Are you hesitant to document personal stories for one reason or another? Are you afraid your life is too ordinary? Are you worried that future generations will judge you for being human? In this article, we'll help you find the confidence and tools to become a good ancestor as you document your life authentically and accurately. Let’s face it: being remembered as a “great ancestor” is a high bar to set. It’s not like most of us are conquering kingdoms or discovering continents. But there’s … [Read more...]
How to Write Compelling Family Biographies from Genealogy Research
How do you make your genealogy research come alive and transform it all into compelling family biographies that will inspire generations to come? In this article, one of our expert researchers will give you some tips and tricks to make the writing process more straight forward. Biography is a genre of history that overlaps with genealogy. It’s not reserved for only those who were famous or significantly impacted history. The art of biography is trying to find meaning in a single … [Read more...]
A Journey Through Life
One of our genealogists shares a tribute to her father-in-law and the cherished book of memoirs he created. We also share tips for writing your life story. It’s “a little bit drama, a little bit comedy, and a lot documentary.” A warning notes “Dates are generally accurate, but some may be subject to memory flaws.” It took more than 20 years to create and fills a 4-inch thick three-ring binder. And it is now a family treasure: A Journey Through Life. For 20 years my father-in-law … [Read more...]
Learn to Read Old Handwriting – in Seven Languages!
If you have ancestors from a country in which English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, or Dutch was spoken, you should not miss this incredible – and totally free – tool. Learn how to read old handwriting and extend your family history. As professional genealogists, we love it when any new tool comes along that makes our job simpler. In the larger scheme of things, we’re also appreciative of any development that makes genealogy more accessible and raises the quality of work … [Read more...]
11 Do’s & Don’ts of Writing Family Biographies
Our team has completed thousands of hours of writing client biographies. Review our tips for writing family biographies that will help make your ancestors come to life! Recently, we published a post on tips for writing a family biography that others would want to read. Perhaps that article inspired you to begin your own, or to dig up an unfinished manuscript and take a closer look. Maybe you’ve got the organization part figured out, but your writing itself needs some polishing. At Legacy … [Read more...]
Write a Captivating Family History with the 1900 Census
As you write your family history, don't neglect the wealth of information that can be found in the 1900 census! What were you doing at the turn of the century? Watching the Times Square Ball drop as Dick Clark prattled on? Were you hiding in a closet, worried about how Y2K would wreak havoc on your life? Were you partying like it was 1999? Author Ian Frazier masterfully wove together the happenings of the previous turn of the century with his own genealogical findings in the opening of … [Read more...]
Writing Family Histories
Writing family histories is an exciting and fulfilling role! Here are our 5 tips for getting started, and making the most of this meaningful experience. Perhaps you’ve spent years gathering materials and information about your ancestors. You might have boxes of old photos, file folders of records, and a computer database bursting with names. Or maybe you are just getting interested in genealogy and would like to get to know your ancestors better. Writing a family history is a wonderful way to … [Read more...]