Feb 24
Genealogists can learn quite a bit from a direct-to-consumer DNA test. This is true even if you already know some things about your family history. Vanessa Williams used Ancestry.com's DNA test kit. The results gave her information about her family that she did not know. AncestryDNA is the name of the DNA testing kit that comes from the po...
Feb 23
It is great to have a variety of local hometown newspapers scanned and online at your fingertips. This is the case for the 'Historical Newspapers Online' done by Penn State. All the states are listed with the available newspapers, their locations, the years covered and any additional information. They have combined the national Chronicles Newspa...
Feb 21
As you research and come across one or more ancestors who served during the American Civil War, you may well see they might have been a prisoner at one time. In the early years of the war, prisoners were just caught and then within a few days an exchange of prisoners would take place. Both sides soon realized the fighting would just continue if sol...
Feb 20
Have you heard of the Genographic Project? It is an interesting opportunity for genealogists. The full name is The Geneographic Project 2.0. (and it is currently in beta). It won't help you find the wedding certificate of your great uncle Fred. Instead, it can give you a much wider view of your family history. Those who wish to participate i...
Feb 19
So many new and once forgotten photographs are being scanned and made digital so they can then be shared around the globe. The newest collection available is from the Wellcome Library in the United Kingdom. There are two major categories: Historical Images and Contemporary Images. You can select either or both and then place a keyword, hometown ...
Feb 18
Lately, there has been some news about DNA testing kits that are no longer available to the general public. Those test kits have been removed from the market because the Food and Drug administration (FDA) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have doubts about the medical information that was given to consumers who had sent in a sample of thei...
Feb 17
Sometimes placing a little humor about a preoccupation a person has, makes it easier for others to understand that obsession. So the following are just a few lighthearted sayings and observations about all of us who love working on our family tree. A genealogist’s filing system usually incorporates the floor. Genealogists don’t get Alzhei...
Feb 15
We all love when we find that an ancestor served in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Of course sometimes we are not even aware we have such an ancestor. So now FamilySearch.org has online a collection from the census taken of just veterans in 1890. Now not all veterans from the Civil War were still alive in 1890, many killed in the war. How...
Feb 13
Social media is now the quickest method to gather information, share data and ask a question. Along with the online giant of social media being Facebook, one of the renown and long time Internet providers of links to great genealogical resources is Cyndi's List. That site alone has 327,000 links to every possible family history resource available...
Feb 12
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report evidence that smoking can cause earlier signs of menopause. This relates specifically to white women who have certain genetic variations and who were heavy smokers. Their study was published online in the journal Menopause. This isn't the first study that...
Feb 11
Newspapers are really the life blood of a community, town or city -- covering about events, places and people in that town. This is why finding newspapers from a certain area where our ancestors lived and then seeing if there was ever an article about that person or a family member can provide such additional information for you research. If you...
Feb 10
Many people think of Pinterest as a place to find photos of food, weddings, and craft projects. It is also a wonderful resource for genealogists and family historians! You can find a wealth of information on the FamilyTree.com Pinterest Page. What is Pinterest? It has been described as a virtual bulletin board. In order to use it, you need to ma...
Feb 9
It is so easy to get 'lost' in your family research. The more names you come up with the more you want to find and sometimes you can be so distracted you are off course. So here are a few tips to get you back on the right direction. 1. Go back over what you do have already. Sometimes you 'forgot' what you had and no sense researching that birth...
Feb 7
The Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives has online a great e-Archives referred to as Electronic Records Archives. There is wide variety of government documents from Kentucky now in digital format that you can view. The categories include Kentucky agriculture, Governor's Office, local government, WPA, Secretary of State records for Kent...
Feb 6
Family heirlooms are very special items that evoke the memory of a specific relative. They are treasured not because of their monetary value, but because they provide a connection between a person and a family member who has passed away. It is not unheard of for people to fight over who gets to keep a particular heirloom. Instead of fighting, why ...