The Family CELLE CD - Volume 1
Initially our goal was to index and republish a complete set of Carolyn's Celle Newsletters. In publication for over thirty years, they comprise over a thousand pages of ongoing Cell/Sell family research. Over the years, as new Cousins joined our family research circle, there have been a growing number of requests for back issues of her newsletters. As we thought about republishing the first one hundred and eleven issues, we examined our information and realized that we have learned and discovered a great deal since they were first published. We knew they contained missing and incorrect information. Over the years we have filled in many links and discovered the errors in our assumptions. With that in mind we felt it essential to bring them up-to-date. That process is now complete, and the results are three indexed volumes of Celle Family Newsletters.
To Backup our accumulated knowledge we have assembled hundreds of original documents, records, journals, and stories. While the newsletters could reference these records, we really wanted to be able to share the complete text and format of them with our Cell/Sell family cousins.
As we looked into publishing these works we quickly discovered that it would cost a small fortune to put them all out in conventional print. Michael, Carolyn's husband, has extensive background in computer system design and analysis. He suggested that we put all the works on a CD that could be viewed and read on almost any personal computer. Pictures, charts, and graphics could be included in their original format and color. We could eliminate thousands of pounds of storage, and present the information in an exciting and easy to navigate format. In the process, we would even save a tree or two. In addition, he pointed out that we could include all the compiled family records, (over 30,000 individuals) in a format that could be loaded directly into most Genealogy Records Programs, (Family Tree Maker, Family Origins, PAF, etc.). Putting out some feelers, the Cell/Sell Cousins have responded with excited glee.
"The Family CELLE" Volume 1 is a library of over eight hundred pictures, drawings, and documents, many in their original hand-written formats, and over three thousand pages of Celle Family Journals, Stories, and Records. Michael had designed the system to work in what he calls an interactive format. That is, you tell the computer just what you want to examine, and the depth or level of information you wish to view.
Placed in strategic locations through out the library are hundreds of "Click HERE" commands. Like branches on a tree, these electronic branches can take you out of the main text you are investigating and enable you to view a variety of related records, source documents, or pictures. When you are ready, another "Click HERE" command returns you to the exact spot from which you branched out.
For ease in navigating the hundreds of files on the CD, Michael has designed the system in a "Menu Driven" format. The Main Menu provides access to the nine primary categories of information on the system. Preceeding each module is a second level menu that lists the subjects covered under that category. When the depth of information calls for it, there can be four, five, and even six levels of Menus guiding you through the subjects covered in this extensive library.
The Family CELLE CD - Volume 2
Picking up from where The Family CELLE CD Volume 1 leaves off, Volume 2 includes Carolyn's never before published "KITH and KIN, The Celle Family History". This five volume library contains over 1,500 pages and is the most comprehensive library of Celle family history ever written.
We trace the family as they spread across America. We visit the Sells who were members of several Anabaptist groups. In keeping wth our practice of combining Genealogy and History, we examine in detail the Amish people,.and their lifestyle.
As the country moved west so did the Sells. We follow them and a number of other emigrants as they traveled west across the Oregon and California Trails. These, along with several other modules take us from the 1700's to the early years of the 1900's, making an information packed, interesting, and exciting second volume.
On the Family CELLE Web Page we provide a brief summary of the contents of the both the CDs by displaying the Main and Primary Section Menus. The Process of hyperlinking from the Main Menu to each of the Section Menus works much the same way on the web site as it does on the actual CDs giving you a good feeling for the operational approach of the complete Family CELLE Library.
