2020 Year-End Genealogy Backups

 2020 Year-End Genealogy Backups

I use the genealogy program, RootsMagic7.  I have many genealogy databases. There are four databases that I update on a regular basis.  Those are the databases (files) that need backup.

The backup process requires a number of steps and takes quite a bit of time.

1. Run the four-step Database Tools of RootsMagic on each of the four files. This is database housekeeping.
2. Create a backup for each database on the laptop hard drive.  To avoid overlaying, modify the name of each backup to include the word "Keep'' in the file name.
3. Create a normal backup of each database on the laptop hard drive without altering the file name.
4. Delete all of the backups done on the laptop during the year except the last four.
5. Copy the four backup files to an external hard drive.
6. Copy the four backup files to a thumb drive.
7. Copy the four backup files to my paid cloud Box account.
8. Delete all but the last 3 or 4 backup files from the external hard drive; thumb drive; and Box account.
9. Check storage usage on Box - 6.4GB of 100GB available.

Dick Henthorn

2 Dec 2020

Google Sites

BTW in September Google Sites will undergo a change. 

At this time I haven't decided how I will deal with this. I'm learning towards just letting them shut my site down. 

So, if anyone wants to download any of the reports now is the time to do it. 

Here's the URL to the list of reports. 

https://sites.google.com/.../henthornge.../Home/file-cabinet

What Will Become Of It?

What Will Become Of It?

I've been thinking more about "What Will Become of It," in relation to my collection of genealogy. I'm planning to write some posts on this topic for my Genealogy blog. I've been working on an outline of possible topics. I would like to receive your Email comments and suggestions. I'll route the incoming Emails into a folder created for the purpose on my Gmail account. You will need to help me accomplish this routing goal. Please inlude, in the Subject line, "READTHIS" including the quotes and the two words in all caps. Other words or phrases can also be part of the Subject line. My Gmail address is: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com Dick Henthorn 25 Jul 2020

Facebook Posts

Facebook Posts

There is a difference between how posts to your Timeline and posts to a Group work.

• Timeline posts don't offer any format options
• Group posts offer several format options

1. Boldface
2. Italics
3. Headings
4. Bullet Lists
5. Numbered Lists

Dick Henthorn

13 July 2020

Family Group Sheets

Family Group Sheets

I use the genealogy program, RootsMagic7.  I'm impressed with the format of Family Group Sheets (FGS) created by this program. Besides the usual information found in a FGS there are options to include name index and place name index. I can save the FGS in the PDF format. 

I have a Box account where I have been uploading these FGS into Family folders. The reports are availble for Preview or Download to anyone who has the correct URL.

Recently I worked on FGS projects for two families:

• Ice Family - 8 FGS, 61-pages
• Tennant Family - 10 FGS, 59-pages

Dick Henthorn

8 Jul 202

Data Recovery Projects

Data Recovery Projects

On July 5th I completed data recovery projects and Family Group Sheet uploads to my Box account.

• Samuel Horatio Henthorn- 13 pages
• John Milton Henthorn - 8 pages
• Hector Ulysses Henthorn - 10 pages

Dick Henthorn

6 July 2020

More Data Recovery Projects

More Data Recovery Projects

I completed data recovery projects for:

• William David Henthorn and Susannah Parrott
• John Henthorn and Mary Eleanor Jarrett
• John Wesley Henthorn and Ursula Anne Hall

I'm working on:

• John Milton Henthorn and Annie Elizabeth Hougland

Each project entails various edits to the records in my old, PAFBIG, file followed by copying the records to my large, pafyoh, file. I'm also using RootsMagic7 to create a Family Group Sheet (FGS) for each project. These FGSs include the Note field information of each person in the FGS. The FGSs are uploaded to my Box account where they are available for Preview or Download by folks who have the URL.

Dick Henthorn

5 July 2020

Data Recovery Project

Data Recovery Project

My next data recovery project will be for the family of William David Henthorn and Susannah Parrott of Vermillion Co., IN. William David Henthorn was the son of James Henthorn II and Elizabeth Unknown.

Currently I do most of my genealogy using a file that I named "pafyoh." This file contains thousands of records. 

My goal is to copy all Henthorn(e) data from an older file "PAFBIG" to the newer "pafyoh" file. As part of this project edits must first be done to the older file records.

Edits such as:

• Correct place names from West Virginia to Virginia, if prior to 1863
• Add each person's name to the top of their Note field
• Add PARENTS: to the Note field of the children, if a child Note field exists
• Enter Find A Grave Memorial numbers, if possible
• Remove periods (.) that were used in the Note fields to leave blank lines been paragraphs when I used the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) for genealogy. [What a mess that made.]

Dick Henthorn

3 July 2020

Daniel Kyger and Ann Henthorn Family Group Sheet

Daniel Kyger and Ann Henthorn Family Group Sheet

I've been working on a data recovery project for the family of Daniel Kyger and Ann Henthorn of Danville, Vermilion Co., IL.  A descendant report for this couple with name and place name indexes is 156-pages. 

I also created an updated, 11-page, Family Group Sheet for the couple that I uploaded to my Box account where it can be previewed or downloaded by anyone who has the URL. Family Group Sheets produced by RootsMagic7 include any information I stored in the Note fields plus a Name Index and a Place Index.

Besides linking to the Henthorn family the Kyger family also links to Yoho and Morgan of the Ohio River Valley.

Dick Henthorn

2 July 2020

Family Group Sheets

Family Group Sheets

I have a paid subscription to cloud storage on Box.

I created a folder on Box where I can upload Family Group Sheets created by my genealogy program, RootsMagic7. This Family Group Sheet folder has many family sub-folders. With the link shared below you can access the Family Group Sheets. Individual group sheets can be previewed online and/or downloaded to your computer. I believe Box works best when accessed via a computer. It is probably possible to access the family group sheets with a SmartPhone if you have the URL.

The family group sheets produced by RootsMagic include the Note field of the people listed on the family group sheet. Included in the notes are source citations, if I have them, Find A Grave memorial numbers, obituaries and other historical information. After the Note fields each family group sheet has a name index and a place name index.

Corrections and additions are welcome.

I'll also entertain suggestions for other family group sheets 

I'm a very active user of Facebook which makes that the best way to catch my attention. 

My Email address, which I don't check often is: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com

Family Group Sheets

Dick Henthorn

26 June 2020

Drib and Drab Genealogy

Drib and Drab Genealogy

I belong to a number of genealogy Groups on Facebook. Trying to follow the threads is often next to impossible. I call what is going on "drib and drab" genealogy.

Sometimes I think that the posts are a way of showing off, "look what I've got, that you don't have." I work hard to avoid letting my frustration run rampant with snide remarks..

Lately when things get out of hand, I have been using Family Group Sheets to summarize the information I have about a couple and their offspring. Using RootsMagic it is quick and easy to create such a report. Sometimes I share the FGS in the Files area of the Group where the thread occurs. And, I also upload the FGS to my own paid Box account where it can be previewed or downloaded.

BTW, it should probably go without saying that, I am also not a big fan of screen captures of genealogy pedigree charts. They convey little information in a very difficult to read format.

Dick Henthorn

20 Jun 2020

Facebook Formatting

Facebook Formatting

There is an issue with document formatting on Facebook.

I tried two ways of sharing a document on Facebook that didn't work well.

First, I copied obituary text that I'd extracted from a Find A Grave memorial. I made some addtions using square brackets [ ] and uploaded my file as a "Document" to a Facebook Group. This didn't work well. Paragraph breaks were inserted between text several sentences long and a one line piece of information in parentheses that should have followed immediately after the text.

Next, I tried copying the same text as a "post" to the Group. This resulted in the same problem, excessive paragraph breaks.

Here's how I solved the problem. I was working with a couple who didn't have children. There was an obituary for the wife only. I told RootsMagic to create a Family Group sheet for the couple. I saved the output as a PDF file. I uploaded the PDF to the Facebook Files area of the Group just as I have often done with Descendant Reports as PDFs.  As a result the obituary paragraph formatting appears to my liking and the PDF can be previewed online or downloaded.

Dick Henthorn

3 Jun 2020

Virtual Cemeteries

Virtual Cemeteries

I created several Virtual Cemeteries on Find A Grave.

My Virtual Cemeteries

Dick Henthorn

22 May 2020

Atkinson Genealogy

Atkinson Genealogy

I ran a Descendant Report for the Atkinson family, which included an every name index and a place name index. 

Currently I have compiled 462 pages of information about this family.

Dick Henthorn

22 May 2020

Lemley Genealogy

Lemley Genealogy

I ran a test report to see how much information I have compiled about the Lemley family.

With an every name index and a place name index I can currently create a Descendant Report of 1309 pages.

Dick Henthorn

21 May 2020

What Will Become of It?

What Will Become of It?

The other day I was thinking about Wetzel Co., WV because I discovered a Facebook Group for the county that I didn't know about.

I have been working on the genealogy of folks from Wetzel Co., WV for many years. In fact, I used to be in touch with some of the folks from the county genealogy society before they decided to disband. In those days I donated four genealogy documents to the society. I was co-compiler on a couple of them. The society had the documents hard bound and then placed them in the genealogy section of the county library at New Martinsville, WV.

I visited New Martinsville several times and the library once. That was before the donations were placed in the library, so I have never seen the bound volumes.

Yesterday I checked the catalog to refresh my memory about the donations. I searched for "Author, Henthorn, Richard E.."

This activity brought to mind a subject that has been on my mind for months, "What Will Become of It?" I have been working on genealogy projects for over 30 years. There are thousands of pages of information on my computer in the RootsMagic program. Some of the information has been shared with other people in digital formats such as PDFs, some has been shared on Facebook in my private Group and other Groups, some Conger information is hosted by a Conger friend in Iowa, some information is shared in two of my genealogy Google blogs, some is on my Google Site, some is shared on my private Box account, some has been donated,in printed form, to various genealogy libraries around the USA.

I turned 81 year old this month and I have been in poor health for about ten months. It's time to come to grips with the issue of What Will Become of It?

Dick Henthorn

12 May 2020

My Google Blogs

My Google Blogs

For a long time I have maintained six blogs on Google. Two are used for genealogy, two for personal thoughts, and one for links to other webpages of interest and one for private note keeping.  The frequency of posting to the blogs is random.

Once you gain access to one of the blogs you can use the sidebar on the right to find links to the other public blogs. 

If you are one of my Facebook friends you can access my About page where there are hot links to some of the blogs.

If you find what I post to be of interest you might want to learn how to set a swich to be notified when I create a post. It has been so long since I thought about this, I no longer recall how to do it.

Dick Henthorn

8 May 2020

Virginia/West Virginia

Virginia/West Virginia

Because the state of West Virginia was created on 20 Jun 1863 from territory that once was part of the state of Virginia this resulted in a place name problem for anyone working on West Virginia genealogy. In my opinion any life event in West Virginia, prior to 20 Jun 1863, should be recorded as occuring in Virginia.

This creation of a new state from an existing state often causes errors in what researchers record. For example, a person could be born in Wetzel Co., VA and later die in Wetzel Co. WV without ever moving and the two events should be thusly recorded. It is an error to associate events prior to 20 Jun 1863 with the state of West Virginia.

Dick Henthorn

4 May 2020

Copyright Notice

Copyright Notice

I wrote a boilerplate Copyright Notice that I like to include in Descendant and Ancestor reports that I share.

I save the Copyright Notice in the record of the oldest male in each family.

This may result in the Copyright Notice appearing several times in a report.

Richard E. Henhorn

3 May 2020