Others Will Appreciate Your Labor
Even though genealogy is truly a nonstop way of life, there will come a time when you do stop - the day you die, right? But then what happens to the results of all that blood, sweat and tears that you invested in your search? You can’t take it with you.
Publishing a surname book of your ancestry is a noble goal - one that would preserve your genealogy - but how many of us will really ever get around to publishing that book?
An easier way to preserve your data is to submit it to an online genealogy program, and there are many. With your submission, your work will be available to countless others who will no doubt appreciate it as much as the information gained from those who filed before you. Some say they don’t want to submit their records because they would be embarrassed by errors, which would hamper research for others. But once you’re reasonably sure your information is right, it’s probably better to share what you have, right or wrong. Those who download your data are supposed to use it as a place to start, not to accept it as gospel.
The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City is probably the best place to donate your compilation to ensure perpetuity. It seems to be more universal than the others. The library in Salt Lake City is the world’s biggest and best-known genealogy library and is an inspiration to all genealogists.
To submit to familysearch.org, or any of the other organizations, simply get online and follow directions.
Lorraine Cook White of the nearby farming community of St. John, Wash., is the general editor of The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records - all 55 volumes with 14,333 pages.
White started the eight-year project because she was frustrated at clumsiness of the original Barbour Collection and wanted the vital records to be more accessible.
She’s had helpers from all over the nation, from Washington to Virginia to Florida to Texas and, of course, Connecticut.
The collection is an alphabetical, town-by-town transcription of the birth, marriage and death records. It primarily gives the name, date of event, names of parents, children, spouses, and sometimes age, occupation and place of residence.
Each volume contains between 20,000 and 45,000 names. They have been published at the rate of three volumes every year. White expects the entire collection to be printed by the end of next year.
Many of the books, published by Genealogical Publishing Co., are priced at $25, but some volumes reach $45. Call the company at (410) 837-8271 for a list of available books, or visit its Web site: www.GenealogyBookShop.com.
Mark your calendars to attend the regional conference of the National Genealogical Society on Oct. 14 at the Spokane Valley DoubleTree Hotel. Curt Witcher, manager of the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., is a featured speaker, along with John Wylie, who teaches computer skills as they relate to genealogy.
Donna Potter Phillips’ annual cold-weather trek to Salt Lake City will be Jan. 21-28. The $450 package includes the price of the hotel (double room) and the expertise of Donna and Heritage Consulting fellows. Give her a call at 624-4118.
Monthly meeting: The Eastern Washington Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Salvation Army, 1224 E. Trent.