Legacy News

Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree - free webinar now online by Geoff Rasmussen

Now that was a fun webinar to present! A couple of times during my presentation I was as giddy as a little boy on Christmas morning - that's how exciting the new Census List tool is. And from the hundreds of comments that the attendees left, I can tell that you, too, are delighted with the new tools and reports in Legacy's latest free update. Even the Q/A session was fun - I didn't expect that we would cover the wide range of topics that we did - searching, tagging, sources, pictures, colors and more. One viewer commented, "I think this might be the best tool since source templates!!!!  Thank you, thank you."

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 27 minute recording of Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It is available for free indefinitely.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

You can also purchase your own copy of Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the 1 hour 27 minute recording of the class and the complete Q/A session. Click here for more information or to purchase.

This CD is also available in the brand new Census Bundle (discounted) which includes the following webinar CDs:

• Watch Geoff Live: Adding a Census Record by Geoff Rasmussen (1 hour 41 minutes)
• Navigating the 1940 U.S. Census by Thomas MacEntee (1 hour 26 minutes)
• Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree by Geoff Rasmussen (1 hour 27 minutes)

Click here to purchase the bundle for just $29.85 (savings of $3).

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of 1940 that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, March 12, 2012.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• DNA Research for Genealogists: Beyond the Basics with Ugo Perego. March 21.
• Obituaries: Clues to Look For. Tips for making sure you get the full benefit from an obituary notice with Tom Kemp, March 28.
• Digital Writing Tools for Genealogists with Lisa Alzo, March 30.
• The Pursuit from Genealogy Hobbyist to Professional with John Kitzmiller and Claire Brison-Banks, April 4.
• Genealogy on the Go - the Families app for your Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad with Malcolm Green, April 11.
• Using Legacy Family Tree to Support Family Groups/Organizations with Geoff Rasmussen and Ken McGinnis, April 14.
• Researching Your Scottish Ancestors with Marie Dougan, April 18.
• Reverse Genealogy: Finding the Living with Megan Smolenyak, April 25.
• Researching Your Pennsylvania Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, May 2.
• Researching Your New York Ancestors with Thomas MacEntee, May 30.
• Researching Your German Ancestors with Kory Meyerink, June 6.
• Putting Flesh on the Bones with Ron Arons, June 13.
• Marriages and Anniversaries. Mining newspapers for engagements, marriages, anniversaries, and divorce records with Tom Kemp, June 20.
• Staying Safe with Social Media with Thomas MacEntee, June 22.
• Digital Images for Genealogists and Technologists: scanning, digitizing, editing, and preserving your photos with Geoff Rasmussen. June 27.
• The Quest for your English Ancestors with Claire V. Brisson-Banks. July 11.
• Plan Your Way to Research Success with Marian Pierre-Louis, July 18.
• Neglected History by Megan Smolenyak, August 1.
• Wikis for Genealogists with Thomas MacEntee. August 8.
• The 5 C's for Success in Genealogy Today with Barbara Renick. August 22.
• Beyond the Arrival Date: Extracting More from Passenger Lists with Lisa Alzo. September 5.
• What is a 'Reasonably Exhaustive Search'? with Michael Hait. September 12.
• Use Your Digital Camera to Copy Records with Mary Hill. September 19.
• Digital Research Guidance, Research Logs, and To Do Lists: FamilySearch, Research Wiki, and Legacy Family Tree with Geoff Rasmussen. September 26.
• Privacy and our Ancestors with Thomas MacEntee. October 3.
• Researching Your Irish Ancestors: Beyond the Basics with Judy Wight. October 10.
• Ten Brick Wall Tips for Intermediate Researchers with Marian Pierre-Louis, October 17.
• Your Civil War Ancestors: Beginning Your Research with Michael Hait. October 24.
• Breaking Down Your Irish Brick Wall with Judy Wight. October 31.
• Genealogy for Novices: Where Do We Begin with Linda Geiger. November 14.
• The Big 4 U.S. Record Sources with Mary Hill. November 28.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Legacy Update Now Available PLUS Bonus Webinar on Friday, March 9 - Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree

We have an exciting new update for you (free!) which adds the new "who-was-alive-in-the-1940-census-or-in-any-other-census" tool, otherwise known as the new Census List tool. This new feature is available in both the free AND the deluxe editions of Legacy. It will create a Search List or print a report of everyone you should look for in a census.

Bonus Webinar

PLUS - Sign up for tomorrow's bonus webinar, "Navigating the New Census Tools in Legacy Family Tree" to learn all about it. Here's its description:

Legacy Family Tree recently released three major census tools to assist genealogists in their census research. While the first two tools relate specifically to the upcoming release of the 1940 U.S. census (new 1940 U.S. census transcription form and 1940 U.S. census SourceWriter template), the third will help with census research around the globe (the new Census List tool). Join Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen, the brains behind the new Census List tool, as he explores these new features and demonstrates their use.

The live webinar is scheduled for Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2PM Eastern U.S., so register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Join at least 15-20 minutes early to ensure your virtual seat.

What's New in this update

Census List Tool. Cool new tool to create a Search List or print a report of everyone you should look for in a census. We have the settings for several countries and each of their census years. But, this tool is really a lot more than that. You can find a list of people who were alive at a particular date - for example, during a war or other event where you would like to go search for records of your ancestor. Have fun!

Works great for finding anyone in a state census too! Just type in the state, the year, and now you know who you should look for.

After installing this update, look for the new Census button in your main toolbar:

Or just click on the Search button, then click on the Census List tab.

What's Been Fixed

View the March 8, 2012 release notes here.

How to Update

For our Deluxe Edition users, all you have to do is connect to the Internet, start Legacy 7, and click on the "Install and Download Now" link on the Legacy Home tab. (If you're reading this from within the Legacy Home tab inside of Legacy 7, you'll first need to click on the Home button in the top left of the Legacy Home tab which looks like the following picture:

If you are a Standard Edition Legacy user, you will need to visit our website. Go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/DownloadUpdate.asp and follow the instructions.

Legacy Tip - how to turn on/off the RINs PLUS 2 little known tricks

I'm so glad Donna asked this question. Knowing the answer will give you a lot more room in Legacy's Family View. She asked,

"What does the bracket [ ] with a number in the middle after each person's name mean? Possible to delete these brackets?"

I believe Donna is referring to the numbers that appear after each person's name in the Family View. Click on the image below to see these numbers.

These numbers represent each person's RIN.

RIN = Record Identification Number

These numbers are automatically added by Legacy. Some people like 'em, some don't. Viewing these RINs in the Index View may make it easier to differentiate two people with the same name. You can also use a little-known Legacy shortcut to quickly navigate to a person in the Family View by pressing the G button, then entering their number (little known trick #1).

To simplify what you see in the Family View, you can turn off the display of these RINs by going to:

Options > Customize > View tab > Display Numbers on Names section

and make sure there is not a checkmark next to "On Family View and Pedigree View." The Family View will now look like:

Do you miss the extra numbers? I don't. But if you want to quickly see the numbers, all you have to do is look in the far lower right of the screen:

H = Husband's RIN

M = Marriage RIN

W = Wife's RIN

These numbers are always available here.

Hidden tip: click on the tiny + sign next to one of the numbers and Legacy will display the person with the next highest RIN. Now right-click on the same + sign and Legacy will go in reverse. (I discovered this right-click tip as I was writing this paragraph...always something new that we can learn...little known trick #2.)

Maybe all Donna was looking for was a simple Yes or No answer, but I just couldn't help myself.

Free webinar now online - Creating a Shareable CD with Legacy and Passage Express Software

"Nobody has to know how easy it is" is how today's presenter, Jefferson Shupe, described the process of creating a shareable CD. Using the Create CD tool in Legacy Family Tree (which launches the free, standard edition of Passage Express which is included with Legacy), anyone can easily create a CD with pictures, slideshows, and an easy navigational menu to share with friends and family. Jefferson gave a terrific and thorough demonstration of his Passage Express software.

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 30 minute recording of Creating a Shareable CD with Legacy and Passage Express software is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch.

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of share that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, November 21, 2011.

Purchase Passage Express

The free, standard edition of Passage Express is available inside Legacy by clicking on the Create CD button in the main toolbar. The deluxe edition adds even more functionality, which Jefferson described well in the webinar.

Click here to purchase Passage Express Deluxe.

Click here to purchase Passage Express Deluxe (download-only edition).

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Celebrate the Holidays and Share Family History with Heritage Collector software with Kathleen Bitter, November 18.
• A Closer Look at Google+ with Dan Lynch, November 30.
• Tracing Immigrant Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, December 7.
• "Is My Pet Frog Part of My Family?" Children and Genealogy in the Classroom with Maureen Taylor, December 14.
• Digital Books and Sites for Genealogists with James Tanner, January 4.
• Pilgrims and Patriots: Discovering Your Massachusetts Ancestors with Marian Pierre-Louis, January 18.

Click here to register.

See you online!

To Do Lists and the Nathan Brown story continues

If only I knew then what I know now about using Legacy's To Do List.

In Marian Pierre-Louis' webinar yesterday, Brick Walls: Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents, she used a variety of indirect evidence to identify Nathan Brown's parents. Although, as she put it, "there was no smoking gun" to be completely certain, she put together a very strong case. Now I'm more excited than ever to try to find the missing piece of evidence to strengthen her argument.

Today while reviewing Nathan's Chronology, I noticed that I had not recorded any land transactions while he lived in Woodstock, Connecticut. Often, the initial purchase of land in a new area would state where the buyer lived previously. Wouldn't it be amazing if I found a land record where it listed him as "from Swansea, Massachusetts," the possible birth place Marian identified? If so, it would certainly tie the two locations together and solidify the case.

Next I reviewed Nathan's To Do List I had compiled in Legacy. I noticed that back in September 2000 I did search for him in the Woodstock land records. However, in the "Task Description" below, it appears that I was more interested in learning when he left Woodstock than when he initially arrived.

The "Results" section shows that I did find several Nathan Brown entries but none of the time period (pre-1791) when he would have come to Woodstock.

Ugh! Somewhere I should have recorded the timespan that I searched. Did I search from 1749 through 1867, or did I only search from 1800-1810? Genealogical best practices suggests that we always record what we searched for, how thorough our search was, and indicate any anomalies with the records. Do this even if you did not find anything in your search. You will save yourself hours of duplicate research if you are thorough in your use of Legacy's To Do List.

So, this weekend I'm off to the Mesa Family History Center (about a 60 minute drive) to "re"search these land records. And this time, I'll be sure to be thorough with recording my findings.

Legacy picture tip - tombstones or mug shots

If your ancestor looks more like their tombstone than their mug shot, read on.

In the image above Cora Crosby's tombstone appears in the pedigree chart. This can happen for two reasons.

First, the tombstone picture may be marked as the preferred picture in her Individual Picture Gallery. Notice the asterisk next to the number two below. Because this is marked as the preferred picture, it will be the one to print on charts and reports.

To fix this, click on the desired picture, then click on the Asterisk button (in the upper right, next to the Close button).

Second, the tombstone picture may be the only picture you have of the person. If you linked it to the Individual's Picture Gallery as in the example below, it will be the one to print on your charts (as shown in the pedigree chart above).

This picture really should be linked to the Burial Picture Gallery. To do so, first, right-click on the tombstone picture and click on Cut. Then, click on the drop-down menu and select Burial.

This will open the person's Burial Picture Gallery. Finally, right-click in an available picture slot and select Paste from Legacy Clipboard. The tombstone picture will now be properly linked to the Burial Picture Gallery.

Here's the updated chart.

This was demonstrated in our recent "Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries" webinar.

Or, since today is Halloween, maybe you want to create a chart of all tombstones. Up to you.

Free webinar now online - "Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries"

Of all the "Watch Geoff Live" webinars, this one goes down as my favorite. It ended up being so much more than just learning how to link the tombstone pictures and properly add the sources. We also explored adding to and citing FindAGrave.com, resizing and optimizing pictures for the web, renaming and organizing digital pictures, using the Source Clipboard, adding citations for parent-child relationships, and many other tips and tricks along the way.

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event, or if you'd like to watch it again, the 1 hour 46 minute recording of Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It is available for free until November 7, 2011.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

Own your own copy of Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the 1 hour 46 minute recording of the class along with answers to attendees questions. Click here for more information or to purchase. Or purchase the Watch Geoff Live Bundle for over 8 hours of Legacy instructions. Includes:

• Adding a Death Certificate
• Adding a Marriage Record
• Adding an Obituary
• Adding a Census Record
• Cemeteries

Click here to purchase the bundle for $44.95 (sold separately: $49.75).

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of cemetery that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, October 31, 2011.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents with Marian Pierre-Louis, November 2.
• FamilyRoots Organizer System with Mary Hill, November 4.
• It Is Well With My Soul: Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune with Thomas MacEntee, November 9.
• Creating a Shareable CD with Legacy and Passage Express software with Jefferson Shupe, November 16.
• Celebrate the Holidays and Share Family History with Heritage Collector software with Kathleen Bitter, November 18.
• A Closer Look at Google+ with Dan Lynch, November 30.
• Tracing Immigrant Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, December 7.
• "Is My Pet Frog Part of My Family?" Children and Genealogy in the Classroom with Maureen Taylor, December 14.

Click here to register.

See you online!

"Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries" - a free webinar October 28, 2011

My recent article, Genealogy Serendipity in the Cemetery has been the most-read article in the history of our Legacy News blog. Now I'm turning it into a webinar. Join me on Friday, October 28, 2011 for a free webinar, "Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries."

Having just returned from cemetery-hunting in Maine, I had one serendipitous experience after another while searching for my ancestors. I can hardly wait to add all the new photos and information to my real, personal Legacy family file. In this webinar I will demonstrate what to do from start to finish with one of the tombstone pictures I took. You are invited to watch live as I add the information to my personal Legacy family file.

In this live, unscripted session, I will talk my way through renaming and organizing my digital camera pictures, setting up the source clipboard, adding the pictures in the appropriate places, and adding the new information I found. I will also demonstrate how to add cemetery information from FindAGrave.com. In preparation for the webinar, download and print the cemetery document so you can follow along.

The live webinar is scheduled for Friday, October 28, 2011 at 2PM Eastern U.S., so register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our brand new 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, October 28, 2011 at:

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

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. 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.
6. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Free webinar now online - "Watch Geoff Live: Adding a Census Record" AND the CD bundle is now available

Yesterday's webinar, Watch Geoff Live: Adding a Census Record, presented by Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen (...that's me...) is now available in our webinar archives. The webinar ended up being much more than simply learning how to add a census record in Legacy. It included guidance on using the source clipboard, custom events, chronologies, historical timelines, radius searches, Research Guidance, To Do Lists, the Geo Location database, plus lots of little tips and tricks along the way. One attendee commented, "I learned so much tonight and I've been researching for 35+ years!" Another wrote, "I learned WHY I should be doing this as well as how to do it."

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event, the 1 hour 41 minute recording of Watch Geoff Live: Adding a Census Record is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It is available for free until September 19, 2011.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

Own your own copy of Watch Geoff Live: Adding a Census Record by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the recording of the class, the complete Question/Answer session, and the 1-page handout with all the step-by-step instructions. Click here for more information or to purchase.Or purchase the brand new Watch Geoff Live Bundle for over 6 1/2 hours of Legacy instruction. Includes:

• Adding a Death Certificate
• Adding a Marriage Record
• Adding an Obituary
• Adding a Census Record

Click here to purchase the bundle for $34.95 (sold separately: $39.80).

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of census that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, September 12, 2011.

Viewers' comments

• Again, a wonderful webinar. I don't care how many times I go through the training videos, I still seem to learn at least one new thing every time I attend a webinar. Keep up the good work.
• Another excellent presentation by Geoff. My comfort level in using Legacy soars after each webinar.
  Fantastic as always. I think these "Watch Geoff" webinars are the best way to learn to use Legacy to its fullest.
• Geoff Rasmussen is by far the best -he makes the process of entering data almost human.  Not anything to be fearful of. Thank you.
• Geoff's comment about "this is not just about adding a census record" is bang on.
• Geoff's webinars are the most helpful sources offered by Legacy.  He discusses so many Legacy resources - like the importance of timelines - that I never realized the value of before.
• Getting the census details onto the chronology report was great! I had not known how to accomplish that. That was one of many new things I learned tonight.
• I consider myself to be a proficient Legacy user, but learned several new tips! Thanks!
• I had been struggling in finding a consistant  way of sourcing census records, and now I have an easy way of doing a census source. Thank you for your lesson and time.
• I had no clue what that clipboard was all about until today. So glad I tuned in! Thanks. I will definitely watch for more of interest.
• I have always picked up at least one "little gem" during these watch geoff live webinars that gets me excited and wanting to go to work right away. Today was no exception.
• I learned so much tonight and I've been researching for 35+ years! I can't say enough of how appreciative I am of your free webinars and the content in them. Keep up the good work!
• It was another very informative seminar.  I always get new tips.  One of the most reasurring is that you don't always have to follow the rules for data entry.  Just make sense of what you enter and be consistent.
• Now that was something I needed to know. I learned WHY I should be doing this as well as how to do it. OK, so now I have a lot of work to do but at least I know why and how. I can see where by doing so will make things so much easier for me in the future or anyone else working with my data. Great stuff and a great job teaching it. Thank you so much.
• The information on using the Source Clipboard will prove to be most helpful.  A true gem for any researcher.
• This webinar taught me more in an hour and a half than I ever could have taught myself in a day!! I love these types of webinars. I am becoming more of a Legacy "expert" every time I attend.
• Today's webinar was enjoyable from beginning to end.  Most enjoyable were the many added tips given as shortcuts and helps.
• As much as I love these webinars, I think the "little tips" are my favorite part! I've learned about so many useful things that I didn't even know existed as part of Legacy Family Tree.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Facebook for Genealogists with Thomas MacEntee, September 14
• Exploring FamilyLink.com and WorldVitalRecords.com with Paul Allen, September 16.
• Researching Your Connecticut Ancestors with Marian Pierre-Louis, September 21.
• Uncovering Your Irish Family History with Jennifer Geraghty-Gorman, October 19.
• Let Your Voice be Heard in the Digital Conversation with Drusilla Pair, October 26.
• FamilyRoots Organizer System with Mary Hill, November 4.
• It Is Well With My Soul: Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune with Thomas MacEntee, November 9.
• A Closer Look at Google+ with Dan Lynch, November 30.
• Tracing Immigrant Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, December 7.
• "Is My Pet Frog Part of My Family?" Children and Genealogy in the Classroom with Maureen Taylor, December 14.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Legacy Tip - what to do with a picture of a couple

Here's a great question from Michele,

Let's say you have a picture of two people together. You attach the photo to the first person and fill in the caption, date, and description. Is there any way to copy and paste it to the other person so that you don't have to fill out all that stuff again?

Yes, Michele. This is very do-able in Legacy. If I understand your situation correctly, you have linked a picture of the couple to the first person, as in the example below:

To quickly add this same picture to the other person, follow these steps:

Right-click on the picture and click on Copy.

Next, open the other person's Picture Gallery, and in one of the blank spaces, right-click and click Paste from Legacy clipboard. Your picture is now linked to both individuals.

Personally, in this case I would link this "couple" picture to their marriage. Then I would open my picture editor software to make a copy of the original (using its Save As command). Using the Crop tool, I would then make two pictures out of it - one for each person. Then, back in Legacy, I would link these individual pictures to each person. Doing so would give me a nice picture pedigree. Just be sure to make a copy of the original before doing any cropping.

There are a lot of other ways we could go with this discussion, maybe we ought to do a webinar about it? What do you think? Any other ideas out there about this topic?