<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent;font-family:georgia,serif">Need to </span><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com" style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent;font-family:georgia,serif" target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent;font-family:georgia,serif">?</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent;font-family:georgia,serif"><font size="4">Genealogy Update 18 Sept 2026</font></span></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif"><br></font></span></div><div><br></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">** Under My Nose</font></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif">** Intro Price on Using AI as a Genealogy Consultant--Consult Yourself</font></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent">** </span><span style="background-color:transparent">\u201cA Good Farm Out In the Sticks\u201d and What\u2019s Not In the Paper</span></font></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif">** Intro Price Ending on Metes and Bounds with AI</font></span></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif">** Recorded Webinars</font></span></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="text-align:initial;background-color:transparent"><font size="4" face="georgia, serif">----------------------------</font></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Under My Nose</font></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent;text-align:initial"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------</font></span></div><div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">this article originally appeared on the </em>Ancestry.com<em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"> blog on 25 November 2007</em></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Sometimes those disappearing ancestors did not disappear the way we thought they did. Rather they are right there in front of us waiting to be found. This week we look at such a situation. Our search reminds us of several research techniques that any family historian needs to have in their repertoire when the ancestor seems to vanish without a trace.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Sarah Wickiser Calvert\u2019s only known record of existence was an 1862 Delaware County, Ohio, deed where she sold property apparently inherited from her parents. After that, I had concluded she simply evaporated. The question was where she departed as she apparently could not be found in other records. Based upon census enumerations and more detailed information on her known siblings, it was estimated Sarah was born between 1802 and 1810, probably in Pennsylvania. Any other details of her life were unknown, including the name of her husband or her date of marriage (other than the fact that she was married by 1862).</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">When a relative is \u201clost,\u201d one place to start looking is near other relatives, former neighbors, and associates, particularly ones who have moved. It is often helpful to have a \u201cfamily map\u201d handy to assist in keeping the various names straight.<span id="m_-8975848981419480644gmail-more-2067" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">A Little Background</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Abraham and Katherine Blaine Wickiser were married in Pennsylvania in 1802 and were the parents of the following children:</font></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:auto 1.5em 1em;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">George</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Sarah Calvert (the missing Sarah)</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Ellen Green</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Lucinda Kile</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">William</font></li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Abraham was the son of Conrad and Rosina Wickiser and Katherine Blaine was the daughter of Elam and Katherine Blaine.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">In the interest of space, we have omitted names of Abraham and Katherine\u2019s grandchildren and the other children of Abraham and Katherine\u2019s parents. However, these names are important as they may provide clues as to naming patterns and names that might have been repeated extensively in the family. Some genealogists prefer to use a printed descendant listing from their software package to keep family straight. I prefer to create crude \u201ccharts.\u201d The key is to keep the relationships in your mind or readily available as you search.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Off to Find Sarah<br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"></strong>Sarah\u2019s brother George Wickiser in 1850 had an interesting enumeration right next door.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">1850 Federal Census, Ohio, Delaware County, Harlem Township,</font></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:auto 1.5em 1em;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Elisha Talbot, aged 41 born Virginia</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Sarah Talbot, aged 39, born Ohio</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Silas Talbot, aged 15, born Ohio</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Lucinda Talbot, aged 11, born Ohio</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Catharine Talbot, aged 9, born Ohio</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Hannah A. Talbot, aged 3, born Ohio</font></li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Could Talbot be an alternate interpretation of Calvert? Very possible. There are two additional clues here: the names Lucinda and Catharine. Sarah Wickiser Calvert had a sister Lucinda Wickiser and Sarah Wickiser, Calvert\u2019s mother, was named Katherine. Both names were used extensively in the family. The names are a coincidence to be certain, but make the entry worth investigating.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Who Is That in the Cemetery?</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">There is an Elisha Calvert buried in the Hunt Cemetery in Harlem Township, with a tombstone inscription indicating a date of birth of 10 March 1808 and a death date of 17 August 1850. This age is consistent with the Elisha Talbot census entry. Does this mean I have the right guy? No. It means I have a potential match.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The 1850 census at Ancestry was searched again, for a person with the first name of Elisha, living in Delaware County, Ohio, with a year of birth of ca. 1808. None had a last name even reasonably close to Calvert or Talbot, except for the entry already noted. After reviewing my map of Ohio counties and townships, I performed similar searches for Elishas living in Franklin or Licking counties. No matches. This was done to make certain there were not multiple Elisha Talbots/Calverts living in the same general area. Just because a match is found does not mean the correct person has been located.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">There now seems a reasonable chance that this entry is for the desired Sarah, but more work needs to be done. We follow the Sarah in 1860 and 1870. Here\u2019s what I found:</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">1860 Federal Census, Ohio, Licking County, Monroe Township</font></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:auto 1.5em 1em;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Sarah Colbert, aged 50, born Ohio</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Hannah A., aged 13, born Ohio</font></li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">These ages are consistent with the purported 1850 enumeration for Sarah and the death of Elisha in 1850. Licking County is adjacent to Delaware County where Sarah was in 1850.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">1870 required a little more work. It appears that the family left Ohio, and they were living in Crittenden Township, Champaign County, Illinois. Sarah Calvert was aged 60, born in Ohio, and keeping house in the household of John Barkus, aged 24, with his apparent children (Silas, aged 9, and Laura E., aged 5). Also listed on the same page is Silas Calvert, aged 35 born Ohio. This Silas Calvert is of a consistent age to be the Silas in the 1850 enumeration with Sarah Talbot.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">A search of Ancestry World Tree located a reference to a John Barcus marrying a Lucinda Calvert on 20 October 1859. Unfortunately no location is given. This reference most definitely needs to be confirmed with local records if possible. All it really tells me is that someone else at least believed that a John Barcus married a Lucinda Calvert. The date fits our time frame, but that does not prove anything either. It is a good clue though.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Where Next?</strong><br style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Armed with the death date of Elisha Calvert, courthouse records in Ohio should be checked, particularly estate and court documents. His 1850 census enumeration lists him as a laborer with no real estate, so there\u2019s a chance that little was left to settle after his death, but it\u2019s still a good idea to look. The marriage of John Barcus and Lucinda Calvert should also be obtained, looking in Licking and Delaware counties initially and broadening the circle out from there.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Death records in Champaign County, Illinois, should also be checked for Sarah Calvert, as it appears she died before the 1880 census enumeration. It is possible that she or other family members are buried there. Our work continues, but there are a few things to keep in mind as far as the methodologies that were employed in locating Sarah:</font></p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:auto 1.5em 1em;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;color:rgb(23,37,42)"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The importance of neighbors and family</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The importance of being constantly aware of the family structure</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The necessity of having relevant contemporary maps</font></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Being aware of alternate name spellings and pronunciations</font></li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Keep in mind, so far my case is circumstantial. It looks reasonable and may very well be correct, but additional work needs to be done. The nice thing is most of the census searching could easily be done on Ancestry and now we can take our framework and head off to additional records, both on- and offline.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The author acknowledges and appreciates the help of Wickiser descendant Mary Wickizer Burgess in tracking Sarah down.</font></p></div><br><div><span style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:xx-large;font-weight:700;text-align:center;white-space:pre-wrap">Using AI as a Genealogy Consultant</span></div><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;text-align:center;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><i style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><u><b>Our approach is to always use AI responsibly and practically a</b></u></i><font color="#000000"><i><font size="4"><b>s your own genealogy consultant.</b></font></i></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Maybe you can\u2019t afford a consultant for your own research or you have too many genealogy problems to hire help with every one. AI can serve as your own genealogy research consultant. </span></p><br style="font-family:georgia,serif"><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">As with a human consultant, you\u2019ll need to do the initial work on your ancestor, gather what you have, and familiarize yourself with basic sources in the area. There is no guarantee that AI will solve your problem. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">But using AI as your personal research consultant can help. Not by doing the research for you, or inventing ancestors that never existed, but by doing what a good consultant actually does: looking at what you have, summarizing it, discussing it, and giving you ideas on where to look next or to help you see things in a different way. It may even tell you where you need to go to improve your research skills. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">After using AI, you still may decide to use a human consultant. The work you did with AI will help you prepare to get the most from that advice from a real person and to make the best use of your time and money should that be necessary. We acknowledge in this presentation and approach that AI does not know everything, is not perfect, and cannot solve every problem. It\u2019s just another tool. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">You'll see how to frame a research problem so AI gives you something useful instead of something vague. You'll learn to recognize when it's guessing, because it will, and how to catch hallucinations and how to use AI in a discerning fashion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The goal isn't to replace your judgment. It's to give you a thinking partner available at two in the morning when you finally realize you need to get outside your own mind on a certain ancestral problem. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3SJCPREXK5EUC" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pre-order the presentation now.</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Release date:</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> 25 September</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Price:</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> $15.99</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Includes the full presentation, a detailed handout, and a ready-to-use set of prompts you can adapt to your own research problems.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">--------------------</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">\u201cA Good Farm Out In the Sticks\u201d and What\u2019s Not In the Paper</font><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"></font></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">--------------------
</font></span></p><img src="cid:ii_mu6z9rau0" alt="image.png" width="284" height="300"><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">
</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Real estate is often about one thing: location\u2026at least on the surface. Genealogical research is never about one source.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The value in location was apparently true about the Riley Rampley farm in Hancock County, Illinois. At least that\u2019s what the newspaper seems to be implying.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The <em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%">Warsaw Bulletin</em> mentioned the partition sale of the sale of Riley\u2019s farm in January of 1909. I\u2019ve known about the partition suit for some time and (other than the residences of the purchasers) all but the last sentence is information easily verifiable using court records. The newspaper would not be an original source for this information. The original source would be those court records.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">It\u2019s the last sentence that intrigues me.</font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;border-width:2px;border-color:rgb(0,115,170);color:rgb(23,37,42)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">This is a low price for the property, its situation off the main road being to its disadvantage and affecting its value but not in the least its producing qualities.</font></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The farm is in the sticks. There\u2019s no doubt about that. In fact, when Riley\u2019s widow, Nancy, applies for a military pension there is information about the location of her farm in the application. The special examiner mentions the difficulty he had getting to the farm. The location of the farm could have negatively impacted its value.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">But there\u2019s a little more to the story than that. And possibly a little more to the price of the farm than the location. The newspaper does not tell the real reason behind the partition sale.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">The farm was owned jointly by the heirs of Riley Rampley\u2013wife Nancy and their ten children. Nancy wanted to sell the farm and move to the nearby town of West Point. Had the heirs been in agreement to a price, they could have sold without court action and without a public sale. But they couldn\u2019t.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Riley and Nancy\u2019s youngest son Virgil was too young to execute a deed. They could not have arranged a sale among themselves even if they had wanted to. A partition suit was necessitated by Virgil\u2019s age.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">It\u2019s easy to see how the scenario played out.</font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;outline:0px;text-align:initial;max-width:100%;border-width:2px;border-color:rgb(0,115,170);color:rgb(23,37,42)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Nancy goes to the local justice of the peace, notary public, or someone else locally who \u201cknows the law\u201d and says she wants to sell the farm\u2013perhaps to her two sons who have agreed to pay her a price the family agrees to. He tells her \u201cMrs. Rampley. You can\u2019t sell the farm by yourselves this way. Virgil\u2019s too young. The law won\u2019t let him sign a deed. There ain\u2019t no way you can do it without going to court.\u201d</font></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">And so a partition suit is filed and the auction is the end result.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">It\u2019s also possible that other bidders at the auction are not seriously bidding against the Rampley brothers. It would not be unheard of for locals to not \u201cbid against the family\u201d in an auction of this type. Peer pressure can be a powerful force and the neighbors were probably well aware that the family\u2019s only option was a public auction. Sometimes there are ways to slightly work around the law.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">And the newspaper\u2026it doesn\u2019t tell the whole story.</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);text-align:initial;max-width:100%"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Which is why we never rely on just one source.</font></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">
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</span></p><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="6"><b><i>Metes and Bounds have you confused?</i></b></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="6"><b><i><br></i></b></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="6"><b><i>If you missed the early-bird price there's still time.</i></b></font></div><div><br></div><div><div><span id="m_-8975848981419480644m_300265188586799308m_-112295856351205830m_-7592508208758820861m_-5731527410213922142m_2443303823353368425m_349543576948851678m_5330640086014531507m_6499408055550427473m_-5361775229994898281m_1564474532372072231m_-7180068898874562806m_-2572807263328178486m_-626108274527302353gmail-docs-internal-guid-eed63b96-7fff-82a5-6136-a9aea8fe7d9f"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">-------------------------------------</font></span></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Using AI for Metes and Bounds Deed Analysis--to be released 18 September</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">-------------------------------------</font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">A completely new presentation!</font></div><div>and there's still time to get it at the introductory price</div><div><br></div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><i>Using AI for Metes and Bounds Deed Analysis</i></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><img src="cid:ii_msvf9x2o0" alt="image.png" width="478" height="127" style="border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor"></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Do deeds with metes and bounds descriptions give you headaches? You are not alone. We will see how to use AI to help with drawing properties, analyzing deed transactions, noticing patterns, and more. Our presentation is easy-to-follow, down-to-earth, and practical. This presentation is not about how to find land records. We will assume you already know how to do that.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><img src="cid:ii_msvf9x2r1" alt="image.png" width="313" height="288" style="outline:0px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Topics covered will include:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Using AI to work with metes and bounds descriptions.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Manual versus AI transcriptions</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Fitting parcels together</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Viewing acquisitions and sales over time</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Creating ownership chronologies</span></p></li></ul><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Participants are encouraged to send Michael a limited number of questions after they have viewed the presentation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">
</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Revised release date is 18 September 2026. </span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WZ7W2VTNUFRM6" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Pre-order price $21</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Post-release price $27.00. Handout included which will include commentary and prompts that were used. The presentation is approximately an hour long and can be viewed more than once.. </span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=WZ7W2VTNUFRM6" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Order yours today</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Don\u2019t wait as we tend to forget.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br style="color:rgb(34,34,34);white-space:normal"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">About Michael: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Michael John Neill has actively researched his genealogy since the early 1980s. He has given genealogy lectures at a variety of national and small conferences since the 1990s. Michael has a master\u2019s degree in mathematics and taught mathematics at a community college for thirty years. He has led research trips to the FamilySearch Library for over twenty years. </span></p></font></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br>
</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-----------------------------</span></p><p style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-----------------------------</span></p><p style="text-align:initial;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;outline:0px;line-height:1.6;color:rgb(37,41,42);max-width:100%"><font face="inherit" style="font-size:16px"><span style="margin:0px auto;padding:0px;outline:0px;height:auto;text-align:initial"></span></font><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:16px;color:rgb(70,112,127);font-family:"Open Sans";background-color:transparent">--------------------</span></p><div><font color="#46707f" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Webinars</font></div><div><font color="#46707f" face="Open Sans"><span style="font-size:16px">--------------------</span></font></div><div><font color="#46707f" face="Open Sans"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="color:rgb(23,37,42);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ready-to-Go Webinars from Michael\u2013download immediate:</span></p><ul style="color:rgb(23,37,42);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Creating Children\u2019s Stories from Genealogy Events</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">DeedMapper webinars</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/02/19/using-the-familysearch-catalog-webinar/" target="_blank">FamilySearch Catalog</a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Farming Ancestor webinars\u2013landowner and non-landowner versions</span></a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/05/updated-familysearch-full-text-search-webinar/" target="_blank">Full-Text Search at FamilySearch </a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/" target="_blank">Full-Text Search at FamilySearch with Common Names</a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/how-errors-get-in-records-webinar/" target="_blank">How Errors Get in Records</a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/03/10/genealogy-research-in-illinois-webinar/" target="_blank">Illinois Genealogy Research</a></p></li><li style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/unburying-funeral-home-records/" target="_blank">Unburying Funeral Home Records</a></p></li></ul></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">----------------------------------------<br></font></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><b><font face="georgia, serif" 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