Did you know that as a genealogy researcher, you are a detective? Yes, that is correct! We must track down targets and use keen observation and reasoning in trying to solve that brick wall.
Many of our living relatives may have stories, photos, genealogical details, and other hidden treasures to break down that wall.
How, you ask? Keep reading!
Write down and organize all the information you have. No piece of information should be left out.
Use multiple search engines on the Internet. Do not rely on just one site to help you. Not all researchers use the same site. A few engines you must check out are Google, Yahoo!, Dogpile, and Bing. Search using variations of your ancestor's name. If you are searching for the exact name, use quotation marks: "Pleasant Tisdale"
Social Media websites are all about connecting people. Try looking for relatives, surname groups, and genealogy research groups on Facebook and Linkedin. Facebook caters to the masses, and Linkedin is geared toward professionals. Both allow you to sign up for a free account. Don't forget there are also the usual genealogy websites, Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, and WikiTree.
Phone books and city directories are great ways to find living relatives. You can search Anywho.com, 411, and the White Pages. Some may even have a work listing for your relative. Be warned! These sights do lead to fee-based pages.
As genealogists, we know interactions with the government created valuable records. Search for birth, marriage, and death records in the area you believe your relative to be.
Church records are another important tool for a researcher. We are creatures of habit and are often reluctant to change affiliations. This IS good news for a researcher. Go to USAChurches, select the state of interest, then the city, and use the records toolkit on the site.
I hope these tips are useful to you in your research. I know from personal experience how hard finding a living relative to answer questions can be. My mom's family is from Texas, and she has a good amount of older relatives that answer questions for me. My dad's family, however, is a totally different story. My dad was a Smith. His Smith lineage has been very difficult to work on. I have proven my lineage on his maternal side on one branch of the family, Tisdale, and was able to join both the DAR and Order of The First Families of Mississippi. He has two Smith lines! Imagine researching that! My great-grandmother was a Smith who married a Tisdale, and my grandmother was a Tisdale who married a Smith! So far, the two lines have not crossed. My paternal line goes like this, Odell Smith, my dad, L. J. Smith, my grandfather; Horace E. Smith, my great-grandfather and James W. Smith, my great-great-grandfather. I have proven back to 1850 on James W. Smith, but I cannot go further back. I have information on his wife, Sarah, from Hot Springs, Arkansas, but nothing on him. My other Smith line is my grandmother, Ruthie Tisdale Smith, my great-grandmother, Suzanne Eulaliah Smith Tisdale, and my great-great-grandfather, Edmond/Edmand/Edward Smith.
These are my two biggest brick walls. One day, I hope that by diligently researching, they will come down!
So far, none of my living relatives know anything about these two families. It seems to be a long shot, but one I am willing to keep on working on.