Recent content by Marilou

If a document has cost me a substantial amount of money to obtain, I won't put a copy of it in my tree. However, I do put the source of the information, including location of microflim, mf rolls numbers and documet numbers. And if if someone contacts me about it I will send them a copy by e-mail.

I think this comes from the idea that if someone has gone to the trouble and expenses, it is ultimately their "intellectual property." In one of the courses I took, the instructor was admanant about it. While I can understand where they are coming from, my personal opinion is that this sort of...

I have my tree on Ancestry, but I don't use other trees as sources (sometimes, if someone's tree looks like they have put some real work into it, I will contact them with the hopes of collaborating.) That said, I source everything I put in my tree so that if people look at mine, they can see my...

I do the same - file under maiden name. I have also made up a label template which includes name, birthdate and spouse. This is especially helpful when there are several people with the same name - which in my case happens a lot! On occasion, I even include the fathers name. On one line I...

This is SOOOOO true. My husband's heritage is Norwegian and I had pretty much given up learning anything about the family before they arrived in Iowa in the 1880s. However, a woman who had seen my "limited" tree on Ancestry, saw a name that was familiar to her and contacted me. Long story...

With regards to siblings, census records help a lot, but not just census records, but wills and obituaries, etc. Solved a huge family mystery by getting the will/letters adminstration of one brother which included letters from another brother. The obituary of yet another brother included...

VERY true! My plan was - a 3 month Ancestry subscription and I'd be done :lol::lol: But it can be so rewarding, especially when your hard work solves a mystery or when you make contact with relatives from around the world. Through my research, this past summer I was able to meet a...

Susan, that is sooooo disappointing about the birth certificate. Depending on the county in Ireland, it can be very difficult to get records replaced because so many have been destroyed by fire, etc. About birth years on census records, you will need to give a little latitute. Depending on...

I am very thrilled to see this thread. I started researching my family history about 3 1/2 years ago and it has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. As others have said, it is VERY important to question EVERYTHING told to you by family members, or that you find on-line...

Thank you. I will!