Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Call it luck or serendipity, when someone stumbles across a genealogical treasure, he is at the right place at the right time!

Fred made a trip to the local Family History Center.  Through the special FamilySearch Portal, which offers access to a number of premium resources, he was able to bring up an "old" genealogy magazine which is now out of print.  The Genealogical Helper was an essential tool in the years before the development of the Internet, a place to post queries and sometimes, find other family members or potential collaborators.

In this resource, Fred found a reference to a a surname that was in his family files, a line which had become a "brick wall" in his research.  Amazingly, the person who posted the "ad" was still living, as Fred discovered via the Internet.  He has written this individual at the same address that he posted in the Genealogical Helper and will let me know if or when he gets a response.  There is a good chance that the man is his second cousin!

And now, Fred, for you, the lyrics of a song from the Sound of Music; I know it's a kind of love song, but I just feel like you must have been living good to receive this opportunity to link to your kinfolk.  At the very least, you had a genealogy angel watching over you!  It could also be argued that, occasionally, when you reach out for help, your investment of time and effort is rewarded in a big way!
Maria:
Perhaps I had a wicked childhood
Perhaps I had a miserable youth
But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past
There must have been a moment of truth
For here you are, standing there, loving me
Whether or not you should
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood

I must have done something good
Captain:
For here you are, standing there, loving me
Whether or not you should
Maria:
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Maria and the Captain:
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
Maria:
So somewhere in my youth
Captain:
Or childhood
Maria:
I must have done something . . .
Maria and the Captain:
Something good

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Use case studies to become a better family history and genealogy researcher - Springfield genealogy | Examiner.com

Use case studies to become a better family history and genealogy researcher - Springfield genealogy | Examiner.com

How can using case studies help you to become a better family historian and genealogist?  Class activity and discussion will center on this topic on Friday, the 21st.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Tree - A Genealogy Case Study

Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Tree - A Genealogy Case Study

There are many case studies available that take a particular person and show you how to step-by-step research their genealogy, using a variety of methods.  See how this plays out with Laura Ingalls Wilder and the people in her life (she is a real historical person, but her life didn't necessarily follow the character in the book all the time).

Start with what you know or can find out online at wikipedia, for example.  Then using this information, go out and find some kind of evidence for the facts.

There are case studies that have been done the "wrong way" as well as the "right way"; what kind of story can you reconstruct about your ancestros, using family tradition, the census, the clues?

When I was Young! Tennis Interview

  I may have been a little bit precocious at the age of 15 or 16.  But I didn't let that stop me!   While Northwest Florida might have b...