I have a ward member that added children in birth order, but without dates. The order has changed. H

User15782620216587898691

I have a ward member that added children in birth order, but without dates. The order has changed. How can she get them back in the right order when she does not have birth dates for them.

Brett .

@EcclesVicki1 EcclesVicki1​ 

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Vicki

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THIS IS THE RESPONSE, TO THIS MATTER, THAT YOU RAISED, AS A "GENERAL QUESTION"...

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https://community.familysearch.org/s/question/0D54V00004yC61QSAS/i-have-added-childrens-names-they-are-in-the-wrong-birth-order-i-dont-have-birth-dates-but-i-do-know-the-correct-birth-order-how-can-i-change-them-so-they-are-in-the-correct-birth-order

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Short Answer: You HAVE to have at least an APPROXIMATE 'Date', for each child.

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There is NO alternative.

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Such APPROXIMATE 'Date', can even just be an "About" 'Year'.

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Even a 'guesstimation,' would be better than nothing - just note that such is a 'guesstimation' - just to ORDER the Children - in a "Reason Statement" .

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You possibly have an idea of the approximate 'Year' of "Birth".

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Even, if that is WRONG, you can change that later, when the actual "Detail" is known.

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At least, something is better than nothing ...

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The ONLY problem/issue that occurs is with "Multiple" Births - there is NO way to actually ORDER the "Multiple" Births if they were Born on the SAME 'Day', regardless if you actual include the 'Time' of 'Day' of the "Birth", for each.

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Here are a couple of "Knowledge Articles" in 'FamilySearch':

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Why are my ancestor's siblings listed out of order?

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/i-dont-know-the-exact-date-to-enter-into-family-tree

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I do not know the exact date to put in Family Tree

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/i-dont-know-the-exact-date-to-enter-into-family-tree

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I hope this helps.

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Brett

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User15782620216587898691

Thank you! I will pass that on.

Chris Schmink

@EcclesVicki1 EcclesVicki1​  Even before reading the response from @Brett .​ and beginning a search of my own (which Brett very nicely provided the direct links for), I had the same idea as what he said and what the articles also recommend. Even if you just order them each with a different birth year, and use just a single year for each one in order from oldest to youngest (or "About [year]") without any month or date, you've at least then provided the computer algorithm with a means of preserving that proper order. And as Brett said, you can gradually go back and change those dates with a complete date (or at least month and year) as you discover appropriate source documentation. But at least in the beginning you (your ward member friend) can still post them in the proper order.

 

Now that they're out of order, your ward member simply needs to go back into the records and use the "Edit" feature for the birth year to make those changes now, and later once more specific and accurate information becomes available.

 

--Chris