Jan 30, 2026

Every family tree is built as much from absence as it is from presence. Names, dates, places, and relationships draw most of our attention, but they are not the whole structure. What often shapes a tree more than anything else is what is missing.

Blank space.

Not the kind created by neglect or incomplete work, but the...

Jan 28, 2026

Divorce Records Are a Genealogy Goldmine

Divorce records are one of the most overlooked sources in family history research. Many people assume their ancestors never divorced, or they assume that if a divorce happened, it would be obvious and easy to locate. In reality, divorce existed far earlier than most researchers...

Jan 27, 2026

Before welfare offices and Social Security checks, there was something older and far more personal. There was each other.

When I look at my own ancestors, this shows up clearly. They lived on farms where the nearest neighbor might be a mile away. Today, that sounds distant. In their world, it was close enough to matter....

Jan 23, 2026

There comes a point in genealogy when you sit back, stare at the screen, and realize you are not moving forward anymore. You are still working, still searching, still opening records, but nothing new is coming in. You have been here before. Most people who research family history long enough eventually find themselves...

Jan 19, 2026

There is a moment in almost every genealogy project when temptation shows up. It does not usually sound reckless. It sounds reasonable. It sounds efficient. It often arrives as one simple sentence, “This must be the same person.” That sentence has damaged more family trees than missing records ever could, because...