How depressing! I am fortunate that my daughter is willing to take it on - we are working jointly on some projects My daughter-in-law also comes from a family which values family history so no worries there. While I am not planning to fall off the perch soon, at the moment someone else wishing to continue my research would find it a challenge. To try to overcome that, I am in the process of re-arranging my files so that a stranger could pick up a folder related to a particular individual or family and know exactly where my research is up to. Very much a work in progress. I love the idea of a genealogical will! On 1 January 2014 14:11, Mike Harvey <mj_harvey@dodo.com.au> wrote: > This is very sad but good lesson for all. > > > http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/bayswater-fire-destroys-genealogist-horst-blaichs-lifetime-of-work/story-fngnvlxu-1226773412995?sv=ff975feb5f10 > > > This loss needed not to happen if just a little thought ( all right, a lot > of thought) and effort had been put into placing your research some where > safe and making sure that it will be preserved for future generations. > > A recent death of a fellow researcher and what happened to her research > made me think. > > When you think about the hours, and in some cases, years, you put into > gathering your research would you like to lose it suddenly? > > Have you thought about what will happen to your research if, heaven > forbid, > you fall of your twig unexpectedly? > Will your heirs treasure your work and place it where it will be > appreciated?....... > Or will they just send it to the dump as rubbish, as hers did, > along with all those precious, but uncatalogued and unidentified family > photos > simply because you hadn't thought about it or, worse, not got around to > it? > > Have you made duplicates of your current research and backed it up? > > I use Dropbox at present but am open to any better suggestions. > > This is what I have put in place in case I drop off my twig, and as I am > now considered to be elderly having been born during WW2, > this is a real possibilty. My fellow researcher was 10 years younger than > me! > > Genealogical Codicil to My Last Will and Testament: > > My Genealogical Will > For Preserving My Family History > To my spouse, children and/or heirs, guardian, administrator or executor: > Upon my death, it is requested that you DO NOT dispose of any or all of my > genealogical records, both those prepared personally by me and those > prepared by others, which may be in my possession. > This includes but is not limited to books, paper and/or computer files, > notebooks, correspondence, audio/visual items, photographs, and documents, > for a period of two years. > During this two-year period, please attempt to identify one or more > persons > who would be willing to take custody of said materials and the > responsibility of maintaining and continuing the family histories. > Parties to contact regarding the assumption of the custody of these items > include but are not limited to: > > Name > Address > Telephone > > In the event that you find no one to accept these materials, please > contact > the institutions listed below, in order, and determine if they will accept > part or all of my genealogical materials. > > Institution Name Address > (Contact Person) Telephone > > Please remember that my family history studies consumed a great deal of > time, travel, and money. Therefore it is my strong desire that the product > of these efforts be preserved and allowed to continue in a manner that > will make them available to others in the future. > Signature > Date > Witness > Date _ > > > Regards > Mike Harvey > Merewether NSW > mj_harvey@dodo.com.au > > "Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself." > -Ancient Chinese Proverb > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-PT-JACKSON-CONVICTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > Regards, Jennifer

Hi John, Mail family from Parramatta, 1860s? On 1 January 2014 14:31, Jennifer Bell <jaznjjj@gmail.com> wrote: > How depressing! I am fortunate that my daughter is willing to take it on > - we are working jointly on some projects My daughter-in-law also comes > from a family which values family history so no worries there. While I am > not planning to fall off the perch soon, at the moment someone else wishing > to continue my research would find it a challenge. To try to overcome that, > I am in the process of re-arranging my files so that a stranger could pick > up a folder related to a particular individual or family and know exactly > where my research is up to. Very much a work in progress. > > I love the idea of a genealogical will! > > > > > On 1 January 2014 14:11, Mike Harvey <mj_harvey@dodo.com.au> wrote: > >> This is very sad but good lesson for all. >> >> >> http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/bayswater-fire-destroys-genealogist-horst-blaichs-lifetime-of-work/story-fngnvlxu-1226773412995?sv=ff975feb5f10 >> >> >> This loss needed not to happen if just a little thought ( all right, a >> lot >> of thought) and effort had been put into placing your research some where >> safe and making sure that it will be preserved for future generations. >> >> A recent death of a fellow researcher and what happened to her research >> made me think. >> >> When you think about the hours, and in some cases, years, you put into >> gathering your research would you like to lose it suddenly? >> >> Have you thought about what will happen to your research if, heaven >> forbid, >> you fall of your twig unexpectedly? >> Will your heirs treasure your work and place it where it will be >> appreciated?....... >> Or will they just send it to the dump as rubbish, as hers did, >> along with all those precious, but uncatalogued and unidentified family >> photos >> simply because you hadn't thought about it or, worse, not got around to >> it? >> >> Have you made duplicates of your current research and backed it up? >> >> I use Dropbox at present but am open to any better suggestions. >> >> This is what I have put in place in case I drop off my twig, and as I am >> now considered to be elderly having been born during WW2, >> this is a real possibilty. My fellow researcher was 10 years younger than >> me! >> >> Genealogical Codicil to My Last Will and Testament: >> >> My Genealogical Will >> For Preserving My Family History >> To my spouse, children and/or heirs, guardian, administrator or executor: >> Upon my death, it is requested that you DO NOT dispose of any or all of >> my >> genealogical records, both those prepared personally by me and those >> prepared by others, which may be in my possession. >> This includes but is not limited to books, paper and/or computer files, >> notebooks, correspondence, audio/visual items, photographs, and >> documents, >> for a period of two years. >> During this two-year period, please attempt to identify one or more >> persons >> who would be willing to take custody of said materials and the >> responsibility of maintaining and continuing the family histories. >> Parties to contact regarding the assumption of the custody of these items >> include but are not limited to: >> >> Name >> Address >> Telephone >> >> In the event that you find no one to accept these materials, please >> contact >> the institutions listed below, in order, and determine if they will >> accept >> part or all of my genealogical materials. >> >> Institution Name Address >> (Contact Person) Telephone >> >> Please remember that my family history studies consumed a great deal of >> time, travel, and money. Therefore it is my strong desire that the >> product >> of these efforts be preserved and allowed to continue in a manner that >> will make them available to others in the future. >> Signature >> Date >> Witness >> Date _ >> >> >> Regards >> Mike Harvey >> Merewether NSW >> mj_harvey@dodo.com.au >> >> "Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself." >> -Ancient Chinese Proverb >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> AUS-PT-JACKSON-CONVICTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > > Regards, > Jennifer > -- Jennifer