Headline
Ask-the-Pros – Question and Answer – The Proverbial Brick Wall
Question: I am at the proverbial brick wall with my ancestor Saunders Haines. Saunders could be short for Alexander and Haines was later spelled Haynes.The earliest I can find him is in 1775 in Catskill, Ulster County, NY, where he (under name of Alexander) and Christina Halenbeck were married. I know he was in the Revolutionary War, that he had at least 5 children, and that in the Census of 1790, he was in New Paltz, New York. He moved to Rensselaerville, Albany County, where he died in 1813.How can I locate his place of birth and that of his parents, as well as their names? Answer: What this question describes is commonly referred to as a “brick wall,” however, the circumstances described should not fall into that category because there are likely … Read entire article »
Featured
Advertise with Family History Expos Classified Ads
Searching for a long lost ancestor? Trying to connect with family members who are still presumed living? Have a genealogical service or product to buy or sell? Did you know that you … Read more »
Setting Goals to Focus Your Research
Introduction Setting realistic research goals or objectives for a trip to a repository such as the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, involves more than just looking at your data … Read more »
Learn from Family History Expos Class Handouts
At each Family History Expo, all of the class notes are collected into a handy bound volume … Read more »
Latest
Ask-the-Pros – Question and Answer – Finding a professional
Question: My great grandfather on my mother’s side came over from Denmark in 1906 so my research quickly requires someone that speaks and reads a different language, as well as knows the system for vital records for a different country.How do you connect with someone who can do all that? I tried through Ancestry.com and also local universities thinking they might have a Danish language department that can point me to someone but finding someone who is fluent in Danish, let alone also knows the Danish vital records system, seems impossible. Answer: Finding a specific professional genealogist may seem difficult, but there are a number of qualified people out there, but as you note, the trick is how … Read entire article »
Ask – the – Pros – Question and Answer – Voter Registration Lists
Question: What were the suffrage requirements in 1796 Maryland? Answer: This question really involves the more general topic of voter registration lists. Commonly, in most jurisdictions where voting was possible and where registration was required, historic voter registration lists may still be available. Unfortunately, many of these records have yet to make their way online and you may have to search for them in state and local archives as well as historical societies. One good source for records is the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can search the Family History Library Catalog (now called the FamilySearch Library Catalog) online at FamilySearch.org. You will have to click on the “Search” link to see the link to … Read entire article »
Dutch Settlers in New York
This article is contributed by Arlene H. Eakle, PhD. Let me introduce you to a relatively new book about the Dutch settlers in New York: Dutch New York: The Roots of the Hudson Valley Culture. Edited by Roger Panetta. 2009. Prepared to accompany an exhibition at the Hudson River Museum with the support of Westchester County and Fordham University Press. This very interesting volume is a series of 13 chapters on varying aspects of the culture through the Hudson Valley from influences of slavery, commerce, Indian villages, architecture, the romantic tradition in literature, historical documents and artifacts, family traditions, and even Santa Claus. Dutch influences in America: Practical tolerance that allowed immigrant peoples of differing backgrounds to live together without … Read entire article »
Ask-the-Pros – Question and Answer – More about American Indian Ancestry
Ask-the-Pros is a feature of the Family History Expos website. The feature is available from a link appearing on many of the pages of the website. If you ask a question, it will be reviewed and may be answered in this blog. It may be some time before your question is answered in a formal blog post. Question: I have a relative who was born in Alabama in 1868 and died in Texas in 1927. I have always been told she was Comanche Indian, the two census records that I have located her on do not state that she is Native American. I can’t find any death certificate for her, I do have a location for her … Read entire article »
Family History Expo Early Bird to Expire April 30th
Today and tomorrow, April 30th, are the final days to register and receive the early bird savings for our Family History Expo in Sacramento June 28-29, 2013. If you have already registered be sure to tell a friend so they can take advantage of the savings too. GenealogyWallCharts.com has partnered with us to prepare each registered attendee a FREE wallchart printed with their personal genealogy. The chart must pre-order before the event to be delivered at the Expo. More details will be emailed to registered attendees. We have an excellent lineup of presenters, James L Tanner will be our keynote, James is internationally known for his blog Genealogy’s Star . You can check out the details for … Read entire article »
Ask-the-pros – Question and Answer: Finding Obituaries
Question: How do I find an obituary of a person who died in 1945 in the Ft. Bayard VA Hospital, Grant county, New Mexico? Answer: Finding an obituary can be a frustrating experience. It would be simple if all of the obituaries were collected in one place and available online, but that is far from the current situation. Putting obituaries online is a relatively recent activity and very few online collections go back further than the 1970s. However, the newspapers containing the obituaries are being digitized and becoming available online in huge collections. Unfortunately, many of the larger collections of online newspapers are available only on subscription websites. The first step in this process is to see what newspapers … Read entire article »
Advertise with Family History Expos Classified Ads
Searching for a long lost ancestor? Trying to connect with family members who are still presumed living? Have a genealogical service or product to buy or sell? Did you know that you can advertise your genealogically related service or product with a Family History Expos Classified Ad? Family History Expos can assist you by placing your ad in our classifieds. Ads will also be distributed to each attendee at our upcoming Family History Expos in the Expos schedule, and posted on the Family History Expos website for the whole world to see. Ads will run for three months from the date they are posted. Have your ad read by all attendees at our Family History Expo and … Read entire article »
Setting Goals to Focus Your Research
Introduction Setting realistic research goals or objectives for a trip to a repository such as the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, involves more than just looking at your data file and picking a person to research. The preparation involves an assessment of the types of information you need and matching those needs with the records that may be available at the Family History Library. For example, it is disappointing and inefficient to choose to investigate military records only to find out that the records you need are in the National Archives and not in the Family History Library. First Step: Examine your data to see what is needed It is tempting to choose to … Read entire article »
U.S. Civil War CDs added to Family History Expos Catalog
Did you know that the Family History Expos Catalog is expanding to include an extensive collection of U.S. Civil War source reference CDs? These and many other items are located under the Shop tab from the Family History Expos startup page. Take a moment to browse through the catalog. You might be surprised at what you will find. The recent additions … Read entire article »