Can we tell the story of our great-grandmothers when few records naming them exist? What sources can we use to weave a narrative that will draw us closer to them as well as honor their contributions? My great, great-grandmother, Eliza Ann Isenhour died in Indian Territory at the age of 48. According to family stories, she was full-blooded Cherokee. I wanted to know more about this woman whose DNA I carry. Researching her story revealed a life spent on the western frontier, struggling to raise a family, like many other women of the late 1800s. Knowing that I'd be presenting...
What kind of tax records exist? That's what I want to share today in the second post in our back to basics with tax records series. The first post, by Diana, gave you a taste of what tax records may contain and how you can use them in your research to determine identity and relationships. Hopefully now you're convinced of their usefulness. Tax records might be especially helpful when you're facing a tough problem like a burned county or when you are performing reasonably exhaustive research. Let's discuss what types of tax records exist. Part 3 (coming out next week)...
In my research project to discover the actions of my relative during the Civil War, I learned the importance of starting with the right objective. There are three kinds of research objectives that most genealogy research projects fall into: - Identify an individual - Prove a family relationship - Discover ancestor actions I had chosen the objective to discover Moses W. Isenhour's actions during the Civil War. Moses is the brother of my 4th great grandfather,...
Have you ever completed a genealogy research project from the beginning to end? From objective to report? I just completed one and I want to share what I learned. I did the project for our Research Like a Pro study group. I wasn't planning to join the group at first - I thought I would just help in the background with whatever Diana needed. She developed the idea for the study group and was finishing up her planning. At the last minute, she encouraged me to join. I knew that having assignments and peer review would provide accountability. I do...
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? 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. How did I completely miss the boat? It all has to do with original versus derivative sources. An original source is just what it says, original:...
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: no source citations or documentation of any kind. You're left in the dark, wondering how much to believe in that history. My great grandmother, Eliza Ann Isenhour, supposedly had Cherokee heritage. Unfortunately, the family history stating this fact neglected to state any proof. Nicole and I researched Eliza's parents, found that she actually belonged to the Eisenhour clan, and through that connection discovered our relationship to President Dwight D. Eisenhour....
In honor of Presidents Day today, I thought I would pose the question - are you related to one of the presidents of the United States? I found out I was related to Dwight D. Eisenhower when I first started researching my Grandpa Shults' side 14 years ago. My 3rd great grandmother, Eliza Ann Isenhour, was his third cousin. As you can see, the spelling of the last name morphed over the years. Doris Kearns Goodwin, at her RootsTech conference keynote address in 2016, spoke about how she had basically no living relatives as a young person and didn't know...
