So, a full agenda on today’s entry. Let’s start with the beginner tips and I am throwing 2 at you today. The first one is that after you have started to look at those big sites, your favorites and some new ones, you need to do a little gap analysis. We need to do this continuously whether beginners or not. What do I know? What do I need to or want to know? Where have I looked? Where else could I look? The answers to these questions are not only in your own research and stories but are where the classes, like those offered at HQRL, come into play. 

Here is an example. I have a 3 times great grandmother that on a census report for her daughter says that she came from Canada (French side). This would have been the early 1800’s. So that is what I know? I have no other information except the name of her spouse and that he was English. Where have I looked? Where else could I look? What I know is that March 20, 2025, HQRL offered a class, King’s Daughters that focused on finding French-Canadian ancestors. Will I get some ideas? 

The 2nd tip goes with the previous one in my head. The tip is to have a PLAN. I know this one is a challenge because everyone wants to just jump in and start looking for stuff. How many times have we gone to the computer or to the library and started looking with this plan: “Today I will add every hint I can find on my entire family.” How well did that work? Did you stay focused and find what you needed or get sidetracked looking for “shiny items?”

Keep your gap analysis in mind and set a more focused plan. “I am going to follow the trail backwards to look for my 2 times great grandmother in census records. I will also look at her siblings for information about their mother. I will look at information on my 3 times great grandmother near the birth of her daughter that might indicate her movements forward and backwards.” Now, this may not be perfect but at least it is more focused and gives me more chances to find what I am looking for. Instead of going all over the place, if I find hints I can keep a log nearby with places that I might look at later so that I don’t lose that information. Whew! Remember we said, “Genealogy is not easy!”

Now what about those French-Canadian women (and men)? Wow, what a great class we had. I will add more about it in next week’s entry but let me say that now I have ideas as to what to look for and what the history was of the brave women and men that helped build Quebec and the surrounding areas and migrated into the US. Check out the resources at HQRL itself: French-Canadian Sources, The French-Canadian Heritage in New England, French-Canadian Roots, French Dictionary, and French-Canadian At a Glance.  Also, check out http://www.youtube.com/c/HaveRootsWillTravel, one of the resources from our speaker, Lisa Elvin-Staltari. She also has the following sites: www.haverootswilltravel,com and Have Roots Will Travel Podcast. 

What solutions can you find in Kentucky? Check out the class on April 3rd. And what happens if you can’t find the vital records? Check out the class on April 17th about finding indirect evidence. Sorry, this got long….so much information. GO TO HQRL for more.
Happy Hunting!
Heidi Geise, education@hqrl.com