Organizing thousands of people

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

As most of you know I have a website that is all about the town my grandfather came from. I wanted a totally unique site, different from all the other sites I had seen before. A site about the town, it’s history, it’s people and what happened to all the different families there. I wanted a grasp on what life would have been like there during my grandfather’s lifetime. I wanted to know more about my grandfather’s mysterious family and their relationships with each other and friends and neighbors. Somehow, someone (can anyone guess who?) talked me into transcribing the records for the whole town. Shocked

Although it is a monumental task that will take years to finish, I am very glad I am doing it because I have found so many people I missed. And then there is the story of the tragic fire. You know if it is possible I will get the complete story on that! Most of you have my undying gratitude because without many of you, I would not have been able to do any of this. You have all helped me translate, find records, learn how to research, find people and stories, etc. Now I need your help again. As I find more people, it is getting more and more difficult to keep everyone straight. For example I have dozens of Napolitano’s, Garrafa’s and Zingone’s that I cannot put in my family tree software. I lack the information to connect them to anyone in my tree or they do not belong there. I have hundreds of names and am losing information because there are too many to keep track of. I need ideas as to how to store all the info I need on these people so I do not forget them or “misplace” those who are not in my tree. The excel spreadsheets are not working for this. Any ideas?

JamesBianco

Cathy wrote:

As most of you know I have a website that is all about the town my grandfather came from. I wanted a totally unique site, different from all the other sites I had seen before. A site about the town, it’s history, it’s people and what happened to all the different families there. I wanted a grasp on what life would have been like there during my grandfather’s lifetime. I wanted to know more about my grandfather’s mysterious family and their relationships with each other and friends and neighbors. Somehow, someone (can anyone guess who?) talked me into transcribing the records for the whole town. Shocked

Although it is a monumental task that will take years to finish, I am very glad I am doing it because I have found so many people I missed. And then there is the story of the tragic fire. You know if it is possible I will get the complete story on that! Most of you have my undying gratitude because without many of you, I would not have been able to do any of this. You have all helped me translate, find records, learn how to research, find people and stories, etc. Now I need your help again. As I find more people, it is getting more and more difficult to keep everyone straight. For example I have dozens of Napolitano’s, Garrafa’s and Zingone’s that I cannot put in my family tree software. I lack the information to connect them to anyone in my tree or they do not belong there. I have hundreds of names and am losing information because there are too many to keep track of. I need ideas as to how to store all the info I need on these people so I do not forget them or “misplace” those who are not in my tree. The excel spreadsheets are not working for this. Any ideas?

Well, my cousin Michel in France has been methodically transcribing all of the Carini Church records on my website into PAF, connecting them as families. It has made an amazing web of relationships. To date he has completed every Baptism and Marriage from 1527-1727, comprising 60,000 individuals, and is moving forward quickly. The file only includes the extracted records, later lines are not included.

The result is an amazing database, which is especially useful because it is complete for the period covered. He sends me a new GEDCOM as he completes another period. There is a program which you can download which will host a gedcom in an amazing searchable/printable format for anyone to view online. It is called PhpGedView. I wanted to add this to my website, and emailed Bob Fornal for help a while back. I think he may have been busy because I have not heard from him.

I know what you mean about all of these people and sorting them out, the only way to avoid this is to be comprehensive in your transcriptions, even if it's only a year at a time. Just create a new Family File and start adding directly to it, every time you start a new birth, look to see if the family is already in your database, and add the child. When one family marries into another connect the spouses accordingly.

As far as your fascinating idea about making your site something unique and more personal, that would be wonderful. I guess I am less imaginative because I am at a loss as to how to do it. I am more of a "present the raw information" kind of guy.

I can't wait to see what you do with your ideas, I most likely will take inspiration and try to do something similar, because it's a really great concept.

Smile

nuccia

Quote::

I can't wait to see what you do with your ideas, I most likely will take inspiration and try to do something similar, because it's a really great concept.

Well, when you're ready, I want to help you because I have some ideas already and have had for a few months about your site.... hide

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Thanks Jim! Very Happy

I will check out that software this weekend. I have begun the information about the families already. None of the pages are complete yet but the idea is I will link them together with other family members as I get more pages about the people up. Here is a link to the family index pages: www.montaltouffugo.net...ilies.html
If you click on one of the names it will take you to that surname's main page and as the families connect with each other, there will be links to another member's family page. Like on this page: www.montaltouffugo.net...luisa.html
Since so many family pages are not up yet, it is not as planned but you get the idea. Then I will link the images of the birth acts to the names and the marriage and death acts somewhere on the page. Keep in mind none of these pages are done yet. I just slapped them up so I could begin connecting them. I have yet to add most of the records. Hopefully I will be getting pictures...

JamesBianco

Cathy wrote:

Thanks Jim! Very Happy

I will check out that software this weekend. I have begun the information about the families already. None of the pages are complete yet but the idea is I will link them together with other family members as I get more pages about the people up. Here is a link to the family index pages: www.montaltouffugo.net...ilies.html
If you click on one of the names it will take you to that surname's main page and as the families connect with each other, there will be links to another member's family page. Like on this page: www.montaltouffugo.net...luisa.html
Since so many family pages are not up yet, it is not as planned but you get the idea. Then I will link the images of the birth acts to the names and the marriage and death acts somewhere on the page. Keep in mind none of these pages are done yet. I just slapped them up so I could begin connecting them. I have yet to add most of the records. Hopefully I will be getting pictures...

That is going to be a huge amount of work!

But in the end, what an amazing project. By the way I was just going through your pages yesterday looking around. I should have more personal information and pictures on my website, but I have so little time..

Great job so far. Smile

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

JamesBianco wrote:

That is going to be a huge amount of work!

It already has been! Now you understand why I need better organization for non-family members! I should be finished by the time I am 90! Shocked

What was I thinking! Confused

Anyway, it is a good way of presenting the information to people who do not speak english, like all the Argentinians who email me. When I find new people I can just email them the link. I'll let you know what I think of the software. Thanks.

liviomoreno

Cathy wrote:

... I should be finished by the time I am 90! ....

So you're planning to work on this for the next 60 years!

By the way, I agree with James, that you should use PAF or any other suitable genealogical software.

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

Bless you Livio! kiss

Family tree software will work for families but I have groups of people I cannot connect to anyone. I may try that anyway - I am desperate. Confused

JamesBianco

Cathy wrote:

Bless you Livio! kiss

Family tree software will work for families but I have groups of people I cannot connect to anyone.

My database is full of people who appear in Carini, have a child and are then never recorded again. They are still included in family format with what can be gleamed from the brief record I have. Someday, when your database is online someone might discover their ancestor was in your town briefly.

I would definitely try and put these people in a database, it will keep everyone organized, a dimension which Excel can't provide.

Smile

lilbees

Hey Cathy, I know I am a novice but I am using FTM 2008. I have family and I have others that are not connected to any family group. I simply add them as "unrelated people". My godfather and godmother were a good example. I wanted to have information about them and their family hoping later I could link them back to me. So I just added them as "unrelated". When I get where I can figure it out then I will link them. I have several other important people that shouldn't be forgotten and have also done the same thing. Easy to look up and link if I find a real family connection.

Anyway, just a thought. I am sure there are many other software programs that can do similar things. At least I have the information indexed.

Good Luck!

lilbees

Cathy · V.I.P. Joined: Jul 10, 2007 Posts: 2681

I did not know you could put "stray people" in! I will create a new file just for them. I can be a little dense sometimes - sorry.

lilbees

Cathy, you can add "unrelated people" without starting a new file. For me, I only have about 1500 people in my database, it is easy. But if you do start a new file you can always merge a specific indivual or group of individuals into your major file if you find a connection. You don't have to export the entire file only specific groups or individuals.

lilbees

JamesBianco · Last edited by JamesBianco on Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:33 am; edited 1 time in total

Cathy wrote:

I did not know you could put "stray people" in! I will create a new file just for them. I can be a little dense sometimes - sorry.

You don't have to make a new file for strays. Make a brand new file for your towns extractions. Do NOT add your family that you have not extracted yet, keep this a database for the extractions. Add the families as you are going through the records, like this:

Say you have a birth act for Giuseppa XXXX daughter of Antonio and Marta.

Go to the top of Family Tree Maker click on "People" and then select "Add unrelated individual"

Make a family unit for Antonio and Marta and add Giuseppa as a child.

Do this for every record you extract, and you will find as you go along, the family groups will start to already be in the file (do a search before you add). If the family is already in your database, just add the child whose birth act you are extracting. Then further down the road you may come across a death for Antonio or Marta, just go their family unit and input the death date and parents (if you did not have them already).

See what I mean? You can have a database full of people not related, but in time the connections will begin. Let's say Giuseppa marries and her husband you already created a family database for (his parents). You can then click on Giuseppa, then up at the top, chose "People" then "Fix relationship" and then "attach spouse". A box will come up with everyone in your database, find her husband and click on him. Voila! They are married in the database and now he has inlaws too! lol

It really will become easier the more you do because many of the people will already be in your database.

Trust me I know, it's the easiest and in the end most advantageous way to extract.

lilbees

James, great explanation!!! You were able to relate the program for Cathy's needs.

lilbees

JamesBianco

lilbees wrote:

James, great explanation!!! You were able to relate the program for Cathy's needs.

lilbees

Thanks! The thing I prefer about this vrs. Excel transcriptions is that the families are all linked together. You can then share the file with others, or use Family Tree Maker to generate a list of marriages or births with whatever info you desire to appear and upload that to your site. This way you have the best of both worlds, a linked database and the ability to make an even better listing than Excel can provide.