Genealogy Lesson 24 - 1940 US Census

Census day was April 1, 2010.  That is the day when any person living in the United States should be counted on an actual census document.  If a child was born on March 31, 2010, they would be recorded.  If a child was born on April 2, 2010, they would not be recorded.  The census will be a snapshot of life as it existed on April 1, 2010.

The purpose of a federal census is to record the number of people living in a specific area.  The government wants to know how many people live in each city, county, township, state, etc.  Population for an area is critical when it comes to the distribution of federal funds for hospitals, schools, emergency services, bridges, roads, etc.  Census forms will be mailed to you in March and must be filled out and returned.  If you do not fill out the form, a census taker will literally show up on your doorstep and make you fill it out.  There are only ten questions on the 2010 form and should be fairly easy to answer.

The data that we provide will be maintained and used by the government but most of the information we provide will be well guarded.  It is against federal law for anyone to divulge a name, address (including GPS coordinates), phone number or Social Security number off a census form.  Census Bureau employees are sworn to secrecy for life, not to disclose any confidential information.  Breaking this oath can result in a $250,000 fine, five years of imprisonment, or both.  With that in mind, I doubt anyone will be talking!  Actual census forms do not become public record for 72 years.  That means future genealogists cannot see the form that you fill out until April 1, 2082.

The next census that we can view as genealogists would be the 1940 census.  It will be available on April 2, 2012, that is if you go to the National Archives and wait in line.  When the 1930 census came out in 2002, Ancestry.com did a great job of scanning the images and getting them online within a few weeks.  They literally started putting images online within hours of the census being released.  It obviously took some time for indexes to be compiled but you could at least browse records for a given county or city.  I would imagine that the 1940 census will be a big deal for them as well.

From what I have seen, the 1940 census is quite similar to the 1920 and 1930 censuses as most of the same information is provided.  Unique features include recording where each person lived in 1935, recording the highest level of education completed and also detailed occupational information that included a person's 1939 income.  As an interesting addition, anyone recorded on lines 14 and 29 of the census form were pulled out as a random sample.  Those individuals were subject to around 20 additional questions that should prove to be quite interesting.  Researchers are going to hope their ancestor fell on lines 14 or 29.  It could be like winning the lottery when that happens!

One last thing that I noticed about the 1940 census, the person in the family who provided the information is supposed to have a circled X beside their name.  That might not seem important but it will lend a lot toward weighing the accuracy of the information provided.  In past censuses, we do not know who provided the information.  It could have been an older child, a grandmother, the neighbor or a border.  At least this time we can see if the husband or wife provided the actual information.  And just think...it is less than 1,000 days until we get to see it for ourselves!

Genealogy Lesson 22 - Setting a genealogy budget

In today's economy, budgets are more important than ever.  Genealogy is a great hobby but let's face it, it can get quite expensive.  You pay for memberships to websites; you buy software, you order books and buy copies of documents.  I personally blow about $500 per year on my genealogy.  I say that the money is "blown" because I cannot get it back, there really isn't much of material value to show for it, and it cannot keep my kids from starving if they were hungry.  Money spent on genealogy is pretty much a luxury, rarely a financial investment.

With that said, most of us have to limit the things that we commit to each year.  I always renew my Ancestry.com membership but I might let Footnote or Genealogy Bank lapse...unless they run a really great sale!  I also buy the yearly upgrade for Family Tree Maker and set aside money to make copies at the archives each month.  What I have been unable to budget for are trips to national genealogical conferences.  I would love to go but I cannot justify the financial return.  Sure, I am missing out on a lot of learning opportunities, but I cannot see paying $1500+ for travel expenses.

I know a lot of people would love to have an Ancestry.com membership but cannot afford it.  Well, the grass is not much greener on my side of the fence either!  No matter what we have in life, we always want more.  We have to understand that each of us have means in which we must learn to live.  If you cannot afford an Ancestry membership, go to a local library that provides free access.  It's not that easy for me to attend a conference, but when one comes to my local area, I will eventually be able to attend.  Make lemonade with those lemons!

Decide how much you can afford to spend each year on genealogy and do your best not to go over that amount.  It will cause you to assign value to things and to decide what is really important to your short and long term genealogy goals.  My short term goal is more inline with buying an Ancestry.com membership this year.  My long term goals are more inline with going to conferences.  I can achieve that long term goal, maybe when I retire or pay my house off.  It's not ideal for my wants but it is the most feasible path at this point for my needs.

One way to stretch your genealogy budget is to do what I suggested in a past lesson...get a buddy or join a group.  If two or more people pool their resources, you can gain access to more resources than you could on your own.  A local genealogical society can get group access to online databases.  Your genealogy buddy can go half with you on the cost of a needed book.  Being creative and resourceful can help squeeze more out of the money that you spend, getting you closer to your goals, sooner.

Census day 2010 and the 1940 census in 2012

A topic that you will hear more about in days to come is the 2010 census.  Census day will be April 1, 2010.  That is the day when any person living in the United States should be counted on an actual census document.  If a child was born on March 31, 2010, they would be recorded.  If a child was born on April 2, 2010, they would not be recorded.  The census will be a snapshot of life as it existed on April 1, 2010.

The purpose of a federal census is to record the number of people living in a specific area.  The government wants to know how many people live in each city, county, township, state, etc.  Population for an area is critical when it comes to the distribution of federal funds for hospitals, schools, emergency services, bridges, roads, etc.  Census forms will be mailed to you in March and must be filled out and returned.  If you do not fill out the form, a census taker will literally show up on your doorstep and make you fill it out.  There are only ten questions on the 2010 form and should be fairly easy to answer.

The data that we provide will be maintained and used by the government but most of the information we provide will be well guarded.  It is against federal law for anyone to divulge a name, address (including GPS coordinates), phone number or Social Security number off a census form.  Census Bureau employees are sworn to secrecy for life, not to disclose any confidential information.  Breaking this oath can result in a $250,000 fine, five years of imprisonment, or both.  With that in mind, I doubt anyone will be talking!  Actual census forms do not become public record for 72 years.  That means future genealogists cannot see the form that you fill out until April 1, 2082.

The next census that we can view as genealogists would be the 1940 census.  It will be available on April 2, 2012, that is if you go to the National Archives and wait in line.  When the 1930 census came out in 2002, Ancestry.com did a great job of scanning the images and getting them online within a few weeks.  They literally started putting images online within hours of the census being released.  It obviously took some time for indexes to be compiled but you could at least browse records for a given county or city.  I would imagine that the 1940 census will be a big deal for them as well.

From what I have seen, the 1940 census is quite similar to the 1920 and 1930 censuses as most of the same information is provided.  Unique features include recording where each person lived in 1935, recording the highest level of education completed and also detailed occupational information that included a person’s 1939 income.  As an interesting addition, anyone recorded on lines 14 and 29 of the census form were pulled out as a random sample.  Those individuals were subject to around 20 additional questions that should prove to be quite interesting.  Researchers are going to hope their ancestor fell on lines 14 or 29.  It could be like winning the lottery when that happens!

One last thing that I noticed about the 1940 census, the person in the family who provided the information is supposed to have a circled X beside their name.  That might not seem important but it will lend a lot toward weighing the accuracy of the information provided.  In past censuses, we do not know who provided the information.  It could have been an older child, a grandmother, the neighbor or a border.  At least this time we can see if the husband or wife provided the actual information.  And just think…it is only two years until we get to see it for ourselves!

Enter the Ancestry.com giveaway but hurry because it ends on January 31st!

You could win $500 worth of Ancestry.com products/services.  In order to be eligible, you must be a fan of Ancestry on Facebook.  You can find their Facebook page by clicking here!

After you have become a fan of their Facebook page, you must email your Facebook user name to this address:

sweeps@ancestry.com

All valid entries will be eligible to win a prize pack that includes a one-year World Deluxe subscription at Ancestry.com, Family Tree Maker 2010 and a MyCanvas Photo Book.

Full details and eligibility requirements can be found by clicking here!

Ancestry's iPhone app, "Tree To Go", is not so portable after all.

Yesterday I did a review of the new Ancestry.com app for the iPhone, "Tree To Go".  After writing the review, I decided to get something to eat.  My wife and daughter were sick so I went to Panera to get us some soup.  One great thing about Panera Bread is that they offer free wifi Internet access while you are in their store.  So, while I was waiting for my order, I started playing around with the Ancestry app some more.

Let me give you a little background on the iPhone and the iPod Touch, just in case you are not sure of the difference.  The two are essentially the same thing except that the iPhone makes phone calls and uses ATT's 3G network.  The 3G network gives an iPhone user the ability to get on the Internet from anywhere within the 3G coverage area.  You have probably seen the commercials on television where Verizon picks on ATT because their coverage map is better.  Despite ATT's claims that their coverage is as good as Verizon, they are misleading you.  ATT has great phone service but their 3G network is spotty.  Verizon ads show the 3G maps.  ATT ads show their phone coverage maps...two different things.  Where I am in Virginia, ATT 3G service is terrible.

As for the iPod Touch, it cannot make phone calls and cannot access the 3G network.  I should also mention that the iPhone has a digital picture and video camera installed, at least the newer ones do.  So, what does this mean for the Ancestry app?  A LOT!

While in Panera it dawned on me that I had not tried the app while being offline, without any Internet access.  I only have an iPod Touch, not an actual iPhone, so I went outside of Panera where there was no wifi service.  I then launched the Ancestry app and my dreams were somewhat crushed.  For as many good things as I had to say about the app yesterday, I have just as many negatives now.  If you do not have an Internet connection, you are out of luck!

I found out very quickly that, if you cannot get online, you have only very limited use of the app.  You cannot add photos or make any changes to the people.  It does let you look at what the app has already downloaded from the server.  You can basically see the tree as it was the last time you were online.  You can see the people, dates, locations, etc. but you cannot make changes.  So, what does this mean?  If I go to a cemetery, I cannot take a headstone photo and put it directly into my family tree if I do not have 3G service.  In most cases an iPhone would do fine, as long as you are in the coverage area, but an iPod Touch would be useless.  I also could not enter the dates I found from the tombstone because, there again, I am not connected to the Internet.

What Ancestry could do is redesign the app so that it stores your changes and then syncs with the online version the next time you have an Internet connection.  That becomes a bit complicated if you have made changes to both the app file and your online file, which one is right and which is out of date?  It could be done but that involves a lot of work on their part.

I do not want to come across as bashing the app.  It is a great step forward for Ancestry but it still needs work.  I want to be able to fully use the app myself, I just do not know if it is worth getting an iPhone at $300 plus $80 per month for the next 2 years!  I can renew my Ancestry membership for the next 14 years for that kind of money.

Ancestry.com iPhone and iPod Touch App Review

I was extremely excited to hear that Ancestry.com put out an iPhone application within the past few days.  I was even more ecstatic when I found out that it was free.  The download was quick and simple.  The only thing required when I launched the app was my Ancestry.com user name and password.

Unless you are an Ancestry.com member, the app is pretty much useless for you.  It pulls your Ancestry.com online family tree into the program for use.  So, unless you have a family tree on Ancestry's web site, you are out of luck!  It is key to remember that this is an Ancestry app, not a Family Tree Maker app.  You do not need Family Tree Maker to use the app, but you MUST have an Ancestry.com membership.  I guess you could use it with a free trail, but that would only last until your trial period was up.

I personally have an Ancestry.com membership but I actually did not have any trees online.  With that in mind, I had to upload one before I could do much with the app.  If you do not have a tree already, it will prompt you to create one at the Ancestry site.  Trust me - the screen on an iPhone or iPod Touch is too small to do much data entry.  With that in mind, I opted to start Family Tree Maker on my computer and uploaded a small tree to the site, a file with about 60 family members.  Despite the small file size, it took a long time for it to upload.  Maybe the Ancestry site was busy last night with extra traffic, becuase of the new app.

It took about an hour for my file to upload but after that, the app ran quite fast.  It found my new tree automatically and opened right up.  The color scheme is nice, typical Ancestry green and antique white.  All of the basic data entry functions that you would expect are there.  You can create and edit people in your file.  You can write and edit notes and even upload photos to your file.  This is a neat feature if you have an iPhone with a camera.  You could take a picture at a cemetery and put it directly into your tree.  The best part is that the file on your iPhone is synchronized with the tree your have on Ancestry.com.  When I added a photo to a member of my tree, it was on Ancestry's site instantly.

There are a few weaknesses that I see right off.  There is no way to see an actual tree, at least that I have found.  There are no reports and I do not see any way to share/export/email information to your friends.  I also do not see how you can delete someone from your tree.  The idea here is not to be a Family Tree Maker substitute but instead a way to view and work on your tree from the road.  In that respect, it was better than I expected.  For a new app, it is very clean and looks great!

As would be expected, the app is a little buggy.  When you look at a person's photo gallery, the images are not cropped properly.  It also gets stuck between images sometimes.  It is almost like all of the photos are connected end to end, instead of being separate files.  When you scroll across the gallery, it moves like a roll of microfilm and does not seem like individual photos in an album.  I only played with program for about an hour and it did cut off inexplicably once.

I will continue to play with the app for at least the next few days and let you know if I have any other thoughts.  As of right now, I think it is a great tool.  It might actually encourage me to put my entire tree on Ancestry's site, just to get the functionality out of this app.  The only negative about putting my tree on the site is that it does not sync with my Family Tree Maker file.  I would therefore have two family trees going, one on my computer and one online.  When Ancestry gets their online trees to sync with the at-home version of Family Tree Maker, then the app will be one hundred times more important to me than it is today.

Share your Ancestry.com finds with your social network

It might be old news to some people, but I just figured out how you can share documents that you find on Ancestry.com with your friends.  When you find a record that you want to share, there is a small box on the left of the record screen that reads "Share This Record."  You then have the option to share the document on Facebook, Twitter or via email.  It's a pretty neat service but here is the catch...it's basically just an advertisement for the web site.

I emailed a document to myself and quickly discovered that I could look at the docuement, even zoom in and out, but I could not print or save the image.  If you try to save or print, it directs you to a page where you can join Ancestry or at least signup for a free trial.  Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Ancestry promoting itself.  It's nice that they even let you look at the document.

(Here is a little secret, but don't tell anyone...you could actually save your own "copy" if you hit the screen print button on your computer.  That will copy your screen to your computer's clipboard and you can then paste it into a photo editor or a text document.  You could then crop and save the image into your files)

What I am genealogically thankful for this year.

I know this is a day late but I was thinking about it last night...what are the top ten things I am thankful for in genealogy this year?  It took me awhile to fill this list but here we go, in no particular order...

1. State budget cuts this year did not severely hamper the Library of Virginia.  In past years, they were forced to lay off employees or even close for extra days during the week.
2. Family Tree Maker 2010 finally seems to be getting stable.  I think I have finally made the long-term switch to that product.
3. Ancestry.com went public this year - it is now on the stock market.  This may turn out to be a terrible thing in the long run but for now it seems positive.  They have a huge rush of cash into the company so I would expect a lot of expansion in the near future.
4. Getting my new office set up.  I am sitting here typing in it right now!  I am not finished with it yet but I should be done by the end of the weekend.  I mostly have to do some trim work and painting.
5. I set out to create a free set of genealogy lessons by email, for the general public, and I actually did it.  I wrote 20 lessons, set up a website and an email delivery system.  You can check it out here:  USA Family Tree.  I have over 1,000 subscribers.
6. I was directed to the Library of Congress site Chronicling America - a free database of US newspapers from the late 1800s to the early 1900s - great site!
7. I bought an iPod Touch.  This, more than anything, changed my life this year.  For about $300, I have a very powerful computer in my pocket at all times.  I am even able to have a viewable copy of my GEDCOM with me whenever I need it.
8. My GPS unit, great for finding my way around old country roads.  It keeps me from pulling over constantly to read a map.  It also helps me to record the coordinates of places that I find, such as an old cemetery.
   
9. I finally got the picture of my great-great-great-grandmother that I knew existed but never took the time to track down.  I found a new cousin, told them how to find the photo, and they tracked it down for us...very exciting.
10. Finally found the middle name of my great-great-grandfather, Joseph Addison Vass, on his daughter's SS-5.  We always assumed his middle name was Andrew so this was a great find.

Well, that is my genealogical to-be-thankful-for list.  What is on yours this year?

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

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.

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The Generations Network formally becomes Ancestry.com

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.

New Ancestry.com search feature, explained well

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.

Getting started with genetic genealogy, how and why?

One of the most helpful genealogical advances is the widening availability of DNA testing. In a nut shell, you swab the inside of your mouth and mail those cheek cells to the testing company. They extract your DNA, run a test on the sample, and provide you with a set of numbers in return. Those numbers correlate to certain traits passed along by family lines over the centuries. The more of these numbers match between two people, the more closely they are related.

The main goal of genealogical DNA testing is to find where a male line came from in the world. Take my case for example, I now know that the Lett family almost certainly came from Scandinavia. I would never have figured that out on my own. Now my research on the Letts always leans toward connecting my line back to that area of the globe.

One major point to keep in mind is that this type of DNA test only helps if you are male. The genes in question are passed from father to son, just like their last name. Therefore my genes and my last name came from my father and are both the same.

In the case of women, the test looks for genes passed from mother to daughter. Mothers and daughters generally do not share the same last name after marriage. You could therefore find out where your "maternal line" came from but that is much less helpful since the last name is not constant. If a woman wanted to find out where her paternal family was from, she would need to get her brother or father to take the test.

I am absolutely watering down all that genetic genealogy involves and can offer. If you are interested, I would suggest reading up on the websites of the various testing companies. Family Tee DNA is probably the largest, best-known and most respected testing company. Ancestry also offers testing that is among the most affordable on the market.

I strongly suggest that you consider performing one of these tests, sooner rather than later in your research project, for two major reasons.

1. It takes several weeks/months for the results to come back. The sooner you send your sample, the sooner you get results.
2. The answers that you receive can lead your future research in the right direction.

Most testing companies will ask if you want to make your results public. That basically means that, if anyone else matches your DNA, they will put the two of you in contact. You might be introduced to someone that has an abundance of information on your family. That could save you countless hours of research down the road.

You will also have a good idea of where in the world your family is from. Everyone wants to say that "I am German" or "I am Scandinavian." If you take one of these DNA tests, at least you can say where your paternal family was from. And, as was the case with myself, I now know which direction on the compass my research should travel. I know the starting and end points of my family history. The fun part becomes filling in the middle.

Getting focused with genealogy

By now you are starting to see a family tree take shape. It has become something you can literally touch and feel. Most computer-based, genealogy programs allow you to print different reports, some even narrative in nature. You can now share your research with friends and family members, in an organized and coherent manner.

You should be proud of what you have done so far but imagine the information you will have after a few years of research! I could publish thousands of pages on my family, almost too much to handle! Most genealogists have the goal of printing their family history book someday. If you have followed my advice so far, you are well on your way to that accomplishment. There are even companies that specialize in printing family histories, such as My Canvas by Ancestry.com.

The biggest problem with genealogy is knowing when to stop. Everybody in your tree has two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, etc. Each of those people probably had numerous children who gave them numerous grandchildren. In no time at all, you could be adding thousands of names to your family tree.

You have to make a conscious decision, early in your research process, as to how far you will trace a particular family. This is especially true when it comes to cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. There are just so many people in a family that it becomes both time and cost prohibitive to learn about them all.

It is commonly accepted that you should at least learn about the brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors. For example, you might not find the maiden name of your great-great-grandmother on your great-grandmother's birth, marriage or death records. You could lose hope but remember that great-great-grandmother had other children. You might find her maiden name one a record pertaining to one of those other children and not your direct ancestor.

You then have to decide if you are going to trace down through the children of your great-aunts and uncles. There is one major reason why you should...finding living relatives. They might have old family photos, documents, Bibles, etc. that you would not find otherwise. On the other hand, you will spend time tracing their lines instead of learning about your direct ancestors.

This is an important balance that you must strike when starting out. I would suggest that you focus on your ancestors first,and then all of their children. Try to answer the "eleven questions" about each of them but I would not worry too much about the children of aunts and uncles. Other researchers out there who share a common ancestor, through these collateral lines, will probably find you eventually.

At least in the beginning I would suggest that you focus on quality, not quantity. It would be very disappointing to find out later that you misread something and wasted time tracing an ancestor that turned out not to be your ancestor at all. There were a lot of guys named John or William married to women named Mary or Jane. It is hard to distinguish between some of them so focus on the quality of your connections, not the number of them. You can always add volume later.

First things first, getting started in genealogy

The first thing you need when starting a genealogy project is a way to collect all of the data that you find. If you are not organized, you are going to get frustrated very quickly. With that in mind, you must devise a system of record keeping.

Until recent times, most genealogy record keeping was done on paper and stored in files. You could get large charts from the local LDS library and had to write everything in pencil so you could make changes. I literally have a chart that is the size of my living room, not that I use it anymore. I keep it as a reminder of the way things used to be.

Maintaining paper records is always a good idea but you have to come up with an adequate filing system. I always make folders, going by last name, first name of the husband and keep records for himself, his wife and any unmarried children in that file. I then put all of my folders in a file cabinet, in alphabetical order by that last name.

Having a bunch of papers does not constitute a family tree. To see the fruits of your labor, you need to create a coherent accounting for the information found on each document. In the older, manual method you would use "family group sheets" to document the names and dates associated with each person in a given family. These are simple paper forms that most local libraries, at least those with a genealogy focus, can give you. You can also find online versions that you can print off for free by using this link: Ancestry free genealogy forms

The modern way of organizing genealogy data would be a computer-based database. There are many programs on the market, ranging from one hundred dollars down to free. More expensive does not always mean better though...keep that in mind. There are also web-based programs that you can use, again some are free and some charge a fee per month/quarter/year. A few of the most popular online programs would be Ancestry, My Heritage, Geni and Tribal Pages.

I tend to stay away from the online database programs, for several reasons. You sometimes lose control of what you put online. Most sites allow you to keep your work private but you really have no way of knowing exactly how safe and secure their site really is. If they had a computer crash or went out of business tomorrow, what would happen to all of your research? I am probably being a little paranoid but I like to hold my hand closer to my chest. I would recommend having a program on your computer and then uploading that information to a web-based program, if you want it on the web at all.

As for computer-based programs, there are lots of choices out there. I have always used Family Tree Maker for my own research. The most recent versions have had some growing pains but the program is still the most used in the industry. Another popular option would be RootsMagic. Reunion is popular with those who use a Mac/Apple computer. There are also a few free programs that you can download, the most popular being Personal Ancestral File or PAF. It is made available by the LDS church. I have not used their program personally but it is widely utilized throughout the world.

Follow some of these links and check out each program before making a decision. A good site for product reviews is GenSoft Reviews. There you can read hundreds of personal reviews of over 400 different genealogy programs.

After deciding on the right program for you, take the plunge and get one. Most can be obtained online but you can get the more popular programs at Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. Try to get the most recent version, not something that has been sitting on the shelf for three or four years. You can also pick them up at eBay but only buy those that are "new in the box."

When you get the program in your hands, install it on your computer and start playing around with the features. Get bold and enter what you know about yourself and your immediate family. Once you enter your first name and date, you are officially initiated into the genealogy hobby. I warn you now that it can be extremely addictive!

Ancestry's Genetic Genealogy Testing is Now Only $79

According to an e-mail I got from Ancestry.com tonight,

"Users now explore a streamlined, updated site and pay new low prices for DNA testing services.

The $79 price tag encourages many more people to take the basic paternal lineage test (Y33), so they can connect with genetic cousins and build family trees. Our growing database automatically compares results, letting some users connect instantly. And we notify all users of potential new matches as the Ancestry.com DNA database grows.

Users also now attach DNA to Ancestry.com family trees. The attached results instantly populate up the tree, showing implied meaning for all relevant family tree members. This feature increases the chances for meaningful family contacts and connections. For example, if a man attaches test results to his tree, the profile for his paternal uncle born in 1845 will now display the fact that genetic data relevant to that uncle exists. If another user comes across the uncle (using any research method), they'll now be able to trace the test back to the man who took the test and contact him. Otherwise, that user may never have followed the thread past the uncle.

The $79 test also lets users know which Ancient Ancestral group they belong to, like the Stonemasons, the Artisans or the Reindeer Herders. Users learn their likely story of origin and explore Fun Facts for their modern-day group. A great visual pie chart reveals things like 20% of all Stonemasons drive hybrids, 10% eat chocolate ice cream and 55% watch Saturday Night Live."

I don't quite know what that last paragraph means but, if someone takes their test, let me know.

Ancestry.com lowers DNA testing prices

I just got an e-mail from Ancestry.com, announcing that they have lowered the prices for their genetic genealogy DNA tests. Their Paternal Y33 kit is now $79, the Y46 kit is $149 and the Maternal mtdna kit is $179.

Happy New Year, sick kids, Ancestry DNA over

I wanted to send out a quick note that I hope everyone had a nice new year (so far). My kids are sick...just found out that my daughter actually has pneumonia. It is not serious enough to go to the hospital, as long as she continues to drink liquids. I feel bad because I probably gave it to her. I have been sick for about a month now and joked with my wife that I probably had pneumonia. In all seriousness, I probably did and now my three year old has it! I just hope my one year old does not get it although he is showing signs.

I also wanted to remind everyone that the Ancestry.com DNA offer is over. I think five or six people who follow this site took the test. Please let us know how it goes, details like how long it takes, etc. I have not used them before but I assume that Ancestry will do a nice job.

I am going to lay low this weekend and watch the NFL playoffs. I should be able to make a few, quality posts as I have been slacking off lately. Check back by Sunday evening for some updates.

Kevin

Ancestry DNA Tests 40% Off

FYI - Ancestry.com is currently offering 40% off their DNA testing service. The offer expires on December 31, 2008 so you better hurry if you want to use this "coupon." I have not personally used their service but plan on trying it in the near future. Just click the Viking ship below to get started. Tests appear to range from $89.40 to $119.40 each.

Balance between genealogy and personal life

I have been answering a lot of e-mail lately, some of which is quite old. I used to be really good about responding to everyone, almost immediately, but I have gotten slower in my "old" age. It might take me a month or two before I get up the initiative to respond to certain e-mail. I get so many requests for help that I have to put some off or else I would never get anything done in my personal life. I love reading what you all send, and I will do my best to help out, but forgive me if I am slow.

I also tend to lose interest in genealogy once in awhile. It is almost like a sanity to check...to drop everything and do other stuff. I love this hobby but I cannot let it rule my life. If you notice in my posting archive, you will see some months that I post every day and others where I drag along. It is not that I run out of things to say, I just have nothing interesting enough on my mind at that moment to bother writing about. Unlike some genealogy blogs, I do not try to keep you informed off all the industry news. I do pass along items from time to time but this blog is pretty much about me and what I find interesting. I try to keep it fun to publish and/or do things that I like and that I use in my own research.

I do not tend to devote a lot of time talking about non-Ancestry/Family Tree Maker products. Those are the ones that I have used for years and that I find most helpful. I have tried other programs, such as The Master Genealogist, but they are either too involved or too simple. My focus is keeping genealogy fun. The day it stops being fun for me is the day that I quit all together. This is not my job. It is something I like to do and I am glad that you guys care enough to read what I write and respond with your comments and questions. That is what it is all about...sharing and communicating for fun.

I have seen people get into literal fist-fights over who was right about a name or date. I used to be like that but now I do not care so much. I respect the passion that people feel for their research, right or wrong, but I am not going to argue with anyone. You might say that I have found genealogical peace. I go with the flow, say please and thank you, and simply enjoy what I am doing. In the words for Forrest Gump, "When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went." I get hot and heavy when I am on the trail of a long-lost ancestor but I can also set it all aside, take my kids to Disney World, and never check my e-mail for two weeks. I have found balance.

I will eventually respond to every e-mail that I receive but the time has to be right for me. Do not take it personal but the more interesting I find your inquiry, the more quickly I will respond. Sometimes it takes awhile to respond because I am think up the right answer or checking into a source for you...and you do not even know it. You think I am blowing you off when I am really doing some leg work. I tend to not respond until I have an answer, decreasing the number of back-and-forth e-mail between us. I try to answer the question directly but I honestly do not want to do the whole project for you.

I used to do research for money but that is miserable. I spend the whole time that I am at the archives wishing that I was working on my own family. I will do some paid stuff, mostly just making copies of known documents, but those days are pretty much gone. You can always ask because, if money is tight, I might take on a project or two...you never know.

Anyway, I just felt like rambling a bit today. There is nothing in here that is going to help you find your great-great-grandmother's maiden name but maybe you still learned something of value.

Ancestry Toolbar Screenshots

I have wanted to play around with the Ancestry Toolbar for awhile now but every time that I try, the family tree portion of Ancestry is not working. Finally today it worked! I think they have been doing a lot of work on the site lately and the trees get bogged down.

The toolbar lets you add information that you find on the web to your family tree, saved at Ancestry.com. It does not work with Family Tree Maker directly. It only works with your online tree. It is not very intelligent in that you cannot sync your online tree with the one you are working with in Family Tree Maker, at least not as far as I know. If someone knows otherwise, please let me know. I guess this tool is also useless if you do not have a family tree at Ancestry.com.

I started playing with the toolbar a few minutes ago and made some screen shots to show you how it works...at least the save feature.

First you click the save button and get the following screen. It allows you to either save photos or text to a person in your tree or you can simply save the website bookmark to that person.


In this case, I selected to add text. It gives you a highlighted box that you can move around the screen and select sections of text or a photo. Just click on the section of text you want to save.


Once you select the text you want, and you can select more than one section, press the "Save Selected Items" tab at the top of the screen. It will ask you to choose a person from your family tree to save the information to. You type their name into the box and you will be shown any people with similar names. Once you choose the person you want, press the attach button and it will tell you when it is finished.

From this point, you see the normal version of the web page you saved information from. To see what you added, click on the "My Trees" portion of the toolbar and select the tree you saved to. From there, find the person in question and view their details. Any photos will be saved into their photo section and selected text will show up as a story.

The web address where you found the information will be cited with a click-able hyperlink back to that page, at the bottom of the saved story.


Instead of selecting text and/or photos at the beginning of these steps, say you selected simply to save the link of the page to your person. It would have been saved in the "Web Links" section of the right-hand column.

This tool is very simple to use and would be great if you keep only an online version of your tree. I mainly use Family Tree Maker and use the online tree only as a backup. I find it helpful if I am not at my computer and I need to pull up some information. I can always go online and see my file, at least as it was the last time I uploaded it to Ancestry.

If you have questions or comments, fire away, but hopefully this helped someone. I may review some of the other features later.