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Guides, tutorials, and deep dives into genealogy research, DNA testing, and family history.
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Research Skills
87 Genealogists Reveal What They Wish They Knew Before Starting
Look, I get it. You just discovered your great-great-grandmother's maiden name and you're ready to trace your lineage back to...
Genealogy Life
The Ghost in Your DNA: Why You Feel Connected to Ancestors You’ve Never Met
It's 2 AM. Again. You're hunched over your laptop, squinting at a baptism record from 1847. Your eyes are wet....
Research Skills
8 Census Records That Hide Extra Information in Plain Sight
Let me show you something most newbies completely miss. Right there, in plain sight, in some census records, there's hidden...
Latest Posts
Genealogy Life
The Genealogist’s Guide to Small Talk: How to Turn Any Conversation Into a Discussion About Dead Relatives
With the holiday season approaching, you're about to be trapped in countless family gatherings, office parties, and neighborhood potlucks. Prime...
Genealogy Life
The Silent Crisis in Family History: Why We Must Act Now to Preserve Our Stories
A friend of mine found his grandmother's photo album three days after her funeral. Too late. The faces stared back...
Tools & Resources
7 Game-Changing MyHeritage Photo Tools You Need to Try
Ever stared at an old family photo and wished you could see it more clearly? Or wondered what your great-grandmother's...
Genealogy Life
From Potatoes to “Love at First Sip” Cocktails: What My Irish Ancestors Would Hate About Modern Weddings
Look, I'm a genealogy nerd. There, I said it. While everyone else was crying during my sister's wedding vows yesterday,...
Genealogy Life
Dear Great-Great-Grandpa: A Letter to My Ancestors Explaining Modern Life in Their Old House
I was up late last night, diving deep into old property records. You know how it goes. One record leads...
Genealogy Life
Your Irish Ancestor Was Not a Lucky Charms Leprechaun: The Most Hilarious Family Tree Photo Fails
Let me tell you about the night I lost it. 3 AM. Coffee number four. I'm deep in a genealogy...
Tools & Resources
How to Use Free Library of Congress Images to Enrich Your Family History
Here's the brutal truth about family history: Your meticulously researched genealogy documents are collecting digital dust on your hard drive....
Genealogy Life
The Five People You Meet in Every Genealogy Facebook Group
Look. If you've spent more than 15 minutes in any genealogy Facebook group, you know exactly what I'm talking about....
Research Skills
Documenting the Dead: How Death Records Can Bring Your Family History to Life
Editor's Note: This article is based on Rebecca Whitman Koford's excellent RootsTech 2021 presentation series "The Dead and the Dying."...
Research Skills
8 Census Records That Hide Extra Information in Plain Sight
Let me show you something most newbies completely miss. Right there, in plain sight, in some census records, there's hidden...
Genealogy Life
The Accidental Historian: How Genealogy Made Me Care About World Events
Most of us started our genealogy journey with a simple question. Maybe it was about that great-grandfather nobody talked about....
Tools & Resources
The Five People You Meet at Every Genealogy Conference (And How to Become Friends with All of Them)
Look, we need to talk about something. If you've been to even one genealogy conference, you already know exactly who...