I have to admit it. I’ve missed the Genealogy Blog Parties, but now, just in time for the hot Tucson summer, there is good news!

Elizabeth O’Neal and I have been friends for years and her Little Bytes of Life blog was one of the first that I followed. I loved the monthly prompts for the blog parties, which wound down at the end of last year and was hoping another party would get going somewhere.

Recently, Elizabeth had two big announcements. First, her blog name is now My Descendant’s Ancestors, so if you missed it, be sure to change feedly to the new URL. Second, the blog party IS BACK!!! Yay!!! She even has a new party badge for the participants.

I’m not the most tech savvy person when it comes to code (which I avoid like the plague), but with a bit of help from Elizabeth, I got the badge uploaded and working.

Now, it’s time to get busy with the June 2017 challenge – How Will You Preserve Your Family History Research for Your Descendants?

I consider myself to be pretty organized, so I am proud to share the steps I’ve already taken for those who come after me, whether it be in my direct line or more distant cousins.

My current research is entered in my genealogy software program, RootsMagic 7. While my son is aware of his family history and proud of his ancestors’ service in the Revolutionary War, he hasn’t shown any real interest in other details or in doing any of his own research. However, my cousin’s son is interested in the family history and we’ve exchanged information, including a handy gedcom.

I have paper pedigree charts that are family treasures themselves, as they were handwritten and later typed (with a typewriter!) for quick reference and viewing. They have been taped together more than once, but I still use them often.

I am lucky enough to be the keeper of the family photos for both my family and my husband’s family. The photos are sorted, labeled and mounted in archival albums with covers to protect them from light. (There is a lot of that here in Tucson. :))

I am also the keeper of a few family mementos, more of sentimental value than dollar. They are well cared for and documented.

All my documents and photos have been scanned and backed up on a flash drive (for easy sharing), an external hard drive and two cloud services. This probably the most important step I’ve taken!

I’ve been telling the ancestors’ stories through blog posts. I’ve made contact with several distant cousins who have come across Empty Branches when they entered names in search engines. I also am a member of the new GeneaBloggers Tribe:

I’m particularly proud of a book I self-published in 2003 on my husband’s Williams family. I was determined that people with the same given names who lived everywhere records burned weren’t going to stop me from finding them. My goal was to sort out the branches of this family up to the time of the end of the Civil War. I heard through the grapevine that a Daughters of the American Revolution genealogist suggested that a prospective member consult my book for clues about their Williams people because it was well sourced. That’s the ultimate compliment!

The Family History Library has even  digitized my book. 🙂

There are some people who just don’t want to share “their” research. I’m not one of them. I research for my own pleasure and knowledge, but also want to be sure that as many others as possible have access to my findings. Success in finding our ancestors’ stories grows exponentially when we all work together.