I’m finally ready to make an effort with my genealogy research. I think for a while there I was just all over the place and that kind of overwhelmed me. So now, I’m making a plan!
The first thing I did was read through Thomas MacEntee’s “The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook.” He gives a lot of great suggestions about just letting go of previous research and starting over with best practices. While I’m not going to completely abandon the work I’ve already done, I am setting it aside for now and starting with clear research goals and procedures in mind.
Here’s what I’ve come up with for keeping track of my current research…basically its just a binder with a bit of organization. I’ve made a binder for my mother’s side of the tree and my father’s side of the tree. This is my mother’s side binder:
The first page is a pedigree chart where I’ve added numbers for each family group. As you can see, I don’t have a lot of information for this side of the family as research in Brazil is difficult! Each number (1-16) has it’s own divider where I’ll place all the notes associated with the research for that family group. I also have a spiral notebook for random notes as I do the research.
Here’s what is behind tab #4 – The Joaquim Pedro DA SILVA family. The family group sheet comes first and I printed it out with all the information I have in my RootsMagic database. I’m sure that not all of this is correct, thus the reset. The plan is to go through and verify or reject all the “facts” and add as much information to each family group before moving backward in time.
Each family group “starts” at the date of marriage for the parents, so in this case 15 Sep 1948 OR 8 Jun 1932 (looks like I’ll need to do some research here!). So any birth information or other “facts” for the parents from prior to their marriage would go into the tab for their parents’ family. All the kids information would remain here until they are married – then they’d get their own tab.
This binder is just for the direct line research. So for example, I am descended through their eldest daughter Lindalva, who along with her husband are tab #2. I haven’t quite decided how I’ll handle information organization for the other siblings post marriage (maybe another binder?).
Even More Data
The next item in each family tab is the research log. This will list all of the research I’ve done, date, location, and result. Hopefully this will help me keep track of everything and not redo unnecessary work or waste time figuring out what to do next. Right now I have a general log for the whole family but I may divide this up by “fact.”
Finally, I’ll include any notes at the end. Here’s a table listing all the possible birth dates/locations for my Grandmother, the records where I may find the entries and the results of my search.
Then What?
Eventually, I hope that all of this information will be synthesized and added to my database. The idea is that these are the rough drafts and when I’ve “verified” a “fact” it can be added to the database. I’d also like to include all “negative” facts that I’ve disproved and research notes so I’ll have to look into that and make some plans.
Thoughts or suggestions on streamlining the process? I’m going to try it for a while and see how it goes.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and I hope more of you do than participated in the SNGF Genealympics the last three weeks), is to: 1) Determine how complete your genealogy research is. For background, read Crista Cowan’s post Family History All Done? What’s Your Number? For comparison purposes, keep the list to 10 generations with you as the first person. 2) Create a table similar to Crista’s second table, and fill it in however you can (you could create an Ahnentafel (Ancestor Name) list and count the number in each generation, or use some other method). Tell us how you calculated the numbers. 3) Show us your table, and calculate your “Ancestral Name Number” – what is your percentage of known names to possible names (1,023 for 10 generations). 4) For extra credit (or more SNGF), do more generations and add them to your chart. 5) Post your table, and your “Ancestral Name Number,” on your own blog, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.
Here’s what I did.
1) I created a narrative report in RootsMagic for 10 generations. I did this for myself, Troy, and our sons.
Wow, it’s looking bad. My family is so hard to research…since they are all in Brazil or Portugal. Plus, Troy’s side of the family are all pioneers with a long line of genealogists who have done lots of work. My father is the only one to have done any work on my side, and now I’m taking over.
Everything I know for my side of the family is what my grandparents could remember and tell my dad. He had a few death certificates and birth records, but that’s it. I’m now going through trying to find documentation for everything and even just my grandmother’s information is hard to find. Also, the tradition is that one of my mom’s grandmothers was a native Brazilian…who knows how far back I’ll even be able to go?!?
At least now I can see that I have a lot of work to do (knew that before) and that I can quantify any progress I make.
I’ve done extensive research on the Lund family from Denmark. I’m also working on the decendency research for Diderich Funk/Funch Lund, Troy’s 3rd-great-grandfather. (The Lund was added after immigrating to the United States)
But Diderich’s father remains a mystery. Here’s what I know:
Johan Riis is listed as Diderich’s father in his christening record dated 3 Apr 1816, he was born on 25 Mar 1816. Diderich is illegitimate and Johan is described as a bachelor who has traveled away.
Diderich’s mother is Gertrude Christine Didrichsdatter, and her father’s name is Diderich Jacobson Funch.
By the time Diderich is confirmed in the Lutheran church on 5 Oct 1834, his father, still listed as Johan Riis (although his mother had married by now) is now listed as “deceased.”
RootsMagic5 has a new feature – Research Log. I’ve been using it to work on this and other research I’ve been doing and have found it a great way to note what I’ve done.
So, here’s the plan.
I think before I can really find Johan, I need to first track Gertrude’s family as they lived in Knudsker and then she (and possibly more of the family) moved to Arnager. I plan to work with the censuses and the church records, including the moving in and out records (I just learned about yesterday!).
Also, since at some point I think I’d like to get certified in genealogy, I’m going to try out a full client report and research notes for this search for Johan. I’ll post more as I go along.
In trying to clear up the mystery of my Grandmother’s age at marriage, I am going through what I know and deciding what my next course of action should be.
I have scanned and now transcribed/translated a notarized copy of her death certificate I received from my parents. This doesn’t list her birth date but does give her age as 64 years old. Since she died on 6 Jun 1999 that would mean she was born between 7 Jun 1937 and 6 Jun 1938. I have her birth date as 7 Oct 1934 which doesn’t fall in that range! With that birth date range it would mean she got married at 12-13 years old…not likely!
How old are you grandma?
I don’t know who the informant is – Jose Feodosio da Silva … he is not in the database I received from my father, so I’m not sure how accurate the information is as pertains to her age.
Source: Paraiba, Brazil, Cartorio Civil, death certificate F.947 (6 June 1999), Lindalva Ferreira de Lima; 7o Cartório Civil da Cidade de João Pessoa, Joao Pessoa.
Transcription:
ÓBITO N.o F.947
Certifico que, às fls. 186v do livro N.o C-9 de registro de óbitos consta que foi lavrado e arquivado neste Cartório no dia de 06 de Junho de 1999, o assento de Lindalva Ferreira de Lima falecida a 06 de Junho de 1999, às 05:50 horas, em Clinica Dom Rodrigo, Nesta Capital do sexo feminino de cor branca profissão aposentada natural de esta Capital residente e domicilada nesta Capital com sessenta e quatro anos de idade, estado civil viuva, filha de Joaquim Pedro da Silva profissão aposentado natural de —– residente —– e de D. Ernestina Ferreira da Silva de profissão falecida natural de —– —– residente —–
Foi declarante José Teodosio da Silva Sendo o atestado de óbito fimado pôr Dr. Luiz Gonzaga Vieira – CRM – 1452 que deu como causa da morte falencia de Miltiplos orgaos, desequilibrio hidroeletrolitico e metabolico, mieloma multiplos.
—– e o sepultamento feito no cemitério de São José, Nesta Capital
Observações: A falecida era eleitora, nao deixou bens e deixou filhos. Conforme declarante.
O referido é verdade e dou fé. João Pessoa, 06 de Junho de 1999 Irene Gomes de Souza
Translation:
OBITUARY N.o F.947
I certify that, on sheet 186v of book N.o C-9 of the registry of deaths contains and recorded an archived on the day of 06 of June of 1999, the entry for Lindalva Ferrira de Lima died on 06 of June of 1999, at 05:50 hours, in Clinica Dom Rodrigo, in this Capital female, white, profession retired born in this Capital resident and living in this Capital with sixty and four years of age, marital status widow, daughter of Joaquim Pedro da Silva profession retired, born in —– resident of —– and of Mrs. Ernestina Ferreira da Silva of profession deceased, born in —– —– resident of —–
Informant was José Teodosio da Silva Death was verified by Dr. Luiz Gonzaga Vieira – CRM – 1452 who gave as cause of death failure of Multiple organs, hydroelectric and metabolic disequilibrium, and multiple mielomas.
—– and the burial performed at the cemetery São José, in this Capital
Observations: The deceased was a registered voter, didn’t leave goods and left children. According to Informant.
I verify the above copy is true. João Pessoa, 06 of Juneof 1999 Irene Gomes de Souza
Why, its the study of the Lund's, of course! I am jumping in to researching our family history and seeing where it takes me. We are the Lund's. We come from Lund's, Ranson's, DeMacedo's, Lima's, Anderson's, Warner's, Ferreira's, Da Silva's and beyond! Since my own side of the family is from Brazil, it is quite difficult to track things down. Troy's side, on the other hand, has proven to be much easier. So, I'll be jumping back and forth and all around to learn about where we come from.
Are you related to us? I'd love to learn more about you and share what I know about our common ancestors!
