A Word About the Database

I've been collecting data on all branches of my family in a variety of formats since I was 17: 

• documents, original - diaries, autograph books, report cards, marriage licenses, baptismal certificates, death books, correspondence . . . 
• documents, photocopies - these are generally court documents where the originals live in a county courthouse - wills, deeds, birth, marriage and death certificates, chancery files, sheriff sales, census records, etc. 
• photographs - originals that I've received from family members or that I have taken of people, tombstones, family homes, etc.
• genealogies - books I've purchased, sections I've photocopied from books in libraries, notes I've taken from books, photocopies of genealogical charts
• histories - town, county, state and country history 
• clippings - birth announcements, engagements, wedding accounts, obituaries, reunions, police blotters, real estate notices . . . 
• stuff - memories of people, stories I've heard about people and events, notes on possible leads . . . 

I've had a database - the Master Genealogist - for about 20 years and luckily I've only lost data once during an upgrade.  There are currently 9083 people in the database which is certainly a fraction of the number of people I'm aware of and have data on.   Each entry varies in completeness.  For every person that has a complete birth or marriage date there are probably two or three that have no date or just a year.  The information may still be buried in the notebooks and other sources listed above or it may consist of just a year.  

While I do add data to existing entries and "new" people, I also have a job and I like to eat and sleep occasionally.  The database will never capture everyone, so this blog probably which is based on that database won't either.  As every genealogist knows, there's no end to family, which is a good thing.