[Genealogy] What I Know I Know, Retirement Time, UFO Ancestors, Classes

[Michael John Neill]

Genealogy Update
20 October 2026--(c) 2026 Michael John Neill

** What I Know I Know
** UFO Ancestors
** Extended Classes on Notebook for Genealogsts and Full-Text Search
** Retirement Time
** Keep Getting the Update
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What I Know I Know

This was a little thought exercise I undertook partially for my own
entertainment and partially to remind me of what people could
know–particularly information in county histories and other published
materials written before they were born. My knowledge of any years of birth
in this discussion are, by the very nature of time and the fact I am
discussing my grandparents, secondary.

What is not secondary is the fact that I know that these individuals acted
as if they were siblings, were accepted as siblings, and were acknowledged
by others in the communities. Their births all took place between
forty-four and seventy years before my own birth and nearly
one-hundred-and-twenty-five years before the time this post is written.
That’s something to think about when I see a county history published in
1880 that references relationships of individuals born at the end of the
1700s and the beginning of the 1800s. That does not mean that those
relationships are correct or that the person’s memory was infallible.

It just gives me perspective.

This exercise required me to try and put aside what I know from having been
involved in genealogy research. That was, to be honest, difficult. I tried
to think of times I met these people and things I knew or heard before I
became involved in genealogy. The years my grandparents were always known
to me–my family was never one to hide *anyone’s *age.

I tried as best I could to concentrate on what I knew because it was
repeatedly told to me or repeatedly implied by the actions of others. This
includes family gatherings, numerous funerals, various celebrations, random
family visits, discussions about who was not speaking to whom,
conversations where family members gossiped about their siblings (let’s be
honest), and other stories I was told.

I know who all my paternal grandfather’s siblings were. I know my Grandpa
was born in 1903–that was something I heard repeated numerous times. I know
he was the oldest in his family and that he had two younger brothers and a
younger sister. I know that his brother Herschel was the youngest of the
entire family and that his sister, Nellie, was born before the youngest
brother. That leaves his brother Ralph to have been the second oldest
child. My grandfather died when I was six months old–I have no firsthand
memory of him. I knew all three of his siblings having met them numerous
times and always heard them refer to each other as siblings and to my
grandfather as their oldest sibling. Even without genealogy, I knew the
first names of each of my uncle’s wives and the first and last name of my
grandfather’s sister’s husband.

I know who my paternal grandmother’s siblings were, but my knowledge there
is not the same as it is with my grandfather. I know names of Grandma’s
siblings: John, Luella, Babe (might have remembered his name was really
Carl, but maybe not), Elmer, Lillie, and Pete (probably would have
remembered his real name was Cecil). I only remember meeting Luella,
Lillie, and Pete (all of whom I met numerous times). I would have known
John was the oldest and that he died during the Depression in a car crash.
Aunt Luella’s year of birth I would have remembered, but only because she
was born in 1900 and her age “went with the years” as Grandma (and my Dad)
would say. The youngest three children were (in order) Lillie, my Grandma,
and Pete. Lillie was older than Grandma by a bit, and Pete was the baby of
the family. The two older brothers birth order eludes me. They always
acknowledged each other as siblings and were known as siblings.

I knew all my maternal grandfather’s siblings. I always knew my Grandfather
was the oldest (born in 1917), that his sister Ruth was the youngest, and
that their brother Herb was born before Ruth. There were two other brothers
LeRoy and Alvin, but to be honest I always get mixed up which one of them
was oldest. I met all of them numerous times as they all were alive when I
was born as were their spouses. Their mother was actually alive until I was
in my late teens. This is probably the family where I have the most first
hand knowledge of everyone in the immediate family.

My maternal grandmother was the youngest of seven children born in 1924. If
asked only to rely on memory, I would know all their first names (although
it might take me a minute to get all of them, but I can always remember
there were a total of seven): Margaret, Greta, Ruth, Anna, John, Edward,
and Dorothy (my grandmother). Uncle Ed was closest in age to Grandma and I
think Anna and Margaret were the two oldest children. I’d be reasonably
certain of the names of the spouses of most of the ones who lived near
where I grew up (Ruth, John, and Edward). Margaret lived in the town where
I grew up, but her husband passed well before I was born.

Of course, thanks to genealogy research I have filled in the blanks in
these families. This little exercise was just to help remind me that what I
know is similar to what someone else may not. I also have to be aware that
my experience may be unique and that not everyone may know as much about
their grandparents’ siblings as do I. My knowledge is a factor of many
things and I need to remember that as well.

Something for me to think about when I analyze something written in an 1880
biography. It doesn’t mean what aspects of it are true and what ones are
not–but that I need to think about what the informant might have reasonably
known.

My knowledge of the years of my grandparents’ birth is only as reliable as
their knowledge.

What do you know and how do you know it?

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

UFO Ancestors

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

More about our webinar on UFO ancestors.

Description: Your ancestor was not dropped off by a UFO, but it may seem
like it. This session will discuss methods and approaches when a person
“just appears” in a location with little in the way of background or
identity. See reasons why people just show up and ways to try and determine
where they were from before. Geared towards advanced beginners or
intermediate researchers.

Order now for immediate download.
<https://michael-john-neill.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=199700&method_id=217451>


*FamilySearch Full-Text Search and Notebook for Genealogy Class offerings*

*Improve your skills!*

*save your spot today!!*

5-week class on Using FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search

With Michael John Neill

Are you getting the most from FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search? Our five
session class on FamilySearch’s full-text search will help you to get the
very most from this truly paradigm-shift way of searching. Presentation and
discussion is practical and down-to-earth. Students will receive practical
and easy-to-implement search strategies and will be encouraged to share
successes and failures with other class members via an online group and
discussion sessions.

Week 1

Overview of FamilySearch full-text search.

This session will provide an overview of full-text search methodology,
discuss how full-text search is different from typical searches, discuss
workarounds for transcription errors, searching specific sets of images,
and search organization.

Week 2

Sourcing and Determining what has been found with FamilySearch full-text
search.

This session will discuss determining what has actually been located,
downloading all information and images for a complete source citation, and
creating a completion citation.

Week 3

Common Name Searching at FamilySearch full-text search.

This session will discuss some specific strategies for searching for common
names in full-text search.

Week 4

Problem-Solving with FamilySearch full-text search.

This session will discuss search formulation, tracking, and problem-solving
when specific items have not been located.

Week 5

Wrap up

Structure

Lectures will be available for downloading the week before the discussion
session. Students will view presentation and do optional homework the week
before the discussion. Each week’s discussion will review the lecture,
discuss homework assignment, and have time for student questions and group
discussion. Homework is optional, but will help students to understand
concepts and get more from discussion sessions.

Discussion sessions will be held:

25 October and 1, 8, 15 and 22 November at 7:00 pm central time.

Class meetings will be via Zoom. Class communication will be via a Google
group. Registration for class is $70
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BKU7EFP9P55C4>--deadline
is 24 October. Registration is limited and can be processed here
<https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BKU7EFP9P55C4>.
Confirmation of registration will be made within 24 hours of receipt.
Contact Michael at mjnrootdig at gmail.com with questions.


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.

An overview of NoteookLM

NotebookLM (often simply Notebook) is Google’s suite of AI-driven tools to
analyze data from files and information you provide it. .

Notebook uses sources of your choosing, not what it found online. You
upload your own materials—including PDF files, text files, Google Docs,
slides, or web links—and the AI creates a private workspace built
exclusively around that data. You can upload any genealogy information to
it tht you wish , but it is recommended that only deceased people be
included and that you not upload DNA information on living people.

Capabilities

   -

   Answers with Citations: When you ask questions or search your uploaded
   files, every response includes citations to your uploaded documents,
   allowing you to double-check sources.
   -

   Synthesis & Content Creation: Notebook automatically generates concise
   summaries, outlines main themes, and identifies connections or conflicts
   across dozens of sources at once. You do need to validate its summaries and
   conclusions.
   -

   Audio-visual Outputs: Beyond text answers, Notebook can create study
   guides, briefing documents, timeline charts, slide decks, podcast
   interviews, and videos based on your content. Even if you never share the
   created materials, just viewing them and interacting with them may give you
   some insight into your genealogical problem.

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

   -

   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.

Sections of this class--two options--take the class on Sunday nights..
Sunday sessions

Important Dates

   -

   Live Zoom Discussions (Sunday Nights): 25 October and 1, 8, and 15
   November. Time: 8  pm US Central Daylight Time.

Registration & Tuition-

   -

   Fee: $70–register now to save your spot
   <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EAYH3Z2FWUR9S>--deadline
   24 October
   -

   Availability: Registration is limited.

-------------------------------
Retirement Time
-------------------------------

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.
-----------------------

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--------------------
Webinars
--------------------

Ready-to-Go Webinars from Michael–download immediate:

   -

   AI as a Genealogy Consultant
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/using-ai-as-a-genealogy-consultant/>
   --New!
   -

   Creating Children’s Stories from Genealogy Events
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-childrens-stories-from-genealogy-information/>
   -

   Creating Families from pre-1850 Census Records
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/creating-families-from-pre-1850-census-records/>
   -

   DeedMapper webinars
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/deedmapper-intro-and-more-deedmapper-webinars/>
   -

   FamilySearch Catalog
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/02/19/using-the-familysearch-catalog-webinar/>
   -

   Farming Ancestor webinars–landowner and non-landowner versions
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/rooting-around-for-farmers-and-tenants-and-laborers/>
   -

   Female Ancestors
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/researching-female-ancestors/>
   -

   Full-Text Search at FamilySearch
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/08/05/updated-familysearch-full-text-search-webinar/>
   -

   Full-Text Search at FamilySearch with Common Names
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2025/11/04/common-names-at-familysearch-full-text-webinar/>
   -

   How Errors Get in Records
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/how-errors-get-in-records-webinar/>
   -

   Illinois Genealogy Research
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/2026/03/10/genealogy-research-in-illinois-webinar/>
   -

   Metes and Bounds With AI–platting and analysis
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/using-ai-for-metes-and-bounds-deed-analysis/>
   -

   Unburying Funeral Home Records
   <https://genealogytipoftheday.com/index.php/unburying-funeral-home-records/>

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Michael John Neill
Genealogy Tip of the Day
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