Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about one of Diana’s favorite photos of an ancestor – Florence Matilda Creer. Florence was Diana’s grandmother. They had a lot in common, from reading, to music. The photo appears to depict three friends in the early 1910s, possibly traveling somewhere together. The man has his arms around the two women, but each woman appears to be trying to remove his hand. Diana shares her research...
By Laura Clark Murray Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, this artificial intelligence “bot” has been wowing users by engaging in detailed conversations, answering questions, and even writing stories and essays. But at its core, ChatGPT lacks the ability to distinguish between fact and fiction. Since facts are critical to what we do as genealogists, it’s important to understand how to keep the tool in the realm of reality. If you do that,...
Do you have an ancestor who died fairly young? Have you discovered their story? My great-grandmother, Mary Margaret (Peterson) Creer, died in her mid-50s. Her daughter, Florence Matilda (Creer) Kelsey, my grandmother, was expecting her fifth child when the family gathered and took their last photo together in 1925. Mary would miss meeting most of her grandchildren and seeing her youngest children grow up. Although I never met Mary Margaret, stories and photos shed...
We often think of our ancestors in isolation – focusing on just their immediate or extended family. But our ancestors were members of a broader community. They could have belonged to a church, a club, a fraternal organization, a service group, or a military unit. When we explore their membership in that group we gain more understanding of their lives. In this 52 ancestor’s post, I’ll highlight the life of Daniel Henrie, a member...
When thinking of an ancestor who was an outcast, who comes to mind? Various situations could result in a person becoming an outcast from their family or from society. These ancestors may be the subject of a family story that entails some kind of crime, misdeed, argument, or another event. Uncovering the facts behind the story can lead you on a quest to discover more. In this blog post, I’ll discuss an “outcast” in my...
Have you considered using social media to discover more about your ancestors? Social media can be a powerful tool – both to learn more about our ancestors and to share stories about them. What was social media before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc? The local newspaper often featured community happenings, gossip columns, and reporting of every nature. I recently saw a Facebook post from a relative giving the history of the cabin that my grandfather, Edward...
Do you have an ancestor who appears in an unexpected place or took off for parts unknown? This week I’m writing about my grandfather, Edward Raymond Kelsey, and his adventures as a hobo in the early 1900s. My mother compiled his life history based on his remembrances and wrote the following.21 Dad completed his education when he was eighteen in 1904. He grew restless and wanted to get out in the world. He was a...
We’re reading Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women for our winter selection for the Family Locket Book Club on Goodreads. Written by historical fiction authors Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and Eliza Knight, the book provides a fascinating insight into the French Revolution through the eyes of seven women who were part of it. Based on historical accounts, speeches, writings, letters, and diaries, with fictionalized dialog, Ribbons...
Do you find yourself wanting to write more about your ancestors but needing some motivation? It can seem challenging to write a full history or biography, but what about small bites? If you could write a little each week, at the end of a year, you’d have 52 small bites. This year I’m committing to the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks yearly challenge.27 Each week brings a new prompt and an opportunity to explore...
Reading historical fiction can provides ideas on how to add historical context to our work. Researching the world of our ancestors allows us to write with more authenticity when telling their stories. Kristen Hannah’s recent novel, The Four Winds, takes us on a journey to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in Texas and the hardships “Okies” encountered when fleeing the unforgiving land for California. My ancestors followed this same migration in the 1930s, so...
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