Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

More time for genealogy?

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If you’re staying home 24/7 right now, all this time at home might be a boon for your genealogy research. But I have to admit it hasn’t really benefited mine, not yet anyway. I’m feeling a little untethered without work appointments providing structure to my day. I’m trying to make the best of the situation by accomplishing some of the tasks and projects for my organizing business that I felt I didn’t have time for in the past. As a result, I’m feeling disconnected from my genealogy research. I hate that feeling.

But what I’m trying to do to regain the spark and connection to my research is spend some of my free time on the many learning opportunities available to me from my computer. There’s a lot from which to choose, some free and some paid. In case it’s helpful to you, I’ll list some of the resources I’m choosing among:

I’m easily overwhelmed by choices, so I’m not even considering the many learning resources I’ve downloaded over the years that are waiting to be read or viewed.

How about you? Are you using your extra home time to do more research or learn more about researching?

Time for a mid-month check in!

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It’s the middle of March and we’re in the middle of a 30 x 30 challenge. Now’s your chance to let us know it’s going for you!

I have to admit that it is not going well for me. At all. I’ve been very busy with organizing clients (yay!) and my spare time seems to be spent obsessing over the current COVID-19 crisis. I’m spending more time than I should, probably, reading and stressing. I think I’d be better off focusing on my ancestors, but that’s just not happening. (Today over on my organizing blog, I wrote about making the most of your time at home; I should take my own advice and do more family history research!)

I sincerely hope that it’s going better for you and that I have a better report at the end of the month–I haven’t given up! Please let us know how your challenge is going!

Hiring a professional genealogist

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Every now and then I hear from someone who is interested in hiring a professional genealogist. I’m not one (though I do offer professional genealogy-organizing services) and I usually point those inquirers to the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) to find a genealogy consultant. I definitely stand by that method.

At RootsTech, I became aware of another way to approach finding a professional genealogist: Trace.com. They’re middle men between professional genealogists and and people who need those services. (According to their FAQ page, they started as AncestorCloud, then acquired Genealogists.com and then created Trace.com)

If you have a need for a genealogist, you pay a deposit to Trace and describe your research question. The folks at Trace flesh out the question to create a project. They then contact researchers in their network of 4,000 researchers in 90 countries (who are contractors, not employees) and request proposals. They screen the proposals before sending them to you. You select one of the proposals and Trace manages the project. The company says they are “on a mission to make genealogy research accessible and affordable.” As someone who is easily overwhelmed by choices, I can see how their service would make hiring a genealogist feel easier.

At RootsTech, I had a chance to try them out. Trace was offering free 30-minute coaching sessions with their genealogists. I signed up in advance of the conference was asked to present a research question. I decided to ask for help tracing the whereabouts of my second great grandfather, George Washington Adams, between the time his second wife left him in 1919 (according to divorce papers) and his entry into the Old Soldiers Home in 1922. I have not been able to find him on the 1920 census and it’s been driving me crazy.

My genealogist, Aimee, was not able to answer the question (nor would I expect her to in 30 minutes) but she did give me some avenues for exploration that I hadn’t thought of. It was definitely time well spent. And it gave me a little taste of the service. I quizzed Aimee a bit about Trace and learned that she was very happy working with them.

If you’re interested in hiring a professional genealogist, you might look into Trace as well as consulting the APG website.

 

 

An impromptu 30 x 30 challenge (March 2020 edition)

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It’s March 1 and I’m sitting at the airport in Salt Lake City, watching the snow fall and waiting to go home to St. Louis, where it should be 65 degrees. I took out a piece of paper and started mind mapping some notes and reflections. It hit me that what I really need is a 30 x 30 challenge. February was a blur for me and while I spent time thinking about genealogy because I was putting the final touches on my RootsTech presentation (which went well!), I barely did any family history research of my own. (I did manage to squeeze in a little time at the Family History Library.)

So I’m creating a 30 x 30 challenge this month, where I commit to doing 30 minutes of research every day. Or at least I’ll strive for daily research that totals 900 minutes by the end of the month.  Does anyone want to join me?

I find making this commitment to be really motivating. I’m an Upholder, for those of you who are familiar with Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies. The 30 x 30 challenge elevates my genealogy research to the top of my priority list. Since I am not traveling again until April 1, this seems like a great month to do it.

Please let me know in the comments if you’d like to take part of the challenge. Feel free to say what you’ll be working on (though don’t feel like you have to).

RootsTech was great, by the way. This coming week, I’ll write a post-RootsTech post.