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	Manasota PAFNews December 2000 ~ Volume 7 Issue 2 A publication of the Manasota PAF User Group, Inc. of Bradenton, Florida Part 1 (this is it!) |Part 2 | Part 3| Home  | Previous Manasota PAFNews NOTE: Be sure to print all three sections of the newsletter to take with you to our December meeting.
See the Manasota PAF Meetings page for map, dates & time.

Beginning Genealogy Topics - Part 1

• ManasotaPAFCam - Why Barb Can't Join the UDC under Hamilton K. Moore

• FHDG: Chapter 2 - How to Create Source Entries in PAF

• Feeling Overwhelmed? 

• Consider the Reliability of What You've Found 

• True Identities, Not Forced Lineages

• Some Errors are Unavoidable

Software Genealogy Topics - Part 2

• PAF Video: Adding Names in Pedigree View & Inserting Special Characters

• Transcribing Calendars & Journals

• Ultimate Family Tree

Internet Genealogy Topics - Part 3

• Getting a Photo from a web site

• Putting a Photo on a Web Site

• Genealogy Research Suggestions - Massachusetts

• Changes in SourceGuide's Research Outlines

Manasota PAFCam 
Why Barb Can't Join the UDC Under Hamilton K. Moore. 
NOTE: Manasota PAF Cam is a "YOU ARE THERE" short subject video, produced by members, in an effort to show other members just how their friends are going about their family history research.

A most interesting story! Researcher Barbara Schulz ran into on her "Confederate" ancestor who also served as a 1st Sergeant in the Union Army. He even received a pension! Somehow she feels the United Daughters of the Confederacy will not accept him, even though he previously served as a private in the CSA.  -- Barb also demonstrates how to use "3M Spray Mount" to create family reunion posters.

FHDC: Source Entries in PAF 
NOTE: The Board of the Users Group decided to adopt the Family History Documentation Guidelines, provided by the Silicon Valley PAF Users Group as a course of study for basic genealogical research guidelines during the 2000-2001 meeting schedule. If you'd like to purchase this, obtain one at a quantity discount by asking member Elsie Naylor. For more information see: http://www.svpafug.org/ 

IBID - Chapter 2 p 14 - How to Create Source Entries in PAF. "Source selector buttons - From the "Edit Individual" window, double click on the Source Selector buttons (s) to the right of the event to which you wish to link a source.  An empty Select Sources Window will appear as shown..." 

Here's a sample from DearMYRTLE's database:

This lesson will illustrate the insertion of source title, author, publication info, repository, call number, actual text, comments, citation detail, date of entry, image button (for photo, audio or video file), as well as the dynamics of attaching an existing source citation.

Feeling Overwhelmed? 
NOTE: This article first appeared as a part of DearMYRTLE's Daily Genealogy Column, located on the web at: www.DearMYRTLE.com 

DearREADERS,
Feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of "surfing the web?" Like a toddler learning to walk, you’re likely to find a few stumbling blocks on the information super highway. But you are by no means a "dummie". To be on the safe side, let’s review some common sense guidelines about internet communications:

Don’t give your snail mail (residence) address to anyone. Communicate via e-mail until you are confident the other person is legit. Use a post office box for added security. 

Never divulge your sign-on password with anyone. This keeps hackers away from your account.

If you decide to buy something, don’t give your credit card via e-mail – only through "secure servers." When in doubt, call the company you plan to do business with. If they don’t provide their 800 number as an alternative to online purchasing, forget it!

Genealogically speaking…

Just because you find it in a book, doesn’t mean its necessarily true.

Just because you find it on the internet, doesn’t mean its necessarily true.

Consider the source.

Consider the Reliability of What You've Found 
NOTE: This article first appeared as a part of DearMYRTLE's Daily Genealogy Column, located on the web at: www.DearMYRTLE.com 

DearREADERS,
In a series of lessons, found online at my web site, I wrote this article about Considering the Reliability of What You’ve Found. For more info go to: http:// www.DearMYRTLE.com/lessons.htm

From the Board for Certification of Genealogists Skillbuilding series, Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL writes "Photocopies. Transcriptions. Abstracts. Extracts. Translations. As genealogists, we have wide-ranging options in the production of our research notes -- so wide that many are baffled as to what these options actually represent and when one is the most appropriate." 

You'll want to print and read the full version of this article, which explains these types of genealogical evidence. Originally published in OnBoard - the Newsletter of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, Volume 3, Number 1 (January 1997), you'll find it at URL: http://www.bcgcertification.org/skbld971.html

A transcript, which is a word-for word write-up of a document, provides more information than an abstract, which lists merely the high points. However, both can be fraught with errors due to handwriting & abbreviation interpretations, the age of the document or quality of the microfilm.

From this comparison, you can see that relying on an abstract or index for merely a name and a date of will is like wearing blinders. You are forced to look in one direction, completely missing the delightful details of the periphery. These details may lead you to other source documents, such as the homestead papers or military service records, thereby giving you a better view of the life and times of your ancestor.

To develop a discerning mind, a family historian must continually hone his research skills as he uncovers the so-called facts in his ancestral quest. Studying guidelines by the National Genealogical Society (NGS) will facilitate an understanding of how to evaluate the reliability of the source documents and compiled genealogies, Appendix

ASSIGNMENT: Please print out and read:

-- Standards For Sound Genealogical Research 
-- Standards For Using Records Repositories And Libraries 
-- Standards For Use Of Technology In Genealogical Research 
-- Standards for Sharing Information With Others 

You can find these online at:
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/about/content/committees/gene_stan.html

I’d like to take three essential points from the first set of standards and apply them in the context of online research.

1. "Seek original records, or reproduced images of them when there is reasonable assurance they have not been altered, as the basis for their research conclusions." Unless a web site has actual scanned images of original documents you are at least two steps removed from the original. You may have to look at microfilms of original church, court, land and military records through a local genealogy library.

2. "Use compilations, communications and published works, whether paper or electronic, primarily for their value as guides to locating the original records." At this point, most web sites and mail lists help you by linking you with other individuals searching the same names and localities, or by providing indexes of census, and other source documents. YES, your communications with other researchers are going to lead you to original records. They may even send you copies of the documents they collected in their research. As far as the online indexes go, don’t stop just because you’ve found a link that lists the wedding date and bride and groom for your great-grandparents. You’ve got to get a copy of the original record. This not only satisfies your curiosity, but might provide additional information to help you in your ancestral quest.

3. "State something as a fact only when it is supported by convincing evidence, and identify the evidence when communicating the fact to others." 

True Identities - Not Forced Lineages 
NOTE: This article first appeared as a part of DearMYRTLE's Daily Genealogy Column, located on the web at: www.DearMYRTLE.com 

DearREADERS,
We're in the hunt for our ancestors to discover our true heritage, not to make a connection to a famous historical figure. "Forcing the issue" by jumping to unfounded conclusions is simply not in our game plan. We'll locate original documents which may prove or disprove traditional family stories. Where we are unsure of our findings, we must state so in our notes for an individual in our genealogy programs.

EVALUATION WORKSHEET
To aid in your evaluation of evidence, let's create a worksheet to list documents you find in your ancestral quest. We'll have three columns, reading left to right:

• less reliable
• possibly reliable
• more reliable

Each document you encounter needs to be evaluated and placed on your worksheet. Consider:

q IS IT FIRST HAND INFO? (more reliable) or "second hand" info (less reliable)?

q HOW RELIABLE IS THE WITNESS? A doctor signing a birth certificate is generally considered very reliable. A parish priest who has known the family for generations may also be considered a reliable source as he makes entries in the parish register. By contrast, a grieving widow reporting the birth date of her spouse might be confused. Under obvious stress, she might also make a mistake when reporting the names of her husband's parents.

q IS THERE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE? By gathering every possible document on an ancestor, we may see a trend that leads us to believe something is true. Concerning a birth we might find documents as in this fictitious scenario:

Family tradition states that a few months after gggrandfather Matthew Smith went to fight for the state of Pennsylvania in the "War of the Rebellion," his wife Mary gave birth to your ggraandfather John.

These are the documents you find:

FA letter between sisters Alice & Maggie, dated May 1861 which states "Cousin Mary had her baby two weeks ago. All are well. We haven't heard a word from Matthew yet and worry for his safety in this terrible war."

F1870 US federal census record for the household of Matthew Smith, listing Mary as the wife, and a son John, age 10 years.

FThe Civil War Pension file of Matthew Smith, where he lists Mary as his wife, and among his seven children, we find Matthew lists John's birth as April 27, 1861.

A QUICK ANALYSIS OF OUR SCENARIO:

The letter doesn't specify that John was the child, or that "Cousin Mary" is truly Mary, wife of Matthew Smith. In 19th century US, "cousin" was a loosely applied term of endearment, not necessarily reflecting a true cousin connection, per late 20th century definitions. At first blush, the birth is thought to have taken place in May 1861, but actually could have occurred two weeks earlier in April, since we have only "May 1861" as the date of the letter.

At this point in my research, I would not enter the data into my genealogy program on my computer. I'd file the copy of the letter under "Matthew Smith Family - unproved." Eventually all items in the unproved file will be proved or disproved as relating to the family.

The US federal census record lists a likely household, indicating John's age and relationship to the head of household. The age of ten years for John seems to be off a year. Was the information given by a neighbor who stated "the boy is about ten? We may never know.

At this point in my research, I would enter the data into my genealogy program on my computer. I'd list John's birth date as "about May 1861" referencing the letter in my possession as the source, noting the conflict of "ten years" from the census. I'd also list his parents, and siblings referencing the federal census record by date, city, county, state, & microfilm number & census page number. I'd file a photocopy of the census record with the family group sheet for Matthew and Mary Smith. The letter, which now looks more promising, would be moved to the same place, with a cover sheet detailing my future goals to identify the "cousins" who wrote and received the letter.

By continuing our research, we find in the handwriting of Matthew Smith, on his official pension application, a listing of each of his children, their birth dates, and the name and birth date of his wife Jane.

At this point in my research, I would correct the data in my genealogy program on my computer by changing John's birth date to April 27, 1861, referencing his father Matthew Smith's official pension application as the source. I'd file the photocopies from the pension file with the Matthew Smith family group sheet for future reference. It will now be easy for to photocopy all documents and the family group sheet should a new researcher request source documentation.

Some Errors are Unavoidable

DearREADERS,
Sometimes despite our best efforts at evaluating of source documents, we'll still fall prey to outright false information often unknowingly. For instance, my grandmother's birth date was purposefully misstated on her funeral card. When she married the second time, she was a few years older that her spouse -- a fact which she never divulged. She made my mother promise that she'd never tell, so the birth date on my grandmother's death certificate, funeral card and obituary is off by several years. (Since my step-grandfather has long since passed away, I guess it doesn't hurt to tell this family secret now.)

If there is documentation that would prove harmful to living individuals, I believe its better to omit the info rather than change it to fit the circumstances.

We need to do our best to responsibly report all source documentation, transcribing as accurately as possible. By providing citations of author, title, microfilm, etc., we leave a big audit trail for future researchers. They may unearth additional documents who will support or refute the lineage assumptions we've made.

Its all just part of the challenge of research!

The ideas expressed in this publication are merely the opinions of the contributors. The writers, editors, publishers, and the Users Group are in no way responsible or liable for any damages resulting from articles, opinions, statements, advertising, representations or warranties expressed or implied in this publication nor do we endorse or recommend any products or services mentioned or illustrated herein.

The Manasota PAF Users Group, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization in the State of Florida. Copyright 2000. All Rights Reserved.  Contact: dearmyrtle@aol.com

Personal Ancestral File is the registered trademark of the Corporation of the President, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.© 1999, 2000 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.  The Master Genealogist is the registered trademark of Wholly Genes, Inc. Family Tree Maker is the registered trademark of Mattel Interactive. Windows is the trademark of the Microsoft Corporation www.microsoft.com