[Genealogy] Boring Ancestors, 1, 2, and 3 cousins, Notebook Class, Other Registrations Ending
Michael John Neill
mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Fri Aug 14 06:52:54 CDT 2026
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Genealogy Update
14 August 2026
** My Children's Boring Ancestors
** Notebook for Genealogy--4 week class--don't wait
** Is Your Process the Problem Webinar
** First, Second, and Third Cousins
** Midwest Genealogy Center Trip Registration Ending
** Full-Text Searching Webinar
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My Children's Boring Ancestors
------------------------
I’ve been thinking about “boring ancestors” lately and the feeling by some
that it’s necessary to add extraneous “stuff” to your family history in
order to liven them up. To that I say “balderdash.” There’s nothing like
good ol’ exhaustive research to discover that your ancestors are not all
that boring. My children have no famous ancestors, no bluebloods, and no
wealthy or elite forebears hiding in their tree. Most of their ancestors
were farmers, artisans, laborers, factory workers and the like–with an
occasional English merchant of modest means thrown in.
Yet here are quick summaries of just a few stories:
- Pension applications indicate that in 1902 my great-grandfather was
working as the hired man for his future mother-in-law, complete with his
salary, what parts of the work he did and what his regular work was.
- Probate records on my third great-grandmother indicated that her one
grandson borrowed $1800 from her about 1899, never paid her back, never
drew up the mortgage that was supposed to have been drawn up to secure the
loan, and was almost sued by his uncle after his grandmother’s death.
- My great-great-grandfather was arrested for illegal distribution of
beer around the turn of the 20th century.
- My great-grandmother’s brother was shot (and probably murdered) in a
hotel in Kansas City in 1921.
- My 3rd great-grandfather accidentally shot himself while hitting a cow
with the butt of a gun.
- I had an aunt who, while suffering from cancer in the 1930s, “cut her
stomach” out because of the pain and died.
- My great-great-grandparents were step-siblings.
- My ancestor at the age of nearly 70, returned to his native Germany
leaving his wife and grown children in the United States.
- My wife’s ancestors lived with 7 children in a square cabin fourteen
feet on a side in Missouri in the 1850s.
- My ancestor went to Nebraska, started a homestead in the 1870s and
returned.
- My aunt’s third husband killed a man in Nebraska after a bar fight in
the 1870s.
- An ancestor was censured by the Virginia House of Burgesses in the
1740s for interfering with an election.
- A cousin was involved in mining speculation in Columbia in the 1890s.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
There aren’t boring ancestors, just research that’s not done. And virtually
none of these stories were discovered on Ancestry.com. While I like and use
it every day, the bulk of these items were located in original, offline
records.
-------------------------------------
Notebook for Genealogy Class--Don't Miss It!--spots are filling up
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*Announcing!*
Due to several requests, we've developed this class on using Notebook for
Genealogy.
Notebook for Genealogy–A Four Session Pick Your Own Problem Course
With Michael John Neill
Our focus is on being practical, exhibiting sound genealogy methodology,
and demonstrating responsible use of Notebook (Google’s suite of AI tools)
in genealogy research. This course is for those who would like guidance and
suggestions in how to use Notebook and have a place to get feedback and
additional direction.
Course Prerequisites & Required Materials You should have digital records
for one ancestor or a father-mother-children family, including every extant
record available.
-
Format: PDF or JPG for images; PDF, Word, or raw text for transcriptions.
-
Preparation: Be familiar with the specific ancestral research problem
you plan to work on to get the most from Notebook LM and AI concepts.
Gather all materials between registration and the start of class.
Course Format & Zoom Sessions
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Pre-Recorded Lectures: Students will view two hours of presentations
before group sessions begin.
-
Live Zoom Sessions: Held on Sunday nights (and recorded for later
viewing). Sessions combine live demonstrations by Michael working through a
set of family records alongside group discussions where students share
prompts, results, challenges, and questions.
Class Focus & Weekly Assignments
-
Weekly Assignments: One assignment per week focused on Notebook's media
outputs using your own research problem.
-
Scope: The course focuses on mastering the tools and capabilities of
Notebook rather than providing individual research advice, making it
accessible to participants working on problems from any region.
Community Discussion & Communication
-
Private Google Group: Used for asynchronous discussion, peer
interaction, Q&A, and prompt sharing outside of live sessions.
-
Email Requirement: A Gmail account is strongly recommended. Accounts
with AOL, Yahoo, or Hotmail frequently experience delivery issues with
group emails.
Important Dates
-
1 September: Pre-recorded lectures become available for download, and
the private Google Group opens.
-
Live Zoom Discussions (Sunday Nights): 13 September, 20 September, 27
September, and 11 October. Meetings are at 7 PM Central Daylight Time. They
will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend live.
Registration & Tuition
-
Fee: $70–register now to save your spot
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S>
.
-
Availability: Registration is limited.
Develop your AI skills today!
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S>
----------------------
*Is Your Process the Problem?*
*----------------------*
We're updated and revised this presentation from years ago.
[image: image.png]
Are your family history searches hitting frustrating dead ends? In Is Your
Process the Problem?, professional genealogist Michael John Neill breaks
down the unseen research traps—from unexamined assumptions and target
"grazing" to missed source details—that keep researchers stuck. Discover
how to transition from passive data gathering to active analysis—this
presentation is practical, easy-to-follow, and down to earth. Whether you
need to streamline your source citations or break through long-standing
genealogical brick walls, this practical session will help you refine your
methodology, eliminate costly research habits, and get clear results.
We will look at common research pitfalls, ways to avoid those pitfalls, and
a research process to provide structure to your family history searches.
Genealogical breakthroughs require shifting from passive data collection to
systematic analysis, detailed citation, and continuous evaluation–we’ll see
how to do that.
Order for immediate download for introductory price of $16
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=105641&method_id=111474>.
Regular price is $24.
-----------------------------------
First, Second, and Third Cousins
-----------------------------------
[image: image.png]
One of my Grandpa Neill’s few remaining cousins, Edna Dion, passed in
August of 2007. What is interesting is how many great-great-grandparents he
and this cousin shared: 14 out of 16. Full siblings share 16 out of 16
great-great-grandparents.
“Normal” first cousins normally share 8 out of 16 great-great grandparents
(because they have two grandparents or one-half of their ancestry in
common). This cousin and my Grandpa were not just first cousins. They were
also second cousins and they were also third cousins.
- Grandpa Neill (Cecil Neill 1903-1968) was the son of Charles and
Fannie (Rampley) Neill.
- Edna Dion (1914-2007) was the daughter of James E. and Sarah (Neill)
Rampley.
Charles Neill and Sarah (Neill) Rampley were brother and sister.
Fannie (Rampley) Neill and James E. Rampley were first cousins, children of
brothers Riley and James Rampley.
But there is one more connection.
Brothers Riley and James Rampley both married Nancy Newman, just not the
same one. Riley married Nancy J. Newman and James married Nancy E. Newman.
Nancy J. was the daughter of William Newman. Nancy E. was the daughter of
Edward Newman. These two Newman men were brothers. I can keep it straight,
but explaining it sometimes is difficult.
When one looks at their great-great-grandparents on a five-generation
chart, 14 out of the sixteen names are the same. Only one set of
great-great-grandparents are different. Now that is related.
Note: I didn’t mention that there’s actually one more connection. Rebecca
(Tinsley) Newman was the daughter of Enoch Tinsley–who was a first cousin
of Melinda Sledd.
----------------------------------------
Registration Ending for Midwest Genealogy Center Trip
----------------------------------------
We're closing registration for this trip next week---reserve your spot
today! Details on our October trip to the Midwest Genealogy Center in
Independence, Missouri are on our Midwest Genealogy Center
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/>
page.
--------------------------
*Full-Text Searching Webinar*
-----------------------------------------
No Monkeying Around!
[image: image.png]
** FamilySearch Full-Text Webinar August 2026 Version Released
We're excited!
We have finally released our updated webinar on using
FamilySearch's full-text search. If you pre-ordered this presentation and
did not get your download link, please let me know.
We talk about various ways to use the advanced search--keywords, wildcards,
places, dates, searching versus filtering, and more.
This updated presentation is an hour long, includes discussion on full-text
search strategies, options and includes an extensive handout. Presentation
style is clear, informal, and practical.
Learn how to get the most from full-text search and what search options are
available. Full-text search is more than just typing a few words in boxes
and hoping for the best.
Save $10 by ordering now
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>---download
is immediate. View as often as you like. No streaming.
Order your copy today at the intro price of $25
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>--regularly
$35.
------------------------------
*Upcoming Trips*
------------------------------
Join me on one of these research trips:
- Midwest Genealogy Center–October 2026
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/>--registration
ending soon!
- Library of Virginia–March 2027
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025-library-of-virginia-research-trip-richmond-virginia/>
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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
PO Box 17
Henderson, IL 61439
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