Z is for...Zip Code! ABC Genealogy Do Over - Day 26!

Z is for...Zip Code! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 26! A Zip Code (Zoning Improvement Plan) is a code that identifies where mail is handled for a given area. It was introduced in 1963 as a means to make the delivery of mail quicker and more efficient. 

Y is for...Yearbook! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 25!

Y is for...Yearbook! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 25! A Yearbook (generally issued by a school or society) is published annually, and details information about its members and activities during a particular year. 

X is for...ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 24!

X is for...X is his mark! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 24! What the signer of a document would write if he couldn’t write his name. Signing a document in this manner was usually due to illiteracy or disability, and a witness would label the X as “his mark.” The witness was required to make the mark valid. 

W is for...Will! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 23!

W is for...Will! A Will is a document outlining instructions for what should be done with one’s real and personal property after their demise. #MadamAncestry #ABC #genealogychallenge #doover #will

V is for...Vital Records! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 22!

V is for...Vital Records! Vital Records are records of life events for every person - such as birth, marriage, divorce, and death records. These records are maintained under governmental authority. The privacy laws fro who can access these records and when they can be accessed varies.

U is for...UsGenWeb! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 21!

U is for...USGenWeb! The USGenWeb Project is a volunteer maintained website that lists genealogical databases, bulletin boards, libraries, and other resources to aid in genealogy research.

T is for...Transcribe! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 20!

 

 

T is for...Transcribe! To Transcribe is to make a full handwritten or typed copy of a written work, record, or set of records.

S is for...Surname! ABC Genealogy Challenge - Day 19!

S is for...Surname! A Surname is a name that is common to or shared among members of the same family; generally speaking, a last name.

R is for...Repository! ABC Genealogy Challenege Do Over - Day 18!

R is for...Repository! A Repository is an archive that houses a collection of historical documents/records that provides information related to places, events, groups of people, etc.

Q is for...Quitclaim Deed! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 17!

Q is for...Quitclaim Deed! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 17! A Quitclaim Deed allows for the transfer of interest in real property. The entity transferring its interest is called the grantor, and when the quitclaim deed is properly completed and executed, it transfers any interest the grantor has in the property to a recipient, called the grantee.

P is for...Pension! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 16!

P is for...Pension! A Pension is a disability benefit paid regularly to one after retirement from military service or due to a military service-related disability. If the pensioner is deceased, the benefit would be paid to their surviving spouse.

O is for...Oral History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 15!

O is for...Oral History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 15! Oral history is a collection of family stories told by a family member or someone close to the family. Oral history can be lost over time, so it is best to capture this information by writing it down or recording it (video or audio). 

N is for...Née! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day14!

N is for...Née! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 14! A term used to denote a woman’s maiden name/surname at birth. For example: Rachel Miller, née Jones. 

M is for...Manumission! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 13!

 

M is for...Manumission! Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves.

L is for...Local History! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 12!

L is for...Local History! Local History details historical events surrounding a particular area, and also details information about notable families that lived in the area. 

K is for...Kin! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 11!

K is for...Kin! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 11! Kin is a blood relative; a group of people who are descended from a common ancestor. 

J is for...Judgment Docket! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 10!

J is for...Judgment Docket! A Judgment Docket is a list of all judgments of a particular court, made available to the public for examination. You may be surprised by what you find out about your ancestors in court records! I sure was surprised by what I found out about mine! :-D

I is for...Index! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 9!

I is for...Index! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 9! I is for...Index! An Index is an alphabetical list of names taken from a particular set of records. An index can be compiled in book form or digitized. 

H is for...Heir! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 8!

H is for Heir! An Heir is a person who legally inherits rights to one's estate upon that individual's passing. You will become more familiar with this term as you review wills and other court recorded documents.

G is for...Gazetteer! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 7!

G is for...Gazetteer! A Gazetteer is a type of directory used to index places within a specific geographical area. You would be able to find information about the population, towns, waterways, and other features that make up the area.

F is for...Family Group Sheet! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 6!

 

F is for Family Group Sheet! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 6! F is for...Family Group Sheet! A Family Group Sheet (also called a Family Group Chart) is a document that lists family groups together. For example: If my parents had me and two other children...and let’s say that they each went on to have another child with someone else; my parents would be listed together on one Family Group Sheet with the children they had together, and they would also be listed on anoth...er Family Group Sheet with the other spouse and the child they had together. This does not make you any less family/related because someone may be listed on more than one chart, it just helps clarify information for the sake of research. The chart will contain information on each person such as full name, dates and location of birth/death, etc.

E is for...Enumerator! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over – Day 5!

E is for Enumerator! In a nutshell, the Enumerator is the person responsible for collecting the information for the census. Some did a more thorough job than others, but we can thank them for getting the ball rolling to note all of our ancestors (and their neighbors) in one place! ;-)

D is for...Descendants! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over – Day 4!

D is for...Descendant! The definition of Descendant is "a person that descended from a specific ancestor; an offspring". We can all classify ourselves as a Descendant of some ancestor in our family tree. Every descendant should know their family history, and play a role in helping to keep their family thriving.

One of my favorite family quotes is from Roots: The Next Generations (and if you haven't seen it, you need to). Tom Harvey takes his newborn grandchild outside and holds her up to the sky. After that, he proudly says to his wife "This family gonna go forward". I was proud too! :-) This movie tells the story of so many of our families. So to all of the descendants, go forward and keep the family going!

#LongLiveDescendants

C is for...Cite your sources! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 3!

C is for...Cite your sources! OK, I'll admit that this is probably the most not so fun part of genealogy, but it is a necessary step. It's kind of like enjoying a feast and then having to wash the dishes - nobody wants to wash the dishes, but it has to be done! Why Cite your sources? Here are just a few reasons why:

1. It helps you organize your research so you do not duplicate work 
2. It lends credibility to the information you provide (so people will know you didn't just make this stuff up!)
3. It provides a path to follow for anyone else reviewing or continuing your research

Check out these great examples from Ancestral Findings on how to Cite sources!

B is for...Boolean Search! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 2!

B is for...Boolean Search! It does sound kind of funny and I'm sure someone out there is probably wondering "What in the world does that mean?" I'll tell you! A Boolean Search is quite helpful for online research as it helps to better define results when you combine keywords and modifiers for your search such as AND, NOT, and OR. I also like this funny term because it reminds me of "Booyah" which is what I usually holler out after I find a record! :-D

Try this search method and see what interesting results you may come up with!

#BooleanSearch #Booyah

A is for...Ancestor! ABC Genealogy Challenge Do Over - Day 1!

A is for...Ancestor! The definition of Ancestor is "a person from whom one is descended; forbear; progenitor". An Ancestor is usually the starting point of one's family history journey. There is something about that Ancestor that we long to know and long to connect with - a name; a major life event; or some similarity we find intriguing. Finding an Ancestor can offer so much! For some, it can offer closure and for others it can offer a whole new identity - the possibilities are endless!

So if you've been wanting to begin your family history journey, pick one Ancestor of interest and begin there!

#LongLiveAncestors

New Year, New Website!

Happy New Year! I hope that 2018 is off to a great start for you! It's a new year and I have a new website! Check it out! http://madamancestry.com/

Happy searching! :-)