GARDNER-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: BIG Genealogy Shoemaker/Schumacher Project Update
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 13:39:35 -0500 (EST)

re: BIG Genealogy Shoemaker/Schumacher Project Update

Hello again,

For those who may be new to this Family mailing, the `Project=92 is an at=
tempt
to create a genealogy data base that documents ALL of the Shoemaker famil=
y
(all spelling variations). The advent of the widespread use of the Inter=
net
and the ever increasing popularity of Email is what might make this task
possible. Obviously it also depends on the cooperation of all `members=92=
of
the family.

It is hoped that everyone will offer the basic information on their branc=
h of
the family, as far back as possible. If you would like more information o=
n
the kinds of information needed, and how to submit it, please reply to th=
is
email and I will send you the relevant response. The information is then
added to the master data file. (In the event it links to a pre-existing l=
ine,
I will be happy to send back the completed family branch.)

Many families already have at least one family member who has at least
started some kind of genealogy. My grand mother kept some brief data in a
small notebook. Others might have compiled a much more formal work. The
purpose of the Project, in part, is to preserve this kind of information =
for
future generations.

I try to put out a quarterly update, and it has been longer than usual si=
nce
the last one, so this one will be a bit longer than usual. Those on this
Emailing list will receive 4-5 email letters annually, telling of
the progress of the project, and encouraging those who want to, to assis=
t
and participate. I hope you will look for and accept the messages as wel=
l as
participate in this project. AND perhaps you could pass on the news of t=
his
project to others in the `family' who are not on-line. Any questions can =
be
directed to me using the Email address

There are THREE major Internet tools that have been established to assist=
in
Shoemaker family research.=20

ONE:- The newest is dedicated to those who are actively doing research. H=
ere
is the announcement=20

We are proud to announce our new email discussion list for all researcher=
s
looking for any SHOEMAKER, SHUMAKER, SCHUMACHER, or other variant spellin=
gs.

To subscribe, email:



You can leave the subject line blank (it will disregard anything you put
there)

In the body of the message, put:

SUB SHOEMAKER

Be sure to turn off or delete your signature file and then send the email.
In a few days, you will receive a welcome message giving you details on
this list. Be sure to read and save this welcome, because it contains
vital information (like how to unsubscribe!). As with any new list, the
traffic will be slow at first.

Please join us!
*****

TWO:- The Project has a Web page `under construction=92, it can be found =
at=20

http://www.ifi.uio.no/~staalesc/sol/

There's not much there yet, but I will add more info to the page as
time marches on.=20

Stale Schumacher
*****

THREE:- This is a small maillist that is primarily used to help me!! If =
you
would like to help me out, by making it easier for me to send out these
updates, please subscribe to this one. It is ONLY used to send out the
updates.

This Mail List is a kind of news group, where people can share informatio=
n,
ask for specific information or otherwise communicate with others who sha=
re
their interest. In this case, Shoemaker/Schumacher (etc.,) genealogy.=20

Jack N. Shoemaker () has volunteered to create this mai=
l
list for this project. He has offered the following announcement:

Our mailing list has been established. To get a quick start, send e-mail=
to
=20
=20
In the MESSAGE area, place these three lines in this EXACT order:

subscribe
help
end

You may leave the SUBJECT area or line blank. It is ignored anyway.

What I ask each new list member to do above is send a request to
address to=20
a) add your name to the subscription list,=20
*****

*****PROGRESS TO DATE

There has been some impressive input over the past 6 months. It has resul=
ted
in the database climbing to more than 102,000 family members. =20

It has also come as a not inconsiderable frustration!! I have been using
Broderbund/Banner Blue=92s Family Tree Maker for Windows to enter the dat=
a. It
was supposed to be able to handle the large number of people the Project =
will
require. Unfortunately, The program kept crashing. After several
frustrating weeks, some not insignificant data loss, and a very inept
response from `technical support=92, they finally admitted that FTM is UN=
ABLE
to handle really large data files. They claim the problem is not their fa=
ult,
but that MicroSoft Windows for Work Groups 3.11 had bugs with STORE.DLL=92=
s
being unable to handle large data files.

I built myself a dedicated (genealogy) PC around an AMD Pentium clone
motherboard, so I could see if Windows 95 and or NT 4.0 would solve the
problems. That proved to be the solution. Presently, the data file in F=
TM
format is well in excess of 100MB, and the GEDcom file it generates is a=
bout
40MB.

*****MileStone #1

I have been able to borrow a copy of the Michael Shoemaker book. This boo=
k is
incredible; than anyone was able to compile this amount of data before t=
he
PC was invested is amazing. It has about 950 pages of solid text. The ma=
in
body of the text is in small print. When the author thought it necessary =
to
include a sub family he used smaller print, and again when another sub fa=
mily
was need, even smaller print! It was not uncommon to have several hundre=
d
people listed on a single page, and few pages had less than 50-60!! In a=
ll,
there are well over 35,000 people in this tome alone.

The problem in using a work like this is that a person referenced on page=
46,
might also be continued on page 220, and also be related to people on pag=
e
565!! The author=92s work was so precise that other than the data needed =
to
verify the person listed on each of these pages was the same person, he
rarely repeated the data, thus making his use of the space very efficien=
t.

If this book was published today, it would likely have to be done in no l=
ess
then three volumes!!

To use such a book, I had to make a complete photocopy. Since it was
published in 1925, a great deal of care is needed handling and manipulati=
ng
it to get this done. Some pages did not copy properly, and this effort i=
s
continuing.

*****MileStone #2

Most of the Shoemaker/Schumacher families came to the US from Europe. Ano=
ther
group came from Russia; etc. Most of the information I have obtained so f=
ar
is on the US portion of the family. Presently I have a large (300 page) w=
ork
covering the Schoenmakers of the Nedeerlands!! This work is ongoing, and=
if
my translations prove accurate, should be completed by mid-summer. =20

I hope other overseas cousins will send along their data, so we may find
links across the Atlantic.

*****MileStone #3

The SHUMATE name is often either the product of a Shoemaker/Schumaker=92s=
name
change, or of French origin. I was able to finally obtain a definitive w=
ork
on the French Shumate line, that offers some limited clues that will enab=
le
this family to be one branch that with some more input is likely to be th=
e
first to be completed.

***** DATA CONTAINED IN THE FILE

---from hard-copy and published sources

Where ever possible, I have scanned in and used optical character recogni=
tion
to create text files of the relevant data. This text is then added to th=
e
NOTES section for the respective individuals. This will enable future
researchers to reference the exact text the data has been derived from.

---from PC data files

In a source section, I reference the PC data file (usually a GEDcom file)
that the data comes from. This is useful, as some, if not many individual=
s,
are found in multiple files, and often one will contain data that the oth=
er
does not, or even a contradiction might be found.

---Additional data

There is a great deal of potential to include illustrations, and even sou=
nd
in a modern genealogy software program, BUT in my opinion this kind of da=
ta
is really not yet practical to include. The problem is that there is not =
yet
a standard that enables you to move this kind of information between
programs, and the level of this kind of PC technology is still in its
infancy. But I still collect an maintain this kind of information for th=
e
future inclusion in the file.

***** GEDcom files

Some people do not understand what a GEDcom file is. It is simply a stand=
ard
ASCII file that is in a strict format that can generally be imported and
exported by all reasonably competent genealogy software, including most o=
f
the shareware offerings.

The problem with these files is that each program handles each of these f=
iles
slightly differently. Since each software developer wants to make their
offering different and =93better=94 than the others, some can handle the
import/export process to a different degree. =20

***** SUMMARY

I hope everyone who has not yet sent in some information will; and those =
who
want to learn how to submit information will ask. The project is probably
only 10% finished, and only with the concerted cooperation of everyone wi=
ll
it ever approach completion. For most people, if they supply specific
information back to their grandparents or perhaps their great grandparent=
s,
it is likely I can supply some links that will take their line back into =
the
early 1700=92s.

Due to the appearance of the Michael Shoemaker book, I have been very lax=
in
replying to many emails in the past. I will remedy this over the next few
weeks, and catch up. =20

Okay, that=92s enough of an update for now.

Cordially,

Dick Shoemaker



P.S. I am also the editor for the National PC Users Group. We have a numb=
er
of extra `left-over=92 (The PC LifeBoat) newsletters. If you would like a
freebie, send me your snail mail address and I=92ll get one off to you. =20

BIG Genealogy Shoemaker/Schumacher Project Update

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