Roberts Roots & Branches

Here are some easy and quick New Year's resolutions with regards to family history work: Get a box and throughout the year put all family information in the box. Keep and save all those family Christmas newsletters, baby anncoucements, wedding announcements, and obituaries in the box in #1. Get a spiral notebook.  At the top of the first page write down the year you were born.  On the following pages write down each year of your life; one page for each year.  Then add important things that happened in your life during the year it happened.  You only have to add a sentence for each event.  (For example the year you graduated from high school, write down "graduated from high school").  Then, at a later date, you can take that information and add it to a personal history or expand it with more detailed information. Sign into NewFamilySearch and make sure your information and your family information is correct (your parents and children information). Start a journal. Ad

Tuesday, I spent most of the day and into the evening working on NewFamilySearch and RootsMagic.  It was very interesting.  RootsMagic has an application that compares your information to what is already on FamilySearch.  The application scans all of the data on FamilySearch and then allows you to add and compare all the information on the two programs.  I liked this RootsMagic application, because in the past when you received information from another source it was in a GED com which then you had to add most or all of the information in the file.  I did not like that because I had no control over which information I added to my database and which information I did not add.  With RootsMagic I was able to decide each piece of data that I wanted to add either to FamilySearch or to my personal program, and it was allot faster than inputting the information in by myself.   It was all relatively easy considering I took a class at the Riverton Family History Center on RootsMagic

With Christmas almost here and then New Year's I thought I give you something to ponder.  Over the years I have had many relatives come to me and ask if they can help research.  I have hesitated, not because I don't want the help, but rather because I don't know how to organize or coordinate the help.  These past few months as I have pondered this, I have decided I won't organize or coordinate the help, I will keep it really simple.  So, if you are serious about helping on the Roberts family history please contact me. I am not expecting you to be experienced in any certain area.  I am not expecting you to donate a certain amount of hours.  I have learned from my research at the Family History Library and working on certain brick walls with my dad that another set of eyes, ideas, and thoughts can help immensely in locating and finding genealogy information. Some of the things I could really use help with are: Roberts Roots & Branches , the newsletter (articles

This weekend I am calculating the dates of this upcoming week and suddenly I remember that it was the death anniversary of William "Willie" Roberts(33), son of Isaac Roberts(10) and Janet Howie(16).  December 23, 1906, little Willie died and the newspaper stated,  "death came as a blessed relief from his sufferings."  The Roberts family, buried little Willie 104 years ago on Christmas eve.  For the life history of Willie click on this link:   http://isaacroberts.blogspot.com/2010/09/william-willie-roberts33.html

Checked the mail, no certificates yet.  Everyone else is planning for Christmas and waiting for presents and Christmas cards in the mail--but not me I am anxiously waiting for certificates!  (See 12/17 post titled "Waiting").

Okay, so here is the situation:  Two posts ago I vented about my software, see the post titled, "Frustration".  I published the post and then I began on the next post entitled "Waiting".  My phone rang and I was distracted for a couple of hours.  When I returned to the computer I noticed a comment on my "Frustration" post!  Someone reads my blog!!!  To my surprise it was a response from RootsMagic.  Wow impressive, however disturbing because they found my blog and commented in a shorter amount of time than it takes them to call you back for tech support!!$!@#@$ Regardless, kudos RootsMagic for adding your number to the website and for listening!!!  Thank you!

Well, I did it.  I sent away for Hugh(1) and Margaret's(2) marriage registration and their daughter, Margaret's(13) death registration.  I am very excited to get these items in the mail and I am very anxious that they are the right documents that I need. From my research, the marriage registration should give me the name of Hugh's(1) father and the date and place of their marriage.  It should also list the witnesses to the marriage.  I am hoping that these witnesses are relatives. Hopefully, with a verified name of Hugh's father and their marriage date and place it will enable us to research another generation. As for Margaret's(13) information, I hope that it will give me an exact death date and maybe even a cause. Here's hoping. . .

All I want to do is research.  I will file, source, document, and post...but really all I want to do is research.  I will scan, blog, write newsletters...but really all I want to do is research.  Many, many years ago I purchased the Roots Magic genealogy software program.  There were several things I liked about this program that PAF did not have, and I felt like I needed a more advanced program to organize my research. This past summer I decided it was time to upgrade my program.  So, I splurged and spent the $20.  The reason I purchased the new software was so that I could used it at the Family History Library.  I thought that it would be nice to have access to my full program during my research. Well this is not the case.  I spent over 2 hours last night trying to get updates, which seems to be every time I use the program at the Library.  Here is what is even more frustrating:  the help line is only open Monday through Friday, 9-5!  Both times I have run into problems with thi

A thank you to everyone who sent me their new addresses. A big congratulations to Alyssa & Robert who will be married 20 November 2010. As I have been thinking about our Welsh records being tied up and the inability to have any access to these records I have decided to ask everyone to keep this in mind as you say your  prayers.  I believe if we petition the Lord in behalf of our ancestors, these records  will be released.  So I am asking, in your daily prayers please ask the Lord to help us to have access to the Flintshire, Wales records.  (See previous post dated 10 November 2010, Welsh Church Records) As always, thank you for your help, information,  and support. I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving.

The following is taken from the website  Genuki ( http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/FLN/Bagillt/ ) Church Records Historically, the (Anglican) Church in Wales was an integral part of the Church of England - i.e. the "Established" Church. Its influence declined during the nineteenth century, when a considerable proportion of the people of Wales - perhaps more than half - became adherents of the various nonconformist denominations; and eventually, in 1920, following many decades of religious and political debate, and intermittent civil disturbances, the Church in Wales (not "Church of Wales") was disestablished and disendowed - i.e. it ceased to be the "State" or "Established" Church. Because of this, the Parochial Registers and Records Measure of 1978, regarding the care of parish records of the Church of England, does not apply to Wales. (http://www.bagillt-history.org.uk/page7.html) The authorities of the Church in Wales have consistently

Pentre, Bagillt Bagillt History Club at:   http://www.bagillt-history.org.uk/index.html Bagillt  at Wikipedia:     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagillt Did you know that it's thought the name 'Bagillt' probably derives from an early Mercian settlement- 'Bacca's Lea'? The Bagillt Heritage Society:  http://www.bagillt.org.uk/ Holywell About Holywell:   http://www.holywell-town.co.uk/about_holywell.htm Clwyd Family History Society:  http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk/index.shtml St. Mary-Bagillt 1901 the population was 2,637 (wikipedia.org) 2001 the population was 3,918 (genuki.org)

New articles at the following links: Hugh(1) & Margret's(2) Blog:  "The Sweetheart of the Mine" & "Company Housing & the Company Store" http://hughandmargaretroberts.blogspot.com/ Letitia(9) Roberts Blog: Life sketch for Letitia(9) Roberts, daughter of Hugh & Margaret. http://letitiarobertsfamily.blogspot.com/

Thousands of genealogy enthusiasts filled the Conference Center Thursday, 29 April 2010, to enjoy an evening of music, stirring speeches and moving video presentations as part of the National Genealogical Society 2010 Family History Conference.  The event, entitled “A Celebration of Family History” is now going to be broadcast on KBYU this week.  Speakers include David McCullough , President Henry B. Eyring , and the Tabernacle Choir will perform.  The four broadcast times are:   Tuesday, November 2 nd at 8:00pm Saturday, November 6 th at 9:00pm Tuesday, November 9 th at noon and 6:00pm Sunday, November 28 th at 5:00pm For those outside of Utah, check your local listings.

TODAY  I found this: a hidden gem, at the Riverton FamilySearch Library.  I posted a blog about the library when it first opened in June, but this week I actually visited it.  I was impressed.   The building was beautiful, the parking was free, and there are allot of computers.  The computers, over 127, have the same desktop features and favorites websites that the downtown library has.  This means that you can search Footnote, Ancestry, Heritage Quest and other subscription websites for FREE. This is a hidden gem for researchers.  It gives the south end of the valley a place to go to research.  The library does not have the all the books and films, but it does have some basic research books, and it has some films.  It would be nice to have a list of the films on the internet so a researcher could know if the film was available in that building, but you can always call the library and they will tell you if they have a copy of it. So, if your interested in researching check out this gr

Bagillt, Flintshire, Wales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagillt) The parish of Bagillt was gazetted on 23 May 1844, having been created from the townships of Bagillt Fawr, Bagillt Fechan, Coleshill Fawr and Coleshill Fechan, which were formerly in the parish of Holywell. It is located in the Northern part of Wales. (Genuki, http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/FLN/Bagillt/index.html)   The 1841 British Census finds Margaret(2) Roberts, aged four years living with her parents and siblings in Bagillt, Flintshire, Wales. In 1831, J. Poole penned: "Bagillt is a bustling place, and will continue so, as long as her smelting and coal works go on in their present prosperous state. Well conducted boats go from this place to Chester every day; with a favorable wind, these little barks make the 17 or 18 miles in little more than two hours."   (J. Poole, Gleanings of the histories of Holywell, Flint, St. Asaph and Rhuddlan, 1831 as qtd.  in http://www.genuki.org.uk/

I have been working on Robert Owen Roberts'(7) life history.  It is almost done.  He was Hugh(1) & Margaret's(2) oldest child.  (Insert question here:  according to all of the family group records passed down from generation to generation, the oldest child would have been Edward Roberts, however, if his birth date is accurate, then Margaret would have been 13 years old when he was born!  Possible, but not probable.  In addition I have never found a single primary source of information documenting Edward.  So, If you have any documentation, please, PLEASE let me know.)   Robert Owen(7) was Hugh(1) & Margaret's(2) only child that was deaf.  Which makes one wonder if he was born deaf, or became deaf after he was born.  According to what information I have, there were no other children and only one grandchild that suffered from deafness. How were the deaf treated in the Victorian Era in England?  How did Robert(7) support his wife and family...Why didn't he move

Did you get your copy of the newsletter in the mail? The newsletter went out this week.  Hope you enjoy your copy.

BYU-Idaho has been compiling an index of marriages.  According to the website: Most of the pre-1900 marriages are included in the index for Arizona, Idaho and Nevada. Many counties for those same states have been extracted into the 1930’s and some, much later. A significant number of marriages from selected counties in California, western Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, eastern Washington, and Wyoming are also included. Very early marriages (1700’s) in New Mexico are currently being added.  The website also states: At this time, the index is not comprehensive for the time period and/or localities described. However, the goal for this index is to have marriages from all 12 western states at the fingertips of family researchers.  After searching this site I was able to locate about 17 marriages with accompanying information.  The site is very easy to search and it was extremely quick.  The site includes name variations in its searches, and it is user friendly.  Best of a

Here are a few statistics and numbers: 720--original documents and sources 762--people in the Roberts database 272--families in the Roberts database 307--places in the Roberts database 1,093--citations in the Roberts database 447--times, this blog has been viewed 70--posts on Roberts Roots & Branches blog 38--family members receive the  newsletter  19--editions of the newsletters have been published to date, including Oct 2010

At the Blog: We Tree you can Jump Start Your Genealogy with 52 ideas for 52 weeks of research, writing, and general family history work. Go see what's there... http://wetree.blogspot.com/2009/01/jump-start-your-genealogy-blog-52-ideas.html

There are free online genealogy classes at familysearch.org .  In the middle of the page click on the "free online classes" tab located under the title Family History Library . There are over 80 online classes ranging from 20 minutes to an hour.  Some of the titles of these online classes include: England Beginning Research Series Germany Research Ireland Beginning Research Series Reading Handwritten Record Series Research Principles and Tools Timelines. . .Lifelines Tips and Tactics from 50 Years of Research Visit this website and learn.

The following is a copied article dated:            September 28, 2010 Posted by:    Dick Eastman from:              Eastman's Online genealogy Newsletter FamilySearch is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) and the web site at http://www.familysearch.org has become one of the more popular sites on the Internet. Now the public is able to access the latest version of the site even though it hasn't been formally launched. The newest version, beta.familysearch.org, is up and running for the public, even though it carries the "beta" name, usually reserved for a test site on the Internet. "Every 30 days, we are doing a pretty significant update," said Paul Nauta, manager of public affairs for Family Search. "We're getting ready for our official launch the first of next year." In an article in the Standard-Examiner web site, Nauta is quoted as saying that almost weekly major announcements are made on

In the October 2010 newsletter, find out why this address, 128 Parish, is pertinent in our family's history. (Not getting the newsletter, email your name and address to the contact information below)

Tributes.com has over 84 million obituaries to search.  Searches can be done by name, location, or funeral home finder.  In addition, Tributes.com offers three different online ways to memorialize loved ones by creating a permanent place for friends and family to remember, share stories, and memories of loved ones.  There is a fee for some services, but searches are free.  So check it out.... http://www.tributes.com/search/obituaries Another website to consider visiting is findagrave.com with over 51 million gave records to search.  Searches include a surname index, famous graves, claims to fame, most popular searches, and interesting epitaphs.  In addition to searching this site, you can add your records.  Look and see what you can find... http://www.findagrave.com/

I have been working on individual family blogs for Hugh and Margaret's family.  I am in the process of creating an individual blog for each child and their family.  I hope that this works out best.  Place your pointer on the left hand side of this blog and you can click on the new blogs. Please snoop around on these different blogs and let me know what you think.  This will be a huge endeavor to gather life sketches and photographs on each family member, but it is also a way to share what I have. So, if you have or want to help with pictures or life sketches please let me know

Life sketches for Roberts family members.  Please submit life sketches to me at the contact information below.  I would love any help on collecting these histories and stories to share with the family.  When available I will post with pictures.  Please keep in mind the following: I would like your written permission to use the submitted stories and histories online.  This must be included with your history or family story. Histories must not contain information about living people, unless it is just a name. I will edit out information about living people if  it violates someone's privacy.  I will discuss this with the submitter. I will source all the information that you provide, thus giving credit to the histories and stories on these sites. Looking forward to receiving your memories, stories, and histories about the Roberts family members.

For the past couple of weeks I have been sorting, filing, inputting and organizing all of my papers. If there is one thing a genealogist has it is PAPERS . All of these sources and documents are taking over, so my goal has been to organize , organize , & organize . I am almost done. A little insight into the SYSTEM For every piece of documentation I find I need to: use it and save it (saving it includes preserving it and locating it for future reference). Every time I gather a piece of information I follow a system: Document Numbering-- The information has to be accessible and easy for me to access whenever I need to see it, refer to it, or review it. After numbering the document I place it in a sheet protector for preservation. This will limited the number of times the document is physically touched, but still allows it to be copied. Index the Document-- Because I have so many documents, I have created an index containing a brief description of each document a

~ Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life. ~ Albert Einstein

The following was written by Archibald F. Bennett, secretary, Genealogical Society of Ut ah, almost 60 years ago , he saw a time when: " A universal system of intelligent cooperation will bring together on one record sheet every fact in existence regarding a particular family. This wealth of data will insure accuracy and banish error. Expensive and time-consuming duplications in research and repetitions in ordinances will be eliminated. No sooner will a new fact be uncovered in any part of the world by a researcher than it will be communicated to the Archives center and be assigned to its proper place, on some family record . " (Church News, December 20, 1947, page 20)

Last Wednesday, my son Anthony and I went to the cemeteries in Rock Springs and Green River, Wyoming. I am continuing to work on a book about the cemeteries where family members are buried. Anthony helped me GPS the graves for location purposes. It was good to update and correct information I already had. There is still allot of work to be done on this book, I still need to map out the Diamondville and Kemmerer cemeteries. Hopefully this will be a project that will help other family members who visit these cemeteries. I'll keep you updated on this project.

Thank you to everyone who commented on or emailed me about July's Newsletter. . . I appreciate hearing from you and knowing what I am doing is interesting, fascinating, and important to others. I spent hours on Monday cleaning up my files, adding information from my research, and entering information on NewFamilySearch. Not allot of time spent on the direct Roberts line, however, I have found some information on the family of Margaret(2) Roberts' second husband Sam Caulton's family. Even though the Caulton's are not directly related, they were still people who crossed paths with our family while they lived. And, I have learned that sometimes researching down an indirect road will lead you in a round about way directly back to your family. Today, there will be more cleaning up and sourcing my PAF program, and organizing my research finds. Happy family history work. . .

...Well, almost. I ran out of paper right in the middle of copying! How exasperating. This month's Newsletter is about the family's immigration to the United States. I am still missing some immigration records, but for the main part of the family, Hugh & Margaret and their children, I have found their records. I have included the immigration records on the blog and hope you find it all interesting. Happy reading...

picture from the website The Compass ISTG http://immigrantships.net/newcompass/ships/ship_files/pix_f.html Ship: S.S. Freisland Arrival Date: September 1906 Isaac Roberts(10)...42 years 11 months.....male...miner ...good health Janet Howie( 16) .... .38 years....................female...wife.......good health Hugh(26).................10 years 6 months......male....child.....good health James(24).................9 years 1 month........male....child.....good health Percival(28).............7 years 9 months.......male....child.....good health Jane(30)...................6 years 5 months....female...child.....good health Isaac(32)..................3 years 9 months.......male...child.....good health Wm.(33)...................1 year 10 months.......male...child....good health Letitia(35)................0 year 4 months......female...child...good health Departure Date: 5 September 1906 Arrival Port: Philadelphia Port of Departure: Liverpool, England & Queenstown, Ireland Destinatio

picture source: Wikipedia Ship: Adriatic Arrival Date: 21 October 1887 line #52...Selma(sic) (162) Roberts..24 years old...female...Wife line #53...Martha A. (sic) (163)..........4 years old....female...none line #54...Isaac(165).............................1 year old........male...none ------------------next page---------------------------------- John Roberts(8)................... years old.......male...laborer Port of Departure: Liverpool, England & Queenstown, Ireland Destination: New York Microfilm Serial: M237_513 List Number: 1364 Source: The National Archives, Ancestry.com, New York Passenger 1820-1957, Provo, UT, online For more information on the SS Adriatic go to this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Adriatic_%281871%29

picture from Norway Heritage website: norwayheritage.com Ship: The Spain Arrival Date: 28 June 1886 line #102...Hugh Roberts(1)...48 years old.......male...laborer...steerage...1 bag line #103...Margaret(2)..........46 years old...female...wife.........steerage...1 bag line #104...Sarah(11)...............20 years old...female...none........steerage...1 bag line #105...Hugh(12)................18 years old......male...laborer...steerage...1 bag line #106...Elizabeth(14)..........11 years old...female...none......steerage...1 bag line #107...Jane(15)..................10 years old...female...none......steerage...1 bag line #108...Maggie(?).................2 years old...female....none......steerage...1 bag Port of Departure: Liverpool, England & Queenstown, Ireland Destination: New York Microfilm Serial: M237_496 List Number: 759 Source: The National Archives, Ancestry.com, New York Passenger 1820-1957, Provo, UT, online

Yesterday, while working at the library, I had a few minutes, so I typed in a name and clicked on the search tab, and I found some information. Very surprising, because there are times when I research for hours typing in names with various spellings and in various locations and I find nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. I can spend hours looking at a microfilm, searching the catalog, the internet, or looking at indexes and I come up with nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. So, my question is this: why is it that some days your " lucky " and other days not? My prayer is that I have more " lucky " days and less days finding nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. P.S. The newsletter is in it's final edit and will be in the mail soon.

New Family Search , it is not out for full release to the public yet (it still has bugs to be worked out) so you must be a member of the Church to sign in, however, it will be fully released soon. https://new.familysearch.org/en/action/unsec/welcome Family Search Pilot, is adding new indexes daily. This is a little tricky to find, go to website below, then click on search records tab, and then click on record search pilo t tab https://new.familysearch.org/en/action/unsec/welcome Ancestors , is a companion web site for the television series on PBS about family history and genealogy. If you have not seen the television series, check out your local listings. The television program is a little dated when you view it, however, the research methods are still the same. (The web site is really easy to navigate.) http://www.byub.org/ancestors/ All of these new web sites have been added to the tool bar on the let, under the heading "Research Web Sites."

Last time my computer crashed it messed up my scanner. My scanner works on my laptop, but not on the computer connected to the internet. (Thus no new photograph postings on the blog) When transferring my files to the PAF program, it re-numbered my RIN's, so I can either use my very out-dated Roots program or manually re-number all my database (RIN's needed for Newsletter clarification). My sources all need to be re-cited so they are in uniform manner. I would like to scan & attach all of my sources (all 560 of them) to my genealogy program!!! It all seems like too much trouble, when I all want to do is research. . . But, there isn't a flower garden that just blooms, it takes ground work--- literally- -- a little weedin', fertlizin', and waterin' before it blooms. . .

Patrons in Salt Lake County will soon have another state-of-the-art genealogy facility. FamilySearch has consolidated the resources of 24 family history centers to provide enhanced patron experiences. The new Riverton FamilySearch Library will service residents on the south end of Salt Lake County. Patrons will enjoy extended hours, greater research assistance, and access to significant genealogical resources. The library is located on the main floor of the Church-owned Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive (13400 S. Bangerter Highway). Quick Facility Facts · 127 patron computers with free Web and premium subscriptions access · 20 microfilm and fiche readers · State-of- the-art computer training lab and 4 multi-purpose training rooms · Free research classes and assistance · 50,000 microfilms (in progress) · Youth and community groups welcome · Open to the public and no admission fee · Cafeter

It's possible that Google's defiance of China--on March 22 it stopped censoring its search engine there and redirected traffic to a Hong Kong site--is linked to co-founder Sergey Brin's roots. His parents, Soviet Jews, emigrated from Moscow to the U.S. at the Cold War's height, and Brin has a keen awareness of anything that smacks of political censorship. Google, of course, knew about the compromises one must make to do business in China when it entered the market in 2006. But it seems that Brin decided this year that the company could no longer abide the level of censorship, and hacking, and e-mail pilfering that takes place behind Beijing's Great Firewall. --By Bill Powell Time Magazine, April 5, 2010 How has your family roots affected what you do in your life and what you stand for?

What a wonderful and beautiful experience it is to serve a mission at the Family History Library. Let me share a little of what it has been like and what I have learned. The first week was training at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It is located just east of the the Salt Lake Temple, on Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. My first test was trying to find what room to be in at what time. It was like the first day of high school all over again! My second test was timing rush hour traffic in the mornings! The first week in training we worked on our own personal family history and researched with our own trainer. The trainers took us from our own individual level of research and taught us from there. The second and third weeks, were on our own, then we followed with three more weeks of full-time classes. These classes covered the whole experience of genealogy from basic computer skills to research strategies. What did I learn? I learned--I know allot about

I am going to work at the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake City. It will be fun and I will be able to see if I have been doing my family history right!!! Ya know, after being a family history consultant in three different Stakes, and teaching the family history class, it is about time I get to work in the "big house" with all the records!!!

I have been going up to the Family History Library in downtown Salt Lake City to do research. I have been going at least once a week and sometimes twice a week. Here are a list of some of the things that I have found and that are interesting: Hugh(1) & Margaret(2) immigration record--1886 John Richard Roberts(8) & Selina Parker immigration record-1889 Margaret Roberts(2) 1951 census record with her listed as child Numerous military records for the Roberts family for WWI, WWII and the Korean Conflict I hope everyone received their copy of the newsletter in the mail. If you didn't please contact me and I will mail you a copy. I am still working on the cemetery book for Roberts family members buried in Wyoming; specifically, Kemmerer, Rock Springs, Diamondville, and Green River. If you have any information you want me to include please contact me.

Another great link in the quest for research. Wyoming Newspaper Projects which includes the Rock Springs Rocket and the Kemmerer Gazette and Kemmerer Camera. These two newspapers have proven invaluable in my research. Don't know what I will do now that I don't have to visit Rock Springs and Kemmerer to see the newspapers!!! Here's the link: http://www.wyonewspapers.org/ This website contains many early Wyoming newspapers including: Kemmerer Camera 1901-1920 Republican (Kemmerer) 1914-1920 Wyoming Star (Green River) 1903-1905 Green River Star 1905-1921 Rock Springs Adviser 1914-1916 Rock Springs Miner 1892-1921 Rock springs Rocket 1907-1922

Did you catch it? I did and I loved it !!! I was so excited, and I was happily treated to a family historian's television series. The first episode featured Sarah Jessica Parker and her journey to locate her family's roots. I was pleasantly surprised because the series caught Ms. Parker's delight, surprise, dismay, and thrill of the detective's journey called genealogy. It was delightful to watch Ms. Parker as she learned how her family was intertwined with United States history. It was fascinating to see her reaction to touching original documents; walking where her ancestors walked; and questioning their actions and reactions to their lives. Who do You Think you Are? Viewers are invited to take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities with NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" Starring in the new alternative series are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jess

Here are some updates on recently added websites to the blog: Wiki --- free family history research and advice for the community, by the community https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page Rootsweb --this is a great site for the tutorials and the "how-to's" of family history work. Great articles and good links to other sites. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com Ellis Island - -free site that includes all the ships that entered the Port of New York from 1892-1924. However, the last time I checked (5 years ago) they didn't have any of our ancestors on the site. So, if you find our relatives on this site please let me know. http://www.ellisisland.org US Gen Web Project - -a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone. http://www.usgen

Yep, the newsletter is late…But, oh well, it is coming…. Some people may enjoy writing in a journal or diary, however there are many other creative ways to preserve your history and to record your life. There is the cookbook, legacy or prompt books, scrapbook, video or audio journal, or calendar. While there is no wrong way to record your life, the right way is to do something and begin today. This is the theme of the January 2010 newsletter. Look for it in the mail in the next couple of weeks.