When two people have the same (or similar) names, or one person has multiple names, it can create big problems for genealogists. Records on individuals with the same name need to be “sorted” out into their separate identities, while individuals who used different names may have to be “merged” together to create one identity despite […]

One problem with my cousin’s DAR application was that the only actual information tying Riley Rampley (1825-1893) to his father, James Rampley (1803-1884) was from printed county histories. There was no reason to doubt the connection, but the application required something a little more substantial. The problem was that there was not one record stating […]

AncestryDNA recently revised their ethnicity estimates. Keep in mind that these estimates are estimates. The estimates displayed on the main DNA results page at AncestryDNA are actually specific values within a range of values. Keep in mind that the ranges of values are still estimates. The AncestryDNA estimate of my ancestry from Great Britain ranges from a low of […]

I’ve been helping a cousin with her DAR proof of descent from our common ancestor, James Rampley of Harford County, Maryland. James died in Harford County, Maryland, in 1817. Documenting  the descent from fairly easy–at least partially. James Rampley Thomas Johnson Rampley (died 1823 Coshocton County, Ohio) James Rampley (born 1803 Harford County, Maryland–died 1884 […]

Sometimes the best DNA discoveries are the ones that we did not intend to make. Years ago I was able to show, using the records that I could find after completing a more than exhaustive search, that the Florence Ellen Butler who married Ira Sargent in 1870 in Union County, Iowa, was the daughter of […]

In June of 1892, Christ Troutfetter received a patent for 160 acres in Thomas County, Kansas. In an attempt to ferret out neighbors who may have filed homestead claims near Troutfetter, I decided to search for his parcel in the tract books from the Bureau of Land Management. The patent gave me the legal description […]

  There is still time to join me on my annual group trip to the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana., this June. More details are on our announcement page.

It’s easy to make digital images or paper copies and not keep track of important details. In fact it is often easier to fail to note these details when making digital images–particularly because it can be tempting to download an image and move onto the next one. It can also be tempting to not take […]

28 June–speaking at the monthly meeting of the Bureau County, Illinois, Genealogical Society in Princeton, Illinois. 10 July–speaking at the monthly meeting of the Tazewell County, Illinois, Genealogical Society in Pekin, Illinois. 10 September–speaking at the monthly meeting of the Scott County, Iowa, Genealogical Society in Davenport, Iowa 5 November–speaking at the annual meeting of the […]