where2look4ancestors

  • Headstone Genealogy

    I’ve seen many headstones that provide wonderful clues for anyone researching that particular family tree. But none quite as wonderful as the Hollister headstone in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. The names, dates and relationships on the front and on the back made it easy to find the right Hollisters in the…

  • Are We Related? Part One

    Dear Prospective Cousin, I think you and I may be leaves on the same family tree! According to the relationship chart below, your mother (or grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, sister-in-law, spouse’s cousin) Alice Hester Clarke Jenkinson was my first-cousin thrice removed. That may sound distant but consider this; Alice’s father…

  • 3 Things I Learned from Alfred Mueller’s Social Security Record

    3 Things I Learned from Alfred Mueller’s Social Security Record

    The SS-5 form was more valuable to me than the SSDI (Social Security Death Index) in my quest to prove my great-grandfather’s date of birth. Why? Because it had been completed by the subject of my search. Not to mention the oodles of additional information the form added to my…

  • 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…

  • How to Take Better Headstone Pictures for Find A Grave

    How to Take Better Headstone Pictures for Find A Grave

    “Help us find the ending to every family story.” This is the sentiment behind Find A Grave Community Days, an event in which genealogists and taphophiles everywhere are encouraged to “Help preserve your local cemetery.” I hope you’ll join the cause! It’s an amazing way to pay it forward for…

  • Who Do You Think YOU Are?

    For decades, I thought I was 50% Swedish and 50% German. Never mind that my maternal grandfather was somehow English. I’m not sure how we overlooked that bit of information, but I continued to believe I was half one ethnicity and half another long after I should have known better.…

  • Lessons in Naming Digital Files

    How quickly can you retrieve a genealogy file from your computer? Could you find a specific document in 20 seconds or less? In two minutes? Still looking? I fluctuate between “20 seconds or less” and “still looking”. Too often the file I seek is named incorrectly or worse yet, not…

  • 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:…

  • Are You My Ancestor?

    Along the same lines as my proposed TV show Name That Ancestor, I have a book idea. It’s a take off of the children’s book Are You My Mother? In this time machine fantasy series, we could go back to the date a picture in our collection was taken and…

  • National Coffee Day

    Today we at Where 2 Look 4 Ancestors are holding our mugs high to celebrate that wonderful elixir of life, a cuppa Joe, our early morning wake up call, the precious java that helps so many genealogists stay awake in front of their computers. Happy National Coffee Day!