Dee, thank you for providing these reminders as we update for 2013. I will add these items to Dee's list of what causes me to shy away from another researcher:  1) Lack of responsiveness tarnishes your reputation.  2) Current information. I'd rather see only the basics on a website (or listing) than to see a page with outdated information or broken links. Charlene M. Pipkin, A.G.® Orem, Utah Today is a good day to add 2013 copyright notices on my websites.  This started recirculating some observations from the last couple of months.  > >The most prevalent way we "see" up-and-coming professionals these days is electronically through their social media posts and their websites.  > >Our website should make us transparent, not create ambiguity. We all need to be careful with how we word the content. We all need another set of eyes to proofread.  Here are a few things that convince me a person would not be on my go-to list. > >A couple of pages of terrible spelling, worse grammar and punctuation, and misuse of words or terms stops me from looking any further. > >It's better to clearly list memberships than to say "numerous memberships" without being specific. It makes me suspicious to see that kind of broad statement accompanied by references to organizations to which, upon further checking, the person does not belong. Is this just a lapse in good content, or an attempt to create the perception that the website owner is actually a member of an organization when they are not?  > >I REALLY question motive when the person has copied and pasted to their website whole blocks of text from other organizations in what is apparently an attempt to make it appear the person is a member of, is endorsed by, or that the person adheres to the philosophy of that organization.  > >Oblique references to credentials are especially irksome. The genealogist has "certifications and accreditations." However, none are listed and the content includes references to ICAPGen or BCG. The name doesn't show up in member rosters and no credentials follow the name. Lapse or intent? > >Affiliates and affiliations. Several websites I've looked at recently used affiliates when the owner meant affiliations.  We're affiliated with or affiliates of APG, Ancestry.com, Family Tree DNA, etc.  These are not our affiliates. > >Some websites really overstate qualifications and experience. "Our experience and education makes us uniquely qualified" for this particular specialty. No education or experience is defined on the website.  I keep a running list of folks I'd never ask to help on a project because queries about education and experience showed the folks had not been honest in their self-promotion.  Red flags go up when the site obviously has hype written about the genealogist, BY the genealogist. > >Taking credit for someone else's work or position. A couple of months ago some friends and I found a website in which a person made it appear they were a lead genealogist "working with another genealogist" to solve a military repatriation case. The "other" genealogist was actually the credentialed sub-contracting genealogist who asked this person to do ONE vital record retrieval.... The person also published private info shared by the sub-contractor genealogist to make it easier for the person to retrieve the record. > >These are things that can really hamstring a potential career. And tarnish a reputation among colleagues. Most folks on this list are probably snickering, "Someone would REALLY do these things?" Yep, real examples from real websites. > >best regards and a prosperous New Year, > >Dee >

Today is a good day to add 2013 copyright notices on my websites. This started recirculating some observations from the last couple of months. The most prevalent way we "see" up-and-coming professionals these days is electronically through their social media posts and their websites. Our website should make us transparent, not create ambiguity. We all need to be careful with how we word the content. We all need another set of eyes to proofread. Here are a few things that convince me a person would not be on my go-to list. A couple of pages of terrible spelling, worse grammar and punctuation, and misuse of words or terms stops me from looking any further. It's better to clearly list memberships than to say "numerous memberships" without being specific. It makes me suspicious to see that kind of broad statement accompanied by references to organizations to which, upon further checking, the person does not belong. Is this just a lapse in good content, or an attempt to create the perception that the website owner is actually a member of an organization when they are not? I REALLY question motive when the person has copied and pasted to their website whole blocks of text from other organizations in what is apparently an attempt to make it appear the person is a member of, is endorsed by, or that the person adheres to the philosophy of that organization. Oblique references to credentials are especially irksome. The genealogist has "certifications and accreditations." However, none are listed and the content includes references to ICAPGen or BCG. The name doesn't show up in member rosters and no credentials follow the name. Lapse or intent? Affiliates and affiliations. Several websites I've looked at recently used affiliates when the owner meant affiliations. We're affiliated with or affiliates of APG, Ancestry.com, Family Tree DNA, etc. These are not our affiliates. Some websites really overstate qualifications and experience. "Our experience and education makes us uniquely qualified" for this particular specialty. No education or experience is defined on the website. I keep a running list of folks I'd never ask to help on a project because queries about education and experience showed the folks had not been honest in their self-promotion. Red flags go up when the site obviously has hype written about the genealogist, BY the genealogist. Taking credit for someone else's work or position. A couple of months ago some friends and I found a website in which a person made it appear they were a lead genealogist "working with another genealogist" to solve a military repatriation case. The "other" genealogist was actually the credentialed sub-contracting genealogist who asked this person to do ONE vital record retrieval.... The person also published private info shared by the sub-contractor genealogist to make it easier for the person to retrieve the record. These are things that can really hamstring a potential career. And tarnish a reputation among colleagues. Most folks on this list are probably snickering, "Someone would REALLY do these things?" Yep, real examples from real websites. best regards and a prosperous New Year, Dee -- Dee Dee King, Certified Genealogist (sm), Certificate 903 Contract Genealogist, US Navy Casualty POW/MIA Branch Co-Director, Forensic Genealogy Institute http://www.forensicgenealogists.com/forensic-genealogy-institute.html Mail address - PO Box 1085, Manvel TX 77578 Telephone/fax 281-595-3090 www.forensicgenealogyservices.com/NavyCasualty.html www.facebook.com/forensicgenealogist Certified Genealogist (CG) is a service mark (sm) of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, conferred to associates who consistently meet ethical and competency standards in accord with peer-reviewed evaluations every five years, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

I have one of the above printer cartridge that went to my dead printer. The cartridge is free to the first person who wants it. Please contact me off-list. Sincerely, Melanie D. Holtz, CG Holtz Research Services 7283-102 NC Hwy 42 W, #402 Raleigh, NC 27603 Melanie@holtzresearch.com www.holtzresearch.com

Very interesting, Debra! Michele I have a similar circumstance in my family. My grandfather changed his name c. 1914 in Chicago, Cook County, IL apparently without legal papers being filed (I've searched to no avail). His origin surname was Alfred Petersen; all his ten siblings remained Petersen. In 1914 he married in Chicago as Alva McLaughlin and his wife took that surname. His first son, my dad, was born Thomas Petersen-McLaughlin in 1916. The surname was further refined to McLaughlan and then MacLaughlan. Petersen was dropped. Cook County didn't require birth certificates until after 1916. In order to apply for a passport in 1965 my dad supplied his baptism certificate, which had the hybrid form of his surname: http://sakionline.net/familypage/tombirth.jpg Somehow it was accepted legally by the U.S. State Department as proof of Thomas William MacLaughlan's U.S. birth despite the name discrepancy. "Legal" names had a more fluid definition in previous times. It wash't a question of what was false but what was regularly used in the family. Best, Debra MacLaughlan Dumes http://sakionline.net/familypage The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On Dec 29, 2012, at 10:14 AM, Michele Lewis wrote: > Believe it or not, there is a question in all of this. When my uncle got > married, he gave a false name. His wife took that false name as her own (I > assume she knew it was false considering all of his siblings had a different > last name and his parents had only been married to each other). Their child > is also named this false name. LEGALLY, what does it all mean? Is the > wife's legal name really the false name or is it my uncle's real last name? > What about the child? I have a similar circumstance in my family. My grandfather changed his name c. 1914 in Chicago, Cook County, IL apparently without legal papers being filed (I've searched to no avail). His origin surname was Alfred Petersen; all his ten siblings remained Petersen. In 1914 he married in Chicago as Alva McLaughlin and his wife took that surname. His first son, my dad, was born Thomas Petersen-McLaughlin in 1916. The surname was further refined to McLaughlan and then MacLaughlan. Petersen was dropped. Cook County didn't require birth certificates until after 1916. In order to apply for a passport in 1965 my dad supplied his baptism certificate, which had the hybrid form of his surname: http://sakionline.net/familypage/tombirth.jpg Somehow it was accepted legally by the U.S. State Department as proof of Thomas William MacLaughlan's U.S. birth despite the name discrepancy. "Legal" names had a more fluid definition in previous times. It wash't a question of what was false but what was regularly used in the family. Best, Debra MacLaughlan Dumes http://sakionline.net/familypage

On Dec 30, 2012, at 1:15 PM, Roma Miller wrote: > I came across my great grandfather's WWI Draft card. He states is birth year as someone who is 35 (when he should be 60). Why would this have been done? Deception? 1. In my experience sometimes the top-bar of the numeral "5" can be missing due to handwriting errors or pen-and-ink problems. If you look closely at what appears to be a numeral "3" could this be the case? 2. Again in my experience, especially where German ancestry is predominant, signing up for WWI service took on more of a patriotic statement. My great-grandfather's brother, who had been born in Charleston SC but whose father was born in Germany, shaved ten years off his actual age to be considered. In 1917 on his WWI registration card he reported his birth year as 1876 instead of the correct 1866. This confused his descendants for several decades afterwards. But my assumption is that he wanted to be seriously considered for service, or at least appear to be serious. A 41-year-old man might have been a more attractive candidate than a 51-year old man. Best, Debra MacLaughlan Dumes http://sakionline.net/familypage

I'm 65, and I've had people say I look more like 55, but mistaking a 60-year-old for 35 is a bit of a stretch. I would entertain the possibility of error of some sort before wondering if he had deliberately intended to deceive. That's a bit of a stretch. Any way we can have a look at it? Karen Packard Rhodes home for the holidays in Middleburg, Clay County, Florida On 12/30/2012 4:15 PM, Roma Miller wrote: > I came across my great grandfather's WWI Draft card. He states is birth year as someone who is 35 (when he should be 60). Why would this have been done? Deception? > >

If this name had been written in the standard format, then Hockett is her maiden name, Smith her first married name, and VanDoren her current married name BUT you can never assume that. You would need to contact the person that wrote it that way to ascertain exactly what they meant by it. Michele -----Original Message----- From: transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of DESloan@aol.com Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 2:52 AM To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com Subject: [TGF] Need Help with Surnames Hello, I found this while doing some research: Jabez and Margaret (Hockett) Smith VanDoren Is Margaret's maiden name Smith or Hockett? Thanks, Dave The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Roma, Are you positive it is your great grandfather's and not a son or another person of the same name? Is the emergency contact his wife? I would also like to see it. Dawn -----Original Message----- From: transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Roma Miller Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 1:16 PM To: transitional-genealogists-forum@rootsweb.com Subject: [TGF] WWI Draft Registration Age I came across my great grandfather's WWI Draft card. He states is birth year as someone who is 35 (when he should be 60). Why would this have been done? Deception? Thank you, Roma Ancestors of Yesteryear The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I came across my great grandfather's WWI Draft card. He states is birth year as someone who is 35 (when he should be 60). Why would this have been done? Deception? Thank you, Roma Ancestors of Yesteryear

Dave wrote: > I found this while doing some research: >Jabez and Margaret (Hockett) Smith VanDoren >Is Margaret's maiden name Smith or Hockett? Where, Dave, did you find it? That's the first consideration. How you appraise what you find will always depend upon the nature of the source. Elizabeth ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG www.HistoricPathways.com www.EvidenceExplained.com & for daily tips on records and record usage: www.Facebook.com/EvidenceExplained

With the caveats that Israel and Elizabeth have mentioned, my initial hypothesis would probably be that her maiden name may have been Hockett.  Assuming I had evidence that Jabez' surname was VanDoren, not Smith VanDoren, I would investigate whether Margaret had previously married a Mr. Smith. Connie DESloan@aol.com wrote: > Hello, >    I found this while doing some > research:    > Jabez and  Margaret (Hockett) Smith VanDoren > > Is Margaret's maiden name Smith or Hockett? >  > Thanks, > Dave

Dave, even if there were a prevalent convention for such notations in the time and place you need (and you do not specify, so we can only speculate), There is no way to know for sure that the person who recorded the name followed the convention faithfully. Israel Pickholtz Jerusalem (blogging weekly at http://allmyforeparents.blogspot.com ) On 30 Dec 2012 at 1:01, transitional-genealogists-forum- request@roTRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM Digest, Vol 6, Is wrote: > Hello, > I found this while doing some research: > Jabez and Margaret (Hockett) Smith VanDoren > > Is Margaret's maiden name Smith or Hockett? > > Thanks, > Dave

Like Barbara, I never change the order of documents in an original file. But I feel free to use my copies in any way that helps me. On most of the files I have seen, pension, probate, and other, the records don't appear to be in any particular order. I have often found page 2 of a document many pages away in a file, as received. But just in case they are in some order I don't see, I always number documents in the order in which I receive the file. I usually write a small number in an upper corner of the back of a document--or make a copy of the PDF in which I can then rearrange things and add annotation, but still have the original as received. Then I feel free to reorganize chronologically or by subject matter of the documents. Because I make an inventory of the pages in a table or a spreadsheet, I can easily sort the inventory instead of needing to shuffle around papers or pages within a PDF. The inventory contains a brief description and a list of the people named in the document--anything I may want to quickly find again. Looking at the information in different ways can lead to new insights and the inventory makes that easier. Regards, Debbie Debbie Parker Wayne, CG(SM) -- Wayne Research <http://debbiewayne.com/> -- Deb's Delvings Blog <http://debsdelvings.blogspot.com/> CG and Certified Genealogist are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by associates who meet prescribed genealogical competency standards. Barbara Mathews wrote on 12/29/2012 5:48 PM: > ... > > I habitually re-order my photocopies of those documents, however, to > chronological order. I find they tell me their story that way. > > Although I keep original records in their original order, I happen to think > that it isn't likely that they've always been in that order. I don't happen > to think that average clerks really care, nor that 150 years of access are > likely to be orderly. I just don't myself add to the disorder. > > ...

Hello, I found this while doing some research: Jabez and Margaret (Hockett) Smith VanDoren Is Margaret's maiden name Smith or Hockett? Thanks, Dave

Hi Sharon, As a military brat and former federal employee I can tell you that most military records and federal employee records are in reverse chronological order. The reason for this is that the "papers" are placed in the file in the order that the record keeper received the paper. Ann Gilchrest In a message dated 29-Dec-12 16:18:56 US Mountain Standard Time, sharon@sharonwhitney.com writes: Hi, I have acquired as a private holding photocopies of four record groups pertaining to the complicated Navy service of my grandfather. In conjunction with his legacy writings, which I also hold privately, I am writing up my analysis--for my own edification and possible dissemination. Within each record group, am I wiser to leave the photocopied documents as I received them (not in a strict chronological order), or to rearrange them so that they make more sense, chronologically? What do you all do in such circumstances? Sharon Whitney

Sharon, When I work with probate files of loose documents, I always return them in the order in which I received them. I habitually re-order my photocopies of those documents, however, to chronological order. I find they tell me their story that way. Although I keep original records in their original order, I happen to think that it isn't likely that they've always been in that order. I don't happen to think that average clerks really care, nor that 150 years of access are likely to be orderly. I just don't myself add to the disorder. Barbara

Hi, I have acquired as a private holding photocopies of four record groups pertaining to the complicated Navy service of my grandfather.  In conjunction with his legacy writings, which I also hold privately, I am writing up my analysis--for my own edification and possible dissemination.  Within each record group, am I wiser to leave the photocopied documents as I received them (not in a strict chronological order), or to rearrange them so that they make more sense, chronologically?  What do you all do in such circumstances? Sharon Whitney   "We are students and teachers to each other."

Sharon -- When I receive a pension file from the National Archives, it has been photographed and the pages placed in PDF format. Like your grandfather's records, the pages are not always in logical or chronological order. My choice has been to number them as received and refer to them that way (in addition to describing them, of course). But I can well imagine a situation where you became well enough acquainted with them that you could see a more productive way of organizing them. I just wouldn't be in a big hurry to reorganize them until you're familiar with them. Harold On Sat, Dec 29, 2012 at 5:11 PM, sharon@sharonwhitney.com < sharon@sharonwhitney.com> wrote: > Hi, > I have acquired as a private holding photocopies of four record groups > pertaining to the complicated Navy service of my grandfather. In > conjunction with his legacy writings, which I also hold privately, I am > writing up my analysis--for my own edification and possible dissemination. > Within each record group, am I wiser to leave the photocopied documents as > I received them (not in a strict chronological order), or to rearrange them > so that they make more sense, chronologically? What do you all do in such > circumstances? > Sharon Whitney > > "We are students and teachers to each other." > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- Harold Henderson midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.

Margie, briefly: A source should be attached to each assertion. Privately held materials, are covered at EE 3.24-3.45. Different types of "home sources" involve different types of information that needs to be recorded. A general QuickCheck Model for a privately held artifact is proved at p. 105. Your friend might want to review--or at least run a search in--the 500+postings in the Citation Issues, Evidence Analysis, and Record Usage forums at www.EvidenceExplained.com. There's a handy search box there. Elizabeth ------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG www.HistoricPathways.com www.EvidenceExplained.com & for daily tips on records and records usage: www.Facebook.com/EvidenceExplained -----Original Message----- From: transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of M. A. Beldin Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 3:38 PM To: Transitional-Genealogists-Forum@rootsweb.com Subject: [TGF] Sourcing and attaching media to genie program Hi, A friend is working to source and attach all the artifacts he has been given by his family to his ancestors in his genealogy program. He has some documents that are out of the ordinary and is struggling to figure out where to put them in RootsMagic and whether they are sources to events or just information (I'm jealous cuz he has some great bits of info). I have advised him to use Evidence Explained which he has been consulting and then try to find a corresponding source template in RM. He is doing that but there are still questions. What template would he use for work appraisals? I told him to attach it to the Occupation fact but in what format? He has school report cards, funeral programs... He asks, "I have report cards from school, appraisals from work, funeral programs, etc. Should they all be attached as sources or as media?" I offered that if they contain information such as names, dates and places, they should be used as a source, otherwise they are wonderful pieces of information to be used to enhance his ancestors' lives. Then he has some wonderful notes from an ancestor who was in the Civil War. He writes, "My great-great grandfather was the surgeon general for the Confederacy during the Civil War. I have a copy of his notes where he describes the herbs he collected and the equipment and how he made medicine and for the sick and wounded. I also have a copy of his notes he developed as a doctor and what he used for helping the sick. I'm having a difficult time finding a format for sourcing them. I did look up Mills' book, Evidence Explained, and I did review the various formats she suggests. The best option seems to be Miscellaneous Documents, Unpublished. That my be the best format for miscellaneous stories that I have for several of my ancestors." I suggested Diaries and Journals as that template is found in RM, but is Miscellaneous Documents, Unpublished a better choice? Or just another choice? Ms Mills has certainly hit the nail on the head when she states, "Sourcing is an art...". Thanks Margie in Washington State The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message