FamilySearch Indexers Pass the 160 Million Record Mark for 2010

22 November 2010

FamilySearch Indexers Pass the 160 Million Record Mark for 2010

FamilySearch volunteers have been busy–we have indexed 160 million records so far this year and more are on the way! New projects now available include records from Canada, England, Russia, and the United States. Completed collections that will soon be available on beta.familysearch.org include records from Canada, Germany, England, Russia, and the United States.

New Projects in the Past Two Weeks

·         Canada, New Brunswick—Deaths, 1815–1938 [Part B]

·         U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part H]

·         U.K., Manchester—Parish Registers, 1813–1925 [Part B]

·         U.S., Arkansas—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Connecticut—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Rhode Island—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., West Virginia—WWII Draft Registration, 1942

·         Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть B]

(See the chart below for a complete list and current status of all indexing projects.)

Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at beta.familysearch.org in the near future.)

·         Canada, Ontario—Deaths, 1933–1937

·         Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part C]

·         Deutschland, Mecklenburg—Volkszählung, 1890 [Div 93–156]

·         U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part G]

·         U.S., District of Columbia—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Indiana—WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942

·         U.S., Kentucky—1930 Federal Census

·         U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part A]

·         U.S., West Virginia—1930 Federal Census

·         Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть А]

Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

Argentina, Balvanera—Registros Parroquiales, 1833–1934 [Parte B]	Spanish	49%
Argentina, Cordoba—Registros Parroquiales, 1722–1924 [Parte B]	Spanish	89%
Argentina, Santa Fe—Registros Parroquiales, 1634–1926 [Parte A]	Spanish	33%
Brasil—Registro Civil, 1852–1914 [Parte 2A]	Portuguese	1%
Brasil, Florianópolis—Registros da Igreja, 1751–1954 [Parte A]	Portuguese	12%
Brasil, Pernambuco, Recife—Registro Civil, 1900–1920	Portuguese	3%
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Matrimonios, 1900–1910 [Piloto]	Portuguese	51%
Canada—Passenger Lists, 1881–1922	English	5%
Canada, New Brunswick—Deaths, 1815–1938 [Part B]	English	(New)
Canada, Ontario—Marriages, 1869–1927 [Part A]	English	91%
Česká republika, Litoměřice—Matriky, 1552-1905 [část 1] (Tschechien, Litomerice—Kirchenbücher [Teil 1])	German	89%
Chile—Registros Civiles, 1885–1900	Spanish	26%
Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1903 [Parte 2B]	Spanish	33%
Colombia, Bucaramanga—Registros Parroquiales, 1649–1959	Spanish	12%
Colombia, Marinilla—Registros Parroquiales, 1815–1959	Spanish	60%
Deutschland, Baden, Achern—Kirchenbücher, 1810–1869 [Part D]	German	3%
El Salvador—Registros Civiles, 1835–1910	Spanish	22%
España, Andalucía—Registros Civiles, 1837–1870	Spanish	2%
España, Lugo—Registros Parroquiales, 1530–1930 [Parte 1]	Spanish	41%
France, Cherbourg—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907	French	43%
France, Coutances—Registres Paroissiaux 1802–1907	French	45%
France, Paris—Registres Protestants, 1612–1906 [Partie D]	French	80%
France, Saint-Lo—Registres Paroissiaux, 1802–1907	French	58%
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1800–1900	Spanish	9%
Guatemala, Guatemala—Registros Civiles, 1877–1900	Spanish	21%
Italia, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Atti di Morte, 1809–1936 [Parte B]	Italian	68%
Italy, Trento—Baptisms, 1784–1924 [Part 2A]	Italian	40%
Mexico, D.F.—Bautismos, 1536–1900 [Parte A]	Spanish	1%
Mexico, Puebla—1930 Federal Censo	Spanish	70%
New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915 [Part 2A]	English	7%
Nicaragua, Managua—Registros Civiles, 1879–1984 [Part 3B]	Spanish	74%
Norge —Tinglysningskort, 1640–1903	Norwegian	2%
Perú, Lima—Registros Civiles, 1887–1921 [Parte A]	Spanish	72%
Portugal, Setúbal—Registros da Igreja, 1581–1910	Portuguese	23%
República Dominicana—Nacimientos Civiles, 1828–1906	Spanish	1%
Russland, Sankt Petersburg—Kirchenbuchduplikat, 1833–1885	German	35%
South Africa, Cape Province—Church Records, 1660–1970	Afrikaans, Dutch, English	63%
Sverige, Södermanland—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]	Swedish	64%
Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]	Swedish	71%
Sverige, Örebro—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]	Swedish	29%
U.K., Bristol—Parish Registers, 1837–1900 [Part H]	English	(New)
U.K., Essex—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part A]	English	13%
U.K., Manchester—Parish Registers, 1813–1925 [Part B]	English	(New)
U.K., Warwickshire—Parish Registers, 1538–1900 [Part 2 Adv]	English/ Old English	24%
Uruguay—Registros Civiles (Nacimientos), 1879–1930	Spanish	4%
U.S., Alabama—County Marriages, 1809–1950 [Part A]	English	55%
U.S., Arkansas—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., Arkansas—County Marriages, 1837–1957 [IX]	English	45%
U.S., Arkansas—WWII Draft Registration, 1942	English	37%
U.S., California—County Marriages, 1850–1952 [Part B]	English	31%
U.S., Connecticut—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., District of Columbia—County Marriages, 1811–1950 [Part A]	English	23%
U.S., District of Columbia—Deaths, 1874–1959	English	74%
U.S., Illinois—County Marriages, 1810–1934 [Part A]	English	57%
U.S., Indiana, Bartholomew—County Marriages, 1811–1959	English	26%
U.S., Iowa—County Births, 1880–1935 [Part A]	English	9%
U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part A]	English	38%
U.S., Louisiana—1930 Federal Census	English	92%
U.S., Minnesota—County Marriages, 1860–1949 [Part A]	English	25%
U.S., New Jersey—County Marriages, 1682–1956 [Part 1]	English	24%
U.S., New York—Marriage Licenses, 1908–1938 [Part A]	English	33%
U.S., New York—Marriages, 1908–1935 [Part A]	English	31%
U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part B]	English	15%
U.S., North Carolina—Freedmen Letters, 1862–1870	English	9%
U.S., Oklahoma—Allotment Records, 1899–1907	English	61%
U.S., Oklahoma—County Marriages, 1891–1959 [Part B]	English	17%
U.S., Puerto Rico—1910 Censo Federal	Spanish	7%
U.S., Puerto Rico—1920 Censo Federal	Spanish	94%
U.S., Puerto Rico—Nacimientos Civiles, 1836–1930 [Parte B]	Spanish	3%
U.S., Rhode Island—1930 Federal Census	English	(New)
U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part B]	English	29%
U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part C]	English	36%
U.S., Texas—County Marriages, 1837–1977 [Part B]	English	12%
U.S., West Virginia—WWII Draft Registration, 1942	English	(New)
Venezuela—Nacimientos Civiles, 1873–1909	Spanish	1%
Venezuela, Mérida—Registros Parroquiales, 1654–1992 [Parte 2]	Spanish	22%
Österreich, Wiener Meldezettel, 1890–1925	German	32%
Россия, Самара—Метрические книги церкви, 1869–1917 (часть 1)	Russian	53%
Украина, Киев—Метрические книги русской православной церкви, 1843–1845 [Часть B]	Russian	(New)

Current FamilySearch Partner Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion

België—Burgerlijke Stand, 1851–1900 [Deel D]	Dutch	84%
Belgique—Registres Civile, 1851–1900 [Partie A]	French	58%
Brasil, Minas Gerais—Church Records, 1706-1952	Portuguese	1%
Canada, Ontario, Toronto—Trust Cemeteries, 1826–1935	English	18%
Deutschland, Westfalen, Minden—Volkszählung, 1880–1900	German	11%
España, Avila, Barroman—Registros Parroquiales, 1550–1930	Spanish	10%
España, Avila, Madrigal y Garganta—Registros Parroquiales, 1530–1935	Spanish	89%
España, Malaga—Registros Civiles, 1846–1870	Spanish	54%
France, Quimper et Leon, St. Louis—Registres Paroissiaux, 1722–1909	French	72%
Norway—1875 Census [Part B]	Norwegian	57%
Philippines, Lingayen, Dagupan—Registros Parroquiales, 1615–1982	Spanish	72%
U.K., Norfolk—Parish Registers, 1538–1900	English	17%
U.S., Ohio—Tax Records, Post 1825 [Part 3]	English	80%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Birth Registers, 1890–1908	English	67%
U.S., Utah, Salt Lake County—Death Registers, 1848–1940	English	32%

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

NEHGS Officially Moves Its Website to AmericanAncestors.org

Boston, MA – November 23, 2010 – Today, The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston bids farewell to its former website www.NewEnglandAncestors.org and officially welcomes AmericanAncestors.org as its new home.

In August, D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO of NEHGS, announced the launch of AmericanAncestors.org. Unlike the former website, AmericanAncestors.org contains all of the Society’s New England and New York content, features, articles, and resources, as well as weekly updates and databases in a variety of regional and ethnic specialties, like mid-Atlantic, Irish, and African American research.

Simons said, “This website marks a transformative experience in our 165-year history, the first genealogical society founded in America. It represents the next major step ahead as we continue to expand our resources.” Simons added, “AmericanAncestors.org is a new, dynamic platform from which we will grow in our position as a leader in American genealogy and as the nation’s largest genealogical society.”

AmericanAncestors.org provides online access to some of the most vital research tools and resources available. Some of the improvements include a new image viewer, faster navigation and search results time, and more unique content. This expanded scope allows greater opportunity for NEHGS to bring unique content to its members as well as the public while establishing new and beneficial collaborations with likeminded non-profit organizations and important commercial entities.

Ryan Woods, Director of Technology, notes a significant advantage of the AmericanAncestors.org website, “The new advanced search form provides all of the necessary search fields to conduct a thorough and specific query, removing the need to navigate across what were previously four hundred different search pages.”

Since the launch of AmericanAncestors.org, there has been constant praise of the new site. Compliments have been given to specific features, such as the advanced search engine, the quality of the images for the Massachusetts Vital Records, the heighted processing speed, and effortless navigation of the website.      

Other features that AmericanAncestors.org offers include:

• More exclusive content: more unique, searchable, highly vetted materials for New England, New York, and other regions added weekly

• Enhanced search engine: an all-new, true “master search” that will search across all databases and other web-based content, with faster results and easier navigation

• Personal research profile: a social networking feature for NEHGS members to develop an online profile and input family research information, and even share them with others
  
• Improved images: a state-of-the-art new image viewer that will provide easier saving, and viewing of images and data

• Timely information: more news on our homepage and an enhanced blog “The Daily Genealogist” will bring our weekly electronic newsletter to the next level with stories and helpful research tips

Moreover, NEHGS is continuing to invite people to sign up for the NEHGS free registration “Guest Registration” program. This program provides anyone with free access to the popular weekly news stories as well as special access to a variety of databases, resources, articles, and other tools to help with their research. More information can be found on the NEHGS website at www.AmericanAncestors.org.

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About NEHGS

The New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country's leading resource for family history research. We help family historians expand their knowledge, skills, and understanding of their family and its place in history. Founded in 1845, NEHGS is today the oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization, with more than 26,000 members nationally. The NEHGS research headquarters, located at 99-101 Newbury Street in Boston, is home to some 28 million books, journals, manuscripts, papers, photographs, documents, and other artifacts, many of which date back centuries.

Its award-winning website offers access to more than 135 million names from 2,400 databases. NEHGS staff includes some of the leading expert genealogists in the country specializing in American, Irish, English, Italian, Scottish, Atlantic and French Canadian, African American, Native American, and Jewish genealogy.

A Thanksgiving Hymn

(Originally published at AnceStories on Thanksgiving Day 2007)

 

We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His Kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side; all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

This hymn, traditionally sung during the Thanksgiving season, is an old Netherlands folks song translated by Theodore Baker. The tune that is used is "Kremser," an old Netherlands melody in The Collection, by Adrianus Valerius, 1625. It has been my favorite Thanksgiving hymn since I was about 6 or 7 years old, when my father explained to me the story behind the hymn, as a part of the Dutch heritage and cultural lessons he and my mother taught me at home. Those were the basis of my love for history and genealogy today. I remember singing this song a cappella for show and tell at school in second grade.

During the Eighty Years' War (a war of independence) between Spain and what would become the United Provinces of the Netherlands, the inland city of Leiden--among others--was besieged by Spanish troops from May through October 1574. People were starving, and although the Dutch had ships of food to relieve the citizens, there was no way to get the supplies past the Spanish troops. The Dutch then sacrificed their land by cutting the dikes, flooding the area outside the city along with the Spanish encampments, so that the ships could sail in and provide sustenance and relief to the city. The hymn above was written to give thanks to God for His Providence during this war.

Because of the cruel persecution the Calvinistic Dutch people suffered at the hand of the Catholic Spanish, the Netherlands became a place of refuge for the religiously oppressed. It says much of the tolerant Netherlanders that they did not become consumed with hatred for Catholicism, and thus did not become a country of violence and strife as we see in Northern Ireland today. Those southern Dutch provinces which remained loyal to Catholicism eventually--and peacefully--became the country of Belgium. The city of Leiden became a host for the English Separatists, who we know today as the Pilgrims. They lived there from about 1608 until the majority left for America in 1620. Some of the family members remained behind until the colony was established, arriving on later ships.

As we know with history, each event was inspired and created by many others. While there were many early European groups in North America that celebrated some sort of thanksgiving event, our modern Thanksgiving holiday is most closely aligned with the one that took place in 1621 by the Pilgrims. Their arrival on this continent was an important historical event in the timeline of our country. Yet if not for the city of Leiden, its successful stand against the Spanish in 1574, and its place as a haven for the religiously oppressed, we may not be celebrating Thanksgiving today.

I'm Still Here

If you've been a regular reader of AnceStories, or one of my long-time geneablogger friends, I'm sure you've noticed that my posting has gone down next to nothing since October 4th, with the exception of last month's Scanfest and a couple of pre-scheduled posts that slipped through. I wanted to assure you that I am still here. If you are one of my Facebook friends, you're already aware of that fact, since I have remained fairly active over there. So why has my blogging slowed down?

1. I've been busy. October was Family History Month. I taught a three-hour class for Community Colleges of Spokane, two sessions for the Hayden 4th Ward Family History Center's Fall Family History Seminar near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and was the featured speaker at the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society's Fall Workshop, presenting four sessions there in Colville, Washington.

I've also been taking a spinning class three times a week since the beginning of October. It's an hour and 15 minute stationary bike workout. I also try to get in some sort of exercise on the weekends. Add in travel time to the class and showering and it takes up a good chunk of my day. It's been well worth it, though; I've lost 18 pounds and dropped nearly two sizes in a little over two months!

2. I've been overwhelmed at work. When people hear that I work with special needs children, I think many of them get a visual image of a bunch of roly-poly, good-natured students with Down's Syndrome. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have never worked with a Down's Syndrome kiddo in my life. My students, for the most part, look fairly normal and you might never guess they are mentally retarded unless you asked them to read something for you or do a simple real-life math problem like read an analog clock or count some change. Because of confidentiality reasons, I have to tread lightly here, but it's not unusual for some of our students to be dealing with mental health issues and/or behavior issues as well as their disabilities. If you knew about the homes that many of them come from, the poverty they live in, and recognized that most of them are second- or third-generation disabled individuals, you would realize that their disabilities are often the least of their worries. Throw in changing hormones and regular teen behaviors--because after all, they ARE hitting puberty--and you can see how chaotic things can be.

This year, we had a number of new students enroll in our classroom that have severe behavior issues, to the point that the district recently installed what is politically-correctly referred to as a "Quiet Room." This is basically a padded, lighted, miniature room complete with a ceiling and floor. It has a door with no handle on the inside and a small shatter-proof window within the door for observation. This room is considered a safe place for an out-of-control student to pull him- or herself together without harming self or any other student or staff member. And yes, we have had to use it fairly often. (There are times when we as staff members would love to have our own Quiet Room!)

Additionally, the paperwork continues to increase. The district went to new software for attendance and grades and the state changed the recording of IEPs (individual education plans - all SpEd students must have one updated every year) from paper to computer. This has created a learning curve on top of the amount of time it takes to record data. My supervisor and both of my co-instructional assistants, by their own admission, are not computer persons by any means, so I have been busy helping them figure things out, technology wise. I've also had my own lesson plans and grading to complete.

3. I'm tired. If the work load weren't enough, I've been having what I will delicately state as "health problems" for nearly four months now. Numerous possible causes (including cancer) have all been ruled out, thankfully, and I am finally scheduled for a minor surgical procedure this coming Wednesday, which should hopefully end this situation. But because of the hormonal effect, I have been pretty exhausted and ready for bed fairly early every evening.

4. I've been depressed. While my fluctuating hormones have certainly been a contributor, it's also just been a difficult time in my life, anyway. My husband has been unemployed for nearly 18 months, and the last six months has not qualified for Unemployment Insurance. This is the third major stretch of unemployment we have gone through in the last 17 years. You can't go through this sort of thing without it affecting your marriage, your finances, and hopes and plans for the future. And please, please, please don't send me ideas on how my husband could find work or go back to school. You don't know all the details involved in this and there's nothing more depressing than getting unsolicited advice, unless it's being asked for the 47th time if he's found a job yet.

Additionally, it's sort of a subclause of Murphy's Law that when you have the least amount of money to work with, that's when everything starts breaking down. It's almost a dark comedy to watch things fall apart one at a time, from vehicles to computers to appliances.

5. But I still have hope. One of the blessings about getting older, I believe, is the gift of perspective. You realize when life throws something--or a few somethings--bad your way that you will survive it. It's still no fun to go through it, but you know it will eventually end. And it makes you infinitely grateful for every good thing you do have, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem.

So thank you for bearing with me through this long post and through a long dry spell of blogging. I can't guarantee that I will start cranking out daily posts anytime soon, but I have no plans to stop blogging or take this blog down. I owe apologies to all those individuals and institutions that sent me press releases in the last six weeks that I did not post. I also owe Leslie Albrecht Huber a book review on her fabulous The Journey Takers. I'm sorry I haven't been promoting the carnivals and Shades. We'll still have Scanfest next Sunday, unless for some strange reason I don't recover from my procedure as quickly as expected.

To my American readers, have a blessed Thanksgiving; and to all of you, be sure to take some time to think about all the wonderful people and things and values you have in your life.

Funeral Card Friday: Hendrik "Henry" Binnes DeVRIES

Funeral card of Hendrik DeVries, Kalamazoo, Michigan, citing services on 30 January 1968; DeVries Family Papers, digitized and privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. This item was passed from the estate of Adrian and Ruth (Hoekstra) DeVries to their granddaughter, Miriam Robbins Midkiff in 2008.

This is the funeral card of my (step) great-granduncle, Hendrik "Henry" Binnes DeVRIES. He was born 4 January 1890 in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland, the Netherlands. The specific location of his birth was probably the city of Drachten, since I know his eldest brother (and my great-grandfather), Jarig "George" DeVRIES was born there.

On 29 March 1897, Hendrik arrived at Ellis Island on the ship Spaarndam with his widowed mother Adriaantje, his brother Jarig, and his younger sister, Kornelia. His mother was on the way to Grand Rapids, Michigan to marry John HOOGSTRA. Henry grew up at 502 (later renumbered to 1065) Caulfield Avenue with his two DeVRIES siblings and his three younger HOOGSTRA half-siblings, another Henry (nicknamed "Harry"), Walter, and Sybleinal ("Lena"). He married Tillie ELMAN (b. c. 1890) on 3 July 1913 in nearby Olive Township, Ottawa Co., Michigan and they lived for a while with his mother and step-father. Henry and Tillie had at least one child, a son named William (1914 - 2006).

I'm not certain at what point Henry and his family moved to Kalamazoo, but that is the city in which he passed on 27 January 1968. He was buried in Grand Prairie Cemetery, Kalamazoo.

Thanks to Dee Akard Welborn for this great Friday theme! Dee encourages others to highlight their funeral card collection on the first Friday of each month.

October 2010 Scanfest

Scanfest is Coming!

The October 2010 Scanfest will take place here at AnceStories next Sunday, October 31st, from 11 AM to 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time.

What is Scanfest? It's a time when geneabloggers, family historians, and family archivists meet online here at this blog to chat while they scan their precious family document and photos. Why? Because, quite honestly, scanning is time-consuming and boring!

Scanfest is a great time to "meet" other genealogists, ask questions about scanning and preservation, and get the kick in the pants we all need on starting those massive scanning projects that just seem too overwhelming to begin.

To get started, you need to know the basics about scanning:

1. Don't use commercial glass cleaners (i.e. Windex) or paper towels to clean your scanner's glass plate. Use a soft, clean cloth, preferably microfiber. If you must use a liquid, use water sprayed directly onto the cloth  and make sure to let the plate dry thoroughly before placing photos or documents on it.

2. Wear cotton gloves (available at many art and/or photography supply shops) when handling photos and old documents.

3. Don't slide the photos around on the glass plate. Place them exactly where you want them. Photos should NEVER be scanned by a scanner that feeds the document through the machine, but ALWAYS on a flat-bed scanner.

4. Set your scanner to scan at no smaller than 300 dpi (dots per inch). Many experts recommend 600 dpi for photographs.

5. Photographs should ALWAYS be scanned and saved as .tif files. Use "Save As" to reformat the .tif file to a .jpg file for restoration and touchups, emailing, or uploading to an online photo album. ALWAYS retain the original scan as a .tif file.

6. Documents can be scanned as .pdf files or .tif files.

7. When you are done scanning your photos, don't put them back in those nasty "magnetic" photo albums. Place them in archival safe albums or boxes found at websites such as Archival Products or Archival Suppliers. Do NOT store any newsprint (articles, obituaries, etc.) with the photos. The acid from the newspaper will eventually destroy the photograph.

Now about the chatting part of Scanfest:

We will be using Cover It Live, a live blogging format that you access right here at AnceStories.

On Sunday at 11 AM, PDT, come right here to AnceStories and you'll see the CoverItLive live blog/forum in the top post. It's not really a "chat room," per se, it's more like a live forum and anyone visiting this site can read and see what is happening in the forum.

You will not need to download any software.

Up to 25 individuals can be invited to be Producers. Producers are participants who have the extra capability of sharing photos, links, and other media within the forum (great for sharing the photos you're scanning!). You must have Internet Explorer 6.0+ or Firefox 2.0+ to be a Producer.

We can also have up to 25 other Participants who can comment freely in our conversation, but will not be able to share media. You can have any kind of browser to be a Participant.

In addition, any other readers of this blog can drop on by and view/read what is happening at Scanfest. If the 25 Participant spaces are full, those readers will not be able to comment, unless someone else drops out.

Confused? Have questions? Go to CoverItLive and check out 6. Try It Nowto see live blogs in action or 7. Demos to see videos demonstrating how to use CIT (especially the ones titled "How do my readers watch my Live Blog?" and "Adding Panelists and Producers").

If you would like to be a Producer, please e-mail me no later than Saturday, October 30th at 4 PM, PDT and I'll send you an invitation. Preference will given to previous Scanfesters. You must set up an account (free!) ahead of time to be a Producer. This account will be good for all future Scanfests. You can do some practices ahead of time by going to My Account and clicking on the link under Practice your live blogging. Again, you must have IE 6.0+ or Firefox 2.0+ to be a Panelist.

As a Producer, Participant or simply a reader, if you would like an e-mail reminder for Scanfest, fill out the form below and choose the time frame for which you would like to be reminded (if you're reading this through Google Reader, Bloglines, or some other RSS feed reader, you will need to go to my blog and view this post there to see and utilize the form).

It really is easier than it sounds, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all there and getting some scanning done!

Findmypast Publishes Devon Parish Records Online

Press release from findmypast.co.uk:

Devon parish records go online

.       857, 603 Devon parish records are available online, making it easier to find Devon ancestors
.       The famous dog breeder John Russell, the Jack Russell's namesake, can be found in the records

Today leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk launches the Devon parish records in association with Devon Family History Society.  Significantly, these new online records pre-date civil birth, marriage and death records and census records, enabling family history enthusiasts to delve even further back into their Devonian ancestors' pasts from the convenience of their own home.

The Devon parish records include 363,015 baptism records for 1813-1839; 271,193 marriage records for 1754-1837 and 223,395 burial records for 1813-1837.  The transcripts of these records are available to search at findmypast.co.uk from today as part of what is already one of the largest online parish record collections for England & Wales, currently comprising over 26 million baptism, marriage and burial records dating as far back as the reign of Henry VIII.

The search facility at findmypast.co.uk makes it possible to look up ancestors across all the parish records on the site just by entering a surname.  Previously, to search the offline records it was necessary to know where in the country your ancestors came from and then contact the relevant record office or family history society for that area, so this development will make it far easier for people to research their family history.

The decline of agriculture at the end of the nineteenth century caused many people to migrate to cities as well as overseas in search of work. Therefore many people now living across the UK or in other corners of the globe may find ancestors listed within the newly available Devon Parish Records that they never knew they had.

The county of Devon has produced many famous faces over the years that can be found in the Devon Parish records. These include Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first ever computer, Charles Kingsley the author of 'The Water Babies' and John 'Jack' Russell, who owned the foundation bitch of a line of fox hunting terriers that would eventually come to be known as the Jack Russell.

Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.co.uk, says: "As a descendant of generations of Devonshire blacksmiths, I am particularly excited that the Devon Family History Society is working with findmypast.co.uk to put Devon parish records on our website and make them available to all. Like me, many people who have never lived in Devon themselves may discover that they have ancestors who were baptised, married and/or buried in Devon, and this is a great way to find out about them."

Maureen Selley, Chairman of Devon Family History Society commented: "This is a unique and very special resource that has been created over many years by members of Devon Family History Society.  By working with findmypast.co.uk to put these records online, we are enabling a wider international audience to become aware of these terrific records, allowing millions more people worldwide to discover their Devon ancestors."

Findmypast's Parish Record Collection brings together in one place the disparate records from local parishes, which have been collated by local family history societies since 1911, coordinated by the Federation of Family History Societies*. Since 2007 findmypast.co.uk has been working exclusively with the Federation to publish these records online, with many more records due to be added to the website over the coming months.

Findmypast.co.uk will also be working with FamilySearch to digitise the record collection of Plymouth & West Devon Record Office, with a view to matching their images of the parish records to the transcripts from Devon Family History Society that are now live on the site.

FamilyRoots Seminar in Calgary on October 16

Alberta Family Histories Society
Presents
A
FamilyRoots Seminar
"New Horizons in Genealogy"

Featuring three of North America's leading genealogists

• Dick Eastman - The Organized Genealogist & Conservation: Keeping UP with Technology
  
• Lyn Meehan - Records Interrogation 101 - Squeezing Records Until They Talk
• Thomas MacEntree - Social Networking for Genealogists & Become a Genealogy Blogger

Saturday, October 16, 2010
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
(Doors open @ 8:00 AM)
Deerfoot Inn Hotel
11500 - 35 St. SE, Calgary, AB, Canada
Dinner (Optional)
Big Rock Grill
5555 - 76 Ave. SE, 6:00 PM
Speaker: Dick Eastman
Topic: "Putting the Genes in Genealogy"

For more information, logon to FamilyRoots
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/familyroots/

A Visit with Thomas MacEntee

Miriam Robbins Midkiff and Thomas MacEntee. Spokane, Washington. 2 October 2010. Privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Spokane, Washington. 2010.

I just came away from a busy and exciting weekend as my local genealogical society, the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society, held its annual October Workshop with well-known geneablogger Thomas MacEntee as its featured speaker!

Since I was at work when Thomas' flight arrived, EWGS 3rd Vice President Cecily Kelly was kind enough to pick him up from the airport and drive him to his accommodations at the historic Spokane Club. After I got off work, we all met up at Anthony's at Spokane Falls for a great seafood dinner on the terrace overlooking the falls of the Spokane River. It was a gorgeous Indian Summer day, and the three of us had a good time talking about our own genealogy, the future of genealogical societies, and what the Next Big Thing in genealogy might be.

EWGS Members. Spokane, Washington. 1 October 2010. Privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Spokane, Washington. 2010. 

Next, we headed over to the downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library so that Thomas could give his new presentation, "Building a Research Toolbox." This was a members-only presentation, and we had about 40 people in attendance. You can see some video footage I shot that evening posted on Thomas' blog here. Thomas explained why a person would need a research toolbox, what the different kinds of toolboxes (or containers) there were, what kinds of tools (or content) would be stored in it, and how to organize the information. I especially liked the wikis as a type of toolbox, and MediaWiki certainly caught my eye. Another tool that looked extremely useful was Link Valet, a link checker that will make sure all the URLs in your blog or document are working and not broken! If you would like to see one good example of a research toolbox, Thomas has one set up on his blog here. I prefer to use my Google Toolbar's Bookmark feature for mine, as it is accessible from nearly any computer, anywhere.

 EWGS Members and Thomas MacEntee. Spokane, Washington. 2 October 2010. Privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Spokane, Washington. 2010.

The next morning, we were at the library bright and early to prepare for a day long workshop of four presentations. There were about 65 people in attendance, including some from Northern Idaho, Northeast Washington, and the Tri-Cities area of Southeast Washington, representing societies from those areas. After registration check in, the welcome, and some EWGS business, Thomas began his morning presentations, "Facebook for Genealogists" and ""Become a Genealogy Blog User." There was a lot of audience interaction and they were very attentive to his presentations.

At the lunch break, those who had pre-registered received their box lunch from Apple Spice Junction, and those who had not either brown-bagged it or stepped out to one of the many eateries nearby. Then it was time for the afternoon presentations, "Building a Genealogy Blog" and "Google Docs for Beginners." In most day-long workshops, the audience tends to be a big tired after sitting all day, as well as a bit drowsy after lunch. However, these afternoon sessions were pretty lively, as many seemed especially interested in learning how to start a genealogy blog and using Google Docs. As a long-time Facebook user and geneablogger, most of the information presented in the first three lectures were not new to me, but I enjoyed seeing it presented in an easy-to-understand format. Despite the fact that I am a frequent Google Docs user, I did learn a few new things, and was especially happy to see how versatile the Forms feature is!

After the workshop, Thomas and I tiredly said our good-byes. He is staying another day, spending time with a first cousin (and her daughter) on his father's side from North Idaho, meeting them for the first time. At the workshop, he kept everyone well-entertained, engaged, and begging for more! I received numerous e-mails in the last 24 hours from various attendees who were so impressed by his teaching and were very grateful that I had suggested that he be our October Workshop speaker. We even had a couple of members begin their own blogs this weekend!

Thomas was a big hit here in the Inland Northwest and has a standing invitation to return. He let us know that he would be happy to be back, live or virtually, anytime. Thanks for a great workshop, Thomas!

Funeral Card Friday: Margaret "Peggy" (NEVE) DeVRIES

Funeral card of Margaret DeVries, Ellwood City,Pennsylvania; DeVries Family Papers, digitized and privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. This item was passed from the estate of Adrian and Ruth (Hoekstra) DeVries to their granddaughter, Miriam Robbins Midkiff in 2008.

This beautiful funeral card of the wife of my granduncle, Calvin J. DeVRIES, is an unusual one in my collection. The reason is that as far back as I can research in my biological, adoptive and step-family lines, our family has been Protestant pretty much since the Reformation, and this is a Catholic funeral card.

Margaret "Peggy" NEVE was a lovely woman of Italian heritage who may have met my granduncle "Cal" during his service in World War II. I don't know if Aunt Peggy was born in Italy or if she was an American with Italian roots. In fact, I don't know a whole lot about Aunt Peggy except that she was Italian, Catholic, and died tragically young from cancer. I don't even know if I ever had a chance to meet her; I'll have to check my mother's letters to see if we ever visited Cal and Peggy during one of our trips to the "Lower 48" when I was a baby.

I have been in touch with Cal and Peggy's children and grandchildren over the years, sending them information on the DeVRIES family which I have researched. This post reminds me that I should get back in touch and obtain some more information to fill out the family tree a little better on Aunt Peggy's side.

Thanks to Dee Akard Welborn for this great Friday theme! Dee encourages others to highlight their funeral card collection on the first Friday of each month.

October 2010 Calendar of Events

In the old of the moon
A cloudy morning
Bodes a fair afternoon.

Holidays, History, and Heritage

Family History Month (various U.S. states)

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)

Czech Heritage Month (Texas)

Polish American Heritage Month

Italian American Heritage Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Month

October 1: National Day (People's Republic of China)
Independence Day (Cyprus)
Independence Day (Nigeria)

October 3: German Unity Day (Germany)

October 6: German American Day

October 8: Independence Day (Croatia)

October 11: Thanksgiving (Canada)
Columbus Day (United States)

October 18: National Multicultural Diversity Day

October 19: Constitution Day (Niue)

October 20: Birth of the Báb (Bá'hai)

October 23: Revolution of 1956 Remembrance Day (Hungary)

October 27: Independence Day (St. Vincent & the Grenadines)
Independence Day (Turkmenistan)

October 28: Independence Day (Greece)

October 29: Republic Day (Turkey)

October 31: All Hallows Eve (Christianity)

Do any of the above events feature in or affect your heritage, culture, or family history?




Carnivals and Other Blogging Events:

Need help? Read my post, "How to Submit a Post to a Carnival", here.

Due October 1 - the 98th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Document Analysis

Heads Up! The Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture is on sabbatical; the 21st Edition will be published in November 2010.




October 1 - Data Backup Day

Read the latest Data Backup Day post by Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers




Genealogy Television Shows
(check your local listings for accurate local airing times and reruns)

The Generations Project
Monday Nights at 8 PM on BYU-TV
October 4, 11, 18, 25





Scanfest: Sunday, October 31st, 11 AM - 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time

Go here to learn how to join Scanfest and our group of chatting, scanning family archivists, historians, and bloggers!




Go here to add the above deadlines and dates to your Google Calendar,
courtesy of Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers.


Clear moon, frost soon.