Season for Family

A community of women finding time for family connections.

Step 7: search for other records

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If you missed step 6, find it HERE

https://youtu.be/GMzerdDeHjk

There are SO many different types of records that are available that could contain information about your ancestor. Using the information you’ve learned about them so far (where they lived and when), start looking for other records about them. For example: church, probate (wills), court, tax, land, military, pension, directories, immigration, naturalization, obituaries, newspaper, cemetery records, area histories, or family histories.

Use the FamilySearch Wiki, the FamilySearch Catalog, or Ancestry Card Catalog, to locate what records are may be available for them. Search for your ancestor and compare what is known to what you find. Look for distinguishing information to confirm it is about your ancestor. As you search for these records you can improve the accuracy of the information about your ancestor and find clues about additional relationships. You will likely need multiple pieces of evidence to prove a certain fact, so take advantage of all that is offered and be sure to write down clues in your research log!

Be sure to follow me on @moderngenealogy for more tips and info about family history research.

MEGAN HILLYER

IG: @moderngenealogy

Step 6: Search for Vital Records

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If you missed Step 5, find it HERE

https://youtu.be/-HvQhfsuzuY

Now that you know where to look, start searching for the vital records you need to answer your research questions. Start by searching online databases using broad parameters and name variations. Add more information in the search fields until your results are few enough to be able to look through easily. Search in county and state levels. Order original records if the images are not available online. Attach the records to your ancestor in FamilySearch and record your searches in your research log. And, have fun searching!

The excitement you get from finding something is SO worth it! For more tips about this step, follow me @moderngenealogy on Instagram and Facebook. 

MEGAN HILLYER

IG: @moderngenealogy

step 5: learn about where your ancestors live

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If you missed step 4, find it HERE

https://youtu.be/XWjWbK_Td-U

Before you dive into researching, it is important to know about the area that your ancestor lived. The FamilySearch Wiki is a great resource. You can learn about the history of the area they lived, about what records are available, and about what historical events they may have been a part of. Knowing what records are available for a certain time period is vital to your success in researching and will help you not waste time searching for something that doesn’t exist.

MEGAN HILLYER

IG: @moderngenealogy