Using Computers to Research

Last week I went to Bentonville, Arkansas.  The occasion was a wedding reception hosted by my college roommate.  His youngest son had tied the knot the week before.

It had been several years since we two old married men had last visited.  Fortunately, my wife and I arrived early so that there was time to catch up with family gossip.

Pretty soon, my ex-roommate and I were swapping college era stories that our wives had heard before.  It was your typical recounting of our high jinks and how we suffered through exams.

Family gatherings have largely been like this since the beginning of time.  I doubt there will be much change despite the advent of Facebook and social media websites in general.

It seems to me that family historians play the same role they have always played in the past as well.  They still work at preserving family cohesion. 

There was always one member of a family who recalled more names and could untangle the web of kinship clearly.  That way everyone listening would understand each person's role in a story.

Family historians, or genealogists, continue to provide this same service.  Today, researchers use more than family group sheets to compile volumes of information.

Television advertising, such as those by Ancestry.com, appears frequently now.  These promotional clips attest to the growing interest in family history.  This is because more and more family historians are trying to find a wider group of relatives.

This urge is particularly a part of the American pattern of living.  As more people move across the country—north, south, east and west—from the homes of their youth and parents, this urge to reconnect becomes stronger. 

I used to advise researchers that it was not necessary to use a computer in their search for information about ancestors.  Years ago I changed my mind!  Thorough research now requires the searching of online sources that have not yet been printed in book form.

Furthermore, the computer world has exponentially increased the availability of genealogical resources.  This is because many people have added small bits of data. 

Computing power now makes compilations more readily available.  For example, it is now possible to sort quickly through hundreds of millions of names in census indexes.  In the blink of an eye, one sees the closest matches to the person being searched.  Because people are finding lower barriers to successful research, the census records have become the backbone for genealogical research. 

A couple of weeks ago, I conducted a computer search using my family surname.  In the process, I was able to establish that Tom Waits, the noted California musician, is my fourth cousin.  My excitement prompted me to commit myself to publishing a family history.  This effort to publish will require more time.

I thank the Muskogee Phoenix for allowing me to reduce my commitment from weekly articles to two articles a month.  Thank you readers for your interest and your feedback.  I am pleased I can continue sharing my research of Muskogee County history with you!