Tackle Brick Walls at Genies Meeting on Feb 26th

February 26, 2018 at the Ferndale Library 1:00-3:30. 

At this meeting we will help each other with building trees and breaking down the brick walls around our ancestors.  We’ll need people who are working on their trees and people to help.

First, we’ll work on one case as a group.  Before the meeting write down everything you know about your problem situation.  If you want, email it to me and we’ll make some copies. 

Include alternate names and spellings and nicknames.  For example, if a name is mis-spelled or mis-transcribed in a census, it could have the same mistake in other documents.  Try searching for the spouse, children, parents or siblings.  Some people just always used their nickname which also could have multiple spellings.

We also need to do “collateral research” which includes anyone who is not your direct ancestor, such as siblings, nieces, and nephews of your direct ancestor. Say you don’t know your great-grandparent and can’t find him by searching for your grandparents.  Search for your grandparent’s siblings to lead you to their parents. 

There is also “place research”.  Places are important in searching the many unindexed records.  Estimates are that only 10% of Ancestry records are indexed and 30% of Family Search records are indexed.  To search the unindexed records, we will need to learn to search by place.

During the work time there will be a RootsMagic corner.

Hoping to make some big leaps,

Judith

Ferndalegenies at gmail dot com