Genealogy
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Giving Up Too Easily??
Jul 7
So you thought you could instantly find everything about your ancestors and create a wonderful, complete family tree. Well, anything worth it's while, does take time. Today, everything is instant, but you have to remember that there are so many years, events, dates, tales, names that helped bring you to where you are now in your life, it can not be...
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Go Beyond What is Official
Jul 5
Working for years on research for a family branch, the Groff family of Frederick, Maryland, I had reviewed numerous times all the US Federal Census records for the Groff family. One was a special puzzle for me in the 1880 census. Here listed, besides the children of Joseph and Susan Groff, was what appeared the name 'Nicholas H. Groff' in the house...
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AncestryDNA is 2 Million People Strong
Jul 5
Around 11 months ago, AncestryDNA announced that it had tested over 1 million people. Recently, has hit another major milestone. They are now 2 million people strong. They are the very first consumer genetics testing company to hit that milestone. AncestryDNA is a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service. It uses the latest autosomal testing t...
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Let Vintage Guidebooks Steer You
Jun 25
Here is an idea of an often overlooked location to find information on an ancestor. Many hometowns since the 1920s, especially if they had some special attractions such as seashore resorts, fishing villages, hiking trails, nature parks, lake terrains, grand mountains, former mining towns, historical landmarks, etc. have produced over the years loca...
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MyHeritage Adds 11 Million Australian Newspaper Pages
Jun 24
Old newspapers might be seen as trash by many people. But, to genealogists, they are a treasure! There are things you might be able to find in an old newspaper that simply aren't available anywhere else. You might find an ancestor's obituary, or an article about a baking contest she won. It is easy to see why MyHeritage decided to add 11 million pa...
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Bruce Springsteen Has Irish Heritage
Jun 23
Bruce Springsteen is best known for his “Born in the USA” album. He was born in in Long Branch, New Jersey, in 1949. It is obvious that “The Boss” really was born in the United States. What you may not know is that he has Irish heritage. Irish Central reports that Bruce Springsteen's family tree can be traced to County Kildare, Ireland. ...
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Ways to Prevent Your Relatives From Trashing Your Family History
Jun 13
You may have read the story about the woman whose family threw all of her genealogy and family history work into the trash after the woman passed away. It is easy to see why this story is shocking to genealogists. Here are some ways you can prevent your family from trashing your family history. The story may have first appeared on the Deseret Ne...
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Add Context to Your Research for More of the Story
Jun 10
Want to add some flavor to your genealogy research or your family history? One great way to do it is by adding some context to fill out what you already know about your ancestors. Doing so can reveal insights that you may have overlooked the first time around. Add Some History Take the time to learn what was going on in the world when your ance...
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Reasons You Might Not Know Cancer Runs in Your Family
Jun 8
Genealogy today involves not only making a family tree but also creating a medical family tree. There are some DNA tests out there that can reveal a person's risk of developing cancer. In the United States, the Affordable Care Act has made it possible for more people than ever before to be able to afford to see a doctor. Even so, there are some rea...
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Finding Errors in Records??
Jun 7
Sometimes it is difficult to locate an ancestor because there could be errors either you have made or that were made when a vital record (birth, marriage, death, deed, military, etc) was created. The spelling of given and surnames is one of the common areas of errors. Many names have quite a few various methods of being spelled and those ways have...