What is a nom dit and why did my French Canadian ancestor have one?

When I first started researching my French Canadian branches, I couldn’t figure out what on earth “dit” meant and why these people had two names! Click to read more about nom dit and what these mean for your family.

Research SkillsJessica NeavesNovember 3, 2020French Canadian, Nom dit, Dit names, QuebecComment

Why Should I Decode The Strange Numbers On Death Certificates?

Have you ever noticed mysterious handwritten codes on death certificates and wondered what they are? Check out this post to learn what these codes mean and how to read them.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesOctober 27, 2020Death certificates, Vital records, ICD codes, International Classification of Diseases Comments

What To Know About Alien Registration Files And Where To Find Them

Have you heard of Alien Files, AKA A-Files? If not, and if you have an immigrant ancestor who was in the US in the 1940s and 1950s, you could be missing out on some great resources!

Genealogy Resources, Research SkillsJessica NeavesOctober 20, 2020alien registration files, A-Files, National Archives, immigration, US Citizenship and Immigration ServicesComment

6 Common Genealogy Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

If you’re starting out on the exciting journey of researching your family tree, you may be unknowingly making some of these common mistakes in genealogy. Here’s 6 common mistakes and tips on what to do instead for each!

Research SkillsJessica NeavesOctober 13, 2020mistakes, beginner genealogy, Organization, online family trees, search tips, libraries, ArchivesComment

How to Find Italian Vital Records on FamilySearch

If you’re Italian American, FamilySearch is a great place to find free genealogy records. But, some of the collections are not where you’d expect to find them. In this post, I’ll share what types of records you can find and how to find them.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesOctober 6, 2020italian genealogy, Vital records, civil registration records, familysearch Comments

11 of the Best Websites for Free Ship Passenger Lists

It’s an amazing feeling to find your ancestors on passenger lists and learn when they arrived. Here are 11 free websites with ship lists to search for your family.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesSeptember 29, 2020immigration, Passenger lists, Books Comments

How to Find and Use Hidden Clues in Obituaries

Obituaries are an essential resource in your genealogy toolkit. They’re an amazing source of family history info.

Research SkillsJessica NeavesSeptember 22, 2020Obituaries, Newspapers, search tips, Chronicling America, FamilySearch, Elephind, Find a Grave, ancestry, Newspapers.com, historical societies, books Comment

14 Useful Free Resources for Hispanic Genealogy

In honor of the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, I wanted to share some free genealogy websites. Hispanic genealogy is a big topic that covers many countries and regions, so I tried to gather resources that reflect that.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesSeptember 15, 2020Hispanic genealogy, Latino genealogy, Mexican genealogy, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Chile, Caribbean, Peru, genealogical societiesComment

Link Love: Researching Female Ancestors At Work

What are your weekend plans? Here’s some links I enjoyed over the week for you!

MiscellaneousJessica NeavesSeptember 11, 2020female ancestors, census, Irish genealogy, school records, home, Ancestry DNA, Dutch genealogy, Books, UK genealogyComment

How to Use Old Railroad Records to Research Your Ancestors

Did your ancestor work for the railroad? If so, they may have a file with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. These files can have genealogy gold inside.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesSeptember 1, 2020National Archives, Railroad Retirement Board, Railroad records, Employment records, Occupational records, Pension recordsComment

How to Preserve and Protect Your Old Letters

If you’re lucky enough to have old letters from your family passed down to you, you might be wondering how to preserve them. Fortunately, preserving old letters is pretty straightforward and you don’t have to break the bank to keep them safe.

Organization, PreservationJessica NeavesAugust 25, 2020Preservation, Letters, Correspondence, Preserving letters Comments

Link Love: Celebrating the 19th Amendment

What are your plans for the weekend? I’ll be searching probate records and requesting divorce papers for my great grandmother. Here are some links I liked over the week!