When you find that online obituary for a relative who died relatively recently, do you look in the comments section for additional clues? Good thing to do.
We’ve announced details of our March 2026 trip to the Library of Virginia in Richmond–join us!
Sometimes the connection the adminstrator of an estate has to the deceased is obvious or easy to determine. Sometimes it’s not. It’s always worth finding out if there is a connection. For years, I assumed incorrectly that the administrator of the estate of Michael Trautvetter who died in Hancock County, Illinois, was a neighbor, friend, or interested creditor. I knew little about Trautvetter’s family and, after a while, gave up on determining what the relationship was. Years later, after learning more about the family it was discovered that the administrator of the estate was the husband of a daughter of Trautvetter’s sister. The sister had a marriage in Germany I was unaware of and that was the maiden name of the administrator’s wife–which meant nothing to me at the time. Always […]
A friend recently posted some thoughts from a minimalist who really seemed to think that you need to throw away as much of your “old stuff as possible.” I’m not necessarily a fan of throwing away as “everything,” but there are things to get rid of as one cannot preserve everything. Some thoughts as someone who has at least twelve totes of stuff. 1–Anything you can do to reduce the bulk should be done. This includes those artsy scrapbooks with all the extra paper, “decorations,” and the like. Don’t create archival things that require significantly more space than the item already occupies. 2–Digitize and identify on the image what you know about it. Metadata is fine, but annotations added to the bottom/side of the image are very helpful. People […]
The Gum Drop Cookie recipe we mentioned recently contained coconut as an ingredient. The reference to coconut reminded me of evidence when constructing a genealogical argument. Genealogists research records to obtain information about a problem. Sometimes the information contained in the records directly addresses the problem. Sometimes the information indirectly addresses the problem. Sometimes information supports our conclusion and sometimes it conflicts it. All relevant records should be referenced in any discussion of the problem and the information they contain should be examined. We might not choose to use every piece of information from every record to make our case, particularly if we have numerous records stating the same thing. In this case, we may choose to mainly include those contemporary-to-the-event records with information contained by informants who […]
One of the reasons newspapers are valuable resources for genealogists is because they are hard to “close” once they have been published. Court cases may be sealed, but a newspaper reference to that court case is “out” forever. A birth certificate may be sealed if there is an adoption, but if the baby’s birth was in the local newspaper–it is still there. If there’s a record you cannot access, ask yourself what you are trying to find out or discover and are there other records that may provide that same information?
I need to have a post-it note above my desk with this phrase on it. There were two men named Charles H. Shipe who lived in southwestern Hancock County, Illinois, and adjacent northwestern Adams County, Illinois, in the late 19th century and well into the 20th century. One was born in 1872 and the other was born in 1867. They had different fathers (one was the son of Samuel Martin Shipe and the other was the son of a Cornelius Shipe). The one born in 1872 was my uncle by marriage. The other one was probably his cousin. When I began researching my uncle, I was initially confused at first because certain details were inconsistent. Once I realized there were two Charles Shipes (the census made this realization […]
Organizing Genealogical Information with Michael John Neill We’re bringing this class back after a several-year hiatus. Session 1- Charts, Charts, and More Charts We will look at a variety of charts and tables to help you organize the genealogical information you find. In addition to traditional genealogical data, we’ll look at organizing information from larger data sets such as probate files and pension records. We will also look at graphical representations in addition to traditional grid format. Also discussed will be a general chart construction strategy to assist you in creating your own customized charts. Session 2- The 4-Step Research Process We will discuss an overview of the research process using the 4-step process and see ways to help you organize your search goals and your search process. […]
I’m currently working on a family of immigrants to the US in the 1860 where several siblings immigrate over time and settle in the same general area–at least initially. One single man came first and eventually more members of the family streamed over as time went on. The phrase “chain migration” is sometimes used for this situation, but I’ve decided to stop using that phrase because it sounds like “migration in chains” which is a typical referenced to forced migration via slavery. And…I just don’t think that the chain metaphor works. After struggling to find a term for family members who migrate over time, I’ve decided to refer to it as a migration stream. The stream metaphor I think is more fitting and also, given that literal streams […]
“I think Isaac Rucker died in May 1799…” That’s what Archeleus Reynolds said in August of 1834 in a deposition taken in Amherst, Virginia. The statement needs to be understood and evaluated based on context. There were several Isaac Ruckers in Amherst County, Virginia. The one Reynolds is talking about is his father-in-law–that’s made clear in other records in this case. Reynolds is making the statement 35 years after Isaac Rucker is claimed to have died. While this document should be transcribed exactly as written (along with a citation clearly stating where the deposition can be found and when it was made), the analysis should take into account the amount of time that has passed and how long it has been since Rucker died. A few things to […]
It’s a chance to discuss your specific problem with a professional genealogist, one who can look at your problem family with a fresh set of eyes. It can help you get started if you are just getting started with your research or continue if you’ve reached a point where you do not know what to do. It’s like having a problem-solving class devoted to your family. We’ll look at see if there any additional clues or leads in the records you have already located and discuss what the next steps are in your genealogy journey on your family of interest. It’s also a time for you to ask specific questions about the materials you have found. Learn more on our consultation page.
I have an uncle who was born the year his father died. Any stories he knew about his paternal family would either have been filtered through his mother (who did not know her husband or her husband’s family until she was approximately sixteen) or have been stories his siblings told him. It does not mean the stories are wrong, but could explain why there are not too many or why some are incorrect.
If you find a record that you are certain is for a person but contains details that are inconsistent with what you know about that person, there are some things you should remember. Make certain you really know what you know about your ancestor–could that information be off? Make certain you really have the ancestor in this new record–could you be drawing an incorrect conclusion? If you have considered the previous questions carefully and thoughtfully and still want to add the record with inconsistencies to your files, explain why you added it. Acknowledge and accept the inconsistencies. Explain the reasons for them (if you have them) and explain why you think the record is for the person you think it is. Just dumping it in your file on […]
We are offering a new session of our AI for Genealogy class–check out details on our site.
Do you need to just start from scratch on a genealogy problem? Let’s be honest, it can be hard to literally start over–we can’t always forget what we know. But there are things we can do. Make certain you have completely cited each record you have viewed or read on the person or problem. Re-analyze carefully each piece of information you have discovered, and write down each step in your logic and reasoning. It’s possible you know more now than you did when you originally located the information. Maybe even argue with yourself slightly as you work on the problem. Question yourself by asking if you could have overlooked something, interpreted something incorrectly, or made a mistake. Review local, state, and national sources to see if records have […]
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