Legacy News

Register for 2 genealogy webinars this week - Google Search Strategies & Ten Hidden Resources

Join us this Wednesday AND Friday for two exciting genealogy webinars presented by two Lisas - Lisa Alzo and Lisa Louise Cooke. On Wednesday Lisa Alzo will present "Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know" and on Friday Lisa Louise Cooke will present "Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames."

Wednesday - Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo

Genealogists are creatures of habit. We tend to research the familiar - using the most common, popular, or convenient databases or records. But there are plenty of other resources available - if you know where to look! In this Webinar, we'll review ten you might be missing!

Click here to register.

Friday - Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke

Discover tips and tricks to find your ancestors with common surnames and surnames that double as common words in the English language with Google. Learn how to weed out irrelevant search results to save time and get to what you want faster. Then save and automate your searches to run for you! You’ll not only improve your searches, but also improve the chances that the information you post online will be found by other genealogists facilitating collaboration!

Click here to register.

Webinar Reminder: Join us for the live webinars on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 and Friday, May 24, 2013 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinars will be live on Wednesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24, 2013 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Land Records Solve Research Problems - free webinar now online for a limited time

Today's webinar by Mary Hill was one for the ages. Every genealogist - from beginning to experienced - needs to watch the recording of Land Records Solve Research Problems. And if you are not yet using land records as part of your genealogy toolbox, what you learn from Mary will open genealogical doors you never knew existed.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 26 minute recording of Land Records Solve Research Problems is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Members also have access to the 4 pages of syllabus materials.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of land that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, May 20, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 160 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 423 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Do More with your Photos with Templates from Heritage Collector Software by Kathleen Bitter. August 21.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using GPS Coordinates to Tag and Record Your Photos with Heritage Collector Software by Marlo Schuldt. October 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Have You Really Looked Everywhere?

Thanks to guest blogger and webinar speaker, Lisa Alzo, for the following article.

As a genealogist are you a creature of habit? When looking for ancestors do you tend to search only online? Do you visit the same databases over and over again, hoping to get that “magic” result? You know - the one with the special power to help you break down your research brick wall? Do you shy away from investigating an offline resource that’s tucked away in a courthouse basement, a library across the country, or foreign archive because it’s too time consuming, too expensive, or takes too long to obtain?

Sometimes we need to break out of the mindset of wanting our desired genealogical information to come easy. Let's face it, we’re all a bit spoiled by all of the great record images and indexes and other data available to us online, whether through free or subscription-based websites. But there is so much information we miss because it's not convenient or desirable to step away from our computers, tablets, and mobile devices.

Other Resources

Genealogists learn about conducting a “Reasonably Exhaustive Search” (one of the elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard), but sometimes we need a reminder. Think about the research you have done, and then consider those “hidden” or underused resources that you either haven't thought to look for, didn't know about, or dismiss because you prematurely assume your ancestors won't be found in them.

Hide-n-seek Sources

Here are three places where you may discover hidden information.

1. Personal and Family Documents. I know you’re probably thinking, “What more can I possibly find in home sources?” Or, perhaps, “But, I don’t have personal items that belonged to my ancestors.” You should review all the research materials you gathered, whether you inherited from your parents, grandparents, or other relatives, or whether you have had to get the information from public records. Have you missed any clues?

Have you considered the name of a witness on a marriage license or naturalization petition, or the names of the godparents on a baptismal record, and how these individuals were connected to the ancestor you’re researching?

Check through the ephemera too, and ask all of your relatives to check through their attics, basements, closets, and storage units.

For example, I have an international money order receipt found by my cousin that documents my paternal grandfather sent money back to his parents in Slovakia so his family could purchase land (some of the land is still owned by relatives today). This piece of paper includes my great-grandmother’s maiden name! In addition to this gem, I have church lodge paperwork listing my grandparents as officers, many historic postcards from the towns where my ancestors lived, my mother’s bridal book, and my father’s navy diary, among other keepsakes—all contain clues I have used in my research.

2. A Different Database. Do you routinely search just Ancestry.com, or FamilySearch? Consider typing your ancestor’s name into a search field of a database you might not normally check, such as the United States National Archives and Records Administration’s Access to Archival Database sets (free to search), or doing a search on Mocavo. For example, I’ve known about subscription site FindMyPast for years, but because I don't have English, Irish, or Welsh ancestors (my ancestral villages are in Slovakia) I never bothered to search the site. Recently, I decided to run a search for some surnames in FindMyPast. Imagine my surprise when I found the surname in Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960, some Birth, Marriage, Death (BMD) indexes, and even a small story in one of the British newspapers about a coroner’s request into a death of an infant who had this surname. This search has provided many leads for me to follow for more information.

3. Town or County History Books. Have you checked ALL of the town and county resources in the area(s) where your ancestors lived? Many genealogists use Google Books to find these books, such as the one shown at right (History of Pittsburgh and environs).

But, countless more can be found in public, college, and university libraries around the world. Don't brush these resources aside just because you can't search them online, or because it’s not convenient or easy. Can't get there? Start by contacting the library—most will have a website, or pick up the telephone or e-mail them. If the staff will not do lookups (some will for a fee), ask for a contact at the local genealogical and historical society, and then ask that person for recommendations for a local researcher you could hire, or use a professional researcher. For recommendations, check Cyndi’s List—Professionals, Volunteers & Other Research Services, or the Association for Professional Genealogists. Reach out to your social networks, perhaps you can find someone who is willing to help (just remember to pay it forward and offer to help someone else who may need information that you can get or provide).

Don't forget the Local Histories section of Legacy Family Tree's Research Guidance. It contains the most comprehensive listing of available local and county histories for the United States. In Research Guidance, click on the Preliminary Survey tab, then click on the Local Histories tab. Legacy will display all known books for just the locations where your ancestor lived.

Also check out our brand new Legacy QuickGuide: Researching County Histories.

Lisa's Webinar

You can learn more about these and other underused resources in my upcoming Legacy webinar on “Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know” on Wednesday, May 22, 1013. Click here to reserve your space now!

The Genealogist's Google Toolbox by Lisa Louise Cooke, new at LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com!

We are pleased to welcome one of genealogy's most entertaining speakers, Lisa Louise Cooke, to our webinar lineup. She will be presenting Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames on Friday, May 24. Register here.

And just in time, we are excited to now offer four of Lisa's genealogy resources in our online stores:

• The Genealogist's Google Toolbox (book)
• Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 1 video-on-CD
• Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 2 video-on-CD
• How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers (book)

The Genealogist's Google Toolbox (209 pages, $24.95)

When it comes to your tracing your family tree online, you need the right tools to get the job done! In The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, renowned genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke helps you stuff your genealogy toolbox with FREE state-of-the-art Internet tools that are built to search, translate, message, and span the globe. You’ll travel outside the genealogy community and straight to the folks who dominate the online world: Google.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 1 video-on-CD (72 minutes, $11.95)

Google Earth has the power to geographically the lives of your ancestors. It's one of the most exciting online genealogical tools available, and best of all the Google Earth program is free. In this step-by-step video tutorial CD you will learn how to: Download and Use Google Earth, Identify Where Old Photographs Were Taken, Explore Church Record Origins, Plot Ancestor Homesteads, Create Your Own Custom Historic Map Overlays, Save and Share Images.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Google Earth for Genealogy Volume 2 video-on-CD (95 minutes, $11.95)

Google Earth has the power to geographically the lives of your ancestors. It's one of the most exciting online genealogical tools available, and best of all the Google Earth program is free. In this step-by-step video tutorial CD you will learn how to: Pinpoint Your Ancestors Property, Locate Original Land Surveys, Customize Placemarks and Add Photographs, Add Videos to Maps, Add Focus with Polygons and Paths, Incorporate 3D Models of Ancestral Locations, Create and Share Family History Tours.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers (155 pages, $24.95)

You're interested in learning more about your family history, and you've probably heard several people say "be sure to check old newspapers!" Sounds great, right? But which newspapers were around back then? And where are they now? This book provides you with a fool-proof research process, and is stuffed with everything you need for genealogical success.

Click here for more information or to purchase.

Register for Webinar Wednesday (free) - Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill

People record evidence of where they live by their property, pay taxes on property, give away property, buy and sell property, fight over property, and will property to heirs. When understood and used properly, land records comprise one of the most important genealogical sources for research in America.

Join us for the live webinar on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for free for the first 7 days after the live event. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter 

Mary E.V. Hill, MLS, AG ® (Southern States and Eastern States); worked as reference librarian at BYU from 1989-1992, as genealogy instructor at BYU from 1992-1995, as Family History Library US/Canada Reference consultant from 1995-2006. She served on the UGA Board of Directors from 2006-2008 and as an LDS missionary at the Family History Library from 2006-2008. She is the author of Saga of a Southern Loyalist: William Riddle of Virginia and North Carolina, and Angel Children. She is a lecturer with emphasis on U.S. research methods and genealogical organization. Mary is a mother and grandmother.

Watch Mary's previous webinars here:

• The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources
• Use Your Digital Camera to Copy Records
• FamilyRoots Organizer System

Register for Mary's upcoming webinars here:

• Land Records Solve Research Problems
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Watch Geoff Live: Digital Images - free webinar now online for a limited time

Now that was fun! Nearly 1,000 of you joined me today while I talked my way through importing the pictures from my digital camera, organized/tagged them, and published them to the cloud. Along the way we talked about little tips and tricks, including how to use facial recognition, how to create a wall chart, how to create a photo book, and more.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 32 minute recording of Watch Geoff Live: Digital Images is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Members also have access to the 15 pages of syllabus materials.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of geofflive that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 158 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 419 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill. May 15.
• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

New! Bonus webinar this Friday - "Watch Geoff Live: Digital Images"

In the past couple of months, I've has taken another 200 pictures with my digital camera. It’s time to import them to my computer, get them organized and searchable, and published to the cloud so the rest of my family can see what I've been up to. But I'm going to wait and do it in front of our live worldwide webinar audience. Please join me for a free bonus webinar this Friday, in the "Watch Geoff Live" fassion!

Webinar's Description

In this live, unscripted session, Geoff will talk his way through the process using his real, live, personal photographs he's recently taken. You will learn many of the techniques he wrote about in his new book, Digital Imaging Essentials such as:

• Importing pictures from your digital camera
• Where to save the pictures on your hard drive
• How to organize and tag your pictures using keywords or even facial recognition
• Using both Photoshop Elements and Picasa
• How to easily share your digital images 

Join us for the live webinar on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for free for the first 7 days after the live event. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter 

Geoffrey D. Rasmussen is the father of four budding genealogists. He graduated with a degree in Genealogy and Family History from Brigham Young University and has served as director and vice-president of the Utah Genealogical Association. He is a dynamic genealogy speaker on all forms of genealogy technology, and as host of the Legacy Family Tree webinar series, has spoken virtually to nearly 100 different countries. He recently received the Distinguished Presenter Award at the prestigious RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City (2011). He has authored books, videos, articles, and websites, and develops the Legacy Family Tree software program. On a personal note, Geoff enjoys playing the piano, organ, cello and basketball. His favorite places are cemeteries, the ocean, and hanging out with other genealogists. He met and proposed to his wife in a Family History Center.

Watch his previous webinars, including many other "Watch Geoff Live" webinars here.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Friday, May 10, 2013 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Legacy Family Tree is coming to NGS in Las Vegas this week!

If you are headed to Las Vegas, Nevada for this week's National Genealogical Society's conference, stop by our booth (#514) in the vendor hall - we'd love to meet you! Bring your ideas and questions, or just chat with us - we love talking genealogy! We'll also have special seminar-pricing on our Legacy Family Tree software and other products.

Megan Smolenyak book signing

On Friday, May 10 from 12-2pm, join us as our booth for a book signing with one of genealogy's finest - Megan Smolenyak. She will be signing her books:

• Who Do You Think You Are: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History
• Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing

And although I won't be able to be there in person, I should have some of my signed Digital Imaging Essentials books too!

Megan is also one of our featured speakers on this year's Legacy Genealogy Cruise to the Panama Canal. Also, watch her archived webinars here.

Blogging for Beginners by DearMYRTLE - free webinar now online for a limited time

Thinking of setting up a blog? Wondering why you would want a blog? Wondering, "what is a blog?" Be sure to watch the entertaining and informational recording of today's webinar by "Your Friend in Genealogy," DearMYRTLE, which is available to view for free for a limited time. I especially loved the first few seconds of the introduction. :)

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 32 minute recording of Blogging for Beginners is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Members also have access to the 6 pages of handouts that DearMYRTLE provided.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of blog2 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 157 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 404 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill. May 15.
• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Researching Your Roots in Rhode Island - free webinar now online for a limited time

The recording of today's terrific webinar, Researching Your Roots in Rhode Island, by Maureen Taylor, is now available to view for a limited time. Maureen covered all the major record groups for genealogists plus some. 

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 31 minute recording of Researching Your Roots in Rhode Island is now available to view in our webinar archives for free for the next 7 days. It is also available to our monthly or annual Webinar Members for the duration of your membership. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com to watch. Maureen's Legacy QuickGuide, Rhode Island Genealogy (PDF Edition), is also available for just $2.95 here.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of island that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, May 6, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 155 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 404 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. May 3.
• Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill. May 15.
• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames by Lisa Louise Cooke. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

FamilySearch Records Update: 1.7 million new records from Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Ukraine, and the United States

FamilySearch has added more than 1.7 million index records and images this week from Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Ukraine, and the United States. Notable collection updates include the 369,729 index records and images from the U.S., North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663–1979, collection, and the 596,078 images from the Italy, Ravenna, Ravenna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1929, collection. See the table below for the full list of updates. Search these diverse collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org.

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the world’s historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org.

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

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Austria, Tirol, Innsbruck, Sankt Jakob Parish Register Index, 1578–1970	0	5,877	New browsable image collection.
Austria, Upper Austria, Wels, Census Records, 1613–1900	0	5,204	New browsable image collection.
Brazil, Civil Registration, 1870–2012	53,981	0	Added index records to an existing collection.
Brazil, Parish and Diocesan Records	61,416	0	Added index records to an existing collection.
China, Collection of Genealogies, 1239-2011	0	123,184	Added images to an existing collection.
Germany, Brandenburg, Wittenberge, City Directories and Citizen Lists, 1851-1921	0	3,326	New browsable image collection.
Hungary, Civil Registration, 1895-1980	0	38,663	Added images to an existing collection.
Italy, Bologna, Bologna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866–1941	0	102,509	Added images to an existing collection.
Italy, Napoli, Casoria, Civil Registration (Comune), 1809–1929	0	40,753	New browsable image collection.
Italy, Napoli, Portici, Civil Registration (Comune), 1809–1929	0	48,547	Added images to an existing collection.
Italy, Pistoia, Pistoia, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866–1937	0	5,228	Added images to an existing collection.
Italy, Ravenna, Ravenna, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866–1929	0	596,078	Added images to an existing collection.
New Zealand, Probate Records, 1848–1991	0	12,620	Added images to an existing collection.
Poland, Radom Roman Catholic Church Books, 1587–1966	7,873	16	Added index records and images to an existing collection.
Ukraine, Kyiv Orthodox Consistory Church Book Duplicates, 1840–1845	0	145,535	Added images to an existing collection.
U.S., Indiana, Marriages, 1811–1959	88,253	0	Added index records to an existing collection.
U.S., North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663–1979	13,302	356,427	Added index records and images to an existing collection.
U.S., Ohio, Trumbull County Court Records, 1795–2010	0	68,873	Added images to an existing collection.

Creating a Website with Legacy Family Tree AND announcement from GenDexNetwork.org

If you have used Legacy Family Tree to create your genealogy website, it's now easier for others to find you with the new GenDexNetwork.org announcement below.

But first, creating a website in Legacy is easy. Go to Internet > Create Web Pages, select your options, and click the Create Web Pages button. Since the website is created/saved on your computer, you can preview it before you ever upload it to your web space (which you are likely already paying for, just ask your Internet Service Provider for details on uploading your files to your web space).

Notice on the Other tab, there is an option to create a "GENDEX genealogical index." With this selected, Legacy will create a special file that you can share with GenDexNetwork.org, and thus make it easier for others to find you and your ancestors.

Below is the announcement from GenDexNetwork.org:

GenDexNetwork.org is a completely free genealogical index (GenDex) which indexes family trees on the internet. The first GenDex was operated by Gene W. Stark from 1994 until 2004. It was begun when computer indexing for genealogical information was in its infancy. Since its inception on April 4th, GenDexNetwork has already indexed over 9,250,000 records.

GenDexNetwork.org is fully compatible with Legacy Family Tree's gendex output. It is specifically for genealogists who want to publish their family trees by themselves and who don't wish to give their data to a third party. It only indexes the GenDex file that remains on your own website. Each name in the search results is linked directly to the family tree page of your website for this person.

GenDexNetwork.org doesn't display your ancestor's detailed data, but brings the visitor directly to your own family tree website. It connects the family trees to make one huge database. Clicking on a name in the search results immediately takes you to the same person on a family tree web page with their genealogical data.

You will find the site easy-to-use and very easy to add your gendex.

Register for 2 genealogy webinars this week - Blogging for Beginners AND Rhode Island Genealogy

Join us this Wednesday AND Friday to hear from two of our favorite webinar speakers, Maureen Taylor and DearMYRTLE. On Wednesday Maureen will present "Researching Your Roots in Rhode Island" and on Friday DearMYRTLE will present "Blogging for Beginners."

Wednesday - Researching Your Roots in Rhode Island by Maureen Taylor

Rhode Island may be the smallest state but it offers genealogists a wealth of resources that date back to 1636 on the city, county and state level. While some resources are online, this webinar will also explore how to find what you need in local collections. Maureen Taylor spent more than a decade working at the Rhode Island Historical Society. You may know her as the Photo Detective, but she loves the Ocean State as much as a picture.

Click here to register.

Friday - Blogging for Beginners by DearMYRTLE

Step-by-step approach to creating a blog, and making postings using the free service at Blogger.com. A great way to share genealogy research, post your society's newsletter, share info with extended family members. The webinar will also feature a survey of sample blogs, and links for additional help. Topics include:

• What is a blog?
• Creating a blog in three steps
• Creating posts (articles)
• Genealogy blogs
• How does a blog work?
• Reading blogs with Google Reader
• Blogger's dashboard
• How to add an image
• Schedule blog postings
• Using draft mode
• Advanced settings
• How to get help
• Advice for professionals

Click here to register.

Webinar Reminder: Join us for the live webinars on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 and Friday, May 3, 2013 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinars will be live on Wednesday, May 1 and Friday, May 3, 2013 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

New! Join the Legacy Virtual Users' Group

I attended my first Legacy Virtual Users' Group this month and enjoyed every part of it. Tessa Keough, one of our Legacy Family Tree users, is the host of this monthly online session, and although it's not a Millennia-sponsored/organized group, we endorse and recommend it for all Legacy users. Here's their announcement:

Not able to find a Legacy Users’ Group in your area? Not able to get to monthly meetings because of the kids, work, or your personal schedule? Don’t drive or perhaps mobility or health issues make it difficult to attend a meeting? Perhaps you would like your Legacy Users’ Group to come to you, right to you via your internet connection? For any of these reasons or all them, our Legacy Virtual Users’ Group (LVUG) is for you!

Who: A group of Legacy Family Tree users who decided to meet online to discuss Legacy and learn from each other.

What: Legacy Virtual Users’ Group: We are a community on Google+

We meet online in a Google+ Hangout once a month for 60-90 minutes on the third Thursday of each month.

We have a Website called (surprisingly enough) Legacy Virtual Users’ Group – here you will find our calendar, our file cabinet, and archived versions of all our previous Google Hangouts.

We now have a Google+ Community called (say it with me now) Legacy Virtual Users’ Group – join our Community because this is where everything is happening. A community operates like a neighborhood forum of sorts. We post questions, comments, suggestions, links, images, and videos. Videos consist of both the archived version of our LVUG Hangouts and our Tuesday’s Tip. Each month at our hangout, we cover a topic or feature in-depth with a presentation, question and answer period, and general discussion. Tuesday’s Tips are short videos that answer a question, explain an issue or feature of Legacy or Google or Gmail or Hangouts, or whatever you might ask about. Everything is at our Google+ Community (or soon will be) including over 120 members from all over the world. So if you are on Google+ and want to learn more about Legacy in an informal and collaborative way, why not join us?

And if you are not on Google+ but would like to join, all it takes is signing up for an account (I hear you, not another social media site) but you probably already are somewhere in the Google universe – do you use Google Chrome (internet browser), do you use Gmail (email), do you use Google Drive (cloud storage), do you have a YouTube account or watch YouTube (videos)? – then you might already be on Google+ and the rest is easy.

Do you want to learn more about Google and Google+ before you jump into a Community? Then watch the video from our April 2013 LVUG Hangout (All Things Google+ and Google+ Communities). Also check out our prior hangouts covering to-dos and research plans, tagging, locations, events, timelines, searches, and customizing Legacy.

When: The third Thursday of every month online in a Google+ Hangout on Air At 1:00 pm Pacific for 60-90 minutes (2:00 pm Mountain, 3:00 pm Central, and 4:00 pm Eastern)

Where: Online in a Google+ Hangout-on-Air You can attend the Hangout (up to 10 JOINers), watch in the Community or watch on YouTube (unlimited VIEWers) during the Hangout OR watch the recorded version when it is convenient for you.

Why: Learn, share and interact with other Legacy users on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Questions or want to learn more: Contact any of the moderators at the LVUG Community on Google+ or Tessa Keough

What's New at FamilySearch - free webinar by Devin Ashby now online

The recording of today's webinar, What's New at FamilySearch, by FamilySearch's Devin Ashby, is now available to view for a limited time. With all of the recent new enhancements at FamilySearch, this webinar is a must-watch!

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 32 minute recording of What's New at FamilySearch is now available to view in our webinar archives indefinitely.

Special Discount Coupon

The special discount coupon of familysearch that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything at both www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com and www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com through Monday, April 29, 2013.

New - Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 154 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 398 pages)
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout, and yes, you can also use the 10% off webinar coupon above for a total of 15% off)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year (that's about the cost of 5 webinar CDs)
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Researching your Roots in Rhode Island by Maureen Taylor. May 1.
• Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. May 3.
• Land Records Solve Research Problems by Mary Hill. May 15.
• Ten Hidden Resources Every Genealogist Should Know by Lisa Alzo. May 22.
• Google Search Strategies for Common Surnames. May 24.
• The New Frontier in Genetic Genealogy: Autosomal DNA Testing by Ugo Perego. May 29.
• The Genealogy of Your House by Marian Pierre-Louis. June 5.
• Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More by Tom Kemp. June 12.
• Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors by Thomas MacEntee. June 14.
• How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists by Judy Russell. June 26.
• Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records by Kathryn Lake Hogan. July 10.
• Research in the Old Line State: An Overview of Maryland Genealogy by Michael Hait. July 17.
• Top Ten Techniques for Finding More in Library Catalogs by Barbara Renick. July 19.
• Top 21st Century Genealogy Resources - A Baker's Dozen by Tom Kemp. July 24.
• Direct Your Research with City Directories by Maureen Taylor. July 31.
• Captured For All Time: Recording Family Voices to Preserve and Pass Down by Marian Pierre-Louis. August 7.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy FamilyTree by Geoff Rasmussen. August 14.
• Colonial Immigrants: Who They Were and Where They Came From by Mary Hill. August 28.
• Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer! by Linda Geiger. September 4.
• More Blogging for Beginners with DearMYRTLE. September 6.
• You Use WHAT for Genealogy? by Thomas MacEntee. September 11.
• Don't Be an Audio Hog: Free and Easy Ways to Share Your Audio Files by Marian Pierre-Louis. September 18.
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestors by Mary Hill. October 23.
• Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestors' Lives by Judy Russell. October 30.
• Ancestry Trees Can Jump Start Your Research by DearMYRTLE. November 1.
• Researching with Marian! Creating a Research Plan with YOUR Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. November 6.
• Researching Your Ohio Ancestors by Lisa Alzo. November 13.
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee. November 20.
• How Computers & Gadgets are Changing Genealogy by Barbara Renick. December 4.
• Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology by Karen Clifford. December 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!