Finding your ancestor in an orphanage record does not necessarily mean that both—or even either—of their parents had died. The Myth Today, the word orphan usually brings to mind a child whose mother and father have both died. When genealogists encounter an ancestor described as an orphan—or discover a child living in an orphan asylum—it […]
Author: Kenneth R Marks
Kenneth R Marks was born and educated in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving a BS in Mathematics in 1968. His career was in Information Technology; with the last 20 Years as a software executive with Boeing, Pearson, and NASA. His genealogy career began in 2004. He is an expert in newspaper research for genealogy, as well as additional genealogy topics. He regularly conducts webinars on the subject and has authored three genealogy books. See the About page for more details.
The Ancestor Hunt, founded in 2008, is focused on helping genealogy and family history researchers of all skill levels to achieve their goals, by providing links to free online genealogy collections, and search tips and techniques, largely via easy-to-understand Quick Reference Guides.
Are you doing Colorado genealogy research and looking for Free Online Colorado Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of Colorado’s Genealogy Resources in […]
Ancestry.com continues to add or update its record collections at a fast pace for us to search. For the period of August 1-15, 2026, the new and updated collections are: I hope that some of these are what you have been waiting for! Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
Given Name Abbreviations Historical records, newspapers, and family documents often use abbreviated given names rather than the full name. Understanding common Danish given name abbreviations can help you locate records that might otherwise be overlooked. Name Abbreviation Adam Ad. Åge Åge. Agnes Agn. Alfred Al. Alma Al. Andreas Andr. Anette Anett. Anna Ann. Anton Ant. […]
If you don’t know exactly what you’re trying to prove, almost every record becomes a distraction. Successful genealogy research begins with a question—not a search. Many researchers sit down at the computer, enter an ancestor’s name, and begin collecting records without first deciding what they are trying to discover. While this approach may uncover interesting […]
Your ancestor may be hiding behind a spelling they never actually used. One of the most common genealogy research mistakes is searching for only one spelling of a surname or given name. Names have changed throughout history for many reasons. Clerks spelled names as they heard them. Census takers made mistakes. Newspapers contained typographical errors. […]
The census record may list your ancestor’s entire family—but that doesn’t mean anyone in the family supplied the information. The Myth It is easy to picture the census process this way: an enumerator walked up to your ancestor’s home, knocked on the door, spoke with the head of the household or another family member, and […]
Are you doing Ohio genealogy research and looking for Free Online Ohio Genealogy Records? Click on a link for your desired category’s free collection links: NewspapersYearbooksBirthsMarriagesDeathsBMD RecordsAlumni RecordsCemetery RecordsChurch RecordsCoroner RecordsCriminal RecordsDigital ArchivesDirectoriesDivorce RecordsImmigration RecordsInstitutional RecordsMilitary RecordsMortuary RecordsNaturalizationsObituariesPhotosProbate and WillsSchool RecordsTax RecordsVoter Records Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Want All of Ohio’s Genealogy Resources in […]
Given Name Abbreviations Historical records, newspapers, and family documents often use abbreviated given names rather than the full name. Understanding common German given name abbreviations can help you locate records that might otherwise be overlooked. Name Abbreviation Adelheid Adelh. Adolf A. Agnes Ag. Agnes Agn. Albert Al. Albert Alb. Alexander Alex. Alfred Alf. Amalie Am. […]
The best genealogy record is rarely the first one you find. Modern search engines have trained us to believe that the first result is usually the best result. Genealogy research doesn’t work that way. Search results are influenced by indexes, search algorithms, spelling variations, and the information you entered. The first record returned may simply […]