A day with Grandma: genealogy treasures

The first question I asked myself as I sat with my wonderful Grandma was this: "Why hadn't I done this sooner?!"  I really don't know why I didn't ask my grandmother more questions when I was younger.  I had such an interest in family history when I was younger, but I guess I just got caught up on how to use technology to help me along.  My grandma didn't know how to use it and back then, it was a lot harder to use. But I am thankful to now know that my grandma had self- appointed herself as the family historian when she was just 13 years old!  And that's when things were a lot harder to find.  But she has done some great work and I am so glad she is still around to help me out with my own research.

Well, I took the opportunity to record our time together and boy I'm glad I did!  I sure heard a lot of great stories that were new to me and I am so excited about all the things I learned.  And my grandma was so willing to share anything she had!  I brought home copies of vital records and pictures I had never seen and two bags of books full of histories of my relatives.  I couldn't believe all the things my Grandma had!  I can't wait to find distant cousins and see everything else that is out there!

One story I found out was of my great grandparents, my Grandma Litster's parents: Earl Brown Nielsen and Wanda Stewart.  I was so very lucky to have known them both when I was little.  I was doing some research before meeting with Grandma in order to have some questions to and see what else needed to be discovered.  I found Earl Nielsen at age 21 in the 1940 census and listed as his occupation was a taxi driver for a cab company in Salt Lake City Utah.  I had no idea!

 I was so excited to talk to Grandma about it.  Well I'm glad I did because she told me the story of how her parents met.  Earl went to visit his friend nicknamed Pop who had a date that night so Pop told him to come along.  Well, the girl on the date was Wanda and when she found out that Earl was a taxi driver, she told him her address cause she knew that he would remember it. Well Earl went to visit her the next day and they were together every since.  Pop was still their loyal friend until he passed away.

It's amazing what a little research can do to help you ask the right questions!  Thanks Grandma for an amazing day and letting me share the story!

If you have any information about taxi drivers in Salt Lake in the 1940's please let me know.  Thanks for reading!

My Great Grandparents as I remember them: Earl Brown Nielsen and Wanda Anita Stewart

Indexing: A how-to guide. Making more records available!

Indexing is a chance to volunteer to a great cause and help get more records digitized and online so people can find their ancestors for free.  FamilySearch has a wonderful program that allows for just that! It doesn't take too much time to do it either!  And you can choose your difficulty level depending on your expertise and comfort level.  And you can always get a new batch if you have done all you can do or it is too difficult to read.  So here is a step by step guide on how to get started.




To download a PDF file of this guide, click here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_CPCen07NC7R2YtcTRqWG9fcEU&authuser=0


Good luck with your indexing endeavors!

Prove it! The importance of sourcing

The pros know just how important it is to source as much information as possible.  And I am sure seeing how important it is as well.  I mean, how do you know that person existed or is even part of your family if you don't have some sort of evidence to show it?

That is why I am on the journey to go through my already pretty full tree and prove all the events, facts, and stories that I can.  There are SO many resources out there that might just help you to find that proof.

There is another genealogical confession!  Most of us like being detectives and seeing what we can dig up on our ancestors.  Sources not only prove the important names and dates, but can also give us a new perspective on who our ancestors were as people.  Real people, who lived and had experiences of all kinds, just like we do.

Even a commonly used source, like the census, can provide extra insight into our relatives' lives.  For example, many census records also include the occupation of a person.  I have many ancestors who were farmers (as many people do) but there could be lots of other ones listed as well.

There are quite a few records out there that we can find to help us better understand the names we are researching.  FamilySearch has a wonderful list of sources to be looking for.  Here is a direct link to the page: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Resource_Checklist.   Also, this website has a list of where to find different sources and other resources that are useful for genealogists:  https://sites.google.com/site/freegenealogylinks/genealogy-toolbox.

So, don't just believe what people say like your third great aunt twice removed who might have heard somewhere that so-and-so person was probably born at so-and-so place.  PROVE IT!

A Beginner's Beginner's Guide

Now with the internet exploding with so much information, it is hard to sift through it all!  But technology has done amazing things in the world of genealogy.  There is so much more access to records and information available to us.

If you are just a beginner looking for guidance in where to start, I have some great resources to point you to!  Though I am still learning lots myself, I have found these sources to be excellent in assisting in my own research.  And the best part is, that many things are free!   So here is a simple list of resources I have been using and know for a fact they are great, especially for those not knowing where to begin.

Familysearch.org is a free resource with an excellent set up and tons of records available.  You can sign up for a free account and build your family tree online.  And as you do that, you can find the records that prove the information that you may already have or the stuff you are still looking for.  Try it out!

familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html  At family search, they also provide a huge list of free, online classes you can take that will help you get started or will help you develop your skills in a more advance, specific topic.  There are SO many to choose from!

extremegenes.com  This is a fun resource that is fairly recent.  It's a family history radio show with cool stories and great tips!  They even have a free app you can download to catch up on all the past shows.  It is an excellent way to get up to speed on current family history events.

lisalouisecooke.com  Speaking of shows, Lisa has some amazing podcasts that have wonderful tips, great interviews with experts, and a fun way of presenting family history!  She has a great podcast for beginners called: Family History: Genealogy Made Easy, which is fantastic.  And when you feel pretty confident, she has an excellent podcast called: Genealogy Gems.  She is so involved in the world of genealogy that you just gotta tune in!  She writes her own blog, has a YouTube channel, writes articles for Family Tree Magazine, teaches on the Family Tree University Website, and teaches at conferences all the time.  She certainly knows her stuff, so give her a listen!

Do you have other great resources you know of, especially for beginners?  What about things you wish were available out there?  Let's talk!

Can Money Grow on Trees?

Here is a confession!  We genealogists love family history as much more than just a hobby.  And if you ask me, I am getting pretty obsessed with anything related to genealogy.  I am constantly listening to podcasts, checking the popular databases for new records, and trying to figure out where to go to next.  But I sometimes find myself thinking it would be pretty great if I could make a little something along with all the spending that I want to do.

Wouldn't it be great if money grew on trees?

Well, for some, it does!  Family trees.  I just wish I knew how to get into that successful crowd who actually have the time to breathe in family history because it is their job!  Now, I know that when you work a job long enough, it isn't quite as fun when you started out.  But... I am definitely willing to take that risk!  I would much rather do that than the job I am doing.... I have some ideas but sure could use some help increasing my knowledge of all the options out there.

Maybe I am not the only one out there wanting to make some money from a hobby.  Here are some links you can look into:

http://corporate.ancestry.com/careers/

http://www.genealogyfreelancers.com/index.php?action=show&page=freelance_opportunities

There is a great discussion on this blog about this topic as well:

http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/2011/01/can-i-turn-my-love-of-genealogy-into.html

Professional Genealogist Certification:

http://bcgcertification.org/certification/index.html

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/becoming_a_professional_genealogist

http://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/20_hnkly.html


Now, if you have other ideas of how to make money from doing family history, please let me know! I would love to make this hobby some sort of income generator, if at all possible.  Even if it's not much to start out with.

Why couldn't money grow on trees?

I have a problem.... It's genealogy!

Ok, so I admit it.... I am a geneaholic!  I have caught the genealogy bug, as many people are these days.  I am hooked on research and learning all I can about new resources to help me progress in my family history.  I also admit, that I am young and definitely still a newbie.  Though I am not a professional by any means, I hope to some day become one.  I love this stuff!

I still have a long journey to go.  Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I climb my family tree!  All those geneabloggers out there have a wonderful community that I want to be a part of.  And hey, maybe I can show those 'non-genealogists' some reasons for why we are so addicted to the hunt of finding our ancestors' stories.