Where Is Your Master Family Tree?

Did you ever plan for a certain family tree to be the most accurate and protected tree? 

If you have trees all over, like I do, each tree has a specific purpose.  I have my trees at Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, and GEDmatch so my DNA matches can see how we are related.  Those sites use my tree to tell us our connection. 

Don’t laugh but I have been sucked into Wikitree and Geni universal trees because different cousins started there and I wanted to correct their errors.  Don’t tell them, please.

And, of course, I have migrated to Family Search because I know that the LDS Church will protect my family long after I am gone and after other family tree websites developed by volunteers or bought out by venture capitalists will divide up their profits and disappear.   Many long-time genealogists have experienced the end of software support.

This weekend I heard the term “Master Family Tree” on the podcast from Lisa Louise Cooke.  Her business is Genealogy Gems and she writes good instructions with excellent advice.  She has a well-known motto.  “Plant your tree in your own backyard and share the branches online”.  In free podcast #229 she speaks for about 30 minutes about this topic starting at 22 minutes into the broadcast.

GEM: Your Master Family Tree, and Sharing Branches Online Explained

A master family tree has three important characteristics:

1.      It is owned and controlled by you.

2.      It is the final say on what you currently know about your family tree.

3.      It is protected with online backup to ensure it is safe.

To hear all about this in Lisa’s own words, go to https://lisalouisecooke.com/podcasts/.  You’ll see the podcast links and today you will want Episode 229.  At the top of the episode is the player where you click the white triangle to listen.  Below that are the shownotes with links mentioned in the show. 

If you don’t want a podcast, Lisa also writes about master trees here https://lisalouisecooke.com/2019/04/24/master-family-tree/.

The Ferndale Genies have their own RootsMagic Users Group.  Most of us are using RootsMagic to collect what we know about our families in one location that no one else can change.  Some are entering family members from scratch so they can verify relationships and facts once and for all.  Others use a Gedcom file format to load a tree to RootsMagic from another site like Ancestry.

One of my big concerns is to have images of all the documents I have used to come to conclusions on my home computer.  Having your documents at Ancestry or Family Search may be convenient, but these companies have contractual agreements with the owners of the information and sometimes they have to be removed at the end of the agreement.  Sometimes the governments or businesses decide not to renew the agreement. 

Users also give a nod to many reports options and getting hints from Ancestry, Family Search, MyHeritage and FindMyPast (subscriptions required).  We are working together to help and encourage each other.  Some find our monthly gatherings just keep us going on our research.

The next RootsMagic group meetings are from 1-4 PM at the Ferndale Library on these dates. 

Saturday, Jun 1

Saturday, Jun 29

Sunday, Jul 28

Saturday, Sep 7

We are moving to desktop family tree software to become better genealogists.  The group is open.  We can help you decide:

Are you ready to get desktop software?

Do you want RootsMagic?

Which is your Master Tree?

Do you want to start from scratch or download a Gedcom file?

Other family tree software is equally good.  There is a Legacy User Group at the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society.  Also, some Ferndale Genies use Family Tree Maker.  If there a few people interested, you can meet at the monthly Genies meetings.  If you can help with Family Tree Maker questions, please let me know. 

Three Freebies

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Free Military Records!

1.                   To honor Memorial Day, Fold3 is offering free access to over 530 million records, including all military collections. Start searching now until Tuesday, May 28th!  Fold3 is now owned by Ancestry with a separate subscription for Fold3 only.  Just free through Tuesday.

More details from Thomas MacEntee here:  https://mailchi.mp/abundantgenealogy/fold3-freeaccess-memorialday2019?e=cb7c45b1c4

2.                   MyHeritage also announces free military records:

To help you learn more about your heroic ancestors and the sacrifices they made in service of their country, we’re offering free access to all of our military records in SuperSearch™, over 47 million records. The collections can be searched for FREE from May 22–28, 2019.

Search our military records for free at www.myheritage.com/military-records for fascinating new information about your ancestors and relatives who served in the military. Let us know what you discover.

3.                  Lastly, news from Randy Seaver, a member of the Southern California Genealogical Society. Their annual Jamboree is celebrating their 50^th birthday. The 12 live-streamed classes on Friday (31 May), Saturday (1 June) and Sunday (2 June) are FREE to watch until 31 July 2019, but you do have to register for them.  Details and a schedule are here.  Syllabus materials are included.

Enjoy!

Conferences and Classes Coming

Thank you to everyone who came to the Genies meeting this week.  I had a really good time again.

I frequently see educational opportunities that I think you might like.  I like to tell you about free resources but today there will be a few pricey ones too.

Memorial Day is coming!  Thomas MacEntee alerts us to Free Military Records at MyHeritage.com from May 22 -28.  https://genealogybargains.com/free-access-to-military-historical-records-at-myheritage/

Thomas MacEntee also has all the details about what I call “the best value in genealogy education, bar none”.  It’s Family Tree Webinars.  There are weekly free webinars but today I will tell you that the annual subscription is half off until May 28.  $24.98 for access to over 900 webinars on every topic you can imagine with a couple of new webinars every week.  That’s for new subscribers only.  Details here.  https://mailchi.mp/hidefgen/lft-webinars-50percentoff-sale-may2019?e=cb7c45b1c4

At our meeting, Genie Barbara B. mentioned Whatcom Community Education class that combines writing and family history.  The title is “Writing Home”. It’s pricey at $179 for a 12-hour class over one weekend July 12-14.  Barbara and I will be going.  The details are here. https://register.whatcomcommunityed.com/CourseStatus.awp?&course=19H8324058GA

I also stumbled on a Whatcom Community College online course called Genealogy Basics.  It a 24-hour (not all in one day) instructor-led course.  The description is just what you would expect.  The tuition is $109 and session start dates are June 15, July 17, or August 14.  Check it out!  https://www.ed2go.com/whatcom/SearchResults.aspx and search for genealogy.  I can’t make a recommendation but it might be right up your alley.

It’s time to decide if you will be going to all or part of the Northwest Genealogical Conference, August 14-17.  Go straight to https://stillygen.org/cpage.php?pt=50.  Under “Northwest Genealogy Conference” you will find all the details.  Under “NWGC 2019” you will register.  Read everything carefully as you will need to decide about lunches, etc.  Three full days registration is $175 plus add-ons.  You will need to register for the Wednesday Free Beginning Genealogy separately.

Under “Beginning Genealogy” you will register for the free Beginning Genealogy session on Wednesday, August 14 from 1:00 until 4:30.  Every year the speaker is different and this year it is Thomas MacEntee.  I always learn from the national speakers.  I will be driving down and back that day and can take 3 people with me.  Let me know. 

I will close with a question.  Will the person who is researching the Schlicke family, by any spelling, email me at ferndalegenies@gmail.com?  Thank you.

Monthly Genies Meeting this Monday

Third Monday is coming right up.  May 20^th.  Meeting at 1:00 and doors open around 12:30 for setup and informal talking.  

Put on your thinking cap for something to share at our monthly Genies meeting.  Have you had a chance to do some family history research?  I’ve been busy with a RootsMagic group meeting and also a DNA class about the more obscure Y and mitochondrial tests.  You guys keep me hopping.

One topic surfacing for this monthly meeting is writing about ourselves, families, and our family history.  It’s a trend I’m seeing as people talk about what we will leave behind.  Our stories are important for our kids, grandkids, and ones who follow.  Bring your writings and ideas for getting started.

Also, I’m sure there will be talk of DNA.  On YouTube I have watched a few videos at the DNA Family Tree channel by Larry Jones.  Good for basic information but one video was eye-popping.  Ancestry ThruLines was released in Beta and received with grumbles, mostly about adoptions and stepparents.  Larry released the video “ThruLines is Fixed!” on 4/9/19.  He goes so far as to say “amazing”.  Larry says Ancestry has changed their method to give priority to whatever is in your tree.  I would add that now you can change your tree and the changes will be reflected in ThruLines.  Has anyone taken another look?

For those who have not been following this, ThruLines at AncestryDNA now combines your matches and many Ancestry member trees and suggests your common ancestors through your 5^th great-grandparents.  It even looks inside Private trees and tells you what they find.  Now, that is amazing.

Disclaimer:  Ancestry says this about accuracy.  "Since ThruLines are based on the family trees of you and other members of Ancestry, they're as accurate as the trees they're based on. Errors in family trees can cause inaccurate ThruLines."  It's always "buyer beware" and find your own proof.

 See you on Monday!!  

This Week: Education and More

This Saturday one-time only:  Y and Mitochondrial DNA

Saturday, May 11, 1:00-3:30 at Ferndale Library.  Judith Culver presents a DNA conversation.  Using Family Tree DNA results only, I will give a general introduction to Genetic Genealogy with specific demos of Family Finder autosomal, Y and mitochondrial results.  You don't need to have tested at FTDNA.  No RSVP required; just show up.  Table setup starts at 12:45.  Questions?  judithculv@hotmail.com

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Whatcom Genealogical Society will meet Monday, May 13th, 2 p.m. at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way.  The program will be a viewing of a presentation from RootsTech “Trace the Story of an Immigrant Ancestor in 3 Steps.  Visitors always welcome!  Contact:  360-733-8300

The Genealogy Squad, a new Facebook group lead by Blaine Bettinger, Cindy Ingle, Drew Smith, and George Morgan.  The mission of the Genealogy Squad Facebook group is to provide a positive space for the sharing of appropriate and reliable methods and resources to assist genealogists at all levels. We focus on answering questions and solving problems, while demonstrating best practices in all aspects of genealogical research.  It’s a closed group to keep out the riff-raff.  You’ll need to answer a few quick questions.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogysquad

Tip from Sylvia for UK Research:  While looking up some family history I found this interesting explanation about the UK 1841 census. It shows that over age 15, a birth date could easily be (and most likely often was) 5-10 years off! Take into account illiteracy and those who probably didn't know their correct age and I can see why dates varied so much from presumed birth dates and from the 1851 census.

http://shropshirehistory.com/other/census.htm