Ancestry has decided to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015. They will continue to support existing Family Tree Maker owners at least through January 1, 2017.

fröhliche weihnachten
und ein
glückliches
neues jahr!

It is December so Happy Holidays to you!

I had a number of Great Uncle’s on paternal side (father) who were in The Great War (WW 1). Two died as a result. Two were in several major conflict battles and lived with the horror of war the rest of their lives. A couple more were in Army but stayed state side since the war ended before they were sent.
What is interesting is that all of them were first generation born german-american. The irony of it all. Their parents left 50 yrs or so before. In memory of Great-Uncles, Theodor Rettammel and Henry Wendland.

Tonight I was part of a group that listened to a topic on preserving cemeteries and gravestones. The speaker was engaging and gave various gravestone cleaning tips and how to do it as a professional would for preservation.

Well for me it is daunting but also a fun challenge. I am experienced at writing but not a professional. My years in public and academic work settings required me to write, but even that was not always joyful (many times technical), rather than story telling.
So the joy of genealogy and family history has made me see through this venture, eventually.
In the meantime here are some general items to think about when you decide to write your own history. Who do you write for? Yourself or a family audience. I would lean for a general audience. However at first draft writing from the within to tell a story is enriching. Format of writing: is it going to be a book?, an article?, or something else?
The scope is very important. Starting can be daunting because you have parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, generations of research gathered. All I am saying is to outline these as sections and start with most current, then working your way back. Themes will also arrive through the practice of writing on the generation and time you focus on.
Lastly focus on setting deadlines to help you accomplish your writing. Though I am not done with any of my family history, I did set a goal for having most of one side done for a family reunion. Use events to your advantage.
Cheers and best of continued success in your Family History.

A great place of local Genealogical records. Records prior to 1877 are skimpy due to a Dodge County arson that burnt most records, prior to that date.
I was impressed with the help and also the amount of information that is available and organized.

There are 14 Area Research Centers that the State Historical Society of Wisconsin has setup to build collections of documents pertaining to certain county areas of Wisconsin. There are 72 total counties that makeup the state of Wisconsin. Holdings in each of the 14 centers vary but may include original records and papers, local histories, genealogies, government documents, newspapers, maps, oral histories and photographs. Some of the materials may be temporarily loaned to the nearest center to you for you or a hired genealogist to review. Listed below are centers that have been helpful in my own searches:
Area 1 – Dane-Columbia-Sauk
State Historical Society of Wisconsin – Madison, WI
Area 5 – Kenosha – Racine
University of Wisconsin – Parkside Library – Kenosha, WI
Area 9 – Vilas – Oneida – Lincoln – Langlade – Forest – Marathon – Wood – Portage – Waupaca – Juneau – Adams – Waushara
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point – Stevens Point, WI