Rick Crume helps readers sort through genealogy software that can be used to record their family trees, as well as online sites where that information can be posted.
His article is in the October/November issue of Family Tree Magazine, available at newsstands and bookstores now. The article is a must for anyone trying to determine what to purchase, how the software works and what will sync with online databases. Three charts are included in the article: Desktop Genealogy Software, Online Tree Sites and What syncs with what?
Online tree sites include Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and MyHeritage. Some have mobile apps, others do not. The strengths and weaknesses of each program are compared. While seven desktop genealogy software programs are named, the most well known are Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, Reunion and RootsMagic. Of these big four, only Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic work on both Mac and Windows programs.
The article is well worth reading and saving. It also can be found at familytreemagazine.com, go to “How To” and then “Software and Apps” for the free charts. Any issue of this magazine is worth reading; each covers more information than I can mention in this column.
Rockdale/Conyers Genealogy Forum October 17-21
The Nancy Guinn Public Library, at 864 Green Street in Conyers, will host a Genealogy Forum October 17-21. Evening classes will be held Tuesday through Thursday, from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, classes are from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Topics include: Beginning Genealogy, My African-American Story, Using Heritage Quest Online and Genealogy for Youth. The event is free, with no registration required. For further information, see conyersrockdalelibrary.org or Sarah Erickson at serickson@conyersrockdalelibrary.org . The library has a small genealogy room worth a visit if you are in the area.
Finding family after slavery
“Last Seen: Finding Family after Slavery” is the theme of the website informationwanted.org. Posted there are more than 2,700 advertisements published in newspapers after the Civil War, in the 1860s, when former slaves were searching for other family members, especially their children. If you have found advertisements in your research, be sure the website has them. A map shows where the advertisements originated. This is an amazing project and well worth noting as it expands daily. Details about how it started, the professors involved, and literature on the subject are on the site.
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