I haven’t seen the cost benefit ratio associated with records postings of this nature but the PR payout is stellar.  When genealogists gather and start talking shop, like we always do, inevitably the subject of vital records online for our home states comes up.

When we proudly proclaim that ‘our’ state Is thus enlightened, we exude that air of pride that is associated with any successful endeavor, even if we can only claim it because of our place of residence.   I think I remember my Arizona research friends actually buffing their fingernails on their breast when they’ve extolled the benefit of living in a genealogy smart state. 

Come on Arizonians.  You know you do it.  Claim it.   You deserve it.

Enter the Utah Index to Military Death Certificates, 1941-1953.   When I stopped looking back way back in time to find ancestors, I decided it was time to find additional sources for events in the lives of extended family.   I’ve always noticed the deaths of young men whose death occurred during World War II and the Korean War, but had not taken the time to look for their death certificates.   I assumed that most of them died while serving in the military.

When the Utah Index to Military Death Certificates surfaced as a result of one search, I clicked on the link hoping that it would result in gold. 

It did.  

The page looked very familiar because it is part of the excellent collection of records made available by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service.  I use the site all of the time to find Utah death certificates, but had totally forgotten about the Military Death Certificates on it.

Forgetting and then refinding a resource like this is just as good as finding it for the first time in my world.    If you haven’t lived on earth long enough to enjoy this experience with seemingly increasing frequency, be patient.  The gift will eventually come to you too.

Let’s visit just a few titles on the main page of  the FamilySearch Learning Center.

Beginning Genealogy Courses.  If you are starting as a researcher, take time to review these courses before you start your research.

Genealogy Boot Camp by the popular speaker and presenter, Tom Kemp.

Finding Maximilian Parker.  Follow the research journey in finding the father of Butch Cassidy. 

Thinking Creatively About Research Problems.  Just because you can’t find your ancestor doesn’t mean their records don’t exist.  Your intent focus on basic research steps may be the problem.   Think outside of your existing paradigm. 

Using Android Devices for Genealogy.   Many if not most genealogists now carry smart phones and other handheld processing devices with them as they do research.  Android powered devices have taken over #1 in market share.  Learn how to maximize the use of yours as a research tool on your next genealogy research trip.

This is just a sample of the courses offered in the learning center.  To find a course that focuses on a particular subject, language or skill, simply click on the associated link on the left navigation bar.

It is spring.  The economy looks like it is in for yet another rough stretch.   Do you have your own garden planted yet?

If you belonged to the “Brickwall Society” for example (a fictitious organization), their page on the wiki would look like this example page:

The page continues with listings about the publications, services, benefits and resources available through the society.

Your society needs a page like this on the wiki.

How do you create a page on the wiki?  It is easy.  Read the Map/Society Page Project article on the wiki.  It will will walk you through the simple steps.

If you are one of the leaders in a genealogy society, take advantage of this opportunity.  What a wonderful resource.

War and invasion this key geographic location through recorded history have left scars on the land. Most of us know the name today because it is the name of the whole head cap we wear when engaged in winter activities.  The Balaklava is an integral part of the winter gear in most family closets.

When I first encountered the book, I was on a date night with my wife.  After dinner on the town, we decided to stop at the BYU Harold B. Lee Library to see if they had any genealogy books.

It took us less than five minutes to decide to forego the planned movie and settle into research mode.

My wife found several gems about her ancestors and I came away with the find of the decade in my own ancestral quest.  

The History of the Town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, contained the information about my 3rd great grandmother that I had sought for over twenty years.

Grandma Mary Adith Tirrill Farrar never lived in Bristol, but her father did at the end of his life when he moved there to live with her brother.  Hence her name and the names of her husband and children in the book along with the key dates and places I needed.

How a lady from Stewartstown, New Hampshire on the Canadian border, married an Englishman from Yorkshire in South Carolina and then died a few years later in Wisconsin is still a mystery to me, but thanks to the history, I found her records and burial location. 

If you haven’t looked through the old town history books like this one for your own ancestors, do yourself a favor and start browsing through them today.  They constantly surprise me with nuggets of information that I can’t find any where else.

Thanks yet again Google Books!

Recreational web browsers and genealogy researchers won’t tumble to the importance of this page, but any serious researcher will.

Without sources, all your research proves is just that you have a good imagination.  With sources from primary and reputable secondary sources, you’ve captured history.

When do you add sources to your data?  Constantly.  As soon as you find relevant information, make a habit of adding the source citation to it, be it in your database, on hardcopy or on a digital image.

New researchers don’t realize that sources should be recorded using specific patterns.  They need to read and follow the citation examples found in a style guide. Two of the most popular were written by Elizabeth Shown Mills.  Another is the time honored and broadly used Chicago Manual of Style while two others are more contemporary to the age of the Internet.

What do correct citations look like?  This is a major reason to bookmark the wiki page.  It gives numerous examples that site a variety of sources.  Put the bookmark at or near the top your bookmark list.  You’ll be visiting this page to review them over and over no that you are properly capturing and recording them.

Sources.  Capture them initially.  Capture them constantly.  Record them correctly.