Solve Your Genealogy Brick Wall: Review and Analyze Your Research

One of the first strategies to take when trying to bust down a brick wall is to review and analyze your existing research.

Research SkillsJessica NeavesMarch 2, 2021Brick walls, Research skills, Research methodsComment

4 Fun And Easy Ways To Use Flickr For Genealogy

Using Flickr for genealogy isn’t as obvious as some other websites, but it is a good resource for your toolkit.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesFebruary 16, 2021Flickr, Historical photos, Unidentified photos, Social mediaComment

6 Ways the Library of Congress Online Collections Can Help Your Genealogy

You may know that The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. But did you know that within these millions of items are rich and free genealogy resources?

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesFebruary 9, 2021Library of Congress, digital collections, librariesComment

How Using Mortality Schedules Can Improve Your African American Genealogy Research

Mortality schedules are a key resource for pre-Civil War African American genealogy because enslaved people were often named in these documents.

7 Simple Steps To Creating A Genealogy Timeline (And Why You Need One)

Timelines are super helpful for your genealogy research and can help with your brick walls.

7 Tips For Creating A Successful Genealogy Research Plan

Here are 7 tips on how to create a genealogy research plan.

Organization, Research SkillsJessica NeavesJanuary 19, 2021research plans, goals, research logs, planning, organizationComment

Why Local History Books Are More Important Than You Think For Genealogy

Town and county history books are packed with information about your family and the community they lived in.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesJanuary 5, 2021local histories, town histories, county histories, online booksComment

11 Smart Strategies For Searching For Ancestors Who Changed Their Name

Researching ancestor name changes can be a challenge, but there are several resources and strategies you can use to find their original name.

How 250,000 Children Rode Orphan Trains To New Families Across The US

Research Skills, Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesDecember 15, 2020Orphanages, OrphansComment

12 Books To Get Kids Excited About Family History

Introduce children to the fun world of family history with these books!

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesDecember 4, 2020books, Children's booksComment

Why I Love The National Library Of Ireland Parish Records And Why You Will Too

The National Library of Ireland parish records is a vital, free resource for your Irish genealogy research, with records from over 1000 parishes.

How the Digital Public Library of America Can Power Up Your Genealogy Research

The Digital Public Library of America has over 40 million items from institutions around the US. Learn how it can help your genealogy work.

Genealogy ResourcesJessica NeavesNovember 24, 2020DPLA, Digital Public Library of California, ArchivesComment

5 Things to Look For in Probate Records to Help Trace Your Ancestors

Have you tried looking for the wills and estate records of your ancestors? Estate records should be one of the top records you look for because they can be jam-packed with information!

31 Family History Interview Questions To Bring Out Their Memories

The holidays are a great time to ask your family questions about their experiences and memories. Here’s 31 questions to get you started.

Research SkillsJessica NeavesNovember 12, 2020Oral histories, Family interview questions Comment

How to Strengthen Your Cemetery Research Skills to Find More Clues

Genealogy research in cemeteries is essential. Cemetery research can give you a lot of clues and be a substitute when vital records can’t be found.

Research SkillsJessica NeavesNovember 10, 2020Cemeteries, Find a Grave, GravestonesComment

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.

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!

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.