Family History Gathering and Stories

Summer Reunions and Family Stories

Summer is the time when most families get together and meet for family reunions. What a wonderful time to gather some family history information and stories of your ancestors. I always attend with a hand full of family group sheets and a completed pedigree chart. Most family members have no trouble helping me fill out a sheet for their family. If you aren't sure where to begin in writing your family story then you might be interested in attending this workshop down in Norman this Saturday.  

Nathan Brown, Oklahoma's poet laureate, will lead a workshop this Saturday, July 20th,

on preserving family stories at the Norman Public Library

at 10:00 a.m.  and at the Noble Public Library at 2:00 p.m. 

"Family Stories: How to Begin"

will feature tips on how to get started in research and recording of family stories

 that can be handed down from one generation to the next.

The workshops are free. No Registration is required.

Indexing Report from FamilySearch

FamilySearch recently reported that as an Indexing community we have completed 71,509,934

records, not names, (which could mean 10 - 50 names per record), this year!  Thank you from the Stake Indexing Group for helping to reach that total. I am very thankful for those who are indexing in our Stake.

You never know when the name you index may be the very name someone is looking for to document their family tree.  Below are a few recommendations from FamilySearch for new indexing projects. Try to look at them and see if you can find one you might like to work on.

• U.S., Texas, Del Rio-Allen Arrivals, 1906-1953  - Many cards are typed, if the first batch you down load is too hard, try another one. 
• U.S. Tennessee - Deaths 1956-1961
• U.S. applications for Headstones for Veterans 1941-1949 - read instructions about the way to index the back of the cards.
• U.S. Main - Vital Records Prior to 1892 for 80 Towns

Remember that a 3 level batch means you will have to add or mark lines blank, or no extractable data. A level 5 batch means you may have to add lines, and  that there are overlays that require special handling.