Genealogy Chat

Hi Louise! At our last family reunion, I handed out 150 copies of our family tree - created using GENOPRO - a free program. The CD contained history, pictures (over 750!) stories, obituaries, death, birth certificates, etc....) I also send copies out to new branches as they are found. No special software is needed for the person viewing the information where as Family Tree Maker and like programs require the viewer to also have family tree type software on their PC. I've also sent copies of the CD to the National Archives in Philadelphia, PA, USA, and our local historical society.....which I send to them yearly as the tree is updated. This way my work will be preserved for future generations. Judy

Don't rely on GenesReunited, record the data with sources in a proper family tree program. I tend to send copies on CD to relatives and contacts as easier and cheaper than big printouts. Sometimes I just export a convention report to a PDF file but often I export to a HTML file so they can look at it using a browser and navigate their way around the 'tree'. I usually remove all LIVING information but trust a couple of people with the full file because I know they know how to remove it before passing on to anyone else. MB

Thew was a question pertaining to this subject on the last live webchat, I've taken the liberty of cutting and pasting it here for interest! I must admit it's a bit of a problem, when there is no one in the family even vaguely interested! Ronald Barrett - 20/09/2005 21:03:47 Hello Antony. Having Completed as much of my Tree,going back to 1735 earliest, is there any place i can leave my Documents, certs and tree for public use and what would it cost? Answer In a way, you have left an outline of your work here on this site (I presume). However, THE place to deposit original and family records - or copies of them, at any rate, is the Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London, EC1M 7BA, 0207 251 8799 www.sog.org.uk. Depositing records is free and, actually, if you leave them your family papers in your will they'll come and collect them for free after your death! By the same token, other readers may be inteersted to know that the Socity has a vast collection of deposited family papers, some of which are bound to have some bearing on your own ancestry. Suex

Dear Elly, thank you for your tip I have Paf but never knew you could write a book with it. great fun! Kim

Dear Louise, An aunt of mine did my father's maternal line right back to c.1255. When she finished she wrote it all into a book, which all the family bought copies of (to save us all a lot of time & money, as she did it all pre-computer, internet etc) & she gave copies to libraries & genealogoy centres to help others. I shudder to think of how much it cost her from Australia to Scotland & Ireland & back so many times, - but what a story she wrote!!!

It says in Your Family Tree magazine that the Society of Genealogists will accept your tree - maybe you could leave it in your will!! At least that would mean someone, someday might find it useful/interesting. Anne

I was wondering too. Louise. I`m writing a wee story about a great aunt but don`t know what to do with it! Rosalyn

Somebody will probably sell mine at a boot sale!!! Suzanne

On PAF5 you can do a book in the same way as a report and view on screen - you don't actually have to print it unless you want to. File Print Reports Books (tab) use 'Search' to find a start name 'tick' Ancestry or Descendants 'tick' the info you want in the book, notes, photo's etc 'Preview' Elly

A lady I have managed to get some information locally done a presentation in PowerPoint and sent me it. It was brilliant,showed the family pictures and of gravestones,Streets and a little of the local history.I hope in the future to have a go myself when I learn more about computers. Brian

You can put it all on the familysearch site and the good old Mormons will put a copy under a mountain or something for posterity! Local History societies do take them but you have to give so much back up I dont know if they would accept mine without certs for everyone in the line? Ive not done the book thingy but a few people have - do a thread with that as a heading to see how to do it etc.

Yes I do have family tree maker Heather. Have you tried printing it all out in book form yet? I wondered if it was any good. I also wondered whether to deposit it at the records office.

I have no idea. Nobody else seems interested in my immediate family, so it'll probably moulder in a cupboard somewhere.

Louise, do you have a familytreemaker program - as you have the option on there of using all the information and photos and printing a book.

we keep gathering information but does there ever come a time to write it all up? Are you going to write like a story of your ancestors life or ar you just going to print out pages of names? I would welcome any advice please because i want to do something very important with my tree one day but have no idea how to collate all the facts properly in a tangible form. Louise