From a while back… The first son was named for this, the second son was named for that, etc. Keep in mind that these patterns are trends and social customs that your ancestor might have followed. They are not law. Sometimes illustrations have nothing to do with the post, but Journey reminds you to keep reaching for the answers and don’t let a plant grow from the side of your head. Your ancestor does not have to follow any of these “social mores.” They might, but they might not. What your ancestor does have to do is: Figure out how to get born. Figure out how to get married (or at least reproduce)–this means living that long Leave behind at least one record–although this seems optional sometimes We are defining […]
I have the original deed from 1958 when my great-grandparents sold some property to my maternal grandparents. Like many original documents, more than one person signed or wrote on it. Someone typed it (probably the lawyer or their secretary). My great-grandparents (as the grantors) signed it. The notary signed it (on reverse and not shown in illustration) My great-grandfather wrote his initials over the tax stamps that were on the deed as a required part of the transaction. A staff member of the county recorder’s office wrote in the document number and book and page of recording. If you have an original record or a photographic reproduction of one, do you think about all the different people whose writing may appear on this document? Don’t assume “just one […]
Perspective shots in a cemetery can help the researcher remember relative positions of stones and the general location of stones within the entire cemetery itself. Sometimes these broader shots can help the researcher realize that there were stones they forgot to photograph. When viewing this perspective shot of stones in the Dunkard Cemetery in Linn County, Iowa, I noticed there were stones with the last name of interest (Newman) that had not been photographed. I probably should not admit to the mistake, but we all make them. I’m glad I have the perspective shot to tell me that I need to make a return trip.
My mother’s confirmation class was listed in the church bulletin on the day she was confirmed. There’s not a lot special I have to do in order to create a source citation for this document. My source citation needs to include enough information for someone (or me later) to try and locate the bulletin elsewhere (perhaps in the church’s archives or a regional church archives). It also needs to include information to help me find the item of interest within the bulletin. Since the item may be rare or impossible to find, I’m also going to include that it was in my private collection of materials. Name and location of church. Date of service. Page in bulletin. I don’t have any other publication information as these bulletins were […]
If you make cemetery visits for yourself that includes taking tombstone pictures, do you consider uploading those photographs to FindAGrave even if the person has a memorial? If FindAGrave is “not your thing” are there other sites where you can upload or share images of tombstones. Once you publicly post a picture online, from a practical standpoint you do lose control over it. You can discreetly put your name/email address on the picture. Consider including the following on the photograph: location of cemetery; location of stone within cemetery; date picture was taken; who took picture and contact details (if desired). Some FindAGrave memorials have great pictures of stones. Others do not. Consider adding yours–if you are so inclined. No pressure to use FindAGrave, but please consider sharing copies […]
We are not talking about every book at the courthouse–although it is a good idea to look through as many books as you can. In this tip “going through every book” means taking a look through every book you have before you decide to sell, donate, recycle, or other wise dispose of it. This applies to even the non-genealogy books–particularly works of no-longer-popular fiction and the like. Tucked in one such novel was a birthday card my daughter made for me when she was eleven years old. You can easily find other items that, for one reason or another, have been tucked into a book where you would least expect it. Check out Genealogy Tip of the Day--the book–on our website.
Other than part-time work at the local sale barn, my father’s entire work life was centered around farming. I can’t create a list of employers for my Dad other than Grandpa Neill and Dad himself. But I can think about the various farm tasks he completed on a daily or regular basis. I do remember that he didn’t do most mechanical repairs other than the occasional “botching” something to get it to run until he had time to have it actually fixed. I don’t remember him ever welding anything although some farmers do that. There’s a variety of other farm-related tasks that I won’t bother to list here–but they are things to put in my file about my Dad. And stories about pieces of equipment that always seemed […]
If you are keeping for your descendants a short history of your life, do not forget to include your former addresses. This is particularly important if you’ve made several significant moves in your lifetime. It’s also important if you lived in one area most of your life time with the exception of a few years in a different location. Those things get forgotten. And if you aren’t keeping a short history of your life for your descendants, why not? Don’t we wish our ancestors had done that? And asking about former addresses is a way to get a relative’s memory going as well. Just don’t nag them for specific house numbers if they can’t remember. City directories and other contemporary sources may help you fill in the specific […]
If your ancestor transitioned from one job to another, have you tracked in your genealogical records when that happened (along with your source)? If your ancestor actually retired, have you recorded that information as well? Job changes can be key events in a person’s life and a time when they make other changes as well. Some people work the same job until they pass away—others do a variety of things..including retirement. Don’t forget to track those things when you can. Check out Genealogy Tip of the Day--the book–on our website.
The word “relict” typically refers to the widow of a deceased person. If Hinrich and Johanna were married and Hinrich dies, Johanna is his relict. The word is not used today as “widow” tends to be preferred. Relic–as in old item surviving from an earlier time–has the same root as relict. There’s usually no specific significance to the word “relict” and it’s use does not mean there were former spouses of the deceased who also survived him. Our 25% sale on new webinars ends on 1 November–see our list of offerings before it is too late.
Regularly evaluate the information you locate. Compare it with what is known about the ancestor or family in question. Do things make sense? Is information relatively consistent? Is the person performing acts at a reasonable time in their life? Are people moving too frequently? Does the migration path seem reasonable (or if not, can you find a reason)? Don’t just gather without evaluating. Don’t move backwards to earlier generations until you’ve confirmed relationships in more recent generations.
If your ancestor was not a cradle-to-grave member of the same church or denomination, have you created a chronology or time-line of when your ancestor was a member of what church/denomination? If your ancestor was a cradle-to-grave Methodist and moved frequently, do you know where she attended church in each of those locations? Have you found out where those records are? Have you accessed them? Even your ancestor was born, lived, and died in the same home and never changed denominations, they may have attended more than one church for a variety of reasons. Intro price on my new Funeral Home webinar and Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Records ends on 1 November.
A list of amounts paid to settle an estate can tell you more than who the heirs or beneficiaries were. Those payments can tell you to whom your ancestor owed money, with whom he did business, where the funeral was held, what church he went to, what general store he purchased items from (perhaps even some items purchased), and more. Make certain you have fully analyzed those payments for clues about your ancestor.
I had a great time giving these two webinars this week and am happy to announce that the recording and handout are now available. More information is available on our announcement page.
I referred to them as “seed corn pencils” and did not think twice about it. They are pencils that were used to advertise seed corn my great-grandfather sold in the mid-20th century. To me the reference needed no further explanation. But I discovered that I am not everyone and that not everyone has my experience. I grew up on a grain and livestock farm in the American Midwest in the 1970s/1980s. I’ve know what “seed corn” is for a very long time: it’s corn that is used for seed–for planting. But not everyone has that background and when I referred to my great-grandfather’s pencils as “seed corn pencils” others did not understand the reference and thought they were some odd sort of pencils that somehow involved “seed corn.” […]
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