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New to Genealogy? There’s a Website for That

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Genealogy, like many other hobbies, has a bit of a learning curve to it. The first thing that new genealogists discover is that there is so much more for them to learn about genealogy. Before you get completely overwhelmed, you should check out the “New to Genealogy” website. You have to start somewhere. Even people who currently are professional genealogists were once beginners with genealogy. There is no reason why you cannot try your hand at genealogy. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that you are new to this hobby. All genealogists made some mistakes when they were new to … Continue reading →

You Know More Than You Think You Do

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It can be intimidating to start working on the genealogy of your family. The sheer amount of data you would need to track down, gather, and make sense of can feel really overwhelming to a new genealogist. Before you start wondering about just how many hours you will be required to devote to your new obsession.. I mean hobby… you need to understand something. You probably know more about your relatives and ancestors than you think you do. People who are new to something tend to make the kind of mistakes that are not made by those who have a … Continue reading →

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy

Each week I participate in the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy challenge, which is a set of weekly prompts that were created by Amy Coffin of We Tree. Each prompt is designed to allow genealogists, both beginning and advanced, to further their genealogical knowledge. I have found the challenge to be both fun and beneficial to my own genealogy research and know-how. Anyways, this week’s prompt is to encourage other genealogists to participate in a challenge of my own choosing, so I thought what better way to do this than to post about it here. Come up with a personal … Continue reading →

Glossary of Genealogy Abbreviations

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I sometimes look back at my previous posts for inspiration for new posts, or sometimes to see which topics may need a bit more elaboration. Today I want to create an extension from my genealogy glossary post from a few weeks ago. However, rather than providing you, my readers, with more genealogy terms, I want to help you understand the many genealogy abbreviations that are often used. General Genealogy Abbreviations abt. – about (sometimes also abbreviated as a. or ab.) ad. – adopted (sometimes adCL for adopted child, adD for adopted daughter, or adS for adopted son are also used) … Continue reading →

Genealogy Volunteerism

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There are many ways to better yourself at genealogy. One way is to volunteer your services to others. There are several ways for a genealogist to volunteer. Genealogical or Historical Societies Many (if not all) historical and genealogical societies need volunteers to help keep them going. Volunteer opportunities at these organizations may be helping visitors with their genealogical research, working in the administrative offices, cleaning, gardening, filing, etc. Transcribe Data for Genealogy Trails If you have access to non-copywritten genealogical records, and the time to transcribe them, you may want to consider hosting a state or county on Genealogy Trails. … Continue reading →

More Free Genealogy Websites

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In my previous post, I talked about four of my favorite free genealogy websites. Besides the four listed in that post, there are many more free sites available to genealogists. Some of these websites I do not personally use, but in the interest of providing you with as many free resources as I can, I am including them here. I do want to mention that prior to posting any of these sites here, regardless if I have used them during my own personal research, I did spend time reviewing each one to ensure I only provide you with sites that … Continue reading →

Four Best Free Online Genealogy Sources

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My own personal favorite online resource for performing genealogy is Ancestry.com, which requires a monthly subscription fee to access most records. They do offer a free 14 day trial to new users, which may be something a beginning genealogist may want to consider, but if you do not remember to cancel before the end of the trial, your account will be billed their normal monthly fee. There are many other websites available online that are completely free of charge. Here is a list of some of what I consider the best free genealogy websites. RootsWeb I consider RootsWeb to be … Continue reading →

Genealogy Magazines

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There are a number of magazines that are dedicated to helping genealogists further their research. Some magazines are specialized, pertaining to genealogy for a particular location, ethnicity, time period, etc. Other magazines are more general, and can be useful to the majority of genealogists. Listed here are five of the most popular genealogy magazines. Prices listed here are effective as of May 27, 2010, and are subject to change. Family Tree Magazine According to their website, Family Tree Magazine is “American’s #1 family history magazine”. This magazine is perfect for beginning genealogists wanting to learn how to get started. Topics … Continue reading →

Genealogy for Kids

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I want my children to share my passion for genealogy, and I try to share my research with them whenever I think I may have grabbed their attention. My three-year-old son accompanies me on most of my cemetery visits, and actually gets excited when I ask him if he wants to go for a walk in the cemetery. My nine-year-old daughter enjoys looking through my old family photos with me. I am always looking for ways to involve my children in my genealogy, and often come up short when looking for ideas online. However, I have managed to come across … Continue reading →

Genealogy Resume

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I have recently been putting together a genealogy resume for two reasons. Number one, I have decided to take my genealogy hobby professionally-much thanks to this blogging job for showing me how great it can be to get paid for what you really love. And number two, in order to allow me to reflect on my own personal strengths and weaknesses in regards to my genealogical experience and know-how. My completed genealogy resume will include all aspects of my genealogy “addiction” (for lack of a more appropriate word). I will include my reasons for doing genealogy, any education I have … Continue reading →