From a while back… When encountering a family tradition, take each statement suggested by the tradition and put it in one of two categories: probably generated a record most likely didn’t generate a record “Grandma sold sandwiches to support herself after her first husband accidentally drowned in the 1850s. Then she married Grandpa Haase and they moved to the farm.” Probably generated a record: The drowning may be mentioned in a local paper There may be estate or probate records related to the first husband’s death There may be a death record of the drowning–although in some US states this is too early for a death record There should be a marriage record to Grandpa Haase The place to start looking for these records is where Grandma was believed to […]
Different family members who experienced the same event will have different memories of it. Siblings may recall different characteristics of their grandparents or other family members. Older family members may have more memories of deceased relatives. Younger members of the family may have heard their parents tell more stories. Just because you’ve interviewed one member of a family does not mean that you are done. If there are more, it means there’s more to do.
If you are fortunate enough to find a biography of an ancestor, consider creating a chronology from the events and dates it contains. This can be an excellent organizational tool as biographies do not always list events in chronological order and thinking about how every event in the biography fits into a larger timeline can be helpful. Be certain to include all events–ones stated directly and ones stated indirectly. The same approach can be used with obituaries.
For individuals that lived during a time of no vital records, genealogists often do not have dates of birth for their long-dead forebears. In some cases, it may be difficult to even estimate years of birth. Genealogists and software programs like to put children in order. In cases such as these, make certain that you indicate the birth order is either a guess or inferred from the order of children in a will or another document. If children married, years of birth could be estimated from the marriage dates (if available). If the ordering of children is done based on when they married, indicate that as well. And ask yourself, would any of my conclusions change if the order of birth for these children change? Most times they […]
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.
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