where2look4ancestors

Category: Genealogy Tips

  • Swedish Research on Riksarkivet

    Carl Magnus Carlson was the second of four illegitimate children born to my 2nd great-grandmother Maja Stina Carlsdotter. The page on which Carl’s birth was recorded tells more than just that; Swedish records offer a wealth of related information. The pages shown here are among the thousands of records available…

  • Are Obituaries Always Accurate?

    My quest continues ~ I’m still searching for the descendants of my Norwegian and Swedish 4th great-grandparents. My focus this year is on those who left Scandinavia and settled in North America. My Norwegian 4th great-grandparents Christian Tronson (1779-1852) and Gunvor Mortensdatter (1788-1875) had 10 known children. Several of the…

  • 12 Step Program for Genealogists

    12 Step Program for Genealogists

    Child #2 tells me I am a genealogy addict. I counter with my attendance of meetings, ostensibly looking for a cure. Child patiently explains the concept of 12 step programs; they are supposed to help one kick a habit, not provide another fix. After some thought, I developed my own 12 Step…

  • 5 Reasons I Love Family History Month (and Why You Should Too)

    An entire month to celebrate genealogy? Sign me up! Even Congress understands the importance of family history: On June 27, 2003 a resolution introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch was agreed to in the Senate without amendment and with a preamble by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8846-8847; text as passed Senate:…

  • Request for Deceased Individual’s Social Security Record

    While trying to prove my great-grandfather had indeed been born, I realized I didn’t have all of the documents identified as sources or alternative sources on Ancestry for Alfred MUELLER’s date of birth. One of those documents listed Alfred’s exact date of birth, the very thing I was trying to…

  • Alfred Was Born Wasn’t He?

    For my last Timeline Tuesday post, I was able to document the source of my 2nd great-grandparents’ marriage in November of 1874. Early in my research of this branch of my family tree, I surmised that Elizabeth SCHMITT had been married before she married Jacob MUELLER. My supposition was based…

  • Applying Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques

    It’s time to get serious about my family history research. Particularly when it comes to breaking down a brick wall that is preventing me from getting across the pond. Toward that end, for the past few weeks I’ve been devouring reading George G. Morgan and Drew Smith’s book Advanced Genealogy Research…

  • Not Buried Here

    I come across something unique in nearly every cemetery I visit. Cenotaphs (monuments erected in honor of a person buried elsewhere) exist in many graveyards. The cenotaph above was particularly interesting to me because of the wonderful genealogical clues it offers. A family historian may have stumbled upon this memorial, as I…

  • Monuments Carved and Uncarved

    Monuments do more than just mark spaces in cemeteries. In Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Olaf, Christine and Effie Olsson rest near a large family monument with several meanings. The style itself – a stone that is half carved and half uncarved – symbolizes the transition from life to death. Closer inspection…

  • Thoroughly Modern Memorial

    We tend to assume, do we not, that headstones are erected soon after the deceased is laid to rest. In some cases however, a descendant has a headstone put in place long after the death occurred. And this dear readers, is a wonderful clue that another family historian may be lurking about. So when a headstone looks…