Family history clues can be anywhere. An old recipe card may note “these were always served by cousin Mary McGuire” or “Aunt Susie made this every Thanksgiving.” So where do you go from there?
1. Start at the beginning. I was told that Bertha Christine Molzen Deschner, born 1880, wrote the recipe on this page. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled a Kansas connection.
Three city directories in the 1870s show your ancestor was a brakeman. How can you learn more?
1. Compile a list of the years that city directories were published for the location. You’ll find catalogs with this information in major libraries and at historical societies.
2.
What do you do when you get your hands on an old letter like this one found hiding in the wall?
1. Check the Address
Armed with the address on the letter, look for Griffins in city directories. George A. Griffin is listed all the way back to 1871. According to the 1880 census, he had a wife named Maizy and several children.
2.
Julia Morgan was married in 1876 in Greene County, Arkansas, leaving her maiden name, Craven, behind. Now it’s time to find her parents, but where to start? With clues on Julia’s marriage license.
Step 1
Julia was 18 in 1876 (A). She should be with her parents on the 1870 census and her husband in 1880.
How can one daughter’s birth certificate send you in so many directions? See for yourself.
1. More Kids
“Triplet” and “or other” are crossed out, but “Twin” isn’t. An Arizona birth index check http://genealogy.az.gov shows Charles Emmett Edwards born the same date to the same parents.
2. Where They Hung Their Hat
Elizabeth was born in 1915, but where were her parents in 1910?
What do you do when you find this image of a tombstone among Uncle John’s papers—but you’ve never heard of Sarah or anyone named Herendeen? You have one clue: the writing on the back of the photo stating Oak Grove Cemetery, Sullivan, Moultrie County, Illinois. So now what?
Step 1: Census Enumerations
Sarah died in 1907, so step one is to search for her in the 1900 U.S.
Five steps to wander based on the direction of a single census record.
You found your ancestor in the 1910 census—now what do you do?
1. Ancestor—William White: Check the 1900, 1920, and 1930 censuses based on the 1910 information. Check a few census pages before and after William in each of these censuses for other family surnames.
2.