Explore Ancestry's Records with AI!Ancestry has just come out with a new AI records feature, a few days ago, that allows you to further explore your ancestor’s records, using AI technology, that further enhances your family history experience! Records Available with This Feature (For Now)
How to Get to Ancestry's AI Record Explorer
Currently in BETA ModeThis feature is new and currently in BETA mode, and they have already changed the results that are churned out quite a few times already. The moment this feature popped up, while working on a client’s case, I quickly checked it out on a possible record I was already in the process of viewing, when it just all of the sudden appeared before my eyes. The first AI record exploration I tried had extremely flowery language and made me laugh. It also seemed to add a lot of context that was not based on facts. I quickly went to my own tree and tried it out on a few of my own ancestor’s records. Within minutes, the tone and mood of the results had changed, along with it sticking more to the facts, with context slightly truer to the facts. As of today, it has now changed to pretty much just straight facts, without much of a tone or mood of any kind. I prefer the second change, with a little context and slight tone and mood. Check out the examples below! Update: Within minutes after I gave the “as of today” above, it has changed again. So, I guess you’ll never know what you will get, until they work out all the kinks. 😉 Ancestry AI Record Explorer with WW II DraftAncestry AI Record Explorer with Census RecordAs you can see, from these 4 different versions generated, each at different times, since release, the output keeps changing, but I'm sure they'll find a perfect balance. This is a fantastic, fun addition, and I hope to eventually be able to explore more records with this AI feature! More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
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Are you using AI to help generate transcriptions, extracts, or abstracts for and/or understand your genealogical documents? I have been testing and using AI for many things in my genealogical world this past year. I have tested out and used various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others. I recently tested out generating transcriptions and using OCR for historical documents, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Some turned out better than others. It’s a hit and miss. Of course, nothing is perfect, but I’m sure it will get better as time goes by. Check out a few of the results below for using AI to transcribe and/or analyze obituaries and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! Microsoft Copilot AI-Powered OCR Obituary Transcription and Analysis Test- Example (Try #1)Here is an example using AI-Powered OCR for transcription and analysis of an obituary for my 2nd great grandfather, Samuel Steinman. It turned out pretty good, I'd say! Google Gemini AI-Powered OCR Obituary Transcription and Analysis Test- Example (Multiple Tries)After multiple attempts, with different prompts, Google Gemini was unable to use AI-Powered OCR for transcription and analysis of the same obituary for my 2nd great grandfather, Samuel Steinman. I tried the same prompt as above, just simply "Transcribe", simply "What is this?", and more, to no avail. Now, don't think for a moment that Google Gemini is of no use. As I mentioned, I use a combination of different platforms depending on the task, and Google Gemini performs much better in other tasks. More coming soon. More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
You can now share your DNA results with collaborators at MyHeritage! MyHeritage has now added the much-needed option to seek advice and guidance from others, by securely sharing your DNA results with a collaborator. By inviting others to view your DNA results, and become a member of your family site on MyHeritage, collaboration has never been easier! Benefits to DNA Collaboration at MyHeritage
Who Can Collaborate with MyHeritage DNA Results
Learn more: New: Sharing DNA Results with a Collaborator More MyHeritage and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
FamilySearch has just added new, experimental products to the FamilySearch Labs, with many using AI! One of these new features is a historical record full-text search, powered by AI, where you may unearth hidden discoveries in historical records that have never been searchable until now! As of now, there are only 2 collections included in the experimental FamilySearch Labs for this feature, U.S. Land and Probate Records and Mexico Notary Records, with more being added soon! Not only does it generate a full-text search, but it also gives you a full transcript, which is downloadable, with the original record! Check out an example below! FamilySearch Full-Text Record SearchFamilySearch Full-Text Record Search & Full Record TranscriptFamilySearch Full-Text Search Record Transcript DownloadIf you’d like to try out this or any other experimental features, you must sign up first at: FamilySearch Labs More FamilySearch and other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about other FamilySearch updates and features, along with more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
Are you using AI to help generate descriptions for your family history photos? I have been testing and using AI for many things in my genealogical world this past year. I have tested out and used various AI platforms for different tasks, as some work out for certain tasks better than others. I recently tested out generating descriptions for historical photos, from my family history, in Microsoft Copilot. Some turned out better than others. Check out a few of the results below and see how you can use AI in your genealogy! AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 1AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 2AI Historical Photo Descriptions in Genealogy- Example 3More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
MyHeritage has just revamped their ancestor profile pages for your family tree, making it way easier to work on each ancestor in your family tree, with everything right at your fingertips! From the new MyHeritage profile pages, you can not only work from an extremely pleasant page with a new, updated modern look with soft, pleasant colors, but you can now access everything that you could possibly need to work on for that particular ancestor, all from the same page! What's Included in the MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page
MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page: Ancestor Details
MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page: Ancestor Matches
MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page: Ancestor Biography
MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page: Ancestor Photos
MyHeritage Ancestor Profile Page: Ancestor Sources
How to Get to MyHeritage Ancestor Profile PageI absolutely love the new MyHeritage profile pages! So easy to work from and so aesthetic! More MyHeritage and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
RootsTech 2024: World’s Largest Family History Event Wrap-up If you don’t know what RootsTech is, it’s the largest family history and genealogy event, around the world, of the year, celebrating family! RootsTech has certainly done it again! That was a fantastic, fun-filled 3 days! They seem to top themselves each year! The RootsTech 2024 event, hosted by FamilySearch, has finally come to an end, but the learning has not. Did you know that you can still access RootsTech? Not only can you access almost everything in your playlist for 3 years, the sessions/classes, keynotes, and Expo Hall, but they are keeping your chats available (to copy down your info), and you can still access RootsTech Relatives for the rest of the month! So, if you want to view any of the more than 1,500+ RootsTech Sessions (most of the 414 in-person and online sessions for 2024 and most of the other sessions from the past 3 years), Keynote Speakers or the Expo Hall, they are all still available, and will continue to be available! RootsTech: The Event of the Year, Once AgainRootsTech began in 2011, in-person, in Salt Lake City, and for their 10th anniversary, had to get creative, due to Covid. RootsTech 2021 was such a hit going virtual and FREE three years ago, due to Covid, that they went from about 30,000 attendees the year before to over 1,000,000! It was so amazing that they decided to do it again for 2022, and once again broke their record to 3,000,000! Then, they really outdid themselves by going hybrid last year, keeping the virtual platform, they designed just to use with the 2021 pandemic event that reached the entire world, and combining it smoothly with an in-person event for those missing the in-person experience, in which they had over 4,000,000 attendees worldwide from 240 countries and territories! This year, hybrid as well, was no exception and was once again the most fantastic global, family discovery event of the year, genealogy or otherwise! My RootsTech 2024 FavesAlthough I joined virtually and missed out on some in-person only sessions and aspects Like MyHeritage's featured session and joing up with groups that I'm a part of), I had a great time! I absolutely loved everything about RootsTech, from ALL of the keynote speakers, the sessions, the new RootsTech theme song, “Out of Time”, the featured videos, the Relatives at RootsTech, the Expo Hall, to the chat and more, all of it was fantastic! All the keynote speakers were amazing, but my absolute faves were Kirbey Heyborne’s “Welcome to RootsTech 2024” opening, the CEO, Steve Rockwood's keynote speech, which is always so powerful and thought provoking; and Sony Ambassador, Nancy Borowick’s powerful and moving documented story through images and speech! My other absolute faves at RootsTech were the powerful theme video, “Your Story Is Worth Remembering” ; the relaxed vibe of “Brick Wall Ancestors Need a Search Party”, even though it was for beginners, it was quite informative and fun; along with featured talks from Microsoft’s, Jared Spataro, Ancestry’s, Crista Cowan and MyHeritage! RootsTech 2024 at a GlanceAttendees:
Main Stage:
Expo Hall:
Relatives at RootsTech 2024:Out of over 300, 000 participants of Relatives at RootsTech... I had 11,011 relatives at RootsTech this year! I had less than half of what I had last year, but that is most likely because I disconnected a lot of branches that others carelessly connected to the wrong people.😉 New 2024 Innovations and Tech I Got to Learn About
I saw as much of the main stage as possible and joined quite a few classes, and I’m so glad that I can save the rest to my playlist for later, in which you can now create playlist groups, as there is no way to get in everything in just 3 short days! 😉 It was such a big hit once again, that they’ll being going hybrid again next year! See you on March 6th of 2024! Don't forget to remember your past and those that came before, by including family, friends, strangers, communities, and the world! Remember to reflect on your life and those that have made the biggest impact on you, your stories, memories, traditions, and more, and preserve those memories for future generations so they can learn from our experiences! Remember to share your family history discoveries, knowledge, and resources to help others remember those that came before and who had the greatest impact on their lives! Remember, EVERYONE has a story worth remembering! If you missed the RootsTech 2024 event, you can still sign up for FREE online and view all the classes for FREE, at RootsTech! Don’t have an account? You can create your FREE FamilySearch account at FamilySearch! QuestionsI'd love to hear your experience at RootsTech 2024 below in the comments! How many RootsTech Relatives did you have attend? Have you saved your sessions for later yet? Did you take the time to chat and do any of the activities? Did you get to visit the exhibit hall? What were your faves? More on RootsTech and other Genealogy Events and ResourcesFollow more on the RootsTech Genealogy Conference in the Genealogy Events category, along with the Genealogy Resources category and my dedicated Genealogy Resources page! You can also find other fantastic events and resources there!
2/25/2024 Lutheran Germans to America: The 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group's Perilous JourneyRead NowThe 1831 Odenwald Emigration Group In 1830, Johann Adam Tracht organized an emigrant group from Odenwald, Germany of about 150 family, friends, and neighbors that got together to flee high taxes, military conscription of their sons, and expensive land, among other reasons, who were bound for Hancock County, Ohio in America. Most of them were farmers, including my ancestors. They originally wanted to set sail in 1830 but couldn’t make the voyage until 1831. My German Immigrant Ancestors in this Emigration GroupMy German immigrant ancestors in this group were my 4th great grandparents, Johann Adam Steinman(n) and Eva Elisabetha (Marquardt) Steinman(n), and my 3rd great grandfather, Peter Steinman. Johann Adam Steinman(n) and Eva Elisabetha (Marquardt) Steinman(n) left Erlenbach on July 6th for the U.S. with their 7 children, Peter (my 3rd great grandfather), George, Adam, Jacob, Maria Barbara, Christopher, and baby Johannes, along with 2 of their nephews, Johan Peter, and Adam. They followed the Rhine River northward to the Port of Bremerhaven, where everyone loaded the ships and waited for all parties in the group, before setting sail. The Perilous Voyage of the Odenwald Emigration GroupThe Odenwald Emigration group boarded their vessels in July of 1831 and emigrated on July 31, 1831. Bound for the Port of Baltimore for their destination of Hancock County, OH, they would be forever leaving family, possessions, and life as they knew it behind. Just off the coast of the U.S., they met with a violent storm, in which the ships had blown off course and become separated. One ship, the larger one, the James Beacham “Famous Dove” dashed against the rocks off the coast of Virginia and waited for the storm to subside. The smaller of the two made it through the Port of Baltimore sometime between September 16-20. The larger ship had come through Virginia on September 17, then went on to the Port of New York. My 3rd great grandfather’s baby brother, Johannes didn’t make it and was “buried at sea”. Most of the group took several years to get to their final destination, as they had no money and lost most of their belongings during the trip. My ancestors first settled in Pennsylvania for the first 6 years or so, to make enough money to continue their trip. Before reaching their original destination of Ohio, it was here that they had 2 more children, William, and Elizabeth. “In the middle of May, 1831, a group of emigrants from the Odenwald region of Germany started on the 400 mile trip through Darmstadt and Kassel to Bremen, where they finally sailed for America in late July. They severed all the ties that bound them to their homeland and relatives left behind. Those sailing on the British vessel "Famous Dove" were bound for Baltimore, Maryland. Families on board were named Arras, Beach (Bietsch in the original German) Bosse, Essinger, Gossman (Gassmann), Heldman, Luniak, Price (Preisz), Traucht (Tracht with 22 individuals so named), Wilch (Willisch), and others. Despite inferior food and the usual hardships of ocean travel in those days, everyone was in good health. Two children, one an infant, had been buried at sea; otherwise the trip was uneventful. The emigrants were on the water several weeks when a nothwest storm caught them when they were close to the shore of America. They were cast about and blown off their course, losing first the mast and then the rudder. The wind changed to the northeast with heavy seas washing the desks. On September 16th, the ship started to fill with water faster then the sailors could pump it out. At about midnight, all had to move to the upper deck, and waves were running high. In the darkness on the ocean, no one knew just where, the ship was sinking. Some were praying, but the captain, having been under the influence of liquor from the time the ship left Bremen, became sober in the face of disaster and ordered the mates to launch a lifeboat in which he intended to escape the sinking vessel. However, the leader of the expedition, Johann Adam Tracht, was inured to danger; he had not campaigned with the mighty Napoleon for naught! He was the owner of seven guns which he was bringing to America - not for the purpose of shooting Indians, but in anticipation of hunting gam, a pleasure which was "verboten" to the common people of Germany, Perceiving that the captain intended to abandon the ship and leave the passengers to their fate, he armed six man of his party, keeping a gun for himself. His orders were to shoot anyone who tried to go over the side of the boat. None tried. In the mist of all the confusion, fourteen year old Margaret Arras said that Christ stilled the waves and saved the disciples from drowning... "Maybe he will save us also". A sailor standing nearby said to 'slap that dumb girl in the mouth for talking so foolishly, that anyone could see that the ship was sinking and all will be drowned'. The girl started singing a hymn. Her faith was contagious, and the emigrants were soon all singing, with even most of the sailors joining in. The ship sank no further, and the waves began to be smaller. When daylight came, they found that they were close to land. The ship had blown off course to a sand bar off the cost of Virginia, east of Norfolk, close to Cape Henry. The unmarried men remained aboard the wrecked "Famous Dove" until the children and parents were landed, and it is interesting to note that Johann Adam Tracht, the organizer of the group, was the last one to leave the vessel. Black people, ready to give assistance, gathered on the shore; these were the first such people the immigrant had ever seen. Many, on reaching shore, knelt down and poured out their hearts in gratitude to the Saviour for deliverance. They solemnly vowed that annually on that day a "Schiffbruchsgottesdienst" (shipwreck thanksgiving festival) should take place in remembrance of that abject terror and the wonderful rescue. This occasion is still observed. In 1832 passengers of the shipwreck settled in this area and were instrumental in establishing Trinity, Jenera, and St. Paul's, Jenera. St. Paul Lutheran then developed Good Hope, Arlington, and St. John's, Dola. Shipwreck Sunday is observed in honor of the conviction of these early settlers as they worked to establish life and witness in this "new world.” - St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jenera, Hancock County OH Establishing St. Paul’s Congregation in Hancock County, Ohio The Odenwald Emigration Group was instrumental in establishing Trinity, Jenera, and St. Paul's, Jenera. My 4th great grandparents were devout Lutherans and were members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hancock County, Ohio. Johann Adam was very well respected in his community and contributed greatly to it and the church. St. Paul Lutheran then developed Good Hope, Arlington, and St. John's, Dola. You can find the majority buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Van Buren Township, Hancock, Ohio, including my 4th great grandparents. Notes: This information came from various records and sources
#odenwaldemigrants,#st.paullutheranchurch,#hancockcounty,#ohio,#germanemigrants,#famousdoveshipwreck,#germanimmigrants,#germanancestry
2/18/2024 Celebrating My African American Genealogy Connections with the BYU Relative FinderRead NowIn honor of Black History Month, I thought I’d check out my African American genealogy connections in the BYU Relative Finder. I have a list of 47 connections, which you can see below. Take in mind that BYU uses your FamilySearch World/Collaborative Tree to generate the connections, in which most of us know that the results would then be only as accurate as what others have connected to the World Tree. 😉 I quickly reviewed a lot of the connections, in which the majority connect us by distant ancestors that I have yet to confirm. There were many, where dates just didn’t add up, like women having children in their 50s back in the 16th and 17th centuries. 😉 I have included a closer look at 2 of my connections, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. My Genealogical Connection to Martin Luther King Jr.According to the BYU Relative Finder and the FamilySearch World Tree, I am connected to Martin Luther King Jr. I have not confirmed anything past James West, born 1745. My Genealogical Connection to Rosa ParksAccording to the BYU Relative Finder and the FamilySearch World Tree, I am connected to Rosa Parks. I have not confirmed anything past John Robinson, born 1790 on the chart, in which I have 1788. These are still quite fun to look at, and when I have time, one day, in the far future, I may work on these connections to see how valid they really are, but with the collaborative tree, I won't hold my breath. If I find that I am connected to them in my family tree, then I am quite honored, indeed! 😊 You can check out your own African American connections, along with others, at the BYU Relative Finder on the BYU Family History Technology Lab Website. More African American Genealogy and Genealogy Resources Learn about more African American genealogy tips and resources, along with other family history and genealogy resources under the African American Genealogy and Genealogy Resources categories and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
Ancestry has been slowly rolling over everyone, for quite a while now, who does not have a paid subscription to Ancestry or AncestryDNA to new, basic AncestryDNA features, now included with their DNA kits. Since it was little by little at the beginning, not all had noticed. They have now, officially, moved the majority of FREE DNA tools and features behind a paywall, making many quite unhappy. Just what can you get with the purchase of an AncestryDNA kit, now? What has moved over to their new, AncestryDNA Plus paywall, for those that had purchased their kits in the past? See the breakdown of just what’s behind this new paywall, below. Now ONLY Included with AncestryDNA Test Kit
Now Included ONLY with AncestryDNA Plus Membership
Now Included ONLY with Ancestry Family History Membership
And according to Ancestry, any that are associated with family trees or traits are subject to change and may require an Ancestry membership in the future. Food for thought (concerning both sides)
More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page
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BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Come visit me at Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family if you're interested in starting your family history journey, booking me for your next speaking event, or family history and genealogy heirloom products!
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