Do you have any ancestors who either settled or passed through Missouri? With Missouri’s location in the center of the United States and bordering eight other states, the likelihood is high that you have a Missouri connection. Learning more about Missouri research could help you explore new avenues to break down a brick wall or add to the story of your ancestor’s life. Missouri research has so much to explore that this will be the first of several posts focusing on the land, history, courts, records, repositories, and ethnic groups of Missouri. The Land Why does understanding the land matter?...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about writing compelling stories from our family history. Author Annette Gendler shares her experience with writing family stories that were meaningful in her own life. She is a teacher at the StoryStudio Chicago where she has helped countless eager writers over the past several years. Tune in for many tips about writing your own short stories from family history. Links www.annettegendler.com The Tractor – the story of Annette’s American grandfather and his tractor; example of a short memoir. The Flying Dutchman is an excerpt from Jumping Over Shadows, relating the story of...
You know how it is – you look in your DNA match list and see an entry for someone you don’t know. There are a few steps you can take to discover the relationship you share. The amount of DNA you and your match share is listed in centimorgans (cM). The cM amount can point you in the right direction to discern your relationship. The DNA company estimates a relationship, but you need to figure out where the person fits in your family tree. If you can correctly place a DNA match in your family tree and determine which ancestor...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about pre-1850 U.S. census records. We talk about the challenges of using these census records as well as the helpful information you might find within them. We’ll share examples of evidence found in pre-1850 census records and tips for searching them. Join us as we discuss this important record group! Links Diana’s RootsTech 2021 classes: Problem Solve with the Pre-1850 Census: Investigate the Tick Marks, Part 1 of 2 Problem Solve with the Pre-1850 Census: Investigate the Tick Marks, Part 2 of 2 Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group –...
Are you one of the 44.2 million Americans with a German ancestor? Whether your ancestors were Pennsylvania Dutch who arrived in the 18th century, part of the tidal wave of Germans arriving in the 19th century, came in the 20th century, or never left at all, the virtual International German Genealogy Conference (IGGC) will have something for you! The International German Genealogy Partnership held its first conference in Minneapolis in 2017 and the second in Sacramento in 2019, which I attended. The third conference will be held virtually July 14th -17th 2021, with the theme of “Researching Together Worldwide /...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about organizing your DNA matches by adding them to your Ancestry tree. We talk about building trees for your matches within one master tree so you don’t have a long list of Ancestry trees. We also go over how to add a floating or disconnected branch to your Ancestry tree to allow you to build your matches’ trees and find the common ancestor. We review privacy settings for Ancestry trees as well as MyTreeTags. Links How to Add DNA Matches to Your Ancestry Tree by Nicole Research Like a Pro eCourse Study...
Do you enjoy a good tromp around a cemetery – looking at the headstones and wondering about the lingering stories? As a family historian and genealogist, you know the value of cemetery research to mine names and dates, but have you explored the symbols often engraved on a headstone? Those can hint at stories to be uncovered. In this guest post, genealogist Lynn Blair shares her photos and passion for discovering the stories found in New England’s cemeteries. I met Lynn while I mentored ProGen 44, a 14-month study group. When she shared her hobby, I knew I wanted to...
If you could name one goal for your family history research, what would it be? Would DNA help you achieve your goal? If so, there is an essential tool that will help you progress toward it. In your DNA match list, you’ll see an estimated relationship and the amount of DNA you share with each relative. If you build a family tree based on just the predicted relationships, it will be difficult, and possibly incorrect. You need a tool to help you discern not only possible relationships, but also the probable likelihood of specific relationships you share with your DNA...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Chinese Ancestry. We talk with Linda Yip, author of the website Past Presence and the new book, Getting Started in Chinese Genealogy. Linda tells about how to research Chinese ancestors in Canada or the United States. She also teaches us about Jiapu, Chinese clan genealogies and how they can stretch back 24-36 generations. We review the laws and history for Chinese immigrants and how that affected the records created. Linda shares about her experience at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy in the Chinese Ancestry and Genetic Genealogy courses. Links https://past-presence.com/...
Many people want to incorporate their DNA test results in their family history research, and there is so much to learn with new tools continually developing. I think a lot about how to simplify the explanations about DNA and the process of using DNA results to find and confirm ancestors. My goal is to help people navigate the process and find success in their research. I created this DNA Tools Bell Curve graphic to briefly illustrate a process or methodology to incorporate DNA into your family history research, moving from the simplest tools on the left to the most complex...
