A Tip for Easier Indexing at FamilySearch

I recently made an exciting discovery at FamilySearch that makes it easier to index records.  This tip will help with any record group.

Below is a partial image of a naturalization record that I was indexing.  (There are a variety of formats in that record group, each with a different sequence of information.)  On the left is the place to record the transcribed information from the document but the information on the document is in a different order.  

I was thrilled to learn that by clicking and holding the mouse on one of the entry boxes, I could drag it up or down, placing it where it was in sequence with the document to type in the information.

Maybe even better is that if you index many of the same documents over a period of days or longer, that sequence will remain in place each time you return. And if the next time you index, the record is a different record or has a different format, you can rearrange the boxes again.

I hope that help make indexing easier for you!





—Nancy.

Copyright © 2023 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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I May Be Envious of You. . .

. . . if your ancestor immigrated to the U.S. after 1906 and filed federal paperwork to become a naturalized citizen.

My ancestors all arrived when the naturalization process was conducted through the county in the state of residence.  Beginning near the end of 1906, the federal government took on the naturalization process.  These days we don't like government paperwork, and it's a hassle no matter the year, but I would be thrilled if I had an ancestor's information that had been required for naturalization. 

I discovered what I'm missing because I've been indexing naturalization records for FamilySearch, specifically New York Eastern District Naturalization Records from 1906 to 1957.  Each batch of two takes less than five minutes to complete.

These are the documents usually included in an individual's file for naturalization through the U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration and Naturalization Service:

• Certificate of Arrival
• Declaration of Intention
• Affidavit of Witnesses
• Oath of Allegiance
• Petition for Naturalization

The Petition for Naturalization has the most information.  And, bonus, it will likely be typed as opposed to handwritten.  The forms changed over time but the basic information remained the same.

Applicant's Information found on Petition for Naturalization in the U.S.

• Full, true, correct name (which may also have previous names or a.k.a. names)
  
• Present address
• Occupation
• Age
• Date of birth
• Location of birth, including city/town, county/district/province/state, and country
• Sex
• Color
  
• Complexion
• Eye color
• Hair color
• Height
• Weight
• Distinctive marks
• Race
• Present nationality
• Last place of foreign residence
• From where entered the U.S.
• Location of entry into the U.S.
• Entered the U.S. under the name of ..... 
• Signature

Applicant's Spouse's and Children's Information found on Petition for Naturalization

• Spouse's name (if married)
• Marriage date and location
• Spouse's birth location (city/town, county/district/province/state, country)
• Spouse's birth date
• Date and location spouse entered the U.S.
• Spouse's address
• Spouse's naturalization date and location
• Names of children, their ages, and locations of birth.

Sometimes there will not be a current date on the Petition for Naturalization, but the Oath of Allegiance will have a date, and so will the Affidavit of Witnesses.  Sometimes the witnesses will have the same surname.

Additionally, in later petitions, photographs of the applicant may be included.

Some of these facts would be fun or interesting to have--height, weight, scars--but other information will help a researcher go back one more generation.  A date and location of birth and marriage will indicate when and where to begin searching in other countries for births and marriages.  Knowing prior names an individual used will aid the search as well.  These records are a goldmine of information!

As I said, I'm envious of you if you have ancestors who chose to become naturalized citizens after 1906.  If only my ancestors had immigrated 30 or 40 or 60 years later!

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2023 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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How to Find the Most Indexing Options at FamilySearch

Until a few months ago this is how I found projects to index.  Along the top of the FamilySearch screen to the right of its logo, I clicked the Indexing tab and from the dropdown menu chose the option Find a Project.  When this screen appeared, I chose the country I wanted.

The screen below is what I saw today after choosing the United States.  It offered me three projects to index.  Only three.

A few months ago when I clicked the Indexing tab, I chose Web Indexing from the dropdown menu to see what that was about.

I learned that I have my own indexing dashboard!  It tells me my indexing totals, my progress (there's a graph when I scroll down), and has messages (which sometimes tell me that specific projects are priorities for indexing).  It also offers me a little blue box, Find Batches.  I clicked it, just to see.

Oh my goodness, there are so many more indexing options than the three I found when I clicked Find a Project!  Today, when I took this screenshot, there were 55 record groups in English available for indexing.  Just recently they've started using a grey background for the high-priority batches, but I can choose any batch I want to index.

At this screen, I can also choose
> whether I want to index or review
> the level of indexing I want to do (beginning, intermediate, or advanced)
> the language I want
Changing any of those settings changes the batches available for indexing.

Many of you who index consistently for FamilySearch probably already know about web indexing but if you don't, you'll be pleased to know more record sets are available.

This post was prompted by a comment I saw yesterday by someone who found only four record sets to index at FamilySearch.  I wish I remember where I saw the comment because I would tell him or her, "There's more!  Look at web indexing!"

Happy indexing!

-Nancy.
Copyright ©2020, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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The 7-Day Indexing Challenge

Are you participating in the 7-Day Indexing Challenge at FamilySearch to index one batch a day?  I index on Sunday afternoons but I appreciate this challenge because it encourages me to index every day.  One batch doesn't take long and I think of it as one small way I can give back for all the documents I've found at FamilySearch at no cost to me.

The past few days I've been indexing Arizona birth records but in the past I've indexed Civil War and other military records, immigration records, death records, U.S. Census records, among others. 

If you haven't indexed before and wonder what it's about or how it looks, here's a screenshot of the birth records I was indexing today.  These appeared to be part of an index compiled by the county to make the records easier to find in their volumes of birth records.  They were all in alphabetical order.

On the right is the information to be indexed.  On the left are the pieces of specific information to be typed in as found on the card.  For this record that included:  given and surname of infant; sex (if on the original record); birth month, day, and year; location; father's given and surnames; mother's given and surnames.

It took so little time to complete the five cards in this batch that I indexed four more batches.  Some batches are harder and take more time.  Some records are not typed, in which case we have to read handwriting.  And sometimes the batches have more than five records.

There are instructions with helpful images to explain the project and near the box for every response I type there is a little round question mark.  When I click on that it gives me information for about specific response.

If you get a batch that you feel you just can't do, you can always return it, no questions asked.

I extend to you the challenge to index.  Will you accept?

–Nancy.

Copyright ©2020, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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I Love Indexing

I am the recipient of the benefits of indexing at FamilySearch and am beyond grateful to be able to find documents for my ancestors because of the generosity of others who willingly give their time to index records.  In like fashion, I index for FamilySearch with the hope that my efforts will provide documents for others who are searching for their ancestors.

After church on I Sundays I devote an hour or so to FamilySearch indexing, typing names and other information into the forms provided.  A service for others, if you will.

The more I index, the easier it becomes.  I only recently learned how some of the icons across the top of the indexing field can make indexing faster, which means I can index more names in the amount of time I devote to indexing.

Specifically, when I'm indexing a document with repetitive dates or other information, the icons below allow me to copy rather than retype every entry.

These icons, from left to right will:

• Copy text from the same field on the previous entry into selected entry.  (Think same date, same last name, etc.)
• Copy text from the selected field into all following matching fields.  (For example, use if the document has the same date for every individual.)
• Copy text from previous entry into selected entry.

I've been indexing muster rolls and rosters and find that the dates sometimes repeat for a whole document with 50 or more names on it.  How easy to click that left icon for each part of a date entry!

But I have one caution about using the middle icon for the muster rolls:  The index will often come with 50 entries though there may be many fewer names on the document.  If you click the middle icon and then find that you have to delete 30 entries because there were only 20 names to index, you'll have to manually delete each of the entries instead of being able to use the icon to delete all blank entries. 

I suppose most indexers already know these things but they were new to me!

FamilySearch also offers the opportunity to "thank an indexer."  I suppose this is what happens when someone clicks the thank you button. 

Whether I receive thanks or not, I'm pleased to index because I know it helps someone.  And I'm thankful to others who index.

Do you index for FamilySearch?  Have you learned tips or tricks to make it easier? 

–Nancy.

Copyright ©2020, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Will You Accept My Challenge to Index? Just Four Days to Go!

Once again FamilySearch is hosting a worldwide indexing event.  This year it's scheduled for July 14-17.  They hope 72,000 participants will index at least one batch of records each.  Think what that will do for our online searches at FamilySearch!  Will you accept my challenge to participate?

I index at least one batch every Sunday.  I got out of the habit a year or so ago and began again last month.  I think it's a good way to serve others.  Plus it's a gentle activity for the Sabbath.  (Or any other day, for that matter.)

I love this cute, little informational presentation about indexing (first image below) which you can access here.

If you want more information about indexing read Worldwide Indexing Event 2016.

Won't you accept my challenge and index at least one batch of records between July 14 and July 17?  You can RSVP in the comment section.

--Nancy.
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Are you In? It Starts Friday!

FamilySearch's 2015 Worldwide Indexing Event, Fuel the Find, begins Friday, August 7, and continues for one week.  The goal is for 100,000 people to index one batch of records during that week.  (Last year there were 66,000 participants in a 24-hour period.  It's a tiny hop to add 34,000 participants in 6 more days.)   

You know about indexing, right?  It's the process of transcribing information on original historical documents so they can become available in an online, searchable database to be used by family historians who are searching for their ancestors.  Family historians and genealogists like you and me!

I use FamilySearch almost daily.  When I type a name into the search box, press the enter key, and lists of names with information suddenly appear, it almost seems like magic.  But it's not magic.  There was someone (probably many someones) behind the scenes who looked at the document, deciphered the name, and typed it into a form for FamilySearch Indexing.  And then FamilySearch performed the magic-like act of making the information searchable and available for everyone to use freely.

I think of indexing as giving back, or maybe giving forward.  Chances are that I will never find an ancestor's name in any of the documents I personally index, but my indexing will help someone else find an ancestor just as others' efforts have helped me.  I like being helpful.  I like giving back and giving forward.  I hope you do, too.

You can learn more about this year's indexing event, Fuel the Find, here.  Go here and here to learn more about indexing.  Go here to get started.

Are you in?  Won't you join Fuel the Find?

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2009-2015 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.

Penna Obituaries for the Worldwide Indexing Event

The five obituaries that came my way for the FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event this past Sunday and Monday were the most complicated indexing I've done to date.  I chose the intermediate level Pennsylvania Obituaries because they were noted as highest priority.

Since my daughters and two grand-babies were visiting, I decided to index while they napped on Sunday evening.  An hour passed and I hadn't finished my batch.  Naps were over and there were some interruptions.  More time and a few more interruptions and I hadn't finished.  More interruptions, more time....  You get the idea.  My batch was not the half-hour commitment I'd told so many people it would be when I encouraged them to participate in the event.  (I hope their batches took just half an hour, especially the beginners and those who don't index often.) 

The obituaries were modern obituaries which named spouses; siblings and spouses; children and spouses; grandchildren and spouses; great-grandchildren; an occasional great-great-grandchild and, several times, parents.  It seemed that every living family member, and some deceased family members, were mentioned in this group of obituaries.  Nothing was straightforward about any of them except the names of the deceased.  One of the hardest things was deciding how to classify individuals who were identified only as "in-laws."  Would that be brother- and sister-in-law, parents-in-law, or . . . ?  It was such a complicated group of obituaries that I may treat myself to one or two beginning level batches.  Ha!

All told, I indexed 5 obituaries which yielded the names of 166 individuals.

Intermediate level?  Definitely.  Confusing?  Often.  Worth doing it?  Absolutely!

--Nancy.

© 2014 Copyright by Nancy Messier. All rights reserved.

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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