FamilySearch has designated 2014 as “The Year of the Obituary’’

Now here is an exciting announcement that FamilySearch.org made at RootsTech 2014 -

The year 2014 has been designated as “The Year of the Obituary” for FamilySearch. We know that many family history centers have clipped obituaries from newspapers and we’d like to place these collections online on the FamilySearch website. FamilySearch will scan and digitize the collections. They will then be indexed and placed online. Digitizing obituaries will make these valuable collections easier to access and simpler to attach to FamilyTree. Information gathered from obituaries will help users to add people and data to Family Tree.

Here are some guidelines for what FamilySearch wants to collect:

· These records should be actual obituaries, not indexes.

· They must be camera-ready which means the obituaries should be attached to the same-sized cards (3×5, 4×6) or to 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper.

· If you have already indexed the collection and it is in paper format, please include that with your submission.

After the obituaries are scanned, you may request that they be returned to you or discarded.

If you have a collection you would like to submit to FamilySearch, please contact Nathan Murphy at murphynw@familysearch.org

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Obituary Files

As of October, 2011 the following obituary card index information, and notices from 1876-2007 have been updated, and are online at www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1425003

1876–1971 - Deaths of Royal Canadian Mounted Police killed while on duty, taken from S.W. Horrell's, The Pictorial History of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

1919–1997 - Scarlet and Gold (Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans' Association) publication including an historical honour roll of officers killed while on duty, and more current obituaries. Honour roll contains deaths prior to 1919.

1933–2007 - Digital images of an obituary card index for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and digital images of the obituary sections of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police publications the index refers to.

1976–1994 - Pony Express: Staff Relations Branch Newsletter

Related Websites

There are four websites that hold related information, and they are -

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society  - This society has a copy of the obituaries on file and an explanation about how the file index was created. The website is www.saskgenealogy.com/databases/RCMP/RCMP.htm

Library and Archives Canada describes this collection and other places where more information about Royal Canadian Mounted Police may be found. The website is www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-913.003-e.html

North West Mounted Police (NWMP) - Personnel Records, 1873-1904. The collection is found at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/nwmp-pcno/001032-100.01-e.php

RCMP Graves. - www.rcmpgraves.com

Tomorrow's Post: New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs, Week 11

Saskatchewan's "Valued-Added" Membership

The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society has put something new in its membership - a value-added package, beginning in 2009!

In a special page on their site, http://www.saskgenealogy.com/aboutsgs/Value_Added.htm , they will add the following to their regular membership -

Saskatchewan Residents Index (SRI) -

Burial Index - index of burial information of 50,000 individuals

Obituary Index - index of obituary information of 75,000 individuals

Cummins Maps - name and location of individuals in the 1920s

Change of Name Index - index of individuals who changed their name and are listed in the Saskatchewan Gazette from 1971 to 1950

RCMP Obituary Index - index of name as well as the source for the obituary

NW Rebellion War Claims Index - the names of those who requested compensation after the 1885 NW Rebellion.

Rural Municipalities Historical Documents Index - an index that will list documents held by municipalities - such as tax assessment rolls.

Plus, the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society and the Ontario Genealogical Society www.ogs.on.ca also have joined in offering a $5.00 discount in membership fees for 2009!http://www.saskgenealogy.com/aboutsgs/Value_Added.htm