25 Reasons to Research Probate Records and Wills

Does the thought of locating and searching through old probate records and wills turn you off, because you will need to go through some court’s smelly basement, where you have to pore through dusty old files of records? Let me tell you, whether you have to find them that way or online, they are incredibly […]

19 Reasons Why You Should Research Passport Applications for Genealogy

One of the many – and often overlooked genealogy documents for us to research are passport applications and the passports themselves. For United States passport applications, the required reading is from the U.S. National Archives – Passport Applications. The history, types, limitations, and how to access the microfilms of registers and indexes are included. So […]

27 Ways to Find Ancestor Marriage Information

When researching our ancestors, one of the most important events is their marriage(s). Determining their spouse and the date and location of marriage is important as we document the major events in their lives. Most folks limit their search to the obvious repositories, whether online or not, focusing primarily on marriage certificates and licenses. There […]

32 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information

When researching our ancestors, one of the most important events is their birth (otherwise they wouldn’t be ancestors – but I digress). Determining the date and location of birth is important as we document the major events in their lives. Most folks limit their search to the obvious repositories, whether online or not. But there are […]

24 Ways to Find Ancestor Death Information

When researching our ancestors, one of the most important events is their death (otherwise they wouldn’t be ancestors, they’d be relatives? – but I digress). Determining the date and location of death is important as we document the major events in their lives. Most folks limit their search to the obvious repositories, whether online or […]

Using DP.LA for Family History Research

Are you a DP.LA user? If not, you should. I find it to be “better than Google” for finding digitized resources owned by libraries, archives, and other similar institutions. In essence, it is like having online card catalogues from hundreds of institutions that I can search for digitized collections and items all at once. From […]

Beyond the Search Engine: Using Google Databases for Genealogy Research

Google has several databases and functions that we can search and/or use, such as Google Books, Google Scholar, and others that are useful to us as genealogy researchers. This is an overview of some of these databases and functions: Download the Quicksheet PDF To obtain the one-page Quicksheet pdf for easy reference of what information […]

How to Determine the State of Residence from Social Security Numbers

Generally, if you wish to find out information about an individual’s Social Security application, you will need to acquire that person’s SS-5 form, a photocopy of which can be obtained from the Social, Security Administration for a fee of $21.00. See SS-5 Form for the form itself and mailing instructions. The information included on the […]

16 Hidden Genealogy Clues That Help Determine Relationships

A major goal for genealogists is to seek records and determine relationships. Many records such as census records and birth, death, and marriage certificates have evidence you need right there on the document. But there are lots of documents and other materials that simply provide clues.  They do not have the answers written on them. […]

What Is Online in the National Archives Archival Databases

I had never used the U.S. National Archives databases until a couple of years ago when I started using the Numident Files, which are a fantastic resource. I have discovered a wealth of documents, indexes, and a search capability that you can get lost in! Make sure that you take a look at all the […]