RLP 27: Personal Genealogy Software
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss three reasons why you should download personal genealogy software to manage your family tree. Are you only using an online family tree? You may be missing out on powerful features. Links 14 Day Mini Research Like a Pro Challenge Family Tree Software Programs compatible With FamilySearch - PowerPoint presentation free download - feel free to share the presentation with your class or group. 3 Reasons to Have Personal Genealogy Software and How to Choose - Diana's blog post at Family Locket, including the chart comparing different programs RootsMagic Family Tree Maker...
14 Day Mini Research Like a Pro Challenge
Have you been wanting to try the research like a pro process, but are feeling overwhelmed with all that you have to do? Maybe you have done the process once, or started the process, but got busy and didn't finish. Diana and I have been brainstorming a new way for everyone to practice the research like a pro process in a simple, easy to follow format. We thought a daily challenge might work! So if you want a good start to genealogy in 2019, using best practices and effective habits, we encourage you to sign up for our daily challenge....
Back to the Basics with Tax Records: Part 1
Have you used tax records in your genealogy research before? What are these records, how do you find them, and what good are they? I recently used tax records to establish three generations of a family in early Maryland and today I'm going to show you how I did it. If you're stuck in your research, perhaps a study of the tax records is just what you need. Why Search Tax Records As genealogists, we rely on the census records to track our families every ten years. But what about the interim years? So much can happen in between the...
RLP 26: U.S. Federal Census Records Part 2
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss how to analyze a census record, and the example of George W. Dillard in the 1850 Census. We go through the steps of making an abstract of all the census information, asking questions about the information on the census, making a hypothesis, then making a list of records to search that could answer the questions. We also discuss the non-population schedules and then what to do with the images of census records you find. Don't forget to download our Census Cheat Sheet packed with all the information we talked about today,...
Improving Genealogy Research in the New Year
Have you made New Year's resolutions in the past and come February 1st, they are discarded and forgotten? Maybe you know there's a better way to research your family but you're stuck in the same routine. Is your pile of paper getting deeper and deeper? Don't worry - I've been there and I'm going to give you some ideas on how you can start now to make some changes that will make a difference in your genealogy life. Set Reasonable Goals The key word here is reasonable. I regularly teach about organizing research and I hear stories of people with...
Guess Who’s Coming To RootsTech 2019?
Have you been to Rootstech yet? If so, you understand how powerful the keynote addresses can be. In the past we've learned from DNA Detective, CeCe Moore, and historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin. We've laughed with Scott Hamilton, Olympic medalist, and cried with LeVar Burton, actor. The speakers connect to their family history and share their stories with us. We never know what we'll experience, but it's always amazing. The RootsTech team has been busy getting ready for February 27-March 2, 2019, when thousands of genealogists and family historians will gather in Salt Lake City. The speakers for 2019 bring a...
RLP 25: U.S. Federal Census Records Part 1
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss U.S. Federal Census Records from 1790-1940. We talk about what you might find in a census record, where you can access them, the instructions given to the enumerators, which questions were asked on each census, and more. We also talk about books and resources to help you learn more. Don't forget to download our free Census Cheat Sheet packed with all the information we talked about today! We are also sharing the census tables we use in research reports. This is a Word docx file that you can download, and then...
Find Names for the Temple with the Puzzilla Research Log
Here's a scenario that I hear all the time. Does this sound familiar? You decide to dedicate an hour to family history research. You sit down at the computer and make a goal to find names for the temple. You open FamilySearch and find an ancestral couple that you researched several years ago. You do some descendancy research and pull up their Puzzilla descendancy tree. You look at the FamilySearch profiles of several 3rd cousins. It looks like they need additional research. Some have sources, some don't. When the hour is up, you have not reserved any temple work. Instead, you have...
