at Union Station.

I took this photo yesterday at the Durham Museum in Omaha.
It was formerly the Omaha Union Station.
Sometime when I'm writing about my family members who served
in World War II, this is an image I can use.

Here's another example of a not very interesting straight-on shot.
See below for better composition.

This view is more interesting and I can use the
space on the right to add some typography, a quote or meme.

Example of a One Room School - establishing shot.
Durham Museum - Omaha

Then go for the special interest shot.
Durham Museum - Omaha

Wyuka Cemetery - Lincoln, Nebraska
This is one of my favorite views at Wyuka.

And here's how I turned that image into a sketch using an iPhone app.

My Mother's Hand
This is a recently discovered photo that I took of my Mom's hand with a family
Bible and some ancestor's glasses (no idea who!).
This was among a huge collection of negatives of photos I took while in college.
What a treasure for me to find this one!

With some simple apps, you can convert old images into interesting graphics.

Having fun with ancestor photos.

With photo apps, you can create collages and memes.

This is an old photo scanned from a negative.
It could still use some enhancing in Photoshop Elements.
Arthur Cemetery, Arthur, Nebraska.

Boot Hill Cemetery, Ogallala, Nebraska
I thought this view was much more interesting
than shooting from the other direction.
I've actually reversed it for a project so that it doesn't read backwards.

I'm a flag geek. I always take photos of flags flying at the sites I visit.
This is at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa.

These are just a few examples of keeping your eyes open for Photo Ops. With digital photography, we are no longer restricted to 36 images per roll of film. Shoot photos to your heart's content. Even now, with no restrictions, I still feel as though I never take enough photos! Although, my Facebook friends and followers on Instagram may argue with me on that!

Here's a few more tips:

Take an establishing shot. Get the big picture. This is especially true when photographing cemeteries. Don't just take the photo of your ancestor's headstone. Get a wider view of the entire plot and area.
Take a photo of identification information. If it's a museum or gallery, take a photo of the sign that shows the hours of operation. Always take pictures of the historical marker that describes the site you are visiting. You may not end up using these in your project, but it's a good point of reference.
Take shots from several angles. Get your establishing shot, then shoot from the right, shoot from the left, zoom in. Look for interesting patterns, shadows and light. With digital, you can afford to take as many photos as you want.
Experiment with portrait and landscape and square. Use what suits your purpose. Since becoming hooked on Instagram, I shoot a lot of square photos (even though Instagram now allows other formats). You're not going to be shooting the inside dome of a state capitol building using landscape! If you are photographing art or exhibits in a museum, get a photo of the sidebar description of the piece. Again, that is for your reference, not necessarily something you will publish. It's akin to "citing your sources."
Start thinking in pictures, images, graphics. Think how you might be able to use a photograph of what you are seeing.
Look up. Look down. Perspective gives you a variety of images. A few months ago, I posted a collection of photographs I had taken of my hometown in the 1970s (I'd been binge scanning old negatives). A friend who is an art major/photographer commented that he had never seen our city in quite the way I had captured it. It's because I was looking up and looking down.
It is not possible to take too many photos!
Make sure you organize your collection. As mentioned earlier, add metadata to your image file that has tags so you can easily find what you're looking for.
Flags are always good subjects. Or maybe it's just me. I always tend to take photos of flags flying over whatever site I'm visiting.

Some IOS (iPhone/iPad) apps I enjoy using to enhance my photos include:

There are thousands to choose from! Keeping playing and experimenting and you can convert your photos into a variety of creative graphics.

The link for this post is: http://longlostrelatives-smp.blogspot.com/2016/04/create-your-own-clip-art.html

A Danish Day in Elk Horn, Iowa 30 Jan 2016 10:10 AM (9 years ago)

I have a relatively (ahem!) long list of genealogy road trips on my wish list. Many of them are one-day trips and yesterday I was able to visit the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa. If you have even an ounce of Danish blood in you, this is a museum and community you must visit as part of your genealogy journey. Elk Horn is a community of 662 people as of the 2010 census. It's about a two hour drive from my home in Lincoln, Nebraska, so I have been waiting for a warmer and sunny day to make the trip. My genealogy pal, Judy Shutts of Voices in Time, is always eager for a road trip and we were both ready for a getaway.

We left Lincoln about 8 a.m., which seems to come way too early since I've been retired. This month marks the third anniversary of my retirement from public service with the state of Nebraska. Wow, how time flies! That put us into Elk Horn about 10 a.m. and our first stop was the Museum of Danish America.

The Museum of Danish America

With the cold Iowa wind blowing, it was a bit chilly, so we quickly got some exterior photos of the museum as we left.

I'm looking forward to a return visit during warmer weather so I can see the 30 acres of prairie surrounding the museum in the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park. I'm sure it will be an amazing experience, as compared with the windy 40 degree temperatures we experienced yesterday!

I really didn't have a huge expectation of what information I might discover about my Danish heritage. Mostly, I wanted to learn more about what motivated my people to immigrate to America. My Danes are the only line of my heritage that I've been able to track "across the pond" - mainly due to the exceptional census records available on the Danish Demographic Database. Because of these records, I've gone back to my fourth great grandfather, Povel Madsen, in the 1700s.

The flags of Denmark and The United States
of America fly proudly outside the museum.

It was pretty exciting a few years ago when I found my ancestors on a passenger list on Ancestry.com. One must always think outside the box when doing genealogy. My family came to the U.S. via Canada with the intent of settling in Waterloo, Black Hawk county, Iowa. Based on what I know about migration patterns, I still assume that there must have been someone they knew who had already come to Waterloo - or some reason that they knew that was where they were headed. I didn't get the answers on this research trip, but it continues to be one of the questions I'm pursuing in tracking my family from Denmark to the United States.

The Museum of Danish America is a wonderful museum dedicated to the Danish in America. The exhibits are well curated and provide a lot of history about the Danish in America. I often have the tendency to rush through the museums I visit, but I took my time in reading the explanations about immigration - I really wanted to learn more about why my ancestors came to the U.S. when they did.

Choosing a New Land

These explanations at the museum provided some background on what motivated the Danish to come to America.

The lower level of the museum includes a glass enclosed case of many family heritage artifacts, including the iconic blue plates (we had a few of these in the family at one time), knick knacks, musical instruments, china and household items, items specific to the Danish Brotherhood of America. There was no public access to view the items in the collection close-up. I imagine that it might be possible to observe these under the supervision of museum staff. I didn't ask.

The "cocoa set" that belonged to
my great grandmother Caroline Petersen

Among the heirlooms passed down to me is what my Dad referred to as a "cocoa set" which may also be called a "chocolate pot." It includes a tall pitcher, a bowl, four cups and four saucers. I currently display this set in my "family heritage center" in my home.

Judy and me at the museum

Here's a composite photo I made for Instagram of Judy and me at the museum and the signs at the genealogy center which is on Main Street, a couple blocks from the museum.

After our visit to the museum, we had lunch at Larsen's Pub. I only had to see that one could have a burger with Havarti cheese to know what I wanted for lunch! That's been one of my favorite cheeses for a long time, and knowing it originated in Denmark made it even more special.

After finishing lunch, Judy asked the proprietor where the genealogy center was located. This was a pretty good question in a small community. Immediately, he replied, "Right next door!" Wow. We didn't even have to move the car!

An afternoon of research

As mentioned earlier, I didn't have a lot of expectations of what I might find at the genealogy library. I had taken along some printouts of family group sheets with the information I have collected on this line of my family history. As an afterthought, I tossed my Kindle Fire in my bag, with the Ancestry app. Several times I had to refer to my family tree to get specific information on names and dates.

The ladies in the library were extremely helpful. As I read through books on Cedar Falls, Iowa and Black Hawk county, I found some information about what attracted the Danes to this part of America. It was the kind of information I had been looking for. After a while, the ladies showed me the original documents from Denmark they had discovered about my family! Not only had they found birth, baptism and marriage records, but also photographs of the churches where the baptisms and marriages had occurred. Part of the service they offer to researchers is to transcribe the Danish records into English. I really felt I had hit the mother lode of family history research! To say that I did the "Genealogy Happy Dance" is an understatement!

These are the original documents (in Danish) that the staff printed
and translated for me, as well as photographs of the churches
where the baptisms and marriages occurred.

I found this death record information about my 2nd great grandfather,
Peder Jeremiasen, in a book published by the Iowa Genealogical Society.

I didn't want to be on the road too long after day turned in to night, so we left the library about 4 pm. We still wanted to visit the Danish Windmill, so we stopped there on our way out of town.

The Danish Windmill

Danmark Sweatshirt and
some Carlsberg Elephant Beer

I've been wanting to get a red sweatshirt (without Go Big Red on it), and I found this at the Danish Windmill. I've never had Danish beer before, so I bought a six pack of Carlsberg Elephant Beer. The taste is quite similar to Corona. You've got to have Danish beer at least once in your lifetime!

What can I say? It is SO COOL to go somewhere where they know that your surname is spelled with "sen" rather than "son." !!! Rock On!

Kudos to Michele at the Museum of Danish America library for her exceptional help and the translations, and teaching me how to pronounce Jeremiasen properly! And to the other ladies who helped with my research yesterday. Yes, I will definitely be back! And today, I submitted my payment for membership to support the museum. Yesterday's Genealogy Road Trip far exceeded my expectations!

Michele asked to photocopy my Family Group Sheets so they could begin a file on "my people." It was a no brainer for me to oblige. I plan to compile a binder of the information I've gathered so far, with printouts and copies of documents. I want to leave behind some bread crumbs on my family line for future researchers.

I always thought that my Danish line would be the most difficult to track because of the patronymic naming system - changing surnames with each generation. Who knew that it was going to be the easiest and the first of my ancestral lines I would find "across the pond"?

Genealogy Synchronicity - Tibbetts home in St. Joseph, Missouri 30 Aug 2015 12:17 PM (9 years ago)

Dare I say we are fools if we don't believe in Genealogy Synchronicity?

Last week, I had an experience that can definitely be described as Genealogy Synchronicity!

Back in 2011, I wrote about discovering the obituaries and death records for Nellie Welch Tibbetts and her husband, Frank Tibbetts. Nellie was the sister of my great grandmother, Mary (Minnie) Welch Kelly. I had discovered photographs of the home where Nellie and Frank lived in a photo album that belonged to my great grandmother.

The Tibbetts home in St. Joseph, Missouri

I've made several trips THROUGH St. Joseph, Mo in the last two years. It wasn't until last week that I spent an entire day in St. Joe and my last stop of the day was a "drive by" to finally see the Tibbetts home.

As I pulled over to park my car, I saw that the house is currently For Sale!

This was exciting to me, as it meant I would be able to take some photographs without the current owner wondering what the heck I was doing there!

I walked around the property, taking a few exterior photos, when, after a few minutes, a young man exited the front entrance and said Hello!

He happened to be the realtor for the property and he had just arrived at the location!

"Have I got a story for you!" I said! I told him that the house had been owned by the sister of my great grandmother and her husband in the early 1900s. I told him that the owner of the house at that time, Frank Tibbetts, had been a brick mason! The realtor told me that is father is a brick mason!

I brought up the photos of the house, including members of my family, to show him, on my smartphone. Yeah, he was pretty impressed! He told me the house was a foreclosure. And I was able to enter the property to look around.

Here's a photo from Minnie Welch Kelly's photo album taken at the house. I believe the women to be Nellie Welch Tibbetts and her sister, Agnes Welch Garrigus. The "porthole" window at the house is a good indication of where the photograph was taken.

This photograph is taken from the interior of the house. The windows match up with the photographs in Minnie Welch Kelly's photo album.

Here's the fireplace inside, which is probably original to the house.

This is one of the windows looking to the South. My speculation is that the "stained glass" is not original to the home.

These are the stairs to the upper floor of the house. They do not appear to be the original finishing, but quite possibly were there when the Tibbetts lived here.

This is one of the windows, facing South. Quite likely original as seen in the photos in Minnie Kelly's photo album.

As the house is currently vacant, I feel it is acceptable to post the current "for sale" information on the property. The asking price is $63,000.The photos on the real estate site show a home that looks much better than it does "in real life."

For me, I'm just glad that I made the decision to stop by when I did. How often do you really get to look inside a house where your family lived???

The Deep Internet - Learn how to make use of Database Searches 5 Jul 2015 8:46 AM (9 years ago)

Genealogy Research in the Deep Internet

Join me in Omaha on July 18 when I show you how to find hidden treasures online in the "Deep Internet." Did you know that at least 80 per cent of genealogy information online cannot be found using a standard search engine such as Google? Are you missing out on 80 per cent of information you can find out about your family online?

If you've been frustrated with the results of your searches on Ancestry, find out how you can improve the way you search by using some adjustments to the way you think about search strategies!

This presentation is Free and open to the public. But you need to preregister here:

http://omahalibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=41274&lib

July 18, 2015

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

W. Dale Clark Library

215 S. 15th St

Omaha, Nebraska

My Nebraska - by Patricia Landon Kelly Petersen 1 Jul 2015 5:38 PM (9 years ago)

Today I came across a long lost poem written by my mother, Patricia Landon Kelly Petersen, in 1968. This poem was also very special to me and it was read at her memorial service in 1983.

My Nebraska

Oh, you'll never know Nebraska
'Til you've seen her in the Spring,
Awakened by a gentle rain
And hear the robins sing.

Every green and growing petal
Has its face washed, oh, so clean.
If you've been here in Springtime,
You'll remember what I mean.

Oh, you'll never know Nebraska
'Til some summers you have spent
To hike, to swim, to fish, to sail
Or just be quiet and content.

If you've never heard the wind blow
Through those cottonwoods so tall,
You don't know what you're missing,
That's my favorite sound of all.

Oh, you'll never know Nebraska
'Til you've felt her winter cold,
Shared one of her White Christmases,
It's a splendor to behold.

And to see the little children
Bundled up from head to toe.
They ignore my shoveled pathway
To wade the deepest snow.

Oh, you'll never know Nebraska,
Come see her in the fall.
Then she really shows her colors
With the kindest touch of all.

I can taste that first ripe apple.
I can smell that bonfire now.
If I could ever be more blessed
I wish you'd tell me how.

And did you ever go away?
Get so homesick you could cry?
If I tell you that I haven't
Then I'm telling you a lie.

I wonder if you've played this game
When you're returning home,
To see who can be the first to spy
That long familiar dome.

copyright 1968 Patricia Landon Kelly Petersen

Ancestry and Family Tree Maker - Why I Am Bass Akwards 29 May 2015 11:10 AM (9 years ago)

Once again, the rumors have surfaced that Ancestry.com is up for sale. As happens with such rumors and announcements, the genealogy community is all aflutter, scared silly that everything they have added to their family tree on Ancestry is about to disappear.

Maybe I have more confidence in online sites than others. From participation in many online genealogy forums, I've arrived at the conclusion that I use my software and Ancestry web site differently than most.

Ancestry.com at the conference of the
National Genealogical Society
St. Charles, MO 2015

I've gathered that people using Family Tree Maker (FTM) software enter all of their data within the software and perhaps sync it with their tree(s) on Ancestry. I do just the opposite. I enter all of my discoveries directly on the Ancestry site. Every few weeks (or months, if I get behind), I download the GEDCOM from Ancestry into my FTM software. I consider the FTM GEDCOM download as a backup of my research.

Am I lazy? Do I like living life (and my research) on the edge? I don't know. All I know is that this is what works for me.

I'm pretty much a digital kind of gal. And I know that may subject me to some dangers. I have my scanned images of documents and my personal digital photo archive all on my laptop with a backup to the cloud via Dropbox and my Amazon photo cloud. Have I thrown away or discarded any of my original documents, photographs, scrapbooks, slides or negatives? Not on your life! It's just easier for me to manage all of the data in a digital archive.

I think that we all like what we are used to. That is why I prefer OneNote to Evernote (although I use both). I prefer Family Tree Maker to Roots Magic and Legacy. Why? Because it's what I'm used to. In my working life, I always used the analogy: the only person who likes change is a wet baby! The same is true with genealogy and our software.

The advantage of being able to download a GEDCOM from Ancestry is that I can import it into whatever software application I'm using. Each of the major software packages provides different options for reports, printouts, books, etc. Having been 100% digital for several years, I'm just beginning to recreate hard copies of my research using the various software applications. Each one allows me to have different options, printouts, etc.

Am I concerned about an impending sale of Ancestry? Not so much. Do I fear that all of my research will be lost? No. Why? Because I have my GEDCOMS, my scans, my notes, my boxes and boxes of documents and photographs. And everything is backed up - on my laptop, Dropbox, Amazon, as well as on external hard drives.

For now, Ancestry remains my online tree of choice. The online family trees on Ancestry are excluded from my routine searches. I think we all know how unreliable so many of them can be. But I know they are there if I need a few hints. FamilySearch provides me with additional resources, but there is NO WAY I'm going to get into a discussion of sources or "who's right and who's wrong" in entering data or citing sources. The best I can do is to make my research available for future researchers, with source citations. I'm not going to get this all done in my lifetime, but I can leave some bread crumbs for those who choose to follow my research in the future.

Seriously, who really knows if Ancestry will be around in 100 years? I sure don't. FamilySearch-LDS - definitely a good chance of survival. Who know if the Internet will even look the same in 100 years? All I know is that I will continue to do my data entry on Ancestry, with my back-ups to FTM.

At this point in my life and research, my objective is to produce as much as possible into "hard copy" that can be printed/published and donated to local societies and libraries for those family members and historians who come after me.

Join Me in Searching the Deep Internet! 29 May 2015 9:55 AM (9 years ago)

I've cut back on my speaking engagements this year while I pursue some education, classes and genealogy conferences for my own personal growth and development. However, I remain committed to the Omaha Public Library's (OPL) summer sessions and I'm always thrilled to be invited back! This summer marks my fifth speaking engagement at OPL as part of the genealogy series in the summer reading program.

On July 18, I'll be speaking about the "Deep Internet" and the various web sites you need to be searching to find information about your ancestors. Google doesn't do it all and there are other web sites where genealogy information can be found. You can think of this as a Scavenger Hunt - or "Nebraska Jones" on a vast treasure hunt for family history information!

I'm still in the process of creating this presentation and I'm excited about the adventures we will share together!

July 18, 2015
W. Dale Clark Library
215 S. 15th St
Omaha, NE
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Register here

It's Free! So reserve your space today!

Why I Love Newspapers.com 29 May 2015 8:53 AM (9 years ago)

I subscribe to three paid newspaper subscription sites: NewspaperArchive.com, Genealogybank and Newspapers.com. As a journalism major in college, I had always been something of a news junkie until recent years when all of the "bad news" in the media made me cancel my newspaper subscriptions and stop watching TV news. You know the saying, "If it bleeds it leads." But I still feel as though printer's ink runs in my veins and I absolutely love Love LOVE old newspapers for my genealogy research.

The team from Newspapers.com at the recent conference
of the National Genealogical Society in St. Charles, MO.
I HAD to stop at their booth to tell them how much I LOVE the site!

Comparing the Big Three

Over the past thirty or so years of genealogy research, I've had on-again off-again periods of being active. In one of my off-again periods, I subscribed to NewspaperArchive and I was searching non-genealogy topics. It became a valuable resource for me once I returned to family history research. That is, until they discontinued carrying images from some of my favorite newspapers because of the end of some licensing contracts. Even with their increase in fees (close to $200/year now, billed every six months), I've maintained my subscription because I continue to find articles about long lost relatives within their pages. Compared to the other sites, I believe their pricing is too high, but I've found enough information there to justify the expense.

GenealogyBank is also a favorite newspaper subscription site and it also includes more contemporary obituaries which has moved my research forward considerably by examining the lists of survivors. The annual cost for new subscribers is about $70. Monthly subscriptions are available. You can also get a 30-day trial for under $10.

Whenever anyone asks about which paid site is the best, my answer is always "Whichever one has the most newspapers in the area where your ancestors lived." That being said, I maintain my paid subscriptions to all three sites and will continue to do so as long as I can afford to.

The annual subscription to Newspapers.com is $79.95, but with my subscription to Fold3, I get it for $39.95. I call that a bargain! Monthly subscriptions are available for $7.95.

Why I Love Newspapers.com the Most

That brings me around to Newspapers.com, an Ancestry company, which has become my newspaper subscription site of choice. Of the three big players in paid subscription sites, I find Newspapers.com the easiest to navigate and search. I can search by my ancestor's name or keywords. I can also search within specific newspapers. I have to say that it was a little weird when I found articles about myself or that I had written in those pages! But it was amazing when I discovered several Letters to the Editor written by my grandfather, William Kelly (writing as W. L. Kelly). It was so nice to know where I inherited my spunk and tongue-in-cheek delivery style.

Newspapers.com makes it very easy to clip an article. You have the option of keeping your clippings private (which I do most of the time) or make them public. If you want to share the clipping using social media, you need to make the clipping public.

As of this morning, the site has more than 102 million page images available to search!

Let me take you through a few screen clippings to show you the ease of using Newspapers.com.

This is a screen shot of some of my clippings on Newspapers.com

As you are saving your clippings, make sure you click on "Edit" and add a description of the clipping, using your ancestor's name and keywords. Think of this as writing a headline for the article. Otherwise, you will not be able to search for clippings about a specific ancestor. Yes, I learned this one the hard way, and I'm still back-tracking, adding those names and keywords to my clippings.

See how easy it is to save to Ancestry!

You just select which tree and person
to whom you are saving the clipping!

Share With Others!

This may be one of my favorite perks of the site. It makes it very easy to share the clipping with other researchers. I'm a relatively new fan of Pinterest, even though I've had an account since it first came on the scene. I have a Pinterest board, Ancestor News, where I can share clippings with other researchers. I also set up a Facebook group for other Pecht family researchers and I can share clippings with those cousins. Just remember, the clipping must be made Public if you want to share it.

It is still up to you to explore each of the paid sites and determine which has the most bang for your buck for the geographic areas where your people lived.

Screen captures are from Newspapers.com and are used here for educational purposes. No violation of copyright of the images is intended.

Watch Live Streaming from Jamboree - Free! 27 May 2015 9:48 AM (9 years ago)

One word that attracts all genealogists is "Free." Here is an upcoming education opportunity that you won't want to miss! The Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) is hosting its annual Genealogy Jamboree in June. If you can't make it in person, this is an outstanding opportunity for you to hear some great genealogy speakers.

SCGS is offering several of the sessions via online streaming during the conference. Not only that, if you are unable to view them all live, you can watch them online for the month following the conference!

Blogger Randy Seaver lists all of the live-streaming sessions, topics and speakers on his Genea-Musings blog, so I won't repeat them all here. Click this link for more information.

I may have taken a few criticisms for my post last month regarding genealogy societies, but SCGS is one of my societies that is doing it right!

NGS Summary - Part Seven - In Conclusion 23 May 2015 1:11 PM (9 years ago)

In Conclusion . . .

Overall, I had a ball at the 2015 conference of the National Genealogical Society! Kudos to all who put this together. I've been the coordinator for a 10-state (non genealogy) conference, so I have a pretty good idea of what goes in to the planning.

Ann Fleming tossed out the first pitch
of the StL cards v. Detroit Tigers game
and got chased by FredBird!

First of all, KUDOS to Ann Fleming for taking on overall responsibility for organizing the conference! Whoo Hoo! I was so proud of you at the game between the St. Louis Cardinals (my fave MLB team!) and the Detroit Tigers on Sunday evening. Well Done!

Even though some of the so-called genealogy "Rock Stars" were a disappointment to me, I still had a great time and learned a lot!

The social aspect of the conference remains the high point of my week. I loved getting to meet my friends from Facebook and FB groups, who I've only known in an online capacity for a few years. Finally meeting in person totally Rocked!

The iPhone app for the NGS conference was Uh-Maze-Ing! Before I left home, I had entered my schedule for the conference. Even though I changed my preferred sessions on a daily basis, I LOVED being able to pull up the app on my phone to see where I was supposed to be next. NGS gets 10 stars for this!

BUCKET LIST!
The Cards are my favorite MLB team, so it really was
a thrill to attend the game on Sunday evening.
Thanks to my friend, Diana Ritchie, for scoring great seats
behind the Cardinals dugout!!!!
ICING ON THE CAKE!

I also LOVED having the syllabus in PDF format prior to the conference. Even though I had downloaded the syllabus to my Kindle Fire HDX before I left home, I only referred to it a couple times during the conference. It was nice that you gave me a USB drive with the syllabus, but - I really didn't need it. In fact, it still hasn't surfaced during my unpacking from the conference.

Meals . . . I managed. I applaud NGS for offering options for vegetarian and gluten-free meals. It's a start. I'm a "wheat-free, grain-free" eater. I'm easing off the foods that wreak havoc for a diabetic - such as potatoes and sweets. So the menus that included taters and desserts created an issue for me. But - I survived and brought in my own snacks that fit my eating plan. I gained 4 lbs on my trip, which wasn't really a surprise. Two of those are already gone, so I'm okay with that!

Those who know me well know that I do NOT want a lot of paper! I could easily have done without the majority of the "Stuff" that was in my registration bag. Sadly, I left the majority of the promos, bookmarks, etc behind at the first hotel I stayed in. I wasn't even that enchanted with the USB drive with the syllabus as I had downloaded it to Dropbox and my Kindle HDX. But, no doubt, I'll find another use for it. Planning ahead, I brought along my own Bright Pink tote bag! Had I misplaced anything, it was certainly going to be easier to find than looking among all of the Green Totes!

Seating .... OUCH! Yes, you really crammed us in together. This was almost like airline seating.Seriously, would an additional 6" between rows have been that much to ask for? Many of us take notes on our mobile devices and for those of us who have a bit of a tummy - well, it's difficult to take notes when we don't have a table. It would be REALLY nice if the last three (or so) rows of each room were chairs with tables so we could easily type or take notes on our mobile devices. I brought along my own "butt cushion," but still, a bit more comfort would have been nice.

Food options: Must say, I give you points for the Food Trucks, even though I didn't make use of them. Friends gave them high marks. I attended a conference in Denver in April (4,000 participants!) during which the food options were limited to roasted nuts and coffee. So NGS scored high in this regard. For the meals/banquets I didn't pay for, I was able to get a decent salad option. I thank you for offering choices!

This was my first national genealogy conference. I adapted to meet my own needs. It could easily have been a day or a day and a half shorter, with fewer choices of sessions. But I had a good time and learned a lot.

I conveyed my pros and cons regarding the sessions to NGS via the IOS app. While I still may be considered "the Cranky Genealogist," I really did enjoy my time in St. Charles.

Will I attend another NGS conference? Probably.

NGS Summary - Part Six 23 May 2015 12:11 PM (9 years ago)

It is with great appreciation to my friend (and fellow fan of the St. Louis Cardinals!), Susan Clark of the Nolichuchy Roots blog, that I share these photos from our last night and blogger get together in St. Charles, Mo. Thank you, dear Susan, for arranging this wonderful send-off to unwind and celebrate the days we had together at the conference of the National Genealogical Society!

NGS Conference Summary - Part Five 23 May 2015 11:51 AM (9 years ago)

The Exhibit/Vendor Hall

When I wasn't attending a session, I wandered around the vendor exhibit hall, checking in with friends and organizations with which I'm associated.

Terri O'Connell and her daughter were holding dowm the fort at The In-Depth Genealogist
http://theindepthgenealogist.com/

Ancestry.com

Jen Baldwin at My Heritage
http://www.myheritage.com/

Missouri SAR
http://mossar.org/

Ancestry.com

MyHeritage

Barb's Branches
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BarbsBranches
Beautiful Handcrafted jewelry

Barb's Branches
I bought a beautiful handcrafted necklace

Ancestry.com

Newspapers.com

Allison Dolan and Diane Haddad from Family Tree magazine

Janet Hovorka
The Chart Chick
http://thechartchick.blogspot.com/

With Lisa Louise Cooke
Genealogy Gems Podcast
http://www.genealogygemspodcast.com/

James Beidler
http://jamesmbeidler.com/

One of my genealogy besties, Jenna Mills, at the MoSGA booth
http://mosga.org/

Association of Professional Genealogists
https://www.apgen.org/

The beautiful "tree" necklace I bought from Barb's Branches
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BarbsBranches

End of the Line
Load Out After a Successful Conference

NGS Conference Summary - Part Four 23 May 2015 11:24 AM (9 years ago)

At this point, I have covered the sessions by the people I felt were the genealogy Rock Stars at the conference of the National Genealogical Society (NGS): John Colletta, Judy Russell, and Crista Cowan. Their presentation style really showed their passion for family history research.

Other presentations I attended also had value for me as a genealogist and researcher.

Jordan Jones - President of NGS and a Facebook friend. I attended his session on Evernote for Genealogy. I'm a user of Evernote, I'm a long time fan of Microsoft OneNote and continue to use it several times each week. I suppose we all like what we are used to. I shall continue to use Evernote to save documents, but OneNote shall continue to be my note-taker of choice.

Terry Koch-Bostic - I attended the luncheon at which Terry spoke about intuition and genealogy success. I definitely resonated with her remarks as I often rely on my spirit ancestors to help me with research or locating graves in cemeteries. Genealogy Serendipity might not be everyone's cup of tea, but Terry's remarks were definitely within my wheelhouse.

Meeting up with Barbara Mathews

Barbara Mathews is a longtime friend on Facebook and I attended her session about lineage society documents. I have ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. I'm not sure if joining a lineage society is in my future, but if it is, I know who my mentor will be!

Patricia Jordan Roberts did a session on self-publishing via LuLu which I really enjoyed. I have several writing projects that I would like to self-publish and her session provided me with many ideas.

Julie Miller's session on planning your Digital Afterlife opened my eyes to some additional things I need to do to take care of my "stuff" after I'm gone. Have you added a "Digital Life Memoradum" with your will and "laundry list"?

NGS Conference Summary - The Sessions - Part Three 23 May 2015 10:33 AM (9 years ago)

Me with Crista Cowan at NGS

So, you think you know it all about searching on Ancestry, eh? If all you ever search is based on your ancestor, you are missing out on a LOT!

Did you know:

Ancestry.com has more than 16 BILLION (yes, I said BILLION) records online?

There are 1-2 MILLION records being added to Ancestry's database each DAY!

There are 1.7 BILLION records in the City Directory database! This is the largest database on Ancestry.

When searching on Ancestry, remember that you are NOT searching for people, you are searching for RECORDS! This concept alone will change the way you look for records on Ancestry.com.

Crista says that the shaky leafs or hints you receive on Ancestry represent only 10% of the databases on the site. Remember that these are HINTS only! It's up to YOU to decide if that's your person!

When doing a search, Crista says that she never goes beyond three pages of results.

Card Catalog

Have you learned to use the Card Catalog on Ancestry? If not, you may be missing out on many records on your ancestor! You really do need to look into the specific databases, rather than using the generic search your people!

Type-ahead List

When you search on Ancestry, are you allowing the search to use the "type-ahead" list? If not, your are merely doing a keyword search. The "type-ahead" function allows you to drill down farther to find records on your ancestor. This was new to me!

Crista has that "Tony Robbins" presentation style that I appreciate! Her passion and enthusiasm for family history research are obvious. She knows her stuff and she doesn't give a canned presentation. Whenever you have the opportunity to hear her speak in person or view one of her online video lessons, go for it!

NGS Conference Summary - The Sessions - Part Two 23 May 2015 9:41 AM (9 years ago)

Continuing on with my impressions from the conference of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) conference last week . . .

Rock Stars: Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist

Me with Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist

First of all, I have to admit that I'm a lawyer-wannabe. I got hooked on studying communications law when I was in journalism school in the 60s-70s. And I even enjoyed studying contract law. Then I got obsessed with CourtTV in the 90s.

I even went to an orientation session at the University of Nebraska College of Law, Becoming a student at that time wasn't going to happen, so I took several paralegal classes at the College of St. Mary a couple decades ago. I am still hooked on law, especially copyright law. So it should come as no surprise that Judy Russell is one of my genealogy Rock Stars.

I was wandering through the vendor hall at NGS and Judy was standing by the booth sponsored by the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), of which I've been a member for a couple years. One of the ladies asked if she could help me and I replied, "I want to meet Judy Russell!" At which point, Judy and I greeted each other and posed for a selfie as we've been Facebook friends for a couple years.

When I attended the state conference of the Missouri Genealogical Society (MoSGA) in 2014, I was thrilled to learn that Judy would be speaking at the 2015 conference. So I wondered if I was going to "overdose" on Judy by attending Judy's sessions at NGS. This is not possible! I ended up attending three of Judy's talks at NGS and she knocked it out of the park on every one!

First, I attended Judy's talk at the luncheon, The Rest of the Story. The one concept I got from this talk is that some of our ancestor stores may not be ours to tell. Respecting the privacy of living persons is important.

The sound bites-tweets-comments from this session include:

We do a disservice to our history when all we do is repeat facts.
We must put the story of every member of our family into the context of their life at their time in history.
We are the gatekeeper of secrets.
Not every story is ours to tell.
Sometimes it is our responsibility to leave the stories there.
There is a distinction between story keepers and story tellers.

Living With Legal Lingo

The next session of Judy's that I attended was Living With Legal Lingo. From my days as a student of paralegal studies, I was already a fan of Black's Law Dictionary. I remember writing out my 3x5 cards of legal definitions in preparation for the tests at College of St. Mary. Even when I downsized my collection of physical books a couple years ago, I HAD to have the e-edition of Black's. It IS ESSENTIAL!

What I learned from Judy in this session that there are many other law dictionaries that are contemporary to their times. Quoting Judy: "To understand the records, we need to understand the law at the time and place the document was created."

Additional Legal Resources:

ARG! No, that wasn't enough! I also attended Judy's luncheon session about Pirates in genealogy! And they aren't all Jack Sparrow! This lecture was just pure fun!

On Saturday night following the conference, about 25 of the genealogy bloggers got together for dinner. It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would actually be seated next to Judy at this dinner! Sometimes, I'm a Chatty Kathy, but in this situation, I was just thrilled to sit there and listen to all that Judy had to share! She is one classy woman, a genealogy rock star, a legal beagle, and I am honored to be in her presence!

Yes, in my book, Judy G. Russell is a Genealogy Rock Star! And I am looking forward to spending two days with her in August at MoSGA!!!

NGS Conference Summary - The Sessions - Part One 23 May 2015 8:14 AM (9 years ago)

I've already commented that meeting up with my online friends was the highlight of the 2015 conference of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) last week. And I did not make an effort to attend a session in every time slot at the conference. I've learned to pace myself, as well as pick and choose the topics in which I'm interested.

Based upon my post a couple weeks ago regarding genealogy societies, I'm no stranger to controversy nor saying what's on my mind. This summary will reflect my opinionated point-of-view. I chose many of my sessions based on the reputations of the nationally recognized speakers. This was an opportunity to hear many of the noted genealogists who have been touted as "rock stars" in the field. In this regard, I was very disappointed in several of the sessions I attended. I won't be naming the names of those who disappointed me, but I will state the reasons why.

Genealogy Rock Stars? Some Yes. Some No

In most cases, their content was good. However, their presentation style (if you can call it that) was to read their entire speech in a monotone voice. If this is what they are going to do, give me an article or handout and I can read it myself. It wasn't just being tired from the road travels that put me to sleep (literally) in some of these sessions. I even went to a second session by one presenter, hoping it would be different. It wasn't. One lady who I'd met during a dinner get-together had even warned me, "whatever you do, don't go his sessions in the afternoon! He'll put you to sleep!" I went in the morning and I knew what she meant.

These folks have the credentials. They are noted and successful authors. But when it comes to public speaking, they just didn't cut it. I shared my opinions with my pals at the conference and they were pretty much divided half and half. Half agreed with me and half didn't. I described my perspective as desiring speakers who have the stage presence and enthusiasm of someone like Tony Robbins. I know they are passionate about genealogy; they just didn't show it. Some of my impressions may have been influenced by my experience at the I Can Do It! (ICDI) seminar sponsored Hay House in Denver in April. That two and a half day seminar featured the best authors and public speakers in the personal development/inspiration genre. Each and every author/speaker at that conference demonstrated passion and enthusiasm. Not one of them put me to sleep. I digress, but the ICDI conferences are the gold standard by which I measure other conferences.

That being said, I WILL applaud the authors and speakers who inspired me and made attendance at the NGS conference worth the price of admission.

What's for Dinner?

Upon arrival, I was rather surprised at the number of paid luncheons/banquets I signed up for. I didn't think I had signed up for that many. I don't know whether it was good or bad that my decision to attend a meal session was based on the Menu! I have been wheat and grain free for about ten months, so it was challenging to select meal-based sessions based on my new eating style. The conference planners really seem to like taters, rolls/bread and sweet desserts. There really are a lot of other fruit/vegetable options, folks! But I managed (by smuggling in my own snacks to get me through the day). Certainly, the fresh dinner rolls, brownies and sweets were tempting, but I passed. Not part of my life any more. Cheesecake? Well, that's permitted in moderation as long as I don't eat the crust!

MY Genealogy Rock Stars

John Colletta

I first heard John Colletta when he was the featured speaker at my local society a few years ago. He's got the street cred - he can write, he can speak, he can inspire. He's got the passion for family history, research and telling the stories of our ancestors. A friend and I agreed. We don't just love John Colletta; we want to BE John Colletta. Unfortunately, I missed his seminar in Omaha a few years ago as it was right after my Dad suffered a stroke; I didn't feel I could leave him alone yet. But just this week, I learned that John will be speaking at the Iowa state genealogy conference in October. Count me in!

The first session I attended by John Colletta was "Princples of Good Writing and Good Storytelling"

My "sound bites, tweets and quotable quotes"

Family history writing can be just as readable as fiction.
Elements of a good family history story include: the setting, characters, conflict, theme or idea.
Get an proofreader with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Write with the five senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell
You are not rewriting your ancestor's county history - you are writing about your star (ancestor) in the context of that history. Your ancestor is is the star of the story.
Strong verbs don't need an adverb.
Use literary techniques such as suspense, surprise, romance, horror and humor.

I also attended the banquet at which John spoke, although I didn't take notes. There are times to just sit back, enjoy and be entertained.

I said it in 2010 and it still applies today: John Colletta Rocked It!

Meeting More Friends at NGS! 21 May 2015 11:48 AM (9 years ago)

The social aspect of attending the conference of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) for me was definitely meeting IRL (in real life) many of the friends who I've know on Facebook and other online forums for several years. Here's a few of the pals I met up with in St. Charles, MO last week!

With Barbara Mathews
http://blog.demandinggenealogist.com/

Judi Cook and Linda Conroy from LLCGS

With Judy Russell, one of my "Rock Stars"
http://legalgenealogist.com/

With Scott Stewart - an amazing photographer!
https://www.facebook.com/scott.stewart.370515

Some of my dearest friends!
Susan Clark http://nolichuckyroots.blogspot.com/
Diana Ritchie: http://randomrelatives.blogspot.com/
Linda McCauley: http://lfmccauley.com/blog/

More Dear Friends!
Jenna Mills: http://www.desperatelyseekingsurnames.com/
Kathleen Brandt: http://a3genealogy.com

Another of my Genealogy Gems!
Lisa Louise Cooke: http://lisalouisecooke.com/

Karen Krugman - http://genealogyframeofmind.blogspot.com/

Janet Hovorka http://thechartchick.blogspot.com/

Allison Stacy and Diane Haddad of Family Tree Magazine
http://familytreemagazine.com/info/staff

James Beidler: http://jamesmbeidler.com/

Kathryn Lake Hogan
http://www.looking4ancestors.com/
Oh, how I love this woman's laugh!

Some of the Nebraska folks:
Me, Mary Campbell, Robbi Ryan, Donna Thomas

Dear Friends from "back home" in Nebraska
Martha Grenzeback and Nancy Archdekin
Nancy: https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=6330
Martha: https://www.facebook.com/mgrenzeback?

With Martha G and Nancy A! - my Omaha buds!

The AMAZING Crista Cowan
The Barefoot Genealogist from Ancestry.com
http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/author/ccowan/

Terri O'Connell
https://www.facebook.com/FindingOurAncestors
Oh, how we connect with those Chicago bands from the 60s!

Definitely one of my fave selfies of the week!
With my Genealogy BFFs!
Diana Ritchie http://randomrelatives.blogspot.com/
Jenna Mills http://www.desperatelyseekingsurnames.com/

The Lovely Jen Baldwin
http://www.ancestraljourney.net/jen-baldwin.htm

Cari Taplin
Who Wears the Pants in YOUR family?
https://carigenealogy.wordpress.com/

Jamie Mayhew
https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=3767

Julie Cahill Tarr
https://www.facebook.com/julietarr1

NGS Conference - Meeting My Friends - Dear Myrtle! 21 May 2015 10:32 AM (9 years ago)

Even though the learning experiences were phenomenal at the conference of the National Genealogical Society last week, what I enjoyed the most was meeting up with my friends - several of whom I had only "met" on Facebook. Now we know one another in real life! (IRL).

Once I started wandering through the vendor exhibits, the first friends I encountered were DearMyrtle and Mr. Myrt - Pat Richley-Erickson and Gordon Erickson. I had originally met them last Spring when they traveling across I-80 in Nebraska and we had dinner together.

Pat was the recipient of the President's Award at NGS this year for all the work she has done for the genealogy community. This recognition was so well deserved - for her Google+ hangouts, webinars, classes. I don't know how she does it all! Pat is an inspiration as well as a mentor.

This selfie was taken by Pat, and used with permission.

#ngs2015gen

Pat and Gordon Erickson

My First National Genealogy Conference 21 May 2015 10:03 AM (9 years ago)

Last week I attended my first national genealogy conference, sponsored by the National Genealogical Society, in St. Charles, Missouri.

I have so much to report on that I will spread this out over several posts. I'll begin by posting the interview I did with Dear Myrtle - Pat Richley-Erickson - on her AmbushCam! It really captures my week at the conference!

Yes, this shows why I struggled with being "on air" talent in broadcasting! Always talking out of the side of my mouth! Haha! I was always more comfortable running the board!

Main slip-up - referring to this as "NGN" rather than "NGS"! I'll admit to my mistakes!

An open letter to genealogy societies 30 Apr 2015 10:53 AM (9 years ago)

Dear genealogy societies,

No doubt some genealogy society people will be offended by what I've got to say, but this has been on my mind for a long time. I've discussed my concerns with society members from around the country as well with some society board members. I'm just ready to take the conversation to a more public forum.

I have been a member of many genealogy and historical societies - local, state and in a variety of states. As with any type of structured organization, the experience varies with each one. Over the last couple years, I have not been renewing my membership to several of the societies I've been paying dues to for many years.

Why? Mainly, it's because the societies are not meeting my needs as a member. And why is that? Because, as I say tongue in cheek, "genealogists are stuck in the past." While that is where we need to be as genealogists, the past is not where societies need to be.

My list of frustrations with many/some societies today:

1. Hoarding money. I've been a member of societies that have between $14,000 and $80,000 in the bank and at annual meetings the board members seem to be proud of this. When I've asked what the funds are earmarked for, the response has been "saving for a rainy day" to "we don't know." I have some suggestions for how these societies could put the funds to good use for their members: adding books to the society's library, paying for the digitization and online availability of records for your geographic area, paying speakers for their services rather than expecting them to donate their time with no honorarium or travel expenses.

2. The journals and newsletters you send out are a waste of paper and usually a waste of my time. The content is of no value to me. Often, newsletter articles are reprints of something I read online months before. Journals and newsletters represent a bygone era. We are in an electronic age. Give me your news and updates via social media and your web site. And if you insist on continuing to publish your newsletters and journals, please give me the option of receiving it digitally. I don't want your paper.

3. Conferences are usually pretty good. But I've been to enough at this point that I'm hearing the same stuff over and over again. A lot of the content is geared toward the beginning genealogist, not those who have been doing this for a long time. And please don't think that you have to fill every minute of the conference day. You don't have to have entertainment at a luncheon, nor do you need an after dinner speaker. You know what genealogists like? We enjoy the opportunity to visit socially with fellow genealogists - to share our stories, our research successes and frustrations. Much of the time I learn more from these informal gatherings than I learn from the conference content. We need that time with each other. Build it into your conference structure. Make sure your conference rooms have tables. Some of us like to take notes - either on paper or electronically. It's extremely difficult to do this when juggling a notepad or laptop.

4. Web sites aren't updated, nor is content removed once an event has occurred. Hopefully, we are all Googlers and it's frustrating when we do a search on a topic, then land on a web page about an event that occurred five years ago. Keep fresh content on your web site. As a society member, I expect that I may have to pay for content that is behind the curtain. Those databases and indexes that are for "members only" is incentive for people to join your society. Make sure your web site indicates the city, town, county and state in which you are located. Your web site also needs to provide a method for contacting you.

5. You need fresh blood. Some of my societies have been recycling the same board members over and over for years. The societies operate from "we've always done it this way" rather than seeking new and innovative ideas.

6. Think outside the box. Learn about new technologies. I applaud the societies I belong to that offer webinars and podcasts. Not everyone is physically able to attend some of your in-person sessions. Remember that your out-of-town and out-of-state members are entitled to a level of membership services, too. I'm always hearing "we want to get younger members" but the societies are not using the social media strategies that attract that audience. And guess what, if you don't have a society member who has those skills, it's okay to use some of that money you are hoarding to pay someone to do it for you. I recently read a comment in a Facebook forum that a well-known member of the genealogy community was rejected as a conference speaker because he would only provide his syllabus in digital form.

7. While thinking outside the box, let go of the annual membership strategy. Whenever I join your society, I expect a full 12 month membership. When I join in June, don't tell me that I have to rejoin in July and pay another full year's membership fee. And let me be able to join online. I want immediate gratification. Don't make me have to write a check, put it in an envelope, find a stamp and go to the post office.

What I've described is not necessarily representative of all of the societies in which I've been a member. But I've heard the same or similar concerns expressed by fellow genealogists around the country. I want to support you, I want to be a member, but I expect some member services for my dues and I expect you to put a good portion of the money you collect back in to member services. I'll reiterate my earlier idea that you can put this money into your library collection and the digitization of records.

I'll continue to join and support some societies, but certainly not as many as I have in the past. As Bob Dylan sang more than 50 years ago, "the times they are a-changing."

Post to remove stolen content 2 Apr 2015 8:44 AM (10 years ago)

Apologies to my readers. This is a post that is supposed to be used to get another site to remove content that was stolen from this blog.

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Missouri State Genealogical Society Conference 15 Sep 2014 5:55 AM (10 years ago)

Not only did the genealogists come to town this summer, but I got to meet up with some of my long time genealogy friends at the annual conference of the Missouri State Genealogical Society (MoSGA) in Columbia, Missouri in August.

The keynote speaker was D. Joshua Taylor, president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and on-air talent for Genealogy Roadshow and Who Do You Think You Are? I had not heard Josh speak in person before, so that was a real treat. The conference was also an opportunity to meet up with my fellow bloggers, Jenna Mills of Desperately Seeking Surnames, Diana Ritchie of Random Relatives. Also part of the "Genealogy Girls Gone Wild" weekend were Beth Foulk (Genealogy Decoded) and Diana's friend, Nancy Knight. I also got to spend a few minutes catching up with Kathleen Brandt of A3 Genealogy, another researcher on Who Do You Think You Are?

Beth Foulk

Beth Foulk has been speaking about genealogy regionally for quite some time. I first met her when she spoke at the state conference of the Nebraska State Genealogical Society a couple years ago. Beth is knowledgeable, energetic and enthusiastic. Many of us have commented that she should be on the national genealogy speaking circuit. That is going to happen when she speaks at the conference of the National Genealogical Society in St. Charles, Missouri next May. If you are going, make sure you attend Beth's sessions. Beth totally rocked it in Columbia with her pre-session. Even though I heard her speak about timelines at the Nebraska conference, I learned even more this time around.

Josh Taylor shares some "behind the scenes"
stories of genealogy on TV

Josh Taylor's conference sessions were informative and interesting. However, the talk I enjoyed the most was his after dinner presentation with some "behind the scenes" stories from Genealogy Roadshow and Who Do You Think You Are? While contract provisions don't allow him to tell all of the secrets, he was able to share enough to give us a glimpse that it's not always like you see it on TV!

It's always a treat when you find something in the book sale that relates to your family.
My Revolutionary War ancestor, Johannes Bellinger,
is included in this volume I found on Early Families of Herkimer County New York.

The highlight of the weekend was hanging out with my friends and talking genealogy.

Me and Diana Ritchie
I still don't have that "selfie" thing quite figured out!

Jenna Mills - probably Tweeting about the conference

Diana, Nancy and Me
Diana and I were winners in the prize drawings.
Apparently I didn't understand the "rules" so I dropped my ticket in any old basket I found.
So my prize was donated to the library of my local society.
Photo (c) Jenna Mills 2014

After enjoying a wonderful meal with friends,
overlooking the Missouri River at sunset.

Coming Up in 2015!
Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist
will be the featured speaker next year.
I'll be there!

Sometimes I don't always make it to the conferences I register for, but when I do, it's well worth it! I'll be making two trips to Missouri next year - for the NGS conference in May and the MoSGA conference in August.

When the Genealogists Come to Town 15 Sep 2014 4:51 AM (10 years ago)

I admit that I haven't been blogging much this year. It's been a period of transition following the death of my father, moving and adjusting to my new life. That doesn't mean that I haven't been doing genealogy, however!

My last post was last spring when I wrote about meeting up with Dear Myrtle and Mr. Myrt, Pat Richley-Erickson and Gordon Erickson. Since then, I've met up with two more genealogists who came to Lincoln. I still find it fascinating that we genealogists are able to get acquainted on social media, so once we meet IRL (in real life), we are already friends.

In August, one of my Facebook genealogy buddies, J Paul Hawthorne of Escondido, California was in town for business so we made plans to get together.

Susan and Paul at the Nebraska State Capitol

We had a nice dinner, during which we talked nonstop genealogy. I gave Paul the ten cent tour of Lincoln, which included a photo op outside of the Nebraska State Capitol and the statue of our city's namesake, Abraham Lincoln. The next afternoon, in nearly unbearable heat, we toured Wyuka Cemetery, visited several of the points of interest on the self-guided tour and stopped at the memorials for 9/11, the Nebraska firefighters and the Nebraska Holocaust Memorial. We also made a stop at my Dad's grave in the veteran's section. A serviceman was there, placing pennies atop the stones of the veterans. He told me that he comes as frequently as possible to pay his respects.

This past weekend, Laura Prescott was making her way across the country as she is moving to Utah to work for Ancestry.com. She posted on her Facebook page that she was hoping to meet up with other genealogists along Interstate 80 to help break up her trip. I first met Laura when she spoke at the Nebraska State Genealogical Society's conference a few years ago. So, along with my fellow Lincoln genealogist, Gail Blakenau, we made plans to have breakfast on Sunday morning.

Gail, Laura and Susan

One thing you can count on when you get together with other genealogists, it's non-stop talking about family history and research. And I always learn something new! It was great seeing Laura again and to learn about her new adventure with Ancestry - developing online education classes. This is definitely something to look forward to in 2015.

Meeting Up with Dear Myrtle 22 May 2014 6:51 AM (10 years ago)

I continue to be amazed at the power of online social networking. Yesterday morning over coffee I was browsing through my news feed on Facebook. I saw that Dear Myrtle, Pat Richley-Erickson, posted that she was in Iowa City, heading west. I jotted off a quick message and asked if she and Mr. Myrt might have time to stop in Lincoln on their way home to Utah. Within minutes, we had a plan to meet later in the day at a restaurant just off Interstate 80 on the north edge of town.

Susan and Dear Myrtle - Pat Richley-Erickson
The Floppy Hat Genealogy Meet Up

The Ericksons kept me posted throughout the day as to their location so we could plan to arrive about the same time.

This was our first time to meet in person, but we've known one another for several years because of Facebook. I've attended countless webinars and hangouts conducted by Pat and have learned so much about genealogy and tools from her.

I must admit, I felt honored to have her and Gordon "all to myself" for a nice relaxing dinner and to share our thoughts and experiences about genealogy collaboration, technology, presentation techniques and more. I was thrilled they were willing to schedule time in their travels to spend some time together.

Most genealogists on Facebook will likely agree with me - over the years, you get to know your Facebook friends as well, if not better, than the friends you see every day. You keep up with the highs and lows, the successes, family matters - all in addition to what we share with one another about our life in the genealogy world. I've been fortunate to meet several of my Facebook friends over the last four years - either at conferences or by getting together when they were passing through town. There's no awkwardness because we already know each other.

Pat and Gordon are intelligent, kind and interesting people. I'm honored to have them as friends.

Mr. Myrt (Gordon Erickson) and Dear Myrtle
Lincoln, Nebraska

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