-
Worth a Thousand Words: How to Find and Use Image-Only Collections on FamilySearch
If you’ve entered your family names in databases like Ancestry.com and didn’t find the answer you needed, your search is not done! Did you know there are millions of pages of records digitized online at FamilySearch that don’t show up when you conduct a general search? FamilySearch runs a massive crowdsourced indexing program where volunteers like you or I can spend time transcribing records. These transcriptions can then be queried by the website’s search engines, and that process is how you are able to locate an image by searching for a name. These indexing projects are organized by record type, time period, and language. Some collections are larger than others,…
-
How to Organize Genealogy Research – It’s A Round-UP!
How do I organize my genealogy research? is one of the most common questions and/or frustrations expressed by researchers. I understand. I am a recovering “organizing junkie”. I’ve tried multiple organizing systems and failed with most of these. I despaired if I would ever be an organized genealogist! I failed at all of these “perfect” organizing systems for one simple reason. They were not mine. I was trying to put my research into someone else’s system. Failure was sure to follow. How to Organize Genealogy Research Being a researcher, I researched genealogy organization systems. A little this one and a little of that one….. I kept what worked and tossed…
-
Using Flickr to Identify Your Ancestors
Flickr is fast becoming a favorite tool in my genealogy toolbox! If you are not familiar with it, Flickr is a free photo storage/sharing site. (There is a paid version, but the free version currently meets my needs.) With the free plan you can upload up to 1,000 photographs. The advantages of Flickr include: Cloud storage of your photographs (Tip: Back up your photographs in several places.) The ability to edit your photographs in Flickr The ability to set your privacy settings to Public (anyone), Private (only you) or Friends. The ability to share a photograph to your social media accounts or by email The ability to organize your photographs…
-
7 Places To Start Finding An Ancestor’s Death Date
Finding an ancestor’s death date is usually high on a genealogy researcher’s wish list. Often that death date can be difficult to track down – especially as we go further back in history. Why do genealogy researchers have trouble finding an ancestor’s death date? Well, several reasons….. Where do genealogy researchers start the search for an ancestor’s death date? Vital Records – The Death Certificate Death certificates are relatively “new” records. Many states did not start to use death certificates until the 1900’s. As a researcher you do not have to go too far back in time for an ancestor not to have a death certificate. When you find a…