Issue 23.15
At the top of each person’ page in FamilySearch.org’s Family Tree, you will find Life Sketch. It is just below the gray name bar across the top and above the vital information section. Because of its location, the Life Sketch is very visible. They programmed it that way for a reason.
Family Tree is an open-edit program which means anybody can change anything. The Life Sketch helps to lend stability to the record. If you want to make a note that says, “Try not to confuse this John Jones with the other John Jones,” you can. Then you can add the details. This serves as a quick reference to the person if necessary. I have a lot of Donald McDonalds and Catherine McDonells in Ontario. I can add their lot address or other clues to help keep track of which one it is. It also helps you collaborate with others and maintain accuracy in your Family Tree.
It can only hold 10,000 characters, so it is meant to be a sketch. The biography or life story and longer stories can be put in Memories under Stories. 10,000 characters equals out to about 1,500 words. You could use it as a narrative. I like to add the war information for fellows who served in the military.
Remember that the life sketch will be visible to all Family Tree users. Avoid using personal pronouns such as “I” or “you.” Instead of writing, “I loved my Aunt Edith and loved visiting her flower shop.” You could write, “Edith owned and operated a flower shop in St. George called The Garden of Edith and always welcomed family and friends to visit her there.” Keep it brief and matter-of-fact. It could be written similar to an obituary.
You could also include important facts to help other researchers. I have some where I have included the DNA results explaining the findings and how this person’s descendants have been tested and compared against other descendants of other men. You can add clues such as “This Catherine Campbell had a sister who was named Catherine Campbell too. This one went by Cassie.”
Try out the Life Sketch in Family Tree. It is often overlooked, but I find it a great feature.
For more information, contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com