The Fun of Sharing

John Ogden posted a Facebook request for a photo of William Henry Montgomery of Monroe Co., OH. I posted information about him from Find A Grave to my file. During that process I made a discovery and linked a daughter of William to the Jeffers, Jackson and Henthorn families that I have worked on for many years. Here's what I wrote to John Ogden. William Harvey Montgomery and Sarah Ann Stephens had a daughter, Margaret Maudena Montgomery, b. 17 Apr 1871 in Monroe Co., OH. I found her in Find A Grave. Here's the fun for me. She married James L. Jeffers, no date of marriage. He was born on 19 Aug 1863 in Monroe Co., OH. Surname is also spelled, Jeffries. I don't know if the couple had children. The paternal grandmother of James L. Jeffers was Deborah (Jackson) Jeffers whose grandparents were: Robert Jackson, Sr. and Mary Ann (Henthorn) Jackson. Some of the Jacksons became LDS and went to Utah. Years ago I worked on Jackson genealogy with Judge Norman Jackson of Salt Lake City. I met face to face with Norman a couple of times when he was in Washington, DC.. Dick Henthorn 18 sep 2018

Lazarus Rine

As a Christmas gift I am sharing a 1062-page PDF (36.5 MB) genealogy of the family of Lazarus Rine with the members of my secret Facebook genealogy page.  I posted the URL link to the document on the Facebook page.

The file is stored on my Box account.  The link to the file will expire on 26 Dec 2015.  Viewing the file with the Box "preview" is garbled.  Once downloaded the file can be opened with the Acrobat Reader and viewed without problems.

I'm willing to share the file with readers of this blog provided that I know you and that we have a reciprocal sharing arrangement.  Contact me to request the link.  In your message identify yourself, provide your Email address and justify why I should share this information with you.

Dick Henthorn
21 December 2015

Exchanging Information On Facebook

There are country groups and family groups for genealogy on Facebook.  Lately, there have been some good exchanges of information on the Greene county, Pennsylvania and Wetzel county, West Virginia groups.  Some of the folks have subscriptions to Ancestry.com. I have never subscribed, so I don't really have an appreciation for what is available.  Today I read some good information about ship arrivals.

From time to time I shared PDF files to the File areas of some of the groups.  I encourage others to share in a similar manner.  That idea hasn't amounted to much, to date.

I also encourage everyone to learn how to use their genealogy programs.  Learn to export and import GEDCOM files.  Learn how to produce files in "text" or PDF format and be willing to reciprocate when someone shares information.

Plan ahead. Give thought to which libraries you might want to donate a copy of your work.

Dick Henthorn
29 January 2015

Sharing Information

I'm concerned about how I share the information I have compiled.  I'd rather not share with folks I don't know or with those I know who don't reciprocate when I share information.

I'm of the opinion that there are as many rules about how to do genealogy as there are people doing genealogy.  Sharing information always opens the door to criticism.
Some say:

• "It's all wrong." 
• "Send me everything you've got."
• "You didn't cite enough sources."
• "You didn't cite your sources in the approved manner."
• "You have too much information about the living in your files."
• "I don't want you to have any information in your files about my family."
• "The dates you recorded are wrong."
• "The places you recorded are wrong."
• "That's not the name of this person."

Today I'm testing another method of sharing.  The idea is to share a PDF report on a limited basis, say 48-hours.  I can do this using the application Files To Friends. Files uploaded remain available for download for two days.

I'm sharing the URL to a 51-page Descendant Report for the family of Thomas and Mary Clegg here and also on my Henthorn Genealogy group on Facebook.  The link expires on 29 Jan 2015 at 10:38 a.m.

Dick Henthorn
27 January 2015

Sharing Genealogy On CDs

I'm working on a project to share some genealogy information on CDs with longtime collaborator, Larry. We worked on the Yoho family of Beaver Co., PA.  Larry doesn't have a computer.

I created two CDs that I'll be sending via snail mail.

I used RootsMagic7 to create a shareable CD of the family of Jacob Yoho and Mary Lawrence. When RootsMagic creates a shareable CD all of the information in the genealogy file is included. Because I only wanted to share the information about the Jacob Yoho family I needed to create a GEDCOM file that included just Jacob Yoho and his descendants.  Next I created a "new" RootsMagic file with the GEDCOM.  The final step was to create the shareable CD.

The Shareable CD Menu

Here's a screen shot of what Larry will see when he clicks on "View Family Tree" on the menu.

The second CD contains three files.

1) McCullAnc.pdf, a 67-page PDF report about Larry's ancestors.

2) McCullDes.pdf, a 345-page report about the descendants of Jacob Yoho.

3) YohoJacob150107.ged, the GEDCOM file.

Dick Henthorn

8 January 2015

Making A Shareable CD

Yesterday I decided it was time to learn how to make a shareable CD with RootsMagic.

The idea is to load an entire genealogy file onto a CD that can be handed to, or mailed, to someone who doesn't have a genealogy program. The file is displayed with a modified version of RootsMagic which doesn't allow updates to the file.  A clickable menu is displayed on the screen when the CD is inserted in the drive.

The person who receives the CD can:

• move around in the genealogy file
• create and print reports in various formats

Because there are executable files on the disk, with the .exe file extension I don't see an easy way to share the package via Email.  Sharing by physically transferring the CD to the recipient seems to be the best option.

Dick Henthorn

22 December 2014

It's A Mess

It's A Mess

When computers fail, when you use more than one genealogy program, or you change from one genealogy program to another, It's A Mess.  I'm going to write at least two posts of my observations concerning some of the issues and problems I must deal with if I'm going to continue to record new genealogy information and if I want to be able to take advantage of the latest technology for sharing on the Internet.

My Genealogy Programs

I have two working computers, an old desktop with some issues and a relatively new Toshiba laptop. 

On the desktop computer I have three genealogy programs installed: 

1. Personal Ancestral File (PAF) version 2.31 a DOS genealogy program which I run in a Window
2. RootsMagic version 3 which I used to convert some of my files to the RootsMagic format and to create some new files
3. Personal Ancestral File (PAF) for Windows (version 5.2 I think) which I used for experimentation.

On the new laptop I have RootsMagic version 5 installed. I'm using this program to learn about the features of this version and to experiment with moving my files from the desktop to the laptop computer. I was never proficient with version 3. I'm aware that I continue to fall further behind and that the latest version of RootsMagic is version 6.

I own a copy of the book Getting The Most Out of RootsMagic version 4 even though I've never owned that version of the program. I've found the book to be quite helpful.

The LDS church has announced that as of July 15, 2013 they will discontinue support and downloads of Personal Ancestral File. Something tells me it might be useful to download and install their program one last time before the program is no longer available.

Dick Henthorn

27 June 2013

Pet Peeves

I've been involved in genealogy for many years.

During that time I've developed some pet peeves that never seem to be far from the back of my mind.

1. When you contact someone to ask for their help be certain you identify yourself  by stating your full name and writing a little about the information you have and the information you seek. In my opinion, if you are not willing to provide your name and contact information you probably shouldn't expect to get much help or even a reply.
2. The first time you ask for information it is never a good idea to use the phrase, "Send me everything you've got." 
3. Be sure you know how to spell genealogy before you attempt to use that word in anything you write.

It's always a good idea, when requesting information, that you offer to share what you have.

Sharing Data with GEDCOMS | WikiTree Blog

Sharing Data with GEDCOMS | WikiTree Blog:

Here's another topic worthy of our attention.  Has anyone I know done this?  I'd be interested in feedback.

There are always interesting genealogy topics and projects.

'via Blog this'

Do Websites Have The Right to Display Tombstone Photographs?

Do websites have a right to photograph graves? | This is Grimsby:

If you do genealogy or write family history there's always a chance you are going to step on someone's toes and get your nose flatten.  The ease with which we can share information on the Internet has increased the possibility of offending others.  This webpage briefly discusses the issue of taking tombstone photographs and displaying them on the Internet.

Another issue that could be included in the discussion is what cemetery records will be available after hoodlums vandalize many of the cemeteries in the country.

Additional thought provoking discussion was shared by folks one Facebook where this link was shared.

'via Blog this'

Blog Your Family History

Personal Publishing: Blog Your Family History | TechTips | FamilySearch:

'via Blog this'

A very nice article on the Family Search website about using blogs to share your genealogy information. If you are reading this blog you already know that I have been doing this with two Google blogs for a number of years.

16 September 2011

Mr. Dickie

Deep pockets Not Required

Deep pockets not required: (By Mary Cain Minton)

In all my years of chasing clues to my family’s history, I’ve tried to keep a close eye on expenses. I grant you, it is sometimes necessary to fork over a few dollars for that critical document, or to join an organization with emphasis on your research area. Or even to save up for a trip to the home turf. But still … this enthusiasm of ours does not have to break the bank.

I did tentatively accept a subscription to a major for-profit genealogy firm once, but trying to cancel at the end of my “trial” period was a real headache (no phone number! no address!). Sometimes membership offers are so confusing you think you’re getting one “tier” of records and really you’re into more money for another group you don’t even need. Then too, some outfits appear on the horizon for a few years (or months) and then disappear, leaving their members in the lurch, completely out of luck or tacked onto the subscriber list of some other irrelevant service.

By now the big players are pretty well established, and if you are so inclined, fee-based memberships can provide quick and easy access to certain types of documents. (As well as some rather questionable “family trees.”) On the other hand, there are many free and low-cost ways to find much of what you are seeking.

I live in a California county with a library system that provides home access to Heritage Quest for its card-carrying patrons. That means indexes and images for many (though not all) US census records, a way to search over 28,000 family and local histories, access to the PERSI index to articles in many genealogical publications, and more. On site at any of the library branches, I can also log onto the “Library Edition” of Ancestry.

Another resource I use almost daily is the FamilySearch website, that well-known Mormon entity. Their religious emphasis on posthumous baptism has inspired the creation of the world’s largest collection of genealogical materials. And their Family History Library in Salt Lake City is a genealogist’s dream -- open to all, no strings, no subtle pressures or proselytizing. They are presently underway on a mammoth project to place online their millions (literally) of microfilmed records from all over the world. With the help of an army of trained and supervised volunteers, they are making new material available over the Internet just about every day -- and their indexing is of the highest quality.

One of the features that really helps me is their indexing of virtually all census records, in a “fuzzy” way that brings up “sound-alike” surnames -- something you don’t get with Heritage Quest. So I am always sure to check both indexes when a family member is eluding me.

I strongly suggest joining genealogical and/or historical societies in the states or counties of interest, too. That will often put you in touch with individuals who can help with your specific issue. Another place to look is local public libraries in your research area. They often have local history collections and may have old newspapers in their holdings. Go online first, and see what their catalog shows. Then send a note or email to the reference department. I’ve had good results from queries about old obituaries, land records, and other local information. Costs are usually quite low, or non-existent (but send them something anyway! They need it!).

There are far too may free and low-cost sites to name here, but I’d like to remind you of one more: Find a Grave. In their words, it is “a resource for finding the final resting place of family, friends, and ‘famous’ individuals. With millions of names and photos, it is an invaluable tool for the genealogist and family history buff.” I’ve had considerable luck finding names there and even photos of family gravestones, and after registering (free) was able to provide additional information and an image for one Civil War solder’s resting place.

So the next time someone tells you she thinks 'doing genealogy' is too expensive, just smile -- the same way you do when people say their family history is 'complete.'

Comment: This is a blog posting from one of the blogs I follow. I wanted to see if I could share it with you from Google Reader where I read the posting. There's always more to learn.

Mr. Dickie, 20 June 2011

Converting HTML to PDF

I'm trying to find an easy method of converting HTML files that I used to share on my AOL website to PDF files that I can share on my Box.net account.

Today I discovered that I can upload an HTML file to Google Docs and easily convert it to the Google Docs format. The converted file can then be downloaded from Google Docs to my computer in the PDF format.

As a test I created the PDF document, CFA.PDF and then uploaded it to the Conger folder in my Box account. I was able to retain bullet lists in the document with very little work on my part.

In the days ahead I'm looking forward to converting more of my HTML files.

Mr. Dickie
12 Sep 2010

Ask Me About Box.net

If you are interested in the same surnames as I am, ask me about Box.net.

If you wish you'd downloaded information that used to be on my AOL genealogy website, ask me about Box.net.

I am currently adding genealogy information to my Box.net account and sharing access with genealogy researchers who are well-known to me.

Mr. Dickie
12 Sep 2010

Thoughts About Sharing Genealogy

Photo: Mr. Dickie - Marantha

If you are thinking about sharing your genealogy on the Internet I think it is important to give thought, early on, to how you will display the information. Nowadays genealogy programs often can generate several different styles of webpages. Other add-on programs can read GEDCOM files to generate webpages. Some programs can create files in the popular PDF format.

In my opinion all of the options are not equally friendly to website visitors. Some create impressive displays of information that are nearly impossible to follow. Beware of chosing that option.

At this point my favorite way of sharing information on the web is to create a Register report, with an every name index in the PDF format. This method doesn't actually let the visitor view the information on the website. Rather, the file is downloaded to the visitor's computer and displayed or printed there. A Register report is easy to follow and the every name index helps the reader to quickly find a person of interest.

Tags: Genealogy, PDF, Register format

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Taking A Break

I'm taking a break from posting to this blog for a few days. Look for something new after May 22, 2008.

In the meantime I hope you can find something I already posted that will interest you.

BTW if you have something interesting you'd like to share with others send me an Email to tell me about it. If it's something I like about one of the families I have worked on I can post it to the blog.

Dick Henthorn