The Year Ahead – October 17

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 17 – Start a family health history tree using the free My Family Health Portrait software https://cbiit.github.io/FHH/html/index.html

I was never that interested in a family health history, until my intellectually challenged sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They checked her blood work to see if this was inherited and part of the process was answering a series of questions that asked about close relatives and causes of death. This is when I realized, how much I didn’t know about the causes of death from my close relatives.

The Surgeon General's My Family Health Portrait tool does NOT allow the government or other entities to access your information. The tool provides the software for organizing your information, but your information is not transmitted back to government or other servers and can only be downloaded by you. Your information is never available to anyone else, unless you choose to share it. The Surgeon General's tool does not provide medical advice. For questions related to family health history and your health, talk to your doctor.

 Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – October 16

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 16 – Design a family photo calendar using Lulu www.lulu.com or Shutterfly www.shutterfly.com

I always like this idea, but what photo’s do you want to include? Family history photos you have or have found while researching. Perhaps an interesting document. Don’t forget to include some ancestor’s birthdates or anniversaries on this calendar. Perhaps this could become a Christmas gift as a way to share your family history with your family. Feeling pressured to get it done for this year? Then design one for 2026. Just set-up some due dates so you can get it done in time for next year. Perhaps decide on what you want for each month, what dates you might want highlighted in your calendar. Just let your imagination go wild.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 15

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 15– Catch up on your favorite genealogy podcasts – including the Family Tree Magazine podcast, due for a new episode today.

I don’t know why I haven’t listened to any podcasts? I could have been using my iPad for listening to podcasts. I already use it to read blog posts. Doing a Google Search, I found many of ways to listening to podcasts. Since my iPad is an Apple device, I will start by using this app.

My challenge to myself and you (if you so decide to partake). Start listening to podcasts. You can listen while you are driving, or in my case, while I am reaching.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 14

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 14 – Find resources for Indigenous Peoples’ Day by visiting https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360

My half-siblings descend from the Menominee Indians of Wisconsin. I find researching this branch of their family very interesting. I have found some books about their relatives that was written by one of their distant relatives. Their 4th great-grandfather was Vieux Caron, Menominee leader, who died ca. 1780.

• The Menominee are a federally recognized Native American tribe whose history dates back 10,000 years.
• The Menominee refer to themselves as Mamaceqtaw, which means "the people". The name Menominee comes from the Algonkian word manomin, which means "wild rice".
• The Menominee Indian Reservation is in Wisconsin, and includes parts of central and mid-eastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
• The Menominee once occupied 10 million acres of land, but treaties with the U.S. government reduced their land base to 235,000 acres today.
• The Menominee economy is dominated by lumber sales, which account for about half of the reservation's economic activity. The tribe also has a casino, hotel, and logging camp museum. 
• The Menominee are known for tapping maple trees for syrup each spring, and some still gather medicinal plants.
• The Menominee are the only present-day tribe in Wisconsin whose origin story indicates they have always lived in the state.
• The Menominee are also known as Anishinaabe, Chippewa, Ojibway, and Ojibwe.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 13

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 13 – On this International Day for Disaster Reduction, research how disasters such as fires and floods affected your ancestors’ using newspapers, coroner’s records and history books.

This makes me think of the latest Hurricane that swept through the South and left much destruction in its path. If it isn’t affecting us personally, what are you seeing on TV. Imagine if this was 100 years ago, how well do you think your ancestors would have handled it.

I can’t imagine what these survivors are going through. My prayers and thoughts are with them.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 12

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 12 – Farmers in your family tree? Learn how to trace them www.cyndislist.com/farming.

I have many Farmers in my family tree. At least prior to 1900, there were almost all Farmers. They may have had another trade, but they also farmed.

Cyndi’s List led me to the BLM – The Bureau of Land Management; Patents. I tried see if my 3^rd great grandfather, Thomas Goodwin was listed. Doc 25214 was found and it appears Thomas was granted 80 acres because of his Military Service.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 11

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 11 – Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, starts at sunset today. Access Yizkor books, cemetery information, and more at Jewish Gen.

I don’t have Jewish ancestry; however, I do have a few Jewish friends, not all practicing Jewish, just like I consider myself Catholic just not a devote Catholic, I don’t go to church. However, I like to learn about other religions. Or is Jewish an ethnicity? Anyway, expand your horizons, because you never know if you might come across a Jewish relative.  

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 10

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 10 – Visit Pinterest www.pinterest.com  for inspiration on genealogy crafts and projects.

I did this many years ago, I still get email notifications from Pinterest on genealogy crafts and projects. My problem, I just don’t get Pinterest. To me it seems to be a serious of links from this page to that page to the next page. I never seem to find step by step instructions or even an outline of the craft or project. I must admit, that I also didn’t spend much time on this site. However, don’t take my limited skills or interest to determine you checking it out. I did see some interesting items, that I ended up googling to find out more information about the item.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 9

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 9 – Frame an old record about some’s ancestor, then give it to them. The gift might pique their interest.

I like doing this for my half-siblings. I have given them Christmas gifts that pertain to their Father’s Ancestry, my mother’s first husband. It’s nice when my nieces and nephews know about these items. When my eldest brother died a couple of years ago, my only desire was that these items were kept in the family. My niece, his daughter said to me “Of course, and she took the items home”.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 8

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 8 – Those of Polish, Slovak and other Eastern European descent celebrate National Pierogi Day today. Find and try a pierogi recipe.

My husband’s family is of Polish descent, in fact his grandfather was the immigrant ancestor who came here from Poland. I remember the first pierogi I ever had was when attending his sister’s wedding. It was in Chicago, and the entire 7 course meal was Polish cuisine. Having been raised on a lot of German/Irish cuisine, I saw many similarities. This was by far, the best meal I ever ate in my entire life.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 7

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 7 – Check for Family history month events (or even monthly genealogy society meetings) held in your area.

If you type genealogy followed by your county name such as: genealogy Sheboygan County, you will get a list of links.

This list consisted of how to do genealogy research at the county court house, Family Search’s Sheboygan County, Wisconsin Genealogy wiki page, RootsWeb Sheboygan County Page which hasn’t been updated since 2019, Wisconsin State Genealogical Society County page with links, Genealogy Trails page for Sheboygan County, plus more.

I did not find any Genealogical Societies in Sheboygan County; however, I did find many Historical Societies.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 6

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 6 – Sign up for a free trial at a subscription genealogy site you’ve been meaning to try.

Make sure to check out how to cancel your free trial before signing up for any site. Do you have to call to cancel? Try calling the number before you sign up and see how long the wait time is. Does the number even work?  Make sure to cancel your free trial before the end of the subscription period. If you do sign up for a subscription, don’t leave it on automatic renewal. For example; Ancestry will allow you to cancel your subscription, however the verbiage will make it seem you will be cancelled immediately. However, you will have your subscription for the entire time you signed up for.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 5

 In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 5 – Interest a youngster in family history with old phots and a family tree chart. Tell a story about an ancestor’s life or your own.

Many years ago, I got my nephew, who is the same age as my youngest daughter interested in Genealogy. I got him interested into DNA and he took the test, got my brother to test and his sister to test too. He might have gotten his mother to test, but I would not know, because we are not a DNA match. Anyway, he has broken through some of my brickwalls with his wonderful analytical mind.  Now that he has obtained his law degree, I am hoping he can still find time to do research.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 4

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 4 – In full swing since mid-September, Oktoberfest season is a chance to don your lederhosen and celebrate your German Roots.

I always thought I had more German Roots than I actually had, thanks to finding out my mother was born out of wedlock and the man that raised her wasn’t her biological father. However, my father’s paternal grandmother was German. Also, I love Germany, after visiting the country when I was in high school.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 3

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 3 – Check for any free upcoming online courses or webinars offered by your local genealogical society or library.

I belong to two genealogy societies, one local and one from my previous home. Both offer free monthly programs. These programs are not courses, but short subjects of interest. However, I do see State Societies that offer free online webinars. Most are free to view live, but to view them later, you may need to become a member.

If you don’t already know, Legacy Family Tree offers free webinars. They are free to view live and up to one week after their airdate. They offer a membership if you want access to their library of videos. Check them out.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – October 2

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 2 – In honor of Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, get strategies for Italian roots research at www.familytreemagazine.com/podcasts/strategizing-your-italian-genealogy.

I think when our research takes us to a new country and a foreign language, that doing a little research on strategies is most helpful. So if you don’t have Italian roots, like me, pick another ethnicity and research strategies for finding records for that homeland.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – October 1

In the January/February 2024 issue of Family Tree Magazine, they have introduced The Year Ahead, 366 genealogy tips will make 2024 your best research year yet by Lisa A Alzo. Lisa mapped out a day-by-day research plan.

October 1 – Kick off Family History Month with a playlist of inspiring tunes, such as Neil Diamond’s “America,” “Lady Liberty” by Orleans, and Sister’s Sledge’s “We Are Family.”

While all those are inspiring, I like to watch genealogy webinars or videos. I love learning new applications or processes. What is inspiring for you?

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!