Have you taken the Ancestry DNA test and now you're wondering what to do with your results? Besides viewing your ethnicity estimate, what else can you do to get the most bang for your buck? Today I'll give you three tips that will get you started on your DNA adventure. TIP #1 Download your Raw Ancestry DNA and Upload to Other Websites Now that you've tested with Ancestry DNA, you can take advantage of your results by downloading your raw DNA and uploading it to four other DNA websites: FamilyTree DNA, MyHeritage, GedMatch, and Living DNA. Why would you want...
Are you interested in helping descendants of enslaved individuals build their family tree? Do you have slaveholders in your family history and you'd like to participate in the growing movement to build a database? Today I'll give you two ideas of what to do and release the names of three enslaved individuals discovered in the course of my own genealogy research. Share documents mentioning slave names on the Slave Name Roll Project I previously shared information about Releasing Slave Names Found in Genealogy Research where I discussed the Slave Name Roll Project. Since that post, the project has been moved to...
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 those have an attached image, but not all. What to do when you run across the dreaded " no available image?" What that means is...
You sent off your Ancestry DNA test in the form of a tube of saliva and you just received your results. Are you surprised? Excited? Puzzled? Wondering what to do next? Why not explore your ethnicity results and learn where in the world you come from. The science of DNA can seem daunting to the beginner, so I invite you to join me as I learn about DNA and how to use it for genealogy purposes. I'll be posting regularly about my discoveries, so follow along and see what you can learn. My genealogy paper trail has so far led...
As African American History month comes to a close, I'm writing my first post releasing the names of enslaved individuals found in my genealogy research. Inspired by other bloggers and my experiences during African Heritage day at RootsTech 2017, I am joining in the effort to help African Americans find their family, taking inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: "The time is always right to do what is right." ¹ The Slave Name Roll Project began two years ago, the brainchild of Schalene Dagutis, blogger at Tangled Roots and Trees. Inspired by Cathy Meder-Dempsey's posts for Black History Month (Opening Doors...
Are you interested in seeing what RootsTech 2017 is all about? Is this the year that you'd like bump up your genealogy education? Not able to travel to Salt Lake City to attend in person? With several sessions being streamed live and archived for later viewing, you can participate from the comfort of your home. 2016 was the first year that I attended RootsTech in person. Prior to that I waited until the streamed sessions were available from the website, then watched them at my convenience. The phrase "you don't know what you don't know" especially applies to genealogy and...
One year ago I posted my goal for 2016: to become an Accredited Genealogist. Luckily I gave myself a caveat that if I didn't get it done in 2016, there was always 2017. Well, it's officially 2017, and I do need the extra time to meet this goal. What did I learn last year? Where am I in the process? Why would you want to explore accreditation? Good questions that I'll try to answer. January of 2016 I had been waffling about whether to really go for accreditation or not. When I took the plunge and wrote a blog post...
It's time to think about what you want to bring with you to RootsTech. With only two weeks left, you'll want to download the RootsTech app, choose your classes, download the syllabi, and decide how you're going to take notes. Here are some suggestions to help you do this (and otherwise enjoy the conference)! This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. Thanks for the support! 8 Tech Tools to Bring to RootsTech 1. Tablet/iPad or Lightweight Laptop: Last year I brought a bulky laptop and got really...
Are you intrigued with the idea of using DNA to break down your brick walls? Have you done a DNA test but don't know what to do with your results? Have you wondered what the future holds for DNA and genealogy? You might want to consider attending RootsTech 2017 where more classes than ever will focus on DNA. Popular genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore will be giving the Saturday keynote address and she is certain to entertain and educate. CeCe's bio from the FamilySearch blog shows just just how qualified she is to teach about this fascinating subject. Moore, who’s been on the leading edge of...
What do you do when you have a great family history story and have just learned how to use a new set of historical records? If you're my friend, Karen, you share the story with your extended family then help your interested niece find some land patents. Today we have a guest post from Karen telling how she helped her teenage niece connect with her ancestors. By Karen Walters A few months ago, we were enjoying a barbeque with extended family. My mother came from out of state and brought an old, forgotten memory book. It had a story about our...
