Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

The 2020 Census is here!

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As genealogists we understand the importance and value of the census. If you’re like me, you’re excited that this year is a census year. I’ve always loved filling out the census form and see it as a privilege, as well as an obligation. I spent my first five years after college working for the Population Reference Bureau, a non-profit clearinghouse for demographic information. We used census data all the time. Then when I got into genealogy the census became even more important.

I received my census mailing this week and opened the envelope eagerly. This year, of course, I did not find a form to fill out. Instead, I found a code to enter when I went to the URL provided in the mailing. Filling out the form was quick–there were very few questions to answer. There are just two people in my household (my husband and me) and we have a straightforward relationship (opposite sex, married). I found it very interesting to read the various relationship options and was pleased at how inclusive it seemed to be.

The only challenge came in the Race section, when asked to provide origin. I actually checked my updated Ancestry DNA results so I could provide an accurate answer (“English, Irish”). But my husband wasn’t home and I wasn’t sure what to put for him. So I texted him for the answer (“Russian”). While I waited for his response, I took a look at various “Race” options and was kind tickled that I there were races I had to look up. I had never heard of Chamorro, for example: “a member of the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands (including Guam).”

If you haven’t taken the Census yet and would like a preview of the questions, check out this Questions Asked on the Form page on the Census2020 website. It provides rationale for each question, which is interesting.

My 89-year-old father doesn’t have a computer and doesn’t use the Internet. I offered to fill out the form for him on my computer (he received the mailing with the personalized code) but he’s hoping the Census Bureau will eventually send an enumerator. (Presumably after the COVID-19 crisis is over.) He’s a social guy and would welcome the human interaction!

In any case, filling out the form was a thrill for me, as it is every ten years, and it’s making me very excited for the 1950 census to be released in April 2022!

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.

Making the most of RootsTech

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RootsTech 2020–the giant genealogy conference in Salt Lake City sponsored by Family Search–starts this morning! I’m attending this year and I learned at a reception for speakers last night that 14,000 people have registered and on Saturday (Family Discovery Day) they’re expecting 24,000!

This is my fifth RootsTech conference. I also attended in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 and this is my second as a presenter. (I spoke at the 2017 conference.) I really enjoy RootsTech because of the great keynote speeches, the over 300 classes offered and the opportunity to learn about new services and products in the Expo. I also like meeting up with blog readers and doing research at the Family History Library while I’m in Salt Lake.

As much as I love RootsTech, I have to admit that it is exhausting. I’m not much for crowds, so I have to be sure and schedule down time during the conference. I went to bed really early last night–self care is especially important here. I’m giving my session, “The Imperfect Genealogist” at 3 pm on Friday, so naturally I’m a little keyed up about that. So good self care for me will be daily rehearsals in my hotel room to keep me confident.

The folks who organize RootsTech have created RootsTech 2020 Survival Guide. If you’re going, I encourage you to check it out. Here are a few things to do right away if you haven’t already:

  • Download the RootsTech app (or update it if it’s already on your phone from a previous year)
  • Select the classes you think you’ll want to take
  • You might enjoy watching the Road to RootsTech video series, which shows behind-the-scenes peek at the planning for the event.
  • If you’re a paper person, you might appreciate the printed RootsTech Conference Guide you can pick up at the conference. You can peek at an online version here.

Some of the conference will be available online to people who can’t attend in person (as well as those who can).

  • Free Live Stream. Each day of the conference five or six sessions will be streamed live, free of charge. Just go to www.rootstech.org to watch. Note that the livestreams from previous years are also available!
  • This year, they’re offering a Virtual Pass for $129 that gives you access to 30 classes for a full year after the conference, starting 10-15 days after it ends. (If you’re attending RootsTech in person, you can buy the Virtual Pass as an add on to your conference registration for $79.) I’m really excited to have the Virtual Pass because it helps me narrow down which class to attend each session. (I’ll skip the ones I can catch online.)

If you’re going, I hope you have an amazing time. This conference is an organizational marvel and the way the organizers have handled the speakers has been top notch. Feel free to reach out to me via the Contact form if you’re at RootsTech and would like to meet up.

Sneaking in a few hours at the Family History Library

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An aisle of microfilm at the Family History Library

I leave for Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning to attend RootsTech. It just hit me that I have about three hours on Tuesday afternoon before I have to be at the social event for speakers when I could visit the Family History Library. Unfortunately, it’s been such a hectic month between travel and organizing work that I haven’t been focusing on my genealogy research as much as I’d like.

The Family History Library can be so overwhelming and I know that the key to success for me will be to know what I’m looking for so I can make the most of my brief time there. I took a look at my Library Lookups notebook in my genealogy stack in Evernote and was pleased to see some physical books as well as microfilms listed there that I am able to see only when I’m at the library in Salt Lake City. (That notebook also contains notes for items at can see locally at the an FHL-affiliated library.)

So plan is to be arrive in Salt Lake, check into my hotel (if I can), eat lunch, drink plenty of water and hit the library with a whole lot of focus. I had great visits there in 2017 and 2018 and I hope to repeat my success.

As I asked in 2017, if any of you have any advice on strategies or things to bring along to the library to make it easier (I’ll have my phone and my laptop), I’m all ears!