Finding family members through DNA never fails to amaze me. But this past week has been almost too much to believe. I have been assisting a friend—I’ll call her Anna—in searching for her grandfather. You see, Anna’s mother was adopted and never knew her birth father. So Anna’s mother was especially anxious that we solve … Continue reading When DNA Reveals More Than You Bargained For
Find possible obituaries or other important records. Newspapers are a treasure trove of information when you want to find ancestors. Read my blog post called Newspapers Are My Friend, where I talk about the 10 things you can find in newspapers, such as obituaries (which can include many names and family connections), marriages, births, military … Continue reading One Full Week: FREE Newspaper Search
Don’t click to leave this page! You may think this topic sounds boring, but what if I told you that Deoxyribonucleic Acid is DNA? (Deoxyribonucleic is pronounced dee-ok-si-rahy-boh-noo-klee-ik.) DNA has become the hottest topic in genealogy, adoption searches and crime solving. Ten years ago, if someone had told me I would be using a totally … Continue reading Deoxyribonucleic Acid—the Genealogical Game Changer of the 21st Century
Military records and stories may be one of the greatest places to catch glimpse into the past of your ancestor in the United States. Knowing the branch of service, in addition to the company, battalion, or group name and number will help you unlock the secrets. If you are unsure whether your ancestor may have … Continue reading Did Your Ancestor Serve in the Military?
As technology marches on, part of the past is inevitably lost. Much anticipated “research trips” to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will very soon be a thing of the past. I feel pangs of mourning over the inevitable. Monday of this week, I spent the day there searching for needed documents to … Continue reading Mourning the Past: The Family History Library
It’s one thing to find old documents that tell the story of your ancestors’ lives. But if you are lucky enough to see a photo of them, it adds a whole new dimension. Photos are true family treasures that connect us with the past. Perhaps you have some photos of your ancestors up on the … Continue reading How to Find Old Photos of Your Ancestors
How could social media possibly be a tool in genealogy research, you might ask? As a matter of fact, social media can be very beneficial in several different ways. One of the biggest assistance tools you will find through social media is the ability to locate cousins or other living family members. Let’s look at … Continue reading Social Media and Genealogy Research
Everyone has a story to tell. Some of the stories are exciting and life changing, while others are humorous, but they all give a glimpse of how they handled life. The challenge can be finding the story. What happens if the person you want to learn more about has been dead for 100 years, yet … Continue reading Finding the Stories in Your Ancestor’s Life
As citizens of the United States of America, many of us want to be able to claim we have blood of the original inhabitants of this country in our veins—Native American blood. Rumor in your family has always been that "Grandmother was descended from an Indian chief." Is it fact or lore? Let’s look at … Continue reading Is there Native American Blood in Your Veins?
You’ve seen all those do-it-yourself shows. Maybe you’re thinking, how hard can it be? If you need to fix something, you can just hop on YouTube and fix it yourself. The brakes just went out on your car. You are sure you can take care of the job yourself and save some money. But five … Continue reading Hire a Genealogy Expert Now to Prepare a Unique Christmas Gift
Sharon―Family Sleuth 