Category: Get Started
Family history: What’s in a (nick)name?
The significance of names in family history Considerations when naming children Have you considered your first, middle, and last names? Were you "named after" someone in the family? Perhaps you were given great aunt Grace's first name, or uncle James's middle name? Maybe you use a nickname or a derivative of a longer, traditional name? ...
Family history: Stories and setting the scene
Preserving family history through storytelling Fleshing out the story, using time and place Samuel Smith "travelled thousands of miles on foot and went emphatically 'everywhere' preaching the gospel." I'm not sure what comes to mind when you read that sentence, but for me, it provides a visual I wouldn't otherwise have. I knew my 4X ...
Family history: Using the spoken word
Storytelling and preserving family history Considering various methods While this blog is about creating ancestor profiles using your family's heirlooms and documentation, there are myriad ways to pass along family history. Take a look at how Susan reminds us that oral storytelling should not be forgotten as a means to preserve our history. Can ...
Photos: Help identifying unknowns
Identifying unknowns The place for help with family photos Steps you take now may help in the identification of your photos. Where did you find the photo? Was it with the Smith collection or in the Butterfield tubs? Chances are, the person belongs to that family. File or label it accordingly. Have you tried to ...
Family history: Record using various methods
When writing is not your thing Think of your "go to" method to communicate When I began this blog, I was intently focused on the written form of ancestor stories. My goal is to teach my children about their past, and as a writer, making notes or creating a few short paragraphs is a piece ...
Photo matching: The importance of
Learning to group and match photos Overwhelming? Yes, but keep at it For some of you, this may not seem like a valid topic or something you should read. If your collection is small, it may seem that matching does not matter. For those of you with an overwhelming pile of photos (I come from ...
Clues and hunches to identify the unknown
The importance of clues and hunches Instinct and identifying unknowns We all seem to have a mystery photo, the people in which we cannot identify. It is tempting to look at the obvious, accept the unknown and give up. Yet, there may be more to it than we realize; there may be help we hadn't ...
A Butterfield Geier wedding story
Creating my grandparents' wedding story Using 1921 souvenirs Perhaps one of the most important stories I want to leave my children is the one about my paternal grandparents' wedding. I can't really say why. This is the grandma I knew best, the one I spent more time with, the one they'll never know; perhaps I ...
Ancestor profiling using mixed methods
Creating ancestor profiles using mixed methods Using everything in your bag of tricks The premise of this blog is to use the documents and heirlooms in your possession to create a profile and write a story about your ancestor. It's about using items and artifacts you already have for one, to identify heirlooms, and two, ...
Grandaunt Bertha: Making a slideshow
Profiling when there is scant information Create a simple slideshow using what you have MEMORIES Dad used to say Bertha was a fabulous cook. I didn't have the pleasure of sitting at her dining table but once; however, I recall that visit. The year was 1980, and it was the only time I visited Aunt ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 