At one point in time or another, every genealogist faces questionable sources and must determine whether to accept or reject these sources as accurate. The question arises, “can we not determine reliably which findings reflect the past?” Then, of course, if we do decide a source is acceptable, or credible, how do we prove this [...]
The Irish and the Scots have a nearly inseparable history, if examined on the basis if origin. Scottish Highlanders originally came from Ireland and the two peoples have long been connected by blood, language, and religion. Both, have also, played a significant role in the founding and growth of America dating back to the earliest [...]
Archiving valuables and keepsakes is a perpetual problem for the family historian. This may be even more true for the family member who is not a “genealogists” or “family historian” but finds themselves the keeper of the family’s history and heirlooms. Important questions arise, such as the following: What should I actually archive? Should I [...]
Germans have long been a scattered people. Millions of Americans identify their ancestral roots as German. For many, however, their ancestors spoke German but never lived in what constitutes modern Germany. Some “Germans” never even lived is what could be called a German states or territories. From the middle ages on, German-speaking communities have thrived [...]
Genealogists search for people all the time. Over time, the researches skills improve and knowledge of resources increases. Some become to experienced from their personal research, they take those skills, become certified professionals and help others find their ancestors. However, sometimes the search turns from the dead to the living. An especially delicate, and often [...]
Like so many children, for generation past, I grew up playing variations of good guys and bad guys. Sometimes it was cops and robbers, other time the Republic vs. the evil Empire (Star Wars reference), and then there was cowboys and Indians (before the days of political correctness). The setting for many of these games [...]
For many, the possibility of a genealogical research trip to the home country of their ancestors is a lifelong dream. You can come up with many excuses not to go, but most can really be summarized as fear. With the new second, revised and updated, edition of Researching in Germany: A Handbook for Your Visit [...]
The Book Zap the Grandma Gap: Connecting with Your Family by Connecting Them to Their Family History takes an old idea and breathes new life into sharing family history. I don’t know many genealogists who haven’t complained about how difficult it is to get the next generation interested and involved in their family history. Some [...]
Two hundred years ago no parent would have named a child for a favorite movie star. There were no movies. However, naming a child for an historical figure, like George after George Washington, was not uncommon. Other naming practice common in the past would seldom be considered today. However, understanding such practices may help a [...]
Who is your kin? The answer is not always as clear as it may seem. Culture, laws, and personal opinions all play a part in who people consider to be their kin. From marriage and divorce to childbirth, surrogacy, and adoptions the opinions and legal definitions have varied widely over time and differ from place [...]
Growing up I read my share of novels. Many of these included fantasy stories where taverns often play a major role as meeting place, rest stop, and center of information. Then there were the stories of the “wild west” where gun fights and town business seem to always center around shady activities and entertainment found [...]
After more than five years, Jeffrey A. Bockman, has published a major update to his popular book, Give Your Family a Gift That Money Can’t Buy: Record & Preserve Your Family’s History. Now in its fifth edition, this fantastic primer covers all the basics needed for the novice to get started with family history research. [...]
Your Swedish Roots: A Step by Step Handbook may be the most comprehensive book on Swedish family history research available on the market today. The book focuses on Swedish-American research, from immigrant descendents back to their roots in the old country. Starting with basic instructions, the book quickly moves to detailed case studies full of [...]
Popular speaker and creator of GeneaBloggers.com, Thomas MacEntee, has been Legacy Family Tree’s most prolific guest webinar speaker. His presentations are easy going and easy to follow. One of his ever popular presentations was Google for Genealogists, which is available on CD for revisiting at any time. In Google for Genealogists, MacEntee examines the familiar [...]
Geoff Rasmussen is the host and regular presenter at Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Topics he has covered shows his wide and experienced knowledge base in genealogical research as well as Internet and digital tools valuable to genealogists. One popular webinar given by Geoff was Organizing And Sharing Digital Images. The title alone provides a decent [...]
