Reminders about Temporary Free Remote Access to Library Edtion until April 30th; Free Access to Certain NARA Record Collections on Ancestry.com

Hey Everyone!

Ancestry Library EdtitionWe wanted to remind everyone of two developments with Ancestry.com that might help ease your (or a child's or grandchild's) boredom during this extended time of "Stay at Home, Stay Safe." Hopefully you saw our earlier posts here and here.

Ancestry Library Edition

The first reminder is that if you have a library card issued by the Suburban Library Cooperative than as of late last week you now have temporary free remote access to Ancestry Library Edition from where ever you are, hopefully you are home. This temporary free remote access is good thru April 30, 2020.

You can access Ancestry Library Edition by signing into the website of the library that issued your library card and then clicking the link to Ancestry Library Edition. You will be taken to the Ancestry Library Edition home page and from there you can search to your heart's content. Ancestry Library Edition has no personalized features so among other things you can not access your personal Ancestry online tree or link records to it if you have one. So you will need to remember to download your record image finds and add the information to your genealogy trees manually.

We will be creating an Overview of Ancestry Library Edition video for our YouTube channel in case you need to brush up on the website. Since these areas are common to the Ancestry.com personal home subscription it will help you brush up on using Ancestry.com as well. This video should be up in a day or so.

ProQuest (a database provider to businesses such as libraries) in coordination with Ancestry.com has made this free offer to libraries that have subscriptions to Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use. If your library has Ancestry Library Edition and its website meets certain requirements your library can request to participate in the temporary free remote access to. Just email and ask them. The sooner you do, the sooner you can enjoy searching from home too.

We thank everyone who made this possible.

Ancestry.com

In the meantime,  there is our second reminder that Ancestry.com in cooperation with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has made certain record collections from NARA available for free access during this COVID-19 time.

Ancestry has now created a special search page for the free offer. On the search page is a link to the NARA record collections included in the free access offer. A quick look at the list shows all the U.S. Federal Census enumerations; a variety of passenger lists including Baltimore and New York to name couple; naturalization records for various locations; some tax records; some military records; some Freedman's records; and some Native American rolls. Take a look, there is a lot there to search.

To take advantage of this free access to NARA records, you simply need a free guest account. Do remember that usually a free username will not request your credit card information. Do not click on the free trial because that will require your credit card information. This page here is the one needed to create a free username (no credit card.) The other option now that a special search page has been created is to do a search and select a record image to view. Then the website will request you sign-in or create a free guest account. If you need to create a free account the website will take you to the page given above. Remember free guests accounts do not expire so if you have one just sign into that one. If you do not recall either your username or password, request a new password using your email address. If you recall, each Ancestry account requires a unique email address.

Use Ancestry as a Teaching Tool
Now about those kids or grandkids that might be going stir-crazy by now. Remember Ancestry announced on its Ancestry blog that it is making teacher-developed lesson plans available for free for anyone to download, covering a range of educational topics for various ages. There is list of teacher-developed lesson plans listed on the blog post. And now more information can be found on a special Ancestry Education page. While the page promotes its free AncestryK12 no-cost program you can find the free lesson plans under the Resources link including links to other free research guides and research aids like a PDF of Interview Questions to ask family members. So get those kids and grandkids to help you with your genealogical research and then talk with them about what they found and what it might have been like in those times. You can do it remotely (keep to social distancing guidelines) using today's video chatting technology or simply with your phone.

Stay Safe Everyone.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

 

Ancestry.com and ProQuest Offers Temporary Remote Access of Ancestry Library Edition to Libraries that Currently Subscribe to ALE In-Library Use Only

Note: This post was originally published on Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 10:31 p.m. EDT. It has been updated to include recently released information.

Okay, Macomb County Genealogy Group Members it is time to take action!

Does the library your library card originates from have Ancestry Library Edition for use while in its library? If yes, and you want temporary remote access from home to Ancestry Library Edition ask your "home" library to request this temporary offer from Ancestry and ProQuest Library the provider of Ancestry Library Edition to libraries. The sooner you ask the sooner your library will hopefully start the request process.

 

Update Saturday, March 28, 2020, about 1:58 p.m.: We just learned from Theresa Mann at Mount Clemens Public Library that ALL libraries in the Suburban Library Cooperative as of today now have temporary remote access to Ancestry Library Edition for their respective library card holding patrons. The instructions we received were to sign into your library's website with your library card number and password and then on the left or right you should find a link to the Ancestry Library Edition. But you might have to search around for where your "home" library placed its link. Clinton-Macomb Public Library's is on the main page, just click the Research and choose Ancestry Library Edition from the drop down menu.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE!

If you live in another county and the library that issued you a library card has Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use, ask your library to request the remote access offer too. Hopefully its website meets the requirements and you can eventually enjoy remote access too.

We will be creating an overview of Ancestry Library Edition (with how it differs from the personal home subscription version) very soon. Look for it on our new MCGG YouTube channel.

We know are MCGG members live in a variety of areas and their library cards come from a variety of libraries which is why we are letting you all know to request this from your home library.

Considering the situation we find ourselves in as a nation, it is a kind jester from Ancestry.com and ProQuest. Not only can one spend some unexpected free time researching one's family but Ancestry has some teacher-created lesson plans for various grade levels to keep your children engaged. See our previous post on March 25.

Library websites do have to meet certain requirements in order to qualify. Hopefully your home library's website does and they take action to request this offer which is currently set run through the end of April. But you need to ask your library to take action.

We know our favorite library, Mount Clemens Public Library, is working on getting this temporary access but it is not a done deal yet.

At the present time we know the following libraries in the Suburban Cooperative Library system (yes, we checked all of the websites/Facebooks), have received temporary remote access to Ancestry Library Edition for their respective library card holding patrons:

Clinton-Macomb Public Library (as of March 26)
This resource, usually only available [while in CMPL] at the library, is now available from the comfort of your home for a limited time. Access this from the library's homepage. Select the Research tab and select Ancestry.com (Library Edition) from the menu. You will need to sign in with your barcode and PIN. 

Troy Public Library (as of March 25?)
It looks like Troy Public Library has also got the okay. It appears if Troy is your home library the access point is from the library's home page in the "rotating cards" at the top of the page. We say it appears because the text in the "rotating card" does not give a lot of information.

We will update this post as we learn of any other local libraries participating.

In the meantime, you can get temporary free access at Ancestry.com to certain National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) digitized records thanks to cooperation with the National Archives. See our March 25 post for details and how to get free access. 

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

MCGG Creates YouTube Channel, Other Genealogy-Related Stuff to Occupy Time

Note: This post was originally posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 6:29 p.m. EDST. It was updated to confirm how to access the temporarily free record collections at Ancestry.com website.

Hi Everyone!

We hope you are staying safe and are well. Besides doing what we need to and have to do, as some are able to do so they are filling time with genealogy doing things like actually doing their own genealogy, cleaning up and organizing their genealogy, and/or taking some time for some genealogy education.

Take a look around and you will find a variety of free things genealogy related. We will list some that we have found here but take a look around yourself at your favorite sites to see what is out there and available to you.

MCGG
First off, we want to tell you about our new Macomb County Genealogy Group YouTube Channel. It is free and available for anyone to view. We have started off with three Tech Tips videos. The first (about 12 minutes long) is on how to do a Screenshot on Windows and Mac computers. The second (about 2 minutes long) is on adding the Calculator and Character Map to either your Start Menu or Taskbar on your Windows computer. The third (about three minutes long) is on printing a website page as a PDF file. While it is demonstrated on a Windows computer, the technique can be used on a Mac as well.

For Michigan residents, please remember that through the Michigan Electronic Library aka mel.org you have free access from home to a variety of databases including MyHeritage Library Edition. There are lots of databases there to search.

Ancestry.com
Today, Ancestry.com announced on its Ancestry blog that it is making teacher-developed lesson plans available for free for anyone to download, covering a range of educational topics for various ages. Ancestry has collaborated with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration to offer temporary free access to millions of historical records and images from the federal government. And says it will continue providing free online tutorials and video courses to help people get started with family tree building. A list of lesson plans and more information can be found as well as a sampling of the temporary free access collections here. There are also free videos explaining getting started with family history in the Ancestry Academy. Ancestry's promotion says you just need to provide your email to take advantage of the completely free promotion.

While a link to create free username/membership was not given, do remember that usually a free username will not request your credit card information. Do not click on the free trial because that will require your credit card information. This page here is often the one needed to create a free username (no credit card) but sometimes Ancestry has a special search page where the free access is given. We will update this when we confirm the method to access the free records offer. Another website has said the search/index is free but to access the images you have to do the free trial which is not free if you forget to cancel before you are charged. If you already have a guest/free username account you can sign in and see if you can access the temporarily free collections. Update: On March 26, 2020, at 4:07 p.m. ESDT. we have personally confirmed if you already have a free username account meaning one without a paid data membership (or create one using the link above meaning not the free trail membership that asks for your credit card information) you can access the temporarily free collections and see the record images. This was tested by signing into a free username account that does not have a paid data membership and searching a few of the collections appearing in the sample listing of temporarily free collections. Record images were viewable from the search result lists. So get searching!

Family Tree Magazine
Family Tree Magazine is giving its March/April 2020 issue in digital (PDF) form away for free. Here is the link to the PDF. The issue's main article is a comparison of the four major genealogy websites. Along with a Roundup of Free Online Record Collections.

Family Tree Webinars
Legacy Family Tree Webinars almost always has its latest webinar free to view for a week after its initial live presentation. This week's webinar today was on Using the Fold3.com website. Did you know Family Tree Webinars also has a variety of recorded webinars available for free anytime. Just to to the Webinar Library tab and select View All - Free. On March 12th of this month Family Tree Webinars hosted a 24 hour marathon of live webinars, and now all these marathon recordings are available to view for free thru April 6, 2020. So, take some time to learn something new.

MyHeritage.com
MyHeritage.com has decided to make its MyHeritage in Color feature free and unlimited for one month (until April 22, 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See its blog post for details. MyHeritage in Color takes scans of black and white photos and colorizes them. Normally only 10 photos can be colorized by anyone without a Complete subscription plan.

Archion.de
Archion.de is a website of the Evangelical Church of Germany where church books from the various regional churches are digitized and placed online for family researchers to access and view. The site is in German with some English translated pages. For four weeks from March 31 to April 27, 2020, there will be a sale on access Passes. A one-month pass regularly 19,90 Euro will be 17,90 Euro; a three-month pass regularly 52,20 Euro will be 43,50 Euro; a one-year pass regularly 178,80 Euro will be 139 Euro. The passes do not auto-renew and each pass allows only a certain number of image downloads. See details on the site's Available Passes page.

You are able to browse the contents of the website. The church books are organized first by the regional holding archive and the regional division and the parish location where you can then see what records types and time periods are available. At this time the digitized church records are mostly not electronically index so this is a browse and manually search like you would have done in the days of microfilm.

We can not list every offer out there so keep an eye out for the websites you visit and use.

Stay Safe Everyone!

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Our April 8th MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy Meeting is Cancelled -- Be Safe Everyone!

ATTENTION !!!
Due to the expanded COVID-19/Coronavirus safety measures, many more group events are being cancelled.  The State of Michigan has issued shelter in place orders until April 13 to help slow the spread of the COVID-19/Coronavirus now labeled a pandemic.

Mount Clemens Public Library has announced it will remain closed until April 13. At that time the situation will be reviewed. 

As a result, the following Macomb County Genealogy Group events are cancelled:

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meeting, Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Other local groups and meeting locations will likely announce similar cancellations. We will try to note which ones but to be absolutely sure, please check the website of each particular group and/or location as to whether the group or the group's meeting location has cancelled a particular meeting.

Stay Safe Everyone!

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Our Favorite Library, Mount Clemens Public Library, is Closed until April 13, 2020; Plans are to Reopen When Safer

A photo of our favorite library in a prior year.

UPDATE

We just learned that our favorite library, Mount Clemens Public Library, will now be closed until April 13, 2020, due to the additional precautions (shelter in place) to help reduce the spread of the COVID19/Coronavirus. Like other businesses, MCPL will reopen when the State of Michigan determines it is safer.

The message can be seen on the library's Facebook page (Yes, you can see it without being a member of Facebook.) or the library's website.

Stay safe and healthy; we will see you again.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Genealogy Software Choices

The last time we wrote a post on genealogy software and online trees was back in January 2017 -- a little more than three years ago. It seems like a good time to do an update article. Of course, as soon as we hit the publish button some publisher out there will announce an update or upgrade. Since we can not control that we present what we know as of today.

What can I use to keep track of all of this?

For anyone that does not use a computer, the answer is the various genealogy forms in the MCGG Beginner's Packet available on our Research Help page.

For anyone with computer access, the answer to that is an online genealogy tree and/or a genealogy software/program for your computer. Several options exist and which one to use depends on how you work and think, and how you feel about sharing/privacy.

We suggest investigating your options. If a program looks like a possibility for you and it has a free option then try the free version out. If you decide you like it, then decide if the pay version is worthwhile for you or not. Ask a variety of our MCGG members what they use when you attend one of our meetings. If they have their laptop with them, they might even demonstrate the program they have chosen to use. [Note: We know that can not happen at this time due to the current national emergency so feel free to ask questions in the comment area and we will try to answer them.] 

So what is out there for keeping track of things?

Online trees come in two forms.

• Personal trees which you control (add/delete/edit) often have privacy settings that can be set to public (anyone can see it) or private (only you or those you invite can see it) depending on how you feel about sharing/privacy. Online trees at websites like Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com and FindMyPast.com websites are examples of this.
• Collaborative/Community trees which are an online shared tree meaning everyone works on the same tree that allows anyone to add/delete/edit any person. Online trees at FamilySearch.org and WikiTree.com are examples of this.

Most websites with online trees have some privacy controls that keep information on living persons private. Generally online trees have fewer charting and reporting options than those in genealogy software. Additionally there are sometimes fewer events/fact fields to chose from and fewer source citing options. The advantage is that you often can access an online tree from a variety of devices not just a specific device. The disadvantage is that you have to have internet access to access an online tree.

Desktop genealogy software is made by a variety of software publishers.

Generally desktop genealogy software has more charting and reporting options than online trees. There is often more event/fact fields to use and more source citing options. By having your tree on your computer you control access, adds, deletes, and changes to the information in it. Another advantage is that you can see and work on your tree without the internet if needed. A disadvantage is that often the genealogy software tree is strictly on one computer or involves some effort to move a tree to another computer.

Almost all genealogy software has a website devoted to providing information about the program, sales and customer service. Take a look at them to learn of each program's features and how the program's interface looks/works. Some companies have overview, feature and how-to videos on their websites or a YouTube channel and these are good ways to get the feel of how a program works.

Most genealogy software is distributed by online download but some offer the option to purchase the software on a CD or USB drive for an extra fee. Also, printed software manual books are usually an option for a fee though most are e-books/PDF files now. Remember, genealogy software (downloaded or on a physical device) is a one-time purchase not a subscription with annual costs. Only when a major upgrade to a program (i.e. version 7 to version 8) is released by a software company is there an additional upgrade cost. Minor updates (i.e. version 7.2 to version 7.4) to a program are usually free. And always remember to make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements to run the software you are considering purchasing.

To find past posts on genealogy software, just click on the label "Genealogy Software" in the left-hand column to see just those posts using that label. Generally a download of a program costs less than a program on CD or USB drive which has to be physically delivered.

Family Tree Maker

Family Tree Maker is not dead in case you had not heard. It is now a product of the Software MacKiev company. There is a Windows version and Mac version of Family Tree Maker 2019 program which costs $79.95 for one computer license. If you want the program on a CD or USB drive there is an extra charge. If you have an earlier version of Family Tree Maker, you can get an upgrade to the new version generally for a lower cost by signing up for the FTM mailing list.

Currently, Family Tree Maker is one of only two genealogy program that syncs with the Ancestry.com online trees, and the only program that lets you merge records by searching Ancestry.com from within the program. It also works with the Ancestry Hints (Shaky Leaves) feature. It has a variety of charts and reports and has an interactive location map. MacKiev has a Frequently Asked Questions page regarding and support pages for Family Tree Maker.

There are two optional, plug-ins available for purchase for the Windows version: Charting Companion and Family Book Creator.

Legacy Family Tree

Legacy 9

Legacy Family Tree 9 is the product of Millennia company, which also produces the Legacy Family Webinars. Both were purchased by MyHeritage in August 2017. Legacy is a currently still a Windows only program that comes in a free Standard version and a pay (starting at $29.95 for a download) Deluxe version. At one time, we understand a Mac version might be in the works too though news on that front is lacking.

The Standard version is a full-feature program that has no limitations on how many individuals can be entered. Purchasing the Deluxe version unlocks almost one hundred advanced features, like mapping, a Source Writer, interview reports, and powerful search capabilities for within your tree file.

There is a features overview and both a webpage tour (click on any screen image to enlarge it) and a video tour of the program. Also, at Legacy Family Webinars there are additional free videos on various Legacy features.


RootsMagic

RootsMagic 7

RootsMagic has both a free version, RootsMagic Essentials, and a pay ($29.95) version, RootsMagic 7, of its product. The company also has a Mac version of the RootsMagic 7 software. Just two days ago it announced support for Mac OS 10.15 Catalina. The release of RootsMagic 8 is expected in the near future but an exact release date has not been announced. RootsMagic is the other genealogy software program can can sync with an Ancestry member tree. The how of the sync is different from the way the other software program syncs.

According to its blog, the company has set up a special website that includes training videos and more.

RootsMagic has also created "Magic Guides" on a variety of topics like importing data from Family Tree Maker 2008 and later, importing data from Family Tree Maker 2006 and older as well as media import from Family Tree Maker.

RootsMagic Essentials is promoted as containing many of the core features of the pay version. The RootsMagic 7 product page gives an overview of the pay versions features and includes a link to new features as well.


MyHeritage's Family Tree Builder 8 

Family Tree Builder 7.0

Family Tree Builder (FTB) is the free genealogy database program of the MyHeritage.com website. Its latest version 8 supports up to hundreds of thousands individuals. A few features from version 7 are temporarily disabled while they are being worked on.

According to its overview, Family Tree Builder (FTB) supports over 40 languages; has a PC and Mac version; creates charts; has a maps feature; can be linked to a private family site (free and pay site); has SmartMatches Technology, Record Matching Technology and Instant Discoveries (when used with a MyHeritage data subscription); and more.

More details can be learned on version 8's initial announcement page from 2016. One thing the company does not mention is the program's sourcing and citation features which are really important if you are serious about your genealogy.


Family Historian 

Family Historian 6

Calico Pie Ltd., the makers of Family Historian 6 hail from the United Kingdom.

Several webpages have been created with Family Tree Maker users in mind. There is a welcome page, user questions page,  as well as a guide to migrating from FTM to FH.

There is also a screenshot tour as well as a video tour of the program. Videos are also available on the software's YouTube channel.

Family Historian does offer a 30-day trail of the program after which a license to the program must be purchased ($46.50 USD for download version) to continue using it. We are not sure if there are customer service issues with the time difference between the United States and United Kingdom.

AncestralQuest 

Ancestral Quest 14

Incline Software are the makers of  Ancestral Quest 16 which has a Windows and Mac version of the program. The program has a variety of features and has been described by some as an alternative to the old, discontinued Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software. There are a variety of tutorials on the website also. Some tutorials are for older versions but the basics of them still apply to the current version.

Incline has an Ancestral Quest Basics version (for Windows or Mac) that is free. It is fully functioning but does not contain all the "bells and whistles" of Ancestral Quest 16 which begins at $34.95 for the download Windows version and $44.95 for the download Mac version.

 
Heredis

Heredis 2020

Heredis is the product of a French company and the program is available for Windows and Mac. The current version is Heredis 2020 which is regularly $29.99 for Windows download, $49.99 for Mac download and $69.99 for a Windows & Mac download. There is a free trial version limited to 50 persons.

There is a page devoted to highlighting the new features of Heredis 2020 and a page devoted to highlighting all the features of the program.


Brother's Keeper 

Brother's Keeper 7.

Brother's Keeper 7.4 is a stand alone genealogy program that is actually shareware. According to its website, the program works on a variety of windows operating systems, but there is no Mac version. Brother's Keeper has 18 foreign language versions as well as many features.

The program's reports capabilities have been described as highly customizable and the program easy to use. 

Because Brother's Keeper is shareware you can download a trial version and try it before you buy it for $45.00 with printed manual and CD or USB drive. The trial version is not limited by size or time but purchasing the program unlocks a lot more features.

MacFamilyTree (for Mac only)

MacFamilyTree 9

Synium, a company in Germany, is the maker of MacFamilyTree 9 which is available in 16 languages. The company does not make a Windows version of the software.

Version 9 costs $59.99 and is exclusively available in the Mac App Store. It is the largest update to date and includes a new user interface. The features have been detailed on its website and a variety of screen shots can seen at the website. There are tutorial videos on its website. An overview and a support tutorial videos are on the company's Youtube channel.

MacFamilyTree also has a demo version of the program so you can try the program out but it does not allow you to save, print or use CloudTree Sync.


Reunion (for Mac only) 

Reunion 12

Leister Pro. is the maker of Reunion 12 software for Mac. The company does not make a windows version of the program.

The program, which costs $99.00,  has many features/capabilities and website has many tutorial videos. New features for version 12 are also highlighted.

There is a demo version that let's you play around with the program a little bit. You are limited to entering 50 individuals; import/export is locked; charts and slideshows can not be saved; and printed output contains a watermark. Purchasing a license unlocks the full features of the program.


Lastly, with any company's genealogy software you investigate, do not be afraid to contact the company and ask your questions about their software and its capabilities.
 
See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Our Favorite Library, Mount Clemens Public Library, is Closed until April 5, 2020; Plans are to Reopen April 6. 2020

We just learned that our favorite library, Mount Clemens Public Library, has decided to close until April 5, 2020, as a precaution to help reduce the spread of the COVID19/Coronavirus. MCPL plans to reopen on April 6, 2020.

The message can be seen on the library's Facebook page. (Yes, you can see it without being a member of Facebook.)

Stay safe and healthy; we will see you next month.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Please Note: Remaining March MCGG Meetings are Cancelled, Some Other Group Meetings are Cancelled too

Note: Originally posted on March 12, 2020, at 8:28 p.m. Eastern Time.

ATTENTION !!!
Due to the rapidly developing changes with the COVID-19/Coronavirus now labeled a pandemic, many group events are being cancelled as a precaution to help reduce the chance of community spread.

Mount Clemens Public Library has cancelled all of its programs and all group events scheduled to be held in the library's meeting rooms until March 31, 2020. At that time the situation will be reviewed. Normal library services/hours continue at this time with some restrictions.

As a result, the following Macomb County Genealogy Group events are cancelled:

MCGG Board Meeting, Tuesday, March 17, 2020
MCGG Resource Development Meeting, Friday, March 20, 2020

ADDED:
MCGG Friday Group Meeting, Friday April 3, 2020 (We will reschedule the speaker at a later date.)

Other local groups and meeting locations have announced similar cancellations. We will try to note which ones but to be absolutely sure, please check the website of each particular group and/or location as to whether the group or the group's meeting location has cancelled a particular meeting.

Stay Safe Everyone!

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Let's Talk...Genealogy meets this Wed., Mar. 11 at 7 p.m., DNA: Working with Your Autosomal DNA is the Topic of the Night

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Please note we moved this night's location to a larger room because it is a popular topic  ... DNA: Working with Your Autosomal DNA.  

We will review some basics of autosomal DNA and look at ways to use.

New attendees are always welcome.
 
See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Family Tree DNA's FamilyFinder Test is $59 for its St. Patrick's Day Sale

It is a St. Patrick's Day DNA sale over at Family Tree DNA where it's FamilyFinder (autosomal) DNA test regularly $79 is on sale for $59 until March 17, 2020. Shipping and taxes are extra which vary depending on where the test is shipped. From a while back the shipping cost to Michigan was about $12.95 for one kit which covers the receiving and sending the test. 

Family Tree DNA provides an ethnicity (admixture) report, list of DNA matches, chromosome browser and allows DNA matches to contact a match directly if that match allows it. Once tested, DNA samples are stored so that additional test types (upgrades) can be added if desired. Family Tree DNA is the only genealogy DNA testing company that offers all three DNA test types: autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA. No subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features.

See our March 2019 post's Now some reminders and cautions ... regarding Family Tree DNA, Privacy and Law Enforcement Access so that you are aware and informed.

As a reminder, Family Tree DNA also offers autosomal DNA transfers. So if you have already tested at another genealogy DNA testing company you can upload your RAW DNA data to get your test into another "pool" of potential DNA matches. The transfer is initially free which lets you see all your matches and use the FamilyFinder-Matrix to compare up to 10 matches. To access additional FamilyFinder tools the cost is just $19 to unlock them.

Family Tree DNA currently accepts autosomal transfers from:

• Ancestry DNA (V1 and V2 chips)
• 23andME (V3 and V4 chips) but not its V1 and V2 chips or its V5 chip in use since Aug. 2017
• MyHeritageDNA

One thing to note is that transfers of tests on the AncestryDNA V2 chip and the 23andMe V4 chip receive all but the most speculative matches (6th cousin to remote cousins) because these chips are not fully compatible.

As a reminder, Family Tree DNA sometimes sells its autosomal DNAtest kits (called FamilyFinder) on Amazon.com and often at sale prices when it is having a sale. For this sale it is $59 at Amazon which means buying from Amazon eliminates the shipping costs. (Make sure the seller shown is FamilyTreeDNA fulfilled by Amazon and not sold by a third-party unauthorized seller.) Non-Amazon Prime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon; prime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free.

Look for this before adding your item to your cart.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

MyHeritage.com Celebrates St. Patrick's Day with Free Access and a DNA Sale

MyHeritage is celebrating Irish-American Heritage Month two ways. First, the website is giving free access to its Irish records collection until March 22, 2020. Just click on the "Search Irish records for free" in the post on MyHeritage's Blog.

MyHeritageDNA (autosomal) tests regularly $79 each are on sale for just $59 each plus taxes and shipping until March 18, 2020. Orders of two or more DNA kits receive free shipping. This test is sometimes referred to now as the MyHeritageDNA Ancestry Only test.

MyHeritageDNA's customer base seems to be more international. The test includes free internal member messaging feature, an ethnicity/admixture report, and of course, a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to use/see all the DNA matching features. Additional features include a chromosome browser and the automatic DNA AutoClusters tool. And with test results linked to a family tree on MyHeritage the Theory of Family Relativity feature can scan the linked trees and create theories of the tested individuals are related using both DNA and linked trees.


MyHeritage also has a MyHeritage DNA Health+Ancestry test regularly priced $199 plus taxes and shipping but it is not on sale for this sale.

As a reminder, MyHeritageDNA also sells its test kits on Amazon.com and often at sale prices when it is having a sale. However, for this sale the prices on Amazon are at the regular prices so the better deal is straight from the MyHeritage website.
BUT when you do find a sale price at Amazon make sure the seller shown is MyHeritage fulfilled by Amazon and not sold by a third-party unauthorized seller. Non-Amazon Prime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon; prime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free.

Look for this before adding your item to your cart.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

St. Patrick's Day Sale at Ancestry.com with Free Access to Irish Records and Sales on AncestryDNA, AncestryHealth

Whether you are Irish or not, celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Ancestry.com's St. Patrick's Day Sale. There is free access to records and sales on its DNA autosomal tests kits. The sale is good through March 18, 2020, and taxes and shipping are extra. 

First, Ancestry.com is giving free access to it's Irish Heritage records until March 18, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. You can find a list of the included collections here and access them here. There is also a Irish research guide available here.

The AncestryDNA (autosomal) test regularly $99 is on sale for $59, a savings of 40 percent or $40 dollars.

Quite a while back, Ancestry.com introduced its AncestryDNA Traits feature. Traits can be added on to an existing test or purchased at the same time as an AncestryDNA test. But for this sale, the AncestryDNA Traits can be added to the purchase of AncestryDNA test for just $10 instead of its regular price of $20.

We have not seen if the sale price on the AncestryDNA Traits add-on will be offered to those with existing AncestryDNA tests.

With Ancestry.com jumping further into the genealogy/DNA/health market it now offers an AncestryHealth Core test which includes the AncestryDNA test along with actionable health and wellness reports, support from genetic counselors, and family health history tree. The AncestryHealth Core test is not available in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, or Guam.

The AncestryHealth Core test regularly $149 is on sale for $99, a savings of $50 dollars.

Nearly 15 million AncestryDNA test kits have been sold now according to reports at the end of February during the RootsTech 2019 conference and a press release on February 28, 2019, by Ancestry. As the testing company with the largest "pool" of potential DNA matches it is a good place to start. 

AncestryDNA test results provide an ethnicity/admixture report, a AncestryDNA match list, shared matches, an internal member messaging system, and automatic updates to results. As well as some basic information from ThruLines which is Ancestry's replacement or next generation of New Ancestor Discoveries and DNA Circles. See the chart below.

Be aware that with an active paid subscription to Ancestry, there is fuller access to some DNA features such as all available information about people is shown in ThruLines; Matches' public family trees are viewable instead of just a preview of five generations; and up to seven generations of surnames instead of up to five surnames are shown for direct ancestor surnames from your matches' trees.

From Ancestry.com, a look at AncestryDNA with and without a data membership/subscription.

Access to these extra features end if you discontinue your data subscription. Some of these extra features require a public family tree linked to the AncestryDNA kit.

AncestryDNA Traits now gives a look at 26 personal traits. These traits are: Sweet Sensitivity, Savory (Umami) Sensitivity, Bitter Sensitivity, Cilantro Aversion, Asparagus Metabolite Detection, Eye Color, Male Hair Loss, Hair Type, Hair Color, Hair Strand Thickness, Iris Patterns, Freckles, Cleft Chin, Unibrow, Finger Length, Skin Pigmentation, Earlobe Shape, and Earwax Type. New traits added are Birth Weight, Facial Hair Thickness, Omega-3, Photic Sneeze Reflex, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitaman E, Wisdom Teeth. There is also a Compare Feature and Around the World Feature. 

From Ancestry.com

AncestryDNA is the one DNA/genealogy testing site that does not provide a chromosome browser tool which allows you to see the chromosome segments you share in common with a match which is one of the scientific ways to confirm a match is a true match and not a match by chance. To access a chromosome browser you would need to download your kit's DNA data and upload that data to one of the three companies that do provide a chromosome browser: MyHeritageDNA, Family Tree DNA, and the third-party GedMatch.com website.

We are not sure if the FREESHIPDNA code will work on the Ancestry website with this sale but it does not hurt to try it. 

Want to save on shipping costs? Remember AncestryDNA also sells its test kits on Amazon.com and often at sale prices when it is having a sale. For this sale, only the price of the AncestryDNA test on Amazon matches the sale price on the Ancestry.com website. The AncestryDNA+Traits bundle test, and the AncestryHealth Core test are full price at Amazon. Non-AmazonPrime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon while AmazonPrime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free. But be cautious and make sure the test kit you are buying is "sold by AncestryDNAOfficial and fulfilled by Amazon" to insure you are buying a genuine test kit. You will find this information just below the price. See the image below.

Look for this before adding your item to your cart.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Our Next MCGG Friday Meeting is Mar. 6; Our Meeting Topic is Reading the Dress

Our MCGG February Friday Meeting is this Friday, March 6, at 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. MCGG member Beverly Bishop will present Reading the Dress, 1870-1899 reviewing 30 years of dresses to peg the date of a picture.

If you are in the Mt. Clemens area, PLEASE JOIN US.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE