family research

  • 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...

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