We sometimes say that we cite sources in genealogy for others. To an extent that is true, but I think that for me, citing sources is not about others–it is about me.   Citing a source is indicating where the material was originally created, what form it was accessed in and how it was […]

Based on many requests, we’ve added this class to our schedule for June/July: AncestryDNA–5 weeks Activities/Content: Understanding what can and cannot be learned from the AncestryDNA test Strategies for “figuring out” people who do not return communication Probability of relationship based on shared DNA and relationship scenarios not presented Downloading AncestryDNA matches into an Excel […]

Review is always a good thing. The Rothweiler family’s earliest known interaction with my Trautvetter family was when George Rothweiler married Wilhelmina Trautvetter in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1860s. Little is known about Rothweiler’s origins before he married Wilhelmina. Not much had been done on Rothweiler before his time in St. Louis largely because […]

Land records can contain a variety of information. This affidavit from 1942 discusses three generations of land ownership in the Rampley family of Walker Township, Hancock County, Illinois. It was located using the tract index to land records that the Hancock County Recorder’s Office has–that index locates records geographically based up on the quartersection in […]

I have two ancestors that I cannot find in 1870: John Ufkes and Ira Sargent. Both men were single in 1870, under thirty-five, had never been married, and had no children. Ufkes probably lived in the general area of Hancock County, Illinois, and Sargent probably in the area of Union County, Iowa. Both were likely […]

Ancestry.com recently announced the digital publication of “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America[ELCA], Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1946.” This collection includes digital images of hundreds of congregations across the United States who had a Swedish ethnic heritage. Not all congregations are currently members of the ELCA. This database appears to index not just ministerial acts […]

Ancestry.com recently announced that “New York State, Death Index, 1957-1968” had been released on their site. This compliments “New York, Death Index, 1880-1956” that has been on their site for some time. These are indexes only but they do facilitate the use of these records. These two separate databases can be searched by name, date, and […]

Her name was Anna and his name was Johann. Ancestry.com in their digitized records from ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America–titled “U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1826-1945”)  transcribed the of the child in this 1887 baptismal entry as  Johañ Lücken Goldenstein and the mother as Aña Dirks. Those marks in their first names are not tildes. […]

I read a post by a well-known author that opined about ways to write about “boring ancestors.” How one could inject interest, humor, etc. into dead people who are apparently banal as all get out. Funny, I don’t have any boring ancestors. I don’t have any famous or well-known ones either. They all have stories. […]

This entry from the 10 January 1849 issue of the Rockford Forum provided information on the marriage of Asa Landon and Mrs.Mary Sargent. Newspaper records of marriages are extremely helpful in “burned” counties where original records have been destroyed. They may also provide details about the marriage not given in the local records. This reference does indicate […]