The Year Ahead – December 31

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.

December 31– Think how far your family history research has come this year. What did you accomplish? How can you improve next year? Write down your research resolutions.

I first want to acknowledge that I managed to maintain this daily posting this past year. At times it was difficult when life throws you curve balls. Thus, I feel like this is great accomplishment.

Anyway, my major goal to publish a book on one of my 3^rd great grandparents hasn’t been accomplished yet, but I hope to have it done before summer, so that I can pick another ancestor to research. I did do a book for a cousin of my late sister-in-law. It was a wonderful project to learn some of the basics of my book generating software package.

Since I am writing this before Christmas, I am hoping to receive a gift that will aid in my slides project which is to scan the numerous slides I inherited from my father. My previous scanner required me to load a slide plate with three slides and then I could scan those three. The new scanner will let me just feed each slide into the scanner and it will save the slide. Therefore, take the slide out of the carousel, place it into the scanner and then back into the carousel.  I am hoping this process will be faster than the older one, especially since my fingers are not as nimble as they use to be. Plus, the scanner has a 7 inch viewing screen. Thus, I might have to order this for myself if I don’t receive it as a gift.

I also plan to work more on my DNA matches, now that I purchased Ancestry Pro Tools, I find that I am able to figure out more relationships for my matches. This aids in my book projects that I want to do, since, I want to figure out all the descendants of my immigrant ancestors.

I still have lots of paper and computer files to sort (as mentioned yesterday). I want to see which papers need to be inputted into my tree, those that need to be scan and if I can purge any of these items. I basically am trying to organize my files for the next generation, after I am gone. I don’t want them tossing papers because it is easier than figuring out what it is. I think I need to dedicate at least one day a week this upcoming year, otherwise, it will never get done!

As for my blogging, I plan to still do some. I participate in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks an Amy Johnson Crow project.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 30

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.

December 30 – Out with the old, in with the new: Sort papers into Keep, Toss and Undecided piles. File the keepers, then delete duplicate computer files and unwanted messages.

This is a huge project for me. In fact, I will be giving this a bigger priority in the new year. I need to set aside one day a week in the coming year. It’s not a fun project, but a necessary project. It will give me a chance to revisit parts of my tree that I haven’t worked on in many years.

Don't forget those computer files. When I didn't have paid subscriptions, I use to access those websites during free weekends and saved files into "Working" folders on my computer. I also did scanning projects and placed them into the "Working" folder. I need to move them into one "Working" folder with subfolders for family branches.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 29

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.

December 29 – Texas became the 28^th state today in 1845. Don’t be afraid to mess with Texas research using the records of the Texas General Land office www.glo.texas.gov and state library www.tsl.texas.gov.

I have found various collateral lines that have lived in Texas and thus this will be a great resource to check out.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 28

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.

December 28 – Have a scrapbooking party: Warm up holiday leftovers and invite some friends to spend the day preserving precious memories.

This is a great idea; however, I think I will make some memory books via Shutterfly. I have some photos that I need to compile into some vacation memory books. A couple of years ago, I took a trip to Alaska and I never got around to creating a book because my computer died. I did get a new computer, but then I had issues and had to send in the computer for repairs, not just once but twice. It sort of took my enthusiasm with it. But now I am ready to create these books.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 27

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.

December 27 – Before hitting the post-holiday road home, snap some pictures of your childhood neighborhood.

Christmas isn’t at my childhood home anymore. That home was sold in 1990 and both of my parents have passed away. My current home isn’t even my children’s childhood home. In fact, my children lived in two different homes, one in our current state and the other about 2000 miles away.

My childhood home

I do drive by my childhood home but things have changed so much. The same people no longer live in my childhood neighborhood and the color of the house has changed (for the better). Back to the color when we first moved there.

My former Wisconsin home

In my former Wisconsin home, my porch use to wrap around the house to the back deck. The current home owners added this large family room on the side, along with basement space. Someone also added some kind of wood burner, evident by the smokestack on the front of the house. 

My former Arizona home

We lived for 20 years in Arizona and the only home my youngest daughter really remembers. When my husband retired, we decided to move back to Wisconsin to be near family. Our home had a wonderful pool and hot tub, two things I do miss.

My current Wisconsin Home

We have lived here for only four years, however we have made many changes to make it our own.  So this will be where we will be celebrating Christmas hopefully for many years.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 26

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.

December 26 – Kwanzaa starts today. Find out the story behind its traditions at nmaahc.si.edu/kwanzaa.

Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. I am always amazed that as a child I never heard of Kwanzaa. However, I am always interested in other people’s traditions and will definitely check out this page.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 25

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.

December 25 – It’s a double holiday today – Christmas and the start of Hanukkah. Visit family members in person, virtually, or by phone.

Christmas Day in my house is our recovering day. When my children were little, we would play games. Now that they are adults, sometimes one or more of children will spend the day and we watch corny Christmas Movies, play games and eat leftovers.

My advice: Checkout the movie "Mixed Nuts" you won't be disappointed. 

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 24

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.

December 24– Record a Christmas Eve or other family tradition in your blog or journal.

Back in 1992, my local newspaper ask people to submit their favorite Christmas story, my submission was published in the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) on Wednesday, December 23, 1992 on page 13 as follows:

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 23

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.

December 23 – Compare the five major historical newspaper websites www.familytreemagazine.com/records/newspapers/historical-newspaper-websites-compared

The five major sites listed in this article are: Fulton History, Genealogy Bank, Newspapers.com, NewspapersArchive, and Chronicling America. This is a premium article, thus you might not be able to view it.  

I mostly use Newspapers.com since I have a subscription. I do believe Fulton History and Chronicling America are free sites. I have tried Genealogy Bank; however, I find Newspapers.com has more newspapers for the areas of my research. Always check out their holdings before subscribing to any website. 

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 22

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.

December 22 – Write in your research journal about the most extreme thing you’ve done while researching your roots. (Took a pillow to the library to nap in a carrel? Walked a cemetery in a blizzard?)

The only extreme thing I can remember is trying to get to a cemetery and finding a grave I was looking for before the storm I saw in the distance arrived. I did manage to beat the storm, but I had to drive home in a horrible rain storm.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 21

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.

December 21 – Search online telephone directories such as www.whitepages.com for the surnames and places you’re researching – you might come up with a cousin.

When you do this, it will list relatives. Keep in mind, you won’t know their exact relationship, for example, my Brother-in-Law shows up on my name search. It also listed an address in a state I have never lived.

I like using tax records to see if a person still lives in the area that they say. For example, it gives my current address and my former addresses, and thus I can look up the tax records to see if someone is still at the address. Perhaps you want to reach out to them and send them a letter. The phone numbers they listed for me are no longer in service, thus I wouldn’t recommend calling someone out of the blue.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 20

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.

December 20 – Select a few unidentified pictures and make copies to share with relatives at holiday gatherings.

You may want to bring some of the pictures that you have identified and see if your relatives come up with the same person. I was once given a family portrait from the late 1800’s/early 1900’s and was told it was my 3^rd great grandfather, his wife and children. However, I could not match up the individuals in my tree to the people in the picture. Later I found out from a distant cousin, that it was actually her 3^rd great grandparents, the sister and brother-in-law of my 3^rd great grandfather. Plus the individuals in the picture fit what I knew about them in my tree.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 19

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.

December 19 – Update the list of surnames you’re researching and tuck it into your binder.

I like my list to include my direct line surnames. I used to have this information on the backside of my business card, but now I like using my Notes app on my phone to record this information. 

I usually always have my phone with me, but I might not have my research binder with me. I have run into people who have questions when I am out and about. 

However, the printed list is great when visiting courthouses, because some of them, won't allow your phone into the records room. They don't want you taking snapshots of certificates. Does your genealogy software package allow you to print such a custom report?

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 18

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.

December 18 – Visit Evidence Explained www.evidenceexplained.com to get the latest tips on source citations.

Even though I might not do my source citations exactly properly in my own research. I do look to see what information I should be capturing in my sources. This comes in handy when I need to share my research with others, and I need proper source citations.

My advice: If you haven’t done any source citations, start today. Be consistent and double check to see if you can find that source again with the information in your source citations. 

When I first started, I didn’t record where I found stuff and it cost me lots of research time, because I had to go back and see where that information came from. This is very important when  you find conflicting information, because you need to evaluate the sources that your information came from and decide which source is more reliable.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 17 – Learn more about professional genealogy through its two major credentialing bodies: www.icapgen.org and www.bcgcertification.org

Even though I do not have any formal credentials, I have an upmost respect for those who go through the process. These people have demonstrated their competence in research, analysis, kinship determination and reporting skills. Each organization has its own exact requirements, but the skills do overlap. Even if you don’t plan on getting your credentials (like me), you can learn many skills that can help you in your research goals. Plus, you may feel more comfortable if you ever want to hire a professional.

My advice: Check out the book "Professional Genealogy - Preparation, Practice and Standards" by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 16 – Study a new-to-you US state using our research guides store.familytreemagazine.com/genealogy-research-state-guides or the FamilySearch Wiki

I subscribe to Family Tree Magazine and each issue comes with a state. Check out your local library and see if they have past issues that you could reference.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 15 – Get to know your Jewish ancestors with the resources at Avotaynu www.avotaynu.com.

When I visited this website, there is a notice that the editors and production team have retired after 37 years. Thus, don’t be surprise if you can access all the parts of this website.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 14 – Read regional histories to learn about mass migrations that may have affected your ancestors.

The regional histories could be for the destination as much as the previous home location. For example, I have many Wisconsin relatives who went to Nebraska. I did a google search and found out that the Homestead Act of 1862, which offered free land in the western territories, was attracting farmers seeking more land to cultivate. Especially since land in Wisconsin because increasingly occupied and expensive. Nebraska’s flat plains and rich soil were ideal for large scale farming, especially grain production, which aligned well with the agricultural practices of many Wisconsin farmers.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 13 – Take a virtual tool of an ancestral hometown with GoogleEarth earth.google.com.

I like using GoogleEarth on cemeteries. You can get a nice view of a cemetery. I can use it as a map as I am looking at the cemetery. I could also use it to mark the gravesites of my relatives.  

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 12 – Pick five online record collections you haven’t searched in a while. Try a new technique or search for different name variations.

I still find myself having to think outside of the box and try different methods for searching record collections. My motto, less is more. So start out with less information and if the results are too many, then slowly add a new piece of information to search and repeat until you have a manageable list of results.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 11 – Consider how you ancestors were affected by the Civil War. Letters from the era can help.

I requested two of my ancestor’s Civil War Pension files and found out a little of their personal lives. One was for my 3^rd great grandfather and the other for his father-in-law. I found out that my 3^rd great grandfather became ill during the war and returned home to recuperate. He ends up have lasting effects and most likely PTSD because he and his wife separated. I haven’t found any formal divorce but since his wife remarried during his lifetime, I sure hope they were divorced.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy! 

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 10 – Delve into the 300,00 links on Cyndi’s List www.cyndislist.com. View the categories that cover your research interests.

This website is a great place to start when you are at your ropes end and don’t know where to turn to next. Perhaps, some of the websites are you acquainted with, but many will probably be new avenues for you to check out. So visit Cyndi’s List and make sure to save it on your bookmarks so that it will display on your main browser screen.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 9 – Debunk heraldry myths – and see if you really have a “family crest” – at www.familytreemagazine.com/heraldry/coat-of-arms-history-resources.

When I used to volunteer for a Genealogy Library, I remember one patron who came into the library saying how his family has a coat of arms that he purchased it from a store. I tried explaining how Coat of Arms really work, but he was having nothing of it.

Thus, if your ancestor had a coat of arms, and you are the proper heir to those arms, congratulations. As for the rest of us, if we are lucky, we might find a coat of arms for a person who shares a surname with us.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 8 – Find censuses and census substitutes (such as tax lists) for Colonial ancestors by running a keyword search of the FamilySearch Catalog www.familysearch.org/search/catalog.

Using the catalog can open up many databases that you might not have thought about. Especially the databases that haven’t been indexed yet. If the images are available, you might have to scroll through the images, similar to using a micro-film reader to find the record you want. Don’t let a little extra work, keep you from finding the elusive record or relative.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 7 – Remember the attack on Pearl Harbor today by watching Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous speech at www.ushistory.org/documents/infamy.htm.

The number of World War II veterans are rapidly dwindling with only about 119,000 as of late 2023. However, I am sure many of their descendants are still living. It’s up to us to remember their sacrifices.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 6 – Looking for last-minute deductions off your 2024 taxes? Consider a charitable donation to your favorite genealogical library, society or archive.

Since I am the one that does the taxes, I can report that sadly, itemizing deductions has become something I no longer do because of the raise in the standard deduction. I don’t let that stop me from still giving. Many of these organizations can not survive on memberships alone and rely heavily on donations. If you just don’t have the funds this year, please plan for next year. Throw your loose change in a jar, I still use cash and have plenty of loose change. Then at the end of the year; donate that amount. Or how about just taking a dollar or more a week and set it aside. Just give up one weekly latte that you buy from the local coffee shop and save that for a year end donation. Are there any material items you could donate that they need? A small sacrifice can mean a lot to one of these organizations.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 5 – Plan your family’s holiday letter. Add some old photographs for a hint of nostalgia.

I personally don’t do a family holiday letter. It reminds me of an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” where Penny and Leonard were trying to come up with stuff that happened in the past year. They were failing miserably. I feel as if that would be me. I do enjoy reading the one or two I get.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 4 – Find historical maps of your ancestor’s hometowns using Map History www.maphistory.info and the David Rumsey Map collection www.davidrumsey.com

The first link looks like it is a jumping point to other websites, however, the second link I found a plat map from 1890 for Fountain Prairie Township, Columbia County, Wisconsin and I found many relatives listed on this plat map.

When I looked for Doylestown, Columbia County, Wisconsin I saw a cemetery on the map that wasn’t the church cemetery that I know many of my relatives are buried in. I remember a small cemetery in the town with a few people buried in it, and wonder if this is the cemetery that is on this old map.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 3 – Illinois became the 21^st state on this day in 1818. Search probate, military, vital and land records at the state archives www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/databases/home.html

This archive seems to have a lot of information. I decided to see if I could find marriage records for the surname of Filipiak, since I know my husband’s family came from Illinois. The search is only for an index, where it gives the groom and brides name, date, license number and county. I would have to do more research to see if the information is for his family. This could help open doors with names that I might not otherwise find.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 2 – Examine your data for missing source citations, then look up the sources and fill in all the blanks.

This is great advice. In my earlier days of research, I didn’t do source citations. I didn’t understand them. After reading up on subject and seeing how others were using source citations via blogs and YouTube Videos, I started creating source citations around 2000. If I was working on someone who had facts without sources, I would look for evidence to create a source citation. However, all new information had to have a source citation, or I wasn’t going to enter the information. I even created a citation called “Speculation”. This was used when I derived information and I wasn’t quite sure if this really was totally accurate. This is only supposed to be a short-lived citation, until I found something to support or disprove this speculation.

Currently I have two facts with this source citation. One is for a death of an individual of 1816 based on many Ancestry trees; however, I haven’t found anything to support it. Another was a marriage fact based on the birth of their first child. Thus, I see I should investigate these items first.

It's easy to create an Undocumented Facts report in Family Tree Maker. Go to Publish / Source Reports / Undocumented Facts. However, I noticed that I didn’t always put a source citation for their Name or their sex. I could not even exclude those fields from the report, and I ended up with 1307 pages. YIKES! When I quickly scroll through the report, I do see some other facts such as birth dates and marriages dates without source citations. I might need to put that on a to-do list for the new year. I know this is something I could easily do with my laptop while watching TV at night. Thus I created a Task in FTM and made it high priority with a due date of 12/31/2025.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!

The Year Ahead – December 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.

December 1 – Roman Catholics celebrate All Saints Day today. Use the FamilySearch Wiki https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Latin_Genealogical_Word_List to learn some Latin.

Many church documents for the Roman Catholics are written in Latin, especially the column headings. Bookmark the page, in case you need to refer to it again.

Remember to have fun and Just do Genealogy!