Goodness, but it is hot! With temperatures soaring, why not stay inside and do some genealogy research and updating?
I have been in the process of scanning some old photos and documents. This will create a digital document I can use anywhere I go, and I do not need to take my original paperwork.
I have updated my family tree on familytreemaker.com. It is now synced with my ancestry.com account and gives me access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I am working on creating a timeline of some of my relatives. This is very interesting.
A timeline not only organizes facts about your ancestor's life, but it will reveal historical events you can easily add to your research. This is how I create a timeline.
Using a table menu in Word, I select to insert a table with six columns wide and 20 rows deep. I use the Calibri font at size 11. Then I label my columns as follows: Date, Age, Event, Place, Source, and Notes. You can easily adjust the size of the columns to fit all your information as needed easily.
Create and work on a research plan. A research plan is a must for me! My maiden name was Smith - do you know how hard this name is to research? Can you guess how many James Smiths there are? It is very easy to get confused when researching a common name. This is why I have my research plan in place when I am ready to tackle that ancestor. This is my genealogy research plan:
Set my goals - know ahead of time what I am seeking on a particular ancestor.
Review known details that have been proven about this ancestor.
Do my homework - how many generations do I need to research to achieve my goal? Why time frame did my ancestor live? What geographic region did they live in?
Set my strategy - what is the best avenue for me to take to research this ancestor? The first thing I do in every research is determine where and what kind of records are available. I find out the hours of operation of the genealogy libraries or archives, as well as the courthouse in the county I am researching.
Start digging - of course, I need to wait for cooler weather to research in a cemetery, but that doesn't mean I can't visit the local genealogy library, archives, or courthouse. Utilizing my research plan ensures that I will leave no stone unturned.
Creating a research plan is not only fun but also a wise way to begin your family history project.
With my maiden name being Smith, I have discovered many unproven facts about my particular ancestor. I have proven my Smith line back to my great-grandfather, Horace Everett Smith. It is from him back that my problem sets in. I have the name of his father, but the records are so sketchy that I am not ready to include this information in my research. I know that by using the US Federal Census records for 1880, Horace Smith was born in Richland, Missouri, in 1874, according to his tombstone, the date is 18 May 1874. His date of birth is also found on his US World War I Draft Registration card. I know by looking at the US Federal Census record for Pulaski County, Liberty Township, Missouri, Horace is the 6-year-old son of James W & Sarah E Smith. This is where my brick wall begins on this particular family. I cannot find proof of exactly who James W. Smith was, who his parents were, or when and where he died. I have an Application of Widow for Sarah Smith from Hot Spring County, Arkansas. It was filed on 24 June 1902. She indicates that her husband, James W. Smith, died on or about the 1st of December 1896, the place of death is not indicated.
If you have any information on this family you would be willing to share, please let me know. I can be reached at geneal@laurel.lib.ms.us or by leaving a comment on this posting.
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