Virginia Family Tree - Search my Genealogy Records, Find Your History?

Ancestry.com - New! Ancient Ancestry Finder™ is now free

2009-07-10T14:58:00.006-04:00

This is kinda silly but per an email to me from Ancestry.com..."Ancestry.com DNA members and visitors can now take a quick and fun quiz to learn our best prediction for their maternal or paternal ancient ancestors - and post the results on Facebook or Twitter.

Users receive 2-3 options for their results, including descriptions of each of the predicted possibilities. Finder users are encouraged to take an Ancestry.com DNA test to narrow down options to the most likely real result.

Ancestry.com DNA test takers already receive a buttoned-up and far more accurate version of their ancient ancestral results when they purchase a test, but even those members can enjoy Finder. They can now share their results on facebook and use Finder to discover our best guess for the results of tests they haven't taken.

As part of our effort to introduce ancestry and genealogy to a wider audience, facebook descriptions of ancient ancestral groups are lighter and more humorous than our mainstream content. Ancient Ancestry Finder takes just a few minutes and brings a fun twist to something we know and love. Try Ancient Ancestry Finder™ for yourself."

Ancestry.com makes "Improvements to All U.S. Federal Censuses"

2009-07-10T14:48:00.003-04:00

Image by David Clow - Maryland via Flickr

Ancestry.com just sent me an email that stated: "This year, in addition to releasing hundreds of new collections, we have launched an initiative to improve images for all 15 U.S. federal censuses that are publicly available (1790 through 1930) and indexes for seven (1850, 1860, 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930) with additional fields and alternate names added. In the past six months we launched the first improvements for the 1880 and 1900 censuses. This month we've re-launched 1810.

When you review the collection, you'll notice cleaner, clearer images for every record. We highly recommend revisiting your ancestors in these collections, as you may find images that were too faded to read can now be seen clearly; images that were too dark are now legible; images that were slightly blurred are crystal clear; and names obscured by tape marks are now easy to decipher."

I am glad they are doing this work. Seems a little redundant, like they should have done a better job the first time around, but maybe technology has changed since then. I appreciate their efforts and commend their work.

Genealogy Wise - new genealogy social networking site

2009-07-10T10:24:00.002-04:00

There is a new site on the Internet called Genealogy Wise. It is supposed to be like Facebook or MySpace but geared toward genealogists. I joined yesterday but have not done a lot with it yet. From what I have seen, I am pretty impressed. There are a lot of add-on applications that are present and working. I used one to add my Twitter updates to my page...and it worked perfectly the first try!

It is hard to say if the site is just a passing trend or something that will be around for awhile. Hundreds of people have joined but we will have to see how many stay active. If you want to try it out, you can check out my page here: Kevin's Genealogy Wise Page. I have not done much to spruce it up but you can become my friend on there if you like. I am not sure but I think World Vital Records might have something to do with the project.

Virginia Freedmen's Extraction and Indexing Project at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

2009-07-09T08:06:00.003-04:00

Virginia's governor will be making an announcement this morning about the Virginia Freedmen's Extraction and Indexing Project. The speech will take place at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center on East Clay Street in Richmond. Per his web site, "Governor Kaine will make an announcement regarding the digitizing of records of the Virginia Freedmen’s Bureau, the earliest major compilation of information on the African-American community including names, marriages, educational pursuits, work contracts, health care and legal services."

I think the project is near completion and may be opening to the public. However,I am not terribly familiar with the museum or the project itself. If you would like more information, you can check out the links below. The first link is for a PDF that layout the scope of the project. The second link is to the museum's web site.

Virginia Freedmen's Extraction and Indexing Project (PDF)

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia

Cemetery workers accused of digging up graves, reselling plots (CNN)

2009-07-09T08:01:00.003-04:00

There was an article on CNN's website this morning about cemetery workers digging up graves and reselling the plots. The cemetery in question was Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, located about 20 miles south of Chicago, a historic, African-American cemetery. Those involved apparently dug up older, less-visited graves and dumped the bodies. The plots were resold and the cash was pocketed. Luckily police have busted the ring...but the damage is already done.

You can read the full article at their web site: Cemetery workers accused of digging up graves, reselling plots

2009-07-08T13:06:00.003-04:00

I have been so far removed from genealogy lately, I feel like I have almost given up on the hobby! Work has been hectic and we just moved to a new house. My kids have both had strep throat and I am feeling a little rundown myself. I am trying to paint rooms, install hardwood floors, design and installing a new kitchen...the list goes on and on.

On top of that, I am trying to do some work on my genealogy lessons, the ones I am offering at USA Family Tree. I want the system to basically run on its own but I need to add the final four lessons, for a total of 20 in the series. I am also trying to add some supplemental web pages that give more info than just the emails can offer. That is a slow process for me. It requires a lot of time that I do not have.

I have at least been able to set up my new office. It is not perfect yet but it is functional. Now, if I can only get the time to sit down and use it!

The Generations Network formally becomes Ancestry.com

2009-07-07T14:24:00.004-04:00

Thought I would pass along a note that The Generations Network has once again changed its name. Now it will be formally called, Ancestry.com. This is about the third name change in as many years! This is the same company that "took over" Rootsweb and Family Tree Maker.

Cemetery database removed from this site

2009-07-01T17:37:00.003-04:00

I wanted to point out that I have removed the cemetery transcription database from this site. I never did much with it so there should be no big loss. I thought I should point out that it was gone. It used to reside at the bottom of the page.

New look for the blog, tired of the old green

2009-07-01T15:31:00.001-04:00

I am working on a new look for the blog. I am getting tired of the old green, it has been around for a few years now. For the time being, I am going to leave it plain white. I imagine this will be easier to print off on your computer, if you find something here worthy of printing! I will being playing with the format for the next few days so bear with me.

Rebel Yell - What did it sound like?

2009-06-30T12:16:00.004-04:00

I had an email forwarded to me this morning from two cousins that was absolutely amazing. I am not easily amazed but this did it!

The Museum of the Confederacy was involved with recreating an authentic Rebel Yell. They obtained original recordings of Civil War veterans and amplified the sound to recreate a Confederate charge! I consider myself to be a Southerner but the yell is nothing like I ever expected...nothing like you would hear on the "Dukes of Hazard"! It sounds like imminent death. I would hate to be on the other end of the Confederate charge!

The link below is to the local NPR station, look for the link for the Rebel Yell. I do not know how long the link will work so check it out as soon as possible...

http://www.ideastations.org/radio/archive.html

Russell County, Virginia Chancery Causes to be Scanned

2009-06-29T13:12:00.003-04:00

I spoke with an "insider" at the Library of Virginia and she said that Russell County is about to have its chancery court records scanned to go online. It will take a long time but the process is about to be started.

Finally back online and home!

2009-06-24T09:11:00.003-04:00

After almost two weeks without Internet access, I am back online! We just finished moving into our new house...or should I say moving out of our old house. It will be awhile before I can say we are "moved-in." So far we have put the bedrooms together but the rest of the house needs lots of work. Once I get settled, and get my office back up and running, I will post some pictures of the new place!

Things have been pretty busy for me also due to a glitch with my genealogy lessons by email website, USA Family Tree. The way the site works is that email lessons are sent out automatically, supposedly in proper order. I wanted to delete one of the lessons...and did so. It inadvertently then knocked everyone up by one lesson, meaning if you were on lesson five the next lesson you got was seven, skipping six.

I had almost 500 lessons to send out manually, to anyone that reported being skipped by the glitch! It took me several days to get it fixed but I think it is pretty much done. It was a lot of work but, if people take time to read my lessons, I want to make sure they get them all! They obviously cared enough to write so it was my duty (and pleasure) to follow up with them.

As for genealogy, it has obviously taken a backseat to the move. I have been thinking about some things but have not had time to really do anything. I have some good ideas but it will be a few more days before I can really do anything with them.

2009 FGS Conference in Little Rock, thinking about going...or not!

2009-06-10T23:55:00.004-04:00

I have been giving a lot of thought about going to the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event is being held at the Little Rock Statehouse Convention Center, September 2-5, 2009. I am on the fence about going for several reasons.

From what I can tell, it would be almost the same price for me to go as an observer as it would for me to rent a booth at the trade show. I could set up a 10' x 10' booth and promote my free, genealogy lesson site, USA Family Tree. There are however a few downsides to doing that...

There are a lot of "hidden" charges, such as paying for electricity and Internet service in the booth. If I were going to go, I would want a computer set up in the booth for people to sign up on the spot. That would cost me another $200 or so.
If I get a booth, I would not have time to hear any of the speeches or mingle with anyone. (I would hate to miss one of the Elizabeth Shown Mills presentations!) My wife would probably go if I asked (to work the booth) but she would make the trip more expensive by going and she would not want to leave our children for that long.
I would have to get some booth props made, signage, fliers, etc. That would set me back another $500 or more.

Another big expense for the trip would be travel and lodging. To drive would cost me about $300. To take the train would be about $400. Those are my only two options because a plane would not accommodate my booth props, nor do I like to fly anyway.

As for driving or riding the rails, it is about a two-day trip to Arkansas from Virginia...as best as I can tell. It is something like 16 hours by car. With that in mind, I would have to take off at least a week from work, giving up a future trip to Disney World!!! Also, the hotel will run about $160 per night, including parking.

When taken all together, the trip would cost me about $1,200-$1,500...not including meals or items that I purchase along the way. It would also suck down a week of vacation and put a couple thousand miles on my car! I would really like to go but that is a lot of money!

Let's break it down in the business sense. Exposure is priceless...I get that. My free, genealogy lessons are obviously designed to make money someday so the exposure would be great! I am mostly using these lessons to get my name out there, to become better known in the genealogy world. Who knows, I might come out with something down the road to sell and can use that site to gain credibility in the industry.

I am going to let you in on a secret...some of the back-workings of my genealogy "business"...

I currently run ads at Facebook, the social networking site, to drive traffic to my free lessons site. The last time I checked, it cost me about $0.18 for each person they sent to my site. Of those people, about 33% would sign-up for my lessons. It therefore costs me $0.54 for each person that actually signs up for my lessons. I have almost 800 people signed-up as of tonight...so it theoretically cost me $432.00 to get them signed-up. If I took the $1,200 from the convention, I could essentially buy 2,222 new subscribers through advertising with Facebook. (That would be 2,778 if it cost me $1,500 for the trip!)

The big question is...is my money better served to buy advertising and get 2,222 new subscribers or...is my money better served to go to Arkansas and mingle? There are a lot of people I would love to meet at the convention but I do not know if I can do that while tied to a booth. However, to not rent the booth would only save me, maybe $200. That is too small of a difference to pass the booth up...I would have to get a booth. However, I can almost promise your that I will not get 2,222 subscribers from the booth.

What would you do? I have until July 1st to make my mind up. I am leaning on not going but I can be swayed! There will be other conferences in the future so not going now does not count me out later.

Genealogy Travel Kit - What should be included?

2009-06-10T23:14:00.003-04:00

It feels like ages since I published a real post here. I have been so tied up with buying and selling houses, plus launching my new site...USA Family Tree. I wanted to sit down tonight and give you something of value, at least start a discussion of value.

I have been thinking a lot lately about my genealogy travel kit. I do not actually have a kit but I have always intended on putting one together. I cannot stand when I drive a hundred miles to a cemetery and realize that I cannot read a tombstone. At that point, I would pay twenty dollars for a pencil and piece of paper to make a rubbing! With that in mind, I want you to help me "design" the perfect genealogy travel kit. It should be light-weight and inexpensive yet have everything that we need. If you have thoughts on the subject, write me an email or comment below this post.

I always take a camera with me, preferably a digital one. Digital cameras are great because they save money by not needing to buy film or pay to develop them. You can instantly see what the picture looks like so there is no chance of missing a shot or taking a bad one. You can also upload the photos directly to your computer and prevent the extra step of having to scan them in. The downside of a digital camera is that I tend to take too many pictures, since there is no film cost to hold me back. I then have too many photos to process when get home so things get piled up more than usual.
You must have extra batteries or a charger for your camera. Do not forget film if you are using a standard camera.
I like to take a small, digital tape recorder with me. You never know when the opportunity will arise for an interview.
Paper and pencils are a must! I prefer large sheets of paper, legal size will work, in case I need to rub a tombstone. It is helpful to have an artists pencil or something with a broad tip that can easily rub over the engraving. A sharp pencil does not work well in this situation. You can also use the pencils and paper to jot down other notes of interest.
A GPS unit is a little expensive but it has revolutionized the world of cemetery mapping. Instead of providing detailed directions such as..."walk south down by the old creek, go fifteen feet and cross over where the big tree fell down"...I can give someone exact longitude and latitude coordinates so they can find the site within a few feet. Many cell phones have this feature built in so it might not cost you anything extra.
A recent copy of the line I am currently researching. If I am travelling to an area where the Lett family is from, I would take copies of my Lett family tree. You never know when you might need to share that information with someone else.
An orange hat!!! This is extremely important during hunting season. You need a blaze orange hat on if you are going to romp around in an old cemetery...in the woods. I am sure most people never gave this a thought but better safe than sorry!
Quarters and dollars. Always have a few quarters and a few dollar bills for the copy machine.
A map of the local area. I always have a Virginia and North Carolina map with me at all times. If I am going to a specific county, I try to bring along a map of that area.
Business cards. Even if you do not have a business, you should get some cards printed with your contact information. Too many times we meet people and do not have a proper way to exchange contact information. Handing them a card with your contact info will increase the likelihood that they actually call you back.
A flashlight...no explanation needed.
A basic first-aid kit. There are thousands of ways to cut yourself in an old cemetery, especially one in the middle of a blackberry patch!
A cell phone or you must at least tell someone about the trip you are going on. Even a cell phone will not help if you get lost or hurt in some areas. I always have trouble with my phone in Mecklenburg County. I make sure to tell my wife or my parents where I am going, especially if I am going alone.
A to-do list. You should always map out your plan for the particular trip. You will be pretty ticked off once you realize that you forgot to take that picture of uncle Sid's grave at Shiloh Baptist Church, the one that is a hundred miles away!
A black computer disk or CD. You might run into someone that has old photos or information saved on their laptop. The easier and cheaper you can make it for them to share, the more likely they will be to do it.

I am running out of thoughts at this point. I am however going to actually put this kit together for my next genealogy outing. If I can think of anything else to add, I will let you know. Please write to me if you can think of anything to add to the list. Hopefully I can avoid getting on site, at some far-off place, and having to regret that I left something critical at home.

Genealogy Lessons

2009-06-06T12:00:00.002-04:00

My genealogy lesson have taken off. I should cross the 700-subscriber mark this weekend! If you are not signed up, you should give it a try. I am only getting back positive feedback so far!

http://www.usafamilytree.com

Crazy week, lots going on...

2009-06-04T10:56:00.004-04:00

It has been a crazy week for me. My free, genealogy lesson site has been taking off - USA Family Tree. I just passed the 600 subscriber mark. My Facebook and Twitter followers are growing as well. I have been swamped at work on top of all this.

I went out and bought an iPod Touch, deciding if I should break down and eventually get an iPhone. I am really leaning towards it now! I have not played around with the Touch for genealogy purposes yet but I have used it for Internet and email, with great results. If you have been on the fence about getting one, I would go for it!

I've got several things in the works at the moment. I am thinking about adding some special pages to my genealogy lesson site, for members only - but still free. I am also thinking about moving this blog from Blogger to Wordpress...any thoughts on that? Wordpress has a lot more features and I have a lot more control over the look and feel of the site.

There are so many thoughts swimming around in my head that I can barely function. On top of that, we are getting ready to move into our new house! The next month will be crazy for me!

Free military records from Genealogy Bank

2009-05-29T13:03:00.001-04:00

Thought I would pass along this press release about free military records:

"Naples, FL May 21, 2009 -- GenealogyBank.com, a leading online provider of newspapers and historical documents for family history research, announced today the release of thousands of U.S. Military records. The historical documents collection at GenealogyBank.com now features over 200 years and millions of U.S. Military records and reports. In honor of Memorial Day, the list of officers that served in the Revolutionary War is now free online at www.genealogybank.com/free/.

This unique content provides critical access to important military records for Americans looking to discover and honor the veterans in their families. U.S. Military Registers from the Army, Navy and Air Force provide the name, birth date, location, rank and date of death of every U.S. military officer that served. Whether your ancestors served in the Korean War or all the way back to the Revolutionary War, the military records found in the historical documents database at GenealogyBank.com provide details you simply can't find anywhere else.

"Memorial Day is a day to stop and reflect on the veterans in our family" says Genealogy Director for NewsBank, Inc., Tom Kemp. "The military records are a perfect example of the unique and valuable content you'll find at GenealogyBank.com and now for a limited time we are making the list of officers that served in the Revolutionary War free at www.genealogybank.com/free."

Military Records aren't the only place to discover new and exciting details about your ancestors at GenelaogyBank.com.

As the fastest growing newspaper site for family history research, GenealogyBank.com also features over 300 years of U.S. newspapers in all 50 states and is an ideal source for exploring the lives of past generations. Find obituaries, marriage notices, photographs, hometown news and more. You'll be amazed at the stories, names, dates, places and events that have played a role in your family history."

GenealogyBank.com will continue to digitize millions of family history records in the upcoming months that will continue to greatly expand and increase the depth of our collections." Kemp added. "We know how exciting this information is to genealogists trying to piece together family records. This is the very reason we are dedicated to providing the most comprehensive and accessible archive for family history research."

About GenealogyBank:
GenealogyBank, a division of NewsBank, inc., supplies individuals interested in family history research with over 3,800 U.S. newspapers from 1690-today, government documents and other historical records in all 50 states. GenealogyBank contains over 263 million family history records including obituaries; birth, marriage and death notices, military records and much more. GenealogyBank can be found at: www.genealogybank.com."

MyHeritage Look-alike Meter

2009-05-27T15:45:00.002-04:00

I received an email from MyHertiage that reminded me of an application they have called the "Look-alike Meter." It is a little cheesy but most people like this sort of thing. It is more fun than serious but here is how they describe the app, keeping in mind that you have to sign up for at least a free account with them to try it out:

"MyHeritage has a fun widget that you and your family can enjoy. It's called the Look-alike Meter. Almost every family struggles with a well-known debate: Who do the kids resemble more? Mom or dad? The Look-alike Meter settles this dilemma once and for all, using state-of-the-art facial recognition technology! It compares a photo of a baby or kid to its parents, finds out the best resemblance and produces fun animated results. More than 1.25 million families have enjoyed the Look-alike Meter so far. Click here to try it out and have fun too."

Get Family Tree Maker 2009 for 25% off for a limited time.

2009-05-21T15:45:00.003-04:00

Thought I would pass along that you can, for a limited time, get Family Tree Maker 2009 for 25% off the normal, retail price, if you follow the link below...

New Ancestry.com search feature, explained well

2009-05-21T15:34:00.005-04:00

I received an email from Ancestry.com that has a great explaniation of their new search feature:

"Up until now, if you searched for someone living in the early 1800s, for example, you might still get search results for someone on the 1930 census or other 1900-era records, if other information, such as the name, matched.

Now, we've added a new feature that automatically limits your search results to the years you specify for birth and death, with a fudge factor of five years before and two years after. If you only specify a birth year we'll search for 100 years after that date; if you only enter a death year we'll search for 100 years before that date.

So, if you enter a birth year of 1901 and a death year of 1929, the search engine will return records between 1896 and 1931.

If you put in a death year of 1920, but no birth year, the search engine will return records from between 1815 and 1922.

We are very excited about this new feature which shows more relevant results. Now it's easier than ever to discover your family story."

This actually makes me pretty excited about the new feature.

At Disney World...Again

2009-05-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know I have not forgotten you. I took my kids to Disney World for a week. We will be back in a few days. Take care...Kevin

Minor Family Tree Maker 2009 Update

2009-05-05T22:43:00.003-04:00

I just got a message from The Generations Network that they have released a new, minor update for Family Tree Maker 2009. There are a few places where you can get more information and I will list them below. I have already done the update and it was fast and worked fine. Just remember, if you are using Vista, to right click on your mouse when opening FTM and select "Run as Administrator."

Oprah gives away free KFC chicken - get yours ASAP!

2009-05-05T22:20:00.002-04:00

Biggest news story of the day - Oprah and KFC are giving every man, woman and child in America a free, two-piece chicken meal. You have to go to her website and download the coupon before 11:59PM CDT on May 6, 2009. The site is slammed but you can get through eventually. What do you have to loose??? All you have to do is download the coupon and hit print. You do not have to provide any info at all. Click here to get the coupon - Free KFC coupon

I already got mine and plan on using it tomorrow for lunch. Let me know if you get yours.

Footnote + Facebook = I Remember

2009-05-04T21:57:00.003-04:00

Footnote.com has started a new, free service called "I Remember." To put it bluntly, it is Facebook for dead people. Using this application, you can create Facebook pages for people that have passed away. I have not tried it yet but you can check out the service here:

I Remember

Sample I Remember pages:

2009 FGS Conference for the Nation's Genealogists in Little Rock

2009-05-04T01:14:00.002-04:00

I was asked to pass this along...

"Dear Fellow Genealogy Blogger,

...The annual Federation of Genealogical Societies “Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists” ...takes place this year in Little Rock, Arkansas. In past years it has been in Philadelphia, Fort Wayne, Boston, Salt Lake City, Orlando and other cities. The committees for both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the host society, the Arkansas Genealogical Society, have been busy working on the details for the September 2-5, 2009 event. The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau and the host hotels have been a joy to work with.

• Choose from almost 200 lectures, workshops, special events, and meals offered during this event.

• A free Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social for conference registrants on Tuesday afternoon.

• Large Exhibit Hall filled with organizations, businesses, and individuals showcasing memberships, publications, databases, hardware, maps, books, digital images, services, and hundred of other items of interest to genealogists and related fields.

• Delegate Luncheon and special lectures for Delegates of FGS member societies and anyone else interested in learning more about FGS, running a genealogical society, getting new members, putting on seminars, creating a dramatic website, and much more.

• Networking Luncheon with no speaker. A perfect way to meet other conference registrants. Some tables will be designate for certain discussion topics, such as Arkansas research (by sections of the state), Confederate research, Genealogical Blogging (including the use of Twitter and Facebook) and some will have no designated topic.

• Several other great luncheons with speakers sponsored by various genealogical organizations.

• For the full and varied program and registration details check the Conference website at www.FGSConference.org or the frequently updated Conference Blog at www.FGSConferenceBlog.org.

FGS and AGS invite you to join us at this exciting conference. We would be grateful if you could post some of this information on your blog or other ways in which you communicate with fellow genealogists. Live links to the website and the conference blog would be helpful as we spread the word about this educational event. The Conference Logo is attached should you wish to display it.

FGS Conference Website: www.FGSConference.org
FGS Conference Blog: www.FGSConferenceblog.org

If you would like additional details or have questions, please just let me know.

Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
FGS/AGS 2009 National Publicity Chair
FGSPublicity@FGS.org

Join your fellow genealogists in Little Rock when FGS Presents -- Passages Through Time -- September 2-5, 2009. Visit www.FGSConference.org and www.FGSConferenceBlog.org for developing details."