<div dir="ltr"><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Genealogy Update</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">22 October 2026--(c) 2026 Michael John Neill</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Clues from Christianna</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Extended Classes on Notebook for Genealogsts and Full-Text Search</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Where Did They Get That?</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** US Land Deeds--lecture and discussion</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Keep Getting the Update</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">--------------------</font></div><div><h1 style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;font-weight:300;font-size:3.375em;line-height:1.26;color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:center;background-color:rgb(8,113,83)">Clues from Christianna</h1></div><div><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><br></p></div></div><div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font size="4">Christianna (DeMoss) Rampley was born in the later 1770s, probably in what is now Harford County, Maryland. She married Thomas Johnson Rampley in 1800 and died after 1830, probably in Coshocton County, Ohio. Some things I\u2019ve learned from researching Christianna:</font></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:auto 1.5em 1em;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%"><font size="4"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%">the importance of somewhat unusual names</em>. While Christianna is not the most unusual name, it was also noticed in a family whose last name was the same as one of Christianna\u2019s grandmothers. Further research into this family resulted in a possible connection to Christianna herself.</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%"><font size="4"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%">sometimes widows have to buy their deceased husband\u2019s property from the estate</em>. Christianna purchased some of her family\u2019s household goods at auction from her husband\u2019s estate.</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%"><font size="4"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%">sometimes you will not find a death date</em>. Based upon census records, Christianna probably died in the 1830s. Given the time period, the location, her relative financial condition, and all the materials that have been referenced, it is unlikely that a death date will be discovered for her (unless a diary, Bible, or family letters turn up). Sometimes precise dates cannot be determined.</font></li></ul></div><div><p style="text-align:center;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><b><font size="6">FamilySearch Full-Text Search and Notebook for Genealogy Class offerings</font></b></span></p><p style="text-align:center;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="6"><b>Improve your skills!</b></font></p><p style="text-align:center;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14.6667px"><b><i>save your spot today!!</i></b></span></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="6">5-week class on Using FamilySearch\u2019s Full-Text Search</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With Michael John Neill</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Are you getting the most from FamilySearch\u2019s Full-Text Search? Our five session class on FamilySearch\u2019s full-text search will help you to get the very most from this truly paradigm-shift way of searching. Presentation and discussion is practical and down-to-earth. Students will receive practical and easy-to-implement search strategies and will be encouraged to share successes and failures with other class members via an online group and discussion sessions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Week 1</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Overview of FamilySearch full-text search.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This session will provide an overview of full-text search methodology, discuss how full-text search is different from typical searches, discuss workarounds for transcription errors, searching specific sets of images, and search organization.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Week 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sourcing and Determining what has been found with FamilySearch full-text search.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This session will discuss determining what has actually been located, downloading all information and images for a complete source citation, and creating a completion citation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Week 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Common Name Searching at FamilySearch full-text search.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This session will discuss some specific strategies for searching for common names in full-text search. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Week 4</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Problem-Solving with FamilySearch full-text search.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This session will discuss search formulation, tracking, and problem-solving when specific items have not been located. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Week 5</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Wrap up</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Structure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Lectures will be available for downloading the week before the discussion session. Students will view presentation and do optional homework the week before the discussion. Each week\u2019s discussion will review the lecture, discuss homework assignment, and have time for student questions and group discussion. Homework is optional, but will help students to understand concepts and get more from discussion sessions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Discussion sessions will be held:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">25 October and 1, 8, 15 and 22 November at 7:00 pm central time. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Class meetings will be via Zoom. Class communication will be via a Google group.</span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=BKU7EFP9P55C4" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Registration for class is $7</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="4">0</font></span></a><font size="4">--deadline is 24 October<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></font><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Registration is limited and can be</span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=BKU7EFP9P55C4" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">processed here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Confirmation of registration will be made within 24 hours of receipt. Contact Michael at <a href="mailto:mjnrootdig@gmail.com" target="_blank">mjnrootdig@gmail.com</a> with questions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="6">Notebook for Genealogy\u2013A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">With Michael John Neill</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology, and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google\u2019s suite of AI tools) in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and suggestions in how to use Notebook and have a place to get feedback and additional direction.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">An overview of NoteookLM</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">NotebookLM</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (often simply </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Notebook</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">) is Google\u2019s suite of AI-driven tools to analyze data from files and information you provide it. . </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Notebook uses </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">sources of your choosing, not what it found online</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. You upload your own materials\u2014including PDF files, text files, Google Docs, slides, or web links\u2014and the AI creates a private workspace built exclusively around that data. You can upload any genealogy information to it tht you wish , but it is recommended that only deceased people be included and that you not upload DNA information on living people.  </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Capabilities</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Answers with Citations:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> When you ask questions or search your uploaded files, every response includes citations to your uploaded documents, allowing you to double-check sources. </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Synthesis &amp; Content Creation:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Notebook automatically generates concise summaries, outlines main themes, and identifies connections or conflicts across dozens of sources at once. You do need to validate its summaries and conclusions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Audio-visual Outputs:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Beyond text answers, Notebook can create study guides, briefing documents, timeline charts, slide decks, podcast interviews, and videos based on your content. Even if you never share the created materials, just viewing them and interacting with them may give you some insight into your genealogical problem.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Course Prerequisites &amp; Required Materials</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> You should have digital records for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant record available.</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Format:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Preparation:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts. Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Course Format &amp; Zoom Sessions</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Pre-Recorded Lectures:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Students will view two hours of presentations before group sessions begin.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Live Zoom Sessions:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Held on Sunday nights (and recorded for later viewing). Sessions combine live demonstrations by Michael working through a set of family records alongside group discussions where students share prompts, results, challenges, and questions.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Class Focus &amp; Weekly Assignments</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Weekly Assignments:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> One assignment per week focused on Notebook&#39;s media outputs using your own research problem.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Scope:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of Notebook rather than providing individual research advice, making it accessible to participants working on problems from any region.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Community Discussion &amp; Communication</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Private Google Group:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Used for asynchronous discussion, peer interaction, Q&amp;A, and prompt sharing outside of live sessions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Email Requirement:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> A Gmail account is strongly recommended. Accounts with AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail frequently experience delivery issues with group emails.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sections of this class--two options--take the class on </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sunday nights</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:4pt"><span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sunday sessions</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Important Dates</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Live Zoom Discussions (Sunday Nights):</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> 25 October and 1, 8, and 15 November. Time: 8  pm US Central Daylight Time.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Registration &amp; Tuition</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Fee:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> $70\u2013</span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">register now to save your spot</span></a>--deadline 24 October</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Availability:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> Registration is limited.</span></p></li></ul><div><span style="color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">-------------------------------</font></span></div><div><h1 style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;font-weight:300;font-size:3.375em;line-height:1.26;color:rgb(255,255,255);text-align:center;background-color:rgb(8,113,83)">Where Did They Get That?</h1></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial">------------------------------</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial">-</span></font></div><div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;font-family:inherit;max-width:100%">note\u2013this originally ran in 2004\u2013making the 1900 census reference a little dated. </em></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" style="" size="4">Confusion is often in the mind of the beholder. The ongoing release of the every name <a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=5647408&amp;siteid=38391251&amp;bfpid=D7602&amp;bfmtype=database" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(3,169,244);text-align:initial;max-width:100%">1</a>900 census index at Ancestry.com has caused me to revisit some relatives in this census. When I viewed one entry, I remembered how confused I was when I first saw it. Like many genealogical records, the enumeration contained an error. And like many errors, the incorrect statement was a clue. In this case it was a clue that I failed to notice.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">In 1900, John M. Trautvetter is a 60ish widower, living with his four youngest children on a farm in rural Hancock County, Illinois. The bulk of the census entry is consistent with other records, including John\u2019s age, place of birth, year of immigration, and citizenship status. What confused me was the place of birth listed for the children\u2019s mother\u2013Ohio. No other record ever listed that state.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">John\u2019s wife, Frances, was the mother of all his children (there was not a second wife, although different places of births for the mother can sometimes indicate this), and she died in 1888 well<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">before the 1900 enumeration. Every document indicated she was born in Illinois in 1851 with no hint to another possible state of birth. While I had no direct evidence of her birth date and place, Frances\u2019 parents were known to have resided in Illinois as early as November 1850, and Frances\u2019 guardianship records (created when she was five years old) clearly state she had been born in January 1851. There was no evidence that her parents lived anywhere except Illinois after November 1850. But still, in the 1900 census, entries for four of her children indicate she had an Ohio place of birth.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Frances\u2019 three oldest children were out of the house by the 1900 enumeration, and their entries were also located. These children indicated their mother was born in Illinois. While this was not consistent with the Ohio birthplace listed by the other children, at least it was consistent with what I already knew about Frances.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">So Where Did Ohio Come From?</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">I do not know who provided the information for the Trautvetter household in 1900. But now I do know that the informant was not entirely confused when they indicated that the mother of the children in the household was born in Ohio.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">It was years after I first discovered that 1900 census entry that I learned that Frances\u2019 parents were German immigrants who married in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1849. Their stay in Ohio was short, but it was where they were married and where the husband was naturalized. I wish I had considered the Ohio reference as a clue from the start instead of simply ignoring it as some off-the-wall mistake. Whoever told the enumerator the children\u2019s mother was born in Ohio must have known that her family had some connection to that state.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">In this case, the error was a lead as to the family\u2019s origins. Some discrepancies in records are clues as to other locations where the family lived. Unfortunately, not all inconsistencies can be understood as easily as this one. However our point is that apparent errors should not immediately be tossed aside.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Many Errors in Records</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">There are many errors in genealogical records. If all records were completely consistent, genealogy research would not be nearly as difficult (or as interesting) as it is. And some of us become skeptical when all the records completely agree. And while an error is still an error, there are times when the error is a clue. The error can result from many scenarios, but it is worth remembering that we were not present when the information on the record was obtained. We do not know who answered the questions and what distractions might have been in the respondent\u2019s mind. All we have is what is written on the document.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Did our ancestor think the clerk meant, \u201cWhere is your mother from?\u201d instead of \u201cWhere was your mother born?\u201d Where a person is \u201cfrom\u201d is not necessarily the same place as where they were born. In the case of Frances, the children still living in the household in 1900 were relatively young when she died in 1888. Their memories of their mother may be very dim, and their only knowledge of her and her origins may come from their father\u2013who might not necessarily know where she was born either.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Other Types of Errors</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u2013 Hearing and Speech Problems</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Your ancestor\u2019s ability to speak the language of the country in which he or she lived can easily impact how the name is written in various records. Combine that with regional dialects, hearing problems, and inattentive clerks and the problem can be greatly compounded. This topic was discussed in this column some time ago in an article titled \u201c<a href="https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/?p=3969" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(3,169,244);text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Do You Ear What I Ear?</a>\u201d</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u2013 Bald-faced lie.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Was your ancestor hiding from his or her past? Was he or she lying to get out of something? Was he or she lying to be able to do something? If your ancestor lied on a document, there is usually a reason. The difficulty lies in determining what that reason was. If your ancestor made up several lies, the problem can be even worse.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u2013 They were not there.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Many documents that genealogist use reference events that took place long before the document was created and, perhaps, even before the informant was born. The amount of time that has elapsed, combined with the fact that a story may have passed through several individuals, can<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">cause facts to be reported incorrectly. And the mistake may be an honest one, particularly if the informant on a document is an in-law.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u2013 A little detail they did not know.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">My parents have lived in the same county their entire lives. And yet they were born in a different state because the nearest hospital was across the state line. I can remember that when I gave the clerk in the marriage records office the birthplaces of my parents, my soon-to-be wife looked at me when I indicted my parents were born in Iowa \u2013and yet they were.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u2013 Sometimes there\u2019s no telling what they were thinking.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">One relative of mine said her father was born in Canada, the United States, Iowa, or Kentucky. It all depends upon what census enumeration you believe. This is a case where I just wonder exactly went on when the census taker knocked on the door. (To read our fictionalized view of the census taker read \u201c<a href="https://rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com/?p=3074" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(3,169,244);text-align:initial;max-width:100%">The Census Taker Cometh</a>.\u201d)</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"> </font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Consider the Errors</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Some errors are errors. Some errors are clues. It is the job of the genealogist to determine the difference as best they can. Your ancestor might have been giving you the biggest clue when they gave the wrong answer.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Note: This article originally ran in the <em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Ancestry Daily News</em> on 20 Oct 2004.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" style="" size="4">Requests to repost or reprint can be sent to Michael at <a href="mailto:mjnrootdig@gmail.com" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.5;color:rgb(3,169,244);text-align:initial;max-width:100%">mjnrootdig@gmail.com</a></font></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="6"><b><i>Land records have you confused? We have the answer. </i></b></font></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><font color="#000000" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="6"><b><i>It&#39;s not just a webinar--it&#39;s a presentation and then a separate question and answer session.</i></b></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font size="6">Reading the Deed Books: US Local Land Records for Genealogists</font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">There are a lot of records your ancestor may have avoided being listed in. But if he bought or sold land, there was a record created to document that transfer and a copy of that record was probably made at the local court house. Even if your ancestor never bought or sold the land he owned, he may appear in local land records.  Deeds are some of the most reliable records we have, and genealogists overlook them all the time.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This presentation covers the land records kept at the county and town level in the United States and the general structure and form of a deed itself along with land record terminology.  We&#39;ll talk about how the records are usually organized, how to use grantor and grantee indexes (and what to do when they fail you), and why the record you need might be sitting in a parent county formed fifty years earlier. Local land records are not just deeds, we&#39;ll look at mortgages, releases, powers of attorney, and the land divisions that followed a death.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We&#39;ll also spend time on what a deed can tell you beyond the sale itself. The legal phrasing often hides useful clues, and the details people skim past, like witnesses, neighbors, or a wife releasing her dower, can point to relatives and connections you didn&#39;t know about. We will look at examples from a variety of US locations. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Searching these records can always be done onsite, but we will also talk about accessing them where possible via FamilySearch (including manual browsing and using full-text search where applicable). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">You should be comfortable with basic research before signing up. </span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Order just the presentation--or order and register to attend a followup question and answer session.</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Presentation and handout included. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=3M24AP7JGYQG2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Receive recording and handout only for $15.99</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=3M24AP7JGYQG2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Purchase recording and handout (delivery within24 hours) and participate in a one-time question and answers session regarding land deeds on 26 October starting at 7:30 pm central time via zoom</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Michael John Neill has actively researched his genealogy forever forty years, descends from generations of land-owning farmers, and has utilized land records in his own research extensively during that time. He is a former community college math instructor with a master\u2019s degree in mathematics. </span></p></div><div><span style="color:rgb(37,41,42);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;text-align:initial;background-color:transparent">-----------------------</span></div></div><div><p style="text-align:initial;font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);max-width:100%">Want to Keep Getting These Updates?<br>-------------------------</p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">With distribution costs of the updates, we&#39;ve finally had to stop sending this out for free after this issue. We hope you&#39;ve enjoyed receiving the updates, but we simply have to pay the bills to keep things afloat.</span></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><br></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">There are items in the update that are not published in our blogs. </span></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><br></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">We&#39;re only asking $5 a year to get the update. </span></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><br></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">If you don&#39;t want to receive the update after that---do nothing. If you&#39;d like to keep getting the weekly update, use one of our two options:</span></p><ul style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><a href="https://erpzbosab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVFq1hzUtWuNaa8BzAJT-QQMNaVqmJAK0h9BJhBkyaCYR8rROrwq6iFrPAWlC1l1AIwU5LME5AnctkdMozghiBQ4R8v7CSvYDAnWcz15S_wxEjlTW23dWfMvNeGgjLrEdu4xLMTdunfV44tU-Zxt5_SnWWd7_2jQLZXIQMe7BY9NxWOKfXkmyw6dSTmfGr6J1hNFq9isf3dGSspxo19TQ1N4X_7Qo64LOVZpaoj3zDnfIS_sh8ZIug==&amp;c=dodEiKpUhMOeMv_hT4hHjHiD2l3e0QdanTRl3bnzt_5AYgoBzntnmQ==&amp;ch=XcZ1677kN2EdFvmbiB3tZRA1PBgG64xu8-GSfDxq7EU-xAqdqNhaOg==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">auto renewal</a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">--your payment option will be charged automatically in a year. You can always stop the payment beforehand.</span></li><li style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><a href="https://erpzbosab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001MVFq1hzUtWuNaa8BzAJT-QQMNaVqmJAK0h9BJhBkyaCYR8rROrwq6iFrPAWlC1l1ov8e_p8FK7nwLyorV5ldnaZDBkdj75Cv-T0xxsJDLk8ELKRFIT2iSDXbaXESCWBAg1Znd0j-I_R4Dnd0jZRy3jTfIaxS4xk_TiK7r1_YpyAbndY-bfXjGOoBYdSAOicJHfD3dbEnaaba4zBJs9lFoRHxCsW9E2-h68KTREqQ22m7sKWo16DWBQ==&amp;c=dodEiKpUhMOeMv_hT4hHjHiD2l3e0QdanTRl3bnzt_5AYgoBzntnmQ==&amp;ch=XcZ1677kN2EdFvmbiB3tZRA1PBgG64xu8-GSfDxq7EU-xAqdqNhaOg==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">non-auto renewal</a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">--you will be billed and not automatically charged</span></li></ul><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(64,63,66)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Either way--you do not need a PayPal account. Just click on &quot;pay with debit or credit card.&quot; This is the easiest and cheapest way for me to accept credit cards as a small merchant.</span></p><div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(70,112,127);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;font-size:16px">--------------------</span></div><div><font color="#46707f" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Webinars</font></div><div><font color="#46707f" face="Open Sans"><span style="font-size:16px">--------------------</span></font></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ready-to-Go Webinars from Michael\u2013download immediate:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/using-ai-as-a-genealogy-consultant/" target="_blank">AI as a Genealogy Consultant</a>--New!</p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Creating Children\u2019s Stories from Genealogy Events</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">DeedMapper webinars</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/02/19/using-the-familysearch-catalog-webinar/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">FamilySearch Catalog</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Farming Ancestor webinars\u2013landowner and non-landowner versions</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/researching-female-ancestors/" target="_blank">Female Ancestors</a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/05/updated-familysearch-full-text-search-webinar/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Full-Text Search at FamilySearch</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Full-Text Search at FamilySearch with Common Names</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/how-errors-get-in-records-webinar/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">How Errors Get in Records</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/03/10/genealogy-research-in-illinois-webinar/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Illinois Genealogy Research</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/using-ai-for-metes-and-bounds-deed-analysis/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Metes and Bounds With AI\u2013platting and analysis</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:11pt;list-style-type:disc;font-size:14pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/unburying-funeral-home-records/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Unburying Funeral Home Records</span></a></p></li></ul></div><div><div><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------------------</font></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------------------<br></font></div></div><div><div><div><b><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Need to unsubscribe? Do so at:</font></b></div><div><b><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com" target="_blank"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com<font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><br></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></a></b></div></div><div><br></div><div>Issues unsubscribing? Email <a href="mailto:mjnrootdig@gmail.com" target="_blank">mjnrootdig@gmail.com</a> to process request</div><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888"><font color="#888888" size="4"><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><font size="4">Michael John Neill</font></div><div><font size="4">Genealogy Tip of the Day</font></div><div><font size="4">PO Box 17</font></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(70,112,127)"><font color="#888888" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#888888" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large"></font></font></p><div><font size="4">Henderson, IL 61439</font></div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"></div></div></div>