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Ancestry.com Landing Pages
Did you know that searching from the home page or the search page only includes the top 10% of the databases on Ancestry.com. To dig into the rest, you are going to need to find them! One way is through a landing page. The landing pages have usually been created for special promotions, such as one during free access weekends. From the landing pages you can search the set of databases related to the topic. In my lectures about ancestors in U.S. military, I recommend searching for military records from the Military Records Landing...
read moreFamily History Outing: National Museum of the Marine Corps
Have you ever wondered what it was like to land on Iwo Jima? Maybe you have wanted to look at the larger, second flag to be raised by the Marines on Mt. Suribachi. Do you want to see a combat helicopter up close or exit from its inside into a combat area? The National Museum of the Marine Corps http://www.usmcmuseum.com/ is located in Quantico, VA. The Museum is a terrific place to visit with your family whether or not you have Marines in your family history. But if you have ancestors or family members in the Marine Corps, this will be a...
read moreTake a Tour: NARA WWI Page
For the centennial of the U.S. entering WWI, NARA launched a new portal page for WWI Research. The Genealogy Resources takes you to a page where you can start Researching Individuals in WWI Records. (Keep that in mind, and return to it after your tour of this page.) Keep scrolling to find a section where you can choose from several World War I Topics. Scroll even farther down for a World War I Timeline, and More Resources. Explore the page and resources. When you are ready to start your own research, a good place to...
read more3 Mother’s Day Things To Do
No matter how many mothers you study about in history, to you the most famous Mother will probably be your own. There is no time like the present to tap her repository of genealogical information. If that is not possible, tap into your and other’s store of genealogical memories about her. 1. Take this time to interview your Mother Bring a recorder, or use your iPhone, to record a chat with your Mom this Mother’s Day. Alternately, if you live too far away for a visit, record your phone call. (Always make sure Mom agrees to...
read more5 Ancestry.com Databases for WWI Research
Among Ancestry.com’s databases, are some really interesting ones that will help you to research your WWI ancestors. This post covers five of the United States databases. 1. Whether or not your ancestor fought in World War I, this is a go-to database for finding men between 18 and 45 years old. The information includes a man’s birth date and place, occupation, address, physical description, and the name and address of the next of kin. The information on these cards will not tell you if the ancestor served, but can help you to...
read moreA WWI MOOC
Have you been looking for an online course about WWI? “World War 1: A History in 100 Stories” at FutureLearn may be of interest to you. The course is a Massively Open Online Course (MOOC). It is different from a regular course because of its size, and also because you will interact more with the other people in the course than with any faculty. This is a five-week class is presented by Monash University in Australia. It is based on the One Hundred Stories Project at that University. You can learn more about the...
read more3 Great WWI Research Resources
Since the beginning of the centennial of U.S. involvement in World War I, I have been on the lookout for more material about the Great War. Not only is it a part of the world’s history, it is part of our family’s history. Learning about the conflict deepens our understanding of the ancestors who lived through these events. 1. The New England Historic Genealogical Society has a great webpage that combines resources for both World War I & World War II U.S. Veteran Research. 2. The Delaware Public Archives...
read moreNARA Records for the U.S. National Homes for Disabled Soldiers (RG15)
Have you been watching the recordings of the NARA Virtual Conferences on YouTube? The Best National Archives Records Genealogists Aren’t Using presentation discussed Record Group (RG) 15, which is the records of the U.S. National Homes for Disabled Soldiers. From the presentation, I learned that the files for the permanent residents have been retained, and are available from one specific branch of NARA. Some sample folders for temporary residents had also been retained. Albert H. Tingue had been a temporary resident at the U.S. National...
read more4 Ways To Find A Genealogical Society
There are many reasons to join a local genealogical society. Societies have knowledgeable members and sponsor educational events. Even if you do not have ancestors who lived in your current location, you may find members researching those locations. Finding people who share your interest in genealogy can be very energizing! But, have you considered contacting or joining a society in a location where your ancestors lived? The society may have useful resources or participate in projects that could benefit your research. There may be experts in...
read moreRootsTech 2017 Videos and Syllabi
Rootstech 2017 has come and gone, but we can all still enjoy it! Have you wanted to watch the videos and download the syllabi from RootsTech 2017? Whether or not you attended this year’s RootsTech, watching the videos is educational and the syllabi can be a great resource. To watch the videos for each day of RootsTech, go to: https://www.rootstech.org/videos-wed https://www.rootstech.org/videos-thu https://www.rootstech.org/videos-fri https://www.rootstech.org/videos-sat You can also switch between the days by using the menu in the upper...
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