Speaking of Genealogy

Were we speaking about genealogy?  I do it all the time.  But I'm crazy like that.  I love it when folks come into the library with a genealogy question.  And I make pathfinders to help folks get started on their genealogy projects.  And now I've got something new to share. I just found this great post about writing your personal history. 

Now writing a personal history is a project that most genealogists:
 a) wish their ancestors had done
b) dread doing themselves

And now the lovely folks at Family Search have created a list called 52 Questions in 52 Weeks: Writing about Your Life Has Never Been Easier I love it.

But will I do it?   Will you do it?  Your descendants will thank you for it. 

Book Review Friday: Death in Salem

Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt
By Diane E. Foulds

I'm a history buff and a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, one of the unfortunate victims hung for witchcraft in Salem in 1692, so I've read a lot of books about the trials.  Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt by Diane E. Foulds is an interesting addition to the canon.  Instead of focusing on the various theories on the whys and wherefores of the trials, Ms. Foulds' book offers short biographical sketches of everyone involved covering the stresses, personalities, and politics of life in a harsh and sometimes hostile environment.  Complete with an index and bibliography, this is a good resource for students, historians, and genealogists.

Holy Genealogy, Batman!!!

This is going to be the most amazing thing for online genealogy research!  Ancestry.com and FamilySearch are doing a $60 million dollar deal that will mean a billion more records for us to sift through.  Check this out!!
Is it sad that I'm doing my best fangirl over genealogy records?  I love it!!

Teaching family history basics

The problem is that genealogy is even hard to spell.  So naturally folks are intimidated.  But searching out ancestors on the family tree can be a lot of fun.  And it really is easy to get started.
First, start with what you know.  Fill out a pedigree chart, paper charts are available for free online and there are lots of great family history software programs out there.
Second, talk to your relatives, find out what they know and fill that in too.
Third, look for documents.  Collect birth, death, and marriage certificates.  Look for old photos, diplomas, yearbooks, and other mementos.  Newspaper clippings can give you lots of great details.
Fourth, look at what you've got filled out on your family tree.  Is there a blank line?  Are you missing an ancestor?  That's where you start looking.   In this article genealogist Barry Ewell talks about the "power of one."  The trick, he says, is to focus on one ancestor at a time.   This makes it easier to do a good job and have fun at the same time.
Fifth, fill in all the new information you've found.  File all your new documents.  And enjoy your success.
Sixth, Look for the next blank line and start again.

Genealogy Time

The RootsTech Genealogy Conference was held last week in Salt Lake City.  For all of us who missed it, here are a few articles hitting some of the highlights.
Just getting started?  This article is for you. 
Check out this article for 10 fun family history activies to do with your family.
Have you ever considered your smart phone as a genealogy tool?  This article gives tips for using your phone to record family history interviews.

Genealogy ... getting it done right

I found a great article with some tips for supercharging your family history search.  Every little trick helps.