From time to time, folks who volunteer to take pictures for Find-A-Grave, will receive an email requesting pictures to be taken. I also take pictures for my family research. There have been a number of not so successful visits, so this is the process that was done for today's, successful visit. Thought I would share it, in case others do the same thing. Perhaps sharing what WE do, will help others.
In a previous Blog:
Tombstone Tuesday and Find-A-Grave Follow Up
Information on an EXCEL file that I use for tracking what I have done.
A collection of items to take along was posted here:
Cemetery Visit Planning
So far, so good. What wasn't mentioned before, is that I enter this information into Outlook, as I can sync Outlook to a PDA, if I don't have the computer with me. Information is recorded in Outlook, like Address, Phone Numbers, Information about the Cemetery from Find-A-Grave and any other notes that are found over time. Some cemeteries have name listings on other websites, one even has a plot maps, online. That information is noted in Outlook.
The EXCEL spreadsheet that was talked about earlier is also printed with the Names of the individuals who have already been photographed by Cemetery. An Outlook printout and this EXCEL spreadsheet are put into a Notebook. The notebook is separated by State, as I visit cemeteries in a tri-state area. Within the State, it's sorted by Cemetery Name. This is a summary of the cemeteries that have been visited or I plan to visit. The Date of the Cemetery Visit is also recorded in Outlook.
In preparation for a Cemetery Visit the following have been very helpful for me.
Print of the Find-A-Grave Cemetery Page:
This has some basic information about location, sometimes the street address, less a phone number, but most of the time GPS information. On may pages, there is a picture of the entrance of the cemetery (very helpful for a driver of the car or the navigator)
But, taking that a step further, a Hybrid View of the Map has been helpful for a visual view of the area. For example, from the satellite view, you can actually see the cemetery, you know that you should be able to see it. The hybrid view adds the street names to the satellite view. That is also printed.
One example of this, is that the Find-A-Grave information on the Cemetery was very little and it was about 25 years old. From the Map, there was a long walk that didn't sound too easy from the Find-A-Grave information. However, that satellite view showed that there was a farm across a lake from the description on the website and there was a driveway that was very close to where this family burial ground was located. That extra step was very helpful.
GPS information. Not all GPS units are the same. Mine will not accept GPS coordinates, but it will accept Intersections. That is where the review of the Map comes in very handy, especially when you do not have the exact street address. These intersections are noted in Outlook.
Bottom line here, getting familiar with the area of the cemetery.
If I am working from a Request for a Photo, I look at the Find-A-Grave website to see if there are other Photo Requests. There have been several that were posted prior to my signing up to Find-A-Grave. So, I'll look at all of them.
Printing that page with the information about the request is the next thing to do.
By clicking on the Name of the Individual for the request, there may be other information about that individual that doesn't appear on the request page. Sometimes relationships are posted, Obituaries have been posted there as well. This page is printed.
Taking this a step further a print out of all of the Surname of the individual of the request are there other people with that Surname are in the Cemetery. If a spouse is listed, or a female's birth surname, that page will be printed. Some times, but certainly not all of the time, they might be in the same plot or a near by plot.
On the printout with that surname, there is an ICON if there have been pictures taken for others with that surname. If there are pictures of others with that surname, it is also printed. Several times, it helped identify WHERE in the cemetery that headstone is. Trees, type of headstone, a general view of where that head stone is has made two visits very successful; we knew what we were looking for, at least a place to start.
All of this paper work are put into a Folder with the Cemetery Name, State, County, City are on the tab of the folder. These folders are put into a portable files box, sorted by Cemetery Name.
The location is known, the area around the cemetery, what the entrance looks like (in many cases, but not all), who the individual is, others with like surnames, and with any luck, a potential reference headstone, it's off for a visit.
The first picture to take, is the Entrance. This will help when I get home as to what the cemetery is, especially, like today, where we visited 5 cemeteries. Now the fun begins.
This is not addressing what one might do on the visit, like doing anything to a headstone, cleaning up the area, only the picture taking, preparation, and follow up.
Generally, specific headstone information is taken using the tools each of us has to get the most information out of a headstone. If there are other relatives, or potential relatives within the same plot are nice to take pictures of. The Plot may also be helpful. In larger cemeteries a broader view for reference of the headstone may help.
Notes are recorded on the paperwork that is in the folder. Information like a more specific location for the street address, if it isn't on the Find-A-Grave website. For example: Across the street from ....., so that the next time, that address can be entered into my GPS.
This folder is not returned to the File Box until the information has been updated, the Pictures from the Camera are on the Computer, and the pictures uploaded to Find-A-Grave.
The "plan" was tested today successfully. The plan was go visit a specific cemetery, however, after we left the house and were on the road, we changed our mind as to where we were going. We have several cemetery visit days planned, but my wife had recently found some information that she wanted to check out. Our visit planned for next week was close to our planned visit for today. So, on the road we changed our plan. We had all of the information that we wanted in the Note Book and File Box.
To be honest, we had a good news, bad news visit. One Cemetery with an online Photo Request, we were not able to fullfil, couldn't find the individual and only one of 5 individuals with the Surname. However, there was a number of old headstones in an uncleared area of the cemetery with lots of poison ivy. The good news, is that we found a number of headstones that my wife wanted. We found the first headstone based on a view of one of the headstones already online. We knew what we were looking for.
A second cemetery was a good news, good news visit. Its a large cemetery, we have visited a number of times before, and had 3 requests for pictures. The good news is that the Office was open. We gave Doris the names, she gave us the plot information (8 rows behind this name on a large headstone) and a Cemetery Map. 15 minutes later, the 3 requests were fulfilled.
Bottom line: the plan worked.
I thank Patti for being the co-pilot and proofreader for this adventure.
Showing posts with label EXCEL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EXCEL. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Mapping Your Route
The Hooked on Ancestry group on Facebook posted this message to the group:
Mapping Your Route:
When you’re visiting an ancestral hometown, you’ll want to map out cemeteries, churches and other locations you’d like to visit. Online mapping services like MapQuest (http://email.ancestry.com/
Don’t overlook the local municipality websites for other interesting information about the area. They may have detailed local maps and other helpful information for planning your trip.
I use Outlook to track the Cemeteries that I have visited or plan to visit. In the blog entry:
Before I go visit a cemetery, I make sure that Outlook is up to date, I have directions and a print out from EXCEL to see who I already have and any notation that I might want to re-take a picture.
I then make a list minute check at Find-A-Grave to get a list of internments and any photo requests that might be listed there. At this point, I don't "claim" the assignment, but will do that if I am able to find the headstone requested.
If the town that I am visiting has any local Church, Historical Society, Library with a Genealogy section, that might be of interest, I enter that into Outlook as well and print what I need. The printed paper lets me "take notes".
Just a couple of thoughts on planning a research trip.
Mapping Your Route:
When you’re visiting an ancestral hometown, you’ll want to map out cemeteries, churches and other locations you’d like to visit. Online mapping services like MapQuest (http://email.ancestry.com/
Don’t overlook the local municipality websites for other interesting information about the area. They may have detailed local maps and other helpful information for planning your trip.
I use Outlook to track the Cemeteries that I have visited or plan to visit. In the blog entry:
Tombstone Tuesday and Find-A-Grave Follow Up
I talked about what I track in EXCEL, but I also record the information in Microsoft Outlook. Most of the information on a cemetery that you will find on this Blog, under the Cemetery Listing and what I would post on Find-A-Grave I put in outlook. The nice thing is the there is a Mapping Feature built into it. so the direction are easy to optain and print. The information on that Cemetery can also be printed directly from Outlook. I put this into my Cemetery Notebook.Before I go visit a cemetery, I make sure that Outlook is up to date, I have directions and a print out from EXCEL to see who I already have and any notation that I might want to re-take a picture.
I then make a list minute check at Find-A-Grave to get a list of internments and any photo requests that might be listed there. At this point, I don't "claim" the assignment, but will do that if I am able to find the headstone requested.
If the town that I am visiting has any local Church, Historical Society, Library with a Genealogy section, that might be of interest, I enter that into Outlook as well and print what I need. The printed paper lets me "take notes".
Just a couple of thoughts on planning a research trip.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday and Find-A-Grave
At the suggestion of a Genealogy Blogger, Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings this Blog will provide a way for me to keep track of what Tombstone's that I have posted here and which ones I have posted to Find-A-Grave.
Over the years, I have several hundred photographs, taken with a digital camera and are in my files. I started the project of taking digital photos to record information for my wife for her ancestors. I created a website for her and posted the pictures here. http://home.comcast.net/~russ.worthington/patti/ There are 10 cemeteries posted there. Not sure how many photos are there, but that will be a piece of my current project. That is, tracking what has been posted and where.
That was before Blogging and our cemetery visits have been reduced as we have most of the photos we wanted.
The Genealogy Blogging Community, in http://www.geneabloggers.com/ and on Facebook challenged us to use our Blogs to share our photographs of Tombstone's and stories on Tuesday. There is a Logo to the right of this message about The Grave Yard Rabbits Association that is another group of researchers who share their research.
For some time, Find-A-Grave has been "out there" doing a similar project. That is getting photographs of tombstones Online.
So, how I have too many places to "put stuff". Oh, did mention that I want these photo's to show up in my genealogy software.
Another challenge to the Genealogy Blogging Community was to get organized in 2009 and there is a monthly reminder to Back Up your files. These two challenges reminded me that I had about 200 3.5 Floppy Disks (remember them) that need to get these photos on CD's or other media. How many PC's have Floppy Drives today.
Off to my local office supply store for a USB Floppy Drive. Then spent a number of hours copying the files from the Floppies to my Hard Drive. Of the 75 floppies done so far, 3 are reported bad, but haven't given up on them yet.
In the midst of this, Find-A-Grave sent me an email requesting that I take a couple of photos at the request of a Find-A-Grave reader. Almost, Genealogy Over Load. In fulfilling that photo request, I remembered (re-descovered) that Find-A-Grave had a tool for us to use. It's an EXCEL spread sheet that can be downloaded, the submitted when complete. It can be found on the Find A Grave Spreadsheet Template website. The answer to the the Genealogy Over Load is there for me.
I have created a spreadsheet, based from that Template, for each cemetery that I have. Filling out the information on that spreadsheet with the information from the photographs on my computer, printing that form, will show me information that needs to be filled in from my Genealogy software. For printing purposes, the EXCEL file name and Cemetery Name are included in the Header of the spreadsheet. Since this is a spreadsheet, three columns were added. Tombstone Tuesday, Find-A-Grave, and my genealogy software.
Once this spreadsheet is printed, filling in the blanks from my geneal0gy software. The blanks being the full name, birth and death dates, Plot information, Inscription, and notes are filled in.
Since the use of TAGs, in this Blog will help identify what has ready been posted, a review of each cemetery will be easy to check off. Find-A-Grave provides the list of photos that have been posted, another blank will be filled in. After the online work is done, then inserting the photos in my genealogy program will complete this organizing.
All of the tombstone photos are filed together in one folder on my computer. The file naming that was chosen is:
State-County-Cemetery-SurnameForenameMiddlename.jpg
The EXCEL files are also saved in this folder on the computer.
The list of what has been complete and another "To Do List" is generated, but organized.
This is a work in progress, at this point, but it's working so far.
Note: there will be an Edited version of the EXCEL file will be used to upload to Find-A-Grave, removing the information in the file that is not needed by Find-A-Grave.
Questions, Comments, or Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Over the years, I have several hundred photographs, taken with a digital camera and are in my files. I started the project of taking digital photos to record information for my wife for her ancestors. I created a website for her and posted the pictures here. http://home.comcast.net/~russ.worthington/patti/ There are 10 cemeteries posted there. Not sure how many photos are there, but that will be a piece of my current project. That is, tracking what has been posted and where.
That was before Blogging and our cemetery visits have been reduced as we have most of the photos we wanted.
The Genealogy Blogging Community, in http://www.geneabloggers.com/ and on Facebook challenged us to use our Blogs to share our photographs of Tombstone's and stories on Tuesday. There is a Logo to the right of this message about The Grave Yard Rabbits Association that is another group of researchers who share their research.
For some time, Find-A-Grave has been "out there" doing a similar project. That is getting photographs of tombstones Online.
So, how I have too many places to "put stuff". Oh, did mention that I want these photo's to show up in my genealogy software.
Another challenge to the Genealogy Blogging Community was to get organized in 2009 and there is a monthly reminder to Back Up your files. These two challenges reminded me that I had about 200 3.5 Floppy Disks (remember them) that need to get these photos on CD's or other media. How many PC's have Floppy Drives today.
Off to my local office supply store for a USB Floppy Drive. Then spent a number of hours copying the files from the Floppies to my Hard Drive. Of the 75 floppies done so far, 3 are reported bad, but haven't given up on them yet.
In the midst of this, Find-A-Grave sent me an email requesting that I take a couple of photos at the request of a Find-A-Grave reader. Almost, Genealogy Over Load. In fulfilling that photo request, I remembered (re-descovered) that Find-A-Grave had a tool for us to use. It's an EXCEL spread sheet that can be downloaded, the submitted when complete. It can be found on the Find A Grave Spreadsheet Template website. The answer to the the Genealogy Over Load is there for me.
I have created a spreadsheet, based from that Template, for each cemetery that I have. Filling out the information on that spreadsheet with the information from the photographs on my computer, printing that form, will show me information that needs to be filled in from my Genealogy software. For printing purposes, the EXCEL file name and Cemetery Name are included in the Header of the spreadsheet. Since this is a spreadsheet, three columns were added. Tombstone Tuesday, Find-A-Grave, and my genealogy software.
Once this spreadsheet is printed, filling in the blanks from my geneal0gy software. The blanks being the full name, birth and death dates, Plot information, Inscription, and notes are filled in.
Since the use of TAGs, in this Blog will help identify what has ready been posted, a review of each cemetery will be easy to check off. Find-A-Grave provides the list of photos that have been posted, another blank will be filled in. After the online work is done, then inserting the photos in my genealogy program will complete this organizing.
All of the tombstone photos are filed together in one folder on my computer. The file naming that was chosen is:
State-County-Cemetery-SurnameForenameMiddlename.jpg
The EXCEL files are also saved in this folder on the computer.
The list of what has been complete and another "To Do List" is generated, but organized.
This is a work in progress, at this point, but it's working so far.
Note: there will be an Edited version of the EXCEL file will be used to upload to Find-A-Grave, removing the information in the file that is not needed by Find-A-Grave.
Questions, Comments, or Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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