Nov 25
The perfect time with the holidays to go over family photos. Have everyone check what they have and to bring them to the family gatherings. Use originals rather than copies. Scan the photos, making them 200-300 DPI in resolution and in size about 1000 pixels. Just look as you scan then save each photo, it will show what settings are available. D...
Nov 25
FamilySearch's Family History Library celebrated its 30th Anniversary on October 23, 2015. The library has been recognized by genealogists as the top research and collections library in the world. Part of the reason is it seen that way is because it has evolved to keep up with the changing demographics and demands of family researchers. The ...
Nov 24
Genealogists who want to learn more about their heritage could choose to use a direct-to-consumer DNA test kit. Send a sample of your saliva to the company that makes the test kit, and wait for the results. Some companies use the DNA of their customers in order to help find cures for diseases. It appears that this isn't the only thing your donat...
Nov 23
At the end of the American Civil War the Freedmen's Bureau was created to assist displaced people, mostly those African-Americans, who no longer lived in the former farms and plantations they have worked on as slaves. It was a bill signed by President Lincoln in March 1865 and was operated during Reconstruction by the Dept. of the War. It assiste...
Nov 23
Genealogists are sometimes able to find out the name of the places where their ancestors lived and worked. American genealogists who are learning about ancestors who lived in a foreign country might think that the place names sound strange. Have you ever wondered what the name of your ancestor's place of birth means in “plain English”? Iri...
Nov 21
If you had an ancestor who fought for the union (Northern) side, you have to check if they ever joined one of the many GAR Posts that formed from the 1880s and stayed well into the early 20th century. Those that joined had served in the US Army during the American Civil War of 1861-1865. This site online for the GAR can be a great resource of fi...
Nov 19
Here is an item most people don't know about the Pilgrims of 1620 in their ship the Mayflower. Barrels of beer (English ale) along with water were on the ship for the long trip across the Atlantic. The water went bad - unsafe to drink, but the fermented beer remained safe to drink. There were different strengths of beer, most people in the early...
Nov 19
MyHeritage has great news for genealogists who are trying to learn more about their Swedish ancestors. MyHeritage has added 46 million Swedish records to its website. This is the first time that these Swedish historical documents have become available online. The 46 million newly added Swedish records at MyHeritage have been added to the MyHer...
Nov 18
In general, each individual person has DNA that is specific to them. A person who is an identical twin carries the same DNA as his or her twin. It is also possible for a person to be a chimera – who carries more than one type of DNA. One of your relatives could be a chimera without even knowing it. What is a chimera? It is an organism or t...
Nov 17
A few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required 23andMe to stop selling their DNA test kits to consumers. The FDA objected to the health related results. Recently, 23andMe obtained FDA approval to begin offering genetic testing again. In October of 2015, 23andMe announced a new experience for their customers. The company is...
Nov 17
You either know someone named Smith or even have at least one ancestor with the surname 'Smith'. It is one of the most common names in the English-speaking world. If you wanted to know the most common surname anywhere in the world, it would be 'Lee' or 'Li', especially in the Asian continent. Even other European nations have a surname which is s...
Nov 16
The Great Depression affected families from all part of the United States (and in other countries as well). It might be fairly easy to find historical information about the Great Depression online and in textbooks. Photos aren't as easy to locate. Fortunately, there are some Great Depression photo resources that genealogists can view. The Gre...
Nov 15
Newest item added to help in research on FamilySearch.org is called "Thumbnail Gallery" and it is available free to the public. This feature has both the indexed data and the image together. This feature is available only with indexed records. It allows the searcher to navigate to other images within the collection by clicking on next or just goi...
Nov 13
Less common heritage can turn out to be a major majority in certain American states. Over the years, groups of immigrates can tend to settle in specific territories which later became states. It is true even in more recent times, those of a certain ethnic heritage want to be with others of a similar background. With the site, Most Unusual Ancest...
Nov 12
Did your ancestors immigrate to America? If so, they may have been among those who passed through Ellis Island. Your ancestors may have been dressed like some of the people who were photographed after they arrived at Ellis Island. On January 1, 1892, New York started using Ellis Island as a way station for immigrants. Between the years 1892 a...