Land Records Solve Research Problems - free webinar now online for a limited time

Today's webinar by Mary Hill was one for the ages. Every genealogist - from beginning to experienced - needs to watch the recording of Land Records Solve Research Problems. And if you are not yet using land records as part of your genealogy toolbox, what you learn from Mary will open genealogical doors you never knew existed.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 26 minute recording of Land Records Solve Research Problems is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Members also have access to the 4 pages of syllabus materials.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of land that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, May 20, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 160 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 423 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Do More with your Photos with Templates from Heritage Collector Software by Kathleen Bitter. August 21.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using GPS Coordinates to Tag and Record Your Photos with Heritage Collector Software by Marlo Schuldt. October 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Source: Legacy News | 15 May 2013 | 3:34 pm

Have You Really Looked Everywhere?

Thanks to guest blogger and webinar speaker, Lisa Alzo, for the following article.

As a genealogist are you a creature of habit? When looking for ancestors do you tend to search only online? Do you visit the same databases over and over again, hoping to get that “magic” result? You know - the one with the special power to help you break down your research brick wall? Do you shy away from investigating an offline resource that’s tucked away in a courthouse basement, a library across the country, or foreign archive because it’s too time consuming, too expensive, or takes too long to obtain?

Sometimes we need to break out of the mindset of wanting our desired genealogical information to come easy. Let's face it, we’re all a bit spoiled by all of the great record images and indexes and other data available to us online, whether through free or subscription-based websites. But there is so much information we miss because it's not convenient or desirable to step away from our computers, tablets, and mobile devices.

Other Resources

Genealogists learn about conducting a “Reasonably Exhaustive Search” (one of the elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard), but sometimes we need a reminder. Think about the research you have done, and then consider those “hidden” or underused resources that you either haven't thought to look for, didn't know about, or dismiss because you prematurely assume your ancestors won't be found in them.

Hide-n-seek Sources

Here are three places where you may discover hidden information.

1. Personal and Family Documents. I know you’re probably thinking, “What more can I possibly find in home sources?” Or, perhaps, “But, I don’t have personal items that belonged to my ancestors.” You should review all the research materials you gathered, whether you inherited from your parents, grandparents, or other relatives, or whether you have had to get the information from public records. Have you missed any clues?

Have you considered the name of a witness on a marriage license or naturalization petition, or the names of the godparents on a baptismal record, and how these individuals were connected to the ancestor you’re researching?

Check through the ephemera too, and ask all of your relatives to check through their attics, basements, closets, and storage units.

For example, I have an international money order receipt found by my cousin that documents my paternal grandfather sent money back to his parents in Slovakia so his family could purchase land (some of the land is still owned by relatives today). This piece of paper includes my great-grandmother’s maiden name! In addition to this gem, I have church lodge paperwork listing my grandparents as officers, many historic postcards from the towns where my ancestors lived, my mother’s bridal book, and my father’s navy diary, among other keepsakes—all contain clues I have used in my research.

2. A Different Database. Do you routinely search just Ancestry.com, or FamilySearch? Consider typing your ancestor’s name into a search field of a database you might not normally check, such as the United States National Archives and Records Administration’s Access to Archival Database sets (free to search), or doing a search on Mocavo. For example, I’ve known about subscription site FindMyPast for years, but because I don't have English, Irish, or Welsh ancestors (my ancestral villages are in Slovakia) I never bothered to search the site. Recently, I decided to run a search for some surnames in FindMyPast. Imagine my surprise when I found the surname in Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960, some Birth, Marriage, Death (BMD) indexes, and even a small story in one of the British newspapers about a coroner’s request into a death of an infant who had this surname. This search has provided many leads for me to follow for more information.

3. Town or County History Books. Have you checked ALL of the town and county resources in the area(s) where your ancestors lived? Many genealogists use Google Books to find these books, such as the one shown at right (History of Pittsburgh and environs).

But, countless more can be found in public, college, and university libraries around the world. Don't brush these resources aside just because you can't search them online, or because it’s not convenient or easy. Can't get there? Start by contacting the library—most will have a website, or pick up the telephone or e-mail them. If the staff will not do lookups (some will for a fee), ask for a contact at the local genealogical and historical society, and then ask that person for recommendations for a local researcher you could hire, or use a professional researcher. For recommendations, check Cyndi’s List—Professionals, Volunteers & Other Research Services, or the Association for Professional Genealogists. Reach out to your social networks, perhaps you can find someone who is willing to help (just remember to pay it forward and offer to help someone else who may need information that you can get or provide).

Don't forget the Local Histories section of Legacy Family Tree's Research Guidance. It contains the most comprehensive listing of available local and county histories for the United States. In Research Guidance, click on the Preliminary Survey tab, then click on the Local Histories tab. Legacy will display all known books for just the locations where your ancestor lived.

Also check out our brand new Legacy QuickGuide: Researching County Histories.

Lisa's Webinar

You can learn more about these and other underused resources in my upcoming Legacy webinar on “Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know” on Wednesday, May 22, 1013. Click here to reserve your space now!

Source: Legacy News | 15 May 2013 | 10:24 am

Today is International Day of Families

The International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate the importance of families to people, societies and cultures around the world. What will you, as a genealogist, do to celebrate this day? Here are a few of my options: These are four of my ten beautiful grandchildren in the photo on the left. They all live too far away for me to visit any of them today but in this wonderful world

Source: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog | 15 May 2013 | 7:35 am

WW 2 American Soldier Letters - May Have Found Sons

From Olive Tree Genealogy blog readers we have some exciting finds re the Harvill brothers whose WW2 letters were found in an antique hatbox. This is a good time for other readers to jump in and lend a hand. I think we're close to sending the letters home! For those not familiar with this case, please see two previous blog posts Looking for Family for World War II American Soldiers' Letters

Source: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog | 14 May 2013 | 7:30 am

The Genealogist's Google Toolbox by Lisa Louise Cooke, new at LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com!

We are pleased to welcome one of genealogy's most entertaining speakers, Lisa Louise Cooke, to our webinar lineup. She will be presenting Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames on Friday, May 24. Register here.

And just in time, we are excited to now offer four of Lisa's genealogy resources in our online stores:

• The Genealogist's Google Toolbox (book)
• Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 1 video-on-CD
• Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 2 video-on-CD
• How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers (book)

The Genealogist's Google Toolbox (209 pages, $24.95)

When it comes to your tracing your family tree online, you need the right tools to get the job done! In The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, renowned genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke helps you stuff your genealogy toolbox with FREE state-of-the-art Internet tools that are built to search, translate, message, and span the globe. You’ll travel outside the genealogy community and straight to the folks who dominate the online world: Google.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 1 video-on-CD (72 minutes, $11.95)

Google Earth has the power to geographically the lives of your ancestors. It's one of the most exciting online genealogical tools available, and best of all the Google Earth program is free. In this step-by-step video tutorial CD you will learn how to: Download and Use Google Earth, Identify Where Old Photographs Were Taken, Explore Church Record Origins, Plot Ancestor Homesteads, Create Your Own Custom Historic Map Overlays, Save and Share Images.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 2 video-on-CD (95 minutes, $11.95)

Google Earth has the power to geographically the lives of your ancestors. It's one of the most exciting online genealogical tools available, and best of all the Google Earth program is free. In this step-by-step video tutorial CD you will learn how to: Pinpoint Your Ancestors Property, Locate Original Land Surveys, Customize Placemarks and Add Photographs, Add Videos to Maps, Add Focus with Polygons and Paths, Incorporate 3D Models of Ancestral Locations, Create and Share Family History Tours.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers (155 pages, $24.95)

You're interested in learning more about your family history, and you've probably heard several people say "be sure to check old newspapers!" Sounds great, right? But which newspapers were around back then? And where are they now? This book provides you with a fool-proof research process, and is stuffed with everything you need for genealogical success.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Source: Legacy News | 13 May 2013 | 11:02 am

Register for Webinar Wednesday (free) - Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill

People record evidence of where they live by their property, pay taxes on property, give away property, buy and sell property, fight over property, and will property to heirs. When understood and used properly, land records comprise one of the most important genealogical sources for research in America.

Join us for the live webinar on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for free for the first 7 days after the live event. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter 

Mary E.V. Hill, MLS, AG ® (Southern States and Eastern States); worked as reference librarian at BYU from 1989-1992, as genealogy instructor at BYU from 1992-1995, as Family History Library US/Canada Reference consultant from 1995-2006. She served on the UGA Board of Directors from 2006-2008 and as an LDS missionary at the Family History Library from 2006-2008. She is the author of Saga of a Southern Loyalist: William Riddle of Virginia and North Carolina, and Angel Children. She is a lecturer with emphasis on U.S. research methods and genealogical organization. Mary is a mother and grandmother.

Watch Mary's previous webinars here:

• The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources
• Use Your Digital Camera to Copy Records
• FamilyRoots Organizer System

Register for Mary's upcoming webinars here:

• Land Records Solve Research Problems
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Source: Legacy News | 13 May 2013 | 9:43 am

Cluster Genealogy - Have You Discovered the Benefits?

I've been doing Cluster Genealogy for over a dozen years. But I didn't know it was called that. I just did it because it's an excellent way of fighting past a genealogy brick wall. Some of my readers might be scratching their heads right now, wondering what on earth Cluster Genealogy is. According to Wikipedia, Cluster Genealogy "is a research technique employed by genealogists to learn more

Source: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog | 13 May 2013 | 8:04 am

5 Generations of Mothers

In honour of Mother's Day here are four generations of mothers whose DNA is part of me. From left to right: My 2nd great-grandmother Sarah (Elvery) Stead (1836-1867), her daughter my great-grandmother Sarah (Stead) Simpson (1862-1952), her daughter my grandmother Ruth (Simpson) Fuller (1894-1985), her daughter my mother Joan (Fuller) McGinnis (1916-2009) and me Lorine McGinnis Schulze Happy

Source: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog | 12 May 2013 | 8:59 am

Woodville Victorian Photo Album Page 8

Woodville Victorian Photo Album Here is  page 8 of the Victorian Photo Album called "The Army and Navy Album" with illustrations by R. Caton Woodville. To view all pages of this beautiful album as they are put online, please click on R. Caton Woodville

Source: Olive Tree Genealogy Blog | 11 May 2013 | 8:18 am

Watch Geoff Live: Digital Images - free webinar now online for a limited time

Now that was fun! Nearly 1,000 of you joined me today while I talked my way through importing the pictures from my digital camera, organized/tagged them, and published them to the cloud. Along the way we talked about little tips and tricks, including how to use facial recognition, how to create a wall chart, how to create a photo book, and more.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 32 minute recording of Watch Geoff Live: Digital Images is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Members also have access to the 15 pages of syllabus materials.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of geofflive that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 158 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 419 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill. May 15.
• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Source: Legacy News | 10 May 2013 | 3:46 pm