February, 2019
Jerry Dean Swanson newspaper story from the Feb. 14, 2019 issue of the Berlin Journal, Princeton Times, Green Lake Reporter, Omro Herald and Markesan Regional.
November, 2018
I finished 29 family History books, created using my new Family Book Creator Software. It integrates with my Family Tree Maker Software, using that data to create an organized and readable book, complete with tree charts, photos and stories. I created a book for each of my first-cousins, one foe each of my sisters and brothers, and one for me. I created the books in PDF format and made them available for download. Each book covers four generations of "relatives" of the central person with a page-count between 1000 and 2500. That's ALOT of information!
Re-designed these web pages to be compatible with more devices, especially phones. Adding new DNA analysis from Ancestry.com to the new website. VERY much a work-in-progress.
I started outline for a new book...”Dockstader-Wegert Family and Friends – Heroes”. This will be a book about family who served our country.
March, 2017
I purchased an add-on piece of software, "Family Book Creator" in 2017 which uses data from his tree and compiles that data into book form. The new software can, in a few minutes, create a book for any person in his tree. The generated book may not have the subtle nuances of a hand-written book, but it presents the data in a format which is easy to understand and pleasing to the eye. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with all the information…the families Who, What, Where, and When…with visual aids. Smiles.
I am in the process of taking requests from family to have a book dedicated to anyone in the family. I have already created about a dozen books using the software. It's AMAZING! Wish I would have had this software when I was writing my first book three years ago. It would have saved me thousands of hours of keypunching.
March 25, 2016
I have been working on proving relationships to family members who fought in the Revolutionary War. Doing so, will qualify me, my siblings, and our children for membership in either the Daughters of the American Revolution (for the females) or the Sons of the American Revolution (for the males). My Father's side of the family, the Mormon side, have many members which show a direct ancestry to one of those Patriots. PROVING that ancestry is the tricky part. The good news is, of the several paths I have been researching, I found a path which I am pretty sure I will be successful at proving. I have one Father/Son relationship to prove and I am home free. I have a New York Genealogist looking for a copy of that proof and am pretty confident that it will be forthcoming. I have my fingers crossed...smiles.
March 4, 2014
Finished the book's hand-binding and shipped out all the ones requested by family. Deadline for additional copies is March 31st. After that, it will be available as a digital PDF file only.
February 8, 2014
The book is done. First printing looks great. Off to have some high resolution ones done.
November 27, 15, 2013
Update for progress on my book, "Wegert Family and Friends Cookbook and History": We are in the final stages of proof-reading. It appears the book will be about 450 pages long. We are not going to have the book published on paper. It will be available in digital form only, in either Word or PDF format. The book will also be available online for viewing from my Microsoft SkyDrive account. I would grant you access to view the book online using your browser. Otherwise, the books file would be available for downloading or on DVD. You would also be able to print only those pages which
are of interest to you.
November 26, 15, 2013
Just received the results of the new DNA test I had done at 23andme.com. The testing not only gives you ancestral information, but you also see your health tendencies. Interesting. I will report more as I dig deeper.
February 4, 2013
Posted memorial pages for Paul David Derby and Earl Nelson Peronto.
January 15, 2013
With the newest information concerning a possible link to our Wegert Family in Germany, I may be delaying the publishing of our book for short eriod of time. It won't be too long...I promise. But, the possibility of finding history of the Wegert Family prior to their emigration to the USA is too important not to include...think? Anyway...am working on it!
December 31, 2012
I have the results of my DNA test done at Ancestry.com. A link to the DNA results page here...
The submission period for my family history and cookbook is now closed. Now to the final editing and layout. Still hoping to publish by the eginning of this Summer. I have lots of recipes, hundreds of photos, and many stories to share. Coming soon!
October 12, 2012
Discovered a connection to the Romney family. I created a chart of the connections.
December 31, 2012 is the final cut-off for submissions to the family history book to be published in 2013. 430 pages now.My online tree on Ancestry.com is now synched to my local tree...so it is always current.I am also enrolled in the AncestryDNA project. Soon, the results of that DNA analysis will be linked to my online tree.
October 1, 2012
I am in the process of gathering the supporting documents I need to complete my application to the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). Frederick Henry Dockstader, my 3rd Great Grandfather, served in the New York Militia during the war. I have found several other family members who served in that war, but Frederick's lineage connection to me is the shortest, and therefore, easiest to document. Am in the final stages of my edits for the book. Planning on a Spring publication. Final cutoff for submissions is December 31st. We now have over 400 pages of recipes, family tree branches, stories, and HUNDREDS of family photos.
February 11, 2011
I am making great progress on my book, "Wegert Family and Friends Cookbook and History". Yes...the original plans for a cookbook has morphed into a combination of recipes and history. We already have over 185 pages, full of good food...for the mind and the stomach. I am at a point in the book creation where I am forwarding chapters to the appropriate family members for gleaning incorrect information. I expect to be at a point of publication within the following year. I will keep you informed.
January 20, 2011
I posted an updated version of the family tree on the Ancestry.com site. It has been exactly two years since I posted my first version of the tree there. There have been LOTS of revisions and additions since then.
March 2, 2009
Working on a few changes...so the site may be up and down over the next couple weeks...thanks!Also...started to create a few new fun pages noting
my probable connection and relationship to a few famous individuals.
August 17, 2008
Added over a hundred new images to the Dockstader branches of the online tree. The photos are from the Dayton Book (below). Also added several hundred Cousins to the tree...also from the Dayton Book. Updated the online tree with all revisions and additions.
August 12, 2008
Added a Feedback page for your comments and questions. Uploaded a revised/updated copy of the family tree to Ancestry.com.
My Father gave me his copy of the book Family Record of Hiram Dayton and Permelia Bundy Dayton. The book was compiled by Alta A. and Leland M. Dayton and published In September, 1961. It is an invaluable source of genealogical data for my tree research. I have already scanned all of the photos in the book and am adding them to the tree data file. The photos will be added to the online tree as I get them associated with the names the faces belong to. My brother, Larry Swanson, and I have been entering all of the family information found in the book into our Family Tree Maker Software since 1999.
July 13, 2008
Discovered the complete name of Wilhelm Wegert (my 2nd Great Grandfather) was actually Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Wegert. This information was found in the Brandenburg, Prussia Emigration Records. We had known he arrived at the in Port of New York, USA on Nov. 25, 1868 with his Mother, Friedrike Wegert, and his wife, Karoline (Roehl) on ship N. G. Bark Jenny out of Bremen, Germany. The passenger list, which we have a copy of, showed Wilhelm (Carl) had Cabin #1, Karoline had Cabin #2, and Friedrike had Cabin #3.
July 12, 2008
This website created.
January, 2004
Started cookbook outline and gathering recipes from family.
January, 2001
Started working with Ancestry.com and the Family Tree Maker Software beta testing program, helping in the development and testing of their new software.
January, 1999
Started entering all family data from my Father's copy of Family Record of Hiram Dayton and Permelia Bundy Dayton by Alta A. and Leland M. Dayton and published In September, 1961, into my family tree software. Also posted and maintained my online version of our family tree on Ancestry.com.
My websites:
My Bottle Tree Business:
www.bottletreecreations.com
My Telescope Hobby Page:
www.compassist.com/jerry/scopeandstuff.htm
My Secret Garden Walk:
http://www.compassist.com/jerry/VirtualGardenWalk-A.htm
My Genealogy Page:
The Dockstader-Wegert Family Tree