Genealogy
Genealogy Blog Archives
Romance Through the Ages
Did your ancestors use bundling boards, courting cards or love spoons? Take a stroll back through romantic heritage with this timeline of romantic customs, dating Read more... # Love Letters
Larry Untiet of Spencer, Iowa, discovered a love story hidden inside the walls of his home. A bundle of almost 60 love letters from 1921, Read more... # Sue's Scanning Saga
Graphic software Guide, Sue Chastain, has embarked on an scanning adventure - and is blogging her successes (and failures) as she goes. Beginning with choosing Read more... # Ancestry of Camilla Parker-Bowles
In an announcement that has surprised many, Prince Charles announced today that he will marry his longtime partner Camilla Parker-Bowles in a ceremony at Windsor Read more... # Rewriting History
Can you really rewrite history? Sure! Genealogists do it all the time. Historian Gladys Cox Hansen, who has spent the past 40 years researching the Read more... # Vinatieri Family Tree
Nerves of steel must run in his genes. Adam Vinatieri, the gutsy place kicker of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, can claim a Read more... # Celebrate Black History Month
Known as the "Father of Black History," Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, the celebration of achievements of African-Americans, now know as Read more... # WV Birth, Death & Marriage Records to Go Online
Bucking the growing trend of restricting access to birth, marriage and death records, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History plans to add a Read more... # Bush Family Tree
George W. Bush places his hand on the family bible at the 55th Presidential Inauguration today as a descendant of other political greats, including father Read more... # Genealogy Software Roundup 2005
Whether you're choosing your first genealogy software program or looking to upgrade, there are a number of excellent options available. Get the scoop on all Read more... # New England Regional Genealogy Conference
If you're looking for new directions in your genealogical research, consider heading “down to Maine” to attend the 8th New England Regional Genealogical Conference which Read more... # Do Not Assume!
When researching your family history, it is easy to get excited about new evidence and find yourself quickly led astray. While these common genealogical assumptions Read more... # Your Family History on TV!
Did your family make its mark on history? Your genealogy research could land you on History Detectives, the hit PBS program, produced by OPB TV, Read more... # Genealogist's Son Implicated in Possible Identity Theft
A routine traffic stop in Salt Lake City last week led sheriff's deputies to a forgery operation allegedly run by Lee Neal Meitzler, son of Read more... # Top 10 Genealogy Resolutions
This is the year - the year in which I will finally put my genealogy in order. You see, I have this tendency of getting Read more... # Family Tree Basics
Whether it's looking at old pictures, listening to stories of elderly relatives, or the fact that someone got you a genealogy software program for Christmas, Read more... # Create a Family Cookbook
The holidays are the perfect time for collecting and preserving yummy family recipes. Whether you plan to publish a family cookbook or just want to Read more... # 5 Quick & Easy Family Tree Gifts
There's no better way to share family traditions and memories than with a personal gift that celebrates your family tree. It might be a bit Read more... # Genealogy Casting Call
Are you one of those people who loves digging into history's mysteries? Do you sometimes wish you had been born a century (or two or Read more... # 1881 British Census Records Go Online
Digitized images of the 1881 and 1891 census for England and Wales are now available online as as part of the UK National Archives' plan Read more... # Family History Writing Competition
Not just for genealogy columnists and published authors, the annual "Excellence in Writing" competition sponsored by the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors Read more... # Give the Gift of Your Family Tree
If you are looking for creative and personal gift ideas for family members, then you can't go wrong with a special gift which celebrates your Read more... # Top 5 Thanksgiving Traditions
Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every American family has their own way of celebrating. From breaking the turkey wishbone to Read more... # Put Health History on the Menu this Holiday Season
Holiday gatherings are a perfect time to talk about genealogy and family trees. Federal health officials want Americans to take this a bit further over Read more... # Create a Printable Photo Calendar
Looking for a personalized gift that will be enjoyed year-round? It's easy to create your own personalized photo calendar. Include images of friends, family, ancestors, Read more... # Veterans in the Family Tree?
Nearly every generation of Americans has known war. From the early colonists, to the men and women currently serving in America's armed forces, most of Read more... # 5 Golden Rules for Growing Family Trees
As with real trees, all your family tree really needs to grow and flourish is a little of your time (or a lot if you're Read more... # Ancestors from Pennsylvania?
The Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania have announced a state-wide genealogical conference, to be held in Pittsburgh on September 29 Read more... # Haunted Cemeteries & Ghostly Graveyards
Cemeteries, the final stop on our journey from this world to the next, are monuments (pun intended!) to some of the most unusual rituals to Read more... # The Little Lady of Flores
A different species of homo walked this earth as recently as 18,000 years ago, long after Homo habilis, Homo erectus, even 10,000 years after the Read more... # Cooking Up Some Family History
Learn how to turn delicious family recipes and memories into a family cookbook that will be treasured for generations. Includes tips for soliciting recipes, things Read more... # Who Do You Think You Are?
If you live in the UK and missed the premiere episode of the new family history series -- Who Do You Think You Are? -- Read more... # DNA Testing - Those Difficult Female Lines
Mitochondrial DNA -- it sounds scary. But it is really just a DNA sequence which can be used to trace the female lines in your Read more... # Feng Shui - Remember Your Roots
One of today's hottest design trends and conversation topics, feng shui actually began in fourth century B.C. when the Chinese invented the compass and used Read more... # Presidential Surnames
While one U.S. President's name means "brave warrior or hero" another actually translates to "ugly head." Not always as prestigious as they sound, Presidential surname Read more... # Washington State Launches Digital Archive System
Washington State launched a new Digital Archives Archival Management System today, with the goal of making the historical electronic records of State and Local government Read more... # Free Civil War Database Complete
Most genealogists, historians and Civil War buffs have visited the free online database of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. What you may not Read more... # Surgeon General's Office Promoting Family Medical History
Knowing which diseases run in your family can save lives, so the government is working to make medical family histories easy for anyone to put Read more... # 10 Ways to Celebrate Family History Month
Did you know that October is Family History Month? Or that genealogy is the second most popular hobby next to gardening? Celebrate your family heritage Read more... # Salvaging Flood and Water Damaged Photos & Papers
When disasters hit, most people don't mourn the refrigerator or the couch. Instead, the loss of precious family photographs, scrapbooks and memorabilia is what brings Read more... # Tracing Your Hispanic Heritage
In the United States, people with Hispanic roots are celebrating the weeks between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. The primarily Read more... # Tips for Taking Great Cemetery Photos
Your ancestor's tombstone may be easy enough to read when you're standing just a few feet away, but capturing its three dimensional carving and beautiful Read more... # Safeguarding Your Genealogy
After watching my local southwestern Pennsylvania community devastated by floods this past weekend, it brought home the fact that tragedy and misfortune can happen to Read more... # Bush Family Tree in New Book by Kitty Kelley
Biographer Kitty Kelley's new book, "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty," hits newstands today. Profiling three generations of the powerhouse political Bush Read more... # Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church
A new book casts doubts on a basic claim in the Book of Mormon, that Native Americans are somehow related to a lost tribe from Read more... # Savvy Genealogy Spending
When tracing your family tree, sooner or later you'll come to a point where you need to let go of some hard-earned cash. Whether it Read more... # The Hidden Meaning in Your Name
Could someone named Biff ever be president? Could a Gertrude ever become a prima ballerina? Does your name really play an integral part in who Read more... # Archives of September 11
It was three years ago, but I think I'll always remember it like it was yesterday. While I was sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting Read more... # Can Your Family Tree Make You Jewish?
In an interesting ruling, a top New York rabbinical court has accepted compelling genealogical evidence of Jewish ancestry as proof that someone is Jewish under Read more... # Medical Family History - Are You At Risk?
Some studies say that over 40 percent of the population is at increased genetic risk for a common disease such as cancer, diabetes or heart Read more... # Family Wanted for Lonely Grandfather
"Elderly retired school teacher seeks family willing to adopt grandfather. Will pay." This heart-tugging appeal from Giorgio Angelozzi, age 79, appeared in the classified section Read more... # The Importance of Oral Histories
Do you remember playing the telephone game, also known as Chinese whispers, as a kid? The one in which a phrase or sentence is whispered Read more... # Family Claims Forgotten Ashes
A touching article in The Hawk Eye of Burlington, Iowa relates the story of James and Mary Denslow -- finally resting together for eternity after Read more... # Think Like a Detective
If you like mysteries, then you have the makings of a good genealogist. Why? Just like detectives, genealogists must use clues to formulate possible scenarios Read more... # DNA Project Explores Bahamian Ancestry
Launched in June, the Bahamas DNA Project is looking for individuals with direct Bahamian ancestry who are interested in participating. To qualify (for both men Read more... # How Popular is Your Last Name?
Among other things, census data provides an interesting look at naming trends, including the popularity of certain last names. Is your surname among the most Read more... # Convenient Ancestry?
A growing number of athletes, unable to qualify to compete for their home country, are turning to their ancestry to give them a shot at Read more... # Is Your Family Tree Naked?
Noted genealogist (and one of my favorites!) Helen Leary, CG, CGL, says, publishing or sharing your genealogy without citing sources is like sending it into Read more... # British War Records Go Online
Beginning this week, genealogists and other interested individuals are now able to view online the scanned images of original death records (indexes) of more than Read more... # Cooking Great Julia Child Dies at 91
Celebrated cook, author and television personality, Julia died in her sleep yesterday at her home in Santa Barbara, Calif., just three days shy of her Read more... # Extreme Reunion - Genealogy Hits Primetime
It was bound to happen. In the onslaught of "boy meets girl" reality tv shows - Who Wants to Marry My Dad?, The Bachelor, For Read more... # Back to Italy
Understanding when and why your Italian ancestor left Italy, as well as their preferred foods, clothing styles and dialects, may help to shed light on Read more... # Family History Essay Contest
The Godfrey Library is again sponsoring their annual Family History Essay Contest this year. Read more... # Origins of German Surnames
The meaning of your German last name may be as close as the nearest German-English dictionary. Many German surnames, based on the occupations of the Read more... # Genealogy as American as Baseball & Shopping
Genealogy has become so popular with the mainstream American, that it is being included along with baseball and shopping as a planned activity for delegates Read more... # How Our Ancestors Avoided Cancer
Most of us know someone who has battled cancer. The incidence rates just keep rising year after year. Research on skeletons dating back thousands of Read more... # 10 Fun Family History Activities for Family Reunions
Like many families, you and your relatives may have made plans to get together this summer. What a great opportunity for sharing stories and family Read more... # Ordering Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates from England - Online!
I found a nice surprise waiting for me when I visited England's General Register Office (GRO) Web site today. Previously available only to residents of Read more... # Mormons Fight for FamilySearch (TM)
Robert Sintes devotes his time to a noble cause - trying to re-unite lost or adopted children with their family members. But his genealogy people-tracing Read more... # Happy Bastille Day
Wednesday, July 14, is Bastille Day in France, a national holiday commemorating the day in 1789 when peasants stormed Paris' Bastille prison and sparked the Read more... # Everton's Family History Company Out of Business
One of the oldest companies in the genealogy business has closed its doors. The owner of Everton's Family History Company, publisher of Everton's FamilyHistory Magazine Read more... # Planning a Genealogy Vacation?
Combining a summer vacation with a genealogy research trip cannot only be rewarding but fun for you and your family. When your genealogy research next Read more... # What DNA CAN Tell You About Your Family Tree
While it can't provide you with your entire family tree or tell you who your ancestors are, DNA testing can: Determine if two people are Read more... # Mormon Microfilming Causes a Stir - AGAIN
A Mormon microfilming project in Maine is stirring up protests from people concerned that individuals whose names are collected from these genealogical records will be Read more... # What is Genealogy Anyway?
If you're new to the whole family tree thing and wondering what all the fuss is about, check out these genealogy basics, part of my Read more... # Steps to a Successful Family Reunion
A summer tradition for families everywhere, family reunions encompass everything from a small gathering of your closest relatives, to a big bash with everyone dangling Read more... # Are You a Collector or a Researcher?
An interesting column by Regina Hines in Missouri's Sun Herald discusses the important differences between collectors and researchers of family history. Collectors are individuals who Read more... # Dad's Messages to Family Continue After Death
Before his death in 1999, Wayne Owen wrote out numerous cards and letters to his family to be opened on future special dates and occasions. Read more... # Touched by Adoption
A new Web site, TouchedByAdoption.org, allows adoptees, birth parents, and siblings to voluntarily bank their DNA to help reunite them with their family members - Read more... # Armchair Genealogy
If you think it is unlikely that you'll be able to track down your ancestors from the comfort of your armchair, think again! Whether you're Read more... # Presidential Graves
As the sun set on Friday, June 11, 2004, President Ronald Reagan was laid to rest on the grounds of his presidential library in Simi Read more... # Mongolians Ordered to Choose Surnames
After generations of living with just one name, Mongolians are now rushing to invent last names for themselves to meet a June 27 government imposed Read more... # 5 Ways to Chart & Display Your Family Tree
While tracing your ancestry back as far as possible is fun, it's even better when you can present the findings in a handsome family tree Read more... # 1890 Special Veterans Census
A lucky break for some researchers trying to trace ancestors through the 20 year period between 1880 and 1900, a special Veterans census was taken Read more... # How to Observe Memorial Day
Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a U.S. day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Too many of us, Read more... # RootsMagic 2.0
RootsMagic Inc. has announced the release of its award winning family tree software RootsMagic 2.0. Check out my review of RootsMagic 2.0 and see what Read more... # Which Genealogy Software is Best?
Whether you're choosing your first genealogy software program or looking to upgrade, there is probably an option available to meet your needs. Get the scoop Read more... # Review - How to Do Everything Genealogy
Now, how a book can claim to cover "everything" and not even mention this site once ;-) Seriously, however, this new book by genealogist George Read more... # Happy Mother's Day
Celebrate Mother's Day with a history of the holiday, coverage of famous mothers, crafts and homemade gift ideas for honoring your own mom, and tips Read more... # Wendy Herr Speaks Up About Her Termination as Executive Director of NGS
In response to the continuing publication of the press release issued by the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Board of Directors on 12 January 2004, Wendy Read more... # Ancestry's OneWorldTree - Facts & Misconceptions
There's a lot of panic going on these days on various genealogy message boards and mailing lists regarding a new search service from Ancestry.com - Read more... # New Genealogy Database - FTL Records Collection
Pearl Street Software has just announced a new genealogy service - the Family Tree Legends Records Collection. The collection of more than 400 million records Read more... # National Scrapbooking Day
Today is National Scrapbooking Day in the U.S. and with Mother's Day just around the corner I thought you might enjoy learning more about scrapbooking Read more... # New Genealogy Database - Family Tree Connection
Last week Genealogy Today announced the release of a new subscription genealogy database - Family Tree Connection. I had an opportunity to play with the Read more... # What Does My Last Name Mean?
Several times each day this question (or a variation) arrives in my mailbox. Sometimes it is from a woman who is getting married and wants Read more... # Man Faces Probation for Internet Genealogy Scam
Elias Abodeely, of Cedar Rapids, IA, has been given three years of probation for scamming genealogists out of thousands of dollars. If he stays out Read more... # Working Forward Instead of Backward
As I opened my genealogy software this morning to add my brand-new nephew, Michael (born yesterday), to my family tree, it got me thinking. We Read more... # Memory Medallions
Imagine discovering the tombstone of a long-ago ancestor and being able to read, see and even hear details of their life and family. Imagine whipping Read more... # New Software - Family Tree for Dummies
Six new stand-alone software programs have just been released under the For Dummies(R) license, including Family Tree For Dummies(R). The package includes a genealogy software Read more... # Remember Me When I'm Gone...
Larry King, world-famous radio and television personality, often asks celebrities questions all of us have pondered: How would you like to be remembered after your Read more... # NGS Conference Registration Deadline Extended
If you have not yet registered for the 2004 NGS Conference in the States, to be held 19-22 May, in Sacramento, California, this is your Read more... # Legacy Family Tree - Free Version?
I received an email from a reader this weekend who wanted to let me know that Legacy Family Tree was "no longer offering the free Read more... # New Online Database - NYC Death Index
The Italian Genealogical Group has just posted a searchable index to New York City deaths from 1891 to 1911 - a FREE database containing over Read more... # Lady Liberty Will Shine Again
After being closed for over two years due to security concerns following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the Statue of Liberty in New Read more... # Where Did They Come From?
Determining the birthplace of your immigrant ancestor is the key to the next branch in your family tree. Learn what and where to search to Read more... # BLM Land Records Site Back Online
The Bureau of Land Management's Web site is back up and running following a two-week, court-ordered shutdown. An appeals court blocked a judge's ruling that Read more... # McElvis
Elvis Presley has Scottish ancestry, according to Scottish author, Allan Morrison, who has traced the King's roots to the hamlet of Lonmay in Aberdeenshire. Mr Read more... # Metes, Bounds & Meanders
Have you ever found a land deed for an ancestor that measured distance in poles or chains or used trees and streams as boundary marks? Read more... # GENDEX Going Offline
According to an announcement on its Web site, GENDEX -- a surname search database operating since March 1996 -- will be terminating its genealogy operations Read more... # BLM Internet Blackout Sidelines Genealogists
Genealogists looking for U.S. federal land records are finding themselves out of luck, as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) deals with yet another Read more... # Better Google Searches
A new Web site makes it easier, and more effective, to use Google™ to search for your family history, according to the site's Webmaster Doug Read more... # Tracing Irish Ancestors
While St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish, the day celebrated in his honor certainly is! Celebrate this St. Patrick's Day by uncovering more about your Irish Read more... # DNA May Become Future Sunscreen
A short strand of DNA, known as pTT, may become the sunscreen of the future according to researchers at Boston University medical school. The fragment, Read more... # March is Women's History Month
With roots going back to the first International Women's Day, organized on March 19, 1911 by a German woman named Klara Zetkin, Women's History Month Read more... # Georgia Flag Goes to Vote
As Georgians go the poll for today's Democratic primary, they also get to vote on which Georgia flag they prefer: the Barnes flag, a blue-and-gold Read more... # Senator Kerry Relatives Killed in the Holocaust
Two relatives of Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic front-runner for president, were seized in 1942 by the Nazis and killed in the Holocaust, according to Read more... # New DNA Genealogy Database
In a first step toward the creation of a worldwide genetic family tree, a free interactive genetic genealogy database was launched today by the Utah-based Read more... # Do You Use MyYahoo?
If you are a MyYahoo user, you can add the latest genealogy headlines from this site to MyYahoo. Click on one of the "Add to Read more... # Skeletons in an Unlikely Place
Homeowner Helen Weisensel "is trying to retain a sense of humor 15 months after a building project was halted because a skeleton was found in Read more... # Long-lived Family Trees
According to a recent study, people ages 100 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, with female centenarians outnumbering the males 5-1. Read more... # Arizona Birth & Death Records Now Online
Prompted by a recent press release, I just spent some time checking out a wonderful new Web site for genealogists with Arizona ancestors. Sponsored as Read more... # Research Log = Treasure Map
Like many genealogists, I used to think it was needless to create and keep a research log. Too organized...too much work...a waste of time. Research Read more... # President Ugly Head & Other Presidential Surnames
While one President's name means "brave warrior or hero" another actually translates to "ugly head." Not always as prestigious as they sound, Presidential surnames offer Read more... # Presidential Genealogies
We've all heard family tales of a distant relative being the second cousin, twice removed of President "So-and-So." But is it really true? In reality, Read more... # Does Race Really Exist?
During a recent DNA experiment, more than half of the biotechnology students at Piedmont Hills High School in San Jos JRun Server Name: nutch1 pageload time: 110ms | 
