My National Family History Month 2014 Geneameme

Posted onAuthorFran Kitto11 Comments

My National Family History Month 2014 Geneameme

This is the first geneameme I think I have done. It is created by Pauleen and is posted on her  Family History Across the Seas Blog. Feel free to do it too.

  1. What are you doing for NFHM?
    I am blogging about my experiences attacking the list of activities created by Shauna Hicks – 31 Genealogy Activities for Researchers During National Family History Month August 2014. Read my about this in the Family History Month Challenges blog post.
    I had planned to scan photos however day 10 into the month and I have no scanning done.
  2. What do you hope to learn in NFHM?
    I hope the concentrated effort during the month teaches me more about the genealogy groups, societies, experts, places to research in Australia, etc as I have really been a bit of a loner with my research and I am sure getting out and about must help.
  3. Do you research at a family or local history library?
    Geneameme collection library cardNot here in Australia. I do visit the  Archives in New Zealand when I get a chance. The gret thing is that with the reader card you can order online so that the material is available once you have flown in to Wellington.
    I have visited the Petone Library in Wellington that has a local family history section including photographs. I have not visited any local libraries on the Sunshine Coast that specialise in family or local history.
  4. Do you do all your research online?
    Yes most of my research is done online however also get key pointers from my cousins and my NZ Archives trips.
  5. What’s your favourite place to store your family tree?
    The one I love the most is the ability to access the family tree on my iPad when out and about. It is not about storing but access that makes it a favourite.
  6. If offline, which genealogy program do you use? (do tell us its strengths/weaknesses if you like)
    Surnames Lists IMG_1156-surnames-150Having a Mac, being a bit lazy and a beginner I have elected to use Family Tree Maker for Mac. This is so I can easily connect the online trees, my iPad and iPhone with the apps. I did have Reunion but when I upgraded my Mac the program did not transfer correctly. It was so annoying as I was not good at sources anyway so to have all my personal index to paper copies muddled up meant that I had to start again.  I am still trying to check through old Reunion data to make sure it is in Family Tree Maker and have real folders all over the place with bits of paper and no consistent way to link to my data sources.
  7. How do you preserve your family stories for future generations?
    Really, no one cares. I am selfish – it is all for me. OK if they show an interest I will leave it to them (to sort out).
  8. Have you any special research projects on the go?
    No, not really like the One-Name-Studies. Personally I want to tidy up all the material I have collected already and add sources – sound familiar?
  9. What is your favourite family history research activity?
    Love just scanning through websites with newspapers seeing if I can find more entries for my Grand Father (KITTO) and his Father (KITTO). I am lucky enough to find loads so I have not bothered to source most. It would be a time consuming exercise and I wish to fix my tree first rather than focus on only 2 people. It’s entertainment.
  10. What is your favourite family history research place/library etc?
    Archives New Zealand.
  11. What is your favourite website for genealogy research?
    Hard to say: For the most data – Ancestry.co.uk or for the most enjoyable finds it is PapersPast which has digitised NZ newspapers.

    Mary IRELAND Death Notice

    Source: PapersPast

  12. Are you part of a Facebook genealogy group? If so which one?
    Genealogy Bloggers at RootsTech 2015 – not sure why they let me join up. Think I may have been following the 2014 RootsTech bloggers and they updated the group name. Instead of Facebook I have been trying to build my Google+ following and genealogy groups. I use my Facebook more for all the blogging & local Sunshine Coast groups I have joined.
  13. Do you use webinars or podcasts for genealogy? Any tips?
    Attended my first webinar as part of the NFHM2014 challenge. You can read about it in my post: Challenge 16: Family History Month Google+ Hangout. I am a fan of Genealogy Gems podcasts and listen to the regular and premium podcasts. I also catch up on many other poscasts when I am traveling.
  14. Do you use social media? eg Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
    Geneameme collection Social Media TreeYes, Yes, Yes. And it is too time consuming however I get loads of ideas and help on blogging, genealogy, decor stuff (for work), entertainment and more so use this as the justification for the time wasted. Feel free to follow, tweet, pin and connect with me. I have a page with all these Social Media Links or here is a summary of the “TravelGenee” ones.

    Decorheaven.com.au wall stickersOr join into my Genealogy and Travel Link Party for Google+. It is open all National Family History Month 2014. If you don’t use Google Plus feel free to add your blog or other social media link. There is a Family Frames Wall Sticker to win for Australian followers from sponsor Decorating Heaven. Ideal for rental properties. (CLOSED)

  15. What genealogy topic/class have you learnt the most from this year at a webinar/conference/seminar?
    Learnt so much at RootsTech 2014. AHve a read of some of my RootsTech posts.
  16. Do you have a favourite research strategy to knock down your brick walls?
    Actually sitting down and doing proper work!!!
  17. Have you used DNA testing for your genealogy?
    I got my DNA sampled while at RootsTech 2014. The results were interesting and one day I will blog on what I learnt.
  18. Have you made cousin connections through your DNA tests?
    No close connections, yet. Probably because most of the people tested are from the USA so it is a number of generations back to the UK and Europe until we connect.
  19. Do you have a wish list of topics for NFHM 2015?
    A variety of topics is better as then you can usually find something that you are interested in checking out. Also there need to be topics for beginners and ones to challenge the experts. It is hard work organising events like this so I am happy with whatever is available.
  20. What do you most love about your family history research?
    Interesting to know where I came from however I love most the chase!

So I hope you enjoyed finding out more about me in this geneameme.

Leave a link to any you have done in the comments.

 

 

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11 thoughts on “My National Family History Month 2014 Geneameme”

  1. Pingback: National Family History Month Geneameme | A Steely Genes Journey

  2. Fran, I was sad to see that your answer to the question, ‘How do you preserve your family stories for future generations?’, was ‘Really, no one cares’. Maybe you don’t know anybody who cares *now*, but what about future generations and distant branches of the family? If handwritten anecdotes (circa 1900) had not been donated to the Society of Australian Genealogists, my research would have stalled at ‘Thomas WEBSTER born London c.1820s’. There was no other information on his official records in Australia – and with such vague details and such a common name, working backwards would have been just about impossible if I had not found the extra details (parents, grandparents, parish names etc) that a distant relative had deposited at SAG decades ago.

    1. Judy, it was a bit tongue in check because I need proper plans. I am hopeful that more within the family will become more interested so that they can keep the records for future generations even if it is lines in the family tree. I know that any discoveries I find on my mother in laws side interests my sisters in laws and nieces so I will make a plan with them for that line. The Kitto details I find I share with the one name study. And I find the more you share the more they become interested so I am hopeful it will all be sorted. Fran.

  3. Pingback: National Family History Month Geneameme Summary | Family history across the seas

  4. I wish I had more time to search, but I’ve always been interested in genealogy. My dad is really into it, but the trail seems to stop in Europe! Your blog is fascinating. 🙂

  5. Sorry about the delayed response – I read your post on Feedly yesterday but more hassle to comment there. So many great responses here Fran! I especially liked #16 and can certainly relate to #8. As we collect info from so many online sources (like Trove or Papers Past) it’s easy to get caught up in the hunt and neglect the detail….and then there’s all the other sources/documents as well.
    I found your genie program info helpful too and I’m sure others will as well.
    Sounds like you’ve really got into the #NFHM2014 activities! Look forward to reading more of your posts now you’re in my Feedly stream.

    1. Forgot to say, too, that the Sunshine Coast FHS at Nambour is, I think, quite good…perhaps worth a look? This time next year I hope to be using it myself. I’ve not spent a lot of time in there but my father-in-law was heavily involved with its setup.

      1. Pauleen, Never worry about not replying promptly. I welcome all comments. I know that with blogs that we may be reading them anything.
        I got caught up again the other night scanning through newspapers. I just cannot stop myself.
        I must try and check out the Nambour FHS soon. Just seems weekends get booked up so looks like I will still be doing the #NFHM2014 in September.
        2014.

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