Grand Canyon taken by Bob Wilcox September 2012

CATCH THE VISION

New Indexing Challenge for the Stake in the month of 

NOVEMBER

As as Stake, we have been asked by our Stake Presidency to index and or Arbitrate 225,000 names. This is not an impossible goal.  There are currently 440 members in our Stake who have signed up to do indexing. If every one would index in November, we would only have to do 511 names each. That is not an overwhelming amount. If you haven't indexed recently, please consider helping us make this goal. Help is always available.

You will be hearing more about this in your Wards and Branches.

Top 5 Indexers and Top 5 Arbitrators

Last year we had a very nice appreciation evening with an awards program for our 10 ten Indexers. This year we decided to do expand that a little by choosing the top 5 Indexers and the top 5 Arbitrators. If you win in one group you can't qualify for the second group. We hope that this will give those who only index a chance to be recognized. Along with that we will also be including the top 5 Youth Indexers.

This Night of Appreciation will take place in February 2013. A date has not been chosen yet, but you will be notified if you are one of those who qualify.

ARBITRATORS

This is the week that Familysearch asked all arbitrators to help by arbitrating the WWI Draft Cards. Between September 16 and September 23 the goal was to arbitrate 4 million records. I noticed on the Familysearch blog, that the states of Tennessee and West Virginia were especially in need of help. I tried Tennessee WWI Draft cards and the hardest part was figuring out how to spell the names of towns in Austria Hungary or Russia. I used Google to try and find them. Be sure you read the field helps on the Country of birth and Nation of Citizenship. As there are 3 different kinds of Draft Cards with different ways to get the results that are required.

September Indexing Update

Stake Days of Thanksgiving Indexing Challenge

The Stake Presidency have made a few changes to our Annual Days of Thanksgiving Temple Trek this year. They have requested that, as a Stake we index 225,000 names in the month of November. 

That means each Ward and Branch in the Stake will have to index 25,000 names that month.  I know that may sound like a lot for some of the Wards and Branches, but many of you are already doing that amount and more.  It is a very good goal, but it means that each Ward and Branch will have to really get busy in November to accomplish their 25,000 names. It can be done. If you have 25 indexers in your Ward, each one  would only have to index and/or arbitrate 1000 names in the month. That is a good goal and I think we can all do that. I also encourage the Youth of the Stake and the University Ward to pick up the Challenge and see who can do the most.

Along with this Indexing Challenge, they are requesting that the Stake make every effort to attend the Temple Sessions as often as possible through-out the whole month, not just on a specific day.

So prepare you family names to go to the Temple in November and make it a family affair.

Immigration & Naturalization Indexing Tips

If you have switched from the 1940 Census records to the Immigration & Naturalization records you may have seen the notice that was sent out by Family Search when you log into the home page on How to index the Place of Birth or Nationality .  These two data items are listed separately on the upper left side of the record.  ALWAYS select Place of Birth if given, only select Nationality if Place of Birth is missing.  Also in addition to the info given in the notice from Family Search, it has come to my attention and I verified this with the Help Service at 1-866-406-1830 in SLC, you should type what you see.  Let me give you some examples of what you might see and how you should index it:

• Place of birth might say: Canton, Ohio    You index: Canton Ohio   Do not change it to USA or United States and omit the comma.
• Place of birth might be   blank    Nationality might say: Italian  You index: Italian  not Italy
• Place of birth might say: Grt. Brit     You Index: Grt Brit   do no expand abbreviations even if you are sure of what they are, omit the period aft Grt. 

These rules are different from how we have put in place names before, so please read the field helps if you are not sure. These records have been pretty easy to work on, once you know how the data should be entered.

Family Search Training

Do you feel like you need some help with the changes in Family Search and Family Search Tree?  I know that I do.  Well mark these dates on your calendar and sign up to go to the Oklahoma History Center at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, by the State Capitol. I will add the website below.

 Our own Donna Waddle of OKC 5th Ward will be teaching the classes. they will be  specifically; Family Search for Beginners, and a class  in Family Search for Advanced users. The cost is $10.00 and you get a lunch with that.  Our Family History Center is reaching out to the community helping us to become a Divine Destination in Family History Research. Here are the dates:

Wednesday, September 26th Class for FamilySearch Beginners

Wednesday 24th, class for FamilySearch Advanced users

To go to the website for the Oklahoma History Center to learn more about these classes and other free programs and research facilities they offer click on the following link: The Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, OK

August 2012 Stake Indexing Reports

Summer is Almost Over In Oklahoma

August 2012 Indexing Report

Oklahoma City Stake

With the end of the 1940 US Census project we are seeing a decline in the number of names indexed in our Stake. Total number of names for our Stake this month was 52,883.

 There are many other projects out there that are interesting and easy to do . Please consider trying the  US Community Projects for Immigration and Naturalization. These records include ship passenger lists for all the US Ports that brought immigrants into this country. Some of them are typed, some are very short. You might also look at the U S  Michigan death records, or the WWI registration cards. As with any new project please read the Project Information and Field Helps before you start.

Stake Total as of Aug 31

873,894 

This includes total names Indexed and total names Arbitrated

(Our 2012 Goal is 1 Million + names)

Did you Know?

That out of 35 Stakes in North Texas, Oklahoma, SW Missouri and Easter Arkansas

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Stake is ranked at # 3 when it comes to indexing. 

This news comes from the area Family Newsletter that is published each month by our Area Family History Advisor, Brother Kirk Hathaway. Plano,TX Stake  is rated # 1 with 1,008,869 names as of August 10th. 

If you would like to receive this newsletter let me know and I will forward it to you via email.

August Indexing Report by Wards

Ward                         Total Names Index & Arbitrated

Clinton                        102

Edmond First              6554

Edmond Second          1367

OKC Fifth                 15500

OKC First                   2600

OKC Third                12,600

University                    145

Quail Creek                5308

Village                        685

Woodward                  7355

Youth OKC First            487 

Youth Village               180

Two New Links to more Family History Research sites.

I found two new interesting and exciting websites that will help you with your family history research. The first one is a blog page presented by an Attorney who is also a certified genealogist. If you would like to learn more about various records and the information they contain, or about copyright laws concerning genealogy I suggest you read her blog. The hotlink is listed below, just click on it and it will take you to her site.

The second interesting site is at Ancestry.com. They have a time machine that will present a video of your life as if you lived in the 1940's. Just put in some basic information and your name will appear in the video. It brings history to life.  Click on the Time Machine link below.

Legal Genealogist Blog Page                         Ancestry Time Machine