(What should you do when your genealogy hits the proverbial brick wall?) Genealogists often use the term “brick wall” when they hit a roadblock in their research. It happens to all of us. What do you do when you can’t find any more information? Have you exhausted all obvious resources? If so, then be sure […]

Understanding relationships is an important part of every family history journey. However, understanding relationship terminology can get a bit confusing. Half, first, removed, great, grand, step, foster, adoptive, genetic and fictive. These are just a smattering of kinship terms used in genealogy.  Let’s start with “cousin.” First cousins share a set of grandparents. In other […]

It’s getting to be that time of year again. Have you begun to ponder holiday gifts for your friends and family? How about genealogy gifts and gadgets from or for your favorite family historian? Consider the following gifts FOR the genealogy geek in the family: A scanner for digitally preserving photos and documents. There are […]

Any trip requires planning. If you want to go to Japan, you would consider when to go, for how long, which airline to take, which cities to visit and more. Even the most relaxed traveler would have some plans in place.  A genealogy research trip requires the same sort of planning. The more you plan, […]

Where were your ancestors during the 1906 earthquake and fire? Last November, I wrote about the “Gift of Family History.” In that article, I explained that “writing your family history is a way to give your ancestors a voice. Use documents, photographs, and family heirlooms to create the framework from which you bring your ancestors […]

The holiday season is practically upon us. Have you wondered what unique gifts you might give your extended family? What about a gift of family history? Perhaps you’ve been researching your family for months, or even years. You know that there is always another record to find, another tidbit to uncover. And you might feel […]