Kinship
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Library resources aid search
Once genealogists have collected information about ancestors from family Bibles, keepsakes and interviews, they typically take their research to the next level by looking for resources outside of the home. Their first stop is usually the South Carolina Room of the local public library. Th...
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Verbal interviews give life
Do you know your family's ancestral town? What prompted your ancestors to move from there? What attracted them to the place the family now calls home?
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Find family details generation by generation
When new genealogists begin to trace their family histories, many start by recording what they've heard about grandparents and great-grandparents. Those budding family historians often record their recollections as gospel and move on to research ancestors in the U.S. Census.
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Research reveals family history
It's a particularly good time of year to begin researching your genealogy. The holidays will soon arrive and with them more family members with information about the family's history.
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100 columns on finding family
You never know how long something new will last. The first Kinship column appeared March 13, 2007, urging readers to begin their genealogical searches by rummaging through trunks at home for items that help to reveal their family's history. But I had no idea how many more columns would follow.
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Celebrate family history in Oct.
October is National Family History Month, and many genealogists across the country will observe it by doing things to honor family histories.
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Mich. order would move archives
One of the most unsettling things a genealogist can be threatened with is the removal of records from the place where they should be kept.
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Sessions generate excitement
Nothing quite matches the excitement generated by associating with people who are as passionate about genealogical research as you are.
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Studying neighbors opens doors
Most family historians have an Aunt Zanna or two floating around their family tree.
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Microfilm becoming thing of past
The mere sight of a National Archives and Records Administration envelope in my mailbox caused euphoria to set in.
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Genealogical guides help novices, experts
Family historians who don't use genealogical guides are making a big mistake. Guides are not just for novices but for all genealogists who want to become better researchers. General guides and ones designed to deal with ethnic, gender or regional differences are all important.
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Mormons launch pilot site for digital records
Family historians who haven't hunted ancestors on http://pilot.familysearch.org probably should give the developing Web site a try.
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Jumping hurdles to Native American research
It's the rare genealogist who is not aware of at least one family historian with an elusive Native American ancestor. Many don't know the name of that ancestor or the tribe that he came from. It's a really big research problem, but not an insurmountable one.
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Reading probate packets well worth the effort
Consider this:
Genie Genealogist is rummaging through an old chest and sees papers indicating when and where her ancestor's will went through probate, the court process to establish that a will is valid. She also sees notes by another ancestor indicating the will was transcribed into a book at the courthouse. Other notes say it was abstracted and published in a book found in a public library.
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Bookstore little-used resource
It's odd that the bookstore at the S.C. Department of Archives and History would have to hold a really big book sale. After all, many of the low-cost publications the store sells can help patrons get big payoffs when consulting the historic public records the department holds.
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Wevonneda Minis writes genealogy columns and lifestyle features. She has researched family history since 1993 in the United States, Republic of Guinea, England, Scotland and the Bahamas. Ms. Minis has completed the "Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis" course, Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, Birmingham, Ala., and the "American Genealogy" course, National Genealogical Society, Arlington, Va. She has lectured at the South Carolina Genealogical Society's Annual Workshop, is director of "Roots and Branches: An African American Genealogy Project" and teaches at the Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition, Ms. Minis is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies and South Carolina Genealogical Society. She is a graduate of Regis College, Weston, Mass. and formerly reported on federal environmental policy in Washington, D.C.
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