Frequently Asked Questions- How do I find my ancestors?
- What if I don't find any ancestors using Search?
- How do I find an individual's ancestors?
- What if I want to see an individual's descendants?
- Why doesn't the Search program find married women?
- Is there a way to tell if two individuals are related?
- The Timeline function looks interesting, what is it?
- Can I correct mistakes in the information?
- Is there a way to print the display without all the headers and icons?
- I cannot see detailed information for myself (or other people) on the web site. Why not?
- Can I get an account? How do I do that?
- What are the three dropdown boxes for that are located on the upper right of the page?
- What software are you using for your genealogy information?
Q. How do I find my ancestors?
A. There are a number of ways, but the Search function provides the most straightforward method. The Advanced Search form allows you to enter more detailed information about the individual for whom you're looking.
Back to topQ. What if I don't find any ancestors using Search?
A. It is very common for the spelling of last names to change over time. If you do not find anyone with Search, try using Surnames and "Show surnames starting with:" and look for similar names by the first letter of the last name.
Back to topQ. How do I find an individual's ancestors?
A. After locating an individual, click on the Ancestors tab at the top of the window (refer to the illustrations below). This will show you a graphical display of both the paternal and maternal ancestors. Once you have the ancestor chart displayed, you can click on the arrows located at the far right ancestor if you need to see additional ancestors. There are a number of formats for you to choose from (Standard, Compact, Box, Text, Ahnentafel, and Photos & History) to display ancestors. Try clicking on the various options and see which one works best for you. You can also adjust the number of generations displayed (better with large monitors).
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Q. What if I want to see an individual's descendants?
A. The Descendants tab at the top of the window displays the descendants of an individual. There are a couple of different formats that descendants can be displayed. You can switch between the Standard and Register format to display the information the way that works best for you. You can also adjust the number of generations displayed (better with large monitors).
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Q. Why doesn't the Search program find married women?
A. When searching for women on the web site, always look using their maiden names. The search program will not locate a woman based on her married name.
Back to topQ. Is there a way to tell if two individuals are related?
A. Yes, the Relationship tab will show a graphic display of all the people between two relatives. To use this function, locate the first individual and then press the Relationship tab. Then use the find button to locate the second person to be displayed. Once you have the two people selected click the calculate button to display their relationship.
Back to topQ. The Timeline function looks interesting, what is it?
A. A timeline is displayed for an individual when the Timeline tab is clicked. The time line shows important events in history that occurred during the life of an individual or a group of individuals. It gives you a unique perspective to see what was going on in the world during the lives of our ancestors.
Back to topQ. Can I correct mistakes in the information?
A. Not directly. You cannot change the live data in the system. But you can use the Suggest tab at the top of the window to send changes, updates, or comments to the site administrator. Information on which individual you are referencing is automatically attached to the message when you make a suggestion using the Suggest tab. The site administrator will review your suggestion and add it to the database in the next web update cycle. However an important consideration for adding any data to the site is having verifiable sources for the information. You can expect an email from the site administrator asking for references or citation data.
Back to topQ. Is there a way to print the display without all the headers and icons?
A. Yes, just click on the Print link located above the control tabs. A simplified web page will open and you can use the print function of you browser to print the page.
Back to topQ. I cannot see detailed information for myself (or other people) on the web site. Why not?
A. Due to concerns about security and privacy, anyone who visits the web site without an account will be able to see EVERYTHING about dead people, but only the NAMES of living people -- no additional details (birth, baptism, marriage, locations). People using an account to login to the site will be able to see EVERYTHING about EVERYBODY - dead and living. We have instituted this policy to reduce the possibility of evil people attempting identity theft by impersonating you with data from our site, and also to prevent predators from looking for young people.
Back to topQ. Can I get an account? How do I do that?
A. Accounts will be granted on a limited basis to direct descendants of families in our database whom we feel need to see information regarding the living persons' records in the system. Please select Request a User Account on the "Home" page and complete the registration form. Under "Notes or Comments" please indicate your relation to the families on the web site. You will receive an email from the site administrator regarding the status of your request.
Back to topQ. What are the three dropdown boxes for that are located on the upper right of the page?
A. These let you access additional information that is contained in the database. You can hover your mouse pointer over each to see the types of detailed information that is available on the site. Note, the site is still expanding and some of the items may take you to areas where we are still working.
Back to topQ. What software are you using for your genealogy information?
A. The source information for this web site is recorded and maintained in a desktop genealogy program called "Family Tree Maker 2017" (www.familytreemaker.com). From Family Tree Maker, the information is exported to standard GEDCOM files and imported into a web site program called "The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding"
If you have other questions that we did not answer here, please send them to us so that we can expand and improve the FAQ.
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