Issues Searching Trees

Do you wish that everyone who took a DNA test had a tree attached going back to at least their grandparents? Do you ever search public member trees hoping to find a cousin with the family Bible or family photographs? I have a lot of family photographs, documents and even a Bible that I want to share with family members. I have a public member tree and I want others to be able to find my tree.

As I discovered yesterday, the vast majority of my tree may now be found. However, there are parts of my tree that still aren't indexed. Randy Seaver reminded me of this possibility in his reply to my comment on his blog, Has Ancestry.com Indexed Ancestry Member Trees Yet. It appears that the entire tree isn't indexed. Instead only individuals with Ancestry.com sources are indexed.

In order to verify this, I had to go to a section of my tree where I had not worked the Ancestry hints. I selected the John Minnick family to test this theory. My Heartland Genealogy tree contains Ancestry sources for John Minnick.

Finally Indexed! But ?

Due to my husband's fight with pneumonia, I have been away from genealogy for a couple of weeks. This evening, I decided to see if my tree would show up in a search of public member trees. (See Ancestry Indexing Update from Aug 2018)

To my surprise, my tree, Heartland Genealogy, appeared in the results.

1869 Briles Deed

Coffey County Kansas
Deed Book O
Page 603

Warranty Deed
This indenture made this twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand sixty nine between Alexander Briles and Sarah his wife of Neosho Township in the County of Coffey and State of Kansas of the first part and Noah W Briles of Neosho Township in the county of Coffey and State of Kansas of the second part witnesseth that the said party of the first part in consideration of the sum of four hundred dollars to them duly paid have sold and by these presents do grant and convey to the said party of the second part his heirs and assigns all that tract or parcel of land situated in Coffey County and State of Kansas and described as follows to wit: The West Half of the North East Quarter of Section Twelve in Township Twenty Three of Range Fifteen (15) East containing eighty acres more or less with its appurtenances and all the estate titles and interest of the said parties of the first part therein and the said Alexander Briles and Sarah his wife do hereby covenant and agree that at the delivery hereof they are the lawful owners of the premises above granted and seized of a good and indefeasible estate of inheritance therein free and clear of all encumbrances and that they will warrant and defend the said in the quiet and peaceable possession of said party of the second part his heirs and assigns forever. In Witness whereof the said parties of the first part have hereunto set their hands and seals this day and year above written.
Alexander Briles (seal)
Sarah Briles (seal)
State of Kansas
County of Coffey
On this twentieth day of September AD 1869 before me a justice of the peace in and for said county came Alexander Briles and Sarah Briles his wife to me personally known to be the identical persons describe in and whose names are affixed to the above conveyance as grantor and acknowledged the same to be their own voluntary act and deed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my official seal on the day and year last above written.
W F Thornberry
JP
Filed for record Nov 19 1872
At 11 am Stumped 50C
Wm H Bear
Register of Deeds

Still Not Indexed

Do you search public member trees for hints?

Do you search public member trees to try and connect with others researching your ancestor?

If so, did you realize that only trees with Ancestry sources attached to the tree will appear in the list of results? It doesn't matter how many other sources are attached, the tree won't appear in the search results.

Did you also realize that any trees created since October 10, 2017 won't appear in the list of results. That means that the search results won't contain trees created by DNA testers in the last year.

I have no idea how many public trees are hidden because of the lack of an updated index. However, I do know that my Heartland Genealogy tree is one of those that is hidden.

I would love for others to be able to find my tree.

Two Julias

Have you ever looked at your genealogy and wondered, 'How did I get that?'

That happened to me recently as I was researching the descendants of William Taylor Thompson of Wapello County, Iowa. William had a daughter, Julia. I had found a Wapello County, Iowa marriage record for Julia S Thompson to Edward Bates in 1868. Thus, I was following shaky leaf hints for Julia Thompson Bates.

In the process, I found the Find a Grave memorial for Julia A. Thompson Bates - who died in 1922. But wait, I have Julia Thompson dying before 1887.

So, where did I get the death information? And, is it correct? If so, does this mean I've mixed up two different Julia Thompsons?

Confused Williams

Have you ever been tempted to pull someone else's family history research into your tree? I know I have. Back in the days of PAF, another RICKETTS researcher shared a gedcom with me. Knowing he was a serious worker and that the file was full of information that could help me on my RICKETTS line, I imported his gedcom file into my file. So, when someone would ask me about a RICKETTS, I would have to confess that I had copied the info into my file and really didn't know much about that particular individual.

Over time, I was able to figure out how to selectively weed that RICKETTS data so that I only had families I had researched. From this first hand experience, I know how erroneous information can creep into a tree. I do use other trees - for hints and to check my research.

I am currently researching my THOMPSON line. My ancestor, William Taylor Thompson, was born and married in Indiana. After his marriage, he moved to Wapello County, Iowa where he died. Hoping to see what other researchers had on William Taylor Thompson and to see if I have any THOMPSON DNA matches, I did a search of the public member trees on Ancestry. That's when I discovered that the various trees are not in agreement on William's death date.