Friday, February 7, 2014

Results of First Time Indexing Obituaries

A week or so ago I indexed obituaries for the first time at FamilySearch.  They are a little different than indexing census records because you have to read the obituary, find all the names and relationships for each person named in the obituary, and enter that information into a form.  I read the instructions and checked them again when I had a question or was unsure, but I wasn't sure how well I was doing. 

I'm pleased to report than my entries were 97% accurate.  By checking the arbitration results I learned that when a mother's maiden name is included with her married surname (without parentheses), both surnames are entered, not just her maiden or married surname.

One wonderful thing about indexing obituaries is that they are newspaper clippings so there is no handwriting to decipher.  Easy compared to reading those census takers' handwriting styles.

I really enjoy indexing obituaries.  Maybe you will too.  You can learn more at FamilySearch's Indexing Overview.

--Nancy.
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3 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. PS -- I just did my first batch of obits. You're right -- you have to be on your toes to pay attention to what you can and cannot assume.

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  2. I was wondering if you ha d to type the entire obituary, and see you've answered that question. Congrats on your 97%! Thanks for being a volunteer, Nancy.

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