What is the best advice for those beginning to research their ancestor from German-speaking lands? Seek out their church records in America to discover their German hometown and parents. German research expert Roger Minert estimates that church records will be the best source of this information 65-76% of the time. Dr. Minert is the editor of a 35 volume (so far) series of books cataloging those German-Americans who have a hometown listed in their church...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about German immigration to St. Louis, Missouri in the 1840s-1860s. We discuss the reasons for immigration and the cultural differences between Americans and newly arrived Germans. Heidi Mathis shares the historical context she learned when researching her ancestor, Burkhard Schlag, who arrived in St. Louis in 1854 from Hesse. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 148 19th century Germans in St. Louis with...
Clustering your DNA matches can help you make sense of that long list of unknown DNA matches. Although there are programs that now automate clustering, you might want to try it yourself. What are the advantages of creating genetic clusters manually? You might enjoy working with each match and discovering your shared ancestral lines. Each testing company website enables you to view people that share DNA with you and with your DNA match. Shared DNA...
Are you one of the 44.2 million Americans with a German ancestor, but sense that researching them is more out of reach than others in your family tree? Researching our German can seem daunting because of the language hurdle, but also because the whole concept of “German” is complex. People from central Europe had particularly complicated histories compared to those with more fixed national identities such as the English. Perhaps living on an island has...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with co-founder of The Family History Guide, Bob Taylor. The FH Guide is a free website that aggregates learning resources for beginner and intermediate researchers to learn about genealogy research in step-by-step modules. Bob talks with us about the resources available at the FH Guide and walks us through the website. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 147: the Family History...
Courthouse in St. Joseph, Missouri [1] Can understanding the laws and court system of a locality really make a difference in our research? The answer is a resounding YES! As we move back in time, we come to rely more on the records created by the courts such as deeds, probate, guardianship, and more. Knowledge of these types of records helps us break down our brick wall research problems. Like every state, Missouri enacted laws...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about using 23andMe DNA matches with Ancestry’s tree-building capabilities to make connections and discoveries. 23andMe provides haplogroups and X-DNA matches for autosomal testing which can help in identifying whether a DNA match is on the maternal or the paternal line. Join us as we discuss Fran Shockley’s organizational method for adding 23andMe match info to Ancestry trees. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode...
Would you like a one-stop resource for learning to research in any location, complete with links to videos, how-to articles, and record collections? In this guest post, you’ll discover unique features of The Family History Guide that are sure to help with your family history pursuits. The mission statement says it all. Our mission is to greatly increase the number of people actively involved in family history worldwide, and to make everyone’s family history journey...
DNA Day is coming up on Sunday, 25 April 2021. This day celebrates the anniversary of the Human Genome Project completion and the day the journal article was published by Watson and Crick that described the structure of DNA. Find a list of some fun and educational activities and resources to learn more about DNA on the CDC Genomics and Precision Health web page https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/events/dna_day.htm The DNA Day Escape Room Challenge looks like fun! ...
The Missouri History Museum operated by the Missouri Historical Society. See “The Jefferson Memorial Building and the intersection of Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue after the completion of construction for the River des Peres Sewerage and Drainage Project in the area, 25 September 1930,” Wikimedia, (https://commons.wikipedia.org : accessed 17 April 2021). Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about exploring the major state repositories for Missouri research. We discuss some of the major record...
