Tag Archives: genealogy

Who Do You Think You Are? Live

If you love the genealogy – themed television show, “Who Do You Think You Are?”, you might be interested in knowing that there is a live conference in February, in London, called “Who Do You Think You Are? Live”. The event is sponsored by the Society of Genealogists, Ancestry.co.uk, and other vendors. It is a three day event, beginning on Friday, February 22, 2013. If you happen to be in London that weekend, you may want to check out some of the conference’s many workshops, exhibits, performances, and attractions. For example, people from The National Archives will be presenting information … Continue reading →

Your Smartphone, the Genealogy Tool

Whether you just got a new smartphone as a gift this holiday season, or you have owned your smartphone for a while and you have yet to explore all of its potential uses, here is something to think about. Your smartphone can be used as a genealogist’s tool. From capturing pictures and taking video and voice recordings to taking notes, your smartphone can be as useful to you, the genealogist, as a Swiss Army knife is to a camper. How do you use your smartphone for genealogy? You can use some of the apps that may have come pre – installed on your … Continue reading →

Family History – it’s not All About the Research

The holidays are a time when you may be able to see relatives whom you do not get to see frequently. Of course, that is a wonderful thing. As a genealogist, you may be tempted to try to get as much information as you can during the visits. You might even make an action plan of what you want to discuss and with whom. I have discovered that unless there is some pressing research that you absolutely must do, those research questions and plans can be saved for email or telephone exchanges, or even writing letters. Holiday visits are a … Continue reading →

Genealogy and Calendars

So, it is December 21, 2012. I am still here, as are all of you. It appears as though the Mayan calendar incorrectly predicted the end of the world. If you are anything like me, you are not surprised. I am one of those people who rolls their eyes every time the word “apocalypse” is mentioned. I’ve been known to walk out of the room any time an apocalypse – themed movie is being viewed. In short, any apocalypse – related discussion annoys me to no end. I am simply not concerned about when and how the world will end. … Continue reading →

Do You Need Inspiration for a Family History Adventure?

If you are looking for a fun genealogy read online, check out the Ancestry.com blog. Mixed in amongst their other blog posts (which are also good), there are posts from a family of seven who are traveling the United States in search of family history information. The Great, Great, Great Grand Adventure began back in July, when the Brown family decided that they would spend some time together as a family, traveling the United States and learning about their family history. At the time that the monumental decision to make the trip was made, the Browns did not know that … Continue reading →

A Gift of Knowledge for Genealogists

If you are looking for a genealogy themed gift that is unique, why not get together with a couple of people and give your favorite genealogy buff the gift of discovering genealogy in a whole new way. Ancestry.com has a new product, Ancestry DNA, that enables users to discover their ethnic roots and further their family history research. Genetic genealogy is an area that many genealogists are curious about but might not take the initiative to explore on their own. Ancestry DNA is what its name implies, a DNA test. Since it links into a person’s Ancestry.com account, it can … Continue reading →

Mormons and Genealogy

One question that many new genealogists have, after seeing that many great genealogy resources are connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is why genealogy is so important to Mormons. For Mormons, family life is important, eternal, in fact, and it is central to God’s plan. Since family is an eternal structure, baptisms may be conducted for deceased family members. Genealogy research enters the picture when Mormons trace their roots in search of ancestors who died without learning about the Mormon Gospel. It is these ancestors who are then baptized by proxy in the temple, so … Continue reading →

Genealogy Resources for Veteran’s Day

Veteran’s Day is a time to remember, and honor, your relatives and ancestors who served in the military. Genealogists can find plenty of online resources that they can use to help discover more about their ancestors who served in the military. Some photo archives are especially interesting, even if they are not specifically about an ancestor of yours. Ancestry.com has the world’s largest online collection of historical military documents. There is a guide you can download that gives you advice about how to find the answers that you are looking for on their website. You can search through their Revolutionary … Continue reading →

What does your surname mean?

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What’s in a name? Every name means something. Most people seek out information about the meaning of names when they are looking for the perfect name for a baby that is on the way. Surnames, or last names, also have their own meanings. What do the surnames in your family mean? One of the things that makes genealogy fun and interesting is learning about the meanings behind some of the names. Sometimes you find out that a certain first name has been handed down through several generations. It can be both entertaining and enlightening to learn what your last name … Continue reading →

Managing Your Family Tree Online

Are you using a website to store your family history? Do you use websites for research? There are several websites to help you manage your family tree online. I have used them for research, but only one to store information. I prefer to keep my records in a book that I created, so that everything is kept in one place and can be passed down to my son. However, there are advantages to doing things online. Information that is stored online reduces paper clutter. Research has been made much easier with the help of websites that offer search functions and … Continue reading →