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SAGINAW GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
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TO REGISTERCLICK THE GREEN BUTTON ABOVE NOW!
ALL NEW VISITORS AND MEMBERS MUST PREREGISTER FOR THE ZOOM MEETINGS |
TO CONTACT USSGS OPEN MEETINGS
NOW IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM UNLESS NOTIFIED |
There are 6 changes going on...
here on our webpage: 1. The WHAT'S NEW page will hold 2 months of info at a time and info will accrue as the month passes. Check back for new updates. 2. July/August pages will cease, as we do not meet then. 3. The TimberTown Log (TTL) will now be found on THIS website, but still to MEMBERS ONLY as it was before. 4. If you pay for the MAILED version of the TTL the price will now increase to $8.00 per year. This won't take effect until June 2025. 5. The name of this current page will change to "WHAT'S NEW +" 6. I am now the new Editor of the TTL. (WOO HOO!!!!)
AUDIT: WAS DONE IN 2024The Audit was done in October 2024 and CHANGES to the By-Laws and Constitution were presented to the SGS Board for discussion and approval on 5 Dec 2024. After much work it was presented it to the SGS Board on Jan 4th 2025 and then to the General Membership for vote approval on 11 Jan 2025. It was unanimously approved by those present. The now Ratified and Approved Constitution and By-Laws (which were under scrutiny by the AUDIT COMMITTEE, and needing updating ) are now ready to be viewed in the: Membership section, then go to: About Us, then to By-Laws. These SGS By-Laws and the Constitution are available to all to read and enjoy. And a big thank you to the SGS AUDIT COMMITTEE!
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SPEAKER INFOTUESDAY 11 FEB 2025
SIGN IN AT 6 PM STARTS @ 6:30 PM EST check emails on Monday before for the ZOOM link 
5 Reasons You're Not Finding Your Ancestors From Rootstech Video with Christa Cowan + LIVE Q&A to follow
DUE TO COLD WEATHER WE ARE ZOOM ONLY TUESDAY 14 JAN 2025
was KAREN REYNOLDS 
FROM ROOTSTECH:
"HOW TO DO YOUR FAMILY HISTORY IN 5 EASY STEPS" INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING!!! 'Q AND A' TO FOLLOW DUE TO COLD WEATHER WE ARE ZOOM ONLY |
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WHOO DO YOU ASK?
OTHER GENEALOGISTS!!! SQUARE FOR YOU
(click the SQUARE icon above to pay)
Pay your SGS membership or donate, with just a few clicks. SQUARE is EASY, SAFE, AND NO HASSLE! ZOOM PRE-REGISTER
ALL NEW VISITORS OR NEW MEMBERS
MUST PRE-REGISTER Please note: LINK sent day BEFORE THE MEETING. Go to MEMBERSHIP and ZOOM to Register Today! OR CLICK BELOW GENEALOGY HELPSYOUR LOCAL FAMILYSEARCH CENTER!
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FOOD & FAMILY:Did you know...family recipes are a tradition!?!
GO AHEAD...Make it with family! 
LET'S START WITH A NICE BOWL OF HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP!
FOR FEBRUARY LETS ADD A SANDWICH TO THAT SOUP!
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT LIKE TUNA (that's me) USE CANNED CHICKEN MEAT INSTEAD!
IN MEMORY OF:
Jerri had been one of our Fb administrators on our Fb page
and a long-time member. The SGS had given Jerri a Lifetime Honorary membership in Dec 2024 but she said she wanted to wait to receive the award when she, "was feeling a bit better." That never came to be. We'll miss your smile, your laughter, and the twinkle in your eye Jerri.
Jerri Sierocki Obituary
Snow Funeral Home Saginaw, Michigan February 18, 1961 to Feb. 10, 2025. Jerri Lynn Claus Sierocki Saginaw, Michigan Jerri Lynn passed away on Monday, February 10, 2025, at home, surrounded by family after a long journey with rare cancer. She was a lifelong and proud resident of Saginaw, Michigan where she was born on February 18, 1961, to the late Gerald E. Claus and Edna I. (Goslin) Claus. Jerri Lynn was an office administrator by day and a genealogist by night. She graduated from Delta College and Buena Vista High School. She worked for many years as the office administrator at First Congregational Church in Saginaw, and later at the Thomas Township Department of Public Works. Her favorite job, however, was at the Hoyt Library in Saginaw where she worked to preserve the history of this community. Her legacy will be the centuries of family history she discovered and documented. She was known for sharing some of the most interesting stories and discoveries with family and friends. She has been a member of the Saginaw Genealogical Society for many years and was admitted to the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution on April 5, 2022. She enjoyed traveling with family and loved going to the casino. One of her favorite trips was spending the night at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Some of her fondest memories were also made at her Aunt Betty Moulton's farm where she spent many summers as a kid. Aunt Betty survives her. Also, surviving Jerri Lynn is her husband of 33 years, Greg Sierocki, her two children Jacob and Jessica Sierocki, her siblings Sally (Randy) Vollmer, Cheryl Espinosa, and Gerald II "Moe" (Paula) Claus, her in-laws Tim and Connie Kaufmann, Mark Sierocki, and Audrey Jegla, her nieces Stephanie (Elaine McAuley) Stephens and Tara Jegla, and nephews Rob (Katie) Claus, Vincent Claus, Tim (Krissie) Kaufmann, Abraham (Caylin) Sierocki, and Nick (Emma Avery) Sierocki. She also leaves behind countless cousins, family members, and friends who she enjoyed spending time with throughout the years. The family wishes to thank the amazing nurses and physicians at Michigan Medicine, Covenant Cancer Care Center, and Covenant Vising Nurses Association for the incredible care they provided. They undoubtedly extended her life by several years. Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of life will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Saginaw Genealogical Society, the Hoyt Library of Saginaw, or Covenant Visiting Nurses Association. 
Shirley Ann Coleman Criner sister to Wayne F. Coleman
Shirley Ann Criner
Shirley Ann Criner of Saginaw, MI October 21, 1935 - February 10, 2025 Criner, Shirley A. - Of Saginaw, formerly of Owosso, age 89, died Monday, February 10, 2025 at Close to Home Assisted Living. Visitation will be held at 10am Thursday, February 20, 2025 until 1pm at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint with burial immediately following at 1:30pm at Great Lakes National Cemetery. Shirley was born at home in Chapin Twp on October 21, 1935, the daughter of the late LaMont and Ruth (Wicke) Coleman. She graduated from Chesaning Union High School in 1955. Shirley married Melvin Criner on May 6, 1980. She worked for 35 years as a nurse’s aide at Owosso Memorial Hospital. She loved taking care of her patients and helping others around the hospital. Shirley loved being around family calling anyone younger than her “the kids”. She had a passion for reading. Shirley is leaving behind her sister, Janice (Doyle) Smith, sister-in-law, Marlene Coleman, and brother Wayne (Betty) Coleman. Along with many special nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Melvin Criner and brother, Charles. 
Wayne Franklin Coleman
spouse of SGS member Betty Coleman 
Wayne Franklin Coleman
August 29, 1944 - February 11, 2025 Coleman, Wayne F. age 80, died Tuesday, February 11, 2025. spouse of Betty Willson Coleman, longtime member of the SGS A celebration of life to be held at a later date. Wayne was born in Saginaw on August 29, 1944, the Son of La Mont and Ruth (Wicke) Coleman. He graduated from Chesaning Union High School in 1962 and General Motors Institute (GMI) Class of 1967. Wayne married Betty Willson (Yes, there is TWO L's) on April 11, 1964. He worked at Saginaw Steering Gear for 37 years where he was heavily involved in plant operations. The latter part of his career was spent building plants for Steering Gear in New Jersey, Alabama, and Spain. He enjoyed traveling with his family, taking them on many cross-country trips. His favorite spots were Colorado, the UP, and wherever his grandsons were. He enjoyed playing the guitar and after he retired, he played at the Bonnyville and for residents of the nursing homes where his parents were. He also enjoyed playing cards with his in-laws often with Don as his partner. Wayne is leaving behind his wife Betty, his children Scott (Dawn) Coleman & Sally (John) George. 5 Grandsons: Nate Coleman & Lexy Carey, Alex (Megan) Goyetche & great grandson Wyatt, Austin (Hailie) George & great grandson Bridger on the way, Evan (Hannah) Goyetche & great granddaughter Jane, Mason George & Maddie Kowalski. His sister Janice (Doyle) Smith & sister-in-law Marlene Coleman. In-laws Judy Willson, Jean Gregory and husband Paul Lanczynski, Dick (Gladys) Willson, Judy (Ken) Hornak. And many special nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Shirley Criner, brother Charles, brothers-in-law Jack Willson, Dale Willson, Donald Gregory, and Melvin Criner. "When your memories out-weigh your dreams, it's time to go." In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to: River Rapids District Library. 227 E. Broad St., Chesaning, MI. 
ALLYN WAYNE ACKERMAN
1950-2025 Longtime member of the SGS Allyn Wayne Ackerman, a cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, passed away peacefully at his beloved home in Hubbard Lake, MI, on February 16, 2025, just shy of his 75th birthday. Born on February 25, 1950, in Saginaw, MI, Allyn's life was marked by his unwavering kindness, generosity, and loving nature that touched everyone he met.
Allyn grew up in the Saginaw area, where he attended Buena Vista High School, graduating in 1968. He later pursues further education with some college. Allyn's professional life was dedicated to General Motors, where he not only contributed his skills but also formed lasting friendships. He shared a beautiful life with his wife, Mary Ackerman, and together they raised three children: Angela Ackerman of Saginaw, MI, Chad Ackerman of Springfield, MO and Roxanne Ackerman of Hubbard Lake, MI. Allyn was a guiding light in their lives, instilling values of hard work, integrity, and the importance of family. His brother, Leslie Ackerman of Ocala, FL, and sisters, Evelyn Ackerman of Midland, TX, and Loretta (Terry) Lockwood of Saginaw, MI, will remember Allyn for the bond they shared and the countless memories they created together. Allyn's legacy continues through his adored grandchildren, Jasper, Kelvin, Skyler, Ethan, Emily, and Elivea, who brought immense joy to his life. He eagerly anticipated the arrival of his first great-grand baby, a beacon of hope for the future. Allyn's role as a grandfather was one of his greatest joys; he loved teaching them how to fish, drive the boat, and how to navigate the John Deere tractor. His lessons went beyond the practical, as he brought wisdom and laughter in equal measures. An avid outdoorsman, Allyn's passions included fishing, hunting, and woodworking. Known as the grill master at family gatherings, he delighted in preparing meals for his loved ones. His interest in genealogy reflected his deep appreciation for family. Allyn's love for college football, especially Michigan teams, was well-known, and game days were always a special occasion. He cherished the community and natural beauty of Hubbard Lake, a place that held countless memories of the leisurely days spent on the water. Allyn also enjoyed family vacations and looked forward to time spent with his family. As we say goodbye to Allyn Wayne Ackerman, we celebrate the remarkable life he lived and the enduring impact he made on those around him. His spirit will forever be a guiding light, reminding us to embrace life with kindness, generosity, and love. Allyn is at McWilliams Funeral Home where family will receive friends on Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 12 PM until the time of the funeral service at 3 PM with Pastor Joe Collins officiating. Allyn will be laid to rest at a later date in East Lawn Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum in Saginaw. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Hospice of MI or Bridgeport Community Church. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Allyn, please visit our floral store.To plant trees in memory, please MILITARY NEWS:
FITNESS STANDARDS
TO CHANGE FOR OUR MILITARY 
U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery complete the hand-release push-up event of an Army Combat Fitness Test during the Best of the Best Competition on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2019.
(Sgt. 1st Class Jason Hull/U.S. Army photo) The Army is poised to recalibrate
its fitness standards, redefining the physical expectations for combat-arms roles in 2025.
MOVING IN THE MILITARY
The new system,
aimed at improving the shipments of service members’ household goods, is gaining steam into 2025.
THE MYTHS OF WINTER
Yeah, I'm in the midst of winter...SO WHAT? NO?
Oh, I see its the MYTHS of winter...OK... So what are they??? Hurry up...I'm freezing!!! 1. If you DON'T bundle up before going outside, you'll can catch a cold!
Whether you bundle up or not, cold weather isn’t the health snatcher...it’s germs. According to kidshealth.org, germs are tiny body invaders that can make us sick which includes: Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. The issue with cold weather is that it makes us want to stay inside where we are simply more exposed to germs. Plus, according to research from the National Institutes of Health (Flu Virus Fortified In Colder Weather | National Institutes of Health), some viruses THRIVE better in colder weather. So, not bundling up in the cold won’t necessarily trigger your next sneeze-fest. However, it could lead to frostbite or hypothermia if you’re not careful! It’s best to wash your hands often, avoid those that are sick, wear a mask, and get vaccinations to lessen your chances of being “under the weather.” (Eat soup and maybe a nice sandwich!!!) 2. Wear a hat, because that’s where you lose MOST of your body heat! You can’t lose “most” of your body heat from your head because it’s only 10% of the body’s total surface area. Yet, this varies a bit for babies. The truth is that you will lose some heat from ANY exposed body parts. If you’re dressed in layers without gloves or a hat, then you’ll lose heat from your hands, face, and head. On the contrary, if no skin is exposed from the waist up, but you’re wearing shorts, then the heat will escape from your legs! (OK, Just Eat Soup!!!) 3. Drinking alcohol WARMS you up! Actually, alcohol makes you “feel warmer”, but it’s really lowering your body temperature. According to an article from alcohol.org, the liver gives off heat as it metabolizes the alcohol. This gives a false feeling of warming as the person’s core temperature is actually dropping. Plus, according to weather.gov, alcohol reduces shivering which is your body’s natural way of keeping you warm. It’s best to drink hot tea, cocoa, warm water, or sip on soup in a cup if you want to warm up. (I told you so...Eat Soup AND Healthy Sandwiches!!!) FAMILYSEARCH NEWS:WILDCARDS FOR FAMILYSEARCH
FAMILYSEARCH!
A wildcard search in YOUR family tree: uses a symbol to replace an unknown letter in a name or word. This helps find ancestors when a name is misspelled, misheard, or transcribed incorrectly. How to use a wildcard search
ANCESTRY NEWS:
WILDCARDS!
What in the world is a WILD CARD? This is a way to find SOMEONE or SOMETHING when you don't know the correct spelling! Wild cards are symbols used in place of unknown letters in a word. They can be used in searches when you don't know an exact spelling. ANCESTRY.COM Wild card symbols:
Wild card rules: All searches containing wild cards must contain at least 3 non-wild card letters. For example, *ill would work, but *ll would not. The first and last character in a search can't both be wild cards. Searching *ohnson and Johnso* would work, but *ohnso* would not. PLEASE NOTE: Wild cards don't work with Soundex matches. Ways to use wild cards: 1. To replace a single unknown letter: search with wild cards 2. To find names that begin with the same letters. Fran* will produce results for both Frank and Francine. 3. To find first letter(s), as in *aylor and *ompson 4. To find alternate spellings of the same name. Searching for Lac* will produce results for Lacy, Lacey, Laci, and Lacie. THE LANGUAGE SPOT:
How to Spot the Dot
by Stefan Israel Jun 14, 2021 4 min read Updated: Mar 7, 2023 
Identifying languages by their special letters
Maybe you have all family letters, postcards, passports, books- but you don’t know what language they are in. What’s a quick-and-easy way to find out? Well, there are several ways... You could go to a large university and go through the language departments asking for someone who can positively identify the languages. That’s time-consuming. You can scan it and post it online in genealogy chat rooms or language chat rooms- that works, but you may not know if people know what they are talking about. You can learn the language/s you expect to find, which is time-consuming (but really helpful). One thing to watch out for is that people don’t always speak the language ‘they ought to’. An ancestor from the Kaiser’s Germany may have been from the ethnic Polish regions, or a Polish steelworker in Essen; French Huguenots settled in Berlin, someone in Prague might be a native Czech or native German speaker, but could just as easily be completely bilingual. My ancestral line from Flensburg on the German-Danish border spoke German in official settings, Low German with the neighbors, and Danish at home. Most of the Balkans and much of eastern Europe had scattered settlements of Germans, of Jews- until modern centralized states, languages didn’t respect political borders very much at all. What if you have a book, and you don’t know the language? You can look at the title page or thereabouts, and see where it was published, and it is probably (not definitely) in the local language. German letters usually have the date and writer’s location top right of the first page; bureaucratic forms and writing usually lists place and date, but if you don’t know the language, you may not be able to tell if they are listing birth date, death date, date of something else, etc. For this blog, let’s look at another option- looking through the wording for distinctive letters. Lots of languages have letters that are mostly or only found in that language. Let’s look at some of those. My specialty is central and northern Europe, but we’ll look at some of the major languages of eastern Europe and the Balkans- ancestors from the Kaiser’s German Empire were not all German, and most of the people in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were not ethnic Austrians or Hungarians. First off I have to say, almost none of these letters below are exclusive to one language, so you’d really like to identify multiple special letters common to one language and not be finding special letters not used in that language. Umlaut is actually not a good way to identify German- two dots over a vowel is common not only in German but in Hungarian, Turkish, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, and also (with a different function) in French, English, Dutch, Spanish etc. etc.: noël, Thaïs, coöperation, Chloë, Zoë, even Brontë, naïve, Mötley Crüe, Häagen-Dazs A few are found almost exclusively in one language, like German ess-tzett < ß > or Czech < ř >- although ß can also be spelled -ss-, and is routinely spelled so in Switzerland. And of course, if you are reading handwriting from previous centuries, spelling can vary greatly. But these special characters will help suggest what language you are looking at. LETTER BY LETTER â ê î ô û: letters with a circumflex are usually French or borrowed from French, but Rumanian has â and î, Slovak has ô, Croatian has â. Norwegian occasionally and French (Oh! those FRENCH) frequently use a number of accent marks. å Danish, Norwegian or Swedish (it used to be spelled < aa > ) á too common to tell you much ä too common to tell you much æ Danish, Norwegian, but occasionally in French and English ă Romanian only ą Polish and only Polish (a with a right hook underneath) ç French or Spanish (or words borrowed from those languages) č Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian ć Croatian Đ, đ Croatian (or Icelandic) ę Polish and only Polish (e with a right hook underneath) é too common to tell you much ij Dutch and only Dutch ł Polish and only Polish (barred-L) ń Polish ø Danish or Norwegian ö too common to tell you much ő Hungarian (umlaut that leans to the right) œ mostly French, or older British English ř Czech and only Czech rz Polish š Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian ß German and only German ś Polish ș Rumanian only ț Rumanian only ü too common to tell you much ű Hungarian (umlaut that leans to the right) ů Czech ž Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian. Latvian, Lithuanian among others ź, ż Polish LANGUAGE BY LANGUAGE Some languages like German have a fairly unique letter, others you’ll recognize if they have several characteristic letters, e.g. only Swedish has å + ä + ö; Danish and Norwegian have instead å + æ + ø (although the å was more often spelled aa). German: ß (ä, ö, ü are unhelpful, because lots of languages have those characters) Swedish: å + ä + ö Danish: å + æ + ø Norwegian: å + æ + ø Finnish: lots of doubled letters and umlauts; examples: hyvää päivää! Kiitos hyvää, ymmärrän ('good day! fine, thanks, I understand') säätelevi, Helähytti helmivyöllä, Ennen lasna ollessani, ('regulatory, fertilizer with a beaded belt, before I was a child') Icelandic þ, ð, ý also æ, á, é, í, ó, ú Czech ř ů also č, š, ň Slovak ŕ also č, š, ň Slovene č, š, ž but no other special characters Croatian č + ć, Đ/đ Polish ł ę ą also ń, ś, ź + ż, sz, cz Hungarian ő, ű, zs Dutch IJ/ij eeuw, aai, ieuw You will find a fairly exhaustive list on: Wikipedia's:Language_recognition_chart, but the list can be a little overwhelming. Best to go halfway down and focus on a given language at a time. Do you have any Swedish, German, Danish, Dutch or Norwegian documents you can't read? We can help. Get more info here. We'd love to make sure you don't miss other great updates and blogs from us. Please be sure to sign up here! LANGUAGES SPOT:WE ADDED THE LANGUAGES SPOT HERE AS WE HAD OTHER REQUESTS FROM MEMBERS. SO FROM NOW ON, WE WILL BE VISITING STEPHAN ISRAEL'S BLOG ON A REGUALR BASIS!
NEXT MONTH MARCH: PAMELA ISRAEL: Old German Writing Tips WHO IS STEPHAN ISRAEL AND HIS SISTER PAMELA?
WANT TO KNOW?... CLICK TO READ GENEALOGY HELPS:
Your one stop for genealogy news, analysis and a sprinkling of inspiring and creative ideas. READ ON!
THE BOOK NOOK:HISTORICAL, GENEALOGICAL & RESEARCH BOOKS
PROTECTED SECRETS
by Shawn McGuire 
Springtime in the village means colored eggs, hot crossed buns, and a..... CORPSE !?!
As the vernal equinox brings welcome warmth and the promise of the coming tourist season to Wisconsin's Northwoods, it also brings an invading Wiccan coven.... Sheriff Jayne O’Shea isn’t worried about the witches. It’s the fact that her mother is coming for her first visit in nearly twenty years, that has her on edge. Their reunion goes well, better than expected, and then a coven member disappears.
The other members don't seem concerned. In fact, they're so indifferent to the disappearance, Jayne is sure she's searching for a body, not a missing person. The possibility of another death in the village is bad enough, but this one could mean the end for Whispering Pines. If Jayne can't get her mom to see the lakeside community's charming appeal, it will go up for sale. PROTECTED SECRETS is the tenth book in the Whispering Pines mystery series about a woman determined to return her grandmother's village to the idyllic haven it used to be ... before all the secrets started rising to the surface. THE LEARNING CENTER:GENETICS 101:
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AN AGE CALCULATOR: |
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A WHAT? AN AGE CALCULATOR!
YEP, ITS JUST LIKE I SAID. YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU GET TO A CEMETERY AND IT SAYS ON THE HEADSTONE ...
THEY DIED ON APRIL 7, 1893 AND THEY WERE
1 YEAR, 6 MO., AND 21 DAYS OLD?
SO, TELL ME QUICK, WHAT WAS THE BIRTH DATE?
YEAH, JUST LIKE I FIGURED, IT'S A TOTAL PAIN!
(OK, MARY YOU CAN STOP COUNTING ON YOUR FINGERS NOW, I FOUND SOMETHING BETTER!)
This calculator will do four different calculations regarding age. It has two methods of calculating a birthdate, given the date of death and age at death. The first one is more accurate, but the second one, called the 8870 method, which assumes 30-day months, is sometimes better since the age-at-death inscribed on headstones often seems to have been figured on the basis of 30-day months. So if the first one gives you a birthdate like Feb. 31, try the second. (LIKE I DID)
YEP, ITS JUST LIKE I SAID. YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU GET TO A CEMETERY AND IT SAYS ON THE HEADSTONE ...
THEY DIED ON APRIL 7, 1893 AND THEY WERE
1 YEAR, 6 MO., AND 21 DAYS OLD?
SO, TELL ME QUICK, WHAT WAS THE BIRTH DATE?
YEAH, JUST LIKE I FIGURED, IT'S A TOTAL PAIN!
(OK, MARY YOU CAN STOP COUNTING ON YOUR FINGERS NOW, I FOUND SOMETHING BETTER!)
This calculator will do four different calculations regarding age. It has two methods of calculating a birthdate, given the date of death and age at death. The first one is more accurate, but the second one, called the 8870 method, which assumes 30-day months, is sometimes better since the age-at-death inscribed on headstones often seems to have been figured on the basis of 30-day months. So if the first one gives you a birthdate like Feb. 31, try the second. (LIKE I DID)
I DID THE FIRST BUTTON, BUT IT WAS A BIT OFF, I DID THE SECOND BUTTON MARKED IN BLUE. EUREKA! I FOUND IT!
AND SAVE IT TO YOUR PHONE...IT'S SO HANDY!!!
LIFE IS FULL OF LAUGHS
FAMILY TREE HUGGERS
Not every record is straightforward in giving information. WHAT!
Take tombstones and death records, for example. For some reason, many of them don’t list the birth date. Instead, they list the exact age when the person died. Fortunately, it isn’t that hard to find a birth date from the age at death. (OK....I'm game TEACH ME.)
Watch the how-to video ABOVE or keep scrolling to read the WHOLE tutorial:
Take tombstones and death records, for example. For some reason, many of them don’t list the birth date. Instead, they list the exact age when the person died. Fortunately, it isn’t that hard to find a birth date from the age at death. (OK....I'm game TEACH ME.)
Watch the how-to video ABOVE or keep scrolling to read the WHOLE tutorial:
Two notes:
- There are several birth date calculators online. However, if you know the method, you can do it yourself in about the same time it takes to look one up and type in the information.
Yes, I know about the 8870 formula. Frankly, I think it overcomplicates things. (Plus, I can never remember the number I’m supposed to subtract.) - Here’s an example using Phineas Ford’s tombstone in Old Colony Burying Ground in Granville, Ohio:
Phineas Ford tombstone, Old Colony Burying Ground, Granville, Ohio
Phineas Ford, Died: April 7, 1839, Aged: 64 Y. 5 M. 7D.
That’s age 64 years, 5 months, 7 days.
How to Find the Birth Date:
Step 1: Subtract the Number of Years
Phineas Ford died April 7, 1839. Subtract his age of 64 years.
= April 7, 1775 (1839 – 64 = 1775)
Step 2: Subtract the Months
Take that date and count backward the number of months. April 7, 1775 counting backward 5 months = November 7, 1774.
Note: You do NOT need to know how many days are in each month at this point. Just be sure that you roll back the year if you count back to the previous calendar year (like we did with Phineas.)
Step 3: Subtract the Days
Here is where you need to account for the number of days in a month.
November 7 minus 7 days is October 31.
Answer: Phineas Ford was born 31 October 1774.
See, I told you it wouldn’t be that hard!
THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU'LL GROW!
GENEALOGY HELPS
What is ThruLines?
ThruLines shows identified descendants of a given ancestor who have tested with AncestryDNA, and share DNA with the tester whose results are being reviewed.
ThruLines replaces Shared Ancestor Hints, and greatly expands upon the data provided by those hints.
ThruLines provides the opportunity to view connections that would take a great deal of research to find manually.
ThruLines is accessible from “Your DNA Results Summary” under DNA in the top menu bar on Ancestry. To have access to ThruLines data, your family tree must be PUBLIC, and linked to your DNA test.
To check this, do these 3 steps:
1. Go to Your DNA Results Summary, and
2. Click on the Settings button (near the top right corner of the screen).
3. Follow the instructions in the Family Tree Linking section.
AncestryDNA® ThruLines®
ThruLines® shows you how you may be related to your DNA matches.
We use the ANCESTRY family tree linked to your test to find people who are in your tree and are also in your matches's linked trees. If your tree is private and not searchable, you won't be able to see ThruLines, and information from your matches' trees that are private and not searchable won't be available to you. DNA matches may appear in more than one of your ThruLines.
ThruLines are available for ancestors through 5th great-grandparents.
SORRY, ThruLines won't appear for 6th great-grandparents and beyond.
ThruLines shows identified descendants of a given ancestor who have tested with AncestryDNA, and share DNA with the tester whose results are being reviewed.
ThruLines replaces Shared Ancestor Hints, and greatly expands upon the data provided by those hints.
ThruLines provides the opportunity to view connections that would take a great deal of research to find manually.
ThruLines is accessible from “Your DNA Results Summary” under DNA in the top menu bar on Ancestry. To have access to ThruLines data, your family tree must be PUBLIC, and linked to your DNA test.
To check this, do these 3 steps:
1. Go to Your DNA Results Summary, and
2. Click on the Settings button (near the top right corner of the screen).
3. Follow the instructions in the Family Tree Linking section.
AncestryDNA® ThruLines®
ThruLines® shows you how you may be related to your DNA matches.
We use the ANCESTRY family tree linked to your test to find people who are in your tree and are also in your matches's linked trees. If your tree is private and not searchable, you won't be able to see ThruLines, and information from your matches' trees that are private and not searchable won't be available to you. DNA matches may appear in more than one of your ThruLines.
ThruLines are available for ancestors through 5th great-grandparents.
SORRY, ThruLines won't appear for 6th great-grandparents and beyond.
How to get ThruLines®
- Take an AncestryDNA® test
- Choose to see and be seen by your DNA matches.
- Link your family tree to your DNA test.
- Make sure your linked family tree is either public or private but searchable.
- Build your linked family tree back at least four generations.
- Turn on Two-step Verification or link your accounts to sign in with Apple or Google for extra security.
- Subscribe to AncestryDNA Plus™ or an Ancestry® family history membership.
- Check back in two days; if ThruLines are available, they'll appear within 48 hours
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NEWS ITEMS OR LINKS CAN BE SENT TO US FOR CONSIDERATION AT :
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