Genealogy Resource Guides

How to Look Up Military Records About Your Ancestors

Wondering how to look up military records for an ancestor that served in a U.S. conflict? These important records can contain unique insights into your family’s life, and even fill in the gaps when you are missing information in your tree. This quick guide will help you make sense of locating these one-of-a-kind collections online.

Adopted Ancestor? Here’s How to Find Their Biological Family

Some time ago a friend who had been adopted as an infant asked for my help in finding their birth parents. After a good bit of sleuthing, I identified and politely messaged a person who, according to DNA results, was most likely a very close relative.

Having Trouble Researching Your Female Ancestors? Here’s Some Help

By Alice Plouchard Stelzer The dictionary tells us that being invisible is being inconspicuous, unobtrusive, and unnoticeable. From a researcher’s point of view, tracing the life movements of invisible women creates many challenges. In the Preface to Notable American Women, editors Janet and Edward James said, “Biographies of women, especially little-known ones, pose special problems …

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Why Weren’t Your Ancestors Smiling in Those Old Photos? The Reason Revealed

Thank you to the family history research site Crestleaf for sharing this fun take on why people didn’t smile in old photographs. Ever wonder why your ancestors aren’t grinning from ear to ear in those faded black and white family portraits? Though there are many speculations and theories as to why people donned such serious …

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