Over 440,000 Cemetery Records Added in February 2020

Over 440,000 Cemetery Records Added in February 2020

Now online for free access at Interment.net

March 2, 2020, Menifee, CA — Interment.net published 440,213 cemetery records covering
86 cemeteries across 16 states, 1 province, and 2 countries, in the month of February 2020. They are now available for free viewing to the general public by visiting www.interment.net/new.htm

These records were acquired from genealogists, city and county offices, and cemetery sextons. Most of these records include dates of birth, death, and burial, and many include plot locations and names of funeral homes.

Geographic localities covered in these records…

Quebec, Canada (Compton, Frontenac, Richmond, Shefford, & Stanstead counties)
Arizona (Yavapai County)
Idaho (Canyon County)
Illinois (Rock Island County)
Louisiana (East Baton Rouge Parish)
Maryland (Dorchester County)
Michigan (Oceana, Tuscola, & Washington counties)
Minnesota (Washington County)
Missouri (St. Louis City)
New Hampshire (Grafton County)
New Jersey (Monmouth County)
New York (Albany, Chautauqua, Chemung, Dutchess, Delaware, Erie, Kings, Oswego, Saratoga, Steuben, & Suffolk counties)
Ohio (Franklin & Ottawa counties)
South Dakota (Butte & Marshall counties)
Texas (Austin & Kaufman counties)
Virginia (Alexandria city)
Washington (Clark, Cowlitz, & Lewis counties)

All records were left unedited to reflect the same information exactly as appears from their original sources.

Since 1997, Interment.net has published transcriptions of cemetery records acquired from genealogists, government agencies, churches, and cemetery sextons. To date, more than 25 million records are available online for free, unlimited access.

Genealogists may browse or search the full archive, or contribute their transcriptions, by visiting www.interment.net

Interment.net Published 368,000 Cemetery Records in the Month of December 2019

January 3, 2020, Menifee, CA — Interment.net published 368,107 cemetery records covering 59 cemeteries in 20 US states in the month of December 2019. They are now available for free viewing to the general public by visiting http://www.interment.net/new.htm

These records were acquired mostly from city and county offices as well as cemetery sextons. Most of these records include dates of birth, death, and burial, and many include plot locations and names of funeral homes.

States and counties covered in these records…

Alaska (Matanuska-Susitna Borough)
Colorado (Boulder, El Paso, Weld)
Florida (Alachua, Lake, Osceola)
Idaho (Ada)
Illinois (Douglas, Logan, Kane, Sangamon, Winnebago)
Iowa (Johnson, Clay)
Kentucky (Jefferson)
Massachusetts (Worcester)
Michigan (Charlevoix)
Minnesota (Ramsey)
Nebraska (Dodge)
North Carolina (Iredell)
North Dakota (Cass)
Ohio (Franklin, Lucas, Montgomery)
Oklahoma (Ellis, Oklahoma)
Texas (El Paso, Gillespie)
Utah (Salt Lake)
Virginia (City of Richmond, Bedford)
Wisconsin (Juneau, Waukesha, Richland)
Wyoming (Fremont, Johnson, Park)

All records were left unedited to reflect the same information exactly as appears from their original sources.

Since 1997, Interment.net has published transcriptions of cemetery records acquired from genealogists, government agencies, churches, and cemetery sextons. To date, more than 25 million records are available online for free, unlimited access. 

Genealogists may browse or search the full archive, or contribute their transcriptions, by visiting http://www.interment.net

GO AHEAD TOURS, ANCESTRY COLLABORATE TO LAUNCH NEW TOUR PORTFOLIO

The following announcement was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy.

GO AHEAD TOURS, ANCESTRY COLLABORATE TO LAUNCH NEW TOUR PORTFOLIO

This unique portfolio of tours will offer experiences that will take travelers on a journey into their personal histories

September 11, 2017 (CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS) – Go Ahead Tours and Ancestry today announced a new portfolio of tours that will take travelers on a journey into their personal histories. These exciting trips combine Ancestry’s proprietary DNA technology and access to expert Genealogists with Go Ahead’s high-quality international travel experiences. The new portfolio of heritage trips will launch this fall with itineraries in 2018 to Ireland, Italy, and Germany. New tours featuring additional destinations will be announced in early 2018 with first departures in 2019.

“We are thrilled to team up with Ancestry to introduce this special way for travelers to experience a destination in a new light,” said David Henry, VP of Marketing at Go Ahead. “So many of our customers travel to connect with their heritage, and this was our inspiration to collaborate with the team at Ancestry. These trips will help our customers explore their family story with even greater insight and visit the places where their ancestors once walked.”

The journey begins with an AncestryDNA kit, which analyzes DNA and provides a breakdown of a person’s ethnic background. Go Ahead travelers will then have the opportunity to build their family tree and discuss their results with an expert from AncestryProGenealogists during a pre-trip family history review. Every journey will be led by a local Tour Director and Ancestry Genealogist, who will provide family history context and bring a personal perspective to each destination. Genealogical adventurers will gain a deeper understanding of their family’s past and the knowledge of how to continue learning about their ancestors’ history once back home.

“Personal genealogy is so important, and certainly means different things to different people,” said Kyle Betit, Senior Genealogist and Travel Program Manager at AncestryProGenealogists. “We believe that these trips will give people the opportunity to trace their roots on a deeper level and maybe even discover something new or exciting about their own ancestors.”

For more information, please visit www.goaheadtours.com/ancestry.

Information and Registration for Tours:

Go Ahead Tours will be taking calls and registering travelers for the tours. To find out more about tours and to sign up for them, interested persons can either:

1. Go online at www.goaheadtours.com/ancestry
2. Call Go Ahead Tours at 1-800-242-4686

On that URL link you can also see the descriptions of all five tours (two tour types in Ireland, two tour types in Italy, and one tour type in Germany)

Here are the links to information about the individual tours:

• Sicily Ancestry Tour: Palermo to Taormina
• Irish Ancestry Tour: Highlights of the Emerald Isle
• Italian Ancestry Tour: Puglia & Southern Italy
• German Ancestry Tour: Hamburg to Munich
• Irish Ancestry Tour: The Wild Atlantic Way

See the short video about the tours here: https://www.facebook.com/goaheadtours/videos/10155950672147223/?hc_ref=ART_nfCec2EUX8Lm_wYCBq-E8a6NApbjhNkYGHiNVVyYiKG-fxF99Pmq8gtE-FQWquc

Also, there is a Q&A interview with me about the tours here: http://travelblog.goaheadtours.com/ancestry-genealogist-q-a-heritage-tour/

 

March Update WW1 Service Files Canadian Soldiers

Sample from PDF file for James Cecil Sandercock, KIA

Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Personnel Service Files – Update of March 2017

The following press release came into Olive Tree Genealogy's mailbox:

As of March 15, 416,749 of 640,000 files are available online in our Personnel Records of the First World War database. Please visit the Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files page for more details on the digitization project.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. So far, we have digitized the following files:

• Latest box digitized: Box 7059 and last name McLelland.

Coming Soon! NYGBS Labs

The NYG&B Announces NYG&B Labs


NYG&B Labs will create an innovative space which leverages the latest trends in technology and digital services to assist in telling the stories of New York’s families.

NEW YORK, NY -- The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) announces the creation of NYG&B Labs, an innovative space which leverages the latest trends in technology and digital services to assist in telling the stories of New York’s families.

NYG&B Labs will be a destination for aspiring digital professionals who seek to advance their expertise in technology and its applications for the fields of history and genealogy. Each quarter team members will work on a designated, pre-approved project. Once completed, projects may be added to resources at newyorkfamilyhistory.org and beyond.

Members of the NYG&B Labs team will benefit from one-on-one interaction with experts in the fields of genealogy and technology as they work to creatively apply technology to traditional genealogical methods relating to New York’s history. Team members will also receive a quarterly stipend and can work from anywhere in the world.

“NYG&B Labs will provide benefits to anyone researching the stories of New York’s past,” noted NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor; “with NYG&B labs, the opportunities to create new tools and resources are nearly endless.” The launch of the project was made possible with funding from the NYG&B, individual donors, and support from commercial and nonprofit entities within the genealogical community.

Applications for NYG&B Labs Team members are now being accepted at http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/labs. The NYG&B is specifically seeking team members with an interest in technology, geo-coding, mapping, social media, website development, digital services, history, and other topics. 

 

Interment.net Adds 1.4 Million Cemetery Records

The following Press Release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy.

Interment.net Adds 1.4 Million Cemetery Records

(August 1, 2016, San Diego, CA), In the month of July 2016, Interment.net added 670,276 cemetery records to its online archives, covering 87 cemeteries across 23 states. It's the largest one-month publishing effort in the website's history.

View the full list of July's transcriptions here:

http://www.interment.net/whatsnew/20160707.htm

All in all, nearly 1.4 million records have been added when you include the previous months of June and May 2016.

The accelerated rate of expansion comes from a renewed effort to reestablish Interment.net as the top destination for cemetery records.

"We launched Interment.net in 1997 back when USGenWeb Archives was the only genealogical source of cemetery records", says Steve Johnson, publisher and founder of Interment.net. Interment.net quickly fostered a volunteer base that contributed thousands of transcriptions from cemeteries all over the globe."

But back then, acquiring records in digital form was not easy to come by. Many cemeteries still kept paper records. Those that had computer databases were not able to easily export their data. Thus, Interment.net relied heavily on volunteers to visit cemeteries and transcribe inscriptions.

Today, however, most cemeteries are able to easily export their digital records to textfiles or spreadsheets.

"We're presently updating records for all national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries", Johnson added. "We're also adding records from thousands of municipalities, counties, cemetery associations and districts."

Interment.net is a free online archive of cemetery transcriptions. Records are acquired from government offices, private cemeteries, and from volunteers who transcribe inscriptions.

Visit Interment.net to publish your transcription.

3 New Canadian Databases on Ancestry

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Honeymoon and Visitor Registries, 1949-2011

·         Commonly known as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”, Niagara Falls is visited by approximately 50,000 newlywed couples each year.

o   Fun fact: Niagara Falls received its reputation as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World” in 1801 when Theodosia Burr Alston (daughter of the 3rd Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr), chose to honeymoon at the Falls. Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother, Jerome Bonaparte did the same in 1804, starting the popular tradition that continues today.

·         Many of the newlyweds who visit choose to sign their names in register books kept by the Niagara Falls Tourism Office, and now, these records have been digitized and indexed and are available online for Ancestry users.

·         The collection contains 680,114 records and 17,593 images from 1949 to 2011.

·         Exploring this collection, you’ll discover visitors who travelled near and far to the Falls, and how soon after their wedding they arrived.

·         The Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Honeymoon and Visitor Registries, 1949-2011 are now available online on Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Canada Photographic Albums of Settlement, 1892-1917

·         Just in time for Canada Day, Ancestry users can now access photos that paint a picture of what everyday life was like for Canadians during the early days of our nation.

·         Compiled by the Department of Interior, the collection contains 3,358 images, the majority of which were captured by John Woodruff and Horatio N. Topley. These photographers were hired by the Canadian government to capture the spirit of Canada during this period.

·         From the original logging process implemented to harvest one of Canada’s greatest resources, to the expansive ranches and wide open spaces of the true north in its original state, this collection details the life and times of some of Canada’s earliest settlers.

·         The Canada Photographic Albums of Settlement, 1892-1917 Collection is now available on Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Canada Homestead Grant Registers, 1892-1930

·         To continue to shed light into life in Canada during its first few decades as a nation, Ancestry has launched a collection of registers of applications for land grants for the Western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

·         Under the Dominion Land Acts in 1872, individuals could apply to homestead a quarter section of land (160 acres) and then apply for a patent (title) to the land after occupying and improving the land for three years. The average cost of land during this time was $10.

·         With 668,623 records and 78,794 images, Ancestry users can learn about some of Canada’s earliest settlers such as applicants’ names, region, date of application and homestead fee paid.

·         The Canada Homestead Grant Registers 1892-1930 Collection is now available on  Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Credit: Images from Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca 

TLC RENEWS WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? AND LONG LOST FAMILY FOR ADDITIONAL SEASONS

The following announcement was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy: 

TLC announced today that the network has ordered additional seasons of the fan favorite series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? and freshman series LONG LOST FAMILY. The most recent seasons of both series averaged over 1.8M P2+ viewers.

Executive Produced by Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky, the two time Emmy-nominated WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? follows some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees. The most recent seasons have featured Bryan Cranston, who uncovered an ancestor’s heroic dedication during the Civil War, and Molly Ringwald, who learned about the dangerous conditions her coal-mining ancestors endured.

LONG LOST FAMILY features the highly emotional and touching stories of people who have suffered a lifetime of separation from their family members. The series reunites those separated by adoption, uncovers secrets behind unsolved mysteries, and helps individuals answer lifelong questions. This past season reunited several family members in emotional meetings, including a mother and a daughter who actually worked together and did not realize they were related. The series is hosted by Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner, who uniquely share their own stories of adoption while leading others in their own family discoveries.

Ancestry.com,  the leading provider of online family history data and personal DNA testing, is teaming up with TLC again as a sponsor of the upcoming seasons for both series. As part of the sponsorship, Ancestry provides exhaustive family history research to help make discoveries possible on both series.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? is produced for TLC by Shed Media and Is or Isn’t Entertainment, and is based on an original format created by Wall to Wall Media and Alex Graham. LONG LOST FAMILY is produced for TLC by Shed Media, and is based on the format entitled Find My Family/Spoorloos devised by KRO-NCRV, distributed by Lineup Industries.

NYGBS Wins Two Awards for Excellence from the National Genealogical Society

The following press release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society  (NYGBS)

New York, NY, May 6, 2016. The National Genealogical Society (NGS) presented the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) with two distinguished prizes at the NGS Family History Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The NYG&B’s groundbreaking book, the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer, is the recipient of the 2016 NGS Award for Excellence: Methods and Sources Book. And the NYG&B’s quarterly magazine, the New York Researcher, has been recognized as the best Major Genealogical or Historical Society Newsletter for 2016.

Since its highly anticipated release in 2015 the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer has received numerous accolades and become the de facto textbook for New York genealogical research. Hailed as “. . . the biggest and best ever guide to New York research.” (NGS Quarterly, September 2015), the book was previously recognized by the Federation of Genealogical Societies with its Award of Merit.

The New York Researcher has been published quarterly since spring 1990 when it began life as the NYG&B Newsletter. Each issue features articles on genealogical research techniques and resources, profiles of repositories and genealogical societies across New York State, and news about the rapidly changing field of genealogy. The New York Researcher is edited by Susan Miller, Director of Education at the NYG&B. 

The full run of the New York Researcher is accessible in the NYG&B’s eLibrary, and more than 100 articles—many of which have been updated by the original authors—have been collected as Research Aids on the NYG&B website.

D. Joshua Taylor, NYG&B President, said, “As the newest member of the NYG&B team it is very gratifying to accept not one but two awards from the NGS. Recognition from one’s peers is especially sweet. From the launch of The Record in 1870 and the New York Researcher in 1990 to the publication of the Research Guide and Gazetteer in 2015, the NYG&B has been a pioneering contributor to the scholarship on New York families and resources for New York research.”

Following the success of the Research Guide and Gazetteer, the NYG&B began working on an entire volume devoted to the vast holdings of the New York City Municipal Archives, many of which have never been described in published form. That work, The New York City Municipal Archives: An Authorized Guide for Family Historians is now available for pre-sale and will be officially released in the summer of 2016.

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit (CANGEN) Press Release

The following Press Release was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy

The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit (CANGEN) pleased to announce their inaugural conference, to be held October 21-23, 2016, at the Courtyard by Marriott, Brampton.

The Summit showcases Canadian genealogists who have an expertise in the record sets relating to the early settlers of Canada.

On October 21, we have arranged a day at the Ontario Archives. And better still, for those with UEL ancestors who are mind boggled with the documentation required for your UEL application, former Dominion Genealogist Kathryn Lake Hogan will be offering a workshop with the at the Archives. She will share her expertise on what documentation is required and how to access the documents at the Archives.

Our Opening Plenary speaker on Friday evening is genealogist and author Jennifer Debruin who will share with us some of the struggles of our Canadian ancestors. This energetic talk will be followed by a social time. A time to get to know fellow Canadian genealogists, to get to know the speakers better, or to browse in the marketplace.

Saturday's programming offers five streams of research. Registrants are welcome to mix and match:

•    Ruth Blair - who will talk on researching Irish ancestors
•    Mike Quackenbush - who will talk on researching English ancestors
•    Louise St Denis - who will talk on researching French Canadian ancestors
•    Kathryn Lake Hogan - who will talk on researching Canadian ancestors
•    Christine Woodcock who will talk on researching Scottish ancestors
Sunday starts with Louise St Denis sharing her extensive knowledge on Methodology. THEN she is providing each registrant with a certificate for a FREE course at the NIGS.

And we wrap up an intense weekend with Lynn Palermo who will help us to get a better handle on writing our family stories so that our work can be preserved for future generations.

Registration for the full weekend is just $159cdn ($125 usd). Registration for the Saturday only is just $119cdn ($93 usd)

http://www.cangensummit.ca/

All registrations include breakfast and lunch on Saturday, free access to Findmypast and admission to the exhibition hall.

Relative Race: Amazing Race Meets Who Do You Think You Are

Olive Tree Genealogy received the following announcement about a brand new TV show, an original family history-based competition reality show titled Relative Race, that has been described as Amazing Race meets Who Do You Think You Are.
 

Premiering on Sunday, February 28 at 8pm ET/6pm MT/5pm PT on BYUtv, Relative Race features four married couples as they travel across the US in search of long lost relatives, armed with only paper maps, a rental car, a $25 per diem and a flip phone. 

Using the science and technology provided by Ancestry DNA, the couples embark on a journey that starts in San Francisco, ends in New York City and leads them to unknown relatives along the way. Cameras follow all four teams as they drive across the country -more than 4500 miles- in just ten days, stopping each day to complete a challenge and find (and stay with) their newly discovered relatives in a different city. At the end of each day, the team that finishes last receives a strike; after three strikes, teams are eliminated and the remaining teams travel to NYC for the grand finale where there is a $25k grand prize for the winning couple.

Image from relativerace.com

Free Access to Canadian & Immigration Records!

Olive Tree Genealogy received the following announcement: 

While Family Day isn’t celebrated nationally – in fact, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. are the only provinces to officially celebrate the day – Ancestry.ca is using this family-focused holiday to offer free access to all Canadians. 

We hope this will be welcome news to the 93 per said of Canadians who said they were interested in learning more about their family history according to a recent Ancestry survey.

Until February 15, Canadians will have free access to all Canadian records in additional to Global Immigration Records – that’s more than 230 million records.

So while the extra day off will allow for some Canadians to catch up with their present family, this free access on Ancestry.ca also allows all Canadians to connect with family members of the past.

Image is a screenshot from Ancestry.ca

10 Million Irish Catholic Parish Records Coming Online!

More than 10 million Catholic Parish records from Ireland are to be published online by Ancestry.com, the world’s largest family history resource. The collection means that Ancestry will have over 55 million Irish records and will provide the largest collection of Irish Catholic parish records available online.

The collection is made up of Baptism, Marriage and Burial records from over 1,000 Catholic parishes across the whole of the island of Ireland - both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Baptism and Marriage records make up the majority of the collection and Burial records can be found primarily for parishes in the northern regions.

Ancestry has indexed records from over 3,500 parish registers. This is the first time that the collection has been indexed with the images linked online.

John Slyne, VP, International Operations at Ancestry comments: “The Ireland Catholic Parish Registers is the single most important collection needed to trace Roman Catholic ancestors in Ireland in the 1800s and we are delighted to make it available through Ancestry.  Providing the very best Irish records to our members is important to us and this collection helps us do that, taking the total number of Irish records to over 55 million.  It also means we continue to provide the largest online collection of Irish Catholic parish records available anywhere which is good for those in Ireland and also those across the World with Irish roots.

The collection is set to go live on Ancestry.com in March 2016.

Major News! FamilyTreeMaker is back!

This just in from Ancestry.com! 

New Family Tree Maker Options

By: Kendall Hulet

Since our Family Tree Maker announcement last December, we have continued to actively explore ways to develop and support Family Tree Maker and ensure you have choices to preserve your work in ways that matter to you.

Today, I am pleased to announce two options for desktop software that will work with Ancestry.

Software MacKiev

Software MacKiev, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, is acquiring the Family Tree Maker software line as publisher for both Mac and Windows versions. Software MacKiev has been the developer of Family Tree Maker for Mac for more than six years and is thrilled at the opportunity to publish future versions of Family Tree Maker for Mac and Windows.

This new agreement means you will receive software updates and new versions from Software MacKiev, and have the ability to purchase new versions of Family Tree Maker from Software MacKiev as they are released.   You will have continued access to Ancestry Hints, Ancestry searches, and be able to save your tree on Ancestry with Family Tree Maker moving forward.

RootsMagic

We have made an agreement with RootsMagic, a leading genealogy desktop software program publisher, to connect Ancestry with the RootsMagic software by the end of 2016. With this new relationship, RootsMagic can serve as your desktop family tree software, while having access to Ancestry hints, Ancestry searches, and the ability to save your tree on Ancestry.

We have heard your concerns and are working to provide the solutions you requested. These new agreements will make it possible to preserve your work on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker and enable future features and benefits to help you discover your family history. 

Be assured that Ancestry, in cooperation with Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, will continue to support you as you discover your family history.

We ask for your patience as we work diligently through all the details to make these solutions available. Be sure to check back on our blog as we share more information about Family Tree Maker in the next few months.

For more information on Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, click below:

●      Software MacKiev:   http://www.mackiev.com/

●      RootsMagic:   http://www.rootsmagic.com/

Congratulations D. Joshua Taylor, new President of NYGBS

D. Joshua Taylor, the prominent genealogist, author, and lecturer, has been appointed President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, effective February 1, 2016. He succeeds McKelden Smith, who is retiring after serving as its highly-regarded President of seven years.
           
Jeanne Sloane, chairman of the board of trustees of the NYG&B, said, “We are thrilled that Josh has accepted this position. He brings to the NYG&B dynamic energy and his well-known passion for the mission of genealogical societies in general. He has broad experience as an advanced researcher and riveting lecturer. Plus he has the expertise we require in the innovative use of technology in our field.”
            
Ms. Sloane also said that Mr. Taylor already knows the NYG&B unusually well. “Most recently,” she said, “Mr. Taylor was Director of Family History at Findmypast.com. While he was in this position he coordinated the integration of the NYG&B’s eLibrary with the Findmypast platform.

Read more about Josh and his new position at D. Joshua Taylor Appointed President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

Image credit: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society

Conference Keeper Re-Launches Under New Management

Conference Keeper began in October 2012, when creator Jen Baldwin went looking for a list of major U.S. genealogy conferences  for the year and couldn’t find one. Recognizing the need, she started a website with one simple objective: create and maintain a list of all genealogy and family history related conferences, workshops, sessions, summits and other special events from around the world on one site.  Conference Keeper grew quickly as the genealogy community appreciated its worth.

As Jen became more deeply involved with other genealogical work, the site went on hiatus until late in 2015, when Eowyn Langholf and Tami Osmer Mize, co-founders of the WikiChicks, felt the site beckon. With Jen’s encouragement and blessing, they have re-ignited the mission and purpose of Conference Keeper.

Tami is the owner of Relatively Curious and an active leader in the Second Life chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Eowyn is the owner of Turning Hearts Genealogy, Forest Elf at WikiTree.com and personal researcher to author A.J. Jacobs.  Both are dedicated to serving the genealogy community and thrilled to have found this avenue to do so.

WikiChicks is delighted to announce that with a new look and an expanded mission, ConferenceKeeper.org is again curating and calendaring the dates and details of genealogy and family history conferences, seminars, workshops, contests, and calls for papers. Societies and individuals within the genealogy community are encouraged to submit details of their upcoming events via the “Submissions” tab.

About Conference Keeper: Growing since 2012, ConferenceKeeper.org is a website dedicated to curating and calendaring genealogy and family history conference details. Events are posted on the Calendar tab, as well as under the specific page of their location. Along with a listing of events, those pages also include links to useful research websites specific to each location, including genealogical and historical societies, archives, and other helpful information.  See: http://www.conferencekeeper.org

FamilyTreeMaker Bombshell Rocks the GeneaSphere

Yesterday evening the Genealogy Community almost exploded with the sudden news that Ancestry FamilyTreeMaker (FTM) is being discontinued. Part of the blog post and email sent out by Ancestry stated

....we’ve taken a hard look at the declining desktop software market and the impact this has on being able to continue to provide product enhancements and support that our users need. With that, we’ve made the tough decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015.

And it began - owners of FTM, furious at the news, began screaming on Social Media sites. One of the top complaints I spotted was "It's the busiest time of year! How can I get my media files and online tree saved to my computer before the end of December!!!"

Those FTM owners who continued reading the announcement would have seen this bit

"Ancestry will continue to support current owners of Family Tree Maker through January 1, 2017. During this time, all features of the software, including TreeSync™, will continue to work, and Member Services will be available to assist with user questions. We will also address major software bugs that may occur, as well as compatibility updates."

In other words, those affected by this decision have an entire year to do whatever they need to do.

I happen to be a long-time user of FTM (over 18 years! Check out my personal collection of FTM versions in the graphic above) but the sync feature is not that important to me. I like the Ancestry hints that pop up when I view the Pedigree of an individual but I can get the same results by searching on the Ancestry website. 

I hope folks understand that the software program itself will continue to work until you upgrade your operating system to something that doesn't recognize the program! So we all have time to find a new program and start learning how to use it.

There are many alternate software programs available for family trees. If you are a windows user you have Legacy Family Tree , RootsMagic (with a special $20.00 offer for FTM users) and many others. 

Mac users (like me) have fewer options. RootsMagic has a special time-limited offer on their software. If you are an FTM user wanting to switch you can get the full RootsMagic version for $20.00  

I decided to buy RootsMagic for Mac but I was confused by the page for the FTM users to switch. It seemed to only be for those wanting to buy RootsMagic for Windows. So I reached out to Bruce Buzbee, CEO of RootsMagic and here is his response

"The CD version includes the download also. It is shipped because it includes the printed book"

After learning that, I ordered the RootsMagic software this morning. I'm not going to set it up until after the New Year and then I'll get started. Who knows, maybe I will like it better than FTM! 

New War of 1812 Database Online

Boarding and taking the American Ship Chesapeake
by the Officers and Crew of H.M. Ship Shannon
commanded by Capt. Broke, June 1813

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has just put up another terrific database for the War of 1812

The War of 1812 took place from June 18, 1812 to February 16, 1815. During this conflict between the United States and Great Britain, many military events occurred on Canadian soil.

There are no service files for the Canadian militia; however, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds a unique and vast collection of records about the Canadian men and women who were involved in the War of 1812. Their names can be found on muster rolls, pay lists, claims, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers. Many of these documents are only available in the original format and have not been microfilmed or digitized.

This database does not include the name of every person who served during the war, only those whose names appear in the records that have been indexed for this project from specific fonds. The list indicates the archival reference, volume number(s) and the microfilm reel number, if applicable.

Search the new database for your ancestors.

Image Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1937-31-1

Library & Archives Canada New Immigration Database!

Olive Tree Genealogy just received the following announcement:

Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce the launch of a new online database, Immigrants to Canada, Porters and Domestics, 1899–1949.

This online database allows you to access more than 8,600 references to individuals who came to Canada as porters or domestics between 1899 and 1949. Names were taken from lists contained in the Central Registry Files series of the Immigration Branch (RG76 BIA) and other files held at LAC.

Start searching porters and domestics now!

This looks like it will be a great addition to existing Canadian Immigration records. I'm off to see if any of my British family are to be found there.

Don't forget you can also search for ancestors on ships on OliveTreeGenealogy.com 

Good Deal on NYGBS Book on New York Research

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society is offering free U.S. shipping (a $10 savings) on its monumental book, the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer.

Since its highly anticipated publication in January 2015, the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer has garnered widespread praise and quickly sold out its first print run.  The comprehensive, 856-page book has become the de facto textbook for New York genealogical research.

Diane Rapaport in the September issue of the NGS Q calls the book “. . . the biggest and best ever guide to New York research. Everything a researcher would want to know about researching New York’s sixty-two counties, and the boroughs of New York City, is now in one comprehensive, encyclopedic, easy-to-use manual.”

Henry Hoff, editor of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, declared "This is a volume that every library and New York researcher should have, and indeed must have."

And the New York Times described the book as "an overdue handbook for serious researchers," "an enlightening and eclectic chronological tour of four centuries of New York benchmarks and record-keeping," and "an authoritative, fact-filled beginner's resource."

The Federation of Genealogical Societies recently presented the NYG&B with an Award of Merit in recognition of distinguished work in family history for this publication.

From now until November 30, U.S. shipping and handling (regularly $10) is free for all in the NYG&B online store, phone, and mail orders when you use the discount Code "BOOKSHIP." The same code will give a $10 discount on shipping for international orders.

Full details about the book—including an Annotated Table of Contents—are on the website at www.NewYorkFamilyHistory.org.