Burley Idaho Family History Center/Classes and Class Schedules

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"For the most up to date descriptions of the classes being offered, click on the class name in the online calendar to reveal more details. To print the handout for a class, look for the class title in Class Descriptions below. You will find the handout link there."

Retired Handouts
Handouts from past classes. To see current handouts click on the class titles below.

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To Access Current Handouts
If the title of a class below is blue, click on it. You will be taken to the handouts. Please print any you want before coming to class. Many of the handouts contain hyperlinks, which don't work in printed form.

Class Descriptions
'''[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18JmmoG4RMEdsxbbWniy1AaFr0zXW-Rot?usp=sharing The 1950 Census is Coming! Are you Ready?]''' - When and how will the 1950 census be released? When will it be available to me? How will it be indexed? How is it different from previous censuses? Are you prepared for it's release? All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers

Ancestry.com or Hands-On Ancestry.com - Come learn how to search the site, how to use the filters and wildcards. As well as information on how to sync with Family Search (for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints accounts only.) A must for all researchers! Intermediate. A Hands-on option is also taught- this is a two hour class where participants work within their own trees searching, attaching sources, and syncing with FamilySearch.

Ancestry DNA - Two week class to work with analysis of your Ancestry DNA results and how to use those results in solving mysteries in your own trees. This is a hands on class so you must have already done your DNA through Ancestry in order to get the full benefit of the hands on portion. Taught by Tammy Stevenson

Attaching Obituaries (and Other Challenging Sources) - Learn the ins and outs of using source linker to attach all those people listed in an obituary. Change button and effective reason statements will also be covered. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

 Basic Computer Skills  - Computers for beginners. This is not beginning family search class. This is beginning computers. You will learn confidence in dealing with your computer. We start at the very basics and end up with tips and tricks you can use. Very low-key, hands-on class. Beginners. Taught by Heather Wooland.

Basic Scandinavian Records Online - Norway, Denmark and Sweden all have many records online. This class will show the basics of searching all three sites. More in-depth classes for each of the sites will be made available as the need arises. Call Kathleen Hedberg for one to one help, or to schedule a class if there are enough interested for a full class.

Be a Findagrave.com Power User- Are you making the most of findagrave.com? Are you simply using it for your own research or are you making it better for everyone? Learn how to edit inaccurate or incomplete information, add new information, photos, stories, and documents, and create virtual cemeteries of your own family. Preferred: Sign-up for your free account before coming to class. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

 Becoming a Tech Savvy Genealogist  - This class will meet once a month. It has 3 purposes: 1) Answer your tech questions (Q&A). 2) Introduce new tech developments. 3) Teach the tech skills that help a genealogist work smarter and work faster. Beginner and Intermediate.  Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Brick Walls - A powerpoint presentation giving lots of suggestions of how to work through those brick walls you might find in your research. Taught by Tammy Stevenson.

 City Directories- What are They and How to Use Them  - U.S. City Directories-the precursor to the phone book. What are they and how to use them. Learn the exact years your ancestor inhabited a place. Helpful for tracking families between censuses. Taught by Shaura Miller.

 Computer Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts  - Work smarter, not harder! Come learn the computer tips, tricks, and shortcuts that can make using a computer so much easier. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Death,Wills and Probates - This is a powerpoint presentation showing what information can be found in various death records and how to find some of them online. Taught by Tammy Stevenson

Descendancy Research -  Descendancy Research is choosing an ancestor a few generations back and researching them and all of their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. Making sure to account for all of the children and their spouses. This is often where those missing cousins are found.

''' [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xGW7VhCWMscA9c6e5sXST14pxtgkaRVG?usp=sharing Doing the Extras! Make your Ancestor Come Alive on the Person Page] ''' - Tips will be given on how to make your ancestor come alive on their person page by adding occupations, physical traits, character traits, affiliations, etc. The little "extras" that make that person real when somebody looks at their person page will be shown. Taught by Sharon Bowers

 Don't Fear the Merge!  - Merging is nothing to fear if you know a few facts and tips. Come learn those facts and tips in this class. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

DNA:  Finding Your Biological Family through DNA - Taught by Susan Pelton

Evernote - A cloud based note keeping system. See how to use this service to aid in Family History. This is free and can be used on mobile devices and computers. Everything is linked automatically between your accounts on different devices. Beginner to Intermediate. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

 FamilySearch 101  - This is part one of two classes. It's a hands on class for beginners and those wishing to review basic FamilySearch skills. Please bring your username and password. We can assign you in creating an account or retrieving your username and password if you come in prior to the class.. This two week class will be repeated each month. Taught by Anna Marie Davis.

 FamilySearch Memories  - Come learn how to add memories to family search using the computer and using the apps. It's easier than you think! Bring your own photos or documents to try. Best to have the FamilySearch Memories and FamilySearch Family Tree apps downloaded on your phone prior to class. Taught by Tammy Stevenson.

FamilySearch Options - Do you know about all of the options on Family Search? Books and Catalogs. Using Family Search search options and changing the parameters. Different uses for the Source Box. Getting your own free accounts to Ancestry, My Heritage and Find My Past, or how to link existing accounts to your Family Search account. How to create a case, when to create a case and where to find your cases. Using the Consultant Planner to help with finding a place to research, or as a place for keeping your research notes. Come see what you might be missing- there's a lot more to Family Search than meets the eye!

'''Fifth Cousins, 3 Times Removed?!? Understanding Cousin Relationships''' - What does it really mean to be fifth cousins, 3 times removed? Does it mean anything at all? Come to this class and solve the mystery. We will also look at relationship apps such as Relative Finder, Relatives Around Me, and Relationship Finder. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Findagrave.com - see Becoming a Find a Grave Power User

''' Fixing FamilySearch Issues- Bring your own! '''- Learn how to deal with issues in FamilySearch. Adding information. Editing information. Editing or adding relationships. Unfinished attachments. Fixing data problems. Using the planner to find data problems and record hints. Bring your own issues as examples for the class or come learn from the examples provided by others. Taught by Tammy Stevenson.

Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share - Google Photos is a powerful, free app for storing, organizing and sharing. Users can also edit and create photo projects and automatically add their photos to the app from their digital devices. Photos can be loaded directly to FamilySearch Memories from Google Photos.

 Guided Research  - "Wondering how to find the best places to search for your ancestors? Puzzling over where to begin and what to do next? Guided Research will lead you to successful results in less time and with less effort. It’s like having your own professional genealogist coaching you in a journey of discovery!" [FamilySearch Blog] All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Hands-On Memories - Bring the photos, stories and documents you want to add to FamilySearch. Bring any questions you have. Ask questions as you work on adding your own memories to the FamilySearch Family Tree.

How I Do Research - This will be a hands on two hour class. As a class we will work through a family with Tammy, each person recording everything on forms as we go along for the first 45 minutes. For the remainder of the time, you will work on your own family lines using the same forms to make sure everyone is comfortable in continuing their own research on their own. Taught by Tammy Stevenson.

 Indexing Class - This will be a basic indexing class for beginners. It's a hands on class. One will need to have their FamilySearch username and password to sign in before indexing. We can assign you in creating an account or retrieving your username and password if you come in prior to the class. This will be an ongoing monthly class. Taught by Pat Cahoon.

 Is there a Research Trip in your Future? - A research trip can be a day trip to a cemetery or an extended trip to a location. Whatever it is, to be successful, you need to do some pre-planning. Come learn how pre-planning and bringing the right tools can help you be more successful than you even imagined. Taught by Sharon Bowers. All levels.

 Make your Photos Stand Out - Learn how to edit your photos using ''Windows 10's powerful yet easy-to-use photo-editing tools. Everyone has access to the computers at the Burley Family History Center which are equipped with Windows 10 features. This class will teach you how to straighten and crop your pictures, as well as control color and exposure, and fix red eye. Bring some of your less than perfect images on a flash drive to work with. Taught by David Badger''

Military Records - This is a power point presentation listing the major wars and what records were created by each of them. Also a 14 page handout with listings of where to find those records, a lot of online options available. Taught by Tammy Stevenson.

Newspapers.com - As a premium family history site, newspapers.com can be used at any family history center. This class will answer the following questions:   How do I use newspapers.com? How do I know which newspapers are on-line? What is the best way to search newspapers.com? How do I clip the article I want? All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

 Using FamilySearch Apps  - This class will be a hands on class about using the FamilySearch Family Tree app and the FamilySearch Memories app. The apps should be downloaded to your phone prior to class. Come in early if you need assistance- you will need your Apple ID or Google play information to download the apps. How to do family history on your phone. Adding, editing, attaching sources, using the tasks options.

 Using PDFs in Family History  - What is a PDF? Why should I use a PDF format? Can I create my own PDF files? Can I combine single page documents into one PDF file? What about adding a story to a picture? Come learn everything you need to know about using PDFs in your family history work. Intermediate. Taught by Sharon Bowers

 A Walk through my Research Process  - Live demonstration of Sharon's research process. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Wikis - One of the most underutilized options for learning about records, where to find records and which records to use. A hands on class learning how to search and navigate through the Wiki. Intermediate. Beginner. Taught by David Badger.

What is a Digital Will and Do I Need One? - What will happen to your FamilySearch and Ancestry accounts when you are gone? What about your other electronic accounts? Come find out what digital wills are, if you need one, and how to go about getting one. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Whoo's in my Tree? - A class geared for young children. Classes on Me, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa. Need not be taken sequentially. These classes are offered at the same time as other classes for adults. Taught by Trina Winn.

'''Whoo's in my Tree? (Adults)''' - Come grandparents, parents, teachers and leaders. Learn how to invite children to feel the spirit of family history through listening, sharing and recording memories. Take home specific ways to help children interact with their family tree. Taught by Trina Winn.

Working With Unindexed Record Sets - Many of the free historic records on FamilySearch.org can't be found with a basic search. This class explains how to navigate unindexed image sets and use advanced search features to find the records you're looking for. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

Writing Good Reason Statements - Are you at a loss when it comes to writing good reason statements when you attach sources? This class will give you statement templates for vital records, census records, and military records. All levels. Taught by Sharon Bowers.

''' Yes! You Can Write Your Life Story ''' - Want to write your life story, but feel overwhelmed or think no one would want to hear about you? I believe in the power of writing. Let's get you started on the journey of bringing your story to life. Your loved ones will thank you for it. Even a small amount of writing will encourage you to take the next step, Taught by Jolene Hunsaker.

New Group Class Requests - We are not scheduling a lot of classes during the evenings. This will allow Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, or families to arrange special classes for their groups. If you have a group that would like a special class, contact Tammy 208-431-4504 or Sharon 208-670-4400 or your ward temple and family history consultant. You may also contact the Burley Family History Center to reserve the basement classroom for your group to work together on your own projects. We have 20 computers in the basement with full access to the portal (all the free websites available only at Family History Centers). People may bring their own devices. It's more fun working together and sharing our discoveries!