In the first blog discussion about the Yoder information that I received in October, I talked about taking the 35,000 names and dividing it into 7 databases, each handling just one of Melchior’s children, to make working on them easier. I’m still working away on Benjamin Yoder, 1700 names, finding documents, and sourcing the work that has been done. I find at about 3 hours in one day; I am ready to put the FTM work away. I'm also spending about 3 or 4 hours a week, reviewing the files that I received. I purchased color dots, that I’m using to help know what I’ve done. Red – is for reviewing the file (the first time). This is simply a process of going through page by page and seeing what is in the file. Sometimes, I’m finding copies of census records that I immediately toss. But I also find copies of pictures or birth certificates, which I know I need to scan and add to FTM.
Yellow – is when I compare the notes in the file to those in the FTM database. I’m looking for information that is not already in the notes, anything new or different. So, today I was going through the file of the family of Andrew Dill and Catherine Yotter, a daughter of Benjamin Yotter. In the notes file for William Morrow, the grandson of Andrew and Catherine, I found an obituary. I checked and found that it was in the notes section for him in FTM and appropriately sourced. That is what I’m hoping to discover as the file is reviewed. At the same time, there was a census from 1860, that was tossed, since census records can easily be found online. Finally, I found a copy of a record from Ancestry, but it is from the “directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929,” slightly more obscure than a census record. This has been marked for scanning into the FTM database. It has already been noted in the database but having a copy that includes the original source information is great to keep. Blue – is when I scan or add the notes, I’ve found in the file to the FTM. Once I scan them to my computer, they are added to my YODER PROJECT file folder. There I have 7 main folders, one for each child, and their children also each have a subfolder under their parent’s files. For the time being that is what I’ve created. If I find that I’m scanning even more, then I’ll continue to add subfolders for children. The scan is named, in the following way: Lastname_Firstname_date_document/picture. It looks something like this for the tombstone picture of Catherine Yoder who married Andrew Dill and then married John C Chriswisser.
Believe me when I say this takes time. Decisions have to be made about what is important, and what can be tossed. Err on the side of caution when it comes to documents, unless they are ones you know are readily available. Err on the side of handwritten notes on pages, unless you can tell that everything has been added to your database. Decide early on what your process will be and use it consistently to gain the best results. Also remember what works for one person in terms of process and organization, might not work for you. Don't be afraid to take what is explained here and make it yours. I've already adjusted the process for reviewing names in the FTM database, based on the first two children. The next blog is going to discuss some of the reports that can be found in FTM that will help guide your work.
1 Comment
1/4/2024 09:50:54 pm
Thank you very much for this great post.
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January 2022
About this BlogThis blog has been designed to serve two purposes. The first is to leave the written histories of my ancestors.
The second purpose is to offer some of my own stories, so that my children and grandchildren can learn more about my direct family and my childhood. Categories |