This week we celebrate Independence Day in the United States. This is a great time to think about not only our Revolutionary War veterans but all of our ancestors who have served in the military. If someone asks me about my ancestors who served, I ...
Pro Tips for Using the FamilySearch Catalog More Efficiently
One of the best tools for genealogy research is the FamilySearch Catalog. The catalog is a guide to genealogy records and books available on FamilySearch.org, in local family history centers around the world, and in the Family History Library in Salt ...
Using Land Records To Help Answer Research Questions
In my last post, I wrote about land records in state-land states. Today I will share examples of a few different land records I have used in my research and how they can be used to answer research questions. At the very basic level, a deed might ...
Land Records for State-Land States
Land records are created when a person acquires land, either from the government or from another person. The first time land was transferred from the government to an individual is called a grant and results in a patent. Every subsequent sale of th ...
U.S. Church Records: A Valuable Substitute for Vital Records
As part of my preparation for the Level 2 & 3 tests for ICAPGen accreditation, I am learning more about important record types for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. My growing library of blog posts about record types includes cemeter ...
State Censuses Help Fill In Important Details About the In-Between Census Years
Have you been using state censuses in your genealogy research? Typically taken in the years between federal census enumerations, state censuses are great resources because they can help add details to those in-between years. I frequently use New Y ...
U.S. Census Non-Population Schedules: Adding Details to Our Ancestors’ Lives
When I began to get serious about genealogy research, I thought I was pretty familiar with census records. I quickly learned I didn't realize how to maximize the value of these records, which was the topic of my last post. Another thing I quickly l ...
Maximizing the Benefit of Census Records in Your Research
This post is part of a series of articles I am creating as I study different record types in preparation for the ICAPGen Level 2 & 3 accreditation testing. Being very familiar with important record types for your region is the key to success for ...
RootsTech Connect Presentations by Members of My FAN Club
In the genealogy realm, we often talk about the FAN club, an acronym coined by Elizabeth Shown Mills that stands for Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. Some members of my own personal FAN club are the people I associate with in the genealogy world, ...
Using Funeral Home Records in Your Genealogical Research
This is the third in a three-part series about records created at the time of a person's burial. In part one I talked about cemetery records. Part two discussed clues found in cemeteries themselves and on headstones. Today I will explore funeral h ...









