I am not attending the in-person RootsTech 2023 conference in Salt Lake City this weekend (2-4 March), but I am attending virtually on the RootsTech 2023 website -  https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/ . To prepare for the virtual event, I added a number of sessions to My Playlist for all three days, and there are other classes that were pre-recorded for RootsTech 2023.  The  RootsTech 2023 On-Demand sessions are listed here.    1)  Today, I watched a number of sessions, either the whole session or major parts of sessions: 2)  I briefly "visited" the virtual Expo Hall today, and read the product descriptions of some of the exhibitors.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/03/randys-day-3-saturday-4-march.html

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I received this information from my friend and society colleague Gail Burk: ===================================== Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County Lecture Series    Cohosted online by GSSCC and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries   ZOOM FORMAT!!  Online registration through the SCPL website is required for home viewing of this event.  To register, please type in or click    https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10530057   OR ATTEND LIVE STREAM (no registration required) in the upstairs meeting room of the downtown library Tuesday, April 4, 2023 1:00 PM PDT  Guest Speaker: Cathy Andrews   Topic:  Genealogy Basics—Occupations  Knowing an ancestor's occupation can help us understand more about our ancestor's life, as well as open doors to further research.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/03/genealogical-society-of-santa-cruz.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:                  ===========================================New and exclusive English parish records brought online   Findmypast adds more records for Hampshire this Findmypast Friday Hampshire Baptisms   Parish records are often considered a backbone of family history research. If you have Hampshire ancestors, you'll want to check out the new 2,500 baptism transcripts for the parish of Selborne. The new additions span from 1813-1940. Learn when and where your ancestor was baptised, plus their parents' names.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/09/findmypast-friday-more-hampshire.html

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Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:  It's Saturday Night again - Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 1) When you are performing genealogy research or writing, what makes you happy?  List ten genealogy moments that make you happy. 2) Tell us about them in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own blog post.Here's mine (not in any order):*

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/01/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-your-ten.html

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Looking back over the past year, I see that I pursued these genealogy and family history related activities - it was a Zoom-y year (again!) to say the least!  And a health challenge year for me (open heart bypass surgery and COVID).1)  Speaking*  I made no presentations to genealogical societies this year.*  I was asked by several societies to give a talk via Zoom, but declined.*  I created no new presentations this year.2)  Genealogy Society Work*  Moderated 10 CVGS Research Group monthly meetings (in Zoom meetings) with 20 to 40 in attendance, usually providing an hour of content.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/12/randys-genealogy-activity-highlights.html

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I received this parody of Clement Moore's masterpiece via email back in the mid-1990's, the author is unknown to me. Kimberly Powell had it on her website for years but I cannot find it now.'Twas the night before ChristmasWhen all through the houseNot a creature was stirring,Not even my spouse.The dining room table with clutter was spreadWith pedigree charts and with letters which said..."Too bad about the data for which you wrote;Sank in a storm on an ill-fated boat."Stacks of old copies of wills and suchWere proof that my work had become too much.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/12/icymi-twas-night-before-genealogists.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today: ========================================== Immersive new records added this Findmypast Friday       This collection from University College London comprises individuals who were compensated in 1833 with the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. There are just over 60,000 transcripts, which can include biographical information, names of spouses, and addresses. Be sure to click through the UCL website for more detail. The project at UCL was designed to shed light on the ways that the slavery system has shaped British history.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/03/findmypast-friday-new-immersive.html

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Everyone else has one it seems - and now Ancestry.com does too!  This feature is still in Beta development, so look for it in your Ancestry Member Tree and try it out when you get it. From your Ancestry Member Tree, select a person and click on the  Tree icon on the left side of the screen and choose "Fan (Beta)": The Fan View pops up (it took a few seconds) with the Family Lines view (I chose the "Fan Settings" button and selected 7 generations): In the Fan Settings, the user can also select "Hints": Or select "Photos": Or select "Sources": Go for it!!! The different views can be very helpful in determining where you need to add Photos or Sources.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/the-new-ancestrycom-member-tree-fan.html

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I received this information from my friend and society colleague Gail Burk: ===================================== Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County Lecture Series    Cohosted online by GSSCC and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries   ZOOM FORMAT!!  Online registration through the SCPL website is required for home viewing of this event.  To register, please type in or click   https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10702723 OR ATTEND LIVE STREAM (no registration required) in the upstairs meeting room of the downtown library Tuesday, June 6, 2023 1:00 PM PDT  Guest Speaker: Kathy Nielsen  Topic:   What to Do with All of Our Family Stuff:   Research, Documents, and Heirlooms  We have all collected family research, memorabilia and heirlooms over the years.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/05/genealogical-society-of-santa-cruz.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:                  ===========================================Brand new World War 2 records released this Findmypast Friday Findmypast adds three new record collections this week, plus English burials and updates to several historical newspapers Airmen Died in the Second World War, 1939-1946   Covering both airmen and airwomen, discover if your ancestor gave their life while serving under the Royal Air Force. Brand new to Findmypast, there are over 129,000 transcripts to explore.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/07/findmypast-friday-new-world-war-ii.html

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I received this information from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today:===========================================I'm excited to tell you that in honor of Labor Day, from August 30–September 6, 2022, MyHeritage is offering free access to all U.S. census records!Census records offer important snapshots of the lives of people living in the United States throughout its history. Censuses are particularly valuable in that they can help you watch the lives of your ancestors unfold as they move from location to location, get married or divorced, have children, or change careers.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/08/free-access-to-us-census-records-for.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:                  ===========================================Rolling releases for Norfolk records added to Findmypast   Findmypast updates Norfolk parish records this Findmypast Friday   Norfolk Baptisms Nearly 4,000 records have been added for the year 1922 into this existing collection. Including original images, the new records cover the parishes of King's Lynn, St Margaret with St Nicholas, Cromer, Diss, Great Snoring and Holt.   Norfolk Banns & Marriages   Records for the year 1938 have been added, covering South Lynn (All Saints), Lowestoft, Wells Next the Sea, Norwich and Brundall.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/09/findmypast-friday-more-norfolk-parish.html

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I received this via email from FamilySearch and RootTech recently:=============================================As the organizer and sponsor of RootsTech, FamilySearch plays a key role in bringing the genealogy community together in a way that no other organization can. Since its inception in 2011, RootsTech by FamilySearch has welcomed tens of thousands of enthusiastic genealogists, from beginning to expert, in person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and at the ExCel Center in London, England.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/11/familysearch-platinum-sponsor-at.html

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I received this from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today:==========================================Our Cyber Monday sale is on, and your audience won't want to miss it! This is our best deal of the year — and our lowest price ever. Plus, we're offering free shipping on 2 kits or more! But this offer will be over soon, so please spread the word and help more genealogists enjoy all the benefits of DNA testing.Order MyHeritage DNA nowWhether you've been waiting for a great deal to purchase one for yourself, or are looking for a meaningful, affordable holiday gift, now is the perfect time to order MyHeritage DNA! Our simple cheek swab test reveals your origins across 2,114 geographic regions and connects you with new relatives.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/11/cyber-monday-sale-at-myheritagedna.html

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The 1950 United States Census record for the family of my paternal great-aunt, Emily (Richmond) Taylor, was found in San Diego, San Diego County, California, ED 37-50, Sheet #14 (taken 7 April 1950), at 4601 Terrace Drive:The Chamberlain household is in lines 10-12:The information entered for each person in this household is:*  Line 10 - 4601 Terrace Drive, dwelling #198, not a farm, not on 3+ acres**  Line 10 - Marshall B. Chamberlain, head of household, white, male, age 46, married, born Oregon, Other Work, did not work last week, did not look for work last week, does have a job, a superintendent of a steel construction company, works in a steel construction (mfg) company, a private business.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/07/census-sunday-1950-census-record-for.html

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I wrote this 14 years ago on 17 January 2009 after the visit to Ancestry.com.  My guess is I used information for this blog post from that meeting.   Indexing, imaging and search technology has come a long way in 14 years, and there are many more online record collections for us to search for elusive ancestors, but ...this is still pretty much true!========================================How often have you heard someone complain about Ancestry.com (or any other genealogy database) that "the Search just doesn't find my people" even though the searcher "knows" that the people are in a certain location at a certain time? I hear this all the time at my society meetings, and in comments on blog posts and in message boards.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/01/blast-from-past-papers-images-indexes.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:==========================================Delve into rich Northumberland records this Findmypast Friday   Northumberland Baptisms  There are over 13,000 new additions to this collection from six parishes across the county, spanning the years 1571-1847. While you'll typically find both parents' names and dates, you may also uncover the father's occupation, residences, and even if the child is the firstborn, and so on.  Northumberland Marriages   384 records have been added to this set, covering 1769-1771.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/02/findmypast-friday-delve-into-rich.html

#geneamusings

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:  It's Saturday Night again - Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 1)  Pick an ancestor, any ancestor.  What do you know about them?  What source type(s) do you have for each item? Answer the 20 questions below about your chosen ancestor.2) Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own blog post.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/02/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-basic.html

#geneamusings

I received this from Elissa Scalise Powell on the Transitional Genealogists Forum IO Groups page recently: ====================================== Thanks to sponsoring organizations' generosity, each evening from Monday June 19th through Thursday the 22nd you have the opportunity to attend a free lecture which is hosted by a genealogy society and presented by one of GRIP's world-class teachers.   The June lectures are online via Zoom, while the July lectures are in-person at LaRoche University, Pittsburgh, PA.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/06/free-genealogy-presentations-from-grip.html

#geneamusings

I received this information from Findmypast today:                  ===========================================Thousands more parish records added this Findmypast Friday   Findmypast adds 50,000 new English parish records, exclusive to Findmypast, plus even more historical newspapers   Middlesex Baptisms Over 18,000 additional records have been added to this collection, from the parishes of New Brentford, Tottenham and Edmonton. Using these records, it's possible to discover parents' names and residences to go back another generation in a family tree.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/07/findmypast-friday-more-parish-records.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:==========================================Set sail with brand new Royal Navy records Explore thousands more Royal Navy records this Findmypast FridayBritish Royal Navy & Royal Marines Service and Pension Records, 1704-1939 We've added new records for two separate sets into this collection. The first 93,000 new records cover the years 1925-1939. You'll normally see an ancestor's full name, birth year, birthplace and service number on these Royal Navy Seamen's Services Continuous Record cards.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/11/findmypast-friday-new-royal-navy-records.html

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I  received this information from Findmypast today:==============================================Find your family heroes with free access to millions of Findmypast records this Veterans Day Delve into more free records than ever before on Findmypast November 10-14 The easiest way to discover remarkable stories of family heroes Explore your ancestors' military service and beyond with records you won't find anywhere else online        Preserve your family's wartime stories for the next generations Family history website, Findmypast, is making millions of its family history records free to access* this weekend (10-14 November), so you can uncover and honor their stories and sacrifices.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/11/findmypast-offers-free-access-this.html

#geneamusings

I received this information from Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage today:======================================I'm so excited to share what is probably the biggest news in Israeli genealogy in the last decade: MyHeritage just published a huge new collection covering immigration to Israel from 1919 onwards, with 1.7 million records!This collection is the Israeli equivalent of the famous Ellis Island immigration database for the United States — and we've made it completely FREE to search and view, without even needing to sign up.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/01/new-exclusive-israel-immigration.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today: ========================================== Search all things Sussex this Findmypast Friday A further 269,119 records have been added to this existing collection, with the transcriptions including key biographical detail to help you build your family tree: name, birth and baptism date, location, parents' names, and sometimes the father's occupation. These new 268,217 records cover 1504-1937 and will help you uncover your ancestor's date and place of marriage, their spouse, occupations, and often the fathers' names and occupations too.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/05/findmypast-friday-search-all-things.html

#geneamusings

I recently obtained Heredis software (see  Genealogy Software: Heredis 2024 Is Available! ), installed it, and imported a GEDCOM file of my family tree (with over 71,400 profiles) and checked it out. The software publicity mentioned "wheels" and I wanted to determine what that was and how it was used.  In short, a "wheel" is a circular representation of a persons ancestor or descendant family tree - like a fan chart.  In Heredis, it can be a whole circle, a half circle or a portion of a circle - the user can control the shape of the family tree.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/09/rabbit-holes-with-randy-wheels-in.html

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Anne Hanson recently emailed me with this information about her latest book, called Buried Secrets, Looking For Frank and Ida. ========================================== Here are Anne's comments about this book: Ida Hanson hated when her sons left her sight. It was almost as if this fiercely protective mother, who sacrificed everything to nurture her four young boys during the economic ruin of the 1930s Great Depression, feared she might never see them again. What happened in her earlier life to make this devoted mom, my grandmother, so afraid of losing her boys? My new book,  Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida , is a true genealogical detective story about my quest to discover the hidden past that my grandparents Frank and Ida took to their graves.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/04/book-notice-buried-secrets-looking-for.html

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I received this information from Findmypast today:==========================================Surrey and US records added this Findmypast Friday   Explore English and US roots with this week's new records Five new newspaper titles have been added, including updates to a further 68  Protestation Returns 1641-1642   This is the closest thing we have to a census for this time period, where men over the age of 18 were requested to sign one of three oaths to declare their support of the Protestant Reformation in England.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/12/findmypast-friday-surrey-records.html

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A genealogy oriented version of the Twelve Days of Christmas was available on the Internet on  Kimberly Powell's site for many years, but it is, apparently, no longer available.Way back around 2007, I decided I would do my own "12 Days" based on genealogy, my own needs and my own research (modified occasionally):On the 12th day of Christmas,My true love gave to me --*  Twelve Revolutionary War pension files (with the Family Bible pages included) (12)*  Eleven autosomal DNA matches with common ancestors noted (22)*  Ten Social Security Application and Claims records (30)*  Nine Facebook postings from distant cousins (36)*  Eight probate files (40)*  Seven census pages (42)*  Six land deeds (42)*  Five obituaries (40)*  Four church marriage records (36)*  Three new ancestor names for my family tree (30)*  Two draft registration images (22)*  A lost family Bible with births, marriages and deaths in it (12)I've put the total number in parenthesis of each item - if you sing the song all the way through, going one number at a time.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/12/icymi-twelve-days-of-genealogy.html

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Wednesday, 25 January 2023, 12 noon PSTCVGS General Meeting (in a Zoom Video Conference)Diana Elder on Research Planning for the Win:Next Steps for Breaking Down a Brick WallDiana Elder AGⓇ is a professional genealogist accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States and serves as a Commissioner for The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen).. Diana authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide and co-authored the companion volume, Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence.

https://www.geneamusings.com/2023/01/chula-vista-genealogical-society.html

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There was at least one man who had the name Santa Claus in U.S. history, and there are quite a few records for him:*  In the 1900 U.S. Census, a person named "Santa Clause" (born April 1887 in MO) was the son of William Clause (born Feb 1857 in MO) and Henrietta Clause (born May 1861 in MO), with siblings Emma B. Clause (born Jan 1881 in MO), William E. Clause (born Nov 1882 in MO), Earler (?) Clause (born Dec 1885 in MO), Nellie Claus (born Nov 1889) and Earl Clause (born Dec 1894 in MO). The family resided in Liberty township, Saline County, MO (NARA T623, Roll 902, ED 129, Page 3A).

https://www.geneamusings.com/2022/12/icymi-historical-records-of-american.html

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