​As we continue to escape winter’s chill by hibernating indoors on these cold days, instead of binge-watching movies, consider ways to enhance your genealogy knowledge by attending a conference virtually.  Sometimes we need a break from all that writing and research.  The exciting thing about genealogy is how the practice has continued to evolve and grow while staying true to its roots. (pun intended.)  Here are some upcoming learning opportunities.

Happy Valentine’s!  I hope you have spent some time with your loved ones.  With this holiday of love, as genealogists our thoughts turn marriage records. After all what could be better than flowers for a genealogist than finding new data about our family!

​Using marriage records can help us trace our ancestors, especially as it relates to our female line. There are not many legal documents that provide the wife’s name, maiden name and parents. Even obituaries may refer to her as Mrs. Jones, not Mary Jones. As you write your family’s history, you’ll find that marriage records can be helpful to track down dates, names and relationships.  Let’s look.

​Maybe it is the umpteenth snowstorm this year or the plethora of tax related document appearing in my mailboxes or having just paid my property taxes that have turned my thoughts to “death and taxes”. 
 
The good news is that being snowed in is the perfect time to review the records that we’ve collected and think of collateral information that will help flesh out our family story.  And surprisingly, taxes are a useful source.  Let’s look.

​Brrrr… If you’re in the Midwest this week, you’re likely experiencing colder than normal weather. Usually people from this area take the cold in stride, calling temperatures slightly below zero “chilly”.  With 30 below zero temperatures and 50 below windchills, it is now officially cold!  I can’t help but think about our pioneer ancestors.  How did they ever managed to live through the brutal winters of the late 1800s and early 1900s?
 
We certainly are better prepared to handle harsh weather extremes with modern technology.  Our ancestors had to stay alert and prepared to handle the brutal winters.  Their homes were weatherized as best they could with the woodpile stocked but it must have been difficult to handle days like these. As you write your family history, look at ways to incorporate the weather into your story.  Let’s look at ways to do this.