[Genealogy] Retirement, Proofs, and More

Sat Jan 31 08:45:56 CST 2026

Need to unsubscribe? Do so here
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/tip-of-the-day_genealogytipoftheday.com>
.

31 January 2026
Genealogy Update

** Retiring
** Research Trips
** Writing a Proof: Another Take
** Ends Today: Full Text Searching Webinar--Save $7.50

--------------------
Retiring
--------------------

I’m not retiring from genealogy.

But do you track when your ancestor retired from their regular job? I
realize that not everyone lives long enough to retire or is financially
able to retire, but some people do. Is that retirement date something you
try and find out?

My Mom taught for forty years and I realize now that I don’t have in my
genealogy notes when she stopped teaching school full time. She substitute
taught for many years after that–but only in the district where she spent
her career and only in the primary grades. My Dad never retired and passed
away while driving his truck after checking his cattle–on the same gravel
road where he had walked to school as a mall child.

Knowing if your ancestor retired (or not) tells you something about them.
If they worked another job after “retirement” that says something as well.
I had one farming ancestor who retired once he had acquired enough real
estate to start all his sons in farming. The father rented his land to his
sons and retired. That ancestor is atypical as most of my farming ancestors
continued to farm in some capacity until their death or until an illness
prevented them from doing so. I need to track those illnesses as well.

Retirement may meaning moving or spending part of the year in a warmer
locale. One set of my grandparents wintered in Florida after they stopped
farming. My other set stayed on the farm their entire life and actively
farmed as long as their health permitted. At some point as his health
declined that grandfather had to give up the milk cows as he simply could
not physically do it any longer. His wife eventually had to give up the
chickens when she could no longer care for them either.

There are many things we track in our ancestor’s lives and those things are
important. There are transitions in the lives of our more recent ancestors
(and ourselves) that we may wish to track as well. Sometimes those bridges
are just as monumental as the vital events that genealogists track.

I don’t remember my Grandpa so the getting rid of the milk cows does not
resonate with me–it was well before I was born. But Grandma having to get
rid of her chickens was that moment when I realized that she wasn’t going
to be around forever. Her death generated more records to be certain.

But the events that tug at our heartstrings are just as important as well.
----------------------------
Join me on a Research Trip
----------------------------

   - Midwest Genealogy Center-Independence, Missouri, May 2026
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/mid-continent-genealogy-library-october-2025-research-trip/>
   - Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, March 2026
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025-library-of-virginia-research-trip-richmond-virginia/>
   - FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, 12-19 August 2026–details
   just announced
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2022-family-history-library-salt-lake-city-trip/>
   - Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, September 2026
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/acpl2022/>

-----------------------

Writing a Proof: Another Take

-----------------------

Personally I think too many people “stress” about writing a proof argument.
And I think that there are a number of people who want others to think that
they have discovered the “magic” formula. There is no magic formula and
it’s not as difficult as one thinks. It takes practice and more practice
and little “magic.”

Here is my take:

Conduct a *complete search* of *all *relevant records that an experienced
researcher would expect

   - to provide a direct, specific answer to the question
   - to provide information, that when combined with a knowledge of the
   law, culture, and other records, would suggest an answer to the question.

*Adequately and completely cite *each source used.

Adequately and completely *discuss your research procedure if a record that
should be found cannot be found.* Just “I didn’t find it” is not
enough–what records were searched (online, microfilm, courthouse, etc.) and
how they were searched (what names, search terms, etc.) needs to be a part
of this “can’t find it” discussion.

*Consider all possibilities*–not just the one that “fits your notion.”

*Clearly discuss *why certain possibilities are not supported by the
records. If there are other conjectures about the persons involved that run
counter to your conjecture, clearly state (with supported reasons) and
analysis, why those other conjectures are not supported by currently
available information. Do not simply discount them and do not simply ignore
them. Doing so may indicate to others that you’ve not adequately researched
the problem.

*Clearly state your assumptions.* If you use a marriage record as evidence
that someone was at least a certain age when they married, make certain you
know what the statute in effect at the time said about the age of marriage.

Do all that and you are well on your way.

-----------------------------

January 2026 Full-Text Search at FamilySearch Webinar

Intro price ENDING at end of January--regularly $37.50--save $30

-----------------------------

We’re excited to offer this revised presentation on the full-text searching
at *FamilySearch*--reflecting changes made to the site since this was
recorded in August 2025. We’ve redesigned our presentation as this
functionality continues to change. And…we have an extensive handout
complete with forms to help you find more people.

If you have purchased an earlier version of this presentation--email me at
mjnrootdig at gmail.com for the code to order this revision for $10.
Fully Utilizing Full-Text Search: Revised for January 2026

Your purchase includes:

   - *A 90 minute (or more presentation)* you can view as often as you want.
   - *Detailed handout* with charts and forms to help organize your
   searches. Charts and forms sent as separate files you can edit and
   customize and not as a locked PDF you have to re-create yourself as a new
   document.

We’ll be including and discussing:

*Determining what is in Full-Text Search—*what you can access at home and
what you will have to be in a FamilySearch facility or affiliate to access.

*Seeing How AI Transcriptions are different*—they aren’t like the
transcriptions made by humans. That can change your approach.

*Remembering that Full-Text means every word*—approaches need to differ as
we aren’t looking up a name in an index any more.

*Asking Who* is in the record? We aren’t just searching for the main person
like we did with traditional indexes. We’ll discuss how to determine who
could be mentioned in a record.

*Determining How to search?* There are a variety of ways to search and
filter results. We’ll see how each one works to help determine the best
strategy.

*Creating search strategies*—how full-text search changes your approach and
why just dumping terms in search boxes is not always effective.

*Determining what you found* The interface does not always make this clear.
We will show you how to get beyond the confusion and help you get enough
detail for a citation.

*Creating effective problem-solving approaches*—what to do when you cannot
find something you want.

*Demonstrating practical examples*—completely new people and families from
our previous presentations.

Available for immediate download for $30
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=246272&method_id=268990>.
Complete handout included and additional forms.

---------------

Manage Your Subscription
---------------

Unsubscribe and other options can be accessed here:
https://genealogytipoftheday.com/mailman/listinfo/tip-of-the-day_genealogytipoftheday.com
Email me at mjnrootdig at gmail.com with unsubscription issues

Genealogy Tip of the Day, PO Box 17, Henderson, IL 61439
--  ------------------------------------
Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day

http://www.genealogytipoftheday.comnames-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://genealogytipoftheday.com/pipermail/genealogy_genealogytipoftheday.com/attachments/20260131/fcf8ae60/attachment-0001.html>