I've never been as anxious for a webinar as I am for this Wednesday's webinar by Marian Pierre-Louis. She has solved the long-standing brick wall surrounding Nathan Brown's parents (my personal brick wall) and she will reveal their identity to our live webinar audience this Wednesday. She has kept this a secret - even from me!

In our 42nd live, free webinar, Marian will share the analysis process she used to find Nathan's parents. Certain techniques, which you can apply to your own research, can be used to unravel difficult genealogical problems. Follow that up with primary documents to confirm the relationships and the mystery is solved. At the end Marian will reveal - live - a big surprise about Geoff Rasmussen's (that's me!) ancestry based on this new information.

I hope you will join me for this once-in-a-lifetime webinar, where I'm certain the door prizes we give away will be as fantastic as I'm certain my mood will be. The live webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 2PM Eastern U.S. time. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day.

After publishing this announcement, I just found an article that Marian wrote today about this webinar. It's a great read. Click here for the article. In it, she wrote, "If this is about Geoff's family why should I bother watching it? Great question! Yes, this is about Geoff's ancestor but it is really about the process of solving brick walls and then proving or confirming what you have found. It's real practical advice for any genealogist or family historian who has a brick wall to solve."

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our brand new Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific/Arizona
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
6. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

If your ancestor looks more like their tombstone than their mug shot, read on.

In the image above Cora Crosby's tombstone appears in the pedigree chart. This can happen for two reasons.

First, the tombstone picture may be marked as the preferred picture in her Individual Picture Gallery. Notice the asterisk next to the number two below. Because this is marked as the preferred picture, it will be the one to print on charts and reports.

To fix this, click on the desired picture, then click on the Asterisk button (in the upper right, next to the Close button).

Second, the tombstone picture may be the only picture you have of the person. If you linked it to the Individual's Picture Gallery as in the example below, it will be the one to print on your charts (as shown in the pedigree chart above).

This picture really should be linked to the Burial Picture Gallery. To do so, first, right-click on the tombstone picture and click on Cut. Then, click on the drop-down menu and select Burial.

This will open the person's Burial Picture Gallery. Finally, right-click in an available picture slot and select Paste from Legacy Clipboard. The tombstone picture will now be properly linked to the Burial Picture Gallery.

Here's the updated chart.

This was demonstrated in our recent "Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries" webinar.

Or, since today is Halloween, maybe you want to create a chart of all tombstones. Up to you.

Of all the "Watch Geoff Live" webinars, this one goes down as my favorite. It ended up being so much more than just learning how to link the tombstone pictures and properly add the sources. We also explored adding to and citing FindAGrave.com, resizing and optimizing pictures for the web, renaming and organizing digital pictures, using the Source Clipboard, adding citations for parent-child relationships, and many other tips and tricks along the way.

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event, or if you'd like to watch it again, the 1 hour 46 minute recording of Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It is available for free until November 7, 2011.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD

Own your own copy of Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the 1 hour 46 minute recording of the class along with answers to attendees questions. Click here for more information or to purchase. Or purchase the Watch Geoff Live Bundle for over 8 hours of Legacy instructions. Includes:

• Adding a Death Certificate
• Adding a Marriage Record
• Adding an Obituary
• Adding a Census Record
• Cemeteries

Click here to purchase the bundle for $44.95 (sold separately: $49.75).

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of cemetery that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, October 31, 2011.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents with Marian Pierre-Louis, November 2.
• FamilyRoots Organizer System with Mary Hill, November 4.
• It Is Well With My Soul: Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune with Thomas MacEntee, November 9.
• Creating a Shareable CD with Legacy and Passage Express software with Jefferson Shupe, November 16.
• Celebrate the Holidays and Share Family History with Heritage Collector software with Kathleen Bitter, November 18.
• A Closer Look at Google+ with Dan Lynch, November 30.
• Tracing Immigrant Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, December 7.
• "Is My Pet Frog Part of My Family?" Children and Genealogy in the Classroom with Maureen Taylor, December 14.

Click here to register.

See you online!

Last year's inaugural RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City was one of the most exciting genealogy conferences I've ever attended. I'm excited to participate once again in 2012, both as a speaker and Legacy Family Tree vendor. I will be presenting a brand new class, RootsTech Genealogy Idol:

Attend the first-ever RootsTech Genealogy Idol competition as four contestants - 2 live and 2 online - compete for your votes. In the three rounds of competition, contestants will demonstration their gen-tech expertise and try to woo you with their favorite gen-tech secrets. Everyone will learn – but only one will leave with the title of RootsTech Genealogy Idol. The competition will also be broadcast to a live webinar audience who will cast their votes for the winner.

I'll publish more information soon and also invite you, our Legacy News audience, to submit proposals to participate in this class. Below is more information about the conference.

Don’t Miss the $129 Early Bird Registration for RootsTech 2012 in Salt Lake City!
A new family history and technology conference to shape the future of genealogy

• Innovating genealogy by bringing together users and creators of technology
• February 2-4, 2012
• Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah—Walking distance from the Family History Library
• Early bird registration ends November 30, 2011

If you were one of the thousands of people to attend the inaugural RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2011, you already know it is an event you do not want to miss in 2012! From groundbreaking topics, “unconferencing discussions”, to the RootsTech Playground, this conference will continue to deliver in its uniqueness.

Think major technology creators (Dell, Microsoft, Oracle, FamilySearch, brightsolid, Ancestry.com, Archives) and technology users (genealogists and family history buffs) coming together in a fun, collaborative environment for three days to learn new, technology-based skills and help influence the future of family history through technology!

Be one of the thousands of RootsTech 2012 attendees to:

• Discover emerging technologies and devices to improve your research
• Learn from hands-on workshops and interactive presentations
• Collaborate with technology creators to advance family history through technology
• Educate technology providers about your needs

There will be sessions of interest to novice, intermediate, and advanced users of technology. Sessions will include:

• Hands-on workshops
• Interactive presentations
• Sneak peek demonstrations of upcoming new products and services
• Panel discussions
• Common interest gatherings
• Unconferencing discussions (last minute, on-the-fly sessions requested by attendees)

Go to RootsTech.org now to see the full list of topics and sessions.

Register Now at RootsTech.org

• $129 before November 30, 2011
• $189 beginning December 1, 2011
• $35 student rate (Must show a current student ID at admission).

The RootsTech conference is sponsored by Oracle, Microsoft, Dell, FamilySearch, Brigham Young University, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, brightsolid, Archives.com, Ancestry.com, the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and the National Genealogical Society.

I just received a note from my friend Ross Allred at GenealogyBank.com - they've now surpassed the 1 billion record mark on their U.S. newspaper site. To celebrate, they've extended a special offer for readers of our Legacy News blog. Here is their announcement:

GenealogyBank.com, the largest and fastest-growing provider of newspapers for family history research, announced today a massive expansion of the nation’s most extensive searchable collection of U.S. newspapers online. The company has added over 134 million newspaper articles this month; its newspaper collection now contains over 1 billion genealogy records encompassing the years 1690 to the present day, more than any other genealogy website online. The U.S. newspaper archives collection now offers over 5,700 newspapers from small towns and big cities in all 50 states to search for family history.

The U.S. newspaper archives collection provides fascinating insights into your ancestor’s daily life. The information and images contained in the newspaper archives also reveal insightful historical and cultural trends about fashion, politics, sports, and social issues over the past 320 years of U.S. history. With the addition of the new genealogy records, family historians can more easily discover rich details that provide context for their ancestors’ lives. 

“For decades, family historians had to travel across the country to hundreds of libraries to access these newspapers - now with GenealogyBank.com they are instantly available 24/7 at the click of a mouse,” says Director of Genealogy Products for NewsBank, inc., Tom Kemp. “GenealogyBank provides exclusive access to more than three centuries of important genealogical information such as obituaries, marriage and birth announcements, as well as interesting and often surprising stories about our ancestors.”

The vast online newspaper archives collection also includes African American and Hispanic American newspapers from 1827-1999. This robust and rare content helps many more Americans discover the inspiring stories of their ancestors who paved the way for a better, more diverse America.

Kemp adds, “Toward our stated goal of creating the single most comprehensive resource of newspapers for family history research, GenealogyBank will continue to digitize millions of articles each month from newspapers across the U.S. that will greatly expand and increase the depth of our collections.”

About GenealogyBank
GenealogyBank.com, a division of NewsBank, is one of the largest and fastest-growing searchable newspaper archives online for family history research. More than 1 billion genealogy records have been added to the site since it launched five years ago, to help people discover, preserve and share their family history. The website also provides access to hard-to-find pension lists, military records, land claims, and other helpful genealogy records including free access to the Social Security Death Index.

Special Offer for Legacy News readers – Join Now and Save 25%!
There’s never been a better time to explore your family history on GenealogyBank.com.

Join before October 31st, 2011 for only $4.37 per month, you’ll save over 25% off the annual subscription (Now $52.46 – Was $69.95). You can also subscribe by phone 1-866-223-8535 (M-F 10 am-7pm EST) mention product code 1109L. You are just a few clicks away from fascinating facts and stories from your family’s past.

SAVE 25% and Get Unlimited Searches

My recent article, Genealogy Serendipity in the Cemetery has been the most-read article in the history of our Legacy News blog. Now I'm turning it into a webinar. Join me on Friday, October 28, 2011 for a free webinar, "Watch Geoff Live: Cemeteries."

Having just returned from cemetery-hunting in Maine, I had one serendipitous experience after another while searching for my ancestors. I can hardly wait to add all the new photos and information to my real, personal Legacy family file. In this webinar I will demonstrate what to do from start to finish with one of the tombstone pictures I took. You are invited to watch live as I add the information to my personal Legacy family file.

In this live, unscripted session, I will talk my way through renaming and organizing my digital camera pictures, setting up the source clipboard, adding the pictures in the appropriate places, and adding the new information I found. I will also demonstrate how to add cemetery information from FindAGrave.com. In preparation for the webinar, download and print the cemetery document so you can follow along.

The live webinar is scheduled for Friday, October 28, 2011 at 2PM Eastern U.S., so register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our brand new Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Friday, October 28, 2011 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific/Arizona
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
6. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The sound of the human voice is a powerful tool which conveys a wide range of moods and emotions. The human voice can project loud enough to excite and cheer at a pep rally, soften its volume to comfort the grieving, or change to a friendly tone or pitch to say “hello” to a friend. Adding voice notes or messages to digital documents can communicate personality, mood, and emotions as well as add a multimedia touch to text-based documents. Although, sound recording software has been a standard accessory program on computers for numerous years, many people either do not know about it or just don’t use it. A solution to becoming a little more technically savvy in the production of word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation documents, emails, and Internet sites is by spicing them up with verbal messages and comments.

Genealogists and family historians type documents and messages daily using software such as Microsoft Word or email to disseminate information, ask questions, and to communicate with family, friends, other researchers, and research institutions. With all of this text-based communication, digital conversations can often be less personable and bland. The focus of this webinar is on adding audio or voice messages to spice up text-based communications in documents, emails, and Internet sites. This webinar will help participants discover free audio recording tools on their computers and guide them in understanding the added benefits of enhancing digital documents with audio and voice messages.

The live webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 2PM Eastern U.S., so register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day.

About the presenter

Known as “Professor Dru” in the online world, Drusilla Pair is a genealogist, technologist, and educator who has been tracing her family history for over 16 years in Virginia and North Carolina. She has conducted numerous genealogical presentations at family reunions, churches, and local and national genealogical societies. She has also written family history articles for genealogy and religious publications and books for several of her family reunions and has been interviewed by two local television stations about genealogy.

Having experience in a number of genealogical areas, she began speaking on a national level in 1998. Last year she spoke at the annual conference of the Afro American Historical & Genealogical Society (AAHGS) and at the Atlanta Family History Expos about using voice technology for family history projects. She was also selected as a Blogger of Honor for the Atlanta Family History Expos.

Ms. Pair has become a local genealogy expert in her community and has conducted numerous presentations focusing on African American Genealogy and Technology. She is also an active member of the Hampton Roads Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society and has created and maintains a blog for her society, www.aahgshr.blogspot.com.

Ms. Pair is also the author of several other blogs:  “Find Your Folks,” and “Let Freedom Ring!”

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our brand new Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific/Arizona
• 6pm GMT

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email during the week prior to the webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
6. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

If you have Irish ancestry, you need to watch the recording of today's webinar by Judy Wight. She taught about the three major sources for Irish research - civil registration, church records, and census records. Judy had something for both the beginning and advanced Irish researchers. One attendee commented, "I am one of those who has been "trying" for 40 years and so I am always looking for possible new resources. Judy gave me some new ones to try. Thanks."

View the recording

If you could not make it to the live event, the 1 hour 28 minute recording of The Three Cs of Irish Research: Civil Registration, Church Records, and Census Records is now available to view in our webinar archives. Visit www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/webinars.asp to watch. It is available for free until October 31, 2011.

Pre-order the webinar-on-CD (includes 4 pages of handouts with clickable links)

Own your own copy of The Three Cs of Irish Research by purchasing the webinar-on-CD for just $9.95. It includes the recording of the class, the complete Q/A session, and the 4-page handout with all the clickable links. Click here for more information or to purchase.

Special discount coupon

The special discount coupon of ireland that was announced during the webinar is valid for 10% off anything in our online store through Monday, October 24, 2011.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Let Your Voice be Heard in the Digital Conversation with Drusilla Pair, October 26.
• Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents with Marian Pierre-Louis, November 2.
• FamilyRoots Organizer System with Mary Hill, November 4.
• It Is Well With My Soul: Finding Ancestors Amid the Rubble of Disaster and Misfortune with Thomas MacEntee, November 9.
• Creating a Shareable CD with Legacy and Passage Express software with Jefferson Shupe, November 16.
• Celebrate the Holidays and Share Family History with Heritage Collector software with Kathleen Bitter, November 18.
• A Closer Look at Google+ with Dan Lynch, November 30.
• Tracing Immigrant Ancestors with Lisa Alzo, December 7.
• "Is My Pet Frog Part of My Family?" Children and Genealogy in the Classroom with Maureen Taylor, December 14.

Click here to register.

See you online!

A new book by Legacy's Geoff Rasmussen | 306 pages | Paperback ($19.95) or PDF ($14.95)

Thousands of Legacy Family Tree users have relied on our Legacy News blog to bring them the latest genealogy news, Legacy tricks, and technology tips. In fact, many of you have been begging us to compile, categorize, index and publish the past six years of articles so you can have a complete guide in one place.

Your wait is over. You now have The Official Unofficial Guide to Using Legacy Family Tree: Plus Research Advice, News, Views, and Technology Tips at your fingertips. There are some books that are meant for the coffee table, but this book, written by Legacy's own Geoff Rasmussen, belongs with you at your computer.

Buy the Paperback for $19.95

Buy the PDF for $14.95

From the very first page you will notice that this book is much more than a boring instructional manual – it is full of real-life examples that not only teach you the right buttons to push, but it thoroughly explains how to get the most out of your favorite genealogy software program – Legacy Family Tree.

You will also learn about the latest genealogy technologies, methods of organizing your paper files, and read inspirational stories that can help lead you to one Genealogy Happy Dance after another.

After graduating with his genealogy degree, Geoff thought his days of endless writing were finally over. Little did he know how much he would enjoy writing these articles for our Legacy News blog. Each article in this book includes a link back to the original article on the blog so you can read all of the comments left by others, or add your own.

Preview the Book
Click here to preview the Table of Contents, the complete index, and a few selections from the book (23 pages).

About the Author
Geoffrey D. Rasmussen is the father of four budding genealogists. He graduated with a degree in Genealogy and Family History from Brigham Young University and has served as director and vice-president of the Utah Genealogical Association. He is a dynamic genealogy speaker on all forms of genealogy technology, and as host of the Legacy Family Tree webinar series, has spoken virtually to nearly 100 different countries. He recently received the Distinguished Presenter Award at the prestigious RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City. He has authored books, videos, articles, and websites, and develops the Legacy Family Tree software program. On a personal note, Geoff enjoys playing the piano, organ, cello and basketball. His favorite places are cemeteries, the ocean, and hanging out with other genealogists. He met and proposed to his wife in a Family History Center.

Buy the Paperback for $19.95

Buy the PDF for $14.95

Legacy Charting Companion 3.0’s new Embroidery Charts are as practical as they are fun. Now you can wear your family tree and attract the attention of possible relatives you’ve never met. (Legacy Charting Companion is a Legacy add-on product developed by Progeny Genealogy, not to be confused with Legacy Charting which is included with Legacy Family Tree.)

You can embroider two types of charts: Ancestor Fan, and Descendant Fan Charts. Format them in quarter-, half- or full-circle - your choice! The program can render up to 5 generations from your Legacy family file on any one Embroidery Chart and still preserve the legibility of lettering.

This is one more way that Legacy Charting Companion’s powerful family tree charting capabilities can bring your family history to life. You won’t find this feature in any other genealogy program.

How does it work? Dynamic Stitching File Format - DST

Legacy Charting Companion’s new Embroidery Chart feature generates a file format called "DST." This Dynamic Stitching file enables any commercial embroidery shop to satin stitch the chart you created on a T-shirt, vest - whatever you choose.

But you don’t need to worry about all that. Charting Companion makes it easy to create the file: you just send it off for processing. Check the Embroidery Shop Locator below to find a supplier near you.

If you happen to have a computer-compatible home sewing machine, lucky you. DST works with most machines, so you can do it yourself - or for others.

Highlights of Embroidery Charts

• Family tree charts supported: Ancestor Fan and Descendant Fan Charts.
• Formats supported: 90°, 180° or 360°
• Number of generations per chart: up to 5 generations
• Embroidery stitch utilized: satin stitch
• File format generated: DST
• Compatible with all commercial embroidery machines, as well as most computer-capable home sewing machines

How to Purchase Legacy Charting Companion

Visit http://www.legacyfamilytreestore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LCC for more information or to purchase for just $29.95.

If you already own Legacy Charting Companion, here's how to upgrade:

• If you purchased within the last six months, you get a free upgrade to version 3.0. Contact Progeny Genealogy by phone or email here.
• If you purchased within the last twelve months, you get a 40% discount. Contact Progeny Genealogy by phone or email here.

More information

To learn more about Legacy Charting Companion's other charts and features, click here.