Home› Welcome to the FamilySearch Community!› FamilySearch Help› Family Tree

Duplicate

Tiffany Roush Mehner
Tiffany Roush Mehner ✭
October 20, 2021 edited December 17, 2021 in Family Tree

How do we delete a duplicate of a living person? Apparently my college age son input my information when he was young. He now cannot access my line as there is a duplicate of my self and my parents that he must have added mistakenly years ago.

0

Answers

  • Brett .
    Brett . ✭✭✭✭✭
    October 20, 2021

    @Tiffany Roush Mehner

    Tiffany

    Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.

    I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

    FYI

    IF, that "Living" individual/person, is (in fact) a version/copy of YOU, in your Son's, 'FamilySearch' Account' THEN, that should NOT be "Deleted".

    And, similarly ...

    IF, your Parents, your Son's 'Maternal' Grandparents, were "Living", all those years ago; THEN, your Son WOULD have NEEDED a version/copy of THEM, in his, 'FamilySearch' Account'.

    And ...

    IF, your Parents, your Son's 'Maternal' Grandparents, are STILL "Living", now; THEN, your Son NEEDES to KEEP that version/copy of THEM, in his, 'FamilySearch' Account'.

    Whereas ...

    IF, your Parents, your Son's 'Maternal' Grandparents, are NOW "Deceased"; THEN, they can be "Merged"/"Combined" with ANY Other "Duplicates" of them.

    But ...

    That Said ...

    As, you, yourself are now STILL "Living"; THEN, your Son NEEDES to KEEP that version/copy of YOU, in his, 'FamilySearch' Account'.

    Because, your Son CANNOT use that version/copy of YOU, in your 'FamilySearch' Account.

    I hope that that makes sense.

    Now ...

    All that Said ...

    Here an old 'standby' of mine, that I have previously proffered on occasion ...

    ------------------

    Most new (and, some old) Users/Patrons DO NOT understand the basic 'nature' and 'premise' of "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch', when they join in.

    Please let me explain ...

    [ And, please bear with me; as, I am VERY 'Verbose' ... that is my 'style' ... ]

    We do not have our OWN "Tree" in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'.

    We ONLY have "Branches" (ie. Ancestral" lines), that are interconnected, in this SINGLE "One" World "Tree", for all of us, that is "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'.

    "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' is NOT like 'On-Line' "Websites" (eg. "Ancestry_com"; or "MyHeritage_com"; or, the like); and/or, 'standalone' personal (computer) programmes (eg, the OLD, now no longer supported, "PAF"; or, "Ancestral Quest"; or, the like).

    We DO NOT have "Private"/"Personal" 'Trees' in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' like other 'On-Line' "Websites"; and/or, 'standalone' personal (computer) programmes.

    We do not even, own; or, manage; and, are NOT even responsible for, the "Deceased" individuals/persons in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'.

    And, most importantly ...

    We DO NOT even, own; or, manage; and, are NOT even responsible for, Our OWN "Deceased" Ancestors/Family/Relatives in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'.

    "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' is built on a "Open Edit" Platform - hence, why any registered User/Patron can "Edit" (ie. Add, Delete; and/or, Change) ANY "Deceased" individual/person in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'. 

    You can certainly "Merge"/"Combine" any "Deceased" individual/person in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' with another "Deceased" individual/person in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch', regardless of who the User/Patron was that initially created those "Deceased" individuals/persons; as, they DO NOT reside with the User/Patron who initially created them - they are "Public".

    In fact, you can ONLY see "Deceased" individuals/persons in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'; except, with this 'rider', that you can ALSO only see "Living" individual/person in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' that YOU created; as, they reside in your "Private Spaces".

    No other User/Patron can see ANY "Living" individuals/persons that were created by another User/Patron; as, they ONLY reside in the "Private Spaces" of the User/Patron who created them.

    We CANNOT even see the ACTUAL Record in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' of our IMMEDIATE Family (eg. Spouse; Children; Parents; Siblings; ETC; Etc; etc) if they are "Living"; and, they have their own 'FamilySearch' Account.

    Of course, you can create your "Living" Family members; and, record them in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'; but, they will ONLY be seen by you:

    ▬ You cannot "Share" them with any other User/Patron.

    ▬ You cannot "Merge"/'Combine" them with any other "Living" individual/person residing in the "Private Spaces" of another User//Patron.

    There is CURRENTLY no mechanism in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' for Users/Patrons, to "Share"; or, "give permission" to "Share", the "Living" individuals/persons in their own "Private Spaces" with/between other/another User(s)/Patron(s).

    There are a myriad of "Privacy" Laws within the many various Countries and Unions throughout the World - it is a nightmare to negotiate.

    "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' is used in many Countries and Unions throughout the World; and, as such, must adhere to the myriad of "Privacy" Laws throughout the World.

    Hence, "Privacy" is one of the reasons that we cannot "Share" the "Living" individuals/persons in our own "Private Spaces" - it is NOT the ONLY reason; but, certainly has a bearing on the matter.

    Another factor is that such would have to be 'Coded'/'Programmed' into the Programme that is "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'.

    'Yes', these "Living" individuals/person in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' WILL, in fact, in many (most) cases will be "Duplicated" - unfortunately a necessary situation that currently cannot be avoided.

    I know that there are "Duplicates" of the "Living" ME - at least, one for my Wife and each of our Children, not to mention my other ("Living") extended Family members.

    Here are some "Knowledge Articles" in 'FamilySearch' in regard to "Private Spaces" and "Living" individuals/persons:

    Who can see my living relatives in Family Tree?

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/who-can-see-my-living-relatives-in-family-tree

    How does Family Tree protect the privacy of living people?

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-is-a-private-space-in-family-tree

    What Family Tree features are available in my private space?

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/family-tree-features-available-in-my-private-space

    Can my living relatives share a Family Tree private space to work together?

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/share-a-family-tree-private-space-with-family

    Can I transfer my Family Tree private space to another user?

    https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/transfer-my-family-tree-private-space-to-another-user

    ------------------

    I hope this helps, somewhat.

    Brett

    0
  • kathryngz
    kathryngz ✭✭✭
    December 26, 2021

    @Tiffany Roush Mehner , were you able to resolve this issue?

    The basic strategy for resolving the issue is that your son needs to be sure his living ancestors (parents, grandparents, and possibly great-grandparents) are linked to him in Family Tree. If any living ancestors aren't linked to him, then he needs to create a profile for them.

    Once that's done, he needs to link any living ancestor with a deceased parent to that parent. Does that make sense? For example, if his grandmother is living, but his grandmother's mother is deceased, your son would need to connect the living grandmother to the grandmother's deceased mother in Family Tree (you could provide him with the ID number).

    Does that help? Please let us know if you'd like further clarification.

    Kathryn

    0
Clear
No Groups Found

Categories

  • 29.9K All Categories
  • 24.1K FamilySearch Help
  • 122 Get Involved
  • 2.7K General Questions
  • 442 FamilySearch Center
  • 461 FamilySearch Account
  • 4.4K Family Tree
  • 3.4K Search
  • 4.7K Indexing
  • 634 Memories
  • 6.5K Temple
  • 321 Other Languages
  • 34 Community News
  • 6.6K Suggest an Idea
  • Groups