Do you find yourself wanting to write more about your ancestors but needing some motivation? It can seem challenging to write a full history or biography, but what about small bites? If you could write a little each week, at the end of a year, you’d have 52 small bites. This year I’m committing to the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks yearly challenge.1 Each week brings a new prompt and an opportunity to explore...
Have you taken a road trip to visit the locations you’ve only read about in history or the records of your ancestor? Standing on the ground where they walked can help us visualize their lives and give us additional insights. My great-grandparents married in Indian Territory and moved several times within what would become Oklahoma in 1907. I recently visited key locations mentioned in their children’s histories. In this blog post, I’ll share their story,...
Reading historical fiction can provides ideas on how to add historical context to our work. Researching the world of our ancestors allows us to write with more authenticity when telling their stories. Kristen Hannah’s recent novel, The Four Winds, takes us on a journey to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in Texas and the hardships “Okies” encountered when fleeing the unforgiving land for California. My ancestors followed this same migration in the 1930s, so...
At the National Genealogical Society Conference this year, I met Tina LaFreniere in the exhibit hall. She was sharing her website, Related Faces. I thought it was neat so I invited her to share more about it here at Family Locket. Enjoy! – Nicole Everyone who embarks on their genealogical journey quickly learns that the path into your family history is full of twists, turns and frustration, but it’s those moments of discovery that bring...
Excellent writing doesn’t just happen – we write, edit, and rewrite until the finished product meets our standard. As genealogists, we write research reports, ancestor stories, proof arguments, and much more. Several tips can help us write clearly and concisely and make it more likely that we’ll engage our readers. Tip 1: Write We all get writer’s block; when that happens, the best solution is to start writing. Don’t worry about wordsmithing the perfect introduction....
When writing family stories, how often do you research the location and history surrounding events that influenced our ancestors? As family historians, we can learn much about the importance of this type of research by reading historical fiction. The Girls in the Stilt House provides an excellent example of using place and time to bring to life the Natchez Trace as the setting for the story. In this blog post, Author Kelly Mustian shares some...
When is the last time you thought about “why” you are interested in researching your ancestors? Have you run into any ethical dilemmas in your genealogy? Today we’re spotlighting our friend and colleague, Dr. Penny Walters. She teaches at Bristol University and lectures widely on several family history-related topics. Penny has also authored the books: Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy (2019) and The Psychology of Searching (2020), available on Amazon in paperback or on kindle www.searchmypast.co.uk....
Telling our ancestor’s stories requires knowledge of their time. What better way to discover life on the frontier during the Revolutionary War than to read a historical narrative? Author Matthew Pearl tells the tale of a specific era in Daniel Boone’s life that was pivotal for history. The Taking of Jemima Boone: Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap that Shaped America backs up the retelling of this famous story with 231 endnotes, many...
RootsTech is a world-wide, free, online family history conference that will be held this week. In addition to over 1500 class sessions, there is a fantastic feature called, “Relatives at RootsTech,” that can help you in your genetic genealogy research. If you’ve ever wanted to connect with like-minded family members who may share your interest in family history, as well as DNA, here is your opportunity! Do you ever wonder who the people in your...
As family historians, we often confront the challenge of discovering the truth behind family stories. In Murder in Matera – A True Story of Passion, Family, and Forgiveness in Southern Italy, we follow Helene Stapinski’s journey to unravel stories heard as a child about her great-great-grandmother, Vita. The book takes us along as Helene travels multiple times to her family’s hometown in Southern Italy. Through a series of fortunate events, she locates documents that tell...
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