Blog Content
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Info in an Obituary
Mar 11
The use of obituaries is essential when doing your family history. Most of the time the information was supplied by a close family member. You want to try every newspaper in the area of where your ancestor did live when they died as well as their hometown. Families generally placed an obituary in one or more locations where the decease was ...
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RootsTech 2015 Video Archive Now Available
Mar 11
RootsTech is a huge, annual, genealogy conference that takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah every year. It attracts genealogists, family historians, and people who are interested in the technology that goes along with those fields of study. The videos from RootsTech 2015 are now available to those who missed them. RootsTech has so much to offer...
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Being Injury-Prone Could be in your Genes
Mar 10
Do you have a relative that has a remarkable tendency to end up injured? It might not be entirely their fault. A review article indicates that a person's genetic makeup could have an influence on their risk of injury. The results of the article are especially interesting to athletes whose livelihoods can be negatively impacted after a severe injur...
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Google Book – Voters in NYC – 1919-1920
Mar 9
A major overlooked resource online are the vast collection of books that have been made digital by the search engine 'Google'. One certainly worth looking at is the New York City voter registration listing for the 1919-1920 time frame. If you can locate any voter registration rolls for any location -- do so -- it is a good deal of information can...
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The Genetics that Influence Red Hair
Mar 9
People often assume that a person who has red hair must have Irish heritage. Sometimes, that might be correct. However, it is entirely possible for a person to have red hair and absolutely no Irish ancestors. The reason has to do with the genetics that influence red hair. It is understandable that people associate red hair with Irish ancestry...
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Which Term is Correct?
Mar 7
Even if you have been doing family history research for years, there are a few terms or phrases that can still be misspelled or misused. Here are some examples of the wrong and right words. 1. The word 'cemetery' – a location for burials of humans. You may have seen it spelled 'cemetary' – the letter 'a' near the end is not correct. ...
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March – Women’s History Month
Mar 6
Since a measure was first passed the US Congress in 1981 and the first celebration held March 1982, the month of March as been recognized as 'Women's History Month' - that time to reflect and fully appreciate the massive contributions by women across the globe and over many different decades. There have been and will be numerous programs an...
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Boys in Blue of Illinois
Mar 5
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the 'Boys in Blue' were the Federal Union army soldiers. Those in the Southern Confederacy were considered the 'Boys in Gray'. Both due to the color of the uniform. If you had an ancestor who served from the many Illinois (Union) Army regiments, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library has s...
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FDA Approves 23andMe’s Test for Bloom Syndrome
Mar 5
A few years ago, 23andMe offered a direct-to-consumer DNA test kit that provided both genealogical and health information. In November of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required 23andMe to stop offering the health data. They were allowed to continue offering the genealogical information that came from the DNA testing. In February...
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What to Do if your Relative’s Memorial is Already on Find A Grave
Mar 4
People can be very emotional when their has been a death in their family. This is understandable, of course, and something that almost everyone has experienced. Genealogists may want to create a memorial for their loved one on Find A Grave. What can you do if you discover that someone else has already posted a memorial for that relative? He...
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Public Online Records
Mar 3
There are not just vintage documents, photos and records on genealogical databases, but many sites carry recent records on living individuals considered 'public records'. The online site of 'Persopo' has a variety of available public records. Now what is available will vary from state to state. Informational records can come from towns, cities,...
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Luck of the Irish
Mar 3
Need some inspiration for your genealogy or family history blog? You might find it at “No Story Too Small”. They are in the midst of a list of helpful prompts for genealogy bloggers. Every week, there is a new theme for you to try. Pick a different ancestor for each theme, and you will end up covering 52 ancestors this year. The themes...
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Make Copies of What You Post on Ancestry.com
Mar 2
Ancestry.com is one of the most popular genealogy websites, and with good reason. It offers a plethora of records, is easy to use, and gives genealogists an easy way to create and add to their family trees. Even so, it is advisable that genealogists make copies of everything they post at Ancestry.com (or other online genealogy websites). Many pe...
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Available on FamilyTree.com
Mar 1
This website, FamilyTree.com can be of real assistance for any level family history researcher. If you are just starting, the basics are explained in clear and easy to follow formats. If you have been working at the research for awhile, there are informational sections to help you move even further. For the long-time and advanced genealogis...
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Musts in Genealogy
Feb 27
As in anything there is a right and wrong way to complete a task. So for the family researcher of the history of your ancestors, make sure you follow as many of the following 'musts' to insure the family tree is as accurate as possible. 1. Use as many different sources to verify the dates, name spelling, hometown, whom they married, the children's...
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Genealogy 101
The study of birth, marriage and death records to discover family relatives. more »
Genealogy Dictionary
Definitions for the most common terms and expressions for the field of Genealogy. more »
Genealogy Site Reviews
Reviews of top genealogy and family tree sites, with feature comparisons. more »
