Working with the new Brick Wall Buster cards that I just got! This was the learning from the last class as you recall. I chose to apply them to what might be my most challenging brick wall. Hindsight tells me I maybe should have started with an easier one. Oh well!

I haven’t solved anything yet but I can tell one thing already, this system helps to keep you organized. By that I don’t mean creating a new folder system but in my head. I have researched this person for years and never get past where I currently am but each time I kind of start over because I lose track of what I found the last time.

With this new approach, I can put the information on the wall in a manner that I can make sense of and as I review what I already have I can note the research that I might need to do next. For example: I have a daughter for my ancestor named Emily, listed in one document that I find nowhere else. That tells me there are options to investigate. It could be that Emily died young, another family could be caring for her, the initial listing was incorrectly noted as a daughter, or maybe something else.

I do suspect that the mother and father were divorced shortly after this child might have been born but that they might have still been living together regardless. Her older brother was my ancestor so I was looking for her to give my some information about the parents where abouts.

There are interesting “facts” that I have noticed as I tried this new system and actually got “physical” with the notes. On one census it indicates that Mom may have been born about 1834, however on another census it indicates about 1840 and another 1826. Now is this 3 different people with the same locations and people around them or inaccurate reporting or just don’t want to admit my age???

My point with all of this is that by using the card system and physically moving around to put the information on a board to organize the thinking, I believe it creates a process that will not be as easily forgotten when I get back to it. It also created a system where I can note, (and see the note in front of me) the potential next step in the research. What am I missing and where do I need to go next.

Now with all that said, it could be the next step is to a different brick wall or to a professional genealogist to work on this one!

Next class, “Essential Shortcuts for Genealogists”, by the author of the Occasional Genealogist. Does that describe you or does it sound like tips you could use? If so, go back to the main page of our website and get signed-up.

Heidi Geise, education@hqrl.com