family research
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Funny Things Your Ancestors Said
Dec 19
Every generation has its own collection of slang words or phrases. Some remain for several generations, others have a 'short life span'. Knowing some of these key words and terms can help you better understand a great grandparent's generation. Also at the next family gathering to see how many people can correctly identify. From the 1910s: ding-b...
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Nicknames
Dec 7
An ancestor having a nickname can prove to be a handicap during your research. A nickname is a substituted for the proper name of a person. It is often considered desirable, symbolizing a form of acceptance, but can sometimes be a form of ridicule. Some nicknames are given by the parents, grandparents or later by school friends. That nickname could...
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Vintage Magazines – 19th Century
Nov 9
Just like newspapers can be a 'window' into our ancestors' lives so can periodicals / magazines read by our relatives. Reading material, especially magazines have been quite popular with the public since the mid-1800s. Not only the interesting stories of events of the day, also social events, along with illustrations / photos of places and peopl...
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NC Confederate Pensions
Nov 3
Being able to view pension records for ancestors who served in the military can prove to be very enlightening. Just as important, filled with information, can be widows' pension applications. The North Carolina archives have the Confederate Pension records available online with the '1901 Confederate Pension Applications'. The law was passed in N...
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Scary Surnames & Halloween
Oct 31
There have been and still remain some unique surnames and given names throughout our history, and each one tells a great story. Maybe some of the most unparalleled ones are those that can be associated with Halloween. Of course the name may not have started out that way, but through traditions, it relates to something scary with Halloween. Here ...
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Soldiers – Civil War Graves
Oct 21
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) now has created its National Grave Registration Database Project. It is a searchable database available online and is free for everyone to use. Individuals can also submit information on Civil War ancestors. They didn't need to die during the war, so long as a veteran of the Civil War - Union or C...
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California Court Records
Oct 19
You may not have thought of checking about your ancestors using county court record, but it could prove to be a good resource. Court records can deal with criminal and civil cases and including probate court. A good deal could be learned on relatives and properties of an ancestor this way. A good place to start is the online site 'California Cou...
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Family Home Movies Day
Oct 18
Oh yes - family home movies - whether they are 8 mm, Super 8, 16 mm film, or the old VHS tapes, they can be the most cherished family memories and can not be replaced. It can show a time, event and people that can not be repeated. Some family movies can even date to the early 1920s. However, those memories can be played, relived and shared with gen...
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The Sinister Side
Oct 15
Sometimes people are worried they may find a 'black sheep', 'a skeleton in the closet' or some other shocking or upsetting information about an ancestor. This is sometimes referred to as finding the 'dark side' or 'sinister side' of the family tree. A few of such shocking news can be that your ancestors owned slaves, killed a person, was married...
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Oct. 18th – Find-A-Grave
Oct 11
Locating that ancestor's headstone can be quite rewarding, with information you might not have known before, along with nearby graves of other relatives. You can't always go directly to a family hometown to visit the cemeteries. The next best thing is to use the 'Find-A-Grave' site online. Here people have take the time to photograph headstones in...