It is Tip Tuesday once again. This week my tip is about the use of surname tables in research. Surname tables are a useful tool to add to your genealogical research toolbox. What is a surname table? A surname table is a simple table that easily shows all the surnames of your grandparents through your 4th great grandparents in an easy to read and compact table. The surname table removes all the extra information of a tree and allows you to just focus on the surnames of your ancestors. Why use a surname table? A surname table is a great tool while doing DNA research. Autosomal DNA testing like t ..read more

This week my tip is about a simple grade school concept that can be helpful in organizing your genealogical research. I think we all learned how to make a simple timeline at some point in early education. The concept is simple. A straight line with marks to show notable events in chronological order. Family History Timelines In family history research creating timelines can be a quick and straightforward way to visually understand what documents you need to find as part of your research. No fancy software or websites required; I often jot down a quick timeline on scratch paper with a pencil ..read more

Vital records are the backbone of genealogy. Birth, marriage, and death records are the base documents we strive to discover for every research subject when possible. Each type of document supplies certain details that are of family history importance but often there are details that we might not consider at first glance. This week’s tip is about death certificates and using the international classification of diseases code to understand illegible or confusing causes of death on death records. International classification of diseases The international classifications of diseases or ICD are a c ..read more

This week the research tip of the week is about using military discharge documents in genealogy research. Military service generates a lot of records. Many of the documents can be valuable in genealogy. One valuable information source is a DD214. The DD214 has been in use by all branches of the U.S. Armed Services since 1950. It is a certificate of discharge from active duty and is a summary of the individuals service while in the military. The simple one-page document is a treasure trove of information. Recently I received a copy of my Grandfather’s DD214 from his service in the Korean War ..read more

#52ancestors Week 3 – Long Line This week the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks prompt is Long Line. For my ancestor this week I actually chose a branch of my family which has very long researched roots. This Claypoole branch has what is considered a gateway ancestor. Through him lineage has been tracked back to the Emperor Charlemagne. The Virginia Branch I have spent a lot of time lately working on some of my other family lines.  Recently I decided it was time to revisit some of my Shuck ancestors and see if I could get further with some of my loose ends.  I began working on the line of Mal ..read more

Today is Tuesday, so it is time for a new research tip of the week. Right now my Grandmother is on her last days and to be honest I just didn’t take the time to prepare my tip for the week amid everything else going on. I considered skipping my tip this week. With more thought, I decided that this situation has plenty of opportunity for my tip of the week. This week, my tip is about taking the time to work on that project you have been putting off. Start today. Whatever your project no matter if it is doing an interview, getting a DNA sample, etc., take the time to start it. If it’s sitting fo ..read more

Original birth certificates available for NYS adoptees For some New York state adoptees the day they have been waiting for is coming. Original birth certificates will be available for order from vital statics starting January 15, 2020. Watch the site below for the feature to go live! New York Department of Health Shocking Secrets: Black-Market Babies of the Hicks Clinic October 18, 2019 Today is the United States Navy’s birthday. The place of creation is a source of heated debate. October 13, 2019 Search Angels October 7, 2019 ..read more

This week’s 52 ancestors challenge has been a struggle for me. To choose just one photo out of so many seems like an impossible chore. The photo I chose is a unique one. Look closely. My Photo Choice Adults L to R Joe Critchley, Della Brown, James C. Brown, Unknown female friend, Minnie Brown, and Jennie Brown. Circa 1918-1920 West Virginia There are so many things going on in this photo. The first time I saw this photo I didn’t give it much thought. At a quick glance it is just a group of random people. Odd Prop With a closer look the next thing I noticed was the snake. Interesting photo prop ..read more

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