ELEKTRONIESE TELEFOONGIDS BRING VREUGDE

Die genealoog (of persoonsopspoorder) moenie Telkom se elekroniese telefoongids gering skat nie. Dis ‘n waardevolle hulpmiddel.

Gister het ‘n merkwaardige verhaal bekend geword toe Sandra (fiktiewe naam), ‘n vooraanstaande sakevrou in die Oos-Kaap, vertel het hoe dié gids haar gehelp het om haar aangenome dogter se biologiese ouers, na ‘n soektog van baie jare, op te spoor.

Agtien jaar gelede het sy en haar man die baba, Marlene (fiktiewe naam), aangeneem. ‘n Klompie jare het Sandra Marlene belowe dat sy haar regtige ouers opgespoor sal hê teen die tyd as sy haar 18de verjaardag vier.

Die soektog was jare lank aan die gang. Sandra het onlangs nog ‘n beroepsopspoorder groot geld betaal om te help. Sy het nog nie weer van hom gehoor nie.

Intussen het Marlene se 18de verjaardag nader gekruip.

Sandra het weer deur al haar dokumentasie gegaan om opnuut leidrade te probeer vind. Daar was ‘n adres – in ‘n ander provinsie -- op een of ander dokument. Toe sy op ‘n keer daar was, was daar niemand en die bure het vertel die mense wat daar woon se van* kom nie ooreen met die van waarna sy soek nie.

Heelwat later en ná nog baie navrae het Sandra Marlene se biologiese ma se nooiensvan nagespeur. Dit was al. G’n name, voorletters of adres nie.

Verlede week – enkele dae ná Marlene se 18de verjaardag -- was Sandra bra bedruk. Daai belofte aan Marlene …

Toe onthou sy dat iemand haar van die elektroniese telefoongids vertel het. Met wanhoop was sy voor haar rekenaar op die internet. Sy het Marlene se ma se nooiensvan op die elektroniese telefoongids ingetik. Daar was ‘n raps meer as 100 van hulle in die land.

Noukeurig het Sandra hulle een vir een deurgekyk -- nie dat sy gedink het sy sou iets van waarde vind nie. Dit was nog ‘n dag, nog ‘n metode, nog ‘n probeerslag. Ná enkele minute kon sy nie glo wat sy voor gesien het nie. Langs een van diegene op die lys voor haar, was die einste adres waar sy tevore gaan soek het.

Sy het sonder aarseling gebel. Dit was Marlene se een ouma (haar biologiese ma se ma). Daar was baie trane en baie vreugde.

En Marlene weet nou waar sy vandaan kom. Boonop is die groot ontmoeting dié naweek.

Die eenvoud van die saak is dat Sandra vroeër die verkeerde van* by die regte adres gesoek het. Met nog een brokkie inligting wat bygekom het, het die elektroniese telefoongids die geheim ontrafel. Bygesê: Sandra was geduldig en vasberade. Sy het nooit moed opgegee nie. Haar woord teenoor Marlene het sy nagekom.

* Die verkeerde van was toe al die tyd die pa s’n van wie die ma intussen geskei is.

• Die elektroniese gids kan gevind word by http://www.phonebookonline.co.za/.

How to Create Your Own Genealogy Blog

Have you ever considered creating your own blog? A genealogy blog?

You may be thinking, "So, WHY do I need a genealogy blog?"

The short answer is:

• So that other genealogy researchers can find your blog (set up around a SURNAME you are interested in).

• The visitor to your blog finds something interesting on it that helps them.

• They may contact you and SHARE information with you that can help further YOUR genealogy research.
  

Where does one start? How is it done?

There are various blogplatforms. This blog of the West Gauteng Branch of the GSSA is done on BLOGGER. It is owned by Google.

Click here and read how to go about.

WORDPRESS is also a popular platform for creating blogs.

34 PUBLICATIONS TRANSFORMED INTO 5 CD's

Last month we reported about Celia Baylis who did her genealogy manually, ending up with 34 publications.

Bob Saunders, vice-chairman of the West Gauteng Branch, transformed this into five CD’s. Here he tells how he did it.

Click HERE to view the previous report.

My collaboration with Celia, demonstrates that, no matter how insignificant you view your own efforts, it is still very important. Vital facts and personal histories are lost (possibly forever) every time one of us or our family passes from this world without those facts being recorded and stored in a suitable repository, whether it be in the form of a journal to another family member, or as a slightly more “official document” presented to the society for safe-keeping.

If you believe that your work is that insignificant that it cannot stand as a publication on its own, and is therefore not worth donating -- please think again. Those of us old enough to have learnt the three r's at school, notably reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic, will recall having to study poetry and learn said poems parrot-fashion. These poems were always in an anthology -- a collection of poems by numerous poets.

We could do the same with smaller works and create compendiums of these donated works, properly indexed. Thereby two important objectives are achieved:

• collecting important facts pertaining to families and
• preserving them for future generations.

The reality of “official” archive material disappearing forever is not that far-fetched. Besides gross insensitivity and ignorance, blatant disregard or disaster (fire, flood, earthquake, war), the greatest tragedy would be for a vital clue to be lost due to complacency by any one of us, here and now.

I appeal to you not to underestimate the value of your personal knowledge of your own family to future generations possibly seeking that vital link, in much the same way you have found yourself frustrated in your own pursuit of familial links.

Our blogmaster has asked me to report on the collaboration between Celia and myself.

Celia had produced 34 publications on her greater family. I (amongst others) was instantly impressed with the volume and quality of work, and immediately identified the value of it to future generations of those families. I realised what a remarkable contribution to the branch this collection would be. Added to that was Celia’s desire to see her works in an electronic format that could possibly appeal to the younger set, and be that much easier to distribute within the family. Add to this my knowledge of and access to technology that could achieve Celia’s dream and simultaneously secure this great work for our own branch collection, and you end up with an offer that cannot be refused and a challenge to achieve that goal.

For Celia, it was a relatively simple task: hand over the completed works, and finalise those that were still in production.
For me, the task was to master the technology and faithfully reproduce her works in the shortest possible time, as she was packing up home to move to the Cape. I am happy and proud of the fact that we both achieved our goal albeit in the nick of time.

In toto, I spent six weeks labouring on the copying (about six booklets a week = 1 booklet a day) scanning, collating and editing.

After the first six books were done, there was an experimental production of a disc to assess whether or not I was on the right track, and whether my methods were accurately reproducing the originals. It would also serve to propose the presentation, i.e. disc content and labeling, and cover “artwork”. This trial run turned out rather well, as Celia was most impressed with what I had achieved and couldn't find any mistakes or omissions.

There were however a few technical. I had compiled a couple of the booklets where some larger inserted items interfered with the flow of the document. When Celia highlighted this problem, I consulted with some more knowledgeable colleagues and a solution was found. I, on the other hand, could also see room for improvement and the need to restructure the works in a more logical and chronological fashion.

A second meeting with Celia ensued and the improved disc was presented as a “final draft”. We finalised the composition of each disc chronologically within each family group with a rough chronology of the actual production of the series. With less than a week to go, the last two books were received for reproduction and inclusion in the set, and the final production of the artwork was finalised and reproduced.

Then followed the cutting of two full sets (one for Celia and one for the branch) and 10 family specific sets for Celia to distribute as gifts to the families concerned -- a magnanimous gesture in my opinion. This was a total of 36 discs to be cut. A process which took 15 hours alone and caused me to miss the original (convenient) deadline, as I had grossly underestimated the time I would need to do this. Celia was sufficiently gracious to take this minor disappointment in her stride, and meet me the next day (on her way to dish out the first of her gifts), to collect the entire order.

I am sure she was a worried lady as I received a call as I was making final preparations to leave home for our rendezvous, to say she had arrived at the meeting place early. This was the last thing I wanted to happen, my “client” arriving before me. Anyway, I still arrived late because I also underestimated the traffic on Witkoppen road on a Sunday morning -- could it get worse? Well, fortunately it didn't. I had all the goods, and was finally able to hand over the discs and the last two books that I had copied, plus two others that had to be recopied as I had misfiled the original scans first time round. Celia was suitably impressed and obviously relieved that I had not misled her. So all was well that ended well, and off we went in opposite directions to enjoy Sunday lunch with our respective loved ones.

The 34 volumes translated into 4 833 pages to be copied -- thank heavens for technology and access to it. The only difficult task was to scan in documents larger than A4, as these had then to be patched together afterwards from a number of A4 parts. Thank heavens too for sophisticated software that literally did this seamlessly -- pun intended. Software also took care of a few printing errors, such as an upside-down page, and deleting a couple of duplications spotted after the scanning was complete. The set is called The Celia Bayliss Publications and each disc is simply numbered 1 through 5 and contains logical groupings of Celia’s works primarily by family.

In the final analysis, Celia had achieved her dream of having an electronic version of her works, I had been privileged to help her realize this dream and be party to the final “product”. The branch has seen yet another contribution to the collection of personal works initiated by Japie Bosch and augmented by Lucas.

I believe I have scored the most out of the deal, as I learnt to operate two new computer programmes in the process, have my own copies of these marvelous works, and last but by no means least, I have gained a new friend. What a bonus from a self-imposed challenge.

I urge you to take a look at the set, borrow a disc or all five, and just browse through them. They will give you many ideas as to how you could present your own collection of history and fact, and perhaps inspire you to finish off some project you may have started years ago and just never finished. Don't be daunted by the size of Celia’s project. It is not how much you can present or complete, but how much you save from being lost to future generations by adding what you have as part of a greater collection.

DAAI GOUE, GOUE REËL

• Johan Pottas van die Rekenaarsentrum, Universiteit van die Vrystaat het onlangs op 'n paar poslyste geskryf:

Net om julle almal weer te daaraan te herinner dat 'n mens amper nooit genoeg rugsteun kopieë kan hê nie. Ek het gisteraand my eksterne hardeskyf verloor. Dit het uitgebrand.

Ek was besig om 'n rugsteun van sowat 4 000 foto's wat ek die dag op hom afgelaai het, te maak toe dit besluit genoeg is genoeg.

Die enigste probleem is dat die foto's net op dié skyf was toe ek besig was om dit te rugsteun toe dit oppak. Ek hoop nou dat die tegniese ouens die data kan herwin anders is ek sowat 'n week se harde werk van foto's neem verlore. Dan sal ek alles weer moet oordoen.

Dus, probeer om altyd 'n rugsteun kopie so gou moontlik te doen van enige belangrike of tydsame werk wat jy berg.

• Op Times&Transcript skryf Diana Lynn Tibert:

It took one sentence to send a shiver down my spine: "The book she was writing was lost in the fire."

The lady, who had lost everything when a forest fire consumed her home, would have to start writing the first draft again. Then I asked myself, was I prepared if my home was destroyed by fire, flood or other disaster?

Unfortunately, the answer was no. The important information on my computer was backed-up on CD's, but those were stored by my desk. If the house goes, so do they. All the genealogy information gathered in the past 25 years would be gone. Family members have pieces of my family tree, but the most complete up-to-date copy can only be found at one location: my home.

No one can predict when disaster strikes, but we can prepare ourselves just in case. I thought I was prepared, but in reality, I am only prepared if the computer crashes. When I realized this, ideas of how I could become 'loss of home' prepared, began rolling through my mind.

• I thought about storing the information in a 'storage bank' on the Internet. I could post the information on a public website or I could create a personal website where access was limited with passwords. This might work for some individuals, but I didn't want personal information on those still living posted to the Internet. Also, it would take time to create the pages. This was not something that everyone wanted to do nor could do. My second idea was better.

• The first step was to create an up-to-date copy of my family tree on CD. I would only need two, one for data files and another for digital images of old photographs and documents. Another option was to store the information on a memory stick.Once the files were backed up, I needed a place outside the home to store them.
  

• My first thought was with a family member. Then I re-evaluate this idea. Everyone does not value genealogy information as much as I do, so I wondered about the CD's getting misplaced or thrown out (by mistake, of course).The other downside was if I updated the files every six months, I would need to retrieve the original CD and store the new one. Again, this might be fine for some, but if that family member lived a great distance, it might be a hassle. The more convenient, the more likely I would take the time to update the original material.

• Then I thought about a safety deposit box. Even the smallest ones are large enough for CD's and memory sticks. There were several advantages to this plan. Not only would the material be in a safe place and never get lost, it would be in a nearby location I frequently visited anyway. Furthermore, if something happened to me, the contents of the safety deposit box would be given to my heir.

No one wants to imagine the loss of their home, but being prepared makes such a loss more bearable.

• Op Arlene Eakle's Virginia Genealogy Blog verskyn die volgende:

Where is your genealogy?

In the basement in card board boxes? In the garage in card board boxes? Or loose papers on shelves or stuffed into the drawers of discarded bureaus and chests? Or lying in old trunks stacked in the corner of the utility shed?

On your computer hard drive? Or stored on discontinued and obsolete floppies?

Organized and tidy on the shelves and in file cabinets in your genealogy room or corner?

This is a wake-up call for us all.

If your genealogy is digital, purchase a handful of memory sticks. Transfer multiple copies of your files to them. Send them to your family members. Different towns, different venues in those towns. And if you are a woman, whose surname changes each time you marry, be sure at least one copy goes to a male of your ancestral surname – who can be tracked.

If your genealogy is online. Circulate pin and password to family members, so your hard work can be retrieved. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get access to password-protected data? Takes weeks of documentation that you have a right to access the stuff. If you are gone, your work may be locked up tight!

If your genealogy is still in paper files, copy them. And send a copy somewhere else where it will not be subject to the same risks your originals are.

FROM MANUAL TO DIGITAL

Celia Baylis did her genealogy for five years manually -- 34 publications in total.
Bob Saunders spent many hours scanning hundreds of pages of her work.
Now it is available on five CD’s.
It is a most commendable genealogy work,
now in the library of the West Gauteng Branch, GSSA.
Here is the story.

Celia writes: “It was my lucky day when Lucas Rinken, the chairman, invited me to take part in the Hobby-X Fair at the Dome in Johannesburg and assist at our GSSA stand there a couple of months ago.

The easiest way for me to explain what genealogy is about is for me to show a hand-written Family Tree in the old fashioned format, and to this end I took along one of my booklets. Little did I think the booklet would spark so much interest?

Lucas then invited me to do a presentation at the AGM, and I took along several of the family booklets that I had compiled and displayed them for the members to look at.

What a compliment it was when Lucas asked if I would leave copies with the West Gauteng branch, as my departure for retirement in Cape Town was imminent.

Bob Saunders, the vice-chairman, then offered to scan the booklets and put them onto CD’s, provided I agreed to a copy being left with the West Gauteng Branch under his supervision.

And so it has come about that Bob Saunders has produced the most remarkable set of CD’s which contain the information of my family tree. He has, at his own cost, produced 5 CD’s and will remain custodian of them for the West Rand Branch of the GSSA.

Bob will keep a register of any copies which may be sold to members of the West Rand Branch, as well as members of my family.

The final result of this set of electronic copies of my work is outstanding. I am truly indebted to Bob for the expertise, time and care he has put into these reproductions. To say that I am delighted would be an understatement, and the fact that my work will be preserved in this way is a great joy to me and will be to my family in time to come.

I very much regret that I will be unable to be present when Bob hands over a set to the West Rand Branch on 19 June, 2008.

Bob (left) writes: “As you and all our genealogical colleagues will know only too well, the work is never complete, no matter how extensive it may be. Be that as it may, we have compiled into a compendium of five CD's, a total of no less than 34 individual publications produced by Celia over the past five years.

Of course the research and collection of the content spans a far greater time period, and is a magnificent collection personal history, memories, personal research and artifacts lovingly crafted into tangible presentable format as a record for her greater family's benefit.

The benefit has been extended to our branch through me as the custodian and originator of the digital format of her work, which although not copyrighted per se, the copyright of the work is to be guarded as best we can.

Celia’s work illustrates the point of "doing it manually" to great effect.

TOWERWERK

Legacy 7 Charting is 'n towenaar. Dit het pragfunksies waarmee mooi familiekaartekaarte gemaak kan word. Hieronder is 'n voorbeeld van een uit 'n klompie keuses wat dit bied. Klik daarop om dit te vergroot.

Dié program sal deel van die nuwe Legacy 7-weergawe wees wat eersdaags vrygestel word. Intussen is dit op 'n proefgrondslag (reklamemiddel) gratis aan Legacy-gebruikers beskikbaar gestel.

Die program is betreklik maklik om te gebruik. 'n Nuweling sal die funksies gou bemeester. "Gebruik net jou 'common sense'", het my pa gesê. "Lees net behoorlik wat daar staan," het my ma gesê. Uiteraard moet die data en foto's op Legacy ingevoer wees.

Meegaande (klik op die kaart om dit te vergroot) is gemaak as 'n geskenk aan 'n ouerpaar wie se baba, Heston Fox Ferreira (*27 Februarie 2008) gedoop is. Nadat dit gedruk is, beslaan dit 3 x 4 A4-grootte bladsye.

Die sukses hiervan was dat die 30 foto's van die baba se onmiddellike vier voorgeslagte almal opgespoor is. Dit is van pa en ma tot by die sestien grootoupagrootjies en grootoumagrootjies.

Met die saamstel hiervan het 'n klompie belangrike (ou) lesse weer na vore getree.

Legacy word wyd in genealogiese kringe gebruik. Hoewel Legacy nie in almal se smaak vir datavaslegging is nie, bly dit die moeite werd om nuwe ontwikkelings dop te hou.

Les: Benut 'n nuwe, erkende program, veral as hy gratis is.

Dié soektog na die foto's het drie maande geduur. Eintlik was dit nie 'n soektog nie. Dis hoe lank dit geneem het om almal so ver te kry om die foto's beskikbaar te maak. Die meeste data is oor dieselfde tydperk gevind, maar nie alles nie. Hopelik sal dit mettertyd kom. Dan druk ons die kaart weer en vervang die een in die raam.

Les: Moenie ophou vra en soek nie, jou kanse word al beter om te kry wat jy benodig.Buiten die "stamboom" kan 'n mens met Legacy 7 Charting bykomende foto's/prente en skrif insluit. Gevolglik is vier pragfoto's op die kaart aangebring:

• Een van die ma, Erika Fourie, enkele minute voor die geboorte;
• Pa Dawson en oupa Heston John Grewar enkele dae na die geboorte.
• Oupa Heston en sy nageslag op die dag van die doop en
• Oom Ruhan (15) wat klein Heston op die doopdag die kerk ingebring het.
• 'n Afdruk van die baba se voetjies pas na sy geboorte is ook ingesluit.

Les: Neem foto's van goeie en unieke oomblikke. Ordentlike foto's.Oupa Heston het in 'n stadium opgemerk dat hy die enigste oorlewende is wat die mense op sekere foto's kon uitken. Só was dit ook met ander foto's. Die foto's is daar, maar daar is niks wat aandui wie daarop verskyn nie.

Les: Doen jou nageslag 'n yslike guns en dokumeteer jou foto's voor dit te laat is.
Voor die samestelling van die kaart is heelwat tyd aan die restorering van die foto's bestee. Dit is tydrowend, maar die moeite werd. Al 31 foto's is gekrop sodat net die gesigte wys. Almal is ook ewe groot gemaak -- 6" x 4". Al die foto's van oupas/ouma en ouer is 'n bruinskakering gegee om dit 'n ouer voorkoms te gee.

Les: Doen moeite met jou foto's. Kry 'n geskikte rekenaarprogram. Daar is heelwat.
Die ander oupa, Johan Fourie, het 'n pragskets van 'n jakkals gemaak, omdat die baba se een doopnaam "Fox" is -- uitsonderlik, maar dit het 'n stukkie geskiedenis wat nie hier ter sprake is nie. In die baba se familie is daar drie joernaliste. Hulle het die skryfwerk gedoen. Kort stukkies, maar goed gedoen. 'n Tante het met die kleure en 'n vriend het met die komposisie gehelp.

Les: Benut jou familie (en vriende) se talente.
Klein Heston se ouers sal dié kaart -- geraam -- as 'n geskenk op sy doopdag kry, maar dis nie goed genoeg nie. Die foto's is. Hulle sal ook 'n volledige stel (behoorlik gedokumenteer) daarvan op CD kry om vir hul kinders te bewaar. Dís mos spesiaal om te hê. Dink net hoe danig dié kleinman daaroor sal wees as hy verstand gekry het.

Plaaslik kos dit R3 om 'n poskaart-grootte foto af te druk. Ander pryse is: 6" x 8" = R12; 8" x 10"= R30 en 8"x 12" = R35.

Terloops: die druk van die kaart het R30 gekos -- by 'n plek wat argiteksplanne druk.

Les: Bewaar die ware Jakob as jy dit het.
Ongelukkig het die program ook 'n paar tekortkominge. Dit sluit in die gebrek aan 'n volledige "grid" om die plasing van bykomende foto's en skrif te vergemaklik en 'n gesukkel om foto's te vervang. (Altemit het ek nie behoorlik gelees nie.) 'n Funksie om die eerste geslag (die baba) se foto te vergroot, is ook wenslik. So ook om die foto's van almal in die laaste (jongste) geslag in te sluit. Origens is dit 'n pragprogram. -- Japie Bosch, Jeffreysbaai.

MINDER FRUSTRASIES

Onderstaande kan baie mense se frustrasies op die rekenaar verlig. Dis 'n maklike manier om kappies, deeltekens, ens. op klinkers te plaas pleks van die alewige Alt + nommer (en dan moet Num Lock aan wees).

Dié metode wat Catherine Crouse geruime tyd terug op SAGen genoem het, is 'n gerieflike en maklike manier vir veral Afrikaanssprekendes wat dikwels van kappies, deeltekens ens. gebruik maak.

• Gaan na Settings > Control Panel > Keyboard> Language > Properties. Kies dan "United States International" en OK jou pad weer uit.

• In Windows XP werk dit ietwat anders. Gaan na Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages > Details > Settings. Kies dan "English (United States International)". Klik dan OK. As die ou wat jou rekenaar opgestel het, die hele XP CD op jou harde skyf gelaai het, sal alles reg wees. Anders sal jou rekenaar vir die CD vra. Doen wat hy vra. Alles werk nou maklik sonder dat jy enige nommers (soos Alt 136 ) hoef te onthou of te tik.
  

ê As jy nou ^ (die kappie) tik en 'n klinker, plaas die rekenaar die kappie daarop, byvoorbeeld ê â Ê Ô, ens.

ë As jy die dubbelaanhaling (") en 'n klinker daarna druk, kry jy die deelteken. ë Ë ü, ens.

é As jy die enkelaanhaling druk (') en 'n klinker kry jy é á ó Ú, ens.

è As jy die enkelaanhaling heel bo links (`) gebruik, kry jy è à ò, ens.

Dit werk in alle Windows-programme met kleinletters en hoofletters.

Die enigste, maar klein, nadeel is dat ‘n mens telkens die spasiebalk moet druk, nadat ‘n mens ‘n aanhalingsteken geplaas het. Dit maak deur en deur op vir al die gesukkel met en onthou van alt-kodes vir kappies en deeltekens. As jy 'n aanhaling wil skryf wat met 'n klinker begin, onthou dan net om eers die spasiebalk ná die aanhalingsteken te druk, anders sit die rekenaar die deelteken bo-op die letter.

WENK: Werk versigtig as jy dié metode installeer. Mense het al laat weet dit werk nie. Die hoofrede is omdat hulle oorhaastig was en dit nie reg geïnstalleer het nie. Vir my werk dit en heelwat ander waarvan ek weet. -- Blogredakteur.

10 TOP GENEALOGY RESOLUTIONS

By Kimberly Powell, About.com: Genealogy

No more excuses!Almost all of us can admit to getting wrapped up in the hunt for ancestors and letting other important things slide (and I am not talking about the laundry). Most of us have notes piled on the floor, shoe boxes full of unlabeled photos, classes we have planned to take, relatives we have been meaning to interview and other researchers we have been intending to contact.

If you're like me and want to take your genealogy research to the next level, choose a goal (or two or three) from this genealogy "To Do" list and get started. Let's make this the year that we finally get organized and really work on improving our genealogical or family history research skills.

1. Interview a Relative

One thing many of us postpone until it is too late is talking to our own family members about our shared heritage. Now is the time to get in touch with those relatives you’ve been meaning to contact. If you are fortunate enough to have older members in the family, approach them first. Some of them may have information about the family that can’t be found elsewhere. If you have already spoken to your parents and grandparents, then extend your research net to include extended family such as brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins.

2. Take a Class or Learn a New Research Skill

Whether you are a novice or have been researching your family for over 20 years, there is always something new to learn. Get out of your research rut by taking a genealogy class, attending a conference, reading a new genealogy book or learning about a new research skill online. Maybe you have been intimidated by land or probate records, or have been meaning to tackle your ancestors from Germany. During the next year, make it a point to read and educate yourself about at least one new research technique and then use it to find out something new about your ancestors. There are hundreds of free resources for learning right on the Internet

3. Get Organized

This is the goal most genealogists dread, but which could make our research time so much more effective. Take some time away from your research and organize those genealogy files, clean out your bookmarks and input your scribbled notes into your genealogy program. If you are overwhelmed by the accumulation of family history records and notes that you have stuffed in boxes and drawers, then set aside a regular time each week for organizing a little at a time. Take heart - you will most likely find all sorts of new clues as you sort out the records you have already found and add the data and notes to your genealogy program.

4. Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow ...

Sometimes it seems as if everything else gets in the way of quality genealogy research time. You use a calendar to schedule other important activities, why not genealogy? Whether you use a standard paper calendar or an online version, make it a point to set aside time for personal genealogy research or schedule special events such as genealogy conferences or research trips. Setting aside time for genealogy is only the first step, however. To really make the most of your precious genealogy time, you also need to take time to plan ahead and prioritize your research.

5. Label and Store Your Family Photos

Most of us have piles of precious family photographs sitting in piles or boxes waiting to be labeled, organized, put into scrapbooks, digitized, etc. Don't let another year go by with those photos fading both from light and from people's memories. Get together with relatives and identify as many people as you can and label those pictures. Be sure to use a photo-safe marking pencil or pen! If you have access to a scanner then consider digitizing the photos onto CD-ROM to preserve them indefinitely. Even if you don't have time to create scrapbooks and really get the photos organized right now, make sure you get them out of old envelopes and shoeboxes and into archival quality plastic sleeves or acid-free photo boxes before they are lost forever. Make copies of important photographs and other important documents and share them with another family member. The recipient will no doubt enjoy the gift, and a second copy will help to ensure that these precious photos will not be lost forever in the event of an unforeseen disaster.

6. Two Heads are Better Than One

One of the best ways to further your research is to join forces with other people researching the same surname or in the same area. Join a genealogical or historical society in an area in which you are researching a primary family line and then get involved in some way. You will meet fellow researchers, benefit from members with years of experience with the records and history of the area and have many opportunities to help others by working to preserve historical and genealogical documents, recording cemetery transcriptions and more. If you spend a lot of time online, then join a mailing list for your surname or area or participate in chats and/or forums with other genealogists with similar interests. I belong to several informal groups of researchers who work closely to piece together information on a particular family - all groups of people

7. Keep Track of Correspondence

How many times have you left a question in a genealogy forum and then forgot to go back and check for an answer? How do you find the person you corresponded with last year about your Smith family again now that you have new information to share? Most of us have address books to keep important phone numbers and contact info for family and friends, so why not use it for genealogy contacts? Make sure to add a note to yourself about the person's surnames and research locations! There are also a wide variety of free correspondence records and forms available online which can provide you with a framework for logging your correspondence. Then at a glance you can determine whether you have written to a specific person or place, whether you received a response, whether you need to follow up and the results of your inquiry.

8. More Than Names & Dates

Sometimes in the rush to get our lines as far back as we can we forget to take the time to learn more about the people our ancestors were and the times they lived in. Take time this year to record family stories, either electronically or on paper before this oral history is lost forever. Go out and find at least one additional record on each of your direct ancestors, choosing a record which will hopefully tell you more about them than you already know. Census records include interesting information such as your ancestors' occupation, education level and property value. Wills and probate records can provide you with all sorts of fascinating information including debts, friends and even the bed covers and pots and pans your ancestors owned.

9. Put Your Research To Good Use

The biggest thrill for me in researching my family's history is in sharing the things I find with others. Your family members may be more interested that you realize and would probably love to receive copies of old family photos, printouts of the research you have done or a book of the collected memories and stories of your relatives. It doesn't need to be professional and it doesn't even need to be complete (when is your genealogy research ever complete?). Even a quick email every now and then to update people on new findings will be very much appreciated and may even spark new findings and memories.

10. Volunteer to Help Others

Think back to when you were a beginning genealogist and how difficult it was for you to learn proper research methodology and documentation techniques. Remember also all of the help and expert advice you probably received from other genealogists as you were learning the ropes. Look at this new year as the perfect time to return the favor. Many libraries, including Family History Centers, welcome volunteers to help newcomers in their genealogy departments. There are a lot of online sites where you can volunteer your time to look up records or take photos of tombstones for researchers who can't make the trip to do it themselves. You can also help answer questions by joining a mailing list geared toward "newbies" or by answering questions in forums or chats. No matter how you decide to help, you will be rewarded with that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from helping others. By introducing newcomers to the kindness which is inherent in most members of the genealogy community, you will be encouraging them, in turn, to become involved. As the popularity of genealogy grows, so will the records made available to us, either online or through preservation initiatives in libraries and archives. Therefore, the help you give to each individual researcher also helps us all.

HOW TO TRACE A DEATH

Question: Could somebody point me in the right direction to find a death in Johannesburg, some time in the 1980's or early 1990's. I need to find a will in the hope that will name any children from the marriage. -- Graham Sanders, London

Answer: The estate file for your person would be filed with the Master of the High Court, but there are quite a few Offices of the Master in the various major cities. Do you have an ID number for the person or at least a date of birth?

With an ID number and/or date of birth you can establish the date and place of death and then you can do a search at the respective office of the Master of the High Court.

The estate file will contain a Death Notice which will list the children of the deceased. -- From Dennis Pretorius, Krugersdorp, South Africa, Executive Member of the GSSA, Genealogical Researcher, Owner of SA Genealogy E-mail List, via Rootsweb.

STANDAARDISERING

Lucas Rinken is die man wat e-SAGI, (elektroniese Suid-Afrikaanse Genealogiese Indeks), 'n databasis met 339 000 rekords, onderhou. Hy ontvang deurentyd data van persone wêreldwyd vir bywerking. Hy bestee baie ure om die data so ver as moontlik eenvorming te kry om sodoende die opsporing van
'n individu te vergemaklik. Hier vertel hy hoe sy taak vergemaklik kan word.

‘n Rekenaar “dink” nie soos ‘n mens nie. Wat vir ons dieselfde lyk, is vir ‘n rekenaar iets anders. Niemand kan teenoor ‘n ander voorskriftelik wees nie. Elkeen het sy eie gedagtes oor hoe dit behoort te wees. Dog, goeie raad is: WEES KONSTANT.

VANNE

Die rekenaar onderskei tussen dieselfde van wat op verskillende maniere gespel word, byvoorbeeld:

de Wet
de WET
De Wet
De WET
DE Wet
DE WET

Vir ‘n rekenaar is elke spelling hierbo iets anders.

As jy besluit op DE WET, sorg dat dit altyd so ingevoer word. Die e-SAGI-databasis, byvoorbeeld, gebruik “de WET”.

PLEKNAME

Bekyk die volgende:

Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Johannesburg, Transvaal, RSA
Johannesburg, Gauteng, RSA
Johannesburg, Z.A.R.

Daar is nog vele ander variante van dieselfde plek, maar nie vir ‘n rekenaar nie. Vir hom is dit verskillende plekke.

Hier is daar egter ook die tydvak betrokke. Sommige mense glo dat die plekaanduiding die tydvak daaraan verbonde moet weergee. Johannesburg was wel eers in die ZAR, toe in die Transvaal as deel van die Unie, toe in Transvaal as deel van die Republiek en nou deel van Gauteng in die Republiek.

‘n Mens kan nie hierteen argumenteer nie.

As onderhouer van e-SAGI wil ek die pleknaam hê soos ek dit in my leeftyd geken het. Sodoende wil ek soektogte na ‘n pleknaam tot een wyse van spelling beperk. Omdat ek ‘n bietjie ouer is, verkies ek dit soos net voor 1994. Ek wil nie voorskriftelik wees nie. Ek sê net wat ek doen en hoekom.

Gedcoms wat ek ontvang, bevat BAIE verskillende weergawes van dieselfde plek. Ek moet voortdurend besluit wat om te behou en wat om maar liewer van te vergeet. Dit bring my by die mees gebruikte plekname -- nie noodwendig dieselfde plek nie, maar dieselfde naam.

In die e-SAGI-databasis (met sy 339 000 rekords) sal baie name noodwendig dikwels gebruik word. Min mense sal verstaan hoeveel aandag hieraan gegee moet word. Ek probeer om plekname wat dieselfde lyk saam te voeg.

Blesboklaagte kom op drie plekke voor. So ook Boesmansfontein. Boplaas kom vier keer voor. Boschfontein kom op nie minder nie as agt plekke voor. ‘Brakfontein’ kom op 35 plekke voor en “Rietfontein” nie minder nie as 54 keer.

AANHALINGSTEKENS

Plaasname word dikwels in aanhalingstekens aangedui en dis reg so. Maar weer eens het ons met rekenaars te doen.

Neem Rietfontein, ‘Rietfontein’ en “Rietfontein” ongeag waar die betrokke Rietfontein werklik is.

Die eerste twee hierbo sal deur ‘n rekenaar na aanmekaar gesorteer word -- in die volgorde soos hierbo, maar laasgenoemde sal heelbo aan die lys gesorteer word voor name wat met A begin. Daarom versoek ek aan diegene wat vir my data stuur: vermy sover as moontlik die laaste formaat en gebruik liewer ‘Rietfontein’.

DATUMS

Baie mense hou daarvan om datums volledig in te voer, soos: 26 Januarie 2007. Dit lyk mooi, maar vir ‘n rekenaar is dit nie ‘n datum nie en berekenings om byvoorbeeld ouderdom te bepaal, kan nie met hierdie formaat gedoen word nie. Gebruik dus liewer die formaat wat vir die rekenaar sinvol is: 26 Jan 2007.

Al is die data in Afrikaans ingevoer, gebruik liewer Engels vir datums: dus 15 May 2007 en nie 15 Mei 2007 nie. Rekenaars verstaan net Engels, tensy die basiese program aangepas is.

BESTEL E-SAGI SÓ:

• e-SAGI is verkrygbaar op 'n kompakskyf (CD). Dit kan bestel word by Dennis Pretorius by krugersdorp@pixie.co.za. Dit kos R120. Vorige aankopers kan die jongste weergawe teen 'n verminderde prys kry.

• As 'n alternatief kan u 'n Gedcom met minstens 1 000 rekords van u familie-inligting vir insluiting in e-SAGI aan Lucas Rinken stuur en 'n gratis kopie van die e-SAGIkompakskyf kry. Lucas kan gekontak word by lgr@iafrica.com.
  

DIGITALE "SCRAPBOOKING" EN GENEALOGIE

Vir die persoon wat fotogestalte aan sy genealogiese werk wil gee, is digitale "scrap- booking" 'n groot aanwins. Dit sal enige publikasie, veral as dit vir die onmiddellike familie bedoel is, 'n pronkwerk maak.

Tradisionele “scrapbooking” , met al die tierlantyntjies wat bygekoop moet word, kan 'n duur affêre word. Daarenteen kan digitale “scrapbooking” gratis wees, op voorwaarde dat u reeds 'n skandeerder (scanner) het. Dis boonop maklik. Die groot voordeel van digitale "scrapbooking is dat dit familiegeskiedenis in beeld kan vaslê. Dit kan op papier of digitaal vasgelê asook deur die internet versprei word. Gedagtig daaraan dat ons dikwels heelwat tyd bestee om 'n voorouer se besonderhede op te spoor, bied digitale "scrapbooking" eweneens 'n nalentskap wat baie waarde sal hê. Met hedendaagse tegnologie in ons huise sal ons ons nageslag iets waardevol ontsê as ons nie bêre wat ons kan nie. Ons sal selfs verkwalik word. Daar word nie verniet gesê dat 'n foto 'n duisende woorde vertel nie. Die voorbeeld links bo van Veronica Bosch (nou Fourie) , se gesigte -- van hoërskooldogter tot beroepsvrou -- illustreer dit. 'n Mens kan met een opslag veel van haar karakter te wete kom: 'n vrolike, positiewe, energieke mens, deurgaans goed versorg. Is dit nie juis wat ons graag van mense wil weet nie? Heelwat mense is van mening dat "scrapbooking" uit allerlei sentimentele goetertjies bestaan en hoofsaaklik vir vroue bedoel is. Dit is allermins die geval as dit digitaal-genealogies reg aangewend word. Die meeste “scrapbooking”- programme het sogenaamde “embelishments”. Dis daardie krulletjies en draatjies en ekstra prentjies om ‘n bladsy ‘n kunsinslag te gee, soos dié een regs. Self het ek dit nooit gebruik nie. Moenie ‘n fout maak nie, sommiges daarvan is mooi en baie bruikbaar.

In my publikasie-in-wording oor die “Bosch’e van Braamfontein” het ek ‘n bladsy met vier gesigte, soos dié van Veronica (my suster), aan elke persoon oor wie ek skryf, afgestaan. Ek het ‘n bietjie verder as “scrapbooking” gegaan deur sommige foto’s eers met Photoshop mooi te maak en soms te restoureer. Dít kan nogal tydsaam wees, veral met ou en beskadigde foto’s, maar dis 'n ander onderwerp. Nie almal sal dit nodig vind nie. Hier en daar het ek iets anders gedoen, omdat ek ‘n sekere aspek wou beklemtoon, soos met my oupa en ouma (links). In hul huweliks- kontrak staan onder meer die volgende (sic): “Fifthly:- The appearer of the first part did declare for and in consideration of the said intended marriage and of the love and affection he bore towards the appearerof the second part, to give and donate to and on behalf of the said appearer of the second part the undermentioned live-stock to be her in future solely an exclusively owned, to wit:-

• 600 merino ewes, all to be properly marked with a square in the left ear behind.
• 10 cows, all to be properly branded H on the left hind quarter.

And the appearer of the second part, duly assisted as aforsaid did declare to accept the gifts with gratitude.” Voorgaande het hom tot illustrasie geleen. Die rame om die foto's is deel van die "scrapbooking". Dít sowel as die foto's, die skrif en die uittreksel uit die huwelikskontrak kan na enige grootte gerek word. Vanselfsprekend moet 'n mens meet en pas, sodat laasgenoemde leesbaar is en sodat daar balans is Omdat ek nie veel oor allerhande tiertlantyntjies begaan is nie, het ek nie lank na ‘n gratis “scrapbooking”-program gesoek nie. Ek het op Scrapbookflair afgekom. Dit is gratis en by www. scrapbookflair.com aflaaibaar. Dit is redelik maklik om te bemeester. Dis 'n kwessie van 'n bietjie leeswerk en probeer, ek wil amper sê: probeer-en-tref.

• Die eerste stap in die program is om die grootte van die bladsy te kies. Al my samestellings is "letter size", d.i. 8.5 x 11 duim -- ongeveer A4-grootte. (As 'n mens, ná voltooiing, dit op 'n woorverwerker soos WORD inkopieer, pas dit perfek.)
• Daarna kan 'n mens voortgaan deur die aanwysings te volg of deur op "Show Standard Templates" te klik. Dit bied verskeie moontlikhede van hoe jou foto's gerangskik kan wees.
• Volg daarna die eenvoudige aanwysings.

Skrif kan ook in verskeie fonts en groottes ingevoeg word. Soos 'n mens meer vertroud met die program raak, kan verskeie ander prosesse volg, soos om jou eie agtergronde en ander "add-ons" van elders in te voer. Hieronder is nog voorbeelde. Nie almal is my voorkeur nie. Dit illustreer nietemin hoe elke persoon genealogies-digitale "scrapbooking" na sy smaak kan doen.

Klik op foto's om dit te vergroot.

Japie Bosch, Johannesburg

NÁ 79 JAAR KRY SY HAAR MA SE FOTO ÉN 'N HALFSUSTER

“Kan jy dit glo? Op 79 het ek vanoggend die eerste keer ’n foto van my ma gesien.

Dit was die woorde van die 79-jarige me Felicia Jacobs (gebore Fleischack), toe sy Saterdag, 2 Junie 2007, haar halfsuster vir die eerste keer gesien het, tesame met 'n foto van hul ma.

Dié verhaal hieragter het op 4 Junie 2007 in Beeld verskyn. Die berig illustreer die waarde van die Transvaal Argief in Pretoria (asook dié in ander provinsies) as 'n vertrekpunt met die opspoor van familie.

Links: Me Felicia Jacobs (links) en haar halfsuster, Ruth Milne, met 'n foto van hul ma.

Jacobs se susterskinders het me Ruth Milne (72, gebore Hoyle) verlede Maandag ná ’n lang soektog in Port Elizabeth opgespoor. Familie het die twee halfsusters in Pretoria byeengebring.

Jacobs en haar suster, Alma, het hul ma, Hester Jacoba Hoyle (gebore Liebenberg en voorheen Fleischack), nooit geken nie.

Sy en Alma, wat intussen oorlede is, was onderskeidelik drie jaar en sewe jaar oud toe hul ouers geskei is. Hul pa, Gilbert Fleischack, het toesig en beheer oor die kinders gekry. Hy is kort daarna weer getroud. Dié twee dogters het nooit weer iets van hul ma gehoor nie. Niemand is toegelaat om oor haar te praat nie.

Nadat hulle uit die huis is, het hulle haar vergeefs probeer opspoor, maar hulle het nie eers hul ma se volle name en nooiensvan geken nie. Hulle het ook nie geweet dat hul onbekende ma ná die egskeiding weer getrou het en saam met haar tweede man, Edward Ernest Hoyle, na die dorp Mufulira in Zambië getrek het nie. Ruth en Ernest Hoyle jr. is uit dié huwelik gebore.

In 1942 is Hester (die ma) weens breinvliesontsteking in Zambië oorlede, maar die dogters uit die eerste huwelik het dit nooit geweet nie. Hulle was toe 18 en 14 jaar oud. Die kinders uit die ma se tweede huwelik, Ruth en Ernest, was 7 en 6 jaar oud.

Die twee pare kinders het nie geweet waar een die ander is nie.

Die soektog na familie het begin toe me. Lieschen Bernatz, Alma se dogter wat in Duitsland woon, ’n familieregister wou begin.

Met behulp van ’n betaalde navorser is Gilbert en Hester (die pa en ma) se egskeidingsdokumente in die Transvaalse argief opgespoor.

“Dit was ’n openbaring, want toe het ons geweet wat haar naam was. Haar boedel is ook opgespoor. Ons het tóé eers agtergekom sy het nog twee kinders gehad en dat sy in Zambië oorlede is, het mnr Hein Gehle, Alma se seun, vertel.

Die soektog is op die internet voortgesit. ’n Webtuiste van die Mufulira-klub het ’n doodsberig van Ernest Hoyle gehad. Die begrafnisondernemers in dié berig se adres was op Springs.

“Dit was soos om goud te ontdek,” het Gehle gesê. Deur verdere e-posse en die Mufulira-klub se webtuiste het hulle ’n kontaknommer gekry. Milne se skoonseun is daarna opgespoor. Dieselfde aand het Milne en Jacobs (die twee halfsusters) oor die telefoon vir die eerste keer met mekaar gepraat.

Geredigeerde berig geplaas met die toestemming van BEELD.