In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss U.S. Federal Census Records from 1790-1940. We talk about what you might find in a census record, where you can access them, the instructions given to the enumerators, which questions were asked on each census, and more. We also talk about books and resources to help you learn more. Don't forget to download our free Census Cheat Sheet packed with all the information we talked about today! We are also sharing the census tables we use in research reports. This is a Word docx file that you can download, and then...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss three case studies about probate records. In our last episode, we talked all about how to find probate records and what are in them. This episode is about how to probate files to answer a research question. It's amazing how many clues are hiding in these records! We discuss three projects - Diana's research about Thomas B. Royston, Nicole's client project about John Johnson, and Diana's project about Georgia Dawson. Don't forget to download the special freebie we created for you all about Probate records here: U.S. Probate Records Cheat Sheet....
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss one of our favorite record types for proving identity and parentage: probate records. These records are key in identifying relationships between children and their fathers in 18-19th century United States research. Probate records include wills, inventories, sales slips, receipts, debt payments, summons, petitions, and all kinds of records that reveal information about a family. Don't miss the important information about how to find probate records for your relatives, what to do with the probate file once you find it, and how to understand the information contained in each page. We have...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss what to do when you find an indexed record entry on FamilySearch with no image attached. If there is a microfilm number in the citation, you can use that to find the digitized images of the microfilm and locate the original image of that baptism record or marriage bond. We'll discuss some of our tips for using the image viewer and finding the right page among the hundreds of images. Links The FamilySearch Catalog: A Researcher’s Best Friend - how to find the digitized microfilm when the index says it doesn't...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss how to use the FamilySearch Catalog to find record sets in your locality, search for genealogies that include your surnames, and filter records that are available online. We'll discuss all our favorite tips for using this incredible repository. Links The FamilySearch Catalog: A Researcher’s Best Friend Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group - more information and email list Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process for accreditation through ICAPGen, the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. I asked a lot of questions about writing the 4-generation report, the testing levels, and how to prepare. Listen in to hear all Diana's great advice! Also, it's the last day to buy our Research Like a Pro eCourse at the Black Friday price of $69. Links https://www.icapgen.org/ Guide to Applying for an Accredited Genealogist ® Credential at ICAPGen.org New Testing Regions for 2019 at ICAPGen.org Diana's blog posts about her accreditation experience at FamilyLocket.com Research Like...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I are interviewing Sherri Hessick, a former Research Like a Pro study group member. Sherri was part of our first study group in 2017. When she joined, she was a graduate of the Boston University online genealogy program. Sherri tells what she learned from doing the study group and how it helps her research today. Update: Sherri agreed to share her research plan from the study group. Here is a link to the PDF of it: Sherri Hessick - Research Plan Links Boston University Genealogical Program Online Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process of making a locality guide. If you are feeling unsure about how much information to add and how to know if you're finished, you'll want to take a listen! Links ArchiveGrid - 5 million records describing archival materials held in archives, libraries, museums, etc. Periodical Source Index (PERSI) at FindMyPast.com FamilySearch Research Wiki FamilySearch Catalog Purchase our book Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide on Amazon to receive the locality guide template. Research Like a Pro Part 3: Where Did They Live? blog post by Diana RLP 4:...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss using the Research Like a Pro process to discover more about the actions of our ancestor, Florence Creer Kelsey. She was a War Mother during WWII, and Diana did a project to discover what that was and learn more about the organization. Veteran's Day this year is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, so we discuss a little bit about honoring our ancestors who are veterans. Links The Scraps of a Well-behaved Woman’s Life: Florence Creer Kelsey Part I US Military Old Soldiers Home Records at the FamilySearch Wiki Research Like...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss how to deal with and write about family secrets that we uncover during genealogy research. Often these skeletons in the closet bring up difficult emotions and threaten to upset family members. As the historians in our family, do we have a duty to tell the story? How should we tell it? Diana shares some thoughts about uncovering how her great grandfather died, and how another great grandfather was committed to a mental hospital. I will share about the illegitimate children I found in one family line as well as the ancestor...
