Copying information from an online tree is a great way to repeat incorrect information. Just because something appears in an online compilation–even with a submitter name–does not mean that it is correct. The goal of your tree should not be to see how many names you can collect. Treat researching that distant relative you just learned about the way you would a close relative–try to be as accurate as possible. If finding incorrect information on your grandma would upset you, keep in mind that person you just “copied and pasted” into your tree with out a second of validation may be someone’s grandma as well.
My aunt’s 1930-era death certificate has the wrong last name for her father. While the name is wrong, it does have a connection to the family–just not in the way indicated on the death certificate. A 1900 census enumeration for three aunts in a different family includes the place of birth for their deceased mother. It is the wrong state–one in which their mother never lived. But it is the state where the mother’s parents were married a year before she was born. The location did have a connection to the family, just not as stated in the census enumeration. There are times where wrong information is simply that: wrong. There are other times where wrong information is simply the right answer to a different question and an […]
When searching old newspapers for obituaries, consider searching for the woman’s maiden name. The 1931 obituary of Sarah Graves in a Macon, Missouri, newspaper refers to her twice: once as Mrs. Thomas M. Graves and once as Sarah Ellen Newman (her maiden name). About every other reference to her is “she.” Not all obituaries will list a woman the way Sarah is in this obituary, but it was a common practice during this time period. Searching for parents’ names as well may be a good idea–even if they had been dead for fifty years and had never lived in the area.
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