The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

vital record substitutes in your genealogy research

What If the Vital Record Doesn’t Exist? 3 Vital Record Substitutes You Can Use in Your Genealogy Research

April 12, 2019 by Suzanne - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

In this article we explore several vital record substitutes you can use in your genealogy research when vital records are not a research option.Today, the United States Legislature governs US vital record-keeping including registering births, marriages, and deaths. These vital records make it easier to follow a paper trail from parent to child and extend our genealogies back several generations. However, some states did not mandate vital record recording until the 1900s. Because of this, in certain states we do not have primary records before 1900 that capture each person’s birth date, place, year, and parents. And for some of the states that did require information to be recorded, those records no longer exist for a variety of reasons. How can we continue family history research if the vital record doesn't exist? In this article, we'll share three vital record substitutes you can use to identify earlier generations and extend your family history.Let’s use one of our …

Keys to Making Your Unknown Parentage Case a Success

April 5, 2019 by Kerry - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 2 Comments

You've hired the pros to find your biological family member. Now here's a list of ways YOU can help make your unknown parentage case a success.Congratulations! You’ve given this a lot of thought, and you’re ready to find your birth parents. You know this is a big job, so you’ve asked Legacy Tree Genealogists to help. We’re on it, and we can’t wait to get started.Here’s a secret, though: A lot of our success here is going to depend on you. We’ve helped a lot of people, and we feel like we’re pretty good at this, but we still need your help. There’s a lot you can do to make sure we find your biological parents as efficiently as possible. Here are seven ways you can make sure we’re successful together:Tell us who these cousin matches are.It’s likely that you’ve already taken a number of DNA tests before you begin working with us. That means you’ve seen your cousin match list. We’re going to see that list too, and our first task is to figure out who those people are. There’s no …

Maggie Stevenson, Professional genealogist

Meet Maggie, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists

April 5, 2019 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Maggie Stevenson was born and raised on the east coast of Scotland, in the historic Kingdom of Fife. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After graduating she qualified in TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language - and spent three years living and working in the south of Italy.After several years in Italy she returned to the UK and worked for a non-profit organization supporting homeless individuals. She worked as an assistant to the fundraising team, communicating with donors and organizing fundraising initiatives as well as managing the publication of fundraising campaigns.In 2002 she relocated from London to San Francisco with her husband and young son, primarily for her husband’s work. In 2005 (now with 2 small sons) they moved from the west coast to the east coast and lived in Manhattan for 8 years. They also spent many happy weekends in Woodstock, New York.In 2013 she returned to the west coast and San …

Preserving Living Genealogy: How to Conduct a Family History Interview

March 29, 2019 by Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 2 Comments

Summer is coming! Anticipated vacations are being planned, and family reunions are in the works. Now is the perfect time to begin arrangements for capturing the memories and stories of older generations. Here are some suggestions for conducting a quality family history interview to preserve the stories of your loved ones.Preparing for a Family History InterviewSet a specific time, date, and place for the interview. Plan to spend about an hour to an hour and a half, with options to meet again. Cover the basics in a written questionnaire that can be mailed to the person ahead of time. This should include names and birth and marriage dates and places for themselves, their parents, and siblings, along with any death or burial information for those who have passed on. Also include addresses they remember, schools they attended, jobs they have held, military service, hobbies, and community or church involvement. Check out our article, 9 Tips for Interviewing Family Members, for …