What is in a name?

Nearly four years ago we were blessed with the birth of our youngest daughter. She was born five years after our then youngest and 16 years after our oldest. We call her our bonus because she is a true prize. Like most parents we came to a point where we were discussing names for our new baby girl.

Our oldest daughter we named after a prominent character from the book series The Work and the Glory by Gerald N. Lund. For those of you who may not know, the nine-part series chronicles the early growth of the LDS Church and ending in 1847 when the pioneers settle in the Salt Lake Valley. The story line includes both fictional and actual events. The release of the last two books coincided with the birth of our oldest daughter. My wife first suggested the name but one night and while I was reading I came to the same conclusion. We loved the classic pioneer name Lydia and the values the character from the book held. Her middle name is my grandma's maiden name - one that is closely tied to our family.

When we were discussing what to name our oldest daughter, another name in the running was one of the character's names from the T.V. show Party of Five. I admit my interest in the name Julia was partially because I liked the nickname they used for the character -- Jewels. When my second daughter was born this name came into play again because it also ended in the letters IA, like my oldest daughter's. We soon knew this was the name that we wanted. Her middle name is my wife's first name as well as a great grandmother among others.

When my youngest daughter was born we struggled finding a name that we really liked. We wanted a classic name to go along with her sisters but none of them really spoke to us. I googled,"names that end in IA" and got a list that included; Alexia, Alivia, Alexandria, Asia, Cynthia, Georgia, Leia, Malia, Virginia, Nadia, Portia, Octavia, and Gloria. The funny thing was that my grandmother's name was Gloria but it didn't seem to fit. I also had a relative named Octavia, which sparked a genealogical interest in me. How many relatives do I have whose names end in IA?

A quick search in my Legacy database gave me a list of more than 350 females with the letters IA in their given name. I sorted out those that ended in IA; Octavia, Gloria, Maria, Livinia, Sophia, Aqualina, Celia, Julia, Anthonia, Lydia, Leticia, Olivia, Victoria, Cornelia, Amelia, Angelia, Pamelia, Berthia, Patricia, Cordelia, Clestia, Lorania. Nellia, Armedia, Elviria, Euphemia, Letia, Eugenia, Mahalia, Lelia, Loucia, and Idoshia. That does not include the names that sound like they end in IA like Keziah or Mariah. Two of these names we had already used, one my sister-in-law used for their daughter and a few were other cousins or their children's names. Some we admittedly did not even consider because they were too obscure or odd.

I could not believe how many female relative had names that ended in IA. But a name did not jump out at us from the list. We decided to look at a group of names that end in A. Wow! I was blown away. My mother, sister, both daughters, both grandmothers, three of four great-grandmothers, and five out of eight of my great-great-grandmothers all have names that end in the letter A.

According to statistics from the Social Security Administration, names that end in the letter A make up 25%-40% of all female names. This is a trend that began in the 1930's when female names that end in E declined in popularity just as names that end with A began to become more popular.

Similar statistics for the letter A can be found in a different configuration below. A link to the source of this and more information can be found here.

year	letter	contains	initial	final	sex
1880	a	74.52002	10.25793	34.5587	F
1881	a	73.86439	10.22783	34.34397	F
1882	a	73.31201	10.20028	33.87668	F
1883	a	73.29374	10.35594	34.1251	F
1884	a	72.94415	10.32692	33.85469	F
1885	a	72.65341	10.09883	34.12724	F
1886	a	72.16987	9.973432	33.97055	F
1887	a	72.07258	10.16358	33.52605	F
1888	a	71.66794	9.925096	33.27642	F
1889	a	71.06888	9.917304	32.87136	F
1890	a	70.78339	9.770562	32.7312	F
1891	a	70.30779	9.684985	32.66175	F
1892	a	69.73444	9.53251	32.17799	F
1893	a	69.17856	9.464226	31.85475	F
1894	a	69.04433	9.412709	31.68418	F
1895	a	68.74601	9.29714	31.24714	F
1896	a	68.50438	9.25009	30.92736	F
1897	a	68.29945	9.079808	30.80602	F
1898	a	68.03982	8.914025	30.58677	F
1899	a	67.89158	8.990529	30.3455	F
1900	a	67.57361	8.794808	29.99073	F
1901	a	67.55282	8.859448	30.15931	F
1902	a	67.26472	8.862499	29.46694	F
1903	a	66.96046	8.790949	29.44147	F
1904	a	66.61752	8.773223	29.1246	F
1905	a	66.4471	8.823449	28.82948	F
1906	a	66.28841	8.949821	28.36317	F
1907	a	66.07694	8.770894	28.35465	F
1908	a	65.85693	8.744709	28.05043	F
1909	a	65.44659	8.565487	27.69376	F
1910	a	65.54522	8.597112	27.3392	F
1911	a	65.33518	8.50459	27.05126	F
1912	a	65.0141	8.441961	26.72905	F
1913	a	64.89015	8.346371	26.59693	F
1914	a	64.69564	8.318866	26.23658	F
1915	a	64.42025	8.249278	26.15908	F
1916	a	64.43673	8.102422	26.06758	F
1917	a	64.30105	8.029007	25.87358	F
1918	a	64.13086	7.814209	25.7134	F
1919	a	63.80567	7.658949	25.53694	F
1920	a	63.77343	7.514951	25.23755	F
1921	a	63.90863	7.428988	25.28748	F
1922	a	63.81817	7.302301	25.26306	F
1923	a	63.40946	7.144894	25.1091	F
1924	a	63.32793	7.029301	25.27369	F
1925	a	63.14525	6.938364	25.42985	F
1926	a	63.03616	6.866805	25.4158	F
1927	a	63.0742	6.623449	25.50903	F
1928	a	63.25977	6.531078	25.64643	F
1929	a	63.40437	6.381267	25.48332	F
1930	a	64.10109	6.265058	25.61394	F
1931	a	65.06745	6.193562	25.78578	F
1932	a	65.91598	6.111032	26.13958	F
1933	a	66.72413	6.004704	26.21639	F
1934	a	66.98664	5.849401	26.19668	F
1935	a	66.55249	5.702531	26.0573	F
1936	a	67.86346	5.65234	26.26164	F
1937	a	69.39654	5.49249	27.44675	F
1938	a	70.30747	5.322434	27.94419	F
1939	a	70.71503	5.103105	28.30608	F
1940	a	71.15364	4.909787	29.09582	F
1941	a	71.96129	4.594606	29.50641	F
1942	a	72.93857	4.34592	29.59836	F
1943	a	73.34266	4.168121	29.82674	F
1944	a	73.27979	4.031697	30.11592	F
1945	a	73.71489	3.993885	30.55909	F
1946	a	74.12495	3.840462	30.95404	F
1947	a	75.0905	3.661339	33.23117	F
1948	a	75.61626	3.598272	33.98351	F
1949	a	75.96036	3.516051	33.82277	F
1950	a	76.14923	3.537081	33.65552	F
1951	a	76.22307	3.490477	33.78995	F
1952	a	75.93782	3.494524	33.69351	F
1953	a	76.05362	3.520718	34.28271	F
1954	a	75.46679	3.460659	34.23176	F
1955	a	74.60811	3.522066	34.28779	F
1956	a	73.82887	3.677775	34.12489	F
1957	a	72.71391	3.714535	33.71853	F
1958	a	71.81864	3.926097	33.10452	F
1959	a	71.82456	4.162689	33.79188	F
1960	a	71.45237	4.396511	34.18437	F
1961	a	71.38987	4.481171	34.42071	F
1962	a	71.04506	4.629981	34.70586	F
1963	a	71.07125	4.920509	35.46933	F
1964	a	71.01789	5.356587	35.47587	F
1965	a	70.94085	5.873634	36.26026	F
1966	a	69.89726	6.037679	36.41239	F
1967	a	69.76717	6.626788	36.63929	F
1968	a	69.25942	6.764074	36.54414	F
1969	a	68.98531	7.034294	36.2349	F
1970	a	69.15822	7.653253	35.89144	F
1971	a	69.16791	8.393432	36.37819	F
1972	a	68.65932	8.569965	36.66013	F
1973	a	69.24464	9.14052	36.75871	F
1974	a	69.51673	9.788963	36.66867	F
1975	a	70.65961	10.81685	36.92111	F
1976	a	71.84192	10.99666	36.98978	F
1977	a	72.0654	10.8712	37.34323	F
1978	a	72.393	11.08134	37.48599	F
1979	a	73.2616	12.00301	38.15735	F
1980	a	73.576	12.08846	37.82477	F
1981	a	74.31998	12.24014	37.7197	F
1982	a	74.83111	12.37926	36.93488	F
1983	a	75.70983	13.36083	36.3424	F
1984	a	76.58066	13.59029	36.32794	F
1985	a	77.38397	14.09718	36.29746	F
1986	a	78.01985	14.53631	36.43987	F
1987	a	78.84387	14.98302	37.24889	F
1988	a	79.16256	14.5784	37.24228	F
1989	a	79.52662	14.59811	37.5996	F
1990	a	79.73598	14.53891	37.88208	F
1991	a	79.79202	14.37685	37.93236	F
1992	a	79.94197	13.9194	37.86326	F
1993	a	80.18098	14.03269	37.64151	F
1994	a	80.23309	14.1828	37.42792	F
1995	a	80.30071	14.13233	37.44394	F
1996	a	80.53618	14.18185	37.38367	F
1997	a	80.93557	14.53033	37.58975	F
1998	a	81.28899	14.78679	37.51978	F
1999	a	81.01342	14.62272	37.39282	F
2000	a	81.06005	14.92776	37.23858	F
2001	a	81.20947	15.49007	37.44748	F
2002	a	81.10929	16.14537	37.95363	F
2003	a	81.00319	16.2188	38.5146	F
2004	a	80.93975	16.25751	38.75734	F
2005	a	81.1341	16.54111	39.44685	F
2006	a	81.1969	17.0129	39.72795	F
2007	a	80.89849	17.47492	39.2715	F
2008	a	80.29398	17.31019	38.40526	F
2009	a	79.85439	17.49569	38.2201	F
2010	a	79.04827	17.58943	38.12531	F
2011	a	78.37639	17.75527	37.46902	F
2012	a	78.17938	18.09132	37.2413	F

It was hard to think that we had inadvertently named both of my daughters with names that ended in A. But this made me even more convinced that I was on the right path for my third daughter. We settled on the name Eliza. Her middle name is both my grandmother's and my wife's grandmother's middle name.

Relatives in FamilySearch with multiple spouses can be easily identified.

The FamilySearch Blog this week released a list of newly certified partner products for the month of May. According to the post:

“Certified” means the product is compatible with FamilySearch.org and has features that conform to our strict standards of quality. FamilySearch works with a variety of partners to help provide you with as many ways as possible to find, add, and share about your family members.

The list of new partner products includes Familienbuch, Fast Photo Game, Match Game, Multiple Parents, Multiple Spouses, and RootsBid. Two of the apps that stood out for me are Multiple Parents and Multiple Spouses. Both apps are similar in their function. The apps search the first 32 ancestors of the person whose FamilySearch ID is entered.

The Multiple Spouses app shows those relatives who have more than one spouse. The description for the app says, "This is aimed towards patrons who are looking for 'step-ancestors' of whom they can search for their ancestors." With my Mormon heritage this app could come in handy, but I believe the bigger impact may be for those who are unaware of spouses their relatives may have.

The Multiple Parents App can come in handy finding errors in lines as well as adoptive relationships. The above Annie James has another set of parents with the Bartholomew surname. Annie James married Joseph Smith Bartholomew and somehow someone has combined another record that appears to be incorrect that shows her with an additional set of parents. I have another relative who was adopted by a family when he was left orphaned while crossing the plains. In some documents he has his birth father's surname and in others he uses his adoptive family name. This app would help highlight relatives with unique or erroneous relationships within Family Tree.

Both apps are by Debbie Holtzendorff, her linkedin profile says she is an LDS Church Tech Service Missionary for FamilySearch. Debbie, along with Harold G. Lee have developed several apps and have published them on their website woodenvillage.org. These apps include: Record Hints for Your Relatives, Relationship Finder for Family Tree, Automated Research Indicators for Your Relatives, Missing Parents, Pick an Ancestor, Descendants with No Children, Research Indicators for Descendants, Duplicate Ancestors, Ancestor Memories, and Ordinances Needed for Your Relatives.

It is exciting to see the work that is being done to help FamilySearch users parse data and use unique ways to find research opportunities for our relatives. I will review these apps and information I have found using them in later posts. Until then please try all of the above apps and let me know what you think of their functionality and how you have applied them to your research.

Dot the i and cross the t in cryptic

This post is related to this blog but the focus is on me and my recent experiences and not on genealogy or family history directly. I will forgive you for not reading this post if you forgive me for posting it.

The last three and a half months have been a roller coaster of emotion, trials, and success. It has been a time of change and growth like I have not experienced in the last ten years. I am grateful for the changes in my life but it was not easy to go through. I have been told that I have been too cryptic in my social media posts and that people don't understand what I am trying to say. I suppose this is true but to explain I have to tell the whole story. 

For the last 14 years I have worked for a marketing company as their computer guy. I hired on to do web development and site management, but after two years had worked my way into management and was in charge of all the computers, servers, and network. My business card said Mat Trotter, Computer Guy. When I started at the company there were 13-15 people and we worked in a small office building Layton, Utah. As the business started to grow we moved into the former Iomega corporate headquarters in Roy, Utah.  At the peak there were over 40 employees. I feel like I had a huge role in helping the company to grow and expand as well as diversify the products that they offered as well as their reach into the niche markets they explored.

In September of 2014 we lost a contract with our largest  client. The Christmas season was the smallest in over a decade. I knew the company was hurting and that layoffs might be a possibility. On Thursday February 5th, 2015, I was called into the boardroom with the owners of the company and was laid off. I did not think I would be a casualty of the lost contract. I thought I was in a great position to help to find new clients and contracts. Needless to say, I was caught completely off guard. They had me sign an agreement that I would continue to work for them up to 60 hours a month for the next three months in order to get a severance package. Considering the 14 years I worked there the severance I received was less than you would expect. However, they paid out a month of vacation time and offered to pay almost 60% of my COBRA insurance for the three months of what they called the "transition" period.

That following weekend was a blur. I only remember coming home and telling my wife and the tears that followed. I sent a text to my LDS bishop and then my wife sat down our four oldest children who are living at home and told them what had happened. The first of the following week I met with a lawyer to go over the transition contract and I opened my file with the Utah Job Service. I met with a former vendor about the possibility of working for him and I worked for my former company.

I had already paid and was planning on attending Rootstech in Salt Lake City and my wife was covering the conference for our local paper, the Standard-Examiner. So February 12-14, 2015 we attended the conference. I had blogger credentials and was allowed access to areas not all conference goers could enjoy. However, my focus was changed and I spent most of the conference trying to network with vendors and and people who worked for FamilySearch. I figured I didn't have a job so why not look into the possibility of working in the industry that my hobbies align with. You can read other posts on this blog about some of my experiences at Rootstech. What those posts don't say is that I felt like there was not an immediate opportunity for me at any of the places I was interested in, especially FamilySearch.

The following Sunday I counseled with my bishop and he recommended that I go to the LDS Employment Center in downtown Ogden, Utah where I live. Through the training I attended there and the Accelerated Job Search (AJS) program I joined, I had a game plan that set the pattern for the next three months of my life. As part of AJS I agreed to meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8:30 in the Ogden offices with other members of the program. On Tuesday we met in Layton with the members of thier AJS program and on Thursday we all met in Centerville with all of the AJS members from the three different areas. It was a great way to network and learn about job openings, other possibilities and ideas from people who were all having the same experience. I also agreed to follow The Daily 15-10-2 Approach where I identify 15 new resources, make 10 contacts, and hold 2 face-to-face meetings or interviews each day.

Over the following three months I only missed four meetings and that was because I had job interviews. I applied for a 104 different jobs and had 23 interviews. I received 26 rejection letters from my efforts but only heard back from a fraction of those who interviewed me. This was a frustrating and humbling experience. I was embarrassed because I didn't have a job but it was through no fault of my own. It seemed as though because I was unemployed I was damaged goods. To many being laid off is equivalent to being fired. I would explain that I was still doing work for the company and that the layoff was because of a lost contract but I could tell it did not matter to them.

On Tuesday May 5th, 2015, three months from the day I was laid off, my LDS ward was given an opportunity for four people to volunteer at the Ogden cannery. They were making beef stew and I volunteered to work from 10 am - 4 pm. After I arrived I had the opportunity to load newly washed potatoes onto a dicing machine. The 230 pounds of potatoes were then added to 300 pounds of beef and other ingredients into a large machine that put the food into cans. Just as the first batch of potatoes were mixed into the machine something happened and the machine broke possible putting shards of metal into the batch. So the whole batch could not be used. They ended up shutting down the line and we spent 2 1/2 hours deep cleaning the plant. Although I worked I felt my efforts had all been thrown away. You are not allowed to have phones in the plant because they can be easily ruined. When I got out to my car I check my messages and email and had two rejection letters from two different companies where I had had multiple interviews. I felt the lowest I had since the day I was laid off.

Wednesday May 6th, 2015, I woke up and didn't feel like going to AJS at 8:30 am. My loving wife encouraged me out the door and I arrived a few minutes late. There were three other AJS members and two employment missionaries in the room. I proceeded to hear that all three of the other members were expecting to receive job offers later that day. I was so discouraged. As I left the meeting I felt like crying. 

Just before arriving home I received a call from a lady who said that she wanted to schedule an interview for me. I was planning on taking my oldest daughter to Colorado Springs and back over the following two days so she could receive a scholarship award from the Exchange Club. She had to be in attendance to receive the award. I told the lady I could not come in either Thursday or Friday but could I come in the following week. She said that would not work so we agreed to schedule an interview that afternoon at 1 pm. She said I would be interviewing for an IT Manager position and that they were located in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City. She said that security would have an id badge for me in the lobby and to take the elevator to the appropriate floor. "Get off the elevator and follow the picture of Christ in a red robe, turn left and you will find us," she said.

When I arrived and found them, I was taken into an office and interviewed by a person who was leaving for a different position within the Church. Then I had a 55 minute interview with the manager over the open position. Some of his questions were very different than any I had answered in interviews before. He asked me about the callings or positions I have held in my ward. He asked me what was my favorite calling, I told him Scoutmaster. He asked me what my hobbies were and I told him scouting and genealogy. Then he asked me what my dream job would be. I told him about my experience at Rootstech and how I had tried to find a job at FamilySearch. He said, "this position would be great for you then." I asked him why he said that and he replied, "this position is for FamilySearch, didn't you know?" I told him that I didn't know what job I was interviewing for and that I have applied for several with the church. (A huge no-no I have been taught about in the employment workshop.) He reached into his drawer and pulled out my resume. Then he said, "Oh, I remember. You never applied for this position. I received your resume from a coworker and added to the pile of applicants. I really liked it so I had them call you in."

I really don't remember what else happened. I was so shocked. As I left the building I called my wife and I was overcome with emotion. I could not believe what had transpired and I told her that I thought I would get the job. I was so overcome with the feeling of the holy spirit that I just felt so hopeful that this is where I needed to be. 

My trip to Colorado Springs went as planned and on Monday morning I reported what had happened in my AJS meeting. After I arrived home I received a call with a job offer. I started just over a week ago and I am enjoying the experience so far.

I apologize for the long slightly off topic post and the somewhat cryptic social media messages. I went from feeling so ashamed to so overjoyed. I did not want to tell more than I needed to but I also did not want to seem boastful. This was a true trial for me. An experience I am glad I had but one I would not ask for. I have felt Heavenly father nudge me in a different direction. A nudge I needed. I was so comfortable at my last job I stopped seeking for more. I was complacent. I am so happy for this opportunity. I never would have imagined I would be working for FamilySearch six month ago. I am excited for what the future may bring. I am so thankful for the LDS employment center and the help and guidance they have given me. I am also grateful for the people who were in AJS with me. I consider them my friends. I am so glad my bishop counseled me to go to the center. 

One last note...It is a tradition that after you get a new job that you take donuts to the following AJS meeting. When I arrived that morning three of us walked in with donuts and I had also missed donuts on Friday when I was in Colorado Springs. That AJS program really works!

Is our family related to the outlaw Jesse James?

I got an IM from my cousin Tricia that said, "Hey Mat - this past weekend our daughter, Alyssa, asked me how our family is related to the outlaw Jesse James? I had to admit that I'd only heard that story but I had no idea if it was really true. I know you're interested in genealogy so I'm wondering if you know the details?"

I vaguely remember hearing about this family connection to Jesse James from my mother. Since I have been actively engaged in family history I have never searched out this connection.

My first step was to log into relativefinder.org and see my connection.

According to Relative Finder, Jesse Woodson James is my 8th cousin 6 times removed. The problem with this connection besides how far away we are related is that the path that leads to me is through my father's side of the family and my cousin Tricia is on my mother's side.

I next decided to learn a little about Jesse James and his family to see if there are any common place names or family names that I can make a connection through.

photo from wikipedia

On biography.com it says, "American outlaw, robber and legendary figure Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5, 1847, in Kearney, Missouri. Jesse and his brother Frank James were educated and hailed from a prestigious family of farmers. Their father, the Reverend Robert James, was a Baptist minister who married Zerelda Cole James and moved from Kentucky to Missouri in 1842. In the summer of 1863, the James farm was brutally attacked by Union soldiers. Jesse was 16 when he and Frank became Confederate guerrilla soldiers, riding alongside William Quantrill and 'Bloody Bill' Anderson." The biography goes on to say, "In 1874, Jesse married his longtime sweetheart and first cousin, Zerelda, and had two children." On April 3, 1882, Jesse was shot Jesse in the back of the head and died instantly at age 34. 

 

Annie James - I though at first she was holding a rifle in this photograph.

I next looked to see where else Jesse may fit in my tree. My grandfather's mother's name is Anna Williams James. She was born in 1877 in Fayette, Utah. She is the daughter of John Saunders James and Elizabeth Henry Williams who were both born in England. Although this James family is the most closely related to me I do not believe that they could be directly related to Jesse James. Tracing Jesse James' family tree, it does not leave the Americas before 1770.

Having Mormon heritage is is well known that Missouri is a common place where our ancestors lived, were chased out and traveled through on their way to Utah. To summarize the entry for Clay County, Missouri in the Joseph Smith Papers it says Liberty was designated county seat in 1822. It served as a refuge for Latter-day Saints expelled from Jackson Co. in 1833. The LDS population in 1834 was about 900. Missouri citizens demanded the Saints leave in the summer 1836. Most Saints immigrated to newly formed Caldwell County by 1838. Joseph Smith was imprisoned in the jail at Liberty over the winter of 1838–1839.

The time the Mormons spent in Clay county before Joseph Smith's martyrdom in 1844 was before Jesse's birth. Although Jesse and his brother Frank were know to have traveled all over the American West. I am not sure anyone can say for sure that they were ever in Utah, Idaho or Wyoming or that they were linked in anyway to the Mormons and in turn my ancestors. Known descendants of the two are also ruled out and direct relatives. 

I think the possibility of establishing a relationship within the James family is not possible without DNA. We may be more closely related through other lines and marriages but my 8th cousin 6 times removed connection may be as close as I get to this notorious historical figure. To put this into perspective I am more closely related to Presidents James Garfield, Ulysses Grant, Grover Cleveland, Rutherford B. Hayes, John Quincy Adams, Gerald Ford, William Taft, William McKinley, Calvin Coolidge, George Washington, William Harrison, Richard Nixon, Warren G. Harding, Millard Fillmore and Franklin Roosevelt than I am Jesse James.

RootsTech 2015 - One final note

As I was visiting the Expo Hall I noticed that there was a lot of good energy. I mentioned before that there were a lot more people at this conference than last year. Most of the the bigger booths were also similar to what was there last year.

The Ancestry booth had small sessions to discuss different parts of their website. They even had benches for people to sit on and watch the presentations.

The MyHeritage booth had a similar setup with chairs instead of benches. Their presence was felt throughout the conference. I noticed that several of the bloggers I follow are sponsored by MyHeritage and all of the lanyards with the conference tags had the MyHeritage logo on them.

FindMyPast also had presentations, I noticed that their presenters all had an English accent. I know the least about this organization but there presence at the conference was bolstered by Joshua Taylor. Josh is the president of the FGS and Business Development Manager for FindMyPast. He may be most recognized for his appearances on Who Do You Think You Are and the Genealogy Roadshow.

Best practices for youth family history consultants

I recently attended a training with my stake for ward family history consultants. The training was aimed at new consultants and ideas for how they can work with others in their ward. My son and I were asked to speak about best practices for youth family history consultants.

My son did a wonderful job talking about his experiences as a consultant and they things he has learned while serving. The feedback I got from my list was encouraging enough I thought I would share my thoughts here as well.

Six things leaders should be doing with Youth Family History consultants.

• Use them don’t just call them – Our ward had a youth family history consultant for many years. I am not sure he ever had an opportunity to meet with someone in our ward to teach them about family history before he left on his mission. We thought we should find  replacements but wanted to make sure our youth understood what their responsibilities are and how they could be accomplish.

• The Bishop, with input from the Ward Council, should assign specific people for them to teach – As part of the efforts of the ward council to work with members of the ward, new and returning members should be assigned a Family History consultant. The youth consultants should also visit members of the ward council. This gives the Ward Council members the opportunity to learn from the consultant. Even if you pass out a sign-up list for people interested in getting help and assign

• Give them measurable goals – Ask them to help those they work with to find one name to take to the temple. Ask them to help a member complete a three generation chart. Ask them to help someone to add pictures or stories about four of their loved ones. Make sure they know to whom they should return and report.

• Help to prepare those they teach – Leaders should have assigned people gather pictures, documents and stories about their relatives before the consultants meet with them. It would also be great if they already had their account set up for Family Search before the consultants arrive. Although consultants can help members to create their accounts and log into Family Search, this time would be better spent looking for their relatives and working toward assigned goals.

• Make them part of the missionary effort – Assign consultants to work with ward missionaries. The youth consultants should teach their assigned ward missionaries. When the ward missionaries meet someone who would benefit from a consultant there is already an understanding how the consultant can help. Part of reactivation or baptism of new members is to get them to take the names of their relatives to the temple as quickly as possible. Statistics show that this experience increases retention for both new and returning members.

• Have them teach all ages--not just other youth. Older members struggle with technology. Having youth help them, makes the use of technology more approachable. Not all are familiar with the new website, its functionality, or the information that is available. As I stated before, the youth can work with any new members and investigators when deemed appropriate. 

Not to reveal to much behind the curtain, but my wife wrote this article in our local newspaper. The unnamed 12-year-old boy is my son and the family mentioned is a part-member family in my ward. This article give more insight into our stake's Youth  Family History efforts.

Nauvoo Community Project

I was updating my files for relatives I am watching on FamilySearch. I came across Sylvia Eliza Sanford's page and noticed that the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy attached a Research Log for Sylvia and a note that says For more information refer to http://nauvoo.byu.edu.

"Family history students at Brigham Young University's Center for Family History and Genealogy are working in conjunction with LDS Church Historic Sites to identify the residents of Nauvoo, Illinois, from 1839 to 1846. Wherever possible, each resident will be documented from birth to death in the records of the time. This data is available to all who are interested in the history of the community, as well as descendants seeking information about their families"

The Research Log is in a pdf format and contains information and links to records that pertain to the person being researched. 

As I looked through this research log I have found all of the information except for the1850 U.S. Census from the Utah Territory. I did not think to look here because as the Research Log shows Sylvia traveled to Utah in the William Snow/Joseph Young Company arriving in Utah in October of 1850. I thought they would have been enumerated in Illinois or Iowa but more likely they would have been left off the census as they traveled overland to Salt Lake.

The Nauvoo Community Project website has a search feature that allows you to look for ancestors, their families and any other people who lived in Nauvoo, Illinois.

This project is dated 2010 but the research done on my ancestor was completed on my birthday, 10 March 2015. This website is an invaluable resource for tracking early members of the LDS church.

On a personal note: I found myself unemployed from a reduction in force from the company I have worked at for the last 14 years. I actually was laid off just before RootsTech. Since then I have made finding a new job my full time job. As of today I have applied for 47 different positions, had five interviews and eight rejection letters. I did not intend to stop blogging but have found my regular schedule does not work for me anymore. I intend to continue blogging regularly and I apologize for my brief absence.

RootsTech 2015 - Family Discovery Day

When I attended RootsTech last year they opened up the last day for children and youth to come and participate. I tried to get my kids interested but the last thing they wanted to do was go to a genealogy conference.

This year as I was registering I had the option to add my children for the Family Discovery Day so I took it. I was surprised that they all seemed willing to attend. This year my wife and I stayed in Salt Lake as a get away and to attend the conference. My kids rode the train from Ogden and met us Saturday morning.

We spent the first hour in the Expo Hall with a couple thousand other people. Family Search set up a Discovery Center with several stations. The kids worked their way through them. I noticed my oldest daughter seemed a little bored but I realized that she has seen the Family Discovery Center in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building just a few days before and many of the exhibits here were very similar.

My son Jackson loved to see the people he was related to and the map of where his ancestors had come from. Since our experience at the Family Discovery Center we made sure that the kids FamilySearch accounts were linked to both sides of our families. Many of the Texas relatives has not appeared a few days before.

There were activities planned for all ages. My teens would were not very enthusiastic to color any of the pages that were provided but my little ones at home will really enjoy them.

We probably spent the most time at a center that allowed you to switch out your face for those in older photo graphs. It was a fun memento that was displayed on a large screen for all to see as well as sent home via email.

We spent the rest of the day together in the conference hall. We hear from several local celebrities including the Tattooed Moron Al Fox and Olympic Medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace.

We also heard from many leaders from the LDS church including Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the General Young Women's Presidency, and the General Sunday School President.

Elder Anderson even spoke via Skype to a missionary who accepted his Youth Challenge from last year. They told the story about how this Elder took the challenge and then invited his friends to do the same. Elder Anderson renewed his Youth Challenge and added that they prepared names and help someone else to do the same.

Overall the day was a good one. I think my kids enjoyed the messages. The long sessions in the conference hall felt more like going to church than a conference but we were able to text, clap and take pictures. I am not sure it is what my kids or I were expecting. I enjoyed the overall messages and the energy that it created.

Because of the train ride down and the earlier start in the Expo Hall, we were all hungry and unprepared for the schedule. We also had a hard time getting good seats and it was even harder to leave them for fear that we would not have any seats when we returned. Hunger prevailed and we left to eat in the food court of the City Creek Mall.

The closing session was fun. We were entertained by a comedy group from the TV show Studio C.

We also enjoyed some singing from David Archuleta. It was an overall good day.

Family Discovery Center

While we were in Salt Lake for RootsTech we stopped by the FamilySearch Center in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square. There is a new exhibit called the Family Discovery Center.

Author A.J. Jacobs and family in the Family Discovery Center

When you walk into the center you are surrounded by large screens and kiosks begging for interaction. We were each handed an ipad where we could enter in information or link with out FamilySearch accounts.

You also get to take a nice selfie that is used in several of the interactive displays.

As you move through the center you are presents with information about yourself. In essence this is a museum about yourself.

I liked to use the interactive map that plotted places from my FamilyTree on different parts of the world. I could interact with the displayed information and zoom in or out to see the maps better. The information is only as good as what is in FamilySearch but I was impressed with the way it draws you in.

There aren't any spoilers in the center but I will let you discover some of the displays for yourself. The final display is a tree and once you dock your ipad a collage of your experience is displayed in front of you.

I was a consensus that we needed to return with our children so they too could have the experience. It is a great way to learn about yourself and your family. I am excited for the interest it may foster in the lives of the youth that get to experience it. I recommend that if you are in Salt Lake that you try it too.

RootsTech 2015 - My Impressions

This is my second year attending RootsTech. I am lucky because the conference is held about 45 minutes south of my home in Ogden, Utah. I don't think I completely understand how lucky I am to have all of the great genealogical access that I do from living here.

I attended this years conference with my wife Rachel, aunt Connee, and my cousin Cari. The funny thing is that I didn't know Cari until I met her in Salt Lake. Connee and Cari have been friends for many years. They are in a quilting group together in St. George, Utah. The night before the conference Cari was setting up her FamilySearch account and they realized they we have a common ancestor.

In my little bubble of the world I don't know many people that are as enthusiastic about genealogy and family history as I am. This years RootsTech seemed much bigger than last year. I realize that this was two conferences in one with the Federation of Genealogical Societies or FGS conference at the same time.

The classes were very full. I realize that is the point of a conference but I found that if you were not early to the sessions you did not get a seat. I also realized that if I got into a session and wanted to leave and try another I would not make it into the other session.

I soon realized that my wife, a reporter for our local newspaper, had much better access to speakers, seating, food, and open space than I did. I quickly finagled a media pass and spent much of the conference as her shadow. She said she enjoyed this year's conference much better than last year. I am not sure that I did.

I ran into many of the bloggers who I follow. Dear Myrt, Randy Seaver, and Dick Eastman to name a few. It was a thrill to meet them.

My wife and children had pictures taken with A.J. Jacobs,  Noelle Pikus-Pace and David Archuleta. They were thrilled to have access to meet the. They were also impressed with how kind and open they all were to talk about themselves and their genealogy.

I don't think I accomplished much of what I thought I would do at the conference. Last year I attend all but one class, spent an extended evening at the Family History Library copying documents for my files, and attended all of the opening sessions way in the back of the room. This year I only attended three classes, missed the opening of the conference, didn't step foot in the Family History Library, spent more than half my time in the Expo Hall, and had great seats to most of the general sessions.

Right now I feel my biggest takeaway from RootsTech is the exposure that my wife and children got from attending. It has been somewhat difficult to get them to appreciate genealogy. They don't like the puzzle of work like I do. I do think they got the message of the importance of telling stories, learning about your families, and some fun tools that they can use. I think that for beginners this is a great start. My wife told me that I can worry about the facts but she wants to tell the stories and make sure our children know them too. I think for now I can live with knowing that a seed of interest has been planted. I think that this was a major reason FamilySearch and the LDS church are putting on the conference. So for them, mission accomplished.

As for me, I am not sure. I think I will like this years conference much better as time goes by. I will watch the online sessions and review my notes. I will blog a little and continue my work. By the time next years conference rolls around I am sure will like this years better.