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Win A Free 3-Day Pass to RootsTech 2016!

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I am so excited that I will be attending RootsTech 2016 as an Ambassador next year! I've watched RootsTech sessions via live streaming in past years, but haven't ever attended RootsTech in person. I am just so thrilled that I finally get to attend RootsTech in person next year!

As a RootsTech 2016 Ambassador, I have the opportunity to give away a free 3-Day Pass to RootsTech 2016, valued at $249, to one of my wonderful readers. This pass will include:

  • Over 200 classes

  • Keynotes

  • General sessions

  • Getting Started classes

  • Expo hall

  • Evening events


RootsTech Expo Hall

RootsTech 2016 will be held February 3-6, 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. RootsTech is the largest family history conference in the world. At last year's RootsTech, there were more than 23,000 registered attendees from 49 U.S. states and 39 countries. It truly is a global conference.

RootsTech Class

Okay! It's giveaway time! For a chance to win a free 3-Day RootsTech Pass, click on the "ENTER HERE" link below.




I've included something fun with my giveaway. After you enter your email address, look for the "bonus entries" opportunities to increase your chances to win a 3-Day RootsTech 2016 Pass.

If you've already purchased a RootsTech Pass and you're the lucky winner of this giveaway, no problem! You will receive a full refund. How's that for awesome!?

This contest begins on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 and ends on Tuesday, October 27, 2015. The winner will be selected at random on Wednesday, October 28, 2015.

Thanks for reading and good luck contestants!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Mormon Family History Library Still Connecting Generations of Families after 30 Years

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The following is from FamilySearch


(SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, 22 October 2015)—FamilySearch’s Family History Library (FHL) in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, will celebrate its 30th anniversary on October 23, 2015. When the new facility was completed in 1985, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was already considered the foremost authority on family history research. During the past three decades, the library has been hailed by genealogists as the top research and collections library in the world—a designation it still maintains—in part, because it has evolved to keep pace with the changing demographics and demands of family researchers and the communities it serves. 


“The Family History Library in Salt Lake City is unique in all the world,” said Diane Loosle, director of the world-renowned library. She explained the focus of the library has always been to increase access to the world’s genealogical records and help patrons make personal family discoveries.
  

“To the family historian, this library is like Disneyland,” says Loosle, “There’s no place like it. People dream for years of coming. It is the largest facility of its kind and the largest of FamilySearch’s 4883 family history centers globally. Many people begin their journey of discovery at one of our facilities.” 


The Family History Library has been attracting guests and visitors from all corners of the world for three decades due to its expansive collection of resources and knowledgeable staff. “Most mornings before the library opens, people begin to queue up in front of the doors waiting to get in,” Loosle said.  


It appears the masterminds behind its construction had a vision of future demands. Plans that seemed almost grandiose when construction of the edifice was announced in 1983 have not only materialized, but have also led the way through the years to accommodate ever-improving research and information gathering options. It has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1894 as a one- room repository of the Genealogical Society of Utah, just around the corner and up the street in a small building called the Church Historian’s Office at 58 E. South Temple. 


The five-story building in downtown Salt Lake City today continues to serve as a repository and physical point of access for FamilySearch’s now billions of records. Instead of growing numbers of microfilm and microfiche, the influx of new records today continues digitally through online indexing, patron submissions, partner exchanges, donations from various government, religious and private entities and local records preservation and access initiatives world-wide—most of which is available at FamilySearch.org.

The library continues to move with digital innovationsbenefiting from the latest technology to preserve and provide access to the world’s genealogical records and increase the success of personal discovery. Progress in gathering, copying, and making records available has been dramatic and fast. Over 300 camera teams are digitally preserving historic records worldwide—over 100 million images per year—that are published directly online.  


In this age of 24/7 access to information and growing thirst for digital services, libraries across the nation are evolving to meet the changing demands of the communities and patrons they serve, and the Family History Library is no exception.  


About 25 percent of the 2.4 million rolls of microfilm stored at the Granite Mountain Vault have been digitally published online. The Family History Library itself has about 1.5 million rolls on site. As physical films are digitized, they are removed from the library. Insofar as possible, the records teams plan on digitally publishing all of the microfilm online for 24/7 access. 


In 1985 family history research was a very individual experience requiring each person interested in a specific record to scroll through microfilm or search microfiche. In 1985 over 600 microfilm and fiche readers were housed in the Library. Though microfilms and fiche still play an important, though less frequently used role, a large portion of today’s research is now computer-based. Today the Family History Library boasts 550 Internet-enabled patron computers while still providing access to over 200 film and fiche readers. The Library also offers free access to film, book, and photo scanning equipment to help patrons digitally preserve and share family records.




The library is the hub of a worldwide genealogical library system—including 4,883 satellite branches in more than 100 countries—called FamilySearch Family History Centers or affiliate libraries. The library began serving about 2,000 patrons a day or 700,000 a year in 1985, and today, with FamilySearch.org and its satellite branches, it serves over 45 million guests per year
  

“We know that many people will never have the opportunity to visit the Family History Library in person,” said Loosle. So FamilySearch has been expanding its reach. We want everyone who desires to discover their ancestors to be able to do so, no matter where they live. 



Managing the Library Requires a Village 


Visitors to the Family History Library find an amazing collection of resources collected over 120 years and hosts of friendly people with expertise available to help them. The Library delivers with an impressive cadre of 45 full and part-time staff, and perhaps unprecedented for libraries, 550 full- and part-time volunteers or “missionaries.”  The volunteers hail from all over the world, many of them dedicating up to 18 months—at their own expense—to help patrons make successful discoveries. 


The main floor of the library is specifically designed to assist inexperienced patrons in getting started. The floor has been outfitted with computers supported by volunteers trained to assist beginners. Volunteers and expert reference staff are also available for more in-depth research on the other floors dedicated to records from certain areas of the world. 

On its lower level, for example, is found the largest number of Chinese clan genealogies outside Mainland ChinaThis level is also used for storing family histories, and overflow films, and books available by request.  Requests for digitalization of these and other personal books can be requested here, and is done at another facility in Salt Lake or at many of the Family History Centers and affiliate libraries. 



“The library is not a repository for original documents as is the case with specialized archives; it is not an archive in that sense,” noted David Rencher, chief genealogy officer for FamilySearch. “But it accepts donations of published works of genealogical significance.” Books and serials are continually added to the library’s shelves—over 600,000 in fact—and the library is heading up an initiative with other public libraries to digitally publish historic books of genealogical relevance online—over 225,000 have been digitally published online to-date.  


Future of the Family History Library 


The library is focused on continuing to expand access to the world’s genealogical record collections to satisfy growing consumer demands. In 1985, the average patron was mostly retirees or professional researchers. Today, the patron faces are changing. It is common to see working professionals, families, and even a growing number of youth amidst the stereotypical retirees and serious researchers,” said Loosle  
       

Loosle sees a bright future for the library. “The library is still the best place to do family history research and will continue to serve that purpose. In addition, the library has created a lab for testing discovery concepts called the Discovery Centera family-friendly area where families, and particularly young people, can begin the journey of self and family discovery through fun and engaging activities. Over time, similar experiences are planned to be incorporated in the Family History Library. We anticipate the exciting additions will attract thousands of new patrons who want to discover their family history.

The library will continue to develop and offer timely, free guest classes broadcasted as webinars. The schedules, necessary connection links, downloadable handoutsand recordings to past webinars are accessible online through the FamilySearch WikiThe library also hosts a community block party in June. This year over 3,200 participants came and enjoyed a free family day including bounce houses, face painting, cultural entertainment, family history centric activities and classes. The 2016 party is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 11.  


Begin your family discovery at the Family History Library, online at FamilySearch.org or through a local FamilySearch Family History Center.   


### 


About FamilySearch 


FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a  

nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 130 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for October 23, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Twitter for Genealogists by Jen Baldwin for NextGen Genealogy Network
  2. Tuesday’s Genealogy Tip – Be a Reporter! by Lisa Lisson, author of Lisa Lisson
  3. Using RootsTech Site Tools to Create a Possible Schedule AND Keep the Fire Burning by Devon Lee, author of A Patient Genealogist
  4. How to Upload Your Tree to RootsWeb’s WorldConnect by Cathy Meder-Dempsey, author of Opening Doors in Brick Walls
  5. What Do I Do Next? 5 Tips for Using FamilySearch Partners by Diana Elder for Family Locket
  6. Sonia Diamond Holocaust Reparations Application by Lara Diamond, author of Lara's Family Search
  7. Deleting Person Entries in Family Tree by Matt Wright for FamilySearch Blog
  8. Look for New York Ancestors in Ledger Books Online by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, author of Ancestors At Rest
  9. Make Your Family History Survive the Test of Time by Denise May Levenick for Ancestry.com Blog
  10. HAVE EARLY MASSACHUSETTS ANCESTORS? This might be your lucky day by Diane Gould Hall, author of MICHIGAN FAMILY TRAILS
  11. Cite Your Sources on FamilySearch with the Evernote Web Clipper: Evernote for Genealogy by Lisa Louise Cooke, author of Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems
  12. More Sessional Paper Discoveries by Dianne Nolin, author of Genealogy: Beyond the BMD
  13. Time to Write: #1 Making an Outline by Colleen G. Brown Pasquale, author of Leaves & Branches
  14. "Was" or "Is" . . . What Tense Makes Most Sense For One's Ancestors? (October 22, 2015) by John D. Tew, author of Filiopietism Prism
  15. Win a FREE RootsTech 2016 (February 3-6, 2016) Registration Here on Genea-Musings AND Forward to the Family History Future – 2045 by Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings
  16. Immigrant Ancestors and Sport in the Progressive Era; plus Google doesn’t always know everything by Laura, author of Almost Home
  17. 4 Ways to Record Your Life for Future Researchers on Evernote by Kerry Scott for Genealogy Insider Blog
  18. Reminiscing About Blogging by Fran Ellsworth for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  19. What Orderly Roots guides should I write next? by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History

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

Petition to Sell Land

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In a previous post I shared a probate record concerning William Wesley Rardin. It was a Petition to Sell Real Estate and was dated 24 December 1858.

Today I have another probate record to share with you that also concerns William Wesley Rardin. This document is a Petition to Sell Land and is dated 4 February 1859.1


Transcript of Petition to Sell Land

Probate Court Athens County Feby 4 1859
In the Matter of D. B. Webster        }
Guardian of Wm Welsey Rardin      }   Petition to Sell Land
                     vs                                      }
Wm Wesley Rardin                            }
D. B. Webster Guardian as aforesaid having made a Return of the sale of the premises in said petition described and the said Return & proceedings in the sale having been by the Court examined and the Court being satisfied that the sale has in all respects been made according to Law. It is ordered that the same be approved and confirmed: and that said Guardian execute and deliver to said purchaser a Deed in fee Simple for said Real Estate so sold as aforesaid; on the purchaser complying with the terms of said sale.
Calvary Morris Prob Judge

From this document, it appears that William's land had indeed been sold. Unfortunately, the document doesn't mention the name of the person who bought William's land.

I have another probate record regarding William Wesley Rardin that I will be sharing in a future post.

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-1961-27661-22724-46?cc=1992421 : accessed 1 October 2015), Athens > Probate journals 1852-1871 vol 1-2 > image 229 of 597; county courthouses, Ohio.

And the Winner of the RootsTech 2016 3-Day Pass is...

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The time to enter my RootsTech 2016 3-Day Pass giveaway has ended and it's time to announce the winner.

But, before I announce the winner, I'd like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway, which included entrants from the United States, France, and New Zealand.

PromoSimple, the website I used for my giveaway, randomly selected the winner.

Okay, the time has come to announce the winner. Drum roll please...the winner of the RootsTech 2016 3-Day Pass is Mariah Hudson!

I've already contacted Mariah to tell her the great news. She sounded so excited in her reply email. And I've also sent her the RootsTech 2016 Winner Certificate.

Again, thank you to all who entered my RootsTech 2016 3-Day Pass giveaway. And congratulations Mariah!

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

RootsTech 2016 Opening Day Keynote Speakers Announced

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The following is from RootsTech

SALT LAKE CITY, October 27, 2015—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today the first three keynote speakers in its all-star lineup for RootsTech 2016. The first general session (Thursday, February 4, 2016) will feature three inspiring speakers, which include New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler, award-winning journalist Paula Williams Madison, and the president and CEO of FamilySearch International, Stephen Rockwood.



Bruce Feiler is a bestselling author and columnist for The New York Times, where he writes the “This Life” column about today’s families. He is also the writer and presenter of the PBS Series Walking the Bible and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler.



His latest book, The Secrets of Happy Families, reviews best practices for modern-day parents from some of the country’s most creative minds, including top designers in Silicon Valley, elite peace negotiators, and the Green Berets.



 “RootsTech is the premier event for people who care about family history,” Feiler said. “I've become a passionate believer in the importance of telling your family history as a foundational tool for having a happy family. I can't think of a better audience to share my own story with.”



Paula Williams Madison is an award-winning journalist who is a former NBC executive. Currently, Madison serves as chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC, a media consultancy company based in Los Angeles with global reach. She’s been named one of the “75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise Magazine and was recently honored by the East West Players and AARP with their Visionary Award.



After a successful career in news journalism, Madison retired in 2011 and embarked on a search for her grandfather Samuel Lowe, who returned to his native China after living in Jamaica. Madison produced a documentary film on the topic, Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China. In April of this year, HarperCollins published a memoir of the journey Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem.


Attendees can expect to hear about Madison’s compelling journey, including the resources that helped her. “I used FamilySearch.org to research and try to locate my family in China. This system will help people like me find their families,” said Madison. “Family to me means bloodline—past, present, and future. You have to honor the past as you live in the present so that you can guarantee a future for your family.”


Stephen Rockwood is the new president and CEO of FamilySearch International and managing director for the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to joining FamilySearch, Rockwood was a successful entrepreneur, creating unique service offerings for worldwide customers and building several businesses from the ground up. 



 “We look forward to another great RootsTech conference as we invite attendees to discover their families in a world-class setting. We are thrilled to welcome Bruce Feiler and Paula Williams Madison,” Rockwood said. “Their personal experiences will be highly inspiring for many as we kick off this exciting conference.



Visit RootsTech.org to reserve your seat now to hear Bruce Feiler, Paula Williams Madison, and Stephen Rockwood at the Thursday morning general session on February 4, 2016. Passes start at just $29.



RootsTech 2016 will be held on February 3–6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.




###



About RootsTech



RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch International, 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 October 30, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. rootstech 2016: so many chances to win by Tami Osmer Mize, author of Relatively Curious
  2. Would You Like to Contribute to the Honor Roll Project for Veteran's Day, 2015? by Heather Wilkinson Rojo, author of Nutfield Genealogy
  3. International Tracing Service Came Through! Paul Diamond's Displaced Persons Records by Lara Diamond, author of Lara's Family Search
  4. Soldiers of the Queen by Dianne Nolin, author of Genealogy: Beyond the BMD
  5. Do you have any genealogy documents hiding in your home? by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History
  6. The Care and Preservation of Family Bibles by Melissa Barker, author of A Genealogist In The Archives
  7. Genealogy Weekly: Ancestry Mexico, North Carolina Newspapers and More by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  8. Ancestry Mexico Launches with More than 220 Million Searchable Mexican Historical Records by Ancestry Team for Ancestry.com Blog
  9. AncestryDNA Kit Giveaway! by Sarah O'Connor, author of Geneartistry
  10. Join Us in November for Family History Writing Month! AND Contest: Win a Flip-Pal® Mobile Scanner by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  11. Fiction, Nonfiction or Memoir…What Will You Write in November? by Lisa A. Alzo, author of The Accidental Genealogist
  12. Two Sisters, Two Stories by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  13. Understanding Spanish Naming Conventions by Julie Cordero, author of Oak Grove Genealogy
  14. 6 Tips for Telling a Better Genealogy Story by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  15. Not driving horses by Debi Austen, author of Who Knew?
  16. How Did I Miss This Before? Ancestry.com Shows Others Researching a Person by Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings
  17. Next Generation from Legacy Family Tree Webinars by Cheri Hudson Passey, author of Carolina Girl Genealogy
  18. What Kind of Genealogist Are You? by Lorine McGinnis Schulze for Legacy News Blog
  19. Do You Have a Skeleton in your Family History Closet? by Diana Elder for Family Locket

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

An Exciting Discovery ~ The Death Record for Raymunda Villatoro Vasques

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I have an exciting discovery to share with you today. Last Friday, I was searching on Ancestry.com and found the death record for my maternal 2nd great-grandmother, Raymunda Villatoro Vasques.1 I didn't have any information about Raymunda's death before.

I knew that Raymunda passed away before 7 March 1925. Why? Because her son Francisco was married to Emma Vera on 7 March 1925 and their marriage record stated that Francisco's parents were deceased. But, I didn't know when or where Raymunda passed away or her cause of death.

This is a copy of Raymunda's death record. It begins on the bottom of the left page and continues to the top of the right page. Her record is highlighted in the red boxes.


I decided to crop Raymunda's death record and highlight in yellow some of the information contained in the record.




Unfortunately, the edges of these pages are in bad shape which makes it difficult to see all of the words in the record. But, I'm thankful that Raymunda's death record is mostly readable.

I don't read or speak Spanish so I turned to Google Translate for help with this document. I also asked my son-in-law, who served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico City, Mexico, for help. It was a quick translation help session and we didn't get everything in the document translated. However, I think I can understand it enough to glean the most important information from it.

Basically, here's what this record tells me:

Francisco M. Villatoro, 23 years of age, and single, reported his mother's death. Francisco is one of Raymunda's children. He and my great-grandmother, Esther Matus Villatoro, are siblings. Raymunda Villatoro, 60 years of age, passed away in her home in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico at 2:00 on 8 October 1923. Her cause of death was "Hidropecia." I used Google Translate to see what Hidropecia means and found that it is Dropsy. Raymunda's parents were listed as Demetrio Villatoro and Ysabel Vasquez.

So now I have this additional information about my 2nd great-grandmother, Raymunda Villatoro Vasques. I don't yet have her birth or marriage records, so I can't say exactly when or where she was born or married. But, I'm grateful to have her death record. It really is an exciting find.

I found other exciting, and even surprising, discoveries this last weekend. I'll share those in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


 © 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved


1 Ancestry.com. Chiapas, Mexico, Civil Registration Deaths, 1861-1987 [database on-line, accessed 30 October 2015]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Mexico. State of Chiapas Civil Registration. Registro Civil del Estado de Chiapas, México. Courtesy of the Academia Mexicana de Genealogia y Heraldica.

I Found Little Israel Villatoro

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Thanks to Ancestry.com's newly added and indexed records for Mexico, I've been finding records that I haven't found before.

Today, I found a person I didn't know about before. His name is Israel Villatoro. He is my 1st cousin 3 times removed and is the son of my maternal 2nd great-granduncle, Zenon Villatoro Vasques. Zenon is a brother of my 2nd great-grandmother Raymunda Villatoro Vasques. I shared her death record in a previous post.

The record I found for Israel is his death record.1


Israel passed away on 8 August 1904 due to Dysentery. He was only seven months old. Poor little baby! I discovered from this record that his mother, Adelfa Hernandez, had passed away before Israel. And Israel's father, Zenon, was listed as a widower.

From what I can tell using Google Translate, the highlighted areas of this record basically say that on 9 August 1904 Zenon Villatoro, 26 years of age, widower, reported Israel's death. Israel passed away at 4:00 in the afternoon of 8 August 1904. I figured that out using Google Translate. "Fallecio ayer" means "died yesterday." It's important to read through the record to see when the actual death occurred. The last highlighted area reads "la finada Adelfa Hernandez" which means "the deceased Adelfa Hernandez."

I've now added little Israel Villatoro to my Legacy database as well as my Ancestry tree and FamilySearch Family Tree.

I've found other documents regarding my Mexican family lines and will share those in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved


1 Ancestry.com. Chiapas, Mexico, Civil Registration Deaths, 1861-1987 [database on-line, accessed 4 November 2015]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Mexico. State of Chiapas Civil Registration. Registro Civil del Estado de Chiapas, México. Courtesy of the Academia Mexicana de Genealogia y Heraldica.

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for November 6, 2015

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Defense.gov_photo_essay_111111-A-TI385-023 No Copyright
My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Now I Understand by Nancy Messier, author of My Ancestors and Me
  2. Gen Do-Over: Do You Have a Genealogical Will? by Marian Burk Wood, author of Climbing My Family Tree
  3. All Aboard! Railroad Retirement Board Records by Debbie Mieszala, author of The Advancing Genealogist
  4. Old Letters: Preserving a Rare Genealogical Record Source by Melissa Barker, author of A Genealogist In The Archives
  5. BE PREPARED IN GENEALOGY – PART 1 – INTRODUCTION AND GENEALOGICAL PREPAREDNESS – PART 2 – TIME WITH A PROFESSIONAL by Cari Taplin, author of Genealogy Pants
  6. Able Seaman Alfred Henry LAST J/18054 died 31st May 1916 aged 19 AND A long shot, but could you have a connection to any of these old photographs? by Simon Last, author of Charnwood Genealogy
  7. Get Your Ducks in a Row – Time May Be Shorter Than You Think AND Ancestry’s New “Amount of Shared DNA” – What Does It Really Mean? by Roberta Estes, author of DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy
  8. New Family ChartMasters Website by Janet Hovorka, author of The Chart Chick
  9. 8 Tips to Giving a Great Genealogy Lecture by Amie Bowser Tennant for RootsBid Blog
  10. First Look at New Search Connect Feature on MyHeritage by Randy Seaver, author of Genea-Musings
  11. Place Your Ancestor in History by Emily Kowalski Schroeder, author of Growing Little Leaves
  12. Library & Archives Canada New Immigration Database! by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, author of The Olive Tree Genealogy
  13. Tuesday’s Child’s Family Heirlooms: My Dad’s Photography by Cathy Meder-Dempsey, author of Opening Doors in Brick Walls
  14. 5 Photos You Should Take at the Cemetery AND The Question You Need to Ask When You’re Stuck on Your Genealogy by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  15. Start Saving Those Family Photos & Stories–Now–One at a Time! by Thomas Jay Kemp for FamilySearch Blog
  16. About Me: Getting interested in my family's history by Becky Jamison, author of Grace and Glory
  17. This Age At Death ALMOST fooled me! by Geoff Rasmussen for Legacy News Blog

RootsTech 2016 Related Posts

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

The RootsTech 2016 Mobile App is Available For Download

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Great news fellow RootsTech 2016 attendees! The RootsTech 2016 conference app is now available for download in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Here are links to the RootsTech 2016 conference app.

RootsTech 2016 Mobile App in Google Play Store

RootsTech 2016 Mobile App in Apple App Store

I'm an Android user, so I downloaded the app from the Google Play Store. Wow! One of my tweets is right there in the Twitter screenshot for the app in the Google Play Store. How fun is that?!


Clicking on the arrow at the right of the individual screenshots enables you to scroll through and see a closeup view of each screenshot. Here's a close-up view of the Twitter screenshot.


I am really looking forward to attending RootsTech 2016. It will be great to have my RootsTech conference schedule and other information easily accessible by using this app.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

How to Easily Share Sources Between Ancestry and FamilySearch

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I recently discovered a super easy way to share sources between Ancestry and FamilySearch.

However, this feature is only available for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have subscribed to Ancestry using their LDS account.

Before you can share sources, you will need to connect your ancestor in Ancestry to your ancestor in FamilySearch. To do that, while you're on an ancestor's person page in Ancestry.com, click on the FamilySearch icon next to the "Search" button. Sign into FamilySearch if needed, click on the FamilySearch icon again, match your ancestor in the list provided, and then click on "Connect Person."

Now, I'll show you how to easily share sources between Ancestry and FamilySearch.

Click on the FamilySearch icon next to the "Search" button.


Click on "Compare person on FamilySearch" in the drop down menu.


You may see the following prompt to sign into FamilySearch. If so, click "Sign In."


Enter your FamilySearch username and password and click on the "Sign In" button.


Choose the matching person in your FamilySearch Family Tree.


You will then see a side-by-side comparison of the person on FamilySearch and Ancestry. If you are satisfied that they are the same person, click the "Connect Person" button.


You will then see a page that looks similar to this.


Scroll down to the Sources section. As you can see, there is a source attached in Raymunda's person page in FamilySearch (left column) that isn't in Raymunda's person page in Ancestry (right column). And there are three sources attached to her Ancestry person page that aren't in her FamilySearch person page.

To share the FamilySearch source to Ancestry, just click on the gray box next to the source.


And it will automatically appear in the Ancestry column.


Click on the gray boxes next to the sources in the Ancestry column to share them to FamilySearch.



Voila! Now both FamilySearch and Ancestry columns have the same sources for Raymunda.



Press the "Save Changes" button and you're done.



Here's a screenshot showing the FamilySearch source now listed on Raymunda's person page in Ancestry.


You will also see the shared sources from Ancestry to FamilySearch when you go to your ancestor's person page in FamilySearch. If that page is already open, and you don't see the changes, refresh the page and they should appear.




There you go! Pretty easy right?

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Veterans Day Tribute ~ 2015

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Happy Veterans Day!

I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the brave men and women who have served or who are currently serving in the military to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy. And thank you to their families for their sacrifice as well.

In last year's Veterans Day tribute post I listed the blog posts I've written about some of the military veterans in my family tree, whether or not the posts were actually about their military service. I've added a few more posts to my list.

Revolutionary War
War of 1812
Civil War
Korean War

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for November 13, 2015

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A Note To My Wonderful Readers: Due to family activities and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Fab Finds will be on hiatus for the next two weeks and will return on December 4, 2015. Thank you! And Happy Thanksgiving to all of my U.S. readers!

My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Yet another use for Excel by Michele Simmons Lewis, author of Ancestoring
  2. My Journey of the Certification Process: Entry 1 by Amie Bowser Tennant, author of My Kith N Kin
  3. The Genealogical Clock Timer Has Been Set... by Lori Samuelson, author of Genealogy At Heart
  4. GENEALOGICAL PREPAREDNESS – PART 3 – BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL by Cari Taplin, author of Genealogy Pants
  5. The Disgusting Words in Genealogy by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  6. Veteran's Day 2015 ~ Honor Roll Project Contributions AND Ten Things to Know About Researching a Pilgrim in Your Family Tree by Heather Wilkinson Rojo, author of Nutfield Genealogy
  7. The New FamilySearch – I’m loving it! by Cathy Meder-Dempsey, author of Opening Doors in Brick Walls
  8. Have some fun with Excel! by Barb, author of Genealogy Boomerangs
  9. Using Microsoft Excel® in Genealogy by James Tanner, author of Genealogy's Star
  10. Free Access to ArkivDigital on November 14-15 by ArkivDigital Blog
  11. Rain, Rain and More Rainwater by Michelle Ganus Taggart, author of A Southern Sleuth
  12. Received! Railroad Pension Record by Joanne Cowden, author of Researching Relatives
  13. Easy Family History Ideas for Thanksgiving by Valerie Elkins, author of Family Cherished
  14. Today’s Civil War Quick Tip: Read the Regimental History by Cindy Freed, author of Genealogy Circle
  15. family history bingo (free download) by Allison Kimball, author of simple inspiration
  16. Mystery Baby – Who was Eric Dewell? by Kathy Smith Morales, author of Abbie and Eveline
  17. How to Find a Tombstone in the Old Cemetery in Lexington, MA, My Stearns / Stone for Tombstone Tuesday by Barbara Poole, author of Life From The Roots
  18. Hey Soldier, What’s Your Name? Crowdsourcing IDs in Old Group Photos [TUTORIAL] AND Obtaining a Vital Record for Los Angeles Genealogy by Denise Levenick, author of The Family Curator
  19. Update on Where Are the Canadian Genealogists Hiding? by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, author of Olive Tree Genealogy
  20. Has Genealogy gone 'Mean'? Rudeness Among Us by Nicholas Weerts, author of The Dead Relative Collector

RootsTech 2016 Related Posts

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

Engle Family Postcards ~ Gateway to Missoula, Mont. – 1905

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It's been much too long since I shared an Engle family postcard with you. For my new readers, the story about how these precious postcards are now in my possession can be found in my blog post The Engle Family Postcard Adventure. In this post you will read about how these wonderful postcards were found in a second-hand shop in Ireland and ended up in my grateful hands here in the United States.

The last Engle family postcard I shared with you was from Charles A. Engle. He sent it from Los Angeles, California, and it was dated July 2, 1905. On the postcard, he wrote "we go to Frisco tomorrow July 4th."

Interestingly, the postcard I'm sharing with you today, is also from Charles A. Engle, and it sounds like he was not traveling alone again when he sent this postcard to his mom, Mrs. R. Engle at West Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Charles' mom, Mrs. R. Engle, was Sarah Amanda (Waterman) Engle.

This postcard is titled "Gateway to Missoula, Mont." and shows a train rounding a curve next to a river.

The message Charles wrote to his mom reads as follows:

Missoula Mont
July 13 - 05
On our way to Yellowstone Park.
Chas A Engle

So, who was with Charles? And was Charles on his way back to South Dakota from his travels in Colorado and California?

These Engle family postcards are not only beautiful and interesting to look at, they also give clues about where the members of the Engle family were at the time the postcards were written. I've been able to add the following dates to my timeline for Charles A. Engle based on the postcards he sent to his mom.

June 21, 1905 - Denver, Colorado
July 2, 1905 - Los Angeles, California
July 13, 1905 - Missoula, Montana

I'll be sharing more Engle family postcards in future posts.

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved



Pulitzer Prize Winning Biographer, Historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin, to Keynote RootsTech 2016

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The following is from RootsTech

(SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—November 4, 2015)—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced Doris Kearns Goodwin has joined its lineup of keynote speakers. Goodwin, a world-renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will speak at the RootsTech general session on Saturday, February 6, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Goodwin will share her insights into the personal and family lives of past presidential leaders and the influence their ancestors had on their personalities, behavior, decisions, and careers. She will also share anecdotes about her own family and experiences which have shaped and influenced her life.



Goodwin has been hailed by New York magazine as “America’s historian-in-chief” for her in-depth scrutiny into the lives, actions, and family influences of America’s presidents, and the history of the country.  She provided extensive subject matter expertise for PBS and the History Channel’s documentaries on the Kennedy family, LBJ, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham and Mary Lincoln, and Ken Burns’ The History of Baseball and The History of The Civil War. She also worked with Steven Spielberg on the movie Lincoln, based in part on Goodwin’s award-winning Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.



Goodwin received the Pulitzer Prize in 1995 for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.  In addition, she has authored biographies of several other U.S. Presidents, including Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream; The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys: An American Saga;  Team of rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (which was awarded the Lincoln Prize),and her most recent book, The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.



Goodwin‘s biographies are not limited to presidents and politicians. Wait Till Next Year,her touching, best-selling memoir, draws her readers into life as she knew it in the 1950s in the suburbs of New York. She portrays the post-World War II era New York when the corner store was the gathering place for people to share stories and discuss their baseball differences with neighbors who were equally divided between Dodger, Giant, and Yankee fans.

Goodwin is expected to share memories of the lifelong influence of her parents: her mother, who taught her the joy of books, and her father, who taught her the joy of baseball and the Dodgers. She describes how two events deeply affected her: the Dodgers left Brooklyn in 1957 and the death of her mother.  Both events marked the end of an era and, for her, the end of childhood. 



Goodwin wrote Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream using first-hand insight into President Lyndon B. Johnson’s life. She served as an assistant in LBJ’s last year in the White House, and later assisted him in the preparation of his memoirs. On his 107th birthday, August 27, 2015, Goodwin said in retrospect, “LBJ was surely the most colorful politician I have ever met…. How I wish the LBJ that I knew in private—the colorful, ever fascinating, larger-than-life figure—had been able to project more of that effervescent personality into his public life.”



Goodwin is a frequent guest commentator on most of the major networks. Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studios has also purchased film rights to her book, The Bully Pulpit, which chronicles the first 10 years of the Progressive era through the administrations of Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft.


Other keynote speakers for RootsTech 2016 announced previouslyare New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler, award-winning journalist Paula Williams Madison, and the president and CEO of FamilySearch International, Stephen Rockwood. See the Keynote Page at RootsTech.org for more information about each of these speakers.  



For more information or to register for RootTech 2016, go to RootsTech.org.



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About RootsTech



RootsTech is the largest family history event in the world, reaching hundreds of thousands of participants around the world.  Originating at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and simulcast around the world, many sessions will be recorded for later viewing. Participants learn how to discover, preserve, and share family stories and connections across generations.  World-class speakers will be featured, entertainment and engaging classes are offered, and with the event, in a vast expo hall, everyone, regardless of age or experience, will find something of interest.

Newly-Called Apostle and Wife to Open Free Family Discovery Day at RootsTech 2016

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The following is from RootsTech

SALT LAKE CITY, (November 23, 2015)—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today that Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, will lead its lineup for its free Family Discovery Day event, which will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2016, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. This incredible opportunity is specially designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ages eight and older.



The free one-day event will feature inspirational messages, instructional classes, interactive activities, and exciting entertainment designed to teach Latter-day Saint families how to find their ancestors, how to prepare names for temple ordinances, and how to teach others to do the same. Attendees will also have access to the Expo Hall, where hundreds of exhibitors will showcase the latest technology and tools.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch International will host the event. Families are encouraged to register online at RootsTech.org.



Before Elder Renlund’s recent call as an Apostle, he served in the First Quorum of the Seventy and in the presidency of the Africa Southeast Area. After receiving B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah, Elder Renlund was a professor of medicine and the medical director of a cardiac transplant program. Sister Renlund graduated from the University of Maryland Law School in 1986 and practiced law with the Utah attorney general’s office. She served as president of the Utah Association for Justice. She also served on the Utah Supreme Court’s advisory committee for professionalism and was a member of the Deseret News board of directors.



In addition to Elder and Sister Renlund, attendees will hear from other Church leaders, including Primary general president Rosemary M. Wixom and Brother Stephen W. Owen of the Young Men general presidency.




Family Discovery Day will also feature additional Latter-day Saint speakers and closing event entertainment, which will be announced soon. Family Discovery Day is free, but registration is required. Visit RootsTech.org to learn more and to register.


  


###


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.

Advent Calendar ~ December 1, 2015 - Christmas Trees

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The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories prompt for December 1, 2015 ~ Christmas Trees

What are your memories of your family putting up the Christmas tree? Many of us come from different traditions: some people won't put up their tree until after Thanksgiving or even on Christmas Eve? Some like live trees and actually go out into the woods to cut their own while others prefer the convenience of an artificial tree.

Write about anything related to Christmas trees and your memories of Christmases past.

During the early years of our married life, my husband and I bought live Christmas trees. We did this for several years until we decided to buy an artificial tree.

December 2003

Our Christmas tree has moved from one location to another in our living room. We've put it next to our piano before, but for some years now, it sits in front of our window.

December 2010

Things have changed a bit in our living room over the years. That window treatment is gone and the bookcase in the first photo changed location to where you see it in the second photo. Also, the photos of my husband and I next to the Christmas tree in the first photo have been moved to another wall in the living room. In their place, a picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ, graces that wall.

Traditionally, we have put up our Christmas tree soon after Thanksgiving, sometimes even the day after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas and spend several hours decorating our home with Christmas decorations we've collected or were given through the years.

When all five of our children were living at home, we would gather together, put on some Christmas music, and decorate the Christmas tree. So much fun!

This year we are behind schedule. We haven't put up our Christmas tree yet or decorated the house. We plan on decorating our Christmas tree early next week. We only have one of our five children living at home now. Two of our children are married and two other children live out-of-state while they attend college.

I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our children at Christmas this year!

Thanks for reading!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

The Advent of Christmas Memories (ACCM) allows you to share your family's holiday history twenty-four different ways during during December! Learn more at http://adventcalendar.geneabloggers.com/.

Advent Calendar ~ December 2, 2015 - Christmas Cards

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NOTE: This is a repost from December 2012.

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

December 2 – Christmas Cards

Do you still send Christmas cards or has electronic communication taken the place of this tradition? Do you remember sending Christmas cards as a child – making a list, sending out your family’s cards and then checking the mailbox for cards sent to your family? How did your family display the cards?

Write about anything related to Christmas cards and your memories of Christmases past.

My parents did send and receive Christmas cards. And they were displayed in our home.  As you can see from the photo below, one of the ways my mom displayed them was by attaching the cards to a ribbon which was then attached to the wall.



I don’t display my Christmas cards the same way my mom did, but I have kept up the tradition of sending Christmas cards to family and friends. Lately though, I’ve started sending those fun Christmas photo cards from Costco instead of traditional Christmas cards. I also include a Christmas letter updating the happenings of our family.

You could say that my Grandma Ingrid sent a type of photo Christmas card as well in 1939.  Here is a cute little Christmas card I found in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance. Pictured are my Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Ingrid Iverson with their three children.



At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds for December 4, 2015

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My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)
  1. Growing Little Leaves Blog is MOVING! by Emily Kowalski Schroeder, author of Growing Little Leaves
  2. My Journey of the Certification Process: Entry 2 by Amie Bowser Tennant, author of My Kith N Kin
  3. Mapping Wars...Or Other Events by Schalene Dagutis for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  4. FOLLOW UP ~ Why did Ralph Forsyth jump from a 9th story hotel window to his death? AND EVERNOTE ~ How it keeps my genealogy organized AND ANCESTOR WALL OF PHOTOS ~ It’s finished–Here’s how I did it by Diane Gould Hall, author of MICHIGAN FAMILY TRAILS
  5. Ten Things I Miss About Dad: Remembering John Alzo 1925-2005 by Lisa A. Alzo, author of The Accidental Genealogist
  6. Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories Returns for 2015 by Thomas MacEntee, author of GeneaBloggers
  7. Make An Illustrated Storybook of Ancestors by Nicole Dyer for Family Locket
  8. The Power of Story: Yours, Mine and Ours by Thomas MacEntee for MyHeritage Blog
  9. Tuesday’s Child’s Family Heirlooms: Bomi’s Sewing Stuff by Cathy Meder-Dempsey, author of Opening Doors in Brick Walls
  10. How to Find a Birth Date from Age at Death by Amy Johnson Crow, author of Amy Johnson Crow Blog
  11. Record Selection Tables at FamilySearch Wiki by Pat Richley-Erickson for Worldwide Genealogy ~ A Genealogical Collaboration
  12. Tuesday's Tip: Try, Try Again--New Records Are Always Coming Online! by Marian Burk Wood, author of Climbing My Family Tree
  13. Printing a Book from Google Books by Diane MacLean Boumenot, author of One Rhode Island Family
  14. My first easy attempt at a narrated photo by Becky Jamison, author of Grace and Glory
  15. The Railroad Retirement File for James John McCarry by Patricia O'Donnell Kuhn, author of Touching Family History
  16. Buried Here But Not; How I Played Hide and Seek on Find A Grave by Laura Aanenson, author of where2look4ancestors
  17. What’s your biggest organizing challenge? by Janine Adams, author of Organize Your Family History
  18. New War of 1812 Database Online by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, author of Olive Tree Genealogy
  19. All it took was a little persistence by Michele Simmons Lewis, author of Ancestoring

RootsTech 2016 Related Posts

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

"May I Introduce To You" Interviews 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
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