Search Results for: blog more than just the obituaries

More Than Just the Obituaries

Genealogists can learn a lot from looking at old newspapers. Most people turn to this resource in order to locate an obituary of their ancestors. Don’t forget to look through the rest of that newspaper! It can give you good information about what life was like for people at that time. It wouldn’t be news to anyone to learn that genealogists tend to seek out the part of the newspaper that contains the obituaries before reading anything else. Obituaries can tell so much about a person’s life, and can provide clues that could help you with your research. Obviously, an … Continue reading →

The Phenomenon of Premature Obituaries

I had been thinking about this blog for a while now and today, CNN beat me to the punch. I guess it is a slow news day because towards the top of its news list, CNN ran a story that said “Abe Vigoda is still alive, thank you very much.” In case you don’t remember, there was a rumor going around that Abe had died…in 1982. That year, a reporter for PEOPLE magazine wrote in an article that the “late Abe Vigoda” was not at the “Barney Miller” wrap party. Needless to say, that came as a bit of a … Continue reading →

Things You Can Learn From an Obituary

You can learn more than you might suspect from the obituaries of your ancestors. GenealogyBank.com sent me an email with a list of seven facts that you can learn from reading the obituary or death notice of your ancestors. The seven facts they point out are just the beginning! GenealogyBank.com is a website that genealogists can use to learn more about their ancestors. This one will let you search for free, but will require you to spend money if you would like to see the results of your search. I don’t think it is incredibly expensive to do so, but, … Continue reading →

Free Family Tree Templates for Frugal Genealogists

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Many genealogists make artistic versions of their family trees. Before you can design one, you have to do the work. To start compiling your data, you will need a temporary family tree to write it down on. Here are some clues about where to find some free family tree templates. There are two options for genealogists who wish to create a family tree. One option is to go digital, and use software and genealogy websites that will help you to put together a family tree. The other option is the tried and true “pencil and paper” method. It is also … Continue reading →

Are Those Vital Records Playing Hard to Get? Try These Tips

If you do genealogy research, you know that vital records such as birth, death, and marriage records, are a very important source of information. Many of these records are kept by various state agencies, and the policies and procedures for obtaining them vary by state. Unfortunately, they can sometimes be hard to access given the amount of bureaucracy and red tape that is involved. The good news is that there are some alternative ways to get the information that you would get from vital records which are much easier to get your hands on. Do not let a snag in … Continue reading →

New Uses for Newspapers

Think the Internet killed the newspaper? Not quite. Each year, over 24 billion newspapers are printed. Newspaper can be recycled, but that may not always be a good idea because in some cases, it could have a higher carbon footprint than new paper. What can all that leftover newspaper be used for other than to line the bottom of a bird’s cage? Here are a few suggestions. One that I found fascinating was that you can crumple up newspaper, splash a bit of white vinegar on it and clean windows without streaking. I definitely need to try that one. I … Continue reading →

Unclaimed Persons

Genealogists can do some pretty amazing things. Today, I learned about a very interesting way in which genealogists can put their skills to use. I also learned about a problem that I had no idea existed until today. The problem is that occasionally when a person dies, no family appears to claim their body. Genealogists have stepped up to the plate to offer their assistance in finding the next of kin for these unclaimed persons. I learned about the problem of unclaimed persons through the web site unclaimedpersons.org, which is a resource where coroners seeking assistance with unclaimed persons can … Continue reading →

Interlibrary Loan – A Great Resource for Genealogists

If you are researching your family history, chances are that you make trips to the library once in a while. Libraries are a great place to do genealogy research, but sometimes the books you need are not located in any of your local libraries. Fear not brave genealogist, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is here to save the day. Most public and academic libraries in the United States participate in the Interlibrary Loan service. This amazing service makes books, microfilms, and other materials in all of those other libraries available to you through your local library. The resources that each library makes … Continue reading →

Genealogy “Luck” Stories

Genealogy is a hobby that seems like it could be mostly straightforward and methodical. However, there is much room for serendipitous situations and genealogists delight in sharing their stories of strange but true things that have happened in the course of their genealogy research. I think that part of the reason why genealogists love to share and read stories of impossible sounding circumstances under which genealogical information has been discovered is that it gives every genealogist a source of hope that the answers that they seek are out there, somewhere, waiting to be uncovered albeit possibly in a very different … Continue reading →

Where to Find Newspaper Archives Online

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A genealogist can get a lot of information about his or her ancestors from newspapers. Most newspapers contain obituaries, and those contain all kinds of details about a person’s life. There also could be articles about local events that an ancestor participated in. Before you can get the information you need from newspapers, you have to locate them. Plenty of them are accessible online. There are two places that a genealogist can go in order to be able to sort through an archive of old newspapers. One, of course, is your local library. Many libraries have put old, fragile, newspapers … Continue reading →