What do you do when you’re researching an ancestor on the FamilySearch Family Tree and you run into conflicting information for a date, place, or even identity? You have a few choices: ignore the conflicts hoping someone else will figure it out, randomly choose what information to use, or do more research and resolve the conflict. I ran into this challenge when researching my second great-grandmother, Harriet (Huggett) Kelsey. I recently wrote about Harriet’s early...
As I mentioned in my last post about the “Other Relationships” feature at FamilySearch, I’ve been updating the FamilySearch Family Tree with my conclusions about my husband’s 3rd-great-grandmother, Barsheba (Tharp) Dyer (1813-1899), and her ancestral line. I had written a proof argument and a couple research reports that I wanted to upload to the memories and sources sections of the relevant ancestors. I also wanted to attach important sources. When I got to Barsheba Tharp’s...
A couple years ago I completed a proof argument that Lewis Tharp was the father of Barsheba Tharp. This week I’ve been updating the FamilySearch Family Tree with the information and sources I included in that proof argument. One of the details I found in a Hawkins County deed connected Barsheba’s brother, William Tharp, to Rebecca Tharp, formerly Rebecca Vernon. I found Abraham Vernon’s will and it mentioned his widow, Rebecca. Abraham’s will also mentioned...
Would you like some help with your research? How about getting a notification when someone in your family tree has a possible new genealogical record? If you don’t have your family information on FamilySearch, you might be missing out on free research assistance. I received an email over the weekend that a relative had a new record hint on the FamilySearch FamilyTree. Intrigued, I clicked on the link and discovered a hint for Wilford Royston...
How long has it been since you explored the catalog on FamilySearch to discover it’s offerings? If it’s been awhile or if you have never looked at the catalog, read on. Researching a family last week I was reminded again of some research tricks that I use to uncover the records. Today I’m sharing three of those tips with you. Tip #1 Locate and look at the original image FamilySearch has billions of indexed records. Many of...
Have you been trying to get your ward youth excited about family history? Do you need some fresh ideas to spark interest? For the past two years, I’ve been working with teens age 12-18. Â Along with my fellow family history consultants, we’ve made a lot of progress in how our youth perceive family history. They’ve gone from reluctance to genuine interest. Â Here are some of the things we’ve done to turn their hearts to their...
Have you ever found a marriage listing of an ancestor in an online index or in a book of marriage abstracts and been so excited you didn’t question it? Â Just added the information to your database, researched the couple and their children and went merrily on your way? I did this a few years ago, but unfortunately I connected the wrong marriage record to my ancestor. Essentially I married her to the wrong man. Â How...
Have you ever spent an hour at the doctor’s office waiting for your turn, wishing you had something more interesting to do than scanning Facebook? Try the FamilySearch Tree Mobile App! I just discovered the “Descendants with Tasks” feature and it’s pretty smooth. You can go to an ancestor, view their profile, and click the menu button to see the “Descendants With Tasks” option. There you’ll see a list of all that ancestor’s descendants who have “tasks”...
Have you ever wondered why you are asked to type a reason statement every time you change information or add a source to the FamilySearch (FS) Family Tree? Â Are you a genealogist frustrated with the collaborative aspect of FS Family Tree because others can change your information? If so, read on. I teach a beginner’s class during Sunday School in my LDS ward with people from all parts of the genealogy world: teens and adults...
Updated 18 January 2024 Have you ever read a family history with an interesting fact, like “Great Grandma was a full-blooded Cherokee”? You’re excited to read more and see some proof, but there is nothing:Â no source citations or documentation of any kind. Â You’re left in the dark, wondering how much to believe in that history. Eliza Ann Isenhauer My great-grandmother, Eliza Ann Isenhour, supposedly had Cherokee heritage. Unfortunately, the family history stating this fact...
