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Make your Ancestor’s Birth Info Interesting
Apr 21
As you gather information, here is how to make the written info on an ancestor's birth more interesting. Basic information: Nan M. Everhart was born Aug. 9, 1915 in Frederick, Maryland to Dr. David G. Everhart and Eva Bixler Everhart. Yes, all the basic data is there but it is dull. Here is an example of how to add to the birth info. On a Mond...
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County Histories
Apr 19
An often overlook resource are the county history books and pamphlets done in the late 19th century and early 20th century. There was a big push for counties to record their history and include the local residents who helped establish the county. The former Confederate states of the south were the only ones to have the fewest county's devote their ...
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Ordinary Mistakes to Avoid
Apr 17
There is so much to be careful of when doing the research and then compiling your findings on your ancestral tree. Here are a a few examples of ordinary errors to avoid. At first, you might think you have found a surname spelling mistake. Instead, it is more likely Alternate Spellings for given and surnames. Over a generation or moving to another ...
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Ideas to Stimulate Writing Your Life Story
Apr 15
Doing your ancestors' family tree and their stories are fascinating. Yet you should also take a bit of time to get your own life story started for future generations. Wouldn't you have loved such a document from your great grandfather – his life, trials, hardships, joys, interests, and achievements? Take that time to write out some of your own l...
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How Did the Wrong Family Info Get There?
Apr 13
You may think you have everything correct as far as names, places, and dates for all the individuals on your family tree, including the extended families … but there could be some wrong information there or every individual who does not belong to your family tree. So how does that happen? First, did you inherited a family tree or information fro...
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MyHeritage Improved their One-To-Many Chromosome Browser
Apr 12
MyHeritage has implemented improvements to their recently released One-to-Many Chromosome Browser. These changes were made because users requested them. Three new additions make it easier to use the Chromosome Browser pages and provide additional information about your DNA Matches. The first improvement allows you to easily reference your compa...
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Access to New York City Vital Records Could be Restricted
Apr 11
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) wants to bring awareness to an amendment that could restrict your access to New York City vital records. They ask that genealogists sign a petition and register an official comment online about the amendment. The NYG&B describes the situation this way: “In 2017, the New York Ci...
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Archives for Photos
Apr 11
You might not have thought you could find photos of family members in a state's, or county's archives but it is possible. First, see what archives for a state, region or county are available. Whenever visiting any size archive (this includes Museums), always ask about their Photograph Collection. The archivist may first give you an index to look th...
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Collections of Church Records at Ancestry.com
Apr 10
Ancestry.com frequently updates their existing record collections. The best way to find what's new is to check out the Recently Added and Updated Collections on Ancestry page. Ancestry recently updated and added church record collections. Evangelical Records – new collections The records in this collection consist of administrative records f...
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Ancestor NOT on a Census – Why?
Apr 9
We all have at least one ancestor who we believe was alive but we can not find them on a specific census year record. There can be reasons a relative was not counted on a certain census year. Here are a few of the ideas. Many people were out of town and missed the count – especially traveling for work, such as salesmen or workers for a railroa...
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23andMe Adds FHI Carrier Status Report
Apr 9
23andMe announced that they have added a new Carrier Status report on a serious, but rare, condition that can lead to excessive insulin production. The condition is called familial hyperinsulinism. 23AndMe users can now discover if they are a carrier of the gene that causes this rare condition. Familial hyperinsulinism is a disease where there ...
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Locating Obituaries for Female Relatives
Apr 7
Because of maiden names, and what could be numerous married names, it can be difficult to locate an obituary on a female relative. The following are some suggestions to help in the search. A common practice in more recent years is for families to place a free obituary write-up with the funeral home online rather than a paid newspaper obituary. So ...
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A Brief History of Civil Rights Laws in the United States
Apr 5
The civil rights movement in the United States was a struggle for social justice that took place during the 1950s and 1960s. The goal was equality for black people. Here is a brief history of Civil Rights laws in the United States. 1868 – The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States – includi...
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List of Pastors and Ministers
Apr 5
What a great resource, a listing and information of pastors and ministers in the United States over the decades. With presently a listing online of 92,104 individuals, there are many to investigate. Not all pastors and ministers listed but quite a few for sure. The listing starts in letter order by surnames, but you can also do a search using spec...
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The Controversial Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census
Apr 4
The United States Census holds important information that genealogists can use to learn more about their ancestors. Over the years, the questions on the census have changed. Things were added, altered, or updated. In March of 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 census would have a citizenship question. Some feel that this ...
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