The following is not a complete user’s manual for the Brother’s Keeper program. That information may be found either in the program’s on-screen Help menu, or in the printed manual provided to registered Brother’s Keeper users. These instructions are meant only to help new users get started using Brother's Keeper to access the data in GRANDMA. Assuming that you have set the customization options according to our recommendations, the Brother’s Keeper program will start by taking you to the Select Person screen, which will prompt you to enter a name or number (see below):
If Brother's Keeper does not take you directly to this screen, you will need to click on the Edit menu first, or set the Brother's Keeper options according to our recommendations. Names should be entered into the Select Person box in natural order (first name, last name). You need not enter middle names, since the program will search for all persons with the specified first and last names whether or not you enter a middle name (see below):
The Name Code system: a better way to search The results of a name search will be affected by spelling variations for both given names and surnames in the database. Spelling variations become increasingly common as one moves back in time, and users cannot be certain that they know the precise way in which a specific name has been entered into the database. To overcome this problem, we have created an alphanumeric “Name Code” system. Each Low German Mennonite and Hutterite surname has been assigned a 3-digit code (e.g., 036 for Klassen and all its variant spellings), and each given name has been assigned a 2-letter code (e.g., ma for Mary, Maria, Marie, etc.). By typing these combined codes, preceded by a forward slash (/), you can be assured of finding all variant spellings of any surname or given name in the database. It is very important that you become familiar with this name code system, since it will vastly improve the results of your searches. Swiss/South German surnames also have a name code, which consists of a single letter followed by two numbers (e.g., B19 for Bender). While the surname code is generally used to combine variant spellings of the same name, it is also sometimes used to link separate surnames that are easily confused with each other.The complete list of codes may be found on the CD. Since looking these codes up in printed lists can be quite time-consuming, many users find it easiest to use the following method to access name codes:
A. Type the person’s name into the Select Person field the way you think it should be spelled (see below):
B. When the list of possible matches appears, look toward the bottom of the Select Person box for a field called Ref number. That field will contain an alphanumeric code for the name you typed. In the example above, we see that the code for Johann Friesen is 075jo.
C. Click in the Enter Name or Number field at the top of the Select Person box to highlight the name already in the box.
D. Type a forward slash
(/) followed by the code in the Ref number field (see
below):
You will most likely get a much longer list of possible matches using the name codes than the name itself. As you can see from the example above, the first several results from this search are for "Hans Friesen" rather than "Johann Friesen." Both "Hans" and "Johann" are included in the given name code jo (as are John, Jon, Johnnie, Johannes, Juan, Sean, Ivan, and several other variations).The quickest way to find a record in GRANDMA is to enter a specific person's record number. These numbers are consecutively assigned by the program as records are entered. To find Abraham von Riesen (born 28 Sep 1752), for example, you can simple enter 3590 to go directly to his record. You will have no way of knowing a specific person's record number at first, but you probably will eventually learn commonly-used numbers (such as your own or those of close relatives). Once you have entered a name, code, or number, the program will give you a list of possible matches. If you followed the recommended customization instructions, this list will be in chronological order according to birth year. Persons with no birth year entered appear at the beginning of the list, but after that the names will be in birth year order.. As you scroll down the list of possible matches, the program will highlight each of the names in succession. Additional information for the highlighted name will appear below the list of all names found. When you find the name you are searching for, make sure that name is highlighted and click the Select button.The program will then take you to the Edit screen, and will show you the person whom you selected, along with known information about that person. By clicking on the various tabs and boxes on this screen, you can find additional information about this person’s parents, spouse(s), children, siblings and ancestors. The Events/Facts tab shows basic date and place information for the person (see below):
The Children tab shows a list of known children for the couple (see below):
The Notes tab shows any explanatory information that has been added about this person. (see below):
Additional information on navigating within Brother's Keeper, generating reports, and other features may be found in the Brother's Keeper Help menu (available from the main "Welcome to Brother's Keeper" screen) or in the printed manual that comes with registered versions of Brother's Keeper.