Ten Ways To Grow Your Family Tree and Then Some

1.  Join a group:  Horses love company.  Trees often grow in a forest.  Fish swim in a school.  If you want to be a successful researcher do this:

• Take a Class or Sign up for a Course.
• Join a Genealogy Society
• Attend a Seminar
•  Register for a Zoom Presentation
  

• Find a friend, partner, or family member.  Research is more fun, more interesting, etc., when you have a buddy.  

2.  Be a Spy: (or detective, investigator, or snoop).  Play "Blue's Clues".  Ask questions: Who, When, Where, Why, and How:  What is my ancestor doing in Kentucky?!  Being nosy is allowed in genealogy research.

3.  Connect with Living Relatives, beginning with the oldest living person.  If you don't think you have a living relative, think again!  Maybe you have a cousin 3 times removed?   

4.  Watch a good video at YouTube about How to Do Genealogy.  There are literally hundreds.  You might not meet any kinfolk, but you will learn a few pointers!

5.  Take a Look at RootsTech.org (Free); they have saved presentations from the World's Largest Genealogy Event.  

6.  Write it down, type it up, utilize "Word" on your computer BUT DO KEEP A RESEARCH LOG.  

7.  Read a good book about "How to Do Genealogy".  Amazon (online) has a whole bunch of published items on this topic.

8.  Visit a brick and mortar building (aka repository), like a library and check out a "how to" book, (don't forget biographies and genealogy mystery novels to); you will also be looking for the history section, maps, geography, etc.  Take a summer drive and visit Archives, graveyards, fishing holes, etc.

9.  Cite your sources: Prove Your Genealogy: Gather historic documents like marriage records, baptismal events, Christening doc, birth, death and divorce certificates.  Create a timeline so you will know which war your grandfather might have fought in.   

10.  Did you know?  There are standards for genealogical research?  In fact, there is also standards for Genetic genealogy.  Google that.   

11. Just so you don't make that many mistakes, (ever? HaHa),you should probably check out this Webinar AT Legacy Family Tree/Webinars.  (this item is free if you take your own notes; as opposed to getting a "handout")

Event Announcement from the Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County

 This program will discuss:

1... the options wannabe book writers have, from DIY (scrap-booking, murals, a book on a wall or self-publishing with a print template), to hiring photo and design help, to commissioning a company that specializes in producing heir-loom-quality family books. 

2...She will share what she learned as she worked with the client's family, and with a book designer to preserve the family’s letters, diaries, documents, and scrapbook entries for posterity. The program is aimed at Genealogists of all levels, who are looking for best practices for writing and sharing one's family story. 

 Speaker Bio: Since 2011, Janeen Bjork has combined 30 years of experience as a television researcher and presenter, editor and educator, with her love of family history, teaching Gene-alogy, Newspaper and DNA classes, mostly in New England and New York. When a non age-narian Genealogy student asked in 2018, “Do you have any ideas for Christmas presents?” she began an unexpected, challenging, and heartfelt, year-long adventure. The result was a 182-page family history book that memorialized the lives and legacies of 11 family members who lived together in a house in a small town in Nebraska, in the first half of the 20th century. Her second book project [which was given to the client's family for Christmas 2020] is a book of family travel photos, album entries and newspaper clippings from 1912-1913. Her third book, a book of the client's family lines and photos, has begun with the scanning and organization of almost 300 family photos.

Please e-mail if you are interested in "attending" the virtual presentation and a link will be provided!  GSOCOkaloosa@gmail.com

The Best We Can Do

 All researchers can do is to do the best that they can do to locate records and sources to verify the existence of their ancestors.  Then, you can look again at a later time; maybe you just missed a name or a fact.  And then there is this:

Students of genealogy, random folks who do good genealogical deeds, "fate" or whatever: Voila!  You make a discovery!  Or you see a random post at the facebook group you sponsor?  That is what happened today.

Unfortunately, my ancestors would have been the slave keepers in this document that is mentioned.  Although...recently another researcher verified that one of our lines did hold some interesting possibilities.  At any rate, a friend brought to my attention when she discovered a link that someone has been waiting for!

My friend wrote:

I came across a resource I didn't know about. 

 http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~ajac/genealogy/slave100up.htm

Slaves' names do not appear in the census; this source is a list of slaves 100 years old and older and does give their names.

Maybe someone can use this.

 

 In the meantime, just keep looking for the answer to your puzzle!  Serendipity Happens!  Serendipity also rewards preparedness.