[Genealogy] Old Bachelor Crowd, Join me at Midwest Genealogy Center or Richmond, VA and Consultation Holiday Sale

[Michael John Neill]

The Old Bachelor Crowd
Independence, Missouri Research Trip
Library of Virginia Research Trip
Holiday Sale on Genealogy Consultations (save $40)---Spaces Going Quickly

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The Old Bachelor Crowd
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I almost missed the 1903 reference to the marriage of Will Troutfetter and
Anna Merriman in a June 1903 issue of the *Colby Tribune, *printed in
Colby, Kansas.

Troutfetter’s not the most common name in the world and the search for
relatives is occasionally like picking low-hanging fruit. Sometimes.
What Could Be Missed

This reference was almost bypassed because I had stopped looking for
Troutfetter references in 1902 and 1903. After a chase across the western
hemisphere (literally), William’s brother was arrested in Boston,
Massachusetts, and returned to Colorado for trial in a financial fraud
scandal. His arrest made newspapers across the country in 1902.

So did his acquittal on the charges in 1903. There were so many references
to him in those years that I almost quit looking for Troutfetter references
during that time period–almost. I could have had removed from the search
results items matching keywords involving the brother, including:

   - Philip–his name
   - arrest
   - Boston
   - Pinkerton–the detective agency who located him
   - etc.

But I chose not to because I was afraid of missing something. Any search
process that eliminates items from the results must be done while remaining
aware that any elimination may cause other items of interest to be
overlooked. It’s fine to limit searches as long as the researcher is aware
of how the limitation may impact the results.
Old Bachelor Crowd

Troutfetter was around 33 years of age when he was married. Apparently that
qualified as an “old bachelor” in Colby, Kansas, in 1903. The reference
serves as a reminder that certain words and phrases can have meanings that
change over time and that what was true in 1903 might not have been true in
2003 and that researchers need to take care when interpreting phrases in
old documents or newspapers.

It’s fine to be in the old bachelor crowd. It’s not fine to be in the crowd
that assumes what things means without first confirming that assumption.

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Midwest Genealogy Center Research Trip
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Join me for four days of research in Independence, Missouri, and the
Midwest Genealogy Center in May 2026. Details on our announcement page at
https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/

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Library of Virginia Research Trip
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Join me in March of 2026 for 4 days of research at the wonderful Library of
Virginia in Richmond.

Don't wait! Details at:

https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025-library-of-virginia-research-trip-richmond-virginia/

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Genealogy Research Consultation Holiday Sale--save $40

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Need some guidance with your research, but don't need a class, don't need
to hire a researcher for $1000 or more?

Just need someone to look at what you have and give you ideas on what to do
next?

That's exactly what a genealogy consultation is for and we're having a sale
on ours for the Holiday Season.

Save $40! We are offering a limited number of consultations at this reduced
price--normal price is $140.

More details about our consultations are available at:
https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/consultations-with-michael/

Space at this reduced rate is limited!

Reserve your consultation today. Scheduling takes place after registration,
but we are still booking in December!

Until Next Time!
-- 
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
http://www.genealogytipoftheday.com
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