Seekerz

Fast Scanning of PhotosBy Dale E. Lee2024.03.20 Last week I talked about scanning Photo Negatives. This week I’ll discuss scanning photos themselves. Most people probably know about scanning photos and documents using flat bed scanners. Flat bed scanners allow you to place the photos on the photo bed and align them with the sides of the bed, so they’ll appear straight when the final digital picture appears. However, there is another way to scan photos, that of using a scanner with a hopper. I recently used one of these faster scanners at the Family History Library in Mesa, Arizona. There […]

Digitizing Photo NegativesBy Dale E. Lee2024.03.13 As you review the projects you could potentially undertake to record your own Family History, you’ll find there is a category that encompasses many such projects, that of digitizing documents and photos. If you grew up during the era of digital documents and photos, you may not have to worry about digitizing them, unless of course you want to do it for your ancestors. But if at least part of your life included recording media such as Super-8, camcorders, slides, and photos which needed to be developed with chemicals, you’ll probably want to put […]

Who You AreBy Dale E. Lee © 20222022.06.29 You don’t know who, you truly are,Until you know who, your ancestors were,You don’t know why, you were born where you were,Until you know why, they were placed there,Your parents were born, in their birth place,For many reasons, their parents knew,Though each can choose, a course while alive,Their parents provide, the starting line,And so it goes, back on through time,By passing the baton, to generations next,Knowing who you are, and why you are here,Is not as simple, a task as it appears,Its reasons are buried, back deep in time,Inviting you on, an […]

Tracing the Threads of Time: A Journey Through Family GenealogyBy Davis Jameson2024.02.28 Embarking on the path of genealogical research is akin to setting off on a profound journey through the corridors of time, one that unveils the intricate tapestry of your lineage and uncovers the rich narratives and secrets ensconced within your family’s history. This pursuit transcends the mere collection of data and dates, morphing into a quest to grasp the very essence of your family’s legacy—the triumphs, struggles, and enduring spirit that courses through generations. Brimming with emotion and discovery, this exploration forges a deep, tangible connection with those […]

Family History Numbering SystemsBy Dale E. Lee2021.09.08 Summary: Detail: If you’ve followed The Seekerz’s advice and have requested and collected all the information you can from your family, as well as near and far relatives, you’ll find that you may be getting more information than you expected. One of the most important things in Family History is to organize the information you are given. These days we are given a lot of help in automatically organizing information we put into our desktop utilities and online repositories. But what if Old Aunt Evelyn didn’t have or didn’t use a computer when […]

RootsTech 2024 is almost hereSubmitted by Dale E. Lee2024.02.14 It’s almost here!! RootsTech 2024 will be held February 29, 2024 – March 2, 2024. RootsTech is the largest Family History Conference in the World, and it’s back again this year! This time (2024) they again have both On-line (Free) AND In-person ($69 to $99) sessions depending on the number of days attended. RootsTech’s trending topics are: – Women/Mothers in Genealogy – DNA – FamilySearch experiences – Regional heritage around the world (Thai, Khmer, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.) – On-Demand Library – Last Year’s Sessions and Past Keynote Speakers – Among other […]

Cousin RelationshipsBy Dale E. Lee2021.10.27 Summary: Detail: Most of us know what we’re referring to when we talk about Parents, Children, Grandparents, Grandchildren and Cousins. But what in the world is a Second, Third, or Fourth cousin? And beyond that, how do you locate a Third Cousin Twice Removed in the family tree? We know that a cousin is someone that is the child of an Aunt or Uncle, but what are second and greater cousins? It turns out that there are good reasons for being confused about how the cousin designations are described. They are not as intuitive as […]

Understanding Different CulturesBy Dale E. Lee2021.05.12 Summary: Detail: Why learn about Different Cultures? Becoming effective in Family History research is more than just running database repository searches. The searches can be of great assistance, but what if they don’t find what you are looking for? Records are being added daily to their repositories, but the records you are looking for might not have been digitized and indexed yet. This is the point at which understanding Cultures and History can become important. Some world events cause migrations and it is important to see where those migrations could have lead your ancestors. […]

Writing Personal HistoriesBy Dale E. Lee2021.10.02 Summary: Detail: One of the most enjoyable parts of Family History is reading the personal histories of your own ancestors. These stories bring history to life, and they do so because they were part of you! The events your ancestors went through, the emotions they had, and the things they did, directly impacted where you were born and the circumstances of your life. Think of how important your own story could be to your descendants now and in the future! As you read your ancestor’s accounts you may learn surprising things in your family. […]

SMART Family History GoalsBy Dale E. Lee2021.04.21 Summary: Detail: One of the problems people face in Family History is that almost everyone has a different set of circumstances. Some people are just starting and don’t have family members that have done very much in creating their Family Trees, and others have had extensive work done on theirs. But regardless of where you start, it is important to be SMART about how you approach your efforts. There are many aspects and many different projects you can get involved with, and research is just one of them. For example, one project may […]