I haven't been posting very much since I've been busy with other things, including redesign on my own website.
I've moved the entries from this blog to my website Family Findings under Genealogy Blog.
I'm not sure that I'll keep it that way, but feel like having less places to update will be a good thing for me. Simpler is good!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, July 19, 2010
Cemeteries in Quebec, Canada
My family just got back from a 4 day trip to my in-laws house in Lambton, Quebec, Canada. Is anyone else researching Quebec, Canada? Are you having trouble finding information on the cemeteries there? I have been. Even on the online maps, the cemeteries may be greyed areas, but they don't say the name of the cemetery. It made it hard to research ahead of time where I wanted to visit.
While there, I got my "boys" to go to three cemeteries with me. I already knew where they were and had even briefly been to 2 of the 3. My husband didn't understand why I was taking so many photos, but the first and last names all seem so common that once I get there I'm confused who I'm looking for. What's the problem with taking lots of photos anyway? They're all digital, so they're free. I was already looking at all the stones so it didn't take that much more time to snap a quick photo to study on the computer when I got home if it was a surname I was researching. Since the Drouin collection on Ancestry generally stops at 1930 (at least in the parishes I've been working in), the gravestones seem the easiest way to find the more recent dates. Maybe I should redefine "easiest". Easiest given that you don't mind driving 5-1/2 hours, have nice in-laws that let you use their house there for free and can whine enough to get your family to let you spend some time in the cemeteries. Ha-ha!
So, the verdict is in. I did take a lot of photos of people that I can't connect to the family right now but I also found a number of his direct ancestors and siblings of them.
I've started working on putting them on FindAGrave already. That site is sure hard to use for Canada. It lumps all the provinces together so you can't search on just Quebec when you're looking for a cemetery. Also, the cemeteries are getting put in inconsistantly. Some are "Blah Cemetery", some are "Cimetiere Blah" and others are "Cimetière Blah" (the last one with the accent is correct as far as the French goes, but not so sure it's correct on FindAGrave). Then, the accents on the names are another whole matter. I guess I'm entering them without them, but I hate doing so. When I started to post the photos, I even found that someone else had listed some of the names that I took photos for, so I posted the photos to go with those listings and am glad I could help someone else.
If anyone knows of a great site to see maps of Quebec towns with the cemeteries displayed, please post it to the comments! That would sure help make the most of a limited amount of time if some of the location research could be done ahead.
While there, I got my "boys" to go to three cemeteries with me. I already knew where they were and had even briefly been to 2 of the 3. My husband didn't understand why I was taking so many photos, but the first and last names all seem so common that once I get there I'm confused who I'm looking for. What's the problem with taking lots of photos anyway? They're all digital, so they're free. I was already looking at all the stones so it didn't take that much more time to snap a quick photo to study on the computer when I got home if it was a surname I was researching. Since the Drouin collection on Ancestry generally stops at 1930 (at least in the parishes I've been working in), the gravestones seem the easiest way to find the more recent dates. Maybe I should redefine "easiest". Easiest given that you don't mind driving 5-1/2 hours, have nice in-laws that let you use their house there for free and can whine enough to get your family to let you spend some time in the cemeteries. Ha-ha!
So, the verdict is in. I did take a lot of photos of people that I can't connect to the family right now but I also found a number of his direct ancestors and siblings of them.
I've started working on putting them on FindAGrave already. That site is sure hard to use for Canada. It lumps all the provinces together so you can't search on just Quebec when you're looking for a cemetery. Also, the cemeteries are getting put in inconsistantly. Some are "Blah Cemetery", some are "Cimetiere Blah" and others are "Cimetière Blah" (the last one with the accent is correct as far as the French goes, but not so sure it's correct on FindAGrave). Then, the accents on the names are another whole matter. I guess I'm entering them without them, but I hate doing so. When I started to post the photos, I even found that someone else had listed some of the names that I took photos for, so I posted the photos to go with those listings and am glad I could help someone else.
If anyone knows of a great site to see maps of Quebec towns with the cemeteries displayed, please post it to the comments! That would sure help make the most of a limited amount of time if some of the location research could be done ahead.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
FindAGrave - My Activity Update
I've been putting a lot of effort into posting stuff at FindAGrave recently. I have tons of cemetery photos, so I've decided to share. I'm working on Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge, NY right now. I still have over 1,000 photos to post from that cemetery. I've added about 2/3 of the listings for that cemetery.
I've also made a few special trips over the past month to do volunteer photos for others. I'm glad to be able to help out that way.
Anyway, I've reached some milestones in the past week. I surpassed 3,000 listings and 2,000 photos posted. Yay for me! ha-ha.
To go to my contributor page, click here
Friday, May 07, 2010
Free access to old newspapers
I've recently been enjoying the free newspapers at Fulton NY Postcards (don't let their website name fool you). They have tons of old New York newspapers scanned and available for browsing or searching. This includes papers from Glens Falls, New York. I even found some need obituaries from other areas of New York too.
I was particularly taken by this gem that I found about my second great-grandfather, Deranzel Henry, who rescued a drowning boy in the Battenkill River.
Since I'm writting about free access, Footnote is giving free access to their newspaper collection this month, so make sure to go do some searches before May is over.
I was particularly taken by this gem that I found about my second great-grandfather, Deranzel Henry, who rescued a drowning boy in the Battenkill River.
Since I'm writting about free access, Footnote is giving free access to their newspaper collection this month, so make sure to go do some searches before May is over.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Vermont Vital Records coming to Ancestry
In my last post when I was discussing the New Hampshire vital records project (which the births are now indexed and online on Family Search), I mentioned that I was hoping for Vermont to be next.
Well, although it's not free for all on Family Search, I did receive a promotional email from Ancestry.com stating that Vermont vital records were coming soon. I'm excited that this great resource will soon be available. Horray!
In the meantime, did you know that the Vermont State Archives are willing to look up a record for you for free? Click here and then chose the Informational Copies link on the right to download a form to fill out and email back.
They've often emailed the record back within a week of my requesting it. Kudos to Vermont! I wish more states were as kind to genealogists as you are.
Well, although it's not free for all on Family Search, I did receive a promotional email from Ancestry.com stating that Vermont vital records were coming soon. I'm excited that this great resource will soon be available. Horray!
In the meantime, did you know that the Vermont State Archives are willing to look up a record for you for free? Click here and then chose the Informational Copies link on the right to download a form to fill out and email back.
They've often emailed the record back within a week of my requesting it. Kudos to Vermont! I wish more states were as kind to genealogists as you are.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Family Search indexing-NH births
I have to admit I'm a bit excited. FamilySearch's indexing project has started working on NH births up to 1900. I like that I can work on a project like this that will help so many and that this is not a database that is repeated over and over on the Internet. I've refused to index the federal census records for exactly that reason. I want to work on the projects that will provide new information for people.
New indexers are always welcome. It's an easy way to give back to the genealogy community. Please see FamilySearchIndexing find out more.
So, as I happy work away trying to get these records indexed, I have to admit that I'm hoping that they'll do Vermont next, or maybe New York. :-)
New indexers are always welcome. It's an easy way to give back to the genealogy community. Please see FamilySearchIndexing find out more.
So, as I happy work away trying to get these records indexed, I have to admit that I'm hoping that they'll do Vermont next, or maybe New York. :-)
Monday, September 22, 2008
FTM 2009
I thought I'd give an update to the FTM 2009 free upgrade situation. The afternoon of my last post, I received an email from The Generations Network apologizing about the situation. They said that their store was overwhelmed and that they'd have it resolved in a few days, at which time they'd issue a new coupon.
A few days later, I did receive the email with a new coupon. It had a link and said that I had to order through it. When I clicked on the link, it said that I had to wait over 2 hours for my time in the store. I promptly went directly to the store in another browser window, ordered the upgrade and the coupon worked. I'm so glad that I didn't sit there and wait.
I was very pleased that they even gave free shipping. The free upgrade was absolutely free! I didn't expect that.
Although there were so many problems getting my order in, the upgrade was shipped very fast. I had expected to wait a month or so, but I received it last Thursday. I've got it all installed and it recognized the database that I had pulled into FTM 2008. I can't speak on features since I use Legacy instead of FTM now but will probably fool with it sometime.
I have to say that the Generations Network faltered but did deliver (at least the physical product, not sure on the promises that they gave with the software). Thank you Generations Network.
A few days later, I did receive the email with a new coupon. It had a link and said that I had to order through it. When I clicked on the link, it said that I had to wait over 2 hours for my time in the store. I promptly went directly to the store in another browser window, ordered the upgrade and the coupon worked. I'm so glad that I didn't sit there and wait.
I was very pleased that they even gave free shipping. The free upgrade was absolutely free! I didn't expect that.
Although there were so many problems getting my order in, the upgrade was shipped very fast. I had expected to wait a month or so, but I received it last Thursday. I've got it all installed and it recognized the database that I had pulled into FTM 2008. I can't speak on features since I use Legacy instead of FTM now but will probably fool with it sometime.
I have to say that the Generations Network faltered but did deliver (at least the physical product, not sure on the promises that they gave with the software). Thank you Generations Network.
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