Author: Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

Family history stories, Genealogy fun, Research helps

Summer travel

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

I’m feeling the onset of summer! YES!! I’m ready for a break from the class I teach in the mornings to high school students and even more so for the opportunity to hang out with my kids and grandkids! Summer time is fun time!

We don’t have any great trips planned but I’m sure hoping you do. Are you going to a place where your family once lived? If so, don’t miss the opportunity to visit family sites or do some research while you’re there.

Check out these videos, one about planning a heritage trip and one about the realities sometimes! 🤣 Enjoy!

Family history stories, Genealogy News, Writing family histories, Writing your history

Artificial Intelligence & Family History

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

It’s sweeping the nation and garnishing lots of news! How can you use A. I. to make your family history better? I used Storied’s story writing platform which uses A. I. to generate stories and it was pretty fun! I’m not a good storywriter and this really helped me.

Check out this video about the process and the platform called Storied. They also have a cool way to share those stories with your family. Worth a look.

DNA

DNA Day this Month

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

U.S. National DNA Day was April 25th. Have you caught the bug to do a DNA test? Boy, those tests are selling like hotcakes! Whether you’re trying to find birth parents, other ancestors, or determine your ethnicity, DNA tests can assist you tremendously.

What test should you take? If you are trying to find matches to find parents or other relations, I would suggest Ancestry.com. They have the largest database and the more folks in it, the better your chances to have matches that assist you in your objectives. If you are of Jewish heritage, I would recommend MyHeritage.com. They are based in Israel and will identify if your heritage is Ashkenazim (German or central European) or Sephardim (Spanish, Portuguese or North African base).

If you are not sure how to take a DNA test click here. If you’ve taken a test and want to know what those results mean on Ancestry.com click here.

If you are interested in taking a Y-DNA or mtDNA test go to FamilyTreeDNA.com. If you don’t know what a Y-DNA test or mtDNA test is, check out this video:

Until next time…

Research helps

1700s & early 1800s Genealogy Research

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

It’s tough… it is. You’re not alone if you’re frustrated. When you are trying to find the parents or the origins of someone in 1830 or 1780, you need to approach your research differently than you do after 1850. Since the U.S. Census only started recording the names of all members of the household in 1850, researching prior to that is difficult for many. This type of research makes up the bulk of my client projects. You’ll find some videos below that will make a HUGE difference. You can do it!

Learn my initial steps when approaching a project pre-1850.

In my experience, deeds are probably the MOST overlooked record set.

Probate records involve more than just wills, what can they provide for you?

And finally newspapers. Often a newspaper will be the only death record you can find.

Genealogy basics, Research helps

It’s All About Census Records

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

Census records are GOLD in genealogy research! Not only do they put someone in a particular place and time, they provide ages, places of birth AND best of all, the names of other family relations! But their value doesn’t stop there. They can tell you if your ancestor owned property, owned a radio, served in the military, and the list goes on and on!

It’s a good practice to find your ancestor in all applicable census records, but sometimes, they are elusive. At Rootstech I visited with Mike Mansfield of MyHeritage. His vast experience in record collections, and the issues the companies have in indexing them, provided a lot of valuable tips for searching for your ancestors in census records.

(Click image to watch)

If you haven’t yet, you need to search for your family in the 1950 U.S. Census! The records were indexed in record time by the big genealogy companies, but if you’re still having trouble, check out this video for help.

Finally, if you want to know what questions were asked in the various U.S. Censuses, this may help.

Until next time… happy census hunting!

Aimee

Family history stories, Genealogy basics, Genealogy News, Research helps, Writing family histories, Writing your history

Latest videos

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

While this would be hard to pull of for the holidays – these books make great gifts for your family! Share all the things you’ve learned about your ancestors.

FamilySearch made some great changes that I think you’ll like – check them out!

Or if you’re into Ancestry.com – check out some of my time saving tricks!

#familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #familyhistorybooks #genealogybooks #familysearch

Genealogy basics, Genealogy News, Research helps, Writing family histories

Updates

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

I’m looking forward to speaking remotely to the Kentucky Genealogy Society about gathering family stories and pictures. If you would like to watch this free presentation, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6006934812051695887.

On another note, my YouTube Channel “Aimee Cross – Genealogy Hints” just gained over 4000 subscribers! Thanks for your support!

DNA, Genealogy basics, Research helps

DNA helps

Ancestry Consulting by Aimee

Are you interested in taking a DNA test? Have you done so but looking for more information? My latest video discusses the various DNA test options one has for genealogy research and details Y-DNA tests. Or visit my DNA playlist for other videos that may help (Click HERE).