Indexing tib bits

Manti, Utah Temple Aug 2, 2012

What a beautiful Temple sitting up on a hill over looking the town  of Manti, Utah, just across the road from the community cemetery. We visited there this summer. 

Regional Stake Single Adult Conference, Oct 20 2012

Joyce Hughes, Martin Dobson, Stacy May, Shara Preston

Today at the Surrey Hills Ward building, next to the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Stake Temple an all day regional Conference took place for the singles over 30. It was a great pleasure  to go and help them with Indexing, one of their service projects.  Evelyn Kelley Aquino helped for two hours in the morning and I was able to be there most of the afternoon. There was a great deal of interest in the Indexing project with at least three indexers working at all times. A great deal of hard work went into planning this event and everyone had a spiritual uplifting experience. Thank you for including Indexing as one of your projects!

NOVEMBER CHALLENGE

225,000 NAMES

IN ONE MONTH!!!!!!

We can do it, but we need all 493 members who have signed up to index to do their part. If everyone helped each person would only have to do 457 names in order to reach our goal.

At the current rate of 99 indexers working in October, they would have to index or arbitrate 2273 names each. Just shows what happens if all work together.

October Indexing Open House

Catch the Vision

Indexing and Family History work lead to the TEMPLE

The Stake Indexing Directors and Stake Family History Center Directors were invited to an Open house in Salt Lake City on October 5th, 2012.The Keynote speaker was Elder Dennis Brimhall, Managing Director of the Family History Department.I was very privileged to be able to attend this all day event and I learned many things.  Some of which I would like to share with all of the Indexers and Arbitrators in Oklahoma City Stake.  This event gave me a whole new perspective on the role of Indexing. It also gave me another chance to visit my children , grandchildren and great grandchildren who live in Utah. :)

• We need to make the connection between Indexing and Family History work and the Temple. 

I was shocked to learn that on a Church-wide basis, only 2.4% of the members are preparing their family names to take to the Temple. That means that over 97% of us are not doing the work for our ancestors.  Why is that? Elder Brimhall said it was because many have dis-connected the "turning of their hearts" and Temple Worship. While it is not a waste of time to take a Temple name through a Temple session, it is by taking our own ancestors names that we will be able to receive both parts of the  Abrahamic Promise; even eternal life.

• The purpose of Indexing and Family History work is to help members perform Vicarious ordinances for their ancestors.   
• Indexing is inseparable from Family History work. It is the driving force, helping family history work soar to new heights.
• Many think that family history work is to be performed primarily by older people.  Elder Bednar said "I know of no age limit described in the scriptures or guidelines " of the church. All members, and all youth are invited to participate in Indexing and Family History work. There were special training sessions available at the Family History Library about implementing  Elder Bednar's Youth challenge to Index.
• Indexing is a valuable tool to use to "Rescue the One".
• Indexing  helps new member retention rates. There is an 80-90% retention rate for new converts who do indexing/family history work and go to the Temple for Baptisms, within a few weeks of their own baptism.
• Indexing was described by one Stake President as " A Temple experience that you can have in your own home".

STAKE INDEXING CHALLENGE FOR NOVEMBER

225,000 NAMES

In case you haven't heard, this is a new challenge that the Stake Presidency has set for November. This activity goes along with our Stake Temple Month, where we are encouraged to attend the Temple as frequently as possible. 

The Indexing challenge  is  to enable all members, active, inactive, home-bound, new members, investigators, or those without a current  Temple recommend,  to experience  that same Spirit  as they would if they could go to a Temple session.

A Challenge TIP!

If you want to get a jump-start on your indexing for November then try this:  After October 25th, download and index some batches and do not send them back. Save them till November 1st, then return all the batches you have worked.

Since there is a 7 day limit on how long you can have a batch in your work page, it is ok not to click on "send batch now" after the computer does the quality check. The batch will sit there till you decide to return it or the 7 day limit.

 Do not wait longer than 7 days  because  the batch will be withdrawn from your computer and you will not get any credit for your work. 

October Pumpkins

Catch The Vision 

November is our Stake Indexing Challenge month to accompany our Stake Temple Month. We have been asked to index 225,000 names during the month of November. That means each Ward or Branch would need to indexing/arbitrating 25,000 names. It can be done and we hope that you are beginning to hear talk about the challenge in your Ward during the month of October.

September Indexing Statistics 

September total = 74,780

Ward                    indexed & Arbitrated names

Clinton                       25

Edmond 1st           9033

Edmond 2nd         6507

Okc 5th                   7873

Okc 1st                    3322

Okc 3rd                 16138

Quail Creek          19621

Village                      673

Woodward            11972

Youth Okc 1st             18

Youth Okc 5th            10

Youth Quail Creek     60

Total YTD Stake (indexed & Arbitrated)

948,830

Arbitrators

September 19th - 26th was the week set aside for arbitrators to try to index 4 million records from the WWI Draft Card project. We almost made it by arbitrating  2 Million names that week. There are still 1.5 Million names to go in that project so we are encouraged to continue working on that project as much as we can. Thank you for taking the time to work on those records as some of the location names in Austria-Hungary were very difficult to figure out. My suggestion is to try a different state if you find it too difficult.

I will be attending an Indexing Open House for Stake Indexing Directors in Salt Lake City on Friday, October 5th. It will be exciting to hear what the director of Family Search has to say and to learn new things, which I will gladly share with all of you.

Autumn trees

Tips for searching the Census Records

If you find yourself having problems finding your ancestors in the census records here are a few tips that I found on the Ancestry.com blog page: Ancestry.com is available in the Family History Center for your use, free of charge.

1. Browse the actual images. You may find relatives living with older neighbors who had the same last name. Scan forward and backward a few pages after you find the persons name to look for others in the family.
2. If searching in ancestry.com, try selecting the " Show advanced" tab on the search form. Then enter just the first name, leave the surname blank, an include a birth year marking the latter as "exact". You might include a place name.
3. Try entering just the surname, with a place name.
4. Try using a wildcard; ie an *, (asterisk) to replace one or more letters in a surname. Indexers sometimes have a hard time reading that old hand writing and could have interpreted a "T" as a "L" or and "R" for a "N". This could make your "Carter" family name to be spelled Cralen !
5. There are two basic approaches to searching the census: 

• One is to start out entering only a few data items in the search fields. Like, only a surname and a place name. (What some like to call fishing in the larger pond, because you get a huge amount of results.) Then add more search items as you narrow down the field.  
• Second approach is to put in as many search items as you know and  get fewer results. Then go back and remove some of the more specific search items to open up more results.

Family Search Tree

Family tree will soon be replacing new.familysearch.org as the way for members to submit names for temple ordinances. It is important to learn how to use this new feature. The benefits include, but not limited to:

• The ability to add, edit , and delete relationships.
• The ability to discuss and show sources for family tree information. (I consider this the most important addition)
• A tool for receiving notifications on people added and new sources.
• A tool to know when someone makes a change to your data.
• Tools to qualify and submit names for temple work

Need help learning how to use this new feature? Contact your Ward Family History Consultants and visit the Family History Center with it's expanded new hours. 

You can also try out the new system at Family Tree Training Site on www.familysearch.org  

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

Stake Indexing Statistics for July 2012

1940 CENSUS ARE 99% COMPLETED

but did you know that it will be a few weeks till all records can be viewed on FamilySearch?

• Family Search is doing a quality check of all records before releasing them to the public
• Each record that had a blank line added, will be verified
• Each location for line 17 - 19 will be double checked; especially those for children under 5, or those with "same House" or Same Place".

A big Thank You to all of you who worked on the 1940 Census records. Even if you only did one name, your work is greatly appreciated. 

What Can We Do Next??? 

Join in the community projects on immigration and naturalization.

The next interesting project at Family Search involves the immigration and naturalization records for every port in the United States from 1860 - 1989. These can be found under "Community Projects" in the drop down lists of current projects. Try the California records first as they are on a beginning level. Each batch has 20 records and I have found all of the cards to be typed. There are few data items required and the records are like the WWI or WWII draft card project. Please read the project information and field Helps First.

Some Interesting notes about Immigration was posted in a Newsletter I recieved from Family Search and they incluced these facts: 

• 1875 Our Nation passed the first immigration law
• 1900 1 in 7 travelers died in trans atlantic voyages
• 1907  1,285,349 Europenas entered the county
• 1930 More people emigrated out of the county than came into it
• 1986  Since 1986 Congress passed seven amnesties for illegal immigrants

Try your hand at these records, they are fun and easy to do. 

 Stake Indexing Statistics for July 2012

 The Stake Cummulative for the Year is now:

821,271 names

 

The Monthly total for each Ward 

Ward                                      Indexed       Arbitrated

Clinton                          2520              1484

Edmond First                        6194               6600

Edmond Second                      840               6581

Okc Fifth                               2562             15092

Okc First                                8243             18292

Okc Third                              5520             16239

University                                  40

Quail Creek                           6351             12813

Village                                    2729

Woodward                             4441              8825

Oklahoma City Youth Indexers

WARD                                      INDEXED

 

Youth Edmond First                 320

Youth Edmond Second              92

Youth OKC First                      122

Youth Village                            152

Oklahoma Musem of Art - blown glass exhibit

 

 Oklahoma History-Research Center Book Sale

If you love old books about genealogy, history, education, or old maps and pictures and other genealogy treasures, then you won't want to miss the sale at the Oklahoma History Research Center this week-end. Some of these books are out of print copies as well. Admission to the Research Center is free.

Sale begins on Wednesday Aug 1, 2012 and goes through Friday Aug 3,2012. The hours are 10-4 pm on Wed and Thurs. 10-3pm on Friday.

The Oklahoma History Center is located off of Lincoln Avenue, across from the State Capital.