As we continue our genealogical research, military records provide rich information for ancestors who registered for the draft or served, sometimes identifying dependents. A federal website offers this information free, though other sources can supplement our efforts. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) houses documents and materials created by …

Immigration refers to people entering a country to become permanent residents, and emigration refers to people leaving their current country to become permanent residents in another. Genealogists benefit because ship passenger lists usually record these movements, and naturalization, the legal process by which an immigrant becomes a country’s citizen, also …

The gossip and society news columns were the precursor to today’s social media! For ancestors involved in a local event, there may be a series of articles over several issues and even quotes from your ancestors or people who knew them. Advertisements paid for all the published “news,” so an …

We’ve researched where to find birth, baptismal and death certificates, census documents and other records. Now, let’s organize the data into a genealogical timeline! WHY A FAMILY HISTORY TIMELINE? It is an important research tool that can aid in the where, when and why of our ancestors’ lives. The timeline …

Names are a significant part of an individual’s identity, embodying personality, religious and cultural roots, and family background. Naming is one of the great privileges given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. “Genesis” means “beginning.” The first book of the Bible is a book of origins, and there are …