04 March 2015

He Was Born in T: Being More Specific than the Database Won't Help

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Too much information can be a problem in many ways. It can be a particular problem when querying genealogical databases created from origin...

1880 Era Household Clerical Register for Samuel--Part I

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Ancestry.com  recently announced an update to "Sweden, Selected Indexed Household Clerical Surveys, 1880-1893."  As of this writin...
03 March 2015

FamilySearch Update: IN Crew Lists; GA Pass. Lists; MS Freedmen; OH County Marriages

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The following databases are showing as updated or new on FamilySearch : Indiana, Gary and East Chicago Crew Lists, 1945-1956 Georgia, Br...

It Can Happen in an Instant

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 Many things are relative. The use of word "instant" (often abbreviated as "inst.") is one of those things. Newspa...

FamilySearch: US, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations,1768-1921

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The following database is showing on FamilySearch  since our last update: United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and ...
02 March 2015

Henry or Herman?

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Census enumerators make mistakes. In 1900 Henry/Hinrich Sartorius was enumerated as Herman Sartorius. The census enumerator may have con...

A Telephone, A Mail Route, and Proximity to Schools: Selling a Farm in 1915

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The classified ads in a newspaper can provide more clues about something than simply who was selling what and when. This 1915 advertis...
01 March 2015

Webinars: Brick Walls, BLM, Fold3, and Research Process

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The week of 9 March means no classes, so we've decided to put on these genealogical presentations instead: Brick Wall Strategies for ...

Group Family History Trip to Salt Lake Approaching!

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There's still room, but today's the deadline for "early" registration for my trip to the Family History Library in Salt La...
27 February 2015

An Asterisk On a Compiled Service Record

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Another gem from the National Archives. No smoking guns here, but if you've ever seen a footnote in a compiled military service record ...

Is It Information or Evidence that Anna Goldenstein Lived in Palmyra in 1914?

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Does this qualify as evidence that Anna Goldenstein was living in Palmyra, Missouri, in 1914? After all, it did appear in the newspaper ...

Ancestry, I'm Not From Jersey County and Spelling Errors Are Bad Enough!

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We've blogged about this in the past, but since the errors have fallen on apparent deaf ears, we're mentioning it again. One alw...

FamilySearch Updates:TN, MT, and UT Materials

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The following databases are showing as new or updated on FamilySearch  since our last post : Utah, Grand Army of the Republic Membership ...
26 February 2015

Focke Goldenstein's Farm Sale is Front Page News

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Newspapers today don't usually publish prices for specific pieces of real property. That apparently was not the case in Quincy, Illi...
24 February 2015

I Found Five Pages And I'm Going To Use It

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You've found a recently published book that contains a lovely five page write up on your family. Here's some ways to responsibly use...

FamilySearch Website Tips and Tricks Webinar Released

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Tips and Tricks for FamilySearch   - This webinar discusses ins and outs of using the the FamilySearch  site,   searching by family structur...

Riley Was Sick in the Fall of 1863

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These are the only two medical record cards for Riley Rampley based upon his Civil War service in the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Th...

The 78th Illinois Is Coming Home!

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In an ongoing effort to learn a little more about the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, I've been searching for the unit on  GenealogyB...
23 February 2015

Was John Michael Trautvetter Even A Citizen?

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George Trautvetter, his wife and children immigrated to the United States in July of 1853. The family apparently made a relatively dire...

Updated on FamilySearch: Freedmen's Bank Records 1865-1874

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The following database has been "updated" on FamilySearch since our last update: United States, Freedmen's Bank Records, 18...
22 February 2015

Dying While A Claim Was In Process

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In " Bounty Land Warrants Go to Heirs Not Debtors in 1859, " I mentioned a newspaper article from 1859 that discussed briefly that...

Webinar Recordings Released: Females and Genealogical Proof

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We've just released updated recordings of two of my more popular webinars: Female Ancestors and The Genealogical Proof Standard for the ...
19 February 2015

FamilySearch Update: GenealogyBank Obituaries

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The following database is showing as "updated" on FamilySearch  since our last update: United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, ...

Why Research Associates?

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A recent Genealogy Tip of the Day  mentioned searching newspapers for ancestral associates. It caused a reader to ask why researching associ...
18 February 2015

Needing Permission to Get Married?

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When searching and utilizing marriage records, do you always consider the age of the bride and groom? Do you ask yourself if they were of le...