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2016 RootsTech Innovator Showdown Offering $100,000 in Prizes!

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I received the following email this morning:

2016 RootsTech Innovator Showdown Offering $100,000 in Prizes!



Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (September 10, 2015)—RootsTech, the world’s largest family history and technology conference, is now accepting entries for the 2016 Innovator Showdown—a “Global Innovation Competition” for developers and entrepreneurs seeking an opportunity to impact the growing family history industry while competing for $100,000 in rewards. Innovator Showdown seeks to support, foster, and inspire innovation within the family history marketplace. The deadline for submitting to the 2016 Innovator Showdown is December 1, 2015. The winners will be announced at RootsTech 2016 on Friday, February 5(Go to RootsTech.devpost.comfor more information).



 



In the premiere 2015 event, 70 talented and hopeful innovators vied for $25,000 in prizes. The success and excitement of last year’s competition has generated tremendous industry support and significantly increased the rewards. The 2016 Showdown on February 5, 2016, will offer total prizes of $100,000, making it one of the top innovator contests in the nation.



 Showdown Calendar:


  • Submissions will be accepted from September 1 to December 1, 2015.

  • Sixteen finalists will be notified on December 16, 2015.

  • The Final Round will be on February 5 during RootsTech 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

David Pugmire, the Director of the RootsTech Innovator Showdown, said, “I am really pleased to see the evolution of what this challenge has become today. We find “tech” in the very name of RootsTech, and the RootsTech Innovator Showdown is the biggest realization of the union between tech and family history, bringing the technologists and their cutting edge creations in front of worldwide attendees in a meaningful and exciting way."



At the finals, in front of a huge audience of family history consumers, five industry judges, including genealogy, technology and business gurus, will hear the finalists make their pitches, then field questions before making their decisions. Once again, along with Judges’ Choice cash prizes of $20,000 for 1stPlace, $14,000 for 2nd Place, and $6,000 for 3rd Place, the crowd will have the opportunity to cast their votes online and on their mobile phones for an impressive $10,000 People’s Choice Award.  Additionally, $50,000 of highly sought after “in-kind” prizes will be awarded.



The 2015 Showdown winners represented a variety of family history categories from around the world:


  • 1st Place winner, StoryWorth, is a robust story recording service based in San Francisco.

  • 2nd Place winner, ArgusSearch, out of Germany, is an award winning handwriting recognition technology that can make transcribing handwritten records exponentially faster.

  • 3rd Place winner, Utah based GenMarketplace, makes getting professional help affordable in an e-market where family history professionals can bid on low cost consumer job postings online.

Entries for the 2016 Innovator Showdown can be made through http://rootstech.devpost.com/ and must include a video. Any platform is welcome, but projects must have a social or collaborative component.



About RootsTech




RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 11, 2015

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At the Pentagon after Attack - US Navy Photo - Public Domain - Wikimedia Commons

Today is Patriot Day, the day we remember the terrible events that took place on September 11, 2001 when our country was attacked and nearly 3,000 people were killed. I wrote a blog post in remembrance of Patriot Day in 2012. If you'd like to read that post, click on the link below. May we never forget!

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. The Second Largest Genealogy Library? -- Looking at the BYU Family History Library AND Find Your Ancestors in Post Office Records AND They've been Workin' on the Railroad by James Tanner, author of Genealogy's Star
  2. The Kopp Sisters: A Crime-Fighting Trio Uncovered on Ancestry by Amy Stewart for Ancestry Blog
  3. The Day the Hair Ran Out by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  4. Does Ancestry Really Work? Is Ancestry a Scam and a Rip Off? AND Contest: Win an Ultimate Family Tree Chart Templates CD from Shop Family Tree by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  5. 4 Things To Do When Using a Genealogy Database by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  6. An Epiphany… my light bulb moment! by Cindy K. Smith-Thredgold, author of The Offering
  7. More on land mapping at the Bureau of Land Management by Michele Simmons Lewis, author of Ancestoring
  8. Five Daughters Suddenly Gone by Pam Carter, author of My Maine Ancestry
  9. Rootstech 16 Ambassador... and a Family Reunion thanks to Rootstech15. by Sharn White, author of FamilyHistory4u
  10. What Acts Constituted "Extreme Cruelty" and Could Lead to Divorce 100 Years Ago? by Dana Leeds, author of The Enthusiastic Genealogist
  11. Land for Ohio’s daughters by Judy G. Russell, author of The Legal Genealogist
  12. Wow! Washington State Pioneer Interviews by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  13. Nine Months To Tell the Story by Robin Foster for Genealogy! Just Ask!
  14. true miracles with genealogy by Tami Osmer Mize, author of Relatively Curious
  15. 9 Sep 2015 – Our Summer Vacations in Quitman, MS by Debra Saletta, author of Between The Dashes
  16. Things You Should Know About The New Probate Records at Ancestry.com by History Chick, author of Genealogical Musings
  17. Occupational Records by ScotSue for Worldwide Genealogy  ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  18. Ask Ancestry Anne: So Many Questions―We Have Answers by Anne Gillespie Mitchell for Ancestry Blog
  19. Slave Name Roll Project: Releasing the Slaves of my Family by Julie Cordero, author of Oak Grove Genealogy
  20. British Home Child Group International launches new website by Gail Dever, author of Genealogy a la carte
  21. A history lesson from a family photo AND What is the rest of the story in this cousins photo by Becky Jamison, author of Grace and Glory

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow, author of No Story Too Small -

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana's Place

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Fresno County Genealogical Society's 12th Annual Genealogy Seminar Featuring Lisa Louise Cooke

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The Fresno County Genealogical Society is holding it's 12th Annual Genealogy Seminar on October 17, 2015. Attendees of this seminar will have the awesome opportunity to hear and learn from Lisa Louise Cooke. Lisa is an amazing speaker and teacher. I had the opportunity to hear her speak during a keynote address at the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy. I also attended one of her classes at the conference. She really makes learning fun.

Here's a link to the Fresno County Genealogical Society for more information including registration, the seminar schedule, and nearby hotels  ~ Fresno County Genealogical Society

P.S. While you're at the Seminar, please stop by and say hi to me in the Exhibit Hall. I've been asked to host a table about genealogy blogging.




Thanks for reading!




© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Registration for RootsTech 2016 is Now Open

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I received the following email from FamilySearch this morning.




SALT LAKE CITY, 15 September 2015—FamilySearch announced today that registration for RootsTech 2016 is now open. RootsTech is a highly popular and growing global conference where people of all ages celebrate family and are inspired to share their memories and connections. The annual event attracts tens of thousands of participants worldwide. RootsTech 2016 will be held February 3–6 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The website for registration is RootsTech.org.



Attendees can expect a full lineup of inspirational keynote speakers, over 200 educational classes, exciting hands-on activities in the expo hall, and entertaining evening events, all designed to help celebrate families across generations! Exclusive early bird discount pricing is available now for full passes starting at just $149 and $169 for the RootsTech plus Innovator Summitpass.  Passes for the Getting Started track start at $19 for a limited single day and $39 for a limited 3-day.



An exciting change comes to the class schedule for RootsTech 2016. Classes will now start earlier in the week, on Wednesday February 3, with the first class beginning at 1:30 p.m.



For RootsTech 2016, attendees can now use a new scheduling tool to build, edit, and print their class schedule at RootsTech.org. All RootsTech and Innovator Summit classes, including speakers, class titles, and descriptions, are now available within the scheduling tool. Attendees can begin to create and edit their schedules, and continue to edit them after registration. The online tool will sync with the mobile app available later this year.



As part of RootsTech, the Innovator Summit returns to offer developers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs access to the latest content and resources that provide insight on family history data, services, and inspiration for current and future projects. 



Along with the Innovator Summit, the Innovator Showdown also returns to RootsTech 2016 and is even bigger than before. Innovators of all kinds in any industry are invited to compete with their latest hardware and software apps and services. The top six finalists will be invited to demo live onstage for over 23,000 people. The audience and a panel of renowned judges will decide the winners!



Registration for Family Discovery Day is also now open. The event takes place on Saturday, February 6, 2016, and is designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the LDS Church are invited to register as families and  groups up to 10 at a time. . This free one-day event includes devotionals, classes, interactive activities, and entertainment to help families and members discover, preserve, and share their family connections. Event details, including speakers and classes, will be made available soon at RootsTech.org. 



About RootsTech



RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

British Research, Genealogical Cold Cases, and Township Records ~ Classes on Day 4 at the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy

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On the final day of the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy, I took three classes.

The first class I took was "Introduction to British Research." It was part of the British Research Track and was taught by Amy Harris, PhD, AG, who is a BYU Professor, and three of her students. This first class was taught by Kelsee Harris and was focused on British censuses and civil registration.

Introduction to British Research
Presenters for the British Track: Amy Harris - BYU Professor
and Three of Her Students
Presenter for this Class: Kelsee Jackson
Friday, July 31, 2015

The information presented in this class pertained to England, Scotland, and Wales. Some tips about British census records include the fact that like the United States federal censuses, British Censuses take place every ten years beginning in 1801. Unfortunately, the 1941 census was not taken due to WWII and the 1931 census was destroyed in a fire. Beginning with the 1841 census, every person in the household was listed by name.

British censuses records from 1841-1911 can be found at Ancestry.comFindmypast.com, and FamilySearch.org.

Civil registration began in England and Wales on 1 July 1837. Indexes for the records can be found at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/. Civil registration in Scotland began on 1 January 1855. Indexes for these records can be found at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/. Some civil registration records for Scotland may also be found at FamilySearch.org.

The next class I attended was "How To Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case" by Lisa Louise Cooke. Lisa is a fantastic teacher!

How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case
Presenter: Lisa Louise Cooke
Friday, July 31, 2015

Lisa shared several tips to help genealogists solve "genealogical cold cases" in our family trees.

First of all, we need to be prepared and organized. A great organizational tool Lisa mentioned is Evernote. I use Evernote and it really is wonderful. It syncs with my desktop computer, tablet and smartphone. I've used it in a variety of ways for my genealogy research. I've even created a notebook that contains the cousin connections I've made over the years through blogging, online trees, etc.

Another great tip Lisa talked about is the use of timelines. She shared the story of how using a timeline helped to solve the Maria Ridulph kidnapping and murder case. This was a 54-year old cold case that was reopened and solved because of a timeline. Lisa listed several timeline websites in her presentation. These include Timeline MakerTimegliderOur Time Lines, and Smart Draw. She also suggested we check out our genealogy software to see if it contains a timeline feature.

There were so many more wonderful tips that Lisa shared during her class. If you would like to hear Lisa present this same class, there is an opportunity to do so on October 17, 2015. She will be presenting her "How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case" class, plus two additional classes, at the upcoming Fresno County Genealogical Society's 12th Annual Seminar on October 17th in Clovis, California. I shared the event flyer and the link for further information in a recent blog post.

The final class I took at the conference was titled "Treasures in Township Records" and was taught by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG. She is a fabulous teacher.

Treasures in Township Records
Presenter: Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG
Friday, July 31, 2015

Peggy shared wonderful information about township records in her class. She listed the different types of township records as follows:
  • Stories of the village and township
  • Ordinances
  • School - deed leased to the township
  • Teacher's general registers
  • Poor records, and "warnings out"
  • Militia records
  • Road taxes
  • Marriage returns
  • Marks and brands
  • Civil suits and criminal suits
  • Wolf scalp and sparrow certificates
  • Building construction guidelines
During the class, Peggy showed an excerpt from Bloom Township History. A member of the class recognized her ancestor's name in the excerpt and now she knows where he was. Isn't that awesome!?

Peggy shared some helpful resources with the class including Earth PointThe Bureau of Land Management and Map of US. She also encouraged the use of the FamilySearch Wiki's articles on Rectangular SurveysMetes and Bounds, Land and Property, etc. as well as the United States Record Selection Table.

I will be sharing more about my experiences at the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy in a future post.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

RootsTech 2016, Here I Come...As an Ambassador!

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I'm thrilled to announce that I've been selected as a RootsTech 2016 Ambassador! This will be the first time I will be attending RootsTech in person. I've watched their live streamed sessions in past years.

In February of 2012, I watched Lisa Louise Cooke's live streamed RootsTech presentation called Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101. I had never heard of genealogy blogs and although I had begun my family history research many years earlier, the thought of blogging about my ancestors had never even occurred to me before that time. I decided to be brave and jump into the genealogy blog pool and here I am today in my fourth year of blogging. I'm grateful to Lisa for her presentation and to RootsTech for live streaming it.

I've watched the RootsTech live streamed sessions at home for several years and they have been wonderful. But, I'm so excited to be able to attend RootsTech 2016 in person next year!

Registration for RootsTech 2016 is now open. Class sessions and speakers are listed on the website. There are so many classes to choose from! It's as if a great feast has been placed in front of hungry-to-learn genealogists and family historians.

RootsTech 2016 will be held from February 3-6 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

See you at RootsTech 2016!

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 18, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Do you think they'll remember? by Pat Richley-Erickson for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  2. Announcing The Genealogy Fairy™ Grant for September 2015 by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  3. Good Things Come To Those Who Blog! by Diana, author of Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog
  4. Spanish Records Extraction - An Instructional Guide by Moises Garza, author of Mexican Genealogy
  5. Arizona Family Discovery Days by Amy Archibald, author of Revealing Roots and Branches
  6. Create (or download) genealogy forms with Transpose by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History
  7. TUESDAY’S TIP–How to Determine Which War Your Ancestor May Have Participated In by Diane Gould Hall, author of MICHIGAN FAMILY TRAILS
  8. Glasgow Lunatic Asylum Records by Dianne Seale Guimont Nolin, author of Genealogy: Beyond the BMD
  9. GenStock 2015: On Being An Early Adapter by Polly Kimmitt, author of PollyBlog
  10. How to Introduce Yourself to Other Genealogists at a Genealogy Conference AND Score! Antique Documents 1879 by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, author of The Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
  11. What to Do When the Name on the Record Is Wrong AND 6 Ways to Have a Better Library Visit by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow
  12. Well That's Weird by Amie Bowser Tennant, author of My Kith N Kin
  13. Marriage Record Example by ArkivDigital Blog
  14. Women’s Land Army in Australia by Nicol Warren, author of The Family Ancestry Detective
  15. Hanging Grandma on the Wall with Easy Document Decor [Project Tutorial] by Denise Levenick, author of The Family Curator
  16. Flickr: Make Your Photos Search-Friendly by Denise Olson, author of Moultrie Creek Gazette
  17. The Finds You Can Find Probate Gold by Jenna Mills, author of Desperately Seeking Surnames
  18. Probate Shines Light on Family History by Family Sleuther, author of Family Sleuther
 
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow, author of No Story Too Small -
 
This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Attendee Interviews at The BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy

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See this comfy lobby area? It's near the front doors of the BYU Conference Center. During the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy, I sometimes came here to sit and write or just rest a bit. 

While I was here in the lobby, I met Cindy Moorhead, writer/editor for the Department of Visual Communications, Division of Continuing Education at Brigham Young University. In the photo below, Cindy is sitting on the left next to the table.


See that sign sitting on top of that table? It reads "Share your story or a favorite research tip here!"


Cindy interviewed conference attendees during the 4-day conference. The two chairs next to the sign in the lobby were reserved for attendees to share their stories with Cindy. She has interviewed and then posted conference attendee stories from previous years on the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy website.

On Friday, Cindy interviewed Lynette Banks.




Here's how to find the conference attendee interviews on the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy website. Click on the "Stories from Conference Participants" button.




You'll find a list of participant stories on the left side of the page. Just click on the story you want to read.



Cindy told me that all of these stories were written by her from interviews she conducted, except for the three-part series "The William Gilbert Burton Odyssey." That series was written by David G. Burton.

The current list of stories are from 2013 and 2014. The 2015 interviews haven't been posted yet, but Cindy hopes they will be soon. Cindy informed me that once the 2015 interviews are posted, they will be promoted on the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy's Facebook page. To access their Facebook page, click HERE.

It was a pleasure meeting and chatting with Cindy in person at the conference and by email. Please check out her past interviews and look for her upcoming 2015 interviews on the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy website and on their Facebook page.

I'll be sharing more about my experiences at the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy in a future post.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

A New-To-Me Feature on FamilySearch

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I thought I'd pass on this new-to-me feature on FamilySearch Family Tree. See the red box above? In the not-too-distant past, I used to only see FamilySearch listed as an option for searching records. Now AncestryFindmypast, and MyHeritage are listed as well.

I think this is fabulous! I clicked on the MyHeritage link and found a newspaper article that mentioned my Grandfather Debs. Awesome!

Are you seeing these additional websites listed under the "Search Records" area of your FamilySearch Family Tree as well?

Update: Apparently, this is a new feature, so I wasn't late to the party. Thank you FamilySearch for this wonderful new feature!

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for September 25, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Exploring the Hidden Features of Ancestry’s New Image Viewer by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow
  2. Getting my own handwriting analyzed by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History
  3. Ten Steps to Success: Visiting the Family History Library by Diana Elder for Family Locket
  4. Canadian Genealogy Resources by Dianne Nolin, author of Genealogy: Beyond the BMD
  5. Manage your research with Evernote and tags by Denise Olson, author of Moultrie Creek Gazette
  6. Civil War Saturday Special report: Was Bigfoot Ever Spotted During the Civil War? by Cindy Freed, author of Cindy Freed's Genealogy Circle
  7. Blog as "Cousin Bait" AND Tip: Study the Entire Document by Dana Leeds, author of The Enthusiastic Genealogist
  8. The Case of Someone Else's Baby Book by The Cousin Detective, author of The Cousin Detective
  9. Thomas MacEntee Interview on Genealogy as a Business: Part I, Part II, AND Part III by John D. Reid, author of Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections
  10. Knowing How Things Got Here AND From Blog to Book: Considering the Possibilities by Jacqi Stevens, author of A Family Tapestry
  11. Problematic: Between History and Gossip by Tad Callin, author of Mightier Acorns
  12. Big conference...Little conference...And the love of our youth! by Peggy Lauritzen, author of Anxiously Engaged
  13. "Old Mag" by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  14. The Family History Guide updates Classes and Training by James Tanner, author of Genealogy's Star
  15. World War Wednesday: FREE Learning Tools by Kathryn Lake Hogan, author of Looking4Ancestors
  16. Be a Part of RootsTech—Submit your Family Memories! by Chad K. Schumacher for FamilySearch Blog
  17. Sepia Saturday: Uncle Renza by Wendy Mathias, author of Jollett Etc.
  18. 8 Questions You Need to Be Asking When Researching Your Ancestors by Amie Bowser Tennant for RootsBid Blog
  19. 5 Ways I Find Time For Family History by Devon Lee, author of A Patient Genealogist
 
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow, author of No Story Too Small -

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana's Place

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Attend RootsTech 2016 Video

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FamilySearch published this fun video called "Attend RootsTech 2016" on September 25th and I want to share it with you today. 



As you may already know, I'm a RootsTech Ambassador. I'm so excited to attend RootsTech next year! And really, it will be here before we all know it. It's only a little over four months away. Have you registered yet? If not, you can access the RootsTech registration page by clicking HERE.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

The Last Will and Testament of Mary (Tyler) Webster

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As many of you may already know, Ancestry.com has recently added a new collection to their site - U.S. Wills and Probate Records. I went searching in this new collection and was excited to find this document. It's the Last Will and Testament of my 4th great-grandmother, Mary (Tyler) Webster.1 

Mary Tyler was born on 28 June 1775 possibly in New York, and passed away on 17 March 1858 in Coolville, Athens, Ohio. She married Augustine Webster, my 4th great-grandfather, on 20 October 1793 in Columbia, New York.


Here's the transcription of Mary's will, transcribed to the best of my ability. If there are errors, please let me know in the comments below.

Mary Webster's Will
In the name of the benevolent Father of all I Mary Webster of Athens County Ohio, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament. There is due me from Moses A. Webster Administrator of the Estate of Augustine Webster deceased the sum of Five hundred & fifty two Dollars, which I wish to be disposed of as follows.
Item 1st I give and devise to my Grandson William Wesley Rardin one hundred Dollars, which sum I wish to be put out on interest made secure until he arrives at the age of twenty one years, and in case he should die before he arrives at the age of Twenty one years, then I wish the said one hundred dollars and all the interest that may accrue on the same to be given to my beloved son Ebenezer Webster.
Item 2nd I give and devise to my son Wesley Webster fifty Dollars. Also I give and devise to my son Abraham Webster fifty dollars. Also I give and devise to my Grandson Nelson Cowdery's heirs that is now alive the sum of Twenty five Dollars to be equally divided between said heirs. Also I give and devise to my two Grand Daughters Elizabeth L. Shields and Samantha Cowdery twenty five Dollars each. Also I give and devise to my daughter Betsy Smith the Remainder of the five hundred and fifty two Dollars first mentioned, to say two hundred and Seventy Seven Dollars.
Item 3rd I do hereby nominate and appoint Hiram Smith Executor of this my last Will and Testament Hereby authorizing and empowering him to compromise adjust Release and discharge the debts and claims due me and dispose of the same as above mentioned.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th day of May in the year AD 1856.
Signed and acknowledged by Said Mary Webster as her last Will & Testament in our presence & signed by us in her presence.
Wm. F. Pilcher
J. P. Humphrey

Mary mentioned several family members in her will. Here they are in order:

Moses A. Webster - Mary's son and my 3rd great-grandfather. I wrote a blog about him in a previous post.
Augustine Webster - Mary's husband.
William Wesley Rardin - Mary's grandson. William is the son of Mary's daughter Samantha and her second husband, Moses Rardin.
Ebenezer Webster - Mary's son. I wrote about Ebenezer in a previous post.
Wesley Webster - Mary's son. I wrote about Wesley in a previous post too.
Augustine Webster - Mary's son. I also wrote about Augustine in a previous post.
Nelson Cowdery - Mary's grandson. I don't have Nelson in my genealogy database, but Mary's daughter Mary was married to a man named Ethan Cowdery.
Elizabeth L. Shields - Mary's granddaughter. I don't have Elizabeth in my genealogy database either. And I don't know of any of Mary's daughters marrying anyone with the last name of Shields.
Samantha Cowdery - Mary's granddaughter. I also don't have Samantha in my genealogy database. Could she be Nelson Cowdery's sister?
Betsy Smith - Mary's daughter.
Hiram Smith - Mary's son-in-law and husband of her daughter Betsy.


Mary's last Will and Testament is such a valuable document. In it she mentioned three people that I had never heard of before: Nelson Cowdery, Elizabeth L. Shields, and Samantha Cowdery. Who were they? Where and when were they born? Did they get married and have families of their own? I now have the opportunity to put on my genealogy detective hat and do some family history research so I can find the answers to these questions.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



1 Wills; Probate Place: Athens, Ohio: Record of Wills, Vol 6-7, 1848-1865; Vol 7, pg. 187-188. Accessed 10 Sep 2015. Ancestry.com. Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Ohio County, District and Probate Courts.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for October 2, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Family Apple Tree by Emily Kowalski Schroeder, author of Growing Little Leaves
  2. 31 Days to Better Genealogy by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  3. 4th Annual SHARE A MEMORY Contest by Pat Richley-Erickson, author of DearMyrtle
  4. Rootstech Pass Giveaway by Jill Ball, author of GeniAus
  5. 7 Steps to Protect Yourself Against a Genealogist’s Worst Nightmare by Amie Bowser Tennant for RootsBid Blog
  6. New Tools for the Family History Writer by Lynn Palermo, author of The Armchair Genealogist
  7. 52 Questions in 52 Weeks: Writing about Your Life Has Never Been Easier by Steve Anderson for FamilySearch Blog
  8. Where are the probate records? by James Tanner, author of Genealogy's Star
  9. Straight Talk about the State of Indexing by Michael Judson for FamilySearch Blog
  10. Update: The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  11. Find A Grave’s Community Day 17 October 2015 by Ancestry Insider, author of The Ancestry Insider
  12. DNA to the Rescue by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  13. OCTOBER IS FAMILY HISTORY MONTH–What do you know about your ancestors? by Diane Gould Hall, author of MICHIGAN FAMILY TRAILS
  14. Fire and Devastation! Reconstructing World War II Service by Jennifer Holik for Ancestry Blog
  15. Finding Family for my Photos by Becky Jamison, author of Grace and Glory
  16. Why I Have Genealogy Attention Disorder by Michael John Neill, author of Rootdig.com
  17. Unexpected Depositors of the Little Rock Freedman's Savings Bank by Angela Y. Walton-Raji, author of My Ancestor's Name
  18. Family Photos – The End of the Story by Debi Austen, author of Who Knew?
  19. Slave Name Roll Project: RELEASING Will, Cintha, Delph, Cate, Darkis, Roas, Alesey, Chloe, Charlote, Feby, Jude, Peggy, Rick, Cuffey, Thomas, Sal, Easter, Jude, Lucy and Anthony by Cathy Meder-Dempsey, author of Opening Doors in Brick Walls
  20. BABY'S CAUSE OF DEATH. FROM A CUP OF COFFEE STEAM... AND DANIEL MARK WATSON. IVY MAE'S BROTHER DIES TRAGICALLY. by True Lewis, author of Notes to Myself
  21. The Book and the Old House, What A Find! by Barbara Poole, author of Life From The Roots


This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

FamilySearch and the DAR at The BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy

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I attended the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy in July of this year as an official blogger. I had a wonderful time at the conference. This will be my last blog post as an official blogger. I want to thank those in charge of the conference for the opportunity I had to attend and blog about my experiences there.

Here's the view of the BYU Conference Center where the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy was held.


Upon entering the front doors, this sign greeted us. As you can see from the sign, the Harman Building is to the left and the Conference Center is to the right.


And here's the friendly and helpful staff at the front desk of the Conference Center.


I took the photos above on Friday, July 31st, which was the last day of the conference. The previous day, Thursday, July 30th, I stopped by the rooms where FamilySearch and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) were located and took some pictures.

When I stopped by the room where the DAR was located I chatted with the very nice and helpful staff. They answered my questions and gave me some pamphlets. I am eligible to join the DAR through my patriot ancestor Dr. Luther L. Waterman, who was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War.


Here are a few photos from their room filled with lovely displays.



This is the display for the Children of the American Revolution.


FamilySearch offered free book and photo scanning in Room 2285. They also had a computer lab in Room 2283.


Here are a couple photos from the FamilySearch Computer Lab.



And here's a sign from the book and photo scanning room.


I'm honored to announce that I've been asked to be an official blogger for next year's BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Take Advantage of RootsTech 2016 Early Bird Prices

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Can you believe it's already October? Where has the year gone? 

This is just a friendly reminder that the Early Bird discount pricing window for RootsTech 2016 will be closing soon. The Early Bird discount for RootsTech 2016 passes ends on October 15, 2015. That's only a little over a week away.

The savings with the Early Bird discount is quite significant. For instance, the Early Bird price for a RootsTech Pass is $149. Full price for that pass is $249. That's a $100 savings! And the RootsTech + Innovator Summit Pass is $169 versus the full price of $269, another savings of $100! There are other RootsTech Pass options as well. Check out the 2016 RootsTech Pass Comparison chart by clicking HERE

I've already registered and am really looking forward to attending RootsTech 2016. Don't miss out on RootsTech's Early Bird discount prices.

See you at RootsTech 2016!

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved


William Wesley Rardin's Guardian

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In a previous post I shared the Last Will and Testament of my 4th great-grandmother Mary (Tyler) Webster. Her grandson William Wesley Webster was mentioned in her will.1 Mary gave William the sum of one-hundred dollars in Item One of her will.

Further research in the probate records on FamilySearch produced this document about William. It's a guardianship record. My records indicate that William was born around 1848. This record was dated 14 October 1858, so William would have been around ten years old at the time.


Transcription of Probate Document
Probate Court Athens County Oct 14th 1858
In the matter of Wm Wesley Rardin Minor child of Samantha Rardin. On motion to the Court It is ordered that Daniel B. Webster be appointed Guardian of Said Minor and that he give Bond in the sum of Five hundred Dollars with Daniel B. Stewart Surity, conditioned according to Law, and thereupon the Said Guardian, having first filed the statement of the Estate of his Said Ward according to Law, appeared in open Court, accepted said appointment, gave Bond accordingly, & having been sworn as the Law directs. Letters of Guardianship were issued to him.
Calvary Morris Prob Judge
William Wesley Rardin's appointed guardian was Daniel B. Webster. William's mother had a brother named Daniel Bromley Webster. So, I think it's safe to assume that William's guardian was his Uncle Daniel.

My knowledge about probate records is not what I'd like it to be. I had questions about guardianship law in Ohio during this time period. I tried to find answers online on my own, but couldn't seem to find the answers I was seeking. So, I turned to Facebook. I belong to several genealogy Facebook groups and asked my questions in two of those groups - Genealogy Bloggers and Genealogy! Just Ask!. I also asked my questions in my own timeline as well. Within a very short time, wonderfully helpful fellow genealogists were coming to my aid. I wondered about the circumstances that would require guardianship of a minor child. For example, would the guardianship mean the child was orphaned?

These wonderful genealogy friends of mine answered my questions. Several people said that no, the child does not have to be an orphan to have a guardian. A couple of interesting links were shared with me as well. Here they are ~ Guardians for the kids? by Judy G. Russell and Ohio Probate Records in the FamilySearch Wiki.

Probate records really are fascinating. They give us an interesting glimpse into the lives of our ancestors.

I found additional probate records that pertain to William Wesley Rardin and will share those in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved


1 "Ohio, Probate Records, 1789-1996," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27661-22836-43?cc=1992421 : accessed 1 October 2015), Athens > Probate journals 1852-1871 vol 1-2 > image 218 of 597; county courthouses, Ohio.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for October 9, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Who Wants to be a Genealogy Rock Star? I’d Rather be a HERO by Jen Alford, author of Jenealogy
  2. It's Raining, It's Pouring! by Cheri Hudson Passey for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  3. Using the 1890 Civil War Veterans Census by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  4. Our Adventures at the Genealogy Roadshow by Dan Young, author of Discovering Your Past
  5. Introducing the Little Family Tree app by Melissa Finlay, author of Finlay Family
  6. Family History Mail by Caitlin Gow, author of Genealogically Speaking
  7. Education–Intermediate AND Education–Advanced by Michele Simmons Lewis, author of Ancestoring
  8. "Finished" Family Line Is Questioned AND How'd She Do That?! : Sharing on Pinterest by Amie Bowser Tennant, author of My Kith N Kin
  9. Should I Trash My Genealogy Papers? by Kerry Scott, author of Clue Wagon
  10. Celebrating My Very Own Patriot! by Jacqi Stevens, author of A Family Tapestry
  11. Tuesday's Tip: Attend, Online, the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair on October 21-22 by Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings
  12. Family History Eagle Scout Projects by Janet Hovorka, author of Zap the Grandma Gap
  13. Solving a Mystery with Military Records AND Deflecting Web Attacks by James Tanner, author of Genealogy's Star
  14. After One Year: Amazing Support by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  15. Military Monday - Military Service in Sweden by Anna Matthews, author of Tripping Over My Roots
  16. 5 reasons to learn how to use the GRS even if you’re not planning to join DAR by Bryna O'Sullivan
  17. Your Genealogical Education by Sheri Fenley, author of The Educated Genealogist
  18. The Facebook of Their Day by Tien Le, author of The Lazy Genealogist
  19. Contest: Win a Copy of How to Use Evernote for Genealogy from Shop Family Tree by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  20. 8 Ways to Celebrate Family History Month! by Allison for Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog
  21. Web Sleuthing––Chattanooga Public Library by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  22. Another Sad Chapter of Reuben Ward, Murdered Minister: A Case of an Insolvent Estate by Dana Leeds, author of The Enthusiastic Genealogist

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by Amy Johnson Crow, author of No Story Too Small -

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discoveries

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Selling Land on William's Behalf

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In a previous post, I shared the guardianship record of William Wesley Rardin. From that record, it appears that William's maternal uncle, Daniel B. Webster, was appointed as his guardian.

I'd like to share another probate record concerning William Wesley Rardin with you today. This time it's a Petition to Sell Real Estate.1


The petition is dated 24 December 1858, which is only about two months after Daniel B. Webster was appointed as William's guardian. In 1858, William was about ten years old.

Transcript of the Petition to Sell Real Estate

In the Matter of Daniel B. Webster  }
Guardian of Wm Wesley Rardin        }        Petition to Sell Real Estate
                    vs                                         }
Wm Wesley Rardin (a Minor)             }

This cause came on to be heard and no person appearing for the Defendant; and the court being satisfied that the Defendant has been duly notified of the pending and prayer of petition, and that it will be for the benefit of said Minor to sell the Real Estate in said Petition mentioned. On a Counsel for Petition it is ordered that George S. Simpson, Peter Grovsenor & S. W. Foreman, being first duly sworn according to Law, do upon actual view of the premises, appraise the Real Estate in said petition mentioned as the property of Wm Wesley Rardin: described as follows to wit; one undivided 1/2 of 1/2 of 3/4 of Section No 23. Town No 6. in Range No 12 in the Ohio company's purchase, in the County of Athens and State of Ohio. And of their proceedings make due return forthwith to this Court. 
Calvary Morris Prob Judge
This document is very interesting. I didn't know William had any property to sell. Where did he get this property? Did he inherit it? If so, from whom? I didn't see anything about property being given to William by his maternal grandmother, Mary (Tyler) Webster, in her will. Why was it necessary to sell William's property at the time of this petition? It stated that it would be for his benefit. Where were his parents? If they were alive at this time, were they having financial difficulties? Were they unable to support William? Did they have a say regarding this petition to sell William's property? Did they agree with the decision to sell the property?

As you can see, I have lots of questions. I still don't know for sure when William's parents, Moses Rardin and Samantha (Webster) Rardin, passed away. I've found conflicting evidence regarding Samantha's date of death, which I will share in a future post. There are other probate records regarding William Wesley Rardin which I will also share in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



1 "Ohio, Probate Records, 1789-1996," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27661-22796-8?cc=1992421 : accessed 1 October 2015), Athens > Probate journals 1852-1871 vol 1-2 > image 224 of 597; county courthouses, Ohio.

RootsTech Early Bird Pricing Extended

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In a previous post, I shared the news that the RootsTech early bird prices would expire on October 15, 2015. If you missed the opportunity to take advantage of those wonderful early bird discount prices, don't despair. We received great news from RootsTech. The early bird prices have been extended and are valid until October 19, 2015.

Here's yesterday's announcement from RootsTech:

Early bird pricing has been extended till Monday, October 19.

You've still got time to purchase a 4-day RootsTech Pass at the early bird price of just $149. Regularly priced at $249, that's a $100 savings!

A full RootsTech conference pass includes access to:

  • Over 200 RootsTech classes of all experience levels taught by industry professionals.*
  • The huge expo hall with hundreds of family history and technology exhibitors.
  • Daily keynote sessions with inspiring and well-known speakers.
  • Evening events with popular entertainers.

With over 200 classes to choose from, keynote sessions with inspirational and nationally recognized speakers, evening events with special guest performers, an expo hall with hundreds of exhibitors, and more, RootsTech 2016 will be an experience not to be missed!

Join us and register today to experience RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, happening February 3-6, 2016, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

REGISTER TODAY

*A few select RootsTech classes will begin on Wednesday, February 3 at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday classes do not include Getting Started classes. The Getting Started track of classes will start on Thursday, February 4. Click here to view the complete listing of RootsTech classes.

Want to experience more at RootsTech? Experience the Innovator Summit.

Want an insider look into the future of family history innovation and business? Join us at the 2016 RootsTech Innovator Summit where developers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and others gather to collaborate to accelerate the future of family history innovation. A RootsTech plus Innovator Summit pass is available for purchase at the early bird discount price of $169.

Learn more about the Innovator Summit here.

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover, preserve, and share their family stories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

For more information about RootsTech 2016, visit RootsTech.org.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for October 16, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. How to Add Photo Metadata Without Special Software AND How to Use Evernote for Genealogists Book Review by Denise Levenick, author of The Family Curator
  2. Social Media Decodes Long Last Family Letters by Amie Bowser Tennant for RootsBid Blog
  3. Rearranging things by Janet Hovorka, author of The Chart Chick
  4. Contest--Win RootsTech 2016 Free Registration! by Lara, author of Lara's Family Search
  5. What a Great site for Free Canadian Records AND The Father and two sons, Their Loyalist Documentation, and my Loyal Cousin by Barbara Poole, author of Life From The Roots
  6. Tuesday’s Tip: Use TinyPNG to Reduce Blog Image Size AND Review: How to Use Evernote for Genealogy by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  7. Ten Things to Know About Researching a Witch in Your Family Tree by Heather Wilkinson Rojo, author of Nutfield Genealogy
  8. It Suddenly Came to Me AND Savior, again to Thy dear name we ...Dennis and I... raise by Becky Jamison, author of Grace and Glory
  9. Record Browsing Has Benefits by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  10. Is DNA a genealogical miracle? by Gary Roberts, author of Backtracking The Common
  11. Thinking About My Father by Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings
  12. Worth Every Drop of Spit--Carl Fricks Pt 2 by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  13. Workin' on the Railroad! by Dianne Nolin, author of Genealogy: Beyond the BMD
  14. October in the USA, Halloween and Family History Month by Carol Bowen Stevens for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  15. How to Find Everything and Anything on YouTube by The Cousin Detective, author of The Cousin Detective Blog
  16. TUESDAY TIP: INDICES ARE NOT RECORDS by Kathryn Lake Hogan, author of Looking 4 Ancestors
  17. Private George Robert TODD 15086 died 16th September 1916 aged 27 by Simon Last, author of Charnwood Genealogy

This week's "May I Introduce To You" Interview on GeneaBloggers.com

New Blog Discovery

In Case You Missed Them….My Contributions to the Blogosphere Last Week

Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
Jana's Place

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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