Getting Started

Hiring A Professional Genealogist

I wanted to take a moment to recommend a great online article by Sue Morgan titled, “Hiring a Professional Genealogist.” The purpose of Genealogy Beginner is to help you get started with your genealogy search so you don’t have to hire someone. However, there will come a time when you need a helping hand. If you find this in a great librarian or good friend, fantastic. However, if you find yourself thinking it is time to call in the professionals you need to make sure you understand what is involved.

 

In her article, Ms. Morgan outlines:

• What you can expect to receive for your money
• How long a search takes
• How much it will cost
• What the researcher will need to know when beginning work

You can read the full article by clicking here.

If you have used the services of a professional genealogist before, go ahead and leave us a comment below to offer some of your own advise.

 

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Or Learn About How You Can Make Your Own Family Tree

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Voter Registration List Reveals Celebrity Genealogy

PROVO, Utah, Jan 31, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Ancestry.com, the largest online resource for family history, today announced the launch of California Voter Registration Lists documenting more than 30 million names of Californians who registered to vote between 1900 and 1944. Several California celebrities and political figures are found inside the collection, including: Actor and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan was registered to vote in 1942 as a Democrat and remained a registered party member until atleast 1954.  According to Reagan’s 1958 voter registration, he and wife Nancy Reagan changed their party affiliation to Republican.

• Lucille Ball is found in the collection registered as a Communist in 1936 and 1938, and was later asked to testify before Congress during McCarthy’s Communist witch hunts.
• According to the 1944 records, Ozzy and Harriett Nelson are both registered as Republicans. Harriett was employed as an “actress,” and Ozzy as an “orchestra leader.”
• In a 1924 voter registration list, Walt Disney is found alongside brothers Robert and Roy. Walt and Robert were registered as Republicans, while Roy chose to “decline statement.” In 1940, Walt’s wife Lillian changed her party affiliation to Democrat, while Walt remained Republican.

“These records give evidence of a changing and growing America,” said Smolenyak. “Every American with California roots can appreciate this collection and what it tells them about how their own family evolved over the years.”

 

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Genealogy Photo Archive

DeadFred.com is a great site with a great name!  When I last visited they were boasting over 14,000 surnames indexed and organized with photos for each. The idea is that you search by surname and find photos along with those who submitted them to link up and add to the richness of everyone’s family tree. As they put it, Trace your roots for free with our searchable database containing thousands of identified and mystery photos for genealogy enthusiasts looking for long-lost family.

 

Anyone who finds a photo of a direct ancestor that is owned by the archive will receive the photo for free.

 

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Online Genealogy Classes

Just came across this. You can read more about these classes or visit GenClass directly.GenClass.com offers online, short-term, fact-packed courses in a multitude of relevant subjects. You might want to add one or more of these classes to your holiday wish list! Most of the founding instructors previously taught these successful online classes at MyFamily.com, and new staffers have since joined. The group now represents instructors living in the US, Canada, England, Scotland and Israel. Classes for January, February and March 2008 are now open for registration, and include Jewish Basic Research and Jewish Internet Research. Micha Reisel and I team-teach those two classes.

In addition, new instructor Alexandra Goldberg will offer “Genealogy for Kids” in January. If you are wondering how to get your children interested in this quest, this might be the perfect introduction. The classes will help prepare newcomers or more advanced researchers by providing essential tools and information.

 

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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This Newsletter is Twelve Years Old!

Eastman has been at this a long time.  I thought it would be worth referencing his post here for those who want to get a grasp of where genealogy as an online pursuit has come.

In his blog-post today he writes:Boy, the time does fly! Twelve years has slipped by in almost the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday that I sent the first e-mail newsletter to about 100 people, mostly members of CompuServe’s Genealogy Forums.

 

None  of them knew in advance that the newsletter would arrive; I simply mailed it to people who I thought might be interested. In 1996 nobody objected to receiving unsolicited bulk mail; the phrase “spam mail” had not yet been invented. I shudder to think if I did the same thing in today’s Internet environment.

In that first newsletter on January 15, 1996, I wrote …

 

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Where to Next?

Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions

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