Roberts Roots & Branches

I have just added a new page explaining the difference between FamilySearch, FamilyTree, Historical Records, Ancestry.com, Findagrave, personal software and other places to search for original documents. Here is the link , or you can just click on the tab above entitled:  The Family History Neighborhood  

A fun Iowa resource is a web site called Iowa Pathways , by Iowa Public Television.   The site includes videos, pictures and interactive map tools that allow you to get to know Iowa and the history of Iowa.   One of the more useful tools is a timeline about Iowa.   This timeline allows the used to chose a time period and see what was going on in Iowa at that time.   Time lines are an ever valuable tool for family history researchers. A family history researcher could repeatedly use this site to understand the history and culture of Iowa.   Go try it out and see what you can find!

Pictures from my research trip from 2012 at the Iowa Genealogical Society.   Old Des Moines Directories  Misc. treasures   Surname books and binders Iowa Genealogical Society  website here.

Have you considered what today’s identity theft will do to genealogy researchers 100 years from now? As we generate records throughout our life, we are leaving a paper and digital trail.      So, what if someone derails that digital and paper trail and hijacks the footprints of our past?   Just something to think about!

. . .and the winner is 1925 Iowa State This is the best census record available including state, federal and any country! ! ! The 1925 Iowa State census is T-H-R-E-E , yes sireee 3 pages! ! ! Questions asked are the following: -PAGE 1- surname given name age owned or rented home, if mortgaged, and value of home if foreign born naturalized, number of years in the US and number of years in Iowa highest grade reached in school able to read and write -PAGE 2- (the JEWEL page of all census records) birth place name of father place of birth of father father's age at last birthday mother's full name including maiden name place of birth of mother mother's age at last birthday place of marriage of parents -PAGE 3-     military service (specifically:  civil war, Spanish American War, World War) occupation codes for census calculations what church are you affiliated with   If you are fortunate enou

Always note the date and  name of the newspaper  on all newspaper clippings.

The Iowa Museum has a wonderful coalmining exhibit.   Here are some pictures of the coal mining exhibit.       Here's their link .

Know your terms… While helping a patron do a search we found a match in the 1920 census with the word “inmate”.   In this particular situation, the child was an inmate in the New York Foundling Hospital, or after some research, we found the child was a ward of the orphanage.   Inmate is not always associated with a correctional facility.

Today is the solem anniversary of that tragic coal mining accident.  May we remember today those perished coal miners and all coal miners, who everyday walked deep into the earth.  I have written  extensively about the 14 August 1923 Frontier Mine No. 1 explosion that killed  99 men here    Frontier Mine No. 1 Disaster Blog .

Have you found an article, blog, photograph, television program, or other media interesting and pertinent to family history work?   Please share!

Keep an updated address book of relatives; including email addresses.

NewFamilySearch is eventually going to be phased out and a new genealogy program, FamilySearch Family Tree, is now being tested and used. I just have to s-h-o-u-t: I LOVE IT! Here is why: Even if you didn't submit the information, you CAN change, delete, and edit! Sources...sources...sources...you can cite your source and you can hyper-link and attach the source! It is easy to learn and navigate.  The feel of the new program is logical which makes navigation user friendly! There are explanation boxes where you can state your reasoning for doing whatever it is that you are doing.   You can add photographs You can add histories You can print out fan charts There are a few "bugs" and a few things that haven't been added yet, however if the program continues to evolve in it's current direction I believe there will be many happy genealogists!   There are continual changes, most are not noticable, but improve the program's functions and add to t

Have you ever wondered how and what to save digitally when doing your family history work and research? On the FamilySearch Blog, Gary Wright writes a wonderful in-depth article about preserving records digitally.   Mr. Wright introduces, in Part 1, the article by stating:   While gathering family history records over the years, you’ve probably been preserving them physically. So why consider preserving them digitally now? This paper discusses the benefits and challenges of using digital preservation to both augment and enhance the preservation of your family history records. It also presents solutions to the challenges, identifies what types of family history records are suitable for digital preservation, and summarizes what is required to get started archiving digital records. In Part 2, Mr. Wright discusses how to label your files, copyright issues, sharing your files and some valuable technical concerns.   Both articles are great and will be helpful to anyone sav