GarysTurn Family History Blog

What is newFamilySearch

2008-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

What is newFamilySearch? new.familysearch.org is a temporary web site used to host the Church's new online Temple Ready program which is part of the new Family Tree program. Once this program is ready, it will be added to the FamilySearch web site and will no longer be called newFamilySearch but "Family Tree" and the online "TempleReady". newFamilySearch is now in use or announced for use in about 2/3rds of the Temples in theChurch. Family Tree is a new database which contains all the official family history Temple databases of the Church. They took the IGI, all the Temple Records, Church Membership records for the dead, the Ancestral File, the Four Generation program submissions, the Pedigree Resource file submissions, and many of the extracted databases which were extracted for Temple work and they have merged them all into one large database. This new database will be called the FamilySearch Family Tree program. Family Tree will allow us to clean up mistakes and add source information to the official Temple records of the Church. Family Tree creates folders for each individual and combines all the submissions for the same individual into these folders. No information is lost or merged even if it contains errors. The person who submittied the data will be allowed to correct errors. These individuals are then linked into a one world pedigree. Members of the Church assist in the combining of duplicate records into the folders and linking the individuals into pedigrees. Most of the names already in newFamilySearch have already had Temple ordinances preformed for them. Soon non-members will be able to add names to this World Wide Family Pedigree, members linking into these names will be able to preform the Temple work for these names. Members can add names to the Family Tree program in newFamilySearch that need Temple ordinance work and the names can be cleared for the Temple from your home in the Family Tree program. After all combining is done, if a name shows needed ordinances, you can click on the name to reserve it so no one else can do the Temple work. When you are ready to take the name to the Temple you choose the option to print a Ordinance Request Form. At this point the name is cleared in the online Temple Ready program and if no records showing the ordinaces are completed are found an Ordinance Request form is printed with a bar code on it. You will take this form to the Temple File desk and they will scan the bar code and print your ordinance cards. newFamilySearch is not available in any Utah or Idaho Temples yet, but should be by the end of 2008 or the first part of 2009. All other US Temples are either using newFamilySearch or have been announced for a start date. Utah is being saved for last to allow the Church to be ready for the large load adding the Utah Temples will put on the new system. newFamilySeach is a replacement for Temple Ready at the Family History Centers. Once a Temple district starts using newFamilySearch the Family History Centers in that Temple district will stop using the old Temple Ready system. Family History Centers are being given more research resources, so you will now go to the Family History Centers to do research instead of needing to spend all your time downloading and updating personal files to find out what Temple work has already been done and clearing names for the Temple. The Family History Centers now have free access to many subscription Family History web sites. Also the new Record Search program introduced by FamilySearch will have links to original documents from the Family History Centers for free. At home many of these original documents will be viewable at partner sites for a fee, even though the indexes will be free at FamilySearch. The FamilySearch Record Search pilot site is available now at www.familysearch.org, look in the search menu for Record Search pilot.

Programs that Sync with newFamilySearch

2008-05-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 10th 2008 at the UVPAFUG meeting we heard and saw presentations from, Ancestral Quest, Family Insight and Roots Magic on how their programs will be updated to sync with newFamilySearch (nFS). Each of these programs takes a little different approach to the task but all accomplish the same thing. Both Family Insight (next version of PAF Insight) and Ancestral Quest will work directly from PAF. Both demonstrated how their programs work with the PAF database. Both programs when installed add a function in the tools menu of PAF like PAF Insight does now. When you click on that function it opens their application and works directly with your PAF file. All changes made in Family Insight or Ancestral Quest’s sync process are stored inside your PAF file. Roots Magic requires you to import your data from your PAF file into Roots Magic and then to use Roots Magic from then on, so you convert your database over to Roots Magic and stop using PAF. With Ancestral Quest you can choose to use it from PAF and have all the changes made to your PAF database or you can convert over to Ancestral Quest and stop using PAF which ever you choose.

The sync process is very similar to the combining process in nFS. The desktop programs first sign you into nFS, they ask for your nFS user name and password. You must sign in each time you use the program, nFS is not allowing them to remember your password for you. After the program is opened and you are signed in, you select a name you want to sync. You are then presented with a list of possible matches from nFS and you choose which names are the same person as your name. If you select more than one name from nFS which matches the name in your file, the program combines those duplicates in nFS into one folder. The nFS ID number from the folder of the name you selected is stored in your PAF or Roots Magic database. Those names are now considered synced. (The term sync is the function of linking your name to a name in nFS) You also have the ability to select data from your database to be added to nFS or to select data from nFS to move into your database. To do this you are presented with a split screen with your data on the left and nFS data on the right. You select which data you want to move to the other program and push a button and the data selected is moved. You are given the choice to merge or add the data coming from nFS. If you choose to add it, the data is stored as an “Other Event” in PAF, if you choose to merge it, it replaces the data you had in that field. You can even select to add multiple birth, christening, marriage, and death dates and places. Not all data you move from nFS into PAF will be displayed when working inside PAF but it will be stored in the PAF database and can be viewed while using the other programs. An example of this is the nFS ID number will not be visible inside of PAF, you will need to open Family Insight or Ancestral Quest from PAF to see that ID number.

Each of the three programs had different ways of performing the functions I mentioned above. Family Insight worked just like PAF Insight in the way information was presented, with the added functions of syncing and moving data both ways. When you use Ancestral Quest with PAF you see your PAF file opened inside the Ancestral Quest program, which looks and feels a lot like PAF. You select names to sync from a pedigree or family view and are presented with the possible matches and options in either new screens or in pop ups. Roots Magic has all the syncing functions added as part of the Roots Magic program. The Roots Magic program seemed to me to be much easier to use. (It had less pop ups and questions to answer) Many of the functions in Roots Magic are done automatically in the background, including background searches which took much longer in the other programs.

All three programs can be used to do combining, linking, selecting defaults for the summary view, and to add new names to nFS. None of them will have the ability to clear names for the Temple until a future date after nFS allows the third party companies to offer that option. Family Insight said they will soon add a very easy, fast method to uncombined records in nFS. They all promised to keep adding functions as nFS allows them to perform new functions. Family Insight will also be providing a free download program which will allow anyone to download multiple generations of their family line directly from nFS into PAF. Roots Magic also has a built in function in their program which allows downloading multiple generations at once from nFS. Ancestral Quest had built in to their program the ability to download full families at once one generation at a time.
The timeframe for release of these programs has not been announced, but from the questions that were asked and from the information given in the presentations I got the impression that some of them might be available as early as this summer, but others will wait for full nFS rollout before they release their updated programs. There are also other companies besides these three that will be announcing sync capabilities with nFS.

newFamilyHistory

2008-01-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have not posted here for some time because I have spent most of my time updating my newFamilyHistory web sites. For more information about what is going on in famiy history, please visit my other sites:

newFamilyHistory Family History Consultants Page

Whats new in Family History

There are links from these pages to my other sites.

Renee's Blog Moved

2007-06-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Renee's Genealogy Blog has moved to a new location.

Renee always has interesting posts. New Site Address: http://rzamor1.blogspot.com/

Cemetery Records Online at Interment.net

2007-05-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

A site is available online which as gathered cemetery records from all over the world to a single place. The site is called interment.net: http://www.interment.net/

You can find lookups for cemeteries from all over in several countries and detailed listings of burials at many of those cemeteries. There are also outside links to other death and burial indexes.
By clicking through to Draper Utah I found a complete listing of burials in the Draper City cemetery. They are sorted and contain tombstone information. The Draper City project was done as an Eagle Scout project several years ago.

Not all cemeteries are online but interment.net has got a good start. Check it out.

Help Evaluate new Family Search

2007-04-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

FamilySearch is looking for people to help evaluate new functions to be added to the new FamilySearch web site. See: http://216.83.152.190/temple/static/signup.htm

Here is the letter inviting people to participate:

Dear LDS Church Members and Friends,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is developing a new version of the FamilySearch.org website. This new website will help members identify ancestors, link them to families, and provide temple ordinances for them.

Can you volunteer an hour of time to help evaluate this new website? Do you know someone else who might be interested? We need feedback to make the final website as easy and enjoyable to use as possible. We are especially interested in feedback from individuals who are new to family history work.

Anyone over age 18 interested in participating in this evaluation should go to:
http://labs.familysearch.org/temple/static/signup.htm
Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm. We greatly value your time and opinion.

Sincerely,

FamilySearch Evaluation Team

Family and Church History Department

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Family History Books on Google Books

2007-04-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Google has been scanning books from several Libraries. Their collection includes many Genealogy books. To use Google Books, go to www.google.com then click on more, then Books.

In the Google Book search page enter what you want to search for. Example: Vital Records.

As you can see from this example there are 11,800 books on Vital Records. You can do advanced searches to refine your search.

Most of these books are for the towns of Massachusetts. In the search area it will tell you if you can see the entire book or just previews. After you open a book you can search the text of the books and see previews of search results or go to pages with hits. Give it a try.

Branching Out on Your Family Tree

2007-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

What type of Family Tree will be your offering unto the Lord?

Will your family tree be borrowed from someone else? Will you have contributed to its branches? Will it include only direct ancestors or will it include aunts, uncles and cousins? Will it be well documented and have reliable sources? Do you want your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren included in your forever family? What about your great-great-grandparents would thy want their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren included in this family?

D&C 128:24 ... Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.

The subject of an article in the April 2007 Ensign is “Branching Out on Your Family Tree”. This article by George D. Durrant discusses adding to your family history, more than just your direct line, include the children and grandchildren of your ancestors. Now people who say their work is done, because grandma did it all, have no more excuses. The fruit is ripe and ready to pick. Read his article.

Roots Television On Demand Family History

2007-04-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Roots Television is an online TV service that offers programs on demand for many Family History subjects. They even have some training programs to teach you how to do better Family History research. Check it out: http://www.rootstelevision.com/

Life Browser at FamilySearch Labs

2007-04-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

FamilySearch Labs has added another project for people to look at and offer comments. The Life Browser is the name given to the new project, see it at: http://www.familysearchlabs.org/

This project shows different multimedia items which are linked to an individual. In the sample it included Photos, Census records, Maps, Historic Photos, and other resource materials.

Not everything is functioning yet, but it looks real good. It does have the ablility to zoom in and drag the document around in the view screen..

Nova Scotia Canada Vital Records now online

2007-03-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Another FamilySearch Scanning project is now online. The Vital Records of Nova Scotia Canada have been scanned and indexed and posted online. This was a joint project with Nova Scotia Arcives and Records Management. The index and images can be accessed online free of charge.

Here is the news release:

FamilySearch News Release
27 March 2007

One Million Historical Names from Canada Go Online
Nova Scotia Releases Early Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH-Early vital records of Nova Scotia, Canada, are viewable over the Internet for the first time and for free, thanks to a joint project by the Genealogical Society of Utah, FamilySearch, and the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM). The records include one million names found in birth records from 1864 to 1877, marriages from 1864 to 1930, and death records from 1864 to 1877 and 1908 to 1955. Users can search the database at www.novascotiagenealogy.com.

Nova Scotia is the first province in Canada to digitize all of its historical vital statistics and make them available online. "This project provides key information to researchers on their ancestors," said Genealogical Society of Utah regional manager Alain Allard. "It involves the vital records-births, marriages, and deaths-which are a key record set to find, identify, and link ancestors into family units."

The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) first microfilmed most of Nova Scotia's vital records back in the 1980s. In 2005, GSU used FamilySearch Scanning to convert those microfilms to digital images, while at the same time capturing additional vital records with a specially designed digital camera. Volunteers for the Nova Scotia Archives then used the images to create the searchable electronic index, which was completed in 2006.

Anyone can now search names in the index and view a high quality digital copy of the original image online for free at NSARM's Web site, www.novascotiagenealogy.com. In the near future, the index and images will also be available on FamilySearch.org. Researchers who want to obtain an official copy of a record can do so online through the Nova Scotia Archives. The cost will be CAN$9.95 for an electronic file and CAN$19.95, plus shipping ! ! and t axes, for paper copies.

Nova Scotia Provincial Archivist, W. Brian Speirs, said the cooperation of GSU was crucial to this important project. "Without the Genealogical Society of Utah offering in the early days of the project to provide complimentary digitization of all the records as their contribution to the initiative, the proposed undertaking would have been dead in the water and gone nowhere," Speirs said.

FamilySearch is the public channel of the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU), a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical resources accessed through FamilySearch.org, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries.

Linkpendium Genealogy Search Site

2007-03-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Linkpendium is a Family History Search Site which links to over 5 million genealogy web pages. You can search by Surname or by Location.

After entering a Surname you get a list of hits with links sorted by State or Country.

I found links for my Surname in almost every state in the country.

When you do a location search it lists sources of vital records and other sites for that location.

On many of the pages it also provides links to the Family History Library page for that location and I have seen some links to Cyndi's list.

There is a link to Linkpendium at: http://newfamilyhistory.googlepages.com/

New FamilySearch Beta 2 - Sources

2007-03-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

New FamilySearch is near the end of the Beta2 testing cycle. When it will be released has not been announced. I have had a chance to review some of its features. The first version 0.9 will be released just to Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The next version 1.0 will be for the general public and will give similar fuctions without the Temple Ordinance areas. Then a later version 2.0 will include linking to the images from the scanned documents from the microfilms stored in the Granite Vaults.

New FamilySearch will be released in smaller Temple districts first, so Utah will be the last to get use of the new web site. The new version of FamilySearch will include all of FamilySearch's major databases all linked together into families and pedigrees. The main purpose of this first release is to replace TempleReady. The hope is that this new program will eliminate duplication of Temple work. The main family view shows the selected individual and Spouse Highlighted, with children to the left, and a pedigree to the right which shows the parents and grandparents of both the husband and wife.

Sources are important in this new web site. Uploaded GEDCOM files can include Sources and Notes. The Notes and Sources from the Pedigree Resource File will also be included. All contributions to the file can be reviewed with thier sources and notes.

You can update any information you have submitted and add comments about other peoples submissions. You can add new individuals online and add sources. To add a source you first click on "Select a source" and choose the source type from the drop down list.

You then select the "Source Details" button. A window pops up showing the information about the source you can enter. I am not sure how or if the program ranks some sources higher than other, but I sure hope that in the final version we will be able to rank sources in some way. For example if there are two submissions listing sources, and one lists "Personal Knowlege" as a Source and the other lists a "Death Certificate", it would be nice if we can go in and rank the Death Certificate as a better source then the Personal Knowlege. We will have to wait and see what the final version does in this area. I did not see any user method of ranking sources in the Beta2 version. So get your sources in line so you will be ready for new FamilySearch.

I congratulate the FamilySearch developers for a wonderful job, and hope to see the site available soon.

I plan to do more reviews on different elements of new FamilySearch so check back.

Here is a link to my New Family History site which has a link to 50 screen shots of new FamilySearch beta2. http://newfamilyhistory.googlepages.com/home

Pedigree Resource File Updated

2007-03-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

FamilySearch announced yesterday 12 Mar 2007, that the Pedigree Resource File (PRF) database has reached 150 million names. They also announced that the PRF now has a new feature, which allows you to view pedigrees from within the index.

By clicking on the Pedigree link in the upper right corner of an individuals page you can view the family in Pedigree view.

Patrons will still have to use the CD's to download information or see sources and notes that were submitted by patrons. If a submission contains Sources or Notes the CD disk number will be shown at the bottom of the individual page. I have noticed that most submissions do not contain sources and that some of the source citation listed turn out to not be good sources, but many do have useful information for those trying to verify their information or extend their family lines.

Patrons of FamilySearch are encouraged to submit their family history to the PRF so others working on the same lines can work together to avoid duplication of effort. Be sure to include your source citation with your citations.

The entire PRF with its sources and notes will become a part of new.FamilySearch when it is released later this year. All the names in PRF will then be linked in Families and Pedigrees with the names from the IGI, the Ancestral File, the Census indexes, all future extracted records from the Granite Vaults, and any future submissions by patrons of FamilySearch.

FamilySearch Indexing

2007-03-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a new web site where people interested in assisting in the indexing of the Churches collection of microfilmed vital records can go to help.

http://www.familysearchindexing.org/en/index.jsp

At the site you can review the projects available to index.

By selecting a project you can get more details about a project.

Instructions and samples of the images are available, including training lessons.

The average batch takes between 1/2 hour and 1 hour to index. The Church is looking for people to help index the 2.4 million rolls of microfilm stored in the Granite Vaults. Sign up now.

FamilySearch Scanning - Scanstone

2007-03-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

In the Granite Vaults up Little Cottonwood Canyon lies the worlds largest collection of Family History Vital records on 2.4 million rolls of microfilm. The Scanstone project is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to make those records more accesible by scanning the microfilms and making them available online at FamilySearch.org. See this news release:

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,40-1-3384-9,00.html

The microfilms can now be scanned using new high speed scanners.

Images are stored on servers with backup copies stored in the Granite Vaults.

After the images are indexed they will be made available free on the FamilySearch web site.

Arizona Birth and Death Certificates Online

2007-03-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

The State of Arizona now has available online, Birth Certificates for births in Arizona from 1887-1930 and Death Certificates for deaths in Arizona from 1878-1955. These certificates are available at: http://genealogy.az.gov/

After entering the name you are searching for you get a list of hits.

Select the name from the list of hits and the image is opened. You can print or save the image.

Many of the images you download need to be straightened and cropped. I use Picasa, a free photo editing program from Google. Some of the images are stored in PDF files and I use Photoshop Elements to edit those files.

Check out this site.

LDS Tech Web Site

2007-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

A new technology web site by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is available at:

http://beta.tech.lds.org/index.php

This site is designed to introduce the public to the technology used by the church.

"What is LDS TECH?"

"With the global reach of the Church, members from around the world are curious about the type of technical work we do. This web site is designed to give you a glimpse into that work and how you can get involved." Tom Welch, Manager Technology Community

The site introduces the people who work for the Church information department. It contains links to blogs by many of the Church information workers.

The site contains forums where people can discuss and ask questions about Chruch Technologies. Subjects include: Family History, Online Scriptures, Unit Web Sites, MLS, LDS.ORG, Technology Web Site, Current Church Technology, and Help Wanted.

Check it out.

Utah Death Certificates

2007-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

The State of Utah in conjunction with FamilySearch Indexing have completed a project of extracting digital images of Death Certificates for deaths in Utah between 1905 and 1954. These images have now been linked to the States death index and are available online at the Utah State Arcives web site at: http://historyresearch.utah.gov/indexes/index.html

After entering the name of the person you are looking for and selecting the correct match on a couple of follow up screens, you will see a summary of the death and an image icon.

By clicking on the image Icon the Death certificate will be opened and can be saved by clicking on your right mouse button and select "Save picture as"

Many images need to be straightened and cropped. I use Picasa which is a free photo editing program from Google. It is easy and quick. Have fun finding your ancestors certificates.