Genealogy Data Is “Old Info?”
Written by Lorel Kapke, Sort Your Story Founder
Lorel recently posted about her family history on FaceBook and a conversation ensued about the value of “old information.”
What is “old information?” That information we discovered when we first started researching. How valuable is it? Do we know where we got it?
Lorel said, “After spending research hours on Ancestry.com, I realized how easy it would just to grab my family compilation from way back (1996) and input the data… with the understanding that some of this info may be “old info” and useless. Not so, I’ve been adding puzzle pieces daily and the family picture is unfolding!”
“While continuing to update my tree on Ancestry.com with the help of my 1996 compilation, I did find “incorrect data” but it was at least a “start” and as I continue inputting those “elusive” maternal surnames, the family connections are growing by leaps and bounds.”
Another note on “questionable” or “old information” research data. The family group sheet I received in 1996, was the listing of the birth of a girl born in the years between my grandfather and his brother. Since my my father new nothing of this child, I was skeptical. While in Salt Lake City, I grabbed a few hours to research birth and baptism records that can be difficult to find before 1900. I managed to not only find the baptism papers I’ve been looking for but the birth of a daughter that I “thought” was an error. Not only did I find the information I was looking for, I also understood my paternal family and a few of my collateral families lived within this town. I paged through this entire film and found many birth and baptism names and dates.
Never assume all information is accurate or inaccurate… check it out!
What are you doing with your “old information?” Are you adding it to your family tree and Sort Your Story Profiler? Are you making any new connections? Tell us about it.
© 2013, Sort Your Story, Sonoma, California
Motivation Monday – Sort Your Story Workshop
Lorel will be presenting a free Sort Your Story workshop on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the California Genealogical Society Library.
The class is currently full but a wait-list has been created. Please sign up as there is a possibility another class may be added at a later time.
Description:
Amateur and professional genealogists have discovered that Sort Your Story is an effortless way to:
- Organize and de-clutter your family’s important documents and photos
- Store valuable and irreplaceable data in one place in case of emergency or loss
- Easily run reports to spot trends, similarities, missing data and more in order to build a complete picture of your family’s history
- Compile data for submission to ancestry sites or self publishers
- Simply and cost-effectively manage the vast amounts of data required to create a family history
Get started today! For just $19.99, you can instantly download Sort Your Story and begin organizing, de-cluttering and storing your family’s important information right on your computer. Sort Your Story’s online videos and tutorials are available to guide you every step of the way.
We’d love to hear from you if you have attended one of Lorel’s workshops in the past. Please leave your thoughts in the comment section.
Tuesday’s Tip – Send in your Reviews
Sort Your Story received two user reviews recently.
Thank you, Lorel. I got to where it would have taken until 4 p.m. to get me on board so I thought it better to wait for the Windows workshop. It was very helpful when you explained that sys is an adjunct instead of a competitor of Family Tree Maker. That is something I have been trying to figure out. As I said yesterday, you were amazingly patient with all of us. I didn’t realize it is not just MAC and Windows computers that are different, but apparently different brands too. Enough to drive anyone crazy! You will do well at the Roots Tech Conference! Susan
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Thanks so much Lorel, for the very informative workshop at the Son’s of Norway hall last Saturday. When you schedule the other classes could we have them at a time other than the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays of the month so they do not conflict with the NCMUG SIG meetings, please?
It would be nice if the SIGs were run the way your class was, with people using laptops, and tablets, and actually accomplishing something right at the meeting.
Hope Salt Lake city is rewarding. Kathleen
Have you used Sort Your Story? What are your thoughts on the product?
© 2012 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413
Wisdom Wednesday – Learn about Sort Your Story
FREE
Get Started, Get Organized and Discover Your Family Ancestry.com and Sort Your Story Workshop
A special invitation to Ancestry.com and Sort Your Story Workshop.
If you are interested in getting your genealogy organized and searching for family within Ancestry.com you must attend this event. Join founder and creator of Sort Your Story, Lorel Kapke and Ancestry Pro Tom Cole on Saturday, January 7 and get free training, tutorials and an understanding of how Sort Your Story software can help you.
Date: Saturday, January 7, 2012
Time: 10am – 2pm
Place: Sons of Norway Hall, 617 West 9th Street, Santa Rosa, CA
Complimentary coffee, tea and sweets provided
Speakers
Lorel Kapke, Sort Your Story, LLC and Tom Cole, Ancestry.com and RootsMagic
*FREE WIFI so please bring your PC/Mac Laptop
• RootsMagic, a newer more powerful version
• New research tools on Ancestry
Sign up today by sending a message to lorel@sortyourstory.com on or before Friday, January 6, 2012.
