Not long ago I showed someone my family tree. It’s a pretty decent size at around 2000 people, although I’m sure some of you have far bigger ones. This person asked me a very good question. They wanted to know how I could find anything in there. It just looked like one big jumbled mess … Read more
One of the best family history research tools on the Web also has the potential to cause the biggest headaches — other family trees. The great thing about being able to browse others’ family trees is that some distant relative is probably researching some branch of your tree. Those people may have access to information … Read more
Family history research today can be much easier for amateurs and professionals like, especially when starting to work on a new family tree. One tool we now have that wasn’t available in the not-so-near past is the social network. You might think of social networking as chatting with your friends online using Facebook. But social … Read more
Premium genealogy resources are all over the place. But when you’re just starting out (or considering family history research as a hobby), you probably don’t want to dole out the cash for expensive subscriptions. Fortunately you don’t have to. There are numerous free genealogy research websites out there that can help you get started. It’s … Read more
In the process of fiddling with my new Android phone, I’ve been testing out several genealogy apps. Today I’d like to share a few of my favorites. Ancestry — This app from Ancestry.com really isn’t that robust. It’s less about being able to do research on the road (I’d just use the full site for that), … Read more
Whether you’re brand new to genealogy of you’ve been researching your family tree for years, you might have considered launching a family history blog. But should you? A family history blog is a personal blog that details your own personal history. While this is a broader genealogy blog with tips and resources too, I have … Read more
One of my biggest challenges in family history research is finding information on my family in Germany. But through my own struggles to find information, I’ve learned a lot about research family history in a foreign country along the way. Today I’d like to share a few of those things I’ve learned. Here are five … Read more
Are you new to online genealogy research? If so, you might want to get your hands on a copy of one of the following genealogy books. Each of them focuses on how you can find online family history resources such as government databases and online family trees. Discover Your Family History Online — by Nancy Hendrickson … Read more
With the holidays fast-approaching, we’re bound to see ads for next year’s genealogy software popping up (if they’re not already). But do you really need to upgrade? I’m a relatively tech-savvy individual. But that doesn’t mean I run out to buy the latest (greatest?) genealogy software every time it’s released. And I have a few … Read more
I’ve long since hit a dead end researching my family’s history in Germany — my namesake line no less. Family believed most records there were lost when a key town was pretty much destroyed by the Russian military in WWII. The family was forced to leave their home and most of their belongings behind, and … Read more