Testimonials

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Hi Arlene,

I can't begin to tell you how much fun I have been having reading through your books. So far this month I have been reading the old news letters and loving the tidbits I am finding.

I try to read a bit every evening before going to bed so as to settle down and relax so I will sleep better. So far I have read all of the first notebook you sent to me on Family History for fun and profit. I don't have time for doing it for profit but got a lot of good tips. Then I plowed threw the chasing your pedigree ladies as I call it [Tracing Your Pedigree Ladies]. There are lots to learn in these notebooks, best help I have had in years as I never get to go to classes during the conferences--I always have a booth to man.

I have also been trying to type one old NJ deed up a day. Boy has that fun. Mathias Person (g)'s father jumped out of one of the deeds. He was Andrew Sr. and also all his siblings came out first. What a riot to find that in a land deed. 12 done and at least that many more to go. I still haven't positively proven how Catherine and John Person(g) fit in but I think they are the grandparents. She was a widow during this time period and all the land is something she had or next to her. Very interesting how it is turning out. As soon as I get the deeds typed I want to draft each piece of land, note who was on which property line, photocopy them and cut them out, and then piece them all together.

One of the things I have loved the best are the ideas of books, we should be picking up for the Center Library, that you have listed. You really have wonderful bibliographies, can't thank you enough for that.

Have a wonderful week.
Thanks for all,

Janice M. Healy (Mrs. Edmund A. Healy)
Corporate Secretary and Accessions Chairman, Conner-Bishop Historical
Resource Center
http://www.conner-bishop.org

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Hello Arlene,
 
I met you in the 1970's when you contracted to put on research seminars in Wenatchee, Washington.  I am Dan Ohlson, and at that time, I made my way about on a pair of canes.  I still have an original of Genealoy For Fun and Profit--A Juridsictional Approach and many of your research pamphlets.

What is most important about the Jurisdictional Approach to research is the two-fold goal of preserving records through a Calendar method (organization) and seeking out sources surviving from jurisdictions (research).  While each of us have our particular methods to implement our research, I'm amazed at how many folks want to do genealogy work but don't have an organizational system, except as provided by their favorite software.

I have based my research on record keeping as the foundation of research, enabling a clearer plan of identifying what sources are available to research.  Indeed, even in passing conversations, I tell folks that they have to identify what sources are available to research before they do it as time and resources are limited.  Some of them look at me like I'm daft!

I've wondered what happened to you and your research system over the decades.  I talked to Bruce Buzbee and he said he knew you but I was unable to track you down until your blog on the RootsMagic site.

Thank you for all that you taught me and others.  It seems, sadly, that so many people use the net and its sources helter-skelter rather than as a wonderful tool in identifying and planning searches as recommended in your text.

I use RootsMagic but it does not incorporate a complete record of my searches, i.e., Search Date and Number and Search Description with my Enclosure Number.  I still maintain a handwritten log and use it often, as there isn't anyway I can track these items together.  In some respects, this is my genealogy gold mine.

Dan Ohlson, TAcoma WA
Retired Washington State Employee
And Substitute School Teacher