how do I find my relatives that were pioneers to Utah?

Janet_Elizabeth_Piepgrass

Brett .

@JEPiepgrass JEPiepgrass​ 

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FYI

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Try this 'Collection' ...

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Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868

https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2517340

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Here is an Article in the 'FamilySearch' "Wiki":

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Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Utah_Mormon_Pioneer_Overland_Travel_Index_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records

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Here is the ACTUAL "Database" in a Church website:

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Church History

Pioneer Database

(Overland Travel)

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/

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And ...

Here is a about the "Database" ...

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About the Pioneer Database

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/pioneer-database/about?lang=eng

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Enjoy.

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I hope this helps.

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Brett

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from "Downunder"

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Dennis J Yancey

Brett has provided some great info!! it will be very helpful.

but I kind of wonder - - what exactlly did you really mean when you said "find my relatives"

 

Most LDS pioneer lines have been researched up and down and are well documented.

How far back does your family tree go In famlySearch?

Unless you are just starting to use FamilySearch and maybe your links between you and your deceased relatives has not yet been established. - which would then explain your desire to "find them".

 

BUT for many peopled it would be an easy thing to simply navigate your way (on an already well established tree) back from yourself to these LDS Pioneers?

 

OR are you saying that they indeed are already there in your family tree pedigree - BUT you are looking for more historical information - life stories and narratives about these people?

 

just was wondering what your focus was on.

Thanks for the clarificatiion

 

if you can share some of the ID's of your most recent deceased ancestors - that would be great - so as to make it easier for us to analyse your family tree.

Patricia Jensen

@JEPiepgrass JEPiepgrass​ You can try

familysearch.org/pioneers

Brett .

@Dennis J Yancey​ 

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Dennis

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You would be VERY surprised ...

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I am SORRY to say; but, MOST "Early Utah Mormon Pioneer" Families/lines have NOT been WELL researched up and down; and, are NOT well documented.

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I well know ...

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As, prior to visiting the USA I helped MANY (Utah) "Full Time" Missionaries, who were on their Mission (Downunder), find out much MORE about their "Early Utah Mormon Pioneer" heritage (ie. they thought ALL was DONE);

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And, ...

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We helped MANY Members of the Church, when we were travelling all around the USA, find out about their "Early Utah Mormon Pioneer" heritage, which they were NOT aware; or, much MORE about their "Early Utah Mormon Pioneer" heritage, that they thought ALL was DONE - EVEN those in UTAH and surrounding States.

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Brett

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Family Bible

surely indeed there are some that are not well documented

but with genealogy so important to LDS families - - there is a much greater chance that someone in the family has already researched large portions of it and with Mormon families having so many kids - there are literally millions of descendants who could / have done the research.

 

And often it is merely that the person - has not yet "built the bridge" between themselves and these early Mormon Pioneeers - and THAT is the part they are still discovering.

 

BUT my main point was not that - - my main point was - does this person who made the post - know the names of their ancestors and just need to look them up in a Mormom Pinoeer Database - OR are they still "building that bridge" I was alluding to - and they dont yet have the names to look up because they are just starting to build those links.

 

Family Bible

and the Mormon Pioneer database is exatkly the sort of thing that I was alluding to as to the massive research that has been done with these pioneers. Most of those entires in the Pioneer Database - being identified in FS FT.

But of course there are many people who dont yet recognize and know their connections to these people - and thus I totally agree that there are many people - still learning about their mormon pioneer ancestors that they might not even have known about. as well as the fact that there could be large gaps in the descendants of some of these early mormon pioneers.

Many people are still building that bridge to these Mormon ancestors.

 

Dennis J Yancey

another great database is the Mormon Missionary Database

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/search?

 

an interesting excecise is to type in a name like SMITH (or any name of your choice)

the database, because it is based on official missionary records - is pretty darn amazingly comprehensive and complete (though surely there must be some missing entries)

 

But you can type in just about any surname - and the vast majority of entries have corresponding photos - - Where did most of these photos come from? - many of them came from FamilySearch Family Tree where descendants had uploaded photos.

 

it is very surprising to see just what a high percentage of entries have photos for them - again because of the massive amount of research that has gone into it - and the number of descendants linked to these people who have also done research.

and most of these entries are linked to corresponding FS FT entries.

 

Yes - even in my family research - I have come across others who didnt know they had a mormon missionary in their ancestry. BUT once they make that link, which often is not that hard - they can come upon a wealth of family records. Though of course that is a generalization.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the links Brett!!

LegacyUser

Hi Dennis. Thanks for your answer. To clarify, my family had very few immigrants to Utah. I know the main ones, but was hoping to find a few others who might have come. On my mother's paternal side, I have a three generations of known ancestors; and that is where it stops. I recall one time when I logged in Family Search showed other relatives who came from her maternal side. There were just a few and I didn't write them down unfortunately. Those are the ones I hope to find. There were maybe a half a dozen or so names.

 

My father's side is very developed, but not my mother's maternal side.

 

Jan

 

 

 

 

LegacyUser

Oh my gosh - that is exactly what I was hoping to find. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I work mostly in Ancestry so Family Search is somewhat of a mystery to me. Jan

LegacyUser

Hi. Thanks for your response. Patricia (above) gave me the link to the Pioneer Database and the names of my relatives popped right up. So now I'm good. I am still building bridges to my ancestors. Jan

Dennis J Yancey

can you share the name and ID of your Maternal Grandfather?

 

Dennis J Yancey

Yes the site Patricia shared is very cool - and goes to show the immense research that has been done on these pioneers - most all interlinked with data in FamilySearch Family Tree - including many of my own ancestors.

Patricia Jensen

@JEPiepgrass JEPiepgrass​ You're very welcome! FamilySearch is awesome!

LegacyUser

We didn’t even know these people even existed until I saw this database. It is amazing to me how big the village of people doing family history is. Thanks so much for your help!

Dennis J Yancey

this is a great video - that in certain areas - discusses the differences between Ancestry and FamilySearch

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwRSRZ9amlM

 

In ancestry you have your own private tree - - in FamilySearch you share and collaborate with others using a single massive database. Thus you can more easily leverage the work of others that has been so extensively done on Mormon Pioneers within FamilySearch FamilyTree and related databases.

 

here are other great videos:

http://yanceyfamilygenealogy.org/family_search_videos.htm