New FamilySearch Tree Sagas - Week 2

It's Monday night and me and my ancestors are meeting up on new FamilySearch. I am still into developing this new habit and I have done nothing but think about it all week. I was trying to work out in my mind just exactly how I am going to keep track and delve into this humongous combining project.

When I finally signed into NFS tonight I had this thought pop into my mind. I had heard that once a family history consultant had access to NFS that all the training materials were available there for them and they don't need to sign into Net Dimension. At first I couldn't find the materials, I knew I should have a special tab, but then I realized it was in the Help Center and not on the main page. The tab is called "Training & Resources". I went under the E-learning Courses and I received the following message:

"The Internet Learning System has found an account that was created for you when you completed the Family History Consultant registration survey".

It listed my name with the user names I used on Net Dimensions. I clicked yes that that was me. It took a few minutes and then I had this message:

"Great! The training history from your previous account is now connected with this new account. From now on, you must come through the Help Center in the new FamilySearch to view your online training (just as you are doing right now).
Thank You!

Then this popped up.

You have been automatically enrolled in new modules. Please review your current course listing on this page for this new information.

Now I was finally into the new training materials. I could see a new link "The New FamilySearch". It said: "This training course instructs family history consultants and FamilySearch Support missionaries how to use and support the new FamilySearch. For printable handouts, click the following link."

I didn't click the link I was just "looking". I found that they have the video presentations made at the Family History Consultant Fireside held on Thursday, 8 Nov 2007 at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. I didn't get to attend that one so I will later take the time to watch the video. These are neat tools. I'm sure I will make use of them now. For some reason I was really bad about going to Net Dimensions to do any of the training before.

I couldn't resist and I finally clicked on the New Family Search materials. It says it's a 4-5 hour course. It's broken down into smaller lessons but wow that must be a lot of material to take that long. I will definitely come back and go over that. Since I've answered that question that popped into my mind it was now time to get back to working on my family.

I say my family and I know that isn't the right mindset. New FamilySearch is not just my family it's our family, everyone's family. I just have to make sure that my ancestors and their descendants are included in it.

As I tried to go back to the main page I had four windows I had to close just to get out of the training materials. Wow, it would of been nice to not have it open so many windows. Well, at least I don't have to click the back button. I don't know just me mumbling I guess. Not sure which would of made me happy.

See Me and My Ancestors is the page I want to start on. I've been thinking about this all week and this is my plan of attack.

1. Open up my personal genealogy software database so I can make sure I am combining the right people.
2. Resize the NFS and the genealogy database screens so half is side by side. That way I can "see" everything better. I was pleased that NFS resized so I can see the details without having the scroll left to right to view everything.
3. Print out a four generation pedigree chart from my personal genealogy database so I can keep track of where I have been and where to start.
4. Work my way combining starting a generation at a time. This would mean I need to work on my grandparents. I heard it is best to combine the parents, then do the children. So I started to look at my mother's parents just because I was there last time.
5. I am not going to get bogged down in all the details. I just want to combine right now. My siblings are going to get into this sooner than later and I want them to see their lines and get excited. I will work on adding details later. I am building the skeleton and will add flesh on the bones later.
   

I couldn't resist I am sidetracked and wondering who contributor unknown4470317 is? Could that be my mother's submission? She is deceased should I claim it as my legacy submission? It only says it was submitted by LDS Church Temple Records then it notes: This contributor submitted information to either Ancestral File (AF) or the Pedigree Resource File (PRF). If you are the person, you can Declare This Legacy Contributor as Yourself. I decide to note the contributor id and watch it and see if I can determine if it is mine or my mothers submission. I changed my mind I decide to see if the same id is on my father's parent's records and it is. So it might be my Dad's submission. I need to make some phone calls before I claim this legacy as mine own. I will give Family History Support a call tomorrow and find out how you determine who the submission was submitted by.

It's already getting late and I haven't combined a single person yet - YIKES!! I know haste makes waste so I need to calm down this urge to fly through things. I decided to look at my mother's parents and instead of going onto the next generation I looked at all the children and low and behold duplicates. I didn't look at my mom's sibling last week. I also find that my aunt's duplicate is also my temple submission record for her. I can finally experience claiming a legacy submission. It's really easy just make sure you click on the link for the submitter so it will finally bring up the link so you can "Declare This Legacy Contributor as Yourself". I did so and it told me it would take 4-6 weeks for the action to occur and gave me a case number. WAHOO! this is great I actually did something.

My mother had 12 siblings so there were a lot of records to go through. I had such an urge to keep moving down my first aunt's descendants and get lost in their records. It was with great effort that I kept moving down all the siblings. It was kind of cool to see my temple submissions get combined together. It made me feel better some how. Yes, I will try to keep up this pace and work on my direct lines and make sure I combine all the children's information. I will work my way down and around the lines after I get the skeleton of the family outlined.

There is so much to do and I have to give myself a pat on the back. I was able to combine several records tonight and put in a claim for a legacy submission of mine. I guess if I hadn't stopped to look at the Family History Consultant training materials I would have been able to get to work on my father's parents. Hopefully someone out there needed to know that information. At least all father's siblings are living so it shouldn't be that hard to check off that family. Out of the 13 children on my mother's side only one of them is still living.

Well, I have another week to mull over what plan of action I should take and if I am on the right course. For now I feel good. Wish I could of done more but you do the best you can with the time that you do have. I certainly am further ahead than if I did nothing at all!

See ya tomorrow, for tomorrow is always another genealogy day!