Several recent messages -- especially Joan Parker's in January and Jan
Meisels Allen's in May -- reported on the new FamilySearch Labs pilot
projects <http://familysearchlabs.org>. To read these messages, search
the JGDG Archives.for ** family search pilot project **.

It bears repeating that the Record Search project
<http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#> includes
vital records indexes and even digitized records for some U.S.
locations, as well as other records (census, court/legal, immigration,
land/property, military). Thanks to a tip I received directly from
Aaron Roetenberg (thank you Aaron!) I explored the Record Search
yesterday and printed out three Philadelphia death records I was about
to order >from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health. Saved $27 and a
four-week wait!

Some other U.S. localities for which the site shows death records
(images and/or transcriptions) are Georgia (1914-1927), Michigan
(1867-1897), Ohio (1908-1953), Texas (1890-1976), Utah (1904-1956),
Washington State (1907-1960), and West Virginia (1853-1970). Some
other vital records collections on the site are Ontario deaths
(1869-1947), Michigan births (1867-1902), West Virginia births
(1853-1930) and marriages (1853-1970), and Philadelphia marriage
indexes (1885-1951).

A link to the Record Search project appears on the home page of
FamilySearch.org, the LDS search site. (Click "Sneak Peek.") Scroll
down the Record Search page to see a list of the collections that are
currently available. The collections are not all complete.

Renee
-
Renee Stern Steinig
Dix Hills, New York, USA
genmaven@gmail.com

Further to Renee Steinig's post, I tested out the website this morning
and 12 hours later I had found a new 5th cousin on my wife's side. The
Krakow DEICHES were found amongst the Texas records cited at
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#
and the location of several of the digitized death certificates
allowed me to determine exactly where the family fit in on the tree.
With census records, other obits and news items, I was able to add
over 50 people and find the single oldest descendant off the branch,
living in Oklahoma.

Eli Savada
Bethesda MD
esavada@mac.com