Saturday, March 23, 2024

Printing Your Family Tree From a Genealogy Subscription Site

 I received a great question from reader Molly a few weeks ago that I think many of you might benefit from. Are you frustrated with the cost of subscription based genealogy sites that aren't so great for graphically representing your tree? Maybe you are keeping all your finds in a notebook because of the high cost or perhaps, worry that the site will close taking your hard work with it.

I share the concerns as I want to have control of my research. That being said, I do pay for subscriptions to many sites because I need that for my work as a professional genealogist. Here's some options if you do pay for a subscription to:

Ancestry.com - Click on "Tree" on the ribbon, then click on the tree you want to print (if you have more than one tree). I personally like the Horizontal View but you can switch views by accessing the tool bar on the right side of your screen that looks like this:

If you prefer a Vertical tree view just click Vertical. Your other option is a Fan Chart.

I then use my Snipping Tool and clip the tree. I can't say it will look pretty but it works in a pinch. I take copies with me when I travel to share with family I meet or when I'm going to an archive that I'm not sure I can access my online tree.

If you want an attractive tree to display, Ancestry.com has teamed up with MyCanvas. Here's the directions: https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Printing-a-Family-Tree?language=en_US

FamilySearch.org - you know the site is free, however, everyone and their brother has access which can sometimes be frustrating when a well meaning person insists on adding wrong info to the shared tree. I recommend you clean up what is wrong and then print a fan or pedigree chart. The following is the steps from FamilySearch's website on how to do that:

"How do I print fan charts and pedigree charts in Family Tree?

You can print fan charts and pedigree from Family Tree. FamilySearch converts the information into a PDF file, which you can save to your computer. 

Fan chart and pedigree chart options on the website or the mobile app

  • Seven-generation fan chart.
  • Five-generation portrait chart.
  • Four-generation pedigree chart.

The default print orientation is portrait. However, the landscape orientation better optimizes the presentation of your fan chart. When you send the request to the printer, you can change the orientation.

Steps (website)

From Person Page

  1. Sign in and click Family Tree.
  2. In the drop-down menu, click Tree. 
  3. Navigate to the person that you want to use to begin your chart.
  4. Click that person. Click their name to be taken to their person page.
  5. Click the Details tab.
  6. On the right, find the Tools section.
  7. Click Print Options.
  8. Click what you want to print.
  9. A PDF opens in a new tab. Use your browser's print feature to print it. If your computer has trouble with the PDF file, clear your cache and cookies, or use a different browser.            

From Family Tree

You can print from the portrait, landscape, and fan chart views.

  1. Sign in and click Family Tree.
  2. In the drop-down menu, click Tree. 
  3. Navigate to the person that you want to use to begin your chart.
  4. Click that person. In the pop-up menu that appears, click Tree. The tree opens with that person as the person-of-focus.
  5. Open the kind of chart that you want to print: Portrait, Landscape, or Fan:
    1. In the top-right, click the chart on display (Portrait, Landscape, Fan Chart, Descendancy, or First Ancestor).
    2. From the menu, click the chart that you want to print. If you select Fan Chart, use the Options icon to specify what information to include. The information is visible in the printed document.
    3. If anyone on the chart has more than one spouse or set of parents, you can change which shows on the printed chart.
  6. Click the Options icon  .
  7. Click Print.
  8. The chart opens as a PDF in a new tab. Use your browser's print feature to print it. If your computer has trouble with the PDF file, clear your cache and cookies, or use a different browser.            

On the FamilySearch website, Family Tree generates interactive PDF files for the 4-generation pedigree. You can add or modify information in it.

  • Changing the PDF file does not change the information in Family Tree. We recommend that you change the information in Family Tree and then print.
  • Below each name on the chart is a box with the letter F. You can enter an alternate identifier in the box and coordinate the people on the chart with printed family group records.
  • You cannot alter the width of each generation on the chart.  

Steps (mobile)

If your mobile device is set up to print, you can print the pedigree chart or family group records from the Family Tree mobile app.

  1. From within the Family Tree mobile app, tap Tree.
  2. Find the person that you want, and tap his or her name.
  3. If the person has more than one spouse or set of parents, you can change which shows on the printed chart.
    1. Tap Spouses or Parents.
    2. Tap the down arrow for the spouse or parents that you want to print.
    3. Tap Preferred Spouse or Preferred Parents.
  4. Open the charts option:
    • Android: Below the dark bar that includes the name, scroll to the right and tap Charts.
    • Apple iOS: Tap the three dots in the top-right corner and then tap More and tap Charts.
  5. Tap the chart that you want. 
  6. Send the chart to your printer:
    1. Apple iOS: at the top, tap the 3 dots and click Share. Then tap Print.
    2. Android: tap the 3 dots and then tap Print.

The Family Tree mobile app does not generate interactive PDF files."

MyHeritage.com - You have two options for printing, you can print from their site or by downloading Family Tree Builder and printing from there. Here's a link for the directions for both - https://www.myheritage.com/help-center?s=how%20do%20i%20print%20my%20family%20tree%3F

Next week I'll blog about other ways you can print your family tree WITHOUT a subscription to one of the Genealogy Giants! Stay tuned.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

10 Million Names Enslaved Project

AI Generated


Do you have enslaved or enslavers in your family tree? If so, your research is needed in support of the 10 Million Names Project. The project is supported by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (American Ancestors) to create a FREE searchable online database of the estimated 10 million people of African descent who were enslaved between the 1500s-1865.

I submitted to the project an updated report I had done on one of my ancestors, Daniel Hollingshead. I've blogged about Daniel previously here, here, here, here, and here. I don't want my research to be lost and I want it to be of value to others so I updated a report I wrote about Daniel and uploaded it to the project.

Here's the link to the website. It's simple to contribute! I saved my report as a .pdf, clicked "I'd like to upload family notes or a genealogy," typed in my email, what the submission was regarding (info about enslaved and enslavers), typed in the title, added a brief description of what I was uploading, clicked that I agree to share, and then attached my report. Don't forget to press Send! I received a submission number and and an email confirming the information was received.

You may have seen the recent RootsTech talk about this project. Now you can be a part of it!

 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Wolfram Alpha

AI Generated Photo

 I've been writing alot about AI but I'd like to let you know about another cool tech tool that is invaluable for your genealogy.

Best part - it's free! I LOVE free!

Just click on WolframAlpha and you will find a variety of topics, such as Math, Science & Tech, Society & Culture, and Everyday Life.

How could you use this with genealogy? Well, Society and Culture would be a benefit if you are writing about the historical period in which your ancestor lived. The People section will allow you to see who was influential in your forebear's time period.

The Dates & Times section can give you facts about a particular date. Want to quickly calculate that tombstone inscription from the date of death to determine the birthdate from 88 y. 3 m. 2 d.? It can do that, too!

Words & Linguistics is another option when you are trying to translate and get stuck.

This site was not developed for genealogy but can be helpful. There is a Genealogy section - first click "Hobbies" and it will be displayed under "Genealogy." This section is designed to help establish family relationships.

Give it a whirl!

Thursday, February 29, 2024

RootsTech Has Begun!

 


Don't miss the FREE lectures, Expo Hall, and connections you can make. Starting this AM, RootsTech is available for free from your home. Just register here and start participating.

Here's some handy hints to get the most out of the conference:

Look over the lectures by clicking "See Full Schedule" and save those you want to view to the Schedule tool. You can go directly to your class from your schedule, (MySchedule), saving time by having to find it on the main page.

More classes you want to attend then time? No worries! Just open Word and copy and paste those you can't attend. They will be available on YouTube later.

Refer back to my AI Notes blog so you can save the info from the chatbox and/or lecture in summary format.

Don't forget to download the syllabus from the viewing site!

Definitely spend time on other events (RootsTech Event>Expo Hall). Lots of discounts on genealogy stuff! Take advantage of it this weekend.

Want to connect with far flung relatives you didn't know existed?! Easy - just go to RootsTech Event>Relatives at RootsTech. Had to laugh as there were five fifth cousins of mine attending in Indianapolis. I know you're wondering how in the world did RootsTech know that? Well, if you have yourself on a family tree at Familysearch.org it matches all the registrants to their tree and then connect you if you have a common ancestor.


Friday, February 23, 2024

AI Generated

This past winter I spent many hours indexing the Johnson Funeral Home and Furniture Store records that I acquired at a local online auction in November 2023. The funeral had been in operation since 1901 and the collection contained many loose documents, such as burial transports and tombstone orders, to eight Daybooks that recorded funerals and items sold from a furniture store that the family also ran through 1991.

This blog article is the How To from begin to end of an indexing project.

Obviously, the first step is to determine if a document is important to preserve. Ask yourself if it contains a:

record that states names, relationships, and/or

dates of residence in a location, and/or

mentions a particular community event.

If so, then this is a record worth preserving. Think about it, there may not be another record available that shows the named individuals in that location on that date. City directories and phone books are important but they don't narrow down a family's location to a particular date.

Next determine who owns the rights to the record. If it is a family, will they provide you, in writing, that you may scan, index, and share the information? If it is an archive, will they house not only the record but also have technology available to make scans and the index available to patrons?

Once permissions are received it’s time to appraise the documents. Are they in fragile condition? Are they moldy? Are they dirty/dusty? Do they have a funky smell (seriously!)? If so, then you will want to speak with a preservationist about containing the damage before proceeding.

In my case, there were no funds available locally to hire a specialist so I reached out the Transitional Genealogist Forum and asked for advice.

It was recommended that I spray a microfiber towel with Lysol, peroxide or rubbing alcohol to prevent possible mold from spreading. This was done outside on a warm day, allowing the books to dry naturally.

I then placed each book in an individual plastic bag and  froze them in my freezer for 48 hours to kill any mold spores. Some of the books had water damage and smelled moldy. They were housed in a building that showed visible signs of mold on the walls. I did not want to spread the mold in my home and later, the archive where I was going to be donating them.

The books were then defrosted in my garage which was 60 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours. I then took a microfiber towel and again wiped down the covers, spine, and each page. The books were ready for scanning.

I decided with my local genealogy library to use their oversized scanner as the books were large and would not fit completely on my home scanner. I brought along a thumb drive. Working with the librarian, I adjusted the scanner setting to their recommendations and saved each page, cover and spine that had writing on it to the thumb drive. I had to use more than one thumb drive as the images were large and there were many. After each scanning session I saved the images from the thumb drive to my desk top computer and to a stand-alone hard drive and a cloud. I didn’t want to lose the hard work I had invested in scanning!

It took me a month of scanning four full days a week to have all the records recorded. I placed individual papers in acid free sheet protectors as soon as they were scanned. The books were taken home and housed in case I discovered, while indexing, that the scan was incomplete or blurred. There were two scans that needed to be redone.

Next up was indexing the records. I used Microsoft Excel to set up a database. Since each record book and the individual papers contained varying information, I selected the following headings to keep them consistent as I wanted to combine all the information into one database eventually. First, though, I indexed each book to its own tab. The headings were “Original Name,” “”Book Name,” “Page No.” (if any,) “Image No.”, and “Date”(if any). I later added two more columns – “Verified Name” and “Notes.”

I opened each scan and recorded all the information I could find under the heading names, noting anything interesting under notes. For example, sometimes a marriage date or a spouse’s name was given.

I did try using AI to index but the yellowed pages, written with pencil in poor handwriting and with varying spellings was not something AI I had available could handle. It took me another four weeks to index all the information.

Verifying the indexed information is just as important as recording it the first time! I wish that there were others who could have checked my work but unfortunately, due to family situations others who had volunteered could not assist at the end. So, I had to find a different way to double check my work.

It became apparent that names for the same individual were spelled differently throughout the documents. Sometimes a person would be recorded as Mrs. John Smith and later, Mrs. Betty Smith. I wanted family to be able to find their ancestors quickly so I combined all the individual tabbed databases into one filtering the name column so I could find separate records for the same person. I then used online sources, such as death certificates, public trees, census records, city directories, church records, marriage records, and yearbooks to validate that the individual was the same person. Was Mrs. Betty Smith the same person as Mrs. John Smith? Only thorough research could answer that question.

This is where the note column came in handy. In my Smith example, I could record how many people in the area during that time had the same name. This means I was not always verifying a particular individual made the record but that there were several people with that name in the area at the time the record was made. It will be up to the researcher to analyze the information further to determine exactly which Betty Smith had made the record.

Lastly, I wrote a brief explanation of:

                How the books were acquired

                The businesses address, owners, and years in operation

                How the collection was prepared for indexing

                The condition of the books

                Who to contact if errors were found and needed to be corrected

Then, I was ready to contact the archive and schedule a day/time to turn over the materials. Per their request, I sent the images and index via email.

Now it was time to share the resource with the general community. Otherwise, how would researchers find the index? I spoke with a local newspaper reporter who published an article. The local genealogical society will publish an article in its newsletter. I've updated the county resource guide to include the new index. Getting the word out is your important last step.


 

Saturday, February 17, 2024

AI and VHS Tapes

 

AI Generated

I have not tried this AI tip noted on Facebook by Michael Cassara but it is something I've placed on my to-do list.

Do you have lots of old VHS tapes? I do and I've had them digitized as they do fade away with time.

Michael uploaded his digital file to ParrotAI and had the former VHS tape transcribed. It can then be summarized and you can even ask questions, such as "Where was immigration mentioned?" of "What did Aunt Dot say about her first job?" This would be a real time saver if you can't watch the entire video and need to refer to a certain part.


Friday, February 9, 2024

How to Set Up a Genealogy Blog

AI Made

Last week I blogged about solving an AI creepy result and this is a continuation of how you can get the most out of AI. You can read last week's blog here.

First, a disclaimer. AI will not immediately be looking at your blog posts as the various companies "train" their technology at set times. This means you aren't going to see immediate results but you will over time.

You will likely see positive results fairly quickly by connecting with far flung family members who are researching the very same lines you are. I've obtained photos and lots of helpful documents I wouldn't have known existed if I had not blogged about my family.

I love blogging for so many reasons! I began it as I pursued certification through the Board of Certified Genealogists as I thought the journey would be of interest to others. I did not obtain certification but I got hooked on blogging!

Several folks I know had tried to blog but just didn't follow through with it. The reason was they claimed they didn't have time. It doesn't take long to write a short blog post. Schedule an hour once a week at a time where you will have minimal distractions. With practice, you'll cut down on the time you spend writing.

Another reason I've heard that people don't blog is because they can't think of what to write about. I write about what I've been doing or plan to do. If I find a great webinar, hint, or an a-ha moment, I figure it will be of use to others so I share it. It's that simple!

I think one of the reasons I was successful in continuing to blog was because I initially wrote four blog posts before I ever published one. That way, I had back up posts in case life got crazy. At the time, I was working two jobs, still had kids at home, and was involved in a lot of community organizations. Developing the habit of sitting down to write when there was a quiet moment and writing several pieces helped me develop a habit. Scientists claim (according to Google, hmm!) that it takes 66 days to develop a positive habit. So, definitely schedule time during that initial period. After that, you can wing it.

I began blogging through Google's Blogger. It is simple, just follow the directions provided on the website. Why I chose Google over other blog sites is because you will have that search engine behind you to get the word out of what you are writing about.

As my business, Genealogy At Heart, grew I added a website through WordPress. I selected WordPress because other professional genealogists said it was easy and inexpensive. Now I post my weekly blog in both places. If Google ever decides to stop supporting Blogger than my blogs are safe on my own website. If I decide to retire and cease my website, then I can easily backup my blog posts so that future family will still have access to my ancestral discoveries. That's a win-win outcome!

There are many other blog sites so do a simple search if you'd like alternatives.

So, there you have it! I've published over 500 posts since I began in 2015. In 2023 my Genealogy At Heart blog was recognized as one of the top 100 by Genea-Blogs and for 2024, FeedSpot has named it in the Top 100 Bloggers. Getting recognition is nice and appreciated. Getting connections with other who have the same passion I do is even better. Got a question on how to get started? Email me at genealogyatheart@gmail.com.


 

Printing Your Family Tree From a Genealogy Subscription Site

 I received a great question from reader Molly a few weeks ago that I think many of you might benefit from. Are you frustrated with the cos...