Entries by Jeff Westover

Great Beards in Family History

Facial hair is not prolific in our family lines. It may be all the missionaries and school teachers we have had over the years or perhaps it just that the manly art of beards and mustaches just isn’t in our gene pool. But on a recent perusal of the gallery feature at FamilySearch.org I began […]

Photo Forensics in Family History

I have been spending a lot of time in the world of Albert Smith for an upcoming video we hope to release. That, of course, comes with an always challenging effort to find images to help tell his story. The best and perhaps most beloved photo of Albert is this one, showing him late in […]

Getting the Story Right

When I first began using Family Search I was somewhat frustrated with the idea that anyone could edit information on that one-world family tree. To me, the “watch” feature is a critical function of Family Search. I click on “watch” next to any name and if someone comes along and adds or changes something I […]

The Importance of Visiting

I had a delightful phone conversation with my eldest daughter, Aubree, the other day. She had called earlier in the week and gave us the happy news that she is expecting her first child. This 2nd phone call was the first opportunity I had to talk with her alone about it all. Aubree’s journey to […]

A Gift That Keeps Giving

It has been a tough year for me with family history. Life and circumstance have kept me far from my goals. Much of the feeling of accomplishment I have experienced this year has come more from enjoying the successes of others. I have felt bad about that, almost as if I’m letting so many others […]