You've probably heard that DNA testing is a big deal in finding our ancestors these days. Maybe you've completed the DNA test, but are now left with more questions than answers. If you need help understanding your results, the differences between the testing companies, or just need help understanding where DNA fits in with your genealogy research plans, I recommend taking a look at Diahan Southard's new Quick Reference Guides. Seven are available for 5.95 each, or the 7-pack bundle is available for 29.95 (save 11.70).

Getting Started: Genetics for the Genealogist

Do you want to use DNA to further your genealogy research? This guide will help you select the DNA test (and testing company) that is right for you. It's never been easier to get started. Let Your DNA Guide show you the way! This guide provides answers so you can test with confidence:

• Explains what DNA can and can't do for your research
• Identifies who in your family should be tested
• Explains privacy measures
• Provides a comprehensive flow chart that identifies the right test for your research
• Helps you choose the right testing company for your test and genealogy research
• How to take the test
• A Quick Glossary Guide to help you navigate terminology easily

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Y Chromosome DNA for the Genealogist

This guide will walk you through each aspect of YDNA testing and help you identify your next steps to finding or extending paternal lines. You'll receive clear and concise explanations of:

• How to determine if the YDNA test is right for you and your research
• What the YDNA test can tell you
• Haplotypes and Haplogroups
• How many markers you should have tested
• How to get tested step-by-step
• The best company for YDNA testing
• What the testing company can tell you
• How to get the most out of the testing company website tools

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Mitochondrial DNA for the Genealogist

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) carries with it an indestructible record of your direct maternal line. This guide will cover the basics of mtDNA testing, and how to harness its power in maternal line research. This guide will fully explain the different kinds of DNA tests, and importantly, how to use the results of testing to further your genealogical goals.

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist

Autosomal DNA is being touted as one of the hottest genealogy tools available, but it leaves many with more questions than answers. Turn to this quick guide for answers to these common questions:

• What exactly is autosomal DNA testing?
• Who can be tested?
• What testing companies provide this testing?
• What will the results tell me?
• What are the maps with all of the ethnicity percentages?
• What do those maps have to do with my genealogy?
• How do I organize my DNA matches to make the most of the testing?
• Use this guide to gain knowledge and confidence in this exciting field of research.

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Understanding AncestryDNA

Thousands have purchased DNA testing through Ancestry.com. Most are left without a clear idea of what to do next. This guide provides answers to the following questions:

• How can I find my best DNA matches at Ancestry.com?
• What do the ethnicity results mean?
• How can I link my pedigree chart to my DNA? Is that something I want to do?
• What do the relationship ranges, like 2nd-4th cousin, really mean?
• What are the DNA circles?
• Can I trust the shaky leaf hints?
• What are my next steps?

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Understanding Family Tree DNA

Many have begun to explore autosomal DNA testing with Family Tree DNA but aren’t sure how to navigate the website and make genealogical connections. This guide provides answers to the following questions:

• How can I find my best matches at FTDNA?
• What do the MyOrigins results mean?
• Do I need to add my pedigree chart to the website?
• What do the relationship ranges, like 2nd-4th cousin, really mean?
• What is a cM and why is it listed on my match page?
• What is a Chromosome Browser? How do I use it in my genealogy?
• How do I use the In Common with tool to find genealogical connections?

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

Understanding 23andMe

Over 1 million people have had their DNA evaluated by 23andMe. This website has powerful family history tools and this guide will answer the most pressing questions like:

• How can I control how much information is being shared with others?
• How can I enter my genealogical information?
• How do I know when I have a good match?
• Is the YDNA and mtDNA information they give the same as what I see at other places?
• What is the best way to use the ethnicity results presented?

Purchase for 5.95 for immediate download delivery.

DNA Reference Guide 7-Pack PDF Bundle

All 7 DNA reference guides at a discounted price!

Purchase for 29.95 for immediate download delivery (savings of 11.70).

When you have a difficult genealogy research case, creating a mind map of your ancestor's evidence just might be the tool you need to get you beyond the problem.

Ron Arons, who has a history of using mind maps to solve genealogy brick walls, and is the author of the new book Mind Maps for Genealogy, attended Warren Bittner's recent webinar on complex evidence. Warren's phrase, "web of evidence" struck a chord with Ron, and so did this graphic where Warren showed how he tied all of the evidence together:

It immediately reminded Ron of mind mapping and so guess what Ron did next? He created a mind map of Warren's research. (Click to enlarge.)

In this mind map Ron used different colors to connect the same individuals across different documents. He matched up common data points (individuals' names, locations, etc.) and organized it in clockwise chronological order, creating a timeline. For example, Frederick Behre is connected across documents using a rich/deep blue set of connector arrows, Minnie's connector arrows are in pink, Dora (Fred's wife) is in crimson, and so on. In some cases, Ron connected the same residential address across documents using grey connector arrows.

The end result provides the ability to visualize how the evidence in seemingly unrelated documents fits together, thus giving the researcher a new angle to visualize their problem.

Mind Maps for Genealogy: Enhanced Research Planning, Correlation and Analysis by Ron Arons

Ron also has a new book out on the topic. Mind Maps for Genealogy: Enhanced Research Planning, Correlation and Analysis provides an introduction to the concepts of mind maps. In addition to providing step-by-step instructions for using two of the leading mind mapping products (which also just happen to be free), this book provides numerous examples of how these tools can be used, including with the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), the FAN (friends and neighbors) Principle, and Inferential Genealogy.

Click here to purchase.

Webinars on Mind Mapping

Learn more in our webinar library from both Ron Arons and Thomas MacEntee:

• What's in a Name? Trouble! by Ron Arons
• Mind Mapping Your Research Plans and Results by Thomas MacEntee

Perhaps you’ve been researching for 5 years – 15 years – or even 50 years. Your skills improve with each year. In this webinar, learn how to review and prepare your data – so that you can leave it – permanently – on multiple sites. Make sure your data is available for your family into the rising generation.

Join us and Tom Kemp for the live webinar Friday, November 13, 2015 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion. 

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Thomas Jay Kemp, a well-known genealogist, librarian and speaker, Tom has been working in libraries for the past 50 years. He is the author of more than 40 books and has lectured around the world. He is the Director, Genealogy Products NewsBank, Inc. He has served as the Library Director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Click here to view Tom's webinars.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our 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, November 13, 2015 at:

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

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. 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.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

The recording of tonight's webinar, "Organizing Your Genetic Genealogy" by Diahan Southard is now available to view for free at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for a limited time.

In this one-of-a-kind lecture we will discuss various methods for keeping track of your DNA matches- especially your autosomal DNA matches. We will first discuss what kind of information you need to keep track of, and why. We will cover the basics of Excel, Word, email folders and correspondence. We will talk about some alternative tools like Evernote, and Kustumnote that can help you streamline and standardize your organization. We will even cover some visual tools that will help you including Google Earth. This webinar will leave you armed and dangerous, ready to identify your best autosomal DNA matches and begin to move forward with the real genealogy business of making connections.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 38 minute recording of "Organizing Your Genetic Genealogy" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.

Coupon code

Use webinar coupon code - dna4 - for 10% off anything at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com or www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com, valid through Monday, November 16, 2015.

DNA Reference Guide 7-Pack PDF Bundle

All seven DNA Reference Guides!

• Getting Started: Genetics for the Genealogist
• Y Chromosome DNA for the Genealogist
• Mitochondrial DNA for the Genealogist
• Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist
• Understanding AncestryDNA
• Understanding Family Tree DNA
• Understanding 23andMe

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 277 classes, 415 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 1,216 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Bringing it All Together and Leaving a Permanent Record by Tom Kemp. November 13.
• Mapping Madness by Ron Arons. November 18.
• Stories in Stone - Cemetery Research by Gail Blankenau. December 2.
• Thinking about Becoming an Accredited Genealogist? by Apryl Cox and Kelly Summers. December 9.
• Pointing Fingers at Ancestors' Siblings - Breaking Down Brick Walls with Collateral Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. December 16.
• What Happened to the State of Frankland - Using Tennessee's Pre-Statehood Records by Mark Lowe. December 18.

Click here to register.

Print the 2015 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

In the United States we are celebrating Veterans Day, today November 11th.  On this same day the British are celebrating Armistice Day which is also celebrated in France, Belgium and New Zealand. It's a little confusing to me, maybe someone from England can explain, November 11th is also Remembrance Day around the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. Either way,  nations around the world are using this date to honor those who have served in the military.

Sometimes folks in the United States regard Veterans Day and Memorial Day (held in May) similarly. In fact, each has a different very specific purpose. Veterans Day honors all those who have served in United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day, on the other hand, only honors those who gave their lives in service to their country.

Who are you honoring today?

Most of my ancestors who served in the military were active during the Revolutionary War. I have about seven ancestors that helped to bring about independence from England. If I look to more recent times, however, my father and all of my uncles on both my mother's and father's sides of the family served in the military. My father served as a peacetime naval officer not long after World War II.

The most notable military person in my family, though I can't really claim him because he's not a direct relation (he's my first cousin twice removed) is Submarine Commander, Samuel Dealey. He was the nephew of my great grandfather, James Quayle Dealey. Sam lost his life on August 24, 1944 when he went down with his submarine off of Luzon, Philippines. He received the Medal of Honor and several other recognitions of valor.

Sam is also the only serviceman that I know of in my family that gave his life for his country. All of my uncles and my Revolutionary War ancestors made it home to their families.

No matter where you are in the world today take a moment to think of all the service men and women who have impacted your life.

Submarine Commander, Samuel D. Dealey

Marian Pierre-Louis is the Social Media Marketing Manager for Legacy Family Tree. She is also the host of The Genealogy Professional podcast. Check out her webinars in the Legacy library.

Tuesday's Tips provide brief how-to's to help you learn to use the Legacy Family Tree software with new tricks and techniques.

The F6 Key

Yesterday I was entering a marriage record into Legacy from FamilySearch. They have the images from some French marriage books. I needed to add the name Philippe Fréderic André to my database. Since almost all my research is German my character ribbon in Legacy is loaded with the German special letters I need but I needed to add several é. I could of course open the Window's Character Map to find this letter OR I could do something cool right in Legacy. 

All I have to do is click the F6 button on my keyboard and the Legacy Character Map appears. Be sure to have your cursor in a text field before pressing F6. I can then select the character I need and paste it right in. A lot of people don't realize that the Windows Function Keys do things. If you go to HELP > HELP INDEX and type in SHORTCUT KEYS. You will see all of the nifty things you can do with the Windows ALT, CTRL and Function Keys.

Find tech tips every day in the Facebook Legacy User Group. The group is free and is available to anyone with a Facebook account.

For video tech tips checkout the Legacy Quick Tips page.  These short videos will make it easy for you to learn all sort of fun and interesting ways to look at your genealogy research.

Michele Simmons Lewis is part of the technical support team at Millennia, the makers of the Legacy Family Tree software program. With over 20 years of research experience, Michele’s passion is helping new genealogists get started on the right foot through her writings, classes and lectures. She is the former staff genealogist and weekly columnist for the McDuffie Mirror and now authors Ancestoring, a blog geared toward the beginner/intermediate researcher.

In this one-of-a-kind lecture we will discuss various methods for keeping track of your DNA matches- especially your autosomal DNA matches. We will first discuss what kind of information you need to keep track of, and why. We will cover the basics of Excel, Word, email folders and correspondence. We will talk about some alternative tools like Evernote, and Kustumnote that can help you streamline and standardize your organization. We will even cover some visual tools that will help you including Google Earth. This webinar will leave you armed and dangerous, ready to identify your best autosomal DNA matches and begin to move forward with the real genealogy business of making connections.

Join us and Diahan Southard for the live webinar Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 9pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion. 

Not sure if you already registered?

Login to view your registration status for this webinar (available for annual or monthly webinar subscribers).

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

A microbiology graduate, Diahan Southard worked before and after graduation for the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. Growing up with the budding genetic genealogy industry lead her to her current position as Your DNA Guide, where she provides personalized, interactive experiences to assist individuals and families in interpreting their genetic results in the context of their genealogical information. Diahan's lectures are always fun, upbeat, and full of energy. She has a passion for genetic genealogy, a genuine love for people, and a gift for making the technical understandable.

Click here to view Diahan's webinars.

Add it to your Google Calendar

With our 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 11, 2015 at:

• 9pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 8pm Central
• 7pm Mountain
• 6pm Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Make sure you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Check at www.java.com.
6. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
7. 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.
8. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Without reading ahead, can you guess this age at death? Although this is from a Swedish parish register, the numbers are pretty clear. And you probably don't need this clue, but age at death in any record I've seen, is usually written in this format - years, months, days.

What's your guess?

I, too, thought it read 80 years, 4 months, and 6 days. I even transcribed it that way the first time. But it didn't add up.

According to this death record, Eric Mattsson (my 7th great-grandfather) died May 10, 1809. So I plugged this in to Legacy's date calculator (find it by going to View > Calendar) to verify his birth date:

and pressed the Calculate button:

If I've 1) interpreted and 2) calculated everything correctly, AND 3) if the person reporting the age was spot on, Eric would have been born on January 4, 1729. Of these three, the calculator probably has the best chance of being 100% accurate.

I'm so glad I took a closer look. Had I accepted this birth date, I would be looking from now until the end of my days for an Eric Mattsson with this birth date. It simply doesn't exist.

In prior research, I discovered that Eric was born 15 Sep 1729 - an 8 month and 11 day difference. My initial thoughts were 1) maybe there were two Eric Mattssons who died in 1809 and I should look for the other (mine was reported in the household records that he died this year) or 2) the age at death could easily be wrong. So I looked for another Eric Mattsson's death and didn't find one. I almost concluded that the person reporting his age just didn't know for sure.

I'm so glad I took a closer look.

You see, between the years (80 år) and the months (4 mån) was a Swedish word or words that I couldn't interpret. With my English-speaking eyes it looked like the month of January, but my cheat sheet at the FamilySearch Wiki had a different spelling for January. So I took it to the Swedish Genealogy Facebook group which I learned about from Kathy Meade's webinar, "Have Swedish Roots and Don't Know How to Get Started?" Last night I posted this question:

This morning I woke up to a response from one of the members of the group:

At first I could not figure out how she came up with 79 years, 7 months, and 24 days old. Then I copied and pasted her response into Google Translate.

"80 years as close as 4 months 6 days."

What?

And then it hit me. This is saying that Eric was 4 months and 6 days away from his 80th birthday. While I've never seen an age at death reported this way before, it made sense. If I add 4 months and six days to the end of his death day, we get September 14 which is pretty close to the 15th.

Thanks to Facebook group member, Ingrid Björkudd, for teaching me something new today! Isn't genealogy great - a never-ending educational process. Also, thanks to the technology at ArkivDigital, Google Translate, FamilySearch Wiki, FamilyTreeWebinars, and even Legacy's date calculator for helping me put this together. 

The recording of today's webinar, "Researching with Karen! (3)" by Karen Clifford is now available to view for free at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for a limited time.

Join educator, author, and researcher, Karen Clifford, as she answers your questions and demonstrates how she solves genealogy cases. Seeing how someone else approaches a genealogy mystery can give you new ideas to apply for your own hunt.

View the Recording at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 34 minute recording of "Researching with Karen! (3)" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. Or watch it at your convenience with an annual or monthly webinar membership.

Coupon code

Use webinar coupon code - karen3 - for 10% off anything at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com or www.LegacyFamilyTreeStore.com, valid through Monday, November 9, 2015.

Karen's book, Digging Deeper

• Read early handwritten documents,
• Draw evidence from tax, probate, newspaper, and periodical sources,
• Connect with your ancestors using military pre-service, service, and benefit records,
• Use cemetery, pre-1850 federal and state population records, and census substitutes,
• Prove lineages through original land grants, patents, and Federal Public Domain records,
• And combine information from the above records with insights gleaned from historical documents.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 276 classes, 414 hours of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 1,216 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year
• Monthly membership: $9.95/month

Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

• Organizing Your Genetic Genealogy by Diahan Southard. November 11.
• Bringing it All Together and Leaving a Permanent Record by Tom Kemp. November 13.
• Mapping Madness by Ron Arons. November 18.
• Stories in Stone - Cemetery Research by Gail Blankenau. December 2.
• Thinking about Becoming an Accredited Genealogist? by Apryl Cox and Kelly Summers. December 9.
• Pointing Fingers at Ancestors' Siblings - Breaking Down Brick Walls with Collateral Research by Marian Pierre-Louis. December 16.
• What Happened to the State of Frankland - Using Tennessee's Pre-Statehood Records by Mark Lowe. December 18.

Click here to register.

Print the 2015 webinar brochure here.

See you online!

Tuesday's Tips provide brief how-to's to help you learn to use the Legacy Family Tree software with new tricks and techniques.

Using Trees

Adding unlinked individuals to your file is a great way to capture people that you "think" are related but you aren't quite sure. You can add them as an unlinked individual and then you treat them just like anyone else in your file. You can add their family members and you will create a separate tree for this family group. If you ever find the connection you can simply link them to the main tree and all of the members of that tree will be linked.

Here is a screenshot of the trees in my One-Name Study. A One-Name Study inherently has a lot of unlinked individuals but with any luck you will find family connections and start linking people. This is actually a small ONS file because Glaentzer is a rare surname. You can see that my ONS file has 229 separate trees all in one file. I can use the scroll bar to see them all or I can print a list. You can also see that I can tag all of the members of a specific tree which is very helpful. I can also tag the "anchors" of each tree. Legacy has so many cool features.

To reach the Tree Finder screen, choose Trees on the View tab of the Ribbon bar.  The first time this screen is displayed, Legacy builds the list.  When you return to this screen in the future, the same list is shown (for speed reasons).  If you have added new trees or just want to make sure that the list is up-to-date, click the Refresh button.

Find tech tips every day in the Facebook Legacy User Group. The group is free and is available to anyone with a Facebook account.

For video tech tips checkout the Legacy Quick Tips page.  These short videos will make it easy for you to learn all sort of fun and interesting ways to look at your genealogy research.

Michele Simmons Lewis is part of the technical support team at Millennia, the makers of the Legacy Family Tree software program. With over 20 years of research experience, Michele’s passion is helping new genealogists get started on the right foot through her writings, classes and lectures. She is the former staff genealogist and weekly columnist for the McDuffie Mirror and now authors Ancestoring, a blog geared toward the beginner/intermediate researcher.