What a week I have had!  I've been cleaning up my databases.  Since RootsMagic released its integration of trees with Ancestry a short time ago, I have decided to get my data act together and see if I can't clean some stuff up.  What I started with, long ago in the early history of my genealogy research, was 3 RootsMagic trees, Ogle/Hawkins, Granath/Goodwin, and Bayang/Guileten.  I thought that it was a good idea at the time I created them.  Remember, this was in the late 1990s, and I didn't put much thought into data management at that time.  Over the years, I thought about merging them together, but decided it was just too much work.  Besides, sometimes it was easy to 'share' those trees with different branches of my families, or show them at family reunions. {read, "I was too lazy and actually researching ancestors was a lot more fun than dull database cleanup}...  So, then sometime later, I decided to dip my hand into Ancestry and became hooked on doing online research.  Wow - it was ALOT easier to just attach my sources and let Ancestry do the source citations in the background for me.  Oh, yeah, did I mention that at the same time, I researched and added my OWN sources offline into my RootsMagic database.  Oh yeah, and downloaded each Ancestry source and added it in manually, too... {well, OK, when I remembered to add it... I'll get around to it *someday* I told myself.}   I tried my hand at FamilySearch, too, but the concept of other people editing 'MY' data did not appeal to me.  It *was* pretty cool that FamilySearch and RootsMagic had automatic syncing though.  I played with it a little bit and I liked it, but I just didn't want to maintain yet another set of trees, so I didn't do much with FamilySearch.  I added a new RM tree when I inherited research of a direct ancestor branch from a cousin...

THEN, I heard some wonderful news.  RM was developing an integrated Treeshare with Ancestry!  Whoohoo!  So, I waited and just kept doing what I was doing.  A short time ago, it was released to the public!  I created a few small 'fake' databases to test its functionality about a few questions I had and think that I have it figured out...  time to begin my data cleanup and merge all of my trees into JUST ONE that is synced with my Ancestry tree (JUST ONE!)

So at the beginning of this week, I started with my 4 RM databases, and my 3 Ancestry trees.

I worked for 3 days and got all my RM trees combined into ONE!  Yay, me!!  This amounts to about 2400 individuals...

Then I spent some time thinking about what to do next...

RM's TreeShare has 2 options:

1)  download and link an existing Ancestry tree into a new RM database.

2)  upload and link an existing RM tree into a new Ancestry tree.

Wait.  What if I have TWO existing trees and I want to merge them TOGETHER?

Ok.  So what is my goal here?  I want to be able to have ONE TREE that has all my current research data and sources attached, that I can do research on and share data between, and NOT have to waste valuable research time maintaining 2 sets of databases...

So, I decided my best bet was to DOWNLOAD my Ancestry trees (and all the sources and media items)  into new RM trees, because then I can use the RM drag and drop feature to get them into my big tree.  Then use Merge to merge duplicate individuals and I should be ok, right?  So, I started after it.  WELL.  I wasn't very familiar with the Merge function.  Apparently, when you merge 2 individuals, if there are 2 facts, unless they are EXACTLY the same, you get a new fact created.  So, yes, I have to go through and check EVERY individual in my database to make sure I dont have an overabundance of the same facts.  I.E.  2 birth facts, 2 marriage facts, 2 death facts and 2 burials facts for MOST people in my database.  UGH.

THEN I realized that I also got TWICE as many Place names now in my Place name index, so I've had to go through and edit all of those.  And while I'm at it, I need to standardize ALL my places names so that they have United States on them, so the data will be clean BEFORE I upload it to Ancestry.  UGH AGAIN! 

Yes, its been a long week and a SLOW process to get all this done.  What have I learned here?

First, MAKE SURE to follow the best practices for entering place names.

City, County, State, Country.  ALL THE TIME.  I will try!

And I would HIGHLY suggest keeping ALL data in one database.  No matter how logically sound it would be to split them apart, think long and hard about it first.  It will be SO much easier in the long run to keep up with!

More updates later in the week, as I chronicle this data migration and linkage to Ancestry!  I got my Granath tree downloaded and merged.  Now the fact and place name cleanup begins...

One down, two to go!

And yes, I hope to post Family Reunion photos this week, too!  Busy, busy!

And for those of you who read to the end and are wondering, our St. Timothy's church workteams ARE still volunteering 3 days a week to help people muck out their homes after Hurricane Harvey here in Houston.  It will be a long time before its all cleaned up and ready to rebuild.  We thank you for your continued prayers.