Liv's Tree House

So...this class was born from my recognition that I really do have a very distinct process for managing the messes that I find when doing my family history in FamilySearch. I learned it through picking several peoples brains about their process then adapting it to be my own.  That said, consider this all a guideline then adapt it to fit your brain. I have a very strong conviction that it's important, as a member of the LDS church, to help contribute to the clean up and improvement of the great big tree known as FamilySearch Family Tree.  I've honestly spent most of my time as a genealogist cleaning up messes and have learned nearly all of my researching skills from working through those messes.  It wasn't until recently that I realized that even some who have been doing genealogy for years are just avoiding the so called "messes" because they don't really know how to tackle them. And so this class was born. First of all lets define "knots" from the t...

I had a huge stack (as you can see) of binders to digitize, but the pages were those sticky kind where it’s like photograph suicide to remove…the only solution, a book scanner.  So to the BYU Family History Library I headed this weekend.  I couldn’t carry them all in so in enters the double stroller, I knew motherhood was preparing me for more than just mothering. Sadly, that amazing book scanner I used last time was apparently on trial at the time and has since been removed.  To those of you interested in using it, they said they’ll be purchasing one in the 2017 budget year, so it will return in the future.  BUT--I had a task to do so I decided to check out the other options for book scanners.  They have some amazing flatbed scanners that really do a great job and are quite quick…12 huge binders of photos and 4 hours later I was done. The great news is that during my time in the library I made some friends.  I love chatting it up with people and helping w...

This is going to be a synopsis of AWESOMENESS that can come from using DNA in your Family History research. Clifford and his sister Jennie Without going into too much detail, my husband's family has been orphaned for well...forever.  His Great Grandfather Clifford was orphaned at a young age after his father James had skipped town, and his mother and sister were taken suddenly by an illness in the early 1900s.  He ended up living with relatives and being very successful in life. But none of his posterity ever knew where Grandpa James had come from or gone too.  Joyce my husband's grandmother, loved family history and had devoted a lot of time in the search for James and his family. She had dug up some details here and there but was never able to prove any theories or feel settled that she'd solved the mystery, even after hiring a professional genealogist to help. So sat our wall... Image from Family Tree DNA After my first year of RootsTech, I felt a new vigor and hope wi...

My Why... I referenced this book in my original blog post for this blog, it's definitely MY WHY, why I love this work... Building this book gave me a whole new perspective on the value of researching and learning about your ancestors. I used a program called Heritage Makers to create it. ( If you'd like me to share a copy with you just email me and let me know your Heritage Maker's account number.) Not only did I come to know and love my grandmother in a whole new ways when I made it, but I was also privileged to get to know another special ancestor...My Grandfather Willis A Chatterton, who was obviously a prominent character in her book. He had passed away when I was only 2 years old, so I really don't have any memories of him, and I can only think of one picture that I'm even in with him before he died, so there's not much to go on. I grew up hearing stories from my dad about what a crazy driver grandpa was and from my mom about how he was always the first...

So, I got a free 6 month subscription to My Heritage at RootsTech, and I think I may be in trouble....it has AMAZING features, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the websites, but that's never been enough to get me to join; BUT I'm finding it also has a timeline view that I've been messing around with and is just awesome for too many reasons to post; AND it has "smart match", which finds sources for your ancestors once you upload your family tree; and I don't feel like I've even scratched the surface of all that it's offering me. Thanks Jared, for giving me the free 6 months even though I didn't technically qualify since I had already created an account!!