One never knows when life will change in an instant. Have you preserved or shared pictures and images of items you have that cannot be replaced? Don’t wait. A sudden illness, natural disaster, or other event can alter your plans for “doing it later.” Make certain others have digital copies of items you have. Initially focus on those items that are unique–letters, pictures, etc. You can wait to make copies of census records and other items that are probably elsewhere. But that wedding book that has signatures of relatives? That scrapbook that has one-of-a-kind pictures? Those are the things you need to focus on initially. Life has a way of happening and those left behind may not have the interest in the things that you do.
We’re really excited about this presentation! Join me on 4 November (or order the recording)–details on our announcement page.
The leaf seemed to be defying gravity. It was simply hanging in the air. Of course the leaf was not defying gravity. It had been caught in the fine, and difficult to see, strand of spider’s web. It was supported and it did have a connection to something else. Those unseen connections are often what we try and find in our genealogical research. Some of the connections leave records where the connection is stated explicitly (birth and marriage being the most common). Some connections are mentioned in other records (death records, probate records, wills, obituaries, etc.). Some connections are strongly hinted at in other records (probates that do not mention how heirs are related, quit claim deeds where numerous grantors are listed without stated relationships, and the like). […]
Need to search several versions of the Social Security Death Index at once? This page on Steve Morse’s site allows you to do that. The Social Security Death Index includes deaths from 1936-2014, but only includes those deaths submitted to the Social Security Administration. It is not an index of every death during that time frame. The actual URL is https://www.stevemorse.org/ssdi/ssdi.html
Genealogists cite Bibles for family history records. Now I’m citing a dictionary, but it’s not for a definition of a word. It’s for my Mom’s college address. I’ll probably cite it in a similar fashion to how one cites family Bibles, but there’ll be some twists. It’s “Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary,” (c) 1959 by G. & C. Merriam Co. Mom’s address is not on a numbered page, it’s on the page immediately following the inside from cover (the first flyleaf?) which is unpaginated–so I don’t have a page number to cite. I’ll include the provenance–how I know it was my Mom’s dictionary. I had seen it a few times before she died and I remember her telling me that her parents got it for her. It’s got her […]
Join me for “The Best of Genealogy Tip of the Day” on 3 November–or purchase a download. Details on our announcement page. This will be one of our last 2024 presentations.
Some records were created before an event took place, usually in preparation for the event itself. The issuance of a marriage license does not guarantee that the marriage ever took place. The announcement of marriage banns also is not evidence of the actual marriage. Even a church bulletin announcing my baptism that day in church does not guarantee it took place. It does indicate the event was planned and scheduled for that day. And, in all likelihood, it did take place. But if one document said something was going to happen and other reliable information indicated that event did not happen, remind yourself that not every event intended to be actually comes to pass.
Our popular A to Z series is back! This 2024 edition of “Brick Walls from A to Z” has been released for distribution–recording and handout. Through 29 October we’re offering it at an $8 discount. View as many times as you wish. We’ve posted more details on our announcement page–don’t wait. Presentation does not have to be viewed immediately.
If it takes years for a relative’s estate to be finally settled, it can be tempting to think that the reason was because there was a legal wrangling over the estate. While sometimes that is the case, it is also possible that the relative’s surviving spouse had a lifetime interest in the property or was given a life estate by the deceased relative. It’s also possible that if there were minor heirs, the other heirs waited to finally settle the estate until all the heirs were legally old enough to execute documents. That’s often easier than going through the process of appointing a guardian. There are reasons why an estate could be drawn out over some time besides family drama. Although family drama is a frequent reason. Check […]
When using a record or source that is new to you, here are some things to think about to make the best use of it: There are other questions to ask about the record as you analyze the information it contains, but the answers to these questions will hopefully make your search easier.
For twenty years, it seemed as if my ancestor Ira Sargent was dropped off by a UFO in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1880. Turns out he wasn’t. He was in the 1850 and 1860 United States Census listed under the last name of his step-father–whom his mother had married in 1849. Until I discovered the last name of the step-father, I was unable to find Ira. Is it possible that your UFO ancestor wasn’t dropped off by aliens but was instead listed in records as a child under his (or her) stepfather’s last name? And that the first time they used their “birth name” in a record was when they married?
We’re excited to offer our first Genealogy Tip of the Day merch! Check out our t-shirt details .
From a while back with an update: “An online tree indicates that an aunt of mine was married in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1869. The only source that tree has for this date are two other online trees. There is no additional information to indicate how the information was obtained–no minister or justice of the peace name, no church, address, etc. A search of extant Hamilton County marriage records did not locate the marriage. “The only way I know that my aunt married is because her husband’s name is listed when she inherits from her brother’s estate a few years later. That estate record is my evidence for the marriage and I’m using the date they are mentioned in the court record as a “married by” date. […]
There are times where I still like to use pencil and paper. For me, it’s just faster and one of those old habits that I just can’t get out of. However, I need to keep those notes in a way that I won’t use them. Typically my notes are made while searching and making digital images of records. I was using a page from an 1895 genealogy of the Sargent family to start my search for vital records of the family. To keep myself organized, I took a picture of my notes sheet and filed it with the digital images I made of the vital records that I located. Then when I go to review those images my notes are right there. If I need to take more […]
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