Family historian Leslie Albrecht Huber wrote a book called The Journey Takers, a story about her search for information about her German, Swedish and English ancestors who left their homes behind and sailed for a new life in a new land. After reading her work, I developed a great need to know who the journey takers were in my family tree. The actions of one such individual can affect hundreds or even thousands of his or her progeny, as a journey taker determines where future generations will … [Read more...]
Jewish Research Part 2: Tips and Resources
Learning about your immigrant Jewish ancestry can be rewarding. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you overcome common obstacles in Jewish genealogy research. In a previous post, we covered an introduction to Jewish immigrant research, focusing on historical context, migration patterns, and determining the European hometown. Once you've made the connection across the pond, however, there is still work to be done. Maps and Gazetteers Once you have found a record that names your … [Read more...]
Know Your Special Census Schedules
Are you familiar with the U.S. Special Census schedules? We'll show you how to read between the lines to glean as much information as possible about your ancestors. The census is the backbone of American research. It is one of the first sources that new genealogists learn to use, and one of the most useful overall. Perhaps because of this ease of use and accessibility, sometimes researchers can have a tendency to overlook less obvious notations, or to speed through the record a little too … [Read more...]
The Basics of Tracing Your English Ancestry
Learn the basics of tracing your English ancestry with our tips and tricks. If you have ancestors from England, count your blessings. Thanks to that country's long history of early and consistent religious and government record-keeping, there are three major record groups for original research that are rich with genealogical information: church records, civil registration, and the census. While these documents were not originally designed with future genealogists in mind, they are … [Read more...]
Bridging the Gap: Writing a Family Biography Others Will Want to Read
Writing a compelling and interesting family history biography is one of the finest examples of experienced genealogists. Review our outline that will help share the stories of your ancestors. Sometimes as genealogists we get so caught up in collecting all the details about our ancestors that we forget the other important side of family history – sharing it with family members! If you have a closet overflowing with old documents or a database full of facts, and you decide you'd like to … [Read more...]
3 Gadgets and Programs for Digitizing Family History Photos
Digiting family history photos is a breeze with these gadgets and programs! If you’re faced with a box or trunk of old black and white photos from decades gone by, feel lucky. Many people would love to have such a treasure trove, even if it means taking the time and spending some money in order to preserve these photo treasures forever. Even if family photos have been lovingly placed in albums or scrapbooks, it is important to digitize them (and it’s also important to make sure that albums … [Read more...]
Understanding Genealogy Terminology: Pedigree Chart & Family Group Sheets
What's the difference between a pedigree chart and a family group sheet? We'll explain. Let’s imagine that you have been bitten by the genealogy bug: suddenly, you are very interested in where you come from and who your ancestors are, along with their stories. If you’ve never done any family history or genealogy work before, you might feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. But worry no more! We’re here to help you take those first steps into the exciting and addicting … [Read more...]
Where Do I Come From? The Joys of Genealogy
As genealogy gains in popularity, researchers young and old cannot help but ask, "Where do I come from?" Who are you? Where do you come from? More and more people are asking themselves these questions as they get bitten by the genealogy bug. Young people, old people, career people, stay-at-home moms and dads—it doesn’t matter who you are, you can become addicted to searching out your family tree. Find Your Ancestry Have you ever enjoyed certain family stories that have been passed … [Read more...]