[Genealogy] Just A Farmer and Recent Tips

Michael John Neill mjnrootdig at gmail.com
Fri Jul 10 06:43:59 CDT 2026 

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10 July 2026

Genealogy Update

** Recent Genealogy Tips
** Just a Farmer
** Consultations

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Recent Genealogy Tips
------------------------

Check out our recent genealogy tips from Genealogy Tip of the Day:

   - Trivia <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/09/trivia/>
   - Subpoenas
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/08/subpoenas-2/>
   - When They Move…What All Is Different?
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/07/when-they-move-what-all-is-different/>
   - One Might Not Be Right, But
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/06/one-might-not-be-right-but/>
   - Simple Break Throughs
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/05/simple-break-throughs/>
   - Airing Heirs
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/04/airing-heirs/>
   - An Unknown First Name?
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/03/an-unknown-first-name-2/>
   - The First Time They Gave Their Name
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/02/the-first-time-they-gave-their-name-3/>
   - People Living in ABC Order
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/07/01/people-living-in-abc-order/>
   - The Waiting Stone
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/30/the-waiting-stone/>
   - Deaths in Family Context
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/29/deaths-in-family-context/>
   - Initials Only
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/28/initials-only-2/>
   - Short-Term Relative
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/27/short-term-relative/>
   - Short First Marriage?
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/26/short-first-marriage/>
   - Warm Body Witnesses
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/25/warm-body-witnesses-2/>
   - Backwards Genealogy
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/06/24/backwards-genealogy-2/>

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Just a Farmer
--------------------------------

The words screeched their way into my ears like a scoop shovel on a
concrete bin floor.

I’ve heard “just a farmer” before and no doubt I’ll hear it again, but
every time the utterance reaches the harmony of my inner ear, it
irritates me on several levels.

I descend from generations of farmers. Generations. In fact, I’m the the
first generation that didn’t support my family by farming. My pedigree
charts are saturated with families whose entire lives were devoted to
agricultural pursuits. Some of my grandchildren will probably be raised by
a farmer as well (and some won’t which is perfectly fine). Needless to say
I approach this with a chip on my shoulder.

I recently overheard two individuals discussing an 18th century German
language christening entry that was difficult to read. They had apparently
worked out the names and locations. But they were not finished. The
occupation of the father was giving them difficulties.

The occupation?

“Just a farmer” one of them said. I’ve read a great many church
records. The only time I saw the phrase “just a farmer” used was when it
indicated they were baptized by “just a preacher.”

In other words, never.

The use of the phrase was frustrating on several levels and not just for
the reason already mentioned

The second was that one should avoid taking a dismissive tone with anyone’s
ancestor’s occupation.  Justifiably or not, many of us develop something of
a connection with our long deceased forebears and while they may have been
far from perfect with long list of “issues,” we tend to identify with them
as our personal representative from the past. There but for the grace of
 two hundred years, go us. Being dismissive of their occupation in the
past almost comes across as being dismissive of us in the present.

It’s okay for me to make jokes about my ancestors, my background, or my
ethnic group, but others had best avoid making such jokes. It’s a lesson
many of us learn early in life.

But this post is not actually about being emotionally attached to our
ancestors and their past occupations.

It’s about how in many societies and cultures one is not “just a farmer.”

There are those who are farm laborers, those who are tenant farmers, those
who are small farmers owning just enough land to eke out a living, those
who own enough land to have some social standing and maybe a hired man, and
then there are those who own enough land that they actually manage it
instead of physically farming it.

In some languages there are different words for each type of “farmer.” It
matters to as us as researchers today just as much as it mattered to our
ancestors centuries ago. It matters not so we can judge our ancestors for
their economic success or failure, but so that we can discern as much about
them as we can. It helps us to distinguish farmers with the same name from
each other.

It matters so that we can effectively research them.

How I approach the research for a farm “laborer” differs from how I
approach the research for a “planter.”

If I arbitrarily assume one type of farmer is the same as any other type of
farmer, then I’m not going to research that farmer as accurately as
possible. I’m not going to be able to mine the records efficiently; I’m not
going to be able to interpret them correctly; and I’m not going to be able
to tell his story as effectively as I could.

Every ancestor has a story to tell. Some just leave behind more records
than others.

But don’t say your ancestor was “just” farmer, “just” a factory worker,
“just” a laborer, or “just” anything.

After all, you aren’t “just” their descendant are you?


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Consultation Sale
---------------------------------
What is a consultation?

It’s a chance to discuss your specific problem with a professional
genealogist, one who can look at your problem family with a fresh set of
eyes. It can help you get started if you are just getting started with your
research or continue if you’ve reached a point where you do not know what
to do. It’s like having a problem-solving class devoted to your family.
We’ll look at see if there any additional clues or leads in the records you
have already located and discuss what the next steps are in your genealogy
journey on your family of interest. It’s also a time for you to ask
specific questions about the materials you have found.

More details on our consultations page
<https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/consultations-with-michael/>.
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