Roberts Roots & Branches

Oh the saga of search engines.  Maybe, it's because I don't think like this. It is really frustrating to spend so much time utilizing  search engines, when they are not as effective as they could be.  Tuesday, I spent about 4 hours searching several databases for all the information I could possibly find on several families.  Feeling very confident that I had located all of the records in that database, I moved on to the next family member. I threw all my "search engine knowledge" in to each individual search.  For each search, I used wild cards, exact matches, and close matches.  I used locations and exact locations.  I used every possible way that I am aware of to search these databases, and when finished I felt confident that I had found every possible record in each database. Until I changed search engines...   After one hour of re-researching only two names in one database, I  found another family to add to my database including two census records, and fo

Is in the mail.  Did you receive your copy?

About a month ago I was really tired of hitting the BRICK WALL.  So, I traveled down to the B2 floor at the Family History Library.  B2 is the British Isle floor.  Now FYI, there are two types of help at the Family History Library; professionals and missionaries.  I am a missionary, and although we are trained rather well, sometimes you just need a professional.  So, I found a professional.  Here is what craziness I learned from the professional: 1.  No those aren't triplets on that census record or twins on that record.  In the 1841 census record the age of the children were rounded up or rounded down depending on the child's current age.  Either 5 or 15 years old was the age used.  (Which is why no descendants have had any multiple births since that census record!) 2.  Towns, parishes, and counties changed regularly even if the family didn't move.  For example a family may have lived in a single particular home in 1841 and 1851, yet each census place will  list a dif

home.messiah.edu Everyday more and more records are available online at Ancestry.com and at FamilySearch.org. and more websites are increasingly available to researchers.  In 2004 computer research was probably about 20% of my time.  The rest of the time I was in the films, fiches, books, newspapers, county court houses or libraries searching.  Now I would say that 80% of what I need I find online, and that percentage rate is ever increasing. I have spent numerous hours walking through cemeteries and now for I can sit at my computer and search the Kemmerer Cemetery and an index to the Rock Springs Cemetery's online.  Findagrave.com has allowed searches at other cemeteries in other states from my computer. What a difference in saving time from searching the cemetery its self and traveling. The Wyoming Newspaper project has allowed me to research old newspapers online-which saves a trip to Rock Springs.  The Western States Marriage Index has allowed me to search marriage index