Relationships

 I've always kept Legacy on my computer. I like it for some things, for others not so much. But, I did buy the full program when 9 came out. Now it has upgraded to Legacy10, It's FREE! I could not believe it. I thought it had to be a trial or just part of the program, but no. It is the full program! It is also great. I think I know the 2 programs I will be working in now.      

Legacy10 sent me an exciting "Tip 1". You can turn on relationships. Just like that! You can see below how they display. It also lists my brother's wife as "sister-in-law".  It also will list "Stepfather" and "Stepbrother". None of the others do that. Perfect.

Family Historian is the program I am using now, and I am very pleased with it. In it, relationships are just part of the work. You will see them in the Individual Record list. Didn't have to set it up, it was just there. How good is that?! It lists my brother's wife at just that, brother's wife. Very good.

RootsMagic 7-Click Tools, then click Relationship Calculator, click to find the person1, then click to add Person2, click Calculate.  You will see the relationship between the two. It will only list blood relatives, blank for in-laws.

RootsMagic 9- It would seem that RM9 is actually set up to be a scavenger hunt, you know what you want, now go see if you can find it.  I couldn't find it so it took me at least an hour of reading the "not so helpful Help" and user groups. Finally found it, may never be able to find it again. Pull up Relationship Calculator, click to find the person1, then click to add Person2, click Calculate.  You will see the relationship between the two. It will only list blood relatives, blank for in-laws. Same old.

Click - click - click - click - click - click - click. . . sorry. I'm being a jerk but it feels right. I'm old. I don't want complications. I hate scavenger hunts. They give me a headache. Get off my lawn. I just want to work.

Summer Work

  I've found I cannot work with RootsMagic anymore. I really hate RootsMagic8, so I did not buy version 9. I love Rootsmagic7 but. when I added several people and they simply are gone, I decided after wasting a week trying to find out why, and fix it, that I need to move on. It is moving in a different direction than I am. I just wanted to get as much of the research done as I could, and have it organized as much as possible.  I'm getting old, and I had bought Legacy9 some time ago. If I have to learn a new one, then so be it. 

I have to say that once the decision was made to learn Legacy, I have enjoyed the process. I still have much to learn about the program, but I can say I am no longer lost when I go in to work. Right now, I am cleaning up and adding all of my photos. Next is getting all of my sources, which I am ashamed to say have piled up, in the program. By then I think I will be fairly competent in Legacy. I want to have this done by the end of summer. It is a big job. If I had to make such a big jump though, I wanted to get everything cleaned up. I have learned that the programs charting abilities are awesome!

Working as well to add WikiTree numbers to each ancestor. I clean up their profiles on the site as I check them. By clean up I mean that I organize the sources onsite, add to their bio if I can, and make sure that all the sources for that person is onsite. 

New Roads

 So, this is the year for something a little different. I think this year I need to focus on something I have not done so far. Descendancy research and my brick walls. I know I am slow getting started, but we've just passed Chinese New Year so I may not be so far off in starting. Hope the Year of the Tiger is kind to taking new avenues for research.

The thing about staying with a genealogy software for so long is 1) liking the program and 2) not having a large learning curve to fight in the middle of research. I am using RootsMagic 7 still. I like it and I know it. I don't have to stop my entering and try to find something, nor do I have to click so many times to get to the place I need. RootsMagic 8 has gotten no easier to maneuver and it takes so many clicks to get anywhere. I cannot find anything without spending so long looking that I just want to stop working altogether. To many times I have had to realize that what I am looking for is not there. Even how it presents seems awkward. The word "clunky" comes to mind every time I open it. I'm so sorry I bought it, and I will not continue with RM after version 7. I trusted RM, and got disappointed. I will continue to use RM7 until it starts not being cooperative, as it is not supported any longer. Meanwhile I will check out other programs. 

Today we are waiting for snow.  It’s been missing us all year and I am not believing them yet. Yes, I do love snow so it will make me happy if it hits us. 

Happy Fall

 The leaves all changed and are almost gone now. I was here but I blinked and it's over. It was beautiful for a day.

I had to get a new computer. It has Windows 11 on it, and I find I like it very much. I love the look of it, very clean yet familiar. Nice rounded corners. So far so good. I just have to name him. Still thinking on that.

Firefox is a pain. Not working at all well. I had to remove Chrome. I don't know for sure, but I think it lost it's mind. And, it was up to date. I may try again later, but right now I am too mad at it. I have been using Edge. I've become a big Edge fan now! It is so fast and light, very pleasing to the eye, and it takes all my chrome add-ons! Firefox continues to pop up a little window asking if I want to switch my default to it. It’s just too needy and clingy to take serious. LOL It's very slow compared to Edge. 

I've been working to learn RootsMagic 8. I'm surprised by the software, as I have found that I hate the thing. I've loved RootsMagic up through version 7.  I don't understand version 8. Seems to me it would have been better to keep improving on what works really well. 7 is friendly, 8 is not. What I can do in 7 with 2 clicks, I need at least 4 clicks in 8. I have to stop and look for too many things in 8 while I am working. Some things I'm still looking for and I'm beginning to think they're not there. I wish I had written everything out as I tried to find them, but I did not. It is definitely no ready for prime time. It was being sold at least 2 years ago, and just came out in October? I bought my copy at RootsTech 2021.  I've had no trouble coming up with a name for 8, by the way. I'd probably go to blogger jail if I told you, so it will remain a secret. At any rate, my question now is, how long will 7 be supported? I believe it is important to stay up to date if you want your work to live beyond you. So, what to do? I have Legacy, but it is not the answer as it too has a name I can’t say. I know FamilyTreeMaker, but it is crazy expensive. I'm so sad. I love RootsMagic 7 so much.

Trying to get caught up on Wikitree. I love this site. I had not added anything new for a long time. Now, I try to get there once a week and add a little. How many people check Wikitree? Everyone should. I need my work to be out there and current  since I removed my personal family site from RootsWeb. I believe they (Ancestry) are slowly getting rid of it, so I took the step of taking it down. It was in need of a major update. I could look at other places. I don’t know where most of us family history keepers keep sites now. 

Very busy couple of weeks. 

Photo by <a href="https://freeimages.com/photographer/awottawa-49436">Alistair Williamson</a> from <a href="https://freeimages.com">FreeImages</a>

A Program, A Project and A Person

As you know, I purchased Legacy Family Tree genealogy program to suppliment my RootsMagic. I was having a real problem with RM. I have cleaned up the mess it made. A few days ago, there was an update for the program, though I don't know what it was fixing, I hope it fixed my problem. I'm still watching, making sure the mess does not reappear. So far, so good. Legacy is so different that I am slowly learning it's ways. It is not as easy to get around in as my RM, but I have used RM for so many years and so many versions, that I could probably work in it blind-folded. Well, not really. There is a learning curve, for me, to Legacy. I put a GedCom in it without sources. I need to learn how to add them in Legacy and the only way is to do it, over and over. I love the "Marriage List" in Legacy. That is a great feature. I think the "Map Family" is good too. It almost writes the family story for you. In the reports section I love the "Questionnaire"! "Advanced Tagging" is going to be really helpful. The "Alarm" is amusing. Like I would stop? Anyway, I am really looking forward to having the 'skills' to work in Legacy. I may really like it!

I finished up one of my GenWeb counties WWI page. All the Gold Star Honor Roll soldiers are on the site, with an article, in many cases, many articles, and a profile. I have already started on my second county. In one case, I was working on a young soldiers page and realized he had died exactly one hundred years ago on that day. He was only 18. I could say a lot about men and their wars, but I won't, at least not this time. In the era of WWI, most of the boys died from the outbreak of Spanish Influenza. They came in from a nice safe farm into a crowded camp riddled with it, and they did not last long enough, sometimes, to actually see battle. I find it hard to do, these pages. Not as hard as actually being a soldier. I will most likely survive the pain.

My Uncle Don, who died on June 17, 1938, was only 16 years, and nine months of age. He is not forgotten.

The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
June 18, 1938

Donald Eugene Jaynes, age sixteen, died at the home at Chestnut Ridge south of Seymour at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. Death followed an illness of one month's duration with acute leukemia.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon from the Voss Mortuary here with Dr. A.A. Cohn, pastor of the First Baptist Church, in charge. Burial in the Chestnut Ridge Cemetery.

The Jaynes youth was a native of Seymour and was born here on September 17, 1921, the son of James and Della Alexander Jaynes. Both the parents survive. He spent his entire life in and near Seymour and made many friends who were shocked to learn of his death.

Besides the parents, he is survived by three sisters, Louise Jaynes, Joyce Jaynes and Madeline Jaynes, all at home.

Friends may call at the Voss Mortuary after 7 o'clock tonight.

Problems to Solve and Graduates!

I've had some trouble with RootsMagic. This was really upsetting because I have never had any trouble with it before, and I did not have a second program to fall back on. RootsMagic had hic-uped or something and I had a second entry of one family that was not filled in. It was like an addition of the family before I worked on it, filling in the details and sources. I don't know how to explain it. I know that it was added recently because I often run the merge to see if I have 2 instances of anyone in the file. I want the file clean and not full of mistakes. So, I had run that and not found any doubles. I spent 3 days trying to figure it out. Then this past weekend I ran merge and it did not find anything. Even though I could see the second instance of the family in the sidebar. I ran it again and had empty merges show up. I am not sure that even makes sense. I will be removing RootsMagic and putting on a clean copy to try to ensure that it is fixed, whatever is broken. 

I opened my RootsMagic today and all the media links are broken. I have not moved it or the photos. I have done nothing. I am worried about my file. Something is going on.

I bought Legacy Family Tree this weekend for my second program. I am not fond of the program but in reviewing all the programs on the market, I have decided this is the best choice. I will have to learn how to use it correctly. Perhaps that will change my mind about it. I will look for videos on it this week.

This weekend I had 2 nephews and a grand-nephew graduate from high school. Same school! That is a big week!

Genealogy Do-Over 2015!

 Finally it's a new year.  I can say with absolute certainty that I am not sorry to see the old year gone.  The past 2 years have been awful.  Today, I welcome this new year with the hope that it will be a better year.  I intend that it will be a more productive year.    For the first time I have set my intentions in writing.  Not resolutions.  Intentions.  I do not need to "resolve a problem".  My "intent" is to have a better year.  So I step into 2015 with purpose to have a great, productive year.  My hope is for better health and strength. 

I will start my year off in the morning with the Genealogy Do-Over.  I'll be following along with Thomas, putting the right research habits in place as I go.  I hope to learn a lot of new techniques.  I've been at this for so long, over 30 years, but I didn't start online until 1999.   I have a lot to work on in the citation area.  I am unable to travel so I will be learning good ways to obtain records by mail, I hope. 

I have been sitting and watching everyone rush around over this thing.  I can not move so quickly so I have waited.  I will be going at a slow pace.  I want to do it right this time.  I don't want to pile it on so big I run out of steam.  I really have a final goal to reach.   When you are told you are dying, a lot of stuff goes through your head.  One of my thoughts was my work.  Why had I worked so hard for so long on my family history?  What was I to do with it?  Well, I have figured that out.  My goal is to have a clean and well documented file to leave online and to create books to leave a hard copy for those who come in the future.  Tada!  I have a plan and I get to live too.  Good stuff there! 

I have closed my big file (a little over 7000 individuals) for the last time.  I will have a nice clean, empty file to start work on come morning.  When I open my shiny new  RootsMagic7 in the morning it will be the beginning of a new adventure.  By the way, congrats to Bruce for the "Best Genealogy Product of 2014" (for RootsMagic7) by Tamura Jones.   I will not argue about it as I am in total agreement!

Good Hunting Everyone!

A Little Work

I updated my RootsMagic from version 4 to 6.  I haven't really had a chance, really haven't felt up to going over it all at once to see the differences.  I have been putting my 4 files together into one big one.  I had gotten 3 of them imported using RM4.  As I imported each one I would do the merging so that it would be a smaller job than if I left them to do when all the files were together.  I got RM6 right before doing the last file so I worked in it.  I tried to get it to do a duplicate search merge, and a pop-up briefly says I have 120 possible duplicates and then an empty Merge Duplicate Records box comes up.  I'm sure I've done something wrong.  I saw somewhere that there are learning videos online, so I will have to find them.  I did try the Search FamilySearch.  Works even for dummies!  Awesome feature!

I work on WikiTree as much as I can, though lately that is not much.  I try to get a dozen or so individuals on and then go back and add sources, photos and notes to them.  In the process I find mistakes and can make notes for each person of additional sources I need to find.  It's really a great way of going over old material and correcting mistakes.

Busy and More Busy!

Seems like I never have time to post anymore. Right now so many things are calling out for my attention. I'm still working with RM4. I like it very much. I can cut down on the mess on WorldConnect, thanks to Mr. RM [Bruce B.], but not make it all look nice. Some still present different and not very neatly. But that is WC's fault. It needs to be upgraded I think. I like RM and will stay with it.
I have gotten 2 cemeteries [photos; one complete and one partial] onto the county site and I'm working on the third. Then I have 4th and 5th. . . . and a huge folder full of snippets, an entire family, and a lot of little things, photos both person and place type yet to go online. I have enough to keep me busy until next year. I will be going to cemeteries again myself to photograph stones. Nice to have a lot to do. For a long time the site was so quiet, no subs coming in at all. Nice pick up!
I've been looking at the FamilySearch Wiki. I wonder if anyone knows about uploading your file onto the new FamilySearch. I had read some time ago that it would be different. That you would be able to work on your tree online at the new FamilySearch and you could fix mistakes as well. I have been waiting for that and have heard nothing. I have been interested in putting mine online there when that is available. Right now I am just trying to find my way around and see everything. Though I did try working with the Wiki. I was putting one of my courthouse photos onto the Jackson County, Indiana page in the United States Wiki. I failed. I uploaded the photo and got a confirmation that it had gotten there but when I tried to put it in the Courthouse part of the page it kept saying there was no such image. I will try again later.
In the middle of all that I just need to make time for blogging! I'll make it somehow. I got an award and have only just remembered. I will get it up later as well....

Still Plodding On . . . . .

I have been updating files. Actually, file. I am still working on my Janes/Jaynes file. I have entered hundreds of sources, numerous individuals, photos and documents. I still have to finish up adding the census cites then I will be done, completely up to date with my Janes/Jaynes family. Sounds good. But . . . . :o) . . . . I have 3 more to update after this one. It is going to take a while.
NEW PROMISE TO SELF:
I will enter sources, individuals and documents as I go. I will not say, "I'll do it later", not once! This will not happen again.
I hope I'm listening. I am sniffling, sneezing and headachy which requires meds. But, of course that is NO excuse. I'll be very mad at myself if I come to this point again in a couple of years.
I can't believe how it piles up so fast. Anyway, I pulled all my files of the people in the file and have gone through the notes again. Some little treasures there. They didn't fit the last time I went through them, they do now. That is always fun. Besides it is very nice to see how far along I have come on some of the lines in the file. While still at a standstill on others. In particular my David Janes in Kentucky. I think in the end I will have to go through all the Janes in the area and find where they belong. Perhaps then I can see another avenue in this family. Though I am still pretty certain that he is the son of David from the "History of the Janes-Peek Family by Dr. Collins. If that is the only Janes family/line in the area, I will be even more certain. I can't find his death. I know they came north to Indiana to Washington County after 1860, as he is in the Washington County census in 1870. But other researchers have him in Kentucky after that, so it is still up in the air. So the hunt will continue when I have the time.......
I am doing all of this in the RootsMagic 4. I am VERY happy with this program! I cannot even say how happy. Sources are a breeze. It's nice to NOT have questions about how to cite a particular source. I've run into just about every kind citable (if that is a word) and no questions. I wasn't sure about 3, but I am pleased with 4. I've gotten quite familiar with the program now too.

So Far Behind

Well it has been a slow week for everything. I have been trying to learn RootsMagic. I'm confident enough, and like the program enough to delete FTM. Of course I haven't gotten much else done in the past 2 weeks though. I must change that!
I just have one thing I have to figure out. About sources, of course. I have several entries of each source in my source list. Like 1860 Census. Click on each and it will show the citation. I would have thought that the Source List would list each census(or other) entry once, then offer the citations by name. I think it's messed up but I can't figure out how to fix it. I can't even figure out if it needs fixing. Now that's bad.
Well, I am no longer feeling my way slowly through the program. I'll figure it all out eventually.

About to Choose a New Program. . . .

The question is, which one? RootsMagic or Legacy. I have narrowed it down to those two. I have a trial of RM on my computer, and I have been working with Legacy 7 for a while. I'm thinking it is a little harder than it needs to be. But it does offer choices of everything. Do I need to make that many choices? RM seems friendly and appealing. It doesn't make me tense to play with it.
What ever choice I make is the one I will be sticking with. So it has to be good. This is the year. I want to have my choice made and my order in by the last of the month.
NO MORE FTM. I don't know what direction they are going, but it is definitely not my way. So far on Facebook I have had 3 for RM and 2 for Legacy. One voted for The Master Genealogist. I don't know anything about that one.


Please respond to my poll to your left.
Thank you.

Day Eight

What a beautiful day! Either Indiana weather is improving or we are in a weird weather thing. . . . See, we complain about weather we have no complaints about. :o)
I think RootsMagic is it. I have played with it for quite awhile. I believe I like it! I can understand the source boxes without a manual. That's nice. It's a pleasant program. Also I've found out that if you buy it now, you will get the update to 4 when it comes out (prob. Nov.). So. . . . good news.
I meant to post this link before I started on by sourcing competition, but forgot. This is a good place to go when in doubt about how to cite a particular souce. It goes step by step through the citation or you can copy/paste citations for online sources, adding only your # where you need to. I have been recommending it to county users for a while. It is Pro-Genealogists Citation Guide .

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