Figuring Out Relationships

Figuring out grandparent-grandchild relationships are pretty easy.  All you have to do is count the "greats".  Figuring out uncles and aunts starts out pretty easy, then gets a bit more complicated as you dig into more generations.  Cousins are another matter all together.   The more generations you go back, the harder (and more confusing figuring out relationships becomes). 

And if that wasn't hard enough, then there's the whole "removed" thing (e.g., 3rd, twice removed).  Many of us are lost at this point and just leave our relatives as the "cousin" level. 

While there are lots of charts available on the internet to help you figure out these relationships, my favorite one can be found by clicking the link below.

10th Generation Relationship Chart

The chart will print on a single 8.5 x 11 inch paper.  So here's how it works.

1. Identify a common ancestor (use a grandparent). 

2. Find yourself in the top row (reading left to right)

3. You have to know what relationship your other relative is to that same grandparent, and them on the left column. 

4. Find where the row and column intersect ... this is your relationship to that other family member.

Common Ancestor	Son/Daughter	Grandchild	Great Grandchild	2nd Great Grandchild
Son/Daughter	Sibling	Nephew/niece	great nephew or niece	2nd great nephew or niece
Grandchild	Nephew or Niece	1st Cousin	1st Cousin once Removed	1st Cousin twice removed
Great Grandchild	grand nephew or niece	1st Cousin once removed	2nd Cousin	2nd Cousin once removed
2nd Great Grandchild	great grand nephew or niece	1st Cousin twice removed	2nd Cousin once removed	3rd Cousin

Here's an example of how this works.  Let's say that John Smith is common ancestor between me and my other relative (John Boy).  John is also my great-great grandpa.  So on the chart above, I go to the first row and follow the cells right until I find "2nd Great Grandchild" (because that's my relationship to John Smith).

Now I also know that John Smith is John Boy's (my other relative) grandpa.  So looking at the chart again, I find the cell marked, "grandchild" under our common ancestor. 

Now I find where the row and column intersect .... which in this case is at the cell marked "First Cousin, twice removed".  So this means that John Boy is my first cousin, twice removed. 

The "removed" refers to generations apart.  In short, "twice removed" means that we were born two generations apart.  Once removed, means that we only born a generation apart, and so on. 

This relationship chart is very handy for helping you quickly figure out all those family relationships!

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Free Genealogy Software

Today while I was browsing the internet, I came across a site that contains a list of free genealogy software and just had to share it.

Each of the software programs listed on this site does different things, so you'll want to look at them carefully before downloading any of them.  Because they're available for free on the internet, it's also a good idea to run a virus and malware scan first on any programs you download to make sure they won't hurt your computer.

Running the scans is easy and in most cases, you just have to RIGHT CLICK on the downloaded program icon and select SCAN WITH whatever program you have on your computer.   I typically scan all my downloaded programs with Norton and Malwarebytes first.

To see the list of free genealogy software, click here.

For more information about genealogy software, click here. 

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Organizing Records on Your Computer

Once you start actively researching your family, it doesn't take long to gather a ton of records.  Trying to keep them all organized can be daunting.  While there are many different ways to organize your files, I thought I would offer one of my favorite ways for organizing files on the computer.

I personally prefer to keep all my records on the computer for many different reasons.  So I'll take the time to scan in documents and photos for later use and reprinting.  But many of the records you''ll find will come from a website (like Ancestry.com or some other website), so it's nice to keep these organized so you can find them quickly later.

My system may not be the best, but it works for me.  So here it is ...

1. I've created a folder in MY DOCUMENTS called, "Family History"

2. Then in the Family History folder, I created a folder for each surname

3. Within the surname folder, I've created several different folder's labeled below:

• Census Records
• Birth Records
• Death Records
• Military Records
• Misc

For families that I have a lot of information on, I've also created specific folders for each them.  For example, I have a "John & Jane Smith" folder and another "John & Jane Doe" folder.  Obviously my folder names are different, but you get the idea. I do this in each of the surname folders.

By organizing my files this way, I find that I can retrieve information quicker when I need it because I'm looking through less files at a time.  This method helps me find specific information when I need it.

No doubt, others have found their own way of organizing their files too ... I hope folks will be willing to share their method of organizing files below so that we can all pick up some new tricks.

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PDF Escape - One Solution to Entering Data on PDF Forms

As you already know, many of the blank genealogical forms that you download from the internet are in PDF format. PDF is an acronym for "Portable Document Format" and is popular because it allows others to share forms and documents in a format that anybody can view. The only thing you need to open, view and print PDF documents is Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Because Adobe Reader is free, most people already have it installed in their computer ... and if they don't, it's very easy to get.

But as mentioned earlier, Adobe Reader only gives you the ability to view and print PDF documents - it doesn't allow you to edit them. This can be frustrating when trying to use blank genealogical forms in PDF format.

There several solutions available for editing those PDF forms you download.  Some of the forms, were created to be "interactive" - which means they can easily be edited in your internet browser ... but even these forms sometimes impose limits.

The best solution to this problem is not cheap.  But buying Adobe Acrobat will solve ALL your problems.  Adobe Acrobat is the top software program used to create PDF files in the first place.  Adobe makes their "PDF reader" available for free, but not their "PDF writer".  Acrobat is the PDF writer, and the full version typically sells for about $300 (one-time fee).  If you chose to upgrade your version later, you can buy the upgraded software for around $100 - but that's only if you want to upgrade (you don't have to if you don't want to).

If you can't afford the $300, there is another solution available, called PDF Escape - but there are limits to your capabilities.  The first limit is that that you can only edit forms that are 2 MB or less in size. You also have a limit of 50 pages.

The biggest advantage of PDF Escape, is that it's FREE!   Another advantage is that you don't need to download or install any software.  You just open your internet browser, upload your PDF file and start editing.  If you've registered for a free account, you can save your work and return to it later (and make further edits).  If you don't register for the free account, then your work is deleted after you close your browser.  However, before you close your browser, you can download or print your edited PDF files (another advantage).

The only thing that concerns me about PDF Escape, is the security of the program.  You are entering personal information (names, dates, etc.) over and unsecured internet connection. And if you register for the free account, your files are saved online.   This leaves your information vulnerable to hackers with the right tools.

Some people might care about risk because they're only entering data on people who have passed away already.  But even then, it concerns me a bit.  Personally, I'm too concerned about all personal data to take the risk.  This is why I prefer  Adobe Acrobat .... because it gives me total control over my files and everything is stored on my computer.

None the less, PDF Escape is one of many options available for entering data on genealogical  PDF forms!

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How to Download Your Family Tree From Ancestry.com

Once you create a family tree on Ancestry.com, you'd hate to lose all the work by ending your subscription.  Good news is that you can download your family tree to your computer. However, to see the tree again, you'll need special genealogical software.  Family Tree Maker ($40)  and PAF  (free) are two of the more popular programs that will work.

When you download a family tree from Ancestry.com, the file is called a GEDCOM.  This file is then imported into one of the software programs so you can see it.  Keep in mind that before you important anything into your software program, you'll want to be sure and backup any existing trees you have first.  If something goes wrong, you don't want to lose what you've already done.

For detailed instructions on how to download your family tree on Ancestry.com, click here

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What Happened to 1890 U.S. Federal Census Records?

Census records often prove very useful when doing genealogical research.  In addition to providing names and the location of where folks were living that year, often times, they also tell you when somebody was born or immigrated to the U.S. as well as what occupation they had.   The more census records you have, the better picture you get on a person's life.

However, searching for census records can be frustrating at times ... especially if you've been searching for the 1890 U.S. Federal Census Record.  This record was mostly destroyed in a fire in the National Archives building in 1921. 

All census records (as well as other vital records) are stored in the National Archives building in Washington D.C.  There was a fire in this building in 1921, which resulted in the 1890 records getting water-soaked when the fire department put the fire out.  This of course, ruined the 1890 Federal Census records ... at least the ones housed in the National Archives.

A few states still have some of their original 1890 Federal Census records, which does help some.  Sites like Ancestry.com have also compiled some "substitute" census records using other data sources (such as city directories and tax schedules).   So with a lot of digging, you may be able to find some information about the 1890's.

If you'd like to know more about the fire that destroyed the 1890 Federal Census records, click here.
It's really an interesting article and even contains a few other tips for finding more information.

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Behind the Scenes at Ancestry.com

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at Ancestry.com? Watch the video?

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Narrowing Your Search by Location

One of the most useful features on Ancestry.com is also one of the most difficult to find your way back to.  It's the "Search by Location" feature.  Ancestry.com lets you narrow your search to specific state or country.  You can also narrows that search even further by selecting certain years or records to search.

To get to the "Search by Location" web page, click here.


One there, you'll see a screen like the image below. I know the image is small , but it should help quickly recognize if you're on the right web page.

Notice that there are 3 red circles on the above image.  The red circle on the top left of the page, allows you to narrow your search by country (United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, & Australia).  Selecting the country helps you eliminate overseas records in your search.  This is helpful when you somebody has immigrated, and you know longer want to look at overseas data for current searches.

The lower left circle (under the U.S. map), shows a down-arrow that allows you narrow your search to specific state.  Again, very helpful!

The last red circle is in the top right corner of image above.  This is the Quick Links shortcut.  Be sure to click it to add a shortcut to this page on your home page (under Quick Links).  Doing so, will let you get back to it easily anytime you want.

There is a little more information about adding pages to your Quick Links in the post on how to add a shortcut to your shoebox.

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Building Trees on Ancestry.com

I've discovered that some of the people using Ancestry.com don't take advantage of "tree building" feature.  I was reluctant to use it at first myself for privacy reasons.  But then I discovered how NOT using that feature was actually making my research job a lot harder.

Keep in mind that you can make it private if you like (some nobody else can see it).  So the privacy issue can be controlled.  But building a tree on ancestry.com (even for free) offers a couple of big advantages.

First, building a tree helps you make sense of your family members and information about them (dates, places, siblings, uncles, aunts, etc.).  Trying to keep this information straight in your head as you continually add to it can prove hectic.  If you confuse as easily as me, having this information in  front you is a huge help.

Another advantage of building a tree is that it makes searching Ancestry.com a LOT easier.  If you click the "search" link on Ancestry.com, you are presented with a window where you have to enter the detail of the person you're searching for.  This gets time consuming and means you have to constantly refer to handwritten notes for dates, places, names, etc.  But when you have a tree, you can easily click on a person to initiate a search (saving you the hassle of entering the search criteria each time).  This alone is a huge time saver when doing research!

The ability to get "Hints" is another big advantage of building a tree on Ancestry.com.  If you have a tree already, you may have noticed the little green leaf that appears on the top right of your boxes.  These leaves mean you have hints on that person.  In other words, Ancestry.com thinks they recognize your family member and may be able to offer more information for you. This feature again, is a big time saver and often times a big help in tracking more generations of your family member.

Not all hints prove valid, so you'll always want to review them before adding them to your tree. When reviewing hints, I personally prefer to click the source data to review it personally rather than just view the comparison data when the "review link" is clicked.

There are many other advantages of building a tree on Ancestry.com.  Others tracking some of the same family members can establish contact with you and offer more information.  If you don't have a tree, then they'll never know you're researching some of the same family members.

When you build a tree, every person in it has their own profile  which allows you to quickly view a timeline of that person's life.  The cool thing about the time line, is that it's built automatically as you attach records to that person (such as census records, death indexes, etc.).  You can also manually add events and information to your timeline that don't normally show up on census records, etc.  For example, census records are taken once a decade, but you may know when a family moved between census records.  You can manually add that information into your timeline.  You can also add information about burials or cremation.  The more information in your timeline, the more effective your searches will be in finding information your family member.

Ancestry.com even lets you print your trees so you can have a visual printout of your ancestors.  This is helpful if you like to keep your information together in a notebook.  It also makes it easier to share the information with other family members.

There really aren't any disadvantages of building a tree on Ancestry.com, but there are a plethora of advantages.  If you're new to Ancestry.com, you might find it helpful to view their video on making trees. It explains some of the features and advantages I've mentioned here.

To view the video on making family trees, click here.

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North Platte Canteen - A Piece of Military History

A friend of mine emailed me this video and I just had to share with you.  I come from a big military family (even served myself), so I love capturing our family's military history.

I've never heard of North Platte's Canteen before,  but after watching this video and now determined to ask my relatives who served in the war if they've heard of it.  It should be interesting to see if any of them have or if they ever passed through it.

Enjoy the video .... and be sure to ask your relatives about the North Platte Canteen!

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Blank Forms & Charts for Download

Below are links to download blank copies of some of the most commonly used genealogical forms and charts.  Some of the forms can be used to transcribe census and military records for easy reference, while others can be used to track family details.  While there is no shortage of blank genealogical forms available on the internet, these are some of my favorites.

Most of the genealogy forms below are in PDF format - which means you need Adobe Reader to open and view them. Most people already have this program on their computer so unless you run into problems, you don't need to download it.

In most cases, you'll need to download and print the forms and then hand-write the information on them.  However, if you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat installed (which most people don't have), you can open and type in the information and then save an print the forms.

A few of the forms are "interactive" - which means they've been designed to work in your internet browser (internet explorer, firefox, etc.).   The interactive forms let you type in the information while viewing them in your browser - then save it to your computer and/or print the forms.  These are nice for people who don't have Adobe Acrobat on their computers, but still prefer to type their data in.

Family Record Sheets:

• Blank Family Record Sheet #1

• Blank Family Group Sheet #2

Pedigree Charts:

• Blank Pedigree Chart (Interactive) - you can type on this, and then save it to your computer or print it

• Blank Family Tree Chart (Interactive)

• Blank 5-Generation Ancestry Chart

Census Forms:

• Blank U.S. Census Forms  (1790 - 1930)

• Blank U.K. Census Forms  (1841-1901)

• Blank Canadian Census Forms  (1851  -1911)

For more forms and charts, click here.

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Changing Tree Settings on Ancestry.com

Anybody can start a tree on Ancestry.com - even if you don't pay the subscription fee.  They'll let you join site the for free and build your own tree  ... you just can't search their most of their resources for free.

When starting a tree on Ancestry.com, you're asked if you want to make it "public" or "private".  If the tree is public, anybody can see it.  If it's private, only you and those people you invite will be able to see the tree.  The good news is that you can easily change back and forth between "private" and "public" if you change your mind later. To change these settings, follow the steps below:

1. Log into Ancestry.com 
2. Rest your mouse over FAMILY TREE on the top navigational bar and then click your tree
3. Click the link "TREE SETTINGS", which is located near the top under your tree name (above the family tree bar)
4. In the green bar, click PRIVACY SETTINGS 
5. Click the Public or Private option as desired.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click SAVE CHANGES

Note that on the TREE INFO tab (next to Privacy Settings), you can also change the name of your tree anytime you want.  Just type a new tree name and click Save Changes if desired.

The SHARING tab, allows you to invite others to view your tree (it doesn't matter if it's public or private). The advantage of inviting them, is that they have a direct link to your tree.  You can also specify whether you want to let that person be a contributor to the tree (allowing them to make changes) or just view it.

As the tree owner, you will always see living people in your tree, but outsiders won't be able to - unless you invite them and give them access to view living people.

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Blank WW I Draft Cards

Trying to decipher the text on WW I draft cards can be difficult because of the poor quality of the scans.

Good news is that you can download free copies of blank WWI Draft cards to help you. There are three different samples of draft cards available for WW I.

Looking at the blank forms will help you figure out the meaning of some of the text on the actual images you come across of your relatives WWI Draft card.

You'll need Adobe Reader to open the files .. which is already installed on most computers.  But if you have trouble opening the files, you can download the latest first of Adobe Reader by clicking here.

There are three different versions draft cards used during World War I.  You can download them by clicking the links below.

• WWI Draft Card A
• WWI Draft Card B
• WWI Draft Card C
  

To learn more about World War I Draft Cards, click here.

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How to Create a Shortcut To Your Shoebox on Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com allows you to keep a virtual "shoebox" of all the records you find on their site.  The benefit of this shoebox is that you can add records to it for later review and while you keep searching for more records.  You can also go back later and download the record images to your own computer.

I like to use the shoebox as my virtual storage place for all the records I find that are relevant to my family history.  Occasionally, I'll add records there that I'm not sure are related to my family, but by doing so, I can go back later and look at them in more detail ... and then delete them if it turns out they are not related to my search.

The shoebox is one of the most valuable tools you have on Ancestry.com.  Adding records to it is easy ... but getting back to it can be difficult until you make a shortcut to it.  And that's the purpose of this post - to show you how to do just that.

1. Find a record that you want to add to the shoebox. 

2. Scroll down below the record and click the orange "SAVE" button and then select "Add to Shoebox". 

3. Scroll back up to the top of the page and verify you have a green check mark above your record along with the text, "This record has been added to your shoebox".   Note that "Your Shoebox" is linked.  Click the link to go to your shoebox. 

 

4. If you look to the top right of the page, you'll see a link that reads, "Add to Quick Links".  

5. A small window will pop up, click SAVE.

You now have a shortcut to your shoebox on your home page at Ancestry.com.  Anytime you want to get back to it, click HOME on the top navigational menu (from any page) and then look for your shoebox link on the right side of the page under My Quick Links.

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Tracking Important Dates & Events

Keeping track of important dates and events is critical to successful genealogical research.  If you search any of the online databases, your starting point is usually a name and date. Your research will go quicker and be more effective if you have this information quickly at hand.

The best method I've found of tracking dates is using a spreadsheet (like Excel).  Spreadsheets are great because you can have several different worksheets to track specific information - while still keeping it all together.

I have different worksheets (or tabs) in my Excel spreadsheet for different types of dates and events. For example, one worksheet in my spreadsheet is devoted to tracking birth and death dates. Another worksheet tracks marriage (and divorce dates).  I also have a worksheet set up to track special event dates.   And I can can more worksheets later if I decide I want to track something else.

This arrangement works well as I can easily go back and forth between worksheets to get the dates I need when doing research.

I can add as many columns as I need on each worksheet too.  This makes tracking more information helpful. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you add a lot of columns, not all of them will print on a regular 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper.  I don't personally mind this - as I don't need to print every column - but I still like having the information there so I can refer to it later.  The worksheet I use to track birth and death dates contains more columns than I can print.   

The other real advantage to using a spreadsheet to track important dates is having the ability to sort data to make it easier to find info.  Most spreadsheet let you "sort" or "filter" data by column heading, which makes it easy to alphabetize your data, or sort it by date, etc.

I like to track all the information I may need in future research. Below is an example of the columns I've set up in my birth/death date worksheet.

• First Name
• Middle Name (initial)
• Maiden Name
• Last Name
• Birth Date
• Where Born
• Death Date
• Where Died
• Where Buried
• Cause of Death

I've also added a "comments" column to all of my worksheets - so I can add more notes as applicable.  Tracking the cause of death is helpful in keeping keeping track of medical histories.  If you like, you can add even more columns, such as, "Funeral Arrangements" (to track who handled the funeral arrangements); "Obit" (to track which publication handled the obituary), etc. Possibilities are endless.


If you don't have Excel on your computer, that's okay.  You can use one of the other spreadsheet programs.  Works Spreadsheet and Quattro are two other popular programs.  If you don't have any of these programs, you can download Open Office for free and use their spreadsheet program (called Calc).  

I personally prefer Excel because I think it's very intuitive and easy to use - but everybody is different. Whichever program you use, try setting up a spreasheet to track these important dates and events.  You might be surprised how much easier it makes things in the long run. 

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Welcome Bloggers!

Like many of you, I have a passion for genealogical research. My interest in the subject grew over many years.  While I love history and have always been interested in the colorful characters in my family .... it wasn't until I fell into the family historian role that my interest really started growing. 

The last couple of years I have watched my grandparents deteriorate and know time with them is short.  My grandma (despite being 87) has a mind like a steel trap and remembers every little detail about our family history.  In all the years I've listened to the stories, the facts have never deviated once.  She can tell you the exact time, day and date that something happened.   It truly does amaze me - especially, since I can't tell you what I did last week!

I know that once my grandma is gone, every fact and story she knows will be gone too - unless I capture it first.  So I have been working feverishly to capture every detail, fact and story I can about our family before she goes. I've also been working to scan every photograph, slide, and negative our family has into my computer so that I can add them to stories and share them with other family members.   Of course, part of capturing my grandma's knowledge is having her help me identify people in the photos.

Though time consuming, the whole experience has been a joyful one for both of us. I'm constantly entertained by exciting stories of the colorful characters in my own family and my grandma gets to share those precious memories with somebody who is interested.

My interest in genealogical research has also been helped by several clients who are researching their own families.  I fix computers by trade, and from time to time, I get called out to help my clients with software problems they're having (which often involves genealogy software).   One day, one of my clients called me over "to help with his computer"  and when I arrived, I discovered he wanted help with his genealogical research.  He actually paid me to do his research for him!   That was it!  I was eternally hooked on genealogical research from that moment on!

As a result of doing research for that one client, I have learned a lot about using sites like FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com as well as how to search the internet at large for specific information. My goal is to share what I've learned here in hopes of helping others research their family history.

If you love history and enjoy hearing stories, searching your family history is a worthwhile goal.  In addition to hours of entertainment, searching your family history can also be helpful in understanding your family's medical history.  So what are you waiting for?  Why not start today!

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