Where They Lived

This was published in the January/February 2010 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Celebrating the Family

This is one of the books I worked on as an editor while at Ancestry.com, where I worked in several roles, in including both a publications editor and an online editor. 

Fame in Your Family

This was published in the November/December 2007 issue of Ancestry Magazine.

Historic Newspapers Online at Ancestry.com

This was featured in the July/August 2002 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

The Joy of Journals

The "Joy of Journals" was the cover article for the September/October 2001 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

3000 Years Later, It's Still a Small World

This article was featured in the September/October 2006 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

This article was posted in the November/December 2006 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

This article appeared in the May/June 2007 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Want to Share Your Family History? Blog it.

Want To Share Your Family History? Blog It.

By Esther Yu Sumner
When T.K., the granddaughter of Rosmer Pettis Kerr and Evelyn Elvina Hauer, found two old, unlabeled photographs of a large burned-out building among her grandparent’s belongings, she wanted to know more. What were these buildings, and what made them important enough for her grandparents to hold onto the photos? After a little genealogy sleuthing on the Internet, she was able to identify the photos and bring a small episode from the lives of her grandparents to life. Based on her research, T.K. believes that the photographs are likely of the Wadsworth Manufacturing Company Fire that occurred in 1919. She concluded that her grandparents had saved the photographs because the building was likely just a couple of blocks away from their home at the time.
When T.K., the granddaughter of Rosmer Pettis Kerr and Evelyn Elvina Hauer, found two old, unlabeled photographs of a large burned-out building among her grandparent’s belongings, she wanted to know more. What were these buildings, and what made them important enough for her grandparents to hold onto the photos? After a little genealogy sleuthing on the Internet, she was able to identify the photos and bring a small episode from the lives of her grandparents to life. Based on her research, T.K. believes that the photographs are likely of the Wadsworth Manufacturing Company Fire that occurred in 1919. She concluded that her grandparents had saved the photographs because the building was likely just a couple of blocks away from their home at the time.
We know about her research and conclusions, including links to websites she visited, images of the original unlabeled photographs, and images of the newspaper photo she used to verify her findings, because she has shared them on her personal family history blog, which she calls “Before My Time,” at http://krentz.blogspot.com/.
T.K. also adds in the conclusion of this 8 April 2008 blog, “I hope someday a reader of this blog will be able to confirm or refute my identification of these two photos. Please leave a comment if you can add any information.” K.T. has used blogging as a way to share her research and collaborate with other genealogists.
What is a blog?
Blogging is a relatively new form of recording, and sharing, history through the use of an online journal. Blogs allow an individual with little web experience to author his or her own website, complete with personalized headlines, photographs, and even video clips. Bloggers simply use a template to post entries that then appear on the site in chronological order, with the latest entry at the top of the webpage. Readers of the blog can then read the author’s post and enter comments, which the author has the option to delete if desiredAccording to the blog search site Technorati (http://technorati.com).

Who blogs?
There are currently more than 70 million blogs in existence, and more than 1 million posts added to blogs each day.
News stations, politicians, entertainment icons, and more use blogs to reach the public. Though most blogs are geared toward a blogger’s family and friends, a lot of genealogy companies, genealogy associations, and well-known genealogists have blogs that reach a wider audience.
Just a sampling of these bloggers include

• WorldVitalRecords.com (http://blog.worldvitalrecords.com),
• Ancestry.com (http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/),
• Everton Publishers (http://genealogyblog.com/),
• Genealogy Roots Blog (http://genrootsblog.blogspot.com/ ),
• The California Genealogical Society and Library Blog (http://calgensoc.blogspot.com/),
• Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter(http://blog.eogn.com/),
• Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak(http://megansrootsworld.blogspot.com/)

Why blog?
Blogs allow individuals to post their genealogy research on their own private webspace, for free and with little technical savvy. If you’ve ever posted on an online message board, you can blog.
Blogs are a good way to get family members talking about both family history and current family events. Without realizing it, a vast number of the individuals in the “blogosphere” are developing family histories online by journaling about their lives and families. Think of it as a Christmas newsletter where you share family news, but as often as you want. Blogs often announce births in the family, funny stories about things their children did recently, tributes to deceased loved ones, and more.
Many genealogists’ blogs go a step further though, like T.K.’s Wadsworth company post. They share their recent research activity and encourage other researchers to contribute. This allows researchers looking for the same ancestors to compare notes and find each other online.

How do I get started?
There are several well-known blog companies that help individuals ready to start their own blog. One popular source is www.blogger.com because it is easy to use, provides attractive templates, and is free. Bloggers simply sign up for a blog using their email address, select a template, and then begin posting. The posting form is similar to Microsoft Word in many ways— just enter text, bold or italicize words, then post the entry. Bloggers typically choose to also use the easy upload feature to enhance their posts with photographs and videos.
To start a blog on Blogger.com, just click the orange “Create Your Blog Now” button from the Blogger.com homepage, then follow the instructions to complete the short form. You can also click the blue “take a quick tour” button for additional insights. Another good option for free blogging is the site Live Journal at www.livejournal.com.
Blogging allows room for error. While you’re getting started, most blogging sites allow you to “hide” your blog from the public so it is only viewable by invitation. With some blogging companies, including blogger.com, you can also edit your posts after they are live if you change your mind about what you want to share.

Check out some genealogy blogs now
Before you get started, you might have some fun looking at other genealogy blogs. You might find a distant relative that has been blogging about the research of one of your ancestors. Try searching for blogs at the Genealogy blog finder at http://blogfinder.genealogue.com/, or Google’s blog search at  http://blogsearch.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wb.  You can also find an index of most of the popular genealogy blogs athttp://genblogs.worldvitalrecords.com/. Happy blogging.

Esther Yu Sumner is a freelance writer and Web usability specialist. You can reach her at esumnertime@gmail.com.
Back »

This article ran in the Family History Bulletin for WorldVitalRecords.com on 21 April 2008. You can find it in their online archives.

Preserve Your Family History - Photo Books and Family History

Preserve Your Family History - Photo Books and Family History Books By Esther Yu Sumner When Grandma Doris died, her children had a dilemma. What should they do with all the historical family photographs that she had inherited or taken herself, then saved over the years? Several members of the family wanted the photographs, but nobody had any real plans for them except to tuck them away in another box “for posterity.” While they had good intentions, the problem with tucking the photos in another box is that after Grandma Doris died, some of her children did not know the significance of some of the photographs left behind. Doris’s grandchildren knew even less. At some point, the family members featured in these valuable photographs would become meaningless strangers. What Grandma Doris’s family didn’t know, is that there are a lot of options out there to help make it easy and fun to preserve photographs, and the stories behind them, for posterity. The options available run a wide spectrum, from simple, template-based family books to detailed custom-designed books that can be several hundred pages long. What you choose depends on how much control you want over your book, how comfortable you feel using online book-design programs, how much money you are willing to spend, and how quickly you need the published book to be sent to you. Basic photo booksIf you want to create a simple photo book, several sites use book templates that let you pick what size book you want, then upload your photos into the template to create a professionally bound book complete with captions. You can typically also select fonts, drag and drop photos into template layouts, and more. For books like this, consider a company like MyPublisher.com (www.mypublisher.com), which offers a 20-page, 11.25” x 8.75” hardcover for $29.80 – more for a leather cover or additional pages. PhotoWorks, from American Greetings (http://www.photoworks.com/photo-books/category.jsp?occasion=genealogy ), has a special option with its “everyday standard sized book” that includes a five-generation ascendant tree for $39.95 for up to 20 pages. You can add up to 80 additional pages for $0.99 per page. There are no fees to use these programs, so feel free to try them out. You’ll find that the sites stay simple and instruct you on what to do next so you don’t get overwhelmed. Custom-designed books If you have collected a lot of information for a photo book but don’t have the time or the desire to actually put everything together, consider a company like Good Stock (http://good-stock.com/custom.php). They are a custom-design service, and, as such, claim they will “concept, design, manage, print, and bind your book.” You’ll be able to proof the completed book in PDF format before approving your order. You are responsible to have the photos you want to use scanned, edited, and sent on a CD along with other material you want used in your book. Prices for the completed book average around $1750 for a 50-page book. Books typically take 10-12 weeks from start to finish, including reviewing the final design, then waiting for the book to be bound and shipped to you. Do-it-yourself books If you simply want a way to make it easier to record your own memories, you can purchase a template cd from Mended Memories (http://www.mendedmemories.net/) for $79. This program allows you to arrange pictures, stories, and events into an attractive page using templates designed to work on Microsoft Word. You’ll be responsible for printing the pages and figuring out a way to display them nicely. Blurb (http://www.blurb.com/) offers a free software program you load on your computer that guides you through the layout and design of your book. Once the layout is done, you order the printed version through the Blurb website. If you have custom-designed a book using your own program, U Build A Book (http://www.ubuildabook.com/genealogy-book.html) will print it for you. They claim that the size of the book and the program you use doesn’t matter – they’ll print it. Listed prices start at $13.95 for a 6 x 9, soft cover, 20-page book. If the book you want to publish is so genealogy-intensive that you plan to fill it with detailed family charts and timelines, you might want to consider AncestryPress (http://ancestrypress.ancestry.com/index.aspx). This program is ideal for Ancestry.com members who have created an Ancestry.com family tree because it pulls in the research you have been saving on the website. The service also allows you to share your project with family members and have them add stories and photos. AncestryPress starts at $34.95 for an 11 x 8 ½,  24-page book with a leatherette cover. You’ll pay $0.79 for each additional page for up to 250 pages. Expect a book within one to two weeks of submitting your completed work. Self-publishing companies If you have a longer, more in-depth family history book that you want to publish, there are options that give you a freer-form template and allow more pages per book. Memory Press  (http://memorypress.familylearn.com/family_history?source=search) helps you to complete each page, including room for photographs, stories, and a family tree. As part of the Memory Press service, you can customize the cover with 3D items like charms, your book will be permanently backed up on the company’s servers, and you can use a special collaboration tool to invite families to contribute stories and photos. The book is $50 for up to 35 color pages OR up to 175 black and white pages, and varies from 8.5 x 6.5 to 10 x 8. Once you complete and order your books, you can expect it in 10 days. Creative Continuum (http://www.creativecontinuum.com/fhpub.asp) will help you put together your genealogy book, whether it means looking at original documents and finished manuscripts, scanning and digitally cleaning your photographs and documents, or assisting with interviewing and transcription. You will receive a bound proof before the book is finalized for publication. Since these books are so individual, by length, size, and how much work Creative Continuum needs to provide, prices vary quite a bit. Contact them to get a price quote. Genealogy plays an important role in our families but it’s our jobs as family historians to preserve our histories in an interesting manner that will capture our descendants’ interests and help create future family historians. Family history books give family memories an easy reference point that they can each individually own. Esther Yu Sumner is a freelance writer and usability specialist. You can reach her at esumnertime@gmail.com. Back » This article appeared in the World Vital Records.com Family History Bulletin on 6 May 2008, and is stored in their online archives.

Website Copy for Logoworks.com

I was the lead product manager and the copywriter/editor when we redesigned Logoworks.com. Although the headline and ads on the homepage have changed since I left Logoworks, most of my work throughout the website is still in place several years later.

I used a method of writing that focuses on researching and addressing key personas on every page, therefore the pages are more text-heavy than is often found on websites. I also worked closely with the designers on the actual designs for each page. This was an intensive project that covered over fifty pages, starting first with seven main landing pages. I have selected a few sample pages to share.

World War II Records at Ancestry.com

This issue was printed in the May/June 2009 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Where Technology Meets Tombstone

This was featured in the January/February 2007 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

It's A Small World: Welcome to the Family

I wrote the cover story for the November-December 2008 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Virtual Family Reunions

This article was featured in the July/August 2007 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

A 20-year Adventure

This was featured in the September/October 2009 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Making Memories - But Will They Last?

This article was featured in the March/April 2009 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine. 

Is There a Spy in Your Family Tree?

This was featured in the July/August 2009 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Personal Inspiration

My husband and I wrote this piece about using blogs to help with genealogy research in the March/April 2010 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

A Date is a Date

I love all the wonderful things I learn in the course of researching and writing for an assigned topic. In this case, I learned all about the Gregorian vs. Julian calendar. We use the Gregorian calendar, starting in January, rather than in March.

This article was published in the March/April 2007 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

Honey Taffy Heritage Recipe

I shared this recipe for Honey Taffy in the March/April 2006 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.

"Without Glory" published in "Ancestry" Magazine

Many of my older pieces have become available through Google Books in PDF form.

I wrote "Without Glory" for the May-June 2008 issue of "Ancestry" Magazine.