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A Makeover for Tonia’s Roots

Tonia's Roots, genealogy

Regular visitors may have noticed that Tonia’s Roots got a new look today!  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Reasons for Redesigning

Although I really liked the old look, I was getting somewhat tired of it.
The footnote plug-in that I use was not playing well with the old theme and occasionally caused really weird . . . → : CONTINUE READING

Browsing Surnames Here at Tonia’s Roots

genealogy, TNG, Hemphill, Ellis, Roberts

The software that I use to run the genealogy portion of this website (the excellent TNG), is fairly intuitive, but sometimes it helps to have instructions.  All the genealogy data can be found by on the “Family Tree” tab and these instructions apply only to that section of the website.

The most common question people have is . . . → : CONTINUE READING

“Family Tree” Overview

The “Family Tree” tab (above) contains a database of all my genealogy research.  I thought it would be helpful to provide a navigational overview.

The Genealogy Menu is visible in the sidebar whenever you are in the “Family Tree” section.  It contains links to:

Surnames includes a list of the top 30 surnames in the database, ordered by . . . → : CONTINUE READING

10 Things I Love About TNG (My Genealogy Software)

My main genealogy software is The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding.  This software can be used as a stand-alone product or with a desktop genealogy program.  I use Legacy for a few things, but use TNG for all my data entry and storage.  If you want to learn more about the features and benefits of TNG . . . → : CONTINUE READING

Legacy Family Tree Software Review

I recently purchased a copy of Legacy Family Tree Software, largely because I wanted to try out its Source Writer feature.  I had read good reviews of the product; it was supposed to be easy to use, with a rich set of features, and advanced reporting options.

I found the data entry interface to be clunky and . . . → : CONTINUE READING

2008 – The Year In Review

Inspired by DearMyrtle and following the lead of Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings, here is a quick review of last year’s posts:

Jan 2008 – Thomas Young Hemphill McEntire – I found an interesting biographical sketch on my 4x great-grandfather.

Feb 2008 – John Burgin, Esquire – I came across an ancestor (John Burgin, born 1777), who was styled, . . . → : CONTINUE READING

WordPress-TNG Mashup a Success

Update:  I no longer use the mashup described below.  I’m now using the TNG/Wordpress plug-in available here.

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Finally, the new look of the website, with WordPress and TNG integrated is unveiled!

As I posted a few weeks ago, I was attempting to follow directions to integrate WordPress and TNG.  I had a few problems, but after playing around . . . → : CONTINUE READING

The Moral of the Story. . .

Since my last post, I’ve decided to completely redo both the genealogy site and the blog and now I’m left with a mess that includes not only a partially functioning database and loss of all my media links, but also a renewed determination to make this thing work like I want it to.

The Backstory

. . . → : CONTINUE READING

Website Update

This summer, TNG came out with a new version of the software I use to power my genealogy website. I had put off upgrading, because, frankly, I was apprehensive; I was afraid I would “break” the site and I wasn’t sure how much time would be required to redo all the modifications I had made. I . . . → : CONTINUE READING

What’s New

It was a busy week in research, sourcing, and design. I added a photo of my great-grandparents, Newt Ward and Rachel Johnson Ward and I obtained a copy of Rosa Ellis Roberts’ death certificate.

Probably the biggest change is the mapping feature added to the website. I discovered that my web software, TNG, offers the ability to . . . → : CONTINUE READING