This digital scan of a newspaper from 1858 is difficult for a human to read. It is difficult for OCR technology to convert to raw, searchable text as well. This item about a murder in 1858 was found by searching digital images of newspapers–but the reference was located in a 1958 issue of the newspaper in a section of items from 100 years ago. The dead can be mentioned in a newspaper long after their obituary has been published and forgotten. Historical items or “days from the past” (often used for filler in smaller papers) may mention that ancestor decades after they have died.
When writing about a relative, use more than just a title such as Aunt/Uncle, Grandma, etc. Grandma Neill or Grandpa Rampley can be equally vague. Also avoid using the title and just the first name. In some families, Uncle Cecil or Aunt Ruth can easily refer to more than one person. I had two uncle Cecils and three Aunt Ruths without having to reach into the distant past of my family tree. Sometimes even the last name will not be enough help. There were two Aunt Ruth Ufkeses in my family, although one was always referred to as Ruthie. Use either a maiden name in parenthesis, a middle name, or additional clarifying verbiage (year of birth and deaths) when referring to these individuals in writing–especially on photographs. When […]
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