My daughter got me one of those “Tell me Your Story, Grandfather” type books and it got me to thinking. How many genealogists have lamented the fact that a relative did not leave one bit of self-written material about themselves? How many have actually left behind something they wrote about themselves? Now may be the time for you to do that.
Always think about the family that was left behind when someone died? Were there children who would have needed looked after? Was there a spouse who would have needed some assistance? Was there an adult child who would have been unable to look after themselves? Who would have been nearby to help these individuals? In that family where you are stuck, have you asked yourself “when my ancestor died, who were their nearest living relatives and how far away did they live from the deceased?” Were there court records, guardianships, or other records resulting from issues when the person died?
Some records, particularly United States census records in the earlier part of the 18th century, have more than one set of page numbers. When creating citations, clearly indicate which set of page numbers you are using, for example: Because the page numbers can confuse some researchers, it is always advised to include additional citation information to assist in locating the record. For US census records, this would be the geographic information (state, county, township/village/enumeration district, etc.) and the household/dwelling number. The geographic information is necessary information anyway (since it tells you where the person was living), but it could also help someone else to locate the record again if the page number is “off” or confusing. Some church records, particularly those kept in ledgers that were originally blank, […]
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There are times where seeing things on your screen or being able to search quickly to “figure out who someone is” isn’t quite enough–at least for me. I’ve been working on my Ostfriesen families and the similarity of the names can lead to confusion. There are times where the names Antje Jurgens Ehmen Antje Tonjes Ehmen, Tonjes Jurgens Ehmen, Jurgen Ehmen, Willm Jurgens Ehmen, and Willm Tonjes Ehmen start to run together to the point where I’m about ready to start looking for Tonjes Antje Ehmen (there was no such person). These individuals are all children or grandchildren of the same ancestral couple (and there are more similar names that are not included here). To keep me organized and to where I don’t have to search for them […]
Need an “outside the box” genealogy activity? Pick an ancestor or relative that you know something about. Then think about which of their relatives that ancestor or relative actually knew or likely met. It will get you thinking about life spans, geographic proximity, travel options, family dynamics, and more. And you never know what ideas you may get as a result.
If you are looking for a “genealogy activity,” consider writing down the name of each family member you remember meeting and write down the main thing you remember about them. Keep it to one sentence or memory per relative. You can always add to the list later. You may remember more people than you think and you may remember more details than you think.
Before entering information into a genealogical database, consider writing the information down and charting the relationships on paper to make certain you understand them and can visualize them. In families where individuals were married more than once or had children with more than one person, it can be easy to enter relationships incorrectly.
Due to popular demand, we’re offering a follow up to our Perplexity AI for genealogy. Details on our announcement page.
Your relative, when providing you with oral family history information, may easily get events in the wrong order. The details they remember, with the exception of the order in which they happened, may be perfectly correct. The order in which things happened does matter because a correct time frame matters at least most of the time. If two events are completely unrelated to each other, it can be even easier to confuse the order in which they happened. When talking to a relative, focus on what they can remember. If the order in which things happens seems a litle wonky, concentrate on getting as much information as you can from the person and recording their rendition as accurately as you can. Then when you analyze the oral history […]
We’ve released issue 5-18 of Casefile Clues which analyzes an 1888 obituary from Illinois. We analyze the obituary as if we knew nothing else about the obituary subject. We look at the information it provides, the probable accuracy of it, the likely informant, and where to direct future research. Our tone is easy-to-read, thorough, practical, and down-to-earth. We bring genealogical analysis to you in an informal commonsense way. All for just slightly over a dollar an issue. Learn more about Casefile Clues on our website.
The 1895 will of Tamme Tammen in Pike County, Illinois, refers to his wife as “Elka B. Franklen Tammen.” Franklen (possibly an incorrect rendering of “Franken”) could have been Elka’s maiden name, middle name, or married name with a previous husband. I should include in my notes on Elka that she is referred to as “Elka B. Franklen Tammen” in her husband’s 1895 will. I should not enter that as her maiden name. Using it for a clue to other relatives when searching is advised. But there’s not really good evidence in this will that it’s her maiden name. There are other possibilities.
We’ve released the recording and handout for this presentation. If you pre-ordered, the links have been sent. If you did not get it, email me and I’ll resend it. Details here. There are many neat features of this site that allows searchers to search for digital versions of federal land patents. We also discussed how the patent is not the only record–the others are available at the National Archives. We had a great time during this presentation. We discussed all the various search features and had good feedback from live attendees.
We’ve mentioned this before, but some problems can be worked around or solved by thinking about every assumption we have made about an ancestor and “their situation.” Every assumption. Especially those that are near and dear to our heart. Those are the ones that can create the biggest stumbling blocks. If you don’t have documentation for a “fact” about your ancestor, then that fact could be incorrect. Even if you do have documentation for a fact, that documentation could be incorrect. Always consider the possibility that what you think you know could be wrong–and then ask yourself: what would I do differently if this “fact” weren’t true? And then do it.
This webinar has been released for immediate download. Preorders have been sent (contact me at the address in your receipt if you did not receive yours). More details on our announcement page.
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