Wisdom Wednesday – Identify Your Ancestors

Isn’t it sad when you receive old photos from family members and there are no names written on the back of the photos or in the scrapbook where the photos are contained? What about when you visit a library or archives and view a collection of materials and most of the photos are unnamed?

I recently had this experience at the University of Illinois-Chicago in their Special Collections while viewing the Italian American collection. So many gorgeous photographs either photocopied or color reproductions and many unidentified. There were some photos that had a sheet attached to it providing some information about the photo, i.e. where it was taken, who is in it, but for the most part there were photos with large groups of people and no information sheet.

The same thing can happen when we scan and import photos into our genealogy databases, file folders or Sort Your Story software. WE may know exactly who the people are in the photos, but THEY (those who come after us) may have no clue.

When you add photos to Sort Your Story, be sure to fully identify the individuals in each photograph. Yes, there are times when you know that woman might be Aunt Jane but you aren’t sure, or you cannot identify everyone. Note those things. Include as much information as you can including where the photo was taken. Those clues may help a future generation uncover something we were not able to find.

Make it a goal for 2012 to identify all your photos both in albums, loose, or on your computer. Your descendants will thank you.

© 2012 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413

Related articles

• Italian American Records at the University of Chicago Daley Library (examiner.com)
• Wisdom Wednesday – Prepare for the 1940 Census (sortyourstory.wordpress.com)

Wisdom Wednesday – Prepare for the 1940 Census

Are you preparing for the 1940 U.S. Federal Census release on April 2, 2012? The National Archives has a lot of information about the upcoming release that you should read.

After you read the National Archives information, start preparing your research for the release. How can you do that?

• Purchase or use Sort Your Story to organize all of your pre-1940 census documents.
• Create file folders for your main line ancestors.
• Add census folders for all censuses you have located starting with 1930 and working backwards.
• Make a note of all censuses you are missing.
• Start locating those missing censuses.
• Update your genealogy database with census information you locate.
• Note the addresses where your ancestors lived in 1930.

By going through your research files to ensure you have as many pre-1940 censuses as possible, it will make locating your ancestors on the 1940 a little easier (prior to indexing).

Need help creating file folders based on your pedigree chart? View a previous post about this and watch the pedigree chart video.

© 2011 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413

Related articles

• Tuesday’s Tip – Guest Post from Lorel Kapke of Sort Your Story (kidsgenealogy.generationsofstories.net)

New Sort Your Story Video – Your Pedigree Chart

Sort Your Story is excited to present a new video – Your Pedigree Chart. You can view this video and learn tips on setting up your Sort Your Story file folders using your Pedigree Chart.

Lorel will walk you through how to set up each set of folders and continue adding additional folders. She will explain how easy it is to organize your ancestor’s photographs and documents. All you need is your pedigree chart and the Sort Your Story software to begin!

So what are you waiting for? Watch the Your Pedigree Chart video now and start organizing your family’s documents and photographs.

Please let us know your thoughts on this video in the comment section. We look forward to hearing from you.

© 2011 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413

What Are You Thankful For?

It is the day after Thanksgiving. Are you working on your genealogy research? Are you using Sort Your Story to organize your photos and documents?

Sort Your Story allows you to create notes on each person and document you add to the program. Why not add a few stories or notes about your Thanksgiving traditions? Here are some ideas:

• Add a story about a Thanksgiving memory past or present.
• Write about a favorite recipe your mother or grandmother prepared at each Thanksgiving. Add a photo of the completed dish to compliment the recipe.
• Write stories you heard this year about specific people in your family tree.
• Note the addresses where people lived each Thanksgiving. Addresses can be helpful when looking for records.
• Was this Thanksgiving extra special? Why? Was there a new baby in the family? A new spouse? An engagement? Do you have a photo or two to add to this story?

Those are just a few ideas. What others do you have? Please share them in the comments below.

 

© 2011 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413

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• Tuesday’s Tip – Explore Sort Your Story (sortyourstory.wordpress.com)