When working on your genealogy, sometimes the most difficult obstacle to overcome is that of finding the maiden names of female ancestors. However, by finding this information you can be lead to an entirely new branch of your family tree and a whole new set of information and history to explore. To get to that point, though, you do have to find the maiden names in the first place. How do you do it? Here are eight tips on where to look for such information in your genealogy quest. First of all, as obvious as it may seem, check with marriage records. The bride’s maiden name is always listed on her marriage record. If you can’t find a license,...
When doing ancestral research, be prepared to find a few skeletons hanging around. Most of us are not blessed with a family tree that is squeaky clean. When doing family research, be prepared to uncover family secrets that you did not know existed. Here are a few examples of skeletons some researchers have found. Jill Pedeg was researching her family history. She heard a rumor that she was a descendant of a wealthy businessman from 14th century Italy. Allegedly, her ancestor made millions in international trade. After months of research, her studies brought her to a church in Rome. She found some records of his name on old church documents....
Computer software can make your family tree research a breeze, relatively speaking – pun intended, of course. Using family tree software allows the creation of online data bases to sort records; the storage of digital photos with other documents, scanning of old records, easy sharing with other researchers, and a world of information at your fingertips through the Internet. When looking for appropriate genealogy software, look for easy to use features that seem intuitive. Many programs will allow matching of information from various online data bases. Some have features that check various name combinations that are similar and rate connections...
Have you ever wished you could ask your Great-Uncle George how soldiers felt about World War I or your Great-Aunt Georgina how she weathered the Great Depression? Or perhaps you rue the loss of your Grandmother Gretel’s recipe for delicious German strudel? Family traditions and lore can be completely lost in a generation or two if families do not actively take steps to preserve their history. A family history is a legacy, and preserving your legacy for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren can be an invaluable gift. You don’t have to sit down and write out a laborious record of your family history, however, in order to preserve your legacy,...
Why should you research death records? Death records are an important source of information for any serious genealogy student. Commonly death records can be found in the county courthouse, or in newspaper archives of obituaries. They will include information on the deceased such as parents, siblings, children, spouse, when and where married, where the deceased was born, the occupation of the deceased, possible military service, and cause of death. Why is this information helpful? Finding out where a person was born, for instance, can help distinguish between two people who may have the same name. Take one family for example, in Missouri,...
Why Spelling is so important in your Ancestry Search What’s in a name? The answer is, quite a bit actually. If you are beginning a search of your family tree it will help you tremendously to know the history of your family name, or for that matter of the names of other branches of the family. Many times names were changed when people immigrated to this country. If a person’s name sounded too “foreign” in a culture that was primarily of English ancestry then that name may very well have been changed. To a lesser extent, if the spelling of the name seemed difficult or again foreign then it could have been changed for that reason as...