Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Describe a Family Vacation

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):

1) Did your family go on vacation? Describe one or more of your vacations with your birth family or with your spouse and children.

2)  Share your information about your vacation(s) in your own blog post, writing a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Thank you to Lisa S. Gorrell for this SNGF idea.

Here's mine:

I described my birth family vacations to State bowling tournaments and to the cabin on Bass Lake near Yosemite when I was a child in other blog posts.

This story is about our first years of parenthood.

One of the best things we ever did as a family was to attend a weeklong Christian camp in the San Bernardino mountains, called Forest Home.  Our church (Chula Vista Presbyterian Church) encouraged and organized going to this camp every year and quite a few of our church family friends went.  We went every other year from 1975 to 1985, and gained spiritual and intellectual knowledge, and got to know our church friends well.  

The toddlers and infants slept with their parents, and the other age groups (elementary school, junior high school, high school) had a separate camp with age-appropriate programs and counselors. There were nature hikes in the mountains, swimming in the lake, miniature golf, doing crafts, etc. For the adults, the schedule was breakfast, then Bible Study with a preacher, lunch, free time activity in the afternoon (we usually went to the lake), dinner, an Evening song service with the camp leader, and free time until bedtime.  The camp leader and the pastors were well-known in the evaqngelical community.  We loved hearing different preachers every day.  

Our girls "graduated" from the morning nursery to the toddler care to the all-day and overnight Indian Village (for elementary school students), which had counselors.  We had lunch with our little girls with a lunchroom full of small children.  Twice during the  week we got to see the girls when they were in the Indian Village -- they came to visit for the afternoon, and we usually went to the lake.  

There were other travel vacations as our girls grew up -- several visits to Hawaii, many visits to San Francisco to see their maternal grandparents and uncle, driving up the West Coast to Seattle and Victoria in 1983 in our new Oldsmobile, travel softball trips all over Southern California, a cruise out of Miami to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, and a week in a Puerta Vallarta resort.

                          =============================================

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/08/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-describe.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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An AI Poem -- "The Genealogist's Lament," and AI Song "The Genealogy Blues"

 It was a whimsical request a year ago, and I posted it on Facebook at the tim,e but did not write a blog post about it.  I asked Anthropic Claude to "Please write a humorous poem about doing genealogy and family history research, including finding birth, death, marriage, church, probate, land, census, military, immigration, city directories, DNA, family papers, photographs, etc. making a family tree, using online resources like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, Findmypast, American Ancestors, Find A Grave and more." And it did!

(AI Google NotebookLM Infographic - The Genealogist's Lament)

Here is the poem created by Anthropic Claude:

The Genealogist's Lament

I started with a simple quest, just curious, you see,
To find out who my great-grandma was—how hard could that be?
But here I sit at 3 AM, my eyes bloodshot and sore,
With seventeen browser tabs open and records by the score.

Ancestry.com calls to me with hints in little leaves,
While FamilySearch has billions more tucked up its family sleeves.
MyHeritage sends emails daily: "New matches found!"
And Findmypast has newspapers where ancestors abound.

I've mastered the art of reading dates that make no earthly sense,
Where January comes after March—those records are so dense.
Birth certificates that lie about the year they came to be,
And marriage records listing brides who died in infancy.

The census taker, bless his heart, was clearly drinking rum—
My great-great-grandfather's aged from sixty-two to twenty-one!
His name is spelled five different ways across the decades' span:
From Wilhelm Koch to Bill Cook—they're the same poor man!

Find A Grave became my friend for tracking down the dead,
Though half the photos are too blurry to tell a foot from head.
And probate records, oh my stars! They're written in a code
Where "whereas" and "heretofore" make my brain explode.

Land records speak of metes and bounds, of rods and chains and more,
While I just want to know if great-great-grandpa owned the store.
Church records hide in dusty vaults or burned up long ago,
The one I need was lost, of course, in 1880's snow.

Military records tell tall tales of battles won and lost,
Immigration papers stamped with dates that make my timeline crossed.
City directories are grand until you realize with dread
Your ancestor was "John Smith"—you'll never find that thread!

My DNA results came back—what chaos they have wrought!
Fourth cousins, twice removed, who share the genes I thought
Were safely mine alone to claim, now message me each day:
"I think we're related! Let's compare!" they cheerfully say.

The family papers that survived are yellow, torn, and strange,
With names of people no one knew and dates outside their range.
Photographs with faces stern stare back without a clue—
Is this my ancestor or just some random person who

Got mixed up in the family box of memories and regret?
American Ancestors holds the key to records I can't get
Anywhere else online, though their paywall makes me weep.

The subscription fees pile up while my bank account's not deep.

My family tree's become a vine that's twisted, gnarled, and wild,
With branches going everywhere and notes that drive me riled:
"Possibly John Johnson Jr., but could be John Johnson Sr.,
Or maybe it's that other John—research further!"

I've learned that every database has different facts to share,
The same person can be born in three states—it's not fair!
One source says she died at twelve, another says ninety-three,
And somehow she gave birth between—it's a mystery to me!

The Mormon pioneers, God bless them, indexed everything in sight,
But German Gothic script appears to have been designed to spite
Poor genealogists like me who squint and guess and pray
That "Johann" doesn't really say "Susan" anyway.

My browser's bookmarks overflow with sites I've yet to check,
My printer's running low on ink, my office is a wreck.
I've joined Facebook groups for every surname that I've found,
Where arguments about birth years make quite an angry sound.

"That's NOT the right Maria Schmidt!" the keyboard warriors cry,
"My great-aunt's cousin's friend once said..." and theories multiply.
The family stories passed along are wonderful but wrong—
That Cherokee princess tale has lasted far too long!

My spouse no longer speaks to me; my friends all run away
When I begin to talk about what records I found today.
"Did you know in 1847..." I start with great delight,
And watch their eyes glaze over as they vanish from my sight.

But still I search through databases and microfilmed old books,
Ignoring all the family's concerned and worried looks.
For somewhere in this tangled mess of records, names, and dates,
My ancestor is waiting—while my sanity abates.

So here's to all you genealogists who've fallen down the hole
Of chasing dead relations—it's consumed your very soul!
We'll search through every record that was ever made by man,
To prove that great-great-grandpa really was from Pakistan!

*Now if you'll excuse me, I must check that hint again—
It might be breakthrough evidence... or just another dead end!*
But wait - what insights might AI lend?
I could just hand to to my descendants to fend!

Of course, I requested my AI-assistant Anthropic Claude to create song lyrics based on the prompt above.  Here are the song lyrics:

                 The Genealogy Blues 

(Verse 1)
Started with a simple question 'bout my family name
Just wanted to know great-grandma, thought it was a simple game
Now I'm up at three AM with seventeen tabs open wide
Ancestry and FamilySearch are fighting side by side
My eyes are getting bloodshot from these records I can't read
German Gothic handwriting is all I'll ever need (NOT!)

(Verse 2)
Find A Grave's got headstones but the photos are too dark
MyHeritage keeps sending me cousins from Iowa
Probate records written in some ancient legal code
"Whereas" and "heretofore" make my poor brain explode
Wilhelm Koch became Bill Cook somewhere along the way
Same man, different spelling, drives me nuts all day

(Chorus)
I got the genealogy blues, the family tree disease
Every hint's a dead end and it brings me to my knees
Census records lying, birth dates don't align
DNA matches messaging me all the time
I got the genealogy blues, and they're driving me insane
One more "possibly maybe" and I'll go completely plain

(Verse 3)
City directories got every John Smith in the land
Military records contradict what's written by hand
Immigration papers stamped with dates that can't be right
Church records burned in fires back in 1889's night
Land deeds speak of metes and bounds, of rods and chains galore
While I just want to know if grandpa owned the corner store

( Chorus)
I got the genealogy blues, the family tree disease
Every hint's a dead end and it brings me to my knees
Census records lying, birth dates don't align
DNA matches messaging me all the time
I got the genealogy blues, and they're driving me insane
One more "possibly maybe" and I'll go completely plain

(Bridge)
Every database different, every source tells different lies
Born in three different states with three different alibis
She died at twelve and ninety-three, gave birth in between
Strangest family history that you've ever seen
Mormon pioneers indexed everything they could find
But left us poor researchers pulling out our hair and mind

(Verse 4)
Family photos stare at me with faces I don't know
Yellow papers in a box from a century ago
Stories passed down through the years are wonderful but wrong
That Cherokee princess tale has lasted way too long
My friends all run away when I start to share my finds
"Did you know in 1847..." and they lose their minds

(Chorus)
I got the genealogy blues, the family tree disease
Every hint's a dead end and it brings me to my knees
Census records lying, birth dates don't align
DNA matches messaging me all the time
I got the genealogy blues, and they're driving me insane
One more "possibly maybe" and I'll go completely plain

(Outro)
So here's to all you researchers who've fallen down the hole
Chasing dead relations has consumed your very soul
We'll search through every record that was ever made by man
To prove great-great-grandpa came from Afghanistan
Now if you'll excuse me, got another hint to check
Might be the breakthrough or just another wreck
(Genealogy blues... they got me good...)
(Genealogy blues... in my neighborhood...)
(Genealogy blues... they never end...)
(Just one more record... around the bend...)

Armed with the song lyrics, I marched over to Suno.com (my favorite AI tune creator) and asked it to create the song from the lyrics with a male voice, upbeat tempo, and an uplifting pop melody:

The Canva.com video of this song is on my YouTube channel here.  

[NOTE: For some reason, YouTube will not fully upload an MP4 created by Suno so I use Canva to create the YouTube video. In this case, the Suno upload to YouTube was 2:01 minutes, while the Canva video is 6:37 minutes.]

Isn't genealogy fun?  I really enjoy watching Claude, Suno and Canva be much more creative than I can be.

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/08/an-ai-poem-genealogists-lament-and-ai.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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Ask AI: "Describe 20 Hacks That Every Genealogist Should Know and Use" -- Google Gemini's Response

I requested the free Google Gemini 3 AI tool to list twenty "genealogy hacks" that genealogy researchers and family historians should have in their playbook.  My prompt was "Please describe 20 genealogy hacks that genealogists and family historians should know and use."

(AI Gemini Notebook Infographic - 20 Hacks that Genealogists Should Know and Use)

The Google Gemini 3 response was:

20 Hacks That Every Genealogist Should Know

 and Use

Family history research is incredibly rewarding, but it doesn't take long to hit a brick wall, get overwhelmed by clutter, or fall into a rabbit hole of duplicate names. Whether you are trying to break through a 19th-century mystery or just starting to organize your family tree, these 20 essential genealogy hacks will save you hours of frustration and completely change how you research.

1. Master Google Search Operators

Stop typing basic names into Google and hoping for the best. Use advanced search operators to force the search engine to filter out irrelevant noise.

• Quotes (""): Groups words together exactly. "Abner Wakefield" prevents Google from showing you every Abner and every Wakefield across the internet.

• Wildcard (*): Acts as a placeholder for unknown middle names or spelling variations. Searching "John * Kennedy" will find John Fitzgerald Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, or John Francis Kennedy.

• The Minus Sign (-): Excludes words. If your ancestor is named George Washington but has nothing to do with the president, try "George Washington" -president -virginia.

2. Interview Living Relatives (with a Specific Strategy)

The ultimate genealogy hack is preserving oral history before it's gone, but asking generic questions like "Tell me about your childhood" usually yields short, vague answers. Instead, use sensory and physical triggers:

• Bring a box of old, unlabeled family photos and ask them to tell you who the people are or what the event was.

• Ask about specific sensory details: "What did your grandmother's kitchen smell like when she cooked?" or "What was the loudest sound you remember from the family farm?"

These specific prompts bypass generic memories and unlock deeply buried, highly detailed stories that give you names, places, and context.

3. Use the FamilySearch Research Wiki

FamilySearch is completely free, but its greatest hidden asset isn't the records database—it's the Research Wiki. If you are stuck researching a specific location (e.g., "County Cork, Ireland" or "Wayne County, Ohio"), type that location into the FamilySearch Wiki. It will give you a comprehensive breakdown of exactly what records exist, what years were destroyed by courthouse fires, and direct links to online repositories you probably didn't know existed.

4. Color-Code Your Ancestral Lines

As your tree grows vertically, it becomes easy to lose track of how everyone connects. Implement a 4-color sorting system for your digital folders and paper files based on your four grandparent lines:

• Paternal Grandfather’s line: Blue

• Paternal Grandmother’s line: Green

• Maternal Grandfather’s line: Red

• Maternal Grandmother’s line: Yellow

Many modern family tree software programs (like RootsMagic, Legacy, or online trees on Ancestry) allow you to apply these exact color schemes directly to your fan charts to instantly spot anomalies.

5. Keep a Research Log for Positive and Negative Results

Most researchers only write down what they find. This is a massive trap that leads to searching the exact same microfilm or database five times over the course of a few years. Keep a strict research log for each ancestor documenting every single search that yielded some results or zero results (e.g., write down the date, the database name, the exact keywords or parameters you used, and a note like: "Searched 1860 Census on Ancestry.com for Patrick Murphy born in Ireland in about 1825; no relevant matches found.").

6. Track County Boundary Changes (The "Moving Without Moving" Paradox)

If your family lived in the same house for generations, but their records suddenly vanish from county documents, the records probably didn't disappear—the county border may have moved. New counties were constantly carved out of older ones as populations grew.

• Use the FamilySearch Research Wiki to help identify “parent” counties and available records in archives or online.

• Use tools like Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (by the Newberry Library) to check when county lines shifted. Your ancestor might have lived in one spot, but their records could be spread across three different county courthouses over 40 years.

7. Download the Unindexed Images

On sites like FamilySearch, millions of records are browse-only, meaning they have not yet been indexed by a computer. If you type a name into a search bar and nothing comes up, you are missing up to 70% of the available data. Navigate to the site's "Catalog" or “Images” sections and look up the specific county and year, and manually flip through the digitized digital image books page by page—just like old-school microfilm. The best “new” stuff is usually hidden in these unindexed pages.

8. Use Timelines to Spot Ancestral "Time Travel"

Whenever you are evaluating a new record to see if it belongs to your ancestor, build a quick, chronological timeline of their life events (Desktop genealogy software does this for you as you add events to a profile). . Humans cannot be in two places at once. If you find a military record for a "William Fletcher" enlistment in New York in 1862, but your timeline proves your William Fletcher bought land and signed a courthouse document in Illinois that exact same week, you have instantly disproven a false match.

9. Dig Into Local Court and Probate Records

When birth, marriage, and death certificates don't exist (which is common before the early 1900s), court records are your holy grail. Look for probate packets (wills and estate administrations). Even if an ancestor died penniless, a court administrator had to legally list every single surviving heir to distribute whatever items they did have. A probate record will often cleanly list a mother, her new married surname, and all of her children with their current geographic locations.

10. Read Coded Marks on the 1940 & 1950 Censuses

Modern census records contain valuable hidden symbols left by the original coders:

• 1940 Census: Look for a small circled X (⊗ -- $\otimes$) next to a name. This indicates the exact person in the household who provided the answers to the census taker (so you know whose memory or bias you are reading).

• 1950 Census: Look at the bottom of the page for the Sample Lines. Extra questions (like income, military service, and parents' birthplaces) were asked for the individuals on those specific lines.

11. Harness the "Soundex" Mentality for Phonetic Spelling

Before modern record-keeping, census takers and clerks wrote names down how they sounded. If an ancestor’s name was "Kearney," it could be recorded as Carney, Karny, or Carny. Whenever you get stuck, speak the name out loud in regional accents (e.g., a Southern drawl, an Irish brogue, or a German inflection). Translate those phonetic sounds into wild spelling variations in your search bars—you'll often instantly uncover "lost" records.

12. Search for Maiden Names Using "Wife of..."

Finding a female ancestor’s maiden name is one of genealogy's toughest hurdles. When basic searches fail, search historical newspaper archives or digitized books using phrases like "wife of [Husband’s Full Name]", "Mrs. [Husband’s Full Name]", or "daughter of [Father’s Name]". Obituaries, social columns, and land deeds routinely referenced women solely through their male relatives. Obituaries often list parents’ names and sibling names which can provide a maiden name.

13. Reverse Your DNA Matches

Instead of staring at a 3rd-cousin DNA match and trying to find your shared great-great-grandparents by looking backward, trace that match's tree forward to the present day. Look at their shared matches to see which cluster of people they belong to. Isolating common surnames among a group of mystery cousin matches will map out the specific branch of your tree that needs attention. 

14. Search Historical Newspapers with Local Landmarks & Addresses

If an ancestor had a common name like John Smith, searching for them in historical newspapers (like Chronicling America or Newspapers.com) is a nightmare. Instead, search for their street address, farm name, or distinct local business. An address like "412 Elm Street" in a local paper will pull up obituaries, party notices, property sales, and accident reports specifically tied to that house and whoever lived there.

15. Look for the "Out-of-State" Witness on Documents

Never skip the signatures at the bottom of deeds, wills, or marriage bonds! Pay ultra-close attention to who signed as official witnesses. Often, a cousin, brother-in-law, or uncle traveled from out of state to witness a major transaction or legal matter. Tracing a mystery witness can reveal where the family lived prior to moving to their current location.

16. Map the "FAN" Club

When an ancestor seemingly vanishes into thin air, stop looking for them individually. Start looking for their FAN Club: Family, Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people migrated, bought land, witnessed marriages and baptisms, and went to church in clusters. If you find a mystery neighbor on a census record who keeps appearing next to your ancestor across three different state moves, research that neighbor. Their records might explicitly state exactly where your family came from.

17. Leverage the "Channing/Collateral" Method

If your direct ancestor (e.g., your 3rd great-grandfather) left behind almost no paper trail, stop researching him and research every single one of his siblings. The youngest or wealthiest sibling in a family is far more likely to have left behind a detailed obituary, a published county biography, or a detailed probate file that lists all their brothers and sisters—along with their birthplaces and parents' names. Also, look for obituaries, biographies and probate files for unmarried adult siblings.

18. Use Google Lens / OCR on Old Handwriting and Photos

Struggling to decipher 19th-century Cursive, Old German Script (Kurrent), or in another language?

• Take a high-resolution photo or screenshot of the text and run it through Google Lens or modern Handwriting Character Recognition (OCR) tools like Transkribus or Scribe AI.

• AI models trained on historical handwriting often transcribe faint cursive, faded headstones, or obscure German characters far faster than the human eye can.

19. Check Church Records for Non-Existent Civil Records

In many states and countries, civil registration (government-issued birth, marriage, and death certificates) didn't become mandatory until the late 19th or early 20th century. However, churches were keeping meticulous records centuries earlier. Look for local parish registers, Quaker meeting records, or baptismal logs in the area where your ancestor lived—these religious records often function as de facto birth and marriage certificates.

20. Review Historical Maps for Landowner Names

Plat maps, county land ownership maps, and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from the 1800s often list the actual names of property owners printed directly over their plots of land.

Compare historical land maps side-by-side with modern Google Maps satellite views to pinpoint the exact acreage your family farmed, where old family cemeteries might be hidden, or where original structures once stood.

=================================

A Google Gemini Notebook Video Overview of this post is below and on my YouTube channel:

What other genealogy hacks can you think of?  Maybe I should ask Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity too?

==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/08/ask-ai-describe-20-hacks-that-every.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com. 

Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 25 to 31 July 2026

  Each week, I try to keep track of the number of Full-Text Search collections (indexed, searchable) and the Images collections (browsable but not searchable) -- see Sections 1) and 2) below. In addition, I list the genealogy historical record collections (often name-indexed) that are added, removed, and/or updated on FamilySearch and listed on the Historical Record Collection list  --  See Section 3.

1)  As of 31 July 2026, there are now 6,718 searchable and full-text transcribed image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, an increase of 42 from last week. There are over 2 BILLION "results" in the collections.  It is not possible to see which collections are new, although a clue would be the Last Updated column.

 2)  As of 31 July 2026, there are now 25,641 browsable (some indexed, none transcribed) image collections on FamilySearch Images this week, an increase of 53 from last week. There are over 6.115 BILLION images in these collections.  There are 2,139 collections from the United States, 7,307 from Europe and 223 from Canada.  It is not possible to see which collections are new. Note that the listing now indicates the indexed percentage of some collections.

3)  As of 31 July 2026, there are 3,463 Historical Record Collections (many indexed, many browsable) on FamilySearch (an increase of 0 from last week):

The Deleted, Added and Updated Historical Record Collections this week include:

--- Collections Deleted ---

--- Collections Added ---

--- Collections Updated ---

Democratic Republic of the Congo, National Identity Cards, 1884-2019 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000100); 627,386 indexed records with 10,089,338 record images (was 627,378 records with 10,089,338 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026
Italy, Firenze, Census, 1808-1871 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000441); 532,851 indexed records with 40,045 record images (was 219,325 records with 27,542 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026
Mexico, Aguascalientes, Catholic Church Records, 1601-1962 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1502404); 955,476 indexed records with 618,532 record images (was 954,902 records with 618,532 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Baja California and Baja California Sur, Catholic Church Records, 1750-1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1506640); 62,346 indexed records with 29,943 record images (was 60,085 records with 29,943 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Campeche, Catholic Church Records, 1638-2003 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473200); 472,155 indexed records with 189,697 record images (was 472,028 records with 189,697 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026

Mexico, Chiapas, Catholic Church Records, 1557-1978 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1616412); 1,442,987 indexed records with 968,865 record images (was 1,442,313 records with 968,865 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026
Mexico, Chihuahua, Catholic Church Records, 1632-2005 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1521780); 1,141,727 indexed records with 378,612 record images (was 1,134,092 records with 378,612 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Coahuila, Catholic Church Records, 1627-1978 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1502401); 1,395,378 indexed records with 393,502 record images (was 1,394,845 records with 393,502 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1514-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1615259); 4,621,624 indexed records with 4,263,289 record images (was 4,608,313 records with 4,263,289 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Durango, Catholic Church Records, 1604-1985 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1554576); 1,556,128 indexed records with 504,812 record images (was 1,554,977 records with 504,812 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026

Mexico, Guanajuato, Catholic Church Records, 1519-1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1860831); 12,344,060 indexed records with 4,584,983 record images (was 12,301,590 records with 4,584,983 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Guerrero, Catholic Church Records, 1576-1979 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823323); 2,582,454 indexed records with 1,584,621 record images (was 2,559,828 records with 1,584,621 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Hidalgo, Catholic Church Records, 1546-1971 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1804358); 5,103,959 indexed records with 1,750,627 record images (was 5,088,537 records with 1,750,627 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Jalisco, Catholic Church Records, 1590-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1874591); 9,749,114 indexed records with 5,797,486 record images (was 9,682,007 records with 5,797,486 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Michoacán, Catholic Church Records, 1555-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1883388); 7,178,319 indexed records with 5,283,986 record images (was 7,159,405 records with 5,283,986 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026

Mexico, Morelos, Catholic Church Records, 1598-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837907); 945,013 indexed records with 531,787 record images (was 916,379 records with 531,787 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, México, Catholic Church Records, 1567-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837908); 9,291,031 indexed records with 4,823,124 record images (was 9,260,695 records with 4,823,124 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Nayarit, Catholic Church Records, 1596-1967 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1883377); 810,556 indexed records with 499,694 record images (was 805,878 records with 499,694 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Nuevo León, Catholic Church Records, 1544-1982 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473204); 1,159,456 indexed records with 447,381 record images (was 1,149,728 records with 447,381 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Oaxaca, Catholic Church Records, 1559-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1909191); 6,880,559 indexed records with 3,458,764 record images (was 6,850,610 records with 3,458,764 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026

Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records, 1545-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837906); 7,154,158 indexed records with 6,124,553 record images (was 7,113,969 records with 6,124,553 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Querétaro, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1881200); 2,737,274 indexed records with 1,380,077 record images (was 2,731,619 records with 1,380,077 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Catholic Church Records, 1586-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1860864); 4,981,020 indexed records with 2,162,812 record images (was 4,941,900 records with 2,162,812 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Sinaloa, Catholic Church Records, 1671-1968 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473206); 911,096 indexed records with 521,512 record images (was 906,504 records with 521,512 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Sonora, Catholic Church Records, 1657-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473203); 629,605 indexed records with 383,518 record images (was 626,560 records with 383,518 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026

Mexico, Tamaulipas, Catholic Church Records, 1703-1964 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1790934); 813,178 indexed records with 199,328 record images (was 808,916 records with 199,328 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Tlaxcala, Catholic Church Records, 1576-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1837905); 1,812,937 indexed records with 1,012,693 record images (was 1,810,128 records with 1,012,693 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026
Mexico, Veracruz, Catholic Church Records, 1590-1978 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1883382); 4,001,945 indexed records with 2,563,917 record images (was 4,008,971 records with 2,563,917 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
Mexico, Yucatán, Catholic Church Records, 1543-1977 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1909116); 3,053,617 indexed records with 1,234,534 record images (was 3,048,878 records with 1,234,534 images), UPDATED 28-Jul-2026
Mexico, Zacatecas, Catholic Church Records, 1605-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1804458); 3,123,450 indexed records with 1,663,800 record images (was 3,118,149 records with 1,663,800 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026

New York, New York City, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3288447); 2,333,631 indexed records with 2,109,884 record images (was 2,333,631 records with 2,109,884 images), UPDATED 30-Jul-2026
Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1996 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1852584); 6,757,579 indexed records with 20,274,621 record images (was 6,731,924 records with 20,274,621 images), UPDATED 30-Jul-2026
Spain, Madrid, Municipal Census Records, 1910-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000004); 6,768,235 indexed records with 2,997,904 record images (was 1,749,267 records with 687,683 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026
United States, Indexes to Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers (NARA M629, M694, M872), 1784-1858, 1899-1901 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2120733); 222,576 indexed records with 204,549 record images (was 222,484 records with 204,524 images), UPDATED 30-Jul-2026
United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,600,548 records), no images (was 875,600,557 records with 0 images), UPDATED 29-Jul-2026

--- Collections with new images ---

Alabama, Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1661470); 158,893 indexed records with 157,082 record images (was 158,893 records with 157,078 images), last updated 07-Apr-2026
Argentina, Buenos Aires, Civil Registration, 1861-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000041); 1 indexed records with 111,717 record images (was 1 records with 111,716 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 2,929,239 indexed records with 2,929,295 record images (was 2,929,239 records with 2,929,293 images), last updated 03-Apr-2026
Arkansas, Births and Christenings, 1812-1965 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1674674); 3,332 indexed records with 5,171 record images (was 3,332 records with 5,169 images), last updated 17-Nov-2023
Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770729); 411,266 indexed records with 531,822 record images (was 411,266 records with 390,469 images), last updated 17-Jun-2026

Australia, Deaths and Burials, 1816-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770857); 89,956 indexed records with 108,863 record images (was 89,956 records with 66,515 images), last updated 17-Jun-2026
Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1770858); 129,689 indexed records with 151,371 record images (was 129,689 records with 96,365 images), last updated 17-Jun-2026
BillionGraves Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2026973); 31,122,746 indexed records with 31,122,743 record images (was 31,122,746 records with 29,003,599 images), last updated 02-Jun-2026
Brazil, Alagoas, Civil Registration, 1876-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469403); 1 indexed records with 454,240 record images (was 1 records with 454,238 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Brazil, Maranhão, Civil Registration, 1827-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469402); 1 indexed records with 906,243 record images (was 1 records with 906,220 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024

England and Wales, Census, 1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1921547); 36,354,828 indexed records with 8,898,289 record images (was 36,354,828 records with 8,898,195 images), last updated 01-Aug-2019
England, Manchester, Miscellaneous Records, 1700-1916 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075052); 10,592,399 indexed records with 15,918,118 record images (was 10,592,399 records with 15,918,117 images), last updated 26-Dec-2025
England, Somerset, Church Records, 1501-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4380193); 4,285,771 indexed records with 4,834,219 record images (was 4,285,771 records with 4,777,050 images), last updated 04-Jan-2026
France, Loire-Atlantique, Civil Registration, 1792-1960 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3288440); 2,710,678 indexed records with 2,921,446 record images (was 2,710,678 records with 2,728,494 images), last updated 03-Feb-2026
Guatemala, Deaths, 1760-1880 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1520636); 20,912 indexed records with 20,912 record images (was 20,912 records with 16,995 images), last updated 04-Feb-2020

Italy, Deaths and Burials, 1806-1910 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708705); 76,671 indexed records with 428,973 record images (was 76,671 records with 108,255 images), last updated 28-Mar-2026
Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Public Records (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2841008); 5,886,927 indexed records with 5,886,927 record images (was 5,886,927 records with 5,886,925 images), last updated 04-Mar-2019
New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2697870); 2,331,241 indexed records with 48,603 record images (was 2,331,241 records with 2 images), last updated 08-Jun-2026
United Kingdom, British Armed Forces and Overseas Vital Records, 1761-2005 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4324570); 2,878,200 indexed records with 2,878,200 record images (was 2,878,200 records with 2,767,114 images), last updated 22-Sep-2021
United Kingdom, Funeral Notices, 1914-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000184); 4,987,936 indexed records with 4,972,635 record images (was 4,987,936 records with 4,972,609 images), last updated 28-Oct-2023

United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,752,814 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,750,591 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024
United States, Google, United States Inventors Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000136); 1,048,575 indexed records with 1,047,941 record images (was 1,048,575 records with 1,046,402 images), last updated 21-Nov-2023
United States, Obituary Records, 2014-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000145); 1 indexed records with 28,206,724 record images (was 1 records with 28,206,708 images), last updated 22-Jul-2024
Wales, Anglesey, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2072798); 162,277 indexed records with 484,848 record images (was 162,277 records with 484,820 images), last updated 23-Sep-2025
Wales, Denbighshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1419318); 692,437 indexed records with 718,898 record images (was 692,437 records with 336,997 images), last updated 25-Jan-2026

Wales, Flintshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1426674); 498,887 indexed records with 518,367 record images (was 498,887 records with 484,753 images), last updated 25-Jan-2026
Wales, Glamorganshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075047); 734,794 indexed records with 753,761 record images (was 734,794 records with 739,791 images), last updated 25-Jan-2026
Wales, Montgomeryshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075048); 380,258 indexed records with 416,043 record images (was 380,258 records with 415,934 images), last updated 23-Sep-2025
Wales, Pembrokeshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1419323); 317,650 indexed records with 378,652 record images (was 317,650 records with 374,830 images), last updated 23-Sep-2025
Wales, Radnorshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075050); 101,258 indexed records with 115,726 record images (was 101,258 records with 115,670 images), last updated 23-Sep-2025

West Virginia, Births, 1853-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417341); 987,420 indexed records with 1,289,651 record images (was 987,420 records with 1,289,126 images), last updated 07-Apr-2026
West Virginia, Deaths, 1804-1999 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417434); 2,214,804 indexed records with 2,379,671 record images (was 2,214,804 records with 2,378,801 images), last updated 07-Apr-2026
West Virginia, Marriages, 1780-1970 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1408729); 190,572 indexed records with 1,504,144 record images (was 190,572 records with 35,262 images), last updated 07-Apr-2026

--- Collections with images removed ---

England and Wales, Census, 1921 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000564); 31,698,408 indexed records with 10,036,169 record images (was 31,698,408 records with 31,698,408 images), last updated 12-May-2026
United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000016); 63,700,462 indexed records with 24,608,027 record images (was 63,700,462 records with 63,700,462 images), last updated 12-Feb-2023
Wales, Monmouthshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2075051); 182,928 indexed records with 297,723 record images (was 182,928 records with 432,421 images), last updated 26-Dec-2025

--- Collections with new records ---

United States, Census, 1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1810731); 125,179,951 indexed records with 2,957,015 record images (was 125,136,362 records with 2,957,015 images), last updated 22-Jul-2026

--- Collections with records removed ---

Indiana, Marriages, 1811-2019 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1410397); 5,338,731 indexed records with 1,259,299 record images (was 5,339,975 records with 1,259,299 images), last updated 27-Feb-2026
United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000290); Index only (413,857,915 records), no images (was 413,857,926 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jun-2024

===================================

My friend and SDGS colleague, Marshall, has come up with a way to determine which collections are ADDED, DELETED or UPDATED, and to alphabetize the entries in each category. Thanks to Marshall for helping me out here!

Marshall notes that there are:

• 3,463 Historical Record Collection entries
• 0 removed entries
• 0 added entries 
• 35 updated entries
• 36 entries with more or fewer images 
• 3 entries with more or fewer records

Marshall's list shows 3,463 Historical Record Collections this week, an increase of 0 collections. The image above shows 3,463 collections, so the website number is in sync with Marshall's list number.

==========================================

See previous FamilySearch-related blog posts in        https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FamilySearch

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/07/added-and-updated-familysearch-record_093324396.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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