More Fun with Genealogy

Walter, Alida, and (Mary) Winnie Dexter

Just recently I was invited to help evaluate the synch method of the new Family Tree Maker 2012, and they suggested that you not use your original files, so I chose to work with my father's mother's family (Walter Marshall and Alida Jane Bennett Dexter) - taking it back 10 generations.  I ended up with a file of about a 1000 individuals. 

I downloaded the beta software and uploaded my new database to Ancestry.com.  This process only took a few minutes with pictures and documents finishing up in the background as I proceeded to make changes and additions to my file. After several changes I was able to successfully sync my software on my computer (the beta FTM) with my test tree on Ancestry.com.

This software upgrade will be a welcome change, but I'm not sure I will be upgrading my software right away.  Although it is helpful to be able to make one change and have it populate both my online database and my computer database, I often use my computer FTM database to do speculative or assumption links to possible ancestors as I work through find sources to support my speculation.  It is easier to make changes to this software than to Ancestry.com.

Walter and Alida Dexter

Records from Valley County where the Dexters settled in the 1880s.

EARLY PIONEERS/SETTLERS IN VALLEY COUNTY, IDAHO, 1870 - 1920:
DEXTER Alyda J.   1924     Death (b.1835) CRWNPTCEM
DEXTER Elida J.     1920    Cascade Precinct,282B VCCEN20
DEXTER Emory W. 1904    Filed, Land Claim 2045 BLM
DEXTER Kezzie V.  1890    Death (b.1876) CRWNPTCEM
DEXTER Lotan        1890    Death (b.1863) CRWNPTCEM
DEXTER Mary W.   1902    Marriage, Crawford BCMAbk1,164
DEXTER Mary W.   1904    Filed, Land Claim 2022 BLM
DEXTER Walter M. 1910    VanWyckPrecinct 212B BOCEN00
DEXTER Walter M. 1910    CrawfordPrecinct 248 BOCEN10
DEXTER Walter M. 1913    Death (b.1830) CRWNPTCEM
DEXTER Walter M. 1902    Filed, Land Claim 1755 BLM

Lotan (second from left in front) and Kezzie (second from left in back) are the ones who died in the North Fork of the Payette River near present day Cascade in 1890.  They are buried (alongside their parents) in the Crown Point Cemetery overlooking the Cascade Reservoir.

It's fun to try out new software and online websites with hopes to enhance my genealogy and expand my database with sources and data that supports and proves the many assumptions and speculations I've made.  This is the one legacy I can leave my descendants that can be shared by all and added to as needed.

I hope you've settled on a software that fills your needs and displays your data in helpful ways.