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Welcome to the Laval Genealogy Project
Introduction
The purpose of the Laval Genealogy Project is to collect, preserve, organize, and make available genealogical information about the Laval family. It is built from the central figure of Constant Laval, who was one of the first generation of Lavals to settle in the US. It is a complementary resource for the family (not for the public) to the photo archive being created by Elizabeth Laval-Leyva, which will contain, besides Claude "Pop" Laval's photo collection, various original documents such as letters, press clippings, and birth certificates.
Data from these sources, together with earlier handwritten family trees, and supplementary information from family members, are entered into the project's maintainable computer database. A genealogy software program collects the information for an individual in a single record; the individuals are then linked together in the program to show the relationships among family members.
All this information is then available to all family members, in the form of reports, images, and family tree charts, accessible in two ways:
- on this website
- as printed material, by request from the project team.
The Team
The idea of a computer-based genealogical record was generated at the Laval Family Reunion organized by Elizabeth in September 2002. Steven Dodson offered to try out the technical possibilities. Jeanne Pimentel has collected some readily available material, and Brad Belden (her trusted non-Laval computer expert) has put it into its present form. Steven will now augment, refine, and maintain it. One of us will handle requests for printed material. Volunteers are welcome to join "The Team" and we depend on everyone to add to (and correct) the information about their branch of the family. Our contact information is listed at the end of this document.
Contents
The contents of the database can be made available in the following forms.
Reports
Individual Report for Constant Laval, including dates and other basic
statistics, a photograph, and a brief history
Family Group: Constant Laval and his immediate family
Genealogy Report for Constant Laval: currently the first five generations; more will be
added
Laval Family by Generation report
Timeline of the Descendants of Constant Laval
Table of Names for Constant Laval and Descendants showing details for the 120 Laval family members in the
database
Other reports, such as relationships between family members, can be
generated.
Photos
A number of photos of individuals and family groups can be stored in the
database's photo gallery. One photo for each individual will be designated
"primary picture" and will appear on reports and charts.
Tree Charts (in the
traditional form of a "family tree")
Descendants of Constant
Laval, through the first five generations
Ancestors of Constant Laval: siblings and parents for four
generations.
Possibilities and Limitations
As the project grows, more information will be added. Other tree charts can be created, centered on individuals who are key figures in a particular branch of the family. More generations can be added.
At present, only a few photographs have been included. On the tree charts, photos appear for only three generations (and they are not necessarily the best choices as portraits).
Currently, the emphasis is on blood relatives. Spouses are named on the chart, but their information is not developed. (One example of stepchildren is included, just as an example of how they can be shown if desired.) However, any amount of information for any individual can be stored in the database itself, including events in a person's life, anecdotes, and links to documents and publications.
Two software programs are involved: Legacy creates the maintainable database from which everything except tree charts is produced; TreeDraw uses the same database to produce tree charts. These programs are amazingly versatile, but do have minor limitations; it is necessary to conform to certain styles for the exact forms of names and dates, for instance, and their placement on charts.
How Do I Get It?
If you use the Internet, you can access the data via the Website using any standard web browser, and print out your own material. You can also print PDF versions of some documents if you have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer. If you choose to buy the Legacy and TreeDraw software, you can modify and create files too. For information about using this Website, click here.
Those who do not wish to use a computer can contact the team directly to request printed versions of reports and tree charts. (There will be a modest shipping and handling charge for this.)
Updates
The project is a work-in-progress and will be continually extended. The only boundaries are the information provided by family members, and the time the Team can spend on it. We have not yet input all the material at our disposal, but beyond that, we depend on family members to provide more, and to monitor the accuracy of the information shown.
Information received will be available on the database as soon as we can input the data.
Due to the time it takes to redo and post the reports and charts, they will be less frequently updated on the site. Each report shows its creation date in the lower, right-hand corner. We hope to update all tree charts at least annually, and the text-based reports more frequently.
An Update List will be posted on the website. Each significant change made to the database, a report, or a tree chart will be shown in chronological order, newest first. Users of the site may refer to the list to see what has changed since their last visit.
Contacting the Project
If you have additions or changes to suggest, please send them to us.
Please also send us your comments, praise, constructive criticism, questions, requests, and offers of help. We would like to hear from you, and we will respond to all inquires.
You can contact members of The Team by e-mail as shown below.
Jeanne Pimentel
e-mail: JPim@aol.com
Steven Dodson
e-mail: steven@epochdesign.com
Brad Belden
e-mail: bbelden1@yahoo.com
The address of the website is:
http://lavalfamilyhistory.tripod.com
Don't forget to bookmark the address of this site!
* * * * *
We hope you enjoy the Laval Family Genealogy Project.
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