Genealogy Tip of the Day

When the clerk or librarian helps you with your search, thank them and let them know that you appreciate their help. And be polite when aski...

Is your reliance on memory the problem? Recently in writing a blog post involving the 1910 census, I nearly stated the census date was 1 Apr...

Is a constant sense of "connection" disrupting your genealogical research? When you are trying to tackle that genealogical problem...

When thinking about who might have pictures of family members, think about the various pictures in which that person may have appeared. Is i...

If you are fortunate enough to obtain family photographs from a relative, indicate somewhere who gave that photograph to you. In going throu...

While not a common practice today, in times when more children died as infants or as small children, parents would sometimes "reuse...

When searching the Social Security Death Index, avoid searching based on where the person was living when they applied for their number. Whi...

The civil record of your ancestor's death will be filed where he died, not necessarily where he lived or where he is buried. If your anc...

Have you gotten beyond newspapers as the only periodical that may mention your ancestor or relative? Trade, union, or occupational journals ...

If your email address has changed since you posted to a message board, have you posted a followup with your new email address? If there'...

In some courthouses and records repositories, paper copies of records are still the norm. When making paper copies (or having them made), ma...

After you've talked with that relative about the family history, have them read your transcription of the interview and see if you inter...

When working with landowning ancestors, make certain you can document how they acquired all the real estate they owned. When looking at a se...

Everything needs to be viewed in context. In the settlement of my great-grandfather's estate in 1948, there were two pieces of real es...

Are you always looking on the edge of every page and in the crook of the binding of any book in which you find a record? One never knows wha...

We've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating for new and seasoned genealogists alike: Do you have some photograph, original doc...

Often when transcribing documents or records, the researcher thinks of "explaining" that needs to be done. That's fine--but ju...

Summer Class-Researching Female Ancestors Female ancestors present special challenges for the American researcher. Consider taking our ...

Remember that draft registrations were meant to include all men who were eligible to be drafted. These registrations do not include only men...

The grantor (seller) on a deed may not be a "person" but rather someone acting in an official legal or capacity. I could not find ...

There may be more to the records of the church your ancestor attended than records of baptisms, marriages, and funerals. Church membership r...

If your relative died with minor children and a female is appointed the guardian of their estate, look carefully at her and determine who sh...

If your ancestor owned a farm or any other piece of real estate, do you know the names of the adjacent property owners? They may or may not ...

Your ancestor might have always lived in the house that is presently at 1234 North Apple Street, but 1234 North Apple Street might not alway...

This went out to our Facebook page, but thought our readers who read Genealogy Tip of the Day  in email, the web, etc. should be aware of th...

"I put something in my tree if three sources agree." I see that kind of statement on a regular basis--implying that "three...

What was the nearest river to where your ancestor lived? What was the local terrain and climate like? All three of these things impact trans...

If you have urban ancestors in the mid-19th century or later, have you located your ancestor's home on fire insurance maps? The Sanborn ...

No matter how good you are or how perfect you may be, it will happen eventually. You will make a mistake.  Realize that you are human and kn...

The records maintained by a funeral home are private business records--not public records. Funeral homes do not "have" to allow yo...

Here is a summary of freebies we have: 2 free copies of  Casefile Clues --simply enter in your email address and "submit" order....

Did any sisters of your ancestors survive their husband who had military service? Would those ladies have qualified for a military pension b...

The "trick" to locating one ancestral sibling was to look at each sibling in every census and "say out loud" the names o...

A couple of Ohio natives move with their two children to Illinois in the 1860s. By 1877, the wife and husband are dead. The grandmother who ...

For those of you who did not know, this is not my only genealogy blog. Here's list with the links. Enjoy! Daily Genealogy Transcribe...