Group or Cluster Research

I love the Little House on the Prairie books, especially when the Ingalls family moves to the Dakota Territories so that Pa can work for the railroad. 

Times were so difficult back then that it wasn't unusual for families to be divided.  The mother and children might live on a homestead claim while the father worked in town to make the money they would need to survive.

 It never fails to amaze me the stories behind how a family ended up moving from Delaware to Wyoming.

So if you are finding it hard to keep up with a distant relatives movements try tracking their known relatives and neighbors. Many times people moved from one job to another or to newly opened frontiers as groups!

Searching for an ancestors grave?

Trying to find a loved-ones grave?  www.findagrave.com is a wonderful source for finding grave information, and with the information for 63 million graves in their data bases you have a good chance of finding a 'lost' relative.

Once when looking up one relative, I not only found out what cemetery in which she was buried, but I saw an individual portrait of her, a family portrait with her husband and four of their children, a picture of her headstone, and the birth and death dates of most of her children. 

There are some records that are unavailable as yet, but new graves are added all the time.  There is even a link to add the burial records for the use of others.

Researching Japanese Heritages

In the 1890s, Japanese began immigrating primarily to Hawaii and the Eastern Coast.  During World War II Japanese Immigrants and Japanese-Americans were "relocated" to internment camps away from the coast. 

The restrictions that the government put on immigration along with significant economic development greatly reduced the number of immigrants from Japan. 

The Japanese are excellent record keepers and the koseki is the Family Registration in which all births, deaths, marriages and divorces are kept.

Technology Helps

Oh, the help technology can give us!!!  Did you know that there are several apps available for ipod touch, iphone, and ipad that will allow you to download you family tree in GEDCOM format or allow you to sync information from your iphone/pod/pad to your account later. This is how your family history fields can be quickly filled when ArtisticAncestry.com is up and running.

Ancestry.com has a free app available that only works if you already have an Ancestry.com account, but Reunion.com has an app that is free with up to 50 family members or if you use Reunion for Macintosh it will save the information and sync with your Macintosh account later?

There are some that have a fee and some that are free, but either way, it allows for quick access to family tree information.

Tool Kit for Genealogists

If you are an unpracticed genealogist, you may not know exactly what to bring with you when going to a genealogy library.  Here are some helpful items that all together would fit into a small bag.

 Bring a camera  (but remember to ask permission before taking pictures), pencils and an eraser, a flashlight, any medications you might need, a magnifying glass, money for parking meters and copy machines, 5 subject notebooks, post-it notes, paper clips, a calculator for calculating costs, ages, distances, band-aids for paper cuts, and a small handpack of Kleenex.

 I would even throw in a Thumb Drive in case the information can be saved from a computer without needing to photocopy.

Joys of Fatherhood

The first moment that tiny finger wraps around your finger is the same moment it wraps around your heart and life is never the same.  Fatherhood is more than "bringing home the bacon."  It's teaching, guiding, loving, helping, and entertaining your children.  Being a father is exhausting work, but from playing catch to tying hair ribbons, it's the little moments that bring the most joy.

Thank you to the fathers who know the importance of being a parent and for doing your part in creating the next generation of loving, responsible adults.

Researching the Philippines

The Spanish began taking census information in the Philippines as early as the late 1500s.  They weren't very careful about their information getting the information from other friends, family or neighbors. 

Most of the records have yet to be indexed but church records starting in the 1800s have been indexed.  You can find information such as names, ages, marital status, tribute status, profession, and "miscellaneous observations" in these records. 

Just remember not to take that information as "fact" since the sources could be questionable.  Check, Check, and Double Check!

Folk Art

Did you know that the beautifully created carousel horses were originally Jewish Folk Art?  The German Lutherans and reformed settlers of Eastern Pennsylvania created beautiful "hex signs" on the sides of barns?  The Mexicans created amazing pinatas?  

The point of genealogy is to trace our family lines, but let's remember the beauty they saw and created when they didn't have "things" to keep them occupied.  Will our art and objects we create today stand the test of time like some of the folk art has?

Civil War Anniversary

April 12, 2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the first shot fired during the Civil War.  I still remember how in awe I was the first time I held the discharge paper for a several Greats Grandfather.  It amazed me that my ancestor fought and lived through the Civil War.  It shouldn't surprise me since there were nearly 3.5 million soldiers and 600,000 deaths.  

The Civil War affected nearly every family in the young nation.  On wiki.familysearch.org they have listings of all the regiments from each state.

Creating Time Lines

Following your ancestors trail isn't always easy.  Perhaps the best way would be to create a timeline from their birth to death and mark all the important years along the way.  

Don't forget to include years (approximately) when they moved from one place to another, the death of a spouse, a remarriage, the birth of the children, etc.  A timeline will help answer a lot of questions that may arise.

Plotting Fun Family Charts

One of the most enjoyable parts of family history is that it makes it possible to find out the celebrities you might be related too.  Are you number 754 in line for the Royal Throne of Norway?  Perhaps Kate Middleton is your fifth cousin?  Just for fun take a whole minute and see if you have anyone scandalous our revered in your family line!

The website roots.cs.byu.edu/digroots/ has living and dead celebrities and it's fun to see how far back it takes to find a common relative with somebody famous. Let us know who you are related to, we might even bow and scrape a little, but just a little mind you!

Visiting Ancestral Homes

Old homes are very cool.  Everything from the architecture on is amazing.  But what could make an old home even more amazing?  It's not being owned by somebody famous like George Washington's Mount Vernon, and as neat as history is, it's not the secret rooms of the Underground Railroad. 

It's knowing that it was your own great-grandfather who built it.   Wouldn't it be wonderful to walk where your ancestors lived and see what a talented craftsmen he was?  Take the time to ask the current owners if you may take a quick look around.  It never hurts to ask!

Memorial Day

This is the day that we are supposed to remember those who came before us.  It's a time to be thankful for our ancestors and the things they established.  It could be a veteran who died in defending our country.  It could be the first woman in a State Congress.  It could be an ancestor the forged a new way of life.  

Whether there were monumental achievements or whether they were simply a hardworking people, let's remember our ancestors and be thankful for what they've given for us.