records

  • Finding a Female Ancestor’s Maiden Name

    Dec 17

    Not an easy task sometimes … locating a female's maiden name. It can be hard enough when a female was solely referred to by her husband's name (Mrs. Harry E. Wilson) – not given name even provided. So to assist in the search for a maiden name (her birth surname), here are a few suggestions: Check her death certificate, her husband's d...

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  • Families and County Histories

    Oct 21

    Do you need another location previously not checked to learn more about your family? How about the hometown county history. Most (not all counties) in a variety of states have written up their county history. Well, a county's history is made up of its residents. So once you know a time frame and a hometown county for a family branch, you can start...

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  • Colonial Early Church Records

    Oct 3

    If you have found that some of your early ancestors in America lived in Massachusetts Colony and were of a specific church (Puritan, Congregational, and Christian denominations) you are in special luck. Now available online from the Congregational Library and Archives are the church records from many early individual churches in Massachusetts. Thes...

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  • Visa Files 1924-1944

    Aug 19

    It began in 1924 with a new law, the Visa Files becoming the official arrival records of immigrants admitted for permanent residence between July 1, 1924, and March 31, 1944. This could have been the time frame your ancestors came to America. All arriving non-citizens were required to present a visa when applying for admission to the United States...

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  • Recent Additions to the Ancestry.com Databases

    Aug 17

    You may or may not have used Ancestry.com (fee-based collection of databases and information). Many times there are free sessions or your public library or local genealogical society may have it available. You need to keep informed of any new additions to their collection. On this page 'Recently Added or Updated Collections' you will the newest da...

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  • Translating Documents

    Aug 7

    You look high and low for every bit of documentation about your ancestor you can locate. Those found journals, vital records, documents help prove and clarify the bits and pieces about the life of an ancestor. So when a new document is located you want to understand everything written on it … only problem can be is if it was written in a langua...

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  • Thinking You are All Done with your Family History?

    Jul 9

    There are many experienced family history researchers who say; “You are never done researching your family.” Even if you think differently, here are few ideas you should check before saying you are done. All the major online sources (such as FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com) for databases are always updating and adding new digital resources (...

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  • FamilySearch Collections

    Jul 7

    If you have not used recently or at all, the FamilySearch online site or the material at any local Family History Center operated b the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, you are missing a golden opportunity. The FamilySearch.org is always adding to its collections. Just the United States collections number 1,114 with titles such as: Alabama Deaths ...

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  • Digital Library of Georgia

    Jun 23

    Several states have done a fabulous job making many of their collections (photos, letters, documents, etc.) in a digital format. One outstanding example is the Digital Library of Georgia. Gathering collections from libraries, museum, donations, etc their digital collections represent resources on Georgia history, culture, and life. However, there ...

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  • Use of Funeral Home Records

    Jun 19

    Contacting the funeral home in a hometown to see what records they hold about your ancestors can be a great resource. It might take some extra investigation if the funeral home the family used years ago has been sold and is under another name. However, most of the time, the previous funeral home did have the new operators store the older records. ...

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