This section of the website is focused on my genealogy. I have it divided into my maternal side (the Berrys and their branches) and my paternal side (the Rodgers and their branches). As my research continues, it should evolve.
Maternal
Due to the research conducted by those before me, my Maternal side contains much better information. This branch of the family included some Quakers (back in the 17th and 18th centuries). They were very good about record keeping, which has proven to be a great help. I have created pages for the different branches of this family.
Paternal
My Paternal side, the Rodgers, is not as deep and is where my “brick wall” is located. My goals are to establish when the first Rodgers came to America, where they embarked from, where they embarked from, and where they were originally lived.
Locations
Also in this section is an area listing the various geographic Locations where my ancestors had a large presence.
Family Trees
My main family tree is kept on Ancestry.com. Currently, Ancestry has the largest customer base and the largest collection of records. I find it fairly easy to use. I also use FamilyTreeMaker 2019 (FTM) as my secondary workspace for my family tree. FTM used to be owned by Ancestry, but a couple of years ago (around 2015), Ancestry decided they did not want to maintain that program. A company called Software MacKiev purchased the rights to the software and developed a new version. FTM2017. FTM2017 was updated to a newer version, FTM2019. It has a great sync feature with my family tree on Ancestry.com and will interface with FamilySearch.com in a more limited capacity. The syncs are easy and fairly quick. By syncing, I can maintain a complete backup of Ancestry work. Great insurance in case something happens on one end or the other.
The Rodgers Family Tree on Ancestry.com. You should be able to view this tree without an Ancestry account.
I also have started family trees on a few other websites. FamilySearch.com is another great genealogy site for keeping a family tree. Their approach is different from Ancestry. Ancestry allows its users to have individual trees. FamilySearch.org has a goal of trying to link everyone in the world – they have created one BIG tree for you to work on. You must have an account with FamilySearch to view the tree, but membership is free. In my opinion, the FamilySearch website is not as user-friendly as Ancestry, but it does have some records that Ancestry does not have access to. I use it as another research source. FamilySearch is a part of the Mormon Church. They are very focused on genealogy, and the largest collection of genealogy records in the United States is housed in their Salt Lake City headquarters.
WikiTree.org is another site that I use, and their approach is similar to that of FamilySearch.com – one tree. Of course, one drawback to the “one tree” model is that other people can make changes to your branch of the tree. When you create people on the tree, you become the “manager” of that person. Anyone who would like to edit that person in any way must suggest the changes, and you must approve those changes. I like this approach as it always helps to have others who may have facts available to them that are unknown to you. Further, WikiTree also incorporates DNA into their trees with a partnership with GEDMatch.com. More about GEDMatch.com in the DNA section of this site.
FindMyPast.com is another good site for creating family trees, especially if your roots are in the British Isles. Family trees created on this site are private and managed by you, unlike those at FamilySearch and WikiTree. FindMyPast has a very deep records library, many records unique to their site. They have been adding more US-related records due to the migration of people from Ireland and the United Kingdom to America during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. FindMyPast is a subscription-based service, but they do offer a 14-day free trial.
There are many other sites where you can build a family tree, including RootsWeb, Geni.com, MyHeritage, and LegacyFamilyTree.